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Any love for the Valiant reboot?

Started by mickhavoc-migration,

634 posts in this topic

CKB

CKB

Posted
Posted
I fear there's a "recent issue" crash coming for many titles...

but since Valiant isn't inflated, Valiant won't be damaged at all.

It makes sense that there will be a correction. Having new books financially explode like they do right now - assisted by CGC 9.8-10.0 labels - seems like the 80's and 90's all over again. There is just too much supply for prices to be sustained like that.

 

But quality early Valiant and the new material can take their time, and grow slowly as new readership comes on board. First appearance books like Solar 10, X-O Manowar 4, Shadowman 1, Magnus 5, Eternal Warrior 4 and Rai 0, and even potentially Harbinger 10 and Quantum and Woody 1 as B-character 1st, have strong potential. Solar 3 is one that seems to be very affordable (1st Harada), and is a great book anyway to read. With that issue especially, I've happened across many with this bluish printer ink along the bottom of the spine, so if you happen across a 9.6-9.8, grab it. And I know you have, Greg, as I have watched you buy them on here and regretted missing out.

 

My first Valiant experience was Archer & Armstrong 0, which is their first appearance. I very much cherish that book for this very reason. I even sent my original copy recently to a friend as an attempt to get him hooked on Valiant, with a letter explaining why it was so impactful to me. So that is one I am biased towards. Still a semi-key, and a top-tier purchase when it is the gold cover.

 

More importantly, whether these books pop any time soon or not, they are fantastic stories that helped establish wonderful characters and an amazing universe. So even better I don't regret owning them because I love what I collect, and I collect what I enjoy reading.

 

Excellent points. The other thing about older Valiant market potential is that the books are pretty well distributed.

When a new Image #1 starts heating up, you can be sure that there are probably 50+ guys with 50+ copies.

 

I'm guessing the number of guys with even 50 raw copies of X-O Manowar #1 (1992) is under 5...

and that kind of stack took a lot of work to put together... it didn't arrive in a Diamond box last week.

 

The number of guys with a stack of 5+ CGC 9.8 X-O Manowar #1 (1992) is probably under 5... if that many.

(If anyone's wondering, I only have 2.)

 

Judging from the Modern For Sale section on this board, there's no end to the supply of "hot" Image books... slabbed or not.

 

It's very unusual to see slabbed Valiant books in the same section, primarily because even the BIGGEST Valiant slab collectors (*cough* ckb *cough* :grin: ) usually don't have quantities of extras.

 

They might have a few odds and ends in their ebay store... but outside of their permanent collection, slabbed Valiant inventory just doesn't hang around.

 

With some recent Image slabs getting three and four figures on the market... it's a dangerous game to play.

I'd say that any original Valiant key book in CGC 9.8 that's two figures (under $100) is probably a no lose situation.

The last CGC 9.8 X-O #1 (1992) on ebay went for $75... shipped.

 

As Bosco points out... the old books are loved and the new books are loved!

There's no downside to owning the first appearance of that much love.

(...and NO, I'm not selling either of my two copies. Get your own!) :grin:

 

I'll disagree on the VH1 XO 1 stashes. There are a lot of people with a lot of unread copies of that book. I'd agree if you made the same statement about Harbinger 1, though.

 

 

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FormerReader

FormerReader

Posted
Posted
To the OP, yup, plenty of love from me

 

Harbinger

Harbinger Wars

Shadowman

Bloodshot

The fly

 

Am I missing out on anything else from Valiant that I should be reading?

 

X-O has been one of the best titles so far. A&A is an acquired taste. Some really like it, others not so much. I have really enjoyed the series so far myself.

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valiantman

valiantman

Posted
Posted

I'll disagree on the VH1 XO 1 stashes. There are a lot of people with a lot of unread copies of that book. I'd agree if you made the same statement about Harbinger 1, though.

 

Really? "A lot of people" sounds like a lot more than 5... to quote Seinfeld: "Who are these people?"

 

I'll disagree with your use of "VH1". That's still a cable music channel. :P

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CKB

CKB

Posted
Posted

I'll disagree on the VH1 XO 1 stashes. There are a lot of people with a lot of unread copies of that book. I'd agree if you made the same statement about Harbinger 1, though.

 

Really? "A lot of people" sounds like a lot more than 5... to quote Seinfeld: "Who are these people?"

 

I'll disagree with your use of "VH1". That's still a cable music channel. :P

 

Well that's quite a disagreement from the guy who "invented" VH1 / VH2 / VH3!! :baiting: Brought them into common use for sure.

 

I've been using those terms for ~10 years and I'm not going to stop, defunct MTV spin-offs or no. :preach:

 

As far as XO 1 goes, I am not able to back up my disagreement with the existence of hordes with anything solid, same as the contention that there aren't many hordes. It's a general feeling I get from being knowlegdable and deeply involved in the Valiant market since 1992.

 

I've seen too many 10-packs on eBay, owned too many multiple hundreds of the book myself, had too many graded at 9.8 myself, know a few too many people who own (or once owned) more than 10 9.8s, been contacted a few too many times about buying a number of copies of the book. Similarly, XO 2 as well. My sense is that there were a few retailers who bet heavily enough when they came out that we are still seeing shadows of that today.

 

Again, change the topic to Harbinger 1, and I can't say any of the above...well at least in a much more limited fashion.

 

All my opinion, but an thoughtful and self-proclaimed "expert" one. :acclaim::)

 

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valiantman

valiantman

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Posted

I'll disagree on the VH1 XO 1 stashes. There are a lot of people with a lot of unread copies of that book. I'd agree if you made the same statement about Harbinger 1, though.

 

Really? "A lot of people" sounds like a lot more than 5... to quote Seinfeld: "Who are these people?"

 

I'll disagree with your use of "VH1". That's still a cable music channel. :P

 

Well that's quite a disagreement from the guy who "invented" VH1 / VH2 / VH3!! :baiting: Brought them into common use for sure.

 

I've been using those terms for ~10 years and I'm not going to stop, defunct MTV spin-offs or no. :preach:

 

As far as XO 1 goes, I am not able to back up my disagreement with the existence of hordes with anything solid, same as the contention that there aren't many hordes. It's a general feeling I get from being knowlegdable and deeply involved in the Valiant market since 1992.

 

I've seen too many 10-packs on eBay, owned too many multiple hundreds of the book myself, had too many graded at 9.8 myself, know a few too many people who own (or once owned) more than 10 9.8s, been contacted a few too many times about buying a number of copies of the book. Similarly, XO 2 as well. My sense is that there were a few retailers who bet heavily enough when they came out that we are still seeing shadows of that today.

 

Again, change the topic to Harbinger 1, and I can't say any of the above...well at least in a much more limited fashion.

 

All my opinion, but an thoughtful and self-proclaimed "expert" one. :acclaim::)

You know I'm just giving you a hard time. :kidaround:

 

Perhaps there are stacks of original X-O Manowar #1 out there,

But they haven't come up very often... and you'd think the return of Valiant

would have caused more than 35 new CGC 9.8 X-O #1 on the census.

We were already getting 20+ per year without any new Valiant books.

 

As far as the music channels go, I am not the one who used those terms.

I specifically called them "VALIANT 1991-1996" even though it takes up more room

on every website that I've run since 1997.

 

:grin:

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Lobo1969

Lobo1969

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I'm guessing the number of guys with even 50 raw copies of X-O Manowar #1 (1992) is under 5...

and that kind of stack took a lot of work to put together... it didn't arrive in a Diamond box last week.

 

It's very unusual to see slabbed Valiant books in the same section, primarily because even the BIGGEST Valiant slab collectors (*cough* ckb *cough* :grin: ) usually don't have quantities of extras.

 

 

 

:whistle:

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kimik

kimik

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A lot of the VH1 stashes were cleaned out in the 1999 - 2003 period. I can remember buying multiples of every regular book, including Harbinger #1, and multiples of almost all of the incentive books (except for the Diamond Unity TPBs and CEAR) from 1999 - 2001 from LCSs, mail order dealers, at shows, etc. for 3 or 4 for a dollar to $5 apiece (Unity Red, my lone CEAR, a few Harbinger Pinks). The books were plentiful then and it was easy to amass 10 - 20+ copies of any regular pre-unity or late run book, as well as a lot of the incentive copies. I dumped all of them by 2005 or so during the first big run up in prices, but a lot of the books went to Valiantcomics.com/CGC board members and the couple I still stay in contact with have big stacks of them sitting in the basement/storage.

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kimik

kimik

Posted
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I'm guessing the number of guys with even 50 raw copies of X-O Manowar #1 (1992) is under 5...

and that kind of stack took a lot of work to put together... it didn't arrive in a Diamond box last week.

 

It's very unusual to see slabbed Valiant books in the same section, primarily because even the BIGGEST Valiant slab collectors (*cough* ckb *cough* :grin: ) usually don't have quantities of extras.

 

 

 

:whistle:

 

Speaking of one of them........ you should post some "group shots" here. (thumbs u

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400yrs

400yrs

Posted
Posted

Speaking of one of them........ you should post some "group shots" here. (thumbs u

 

Ok, just happen to have a pic lying around....

 

Harblot.jpg

 

(worship)

 

Greg needs to post one now.

 

My favorite books to hoard from classic valiant are X-O 4, Shadowman 1, Quantum and Woody 0 & 1, Rai 3, Magnus 12 and Rai 0. I have nothing anywhere near that many of them though.

 

My favorite new issue to hoard from Valiant is the X-O #1 2nd print, but the new Valiants, outside of the first issues...... they just aren't out there in the quantity of classic Valiant.

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Gatsby77

Gatsby77

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Posted

Yeah--my sense is that about 10-15 members of the Valiant boards likely still have 20+ copies of the pre-Unity keys.

 

Because it was really easy to pick them up from 1999-2005. I never amassed the hordes I promised myself I would (X-O was my favorite character way back when) but I still have at least two full pre-Unity sets and 4-5 of some issues.

 

My biggest horde is of Magnus 0, with 8 copies, and Magnus 2 (11), all of them bought before 2008. The Magnus 2 was an accident--found them in $1 bins.

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