Is the best yet to come?

[dam60]

Here's something I've been thinking about that I would love to hear some opinions on: have the best of the best Bronze age books been graded or is the best yet to come?

 

Golden age books probably still have some really great issues that are just sitting in people's personal collections. It would seem that the typical golden age collector has plenty of experience with collecting and doesn't need CGC or anyone else for that matter telling him what condition his books are in. The Modern Age has so much and with the $15 grading fee, I bet that if these books were ever really worth something truckloads of 'em would be sent in to be graded, but Silver and Bronze age books I am not sure about.

 

Apologies if this has been discussed in another thread.

 

Thoughts?

 

DAM

[drbanner]

The best bronze age books with motivated sellers (dealers/collectors active in the hobby, willing to sell) have been slabbed. I'm sure there are tons of great books locked up in the collections of collectors that quit the hobby years ago and don't even know what CGC stands for, or that simply have no inclination to sell. Makes one wonder how many CGC books are "re-sells" (the buyer bought the book slabbed, like the Detective 400 9.4 that sold on ebay last year for $400 that was listed recently on ebay), and how many are "first time offered" type books. Hmm...

[hogations]

Wait until I bust out my Spider-woman #1's

 

I think for exceptional examples of keys, the majority of the books are out. There may be warehouse stacks of some books, but they most likely will not be of 9.6 or higher quality. I'm a little surprised an 9.8 X-Men 94 hasn't surfaced and only 8 9.6's - compare this with GS X-Men #1 census stats (55 9.6's!!!)

[ubiquiti]

Or your Logan's Runs...

You been on hiatus for a while or what?

[MonumentalCo]

I personally think that there are a lot of books out there that have not been graded. One example is a guy that has 100 unread copies of Spectacular Spider-Man #1. He has them packed away and has no interest in selling. I think anything could turn up at any time.

[blowout]

CGC graded post 1965 books havn't even began to scatch the surface of what is out there. Just look at the print runs of the books from that period then look at the CGC census. Even factoring in the lost/ damaged books over the years, there were enough comic collectors around to indicate that its a no brainer.

[comicartfan]

Didn't Mark Wilson recently turn up a warehouse find of some Hulk 102s ??

[greggy]

Don't know about recently but he did find some as well as the other Marvel 1968 "keys" plus for some reason some Beware the Creeper #1s in the mid 1990s!

[murph0]

That was my warehouse..I could've sworn Creeper was a Marvel that's why it was there..

 

Brian

[hogations]

"Or your Logan's Runs...

You been on hiatus for a while or what? "

 

Dunno which one I have more of It's a pretty tight race! I used to have a ton of Machine Man #1s as well too but I dunno where they've all gone! (maybe it's a good thing )

 

December was an off-month for me with regards to eBay. I also had a couple weeks off so I haven't been checking the boards very often. I'll probably start the auctions up again in a couple weeks (same stuff as usual, maybe a sprinkling of new stuff). Hey, if you ever need any more Logan Run's #1 or Spider-woman #1's for a good price, you know who to call!

[hogations]

"I personally think that there are a lot of books out there that have not been graded. One example is a guy that has 100 unread copies of Spectacular Spider-Man #1."

 

For certain books like Spec. Spider-man #1, yes, there are a ton out there that haven't been graded. I'm sure there are cases out there that have the elusive 9.9 for this book. Star Wars #1 is another one (as well as many other post 1975 Marvel #1's). However, I'm not so sure about X-Men 94 or Hulk 181. I don't think there are cases of these books floating out there. If you look at the distribution stats on the census for these two books in particular, it suggests there aren't.

[fantastic_four]

The CGC Census used to report that there was one 9.9 copy of the 1976 Spectacular Spider-Man #1; I remember it because I factored it into the price I was willing to pay when I bought my 9.8 copy. Sometime this year it disappeared.

 

I wonder which was in error--the initial listing or the subsequent de-listing of it? Could the owner have resubmitted and gotten a lower grade or something? Dunno.

[hogations]

It would be interesting to see what a 9.9 would go for. Early on, a 9.8 went for as high as $750, but prices have dropped substantially. I think 9.4s now routinely go for below guide.

[duncan36]

I think people underestimate how aware of trends some wharehousers are, as soon as Wolverine showed real strength I'm sure there were a number of people snapping up as many of these books as they could and storing them away, this would have occured in earnest through the early-mid eighties I would imagine.

The constant endless drip of high grade Hulk 181 should be an indication of just how many there are out there I think.

[murph0]

In your opinion is there any book out there that hasn't been hoarded by someone? You seem to think every single book is plentiful.

 

Brian

[duncan36]

I'd say no to that, obviously many golden age books are actually rare, and some high grade silvers are rare, but other than that if every owner of a collection/wharehouse/dealer plopped all his comics on the top at the same time. Most books would become immediately worthless and most keys would be worth a large multiple less than what they're worth now.

[murph0]

I see..there must be tons and tons of warehouses out there..I always love the infamous "there's tons and tons of warehouses full of comics" yet when asked noone can even point out ONE. It's all an assumption.

 

Brian

[murph0]

Just an fyi, if you truly believe this you better sell all your comics now b/c it's just a matter of time!!! Soon all your comics won't even be worth the paper their printed on..

 

Brian

[FlyingDonut]

Well, I can think of one. And I've been in it - Ed Koch's warehouse in Northampton, MA. A ZILLION comics. Comics everywhere. I'd guess 500,000 books, easily.

[greggy]

Wasn't Ed Koch the former mayor of New York? BTW, isn't it Gary Dolgoff? I guess what murph is referring to is the unlikely chance that dealers are holding on to big stacks of keys such as Hulk 181 in high grade. They would have probably sold them long ago.

 

P.S. Who has the Demon Deacs played so far that warrants the titans clash designation?