Reasons when a book suddenly skyrockets in price ...

[Mickey7]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping for some discussion on why a book may suddenly and almost overnight skyrocket in value?

 

I'll start with an example:

Several years ago I owned a TEC #69 in a CGC 5.0. It was worth about $700 or so with maybe some modest price movement over time. Then of course many of you know the huge price jump it had recently and it could be worth probably over $10,000 now. I know it's a great cover, Joker cover, etc, but it's ALWAYS been that. What changed? This is a 70 year old book, so why now? Why not 5 years ago, or some other time period?

 

Just wondering on board member thoughts on this book plus any examples of other books you can provide.

 

Thanks.

[Paul © ® ⚽️💙™]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping for some discussion on why a book may suddenly and almost overnight skyrocket in value?

 

I'll start with an example:

Several years ago I owned a TEC #69 in a CGC 5.0. It was worth about $700 or so with maybe some modest price movement over time. Then of course many of you know the huge price jump it had recently and it could be worth probably over $10,000 now. I know it's a great cover, Joker cover, etc, but it's ALWAYS been that. What changed? This is a 70 year old book, so why now? Why not 5 years ago, or some other time period?

 

Just wondering on board member thoughts on this book plus any examples of other books you can provide.

 

Thanks.

 

My opinion (on this book only) is there may be two reasons;

1. Although not officially classed as a classic cover, this is a classic Joker cover IMO. A huge Joker image, beautifully drawn & colored.

2. Heath Ledger's portrayal & reboot of the Joker persona has an awful lot to do with it I think.

[Tri-Color Brian]

I think collectors just woke up one day and realized that #69 is the best Joker cover ever done on a Detective...just like Batman 11 is the best Joker cover in that title. Once a book become really desirable it just takes off and becomes unaffordable for the masses...

[skybolt]

I think Brenda Starr #14 comes to mind. A decent semi-HG copy was selling in the $2k to $3k range for what it seemed like a decade, and all of a sudden it shot up in the last couple of auctions to over $10k. Not sure if these values can be sustained over time. It appears that classic covers are moving up at a much higher rate than the rest of the GA books.

[KirbyJack]

The most important criterion a book must possess before it goes exponential is that said issue must NOT reside in my collection.

 

After that, you got me.

[Junkdrawer]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping for some discussion on why a book may suddenly and almost overnight skyrocket in value?

 

I'll start with an example:

Several years ago I owned a TEC #69 in a CGC 5.0. It was worth about $700 or so with maybe some modest price movement over time. Then of course many of you know the huge price jump it had recently and it could be worth probably over $10,000 now. I know it's a great cover, Joker cover, etc, but it's ALWAYS been that. What changed? This is a 70 year old book, so why now? Why not 5 years ago, or some other time period?

 

Just wondering on board member thoughts on this book plus any examples of other books you can provide.

 

Thanks.

The main reason it skyrocketed is simply because you sold it. Usually it happens that way, to me anyways

[Mickey7]

The main reason it skyrocketed is simply because you sold it. Usually it happens that way, to me anyways

 

Yeah, that's happened to me more than a few times I'm afraid. Though that doesn't really bother me. I was just interested in the reasons certain books "take off" like this one did.

 

Could it be when one high grade copy sells for a surprising/huge amount, the trickle down affect happens to all copies? If yes, it's funny how one sale could affect the whole market.

 

 

[Artboy99]

Another factor:

 

People that would like to own a classic cover Detective Comics book are finding the prices out of their league for the pre-Robin books so they turn to classic covers like Detective 69.

The demand increases and so does the price.

 

 

[Artboy99]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping for some discussion on why a book may suddenly and almost overnight skyrocket in value?

 

I'll start with an example:

Several years ago I owned a TEC #69 in a CGC 5.0. It was worth about $700 or so with maybe some modest price movement over time. Then of course many of you know the huge price jump it had recently and it could be worth probably over $10,000 now. I know it's a great cover, Joker cover, etc, but it's ALWAYS been that. What changed? This is a 70 year old book, so why now? Why not 5 years ago, or some other time period?

 

Just wondering on board member thoughts on this book plus any examples of other books you can provide.

 

Thanks.

The main reason it skyrocketed is simply because you sold it. Usually it happens that way, to me anyways

 

!!

 

I am in that boat for sure.

[ThothAmon]

First off it's a great book. Sadly the reason it has shot up is pure supply and demand. Supply of dollars from a fed that has had interest rates at Zero for a very long time and demand caused by an investment return that dwarfs anything available to savers.

[grebal]

First off it's a great book. Sadly the reason it has shot up is pure supply and demand. Supply of dollars from a fed that has had interest rates at Zero for a very long time and demand caused by an investment return that dwarfs anything available to savers.

 

Yeah, free money might be contributing to future bubbles, good to keep an eye on.

 

But about why some books might appreciate more than others, I'll speculate the growing popularity of CGC books adds premium for superior covers in addition to all the other stuff (the contents relegated to "won't ever see it unless you crack it out").

[comicjack]

Supply and demand drives the prices you want it you pay simply put

[Johnny545]

Another factor:

 

People that would like to own a classic cover Detective Comics book are finding the prices out of their league for the pre-Robin books so they turn to classic covers like Detective 69.

The demand increases and so does the price.

 

 

I'm on board with this.

[Gotham Kid]

Another factor:

 

People that would like to own a classic cover Detective Comics book are finding the prices out of their league for the pre-Robin books so they turn to classic covers like Detective 69.

The demand increases and so does the price.

 

 

I'm on board with this.

 

+1

[Gotham Kid]

The main reason it skyrocketed is simply because you sold it.

 

[sagii]

Trends/genres previously ignored now 'discovered/appreciated' can be a factor too at times.

 

Some examples:

 

A) Cindy 35 (grey tone GGA )

 

B) Spitfire Comics 133 ( the recent CC sale maybe an outlier, -a recent low grade copy did modestly on eBay). A Cindy 35 in the same grade would've fetched maybe 3x more. Jury still out on this one, but deliberations won't be long.

 

Teen / humor is the new 'romance'. The more certain superhero/ horror books get out of reach another sub genre rises as everyone wants in on the ground floor. I Never thought ( outside a small handful of issues )romance would be the force it is now. Next, I 'predict' in this order:

 

1)Crime (heating up as we speak)

 

2)Funny Animals ( other than Disney and Looney Toons) great underappreciated stuff out there.

 

3)War ( the genre has some diehards already but still not a lot of 'marquee books' that even a non war collector can 'identify' IMHO

 

4)Westerns ( my parents LOVE westerns). They grew up on them and I grew up watching them as a result. Never became a diehard though. Not a lot are made anymore in Hollywood so it's a challenge to develope new fans. The upside is there are a lot of networks devoted solely to airing the genre. And some killer covers out there too.

[comicjack]

The Spitfire was the one I watched for forty minutes while the battle was blazing,

[sagii]

The Spitfire was the one I watched for forty minutes while the battle was blazing,

yeah, it was ticket worthy. That was some hammer price.

[comicjack]

The best copy in the world by far

[batman_fan]

Personal I think we are seeing the continual shift from "run" collectors to cover collectors. It seems there are less and less people looking to collect runs and more and more chasing classic covers. It makes sense, why buy 10 so-so mid run Detectives rather than snagging a single cooler cover book.