Top 5 Keys of All Time.

[Silver Surfer]

1. Action 1

2. Detective 27

3. Amazing Fantasy 15

4. Giant-Size X-Men 1

 

My number 5 is debatable, I would probably go with Fantastic Four #1.

 

I don't think Marvel Comics #1 is even close, personally.

 

And why would GSX #1 rank over FF#1 let alone Marvel Comics #1? Marvel #1 is the starting point of the most popular comic franchise in the world and to leave it out doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

[Scrooge]

1. Action 1

2. Detective 27

3. Amazing Fantasy 15

4. Giant-Size X-Men 1

 

My number 5 is debatable, I would probably go with Fantastic Four #1.

 

I don't think Marvel Comics #1 is even close, personally.

 

And why would GSX #1 rank over FF#1 let alone Marvel Comics #1? Marvel #1 is the starting point of the most popular comic franchise in the world and to leave it out doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

 

However Marvel 1 has little to do with what the franchise is known for while for DC, both Action 1 and 'Tec 27 are about their most recognized characters. Who the heck in the general public knows who the Human Torch is or knew before the recent movie?

[divad]

4. Giant-Size X-Men 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ooh, you're serious

[dogfaceddude]

action # 1

tec # 27

supes # 1

FF # 1

tec # 38

[143ksk]

Hey Scrooge, this ought to appeal to the academic in you:

 

One thing about these types of threads is that there is never a definition of what we mean by the "top" keys. Are they the most valuable? most important to the collecting community? most important to the general public? most...fill in the blank?

 

Until we define our terms a bit better, we will be getting answers based on each individual's personal answer to the definition question. Of course, it does make for a more contentious discussion...

[Arty]

I would argue that Mickey Mouse (and to a lesser extent Donald Duck) are not primarily

famous as comic book characters, and that this lessens the status of their first comic book

appearances as keys. Archie is certainly arguable though. I'm surprised no one has mentioned

GSXM 1.

 

Tell this to Europeans....

 

Crazy numbers of Donald Ducks are printed here. Print run of weekly Finnish DD alone would be in top 5 of US titles.

[Arty]

Pep 22 (first appearance of the most popular teen character--)

as instantly recognizable as any superhero throughout most of the world

 

Stop dreaming

 

My list:

 

Action 1

Detective 27

Amazing Fantasy 15

Four Color 9

FF 1

[143ksk]

Pep 22 (first appearance of the most popular teen character--)

as instantly recognizable as any superhero throughout most of the world

 

Stop dreaming

 

Ever been to India...?

[Scrooge]

Hey Scrooge, this ought to appeal to the academic in you:

 

One thing about these types of threads is that there is never a definition of what we mean by the "top" keys. Are they the most valuable? most important to the collecting community? most important to the general public? most...fill in the blank?

 

The economist in me thinks that the Top 5 Keys as a wide consensus of the collecting community are those that, holding everything else constant, are selling for the most. This is where the wheels come off the wagon. Some will say that we have to control for a given condition, say around VF and then the top 5 keys are, according to Rob's Top List, and approximating are:

 

Action 1 in VF+ for $192,120.15 (2002) - Would certainly go for more today

Detective 27 in VF for $278,190 (No Date)

Superman 1 in VF- for $250,000 (No Date)

Marvel Comics 1 in VF+ for $172,500 (No Date)

Batman 1 in VF+ for $150,000 (2001)

[Honorable mention to: More Fun 52 in VF- for $90,000 (No Date)]

 

Consider that the first paper published, then someone else will come around and state that So & Such (2006) didn't control for other important factors in their studies such as 1) supply restrictions in these issues and will proxy supply by # of graded copies on the latest updated CGC census, 2) public awareness of the character in the book and will proxy awareness by the Box Office $$ for the movie featuring the character (well, for most), 3) the crankiness level of JC at time of sale proxy by the log of JC's Post Counts at time of sale, 4) whatever else the journal's referee will ask additional and useless tables about to prove that the referee is indeed the Grand Pubah of the who-gives-a-darn lodge of Central U.

 

Once adjusting for some of these controls, the list will get jumbled generating more academic dissension, causing departments to split over the issue leading the dean to separate the Superman 1 clan from the Marvel Comics 1 clan across different floor in the building. Eventually, every one might agree to those top 5, the So & Such (2006) article is cited 250 times in 10 years, a career is made and So and Such get to pontificate about the simplicity of their methods until retirement by which time nobody remembers what the hoopla was about since CGC has changed the marketplace rules since then by completely eliminating comments on labels, going mimimalists by only showing the Grade and the amount of PSI applied to all books to keep them fresh. Some young Ph.D. punk will come out and explain that $$ is not the correct way to measure desirability but it's the amount of views any eBay auction featuring the books receives and shows that Hulk 181 is the most desirable Key, simply because there are a S#!TLoad of them out there, will repeat this to their students who will approvingly nod in anticipation of receiving an A in their class and quickly proceed to turn to their classmates to ask what time the naked beer slide marathon is supposed to start this weekend, all the while those comic books are laying in state at the empty Baltimore Comic Book Museum, ignored by the public at large.

 

That's just my current opinion. I'll let you know once I finish the newest draft of the paper.

[comicdonna]

1. Action 1

2. Detective 27

3. Amazing Fantasy 15

4. Giant-Size X-Men 1

 

My number 5 is debatable, I would probably go with Fantastic Four #1.

 

I don't think Marvel Comics #1 is even close, personally.

Yes. Lets just ignore its $365,000 price tag.

[143ksk]

Hey Scrooge, this ought to appeal to the academic in you:

 

One thing about these types of threads is that there is never a definition of what we mean by the "top" keys. Are they the most valuable? most important to the collecting community? most important to the general public? most...fill in the blank?

 

The economist in me thinks that the Top 5 Keys as a wide consensus of the collecting community are those that, holding everything else constant, are selling for the most. This is where the wheels come off the wagon. Some will say that we have to control for a given condition, say around VF and then the top 5 keys are, according to Rob's Top List, and approximating are:

 

Action 1 in VF+ for $192,120.15 (2002) - Would certainly go for more today

Detective 27 in VF for $278,190 (No Date)

Superman 1 in VF- for $250,000 (No Date)

Marvel Comics 1 in VF+ for $172,500 (No Date)

Batman 1 in VF+ for $150,000 (2001)

[Honorable mention to: More Fun 52 in VF- for $90,000 (No Date)]

 

Consider that the first paper published, then someone else will come around and state that So & Such (2006) didn't control for other important factors in their studies such as 1) supply restrictions in these issues and will proxy supply by # of graded copies on the latest updated CGC census, 2) public awareness of the character in the book and will proxy awareness by the Box Office $$ for the movie featuring the character (well, for most), 3) the crankiness level of JC at time of sale proxy by the log of JC's Post Counts at time of sale, 4) whatever else the journal's referee will ask additional and useless tables about to prove that the referee is indeed the Grand Pubah of the who-gives-a-darn lodge of Central U.

 

Once adjusting for some of these controls, the list will get jumbled generating more academic dissension, causing departments to split over the issue leading the dean to separate the Superman 1 clan from the Marvel Comics 1 clan across different floor in the building. Eventually, every one might agree to those top 5, the So & Such (2006) article is cited 250 times in 10 years, a career is made and So and Such get to pontificate about the simplicity of their methods until retirement by which time nobody remembers what the hoopla was about since CGC has changed the marketplace rules since then by completely eliminating comments on labels, going mimimalists by only showing the Grade and the amount of PSI applied to all books to keep them fresh. Some young Ph.D. punk will come out and explain that $$ is not the correct way to measure desirability but it's the amount of views any eBay auction featuring the books receives and shows that Hulk 181 is the most desirable Key, simply because there are a S#!TLoad of them out there, will repeat this to their students who will approvingly nod in anticipation of receiving an A in their class and quickly proceed to turn to their classmates to ask what time the naked beer slide marathon is supposed to start this weekend, all the while those comic books are laying in state at the empty Baltimore Comic Book Museum, ignored by the public at large.

 

That's just my current opinion. I'll let you know once I finish the newest draft of the paper.

 

It's good that you aren't cynical

[MCMiles]

1. Action #1 ( obvious )

2. Detective #27 ( eaqually iconic as Superman but much cooler)

3. Captain America #1 (not as important as Marvel #1 but Cap is a world wide icon who is also a great American)

4. Fantastic Four #1 ( Marvel's big jump)

5. All Star Comics #3 ( Super Hero interaction and Team-Up)

 

Honorable mention:

Vault of Horror #12 and Crypt of Terror #17

AF #15

Showcase #4

Flash #123

GS X-Men #1 and X-Men #1

Brave an Bold #28

Hulk #181

Avengers #4

Marvel Mystery #8 and #9

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Harbinger #1 and Magnus Robot Fighter #1 (Valiant)

TMNT #1

[Timulty]

No Love for Whiz #2(1). What a shame.

[Forbush-Man]

1). Action Comics # 1

2). Detective Comics # 27

3). Marvel Comics # 1

4). Captain America # 1

5). Whiz Comics # 1

 

 

 

 

 

6) Howard the Duck # 1

 

 

 

 

[s-man]

Without reading the rest of the posts in this thread (because Im sure this mightve been argued)...I agree with the list to #4, but I would put X-Men #1 in there simply because of the impact the X-Men have had on everything from movies to games to toys, etc....they have become one of the biggest and most profitable books, certainly challenging both Supes, B-man and S-man.

[tth2]

My picks:

 

1. Action #1 (is there anyone who's not going to pick this?)

2. Detective #27 (is there anyone who's not going to pick this?)

3. Superman #1 (first solo title for a superhero)

4. All-Star Comics #3 (first superhero team)

5. Fantastic Four #1 (started the Marvel era of comics)

 

I don't care how popular Spider-Man is, his first appearance will never rank above FF #1, in my mind.

[tth2]

I would argue that Mickey Mouse (and to a lesser extent Donald Duck) are not primarily

famous as comic book characters, and that this lessens the status of their first comic book

appearances as keys.

I agree. They were cultural icons before appearing in comic books, and would be cultural icons if they had never appeared in a comic book.

[Forbush-Man]

My picks:

 

1. Action #1 (is there anyone who's not going to pick this?)

2. Detective #27 (is there anyone who's not going to pick this?)

3. Superman #1 (first solo title for a superhero)

4. All-Star Comics #3 (first superhero team)

5. Fantastic Four #1 (started the Marvel era of comics)

 

I don't care how popular Spider-Man is, his first appearance will never rank above FF #1, in my mind.

 

No love for Captain America # 1...................

[tth2]

Some young Ph.D. punk will come out and explain that $$ is not the correct way to measure desirability but it's the amount of views any eBay auction featuring the books receives and shows that Hulk 181 is the most desirable Key, simply because there are a S#!TLoad of them out there, will repeat this to their students who will approvingly nod in anticipation of receiving an A in their class and quickly proceed to turn to their classmates to ask what time the naked beer slide marathon is supposed to start this weekend, all the while those comic books are laying in state at the empty Baltimore Comic Book Museum, ignored by the public at large.

Sounds like someone needs to take a sabbatical.

 

naked beer slide marathon

[Forbush-Man]

No Love for Whiz #2(1). What a shame.

 

 

I made it # 5 on my list.