Silver Age Comics Are Still Falling ? 1 1

[Colin Nash]

Here we are, well into 2024 and from what I can see Silver Age Comics, in general, are still falling in value. I'm not talking about those ebay sales that some websites treat as gospel. I'm talking about sites like Comicconnect and Comiclink, etc, who give a different view of online comic sales. 

From current auctions by both the above, many comics are selling significantly below published figures. Some by as much as 50% and others somewhat less. The true trend in Silver Age comics is continuing downward, from what I can see here.

Could it be that many buyers have left the market and there is less competition at auction hence, comics get picked up for less? I think this is so.

Some say, buy now because prices are lower but, on the other hand, do you really want to put your cash into a collapsing market. Its a dilemma, in my opinion.

Does anyone feel the same ?

Colin

 

 

 

 

[Microchip]

I'd say they have fallen, not falling.   It looks like the bottom position is now.

[Beardown]

On 3/28/2024 at 3:33 AM, Microchip said:

I'd say they have fallen, not falling.   It looks like the bottom position is now.

Couldn't agree more and we are on the "it's time to buy" side of the discussion and have recently added 6 new silver age books  to the collection.

[BFA1971]

On 3/28/2024 at 5:15 AM, Colin Nash said:

Here we are, well into 2024 and from what I can see Silver Age Comics, in general, are still falling in value. I'm not talking about those ebay sales that some websites treat as gospel. I'm talking about sites like Comicconnect and Comiclink, etc, who give a different view of online comic sales. 

From current auctions by both the above, many comics are selling significantly below published figures. Some by as much as 50% and others somewhat less. The true trend in Silver Age comics is continuing downward, from what I can see here.

Could it be that many buyers have left the market and there is less competition at auction hence, comics get picked up for less? I think this is so.

Some say, buy now because prices are lower but, on the other hand, do you really want to put your cash into a collapsing market. Its a dilemma, in my opinion.

Does anyone feel the same ?

Colin

 

 

 

 

I think they will go below 2019 prices for many issues. Maybe not the mega keys as people will buy when they perceive a good deal is on.. they might bottom out at pre-covid prices for the mega keys but the others I feel will fall below. I can see it in many non mega key issues  I wonder if many  collectors are selling their Silver and Bronze and getting out or switching to buying a few Golden Age keys for many Silver....?

Edited March 28 by BFA1971

[ThothAmon]

Here is the GPA data for CGC 8.0 FF 52. Still a good time to buy and sell. As always you need to pick your spots and don’t sweat getting it wrong every now and again. 
 

[maraxusofkeld]

Does anyone think the state of the economy has more to do with it? 

[bc]

On 3/28/2024 at 9:50 AM, maraxusofkeld said:

Does anyone think the state of the economy has more to do with it? 

It certainly is a factor.

-bc

[TSwift25]

On 3/28/2024 at 5:24 AM, Beardown said:

Couldn't agree more and we are on the "it's time to buy" side of the discussion and have recently added 6 new silver age books  to the collection.

I agree. I have been buying a lot December to now. I generally think that, unless you're looking at this as a professional where inventory turnover matters, this downturn presents an opportunity and I'd rather be buying here than waiting for a further pullback. Generally speaking prices may go lower but this is as attractive a time to buy as any I can recall in the last 5 years.

[Hepcat]

On 3/28/2024 at 8:52 AM, BFA1971 said:

I wonder if many  collectors are selling their Silver and Bronze and getting out or switching to buying a few Golden Age keys for many Silver....?

No. What collectors assemble first is what they cherish the most. They don't therefore switch from those most cherished items to other items to position themselves for anticipated price changes (which of course could be very wrong anyway). It's not collectors but those others who might behave in such a fashion.

Moreover comics aren't nearly liquid enough for switching willy-nilly to be anything but a harebrained idea. Comics aren't fungible and consequently there's very limited market depth. The spread between the bid and the ask is much too great, transaction costs are egregious and there's next to no price continuity in comics. The middle man (dealers, auction houses, etc.) is the one who always profits from switching. Anybody else has the cards stacked against him.

Edited March 28 by Hepcat

[MAR1979]

On 3/28/2024 at 11:25 AM, TSwift25 said:

I agree. I have been buying a lot December to now. I generally think that, unless you're looking at this as a professional where inventory turnover matters, this downturn presents an opportunity and I'd rather be buying here than waiting for a further pullback. Generally speaking prices may go lower but this is as attractive a time to buy as any I can recall in the last 5 years.

yep

Along with other factors, given the current state of the MCU I do think there is room for many books to negatively breach 2019 and possibly even 2017 prices.  Of course there will always be exceptions or outliers or hot book de jour, I'm talking about the 60's SA Marvel market as a whole.

This post does apply to SA - please ignore that portion of my sig

 

Edited March 28 by MAR1979

[maraxusofkeld]

I think most collectors now a days are key collectors, where I feel your older collectors are run collectors. Your non-keys from the SA are not as collected. When I was putting together my X-Men, many of the non key silver age issues in 9.4 where less than a modern hot book in 9.8.

[Seriously?]

Probably yes

[bc]

On 3/28/2024 at 2:47 PM, maraxusofkeld said:

I think most collectors now a days are key collectors, where I feel your older collectors are run collectors. Your non-keys from the SA are not as collected. When I was putting together my X-Men, many of the non key silver age issues in 9.4 where less than a modern hot book in 9.8.

Not sure of that from watching the results from the auction houses the past 20+ years. They seem to move an incredible amount of SA "run" books on a regular basis even now. I'd venture to guess that 75% of the auction lots are not keys. Prices on run books also seem less volatile, which may make it less appealing to some. 

This is in no way a knock to key collectors -as usual, collect what makes ya happy!

-bc

[tth2]

On 3/28/2024 at 9:50 PM, maraxusofkeld said:

Does anyone think the state of the economy has more to do with it? 

Given that we've got a booming economy, full employment, wages rising faster than inflation, US and global stock markets at record highs, gold (the metal, not the age) at record highs, crypto at record highs, and real estate prices that remain very high, wouldn't that indicate that comic prices should be rising?  

[tth2]

On 3/29/2024 at 12:30 AM, Hepcat said:

Comics aren't fungible and consequently there's very limited market depth.

I'd be willing to bet the 145 9.8 copies, 369 9.6 copies, 567 9.4 copies, 758 9.2 copies and 1033 9.0 copies of Incredible Hulk 181 in the census that comics are fungible and there is a deep market. 

Edited March 29 by tth2

[tth2]

On 3/29/2024 at 12:30 AM, Hepcat said:

The spread between the bid and the ask is much too great, transaction costs are egregious and there's next to no price continuity in comics. The middle man (dealers, auction houses, etc.) is the one who always profits from switching. Anybody else has the cards stacked against him.

If I'd read your post before the rise of the internet, I would've wholeheartedly agreed.  Back in the day, dealers would sell at Guide or multiples thereof and buy at half of Guide (or less), to the extent they'd buy your comics at all, and price rises were incremental except for the hottest books.

But post-internet, eBay, auction houses, CGC and GPA, transaction costs are around 10-20% at most and prices can move up very fast.   

Edited March 29 by tth2

[MAR1979]

On 3/29/2024 at 4:51 AM, tth2 said:

Given that we've got a booming economy, full employment, wages rising faster than inflation, US and global stock markets at record highs, gold (the metal, not the age) at record highs, crypto at record highs, and real estate prices that remain very high, wouldn't that indicate that comic prices should be rising?  

No matter how much my SP500 fund rises or drops, I'm not moving a cent of it into comics 😁

MCU no longer fueling the back issue fire as it did for near 15 years and burst from the bubble have caused drove after drove to leave hobby.

Settle in folks,  attrition in collectors and price dips and or stagnation will reign until at least decades end.

P.S. 

Of course there will always be exceptions or outliers or hot book de jour, I'm talking about the 60-00s Marvel market as a whole.

This post does apply to SA - please ignore that portion of my sig

Edited March 29 by MAR1979

[tth2]

On 3/29/2024 at 8:14 PM, MAR1979 said:

MCU no longer fueling the back issue fire as it did for near 15 years and burst from the bubble have caused drove after drove to leave hobby.

This.

As incredible as Marvel's record was from the release of "Iron Man" through the final Avengers movie, its record since then has been equally incredible.  But unfortunately, incredibly bad rather than incredibly good.  It seems like it's just been flop after flop.  

[Hepcat]

On 3/29/2024 at 5:02 AM, tth2 said:

I'd be willing to bet the 145 9.8 copies, 369 9.6 copies, 567 9.4 copies, 758 9.2 copies and 1033 9.0 copies of Incredible Hulk 181 in the census that comics are fungible and there is a deep market. 

To label collectors they're fungible, but we comic collectors are interested in and buy the comic not the label.

Meanwhile those numbers highlight the absolute insanity (actually inanity) of the prices those Hulk 181 comics fetch. Me I'd much rather track down and acquire a VF+ copy of Patsy and Hedy 1 or a NM copy of Strange Tales 89 with the intro of Fin Fang Foom (among many other much rarer comics).

Edited March 29 by Hepcat

[Hepcat]

On 3/29/2024 at 8:14 AM, MAR1979 said:

No matter how much my SP500 fund rises or drops, I'm not moving a cent of it into comics 😁

 

Stocks pay dividends, and those of well managed companies deliver dividend growth. Collectibles are in no way comparable "investments". Appreciation in the price of collectibles is solely a function of an increase in the number of enthusiastic collectors or at least interested parties. And the party can come to an end at any time.

Edited March 30 by Hepcat