Are prices still climbing or have they eased up a bit??? 43 43

[Dr. Balls]

On 10/21/2022 at 10:50 PM, Steven Valdez said:

Collecting newsstand 'variants' reminds me of those guys who collect editions of records based on their slightly differing matrix numbers and not the actual music they contain. It's where things start getting creepy.

Good lord, I just left that hobby. I’ve met at least a dozen collectors through my record sales that are so audiophiled up about their music, they can apparently tell the sound quality difference between two different pressing plants (discerned by the matrix number) on the same years’ release. That’s just way too far down the rabbit hole for me.

[Ryan.]

On 10/26/2022 at 6:02 PM, Dr. Balls said:

Good lord, I just left that hobby. I’ve met at least a dozen collectors through my record sales that are so audiophiled up about their music, they can apparently tell the sound quality difference between two different pressing plants (discerned by the matrix number) on the same years’ release. That’s just way too far down the rabbit hole for me.

That sounds exhausting. 

[Dr. Balls]

On 10/26/2022 at 5:00 PM, Ryan. said:

That sounds exhausting. 

Dealing with those people was also equally exhausting. I love music - collecting it in that way seems like it would ruin it. Imagine nitpicking every sound and having an opinion on every release of one single album. Ugh. 

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 10/26/2022 at 7:52 PM, Dr. Balls said:

Dealing with those people was also equally exhausting. I love music - collecting it in that way seems like it would ruin it. Imagine nitpicking every sound and having an opinion on every release of one single album. Ugh. 

C’mon. Substitute the word “sound “ with “little defect”, the word “release” with “variant” & “album” with “issue”.....

[Dr. Balls]

On 10/26/2022 at 6:21 PM, THE_BEYONDER said:

C’mon. Substitute the word “sound “ with “little defect”, the word “release” with “variant” & “album” with “issue”.....

My experience with the insane vinyl collectors has tempered my desires for 9.8s. I have learned to not care about my modern grades anymore.

[DC#]

So this just happened......and arguably much less attractive than the Pedigree Comics that went for $125k.   Though this one is a real pedigree book....

[Microchip]

On 10/27/2022 at 1:40 PM, DC# said:

So this just happened......and arguably much less attractive than the Pedigree Comics that went for $125k.   Though this one is a real pedigree book....

Not a lot of easing going on right there.

[lou_fine]

On 10/26/2022 at 9:20 AM, THE_BEYONDER said:

She-Hulk 1 is taking a bath right now. $200 for a 9.6

Was thinking of buying one, but I’m not sure it’s reached it’s bottom yet 

But how can that be, since this copy here just sold for a record setting $2,306.90 a mere short month ago:  

https://www.comicconnect.com/item/952675

[Tec-Tac-Toe]

On 10/26/2022 at 9:21 PM, Dr. Balls said:

My experience with the insane vinyl collectors has tempered my desires for 9.8s. I have learned to not care about my modern grades anymore.

I can tell the difference between a vinyl record with a scratch and one without.

[lou_fine]

On 10/26/2022 at 7:40 PM, DC# said:

So this just happened......and arguably much less attractive than the Pedigree Comics that went for $125k.   Though this one is a real pedigree book....

 

Yep, this Suscha News pedigree copy is definitely not as visually attractive as the other Suscha News pedigree copy that had sold for $15K when it was first brought to market.  I guess that's probably why the above copy was first sold for $11K a few months earlier and then managed to only reselled at a lower price point of only $8,499 a few years later.  If that's the same second owner that has now sold this copy for a rather astounding $146K, now that's a definite real strong ROI on his $8.5K purchase from less than 10 years ago.  

Being a comic book collector from long before CGC came into existence, looking at this copy though reminds me of how much grading has changed with CGC now firmly calling the grading shots.  Off-centered books like this one here or the way off-centered fugly big wide white lined Special Marvel Edition 15 (I believe ??) that had sold for something like over $20K where you can see this off-centered printing defect from across the convention floor room were passed over by most collectors and sold at a discount back then.  Now, books with this type of clearly visible defect are given a free pass by the graders at CGC who are totally focused on near invisible non-color breaking spine ticks which can only be seen by holding the book up at a certain angle to the light, and of course we all know the reason for this.    

[lou_fine]

On 10/26/2022 at 7:40 PM, DC# said:

So this just happened......and arguably much less attractive than the Pedigree Comics that went for $125k.

 

On 10/26/2022 at 8:54 PM, Microchip said:

Not a lot of easing going on right there.

Not for this CGC 9.8 graded copy here at least.  

The real question though is whether we are also seeing the same relative strength for this book in the shall we say more real world HG condition levels of say 9.0 to 9.6, or is this more of a graded label purchase by a CGC label chaser.    

To each their own, but if I was going to be spending this kind of big time moolah on a not so hard to find second highest graded copy of Hulk 181 (which I definitely would NOT be), I would have been more patient and waited for a much better presenting copy myself.  

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 10/27/2022 at 11:26 AM, lou_fine said:

 

Not for this CGC 9.8 graded copy here at least.  

The real question though is whether we are also seeing the same relative strength for this book in the shall we say more real world HG condition levels of say 9.0 to 9.6, or is this more of a graded label purchase by a CGC label chaser.    

To each their own, but if I was going to be spending this kind of big time moolah on a not so hard to find second highest graded copy of Hulk 181 (which I definitely would NOT be), I would have been more patient and waited for a much better presenting copy myself.  

There is no actual 9.9 

9.8 is the top grade 

[thehumantorch]

On 10/27/2022 at 12:07 PM, THE_BEYONDER said:

There is no actual 9.9 

9.8 is the top grade 

Mint		10.0	0	0	0	0		0
Mint		9.9	1	0	0	0		1
Near Mint/Mint		9.8	136	0	12	0		148
Near Mint +		9.6	345	2	26	7		380

[Dick Pontoon]

Isn't the 9.9 ginked though? Corner crunch that would keep it from ever getting 9.9 again?

 

[musicmeta]

On 10/26/2022 at 9:40 PM, DC# said:

So this just happened......and arguably much less attractive than the Pedigree Comics that went for $125k.   Though this one is a real pedigree book....

I get the feeling anybody spending this kind of money on this book is really rich and has "money to burn" so to speak.  If the value drops to like 45K, you just shrug your shoulders, yawn a little bit and move on. ..More like chump change to these rich people. 

Edited October 27, 2022 by musicmeta

[lou_fine]

On 10/27/2022 at 11:47 AM, thehumantorch said:

On 10/27/2022 at 11:07 AM, THE_BEYONDER said:

There is no actual 9.9 

9.8 is the top grade 

Mint		10.0	0	0	0	0		0
Mint		9.9	1	0	0	0		1
Near Mint/Mint		9.8	136	0	12	0		148
Near Mint +		9.6	345	2	26	7		380

 

On 10/27/2022 at 12:08 PM, MR. Pontoon said:

Isn't the 9.9 ginked though? Corner crunch that would keep it from ever getting 9.9 again?

 

Well, I think we all know this already and although I have not seen the new "damaged" version of this CGC 9.9 graded copy myself, it seems that some who have say that it would even have a problem grading anywhere in the 9's unless a lot of hopeful and wishful magical work could be successfully performed on the book.  

If you are viewing it from the ACTUAL book condition POV though, as opposed to the graded label case that's enclosing the book, this off-centered miswrapped Suscha News pedigree copy might then also be a wolf masking itself in 9.8 sheep's clothing from a strict visual POV, especially when compared to the other CGC 9.8 graded Suscha News Collection copy.    

Edited October 27, 2022 by lou_fine

[NoMan]

On 10/26/2022 at 1:17 PM, alexgross.com said:

one way to do that is to put either or both of them on ignore. 

it's made my experience here better, not having to read what 3 or 4 know-it-alls have to say about everything. and i'm sure ignoring me has made it better for some of them too!

Is there a way to put yourself ignore?I’d like to not see or read my own posts

[THE_BEYONDER]

On 10/26/2022 at 2:39 PM, piper said:

On 10/26/2022 at 2:12 PM, THE_BEYONDER said:

9.6

 I'm still ahead of the game then.

[mjoeyoung]

On 10/27/2022 at 1:47 PM, musicmeta said:

I get the feeling anybody spending this kind of money on this book is really rich and has "money to burn" so to speak.  If the value drops to like 45K, you just shrug your shoulders, yawn a little bit and move on. ..More like chump change to these rich people. 

It has to be.  Somebody told a bunch of these people that investing in comic books was a good idea so they are all bidding against each other.  Unless somebody is trying to buy EVERY 9.8, the music will eventually stop and the price will correct.

[KCOComics]

On 10/29/2022 at 5:39 AM, mjoeyoung said:

It has to be.  Somebody told a bunch of these people that investing in comic books was a good idea so they are all bidding against each other.  Unless somebody is trying to buy EVERY 9.8, the music will eventually stop and the price will correct.

Hasn't this been the narrative with Hulk 181 for 30 years? There are a ton of copies and prices can't remain so high? There is a mysterious warehouse with thousands of high grade copies that will flood the market? 

But it continues to be the top book of the BA. 

Spending this kind of $$ on a comic is out of my league, so I can't speak to the mentality of people who do. And of course the price may fluctuate as we head through choppy economic times. I just wouldn't bet against 181 long term.