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ASM #1 pricing question

Started by adamlp41,

23 posts in this topic

adamlp41

adamlp41

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I am considering purchasing a highly flawed, but still presents well, copy of ASM #1 at a convention. Low grade for sure. Anyhow, what is the current going rate for such a copy, either CGCd or not graded? I'm trying to gauge if it fits the current budget.

 

Thanks in advance for the help.

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adamlp41

adamlp41

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As far as usual sites...I've looked at completed ebay sales, if that is what you mean. I think ebay sometimes is a different animal than live convention sales, though. I'm aware of GPA, if that's what it is, but not familiar enough with it to even know where to look for information. Sorry if my thread is wasting your time.

 

With regards to approximate grade, I'm not concerned about true grade so much as presentability. If the front cover looks decent, I can deal with a fair amount of other problems. Does that mean 2.0-ish in CGC speak? Thanks for engaging for clarification.

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ChasingKingKirby

ChasingKingKirby

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He does bring up a good point that I'm also curious based on your opinions.

 

Is it cheaper or more expensive to buy major key comics at a convention vs online (clink, ebay, etc.)?

 

In my experience, more expensive to buy at Cons... Though, that is an IN GENERAL statement, because there are always exceptions.

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Dick Pontoon

Dick Pontoon

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As far as usual sites...I've looked at completed ebay sales, if that is what you mean. I think ebay sometimes is a different animal than live convention sales, though. I'm aware of GPA, if that's what it is, but not familiar enough with it to even know where to look for information. Sorry if my thread is wasting your time.

 

With regards to approximate grade, I'm not concerned about true grade so much as presentability. If the front cover looks decent, I can deal with a fair amount of other problems. Does that mean 2.0-ish in CGC speak? Thanks for engaging for clarification.

 

I get the impression that your grading skills may need some honing. What if a book you think looks nice would grade out at 1.0, but is priced as a 2.0-3.0? You could wind up paying $1500-$2000 over fair market value in that scenario.

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adamlp41

adamlp41

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Yes...my grading skills are not the best, for sure.

 

I'm thinking a book similar to this, not signed, but in similar condition. Either graded or ungraded.

 

2l0rgp.jpg

 

That is someone's in the ASM #1 club thread. I apologize if they mind me borrowing the photo in order to illustrate here (if I did the image link right...).

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adamlp41

adamlp41

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I would like to top out at $1,500. I realize that means the grade will be very low, and I may have to go for ungraded. However, if folks in the know think there is no way I'll find one at that price that looks roughly like the one above, then I'll have to wait for now.

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Vision75

Vision75

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$1,500 is the entry point to an ASM#1 that's complete but it will be a rag. Spend $500 to $750 more and you can get one that looks much better, a 2.0 or 2.5 perhaps. I did buy a raw 1.0 from Heritage about a year ago for $1100 and thought it was a steal. The front cover looked 3.0ish but about a 1/4 of the back cover was missing. Anyway, that's probably the best one could hope for at $1500.

 

Another option is the the British version, if you can find one. It sells at a discount. You might be able to get a 2.0 for a grand.

 

Good luck in your hunt!

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rodan57

rodan57

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I would like to top out at $1,500. I realize that means the grade will be very low, and I may have to go for ungraded.

 

I might suggest seeking expertise in selecting an ungraded copy. The slightest colour touch and you will have thrown money out the window.

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chrisco37

chrisco37

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I was going to suggest maybe considering a restored (SP) book. Might be able to sneak into the 4.0 range if you got lucky.

 

$1500 is going to be tough unrestored. The good thing is that there are plenty of copies out there, so you can find one.

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peewee22

peewee22

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I was going to suggest maybe considering a restored (SP) book. Might be able to sneak into the 4.0 range if you got lucky.

 

$1500 is going to be tough unrestored. The good thing is that there are plenty of copies out there, so you can find one.

 

I don't think I'd consider a resto copy. Even if you start with a rag, you can continually upgrade it over the years and get your money back (and probably a little profit).

 

I did the same with an AF15 and ended up with a very nice graded copy. Never did I consider a resto copy.

 

But I do understand where chrisco37 is coming from. (thumbs u

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rodan57

rodan57

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So the point there is that an ungraded one must not have any restoration, right? Is color restoration so common on beat up copies that I would be foolish to go that route?

 

It's just not uncommon. And I am not suggesting this is the purview of unscrupulous dealers.

 

When I was a kid, it was no big deal to improve on your creased comic books with a marker. Kids just wanted to make their books look better.

 

Unless you have faith in the provenance of the book, or a knowledgeable and trusted friend or dealer, big ticket books that are unslabbed are a risk due to historical trends in collecting and the large amount of money such books can trade for today.

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seredynskib

seredynskib

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So the point there is that an ungraded one must not have any restoration, right? Is color restoration so common on beat up copies that I would be foolish to go that route?

 

It's just not uncommon. And I am not suggesting this is the purview of unscrupulous dealers.

 

When I was a kid, it was no big deal to improve on your creased comic books with a marker. Kids just wanted to make their books look better.

 

Unless you have faith in the provenance of the book, or a knowledgeable and trusted friend or dealer, big ticket books that are unslabbed are a risk due to historical trends in collecting and the large amount of money such books can trade for today.

 

It is a risk, but with risk comes reward (thumbs u

 

I purchased my Fantastic Four #1 for half the price of a slabbed copy because I took a chance on an ungraded raw copy. Turned out that my gamble paid off in that case.

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adamlp41

adamlp41

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Thanks to everyone for the help/recommendations.

 

I have one more question. Can people recommend good or bad dealers for this, especially trustworthy dealers if a raw one ends up being the best/only option? If PM is better due to the "calling out" nature, that would be great if it isn't too much trouble. That would be dealers that typically set up at something like C2E2 or the Wizard World Cons.

 

Thanks again.

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