Growing gap between AF#15 and FF#1

[Vger7]

I'm blown away by how fast and how far AF#15's and Hulk#1's have climbed since coming out of the housing crash 2008/2009, especially at the low to mid grade range. However, FF#1's, JIM#83's, Av#1's and TOS#39's haven't really kept pace and TTA#27's and DD#1's are just starting to pop thanks to their upcoming movie/TV shows.

 

I know that Spidey is a popular character and there is huge demand for AF#15's. We can also compare census data and debate various theory's... but bottom line: Does this mean AF#15's and Hulk#1's are overvalued? Or, does this mean that the rest are undervalued and we should be loading up on FF#1's? I typically buy in the 4.0 to 5.0 range... The gap is so wide, it's difficult to imagine AF#15's ever crashing to an equivalent FF#1 level in another economic down turn...

[Ghost Rider]

I believe that FF 1 and like books are going to increase in value. But not like Hulk 1 and. AF 15. At some point these book's will have to level off a bit. I don't think a AF 15 will just keep climbing at it's current rate. I would think it will increase in value at a reasonable rate. It is starting to get out of the reach of most collectors. That is never good in collecting circles. This is IMHO. Your mileage may vary.

[Comcasthawk]

Well, if any book "increases in value", does that not mean there are buyers out there willing to pay those prices..?? Is not any collectible's "value", or anything for that matter, what free market buyers will pay in an open arena?

[1950's war comics]

Almost a new Chevy Cruze, 13.5 ounces of gold, an IRA deposit of 5K a year for the next three years into my retirement account or an AF15,

choices, choices.......

 

 

[Gsims718]

Almost a new Chevy Cruze, 13.5 ounces of gold, an IRA deposit of 5K a year for the next three years into my retirement account or an AF15,

choices, choices.......

 

 

The choice is easy. AF 15.

[prez]

Almost a new Chevy Cruze, 13.5 ounces of gold, an IRA deposit of 5K a year for the next three years into my retirement account or an AF15,

choices, choices.......

 

 

Encapsulated comic or gold? Hmmm.... I think I will enjoy staring at gold rather than comic.

[rjpb]

I've long since sold off any early Marvels' I've had, but I still find them cool, if even just for nostalgia's sake. Maybe I'm just old school, but I still think of FF #1 as the linchpin key to a SA Marvel collection. I understand the greater value for an AF #15, as there are more Spider-man collectors than collectors interested in all early marvel keys. Hulk #1 is a cool book, and I get it's a little harder to find ( at least in higher grade) than other big Marvel keys, but it's a far less key book in terms of building the SA Marvel universe. If any of the three could be said to be "overvalued", I'd pick Hulk #1, but who knows what the market will decide over the next few years.

 

I like both the FF and ASM runs from the 60s, still the best of the era from Marvel overall, but if I were to buy a big Marvel key again, I think it would still be FF #1 - for me it's still the Action #1 of Marvel's Silver Age, and I love the cover, with the main focus being on the giant monster bursting up through the pavement - like Marvel wanted to make sure readers knew this was the same company that put out all those Kirby monster books they read.

[comicstock]

I've felt the early FF issues have been undervalued for awhile....

[Vger7]

I've long since sold off any early Marvels' I've had, but I still find them cool, if even just for nostalgia's sake. Maybe I'm just old school, but I still think of FF #1 as the linchpin key to a SA Marvel collection. I understand the greater value for an AF #15, as there are more Spider-man collectors than collectors interested in all early marvel keys. Hulk #1 is a cool book, and I get it's a little harder to find ( at least in higher grade) than other big Marvel keys, but it's a far less key book in terms of building the SA Marvel universe. If any of the three could be said to be "overvalued", I'd pick Hulk #1, but who knows what the market will decide over the next few years.

 

I like both the FF and ASM runs from the 60s, still the best of the era from Marvel overall, but if I were to buy a big Marvel key again, I think it would still be FF #1 - for me it's still the Action #1 of Marvel's Silver Age, and I love the cover, with the main focus being on the giant monster bursting up through the pavement - like Marvel wanted to make sure readers knew this was the same company that put out all those Kirby monster books they read.

 

I like FF#1 as well... personally, I think the 1st appearance of the Marvel Universe trumps teenage angst but that's just me. Both are great books but I would have thought they would be closer to par. I don't get Hulk#1... not sure what's fueling its rise.

[makeminemego]

I think now is a great time to buy FF 1 and ASM 1.

[Dark Knight]

I think now is a great time to buy FF 1 and ASM 1.

 

Or wait until the FF movie is showing and see if it is a good flick or not. I don't have high expectations for the movie at all. I hope it does better than the previous movies.

[thehumantorch]

I think FF 1 is a more important book but I do understand how much universal appear AF15 has - everyone loves Spiderman. The quick run up of Hulk 1 surprised me.

 

It's important to remember that the market is self fulfilling to a degree. When a key book runs up collectors see a trend and expect it to continue and buy in.

[FineCollector]

Dollar for dollar, I've always preferred FF over Amazing Spidey ever since I was a young collector. I'd see the FF 1 as a similar bargain over AF 15.

[Vger7]

Some people have suggested that JIM#83 is not as important as the other Marvel keys because Marvel's Thor is an interpretation and not an original character. But the same could be said about the Hulk... which is a take on Jekyll and Hyde, or Superman who is an adaptation of the 1930s carnival strong man.

 

My other argument is, even if Marvel didn't invent Thor, the character has been around longer than Superman. As part of Norse mythology, the character rivals Christ himself (depending on your belief). That is **huge** staying power, spanning thousands of years.

 

Also interesting is that the Thor movies have been better received than the last few Spidey films. And yet JIM#83 remains relatively flat compared to AF#15. All things being equal, these books seem undervalued to me...

[BarryAllen]

Spiderman is greater than Fantastic Four and Thor and just about every other comic character (save Batman and Superman - but easily all of Marvel) because he is a kid. Kids love the idea of a super-hero by night, high-school student by day character they can relate to. Even as PP grows up, he does so with those same kids that loved him.

 

This was true in the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's and 10's.

 

I don't why it is so hard to believe why he is more popular than the other characters, it is because kids love him and those kids grow up and have money to buy crud like AF 15s.

 

:shrug:

 

Side note - comparing one book to another to simply state one or the other is over/under valued is a hasty generalization. The characters themselves, their overall appeal, pop-culture timing, the amount of ongoing exposure, historical relevance and the availability of their key issues (# of books in various grades) all contribute to the value of those key issues.

 

FF 1 could be literally worth half of what is it now in 20 years depending on what happens with the characters over that time (it could be worth double as well). This has been proven time and time again - not everything that is currently popular will always be popular, what isn't popular may or may not be popular in the future and no one knows what will be the new popular thing.

[makeminemego]

I think FF 1 will always be held in high esteem by the collecting community. Ground zero for the Marvel Universe, 1st issue of the (probably-possibly) most acclaimed Silver Age storytelling run, etc. Collectors will always covet the book.

 

BUT.........I just don't think the book has "legs" in terms of sustaining broad appeal via public consciousness. Might end up a book like ADV247 or TEC225. Those were big time books 30 or so years ago. Don't get me wrong, those are still great books today, but not in the way people look at SC4 or even 22.

 

I don't think it will ever be in the range of AF 15 or Hulk 1. But I think it will hold somewhat steady as a book in the next tier of keys, like ASM1 and TOS39.

 

I still think it's a good time to buy the book, but I would agree that it has a ceiling that is considerably lower than the two Alpha Dogs-AF15 and IH1.

[kav]

I've believed for a while Thors are undervalued.

[Vikingreed]

Almost a new Chevy Cruze, 13.5 ounces of gold, an IRA deposit of 5K a year for the next three years into my retirement account or an AF15,

choices, choices.......

 

 

The choice is easy. AF 15.

 

[Vikingreed]

I have never been a FF fan. I just could never get into them for some reason.

 

Hulk and Spidey though? I love them.

But no one holds a candle in overall Marvel popularity to Spider-man, and that's why it has surpassed all other Marvel SA books.

 

I agree with the above posts about the Thor books. I think they are undervalued, especially the 1st Loki JIM.

 

What caused the IH 1 rise? Was it the 1st Avengers movie, or has it been a steady climber for years?

 

I don't think there will be a better time to buy a FF #1 then the next 12 months or so. Marvel is taking a on them, and I don't think that is gonna stop anytime soon. I feel for the die hard FF fans out there...

 

I'm kind of going through it with Wolverine. Even as popular as he is, he's getting shipped off to another planet with all the other mutants. Because of the Inhumans, literally and figuratively....

 

Disney is a big cry baby.

[ComicConnoisseur]

Spiderman is greater than Fantastic Four and Thor and just about every other comic character (save Batman and Superman - but easily all of Marvel) because he is a kid. Kids love the idea of a super-hero by night, high-school student by day character they can relate to. Even as PP grows up, he does so with those same kids that loved him.

 

This was true in the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's and 10's.

 

I don't why it is so hard to believe why he is more popular than the other characters, it is because kids love him and those kids grow up and have money to buy crud like AF 15s.

 

:shrug:

 

Side note - comparing one book to another to simply state one or the other is over/under valued is a hasty generalization. The characters themselves, their overall appeal, pop-culture timing, the amount of ongoing exposure, historical relevance and the availability of their key issues (# of books in various grades) all contribute to the value of those key issues.

 

FF 1 could be literally worth half of what is it now in 20 years depending on what happens with the characters over that time (it could be worth double as well). This has been proven time and time again - not everything that is currently popular will always be popular, what isn't popular may or may not be popular in the future and no one knows what will be the new popular thing.

Great post!

FF will never be popular again like it was. It hit it`s peak.

Spider-Man is a current modern relevant icon, where as The Fantastic Four is like what I call in the Buck Rogers/ Tracy zone category. In that they were once hugely popular and couldn't`t translate to modern audience well.

 

There is nothing wrong with that. Not many characters are like Spider-Man and Batman.

 

Think about it.

How many icons from the 60s are still very popular with modern audiences?

I can think of James Bond, The Beatles who are fading and Star Trek.

 

The rest have all hit their peaks, have faded or are now almost forgotten.

Spider-Man is a rare bread in that he has gotten more popular.