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

[Randall Dowling]

On 4/5/2023 at 2:05 PM, Black_Adam said:

I noticed the "L" on the cover. Doesn't that mean this might be from the Larson pedigree?

No.  Somebody can feel free to correct me but my understanding is that the "L" marking is from a different source, not Larson.

[lou_fine]

On 4/5/2023 at 6:42 PM, mjoeyoung said:

Somebody check my math, but the Larson pedigree books have a cursive "Lamont" or "Larson" or some combo on the cover. 

Yes, I believe that those would be the two easiest way to identify a Larson pedigree book, with the 3rd method being the unique Larson recall code for each individual title.  

[Primetime]

On 4/5/2023 at 12:05 PM, Black_Adam said:

I noticed the "L" on the cover. Doesn't that mean this might be from the Larson pedigree?

No because all the Larsons had “Larson” or “Lamont” in cursive written by two store clerks. Some Larsons have unfortunately been cleaned losing the name. The Bat 1 Larson has the full Larson name on it. 

[F For Fake]

Re: the latest CLink auctions, I am getting blown out on books that a couple of months ago I would have won with my low "tracking bid". I mostly concentrate on common copper and modern junk no one else much cares about, and I was winning those books for a song back in the fall. So, not sure that things are picking up per se, but for the drek I like, it feels like the good times may be wrapping up.

[october]

On 4/5/2023 at 10:25 PM, Randall Dowling said:

No.  Somebody can feel free to correct me but my understanding is that the "L" marking is from a different source, not Larson.

Yep. Detroit Trolley copies often have a cursive "L" on the cover. Larson copies do not. 

[Robot Man]

On 4/5/2023 at 2:57 PM, Dark Knight said:

Yeah i agree with you guys too that the Fantast CGC label is ugly and very unattractive. Visually it is loud and definitely takes some of your eye away from the book. If I bought one of these Fantast labeled books, I'd automatically reholder it to a regular looking label.

The design looks like an 80s Filmation He-Man introduction to me 

I bought a few from Harley a few weeks ago. I had no idea they had any significance other than the books themselves. They were raw copies. He asked me if I wanted “the certificate” so I said sure. He filled them out and slid them into the backing board. I really don’t give them much significance. 

[mjoeyoung]

On 4/6/2023 at 6:14 AM, F For Fake said:

Re: the latest CLink auctions, I am getting blown out on books that a couple of months ago I would have won with my low "tracking bid". I mostly concentrate on common copper and modern junk no one else much cares about, and I was winning those books for a song back in the fall. So, not sure that things are picking up per se, but for the drek I like, it feels like the good times may be wrapping up.

It still seems to me that people keep moving to books that seem "cheap," bidding them up (especially if it is a 9.8), and then, when the prices get too high, they move on to the next books.  I'm not sure if many of these books will hold their inflated value.  I'm looking at you A-Team #1. 

[F For Fake]

On 4/6/2023 at 9:57 PM, mjoeyoung said:

It still seems to me that people keep moving to books that seem "cheap," bidding them up (especially if it is a 9.8), and then, when the prices get too high, they move on to the next books.  I'm not sure if many of these books will hold their inflated value.  I'm looking at you A-Team #1. 

 

[Stefan_W]

I was snapping up these books when they were less than half of what they are going for now, although it could just be that a couple of people got into a bidding war and just drove the prices last night. 

 

[Robot Man]

On 4/6/2023 at 6:57 PM, mjoeyoung said:

It still seems to me that people keep moving to books that seem "cheap," bidding them up (especially if it is a 9.8), and then, when the prices get too high, they move on to the next books.  I'm not sure if many of these books will hold their inflated value.  I'm looking at you A-Team #1. 

I pity the fool…

[mjoeyoung]

On 4/7/2023 at 7:48 AM, Stefan_W said:

I was snapping up these books when they were less than half of what they are going for now, although it could just be that a couple of people got into a bidding war and just drove the prices last night. 

 

Yep, this may be a case of multiple people with the mindset of "I NEED to win it so I'll but in a super high bid."  Pretty dangerous for your wallet with these timed auctions.

[serling1978]

On 4/6/2023 at 9:57 PM, mjoeyoung said:

It still seems to me that people keep moving to books that seem "cheap," bidding them up (especially if it is a 9.8), and then, when the prices get too high, they move on to the next books.  I'm not sure if many of these books will hold their inflated value.  I'm looking at you A-Team #1. 

Say it ain't so. I've got an A-Team #1 somewhere in my basement.  

[Robot Man]

On 4/7/2023 at 11:16 AM, serling1978 said:

Say it ain't so. I've got an A-Team #1 somewhere in my basement.  

I’ve got a stack of unread copies of the giveaway around here someplace.

[g-man]

Surfer #3 cgc 9.4 went for $5400 last night on the bay…down from $7200 in a recent heritage sale but up from $2880 in august. 

[mjoeyoung]

On 4/8/2023 at 9:30 AM, g-man said:

Surfer #3 cgc 9.4 went for $5400 last night on the bay…down from $7200 in a recent heritage sale but up from $2880 in august. 

I still don't understand the lack of logic that is still apparent in this market. 

[lou_fine]

On 4/8/2023 at 11:58 AM, mjoeyoung said:

On 4/8/2023 at 8:30 AM, g-man said:

Surfer #3 cgc 9.4 went for $5400 last night on the bay…down from $7200 in a recent heritage sale but up from $2880 in august. 

I still don't understand the lack of logic that is still apparent in this market. 

So, are you guys really trying to tell me that books like Silver Surfer 4 in CGC 9.8 and Marvel Spotlight 5 in CGC 9.8 won't fetch prices like $90K and $264K respectively, even though there's been NO ADDITIONAL copies slabbed in CGC 9.8 in the interim since those 2 record setting sales back in 2021?  

[mjoeyoung]

On 4/8/2023 at 4:45 PM, lou_fine said:

So, are you guys really trying to tell me that books like Silver Surfer 4 in CGC 9.8 and Marvel Spotlight 5 in CGC 9.8 won't fetch prices like $90K and $264K respectively, even though there's been NO ADDITIONAL copies slabbed in CGC 9.8 in the interim since those 2 record setting sales back in 2021?  

Low number 9.8s seem to exist outside of this reality.  They dwell in a land populated by people who only look at the somewhat arbitrary number at the top of the plastic case .  I try not to focus on the whys of 9.8s and the money people spend on them.  That way leads to madness.

As for lower grades, the delta between some sales is illogical.  The last 2 sales of Silver Surfer #4 in a 9.6 are $11400 and $31200!  The only apparent difference between them is that one was graded in 2021, and the other in 2008.  Is somebody betting $20K that they can resubmit and get a 9.8 and sell it for $90K?

 

[lou_fine]

On 4/8/2023 at 4:50 PM, mjoeyoung said:

The last 2 sales of Silver Surfer #4 in a 9.6 are $11400 and $31200!  The only apparent difference between them is that one was graded in 2021, and the other in 2008. 

Were both these copies sold in the same approximate time period?  

As for any equivalent graded copies from dufferent time periods, grading is still more of an art (i.e. sujective opinion) than an exact science and as we all know, grading definitions and subtleties tend to change over time.  As such, this is when both a high quality front and back cover scans and review of the Graders' Notes  really come into play.   

[Microchip]

On 4/9/2023 at 9:50 AM, mjoeyoung said:

The last 2 sales of Silver Surfer #4 in a 9.6 are $11400 and $31200!  The only apparent difference between them is that one was graded in 2021, and the other in 2008.  Is somebody betting $20K that they can resubmit and get a 9.8 and sell it for $90K?

 

Putting $20k down on an educated return of $60k.   We all know there was periods of very tight grading in the past.  I've got an old label 9.6 myself that would resub at 9.8.

But your right, the ratio's of pricing between 9.6 and and 9.8 has lost all rationality.   Which is why you see results like what you've highlighted above.   People can see if a certain book has no chance at a resub ($11400), and a book that has a healthy shot at the top grade ($31200).

[mjoeyoung]

On 4/8/2023 at 6:20 PM, lou_fine said:

Were both these copies sold in the same approximate time period?  

 

January 12 ($11,400) and March 30 ($31,200) of 2023.  Both at Heritage.