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

[mjoeyoung]

On 1/17/2023 at 8:16 PM, alexgross.com said:

you can't read them either if they're graded/ encapsulated, so by your logic the grade doesn't matter either. 

people want books with white or close to white page quality for the same reason they want an 8.0 more than a 2.5. because that's closer to what the book looked like when it was new, and the nearer one can get to that, the nicer it is to have as a collector and lover of the medium. 

Did you just assume my logic? I was not talking about reading them, I was commenting on Beyonder's post about choosing a lower grade with white pages over a higher grade with lower page quality and the "new to me" trend of paying a seemingly hefty premium for white pages. Vintage already wrote what I think so I won't repeat.  Personally, I don't need high grade items to be a "collector and lover of the medium."  Maybe I'm not a people.

[mjoeyoung]

One sale on CLink has stood out for me tonight.

Captain Britain #1 9.8 for $3400

GPA Highest Sale in 2022 was only $3240, with only 2 above $3K.  Last four sales were under $1700, with the most recent only $1272.

GPA only had 2 higher sales in all of 2021.  Some seller got lucky tonight.

2 more 9.8s are up for sale in this auction.

 

[batmiesta]

On 1/18/2023 at 4:49 AM, mjoeyoung said:

One sale on CLink has stood out for me tonight.

Captain Britain #1 9.8 for $3400

GPA Highest Sale in 2022 was only $3240, with only 2 above $3K.  Last four sales were under $1700, with the most recent only $1272.

GPA only had 2 higher sales in all of 2021.  Some seller got lucky tonight.

2 more 9.8s are up for sale in this auction.

 

Yeah! Just posted this in the Magazine thread, this book is all over the place. 

[thehumantorch]

On 1/17/2023 at 2:59 PM, mjoeyoung said:

Only my opinion of course, but I find it funny that people are so concerned with page quality on encapsulated books.  YOU CAN'T SEE THEM.  Then again, I'm not a grade whore so... 

I think most of us who collect older comics have held books that have white, supple pages and covers and most of us have held books that are the opposite, with tanned and/or brittle pages or covers.  There's a world of difference and I'm happy to pay a little more for it.   Also, in general page quality is an indication as to how a book has been stored and more important, how the book is aging.  That book with tanned pages today may be a book with brittle pages tomorrow.  I want the book that has aged best and is hopefully gonna continue to age the best.

[Microchip]

On 1/18/2023 at 3:59 PM, batmiesta said:

Yeah! Just posted this in the Magazine thread, this book is all over the place. 

Copies are coming out the woodwork all over the place.   Someone must have a stack of 9.8's to off-load, and are spreading them around the auction sites.    

The clink has a large enough customer base to handle several copies in back to back auctions easily.

 

[KCOComics]

On 1/18/2023 at 12:01 AM, thehumantorch said:

I think most of us who collect older comics have held books that have white, supple pages and covers and most of us have held books that are the opposite, with tanned and/or brittle pages or covers.  There's a world of difference and I'm happy to pay a little more for it.   Also, in general page quality is an indication as to how a book has been stored and more important, how the book is aging.  That book with tanned pages today may be a book with brittle pages tomorrow.  I want the book that has aged best and is hopefully gonna continue to age the best.

+1 

Unless it's a harder to find GA book, I do try to stick with OW to W pages. I won't generally pay a premium for W pages, but I don't like going below OW for all the reasons listed above. 

[GrasshopperFF]

On 1/16/2023 at 9:50 PM, KCOComics said:

The Heritage Hulk 1 looks like a steal at $31k.  Really pretty copy. 

Still, tonights 5.5 at Clink checked all the boxes. Deep black cover, no chipping, white pages, great centering. I was watching that book carefully (not to bid on it.... Just to see where it landed). 

I was bidding heavily on this book for all the reasons KCOComics states. Loved this 5.5 and wanted in on the Hulk 1 Club. Once it hit $47k I tapped out. Took a successful run at the Avengers 1 in an 8.0 grade instead. Saved almost $30k on the pivot, but still without Hulk. 
Thanks to KCOComics for some very insightful advice through that auction period. I’m not quite a noob, but still an amateur, at best. 

[kimik]

On 1/17/2023 at 10:59 AM, lizards2 said:

On 1/17/2023 at 9:05 AM, kimik said:

 

I hope that my DCs (Batmans and Tecs, plus a Supes 233) ending this week do better than the DCs you won last night............

I hope they tank, as I have bids on several

Well, if you won this Batman that I had consigned then you scored big:

Batman #190 CGC 8.0 - $187 on Clink, which is below the Jan 2023 CGC 6.5 ($235) price on GPA   

So far my other books are all selling for a bit to significantly lower than GPA which continues a trend. I guess it is time to look at other venues to consign books.

Edited January 19, 2023 by kimik

[lizards2]

On 1/18/2023 at 10:18 PM, kimik said:

Well, if you won this Batman that I had consigned then you scored big:

Batman #190 CGC 8.0 - $187 on Clink, which is below the Jan 2023 CGC 6.5 ($235) price on GPA   

So far my other books are all selling for a bit to significantly lower than GPA which continues a trend. I guess it is time to look at other venues to consign books.

Not me.

[Tec-Tac-Toe]

I prefer comic books with white pages, always have. However, I'll purchase even one with cream pages for 60% off of the asking price in whatever grade compared to the asking price for one with white pages .

"Cream" with your coffee?

[Conali]

Someone will always try to find a way to charge more for something.

Someone will always try to find a way to pay less for something.

  This is the page quality debate summed up in two sentences. Unless it’s brittle, it’s all the same to me.  I’ve seen supple tan paper, and brittle white paper.  It seems to have little to do with the actual condition and care of the book in my anecdotal experience.

Additionally, paper can be made “white” without being labeled restored by a process that damages the paper irrevocably, so… yeah.

[Bookery]

On 1/17/2023 at 3:26 PM, 1Cool said:

Stopped into a big local shop yesterday since I was nearby and it doesn’t sound good for that guy.  He is basically running the shop by himself which has his hours down to a bare minimum.  He said things have slowed down quite a bit over the last year or so and he is kind of treading water from what I could see.  eBay still seems like a ghost town full of low ballers in terms of raw books so I just don’t see the rebound people are talking about.  

This past year was our best year, profit-wise, in our entire nearly 40-year history.  Of course, each year is always a bit of a lottery in what quality of collections come in.  But one has to be willing to adjust prices down according to the market.  I've done this several times this past year, and we still had record profits.  It doesn't matter if I paid $100 for a book that sunk to $50.  It isn't going to sell at $100, so take the loss and move on.  I'll just pay less for the next one that comes through.  There is still very high demand for properly graded and valued books... but definitely the panic-level nosebleed-buying pandemic-era is over.

[theCapraAegagrus]

On 1/19/2023 at 8:01 AM, Conali said:

Additionally, paper can be made “white” without being labeled restored by a process that damages the paper irrevocably, so… yeah.

Has anyone even tried to sneak this past CGC? It's not 'untraceable' or anything.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

On 1/19/2023 at 8:06 AM, theCapraAegagrus said:

Has anyone even tried to sneak this past CGC? It's not 'untraceable' or anything.

I thought such shenanigans left a telltale chemical smell 

[Conali]

On 1/19/2023 at 8:06 AM, theCapraAegagrus said:

Has anyone even tried to sneak this past CGC? It's not 'untraceable' or anything.

From the YouTube videos I’ve come across, they always come back blue unless they’re lying or have additional blue copies.  The long term effect on those pages are a tragedy waiting to happen.

Edited January 19, 2023 by Conali

[Conali]

On 1/19/2023 at 8:12 AM, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I thought such shenanigans left a telltale chemical smell 

No chemicals needed for some processes, I believe it’s simply a uv light treatment for hours upon hours.  Each page for hours exposed to uv light… ugh.  It will definitely lighten those pages!

Edited January 19, 2023 by Conali

[1Cool]

On 1/19/2023 at 9:03 AM, Bookery said:

This past year was our best year, profit-wise, in our entire nearly 40-year history.  Of course, each year is always a bit of a lottery in what quality of collections come in.  But one has to be willing to adjust prices down according to the market.  I've done this several times this past year, and we still had record profits.  It doesn't matter if I paid $100 for a book that sunk to $50.  It isn't going to sell at $100, so take the loss and move on.  I'll just pay less for the next one that comes through.  There is still very high demand for properly graded and valued books... but definitely the panic-level nosebleed-buying pandemic-era is over.

I heard this from another seller that 2022 was one of their best years in terms of profits.  I just don't understand how 2022 could come close to 2020 & 2021 in terms of profits since everything was selling and the prices were going up daily on a ton of books.  2020 and 2021 was so good that I just can't see how those years wasn't everyone's best years ever (I know it was mine by far).

[jjonahjameson11]

On 1/19/2023 at 10:16 AM, 1Cool said:

I heard this from another seller that 2022 was one of their best years in terms of profits.  I just don't understand how 2022 could come close to 2020 & 2021 in terms of profits since everything was selling and the prices were going up daily on a ton of books.  2020 and 2021 was so good that I just can't see how those years wasn't everyone's best years ever (I know it was mine by far).

1.  A lot of folks sitting on the sidelines in 2020 and 2021, waiting for prices to drop before re-engaging in the market?

2. In a downmarket, sellers/dealers are more willing to move product/offer discounts?

3.  Given the current state of the economy, more folks prefer a quick nickel over a slow dime?

4. Kind of tied into #1, as prices drop, FOMO?

[joeypost]

I bid on two Hulk books on clink last night. Hulk 164 and 166. Nothing special about them other than being 9.8’s. 
 

one went for over $1,000 the other not far behind. 

[1Cool]

On 1/19/2023 at 10:47 AM, jjonahjameson11 said:

1.  A lot of folks sitting on the sidelines in 2020 and 2021, waiting for prices to drop before re-engaging in the market?

2. In a downmarket, sellers/dealers are more willing to move product/offer discounts?

3.  Given the current state of the economy, more folks prefer a quick nickel over a slow dime?

4. Kind of tied into #1, as prices drop, FOMO?

I thought about it a bit more and I think it really comes down to if you sell online vs in store.  Online sellers did great when everything shut down for obvious reasons and stores must have had it rough for the same reasons.  Now that shipping prices seem to be going up every few months it must be bringing buyers back into the store big time which I guess would push 2022 as a great year for them.