And They Call Me Chicken Little!

[comicinvestor-migration]

After waiting out the inevitable CGC Depression, I've built up a little war chest of cash for some NM copies of mid-range Marvel keys like Werewolf 32, Ghost Rider 1, etc. The problem is, very few of the scared-crapless sellers want to list them.

 

When prices were high, I could find new ones with a refresh of the Search button, but now I can't find a single 9.2 or higher copy on EBay. A very select few on my want-list may have a single copy listed, but due to extreme with-holding, all the buyers are attracted to that one copy.

 

According the EBay selling wags on here, I expected a mass deluge of nice comics to flood EBay once the Summer Lull was over. Here's the excuses that were given:

 

1) Kids are in school: Kids are back!

2) Seasonal/Student Workers: They're back too!

3) Collectors on vacation: Everyone I know is back from summer holidays.

4) Convention Shows: Majors are over and done with.

 

There's no more excuses left, so where are the flood of books that were foretold by the brilliant posters on here? The market is supposedly flush with demand and ready ot achieve the mad-money heights it once held, since Summer is basically over and done with.

 

It's time for the big-mouth sellers to start following their words of wisdom rather than just spouting off to keep the party going. I've got the cash, now show me the level of CGC supply that was present before the Summer Lull.

 

Unless you're scared....

[drbanner]

And I thought we called you Comic-Harbinger-of-Doom?

 

I thought the market was crashing? Now you're saying that the prices have stabilized because the supply is lower? Maybe there just aren't the massives hoards of unopened cases of every Marvel Bronze Age Key since Conan 1 that you claim there are? And I guess in retrospect we can conclude that all those people paying crazy prices for these books previously made wise investments, huh? Your arguments come out of both sides of your...uh...mouth depending on the position you're trying to take, so I think we should add "Comic-Spindoctor-of-Doom" to your list of pseudonyms!

[clobberintime]

I was going to reply that i was too scared to respond but since I have not written in a while.... Are you saying that because of 2 Bronze age books you need and can not find on ebay at this instant that the sky really is falling? There are more cgc books on ebay right now than at any other time - ever! I kind of keep track of volumes and this is the highest volume of cgc books on ebat since cgc started. Maybe not exactly what you are looking for but more great gold and silver than ever. I think there is almost a flood of good stuff. And i will sell you a ghost rider 1 cgc 9.0 ow if you want since I have a few extra high grade copies. As for the market as a whole, I think it will be kind of luke warm due to the looming war with Iraq - the stock market is already showing signs and gas is up 10 cents a gallon already. But the one trend that bothers me is the ever increasing horde of brand new cgc books - I still can't believe people pay $20+ for books in a cgc holder when the book has been out all of 60 days or so. But that is what will keep cgc in business as suplies of high grade old stuff to cgc run thin - the money for dealers and cgc is to be made on getting people to pay x amount times guide for brand new books!

[Darthdiesel]

Clobberin is right on there about getting people to buy these new books for $20+ a piece..for modernite sellers like me, that is where my money is at! And this big mouth seller has put up CGC books all summer long and will continue to do so throguh out the winter and into 2003 and so on...so what are you getting at, CI? You make little sense in your rant above and are obviously out to antagonize folks who have disagreed with your views about your so-called "party" before.

 

I even catered some recent auctions to get you to "Go Modern", now I'm listing all my Silver Age/Bronze Age to entice like-minded "fogey" die hards like you. what the hell else do you want?

 

I don't carry the 2 books you are looking for, nor can I find them with ease in hi-grade in the comic shops in Northern VA...I'll peek around the Baltimore Con in Oct but I'm sure the dealers there will be focused on hyping up Marvel DD's and Hulks...

Werewolf by night? never owned one, never will...

 

the Ghost Rider wave may not be ready to ride until more publicity on the movie is out, maybe even once a trailer is done. Come back then...why would some sellers want to deluge the market with these books now? You seem to be the only one who wants it and wants it at a bargain for the collector price. Go butt heads with the big boys when these scarce rare auctions come out, b/c if you are waiting for that inevitable flood of high grade bronze keys, you'll be waiting a mighty long time.

 

 

[comicinvestor-migration]

I'm not sure if people can't read, or choose not to do so:

 

"some NM copies of mid-range Marvel keys like Werewolf 32, Ghost Rider 1, etc."

 

SOME, LIKE, ETC.

 

I'm essentially looking NM (9.4, though I'd look at 9.2 in a pinch) copies of almost all mid-range Marvel Bronze Age keys in the $150-$350 range and coming up empty. It's not "2 books" but a list of 25-30 I'm looking at and coming up empty on for a month or more, after these were some of the most popular listings when prices and demand skyrocketed.

 

If the Summer's over, where the heck are the books?

[Darthdiesel]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=716869671

 

No, I can't read and illiteracy is the shame of this proud nation...

 

Darn thing is most ASM keys that I'm interested in are always out there and always too high for me, so I usually don't even bother...

 

good luck finding your books. Hopefully your rant has shaken loose the miserly vaults of these high grade key hoarders...nice ploy

 

[blowout]

....i agree with what you are saying CI, i have had the same experience recently...............

.........i have been looking for high grade bronze keys myself for the last two months and supply has been very thin on ebay.............

 

.......looking for mainly iron fist, MOKF, tomb of drac and werewolf...............there have been a few copies at 9.4 and up but they attract too much interest and the prices shoot up beyond what i will pay..........

 

....for example, an iron fist #1 sold for well over $400 last week in 9.6 (over 10 x guide)................

 

.......if i was a seller, now would be a great time to list bronze age keys at 9.4 and up (10 x guide is a pretty good return)............

 

.....so come on sellers, LIST THOSE BOOKS..............

[wolvergeek]

I smell a possible scam with that ASM 129. It doesn't look like a CGC 9.4 If you try to look closely at the blurry scan, it looks like a FN+. There are definitely 3 characters in the grade so it can't be NM - only 2 char's. What do you guys think?

[mr_highgrade]

I thought the same thing when I first saw that book.

 

[Darthdiesel]

rickdogg is giving up his IF 14's on the marketplace...check that out...

[Darthdiesel]

SHHHH! Damn, wolviegeek, that was supposed to be for CI...

 

I totally agree with you that it is definitely not on the up and up...wonder why I didn't bid? Now go back and edit/delete your comment and hope a certainsomeone didn't read it yet...

[drbanner]

some NM copies of mid-range Marvel keys like Werewolf 32, Ghost Rider 1, etc.

 

Hmm...a seller, who frequents these boards, had both these books up on ebay within the last month in 9.4 and I didn't see your name on the bidder list for either one, what's up with that?

[comicinvestor-migration]

Well I haven't seen a Werewolf 32 NM in quite some time, but if it was a quick BIN (like Sully's pick-up of MS #2) then I may have missed it.

 

You got a link?

[comicinvestor-migration]

Darth, in the last 3 seconds I forgot more about buying on EBay than you'll ever know.

[Rickdogg]

Yeah Blowout,

 

I'm dropping 3 IF 14's check em out in the Market Place.

 

Thanks,

[FlyingDonut]

well, I have no idea what books you're looking for, but here's some nice ones:

 

I'm not sure what books you're looking for, but here's some:

 

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http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=714815810

 

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http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=716009936 (you need to BUY THIS BOOK!!! )

 

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And I'll tell you where the books are - well, at least MINE - 1971-1974 books are ALWAYS sent in by me in the ECONOMY pricing. I sent books in June 5 that I'm expecting in two months.

 

This is straight supply and demand. There will be a demand for books, the supply will increase. I'm not sure what your argument is. Somebody is going to list a 9.6 Werewolf 32, and it'll go for $600+.

 

And, just as an aside, I've been to, since May, Philadelphia, Chicago, 4 Tysons shows (which are little, but have major league dealers), New York, Atlanta and Richmond, as well as having back-room access to one of the biggest dealers on the east coast, and have not been able to find a high grade copy of Ghost Rider 1, Marvel Spotlight 5, Werewolf 32 or Strange Tales 178. I don't think its a function of "scared-crapless" sellers. I think its a function of those books being very hard to find. To say that people are sitting on the sideline when they can see books going for $100s (not the nutty money that happened earlier, no, but solid returns on investment) being scared of what they're going to get is absurd.

[greggy]

Why? Did you upgrade?

[clobberintime]

Hey when i lived in Georgia we were #1 in teen pregnancy and illiteracy! So don't be knockin' illiteracy!

[Rickdogg]

Don't worry greggy, I still have yours. I wouldn't back stab you like that for hookin up a homie I'd only sell it if I got a 9.8 White Pages, but I would never pay $2,000 for that book.

 

I'm sellin 2 9.2's & 1 9.4

[comicinvestor-migration]

I think its a function of those books being very hard to find. To say that people are sitting on the sideline when they can see books going for $100s (not the nutty money that happened earlier, no, but solid returns on investment) being scared of what they're going to get is absurd.

 

Well I have a ton of old Werewolf 32 auctions from earlier in 2002, and they were pretty regular in the CGC 9.2-9.4 range before the recent CGC recession. Then suddenly when prices dropped, they mysteriously dried up.

 

I know all about supply and demand, but in a market like comics, it's a function of the seller deciding to offer the book up for sale, not true business economics that come into play. Even if they're big-time dealers with employees to pay, they can still list it in the window at a high price and sit.

 

So if there was a WW 32 in at least CGC 9.2 listed every week or so back in early 2002 when the mad-money was rampant and now there are virtually none, the only assumption I can make is that sellers are unwilling/afraid of listing the book in the current depression.

 

Not that I disagree, but I keep hearing about how after the Summer, CGC sellers are going to start listing again and buyers will return from their summer hiatus, and I'm not seeing any of it.