Undervalued Bronze keys?

[oakman29]

Bronze Horror. I don't want to say too much because I'm after such books,and don't want to stir the pot much.

[Number 6]

Adventure Comics #452

 

OSPG notes that it's the death of Aquababy, making it a somewhat infamous infanticide issue.

 

What OSPG doesn't mention is that it’s also the first time Black Manta reveals his identity. I assume CGC doesn't note this either, since they follow Overstreet pretty closely on that type of stuff, but I haven't seen a CGC copy to confirm it.

 

It's not as significant as the Green Goblin revealing his identity, but it's the closest thing to an origin for Black Manta up to that point.

 

Considering how prices on eBay for Aquaman #35 have exploded, at some point somebody's going to discover this issue and I think it will break out.

[boomtown]

Adventure Comics #452

 

OSPG notes that it's the death of Aquababy, making it a somewhat infamous infanticide issue.

 

What OSPG doesn't mention is that it’s also the first time Black Manta reveals his identity. I assume CGC doesn't note this either, since they follow Overstreet pretty closely on that type of stuff, but I haven't seen a CGC copy to confirm it.

 

It's not as significant as the Green Goblin revealing his identity, but it's the closest thing to an origin for Black Manta up to that point.

 

Considering how prices on eBay for Aquaman #35 have exploded, at some point somebody's going to discover this issue and I think it will break out.

 

Just went & browsed ebay looking at the prices on Aquaman 35 & I'm shocked!! When did Black Manta become a key villain?

 

That's the kind of price breakout I would expect from a Marvel character. If the DC characters/villains are starting to break out there is huge untapped potential in the silver & bronze common runs of DC titles.

[Heronext]

Just went & browsed ebay looking at the prices on Aquaman 35 & I'm shocked!! When did Black Manta become a key villain?

 

That's the kind of price breakout I would expect from a Marvel character. If the DC characters/villains are starting to break out there is huge untapped potential in the silver & bronze common runs of DC titles.

 

Probably with this post

[ComicbookScout]

DC SPECIAL SERIES #21

 

1st Frank Miller Batman

 

[jjonahjameson1]

What are some undervalued bronze keys out there? One that comes to mind for me is Strange Tales 180, especially in higher grade. There are only 13 in 9.8 on the census, yet the last sale on gpa went for only 750. That's fewer copies in 9.8 than Marvel Premiere 15 of which there are 28 on the census and which routinely sells for around $2k.

 

Any others?

 

The answer to this question is predominantly dependant upon which comics-related movie/TV show gets the go-ahead from the big studios.

[Illustrious]

Actually, ST 180 is probably one of the most over-valued semi-keys right now, due to movie hype.

 

I agree, extremely over-valued, I wouldn't pay anywhere near what people are asking on high grade CGC's of this book.

[whetteon]

Actually, ST 180 is probably one of the most over-valued semi-keys right now, due to movie hype.

 

I agree, extremely over-valued, I wouldn't pay anywhere near what people are asking on high grade CGC's of this book.

 

 

 

+1

[Jeffro.]

As OP pointed out, ST180 has only 13 9.8s on the census yet

 

That's because prior to the movie hype, ST 180 was not a key issue commanding top dollar - looking at the Census on this book against a long-standing key like Marvel Premiere 15 or Iron Fist 14 is not a valid comparison.

 

And make no mistake, there are plenty of Starlin issues out there as it was collectible almost since it was printed and I can guarantee that the Census numbers will continue to grow.

 

 

Agreed. You can't simply look at the census numbers and make these conclusions. You need to dig a little deeper.

[KPR Comics]

Marvel Team-Up Annual 1.

1st new team appearance outside of title.

[joe_collector]

Marvel Team-Up Annual 1.

1st new team appearance outside of title.

 

Cool book, and I believe that is also the second appearance of Phoenix.

[joe_collector]

I've mentioned this issue before, and I don't know how "undervalued" or "key" this issue is, but if you're a New X-Men fan, this is very cool book to own.

 

Hulk Annual 7

 

Byrne Art, and it closes off the classic "X-Men vs. Sentinels in Space" epic from X-Men 98-100, and I think it does so in a very cool manner. Find out what really happened to Stephen Lang and just how many Sentinels an angry Hulk can crush.

 

[FantasticFan-migration]

As OP pointed out, ST180 has only 13 9.8s on the census yet

 

That's because prior to the movie hype, ST 180 was not a key issue commanding top dollar - looking at the Census on this book against a long-standing key like Marvel Premiere 15 or Iron Fist 14 is not a valid comparison.

 

Sure it's movie hype but aren't the prices we are witnessing now with the MP15 and HFH1 also the result of movie hype? What I'm saying is that compare to other movie hyped books like HFH1 and MP15, ST180 is still lagging dramatically in value. I will never understand the desirability of IF14--first Sabretooth? BFD.

 

And make no mistake, there are plenty of Starlin issues out there as it was collectible almost since it was printed and I can guarantee that the Census numbers will continue to grow.

 

I have no doubt census numbers will grow. But how many 9.8s do you expect to see on the census one year from now?

 

There are 27 universal 9.8s of MP15, which was printed in 1974. There are 85 universal IF14s in 9.8, which was printed in 1977. It's probably fair to estimate that the number of 9.8s we will see on the census for ST180 will be somewhere between the 27 we see for MP15 and the 85 for IF14. This is a mid Bronze book were talking about there, not some silly modern like Batman Adventurres 12.

 

 

[joe_collector]

I have no doubt census numbers will grow. But how many 9.8s do you expect to see on the census one year from now?

 

Why would you say "one year" when Census numbers on books like MP 15 and IF 14 have about a 12-year gap on ST 180?

 

And I don't know if you understand comic history, but soon after Starlin's Captain Marvel series was published, it had a premium price to it and collectors loved those books (I know, I tried to fill in some CA holes in the 70's) and his Strange Tales/Warlock run came *after* his CA run, so collectors bought those in droves.

 

Starlin was extremely popular in the 70's, so I would put the potential number of 9.8's closer to IF 14 than MP 15. Early MP Iron Fist's were junk books for a long time, while the IF Byrne run was heavily collected and worth more in OS for a long time.

[FantasticFan-migration]

 

Starlin was extremely popular in the 70's, so I would put the potential number of 9.8's closer to IF 14 than MP 15. Early MP Iron Fist's were junk books for a long time, while the IF Byrne run was heavily collected and worth more in OS for a long time.

 

So I guess those collectors/dealers currently sitting on their 9.8s must be allergic to the $860 price tag (see CLink's Jan 2014 auction results) a 9.8 ST180 fetches nowadays. That kind of money probably isn't worth most people's time or energy.

 

Either it's that or there probably aren't as many unslabbed 9.8s as you seem to believe. That red cover isn't exactly forgiving of defects.

 

Whatever the case, my point is that ST180 is still worth a whole lot less than many other hot Bronze books right now, including its GOTG counterparts like Marvel Preview 4 or 7. Or even TTA13.

[Crimebuster]

I personally don't think ST #180 has, should have or will have the lasting value of books like MP #15 or HFH #1. Luke Cage and Iron Fist are characters who have carried or headlines series for decades. No, they aren't A-listers like Spider-Man, but they have relatively large fan bases with a lot of history behind them. The prices on these books aren't just from movie hype, though they may have received bumps due to the Netflix announcement. The prices are because there are legitimate fans of those characters.

 

ST #180 has a very minor, fairly obscure character who only appears in ensemble books in support of other, more important characters and whose first appearance is only going up due to movie hype. Sure, there are a lot of Thanos fans. And there are some Warlock fans. But I've never met or heard of anyone who labeled themselves a Gamora fan. There's a reason this book languished in dollar bins for the past 30 years and that's because outside of Starlin fans, nobody cared about Gamora. And I find it hard to believe anyone really cares now, either.

 

I'm with you on Iron Fist #14, though. Prices for that book seem like a 90's holdover where the market never corrected for the fact that Sabretooth isn't particularly popular anymore.

[Mishmashman]

I personally don't think ST #180 has, should have or will have the lasting value of books like MP #15 or HFH #1. Luke Cage and Iron Fist are characters who have carried or headlines series for decades. No, they aren't A-listers like Spider-Man, but they have relatively large fan bases with a lot of history behind them. The prices on these books aren't just from movie hype, though they may have received bumps due to the Netflix announcement. The prices are because there are legitimate fans of those characters.

 

ST #180 has a very minor, fairly obscure character who only appears in ensemble books in support of other, more important characters and whose first appearance is only going up due to movie hype. Sure, there are a lot of Thanos fans. And there are some Warlock fans. But I've never met or heard of anyone who labeled themselves a Gamora fan. There's a reason this book languished in dollar bins for the past 30 years and that's because outside of Starlin fans, nobody cared about Gamora. And I find it hard to believe anyone really cares now, either.

 

Really? You think those insane prices are due to legit fans? Or due to crazy speculators? It's likely a mix of both, no? True fandom seldom explains why a book sees a 200% increase over 12 months.

 

I agree ST180 kinda came out of nowhere and did languish in the dollar bins for years. But the movies have made keys of books that were once semi-keys or dollar bin fodder. Mostly gone are the days where your keys of the last 30 years will be the same keys tomorrow. Defining the keyness of a book is no longer static.

 

You didn't run into Rocket Raccoon fans or Star Lord fans either until recently. But movies changed that. Thats why Preview 4 and 7 command such a hefty price tag. As a collector, it bugs me that movies are doing this. But I love the movies and enjoy seeing many of these characters brought to life.

[Mephisto]

Special Marvel Edition 15.

 

Why? That character hasn't been relevant in 30 years. I nor any of my friends who grow up in the 90's ever heard of Shang Chi or whatever the hell his name is and 20 years later I still don't care to.

[Mephisto]

I agree with Joe Gamora's first appearance is really not a bargain with movie hype. She is more relevant in comics than in previous years but I don't see huge popular longevity for her unless she can ride Thanos coat tails. He has proven over the years to have trends of unbelievable popularity. Prior to the movie I was hoarding raw copies of her first appearance for somewhere around 20 bucks a pop in decent shape. The best one I had slabbed at 9.6 and sold for over $300. There are a lot of copies of this book and in better shape than you wil find MP 7.

[Ebel 1911]

Special Marvel Edition 15.

 

Why? That character hasn't been relevant in 30 years. I nor any of my friends who grow up in the 90's ever heard of Shang Chi or whatever the hell his name is and 20 years later I still don't care to.

 

I've always been surprised at how little love there is for SME 15 and Shang Chi specifically. I rarely read one as a kid because actual super heroes were my thing but every MOKF story I read always made me want to read more.