Exceptional major SA keys in the current Heritage Auction 4 4

[tth2]

On 4/5/2024 at 7:51 AM, Dark Knight said:

A dealer at last year's SDCC sold a DD #1 CGC 9.8 for something like $800k. Whoever paid that price took a bath too big time!

Case in point.  To me, $360k is an unfathomable amount to pay for a second-tier SA Marvel key like DD 1.  But because of the even crazier prices previously paid for the book, a $360k price is now framed as an abject failure. 

Edited April 5 by tth2

[tth2]

On 4/5/2024 at 6:18 AM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

On 3/23/2024 at 7:25 PM, namisgr said:

Perfectly aligned cover and white pages.

Expand  

That's why I had to have it.  

Congratulations!

[namisgr]

On 4/5/2024 at 4:51 AM, tth2 said:

Doesn't matter, as that was the publicly announced price and as such, it makes for a terrible narrative for the market.

You're right about that.  I was thinking more about yesterday's seller, and the bashing they're taking for supposedly having paid $2 million for the TOS.

[tth2]

On 4/5/2024 at 8:27 AM, BLUECHIPCOLLECTIBLES said:

Buyers may be more aware than they have been that highest graded means more in GA than SA.

Of course there can never be 100% certainty, even with Golden Age books.

But if this was a 9.8 Action 1 people would feel pretty confident it is likely to remain the highest graded copy.

If people felt the same level of confidence about the future and ongoing uniqueness of a 9.8 TOS 39, then $2 million might seem more reasonable or even a bargain.

  

  

The main thing that people should assume about any ultra-HG SA Marvel key that is publicly available for sale is that it's no better than the second best copy in existence.  Even if it's tied for the highest grade, it's probably available only because one collector has assessed it and found it to be inferior to his copy.

[Pantodude]

On 4/5/2024 at 5:00 AM, tth2 said:

The main thing that people should assume about any ultra-HG SA Marvel key that is publicly available for sale is that it's no better than the second best copy in existence.  Even if it's tied for the highest grade, it's probably available only because one collector has assessed it and found it to be inferior to his copy.

Sensible advice generally, but too broad a statement because Marvel keys include the feisty UK price variants.  As a practical matter, the Marvel UK price variants would be an exception, as much as GA books would be, due to their undeniable rarity in uber high-grade.  Yesterday's Heritage sale of the Amazing Spider-Man #1 CGC 8.5 UK price variant for $84K is a case on point.

Hailed as the single-highest graded pence ASM#1, it blew past the $66K January Heritage sale of the cents 8.5 OW/W, even surpassing the comic-boom's former all-time high for any ASM#1 8.5 at $72K.  In fact, that pence ASM#1, while the highest-grade for a pence issue, is not even "uber" high grade.  That's the highest grade that has survived, which makes it quite special.  And this phenomenon is true of ALL Marvel UK price variants, particularly of the early SA.  The highest FF#1 pence is only a 6.5!!!, and the highest-graded Incredible Hulk #1 and TOS #39 pence are just 7.5s, and so on, despite all the incentive to grade those babies due to their lofty valuations as mega SA keys.  It's exceedingly difficult to land just one in a high grade, let alone two for the luxury of being able to let a lesser one go, as you suggest.  So a highest-grade pence of a SA key is likely just that, as much as any key comic book can be.   

[BLUECHIPCOLLECTIBLES]

On 4/5/2024 at 9:12 AM, Pantodude said:

Sensible advice generally, but too broad a statement because Marvel keys include the feisty UK price variants.  As a practical matter, the Marvel UK price variants would be an exception, as much as GA books would be, due to their undeniable rarity in uber high-grade.  Yesterday's Heritage sale of the Amazing Spider-Man #1 CGC 8.5 UK price variant for $84K is a case on point.

Hailed as the single-highest graded pence ASM#1, it blew past the $66K January Heritage sale of the cents 8.5 OW/W, even surpassing the comic-boom's former all-time high for any ASM#1 8.5 at $72K.  In fact, that pence ASM#1, while the highest-grade for a pence issue, is not even "uber" high grade.  That's the highest grade that has survived, which makes it quite special.  And this phenomenon is true of ALL Marvel UK price variants, particularly of the early SA.  The highest FF#1 pence is only a 6.5!!!, and the highest-graded Incredible Hulk #1 and TOS #39 pence are just 7.5s, and so on, despite all the incentive to grade those babies due to their lofty valuations as mega SA keys.  It's exceedingly difficult to land just one in a high grade, let alone two for the luxury of being able to let a lesser one go, as you suggest.  So a highest-grade pence of a SA key is likely just that, as much as any key comic book can be.   

I remember when the pence copies were considered far less valuable and sold my fairly decent pence AF15 for mid to high three figures

[Pantodude]

On 4/5/2024 at 2:34 PM, BLUECHIPCOLLECTIBLES said:

I remember when the pence copies were considered far less valuable and sold my fairly decent pence AF15 for mid to high three figures

Haha.  They were making some strides past decade, a bit more consistently through 2019, then the pandemic happened and the environment since then.  It's nice to see them get this implicit recogition of their unique status among Marvel keys, especially during these times.  

Edited April 5 by Pantodude

[Silver Surfer]

On 4/5/2024 at 2:00 AM, tth2 said:

The main thing that people should assume about any ultra-HG SA Marvel key that is publicly available for sale is that it's no better than the second best copy in existence.  Even if it's tied for the highest grade, it's probably available only because one collector has assessed it and found it to be inferior to his copy.

Or made sure that it's an inferior copy because they CPR'd their copy upwards. If the Church Timleys ever make their way back to the market they will be re-subed more times that you can say Excelsior!

[kimik]

On 4/5/2024 at 6:50 PM, Silver Surfer said:

Or made sure that it's an inferior copy because they CPR'd their copy upwards. If the Church Timleys ever make their way back to the market they will be re-subed more times that you can say Excelsior!

Haven’t they been worked on over the years like so many other Church books?

[sfcityduck]

On 3/29/2024 at 10:14 AM, Lee Enterprises said:

Here's a link to ComicConnect and the details of the Action #1 CGC 9.0 that Metropolis won on eBay for 3.2 Million. I'm looking for the other 9.0 sale details. I remember seeing a picture of Vincent Z. holding two CGC 9.0's in his hands. 

Metropolis Comics and Collectibles - 3.2 Million Action 1

Both 9.0s went to Hariri with Metro acting as his agent. He has a deep personal connection to Superman due to his memories of his assonated father, so he is unlikely to sell anytime soon. Of course the copy that beats those two, the MH, is also not going to be sold anytime soon if ever (owner and his son both deal comics). That makes the 8.5 the best AVAILABLE copy - maybe just for decades, maybe forever.

[Silver Surfer]

On 4/5/2024 at 6:03 PM, kimik said:

Haven’t they been worked on over the years like so many other Church books?

Who knows they have been locked away for decades and I don't think that many of them are graded? 

[sfcityduck]

On 4/5/2024 at 6:03 PM, kimik said:

Haven’t they been worked on over the years like so many other Church books?

The V family's Allentown CA 1 is a 9.8. It was resubbed after the inferior SF was given a 9.4. No idea what the deal is with the MH CA 1.

The V family's MH MC 1 is supposedly flawless but never been submitted.

[Silver Surfer]

Aside from the Cap issue and the AA#16 you really don't hear about too many other high profile issues that have been graded, certainlydont see msny Church Timelys in the census last time I looked. Not sure where all those ubber high grade Church Spectre More Funs came from that Metro auctioned off a few years ago but they were stunning. 

[sfcityduck]

On 4/5/2024 at 9:37 PM, Silver Surfer said:

Aside from the Cap issue and the AA#16 you really don't hear about too many other high profile issues that have been graded, certainlydont see msny Church Timelys in the census last time I looked. Not sure where all those ubber high grade Church Spectre More Funs came from that Metro auctioned off a few years ago but they were stunning. 

Maybe Zaid.

[LordRahl]

On 4/5/2024 at 1:51 AM, tth2 said:

Doesn't matter, as that was the publicly announced price and as such, it makes for a terrible narrative for the market.

Well this should help the terrible narrative be less terrible.... a Silver Surfer 1 sold for over $100K. Say that out loud a couple of times just to see for yourself how crazy the market still is even though apparently it's in the toilet. SS1 is a 6 figure book. Everyone that's been around more than a hot minute knows how utterly silly that sounds, yet that's the reality... and it's completely overlooked as if it's totally normal.

[Lee Enterprises]

On 4/5/2024 at 10:19 PM, sfcityduck said:

Both 9.0s went to Hariri with Metro acting as his agent. He has a deep personal connection to Superman due to his memories of his assonated father, so he is unlikely to sell anytime soon. Of course the copy that beats those two, the MH, is also not going to be sold anytime soon if ever (owner and his son both deal comics). That makes the 8.5 the best AVAILABLE copy - maybe just for decades, maybe forever.

That's right. It's all coming back to me now. I re-read some of the Impossible Collection articles. That's where I remember seeing those two 9.0s together in one picture. Thanks for those details.  

[tth2]

On 4/6/2024 at 9:03 AM, kimik said:

On 4/6/2024 at 8:50 AM, Silver Surfer said:

Or made sure that it's an inferior copy because they CPR'd their copy upwards. If the Church Timleys ever make their way back to the market they will be re-subed more times that you can say Excelsior!

Haven’t they been worked on over the years like so many other Church books?

The Church Timely superhero books are all sitting ungraded in John Verzyl's family's collection, with the only exception I'm aware of being the Red Raven #1 because Chuck held on to that one and then sold it directly a few years ago.  

[tth2]

On 4/6/2024 at 11:00 AM, Silver Surfer said:

On 4/6/2024 at 9:03 AM, kimik said:

Haven’t they been worked on over the years like so many other Church books?

Who knows they have been locked away for decades and I don't think that many of them are graded? 

As far as I know, none of the Church Timely superhero books have been graded except for Red Raven #1.

[tth2]

On 4/6/2024 at 11:16 AM, sfcityduck said:

On 4/6/2024 at 9:03 AM, kimik said:

Haven’t they been worked on over the years like so many other Church books?

The V family's Allentown CA 1 is a 9.8. It was resubbed after the inferior SF was given a 9.4.

The AT Cap 1 was initially graded as a 9.6.  I guess that wasn't good enough for Verzyl.

[tth2]

On 4/6/2024 at 2:07 PM, LordRahl said:

Well this should help the terrible narrative be less terrible.... a Silver Surfer 1 sold for over $100K. Say that out loud a couple of times just to see for yourself how crazy the market still is even though apparently it's in the toilet. SS1 is a 6 figure book. Everyone that's been around more than a hot minute knows how utterly silly that sounds, yet that's the reality... and it's completely overlooked as if it's totally normal.

You're preaching to the choir.  The idea of a 1968 Marvel #1 going for 6-figures seems nuts to me, unless maybe it's in 9.9 and even then it's still nuts to me.

It'll be interesting to see if the price is replicable.