Just How Scarce is Conan 275?

[mrwoogieman]

I checked the census and see only one copy in 8.0 and one in 9.6, two copies total! Where are the rest of the high grade copies of this issue?

 

Is this something people are actively looking for, or is it a function of a lack of demand that has kept it from being submitted?

 

I have to say that the cover is one of the best 'last issue' covers I've ever seen, and no doubt that dark cover has kept high grade copies to a minimum, but TWO?

[rob_react]

I never see them.

[Solar]

It's damn scarce. I have it on my "want list" at a couple of the major comic dealers and the only one that ever gets it is Lone Star. When they do have it in stock it's rarely listed as being nicer than F/VF. I keep waiting for a nice copy, but havent found one in 9.4ish...

[october]

There are four up on eBay right now.

[mrwoogieman]

Interesting.

 

I did a search here on the boards and it was discussed in early 2004 in a thread about hard to find modern books. Board member TLC55555 (or something like that) said he sent in the 8.0 and it was a triple cover - the outer cover must have looked pretty bad for the third one in to only be 8.0.

 

GPAnalysis shows that the 8.0 was sold for 15.50 in 4/04 - should've just kept it for the rarity factor as a triple cover rather than sell it for such a small amount, IMO. The 9.6 hasn't been recorded by GPA as changing hands, but there are plenty of venues that GPA wasn't tracking that it could have sold through.

 

Anyway, I found two copies last weekend and one is, from a cursory review, CGC-worthy (i.e., 9.4 or higher), the other is maybe a 9.0 or so at first glance but sometimes I'm too harsh in my initial assessment. A close inspection might reveal that neither is a strong CGC candidate however, so I'll keep the party hats in the closet for now.

[Solar]

Of the three copies on ebay, one is a stated VF/NM (which is probably an 8.0 by CGC standards), one has no assigned grade and massive color breaking spine stress, and the third one has a tiny picture and a seller who refers to it as being in "very good condition" like that's a good thing. I seriously doubt any of those three books are above 8.5.

 

I probably should have qualified my original post with "rare in grade." They turn up occasionally but they're usually ragged.

[SharpComics.com]

I sold a SWEEEEEEEET copy at WW Chicago last month. Absolutely NO spine stress, sharp, sharp corners, unread, undistributed, blah blah blah... Definately the best copy at the show, along with all the rest of my books of course Got $75 for it RAW . Probably a 9.6 if it were to be graded. I will miss that book , but not the money I got for it

 

K

[SharpComics.com]

I sold a SWEEEEEEEET copy at WW Chicago last month. Absolutely NO spine stress, sharp, sharp corners, unread, undistributed, blah blah blah... Definately the best copy at the show, along with all the rest of my books of course Got $75 for it RAW . Probably a 9.6 if it were to be graded. I will miss that book , but not the money I got for it

 

K

 

The same guy that bought the Conan off of me ALSO purchased my last copy of Nyx 3 for $125 RAW. I graded it out a 9.8, and after he had it slabbed onsite, it did indeed receive a 9.8. I should have kept it though as that book was flawless

 

K

[ninanina]

I bought that run religiously every month and still have my NM copy I bought off the shelf new. Didn't realize it was such an item.

[the blob]

there aren't a lot of them out there, but seriously, back when it was cancelled, 30-40K was likely lower than cancellation figures for marvel books, so we're talking about as common as some lower rung titles nowadays. granted, conan readers, particularly of the marvel series, tended to be less OCD than other comic collectors, so there's a possibility that a lot of them got read to death and tossed.

 

i've been thinking about selling mine for a while now. otoh, i am pretty fond of conan and only have 1 copy. of course, i shouldn't be too nostalgic given that i fished it out of a 25 cent bin probably 6 months after it came out.

 

does GPA show a price if the reserve isn't met?

 

i distinctly recall bidding on a slabbed double cover conan 275 within the last year and it getting well beyond what i was willing to pay.

 

i guess the book isn't terribly rare given that a mid-grade copy with a $5.99 BIN has been up for the last 6 days with no bids.

[SignatureSelect]

the shop I work at has a decent copy in stock I'll check and see what it's grade is But that book is rare I recently bought a run of Conan from 100 to cancellation the only issue that was missing was 275 it is just a rare issue. Nobody cared they are probably lurking in quarter bins, back rooms, and warehouses. Honestly my boss didn't even realize we had it in stock or that it was worth anything.

[TLC55555]

Interesting.

 

I did a search here on the boards and it was discussed in early 2004 in a thread about hard to find modern books. Board member TLC55555 (or something like that) said he sent in the 8.0 and it was a triple cover - the outer cover must have looked pretty bad for the third one in to only be 8.0.

 

GPAnalysis shows that the 8.0 was sold for 15.50 in 4/04 - should've just kept it for the rarity factor as a triple cover rather than sell it for such a small amount, IMO

 

Yep, sold all my Conan's and Valiants a while back. They sold for many times what I paid for them (especially the Valiants), which ended up to be a down payment on my new home. The Conan #275 was put up on Ebay in a true "no reserve" auction and it sold for quite a bit less that I expected, considering it's rarity. That's the chance you take going no reserve and letting the market determine the value. However, this is the view out my front door now....definitely worth it.

 

 

No complaints from my lab either.

 

 

Sometimes, it's just a matter of priorities.