THE AMAZING FANTASY #15 CLUB 39 39

[Spesh]

Caveat: new to this forum & thread.  I have a 3.0 AF15 with slight amateur color touch (C-1).   It's a really solid clean copy with only slight chipping - looks closer to a 3.5/4.0.  Question: what are your thoughts on color touch vs. other restoration?  As a kid that regularly & very carefully filled in some blacks with pen, I don't really have much of an issue with it.  Doesn't seem to really affect the integrity of the book, imo.  Certainly not like pieces added; cleaned; trimmed; etc..  I'm curious why an inconspicuous color touch would designate a resto grade, while a person's messy name scrawled on the cover would give it a Uni grade.  I understand the rationale, one's an attempt at restoring while the other's not - but an imperceptible color touch is much less egregious than a smudgy penned name.  And yet, just getting that purple label vs. blue dramatically impacts the value.  I'm curious if serious collectors like yourselves evaluate the value of (3.0) slight color touch vs. more a Uni copy that's in much worse shape (say 2.0), sans color touch.   Thanks in advance.

[Cushing Fan]

On 8/18/2024 at 12:25 PM, Spesh said:

Caveat: new to this forum & thread.  I have a 3.0 AF15 with slight amateur color touch (C-1).   It's a really solid clean copy with only slight chipping - looks closer to a 3.5/4.0.  Question: what are your thoughts on color touch vs. other restoration?  As a kid that regularly & very carefully filled in some blacks with pen, I don't really have much of an issue with it.  Doesn't seem to really affect the integrity of the book, imo.  Certainly not like pieces added; cleaned; trimmed; etc..  I'm curious why an inconspicuous color touch would designate a resto grade, while a person's messy name scrawled on the cover would give it a Uni grade.  I understand the rationale, one's an attempt at restoring while the other's not - but an imperceptible color touch is much less egregious than a smudgy penned name.  And yet, just getting that purple label vs. blue dramatically impacts the value.  I'm curious if serious collectors like yourselves evaluate the value of (3.0) slight color touch vs. more a Uni copy that's in much worse shape (say 2.0), sans color touch.   Thanks in advance.

I'll say I would personally rather have a color touch key comic than one with someone's name on the cover. It's definitely a pet peeve of mine seeing a name on the cover and I would skip on the book. 

[Spesh]

Thnx & I agree.  Unless it's Stan, Steve or Jack's name.  then i'd be psyched.

[Lee Enterprises]

On 8/18/2024 at 12:25 PM, Spesh said:

Caveat: new to this forum & thread.  I have a 3.0 AF15 with slight amateur color touch (C-1).   It's a really solid clean copy with only slight chipping - looks closer to a 3.5/4.0.  Question: what are your thoughts on color touch vs. other restoration?  As a kid that regularly & very carefully filled in some blacks with pen, I don't really have much of an issue with it.  Doesn't seem to really affect the integrity of the book, imo.  Certainly not like pieces added; cleaned; trimmed; etc..  I'm curious why an inconspicuous color touch would designate a resto grade, while a person's messy name scrawled on the cover would give it a Uni grade.  I understand the rationale, one's an attempt at restoring while the other's not - but an imperceptible color touch is much less egregious than a smudgy penned name.  And yet, just getting that purple label vs. blue dramatically impacts the value.  I'm curious if serious collectors like yourselves evaluate the value of (3.0) slight color touch vs. more a Uni copy that's in much worse shape (say 2.0), sans color touch.   Thanks in advance.

I'm also not a fan of names written on covers. I am a fan of restored books (at the right price) that have nice eye appeal and fit a person's budget. I've gotten to the point where if something bothers me about a book at first glance, I'll just pass and wait for another opportunity because I'll just want a different one in the future if I do go with the book that has "an issue". 

Post a picture of your AF15 if you would like. Every AF15, regardless of grade, is special. 

[chrisco37]

On 8/18/2024 at 12:25 PM, Spesh said:

Caveat: new to this forum & thread.  I have a 3.0 AF15 with slight amateur color touch (C-1).   It's a really solid clean copy with only slight chipping - looks closer to a 3.5/4.0.  Question: what are your thoughts on color touch vs. other restoration?  As a kid that regularly & very carefully filled in some blacks with pen, I don't really have much of an issue with it.  Doesn't seem to really affect the integrity of the book, imo.  Certainly not like pieces added; cleaned; trimmed; etc..  I'm curious why an inconspicuous color touch would designate a resto grade, while a person's messy name scrawled on the cover would give it a Uni grade.  I understand the rationale, one's an attempt at restoring while the other's not - but an imperceptible color touch is much less egregious than a smudgy penned name.  And yet, just getting that purple label vs. blue dramatically impacts the value.  I'm curious if serious collectors like yourselves evaluate the value of (3.0) slight color touch vs. more a Uni copy that's in much worse shape (say 2.0), sans color touch.   Thanks in advance.

I would (almost) always prefer an unrestored over a restored book.   That said, I have seen CT work wonders on many books (as long as it doesn't bleed thru).  I think, as with most things, it depends on the book and the defects as to which would be preferred given the choice between 2 copies.  

One thing that I will say with certainty though is that I would much prefer a book with CT over the exact same book that had the CT removed.   CGC has made all sorts of awful, stupid decisions over the years.  I'd put the "removed color touch gets a blue label" right up near the top.   I've seen some beautiful looking books turned into carp by scraping off the CT in pursuit of the unrestored designation.  

[peewee22]

On 8/19/2024 at 2:04 PM, chrisco37 said:

I would (almost) always prefer an unrestored over a restored book.   That said, I have seen CT work wonders on many books (as long as it doesn't bleed thru).  I think, as with most things, it depends on the book and the defects as to which would be preferred given the choice between 2 copies.  

One thing that I will say with certainty though is that I would much prefer a book with CT over the exact same book that had the CT removed.   CGC has made all sorts of awful, stupid decisions over the years.  I'd put the "removed color touch gets a blue label" right up near the top.   I've seen some beautiful looking books turned into carp by scraping off the CT in pursuit of the unrestored designation.  

I hear you C. There was an AF15 posted awhile back that had CT removed and it looked like Dr Jekyll acid drops all over the book. Fuglee! Can't recall the grade.

[BLUECHIPCOLLECTIBLES]

On 8/19/2024 at 12:04 PM, chrisco37 said:

II've seen some beautiful looking books turned into carp by scraping off the CT in pursuit of the unrestored designation.  

I made the mistake of giving in to the must-remove-it ideology and had the CT scraped off an exceedingly rare book that I was told must-must-must be in a blue label.  When I got it back I was appalled by how terrible it looked and how much paper was removed.  It made no sense to me that a book is seen as worth less with a tiny bit of color touch than it is with big chunks of the paper removed leaving unsightly gashes in the cover.  And it also made no sense to the bidders when I put it up for auction because the bidding was much less aggressive than it had been when I'd bought it years earlier in a restored label, and it went for much less than I'd paid. 

Edited August 19 by BLUECHIPCOLLECTIBLES

[Spiderturtle]

On 8/19/2024 at 12:45 PM, peewee22 said:

I hear you C. There was an AF15 posted awhile back that had CT removed and it looked like Dr Jekyll acid drops all over the book. Fuglee! Can't recall the grade.

I remember that copy had No Marvel chipping though, and the colors were still bright 

[peewee22]

On 8/19/2024 at 3:42 PM, Spiderturtle said:

I remember that copy had No Marvel chipping though, and the colors were still bright 

[Spiderturtle]

Recently acquired a cover (front and back still attached).  I have a coverless.  I will marry it and slab it.  Colors are still vibrant 

 

Edited August 24 by Spiderturtle

[VinylJunky]

Nice 

[Lee Enterprises]

On 8/24/2024 at 1:40 AM, Spiderturtle said:

Recently acquired a cover (front and back still attached).  I have a coverless.  I will marry it and slab it.  Colors are still vibrant 

 

Every time I see a coverless AF15 or (the much rarer) AF15 cover for sale, I think about everyone who is waiting for that opportunity. Congratulations! 

Please post a picture once it's married and back from CGC. 

[Spiderturtle]

On 8/24/2024 at 11:21 AM, Lee Enterprises said:

Every time I see a coverless AF15 or (the much rarer) AF15 cover for sale, I think about everyone who is waiting for that opportunity. Congratulations! 

Please post a picture once it's married and back from CGC. 

I have a REAL back cover of AF15 too (shows part of the front cover).   Back cover is easily replaceable since the other books that came out during this month have the same back cover.  

[Lee Enterprises]

On 8/24/2024 at 2:34 PM, Spiderturtle said:

I have a REAL back cover of AF15 too (shows part of the front cover).   Back cover is easily replaceable since the other books that came out during this month have the same back cover.  

Very cool to still have pieces of the front cover.

[Spiderturtle]

On 8/5/2024 at 12:57 PM, Dark Knight said:

Nice CGC 6.5 copy coming up in the CL event auction in less than 2 weeks

$100K  I thought that was a strong price until i looked back and saw one sold for $120k at heritage during the covid time

[DC#]

On 8/29/2024 at 1:22 PM, Spiderturtle said:

$100K  I thought that was a strong price until i looked back and saw one sold for $120k at heritage during the covid time

True….but still $30k higher than where it was in 2020 and pretty flat since late 2022

 

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $225k March 2022.   Previous $72k in 2020

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $180k June 2022 (ComicConnect)

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $120k June 2022 (Heritage)

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $125.8k Aug 2022 (Clink)

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $110k Dec 2022 (Comic Connect)

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $105k Jan 2024. (GPA noted sale - platform unknown) 

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $101k Feb 2024 (clink) 

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $100k Aug 2024 (Clink

[Spiderturtle]

Recent low grade addition a 0.5.  Very happy with the colors on this 0.5

 

 

[Gotham Kid]

[fishbone]

On 8/30/2024 at 10:43 AM, DC# said:

True….but still $30k higher than where it was in 2020 and pretty flat since late 2022

 

 

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $225k March 2022.   Previous $72k in 2020

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $180k June 2022 (ComicConnect)

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $120k June 2022 (Heritage)

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $125.8k Aug 2022 (Clink)

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $110k Dec 2022 (Comic Connect)

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $105k Jan 2024. (GPA noted sale - platform unknown) 

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $101k Feb 2024 (clink) 

Amazing Fantasy #15 6.5 - $100k Aug 2024 (Clink

remember the time that a 5.0 rocketed to 100K !!  That was nuts, wonder when that will happen again (if ever)   

[VinylJunky]

I’m confused about the recent 9.0 that Heritage just auctioned. I thought the auction started today but maybe I didn’t look carefully at the timing. I’m also really surprised at the hammer price. Does this make any sense?