Top Ten Silver Age Investment Comics of 2013

[jjonahjameson1]

Strange Tales Annual #2

 

- fourth Spidey appearance (according to publication date) and first crossover

- along with FF Annual #1, the first Marvel superhero annual

- Kirby Spiderman art

- scarce in ultra high grade - good luck finding a sweet copy without the glue rippling on the cover (which CGC inexplicably gives a pass to)

- way underpriced for a long time at a small fraction of the ASM issues of the day

 

Agree with everything you stated above. A wonderful book with so much going for it, yet it has been woefully underappreciated for so many years.

 

Forgot to add: Kirby pencils AND Ditko inks

[BarryAllen]

Strange Tales Annual #2

 

- fourth Spidey appearance (according to publication date) and first crossover

- along with FF Annual #1, the first Marvel superhero annual

- Kirby Spiderman art

- scarce in ultra high grade - good luck finding a sweet copy without the glue rippling on the cover (which CGC inexplicably gives a pass to)

- way underpriced for a long time at a small fraction of the ASM issues of the day

 

Agree with everything you stated above. A wonderful book with so much going for it, yet it has been woefully underappreciated for so many years.

 

Forgot to add: Kirby pencils AND Ditko inks

 

I don't disagree that this is a great book. But do you think it has enough appeal in the market to be a "good investment?"

 

People collect all kinds of things, but the most commonly collected (and subsequent largest prices) are: first appearances, number 1s and rare prints.

 

I am not sold that anything listed above is significant to anyone outside of a small group of collectors who value the very specific things that were listed.

[namisgr]

Strange Tales Annual #2

 

- fourth Spidey appearance (according to publication date) and first crossover

- along with FF Annual #1, the first Marvel superhero annual

- Kirby Spiderman art

- scarce in ultra high grade - good luck finding a sweet copy without the glue rippling on the cover (which CGC inexplicably gives a pass to)

- way underpriced for a long time at a small fraction of the ASM issues of the day

 

Agree with everything you stated above. A wonderful book with so much going for it, yet it has been woefully underappreciated for so many years.

 

Forgot to add: Kirby pencils AND Ditko inks

 

I don't disagree that this is a great book. But do you think it has enough appeal in the market to be a "good investment?"

 

In my opinion it should, but it's been overlooked. And that's the point of this thread, to identify the hidden gems, the underappreciated comics that have significant room to increase in value, and deserve more appreciation. A lot of the comics being suggested in this thread have had substantial run-ups in value over the past decade, and consequently have little room for further price appreciation.

 

9.0 copies according to GPA:

 

ASM #3 (July, 1963)...$6800

ASM #4 (September, 1963)...$4400

ST Ann #2 (Summer, 1963)...$1700

 

Which is the scarcest of the 3? ST Annual #2, despite the frequent cover rippling from the dried glue being largely ignored by CGC.

 

[gadzukes]

I decided to look at some GPA data in a different way for some of the titles we've discussed in the thread.

 

Here's a list of all GPA recorded sales of particular titles from 2 years ago as compared to the last 12 months. I think you can see a few trends, and certainly a "hotness" factor starts to emerge.

 

This list has nothing to do with prices realized, or price trends, it's purely a list of copies sold.

 

 

Title..................2011 total copies sold.................(last 12 months total copies sold)

 

AF 15........................124.....................................161 (always HOT)

 

ST 110.......................35.......................................60 (almost double, HOT comic!)

 

ST 111.......................7..........................................9 ( is anyone even looking)

 

ST 115.......................28........................................35 (trending upward)

 

TTA 27........................38.......................................52 (trending upward)

 

TTA 35.........................29.......................................39 (trending up)

 

FF 52............................47......................................88 (almost double, HOT comic)

 

FF 53...........................30.......................................43 (trending up)

 

DD 1............................133.....................................194 (surprisingly HOT)

 

AV 1.............................158.....................................203 (HOT)

 

AV 4.............................151.....................................195 (HOT)

 

TOS 39.........................84........................................94 (up, but kind of flat)

 

X 1................................158......................................205 (HOT)

 

JIM 83............................89......................................68 (THOR went down in sales?)

 

Showcase 22..................63.......................................53 (cooling off)

 

Strange Tales Annual 2.... 20......................................15 (cooling off & no one's looking)

 

To me this shows from a "trending" standpoint, the hottest of these comics is ST 110 & FF 52. I thought TTA 27 & 35 would have higher numbers but maybe they're simply too rare and don't come up much.

 

Biggest surprise on this list was JIM 83. It's trending downward. What does that mean??? There's a Thor movie coming out this fall, this comic should be hot, right?

 

Also, I think this list shows that nobody gives a hoot right now about ST 111 & ST Annual 2 (might be a good time to buy?)

 

[Bronty]

ST Annual 2 - I think annuals in general, no matter how good they are, aren't usually great investments. They are outside the regular continuity & therefore easy to forget and easy for people to exclude from their set building.

 

As for ditko inks on kirby pencils, frankly, the whole is less than the sum of its parts when it comes to that particular collaboration Their styles just didn't mesh that well. Its a little bit better by this time, so its fine on this book, but if you look at some of the earlier ones from the monster books a couple years previous, they are awkward collaborations and both produced better work on their own IMO. So, personally I can't see any reason to get excited about that team up apart from the names involved.

[AmazingSaul]

Given the fact that Wonder Woman will appear in justice league. I would expect Wonder Woman comics to also go up. Depending on what her back story is or if its related to a book, that book will rise a little? Not sure but its very possible.

[jjonahjameson1]

Strange Tales Annual #2

 

- fourth Spidey appearance (according to publication date) and first crossover

- along with FF Annual #1, the first Marvel superhero annual

- Kirby Spiderman art

- scarce in ultra high grade - good luck finding a sweet copy without the glue rippling on the cover (which CGC inexplicably gives a pass to)

- way underpriced for a long time at a small fraction of the ASM issues of the day

 

Agree with everything you stated above. A wonderful book with so much going for it, yet it has been woefully underappreciated for so many years.

 

Forgot to add: Kirby pencils AND Ditko inks

 

I don't disagree that this is a great book. But do you think it has enough appeal in the market to be a "good investment?"

 

People collect all kinds of things, but the most commonly collected (and subsequent largest prices) are: first appearances, number 1s and rare prints.

 

I am not sold that anything listed above is significant to anyone outside of a small group of collectors who value the very specific things that were listed.

 

I think it remains overlooked because Annuals in general tend to languish outside of collector's focus. Collect the keys, core titles, then circle back and get the Annuals, if you are a completist

[gadzukes]

Given the fact that Wonder Woman will appear in justice league. I would expect Wonder Woman comics to also go up. Depending on what her back story is or if its related to a book, that book will rise a little? Not sure but its very possible.

 

I just sent my two copies of WW 1 into CGC for grading. Fingers crossed on the grades. I'm still kicking myself for selling my Sensation 1 a couple years ago.

 

Since this is a Silver age investment thread, what would be the best silver age Wonder Woman comic be to buy?

[BarryAllen]

I decided to look at some GPA data in a different way for some of the titles we've discussed in the thread.

 

Here's a list of all GPA recorded sales of particular titles from 2 years ago as compared to the last 12 months. I think you can see a few trends, and certainly a "hotness" factor starts to emerge.

 

This list has nothing to do with prices realized, or price trends, it's purely a list of copies sold.

 

 

Title..................2011 total copies sold.................(last 12 months total copies sold)

 

AF 15........................124.....................................161 (always HOT)

 

ST 110.......................35.......................................60 (almost double, HOT comic!)

 

ST 111.......................7..........................................9 ( is anyone even looking)

 

ST 115.......................28........................................35 (trending upward)

 

TTA 27........................38.......................................52 (trending upward)

 

TTA 35.........................29.......................................39 (trending up)

 

FF 52............................47......................................88 (almost double, HOT comic)

 

FF 53...........................30.......................................43 (trending up)

 

DD 1............................133.....................................194 (surprisingly HOT)

 

AV 1.............................158.....................................203 (HOT)

 

AV 4.............................151.....................................195 (HOT)

 

TOS 39.........................84........................................94 (up, but kind of flat)

 

X 1................................158......................................205 (HOT)

 

JIM 83............................89......................................68 (THOR went down in sales?)

 

Showcase 22..................63.......................................53 (cooling off)

 

Strange Tales Annual 2.... 20......................................15 (cooling off & no one's looking)

 

To me this shows from a "trending" standpoint, the hottest of these comics is ST 110 & FF 52. I thought TTA 27 & 35 would have higher numbers but maybe they're simply too rare and don't come up much.

 

Biggest surprise on this list was JIM 83. It's trending downward. What does that mean??? There's a Thor movie coming out this fall, this comic should be hot, right?

 

Also, I think this list shows that nobody gives a hoot right now about ST 111 & ST Annual 2 (might be a good time to buy?)

 

Thank you, that is an interesting and data based approach. Great input!

(thumbs u

 

I personally struggle with investing in anything that doesn't have a large appeal and some meaningful exposure outside the comic world. So books like ST Annual 2 just don't meet my personal criteria. Not to say that they may not end up rapidly growing, but it is an unlikely outcome. There just isn't anything about the comic that makes it relevant other than to die-hard collectors, ST collectors and the occasional "art fan."

 

Most of the other comics on this list are known key value books and/or have been on the radar for at least a few months (some many years). This data just solidifies that they are frequently sold, which long-term will drive pricing.

 

Interestingly JIM 83 is down. This book (like SC22) is a hot mess and tough to predict. Maybe it is just reflective that Thor and Green Lantern (my personal favorite by the way), while major characters are still low on collector's lists. Or, potentially, many people are hoarding JIM 83 in anticipation of the subsequent movies driving demand (probably not the same for SC22). Who knows!?

[gadzukes]

Strange Tales Annual 2...

 

I think it remains overlooked because Annuals in general tend to languish outside of collector's focus. Collect the keys, core titles, then circle back and get the Annuals, if you are a completist

 

It's not an Annual, but Giant Size Xmen 1 seemed to do pretty well.

[gadzukes]

 

Title..................2011 total copies sold.................(last 12 months total copies sold)

 

AF 15........................124.....................................161 (always HOT)

 

One more little factoid from looking at this data.... do you realize a slabbed copy of AF15 is sold almost every other day?

[BarryAllen]

Strange Tales Annual 2...

 

I think it remains overlooked because Annuals in general tend to languish outside of collector's focus. Collect the keys, core titles, then circle back and get the Annuals, if you are a completist

 

It's not an Annual, but Giant Size Xmen 1 seemed to do pretty well.

 

Sure, it is the first appearance of the "modern" X-men team (version used most frequently in cartoons, TV and movies) and the first appearance of many major/minor characters (Storm, Nightcrawler and Colossus - to name a few) and is when Wolverine joins the team.

 

Kind of a pivotal book for X-men... I am not sure if I call it "rare," but it is significant in many other terms.

[BarryAllen]

 

Title..................2011 total copies sold.................(last 12 months total copies sold)

 

AF 15........................124.....................................161 (always HOT)

 

One more little factoid from looking at this data.... do you realize a slabbed copy of AF15 is sold almost every other day?

 

Yep, GAtor is a busy man! 63.5% of these are his transactions!

[Mishmashman]

That's bc most ppl hold onto an AF15 for 6 months to 2 years and flip it, hence constant turnover. A terrible way to invest if you ask me. The consignment fees alone kill your profit.

[Mxwll Smrt]

I decided to look at some GPA data in a different way for some of the titles we've discussed in the thread.

 

Here's a list of all GPA recorded sales of particular titles from 2 years ago as compared to the last 12 months. I think you can see a few trends, and certainly a "hotness" factor starts to emerge.

 

This list has nothing to do with prices realized, or price trends, it's purely a list of copies sold.

 

 

Title..................2011 total copies sold.................(last 12 months total copies sold)

 

AF 15........................124.....................................161 (always HOT)

 

ST 110.......................35.......................................60 (almost double, HOT comic!)

 

ST 111.......................7..........................................9 ( is anyone even looking)

 

ST 115.......................28........................................35 (trending upward)

 

TTA 27........................38.......................................52 (trending upward)

 

TTA 35.........................29.......................................39 (trending up)

 

FF 52............................47......................................88 (almost double, HOT comic)

 

FF 53...........................30.......................................43 (trending up)

 

DD 1............................133.....................................194 (surprisingly HOT)

 

AV 1.............................158.....................................203 (HOT)

 

AV 4.............................151.....................................195 (HOT)

 

TOS 39.........................84........................................94 (up, but kind of flat)

 

X 1................................158......................................205 (HOT)

 

JIM 83............................89......................................68 (THOR went down in sales?)

 

Showcase 22..................63.......................................53 (cooling off)

 

Strange Tales Annual 2.... 20......................................15 (cooling off & no one's looking)

 

To me this shows from a "trending" standpoint, the hottest of these comics is ST 110 & FF 52. I thought TTA 27 & 35 would have higher numbers but maybe they're simply too rare and don't come up much.

 

Biggest surprise on this list was JIM 83. It's trending downward. What does that mean??? There's a Thor movie coming out this fall, this comic should be hot, right?

 

Also, I think this list shows that nobody gives a hoot right now about ST 111 & ST Annual 2 (might be a good time to buy?)

 

It's an interesting data driven example but it doesn't necessarily equate to a higher ROI. The "trending" standpoint as you've put it, is simply in the number of sales and there are 2 key pieces of data missing for each - the purchase price and sale price of each of the aforementioned. To me those data points show a lot of buyers chasing rather than investing - and at the same time, they are also books that can be monetized quickest (and that's always the best aspect).

 

For me, as of lately, the "go" factors are key, characters, condition and lastly pedigree. The most important though is can I monetize this if I need to.

[BarryAllen]

For me, as of lately, the "go" factors are key, characters, condition and lastly pedigree. The most important though is can I monetize this if I need to.

 

Your point of view is solid and I agree with your topline criteria.

 

But you bring up an interesting addition to this topic.

 

How much value do pedigrees bring to the long-term value of books?

 

Specifically: do people other than the "core comic collectors" give a about pedigrees? Or are they mostly interested in getting the books they desired?

 

Will they be worth anything long-term as a new one seems to be announced every 3.5 days?

[Mxwll Smrt]

For me, as of lately, the "go" factors are key, characters, condition and lastly pedigree. The most important though is can I monetize this if I need to.

 

Your point of view is solid and I agree with your topline criteria.

 

But you bring up an interesting addition to this topic.

 

How much value do pedigrees bring to the long-term value of books?

 

Specifically: do people other than the "core comic collectors" give a about pedigrees? Or are they mostly interested in getting the books they desired?

 

Will they be worth anything long-term as a new one seems to be announced every 3.5 days?

 

For me, because there are books which I have specifically purchased as long term investments, there are certain pedigrees which matter. As for some of the new pedigrees that are being announced, well, I'll take a pre-war Patek over a Rolex any day of the week.

[rjpb]

Add the raw sales on ebay alone ( 10 or so a month) combined with other sales raw and slabbed that are neither on ebay nor recorded by GPA, and I imagine a copy of AF #15 is sold at least once a day on average.

[gadzukes]

That's bc most ppl hold onto an AF15 for 6 months to 2 years and flip it, hence constant turnover. A terrible way to invest if you ask me. The consignment fees alone kill your profit.

 

I disagree.

I have bought & sold 3 copies of AF 15 over the last 2 years and have made solid profit on all 3 copies even with the consignment fees. It looks like AF15 has slowed down a little in the last 6 months but it was a juggernaut for a while, and was a GREAT investment.

 

Because it has slowed down, I've turned my attention to some other comics, but I still think Af15 is a good buy if you're smart with your purchase (buy it slightly under 6 month average price using GPA data).

 

 

[gadzukes]

I decided to look at some GPA data in a different way for some of the titles we've discussed in the thread.

 

Here's a list of all GPA recorded sales of particular titles from 2 years ago as compared to the last 12 months. I think you can see a few trends, and certainly a "hotness" factor starts to emerge.

 

This list has nothing to do with prices realized, or price trends, it's purely a list of copies sold.

 

 

Title..................2011 total copies sold.................(last 12 months total copies sold)

 

AF 15........................124.....................................161 (always HOT)

 

ST 110.......................35.......................................60 (almost double, HOT comic!)

 

ST 111.......................7..........................................9 ( is anyone even looking)

 

ST 115.......................28........................................35 (trending upward)

 

TTA 27........................38.......................................52 (trending upward)

 

TTA 35.........................29.......................................39 (trending up)

 

FF 52............................47......................................88 (almost double, HOT comic)

 

FF 53...........................30.......................................43 (trending up)

 

DD 1............................133.....................................194 (surprisingly HOT)

 

AV 1.............................158.....................................203 (HOT)

 

AV 4.............................151.....................................195 (HOT)

 

TOS 39.........................84........................................94 (up, but kind of flat)

 

X 1................................158......................................205 (HOT)

 

JIM 83............................89......................................68 (THOR went down in sales?)

 

Showcase 22..................63.......................................53 (cooling off)

 

Strange Tales Annual 2.... 20......................................15 (cooling off & no one's looking)

 

To me this shows from a "trending" standpoint, the hottest of these comics is ST 110 & FF 52. I thought TTA 27 & 35 would have higher numbers but maybe they're simply too rare and don't come up much.

 

Biggest surprise on this list was JIM 83. It's trending downward. What does that mean??? There's a Thor movie coming out this fall, this comic should be hot, right?

 

Also, I think this list shows that nobody gives a hoot right now about ST 111 & ST Annual 2 (might be a good time to buy?)

 

It's an interesting data driven example but it doesn't necessarily equate to a higher ROI. The "trending" standpoint as you've put it, is simply in the number of sales and there are 2 key pieces of data missing for each - the purchase price and sale price of each of the aforementioned. To me those data points show a lot of buyers chasing rather than investing - and at the same time, they are also books that can be monetized quickest (and that's always the best aspect).

 

For me, as of lately, the "go" factors are key, characters, condition and lastly pedigree. The most important though is can I monetize this if I need to.

 

I agree with everything you say. I simply thought it would be interesting to see some stats on actual numbers of slab sales. When you add these numbers into everything you mention, it gives you even more knowledge to make smart investments.