Are falling prices creating "deals" for you? 2 2

[BlowUpTheMoon]

On 6/1/2023 at 9:25 PM, 2Sunny said:

On 6/1/2023 at 9:16 PM, BlowUpTheMoon said:

It's a warehouse book; there's a zillion out there. 

Okay acknowledged newbie here.  What's a "warehouse book"?  Should that book have a lower relative price?  Totally not being mean just want to learn so thanks for any info!

It's just what it sounds like.  Many, many uncirculated copies of this book were found in a warehouse. 

Here's some additional information and an incomplete list:

 

[ttfitz]

On 6/1/2023 at 3:20 PM, 2Sunny said:

I'd like to pickup some early FF stuff as well.  I was even thinking of trying my hand at an auction for the first time.  Comic Connect has a few books I'm particularly keen on acquiring.  Any good old threads out there with advice on taking part in an auction for the first time?

 

On 6/1/2023 at 8:35 PM, 2Sunny said:

Well just won #6.

Just wondering where you won these auctions. You mentioned bidding on Comic Connect, but their event auction ends next week.

[L'Angelo Misterioso]

I'm primarily interested in golden age, so there aren't really any "deals" to be had, unfortunately. 

[2Sunny]

On 6/1/2023 at 9:33 PM, BlowUpTheMoon said:

It's just what it sounds like.  Many, many uncirculated copies of this book were found in a warehouse. 

Here's some additional information and an incomplete list:

 

Thanks for that.  I had no idea.  Actually very interesting.

[2Sunny]

On 6/2/2023 at 12:01 AM, ttfitz said:

 

Just wondering where you won these auctions. You mentioned bidding on Comic Connect, but their event auction ends next week.

Last Night Comic Link was finishing up one auction that had numerous ASM items.  I have my eye on 2 more FF books that have an auction ending on Comic Link tonight.

 

 

Edited June 2, 2023 by 2Sunny

[Savoyard23]

I won a Thor 126 in an MCS auction last week, filling a hole and scratching an itch I've had forever.

But I didn't want to pay $100-200 for a halfway decent copy.  I won a nice-looking G/VG for about $50, somewhat to my surprise.

[2Sunny]

On 6/2/2023 at 9:39 AM, Savoyard23 said:

I won a Thor 126 in an MCS auction last week, filling a hole and scratching an itch I've had forever.

But I didn't want to pay $100-200 for a halfway decent copy.  I won a nice-looking G/VG for about $50, somewhat to my surprise.

Yeah I see a couple FF items coming up for auction on MCS.  I know I've actually sold a couple books on MCS that went for a little less than I was hoping so now it'll be fun if I can turn that around :)

[LowGradeBronze]

I'm currently tracking down FFs in the 80 to 100 range and finding some sellers actually accepting offers (instead of ignoring/declining.) I'm also buying the run of Thor 170 to 175 the ones inked by Bill Everett and finding one or two sensibly priced there as well.

So yes, I'm finding some deals at the low through to mid grades. Not quite spoilt for choice yet, but definitely easier than a year ago.

[Robot Man]

On 6/1/2023 at 6:25 PM, 2Sunny said:

Okay acknowledged newbie here.  What's a "warehouse book"?  Should that book have a lower relative price?  Totally not being mean just want to learn so thanks for any info!

A warehouse book is a find of many multiples of a copy often never distributed or sold that were stored away usually at the time it was initially sold. Often publishers like Fawcett, Charlton and Harvey stored them in warehouses all the way back to the mid ‘40’s to mid ‘50’s in some cases. Lots of Marvels as well.

You would think prices would be lower on them. But many keys and classic cover issues have held their value real well. They are not unlimited and collector demand has kept prices high. A smart holder of such copies would just slip out a few at a time and sell in various marketplaces. 

[Robot Man]

Here is just one good example. I was at SDCC many years ago and a dealer had a small stack of this one as well as many other great pre code horror books from the Harvey warehouse stock that had just been found. He wanted fairly stiff prices for them (at the time). I bought the nicest one I could find as well as a number of other issues. He was selling one copy per buyer at a time. I came back by about an hour later and they were all gone. All assimilated to collectors and dealers. Even though collectors of these books know this, this book brings record prices when one of these “file copies” come up for sale. It is a classic and even though there are a lot of HG copies, there just aren’t enough in the marketplace to supply the high demand. 

[1Cool]

The only older warehouse find book that gets no love due to quantity is Heroes Inc Cannon 1.  Darn book is from 1969 and I still see it pop up in high grade in the $1 boxes.

[EastEnd1]

On 6/2/2023 at 10:48 AM, Robot Man said:

Here is just one good example. I was at SDCC many years ago and a dealer had a small stack of this one as well as many other great pre code horror books from the Harvey warehouse stock that had just been found. He wanted fairly stiff prices for them (at the time). I bought the nicest one I could find as well as a number of other issues. He was selling one copy per buyer at a time. I came back by about an hour later and they were all gone. All assimilated to collectors and dealers. Even though collectors of these books know this, this book brings record prices when one of these “file copies” come up for sale. It is a classic and even though there are a lot of HG copies, there just aren’t enough in the marketplace to supply the high demand. 

 

I've heard that quite a few of these Harvey warehouse finds were pretty water damaged... not sure about this one but know its the case with Tomb of Terror #15.  Presumably would reduce the population of "collectbile grade" copies...

[The humble Watcher lurking]

On 6/1/2023 at 8:40 PM, 2Sunny said:

Prices are falling.  Makes collecting now WAY more fun when I consider where prices have been.

I was kind of shocked last night seeing golden age Superman and Batman comics,plus silver age Spiderman comic books that are between 60 to 80 years old averaging around $1500 which is less than a modern price of an oz of gold right now. 

Clearly it looks like FOMO for comic book movie hype is over. A great time to be a collector now. I expect it will get better. 

[Robot Man]

On 6/2/2023 at 8:22 AM, EastEnd1 said:

 

I've heard that quite a few of these Harvey warehouse finds were pretty water damaged... not sure about this one but know its the case with Tomb of Terror #15.  Presumably would reduce the population of "collectbile grade" copies...

I don't remember seeing any of the ones I look for (PCH) being water damaged. But many, although structural very nice, have lower page quality from being stored inside cardboard boxes. 

[october]

On 6/2/2023 at 10:55 AM, Robot Man said:

I don't remember seeing any of the ones I look for (PCH) being water damaged. But many, although structural very nice, have lower page quality from being stored inside cardboard boxes. 

The Heritage archives show some water damaged copies. They sold a stack of CoC 19 copies in lower grade for a pittance back in the day. 

Edited June 2, 2023 by october

[Robot Man]

On 6/2/2023 at 9:04 AM, october said:

The Heritage archives show some water damaged copies. They sold a stack of CoC 19 copies in lower grade for a pittance back in the day. 

I sure wish I had known. Back in the day when this was cheap, I kind of overlooked it a bit in favor of other books I wanted more. I always, figured it was pretty available so I didn't concern myself with it much. Now, it's way over my price threshold. 

[2Sunny]

On 6/2/2023 at 11:39 AM, The humble Watcher lurking said:

I was kind of shocked last night seeing golden age Superman and Batman comics,plus silver age Spiderman comic books that are between 60 to 80 years old averaging around $1500 which is less than a modern price of an oz of gold right now. 

Clearly it looks like FOMO for comic book movie hype is over. A great time to be a collector now. I expect it will get better. 

Yeah.  I don't wish bad things for others, but I have to admit I'm hoping a couple Silver Age #1 issues in the VG/FN range fall into what I would consider "affordable".  They're getting close

[Ed Hanes]

On 6/2/2023 at 8:39 AM, The humble Watcher lurking said:

I was kind of shocked last night seeing golden age Superman and Batman comics,plus silver age Spiderman comic books that are between 60 to 80 years old averaging around $1500 which is less than a modern price of an oz of gold right now. 

Clearly it looks like FOMO for comic book movie hype is over. A great time to be a collector now. I expect it will get better. 

I think fears of a recession are still lingering for many as well as people just wanting to put their money into traveling (yes, this seems contradictory) ..but prices dont seem to be falling below pre pandemic ...that would be a really bad sign 

[LowGradeBronze]

Many of us in the same boat: Prices may be dropping relative to the real high but with utility and other bills/costs at an all time high doesn't free up much cash yet for 'non essential' purchases like comics. (Personally I'd like comics to be an essential purchase!)

[southern cross]

I was buying books off two lcs in 2022.

I stayed away from Marvels and found the DCs were priced comfortable for me.

Batman 189 $125 plus Washington sales tax.

From another store I bought a Detective 14 in low grade priced at $500 plus tax. Thinking if I didn't want to keep it I could always get my money back.

Then I traded a graded under copy of X-Men 94 4.0 white pages and $200 for this Superman thinking it would be cool to have a single digit copy.

Then I bought this HOS 92 for $400 plus tax thinking this copy in this grade probably sells for $900 at the time. Not sure what they go for now.

So I've been buying except the Marvel books. If Marvel prices slip down I'll get some of those. And all books bought from lcs. So I've been having fun collecting while watching astronomical prices being realized for Marvels during that time.