Just saw a cgc 2.5 AF 15 for sale, asking $11K!!

[drdonaldblake]

af 15 has been so hot the last 1-2 years

 

it could go down a bit or plateau but I don't think it will go down in price drastically across all grades

 

its become an ICONIC book ala action 1, tec 27

 

maybe it is the 3rd biggest book in the hobby now?

 

thoughts?

[comicjack]

Most likely the hottest book right now with top prices being pushed higher and higher each week.

[NP_Gresham]

Hulk #1 CGC 4.0 at $900 was a good investment for me in 2006.

I probably should have spent a little more gotten the AF #15 instead, but at this point I wouldn't buy either one.

Out-sized returns on a flailing franchise are not going to continue for ever.

 

[Spiderturtle]

Hulk #1 CGC 4.0 at $900 was a good investment for me in 2006.

I probably should have spent a little more gotten the AF #15 instead, but at this point I wouldn't buy either one.

Out-sized returns on a flailing franchise are not going to continue for ever.

 

3rd most desired book in the hobby, buy at the grade you are most comfortable in spending, cant go wrong

[NoMan]

damn.

 

still getting the hang of reading the GPA info. Just signed up two days ago.

[Rip]

Great book, wouldn't be my first pick for investment considering how much its gone up recently and how there seems to be about 50+ for sale at any given time.

 

However on the other hand its one of the most iconic books ever. The Silver age threads are filled with acolytes. So its hard to predict what will happen.

[VintageComics]

I mean it is the silver age monster to get. Once spidey gets more involved with upcoming movies we may be kicking ourselves for not getting these at the prices now

 

I'd love to have one. Is it possible the price may come down or plummet all together? It's a big hypothetical since no one knows the future.

Yes

Almost every book fell in the last recession. Hulk #181 in 9.8 never recovered.

 

Actually, many highest graded books did not fall in price.

 

Hulk #181 CGC 9.9 sold for a record price ($150K), as did many other 9.9 copies.

 

Hulk #181 CGC 9.8 dropped, but prices have continued to rise in all other grades up to 9.6. The same can be said for many other key books that people use as tide marks.

 

GL #76 dropped in highest grades but like other books continues to sell strong in lower grades up to the nosebleeds.

 

Many factors are involved so that a blanket statement won't cover all examples.

 

[comix4fun]

Great book, wouldn't be my first pick for investment considering how much its gone up recently and how there seems to be about 50+ for sale at any given time.

 

However on the other hand its one of the most iconic books ever. The Silver age threads are filled with acolytes. So its hard to predict what will happen.

 

 

Agreed on both counts. With as much as its jumped in the last 2-3 years it's hard to assume that will continue. But it's also hard to discount it's place in the hobby as a hedge against dropping.

 

It seems to be the kind of book that all comic fans would like to have in their collection. It's also the only one of the big three comic keys that a regular guy can afford in low grade (although it's getting harder to do so). That's probably why there are so many copies for sale and still so many people in the market, bidding and buying.

 

You can pass on most of the other silver keys in low grade or pass on them entirely but AF 15 feel like such a must own, kind of an Everyman Grail.

 

It's also pretty much impervious to the analysis that apply to other books, like "how well is the movie doing? " No one checks superman movie box office before deciding if an action 1 is worth owning. AF 15 is a lot like that. It's not a fad it's an icon.

[VintageComics]

Hulk #1 CGC 4.0 at $900 was a good investment for me in 2006.

I probably should have spent a little more gotten the AF #15 instead, but at this point I wouldn't buy either one.

Out-sized returns on a flailing franchise are not going to continue for ever.

 

Your Hulk #1 is still worth maybe 12+ times what you paid for it right now. I wouldn't sweat it too much.

 

 

[lou_fine]

I have to wonder how many are actually changing hands right now.

 

I would have to say quite a few since 4 copies just changed hands earlier this week on the CC auction website, and another 4 copies are set to go in CL's auction next week.

 

In addition, we have the following comment from one of the board members here:

 

Great book, wouldn't be my first pick for investment considering how much its gone up recently and how there seems to be about 50+ for sale at any given time.

 

 

I am sure this 50+ count is a bit of an exaggeration, but there are always copies of this book out there in the marketplace.

[lou_fine]

Sales have been all over the place for this book at conventions and online. Any low grade copy it seems. Even cover less

 

I see this, also. Why do you think this is? Is the book suddenly hotter then it usually is. I dunno

 

Seems to be the latest trend as collectors without the deep pockets are ponying up for entry level copies of key books. The thinking seems to be that it's better to have any available copy in affordable condition, as opposed to having no copy at all.

 

This is sure a change from the past when insane multiples were being paid for the highest graded copies only, and now we see insane multiples being paid for uber low grade entry copies, especially with respect to GA keys, near keys, rare books, classic covers, etc. The surprising thing is that these multiples are now even being paid for raw ungraded copies, when it comes to the GA books.

 

Not so sure if this same investment strategy will work out for the SA keys, but AF 15 would probably have one of the best shots at it, due to Spidey's iconic status in the public eye.

[lou_fine]

To be clear, I don't think Spidey's gonna tank (just completed my 2-400 run). I just have zero interest to take money from my bank in exchange for his first appearance, at that point (current mkt prices) my collector-driven impulses are put in check (and the 'I'd rather have the money' wins out).

 

Interesting to note that you seem to have compiled your collection by going from the more recent cheaper issues back towards the more expensive earlier issues. I was always taught to start with the keys and then work forward from there.

 

The rationale was that this strategy would make more economic sense as the keys would always go up the most and you could also stop your collection at any point in time. If you went the other way, you would always be chasing the key as it went up in price and might never be able to afford it in the end.

 

Of course, it's probably not a good idea to take my advice sometimes, as this was the exact reason why I turned down a uber HG run of ASM #2 to #10 for the grand sum of $1,000. This was back in 1988 when the SA books were just about to dig themselves out of the quicksand which they had been mired in for several years, and go on their extended bull market run which seemingly is still continuing to this day.

 

That ASM #2 to #10 HG run would sure look nice in my personal collection right about now.

[Buzzetta]

For what it is worth...

 

I am always on the lookout for another copy but this time I may seek a purple label. The problem is that most purple labels I see are trimmed due to fixing that marvel chipping that is common to this issue

[lou_fine]

Yes

Almost every book fell in the last recession. Hulk #181 in 9.8 never recovered.

 

Actually, many highest graded books did not fall in price.

 

Hulk #181 CGC 9.9 sold for a record price ($150K), as did many other 9.9 copies.

 

Hulk #181 CGC 9.8 dropped, but prices have continued to rise in all other grades up to 9.6. The same can be said for many other key books that people use as tide marks.

 

GL #76 dropped in highest grades but like other books continues to sell strong in lower grades up to the nosebleeds.

 

 

 

Hey Roy;

 

Remind me to never hire you as my lawyer for anything.

 

First, you make a statement. Then you present examples which prove the exact opposite of your initial statement.

[VintageComics]

Yes

Almost every book fell in the last recession. Hulk #181 in 9.8 never recovered.

 

Actually, many highest graded books did not fall in price.

 

Hulk #181 CGC 9.9 sold for a record price ($150K), as did many other 9.9 copies.

 

Hulk #181 CGC 9.8 dropped, but prices have continued to rise in all other grades up to 9.6. The same can be said for many other key books that people use as tide marks.

 

GL #76 dropped in highest grades but like other books continues to sell strong in lower grades up to the nosebleeds.

 

 

 

Hey Roy;

 

Remind me to never hire you as my lawyer for anything.

 

First, you make a statement. Then you present examples which prove the exact opposite of your initial statement.

 

I stated that not all highest graded books fell in price. Some (like Hero For Hire and Werewolf by Night) have actually risen.

 

And while people were discussing #181 9.8, the highest graded Hulk #181 is not a 9.8. It's a 9.9

 

And while some highest graded books fall in price, the fact that lower grades continue to rise only puts pressure on those highest grades forcing them to plateau and eventually rise up again.

 

I wasn't trying to prove one point. I was trying to show that there are many points to the discussion. Not just one.

 

 

[grebal]

To be clear, I don't think Spidey's gonna tank (just completed my 2-400 run). I just have zero interest to take money from my bank in exchange for his first appearance, at that point (current mkt prices) my collector-driven impulses are put in check (and the 'I'd rather have the money' wins out).

 

Interesting to note that you seem to have compiled your collection by going from the more recent cheaper issues back towards the more expensive earlier issues. I was always taught to start with the keys and then work forward from there.

 

The rationale was that this strategy would make more economic sense as the keys would always go up the most and you could also stop your collection at any point in time. If you went the other way, you would always be chasing the key as it went up in price and might never be able to afford it in the end.

 

Of course, it's probably not a good idea to take my advice sometimes, as this was the exact reason why I turned down a uber HG run of ASM #2 to #10 for the grand sum of $1,000. This was back in 1988 when the SA books were just about to dig themselves out of the quicksand which they had been mired in for several years, and go on their extended bull market run which seemingly is still continuing to this day.

 

That ASM #2 to #10 HG run would sure look nice in my personal collection right about now.

 

Indeed, it would look pretty awesome. But I went through similar phase when I sold most of my original collection around 2002-3 during a period when out of work. Then after building up some funds from 2007-8 replaced a lot of prior collection, but only bought e.g. #s 15 and up (which as a kid I'd never been able to afford). Then I became very busy with work and stopped buying or following comics. Which explains the counter-intuitive approach I took - I didn't see the rush back when I could have afforded the AF15 (*did* get myself a Hulk 1 though, at the time most I'd ever spent on a single book at eight-hundred ninety something), and became busy at new job so collecting got put on hold most of past eight years.

 

: ( Bad timing, but I did accumulate a few or even several copies of what turned out to be popular books (ST110, Av 57, IM55, ASM 129 etc.)

 

Came back a few months ago, with more disposable funds, so been filling in the 1-14s of my runs. But sizzling AF15 is the only former "want" in which I lost interest, I'll get the rest in coming months.

[VintageComics]

Of course, it's probably not a good idea to take my advice sometimes, as this was the exact reason why I turned down a uber HG run of ASM #2 to #10 for the grand sum of $1,000. This was back in 1988 when the SA books were just about to dig themselves out of the quicksand which they had been mired in for several years, and go on their extended bull market run which seemingly is still continuing to this day.

 

I think this same run made it's rounds about 15 years later as I remember a run like this being offered in Canada in the early 2000's.

 

 

[Buzzetta]

Of course, it's probably not a good idea to take my advice sometimes, as this was the exact reason why I turned down a uber HG run of ASM #2 to #10 for the grand sum of $1,000. This was back in 1988 when the SA books were just about to dig themselves out of the quicksand which they had been mired in for several years, and go on their extended bull market run which seemingly is still continuing to this day.

 

I think this same run made it's rounds about 15 years later as I remember a run like this being offered in Canada in the early 2000's.

 

 

Ha I remember trading a Gen 13 Box set for ASM 5 and some other lower grade Silver Spider-Man's -

 

As Edith bunker said - those were the days

[islandmisfittoys]

Just so many of them. Can demand remain unsatiable? Less than 100 unrestored Action 1, Tec 27 or Cap 1. Over 1500 Spideys.

[Buzzetta]

AF 15 is one of the most Poorly represented comics on the census. Don't trust the census on available copies.