Are Scarce books as tough as they used to be?

[NoImSpartacus]

My question of the day to ponder is this.

Are Scarce books as tough as they used to be??

 

5 years ago or so, books had to be hunted down and a person used to have to look far and wide to find some of the books they wanted. If someone wanted an average upper vg copy or better of a scarcer ( Not Rare ) book they would either go to a few shows, a very large show, or make alot of phone calls in order to find the piece they wanted. Now, since about 1997 or 1998 ( a few years after Ebay got rolling as well as the other auction houses) it seems that many of the scarce books just arent scarce anymore.

I dont mean rare books ike an Action 1, just the books that were scarce to find like a Shock Suspense Stories or a Planet. I dont speak of books that have 1, 2, or 10 copies in existance. I speak of the scarce books where once we had to hunt for them constantly if we wished to obtain copies. Now it seems, you just punch in the copy and number in ebay or yahoo or any of the other auctions and "Instant Gratification" comes up in many cases with sometimes 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, or more copies popping up online in varous grades. Sometimes it seems like a lineup of books were scarcity on so many has disappeared. Last week, I punched in Batman # 136 and 8 copies popped up. A book that 5 years ago we would have done much legwork to hunt down in half decent shape. Now its seems in many cases, you just pop the issue title and number in the auction search box and away you go.

 

Have you noticed a decrease in some issues that used to be considered scarce but have decreased in value?

 

If so,

Question # 1 - Do any of you feel the same way? If yes or no state why?

Question # 2 - What issues do you believe have corrected themselves?

Question # 3 - What issues once deemed scarce should be corrected Downward?

Lets try the opposite as well:

Question # 4 - What issues once thought common should now be considered scarce and corrected Upward?

 

Everyone gets stars as is my standard procedure.

 

[aardvark88]

ASM 1, 33, AF 15, FF 48, Hulk 181 used to be scarce keys. Now common keys. If demand hi-enough, prices stabilize. If population too high (ASM 33, FF 48) compared to demand, prices drop no matter how hi-grade.

FF 49, 50 scarce in ultra hi-grade with big jump in top end price due to Cgc influence.

Show 4, 8 still scarce compared to any Marvel silver key but less zombies to jack up the end price.

Suspense 3 (Continental, Xela) & Fantastic 3 Lou Fine still rare.

[shiverbones]

man spartacus gets the brain juices flowing again.....

it is not tough to find the books that used to be anymore (i am not talkign rare, like suspense 3) A good example is high grade DC bronze horror. You used to have to work HARD to find a nice HOM #176, 177, 186, 189, 199, HOS #81, 103 etc. Books like DC 100 PG. #4, Witching Hour #1-5, and FORGET Weird War#1. Those can all be found now within a month of waiting. Its not just ebay, the entire online community has brought things out in the open that didn't used to be. Pre-code horror too, you can find most of it now within a few months (Though not in grade) Before certain issues would take 5 years to NEVER to track one down. I am glad personally, i would never have gotten a black cat Mystery #50 before

[drbanner]

No. The ease at which used-to-be-collectors can sell their collections (due to the internet in general, and ebay specifically), and the big price increases of the last five years (mostly due to CGC) have brought once-scarce books out into the market. The big Heritage auctions sell in one weekend the types of books that it would have taken someone a year of mail order, dealer want-lists, and trips to SD, Chicago, NY, etc.,. to track down.

 

However, I'm still waiting for a solid, unrestored, mid-grade copy of Captain Flight 11 to show up...anyone?

[sfilosa]

I think a lot of Golden-Age books in the mid-grades should be brought down in guide price. Certain books seemed to be rare years ago, but are not.

 

Example, a Suspense #9 (Continental) with a cool Eyeball cover from L.B. Cole sold in Heritage's last auction for a total of $368 in CGC FN/VF condition. The book did have an distribution mark on the cover, but guide price for this book in Fine is $507 and over a grand in VF.

 

Another copy of this book is being sold ungraded on eBay right now in about the same grade.

 

The Mask #1 in CGC'd in VF- that was priced slightly below guide in Heritage's Signature auction didn't meet reserve. It was the highest graded copy (as the MH copy has restoration).

 

Once again, I think that the prices have gotten too high on most Golden-Age books below VF condition which is now similar to Silver-Age books (i.e. more suppy than demand).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rip]

Metropolis has a Cap Flight 11 VF–. But its a little pricy.

[drbanner]

This is true...I picked up a nice looking, unrstored, CGC 4.0 VG Suspense 8 earlier this year BELOW guide. For a while there were several copies of this book popping up, and I don't believe any of them went for over guide.

 

Did you end up picking up the Mask 1!?!?

[aardvark88]

I like the Mask # 2 Satan, flames & boiling/floating heads cover better.

[drbanner]

Yes, another classic! I bought my current copy off Ed Jaster...just before he quit the convention circuit to become a "real" comic dealer.

 

Speaking of Heritage, anyone know why their completed auctions database does not seem to be pulling up anything over a year old? Per Rip's tip, I visited the Metro site and wanted to check Heritage sales of the Captain Flight 11. I want to say Metro's copy came from Heritage, but the only copy listed is the 9.2 that sold last December (and was recently re-sold somewhere recently?).

[sfilosa]

Speaking of Heritage, anyone know why their completed auctions database does not seem to be pulling up anything over a year old? Per Rip's tip, I visited the Metro site and wanted to check Heritage sales of the Captain Flight 11. I want to say Metro's copy came from Heritage, but the only copy listed is the 9.2 that sold last December (and was recently re-sold somewhere recently?).

 

They show a CF #10 being sold November 25, 2001 so it is going back to the beginning. Didn't see another CF #11 except the NM-.

 

 

Their archive site is the best. It is always nice to see past sales (or items that didn't sell) and still be able to see the actual book (so you can tell if it's the same copy being sold by a dealer or eBay).

 

[drbanner]

They show a CF #10 being sold November 25, 2001 so it is going back to the beginning. Didn't see another CF #11 except the NM-.

 

Hmmm...there are some books I bought last summer (2002) that aren't showing up?

 

Their archive site is the best. It is always nice to see past sales (or items that didn't sell) and still be able to see the actual book (so you can tell if it's the same copy being sold by a dealer or eBay).

 

Exactly!

[sfilosa]

Like what?

[Rip]

Here you go from GPA....

 

(9.2) - $3,450.00     - Big Apple Four Star Publ 1 1947 1 Dec 2002

(7.5) - $1,495.00     -   Four Star Publ 1 1947 1 Jul 2002

(3.5) - $540.01     -   Four Star Publ 1 1947 1 Oct 2002

[supapimp]

 

Everyone gets stars as is my standard procedure.

 

even MrNice?

[NoImSpartacus]

even MrNice?

 

I see your point. Correction. All but one get stars.

[Arty]

Search doesn't work properly in Heritage's auction database. All books are in their database, but that search misses more than half of them

[shadroch]

Mr Nice is sometimes quite helpful with providing links to excellant web-sites. Its just sometimes he seems to forget his meds.

[drbanner]

Mr Nice is sometimes quite helpful with providing links to excellant web-sites. Its just sometimes he seems to forget his meds.