I'm sure this thread exists somewhere.....

[Waylander]

For Modern comics, I can understand Walking Dead 1 being up there, but as a Key I would consider Ultimate Spider-Man 1 as a Modern key as it helped relaunch and refresh a lot of titles - IMHO

 

but from the collecting hobby you'd agree that Walking Dead is key?

 

Here's how I decide. If I had a USM #1 in 9.8 and someone offered me a Walking Dead #1 9.8 would I do the trade?

 

if the answer is yes, then you know which one is KEY.

 

You an have more than one Key comic in any given era - yes, but I would say that Ultimate Spider-Man for me is a Key which has had a greater affect for comics that Walking Dead - again IMHO

[chrisco37]

Lower moderately high grades of Hulk #181 and GL #76 are close,

 

IH 181 in 9.0 $1224 (12 mo)

GL #76 in 9.0 $1320 (12 mo)

 

but since GL #76 is so rare in 9.2+ grades the price jumps well past Hulk #181.

 

I think (strangely) some of the reason Hulk #181 gets thought of as "Key" is its availability to own (who wants a key to be impossible to find?!?!?)

 

There are 8x as many Hulks graded vs GL #76s

 

Hulk 181 is the "Key" b/c Wolverine is one of the most popular characters of them all.

 

GL gets more money in grade due to the abundence of Hulk 181 and the relative scarcity of GL 76.

 

It's not the bigger "key" though.

[chrisco37]

For Modern comics, I can understand Walking Dead 1 being up there, but as a Key I would consider Ultimate Spider-Man 1 as a Modern key as it helped relaunch and refresh a lot of titles - IMHO

 

but from the collecting hobby you'd agree that Walking Dead is key?

 

Here's how I decide. If I had a USM #1 in 9.8 and someone offered me a Walking Dead #1 9.8 would I do the trade?

 

if the answer is yes, then you know which one is KEY.

 

You an have more than one Key comic in any given era - yes, but I would say that Ultimate Spider-Man for me is a Key which has had a greater affect for comics that Walking Dead - again IMHO

 

I like USM #1 as a potential challenger to WD. (thumbs u

[chrisco37]

And, as far as BA books go, Hulk 181 is the clear top book.

 

Other books (GSX, GL, etc...) are important, for sure, but 1st Wolverine is the king.

 

At least until Avengers 2

 

1st Thanos is never going to surpass 1st Wolverine as the top book.

 

I actually agree but if he's the major villain in the next movie and it as good as the 1st and breaks all the box office records, it could get REALLY close

 

The prices i've been seeing for even raw copies of IM55 lately have been CRAZY!!! I have to get my copy graded ASAP!

 

Is this a discussion about what will, ultimately, bring the most money? Or what is the top "key".

 

Roy just posted the reasoning for why Hulk 181 is the king.

[sufunk]

And, as far as BA books go, Hulk 181 is the clear top book.

 

Other books (GSX, GL, etc...) are important, for sure, but 1st Wolverine is the king.

 

At least until Avengers 2

 

1st Thanos is never going to surpass 1st Wolverine as the top book.

 

I actually agree but if he's the major villain in the next movie and it as good as the 1st and breaks all the box office records, it could get REALLY close

 

The prices i've been seeing for even raw copies of IM55 lately have been CRAZY!!! I have to get my copy graded ASAP!

 

Is this a discussion about what will, ultimately, bring the most money? Or what is the top "key".

 

Roy just posted the reasoning for why Hulk 181 is the king.

 

Agreed, im just saying it could get close enough where IM55 is in the discussion

[VintageComics]

Nope.

 

Wolverine is unquestionably the biggest draw of the Marvel bronze age...he's more popular than almost any other character out there.

 

Thanos is ultra cool but not even close.

 

 

[Columbia Comics]

Nope.

 

Wolverine is unquestionably the biggest draw of the Marvel bronze age...he's more popular than almost any other character out there.

 

Thanos is ultra cool but not even close.

 

 

Sounds like a Bromance is brewing here...

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

For Modern comics, I can understand Walking Dead 1 being up there, but as a Key I would consider Ultimate Spider-Man 1 as a Modern key as it helped relaunch and refresh a lot of titles - IMHO

 

but from the collecting hobby you'd agree that Walking Dead is key?

 

Here's how I decide. If I had a USM #1 in 9.8 and someone offered me a Walking Dead #1 9.8 would I do the trade?

 

if the answer is yes, then you know which one is KEY.

 

You an have more than one Key comic in any given era - yes, but I would say that Ultimate Spider-Man for me is a Key which has had a greater affect for comics that Walking Dead - again IMHO

 

I like USM #1 as a potential challenger to WD. (thumbs u

 

Me too.

 

It'll be interesting to see in a few years after the smoke clears which one in retrospect generated more buzz and is viewed as more important. USM #1 went though a price bubble, and I think WD #1 will too.

[miraclemet]

 

Is this a discussion about what will, ultimately, bring the most money? Or what is the top "key".

 

Roy just posted the reasoning for why Hulk 181 is the king.

 

its odd that the bronze age is the one era where the key is not also the high $$ book. Just a result of marvel's higher production numbers during the 70s?

[chrisco37]

 

Is this a discussion about what will, ultimately, bring the most money? Or what is the top "key".

 

Roy just posted the reasoning for why Hulk 181 is the king.

 

its odd that the bronze age is the one era where the key is not also the high $$ book. Just a result of marvel's higher production numbers during the 70s?

 

If Hulk 181 had similar "low" numbers to GL 76, it would blow it out of the water price-wise.

[sufunk]

 

Is this a discussion about what will, ultimately, bring the most money? Or what is the top "key".

 

Roy just posted the reasoning for why Hulk 181 is the king.

 

its odd that the bronze age is the one era where the key is not also the high $$ book. Just a result of marvel's higher production numbers during the 70s?

 

Apparently. Finding a IH181 in 9.6-9.8 is as easy to find as it gets. Theres multiple copies in pretty much every single auction.

 

Roy seems to know a little about paper used back then from another thread i saw so id guess DC used a lesser quality paper maybe

[sufunk]

 

Is this a discussion about what will, ultimately, bring the most money? Or what is the top "key".

 

Roy just posted the reasoning for why Hulk 181 is the king.

 

its odd that the bronze age is the one era where the key is not also the high $$ book. Just a result of marvel's higher production numbers during the 70s?

 

If Hulk 181 had similar "low" numbers to GL 76, it would blow it out of the water price-wise.

 

Yes, but would you agree that Wolvies popularity has probably peaked and it on a downturn a little?

[VintageComics]

Guys, seriously?

 

No young kids walk up asking for GL #76 or Iron Man #55 at a con booth but almost every one of them wants a Hulk #181.

 

That book is about as liquid as you are going to get in this hobby. The grade doesn't matter. Whether it's missing a page or a value stamp doesn't matter. It sells and sells and sells at all price points.

 

It's not even fair to compare anything else to it.

 

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

Guys, seriously?

 

No young kids walk up asking for GL #76 or Iron Man #55 at a con booth but almost every one of them wants a Hulk #181.

 

That book is about as liquid as you are going to get in this hobby. The grade doesn't matter. Whether it's missing a page or a value stamp doesn't matter. It sells and sells and sells at all price points.

 

It's not even fair to compare anything else to it.

 

I'd have to agree. This is just anecdotal, but within the groups I interact with, Hulk #181 comes up in conversation about 100 times more often than the other two.

 

Also, and I don't have the actual data so this is just my impression, but I think price demand for Hulk #181 is flat to up, where GL #76 is definitely down. IM55 is obviously on the rise, but for how long.

[VintageComics]

 

Is this a discussion about what will, ultimately, bring the most money? Or what is the top "key".

 

Roy just posted the reasoning for why Hulk 181 is the king.

 

its odd that the bronze age is the one era where the key is not also the high $$ book. Just a result of marvel's higher production numbers during the 70s?

 

Apparently. Finding a IH181 in 9.6-9.8 is as easy to find as it gets. Theres multiple copies in pretty much every single auction.

 

Roy seems to know a little about paper used back then from another thread i saw so id guess DC used a lesser quality paper maybe

 

GL #76 probably just didn't sell as well off the newsstand. I could be wrong.

 

In general primary colours are more appealing than secondary colours if I remember my art classes, so a bright red and yellow Hulk #181 on an already popular title would probably outsell a green cover copy from a title that was not selling as well.

 

I could be wrong about GL's popularity but I think Neal Adams was always put on titles that were ready for extinction. X-men was ready to be cancelled when he started pencilling the title.

 

It really was Wolverine (and the new X-men) that salvaged that title from the life support it was on.

 

GSX #1 and X-men #94 are his 2nd and 3rd appearances and although he was on equal footing with all characters in the beginning he very quickly grew into a central character in all story lines including a romance with the leading lady, his berserker issue, etc.

[AtlasFan]

GA - Action 1/Detective 27 tie

SA - FF 1 / AF 15 tie

BA - X-Men 94 / New Teen Titans 1

CA - Crisis #7

 

[sufunk]

Guys, seriously?

 

No young kids walk up asking for GL #76 or Iron Man #55 at a con booth but almost every one of them wants a Hulk #181.

 

That book is about as liquid as you are going to get in this hobby. The grade doesn't matter. Whether it's missing a page or a value stamp doesn't matter. It sells and sells and sells at all price points.

 

It's not even fair to compare anything else to it.

 

I've agreed with that 3 times already. All im saying is in 3-5 years, IM55 could be much closer.

 

My entire youth, SC4 was KING over AF15, now its practically forgotten. Things do change. I'm not saying they will but if Thanos does end up being the major villain in the next, Thanos is gonna shoot way up the list for what people are asking for at cons.

[VintageComics]

Guys, seriously?

 

No young kids walk up asking for GL #76 or Iron Man #55 at a con booth but almost every one of them wants a Hulk #181.

 

That book is about as liquid as you are going to get in this hobby. The grade doesn't matter. Whether it's missing a page or a value stamp doesn't matter. It sells and sells and sells at all price points.

 

It's not even fair to compare anything else to it.

 

I'd have to agree. This is just anecdotal, but within the groups I interact with, Hulk #181 comes up in conversation about 100 times more often than the other two.

 

Also, and I don't have the actual data so this is just my impression, but I think price demand for Hulk #181 is flat to up, where GL #76 is definitely down. IM55 is obviously on the rise, but for how long.

 

Remove price from the equation and just watch people at a con.

 

They will invariably walk up to a Hulk #181 and point at it possibly more than any other book.

 

Sure, you always have a "flavour of the week" but Hulk #181 has been pretty popular since I bought my first copy for $200 in 1989.

 

 

 

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

Guys, seriously?

 

No young kids walk up asking for GL #76 or Iron Man #55 at a con booth but almost every one of them wants a Hulk #181.

 

That book is about as liquid as you are going to get in this hobby. The grade doesn't matter. Whether it's missing a page or a value stamp doesn't matter. It sells and sells and sells at all price points.

 

It's not even fair to compare anything else to it.

 

I've agreed with that 3 times already. All im saying is in 3-5 years, IM55 could be much closer.

 

My entire youth, SC4 was KING over AF15, now its practically forgotten. Things do change. I'm not saying they will but if Thanos does end up being the major villain in the next, Thanos is gonna shoot way up the list for what people are asking for at cons.

 

I think it would be great if IM55 continued its rise.

 

But I wonder if a "villain" key can ever rival a "hero" key?

[Waylander]

Most people seem to be agreeing that its the effect a Key has on the comic industry and its respective collectors that is important - so with the Modern examples we have ie USM #1 or WD #1, which one is deemed THE key?

 

WD is the comic of the moment with the TV show and buzz, but will it out live USM #1 in terms of comic importance?