MOST VALUABLE MODERN VARIANTS - THE RANKINGS 17 17

[Jaydogrules]

They evidently "verify" sigs that "look right" and put those in reddish labels as "verified". But they have also started doing actually witnessed sigs like CGC and have opted to put those with yellow labels (like CGC).

 

Problem is, I don't think they were doing that when at least two of those sigs were done. I'm thinking maybe the book was in a CGC yellow slab (probably with another grade ) and somebody subbed it to CBCS with the CGC yellow label and they just posted the verifs over to their own label. Kind of weird , but whatever, looks like they got the grade they wanted from them.

 

And yes, their slabs usually do sell for less.

 

-J.

[GeeksAreMyPeeps]

They evidently "verify" sigs that "look right" and put those in reddish labels as "verified". But they have also started doing actually witnessed sigs like CGC and have opted to put those with yellow labels (like CGC).

 

Problem is, I don't think they were doing that when at least two of those sigs were done. I'm thinking maybe the book was in a CGC yellow slab (probably with another grade ) and somebody subbed it to CBCS with the CGC yellow label and they just posted the verifs over to their own label. Kind of weird , but whatever, looks like they got the grade they wanted from them.

 

And yes, their slabs usually do sell for less.

 

-J.

I read up a little about this because I have some books that were signed some time back that I've considered getting slabbed (A Greatest Jokers Stories signed by Robinson and Infantino, and some Suicide Squad books signed by Ostrander and Yale) that obviously can't be duplicated. I think it's more than just "looking right," but obviously not as comforting to many as a witnessed signature.

[newshane]

 

I've never even seen a Spawn #185 Sketch

 

 

Jerome

 

I like to show mine off when the opportunity presents itself.

 

 

[deadleg]

Here is someone's top 100 variants list. Interesting

 

http://comicbookinvest.com/2016/08/26/top-100-variants/

 

I only have 3 books on this list.

[Batverse]

I would use CBCS in a pinch if I was at a convention that CGC didn't attend but that's probably it.

[Lethal_Collector]

 

I've never even seen a Spawn #185 Sketch

 

 

Jerome

 

I like to show mine off when the opportunity presents itself.

 

 

 

They do exist!

 

 

How much you want for it?

 

 

 

Jerome

[bcphillips119]

I would use CBCS in a pinch if I was at a convention that CGC didn't attend but that's probably it.

 

I won't... I just purchased a newly graded CBCS 9.8, in hopes to crack and let CGC grade. No way I am cracking that book because there are two light color breaking spine ticks. I have the same book with CGC and it's a clean 9.8. I'll be flipping it once the movie comes out.

[Batverse]

I would use CBCS in a pinch if I was at a convention that CGC didn't attend but that's probably it.

 

I won't... I just purchased a newly graded CBCS 9.8, in hopes to crack and let CGC grade. No way I am cracking that book because there are two light color breaking spine ticks. I have the same book with CGC and it's a clean 9.8. I'll be flipping it once the movie comes out.

 

I was thinking in terms of signature authentication. I'd rather have CBCS than nothing at all. Maybe that should be their slogan "CBCS...better than nothing at all".

 

Truthfully I shouldn't even be commenting on this as new as I am to it all. CBCS might be fine but to me they just seem like a cheaper knockoff of CGC. In any type of normal situation I'll use CGC.

[Lethal_Collector]

I would use CBCS in a pinch if I was at a convention that CGC didn't attend but that's probably it.

 

I won't... I just purchased a newly graded CBCS 9.8, in hopes to crack and let CGC grade. No way I am cracking that book because there are two light color breaking spine ticks. I have the same book with CGC and it's a clean 9.8. I'll be flipping it once the movie comes out.

 

I was thinking in terms of signature authentication. I'd rather have CBCS than nothing at all. Maybe that should be their slogan "CBCS...better than nothing at all".

 

Truthfully I shouldn't even be commenting on this as new as I am to it all. CBCS might be fine but to me they just seem like a cheaper knockoff of CGC. In any type of normal situation I'll use CGC.

 

While it's my opinion CGC is superior to all other grading companies, CBCS' grading has been pretty good on all of my 4 CGC resubs I've done, got CGC 9.8s on all of them

 

But for sigs, CGC is the gold standard and I'd stay away from any and all non-cgc sigs as the water is muddies so to speak.

 

Back on topic, where's our fearless leader, where's our updated list?

 

 

 

Jerome

Edited October 3, 2016 by Lethal_Collector

[Jaydogrules]

Sorry for the delay guys. Been following a few books and wanted to make sure that I wouldn't miss anything to make sure the updated list was really up to date.

 

 

So without further adieu, here is the UPDATED DIRTY DOZEN 2016 Q4 EDITION (with new copy and descriptions as well):

 

#12- Amazing Spider-Man #688, J. Scott Campbell (2012)- Not surprisingly, we have a JSC book kicking things off, right off the bat. Typically known for his pin-up work, this cover by him is actually kind of scary, and has broken $1500 in a 9.8 and has flirted with $600 raw as the folks who missed it when it first came out (or did not even realize it was a JSC cover) scramble to add it to their collections before it got even further out of reach..

 

#11- Captain Marvel #14, 1:30 variant (2013)- A new entrant to qualify for the list (now at 3+ years old), this book boasts the first cameo appearance of Kamala Khan before she would become the new Ms. Marvel and an overnight sensation. Featuring a majestic take of her idol, Captain Marvel, standing atop a jet, it is certainly an apt introduction to what would become Marvel's next superstar. This book has proven to have legs and therefore, debuts on the list at #11.

 

#10- X-23 #1, Dell'Otto (2010)- Another great and hot artist lodges his first cover here. Combined with the fact that X-23 may be Marvel's hottest female character right now, a rumoured movie appearance, and a breath-taking cover that may be one of her best depictions to date, and you have a book that has now fetched $1600+ in a 9.8 and $800+ raw.

 

#9- Walking Dead #100, Lucille/Red Foil Editions (2012)- The introduction of the iconic Negan in these crazy- rare issues has some people paying as much as $1800 for a 9.8 since word first leaked that he would (finally) be making his appearance in the show. Depending on how they ultimately end up depicting him there, these books could easily move up the list!

 

#8- Black Panther #1, Partial Sketch, J. Scott Campbell (2009)- Like a (female) panther leaping from the forest, this new entrant claws its way all the way up to #8 in its debut on the list. Actually released 7 years ago, this book only recently got discovered by JSC fans and became an instantly hot item. The first 9.8 copy to hit the market went for a whopping $3700, and the fact that copies continue to pop up only intermittently should keep this one in good stead, and especially for those who grabbed one before the price explosion.

 

#7- Spawn #185, Sketch (2008)- One of Image's original and longest running titles checks in here with its most valuable RI variant to date. Clocking in at $2750 the last time a 9.8 copy came up for sale publicly, the scant census numbers should keep rare variant chasers on their heels and this book in high value and esteem for the foreseeable future.

 

#6- Siege #3, J. Scott Campbell (2010)- Moving up a spot, this bizarre retailer incentive that involved destroying other comic books, a super hot artist, and one of Marvel's most trendy characters flossing on the cover are the perfect recipe to catapult this book to $2300+ in a 9.8, and extremely strong figures in all down grades on the rare occasion one comes up for sale..

 

#5- Uncanny X-Men #510 Partial Sketch, J. Scott Campbell (2009)- Without a doubt the most valuable and hard to find convention book out there, 9.6 copies of these have sold for $2800, and only proves once again that Campbell + crazy rarity + beautiful pin-up art = salivating fans and $$$. All things considered, it wouldn't take much for this book to jump up higher on this list.

 

#4- Wolverine #1, J. Scott Campbell (2010)- Yet another JSC cover, this one his best, lands at #3. Featuring a stocky Wolverine bulging out of Deadpool's costume, this book easily commands $3k+ in a 9.8 and is very strong in all down grades, as well as raw. It was another "destroy comics" incentive to retailers, an incentive that was so derided in the industry that it has yet to be repeated, but resulted in a book with a very low print run and insatiable demand. It was the uber-high sales prices of this book a couple of years ago that really got the JSC train going at 100 miles per hour, and if it ever stops chugging along, people will still be paying big money for this book.

 

#3- Amazing Spider-Man #678 (2012)- This now classic and oft-reprinted and homaged cover features Mary Jane in mid-possession by the alien symbiote known as Venom. Its character mash-up and spoof elements made it an instant hit right out of the gate and it never looked back. A 1:50 variant released when ASM sales were barely cracking 50,000, this book has gone for $3500 in a 9.8 (on the rare occasion they're offered), and still breaks $1000 in an 8.5! So strong is the pull of this book that it raised to prominence (and value) most, if not all of the other "Venom Variants" that were released outside of the ASM title that same month, a couple that are very close to making this list as well! Raw copies of it routinely break $1000 and its scarcity on the market, its "modern grail" status, and presence in the ASM run should keep it at the top of this list for a very long time.

 

#2- Batman #608 RRP (2002)- The granddaddy of the RRP's (and possibly all modern variants) sees the biggest movement on the list, all the way up to the #2 spot. And why not? It's Batman, a first appearance of a new villain, and Part One of a story line that put the Batman title back on top. Oh yeah, and it has Jim Lee art. With prices now over $3,300 (and counting) for 9.8's, over $2,300 for 9.6's and copies seeming to have all but disappeared into personal collections, don't expect to get this one on the cheap ever again (if you can even find one).

 

 

#1- Amazing Spider-Man #667, Dell'Otto (2011)- Still on top and not looking back. It was a year ago in September, 2015 when a VF/NM-ish raw copy of this sold for over $2000 that, in retrospect, seems to have kicked off this "next-level" of prices that people are now willing to pay for even raw copies of some of these truly rare books. At the time, such a high price paid for a raw modern book, no matter how rare, raised more than a few eyebrows, but since then we have seen similar stratospheric prices paid for multiple other books, including this one, which beat its own record when another, VF-looking raw copy sold for $2500 six months later. As a side bonus, the multiple blockbuster sales of this one book officially put the name "Dell'otto" on the map, and raised his profile to the A-lister status shared by other hot and talented artists with names like Campbell, Hughes, and Lee. Possibly one of the rarest books of all in the entire ASM run, this book is a completionist's nightmare, and a rare variant hunter's wet dream. Hardly ever offered for sale, in any condition, there have been rumours and reports that as few as ~200 of these were produced. Whether this is true or not, however few copies there are seem to have already disappeared into permanent collections, and it is a veritable feeding frenzy when a copy does find its way to market. If there is such a thing as "Golden Age rarity" in the Modern Age (whether that rarity is "manufactured" or not), the ASM 667 Dell'Otto has it, and at this rate, there could easily come a time when years go by without a copy seeing the light of day.

 

 

 

***So Long For Now, and Until We Meet Again***

 

Batman #1, Sketch (2011)

Amazing Spider-Man #700, Ditko (2013)

 

 

-J.

 

 

 

[jreezy]

Thanks for updating! These rankings are always fun and it gives us something to talk about and discuss on the forum (whether boardies agree or disagree).

[Lethal_Collector]

Yea the Ditko's have been getting cheaper. It's still on my personal wanted list, but not surprised it dropped out. The Rebirths are probably why the Bats #1 New 52 is out, but still love the book.

 

I never heard of the Capt. Marvel book though, nice cover!

 

Thanks for taking the time to update the list buddy

 

 

Jerome

[Jaydogrules]

Yea the Ditko's have been getting cheaper. It's still on my personal wanted list, but not surprised it dropped out. The Rebirths are probably why the Bats #1 New 52 is out, but still love the book.

 

I never heard of the Capt. Marvel book though, nice cover!

 

Thanks for taking the time to update the list buddy

 

 

Jerome

 

My pleasure!

 

It's fun to do, when I can actually get the time to do it.

 

-J.

[Batverse]

Just found this article highlighting the top 100 variants. The article is from August so not entirely up to date but nonetheless I found it interesting and thought others might as well.

 

http://comicbookinvest.com/2016/08/26/top-100-variants/

 

[Lethal_Collector]

Just found this article highlighting the top 100 variants. The article is from August so not entirely up to date but nonetheless I found it interesting and thought others might as well.

 

http://comicbookinvest.com/2016/08/26/top-100-variants/

 

Yea, that list is for the past 3 months or so. Basically copying this thread that Jay and I put together (well, mostly Jay!)

 

 

Jerome

[ygogolak]

Just found this article highlighting the top 100 variants. The article is from August so not entirely up to date but nonetheless I found it interesting and thought others might as well.

 

http://comicbookinvest.com/2016/08/26/top-100-variants/

 

Yea, that list is for the past 3 months or so. Basically copying this thread that Jay and I put together (well, mostly Jay!)

 

 

Jerome

 

Huh?

I appreciate the work that JDR and yourself have put into this. But it's a 10-12 book list with consideration of about another 15, maybe.

The other list is 100 books. Yes, there will be some overlapping, but this list is of well known books. That is why they sell for so much. They are known and desired. The other list is of harder to find books, yes, maybe less desired but they sell for a decent chunk of change, just not approaching the 4 figure mark.

 

 

Weird day on the boards...

Edited October 11, 2016 by ygogolak

[Jaydogrules]

Just found this article highlighting the top 100 variants. The article is from August so not entirely up to date but nonetheless I found it interesting and thought others might as well.

 

http://comicbookinvest.com/2016/08/26/top-100-variants/

 

Yea, that list is for the past 3 months or so. Basically copying this thread that Jay and I put together (well, mostly Jay!)

 

 

Jerome

 

Huh?

I appreciate the work that JDR and yourself have put into this. But it's a 10-12 book list with consideration of about another 15, maybe.

The other list is 100 books. Yes, there will be some overlapping, but this list is of well known books. That is why they sell for so much. They are known and desired. The other list is of harder to find books, yes, maybe less desired but they sell for a decent chunk of change, just not approaching the 4 figure mark.

 

 

Weird day on the boards...

 

Well....I think what lethal_collector means was the list here on the Boards was the first attempt (that I have at least seen) to quantify and rank the books in any meaningful way. Yes CBSI went out to 100, but you'll notice that the list pretty much falls apart anyway after the first 15 or so books due to the inherent volatility in the variant market (which is why we kept it at 12 here to only catalogue the "best of the best"). But CBSI obviously took its cues from the list on the Boards.

 

-J.

[Lethal_Collector]

Yes, no knock intended at all because going out to 100 has my respect for sure! But it is nice to see the same books on both lists, defo a trend

 

 

Jerome

[fastballspecial]

I think they do a pretty good job so far with how and why they pick their threads. I hate when they give away books I have been selling for years that nobody knows about, but I have found over the years that by sharing karma seems to come your way.

 

[Santos208]

Hey, looks like my hit list.

 

Nice update man!