Pheonix Speculation Started.......

[blowout]

Check out the price of this X-Men #101 CGC 9.6, It's close to $400 with 7 days still to go.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2173410629&category=33826&rd=1

 

To my way of thinking this book is not even a 9.6, it does have White pages but is pretty badly mis-wrapped.

This leads me to believe that Spec's are driving this book up rather than collectors.

 

How high do we think this book will go? Could it break the 1K mark?

[blowout]

I'm betting around $700, but even that is pretty crazy at this point.

[BestOf7-migration]

That's actually a pretty tough book in super high-grade; this is the first I've noticed higher than NM 9.4.... but if it breaks 450, I'll be very shocked!

[ninanina]

Could this comic be the next Hulk 181?

 

Yes, could this be the next hot comic. I mean, it's gotta be something and maybe this is it. If it is, you heard it here first.

[ArAich]

Just read in Wizard that the "Death of Pheonix" #137 is burning hot now also...

[Foolkiller]

Well... when Wizard reports something... it must be a correct value, right? Of course, that report only deals with an actual sale of a book where somebody attached "Death of Phoenix" or whatever to a CGC graded book as opposed to the seller who only said X-Men 137... which probably means a speculator jumped all over that book. I think that book will get to $750 or so based on speculation... it's a great book, but that seems, really, really high.

[ArAich]

Well... when Wizard reports something... it must be a correct value, right? Of course, that report only deals with an actual sale of a book where somebody attached "Death of Phoenix" or whatever to a CGC graded book as opposed to the seller who only said X-Men 137... which probably means a speculator jumped all over that book. I think that book will get to $750 or so based on speculation... it's a great book, but that seems, really, really high.

 

Yup...I agree with you...it's just that if it has Pheonix in a critical role right now, then that particular issue will therefore be "in demand" in the present market...

 

And according to Wizard...you better mention her name in the listing if you want to produce maximum profit...

[blowout]

That's actually a pretty tough book in super high-grade; this is the first I've noticed higher than NM 9.4.... but if it breaks 450, I'll be very shocked!

 

Take a look at the book again and forget the holder for a moment. Would you grade the book a 9.6?

Also, I wouldn't kid yourself into thinking that any of these X-Men books are tough to find, even in HG. They are pretty abundant.

[fantastic_four]

I've only seen this book go for under $400 with white pages once. It went for as much as $850 last year, with the average on at least 6 copies sold last year being between $400 to $500.

[Foolkiller]

I was surprised the book got a 9.6 looking at the book myself... if I saw that book unslabbed (or slabbed for that matter) I would pass on the book entirely (unless y'know, I was getting it for $20) I don't really like the look of it.... but since there's a whole new sector that only cares about the number... I guess it doesn't matter. I don't think that x-men 101 is a rare book, but to be fair, I haven't seen a lot of 9.6s and while I see x-mens 94 and up in high grade... I haven't seen that many true 9.4s and up of x-men 108 and below. Maybe I haven't been looking hard enough.

[aardvark88]

Dave Cockrum's orig. comic art to X-men 101 pg. 1 of Jean Grey's face above the Blackbird plane is on eBay now. Will jump pass the $2k hi-estimate no problem since the X-men 101 cover art sold for about (choke) $30k recently.

[blowout]

the X-men 101 cover art sold for about (choke) $30k recently.

 

Holy Smokes.

[LordRahl]

I was surprised the book got a 9.6 looking at the book myself

 

What surprised you? CGC does NOT downgrade for miswraps in 9.8 and below. Are you talking about something else?

[blowout]

CGC does NOT downgrade for miswraps in 9.8 and below.

 

They currently don't, but they should. Are you saying that you think a book with this bad a printing defect deserves to be considered a NM+?

Because IMHO it doesn't.

[LordRahl]

They currently don't, but they should. Are you saying that you think a book with this bad a printing defect deserves to be considered a NM+?

 

I'm saying that CGC doesn't downgrade for miswraps. It comes down to personal preference whether you buy a book with a miswrap, just like date stamps. It doesn't bother some people as much as it does others. Why should CGC tell you what you should like? If you want a stuctural 9.6 that is miscut that's a your choice. Much easier to look at a slabbed 9.6 and see it's miscut then look at a 9.0 and try to figure out if it was downgraded from a 9.6 just because it was miscut. I don't mind miswrapped books as long as it's not the top to bottom miscut that makes you tilt your head.

[joe_collector]

Regardless of your personal views, the market is speaking on this, and lower-grade CGC books that are printed well, have super color, and are nicely centered, are receiving higher bids that white-border/date stamped copies with higher CGC grades.

 

That makes CGC look like a bit of a joke, considering their entire basis for existing is to provide an seamless method of buying and selling comics based on the numerical grade. They're essentially disregarding the market, and stating that "we're right and buyers are wrong".

 

Banner's CGC Hulk example should have brought this point home quite clearly, and in the long run, absolutely superalative CGC 9.0-9.4 copies will continue to outsell higher-CGC-grade books with printing and date stamp flaws.

 

If you're buying CGC white-border beauties or date stamped copies for investment, prepare to lose your shirt. If you don't care about valuation and are just collecting for fun, then you're absolutely correct.

[drbanner]

Regardless of your personal views, the market is speaking on this, and lower-grade CGC books that are printed well, have super color, and are nicely centered, are receiving higher bids that white-border/date stamped copies with higher CGC grades.

 

This is true!

 

That makes CGC look like a bit of a joke

 

This is not true (but I'm sure it made you feel good to say it)!

 

I would ask everyone here to tell me what they feel the "true" grade of this book is, downgrading as you feel appro for the off-center cover. For example, let's say it would be a 9.2. Now, whether or not you can see scans of the book, you know the "CGC" 9.6 is an outstanding physical specimen (deviations from the average 9.6 notwithstanding), but what about the "revised" 9.2 grade? Is it a 9.2 b/c of being off-center, because of a date stamp, or because of spine stress? There is greater uncertainty in any single grade composed of multiple parameters (physical condition, centering, writing/stamps, page quality) than the CGC grade as we know it, making the "revised" 9.2 grade less refined than the CGC 9.6. (I know there must be a fundamental statistical principle for this!!)

 

However, what appears to be missing altogether with the CGC 9.6 grade is a parameter for the eye appeal of the book, and that is why, under the current scheme, you must always buy the book, not the grade!

 

I won't rant again about a separate eye appeal grade as: 1) there is no standard for an eye appeal grade (for example - color 40%, centering 40%, cut 10%, printing registration 10%), and more importantly, 2) it would probably take too much time/$ to incorporate into the machine. What wouldn't be too hard to do, however, is to identify copies of "exceptional" eye eppeal, would it?

[aardvark88]

However, the Cgc case hides the original gloss or lack there of for the comic. It makes dull raw 8.0 look like a 9.0 & glossy, vibrant 9.6 look like a 9.2. For shimmering, glossy, hi-grades, some of them (golden age) are being busted out of the slab b/c they sell faster raw (in your face convention or retail shop grading).

[joe_collector]

On another note, does it bother anyone else that this auction uses the Paypal Credit Card logo in the listing, yet enforces a surcharge on Paypal Credit Card transactions?

 

I'm not talking about the legalities of Paypal surcharges (which he's obviously breaking) but that he's not following the "unwritten surcharge rules" of "mentioning" Paypal, but not emblazoning your auction with VISA, MC, AMEX, Discover, etc Logos, while sticking it to the credit card buyer?

[OldGuy]

Oh! I can see right through the cover to!