Bronze age comics that are heating up on eBay... 38 38

[kimik]

On 3/2/2022 at 3:51 PM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

As for the books I lost:  Avengers #93, Avengers #94, and Captain America #118 -- all in 9.6 WP, and all of which sold for what I frankly consider to be crazy numbers, though I came in third place on the #93 and second place on the other two so I guess that makes me part of the insanity.  I don't know how to feel about any of this, but I'll get over it.  You're just catching me when it's all still very fresh and I figure what the hell, why not lay it all out here as a little snapshot of what I'm thinking at this moment in time.  I hope at least some of this sounds familiar to others who are trying to navigate this incredibly overheated market.

Look at in another way - you made the high bidders pay a premium for their books by bidding them up. Now that they are removed from the equation you may be able to get the next copies that pop up for less and you will have the satisfaction of knowing they will regret the overpay. 

[batmiesta]

On 3/2/2022 at 10:51 PM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

Honestly, I'm not sure if I should be bragging about this or embarrassed by what I paid.  But here you go.

I am fully aware that this is probably the WORST possible time to buy ASM #101.  I thought long and hard about staying out of this auction and waiting for another copy after the movie hype dies down.  However, there were a few factors that made me go for it:

1. I am soooo close to finishing my goal of upgrading #101 through #150 to 9.6 WP.  With this book in the collection, I am down to just four more (none of which are keys -- #121, 122, 124, 129, etc. are all checked off the list already).
2. This book almost never comes up with white pages.  In fact, off-white seems almost as common as OW/W.
3. This book is also notorious for centering / wrap issues.  No, this wrap isn't perfect but honestly I can be happy with a thin, even strip of white.  I really dislike when the wrap is crooked and you get a triangle of white, which again is very common on this book.

So, the market for 9.6 has been anywhere from $9,000 on the low end to $12,000 on the high end, but this book was sitting at over $11K as of February 22, one week before the auction close.  I have bid on enough auctions to know that this meant it was going to take at least $13,500 to win this book.  I also knew there would be at least one other person out there thinking along with me that this was a very nice 9.6 and that there's no way to know when another WP copy was going to come around.

So I prepared to "go nuts" and bid somewhere in the high $15,000s -- hoping and praying that I was overshooting by a bunch and I'd win it for $12,500 but knowing that all it takes is one other person thinking the same thing and I would get a much more painful win.  And then, no joke, with about 8 seconds to go I just had this feeling that there was going to be someone willing to go to $16K.  So I bid $16,387.

I won the book for $16,387 because sure enough, somebody bid $16,222.

So -- had I lost, I would have been sitting there with no book and having helped set the market at $16K on this book and I would have been banging my head against the wall.  Since I won, I am sitting here with a book (that is a big deal, the adrenaline rush and the dopamine hit are real) but I also know I've overpaid.  I can console myself with a few thoughts ...

• This is a real nice book and I am very happy to have it.
• I'm going to sell my 9.4, hopefully quickly, and that will take some of the sting out of this if I can get a good price.
• If I look at the (many many) books already in my collection, and the prices they are going for, I know in the big picture I'm doing fine even though I might have taken a bath on this one book.  Just to take a handful of books I was watching -- ASM #2 through #5 in 9.0 -- all four sold last night for a LOT more than I paid for my 9.0 copies.  That helps me cope with the pain of buying in the current market.
• In the past, when I've paid what felt like way too much for a book, it usually didn't take long before I was actually thankful I got the book for what I paid.  There's some hope that I'll feel that way (eventually) about this book.  The Morbius movie sounds like it might be a good one, so maybe the character has more "legs" than I wanted to give it credit for.

As for the books I lost:  Avengers #93, Avengers #94, and Captain America #118 -- all in 9.6 WP, and all of which sold for what I frankly consider to be crazy numbers, though I came in third place on the #93 and second place on the other two so I guess that makes me part of the insanity.  I don't know how to feel about any of this, but I'll get over it.  You're just catching me when it's all still very fresh and I figure what the hell, why not lay it all out here as a little snapshot of what I'm thinking at this moment in time.  I hope at least some of this sounds familiar to others who are trying to navigate this incredibly overheated market.

For what it's worth Lou, this is a book worth going balls out for, pleased for you pal.

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 3/2/2022 at 5:51 PM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

Honestly, I'm not sure if I should be bragging about this or embarrassed by what I paid.  But here you go.

I am fully aware that this is probably the WORST possible time to buy ASM #101.  I thought long and hard about staying out of this auction and waiting for another copy after the movie hype dies down.  However, there were a few factors that made me go for it:

1. I am soooo close to finishing my goal of upgrading #101 through #150 to 9.6 WP.  With this book in the collection, I am down to just four more (none of which are keys -- #121, 122, 124, 129, etc. are all checked off the list already).
2. This book almost never comes up with white pages.  In fact, off-white seems almost as common as OW/W.
3. This book is also notorious for centering / wrap issues.  No, this wrap isn't perfect but honestly I can be happy with a thin, even strip of white.  I really dislike when the wrap is crooked and you get a triangle of white, which again is very common on this book.

So, the market for 9.6 has been anywhere from $9,000 on the low end to $12,000 on the high end, but this book was sitting at over $11K as of February 22, one week before the auction close.  I have bid on enough auctions to know that this meant it was going to take at least $13,500 to win this book.  I also knew there would be at least one other person out there thinking along with me that this was a very nice 9.6 and that there's no way to know when another WP copy was going to come around.

So I prepared to "go nuts" and bid somewhere in the high $15,000s -- hoping and praying that I was overshooting by a bunch and I'd win it for $12,500 but knowing that all it takes is one other person thinking the same thing and I would get a much more painful win.  And then, no joke, with about 8 seconds to go I just had this feeling that there was going to be someone willing to go to $16K.  So I bid $16,387.

I won the book for $16,387 because sure enough, somebody bid $16,222.

So -- had I lost, I would have been sitting there with no book and having helped set the market at $16K on this book and I would have been banging my head against the wall.  Since I won, I am sitting here with a book (that is a big deal, the adrenaline rush and the dopamine hit are real) but I also know I've overpaid.  I can console myself with a few thoughts ...

• This is a real nice book and I am very happy to have it.
• I'm going to sell my 9.4, hopefully quickly, and that will take some of the sting out of this if I can get a good price.
• If I look at the (many many) books already in my collection, and the prices they are going for, I know in the big picture I'm doing fine even though I might have taken a bath on this one book.  Just to take a handful of books I was watching -- ASM #2 through #5 in 9.0 -- all four sold last night for a LOT more than I paid for my 9.0 copies.  That helps me cope with the pain of buying in the current market.
• In the past, when I've paid what felt like way too much for a book, it usually didn't take long before I was actually thankful I got the book for what I paid.  There's some hope that I'll feel that way (eventually) about this book.  The Morbius movie sounds like it might be a good one, so maybe the character has more "legs" than I wanted to give it credit for.

As for the books I lost:  Avengers #93, Avengers #94, and Captain America #118 -- all in 9.6 WP, and all of which sold for what I frankly consider to be crazy numbers, though I came in third place on the #93 and second place on the other two so I guess that makes me part of the insanity.  I don't know how to feel about any of this, but I'll get over it.  You're just catching me when it's all still very fresh and I figure what the hell, why not lay it all out here as a little snapshot of what I'm thinking at this moment in time.  I hope at least some of this sounds familiar to others who are trying to navigate this incredibly overheated market.

I’m glad I’m not looking for one.  Will this show up on GPA?

[Sweet Lou 14]

On 3/3/2022 at 1:52 AM, kimik said:

Look at in another way - you made the high bidders pay a premium for their books by bidding them up. Now that they are removed from the equation you may be able to get the next copies that pop up for less and you will have the satisfaction of knowing they will regret the overpay. 

Someone out there must be saying that about me on the ASM #101 as well.  

[Sweet Lou 14]

On 3/3/2022 at 7:31 AM, THE_BEYONDER said:

I’m glad I’m not looking for one.  Will this show up on GPA?

Not sure -- I believe the word is that Heritage shares, ComicConnect shares "eventually," and ComicLink does not.

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 3/3/2022 at 9:02 AM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

Not sure -- I believe the word is that Heritage shares, ComicConnect shares "eventually," and ComicLink does not.

It was a comic link purchase?

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 3/3/2022 at 9:02 AM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

Someone out there must be saying that about me on the ASM #101 as well.  

As far as GPA goes....

 

[dikran]

On 3/3/2022 at 9:02 AM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

Not sure -- I believe the word is that Heritage shares, ComicConnect shares "eventually," and ComicLink does not.

I'm sure Key Collector will do write up on it, you'll be famous! 

[Shaun C89]

On 3/2/2022 at 4:51 PM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

Honestly, I'm not sure if I should be bragging about this or embarrassed by what I paid.  But here you go.

I am fully aware that this is probably the WORST possible time to buy ASM #101.  I thought long and hard about staying out of this auction and waiting for another copy after the movie hype dies down.  However, there were a few factors that made me go for it:

1. I am soooo close to finishing my goal of upgrading #101 through #150 to 9.6 WP.  With this book in the collection, I am down to just four more (none of which are keys -- #121, 122, 124, 129, etc. are all checked off the list already).
2. This book almost never comes up with white pages.  In fact, off-white seems almost as common as OW/W.
3. This book is also notorious for centering / wrap issues.  No, this wrap isn't perfect but honestly I can be happy with a thin, even strip of white.  I really dislike when the wrap is crooked and you get a triangle of white, which again is very common on this book.

So, the market for 9.6 has been anywhere from $9,000 on the low end to $12,000 on the high end, but this book was sitting at over $11K as of February 22, one week before the auction close.  I have bid on enough auctions to know that this meant it was going to take at least $13,500 to win this book.  I also knew there would be at least one other person out there thinking along with me that this was a very nice 9.6 and that there's no way to know when another WP copy was going to come around.

So I prepared to "go nuts" and bid somewhere in the high $15,000s -- hoping and praying that I was overshooting by a bunch and I'd win it for $12,500 but knowing that all it takes is one other person thinking the same thing and I would get a much more painful win.  And then, no joke, with about 8 seconds to go I just had this feeling that there was going to be someone willing to go to $16K.  So I bid $16,387.

I won the book for $16,387 because sure enough, somebody bid $16,222.

So -- had I lost, I would have been sitting there with no book and having helped set the market at $16K on this book and I would have been banging my head against the wall.  Since I won, I am sitting here with a book (that is a big deal, the adrenaline rush and the dopamine hit are real) but I also know I've overpaid.  I can console myself with a few thoughts ...

• This is a real nice book and I am very happy to have it.
• I'm going to sell my 9.4, hopefully quickly, and that will take some of the sting out of this if I can get a good price.
• If I look at the (many many) books already in my collection, and the prices they are going for, I know in the big picture I'm doing fine even though I might have taken a bath on this one book.  Just to take a handful of books I was watching -- ASM #2 through #5 in 9.0 -- all four sold last night for a LOT more than I paid for my 9.0 copies.  That helps me cope with the pain of buying in the current market.
• In the past, when I've paid what felt like way too much for a book, it usually didn't take long before I was actually thankful I got the book for what I paid.  There's some hope that I'll feel that way (eventually) about this book.  The Morbius movie sounds like it might be a good one, so maybe the character has more "legs" than I wanted to give it credit for.

As for the books I lost:  Avengers #93, Avengers #94, and Captain America #118 -- all in 9.6 WP, and all of which sold for what I frankly consider to be crazy numbers, though I came in third place on the #93 and second place on the other two so I guess that makes me part of the insanity.  I don't know how to feel about any of this, but I'll get over it.  You're just catching me when it's all still very fresh and I figure what the hell, why not lay it all out here as a little snapshot of what I'm thinking at this moment in time.  I hope at least some of this sounds familiar to others who are trying to navigate this incredibly overheated market.

Beautiful copy, congrats! 

[kimik]

On 3/3/2022 at 7:02 AM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

Someone out there must be saying that about me on the ASM #101 as well.  

I did not want to mention that, but 

[Sweet Lou 14]

On 3/3/2022 at 9:33 AM, THE_BEYONDER said:

It was a comic link purchase?

Yes, this week's ComicLink auction.

[batmiesta]

Can anyone explain what is going on at the moment? I have never seen this sort of insanity (for want of a better word) before, I have heard mutterings of money laundering or such like, but how does that work? I just can't weigh it up? 

[WernerVonDoom]

On 3/3/2022 at 3:07 PM, batmiesta said:

Can anyone explain what is going on at the moment? I have never seen this sort of insanity (for want of a better word) before, I have heard mutterings of money laundering or such like, but how does that work? I just can't weigh it up? 

Personally, I think it is a self-feeding fire. I think people are selling books and ending up with disposable income to buy the books they want. Then the high prices draw in others, pushing them up even more.

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 3/3/2022 at 10:05 PM, WernerVonDoom said:

Personally, I think it is a self-feeding fire. I think people are selling books and ending up with disposable income to buy the books they want. Then the high prices draw in others, pushing them up even more.

Yup.   When stacks of your $1 books become $100 books overnight, and  your $100 books become  $1000 books....

All of a sudden you have a ton of fun money to throw at bigger books.

[PeterPark]

On 3/3/2022 at 10:52 PM, THE_BEYONDER said:

Yup.   When stacks of your $1 books become $100 books overnight, and  your $100 books become  $1000 books....

All of a sudden you have a ton of fun money to throw at bigger books.

Are there new things this is happening to? I didn't follow the auction...

[Sweet Lou 14]

Just about every book I bid on or watched went for insanely high prices.  And I say that having been, like all of you, living through the past two years where each step along the way has felt insane.  But this is a new level of stupid.

[kimik]

On 3/3/2022 at 4:07 PM, batmiesta said:

Can anyone explain what is going on at the moment? I have never seen this sort of insanity (for want of a better word) before, I have heard mutterings of money laundering or such like, but how does that work? I just can't weigh it up? 

This seems tame to last Feb/Mar/Apr when you had a larger jump in prices across the board % wise. I am wondering if this is the new pattern as it used to be new peak prices in July/August with SDCC and other convention announcements. Now it seems like studios drop new streaming and movie announcements Nov/Dec or Jan instead.

Edited March 4, 2022 by kimik

[batmiesta]

It just seems to get worse with every passing month, and as Lou said, it's almost every book not just the usual suspects, guess I will just have to be even more selective.

[jjonahjameson11]

On 3/3/2022 at 6:07 PM, batmiesta said:

Can anyone explain what is going on at the moment? I have never seen this sort of insanity (for want of a better word) before, I have heard mutterings of money laundering or such like, but how does that work? I just can't weigh it up? 

Not sure how long you’ve been collecting, but the current environment reminds me of the very late 80’s/early 90’s whereby prices increased so rapidly that Overstreet had to publish quarterly updates to keep up with the price increases.

BUT, prices increased so rapidly that Overstreet had to increase his publishing frequency from quarterly to bi-monthly for a few years until the market stabilized!

 

[batmiesta]

On 3/4/2022 at 11:44 AM, jjonahjameson11 said:

Not sure how long you’ve been collecting, but the current environment reminds me of the very late 80’s/early 90’s whereby prices increased so rapidly that Overstreet had to publish quarterly updates to keep up with the price increases.

BUT, prices increased so rapidly that Overstreet had to increase his publishing frequency from quarterly to bi-monthly for a few years until the market stabilized!

 

Been collecting properly since the 80s and obviously data wasn't as readily available as it is today and that coupled with my age made the hike back then less noticeable, but paying $1300 for a book that should be $300 makes you sit up and take notice.