MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #54 (2024-2025) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
2023 was a year of Market Correction. Back Issue Prices jumped too Fast in the Hysteria of 2020-2021, they started to Drop Off in 2022, and in 2023 we saw prices fall even on the Top Keys like Hulk #181 and Amazing Fantasy #15. By the end of the Year prices leveled off and the market was stabilizing and getting back to normal. Marvel and DC have made far too many Changes to their Characters, and there is too much Political Correctness, in both the Comics and the Cinematic Universe, that they have alienated Fans from the Traditional characters we all fell in love with over the last 40-80 Years. Most of the TV Shows and Movies based on Comics, have Lost Money over the last few years. Special Effects and Huge boring Action Sequences above storyline, Gimmicks above interesting characters, unrecognizable versions of Beloved Characters, dilute and destroy the enjoyment. Time to Reverse the downward trend, before the Era of Comic Movies comes to an end. My Vote goes for getting back to a well written intense fast paced story, grounded on Earth, with the characters we know and love, one great Hero or Team vs one great Villain or Arch-Enemy, and no money-grab gimmicks. Four Sample Suggestions for the Industry: 1. Doctor Doom with Diplomatic Immunity in Latveria, in a what If scenario, nearly succeeds in taking legitimate Technological and Financial Control of the World, to become the benevolent Dictator of Earth, and Fantastic Four stops him, only to discover they made a huge mistake, causing an unforeseen Apocalyptic World; 2. JONAH HEX in the classic Weird Western style, Dream Like John Wick or Bruce Lee inspired Ten against one action scenes, Action star Charisma Required, a Clint Eastwood style Spaghetti Western vs Quinton Turnbull, or Seven Samurai type storyline, violent action masterpiece by John Woo, Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez (Unlike the Bumbling Cowboy Film of 2010); 3. ELFQUEST, Wendy Pini's masterpiece, done right by Pixar or DreamWorks, as a mature CGI (Computer-generated imagery) Movie Trilogy, or TV Series.
4. Series of Annual 90-120 Minute Movies, based on Carl Barks masterpiece storylines of UNCLE SCROOGE and Donald Duck Adventures, with the Vision to treat them like the Disney Animated Classics of Legend;
Marvel and DC superhero comics still dominate the marketplace, but in general are more common than other Genres, so when the there is a downturn, they are usually the most affected. Values for Uncommon to Scarce other GENRE comics from other publishers, are rarely effected as they are saved by Fans who cherish just finding any reasonable copy for their collections (Action, Adventure, Adult, Anthropomorphics, Archie, Cartoons, Children, Crime, Fantasy, Funny Animals, History, Horror, Hot-Rod, Hot-Rod & Car Cartoon mags, Humor, Jungle, Licensed Characters, Love/Romance, Manga, 10Martial Arts, Movie, Mythology, Mystery, Newspaper Comic Strip, Parody/Spoof, Pirates, Pop Music Stars, Radio, Rock, Sci-Fi, Soap Opera, Sports, Sword & Sorcery, Teen, TV, Underground, War, Western); For example Adult and Anthropomorphics comics, mostly with cover prices in the $1.50 to $3.00 range, many think would only bring cover price, often had low print runs, and FN or better copies typically bring $8 to $25 and up range (Especially issue #1's)
The Strongest Trend of the Year, is the Rise in Demand for HORROR Comics. ** CHARLTON Horror of the 1968-1984 Era are very under-valued in the Guide (Most 8.0 example bring 9.2 prices; very few CGC copies in the market); In particular, fans have finally discovered that TOM SUTTON is an overlooked master of Horror in his Charlton Era. Demand for SUTTON Charlton comics was about Four Times higher than DITKO Comics of the same period, yet the Ditko issues often are twice the value in the guide. SUTTON issues prices need to be raised to be at least on Par with the Ditko issues (Some of the Sutton Classic Cover and story issues need a 200% Price Bump; Examples; Ghost Manor V2 #17,18,23, Ghostly Haunts #38, 40, 41, 49, Ghostly Tales #106, 110, 113, 127, Haunted #10,15,17, Haunted Love #1,6,11, Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves #42, 45; Scary Tales #2, 29); Classic Covers sell for 300-1000% Guide (Examples; Fighting' Marines #117 Nazi Hitman Swastika-c; Many Ghost Dr Graves #54 Byrne-c; Phantom #74 Flag-c; Love comics with Psychedelic covers); Most of the VF or better copies of these comics have been absorbed into Collections, with only FINE or Lower Grades available in the current Marketplace. Fans have begun to notice Enrique Nieto, especially his Psychedelic Art (all Genres) is in High Demand, often at 200-1000% of Low Guide Values. Charlton had a lot of Great Painted covers in the 1970’s, in a period when most other publishers stopped making them. Seek out the forgotten great Charlton art by John Byrne, Mike Zeck, Wayne Howard, Sanho Kim and others. ** DC Horror of the 1968-1974 Era are very under-valued in the Guide; In very High Demand are (Most 8.0 example bring 9.2 prices; very few CGC copies in the market; CGC copies bring 200-600% Guide); BERNI WRIGHTSON and NEAL ADAMS art (and especially cover) issues, Dark Mansion #1-4, House of Mystery #174-200, House of Secrets #81-100, Sinister House #1-4, Unexpected #104-128, Weird War #1-30, Witching Hour #1-20; The 1975-1983 issues are much requested in VF or Better, getting Harder to find in Higher Grades; Nick Cardy and Mike Kaluta issues are in Higher Demand; ** All the Marvel HORROR Comics are up in Demand; The 1970's Marvel Horror mags are in very High Demand (Raw Copies bring 150-250% Guide; CGC copies bring 200-500% Guide); The Marvel Supernatural Characters of the 1970's (Death, Dracula, Frankenstein, Ghost Rider, Mummy, Scarecrow, Werewolf) are in Constant Demand, especially in VF or Better (#1's bring 150-300% Guide; #2-10's bring 125-150% Guide); Marvel Horror Reprint comics (Chamber of Chills, Vault of Evil, Where Monsters Dwell etc) are back up demand, especially in VF or better (Raw Copies bring 125-150% Guide; CGC copies bring 200-500% Guide); ** Warren Mags Creepy, Eerie & Vampirella are in Constant demand, especially in VF or better, bringing 120-150% Guide; ** The Magazines by Skywald, Eerie Publications, Globe, Hamilton, Major, Modern Day, Stanley, Tempest Pub and World Famous, and are in LOW supply and have HIGH demand, bringing 135-200% Guide; ** Nice HORROR Covers are Popular for all Publishers, and getting Scarcer due to Higher Demand (Some are beginning to bring Premiums; High Grade copies are a good long term investment), including; Grey-Tone, Skulls, Skeletons, Grim Reaper, Zombie & Living Dead, Hitler, Nazi, WWII, Death Camps, Gothic, GGA, Bondage, UFO, Werewolves, Vampires, Halloween, Witches, Rock N Roll, Satan, Gargoyles, Graveyards & Coffins, Ghosts, Apes, Robots, Tanks, Insects, Teddy Bears, Chess theme, Clowns, Mummy, Bigfoot, Voodoo, Dinosaurs, Mermaids and more;
Archie RISQUE Sexual innuendo covers continue to be Highly Collected, many bring 200-2000% of Guide, for example; Archie #53(11/51), 78(1-2/56), 321(1/83), 455(1/97), 511(8/01), Archie Archie Andews Digest #111, Archie Giant #551, Betty & Me #16,37,55, B&V #65 (7/93), Veronica #23, and Life with Archie #27 (5/64) [and it’s imitator Thirteen Dell #22 (Dell 4/1967); Also in High Demand are covers with Cheerleaders, Girls in Bikini’s & Swimsuits, GGA Good-Girl-Art, Dan DeCarlo, TV, Movie, Personality & Character parodies (A-Team, Donkey Kong, Hulk Hogan, Madonna, Pac-Man, Punk Rock, Star Wars); LOVE TRIANGLE covers (Archie, Betty & Veronica) are also up in Demand; The Circa 1960 ARCHIE Horror and Sci-Fi Cover issues have HUGE demand as compared to other issues of the Period (Most sell for 200-1000% Guide); Example: Life with Archie #41(1st GODZILLA and MOTHRA in comics; VG = $99); Jughead #79 Creature From Black Lagoon G/VG $199; PEP #155 Catwoman-c VG $199;
Love and Romance comics are up in demand from all years and all publishers. Guys want them because they are loaded with GGA and images of GIRLS; Under-Valued Pre-Code LOVE comics bring 125-150% Guide in any grade (Better cover & Content KEY issues can bring 200-400% Guide, including; GGA Good Girl Art, Spanking Panels, Swimsuit, Lingerie cover and panels, Politically incorrect Words and actions and more); 2023 saw many collectors buying up Vintage DC Love comics, with 1950's-1960's High Grade beginning at VG/FN 5.0, and 1970's issues in FN/VF or better are TOUGH (VF copies often bring 200-600% Guide on eBay); My Love and Our Love Story, along with Millie the Model, Chili etc. from Marvel are difficult sets to complete and are steady sellers (at 125-150% Guide); We have seen increased demand for Charlton Love comics, there is a lot of interesting forgotten stories and art, with high interest in better covers (Most notably from the 1970's);
We sold about 1500 CGC comics in 2023, down from 2020-2022, but still a pretty good year. We sold about double our regular number of Silver Age Marvel and DC Comics, but the Bronze/Modern and Movie TV Titles were slower, we adjusted prices to current levels and they picked up again. NON Marvel and DC comics TV and Movie Related comics, performed quite well this year. ** NOTABLE CGC SALES; We sold Winnie the Pooh #1(Gold Key 1977) (6 copies in CGC 9.8 in the $849, $999, and $1099 Range; 2 copies in CGC 9.6 for $649 each); X-Men #130 (9.4 $295-349; 9.2 $195-240; 9.0 $149- $179; 8.0 $125-$140; we sold 12 CGC copies in Varied grades, and our last 6 Raw copies, in 18 Days due to the Taylor Swift Phenomena (and 10 Dazzler #1 in CGC 9.8 for $199 to $249 each within a month); PETER THE LITTLE PEST #1 CGC 9.6 $895; Iron Man #1 CGC 9.0 $2599; FAUST #1 CGC 9.8 $995; STRANGE TALES #169 CGC 9.6 $4995; Beep Beep Road Runner #1 (1966; 7.0 $399); Darkwing Duck #1(1991; 6 copies in 9.8 $295-$339); CEREBUS the AARDVARK #1 CGC 6.0 $2995; Rampaging Hulk (all CGC 9.8; #3 $399, #6 $399, #7 $419); Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #8 (CEREBUS Crossover issue; Set of 44 different 2023 Remastered edition Cover Variants of the 1986 comic, 43 in CGC 9.8 and one in 9.2 = $6000 for the Lot); Secrets of Haunted House (both WRIGHTSON-c) #5 CGC 9.6 $749 and #44 CGC 9.6 $399; House of Mystery (both WRIGHTSON-c)#236(9.4 $599; 9.2 $399; 9.0 $275) and #231(9.4 $399; 8.5 $149); WEIRD MYSTERY TALES #21 Wrightson-c 9.4 $249; #23 9.6 $229; Weird War Tales #41 9.6 $249; Super Mario comics (22 assorted in the $125 to $499 each range); Legend of Zelda comics (10 in the $99 to $299 range); Western Prairies #61(1950; Canada Edition of Whip Wilson; 7.0 $300); FRIDAY FOSTER #1 (1972 Dell PAM GRIER Blaxploitation Film 1st Black Woman Title; 6.0 $239; 5.0 wp $199; 5.0 oww $189); 12 copies of Toxic Avenger #1(1991; 9.8 $199-$239; 9.6 $89-99); GODZILLA #1 (1977; 10 copies in CGC 9.6 $199 each range); SILVER SURFER (1968-1970; #1 6.0 $1000; #3 8.0 $1499; #4 3.5 $495; #14 8.5 $335; 15 others in varied grades); Beneath the Planet of Apes 1970 Movie Classic 9.0 $299; GIRLS’ LOVE STORIES #7 6.5 $170 and #37 6.5 $139; HEART THROBS #89 Classic-c 7.5 $125 and #89 6.5 $99 each(2 copies); Life with Archie #7 Classic LOVE TRIANGLE-c 4.0 $179 and #12 Dinosaur Sci-Fi Horror 6.0 $139; LI’L KIDS (CALVIN African-American BLACK KIDS 1973 Marvel SCARCE) #10 9.2 $299; #11 9.4 $279, #12 6.0 $179; BARBIE #1(1991; 9 copies CGC 9.8 = $199-299 range); Captain Canuck #1(1975; CGC 9.8 = 9 copies @ $199 each); Space Ghost #1(1967; 6.0 $459; 2.0 $239);
*************************************************************
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #53 (2023-2024) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
The BOOM we saw during 2020-2021 thru the Pandemic carried on to Early 2022. Around March 2022, Sales Dropped Off, by June our sales were back to our Normal Levels of 2018 and 2019. With Inflation everywhere and talk of a Recession, it seems a natural state for Sales to Slow after a Boom where prices went higher than expected on all the Overly Hot Over-Hyped Key issues, especially on CGC Graded comics. Some of the bigger price drops includes ETERNALS, GI JOE, MOON KNIGHT, MORBIUS and SHE-HULK comics, but all still Leveled off HIGHER than the Prices from the 2018 Era; These were all Blazing Hot before their MCU Releases, but all COOLED after the Movies and TV Shows Debuted. Buyers quickly turned their attention to all the other "New" KEY issues Related to Dozens of other UPCOMING Movies and TV Shows; I have heard many fellow Dealers complaint they got caught with too many copies of the Over-Hyped comics, and their Sales have come to an abrupt Halt. Since I have been selling comics since 1970, for me this was yet another Five-Year-Cycle with many things changing, so I was expecting it and I was prepared. When things slowed, I saw it as an Opportunity to List items on eBay and Other Sites at a rate of about 400% More than I did in 2020-2021. I went back to prioritizing the All-Time Most Collected Silver and Bronze Age Titles (Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Batman, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man, JLA, Star Wars, Thor, Vampirella, Wonder Woman, X-Men etc.); After a few Months, sales Climbed again, buyers were buying 2, 5 and 10 CGC at a time. We got busy enough that we did not have time for new Listings for a few months.
MARVEL comics Dominate the back issue market, for many Back-Issue Dealers up to 75% of Their Sales (Even with my Huge Selection, it is still about 35% of my Sales); Fueled by 14+ Years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Demand for KEY issues is Never Ending, so even with Big Print Runs, the prices continue to soar. There are over 16,400+ Copies of Incredible Hulk #181 (1st Wolverine) graded by CGC as compared to around 220 copies of Magnus Robot Fighter #1(1963) with None in 9.8, yet #181 is MUCH more valuable, showing that DEMAND usually is more Important that SCARCITY; There are 31,500+ Amazing Spider-Man #300 (1988) graded by CGC, yet most sellers find it near impossible to keep in stock in any Grade; We sold nearly 1000 Copies of Eternals #1 in the last Five Years (over 650 were CGC Graded);
My All-Time Best-Selling comic is Captain Canuck #1(1975), I bought direct from Richard Comely the Publisher, I have sold about 10,000 Copies in Total in the last 47+ Years (About 6,000 Copies from 1975-1980, and 4500 more from 1981-2015, and about 500 More from 2016-2022 (about 1-2 copies every week); I am down to my last 400 Copies; Raw NM copies of #1 sell for around $30 with CGC 9.8 copies selling for around $200;
One of the Trends that has happened, is that all 1960’s Marvel Mainstream Titles are selling in all grades, both RAW and CGC Graded. Long-time collectors are Scrabbling to fill in the Gaps in runs like Amazing Spider-Man 1-129, Avengers 1-100, Batman #171-251, Daredevil #1-18, Fantastic Four #1-100, X-Men #1-142; Even our FAIR and POOR Silver Age issues are selling, as long as front cover and story are complete (Many with Pinup & Ad pages missing are now sold); Most SA KEY issues and issues with TOP VILLAINS and CHARACTERS (BATTLE ISSUES , DR DOOM, GALACTUS, JOKER, JUGGERNAUT, KANG, MAGNETO, MEPHISTO, RIDDLER, SILVER SURFER, SINESTRO, WARLOCK, etc.) appearing, we are seeing GD to FN copies selling 200%, 400% and 600% of Guide Prices for RAW copies, with CGC graded copies in 7.0 to 8.0 range bringing full 9.2 Guide Prices or more; This Trend goes well beyond just Marvel and DC; The Trend now also includes everything that was always in High Demand with Low Supply; The Overstreet Guide being overly conservative, now has Prices at WHOLESALE or BELOW WHOLESALE on 1000’s of these High Demand comics; ARCHIE (Key issues, Classic Covers, Swimsuits, Suggestive/Riske, Monster/Sci-Fi), ARCHIE Superheroes (Fly, Mighty Crusaders etc., Most later became DC Heroes), Most ATLAS MARVEL Comics of the 1950-1961 Era, CHARLTON Super-Heroes (Most became DC Heroes in 1980’s), GOLD KEY Early and KEY issues (Dr Solar, Magnus, Munsters, Phantom, Twilight Zone), PRE-CODE Comics (Crime, GGA Good Girl Art, HORROR, Parody/Spoof, Science Fiction, Teen-Age, WAR), Hanna-Barbera comics (Especially Scooby Doo), COMIC DIGESTS (1960’s Gold Key, 1970’s Charlton, 1990’s Harvey), High Demand Top ARTISTS (Neal Adams, Matt Baker, LB Cole, Corben, Dan DeCarlo, Ditko, EC Artists, Frazetta, Russ Heath, Kirby, Mobius, Alex Schomburg, Todd McFarlane, Frank Miller, Steranko, Dave Stevens, Bill Ward, Wally Wood, Berni Wrightson etc.), Comic Magazines [Most 1950’s-1960’s, EERIE Pub., MARVEL, SKYWALD, PARODY (Cracked, Sick etc.)], Top comic WRITERS (Alan Moore, Stan Lee etc.), MAGAZINES and FANZINES with Preview First Appearances (McFarlane, Black Costume Spider-Man, TMNT etc. in Comics Journal, FOOM, Marvel Age, Comic Shop News etc.), UNDERGROUND, EROS and other Adult Comics, Low Print Self-Published Alternative Comics (Cerebus, JONTAR, Trial Run, CHAKAN, early TMNT etc.);
The CPV (Canadian Price Variant - 1980's NEWSSTAND Editions) Market is Strong and still Growing, with many Record-Breaking Prices; Do an Internet Search for "The Canadian Price Variant Price Guide"; CGC and CBCS now List Canadian Price Variant on the labels, and most KEY issues sell for 50% to 300% More than the Common Direct Editions. ** The (USA) NEWSSTAND Editions of the 1980 thru 2000 Era are Now Commanding Premium Prices of 10% to 100% more than Direct Editions; In late 2022 CGC began listing NEWSSTAND Editions on their Labels; In the 1980's most Collectors bought their comics in Comic Stores, thus most have Direct editions; The Survival Rate of NEWSSTAND Editions (Especially in High Grade) is much Lower, as a large percentage sold to READERS (Mostly Non-Collectors); One of the Reasons CPV higher values is that almost all are NEWSSTAND Editions; ** CGC will also now be listing "MULTI-PACK" Editions on their Labels, more correctly termed EARLY DIRECT editions (Non-Polybag editions, were 100% Distributed thru Seagate only, as far as I know) of MARVEL COMICS from 2-12/1977, 1978 and 1979 (Most with BLACK DIAMOND) are Often Mistaken to be Whitman Marvel. In reality, only the Plastic Bag is WHITMAN, once the Comics are removed they are identical to Marvel DIRECT editions, as they are one & the same. There are approx. 400+ Comics published thus in each of these years, with an estimated total of 1200-1300 Existing in the Period. The 1977 issues are usually scarcest, & typically Command 50% Over Guide Premiums, while 1978-1979 issues on average sell at about a 10-30% Over Guide premium. Since they are not broken out in the Guide, most collectors are NOT aware that they even exist. A few issues were not published as EARLY DIRECT editions in the Period, (Three entire Months if I recall correctly - Jon McClure might remember) probably a publisher oversite error, and seem likely to not exist. Knowledge & Statistics are still hard to find on these, with no detailed research on Scarcity. CGC Census will help in Future. Some issues seem quite RARE, with a few collector's having searched to find in Gaps in their Collection for 5-10 Years, with little or No Luck. ** DC Early DIRECT Editions Started in DECEMBER 1978 (see Batman #306 for example) thru to 12/1979; Many of the DECEMBER 1978 DC comics were WHITMAN LOGO Variants (Many might NOT Exist as Early Direct editions) The WHITMAN LOGO Variants of DC comics exist from March 1978 thru to August 1980;
Once again, demand is up for Most Licenced Character comics, with especially Prices Climbing on CGC graded Key issue copies, Including; HORROR (Universal Monsters, Godzilla, Freddy Krueger, Friday the 13th, Chucky, Night of the Living Dead, etc.), VIDEO GAMES (Blip, Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros), MOVIE and TV (Aliens, Back to the Future, Beetlejuice, Blade Runner, Crow, Dune, Elvira, John Wayne, Jurassic Park, Munsters, Predator, Simpsons etc.), ANIMATED and TOYS (Disney Classics, Hanna-Barbera by all Publishers, GI Joe, MOTU, TMNT, Transformers), MANGA (Akira, Astro Boy, Battle of Planets, Pokemon, Sailor Moon), ROLE PLAYING (Advanced Dungeon Dragons, Magic the Gathering, Warhammer etc.), Top WRITERS (Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, George R.R. Martin, Edgar Allan Poe), 3-D and How to Draw comics;
---------------------------------
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #52 (2022-2023) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
The Coronavirus Pandemic now seems like it will never end. January thru June 2021 Shattered all our Previous Sales Records at about 50% more than our 2020 Record Breaking Sales for that period; July to September, sales were still great, but started to slow down. October to early December 2021 leveled off to Normal Pre-Pandemic Levels;
Demand was so high in 1-6/2021 that all the Professional Grading companies fell behind in Grading, and then they proceeded to Raise the Costs of Pro Grading. We shipped 1200 comics to CGC on June 28/2021, as of December 12/2021, only about 25% of them are in the early Encapsulation, Not Yet Graded, but preparing to Grade & ship stage. Thus there was a Huge Backlog of Comics waiting to be Graded in the First Half of 2021, in a time of Booming Sales, thus creating a Temporary shortage of CGC Grades copies on MOST of the Hot Key issues in that time period. Prices on HOTTEST Key issues and Minor Key issued Soared to new levels, 150% to 600% previous Price Ranges, but by year end settled down to the now steady new higher Prices Levels in the 125-400% range as compared to 2020 Levels.
The Money in our saving accounts is being devalued by Inflation, in part to pay for the Pandemic. It was reported that BLACKSTONE (Wall Street investors) valued CGC at 500 Million Dollars and then bought a majority share. Investors are pouring money into the Collectible Comics market like never before. When Mainstream investors start seeing COMICS as a worthwhile Investment, it should the TRUST Collectors and Investors have in this Hobby that has been around for over 60 Years, and the indispensable Overstreet Guide that has been around for over 50 Years, and Third Party CGC grading that has been around over 20 Years; VALUE in all investments is based on the strong BELIEF and TRUST of the Buyers for all Investments (Stocks, Currencies, Real Estate, collectibles and just about everything else). Investments are a RISK and are a form of Gambling. Thus in the Comics Hobby, it is best to know the market. Many investors buy as prices are Peaking. I have always done much better Stocking Up under-valued items as sitting on them until the market is stock. I SELL the comics buyers want to buy, when they want them. Yes, I often sell before the peak, but in the end I make a lot more money.
** The Money-Making HOT KEY ISSUE COMICS of 2021 included, (Raw Copies at 150% to 1000% Guide; CGC Graded copies at 200% to 5000% of 9.2 Guide; See Current and Sold Listings on eBay and GPA for CGC, then begin your TREASURE HUNT); ADAM LEGEND OF THE BLUE MARVEL #1-3, ADULT Comics (Eros etc), AKIRA #1, ALIENS #1, ALL STAR COMICS #58, 69, ALL STAR SQUADRON #23,25,47 Alpha Flight #33, Amazing Spider-Man #1-102, 121,122,129, 124,125,149,194,239,252 257 ,261, 265, 298-300, Annual #1, 16, Avengers #1-100, 185, 227, 232(STARFOX), 267, Annual #10, Avengers Unplugged #4(Titania & Absorbing Man Wed), #5 (1st Monica Rambeau as Photon), AVENGERS WEST COAST #48,52,56,61, BARTMAN #1, Batman #155-428, Beetlejuice (Harvey), BIKER MICE FROM MARS #1-3, Blade Runner #1, DC's TSR Titles (AD&D etc), BLIP #1-7, CPV (most Top 100 issues in the Price Guide for Canadian Price Variants site), BLOODSTONE (2001) #1-4, BODYCOUNT (IMAGE) #1-4, BOOKS OF DOOM #1, Booster Gold #1, CAPTAIN AMERICA #100, 109-113, 117, 150-192, 282, 312, 323, CAPTAIN CANUCK (1975) #1-15, CASEY JONES, CHAKAN; THE FOREVER MAN ($35-$70 each), CHAMPIONS #7, Chuck Norris: Karate Kommandos #1-4, Conan the Barbarian #1, 23-24(Red Sonja), 58 & Giant Size #1(Belit), all Red Sonja issues, 241-243, 251-275(low print), Count Duckula #1-15, Coyote #11, CRACKED magazine #1-150, CREW #1,5, Critters #1, DAREDEVIL #1-7,18, 150,163,188, Daredevil Annual 4(1976), DARK AVENGERS #1, DARKHAWK #1, Dead of Night #11, DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #1,14,17, 19,22,23, 28,32, Defenders #17-19(WRECKING CREW), 84, 94, 112, Destroyer Duck #1 (1st Groo), DOCTOR SOLAR (GOLD KEY) #1, Dune #1-4, Earthworm Jim, EIGHTBALL #1-23, ETERNALS #1-19, Annual #1, Fantastic Four #1-100, 129, 164, BYRNE issues (Many), 272,273,353, Annual #1,2,4-6 (Especially Dr Doom, Galactus, Surfer and Kang), FEAR #10(Man-Thing), 11(1st Jennifer Kale), 20-24(Morbius), Frankenstein #1(Marvel), Ghost Rider (1990-1998) #2, 28, Ghost Rider #1 (2011 1st Alejandro Jones), G.I. JOE (1982 Marvel) #1-50, 141-155, G.I. JOE EUROPEAN MISSIONS (Marvel UK; 1988-89) #1-15(VF $10 to $25 each); GIANT-SIZE AVENGERS #4, Grass Green’s WILDMAN #1(1987 1st Youngblood AD: VF $75), Grendel, GRIM WIT #2(1st DEN; VF $60), early HOBGOBLIN issues, HAWKEYE #1(1983) and Kate Bishop issues, HEAVY METAL #1,26,27,31,39,52-54, HULK Magazine (Pre #1 Moon Knight) #11-15, 17,18,20, INCREDIBLE HULK #102, 250, 254-258,265,345, INFINITY INC. #12(Wildcat-II), 13-14(McFarlane), Invaders #1,7,8, 20, 31-33, IRON MAN #1-10, 17,47,54,55,100, 101,109, 118,128, 150, 170,281,282, IRON MAN ANNUAL #5, 6, JONTAR (1986-87) #1-4 (#1 VG= $30, #2-4 VF=$30; Returns #1 VF=$40), Journey into Mystery #83-124 & Annual #1, JURASSIC PARK (Topps) all #1's, Legend of Zelda, LONGSHOT #1, LOVE AND ROCKETS #1, MACHINE MAN #19, Macross #1, Magic the Gathering Titles, MAGNUS (GOLD KEY) #1, MARC SPECTOR #35 (2/1992; RANDALL SPECTOR), MARVEL CHILLERS #1, Marvel Comics Presents #72, 117-122(1st WOLVERINE vs VENOM Battle), 158(1st Clan Destine), 175, Marvel Comics Super Special #2,9,16, 17,22,27,36, MARVEL FEATURE (Red Sonja) #1,7, Marvel Premiere #4-9(REH Concepts) and especially #10(SHUMA-GORATH), 28(Legion Monsters), Marvel Spotlight #28, 32, Marvel Super-Heroes #12-20, Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #3(1st Titania), Marvel Tails #1, Marvel Tales #1,2 and 223-239(McFarlane), MARVEL TEAM-UP #1-4, 15, 20, 65, 66, 131(White Rabbit), 141, MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #1,30,46,51-54, MASK #1 (DC; 12/85), MASTER OF KUNG FU #17, 26, 29, 115, Masters of the Universe (1982) #1-3, and (1986) #1-13, MICRONAUTS #1,8, MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS (all #1's from 1990's), MR. A #1(1973; VF $75), MOON KNIGHT V1 #1-38, Mortal Kombat #1, MYSTERIOUS SUSPENSE #1, NEW MUTANTS ANNUAL #2, NEW YORK CITY OUTLAWS #1-3(VF $50 ea), NINTENDO COMIC SYSTEMS #1-5, NOVA (1976) #1,3,4,6,12,14,25, PEACEMAKER (CHARLTON) #1-5, Peter Porker 1-17, PHANTOM (GOLD KEY) #1, POKEMON (all #1's from 1990's), Predator #1, Punisher Annual #2 (1st MOON KNIGHT battle), PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #6-7(1st Wolverine battle), Red Sonja #1(1977), ROCK COMICS #1(1979; ADAMS-c; VF $75), SANDMAN (1989) #1-10, 13,22,25,69, Spawn #21-300, Savage She-Hulk #1,2,9,25, SAVED BY THE BELL (all HARVEY), SCOOBY-DOO (Most by all Publishers), Secret Wars II #3(1st full Beyonder in Human form), Sensational She-Hulk #1-60, SICK magazine (all), Silverhawks #1-7, SILVER SURFER (1968) #1-7, SIMPSONS (all #1's all Titles), SPACE USAGI V1, V2, V3 #1-3, SPECIAL WAR SERIES #4 (1st Judo Master), SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #9,22,23,98,101, Spider-Woman #1,10,20, SPIDEY SUPER STORIES (all TOUGH in High Grade), Strange Adventures #180, 187, 205, Strange Tales #138, 157,158, 169(Brother Voodoo), 179(1st Pip the Troll), Strawberry Shortcake #1, STAR REACH #1, 6(Elric), STARSLAYER #2, STAR WARS (Marvel and Dark Horse - All the Top 100 Keys on the CBSI List), STAR WARS WEEKLY (UK) #1 (2/78), 2, SUB-MARINER (1968) #1-72(all very Undervalued), Super Mario Bros (all), SUPER-VILLAIN CLASSICS #1, SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP #1,5,10, TALES TO ASTONISH #52,59-63,90-93, TMNT #1-10, 41-62, TMNT Adventures V1 #1-3, V2 #1-19, 41-72, THOR #134, 160-166, 168,168,225,226,282, 300, 364,366, 371,372,459, THOR ANNUAL #5-8, ThunderCats #1, TRANSFORMERS #1-20, 71-80, TOMB OF DRACULA #1,10,12, 13,25, 45,50,58, TRIAL RUN (Miller pub; 1987-1991) #1(VF $30), #6 (1991; The BEATLES and KISS Rock Bands VF $40), UNDERGROUND Comics (Cool Theme, Top Artist and SCARCE issues), USAGI YOJIMBO #1, Vampire Tales #1-11, Vision & Scarlet Witch V1 #1 and V2 #1,12, VOLTRON #1-3, WARRIOR #1(UK), WEB OF SPIDER-MAN #1, 18,36, 118, WEST COAST AVENGERS #4, 45, Werewolf by Night #1,32,33,37, WHAT IF? V1 #1,13,31,47, WOLVERINE Limited Series #1-4, X-FACTOR #1, X-MEN #1-66, 94-142, 221,244,266,282,283, Young Avengers #1, 6, 10, Young Guns '04 Sketchbook (1st Young Avengers); Most Licensed character comics are now starting to be viewed are Under-Valued titles with good investment potential.
High Demand comics of the 1950’s and 1960’s are getting expensive, thus even LOW GRADE copies are now bringing Record Prices; It is now more common to see CGC graded 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 comics selling for 200%, 400% or even 800% Current Guide Prices; Examples include; Most of the Popular Marvel comics of the 1961-1970 Era; Key issues from DC, Gold Key, Charlton; Undervalued DELL Key issues (Turok FC 596 aka #1, etc.); Most IW and SUPER Comics still have the Wrong Dates in the Guide (See Jon McClure’s Previous market Repost) and Most are Extremely under-valued in the Guide for 60 year old average comics (all Prices should DOUBLE, with the desirable issues TRIPLE in Price in guide; 40% are Uncommon; 40% are Scarce; 20% are RARE); All L.B. COLE Art Comics (More desirable = 400-1000% Guide; Average art 200-400% Guide); Most of the Popular PRE-CODE comics and also the Atlas-Marvel comics from 1962 and earlier (Crime, Horror, Romance, Sci-Fi, Teenage, and war comics; 6.0 copies are Rare, and often bring 9.2 range prices); ARCHIE Key issues, GGA issues, Swimsuit, Controversial, B&V with Archie Love-Triangle covers, Horror & Sci-Fi cover;
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #51 (2021-2022) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
The Ancient Apocryphal Saying (commonly known as a Curse) "May you Live in Interesting Times", seems to be prophetic. Beyond the very young, virtually everyone alive today, will remember enduring the Coronavirus Crisis, for the rest of their cognitive Lifetime. Add to that the USA Election, even we Canadian's were mesmerized by the events as they unfolded. In March 2020, our Province of Manitoba went into a near complete shutdown. My first instincts were panic, with thoughts of Closing for the first time in 50 Years and laying off staff. Imagine my shock, when the exact opposite happened, and SALES EXPLODED. We have been selling by Internet Only since 1996, on my own Inventory Site, eBay, ABEbooks and other sites. With millions around the World stuck at home, people went in Droves to buy things on-line. Buying COMFORT items, filled a Void felt around the World by the many. The Canada-USA Border has been Closed for 10 Months so far, but luckily CANADA POST is a ESSENTIAL SERVICE, so we were prepared to go Gangbusters. We went from our typical 60 Hour weeks, to 80-90 Hour Work weeks, with Non-Stop BUYING for Ten Solid Months, and still no end in sight. It is a good thing we had many 1000's of items already listed on Multiple Websites, as anything and everything seems to be selling. 2020 was my All-Time Greatest Year for Sales, in my 50 Year history as a Seller, with Total Dollar sales up over 25%, and Volume of items Shipped at Nearly Double. My circa 1982 Record for Quantity of items by Mail Order is yet unbroken. At that time, I printed a Ľ Page Ad in all Marvel Comics, with Multiple Runs of Overstocked comics, over 2000 comics to pick from, all at $1.00 each, we sold over 50,000 comics from that little Ad (Add my Store Sales, other Mail Order Sales, and WHOLESALE New-Comic SALES, it was a Blockbuster year)
We Sold about 2000 CGC Graded comics in 2020, which is above average. We also got in about 3000 more comics from CGC, but have been so very busy, we really on had time to do Relists of items we had Duplicates; ETERNALS (1976-78) #1-19 and Annual #1 has now become our #1 Best-Seller
CGC Title of All-Time, with well over 1000 CGC’s Sold since the initial 2019 Comic-Con announcement; All the Hyped Movie-TV and other Media Related comics continued to be top sellers. There was a notable BOOM in sales for Other Cool CGC comics, NOT related to current Media, likely related to the VOID of new MOVIES and TV Shows in 2020. Collectors have been sitting at home, having some extra time, they seem to doing a bit more reflecting on buying CGC Graded copies of Under-Valued and overlooked KEY issues, while they are low priced and affordable. These are one of my Specialities, as we have 1000’s of these lower minor Keys with big potential in stock, thus this was the our biggest growth area in CGC comic sales, at over Double a typical year. To me, this is smarter buying, getting in low, and you can still resell at cost or more, if it never pans out. Too Many Collectors, Flippers and Dealers, jump on the Freight-Train of buying up overnight HOT KEYS, at Top Prices, after than have already skyrocketed to 300-1000% of the price just a few months before. Many of these Hot Keys Cool to Lower Levels. I have learned to SELL these Keys, WHEN THEY WANT THEM, when they are RED HOT, while Most of the Marketplace is BUYING the at Top Dollar instead. YES, occasionally I lose out by selling too early (I sold 12 copies of Special Marvel Edition #15 in CGC 9.8 in the $1000 each range, before the Movie Announcement), but more often than not, I did MUCH better selling at the PEAK.
The True VOLUME INCREASE was in Raw less expensive Comics, Magazine and Books, sold as both single items and Lots. Our Sales of 10-20 Consecutive issue LOTS of 1970's to 1990's Clearance Comic, more than Doubled. Our Vintage 1940's-1990's Paperback sales also Doubled. Want Lists from Collectors, thru our Inventory List Site have Tripled, and unfortunately we have a near impossible time keeping up (Instead of 1-2 days to fulfill requests, it has become 5-10 Days). Once again everyone is mostly buying items from our older listings, as we have been too busy to make many New Listings.
On December 10/2020 Disney Announced Star Wars TV Shows In The Works; Earlier CBSI published a Hot 100 : STAR WARS COMICS LIST, and companion List of all known First appearances in the Star Wars comics Universe. Prices and Demand for the 100-200 Top Keys Issues have Exploded. STAR WARS #42 hit the Stratosphere (in spite of being a Reprint, printed over 6 months later than the undervalued Marvel Super special #16); Back issues of Dark Horse STAR WARS have never sold Better with Dozens of Raw Keys bringing $25 to $200 range (and CGC copies in the $200 to $2000+ Range);
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Key Back issues are also exploding in Demand and price. TMNT (Mirage) #1-4 are up 50%-100% in Price, with 2nd and later printings of #1-7 bringing $20 to $100 each, as many are scarcer than the Originals; TMNT #46-62 are bringing 400-1000% Guide; All notable First Issues, One-Shots, and FIRST appearances in the TMNT Universe are in Huge Demand, leaving old Guide prices behind in the Dust; In particular all keys related to SPACE USAGI and USAGI Yojimbo are Red Hot; TMNT Adventures #1(10/88) are Bringing $60-400 Raw, with CGC copies $200-$1000 and Canadian Variants MUCH higher. Demand for Licensed character comics are a Big Trend, as they are so very Undervalued, many need to see Price increases in the TWO to TEN-FOLD Range; This includes; VIDEO GAME Related, TV, MOVIE (Back to the Future, Willow, Dune), Animated Cartoons, Manga, Book Series, Author
Related (REH, HPL, ERB, etc.), and many More; CPV (Canadian Price Variants) are now routinely bringing 150-600% Guide, with Record Breaking Prices for the Top Keys;
NOTEABLE High Demand Comics (Bringing 150 to 400% of Guide #50 prices); Comics that inspired ROY LICHTENSTEIN Paintings, Role-Playing Comics, ADAM: LEGEND OF THE BLUE MARVEL #1, ALL-STAR SQUADRON #23, ALIENS #1, ARCHIE (#1,s, Key issues, Swimsuit covers, ARTISTS (Neal Adams Matt
Baker, Byrne, Corben, Adam Hughes, Perez, Wrightson), Black Panther & SHURI, Cheryl Blossom, GGA, Josie, Sabrina, Suggestive), Atlas Seaboard Comics, Back to the Future, BEETLEJUICE, BLACK WIDOW, Bloodstone #1, BOBA FETT, CAPTAIN BRITAIN, CAPTAIN CANUCK, CHARLTON Super-Heroes (Later became DC Characters), CRIME Comics (Pre-Code), DARKWING DUCK, DC Milestone Comics (Dakotaverse, especially STATIC), DR DOOM, Eightball, FOOM, Freddy Krueger, Friday Foster, GALACTUS, GGA Covers, GHOST RIDER (1967 Marvel Western), GOLD KEY (#1's and Key issues), HANNA-BARBARA Keys, HERALDS of Galactus, HORROR Comics (ALL), JASON, JOSIE, JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY Annual #1, KIRBY 4th World Keys, LILITH, LOBO (Dell), LOVE Comics, LOVE and ROCKETS, MAGNUS #1(GK), MARVEL SPOTLIGHT V2#9, MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #17, 20, MARVILLE (Greg Horn GGA), Masters Of The Universe, MOON KNIGHT, Nationality Related Comics (Asian, Black, Hispanic, etc), Marvel & DC Limited Series, Promo and Try-Out Comics, PEACEMAKER, PREDATOR #1, RED SONJA, REPRINTS (Affordable Bronze Age Reprints is SA Key issues; Affordable Modern Reprints is BA Key issues), Shang-Chi, SATANA, SHANNA,
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, SPACE USAGI, STAN LEE Personality related comics, STAR WARS (All Keys & Most First appearances), SUB-MARINER Key issues, TIGRA, TMNT, Terminator #1, TWILIGHT ZONE #1(GK), Universal Monsters MOVIE CLASSICS, USAGI YOJIMBO, all Video Game related, VEROM & CARNAGE, WHAT IF (Many Key issues in V1 and V2), White Tiger, ZATANNA, TV Comics, WAR Comics (Pre-Code), WARRIOR Mag (UK)
------------------------------------------
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #50 (2020-2021) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
Congratulations to the Overstreet Guide on reaching the HALF CENTURY Milestone. In the Era of declining Real Printed Paper Books and Mags, it is a real achievement. I suppose one day it will all need to go on-line, but being part of a group of Collectors, Dealers and Hoarders, many of us love the Genuine Book on our Hands, to add to our permanent collections. In an era of Wild Prices on-line, the Overstreet Guide is still the backbone of the hobby, and the first reference book a huge segment of the hobby use as their main go-to. Others have tried the impossible task of averaging on-line prices for Raw comics, which only yields very skewed pricing within the same series. The Overstreet guide methodology of listing, for example, #21-50 all $5.00 each, and #51-100 all $4.00 each is a lot more sensible. Yes, there will always be minor keys that might bring $10 or $20 each for a time, but could easily fall out of favor an back to the previous price point. Seller-1 might use the Guide as a base to Set MULTIPLES of Guide (150% to 500%+ of List Prices) on FAD HOT KEY issues, and make a good living at it. Seller-2 might use the Guide as a base to sell Slow Moving Items at a Varied DISCOUNT (10% to 80% Off book, depending on Supply & demand) and make a good living at it. Just because the Guide does not match Seller-1 or Seller-2’s pricing does not make it invalid, it just prove they both needed it as a starting point.
I have been selling comics by Mail Order since about 1970 in the RBCC mag, so about 50+ Years in the Business; This was another Great Year for High Grade CGC Comics, especially those in the affordable $75 to $300 price range. ETERNALS went from the clearance Dollar Bins, to the back issue Hottest series of the Year, due to the Upcoming 11/2020 Movie; Prices Hit their FIRST PEAK in 9/2019, then Cooled, I expect ETERNALS Prices will hit a SECOND Peak after San Diego Con in Summer 2020; We sold over 300 CGC comics and over 1000 Raw comics (Multiple #1’s in CGC 9.8 in the $1000 to $1400 price range); 1000’s of CGC Graded KEY and Minor Key issues sold well all thru the year, but there was a Notable Slowing in Sales on these on the latter half of 2019, perhaps too many Movies, TV Shows and Hot Keys have diluted the Market. As of January 2020 eBay is now collecting Taxes for about 36 American States, causing a Real STALL in eBay sales;
With eBay and CGC Slowing for a while, there has been a Notable Return to, and increased in demand for Older RAW Back issue Comics. This is VERY GOOD News for the Marketplace, not everything in demand is Marvel & DC TV and Movie Related anymore. Demand for Atlas Marvel comics has Doubled in the last year, especially the Sci-Fi and Horror Titles, with very few STRCTLY Graded issues being sold anywhere near GUIDE prices, with most in the 150-200% Book range, and notable and Pre-Code issues in the 200-400% Guide range; Atlas Marvel War, Teen, Romance, Humor and Western comics are all in demand in the 125-150% Guide range; The Sci-Fi and Horror Marvel Reprint Titles from 1960’s-70’s are back in demand, even the western Titles are selling again. Raw copies of Sci-Fi and Horror comics from all Era’s and all publishers were good sellers all year (Especially; Marvel, Charlton, Warren, Skywald, Gold Key and anything Pre-1960);
Most 1962 and Older WAR Comics, are up in demand from Most Publishers. The Pre-Code WAR comics have Doubled in demand, with multiple Dealers and Flippers buying from us, as we had many priced too Low. It seems that many suddenly command 150% to 300% of the Conservative and Low Guide values, that are now like wholesale prices. We always kind of knew it was there, but forgot how LURID, VIOLENT and Politically incorrect many of those old Pre-Code comics can get. (Nazi’s and Japanese in WW2, Korean War, Commies, Stereotyped images and Racist Names for the enemies, with Blood and Violence). Some of the Artists in High Demand include; Russ Heath, Joe Maneely, Violent art by Robert Q. Sale, and More;
Love and Romance comics are up in demand from all years and all publishers. The Overlooked and Under-Valued Pre-Code LOVE comics have increased in demand, by about 50-100%, and the small supplies are drying up everywhere quite fast, once sold, difficult to restock. Who is buying them, and why would they want them?. The answer is a resounding 95% of the buyers are Males, naturally they want them because they are loaded with images of GIRLS. Even the ones that appear bring with mediocre art are in demand, often not for Content, but by fans who like comics that ae uncommon, scarcer or rare in ANY grade. The KEY issues that sell at 150-300% Guide include; GGA (Good Girl Art), Spanking Panels, Swimsuit & Lingerie cover and panels, Politically incorrect Words and actions and more; MATT BAKER Art Comics are Red Hot, many bring 200-500% Guide in any grade; From Marvel Comics, My Love and Our Love Story are TOUGH Sets to Complete in any Grade, near impossible in High Grade. Five of the Scarcest items of the Bronze Age are all Magazines; Gothic Romances #1, Gothic Tales of Love #1-3 and My Secrets #1.
After a Lull, Dell and Gold Key comics are back in demand. For Dell the Western, TV and Movie comics were the bestsellers. The most popular Disney comics of the year were the TV Zorro comics. For Gold Key, many have started to realize how under-valued all the KEY issues are in Guide, watch for big price increase in the next decade; Gold Key 1960’s issue #1’s in VF, one graded by CGC, often now bring well over 9.2 Guide prices, as there seems to be no examples for sale in 9.0 or better on 90% of the Titles. The great thing about these is, that fans actually read them, so they sell in all grades.
WATA has started to Professionally grade Video Games, many already bringing record prices. This trend has transferred into the all the Video Game related Comics. BLIP is now a Red Hot title from Marvel. All the NINTENDO Titles (Mario, Zelda, Game Boy etc.) now sell Raw in the $10 to $40 each price range, and $100+ graded by CGC; Other Titles to Buy Now while still cheap are; Atari Force, Double Dragon, Knuckles, Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Sonic the Hedgehog, Street Fighter, Tomb Raider & More; Comics based on Role Playing Games (D&D, Magic etc.) have also seen an increase in Demand, maybe the next Collectible?
Marvel still dominates the majority of the Back issue Marketplace, along with DC in second place, they still are near 50% of all our Comic Sales (Many Sellers only carry these 2 Publishers); With Disney in control of Marvel and Warner Bros on the DC Products, It looks like this Trend will grow even stronger over the next decade.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #49 (2019-2020) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
2018 was yet another Record Breaking Year for Sale for us, way up here in Manitoba Canada. The Changes in the Marketplace keep happening on a faster, continuous and evolving pace, often hard to keep up with it all. The massive effect of all the Movie, TV, Gaming, Toys & all other related Media to the Comics, Science Fiction & related hobbies is now just a simple fact of life. Sellers like us, who go out of their way to keep track of all the Related items for all the New Announcements, and get them Listed as fast as Possible as new Overnight Demand Explodes virtually every week, are rewarded with Staggering Unprecedented sales. With our huge inventory of over One Million comics in stock, we already instantly have these items in stock are the prices skyrocket. Who would have thought the ETERNALS 1976-78 series could suddenly Become one of the Hottest Back issue sellers of the Year? in a Four Month Period we sold over 50 CGC Graded copies of ETERNALS #1,2,3 and over 100 Raw copies of same at around 400% of the Prices they brought before the MOVIE announcement. (#1 in CGC 9.8 sold in the $799 to $999 range); Only six month ago. our Clearance Sets of ETERNALS #1-19 & Annual #1 at 35% off Guide were Slow Movers that Collected Dust with only 1-2 Sets per Year selling. All the Major and Minor key issues related to Carol Danvers, Ms Marvel the upcoming March 2019 MOVIE are Red Hot with new overlooked Keys popping out of nowhere, such as; Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16(1st Monica Rambeau), Captain Marvel #50(1st MIVERVA), Thing #35(Sharon Ventura as the New MS. MARVEL II), Uncanny X-Men #164(1st Danvers as Binary); [I sold out of MS MARVEL #1 in CGC 9.8 copies last Year, but now see sellers asking $3000-$4000 for 9.8 copies]; The SPIDER-MAN: INTO the SPIDER-VERSE Animated was a HIT & a Pleasant surprise, thus demand for MARVEL TAILS #1 (1st Peter Porker) went thru the roof (a CGC 9.8 copy hit a peek price of $1092.00), we sold Dozens of Raw copies in the $25-$75 Range, and over 25 CGC Graded copies in the $99 to $499 price range; The Captain Britain & Black Knight Movie Rumors enabled us to sell over 50 Raw copies of Captain Britain #1 in Less than 3 Months (VG No Bonus copies bringing $49 each, to FN copies with Bonus Mask at $119 each); We also sold all 8 CGC Graded copies of #1 (9.0 to 9.4) in the $199 to $499 each Range [I sold out of 9.8 copies 2 Years ago, but now see sellers asking $3000-$4000 for 9.8 copies]; The SHANG-CHI Movie was announced & I sold all my CGC and Raw copies of Special Marvel Edition #15 in only 2 days, and then Deadly Hands of Kung Fu CGC mags started Selling a swifter rate too. The Media Effect extends also to Sci-Fi and Horror Books (First Printing Paperbacks of these Titles now bring $40 to $200 each = Haunting of Hill House, Man in the High Castle, Westworld & Others; The DC UNIVERSE Streaming Service brings a Wave of New Shows (Doom Patrol, Swamp Thing, Titans & more); Netflix is Winding down their multiple MARVEL Series, and Many expect a new wave of Series on a DISNEY or MARVEL Streaming Service in Near Future;
In 2018 we SOLD around 2000 CGC Graded Comics (an average of about 150+ CGC Comics Every Month); Our CGC Best-Sellers were mostly items Priced in the $75 to $250 Price Range, from the 1970's to 1990's (Comics with 9.2 Guide Values in the $3.00 to $80.00 Price Range); About 50% of these were Directly Related to Movie, TV & other Media Hype; After nearly a Decade of extreme Demand related to MEDIA, it has actually Lost some Steam, so Collectors have decided in increasing numbers to buy up (both Raw & CGC Copies) of 1000's of Low Priced (in Guide) and Under-Valued Minor Key issues (with NO Ties to current Media Hype), to Speculate on. I have tested this Theory & sent in 100's of High Grade copies to CGC, and have quickly sold them with Great Success.
Hear is a Quick SAMPLE List of Comics with Very Little or Zero CGC Graded copies Listed on eBay, that I am Considering sending in to CGC (Most are Under-Valued & have a Lot of Long Term Potential); ADVANCED DUNGEONS and DRAGONS #1(1988 DC TSR), AMAZING SCARLET SPIDER #1(11/1995), AQUAMAN #57 (9/1977; BLACK MANTA-c), AQUAMAN (1994) #0,1,2, AVENGERS #221(7/1982; New ANT-MAN; Hawkeye & She-Hulk join), AZTEK the Ultimate Man (DC) #1(8/1996; Grant Morrison & Mark Millar), BABYLON 5 (DC) #1(1/1995), BACCHUS #1(5/1995; CEREBUS the AADRVARK; Eddie Campbell), BATGIRL (all issue #1’s), BATTLETECH (Blackthorne) #1 (10/1987), BATTLETIDE (Marvel UK) #1 (12/1992; Wolverine, Psylocke & Dark Angel), BLACK CAT (all issue #1's), BLACK WIDOW (all issue #1's), BLIP #1,2,7, CARTOON NETWORK [DC Hanna Barbera; BLOCK PARTY #1(2004), PRESENTS #1 (1997; Dexter’s Laboratory), STARRING #1(1999; Powerpuff Girls)], Casey Jones North by Downeast (Mirage Studios) #1 (5/1994; TMNT), Casey Jones and Raphael (Mirage Studios) #1(10/1994), CATWOMAN (DC Comics; 2002-2009) #1,45,46,51,70,74,83, CHILD’S PLAY (Innovation) #1(5/1991), CREATURES ON THE LOOSE #11 (1971; Underground Comic Artist in HELL), Daredevil #270, 290, DARKSEID #1(2/1998), DARKSEID VS GALACTUS THE HUNGER #1, DAZZLER (Marvel) #1(3/1981), DEADFACE: DOING THE ISLANDS WITH BACCHUS #1(7/1991; Eddie Campbell), DOUBLE DRAGON (Marvel) #1(7/1991), DRAGONLANCE #1(1988 DC TSR), EMMA FROST #1(8/2003), EXCALIBUR #1(10/1988), EX MACHINA (DC/Wildstorm) #1(8/2004), FANTASTIC FOUR #243(Classic GALACTUS-c), 244 (Frankie Raye becomes Nova, herald for GALACTUS), #320(GREY THING vs HULK Battle), 321(SHE-HULK vs Sharon Ventura as MS MARVEL), 416(LAST ISSUE; ONSLAUGHT; DR DOOM), FATHOM #1(8/1998; Michael Turner Cover A, B and C), FISH POLICE #1(12/1985), FLAMING CARROT (Aardvark-Vanaheim) #15, 25-27(TMNT), FORGOTTEN REALMS (1989 DC TSR), FRAGGLE ROCK #1(Marvel 1985), FUGITOID #1(1985; TMNT), GALACTA #1(Daughter of Galactus), GAMBIT #1(12/1993), #1(9/1997), GARGOYLE #1(Marvel; 1985; Defenders; WRIGHTSON-c), GARGOYLES #1(1995 Marvel; TV Cartoon), GHOSTBUSTERS #1(2/1987), G.I. JOE & TRANSFORMERS #1(1987), G.I. JOE EUROPEAN MISSIONS (Marvel UK) #1(6/1988), 3(8/1988; Storm Shadow & Snake Eyes), GLA (Great Lakes Avengers) #1(Marvel; 2005), GODZILLA #1(5/1988), GREEN GOBLIN #1(10/1995), GREEN HORNET #1(11/1989; STERANKO-c), KATO of the Green Hornet #1(11/1991), GRENDEL #1 (10/1986), GROO THE WANDERER #1(12/1982), HANSI, THE GIRL WHO LOVED THE SWASTIKA #NN(1973), Heroes for Hire #1(7/1997), The HUNTRESS #1(4/1989), #1(6/1994), HUNTRESS; YEAR ONE #1(7/2008), IMAGE ZERO #0(1993 Mail Order Promo), JASON vs LEATHERFACE #1-4, JLA #1(1/1997; Morrison), JSA #1 (8/1999), Justice Society of America #1(8/1992; 1st Jesse Quick), Kabuki (Caliber) #NN (#1; 11/1994), KING CONAN #1(3/1980), KINGPIN #1(11/1997), KING-SIZE HULK #1(2008), KURT BUSIEK'S ASTRO CITY #1 (8/1995), MADBALLS#1(1986 Marvel/Star), MARVEL ACTION UNIVERSE #1(1989 TV Cartoon), MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS #1 (9/1982; WOLVERINE Begins), MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #30(2nd Full SPIDER-WOMAN), MAYHEM #1(5/89 1st MASK), Mortal Kombat Blood and Thunder #1(1994), MOON KNIGHT (all issue #1's), MS MARVEL (all issue #1's), MYSTIQUE #1(6/2003 Linster-c), NEW ETERNALS #1(12/1999), Nightwing & Huntress #1 (5/1998), PLANETARY #1(4/1999), PIRATES OF DARK WATER #1, POWER GIRL #1(6/1988), #1(7/2009), QUASAR #24(1st INFINITY), 32(1st KORATH), QUESTION #17(1st Rorschach of WATCHMEN in DC Continuity), REAL GHOSTBUSTERS #1(8/1988), REN & STIMPY SHOW #1(1992), ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW #1(1990 Caliber), ROGUE #1(9/2001), SABRINA the Teen-Age Witch (all issue #1's), SHE-HULK (all issue #1's), SIMPSONS (all issue #1's), SLIMER #1(1989 GHOSTBUSTERS Spinoff), SPIDER-WOMAN and SPIDER-GIRL (all issue #1's), TOXIC AVENGER #1, TOXIC CRUSADERS #1, WARRIOR NUN AREALA #1, West Coast Avengers #45(1st WHITE VISION), #46(1st Great Lakes Avengers)
CAPTAIN CANUCK now has his own $20.00 Fine 99.99% pure SILVER Rectangular COIN, as released by the Royal Canadian Mint / CNW Group on May 01, 2018, using the classic image of the Famous Canadian FLAG cover of the original CAPTAIN CANUCK #1 from 1975, with Art by Creator RICHARD COMELY; The ANIMATED Web Series CARTOON of CAPTAIN CANUCK Season-1 had 5 Episodes in 2103-2014; Minds Eye Entertainment to Develop Movie Theatre Feature Film/MOVIE based on the Canadian Superhero; Richard Comely tells me, that Captain Canuck was the officially the #1 best Selling "special" edition Canada Post Postage STAMP in Canadian Stamp history at the Time in 1995; Over 30 Different CAPTAIN CANUCK Comics have been published by Chapter House from 2015-2018. Needless to say CAPTAIN CANUCK is the Most Famous Canadian Comic of All-Time. The SILVER COIN Created HUGE Demand for the CAPTAIN CANUCK #1 comic from 1975; We Sold over 50 Pre-Packs of #1-2 from 1975 with the 3-D DIORAMA at $29.00 per Pack; We Sold over Raw 100 copies of #1 (VF/NM = $18 each; Autographed copies = $22 each); We sold Ten copies of #1 in CGC 9.8 in the $149 to $199 each price range;
The Canadian Newsstand Cover Price VARIANTS are Now Officially Recognized as VARIANTS on the CBCS Label’s (CGC still Calls them Canadian editions); Since the On-Line Price Guide went LIVE Last Year, Demand has Gone Up around 400% and RECORD Prices are being Set every week; Do an internet search for “ 2019 Price Guide for 1980’s Marvel & DC Newsstand Canadian Cover Price Variants (Type 1A)”; ARCHIE Comics Might be Added in Next Year's Guide; When Gemstone Published article in the SCOOP On-Line e-newsletter, there was yet another big Spike in Demand. These Canadian VARIANTS (Type 1A Newsstand Edition with Single Price on cover; Printed Simultaneously on the Same Presses as the standard USA Editions), have been steadily growing in Demand for nearly 20 Years; These Variants Include; ARCHIE Comics & Digests (Giants from late 1950's thru Mid 1960's with 35 Cent Cover Prices; and 9/1982-4/1997 with Digest to 12/1997), ALTERNATIVE Comics (Many Uncharted), CHARLTON (2/1983-8/1984), Cracked magazine (Uncharted),DC (all Newsstand Comics, Magazines & Digests from 10/1982-9/1988), DELL (6/1956-1-2/1961 = 15 Cent variant; Back Cover variants with Strips in place of Ads = Canadian?; Giants with 30-35 cent cover prices = Confirmed Canadian), GOLD KEY / Whitman (5-8/1968, 3/1972-4/1973, 12/1977-3/1978, 1-7/1984), HARVEY(1959-3/1974 Giants with 35 Cent cover prices), HAMILTON Pub (Vampirella #113 from 1988 = USA Editions Lists for $550 in Overstreet = Highest Priced Canadian Variant?, worth 50% More than the USA Edition), MAD (some 1964 & 7/1978-7/1979), MARVEL; Canadian Newsstand VARIANT Cover Price editions (all Newsstand Comics, Magazines, Treasuries, & Digests from 10/1982-08/1986; Marvel Mass Market Paperbacks with Canadian VARIANTS, some with Canadian Flag on cover; Spectacular Spider-Man #1 mag from 1968 with 40 Cent cover Price is easily worth Double the Price of the USA 35 cent Edition; Marvel 1960's Annuals with, Blank back cover, Blank Inside front & Blank inside back cover, are worth about 50% More the USA Editions), MODERN Publishing (1983 only? = VOLTRON Canadian Variants exist); WARREN (3/1977-3/1983); Whitman Variants of the Gold Key Comics (11/1971 thru 4/1980; Canadian Newsstand Variant cover price issues (4-8/1968 with 15 cent prices, 3/1972-4/1973 with 20 cent prices; 12/1977-3/1978 with reverse 30 Cent prices); Canadian Variants of Whitman Comics (75 cent cover price issues of 1984 Whitman Comics that are 60 cents in USA; These are Rare in High Grade, with VF Copies bringing $35-60 each, and Most with NO Copies Yet Graded by CGC); About 75% of the 1980’s Marvel & DC Canadian Variants have an Overstreet Guide 9.2 Value of $3.00 to $5.00, but are quite Scarce in VF/NM or Better, thus even the slowest selling Titles have a Minimum Value of $10.00 for a Strictly Graded 9.2 example; Marvel & DC Canadian Variants have an Overstreet Guide 9.2 Value of $10.00 or Higher, are valued at about 150% on average (as a Stable starting Point) of the Current Market Value of a standard Direct edition; But, as the marketplace is so very Un-Informed and Misinformed, the actual real current value varies wildly from 100% to 1000% of a standard Direct edition; ** Betty and Veronica #320(1st Cheryl Blossom; CGC 9.2 Canadian sold for $800.00 in 2017); ** Notable Recent Prices include; Amazing Spider-Man #238 CGC 9.6 $2,300, #252 CGC 9.8 $1800, Transformers #1 CGC 9.8 $1800, Marvel Tails #1 CGC 9.8 $1092 and More;
GOLD KEY COMICS; All KEY Issues in FINALLY in High Demand, after decades of normal Steady Sales. Collector's now Realize the HIGH GRADE for 1960's Key issues Begins at CGC FN/VF, 7.0 and MOST are hard to find in Higher Grades; All the Major Keys are now Bringing 9.2 Guide Prices for 7.0 to 8.0 CGC Graded copies;
*** Most Under-Valued & High Demand Key issues, Early issues, issue #1's or FIRST GOLD KEY issues of; Addams Family, Amazing Chan, Atom Ant(Hard to Find in Any Grade), Astro Boy(Hard to Find in Any Grade), Auggie Doggie, Avengers (TV) #1(AD Back-c & Photo back-c variant), Bamm Bamm, Banana Splits, Battle of the Planets, Beatles the Yellow Submarine (with Poster), Beneath Planet of Apes (with Poster), Beep Beep Road Runner, Boris Karloff #1-20, Bullwinkle, Cave Kids, Close Shaves of Pauline Peril, Dagar, Daniel Boone, Dark Shadows 1,3 (with Poster), 2, 4-10, Doc Savage, Doctor Solar #1(Huge Demand, Low Supply in FN or Better), 2-15, Family Affair, Fat Albert, Flintstones #7,11,16,24,33,34, Frankenstein Jr (Hard to Find in Any Grade), Fun-In, Funky Phantom, George of the Jungle, Gold Key Spotlight, Gomer Pyle, Green Hornet 1-3, Grimm's Ghost, Hair Bear Bunch, Hanna-Barbera (all #1 & Key issues), Hanna Barbera Super TV Heroes, Hanna-Barbera Bandwagon, Happy Days, Honey West, H.R. Pufnstuf, Huckleberry Hound, Inspector, Jetsons, John Carter #1-3, Jonny Quest #1(Hard to Find in Any Grade), Korak, Kroft Supershow, Lancelot Link, Land of Giants, Laredo, Lidsville, Little Monsters, Lone Ranger, Looney Tunes, Lucy Show, Magilla Gorilla, Magnus Robot Fighter #1(HUGE DEMAND, Hard to Find in Any Grade), 2-20(125%), Man from UNCLE #1(Growing in Demand), Mars Patrol, Mighty Samson, Mighty Hercules, Mighty Mouse, Milton Monster, Mister Ed, Mr & Mrs J Evil Scientist, MOD LOVE #6201(#1; One-Shot; 1967; Hard to Find in Any Grade), Munsters #1-16(Big Demand, Low Supply in FN or Better), My Favorite Martian, Nancy & Sluggo, Occult Files of Dr Spector, Peanuts (ALL are Growing in Demand), Peter Potomus, Phantom #1(Huge Demand, Low Supply in FN or Better), Pink Panther, Popeye, Quick Draw McGraw, Ripley's Believe it or Not #1, Rifleman, Rocky & Fiendish Friends, SCOOBY DOO #1(HUGE DEMAND, Hard to Find in Any Grade), 2-30(Top Sellers in Any Grade) Secret Squirrel, Snagglepuss, Snooper & Blabber, Space Family Robinson #1(Hard to Find in Any Grade) 2-10, Space Ghost #1(Big Demand, Low Supply), Space Mouse, Spine Tingling Tales, Star Stream, Star Trek #1-9, Supercar, Tarzan, Tasmanian Devil 1, Time Tunnel, Top Cat, TUROK & Twilight Zone #1(Big Demand, Low Supply), 2-20(Top Sellers), UFO Flying Saucers, Underdog, Wacky Races, Wacky Witch, Wagon Train, Wild Wild West #1-7, & Yakkey Doodle.
--------------------------
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #48 (2018-2019) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
About Seven Years ago, I switched my main Focus to Providing the Comics the Collectors Demanded Most, in the Time Period when they at their peak demand, So Once again 2017 continued to be yet another Block-Buster Year in sales for us. At time of this writing, I am 61 Years Old, thus Silver Age, Bronze Age and Golden Age comics, along with Oddball comics remain my personal favorites, and the main comic I sold from 1971-2010, yet these are no longer what the vast majority of collectors seek out. The continued BOOM of Comics, Sci-Fi & Related Movies, TV Shows & Other Media have Transformed the Marketplace into something New & Yet hard to Pinpoint. If we assume there are for example about 200,000 Collectors actively currently buying Back issue Comics, I would estimate; (A) Less than 1% will buy a Comic Valued at $1000 or More in 2018, and (B) Less than 10% will buy a Comic Valued at $200 or More in 2018; YES, everyone likes to Dream about owning the Top-100 Comics of the Golden, Silver & Bronze Ages. We are all dazzled & amazed by the continued record prices on the most valuable comics. But, then the 90% majority of collectors return to reality and Routinely Buy comics in the $1.00 to $50.00 price range, and occasionally splurge to buy a comic in the $51 to $200 range. This has made Copper Age and Modern Age Comics the new Bestsellers in Back issue comics. They have overtaken Bronze Age comics which have had a hold the Market for most of the last decade. The current values of Bronze Age comics, especially in Higher grades, has pushed the majority of the Keys out the weekly budgets of the average collector. Since demand for Copper Age and Modern Age Comics have been so much on the rise, I have had 1000’s of Key issue Comics of the Era graded by CGC, along with the more affordable Bronze Age Keys, which still have a Strong following; I have never encountered such Huge Demand & Sales for a select Group of comics as I have had for these, in my entire Career as a Dealer since 1971. Bronze, Copper & Modern Sales (CGC and Raw) now make up about 85% of My Sales. Collectors love to Speculate on Under-Valued and Over-looked Minor Key issues, with Guide Values in the $3 to $20 range for 9.2 Copies, thus they are ready, able & Highly Motivated to also but High Grade CGC Copies of same in the $50 to $200 Price Range. Check out my Notable CGC Sales at the end of this article for many Samples.
I still sell plenty of Silver Age, Bronze Age comics (Raw - Non CGC Graded) from every known Publisher; Marvel and DC always lead the way; But since I have perhaps the World’s Biggest Selection of Many of the Less Collected Publishers, I always sell 1000’s of Comics & Oddball Format items from 1950’s thru to about 2010 that other Dealers do Not Bother to Carry (ACG, Alternatives, Archie, Atlas/Seaboard, Captain Canuck, Cartoon & Humor comics, CARtoons & Hot Rod CARtoons Mags, Charlton, Classics illustrated, Comic Digests, Comic Magazines/Fanzines, Dell, Fawcett, French & Foreign comics, Gold Key, Harvey, Horror, King, Love comics, Parody Mags (Mad, Cracked, Sick), Personality, Religious comics, Sci-Fi, Skywald, Teenage comics, Tower, Treasury’s, UK British comics, Underground, War Comics, Warren mags, Western Comics, Whitman); Most of these Collectors are NOT looking for High Grade Investment quality copies, they want mostly Presentable copies to fill in their Collections, or Lower Grade Cheaper Reading copies;
This Year I experimented by sending in 100’s of items to get CGC Graded, that most other sellers do not bother with, any many in fact have few copies listed in the CGC Census; This included Canadian Variants, Atlas/Seaboard, Comic Magazines, Selected Gold Key #1’s of the 1960’s (Mostly in 7.0 to 8.5 Grade Range), Star Trek (Gold Key), Turok (Gold Key), Treasury’s (CBCS Graded) and WHITMAN Variants of DC Comics. Based on many years of Selling Raw comics, I expected these would eventually sell, but did not expect immediate success with all these items in the first Month; Most buyers bought multiple items at once, many were just waiting for nice Higher Graded copies to finally surface
Canadian Newsstand Cover Price VARIANTS;
These Canadian VARIANTS (Type 1A Newsstand Edition with Single Price on cover; Printed Simultaneously on the Same Presses as the standard USA Editions), have been steadily growing in Demand for nearly 20 Years;
These Variants Include; ARCHIE Comics & Digests (Giants from late 1950's thru Mid 1960's with 35 Cent Cover Prices; and 9/1982-4/1997 with Digest to 12/1997), ALTERNATIVE Comics (Many Uncharted), CHARLTON (2/1983-8/1984), Cracked magazine (Uncharted),DC (all Newsstand Comics, Magazines & Digests from 10/1982-9/1988), DELL (6/1956-1-2/1961 = 15 Cent variant; Back Cover variants with Strips in place of Ads = Canadian?; Giants with 30-35 cent cover prices = Confirmed Canadian), GOLD KEY / Whitman (5-8/1968, 3/1972-4/1973, 12/1977-3/1978, 1-7/1984), HARVEY(1959-3/1974 Giants with 35 Cent cover prices), HAMILTON Pub (Vampirella #113 from 1988 = USA Editions Lists for $550 in Overstreet = Highest Priced Canadian Variant?), MAD (some 1964 & 7/1978-7/1979), MARVEL; Canadian Newsstand VARIANT Cover Price editions (all Newsstand Comics, Magazines, Treasuries, & Digests from 10/1982-08/1986; Marvel Mass Market Paperbacks with Canadian VARIANTS, some with Canadian Flag on cover; Spectacular Spider-Man #1 mag from 1968; Marvel 1960's Annuals with, Blank back cover, Blank Inside front & Blank inside back cover), MODERN Publishing (1983 only? = VOLTRON Canadian Variants exist); WARREN (3/1977-3/1983); Whitman Variants of the Gold Key Comics (11/1971 thru 4/1980; Canadian Newsstand Variant cover price issues (4-8/1968 with 15 cent prices, 3/1972-4/1973 with 20 cent prices; 12/1977-3/1978 with reverse 30 Cent prices); Canadian Variants of Whitman Comics (75 cent cover price issues of 1984 Whitman Comics that are 60 cents in USA; These are Rare in High Grade, with 9.2 copies worth $50 or more each); Finally, a Beginner Price Guide Exists = “The 2018 Price Guide for 1980’s Marvel & DC Newsstand Canadian Cover Price Variants (Type 1A)” (Search Google for this Title) created by Benjamin Noble, with input from Myself, Ben Noble, Jon McClure (Pioneer Writer of the Premiere & Definitive Article on Variants in Overstreet Guide #40), Paul Clairmont (PNJ Comics), Bill Alexander and Angelo Virone, it is free on-line at our website or from Gemstone’s site Scoop indirectly thus this address; http://scoop.previewsworld.com or more directly thru: https://rarecomics.wordpress.com/ *** Perhaps as the Market continues to Grow, all the Other Publisher Variants can slowly also be adding in. This Guide was Created by a group of Dedicated People who want to provide a source of info to go to, fulfilling a bit Void in the Marketplace. (If the Overstreet Guide ever decides to take over the Reins & Mandate on this project, they have our unanimous consent to do so) About 75% of the 1980’s Marvel & DC Canadian Variants have an Overstreet Guide 9.2 Value of $3.00 to $5.00, but are quite Scarce in VF/NM or Better, thus even the slowest selling Titles have a Minimum Value of $10.00 for a Strictly Graded 9.2 example; Marvel & DC Canadian Variants have an Overstreet Guide 9.2 Value of $10.00 or Higher, are valued at about 150% on average (as a Stable starting Point) of the Current Market Value of a standard Direct edition; But, as the marketplace is so very Un-Informed and Misinformed, the actual real current value varies wildly from 100% to 1000% of a standard Direct edition;
CANADIAN EDITIONS;
For most of the last 50 Years in Comic Collecting, the Golden Age "Canadian Editions" were considered Foreign Reprints, and were VERY SLOW sellers, and typically had to be priced at 50% to 65% the Price of the American Originals, if you wanted a chance of selling them; Especially Slow sellers were; (A) Canadian Editions Reprints that were 36 page reprints of 52 page American Originals; (B) The EC Reprints that were printed on RUBBER Plates, thus losing much of the Fine Line details = Inferior Reprints; (C) The DELL Canadian Editions are the Most Common & Least valued; To make matters worse, the Canadian Edition are typically printed later than the American Originals, The Canadian Editions mix up the issue Numbers, Covers, Contents, Titles & Publishers; In the Last Five years that has started to change, due to VARIANT Madness & the Rise of Collecting FOREIGN Variants; They are currently worth whatever you can get for them. Om average, they are now worth about the same as the American Originals. But, Premiums are now much more common on the BETTER issues (GGA, Sci-Fi, Horror, Super-Heroes, KEY issues etc) MAJOR KEYS are starting to bring 200-500% or More the price of the American Originals (Phantom Lady, Captain America Weird Tales, Weird Suspenstories, Captain America Annual (1942), Roy Rogers annual, etc); In general these Canadian Editions are about 25 to 500 Times Scarcer than the American Originals. Most Canadian Editions (other than Dell) likely have 100 or Less Copies still existing (Many with probably 10 or Less copies extant); The HYBRID Comics (Titles that do NOT exist in USA Comics, with Mixed Contents from Various Publishers) have stirred interest & bring better prices; These make good auction items, as they are RARE and there is no prices to Reference, so they sometimes bring record prices (Often MUCH higher than traditional values);
NOTABLE CGC Graded Comic & Magazine Sales;
** Canadian Newsstand Cover Price VARIANTS all CGC GRADED Sales in 2017; [ AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #265 1st SILVER SABLE CGC (9.4 = $134.00 and 9.2 = $107); BLUE BEETLE #1 1986 CGC 9.4 = $65; CHERYL BLOSSOM #1 (1996) 9.6 = $89; CLOAK & DAGGER Limited Series #1 1983 9.6 = $85; DOOM PATROL #1 1987 9.6 = $69; FALCON LIMITED SERIES #1 9.4 = $59; GHOST RIDER #81 DEATH Johnny Blaze 1983 LAST issue 9.4 = S$79; GREEN ARROW Limited Series #1 1983 9.4 = $75; HAWKEYE Limited Series #1-4 CGC 9.6 Set = $300; ICEMAN Limited Series #1 1984 9.4 = $65; MAGIK #1 1983 9.6 = $89; MARVEL TEAM UP #141 Tie 1st BLACK COSTUME VENOM 1984 9.4 $149; 9.4 $125; NEW MUTANTS #1 1983 9.4 = $69; POWER PACK #1 ORIGIN 1st 1984 Disney Animated MOVIE 9.6 = $195; STAR WARS #64 1982 First RARE Canadian VARIANT 9.8 = $219; #66 9.8 = $169; #74 DARTH VADER 9.6 = $107; Super Villain Classics GALACTUS THE ORIGIN #1 KIRBY 1983 9.6 = $89; TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ADVENTURES #1 Canadian VARIANT 1989 CGC NM/MT 9.8 $200; THING #1 CGC 9.8 = $165; THOR #337 1st BETA RAY BILL Lorelei TV SHEILD 1983 9.6 = $140; CGC 9.4 $135; UNCANNY X-MEN #164 1st CAROL DANVERS Binary Ms Marvel 9.6 = US$95; #168 first Full Adult MADELYNE PRYOR 1983 9.8 = US$175;
**** ASSORTED CGC Graded Comics Sales in 2017; ALL-NEW WOLVERINE #2 Lopez 1:25 Variant 1st GABBY X-23 Kinney Sisters CGC 9.8 $299; ALL-STAR SQUADRON #25 1st INFINITY INC 1983 1st ATOM SMASHER CW TV Flash CGC 9.8 $125; Amazing Adventures #11 1st Furry BEAST begins 1972 Scarce UK 6p VARIANT CGC 9.0 $399; AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 Origin 1966 Marvel Golden Record REPRINT Ditko CGC NM 9.4 = $1199; AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (#256 1st Thomas Fireheart PUMA 1984 Rose BLACK CAT CGC 9.8 $134; #265 CGC 9.6 $105; #344 9.6 $75); AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #162 1st JIGSAW 1976 PUNISHER Netflix TV Nightcrawler CGC 9.4 $129; APANTHROPOI #1 Greek LUKE CAGE Power Man Netflix TV 1977 Inhumans RARE CGC 9.0 $149; AVENGERS ANNUAL #10 Ms Marvel 1981 1st MADELYNE PRYOR ROGUE FX TV? CGC NM/MT 9.8 = $219 to $239 (6 Copies); BLACK PANTHER #1 Marvel comics 1977 Jack KIRBY Two x Movies coming CGC NM/MT 9.8 $499 to $575 (8 Copies); BLUE CIRCLE #1 (1946; RARE Canadian VARIANT Edition of the 1944 American Comic CGC 8.0 $200); CEREBUS the Aardvark #7 9.8 $349; #8 9.8 $349;
COMIC READER #179 Classic STAN LEE 1922-1980 Memorial PHOTO cover CGC 9.8 $399; DAREDEVIL 118 1st BLACKWING 1975 BLACK WIDOW Ringmaster Circus Crime CGC NM+ 9.6 $129; DC Comics Presents #47 1st MASTERS OF UNIVERSE He-Man Skeletor MOVIE CGC 9.8 $549; DC SPECIAL SERIES #16 CGC 9.4 $150; DEAD OF NIGHT #11 1st SCARECROW Straw Man 1975 BERNI WRIGHTSON CGC NM 9.4 = $110.95; DEADPOOL’S SECRET WARS #2 Bachalo Variant-c 1st Gwen Stacy GWENPOOL 2015 CGC 9.8 $119; DESTROYER DUCK #1 1st App KIRBY ADAMS Gerber 1982 1st GROO Aragones CGC NMMT 9.8 $175; DETECTIVE COMICS #463 1st BLACK SPIDER Suicide Squad SSSV 1976 ATOM CGC NM+ 9.6 $159.; DEVIL DINOSAUR #1 CGC 9.8 $140; DOCTOR SOLAR, MAN OF THE ATOM #1 ORIGIN First 1962 Gold Key POWERS-c CGC VF 8.0 = $601.15; FANTASTIC FOUR #46 1st full BLACK BOLT 2nd INHUMANS 1966 MOVIE & TV CGC VF- 7.5 = $334.55; FANTASTIC FOUR #175 GALACTUS vs HIGH EVOLUTIONARY 1976 JACK KIRBY CGC 9.8 = $110.95; FEAR #20 1st Morbius Comic Series CGC 9.6 $172; FLAMING CARROT #1 CGC 9.8 $245; FLASH #246 Abra Kadabra 1977 GREEN LANTERN Floronic Man NEAL ADAMS CGC 9.6 $99; G.I. JOE REAL AMERICAN HERO #2 Marvel 1st KWINN 1982 Scarlett SNAKE EYES CGC 9.8 $199; GIANT SIZE FANTASTIC FOUR #4 Medusa 1975 ORIGIN 1st MULTIPLE MAN Movies CGC 9.0 $129; Giant-Size Spider-Man #4 3rd app PUNISHER-c/s 1975 Netflix TV series CGC NM 9.4 = $325; GREEN LANTERN #90 GREEN ARROW Team-Up Series Returns 1976 MIKE GRELL CGC NM+ 9.6 $129; GREEN LANTERN #116 First GUY GARDNER new GL Movie? 1979 Green Arrow CGC NMMT 9.8 $195; HOWARD THE DUCK #12 1st cameo KISS Comics Stanley Simmons Frehley 1977 CGC 9.8 $125; INCREDIBLE HULK (#102 CGC 8.0 $225; #102 9.0 $229; #115 CGC 9.4 $200; INCREDIBLE HULK #181 1st Logan WOLVERINE 2012 Hasbro REPRINT Wendigo CGC NM+ 9.6 $149; INVINCIBLE IRON MAN 7 1st RIRI WILLIAMS Ironheart 1st Print VARIANT CGC NMMT 9.8 $129; IRON MAN #128 classic Tony Stark Demon in a Bottle ALCOHOLIC 1979 CGC 9.8 $325 to $359(8 Copies); JOKER #1 vs TWO FACE 1975-1976 Giordano DC Catwoman Penguin Riddler NM 9.4 $164; 9.2 $129; JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS #45 CGC 8.0 (2nd Highest Graded) VF $350; JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #184 DARKSEID 1980 JSA New Gods PEREZ MOVIE CGC 9.8 $189; KA-ZAR #1(1974) CGC 9.6 $135; KOBRA #1 CGC 9.6 = $110 (2 Copies); MARVEL FEATURE #7 vs CONAN Battle 1976 Frank Thorne GGA MOVIES TV? CGC NM/MT 9.8 $149; 9.8 $125; LITTLE LULU #261 Marge’s WHITMAN 11/1980 Pre-Pack Only RARE CGC 9.0 $149; MARVEL PREMIERE #28 CGC 9.6 $425; Marvel Spotlight #28 1st SOLO MOON KNIGHT 1976 Netflix TV UK VARIANT CGC NM- 9.2 $179; MARVEL TEAM-UP #65 Origin 1st US CAPTAIN BRITAIN Arcade 1978 BYRNE Perez CGC 9.8 $265; MISTER MIRACLE #2 1st Athena GRANNY GOODNESS of Apokolips 1971 KIRBY CGC NM 9.4 $207.20; MISTER MIRACLE #6 first FEMALE FURIES Women Warriors of Darkseid 1972 CGC NM 9.4 $119.20; MOON KNIGHT #1 ORIGIN 1st SOLO 1980 1st BUSHMAN Sienkiewicz Netflix TV? CGC 9.6 $72 TO $89 (6 Copies); NEW MUTANTS #1 Origin Karma 1983 Gyrich 20th Century Fox Film MOVIE CGC 9.8 $99 to $139 (6 Copies); NEW MUTANTS 8 1st Amara Aquilla MAGMA 1983 Movie BUBBILICIOUS Variant CGC NM 9.4 $80; NEW TEEN TITANS #1 TNT TV Series 1980 Cyborg Raven Robin Wonder Girl CGC NM+ 9.6 = $144 (3 copies) #1 CGC 9.6 $149(3 copies); PHANTOM #74 Classic Newton FLAG-c 1977 Charlton LAST issue ORIGIN CGC NM+ 9.6 $139; POWER PACK #1 ORIGIN 1st Power Children 1984 Disney Animated MOVIE CGC 9.8 $197; #1 CGC 9.8 $195; QUANTUM & WOODY #1 Retailer Review Promo 1997 Acclaim Valiant TV Series CGC 9.8 $249; RED SONJA #1 Frank Thorne 1977 Marvel Comic TV GGA MOVIE REBOOT CGC NM/MT 9.8 $149 to $199 (8 Copies); ROM Spaceknight #1 ORIGIN 1st Dire Wraiths Brandy Clark 1979 ?MOVIE CGC 9.8 $299; SANDMAN #1 (Kirby) CGC 9.6 $109(3 Copies); SILVER SURFER #4 CGC 9.0 $775; #5 9.2 $314; Savage SHE-HULK #1 Origin & appear 1st 1980 Marvel Jennifer Walters CGC 9.8 $149(4 Copies); #1 9.6 $95-125 (10 Copies); SECRET AVENGERS #23 1st Print Flash Thomson AGENT VENOM Joins 2012 CGC 9.8 $139; SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #1 CGC 9.6 $89 to $99(6 Copies); SPIDER-WOMAN #50 DEATH of Jessica Drew 1983 LAST issue NETFLIX TV? CGC 9.8 $139; STARSLAYER #2 1st full ROCKETEER 1982 Bettie Page DAVE STEVENS 2x Movies CGC 9.8 $185; SUB-MARINER #50 Everett 1st NAMORITA 1972 New Warriors FF Defenders CGC NM 9.4 = $171.15; SUPERMAN’S PAL JIMMY OLSEN #134 1st DARKSEID 1970 KIRBY ADAMS Movie CGC VF+ 8.5 $533; SWAMP THING #1 ORIGIN 1972 BERNI WRIGHTSON JLD Restored CGC VF/NM 9.0 $175; TALES OF SUSPENSE #52 first BLACK WIDOW 1964 Iron Man Avengers Movies CGC VG 4.0 $359; TALES TO ASTONISH #93 1st Full SILVER SURFER X-over vs HULK Battle 1967 CGC 8.5 $260; THUNDERCATS #1 1st App in Comics 1985 Marvel Star Animated Cartoon CGC NM+ 9.6 $111; TOMB OF DRACULA 70 DEATH Quincy Harker Torgo 1979 Marvel Gene Colan CGC NMMT 9.8 $140; UNCANNY X-MEN #194 1st A+A von Strucker FENRIS 1985 Fox TV GIFTED CGC NM/MT 9.8 $189; UMBRELLA ACADEMY Apocalypse Suite #1 Variant 1st Print 2007 Movie UPC TV CGC 9.8 $125; VENOM: LETHAL PROTECTOR #1 CGC 9.8 $80 (7 Copies); VOLTRON Defender of the Universe #1 Modern Comics 1985 Netflix TV CGC 9.8 $109 to $139 (4 copies); WALT DISNEY SHOWCASE #53 SCARCECROW of Romney Marsh CGC 9.6 $159 (2 Copies); WEIRD WESTERN TALES #12 CGC 9.6 $615; WEST COAST AVENGERS #1 1985 Giant TIGRA Ultron MOCKINGBIRD Hawkeye CGC NM/MT 9.8 = $102.35; X-MEN #130 CGC 9.8 $395-$429 (8 Copies); WOLVERINE Limited Series #1 Frank MILLER 1982 1st Yashida LOGAN MOVIE CGC 9.8 $199 to $249 (10 Copies); WONDER WOMAN #1 PEREZ GGA Begins 1987 Post-Crisis Copper Age ORIGIN CGC 9.8 $110 to $129 (4 Copies);
**** ATLAS / SEABOARD Comics (1975) CGC Graded Comics Sales in 2017;
BARBARIAN #1 ORIGIN 1st Sword Sorcery CGC 9.8 $109; BRUTE #1 ORIGIN 1st Fleisher Sekowsky Marcos CGC 9.8 $119; COUGAR #1 ORIGIN 1st Adkins Springer FRANK THORNE CGC 9.8 $119; FRIGHT #1 Origin 1st SON OF DRACULA FRANK THORNE CGC 9.8 $129; IRONJAW 1 ORIGIN 1st Unicorn Bondage NEAL ADAMS CGC 9.8 $129; 9.8 = $119; MORLOCK 2001 #1 ORIGIN 1st FLEISHER Milgrom CGC 9.8 $129; 9.6 $79; PHOENIX #1 ORIGIN 1st UFO Aliens Superhero CGC 9.8 $119; POLICE ACTION #1 1st Lomax NYPD BONDAGE PLOOG CGC 9.8 = $119; SAVAGE COMBAT TALES #1 1st SGT STRYKER'S DEATH SQUAD CGC 9.8 $119; THRILLING ADVENTURE STORIES #1 HEATH Tiger-Man CGC NM- 9.2 $119; TIGER-MAN #1 ORIGIN 1st Death Anna Ernie Colon CGC 9.8 $129; 9.8 $119; WEIRD SUSPENSE #1 ORIGIN 1st TARANTULA BONDAGE CGC 9.8 $139; 9.8 $129; WESTERN ACTION #1 KID CODY Renegade COMANCHE KID CGC 9.8 $129; 9.8 $119; WULF THE BARBARIAN #1 ORIGIN 1st Sword Sorcery CGC 9.8 $109; 9.6 $75;
** MAGAZINES = All CGC Graded Sales in 2017;
[BIZARRE ADVENTURES #27 X-MEN 1981 B&W Marvel Mag PEREZ Gulacy Buscema CGC 9.8 = $128.20;
** CAPTAIN BRITAIN (1970’s UK Marvel) #17,22,25 (Captain America Team-Up vs RED SKULL storyline Low Print CGC NMMT 9.8 = $199.00 each);
CREEPY #144 CGC 9.8 $175;
** DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #1 Starlin SHANG-CHI 1974 Bruce Lee NEAL ADAMS CGC 9.8 = $600.30; #1 CGC 9.8 = $575.00; #2 first ORIGIN SHANG-CHI 1974 Adams Starlin 9.8= $231.35; #3 SHANG-CHI 1974 GULACY Sons Tiger ADAMS 9.8 = $222.75; #4 David Carradine ADAMS Fu Manchu 1974 SHANG-CHI 9.6 = $136.75; #5 1st MANCHURIAN 1974 Shang-Chi GULACY Kirby 9.6 = $136.75; #7 BRUCE LEE 1974 Shang-Chi Fu Manchu PEREZ NM+ 9.6 = $136.75; #7 9.4 = $102.35; #11 Billy Jack ADAMS 1975 Shang-Chi PEREZ CGC 9.6 = $128.15; #15 IRON FIST 1975 SHANG CHI Cardy Starlin Gulacy 9.6 = $128.15; #27 SWORDQUEST 1976 WHITE TIGER DeZuniga 9.8 = $188.35; ANNUAL #1 FU MANCHU 1974 Shang-Chi Iron Fist 9.8 = $214.15;
** DRACULA LIVES #1 9.0 $149; #5 Bram Stoker adaptation COLAN 1974 CGC 9.6 = $136.75; CGC NM 9.4 = $102.35; #10 1st LILITH SOLO 1975 NEAL ADAMS DeZuniga Giordano CGC 9.6 = $145.35; DRACULA LIVES ANNUAL #1 Marvel B&W Mag Neal ADAMS Marcos Buscema CGC NM/MT 9.8 = $257.15;
** HAUNT OF HORROR #1 Marvel Magazine 1974 Werewolf Skull Disch Heath CGC NM+ 9.6 = $159; #1 9.4 = $110.95;
** HEAVY METAL #1 MOEBIUS DRUILLET BODE CORBEN Hildebrandt 1977 Scarce CGC 9.8 = $429.15
** KULL and the Barbarians #1 ADAMS Kane WOOD Severin 1975 9.8 = $179; .8 = $153.95; #1 9.6 = $93.75;
** LEGION OF MONSTERS #1 ORIGIN 1st Manphibian 1975 Marvel B&W ADAMS 9.6 = $257.15; #1 9.4 = $171.15;
** MARVEL PREVIEW #1 Man-Gods from Beyond 1975 Mag NEAL ADAMS Alex Nino CGC NM+ 9.6 $179; #2 1st ORIGIN PUNISHER, 1st Dominic Fortune 9.6 = $386.15; #2 9.4= $300.15; #8 LEGION of MONSTERS 1976 MORBIUS BLADE Morrow Ploog 9.8 = $343.15; 9.8 = $$310; #8 9.6 =$205.55; #10 THOR the MIGHTY 1977 JIM STARLIN Barr Hercules 9.8 = $162.55; #12 Haunt of Horror LILITH 1977 Dracula Kaluta Perez 9.8 = $189;
** MONSTERS UNLEASHED #1 Marvel 1973 Werewolf Robert Bloch Solomon Kane 9.6 = $257.15(2); #1 9.4= $153.95; #2 FRANKENSTEIN Marvel 1973 Boris Brunner Karloff 9.6 = $145.35; #3 Origin MAN-THING 1973 SON OF SATAN preview ADAMS 9.6 = $145.35; #4 CGC 9.8 $239; #4 9.4 = $93.75; #5 MAN-THING Frankenstein 1974 Werewolf; #5 CGC 9.8 $229; 9.8 = $196.95' #5 9.4 = $93.75; #6 9.6 = $135.75; #7 WEREWOLF BY NIGHT 1974 Frankenstein Williamson 9.4 = $93.75; #7 9.6 = $135.75; #9 CGC 9.8 $229; #10 ORIGIN 2nd TIGRA Were-Woman 1975 Frankenstein 9.4 = $129; #11 CGC 9.8 $219; #11 9.4 = $93.75; MONSTERS UNLEASHED ANNUAL #1 Werewolf Man-Thing 1975 Neal Adams 9.4 = $102.35;
** PIZZAZZ #1 Marvel Magazine 1977 STAR WARS Tarzan comics KISS RARE CGC NM/MT 9.8 = $299;
** SPACE 1999 #1 Charlton B&W Magazine 1975 TV Gray Morrow Landau Bain 9.8 = $214.15;
** SPIRIT SPECIAL #NN Warren CORBEN Eisner 1975 Mail Only 1500 Printed CGC 9.0 $249.00;
** STAR WARS WEEKLY (UK British Marvel Comic 1977-1978) #1 w RARE BONUS CGC NM/MT 9.8 = $601.15; #2 with RARE BONUS CGC NM/MT 9.8 = $343.15;
** TALES OF THE ZOMBIE #1 1973 Mag Origin 1st SIMON GARTH Boris 9.2 = $153.95; #2 2nd BROTHER VOODOO & SIMON GARTH 1973 Boris #2 CGC 9.8 $239; #2 9.6 = $136.75; #2 9.6 = $145.35; #2 9.4 = $102.35; #3 SIMON GARTH 1974 BORIS Vallejo 9.8 = $196.95; #3 CGC 9.8 $229; #3 9.6 = $136.75; #4 CGC 9.8 $229; #9 9.8 = $196.95
** UNKNOWN WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION Special #1 Marvel Fred Brown NINO CGC NM+ 9.6 = $128.15;
** VAMPIRE TALES #1 1973 ORIGIN & 1st MORBIUS Series 9.6 = $300.15; #1 9.4 = $214.15(2 copies); #3 second SATANA 1st MORBIUS cover 1974 Maroto Derleth #3 CGC 9.8 $249; #3 9.6= $162.55; #3 9.4 = $110.95; #4 MORBIUS true 1st LILITH 4/1974 BORIS Vallejo #4 CGC 9.8 $229; #4 9.2 = $85.15; #5 ORIGIN MORBIUS 1974 BARSAC Robert Bloch Count Yorga #5 CGC 9.8 $249; #5 9.4 = $102.35; #8 1974 MORBIUS 1st BLADE solo story 9.6= $193.50; #8 NM 9.4 = $145.35]
*** STAR TREK (Gold Key Comics) = All CGC Graded Sales in 2017; [ #29 NM 9.4 = $199; #29 9.2 = $149; #32 9.4 $159; #34 9.2 $109; #35 9.4 = $159; #39 9.4 $159; #40 9.6 $209 (2 Copies); #41 9.2 $99; #42 9.6 = $199; #42 9.4 $145; #44 9.4 $140; #45 9.4 $145; #46 9.6 = $199; #50 9.6 = $199; #51 9.6 = $199; #53 9.6 $199; #55 9.4 $145; #58 9.4 $145; #61 NM- 9.2 $99];
*** STAR WARS (1977 Marvel Series; all 1st Prints unless noted) = All CGC Graded Sales in 2017; [#1 1st print CGC 9.6 NM+ $699; #1 reprint 9.4 $109; #2 9.8 $249(2 copies); #2 9.6 $149; #2 9.4 $109; #3 CGC 9.8 $249; #3 9.6 $149; #3 9.6 $139; #4 9.8 $249; #4 9.6 $149; #6 9.8 $199; #6 9.6 $99; #8 9.8 $193; #9 9.8 $169; #10 9.8 $159; #11 9.8 $112; #49 9.8 $179; #49 9.6 $109; #68 Re-Intro BOBA FETT classic cover Story 1983 Solo Movie CGC 9.6 = $139(3 copies); Annual #2 9.8 $139];
*** TUROK, SON OF STONE (Gold Key) = All CGC Graded Sales in 2017; [ #95 9.6 $159; #96 9.6 $159(2); #97 9.8 $225; #99 9.4 $115; #101 9.6 $159; #102 9.4 $115; #103 9.6 $159;
#105 9.4 $115 (2); #106 9.8 $225; #106 9.6 $159; #107 NM- 9.2 = $85; #108 9.6 $159; #110 9.8 = $225; #111 9.6 $159; #112 9.4 $115; #117 9.8 $225; #117 9.6 = $159;
#118 9.6 $159; #118 9.4 $115; #120 9.8 = $225; #122 9.4 = $115; #124 9.4 $115; #128 (WHITMAN 9.8 $225) ]
*** TREASURY (Oversized Comics) all Professionally Graded by CBCS Sales in 2017;
All New Collector's Edition #C-56 SUPERMAN vs MUHAMMAD ALI 1978 1st Print NEAL ADAMS (CBCS 9.8 $899; 9.6 $625; 9.4 $499);
DC SPECIAL SERIES #27 BATMAN vs INCREDIBLE HULK 1981 Treasury JOKER (CBCS 9.6 $249; 9.2 $169);
FAMOUS FIRST EDITION (#F-5 BATMAN #1 Catwoman Joker 1975 Treasury CBCS 9.0 = $107) (#F-6 WONDER WOMAN #1 Amazons 1975 DC Treasury CBCS NM 9.4 = $170) (#C-30 SENSATION #1 WONDER WOMAN 1974 DC Treasury CBCS NM- 9.2 = $125);
LIMITED COLLECTOR'S EDITION #37 BATMAN CBCS 8.0 $69
LIMITED COLLECTORS EDITION #C-51 TALIA, RA'S AL GHUL 1977 NEAL ADAMS CBCS 9.6 $179
MARVEL SPECIAL SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #1 SINISTER SIX 1975 Treasury CBCS 9.8 $299
MARVEL TREASURY #1 Spectacular SPIDER-MAN 1974; CBCS 9.6 $349 = 2 copies; 9.2 $169)(#4 CONAN the Barbarian 1975 Barry Windsor Smith CBCS 9.6 $175; 9.0 $75)(#5 Incredible HULK 1975 KIRBY CBCS 9.4 $119)(#6 DOCTOR STRANGE 1975 BARON MORDO Brunner Ditko CBCS 9.4 $119; 9.4 $115)(#7 Mighty AVENGERS 1975 Vision Ultron CBCS 9.4 $119)(#25 HULK vs SPIDER-MAN CBCS 9.6 $149)(#28 SUPERMAN vs Hulk 1981 SPIDER-MAN vs Wonder Woman CBCS 9.6 $229; 9.4 $159);
MARVEL SPECIAL EDITION Featuring STAR WARS [#1 Treasury Comic 1977; CBCS 9.6 $179; 9.6 $159 = 2 copies; 9.2 $89)(#2 Treasury Comic 1978 CBCS 9.6 $159)
Marvel Treasury Special 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY #1 MOVIE Jack KIRBY CBCS 9.6 $139;
Special Collector’s Edition featuring SAVAGE FISTS OF KUNG-FU #1 (1975) CBCS 9.6 = $129.00;
SUPERMAN vs the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 Treasury 1976 Andru Neal Adams (CBCS 9.8 $799 = 2 copies; 9.6 $499 = 2 copies; 9.4 $359; 9.2 $249; 9.2 $225; 8.5 $169);
** WHITMAN Variants of DC Comics all CGC GRADED Sales in 2017; [ACTION COMICS #481 CGC NM 9.4 = $89; #482 NM- 9.2 = $75; #483 VF/NM 9.0 = $59; #490 NM+ 9.6 = $99; 491 CGC 9.6 = $99; #492 9.6 = $99; ** BRAVE and the BOLD #145 NM 9.4 = $79; #146 NM+ 9.6 = $99; #147 NM+ 9.6 = $99; #165 VF/NM 9.0 = $59; DC Comics Presents #3 9.0 = $69; Justice League of America #176 9.0 = $69.; Legion of Super-Heroes #266 9.6 = $119; New Adventures of Superboy #5 9.4 = $99; SUPERBOY & LEGION #244 9.4 = $89; ** SUPERMAN #330 9.6 = $99; #331 9.6 = $109; #332 9.6 = $99; #345 9.2 = $84);
-----------------------
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #47 (2017-2018) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
I became obsessed with Comics at a young age, due to my love of the 1966 Batman TV Series, Superman TV Reruns, Sci-Fi shows, Cartoons of the Era, from TV & the Movies. As a child my father took me to second hand bookstores, where I could buy used comics for a Nickel, but they also traded 2-for-1, a Lesson I fast learned. 2017 is the 50th Anniversary of the Year 1967, where I started my Two for One Comic Trading Enterprise out of the Basement of my Parents House in Winnipeg, as a young 11 Years Old Kid. It mainly started it to grow my small collection. It did not take long, before I started getting a lot of duplicates. For kids in the neighbourhood with nothing to Trade, I would also accept cash for comics for 5 to 10 cents each = Literally a Nickel & Dime business. The Pricey 10 Cent comics I sold back then, were ironically anything with a 10 Cents cover price, which my young mind considered old & rare. My allowance and Nickels & dimes, & my Mini enterprise grew my collection to about 5000 comics by 1971, when I stated my Ad’s in RBCC and my Back Issue Catalogues. I owe eternal thanks for my Parents Olly & Walter Sulipa for allowing me to continue my Obsession, and for all their Help and Assistance thru the Decades, they even supported my decision to drop out of University after only 2 of the 4 Years that were required to Finish. Naturally in the early 1970’s the Comic Business seemed Ludicrous & Laughable to almost anyone I met, but I was always undeterred & only looked forward, because I had already met & dealt with 1000’s People Worldwide who respected what I did. Fast Forward 50 Years to the Present, I now realize I have sold about 5-10 Million Comics over the Last Half Century, and still have a hefty current inventory of 1.3 Million Comics. My Wife Cathy Sulipa has been my True Inspiration since we met in 1988, it is amazing all the things we have done together in the last 29 Years, I could not have done it without her Enormous Help, understanding and Faith in me. Thanks also to my good buddy Paul Clairmont of PNJ Comics, our visits, friendship, talks & brainstorming sessions have made us both better people. In the Modern Age, Comics, Graphic Novels, Sci-Fi, Cartoons/Anime, Gaming & all the Related Fields, are now at the Cusp & Cutting Edge of Pop Culture. we now have Blockbuster Movies that Routinely make One-Quarter Billion to One Billion Dollars. We also have dozens of Conventions that take over Entire Cities with crowds of 50,000 to 100,000 or More People, filled with Movie, TV, Comic, other Stars, Celebrities & Companies; San Diego Comic-Con had 167,000 people attend in 2015. Although Print-Format is down, along with most other Print Media, our Industry is THRIVING in all other Media, and Comics are now established as Worldwide Elite Collectibles, yet are still accessible to everyone – Ya Gotta Love It !!!.
2016 another Blockbuster Year for us, similar to 2015. The Meteoric Rise in Sales have Leveled off, but Sales are still going Strong. After Several Years of BLAZING HOT COMICS related to all the MOVIE and TELEVISON Shows, the Marketplace Freight Train is now Diluted, including all the Re-Boots, Horror, Sci-Fi, Toy / Action Figure, Cartoon, Anime and Other MOVIE and TELEVISON Shows, thus Buyers have become more selective;
Dozens of People contacted me to Thank Me for the MASSIVE List of Items to Look For, that I Created for Fans, Investors & Dealers alike, as Published in Overstreet #46 on Pages 178-198. If you missed it, be sure to go back & check it out. Buyers have Re-Directed Some of the Attention to The ALL-TIME BEST LISTS, and are now buying up many of the Overlooked & Undervalued KEY and MINOR KEY issues of the Silver, Bronze & Copper Ages = MANY items have seen 25%-500% Price Increases over the Last Four Years; A Few LISTS To Look Up Include; (IGN's = Top 100 Comic Book Villains Of All-Time, Top-100 Comic Book Heroes Of All-Time, Top 50 Avengers, Top 100 Animated Series), and Comics Buyer's Guide's 100 Sexiest Women in Comics List; The TOP TEN 1970's Marvel’s by the Comics Bulletin; Various NEWSaRAMA Top 10 Lists (Top Super-Teams, Top Archenemies, etc) and MORE; If you have a HERO of Interest, find out who is their Archenemy & buy the KEY issues, including; FIRST appearance (from Golden, Silver, Bronze, Copper & Modern Ages - Where applicable), their Origin, Death & other related issues; Controversial storylines, such as; The Unwilling pregnancy of CAROL DANVERS aka MS. MARVEL in Avengers #200; Amazing Adventures #31 (the First Dramatic INTERRACIAL KISS in American color comic books History); Marvel Team-Up #64 (MISTY KNIGHT & IRON FIST become the First Comics Inter-Racial Super-Hero Couple in Comics History);
DEMAND for First appearances of all the Major VILLIANS (Especially the ARCH Enemies) for all the Major Heroes of MARVEL and DC is Often Higher than Demand for the First appearance of the HERO (Often due to Price of the Heroes First appearance);
The HUNT continues for 100’s of Under-Valued Minor and Hidden KEY ISSUES of the Future; Early FEMALE characters, Early BLACK, Native/Indian, Chinese & Asian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Muslin, Half-Breed, interracial, Alien, Homosexual & Gay and More; Collecting more affordable VINTAGE REPRINTS of Major KEY issues is now an Established Trend, as More & More Buyer Look for CGC High Graded Copies (Marvel Milestone, Famous First Editions, Millennium editions, Limited Collector's Edition Treasury's, Promo Giveaway Reprints, Marvel Tales #98,99,106,137,158, Marvel Super Action #18, Sgt Fury #167 etc) and many of these are now selling at 200-400% Guide; DC Purchased the CHARLTON Heroes in the Mid 1980’s & most of them entered the DC Universe thru CRISIS in 1985 thru to 1990 or So = Those DC KEY issues are now up in Demand, the Demand is also up for all the Charlton Original KEY issues (Especially Capt. Atom #83); Most Fans Overlook Non-Superhero Comics and Non Marvel & DC Comics, buy smart buyers are now looking at all the Other Genre’s too; Just a few comics that are up in demand, and now command Decent CGC Prices includes; Back to the Future (Harvey), Beetlejuice (Harvey), Earthworm Jim (Marvel), Gargoyles (Marvel), Ghost in the Shell, Labyrinth (David Bowie – Marvel), Masters of the Universe (Marvel & DC), Scooby-Doo (all publishers) , Thundercats (Marvel), Transformers (Marvel), Voltron; // We sold TRUE COMICS #48 (4/1946; TRUE STORY of DESMOND DOSS basis for HACKSAW RIDGE the MOVIE by Mel Gibson GOOD+ = $75.00);
LAST issues in the Series (Especially series with 25 or More issues, ending from 1980 thru to 2000) are perhaps among the Most Over-Looked & Under-Valued KEY issues; [Most issue #1’s from 1975 to Date had the High Print Runs; Most Series Get Cancelled due to Low Sales, thus Most Last issues had Low Print Runs]; Many LAST issues from the 1980-2000 Era have GUIDE Values of $3.00 to $10.00, yet are Routinely in such Short Supply, that Many bring $10, $20 to $50 each and More (300% to 1000% Current Guide Prices); Just a few HOT Last issue includes; ARCHIE Pub (Most Last issues), Brave & Bold #200, CHARLRON Pub (Most Last issues), Conan #275, DARK HORSE PRESENTS #157, Deadpool #69, Elvira's HOUSE OF MYSTERY #11, Gargoyles #11, Ghost Rider V1 #81(1983), Ghost Rider V2 #93(1998), GI Joe #155, Groo #120, HARVEY Pub (Most Last issues), Howard the Duck #33, Jonah Hex #92, Marvel Comics Presents #175, Marvel's "New Universe" Title Last issues, Master of Kung Fu #125, Masters Of The Universe #12-13, Moon Knight #38, New Titans #130, Planet of the Apes Mag #29, Rom #75, Savage Sword #235, Spider-Man The Manga #31(Direct Only with Diamond Pre-orders of only 2776 Copies Printed), Punisher #104, Ronin #6, Sgt Rock #422, Sick #134, Spider-Woman #50, Star Wars #107, Suicide Squad #66, Superman #423, Unknown Soldier #268, VALIANT Comics Pub (Most Last issues), WARREN Pub (Most Last issues), Wonder Woman #329, World's Finest #323, X-Men The Manga #26 (Direct Only with Diamond Pre-orders of only 2616 Copies Printed)
FANS have also gone back to trying to Complete Many of the Comic Crossover Event issues, such as; AMALGAM Comics, Batman vs Hulk, Blackest Night, Civil War, Crisis on Infinite Earths, DARKSEID Saga, Death of Superman, Flashpoint, Great Darkness Saga, Identity Crisis, Infinity Gauntlet-War, Kree/Skrull War, Maximum Carnage, Mutant Massacre, Secret Wars, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, Superman vs Spider-Man, THANOS Saga;
The Super-Hero comics of Marvel and DC are by far the most Collected of all comics, seizing the majority of the attention & Dollars spend on back issues. But there is SO VERY MUCH MORE, for the True Comics Lover to discover. Circa 1985, I recall setting up a table at the Minneapolis Comic Con with 100 Comic worth over $250,000 (Detective #27, Marvel Mystery #2-10, Red Raven #1, Superman #1, Whiz #2 & More), it Got a lot of Media Attention at the Time, and I eventually sold them all over a few years. At about that Point, I made the Decision to Further my Earlier 1978 Plan to try to stock at least one copy each of everything Printed in Comics & many Related items too, in the Affordable Price Range of $100 or Less, but always with a decent selection of $100 to $1000 items. Big Ticket items over $1000 still get most of the attention, yet remain Unaffordable to 99% of Comic Collectors, I thus dropped them from being my main focus. So for over 40 Years I bought Sold Comic Collections with all GENRE’s of Comics by Alternative publishers, Archie, Atlas, Atlas Seaboard, Canadian Comics, Charlton, Classics, Cracked, Dell, Digests, Eerie pub, Fanzines, Fawcett, Gold Key, Harvey, IW, King, Mad, Magazines, Millar, Personality, Petersen, Sick, Skywald, Stanley, Super pub, Tower, Treasuries, Underground, Warren, Whitman & all the Other Publishers. There is an amazing Overlooked appetite, and TENS of 1000’s of People who Love & Collect all the Other Genres of Comics including; Action/adventure, Adult, Archie & Relate, Cartoons, Children, Crime, Fantasy, Funny Animals, History, Horror, Hot-Rod, Hot-Rod & Car Cartoon mags, Humor, Jungle, Licensed Characters, Love/Romance, Manga, Martial Arts, Movie, Mythology, Mystery, Newspaper Comic Strip, Parody/Spoof, Pirates, Pop Music Stars, Radio, Rock, Sci-Fi, Soap Opera, Sports, Sword & Sorcery, Teen, TV, Underground, War, Western, and MORE. Because I have a huge selection of all these other Genre’s, I have had MANY YEARS, where NON-Superhero Comics easily Outsold Superhero Comics. It is mainly the Superhero, and Marvel / DC collectors who are obsessed with Getting High Grade Copies and actually prefer to pay what it takes to get them = I have Sold Millions of Back Issues to these Collectors, and have loved doing it, and yes indeed the GUIDE is Correct in the Wide Price Spreads for G to FN and VF thru NM-. The Majority of TENS of 1000’s Oddball Comic Buyers (NON-Superhero Comics), are just happy to find what they need at all, condition has never been a big issue, with most only having to decide between Middle Grade Decent Presentable copies, or Lower Grade more affordable Reading Copies. I have been very successful in helping fill in Gaps in Collections for 1000’s of often Very Grateful Collectors around the World. Oddball Comic Collectors are usually the most overlooked and Forgotten Ones by most other sellers. The GUIDE is other NOT Correct in the Too Wide Price Spreads for G to FN and VF thru NM- for Oddball Comics. Take DELL Comics for example; 95% of our buyers want G to FN copies & we sell them at 110-150% Guide depending on Difficulty of Restocking & Demand, but VF thru NM- copies are in Low Demand & can often only be sold if Discounted below Guide. Many Oddball Comics are so undervalued in Guide, that all Dealers Worldwide are always Sold Out (or do not bother t stock them), and only occasional appearances on eBay. Example; Attempting to put Complete Sets in G thru FN of Most 1950 thru 1970 Titles by Archie, Charlton, & Harvey Titles can actually be VERY TOUGH, even though they have Low Guide Values in the $3 to $10 each price Range. I have been looking for COMPLETE copies of Katy Keene Fashion Book #17 and #19 for a good Client for FIVE Years (Found them 3 Times, but all 3 copies had pages missing), would be happy to pay $75 for a complete copy in GOOD ($19 Guide Value); Many Fans are looking to buy MILLIE THE MODEL #18-93 the Dan DeCarlo issues = If you can find them at all, these Routinely sell for 200%-600% Guide in Low Grade. Over half of the 300+ IW and Super comics have absurdly Low Guide Values in the $12-$20 range for NM-. 9.2 copies for Comics that are 55-65 Years Old, thus only the Most Common Low Grade copies are available in the Marketplace, making gathering a Complete Set a near Impossible Task. For Most Pre-1970 Oddball comics, Grade to Price Spreads need to be Narrowed, raising the Prices on the Lower Graded copies, so that the VF thru NM- copies are more Desirable, and Scarcer Undervalued TOUGH comics comes out of the Collections for sale. Example; Oddball Price Spread-1 (G,VG,FN = $10,$20,$30 / VF,VFNM,NM- $66,$138,$210) needs to be tightened to something like Oddball Price Spread-2 (G,VG,FN = $20,$40,$60 / VF,VFNM,NM- $90,$150,$210); Yes, there are some more Common Titles that are Slower Sellers, but as is the tradition, those can go in Bargain Bins or Go into Clearance Sale, as Dealers have always done.
Once again the Big Money maker for us this year was High Grade Key issue comics Graded by CGC. The DEMAND is Huge and seems Never-Ending, so we keep sending in 100’s More, and they Keep Selling. As with the Last Few years, most are TV and Movie Related, but other items have begun to pick up in Demand, Below is a SAMPLE of some of the more Notable CGC Sales we made in 2016;
ACTION FORCE #1 G.I JOE European Missions 1987 UK Marvel Magazine DESTRO CGC = $249
AFTERLIFE With Archie #4 ComicsPRO VARIANT cover Francavilla ZOMBIES CGC 9.8 = $219
ALL-STAR COMICS #58, CGC 9.4 = $299
ALL-STAR SQUARDRON #25 1st INFINITY INC Nuklon ATOM SMASHER CW TV FLASH CGC 9.8 = $119 (3 copies)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #50 1st KINGPIN CGC VF 8.0 = $800.00
Amazing Spider-Man #252 CGC NMMT 9.8 = $329.00 (3 copies)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #654 1st FLASH Thompson as Agent VENOM CGC 9.8 = $139.00
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL 16 Origin 1st Black Female CAPTAIN MARVEL 1982 CGC 9.8 = $225
ALITA BATTLE ANGEL #1 VIZ 1st English 1992 Rodriguez James Cameron MOVIE CGC NM- 9.2 = $105
Astonishing Tales #6 1st Bobbi Morse MOCKINGBIRD Most Wanted SHEILD CGC NM- 9.2 = $265
Avengers #62 BLACK PANTHER Solo Tryout 1969 reprinted in Jungle Action #5 (CGC; 8.5=$179; 8.0=$159)
AVENGERS 223 classic HAWKEYE Scott Lang ANT-MAN 1982 3rd TASKMASTER CGC 9.8 = $139.00
Avengers Annual #7 CGC 9.8 = $469.00
BATMAN #307 first LUCIUS FOX 1979 (CGC; 9.8=$139; 9.6=$89)
BACK TO THE FUTURE #1 Harvey comic 1st Marty McFly DOC 1991 Gil Kane CGC 9.8 = $159
BATMAN 79 1st POISON IVY Batman 181 Ebal BRAZIL Portuguese 1968 RARE CGC FN+ 6.5 = $175.00
BEEP BEEP THE ROAD RUNNER #93 Whitman Multi-Pack Only 10/1980 RARE CGC 9.4 = $249
BEETLEJUICE #1 1991 Harvey CGC 9.8 = $119.00
BIRDS OF PREY #76 1st Black Alice CGC 9.8 $120
BLACK HOLE #4 (CGC; 9.6=$1799.00; 9.4=$800; 8.0=$339)
BLACK LIGHTNING #1 ORIGIN First Jefferson Pierce 1977 Outsiders JLA CGC NM 9.8 = $499
BLACK PANTHER (1977) #1 CGC Copies; 9.8 = $630 (3), 9.6 = $249 (6), 9.4 = $149 (5)
BLACK PANTHER 2 1st SHURI sister T'Challa 2005 new Female BP Movie? CGC 9.8 = $125
CAPTAIN AMERICA #241 vs PUNISHER 1980 FRANK MILLER CGC 9.8 = $329
CAPTAIN AMERICA #282 1st Jack Monroe as NOMAD 1983 ZECK CGC 9.8 = $139.00
CAPTAIN ATOM #83 1st Print Ted Cord BLUE BEETLE 1966 CGC FN- 5.5 = US$299.00
CAPTAIN BRITAIN #1 Origin 1st app UK Marvel 1976 RARE Bonus MASK TV (CGC; 9.8=$849; 9.4=$399 = 4 copies)
CEREBUS THE AARDVARK #11(1st COCKROACH = Tick Prototype? CGC 9.6 $139), 31(1st Full MOON ROACH CGC 9.8 $149)
CHIP N DALE #68 (10/1980) CGC 9.6 = $449.00;
DAFFY DUCK #129 CGC NM+ 9.6 = $399.00
DAREDEVIL #62 ORIGIN Early NIGHTHAWK Squadron Sinister Defenders 1970 CGC 9.4 = $149
DAREDEVIL 197 BULLSEYE 1st Yuriko Oyama Lady Deathstrike Netflix TV CGC 9.8 = $149.00
DAREDEVIL V2 #58 1st Rosario Dawson NETFLIX TV Night Nurse CGC NM+ 9.6 = $109
DC Comics Presents #26 1st New Teen Titans CGC 9.8 = $649
DC COMICS PRESENTS #46 GLOBAL GUARDIANS DR MIST Justice League DARK CGC 9.8 = $125.00
DC Super-Stars #17 Origin 1st HUNTRESS 1977 Catwoman TV’S ARROW CGC NM 9.4 = $239 (2)
DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG-FU #1(9.6 $399); #8,21,26(CGC 9.8 $229 each); #9,12,16,18,20(9.8 $219 each)
Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu #19 1st Puerto Rican Hispanic WHITE TIGER 1975 (CGC; 9.4=$349; 9.2=$249)
DETECTIVE COMICS 608 1st ANARKY Joker Son 1989 CW TV Arrow Season-4 CGC NMMT 9.8 = $135
DEVIL DINOSAUR #1 1978 CGC 9.8 = $184.00
DOCTOR STRANGE #169 1968 CGC 7.5 = $289.00
Doctor Strange #1 1974 (CGC 9.8 = $889.00 = 2 copies) (CGC 9.8 = $849.00 = 2 copies) (CGC 9.8 = $799.00 = 2 copies)
EL Hombre Arana #9 Mexican Amazing Spider-Man #129 1st PUNISHER 1974 CGC 9.6 = $299
FANTASTIC FOUR #46 CGC 7.5 = $389.00
FANTASTIC FOUR #168 LUKE CAGE Power Man Joins 1976 THING Netflix TV CGC 9.8 $189
FANTASY QUARTERLY #1 1st ELFQUEST CGC 9.8 = $499.00 (2)
FEAR #19 1st HOWARD THE DUCK CGC NM+ 9.6 = $599.00
FIRESTORM #1 1978 CGC 9.8 = $450.00 (2 copies)
FOOM #15 Howard Duck 9/1976 1st app MS MARVEL Captain Britain STAR WARS CGC 9.8 = $499.00
GHOST RIDER #1 1973 CGC NM- 9.2 = $450.00
Giant-Size KID COLT #2 Battle at Blood Creek Gil Kane Low Print 1975 CGC NM 9.4 = $249
GUARDIANS OF KNOWHERE #1 Guillory Variant 1st GWENOM CGC 9.8 = $99.00
Haunt of Horror (Marvel Mag) #2(CGC 9.8 $209); #4(CGC 9.8 $219); # 5CGC(9.8 $229)
HAWAIIAN DICK #1 Johnny Knoxville 2002 Image UTV NBC TV Series CGC 9.8 (3)
HAWKEYE #1 ORIGIN Hawkeye MOCKINGBIRD begins 1983 TV Agents SHEILD CGC 9.8 $139
INCREDIBLE HULK 228 1st MOONSTONE CGC 9.6 = $169 (2)
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #7 1st cameo RIRI WILLIAMS CGC 9.8 = $99.00
IRON MAN #17 1st Whitney Frost as MADAME MASQUE 1969 AGENT CARTER TV CGC VFNM 9.0 = $169
IRON MAN #128 CGC 9.8 = $333.00
KICK-ASS #3 1st HIT-GIRL CGC 9.8 = $149.00
JOKER #1 1975 CGC 9.8 = $499.00
JOKER #4,8,9 1975 Series CGC 9.8 = $199.00 each
LEGEND OF BRUCE LEE #1 Photo cover 1983 B&W Nostalgia Comic Magazine CGC 9.6 = $129
LITTLE LULU #261 Whitman Multi-Pack RARE CGC 9.4 = $249.00
LOONEY TUNES #33 and #35 (1980) CGC 9.6 = $499.00 each
LUMBERJANES 1 Virgin COLLECTOR'S PARADISE Boom 2014 CGC 9.8 = $119
MARVEL SUPER SPECIAL #7 French SGT PEPPER 1978 PEREZ Beatles Aerosmith RARE CGC VF 8.0 = $249
MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL #4 1st NEW MUTANTS 1982 Canadian VARIANT CGC 9.6 = $359.00 (2)
MARVEL MANGAVERSE #3 1st T'CHANNA Shuri Sister 2002 CGC 9.8 = $125
Marvel Premiere #1 ORIGIN WARLOCK 1st Solo Series 1972 Avengers Film CGC NM 9.4 = $619
Marvel Premiere #57 1st USA DR WHO CGC 9.8 = $219.00
MARVEL PREVIEW #4 CGC 9.6 = $799.00
Marvel Spotlight #29 CGC 9.8 = $249.00
MARVEL SUPER HERO CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS #1 CGC 9.8 = $129.00
MARVEL SUPER-HEROES Volume-2 #8 Winter Spec 1991 1st SQUIRREL GIRL CGC 9.8 = $329
MARVEL TAILS #1 first Peter Porker Spectacular SPIDER-HAM Man 1983 CGC 9.8 $159
MARVEL TEAM-UP #103 2nd Full TASKMASTER 1981 Scott Lang ANT-MAN CGC 9.8 = $139.00
Marvel Two In One Annual # 2 CGC 9.8 = $399.00
Marvel Tales #98 (Spider-Man #121-r) CGC 9.8 = $199.00
Masters of the Universe #1 DC Comics 1982 HE-MAN Sony Movie Reboot CGC 9.8 = $149
MICRONAUTS #1 1979 CGC 9.8 = $149.00 (5)
MICRONAUTS #8 Golden-a 1st CAPTAIN UNIVERSE CGC 9.8 = $179
MIGHTY WORLD OF MARVEL #220 SGT FURY 1 Nick 1976 Luke Cage HULK Daredevil CGC 9.8 = $149
MS. MARVEL #1 Carol Danvers 1977 (Multiple CGC copies; 9.8=$1100; 9.6=$399; 9.4=$225; 9.2=$169; 9.0=$125)
NEW MUTANTS #26 1st Full LEGION 1985 CGC 9.8 = $199.00 (4)
NEW TEEN TITANS #2 1st DEATHSTROKE Terminator ARROW & TNT TV Series CGC NMMT 9.8 = $599
OUR FIGHTING FORCES #151 LOSERS by JACK KIRBY Begins 1974 CGC NM/MT 9.8 = $239.00
PHOTO NEWS FEATURES #1 Marvel Mag 1974 HITLER CGC 9.8 = $740.00
PRIMER #2 Comico FIRST GRENDEL 1982 (CGC; 9.6=$425; 9.4=$339);
PUNISHER Limited Series #1 ZECK 1986 CGC 9.8 = $499.00
PUNISHER #104 vs BULLSEYE 1995 Kingpin Scarce LAST issue CGC 9.6 = $99.00
RAGMAN #1 1976 CGC 9.8 = $239.00
ROM Spaceknight #1 ORIGIN 1st Dire Wraiths Brandy Clark 1979 CGC 9.8 = $299.00
SAVAGE ACTION 1 UK Marvel 1980 PUNISHER Dominic Fortune MOON KNIGHT CGC NMMT 9.8 = $199
Savage SHE-HULK #1 1980 CGC 9.8 = $249.00 (5)
SCOOBY-DOO (1977-1979; MARVEL); #2(CGC 9.6 $139); #3(CGC 9.6 $139); #7(CGC 9.6 $149)
SCOOBY-DOO Volume 2 #1 Harvey Hanna-Barbera Comics 1992 Shaggy Fred CGC = $139.00
SHOGUN WARRIORS #1 First Raydeen Combatra Dangard Ace 1979 Marvel CGC 9.8 = $159
SHOWCASE #30 SA ORIGIN AQUAMAN 1961 Ramona Fradon Jason Momoa Movies CGC VGFN 5.0 = $799
SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN #1 Charlton Mag (9.8 = $399.00; CGC 9.4 = $175.00)
SPACE 1999 #1 Charlton B&W Magazine 1975 TV Gray Morrow Landau Bain CGC 9.8 = $249.00
Special Marvel Edition #15 1st SHANG-CHI CGC 9.8 = $1200.00
SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #90 1st BLACK Venom COSTUME 1984 Black Cat CGC 9.8 = $165.00
SPIDER-MAN and His AMAZING FRIENDS #1 Iceman Fire-Star Green Goblin CGC 9.8 = $179
Spider-Woman #1 Jessica Drew New ORIGIN 1978 CGC 9.8 = $129 (5)
SPIDEY SUPER STORIES #32 2nd cameo SABRETOOTH 3/1978 3rd CAPTAIN BRITAIN CGC 9.4 = $149.00
STRANGE TALES #169 first Dr BROTHER VOODOO 1973 Avengers BLACK Hero CGC 9.0 = $315
Star Wars #68 Re-Intro BOBA FETT classic cover Story 1983 CGC 9.8 = $249.00
STAR WARS WEEKLY #1 UK British Marvel Comic 1977-1978 w RARE BONUS CGC NM/MT 9.8 = $699
STEEL the Indestructible Man #1 DC 1978 CGC 9.8 = $130.00
SWAMP THING #49 1st JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK CGC 9.8 = $189.00
Tales of Zombie # 1 CGC 9.6 = $399
THOR #300 CGC 9.8 = $149.00
THUNDERCATS #1 1985 CGC 9.8 = $149.00 (2 copies)
The TICK #1 NEC 1988 (CGC; 9.4 = $189.00 = 3 copies; 9.4 = $225.00; 9.2=$175)
TRANSFORMERS #80 Scarce LAST issue 1991 OPTIMUS PRIME Marvel Comics CGC 9.8 = $300
TWEETY & SYLVESTER #106 (10/1980) CGC 9.6 = $449
Ultimate Fallout #4 1st MILES MORALES new Spider-Man 2011 1st print CGC NM+ 9.6 = $99
UNKNOWN WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION #1 Bradbury ADAMS Kaluta Brunner CGC NMMT 9.8 = $249
VAMPIRELLA #113 1st Harris 1987 Pantha BONDAGE Low Print 1987 Canadian VARIANT CGC VF+ 8.5 = $359
VOLTRON Defender of the Universe #1 Modern Comics 1985 CGC 9.8 = $119.00
Western Gunfighters #1 GHOST RIDER Gunhawk Marvel 1970 Sutton Kirby CGC 9.8 = $625
WHAT IF? #10 1st JANE FOSTER FEMALE THOR CGC 9.8 = $299.00
WHAT IF? PLANET HULK #1 first SKARR Son of HULK 2007 Pre World War-5 CGC 9.6 = $99
WOLVERINE #66 1st OLD MAN LOGAN & Begins 2008 CGC 9.6 = $99
WYNONNA EARP #1 1st Appearance SyFy TV 1996 Image IDW Jim Lee Low Print CGC 9.8 $119
YOU DON’T SAY! (More) #2 STAN LEE 1963 Marvel Magazine Highest Graded CGC VF 8.0 = $149
X-MEN #4 1st SCARLET WITCH & QUICKSILVER, Toad 2nd MAGNETO 1964 Kirby CGC VG 4.0 = $495
------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #46 (2016-2017) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
2014 was my Best year in my 45 Year History as a Comic Dealer = Yet 2015 was a Whirlwind, Topping Last Years with an increase in sales of NEARLY +50%; Once again the Marketplace was Driven by the Success COMICS and RELATED SCI-FI Re-Boots, have enjoyed in the MOVIES, on TELEVISON and in other Media too, with SO MANY MORE in the Works from 2016-2020, that I Lost Count, but probably approaching 100 Characters, Teams & More. Most of IGN's Top-100 Comic Book Villains Of All Time & Top-100 Comic Book Heroes Of All Time List have seen 25%-500% Price Increases over the Last Three Years; DEMAND for First appearances of all the Major VILLIANS (Especially the ARCH Enemies) for all the Major Heroes of MARVEL and DC are at an All-Time High; FANS are Now HUNTING thru the GUIDE to Look for the 100’s of Under-Valued Minor and Hidden KEY ISSUES of the Future (I Have Listed 100’s of Examples Below) Another FAST growing Trend is Collecting FIRST and EARLY appearances of HEROES an VILLIANS by GENDER, ETHNICITY, Sexual Orientation & other Human Conditions (Early FEMALE characters, Early BLACK, Native/Indian, Chinese & Asian, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Muslin, Half-Breed, interracial (people & Couples), Alien, Homosexual & Gay and More); The other Big Trend, is collecting more affordable REPRINTS of Major KEY issues (MILLENNIUM EDITION, Limited Collector's Edition Treasury's, Promo Giveaway Reprints, etc) and many of these are now selling at 200-400% Guide, plus many are now being sent to CGC & Bringing Good Prices; DC Purchased the CHARLTON Heroes in the Mid 1980’s & they entered the DC Universe thru CRISIS = Those Original KEY issues are now in Big Demand;
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALTERNATIVE / Independant Comics;
*** Below I present a List of The Most Requested, Best-Selling, and Most Under-Valued, and Items with Potential (Future Key issues) of ALTERNATE Comics (Many bring 135-200% or Overstreet #45 Guide if Strictly Graded); Albedo #0,1,2, Aliens #1(5/1988 200% Guide), all Alan Moore titles, Amazing Heroes 1984 Preview (1st Spider-Man's Black Costume Anywhere? VF $20), Army of Darkness(1992-93 Ash vs Evil Dead TV series on way), BATTLE ANGEL ALITA PART-1 (VIZ Fox Live-Action Movie in works) #1(VF $30), Berni Wrightson Master of Macabre, Big Apple #1(Wood-a VFNM $35), Bizarre Sex #9 (1st full Omaha the Cat Dancer), Blackthorne, 3-D Zone & other 3-D comics (GI Joe, Star Wars, Transformers = Low Print 150-300% Guide; Other Titles = 125-200% Guide), Blazing Combat (apple), Blood of Dracula(Wrightson issues), Bone #1-10, BUTTERFLY (2014 Archaia / BOOM) 1(9/2014; TV SERIES for CHANNEL 4 on way; 3,000 copies? NM- $20), CALIBER CHRISTMAS #1(12/1989; CROW-c/s = 6th app? VFNM $39) CALIBER PRESENTS #1(1/1989 1st CROW VFNM $99) 15(9/1990 9 page PREVIEW Un-Released the CROW #5; 17 Pages James O’Barr-a; VFNM $39), CAPES (Image) 1(9/2003 WALKING DEAD Preview Comics by ROBERT KIRKMAN VFNM $30), CEREBUS the Aardvark #1-30, CHEW (Image 2009 ANIMATED Film in Works) #1, CHRONONAUTS (2015; UNIVERSAL Movie in Works) #1, CLONE (2012 ROBERT KIRKMAN Syfy TV show?) #1, Cody Starbuck(1978), 1980's Continuity Comics (Neal Adams), Cobalt Blue(1977), Continum {Presents} #1(1988; Continum LINSTER-a VF $39), CONCRETE (Dark Horse) #1(1987 UCP TV series? 1st Concrete SOLO Series), Cowboy Ninja Viking #1(Image 2009 Universal Movie with Chris Pratt? VFNM $50), CREEPSHOW [1982 Plume STEPHEN KING; George A. Romero film; WRIGHTSON-a (1st Print; VF=$90 VG=$40) (Reprints; VF=$60 VG=$30)] Critters #1-5, 48-50(Scarce), Creatures of the ID #1(1st Madman), CROW (1989) #1-4 (SCARCE in VFNM or Better), Cry for Dawn #1-8, Crusaders #1(Southern Knights), Dark Horse Presents #1(7/1986 1st Concrete = UCP TV Series?), #24 (1st Aliens), #36(1st Alien vs Predator), 51-62, 5th Anniversary Special (1st Sin City), Dark Horse Presents DHP Annual 1998 (1st app Buffy The Vampire Slayer; Hellboy app VF/NM = $35), Deadworld (Graphic covers = 150-200% Guide), Death Rattle #8(1st Xenozoic Tales 200% Guide), Destroyer Duck #1(1st Groo), Dick Tracy (Blackthorne) #71-99(low print), Dick Tracy (Ruben Award series), Dreamwalker (1998 Avatar) #0 (11/1998; 4 page GOON preview by Eric Powell predates Goon #1 Avatar), Echo of Futurepast, Eclipse Graphic Album #5(PRICE by Starlin VFNM $50), Eddie Campbell's Bacchus, Eightball (1st Prints = 150-200% Guide), Elflord (Nightwind; 1980-82; all RARE 200% Guide) #1-14, V2#1, Elfquest #1, Fantasy Quarterly #1(1st Elfquest), Femzine(Paragon) #1,2, FLAMING CARROT #1, 25-27(TMNT), and 25-27(TMNT Scarce Ashcan editions only 1000 Printed, most Signed & Numbered VF $30+), FAUST (Rebel) #1-5; Faust #11-13(Low Print & Scarce = $35-$50 each), Femforce, FROM HELL (Mad Love / Tundra Pub; FX Channel TV series?) 1(3/1991; 1st Print VFNM $18), Galaxia 1(1981 Buckler & Guice), GASM (Magazine 1977-78) 1-5(4=Corben), Ghostbusters #1(1986), GHOST IN THE SHELL (Dark Horse; DreamWorks Live-Action Movie with SCARLETT JOHANSSON in works) #1(3/1995 VFNM=$80 CGC 9.8=$579 CGC 9.6=$269), Gobbledygook (1984) #1, 2, and 1(1986 TMNT VFNM $18), Goon (1999 1st Series; Avatar) #1 (3/1999), Grendel (Comico 1983-4) 1-3(Scarce in VFNM or better), Grendel #1, 40(Last issue 2/1990), HACK/SLASH (Devil's Due; Relativity TV Series?) #1(4/2004; VFNM $75), Harbinger #0(Pink), 1-6, HATE, Hellboy: Seed of Destruction (1994) #1 (1st Grigori Rasputin = Top Villain), Hobbit, Hot Stuf (Sal Q) #1(VFNM $75), 2-8, How to Draw series (Transformers & GI Joe), I Lusiphur #1, 3, Imagine(Star Reach), John Byrne's Next Men #21(1st Hellboy), Judge Dredd #1(1983), Justice Machine (Noble) #1-3 & Annual #1, Justice Machine Annual #1(1st Elementals), Kill Shakespeare (2010 IDW Pub UCP TV Series?) #1(4/2010 NM- $12), LADY DEATH (Chaos) #1(1/1994 NM- $30), LAZARUS (Image 2013 Legendary TV series?) #1(NM- $12), League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Americas Best; 20th Century Fox Movie Reboot?) #1(3/1999; ALAN MOORE NM- $25 CGC 9.8=$150), Leather & Lace, LETTER 44 (ONI PRESS 2013 SYFY Channel TV Series?) #1(NM- $12), Licensable Bear (About Comics) 4[2007 1st Barack Obama in Comics pre-elections; 1050 printed VFNM $125], Lone Wolf and Cub # 1,41-45, Love and Rockets #1 (1981; 1st Series; Hernandez Bros pub Mag; B&W Covers; $1.00 cover Price; PROTOTYPE for the 1982 Regular Series is Quite RARE, with only 800 Copies Printed = Estimated Value in VF/NM = $900), Love and Rockets #1(Fall/1982 150-200% Guide), 2-10, LUMBERJANES (BOOM 20th Century Fox Movie?) #1(4/2014 NM- $10), MACROSS (Comico; SONY Live-Action Movie?) #1(12/1984; 1st Robotech; VFNM=$60 CGC 9.8=$600; CGC 9.4=$150), Mage (the Hero Discovered; Comico; 1984-86) #1,6,7, Magnus Robot Fighter #0, 1- 8, 12, Magazine #1-4, Malibu Sun #13(5/1992; 1st SPAWN in Print; VF= $50+), Megaton #3(1st Savage Dragon), 8, Explosion, Miracleman #10-24 especially #15(Death Kid Miracleman), Mr. A series 1-4(Ditko), Mister X #1(Vortex), Nexus #1(Capital 1981), 2,3, Neat Stuff, Ninja High School (1986/87), Nucleus #1(1979 Cerebus by Sim), Oktoberfest #1(1976 Dave Sim & Day-a), Omaha Cat Dancer #1, Omega #1(1987 Rebel; Tim Vigil), Omen (Vigil), ORB #1(Rare; VF=$79), 2(Scarce VF $39), 4-6, OUTCAST (Image Robert Kirkman TV Series) 1(6/2014 1st Print CGC 9.8=$75), all Paragon Pub (Pre-1982 titles, Femzine etc), Phantacea(1977; Dave Sim), Planet of the Apes(all), POWER Record & Book / Comics (1970's), POWERS (ICON/Image PlayStation TV series) #1, Predator #1(1989), Primer (Comico) #2(1st Grendel), 5(1st Sam Kieth?), #6(1st Evangeline; 1st pro Chuck Dixon), Quadrant, QUACK #1(7/1976; First Printing; First Published PRO Comics Art by DAVE STEVENS), 2-6, RACHEL RISING (Abstract) #1(VFNM $50), RADIX (2001 Image) #1(12/2001; LAWSUIT vs Marvel re Armour in IRON MAN movies), RAI (Valiant Pub; 1992) #0(11/1992; First FULL appearance of BLOODSHOT; MOVIE in Works), 1-5, RAPHAEL (TMNT; Mirage 1985 1st FIRST drawing of the TURTLES as a GROUP from 1983 by Eastman & Laird, that started it all ) 1(1985; 1st Print VFNM $125) 1(11/87 2nd Print VFNM $40), RAT QUEENS (Image; Pukeko Pictures & Heavy Metal Animated TV Series?) #1(9/2013), RAZOR ANNUAL (London Night) 1(12/1993 1st SHI NM- $30), Real Ghostbusters #1(1988 NM- $10+), Realm #4(Arrow pub; 1st Deadworld NM+ $10+), Reid Fleming #1(1980; 1st), Rocketeer Special Edition #1 & Adventure Magazine #1, R.I.P.D. (Dark Horse; 1999-2000) #1-4(Basis for 2013 MOVIE), Rock Comics (Tavloid; Adams-a), Rust #12(Now; 1988; 1st Terminator), RUST (ADVENTURE/Mailbu) #1-A(4/1992; DORMAN Painted-c; $2.95-c; Inside BACK Cover has a Full Page SPAWN PREVIEW Ad by Todd McFarlane = First Published Image of SPAWN, appeared One Month before Spawn #1; VFNM $50) 1-B(Special LIMITED Edition with COPPER Colored FOIL-c; $4.95-c; SPAWN PREVIEW Ad VFNM $75), SAGA (2012 Image) 1(3/2012 Brian K. Vaughan), SAVAGE DRAGON #137(8/2008 Variant & 2nd-4th Prints = 2nd BARACK OBAMA in Comics), SEX CRIMINALS (Image; Universal TV Series?) #1(9/2013 NM- $15), Slimer #1(Ghostbusters 1989), Solar #1,10, Solson Christmas Special: Samurai Santa #1(1986 1st JIM LEE ART in comics; SCARCE in VF or Better; VF = $50), SOUTHERN BASTARDS (Image; FX Channel TV?) 1(4/2014; NM- $12), SPAWN #9 [Neil Gaiman 1st ANGELA], Star Reach (Top Artists, Undervalued), Starslayer #2(1st Rocketeer), STAR WARS TALES (Dark Horse 1999) #9(Darth Vader vs Darth Maul NM- $20) 19 (3/2004; ORIGIN of HAN SOLO; FIRST appearance of BEN WALKER = Son of LUKE & MARA SOLO NM- $50), STAR WARS: TAG & BINK II (Dark Horse; 2006 First and Only Cameo Comic app DARTH PLAGUEIS VFNM $25); STRAIN (Dark Horse) #1(Guillermo Del Toro FX TV show), Tales to Terrible to Tell Terrology(Low Print) #1-11, Tank Girl, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage 1984-1993) #1(all Printings), #2-4(1st Prints), #4 (5/1987; 2nd Print Misprint VARIANT, Manfactured in ERROR with the Wraparound-c meant for Tales of TMNT #1, Most copies Destroyed, High Grade copies bring $300-600), Terminator (Now) #1(9/1988), 12(1st John Connor), Terminator: The Burning Earth #1 (1st pro Alex Ross work), Tick #1, 2000 AD #2(1st Judge Dredd; VF with Stickers = $1000+), Transit, Twisted Tales, Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite (Dark Horse UPC TV Series?) #1(9/2007 NM- $12), Uncensored Mouse, Untamed Love, Usagi Yojimbo 1-5, VALIANT comics (Pre-Unity issues and LAST issues), Vanguard Illustrated #7(1st modern Mr. Monster), Vortex #2(Vortex; 1st Mister X cover), Wally Wood's Thunder Agents, WARRIOR (3/1982-2/1985; UK/British; QUALITY pub; John Bolton, Alan Davis, Dave Gibbons; Alan Moore script in 1-26; #26=Grant Morrison-s) #1[3/1982; 1st Modern Marvelman later Miracleman by Alan Moore; VF $75+) #2-26(4= 1982 Summer Special; 1-16 = Marvelman by Alan Moore; 1-25 = V for Vendetta-s by Alan Moore in Most; VF = $20+), WALKING DEAD (1st Printings), Weird Romance, Windblade #1(Nightwynd; 1982; Barry Blair; Rare; VF=$100+), WICKED & DIVINE (IMAGE Universal TV Series?) #1(6/2014 NM- $12), The WOODS (Boom; UPC TV Series ?) 1(5/2014 NMN- $12), World of Wood, WYNONNA EARP (IMAGE SyFy Channel TV Series) 1(12/1996 NM- $25), Xenozoic Tales, Yummy Fur, Zen (1987), Zot & more;
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARCHIE COMICS;
Archie KEY issues are an All-Time High Demand; Collector's now Realize MOST KEY issues from 1969 and Older are SCARCE to RARE in FINE 6.0 or Better; In 2015 on eBay these were observed selling; Archie's Madhouse #22(CGC 7.5=$3351 CGC 7.0=$1304 CGC 6.0=$800); Archie's Pals 'N' Gals #23(CGC 6.0=$545CGC 5.5=$456 CGC 5.0=$350) BETTY AND VERONICA #320(CGC 9.4 $999 CGC 8.5=$452) MOST Pre-1970 KEY issues are in the FA/G to VG/FN condition Price Range, thus they rarely get sent to CGC = It is NOT uncommon to see VG range KEY issues bring NM guide range prices; Girls in SWIMSUIT Covers are BETTER sellers;
The 1961-1962 Era HORROR & SCI-FI issues are Red Hot & Hard to Find (they sell for 125-400% guide) including; (Archie #123-125,127, Archie Giant #17, 19, Betty & Veronica #70,73,75,77,79,80, Jokebook #58,59,76, Jughead #77-82,85,86,88, Laugh #128,129, 130(Creature), 132,133,136,139, Life with Archie #9,11,35,39, Little Archie #18,20,22, Madhouse #6,8,11,13,15-26,29,35,36,38,42,48,51,58,60, Pals N Gals #18, Pep #151-156, 158;
First 28 Appearances of CHERYL BLOSSOM (10/1982 to 6/1985) are STILL all RED HOT, especially the First appearance in each Title; My new MINIMUM price on these KEY issues is; [VF/NM=$50; VF=$36; FN=$24; VG=$16; G=$8; For First appearances in each Title issues = add 50-100% Premium]; Includes; ARCHIE Comics #323-326, Archie's Girls BETTY AND VERONICA #320(1st appearance), 321-322, 326-328, ARCHIE'S PALS 'N' GALS #161(1st Solo Cheryl Blossom), ARCHIE AT RIVERDALE HIGH #89,90,92,96-99, 103(1st CB date with Archie), ARCHIE'S TV LAUGH-OUT #91, ARCHIE GIANT SERIES #526(1pg Cameo), 530, BETTY AND ME #136(1 panel cameo), EVERYTHING'S ARCHIE #104,107, JUGHEAD #325 (2nd app), LAUGH #380, PEP Comics #396(9/1984); *** Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants exist on all of these, and Bring a PREMIUM Price of 135-200% over the current Value of USA Editions; CGC Copies often sell in the $150-$300 each Price range and Up; Explorers of the Unknown Series #1-3 & 6(cameo) featured Agent BLAZE BLOSSOM of the CIA a Futuristic Version of CHERYL BLOSSOM; From 7/1985 to 10/1994 there were very few appearance of CHERYL BLOSSOM; The "Love Showdown" storyline from 11-12/1994 (Archie #429, Betty #19, B&V #82, Veronica #39) made CHERYL BLOSSOM a Superstar at Arche Comics, with VF/NM Copies still at only around $10.00 range, sure to be a great Long Term investment.
The Archie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Related comics are still in High Demand; 1988-1990 Titles are Uncommon, 1991 up issues had LOW PRNT Runs & are Scarcer, (sell at 200-400% guide) including; TMNT Adventures #1,19, 40-72 (#72 sells for $75+), Specials #6-10 & Digests, Mighty Mutant Animals (4/1992-6/1993) (Current VF/NM values are = #1-5=$8; #6-8=$12; #9=$18); TMNT Adventures Special (1992-1994; VF/NM values are = #1-6=$7; #7-9=$12; #10=$20); TMNT MUTANT UNIVERSE SOURCEBOOK (VF/NM values are = #1,2=$10; Update=$15);
>>> Other Bestsellers & Hot KEY issues include (with Percentage of Overstreet #45 they sell at in brackets); AFTERLIFE With ARCHIE #1(6+ Variant covers), Archie & Me #1,49,67,160,161, ARCHIE Comics #1(150-400% Guide), 2-49, 50(Classic-c 300% Guide), 51-100,133,158,185(1st "the ARCHIES" Band-s / TV Cartoon related) 189,200,283, 300,322,326,336, 356(Calgary Olympics), 400,429, 600-605,616,617(125-150%), ARCHIE ALL-STAR SPECIAL - SERIES(Winter/1975; SCARCE in VF or Better; 164 Pages, 4 different = 200%), Archie as Pureheart(120%), Archie at Riverdale High #1,47,113, Archie Giant series (all B&V, Josie & Sabrina issues = 125-150%), 1-7,8(B&V as Devils-c), 9(Adams), 10-20,26,32, 142,143,195,196, 597,603,620(Edmonton Mall), 632, Archie All Canadian Digest #1(Scarce; VF $50-100), Archie's Girls Betty & Veronica #1(150-300% Guide), 2-30(125-150%), 31-200(120-135%), 75(B&V sell Souls to Devil; 300%), 105,118(1st Superteen 200%),119,123,127,199(Spanking panel), 300,339,347, Annual #1-8, Archie's Jokebook #44(1st Neal Adams comic 200%) 45-48(Neal Adams = 135-150%), 100, 102, 124, 200, 288(200%), Archie's Madhouse [ #1=200%; #22=300-500%, Sabrina issues=125-135%; #36=1st Salem the Cat=200%, Annual #3 Origin Sabrina=200%], Archie's Mechanics(150%), Archie's Pal Jughead #1(150-200%), 2-20, 58(Adams), 78,81,83,84,86(1st app of the Brain),87,90(Jughead selling Traquilizer DRUGS-c),100,101(125-135%), Archie's Pals N Gals #1(150%), 2-10, 12(Adams), 15(Adams)(125%), 19(Marilyn Monroe), 23(1st Josie = 300-600%), #29(Beatles 150-300%), 40(Superteen & Pureheart), 41-53, 54(SATAN meets VERONICA 200%), 71-72(2-Part DRUGS story); 100,176,198,200,202( END of Archie's JALOPY), 224, Archie's Ten Issue Collectors Set #1-10(Giveaway 125-150%), Archie's TV Laughout (SABRINA in all; JOSIE in #7-105) #1(150-200%), 2-6, 7(JOSIE begins 200%), 8-23(125%), 91(200%), 92,93,96,100-105(120-150%), Betty & Me #1(200%), 2-10(125%), 16(300-600%), 23(150%), 40(125%), 79-86(Betty Cooper Mysteries; 79-81= Drago the Vampire; 125%), 139(Katy Keene collecting-s), 160(Wheel of Fortune parody-s), 200(150%), Black Hood(1983 = 150%), Cartoon Network presents SPACE GHOST #1(200%), Chilling Adv in Sorcery(150%), Christmas with Archie Treasury(200%), Cosmo the Merry Martian(125-150%), Everything's Archie #1,100,157, FAST WILLIE JACKSON #1-7(200-400%), Flintstones #1-10(200%), 11-22(300%), FLY (1983-84 = 150%), Ginger(120-135%), Hanna-Barbera All Stars(200%), Hanna-Barbera Presents(200%), Jetsons(200%), JOSIE (1963-1982; 45 up = and the Pussycats) was still RED HOT; #1(1000-2000% Guide) 2-10(300-600% Guide) 11-41,44(200-300% Guide) 42(Josie meets folk singer named Alan M. Mayberry, who becomes Roadie for Pussycats Band = Undervalued Key), 43(Alexandra Cabot & Sebastian the Cat discover their Witchcraft Powers = Undervalued Key); #45(1st PUSSYCATS BAND 300-500% Guide), 46-54(early PUSSYCATS BAND issues 150-200% Guide) 55-74(Giants 125-150%), 100-106(Low Print; 150%), JCP Presents Thunder Agents (200%), Jughead #325(2nd CHERYL BLOSSOM 200-500%), Jughead as Capt Hero(125%), Jughead Fantasy #1-3(135%), Jughead's Folly #1(1st ELVIS in comics 150%), Katy Keene (1949-1961) (#1-21 Low Print=150%); Katy Keene(1983-1990) (#1-20=150%; #21-32=200%; #33=300%), Laugh Comics #20-100,127-150,164,166,168, 200,300,400(120-150%); Laugh #106-109,111,113(Neal Adams; 150%); Life with Archie(1958) #1(200%), 2-20, 45-58, 59(1st app Little SABRINA 200%), 60-66,100,113,172, 176,190, 200,238,279,286(125%), LIFE WITH ARCHIE Magazine #1, 16 (Kevin Keller GAY Wedding), 23(11/2012; 1st app AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE on VARIANT cover by Francavilla = $20-$30+); Little Archie #1(200%), 2-66(125%), Madhouse #95-97(Horror 150%), Mighty Crusaders(1983-85 = 150%), PEP Comics #22-127(120-135%), 138-140(Neal Adams 200%), 150-160(150%), PEP Comics #155 (6/1962; Cat-Woman Horror Cover 400-1000%) 161(Josie Begins 300-500%), 162-170,200,224(1st Hot Dog), 298,300,393,400,411(150%); Red Circle Sorcery(150%), Riverdale Rambling (Archie Fanzine = $5-12 ea), Sabrina #1(150-200%), 2-17, 71-77 (135-150%), Scooby Doo(200-500%), SHEILD (1983-84 = 150%); SONIC the Hedgehog #1-50(120-150%), SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #1/4 (1991-1992; SEGA Game Ashcan; 1st App SONIC in comics; SCARCE; VF/NM $50); ** Scarcer SPIRE Titles; [Big Ethyl(150%), Mr Weatherbee(150%), Circus(200%), Date Book(150%), Festival(150%), Roller Coaster(200%), Sports Scene (200%), Christmas with Archie (Giant; 250%), Jughead Soul Food=150%] Suzie(120-135%), Tales Calculated to Drive you BATS(120%), That Wilkin Boy(150%), Thunder Agents (Archie; 150%), WHIZ KIDS (Archie & Radio Shack $5 ea), Wilbur (Katy Keene #5-56,58-69 & DeCarlo art in later issues = 120%);
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAPTAIN CANUCK COMICS;
The New 2015 CAPTAIN CANUCK series by Chapter House, has Caused Demand form BACK ISSUES to DOUBLE; The 7/2013 to 1/2014 CAPTAIN CANUCK Animated Cartoons released On-Line, are now also on DVD, fueling demand even more; Richard Comely does Signings at Canadian Comic Conventions & is Very Popular; Minds Eye Entertainment is still Developing a Feature Film/MOVIE for the big screen. We now sell Captain Canuck #1-14 with Special #1 (1975-1981) Sets for $99.00 and are getting close to Sold Out; CAPTAIN CANUCK #1(1975; VF=$20; CGC 10.0=$3000 CGC 9.8=$200) #15 [8/2004 150 copies Printed NM = $500); Polybagged Sets of #1,2 with 3-D DIORAMA VFNM=$39; The original Treasury Sized #4(2/1977; 1st Print in VF now sells for $300-$500) #4(2/1977; 2nd Print, only 15 copies printed has an estimated value of VF=$1200 FN=$600 G=$300); Captain Canuck Re-Born (1993/1994) current values; 0(English = 90,000 Printed VF $15), 0(French = 6000 Printed VF $40), 1(47,000 Newsstand GREEN-c; VF $15) 1(40,000 Printed bagged gold-c VF $20) 1(French = 6000 Printed VF $50); 2(30,000 Printed; VF $30), #3(8,000 Printed, but most Copies Destroyed thus RARE; VF=$150 VG=$75) CAPTAIN CANUCK: UNHOLY WAR (2004-2007) #1-4(VFNM set = $35.00) / CAPTAIN CANUCK: LEGACY #1 (9-10/2006 VFNM $12); Special Edition #1(9-10/2006; Signed & Numbered 1000 Copies VFNM $29); #1.5 Fan Expo Special Edition ( Summer 2011 = $15)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHARLTON comics;
DC Comics Bought all the CHARLTON SUPERHEROES Circa 1985 and MOST of them entered the DC Universe thru the CRISIS on Infinite Earths storyline. THIRTY YEARS LATER, collectors finally Noticed. In 2015 DC & Warner Bros announced a Big Screen BLUE BEETLE and BOOSTER GOLD Movie. Suddenly DEMAND for the Original Charlton KEY issues of BLUE Beetle went into the Stratosphere. This started a bid SPIKE in Demand for all the CHARLTON SUPERHERO Comics, especially the Major Heroes that have now been well established at DC for nearly 30 Years. The KEY issues are bringing 200-600%+ of Guide #45, while the standard issues sell at 120-135% Guide; BLUE BEETLE (see Capt Atom #83) #18-21(1955 150-200% Guide) V2 #1(6/1964; 1st SA Dan Garrett BLUE BEETLE; 300-600% Guide) V3 #50(7/1965; 1st issue; Dan Garrett BLUE BEETLE 200-400% Guide) #1(6/1967; 1st QUESTION; BLUE BEETLE Begins; 300-600% Guide) #1(1977 Modern Reprint VF = $75) / CAPTAIN ATOM #78(12/1965; 1st issue with new Title; 150%); #82(9/1966; 1st NIGHTSHADE later a Member of DC’s Modern SUICIDE SQUAD 300-600% Guide; CGC 7.5=$199) #83(11/1966; 1st Ted Cord BLUE BEETLE 1000-3000% Guide #45; VG=$150 G=$100 CGC 9.2=$1400 CGC 8.0=$750 CGC 6.0=$340) #83(1977 Modern Reprint VF=$150 FN=$100 VG=$60 G=$35) / Charlton Bullseye (Magazine) #1-5(125-150% Guide) / Charlton Bullseye (Comic) #1, 7 / CHARLTON PORTFOLIO NN(1974 Fanzine; UN-PUBLISHED Blue Beetle #6 =DITKO; 500 Copies? VFNM $89) / Charlton Premiere V2#1(1st Trio), V2#3(Sinistro Boy Fiend) / JUDOMASTER (KEY issues = 135-200% Guide) #89(5-6/1966 1st issue) 90(Origin of Peter Cannon THUNDERBOLT) 91(1st CAT; 1st SARGE STEEL Backup & Series Begins) 93(1st Tanaka aka the TIGER later AVATAR at DC) 95(1st ACROBAT) / Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds 46(1st SON OF VULCAN 150% Guide) / MYSTERIOUS SUSPENSE #1(10/1968 2nd app QUESTION 150% Guide) / SARGE STEEL #1(12/1964 1st SARGE STEEL 150% Guide) SECRET AGENT 9(1966 1st issue with new title) 10(Last SARGE STEEL; 2nd & LastTiffany Sinn, C.I.A. Sweetheart) SON OF VULCAN (1965-66 Formerly Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds) #49(1st issue with New Title; Early Dave Cockrum art) #50(Last SON OF VULCAN 1st ROY THOMAS Pro work) SPACE ADVENTURES #13(10-11/1954; LAST Pre-Code issue; 1st CHARLTON BLUE BEETLE 150-200% Guide) / SPACE ADVENTURES (1958-1964) #33 (1960; 1st CAPTAIN ATOM 150-200% Guide) #9-13(1978-1979; Reprints of CAPT ATOM from SPACE ADV in 1960-1961; 150% Guide) / SPECIAL WAR SERIES #4(11/1965; 1st JUDOMASTER; 150-200% Guide) / Strange Suspense Stories #75(6/1965; 1st CAPTAIN ATOM Reprint from Space Adv #33 150%) / THUNDERBOLT {Peter Cannon} #1(1/1966; 1st Peter Cannon THUNDERBOLT 200% Guide) 51-59; #60(11/1967 1st Only app PRANKSTER 150%)
Our OTHER Bestsellers (at 120% to 140% of Overstreet #45) included; Abbott & Costello, Battlefield Action #40 (2/1962; Basis for ROY LICHTENSTEIN painting Takka Takka 200-400% Guide), Barney & Betty, Beetle Bailey, Beyond the Grave, Bionic Woman, Blondie, Bobby Sherman, Bugaloos, Bullwinkle, Charlton Premiere V2 #2(11/1967; Children of Doom; Classic Phallic Symbol (PENIS) cover 200-400% Guide), Cheyenne Kid, Cowboy Western, David Cassidy, Dino, DOOMSDAY +1 (early JOHN BYRNE art) #1-6(150% Guide), Dudley Do-Right, EH, E-Man 1-10(especially BYRNE), Emergency (Comic & Mag, especially BYRNE), Flash Gordon, Flintstones, Ghostly Haunts, Ghostly Tales, Ghost Manor, Go-Go, Gorgo, Great Gazoo, Gunfighters, Hanna Barbera Parade, Haunted, Haunted Love, Hercules, Hong Hong Phooey, Huckleberry Hound, Jetsons, Jungle Jim, Jungle Tales of Tarzan, Kid Montana, Konga, Korg, Magilla Gorilla, Many Ghosts of Dr Graves, Masked raider, Midnight Tales, Monster Hunters, Outer Space, Outlaws of the West, Partridge Family, Pebbles, Phantom (Especially Don Newton), Ponytail, Popeye, Primus, Ronald McDonald, Quick Draw McGraw, Reptisaurus, Ronald McDonald, Scary Tales, SCOOBY DOO #1(8/1975; SCARCE due to HIGH Demand; 200-600% Guide) #2-11(150% Guide), Six Million Dollar Man (Comic & Mag), Soap Opera Love/Romances, Space 1999(comic & mag), Space War, Speed Buggy, Static, Strange Suspense, Strange Suspense Stories #72(10/1964; source for 1965-1966 Brushstrokes series ROY LICHTENSTEIN paintings 200-400% Guide), Thane, Thunderbolt, Top Cat, Underdog, Unusual Tales, Valley of Dinosaurs, Vengeance Squad, War, WAR Comics(Most 1950-1965), Wheelie & Chopper Bunch, Wyatt Earp, Yang, Yogi Bear, and MOST 1945-1959 issues.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DC COMICS;
Once again The DC Comics Related Movies, TV Shows & other MEDIA Comics are the Most Requested. All the MAJOR KEY issues of DC Comics are suddenly Up in Demand by 200-400%. Collectors have FINALLY noticed that Pre-1970 DC Key issues are SCARCE even in FINE 6.0 or Better. MOST of the Silver Age KEY issues in the Marketplace are in the FAIR to VERY GOOD condition Range, with High Grade beginning at FN or better; SELLERS are now getting a lot of KEY issues graded by CGC even in G/VG thru FN/VF grades (Where they previously only sent in VF or Better) and they are selling Fast, are the High Grade copies are now too expensive. First appearances of all the Major VILLIANS for all the Major Super-Heroes have Skyrocketed in Demand, many now selling at 200-400% Overstreet #45 prices; Silver Age DC comic KEY issues are still VERY LOW in prices when compared to their Similar Marvel counterparts; Speculators are ALSO starting to buy up all the Moderate and Minor KEY issues that are still have LOW Guide Values, many have NOT YET been Broken Out in Price, from Runs of lesser surrounding lesser issues. Since there are so very many issues to choose from, the simple appearance of a MAJOR VILLAIN or IMPORTANT Character in an issues, now make it a Minor KEY issue, while the surrounding issues with lesser characters remain SLOW sellers. (Example; Most Batman titles with these characters sell 200-600% Better than standard issues = Anarky, Bane, Batgirl, Black Mask, Black Spider, Catman, Catwoman, Clayface, Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Hush, Jason Todd, Joker, Killer Croc, Man-Bat, Mr Freeze, Penguin, Poison Ivy, Ra's Al Ghul, Riddler, Scarecrow, Talia Al Ghul, Two-Face, etc);
*** Below I present a List of The Most Requested, Best-Selling, and Most Under-Valued (Items with Potential & Future Key issues) of DC COMICS from 2015 (120% to 135% Overstreet #45 Prices, unless Noted); ** ABSOLUTE VERTIGO #1(300%) ** ACTION #242(1st BRANIAC 200-400%), #252(1st Supergirl & Metallo; 200-300%), 253(2nd Supergirl), 254--255, 267(3rd LEGION), 276, 283-288; #297(1st FULL General ZOD; 300%) #298(2nd full ZOD; 150%), #300, 309(pre death JFK 200%), #340(1st Parasite 200%), 347, 360, 373; WHITMAN Variants(200%); #419(Classic ADAMS-c; 1st BA HUMAN TARGET VFNM $99); #425; #432(1st BA TOYMAN 1st new TOYMAN 200%); #440(1st Grell on Green Arrow 150%); #471-473(FAORA Hu-UL; 150%); #484(w Rare 3-D Superman Doll = 400%); #513(1st full The H.I.V.E.); #521(1st DC Black Superhero = VIXEN-c/s; 200-300%); #552-553(1st-2nd FORGOTTEN HEROES Team; Immortal Man, ANIMAL MAN, Cave Carson, Congo Bill aka Congorilla, Dolphin, RICK FLAGG and the SUICIDE SQUAD, RIP HUNTER Time Master & the SEA DEVILS; NM- $20) 595(1st SILVER BANSHEE NM- $10) #583(150%); 835(1st LIVE-WIRE in the mainstream DC Universe NM $20); **** ADVENTURE #210(1st Krypto), #229(10/1956; First SA app in Title of GA version of Green Arrow = George Papp-a; First SA Aquaman = Ramona Fradon-a; 150%); #247(1st LEGION 150%); #248-249; #250, 256(#250 = 7/1958, 1st Kirby Green Arrow; #256 = 1/1959, First Transformative NEW ORIGIN for Green Arrow, as he becomes the new SA Hero by Jack Kirby; 150%); #251–255(early new Green Arrow by Jack Kirby); #256(1st Transformative NEW SA ORIGIN of GREEN ARROW, by JACK KIRBY; 150%); #260(1st SA ORIGIN of AQUAMAN = Ramona Fradon-a; 1st VIDAL 300%); #257-266,268,269(Green Arrow); #275, 282; #283(1st Zod =2 panel cameo; 200%); #290; #293(2nd Zod 2 panel cameo; 120%); #297; #300(LEGION Series Begins), 301-310,346,353, #381 (6/1969; SUPERGIRL Begins; 150% Guide); #400, 416; #428 (1st BLACK ORCHID; 200%); #429-430; #431(SPECTRE Beginns), 440, 459-461, 462 (Death GA Batman; 150%); 467(Starman & Plastic Man begin 150%); #491-503(Lower Print DIGESTS) ** Adv of Bob Hope #94,95,106-109 ** Adv of Jerry Lewis #68,74,97,101-105,112,117 ** Adventures of SUPERMAN #424(1st issue; 1st CAT GRANT; 1st Copper age GENERAL SAM LANE NM- $12) #465(1st Hank Henshaw later Cyborg Superman; NM- $15) #466(Hank Henshaw Part-2 NM- $8) ** All American Men of War #21,28,39,42,48,57,63,64,67-69,82; #89 (Source for ROY LICHTENSTEIN “Whaam!" and “As I opened Fire” = 400% Guide); #90(inspired ROY LICHTENSTEIN painting "Bratatat!" 250%) #112 ** All New Collector's Edition (Treasury) C-53-55, C-#C-56(Superman vs. Muhammad Ali; 200%); #C-58 (Superman Vs. Shazam; 2nd new BLACK ADAM; 200%); ** ALL-STAR #58(1st Power-Girl 200-300% Guide) #69(1st BA HUNTRESS, 150-200% Guide); ALL-STAR SQUADRON #1, #21(1st Jake Simmons aka DEATHBOLT NM- $12); #25(1st Albert Rothstein aka NUKLON Later becomes Atom NM- $12]; #26, 47; #61-67(Low Print) ** ALL-STAR WESTERN (1970-1972) #1; #2(1st Lazarus Lane aka EL DIABLO 200%) #3(ORIGIN El Diablo 150%) #10(1st JONAH HEX 150%) ** ** ** Amazing World of DC #1-4, 9,14-17 ** AMETHYST #1(1983; VFNM = $15); ** ANARKY #1(1997 NM- $10) ** Angel & Ape #1(150%), 3(classic vintage TWERKING cover 300%) ** AQUAMAN #1(150%); #11(1st Mera; 300%); #18(150%); #23(150%); #29(1st Ocean Master 300%); #33(200%); #35(1st Black Manta 400%); #50-52; AQUAMAN (1994-2001; Peter David-s) #0,1,2,75(150-200%) ** Atari Force (Mini Promo) #3-5(200% Guide), ** ATOM #1(150%); #3(1st TIME POOL & CHRONOS; 150%); #7(1st Atom HAWKMAN Team-Up); #8(Dr Light & JLA); #19[2nd ZATANNA 150%); #29(1st GA ATOM X-over in SA), 31(2nd HAWKMAN Team-Up), 36(GA Atom); ** ATOM & HAWKMAN #39(1st issue) ** AUTHORITY #1(5/1999; 200%) ** BATGIRL #70(1/2006 Resurrection of Nora Fries aka MRS. FREEZE becomes LAZARA; NM- $10) Batgirl Special #1(1988); ** BAT LASH 1 **** BATMAN #78(8-9/1953; Martian Manhunter Prototype); #105; #121(1st Mr FREEZE 200-300%); 129, 131, 133, 139(1st Original BATGIRL), 155[1st SA PENGUIN 200%); #156(Robin Dies at Dawn= classic DEATH of ROBIN-c; 1st ANT-MAN Team-Up with ROBIN 200%); #169; #171(1st SA Riddler 200% Guide); #179; #181(1st Poison Ivy 200-400% Guide); #183(2nd POISON IVY); #189(1st Scarecrow 200% Guide); #190(classic PENGUIN-c/s 150%); NEAL ADAMS (all Art or Cover issues = 125-150%); #197(1st BATGIRL in title; 4th SA CATWOMAN 150%) #200(ADAMS-c = First work on Title 150%); 219, 222(150%), 227(classic Adams-c 200-300% Guide); #232(1st Ras Al Ghul 150-200% Guide), #234(1st Bronze Age Two-Face); #235 + 240(2nd + 3rd app TALIA & RA'S AL GHUL; 125-150% Guide); #237,238,243-245, #251(classic Joker by Adams 200-300% Guide); #254-257; #258(RETURN of TWO-FACE; 1st Mention ARKHAM 125-150% Guide); #259; #260(2nd ARKHAM ASYLUM = 1st full name; new JOKER-c/s) #261-262; #300; #307(1st LUCIUS FOX 150%) #331(1st app First Electrocutioner 150%); WHITMAN Variants(200%); #332; #353(Masters of the Universe); #357(1st Jason TODD aka RED HOOD; CGC 9.8=$500; CGC 9.6=$275); 358(1st full KILLER CROC; NM- $30) 359(2nd full KILLER CROC; NM- $20) #361 (1st modern HARVEY BULLOCK 200%); #363(1st NOCTURA); #366, 368(150%); #369(RETURN of DEADSHOT); #386(1st BLACK MASK; CGC 9.8=$260; CGC 9.6=$160); #387(BLACK MASK; VF/NM $25) #357-402(Lowest Print Runs in the History of Title 75,303-97,741 per month = 150%); #389-392,396-399(all CATWOMAN) #397-398(TWO-FACE); #400(Giant); #404-408(BATMAN Year One by MILLER, basis for TV’S GOTHAM); #404 (1st Modern CATWOMAN; 150%); #417(1st Anatoly Knyazev aka KGBeast; 150%); #408-409(1st post-CRISIS Copper Age meeting of Batman and JASON TODD, Revamped Copper Age Origin JASON TODD who became the new ROBIN & later RED HOOD) #426-429(Death in Family 150%); #436(1st TIM DRAKE) #475(1st RENEE MONTOYA VF/NM = $25); 497(BANE 135%) #550(1st Cameron Chase NM- $10), 608(1st JIM LEE 150%) #635(1st JASON TODD as RED HOOD VFNM=$50 CGC 9.8=$275 CGC 9.6=$175) 655(1st Cameo Daiman Wayne NM- $15) 656(1st full Daiman Wayne NM- $15) 657(1st Daiman Wayne in ROBIN costume NM- $10) #666(1st Damian Wayne as FUTURE BATMAN NM- $15) **** BATMAN ADVENTURES #12(1st HARLEY QUINN CGC 9.8=$1800; CGC 9.6=$850; CGC 9.0=$450); #28(HARLEY QUINN; 150%); ANNUAL #1(3rd HARLEY QUINN 150%); Holiday Special #1(5th Harley Quinn 150%); Batman Adventures: MAD LOVE (CGC 9.8=$400; CGC 9.6=$200) ** BATMAN BEYOND #1(3/1999; NM- $18); ** Batman Chronicles Gallery #1 (1997; 1st HARLEY QUINN art outside of the DC Animated Universe = Two PINUPS; NM- $30); ** BATMAN FAMILY #1(150%); #6(1st DUELA DENT, Two-Face's Daughter in her Guise as the JOKER'S DAUGHTER, later becomes HARLEQUIN an inspiration / prototype Character of HARLEY QUINN; 200%) #9[2nd JOKER'S DAUGHTER, 1st Duela Dent as PENGUIN, RIDDLER & SCARECROW DAUGHTERS; 150%) #10; #16[JOKERS DAUGHTER 125%] ,18-20 **BATMAN & Outsiders #1(2nd Katana NM- $12); #5(NEW TEEN TITANS vs Fearsome Five 200%); #11-12( ORIGIN of KATANA 200%) ** BATMAN: SHADOW of the BAT #1 (1st VICTOR ZSASZ; VF/NM $10); ** Batman: Sword of Azrael #1(150%), 2-4(125%) ** Batman Vengeance of Bane #1(150%); ** Batman Killing Joke #1(1st Print NM- $75) #1(2nd-14th Printings = Scarcer than 1st print = NM-= $35 each) ** BATMAN MR. FREEZE #1(5/1997; 1st NORA FRIES aka MRS. FREEZE NM- $10) ** Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children #21-30(Low Print 200-300% Guide) ** Best of DC Digest 1,3,4,10, 21 & 41-71(Low print) ** Beware the Creeper #1 ** Birds of Prey #1(VF/NM $20); #8(Nightwing; VF/NM $60); #76 (1st Black Alice NM- $20); ** BLACKHAWK #108(1st DC issue); #117(1st app Original MR FREEZE 200%); #118(Frazetta), 133, 141, 151,164; BLACK LIGHTNING #1(4/1977 NM- $36) BLUE BEETLE #1(6/1986; NM- $20) BLUE DEVIL #1(6/1984; NM- $10) ** Blitzkrieg 1 ** Booster Gold (1986) #1(200%); #2-25(150%) ** BRAVE and the BOLD #1; 25(1st SUICIDE SQUAD-c/s; G-FN=200-400% Guide); #26-27(SUICIDE SQUAD; 150%); #28(1st JLA 150-200%); #29-30; 34(1st SA Hawkman 150-200%); #37-39(SUICIDE SQUAD; 150%); 50-53; #54 (1st TEEN TITANS 300%) #55-56; #57(METAMORPHO 200%); #59(Batman Team-Ups Begin 150%); #60(2nd TITANS 1st WONDER GIRL 300%); #61(1st SA ORIGIN WILDCAT + BLACK CANARY 200%); #62,63, 79-84; #85(1st new GREEN ARROW costume 200%); #86, 87, 93, 118,131,141, 182,197; WHITMAN Variants(200%); #200(1st KATANA = TV's ARROW; Low Print; VF/NM=$30); ** Capt Action #1 ** CAPTAIN ATOM #1(3/1987 1st Captain Nathaniel Christopher Adam aka the New DC Post-Crisis Copper Age CAPTAIN ATOM; NM- $12); ** CHALLENGERS OF UNKNOWN (inspired Fantastic Four) #1; #3(9/1958; Rocky Returns from Outer Space with Powers similar to FF 150%); #48. 74, 81-87 ** CRISIS on Infinite Earths #1(1st Blue Beetle at DC; 1st Pariah) #2(1st cameo ANTI-MONITOR) #4(1st LADY QUARK 1st new Dr Light; Death of Monitor) #5(1st full ANTI-MONITOR) #6(Earth-S, Earth-X & Earth-4 Merge; 1st Captain Atom at DC) #7(DEATH of SUPERGIRL) #7(DEATH of SUPERGIRL) #8(DEATH of Barry Allen FLASH) #10(Death Aquagirl & Spectre) #11(Single Earth new DC Universe created) #12(Wally West becomes new FLASH; MULTIPLE DEATHS** Dark Mansion 1-4 Daring New Adventures of SUPERGIRL (1982-1983); #1(ORIGIN of SUPERGIRL; Masters of the Universe preview insert Comic; NM- $15); #8(DOOM PATROL-c/s; 1st Ben Krullen aka REACTRON NM- $10); DC Challenge #9(7/1986; 1st SON OF VULCAN in the DC Universe; NM- $6); ** DC Comics Presents #1, 2; #22(Rare Whitman Variant; VF=$1000; VG=$400); #26(1st New Teen Titans; raw VFNM=$120; CGC 9.8=$600; CGC 9.6=$300); #27(1st MONGUL NM-=$40; CGC 9.8=$300; CGC 9.6=$170); #47(1st Master Universe; NM-=$75; CGC 9.8=$450; CGC 9.6=$190); #49(classic Superman/Capt Marvel vs BLACK ADAM Battle; NM- =$35; CGC 9.8=$150; CGC 9.6=$75); #56; #77-78(Forgotten Heroes VFNM=$15); #85-88, 94, 97 & Annual #1 ** DC 100 Page Super Spectacular #4-14 **** [ DC REPRINTS (2nd, 3rd, 4th & more Printings) = In Almost all Cases, these are much Scarcer with many that are RARE, as compared to the Common First Printings (VARIANT Collector's have paid $25 to $100 each for some of the RARE issues); The Best know ones are BATMAN #397(7/1986), 398.399,401-403,408-416,421-425,430-432 all had 2nd Printings in 1989, with Some issues up to 8 Printings; Some are NOT identified as Reprints, but have newer ADS after the cover Dates; ALL of these Reprints have DIFFERENT AD'S on the BACK covers then Original 1st Printings; ALL the REPRINTS have the SAME value as the 1st Prints] NOTE: VARIANT Collector's will pay 50-200% Premiums for these Scarcer Reprints ] **** DC Special #2-4,6,11,28,29 ** DC SPECIAL SERIES #1(1977; 1st Patty Spivot aka Ms. Flash & Hot Pursuit 150%); #3-13,15; #16(Death of Jonah Hex 150%); #18-24,27 ** DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest 1,3,7,11,16, 20-24 ** DC Super-Stars #17 (1st BA HUNTRESS, raw VFNM=$99; CGC 9.8=$900; CGC 9.6=$325); ** DEATHSTROKE the Terminator #1 (8/1991; NM- $15) #48-50( Crimelord/Syndicate War: Part 1 of 4; New Teen Titans = Supergirl /the Matrix, Darkstar /Donna Troy, Impulse /future Flash, Arsenal /future Red Arrow), Terra, and Damage, Outsiders, Hawkman, Extreme Justice, Steel, Checkmate, Deadshot, Blood Pack, Vigilante, Sargent Steel; continued in New Teen Titans #122; NM- $15 each) #60(Scarcer LAST issue NM- $12)
**** DETECTIVE COMICS (1937-2011) #27(1984 Oreo Promo Reprint CGC 9.8=$140 CGC 9.6=$75); #225(1st MARTIAN MANHUNTER 135%), 230(1st Mad Hatter 150%) 233(1st Batwoman 150%); #235,236,259; #267(1st Batmite 150%); #293(AQUAMAN Begins - Pre #1 = 200%); #298(1st SA CLAYFACE 150); #311(1st CATMAN G-FN=150-200% Guide); #318 & 325(1st/2nd Batwoman as Catwoman); #322(only original Batgirl in Title); #327,328,345(1st Blockbuster), 347(DEATH of BATMAN); #355(4th ZATANNA 150%); #354(1st Dr. Tzin-Tzin); #359(1st BATGIRL 200%); #362(Riddler), 363(2nd Batgirl 150%), 364(Riddler), 365(Joker); #369(ADAMS-a; 4th Batgirl, 3rd SA Catwoman 150%), 370(1st Adams-c) 371(classic Batgirl-c 1st new TV Batmobile 150%); #372; #373(3/1968; FIRST Victor Fries in Comics as MISTER FREEZE formerly MR. ZERO 150%); #377(Riddler); #384(1st Solo BATGIRL-s); #385,387(30th Anniversary), 388(Joker) 389,391,392-399; #400(1st Man-Bat; G-FN=200%; VF up= 150%), #401-404; #405(1st LEAGUE of ASSASSINS G-FN=300% VF up=200%); #406-410; #411(1st TALIA; G-FN=200%; VF up= 150%), #412; #413(classic Graveyard/Horror-c by ADAMS); #414-424; #425(WRIGHTSON-c); #437(new Manhunter begins 150%); #438-440; #441(6-7/1974; 1st Original HARVEY BULLOCK 150%); #442-445; #457(ORIGIN Batman 200%); #463(1st BLACK SPIDER 200%) [classic Marshal Rogers-a #466-468,471-479, 481] #469(1st Dr Phosphorus); #470(1st Silver St. Cloud 150%) #471-472(1st Bronze Age Hugo Strange); #473(PENGUIN); #474(1st new Bronze Age DEADSHOT 150%) #475-476(classic JOKER Laughing Fish-s) #477(vs Dr Tzin-Tzin ADAMS-a) #478-479(1st-2nd Bronze Age CLAYFACE); #479-481; #482-569 (LOWEST Print Runs for Title, 64,635 to 89,635 copies 150%); #521(Green Arrow series begins 200%); #523(2/1983; vs SOLOMON GRUNDY-c/s; 1st cameo KILLER CROC NM- $35) #524(2nd full KILLER CROC NM- $22) #553(2nd BLACK MASK; NM- $20); #569. 570, 572, 574-578; #608(1st ANARKY NM- $25); #626(1st full Buchinsky original Electrocutioner 150%) #644(1st Lester Buchinsky new Electrocutioner 150%); #647(1st Stephanie Brown aka SPOILER becomes BATGIRL in 8/2009; NM- $20) #648-649(Stephanie Brown; VFNM=$10); #742(1st CRISPUS ALLEN VFNM NM- $15); #783(1st NYSSA Raatko, aka NYSSA al Ghul NM- $12); #880(Classic Joker Cover NM- $50); 881(2011 LAST issue NM- $10); **** DIVERGENCE #1(6/2015; Previews of JLA in DARKSEID WAR & 1st full GRAIL Darkseid's daughter; FCBD; NM- copies with NO store Stamp on cover $8) ** DOOM PATROL (1st series) #86(200%), 99(1st Beast Boy later of Teen Titans VG=$99; CGC 9.0=$502), 100(200%), 121(150%) ** Doom Patrol (2nd Series) #1,19,35,36,42-44,87(all 150-200%); ** Doorway to Nightmare #1(Madame Xanadu) ** EL DIABLO 1(8/1989; 1st Rafael Sandoval new Copper Age EL DIABLO later of SUICIDE SQUAD NM- $15) ** EX MACHINA #1(8/2004 NM- $20); ** FABLES #1(7/2002 150%);** FIRESTORM (1978) #1(125%); #3(1st KILLER FROST; NM- $50); #2,4,5(2=1st MULTIPLEX 4=HYENA; NM- $25 each) ** 1st Issue Special #1,5,7-9,12,13 **** FLASH (1959-85) #105(1st issue 150-200%); #106(1st Grodd 150%); #107-109; #110(1st Wally West Kid Flash 150-200% Guide); #111; #112(1st Elongated Man 150%); #113(1st Trickster 150-200%); #114-116; #117 (1st CAPT BOOMERANG 200-300%); #118-121; #122(1st Top 150%); #123(GA Flash Returns 1st Mention Earth-2 150%); #124-127,129; #128(1st Abra Kadabra 135%); #129(1st SA app of GA GREEN LANTERN 150%) #130(1st GAUNTLET of SUPER VILLIANS = Mirror Master, Capt Cold, the Top, Capt Boomerang & Trickster 150%) #139(1st Prof Zoom Reverse Flash; G-FN=300%; VF-NM=200%); #140(1st HEAT WAVE 150-200%); #147(2nd Prof Zoom FN=$75 NM-=$500); #153,165,175,186(3rd to 6th Prof Zoom Reverse Flash 125-150%) #165(Barry Allen & Iris West Wed) #175(SUPERMAN FLASH RACE); #186(Re-Intro SARGON) #198(6th ZATANNA, Her FIRST SOLO-s; 200%); #214,217-219,226,229, 232; #275-276(Reverse Flash Kills IRIS West/Allen wife of Flash; 200%); #286(Rare WHITMAN VARIANT; VF $300); #289(1st FIRESTORM Backup & SERIES Begins; 250%); #298(1st New SHADE); #300(200%); #306(Dr Fate begins 200%); #306-313(Dr Fate 150%); #323(vs Reverse Flash NM- $20); #324(Flash KILLS Prof Zoom NM- $30); #350(RETURN of Reverse Flash & Iris Allen 200%); **** FLASH (1987) #1(150%); #92(1st IMPULSE 150%); #174(1st TAR PIT NM- $10); #183(1st ALEX WALKER new TRICKSTER NM- $20)
• #197(1st Hunter Zolomon as ZOOM; NM-=$50 CGC 9.8=$230 CGC 9.6=$150); FLASH: Secret Files & Origins #3 (1st Hunter Zolomon. Later becomes ZOOM; NM-= $35 CGC 9.8=$135); ** FLASH: IRON HEIGHTS #1(10/2001 1st IRON HEIGHTS Prison; 1st BLACKSMITH, DOUBLE DOWN, GIRDER & MURMUR NM- $35); ** Flex Mentallo #1(200%) #2-4(150%) ** FOREVER PEOPLE #1(1st FULL app DARKSEID, = 3rd app anywhere; 150-200%); FOX & CROW #1(150%), 2-10(Low Print 125%), 95(1st Stanley & Monster 150%); ** FREEDOM FIGHTERS #1(200%); #2-9(150%); #10-15(200%) ** FURY OF FIRESTORM #1(6/1982; NM-=$30 CGC 9.8=$120); #3,4,20(all KILLER FROST 4=JLA NM- $8) #15(1st Henry Hewitt Corporation aka TOKAMAK NM- $8) #17(1st FIREHAWK NM- $8) #21(1st Louise Lincoln new KILLER FROST; DEATH of Crystal Frost original KILLER FROST; NM- $15) #23 (1st BYTE aka FELICITY SMOAK = CW TV’s ARROW 200%); #24 (Origin BYTE; 1st of BLUE DEVIL 200%); #28(1st SLIPKNOT NM- $15); #34 (1st new KILLER FROST; 200%); #48(1st MOONBOW), 53(1st SILVER SHADE), 58(1st New PARASITE); #61(LOGO TEST VARIANT 150%); #63(Capt Atom), 64(SUICIDE SQUAD); #81-100(LOW PRINT) ** FURY OF FIRESTORM the NUCLEAR MAN #19[6/2013; 1st Caitlin Snow as new KILLER FROST NM- $25) ** Ghosts #1-5, 97-99 ** G.I. COMBAT #44, 55-58, 66; #67(1st Tank Killer 150%); 68(Top SGT ROCK Prototype 150-200%); #83; #87(1st Haunted Tank 150-200%); #88-93; #94(Source for ROY LICHTENSTEIN Painting = 150-200%), #95-100, 108, 114; #138(1st LOSERS 150-200%); #150(DEATH of Haunted Tank 150%); #168(ADAMS-c 150%); #193, 200-202 ** Girls Love #150, 161-170; ** Girls' Romances #78 + 105(both Source for ROY LICHTENSTEIN Paintings = 300%), #109,134, 159, 160; ** GOTHAM CITY SIRENS (CATWOMAN, POISON IVY and HARLEY QUINN); #1(150%); #5,5,21,23(all HARLEY QUINN 200%); ** GLOBAL FREQUENCY #1 (1/2003 TV Series? NM- $10) ** GREEN ARROW (1983) #1(150%); ** GREEN ARROW (1988) #1(150%); #75, 97-100,,104,110, 111,125,137(150%); #0(1st Connor Hawke 200%); #96(300%); #101(Death Oliver Queen 150%) ** GREEN ARROW LONGBOW HUNTERS (all 150%) #1(1st SHADO) #3(1st Eddie Fyers); GREEN ARROW; YEAR ONE (Source for ARROW TV Series) #1(NM- = $10) #3(1st CHINA WHITE NM- $10); #2, 4-6 (NM- = $6) Green Arrow (Brightest Day) #1(8/2010; 1st Isabel Rochev; NM- $10) **** GREEN LANTERN (1960-1986) #1(125%); #7(1st SINESTRO; 300%); #13; #9,11,15,18 (2nd to 5th Sinestro = 125%) #16(1st SA STAR SAPPHIRE; 150%); #29(1st Blackhand 125%); #40(ORIGIN of INFINITE EARTHS 2nd GA Green Lantern in SA; ORIGIN Guardians 125%) #42( 1/1966; 3rd ZATANNA 125-150%); #45(2nd GA GL); #59(1st GUY GARDNER 200%) #76(GREEN ARROW Team-ups Begin by ADAMS 125-150%); #77-84; #85-86(SPEEDY the JUNKIE Anti-DRUG issues 150-200%) #87(1st JOHN STEWART 200%); #88-90, 100,112; #116(1st GUY GARDNER as GL; 200%); #123, 141, 181,182,185,188; #192(Re-Intro STAR SAPPHIRE; M.A.S.K. Preview insert 150%), #194-195(150%) GL Corps Annual #2,3(Alan Moore) **** [ HARLEY QUINN (Early appearances & KEY issues include, 150-300%+ Guide) includes; Action Comics #765(5/2000), 770(10/2000), Adventures of Superman #583(10/2000), #600(3/2002), Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60(1/2000), Batman #570(10/1999), 573(1/2000), 613(5/2003; Sold Out), Batgirl Adventures #1 (2/1998; Poison Ivy appears), BATMAN ADVENTURES #12 (9/1993; 1st HARLEY QUINN); #28(1/1995; 4th HARLEY QUINN-c/s?); ANNUAL #1(9/1994; 3rd app); HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1 (1/1995; 5th app?); MAD LOVE #NN(2nd app); BATMAN BEYOND, RETURN JOKER, Batman: Collected Adv #2; Batman & Robin Adv (1995) #18(5/1997 6th app?); Batman Chronicles Gallery #1 (5/1997; 7th app?), Batman: Gotham Adv #10(3/1999), 14,29,30,43, BATMAN HARLEY QUINN #1(10/1999), Batman Harley and Ivy (2004) #1-3; Batman Legends Dark Knight #126, Batman: No Man's Land Gallery #1 + Secret Files #1 (12/ 1999), Batman: Shadow of Bat #93 Batman & Superman Adv: World's Finest #1 (10/1997), Birds of Prey #27, CATWOMAN (1994) #63, 71, 82-84, Dark Claw Adventures #1, DETECTIVE #737, 740, 741 831, 837, HARLEY QUINN (2000-2004 series) #1-38, Harley Quinn: Our Worlds At War #1(10/2001); Joker / Mask (2000) #1-4,, Superman (1987) #161, Superman Emperor Joker #1, Superman Man of Steel #105, THRILLKILLER: BATGIRL & ROBIN #1(1/1997); Thrillkiller '62 #NN(1998), Wonder Woman #164;] **** HAWK and DOVE #1(1968 150%) #1(10/1988; Dawn Granger as the new female DOVE; NM- $12); ** HAWKMAN #1(150%); #4(1st ZATANNA 250%); #9,18; ** Heart Throbs #47, 101, 133-142 ** HELLBLAZER {John CONSTANTINE} #1(150%) ** Hot Wheels 1-6 ** House of Mystery #84(150%), 143(150%), 155, 156(150%), 160(150%), 174(150%), 175-195, 204,207,209,213, 215,216,218, 221,224-229,231,236,251-256; #290(1st I VAMPIRE 150%); #321 ** House of Mystery Halloween Annual #1(12/2009 1st I, ZOMBIE NM- $35) ** House of Secrets #23; #61(200%); #73; #81(150%); #82-91; #92(1st SWAMP THING 125-150%); #93-100; #140(1st Solo Patchworkman 150%); #154 ** HUNTRESS #1(4/1989 NM- $10) ** In Days of the Mob #1(with Poster 150%) ** ISIS (1976) #1-8(200%); ** Joker (1975) #1-9(150%); ** Jonah Hex #1; #2(1st EL PAPAGAYO; VFNM=$100); #7-9; #23(1st MEI LING Later becomes the WIFE of Jonah; NM- $35); #91-92(Low Print) & Digest 1-3 ** ** JOKER/MASK (2000) #1-4(POISON IVY & HARLEY QUINN 150%) ** JSA #5(12/1999; 1st GEOMANCER NM- #6) ** JSA Secret Files and Origins #1(8/1999 1st Kendra Sunders new HAWKGIRL NM-=$35; CGC 9.8=$150) **** JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA (1960-1987) #1(150%); #2,3; #4(Green Arrow joins JLA 125%); #5-8; #9(Origin JLA =150%); #10(1st Felix Faust); #14(Atom Joins); #21,22,29(all JSA/Crisis 125%); #27(1st
Crime Syndicate of America); #30; #31(Hawkman Joins JLA), 37-39(JSA), 42(Metamorpho), 46-47(JSA); #51(5th ZATANNA 150% Guide); #55(1st GA Robin in SA 150%); #56(JSA; 1st GA Wonder Woman in SA 150%); #64(JSA, ORIGIN Red Tornado 150%); (NEAL ADAMS Cover issues 125%) #65(JSA); #73(1st GA Superman in SA); #74(Black Canary Joins; 1st meeting GA & SA Superman 150%); #75[2nd GREEN ARROW in SA Costume; 1st Dinah Laurel Lance aka BA BLACK CANARY 200%); #78(1st SA Vigilante 150%); #87 (7th ZATANNA); #91(1st meeting GA & SA Superman); #92(SOLOMON GRUNDY & JSA); #94(1st MERLYN aka Arthur King the Arch-Enemy of GREEN ARROW; 200% Guide); #95-99; #100(1st meeting GA & SA WONDER WOMAN) #100-102(JSA & Seven Soldiers of Victory 135% ); #103(PHANTOM STRANGER Joins) 105 (ELONGATED MAN Joins) 106(New RED TORNADO Joins 150%); #107-108(Crisis Earth-X Return of GA Uncle Sam, Black Condor, the Ray, Dollman, Phantom Lady & Human Bomb; JSA 150%); #111( JLA vs Injustice League 1st Libra); #116(1st Charlie Parker Golden Eagle) #123-124(JSA), #128(Wonder Woman Rejoins); #129(Death Red Tornado); #135-136(Shazam Squadron of Justice; 1st-2nd BA app GA Bulletman, Bulletgirl, Spy Smasher, Mr Scarlet, Pinky & Ibis 150%); #137(JSA; Classic SUPERMAN vs GA CAPTAIN MARVEL battle 150%) #143(Superman vs Wonder Woman battle; 1st MARK SHAW as PRIVATEER formerly MANHUNTER;; SCARECROW, POISON IVY, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Chronos, Hawkgirl, Tattooed Man, Royal Flush Gang & Mirror Master appear 150%); #146(HAWKGIRL Joins), 147,148, 159,160; #161(ZATANNA Joins 150%); #166-168(JSA vs Secret Society Super Villains Identity Crisis 150%); #171,172; #179(FIRESTORM Joins 150%); #183-185(New Gods, Mr Miracle, JSA, Huntress & Power Girl vs DARKSEID; Movie Plot? 150%); #195-197(JSA vs Secret Society Super Villains), 200, 207-209(JSA); #219-220(True Origin Black Canary); #231,232, 260,261, ANNUAL #2(1984 1st new JLA with VIXEN NM- $10) **** JUSTICE LEAGUE (1987) #1(1st Maxwell Lord 200%); #3(Variant 150%); Justice League of America (2006) #7 ( Roy Harper aka Speedy becomes RED ARROW NM- $10); ** Justice League (2011-2015) #40(5/2015; DARKSEID-c; 1st Cameo GRAIL Darkseid's daughter NM- $8) ** JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #13(1/2003; 1st Olivia Dawson aka ALL-STAR NM- $25]; ** JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1(11/2011 NM- $10); ** Justice Society of America (1992-93) #1(1st Jesse Belle Chambers aka JESSE QUICK NM- $10)
** Kamandi #58,59 ** KINGDOM COME (150%) #1(Last Days of DC Universe 1st MAGOG); #2(ROY HARPER aka Speedy as RED ARROW) #3-4(Return of Captain Marvel)
** Last Days of JSA #1(200%) ** Leave it to Binky #61 ** LEGENDS (1986-1987; Red Hot DARKSEID Storyline; BYRNE-c/a; Copper Age START-UP for New Copper Age Flash, JLA, Shazam with Black Adam & Suicide Squad series); #1 (1st Copper Age CAPT MARVEL-c/s; 200%); #3(1st new Copper Age SUICIDE; 150%); #6(1st Copper Age JLA; 200%); ** LEGION of Super-Heroes (1980) #259(1st issue); #290-294(Great Darkness Saga DARKSEID 150%); #297(1st Amethyst 300%); #300; ** Legion(1984-89) #37,38(DEATH of Superboy 150%) ** Limited Collector's Edition (Treasury) #NN(#20 = 200%); #23-25,32-34,37,39,41,43-46,48-52,57 ** Leading #1(Winter 1941; 2nd Green Arrow? 110%); ** LUCIFER #1(6/2000 NM-$35; CGC 9.4=$99); LUCIFER SWAMP THING PREVIEW #NN (#1; 2000; ASHCAN Promo NM- $15) ** MAN OF STEEL #5(12/1986 1st Copper Age LUCY LANE later new SUPERWOMAN); ** M.A.S.K. #1 (12/1985 from Toys & TV Cartoon; Paramount and Hasbro MOVIE? NM- $10) ** Masters Of The Universe (HE-MAN, Mini Series) #1-3(150%); ** Men of War 1,26 ** METAL MEN (1963-78; Barry Sonnenfeld Warner Bros MOVIE?) #1(150%); #21,27,45; ** Metamorpho #1(150%), 10(125%); MISTER MIRACLE (1971-1978); #1(150%); #2(1st Granny Goodness) #4(1st BIG BARDA 200%) #6(1st FEMALE FURIES 125%); ** More Fun Comics #73(11/1941; 1st Aquaman 1st Oliver Queen the Green Arrow & 1st Speedy; 150%) ** MY GREATEST ADVENTURE #80(1st DOOM PATROL; 200-400%); #81-85(Doom Patrol) ** Mystery in Space #1,6, KIRBY issues, 26; #53(135%); #75(JLA), 87-90(Hawkman Team-Up), 103(1st Ultra) ** NEW GODS (1971); #1(3pgs Darkseid; 135%); #2(2nd full DARKSEID 1st Cover; 135%); ** NEW TEEN TITANS (1980) #1(raw VFNM=$50; CGC: 9.8=$250; 9.6=$125) #2(1st Deathstroke; raw VFNM=$125; CGC: 9.8=$560; 9.6=$230) #13-14(150%); #16(1st Captain Carrot 150%) #21(1st BROTHER BLOOD, Baron Winters, Harbinger, Monitor 150%) 26(1st TERRA 200%); #28(1st TERRA vs Titans Battle) #29(1st Adam Chase; Return of Speedy /Roy Harper); #32(1st Thunder & Lightning; Origin Kid Flash) #38(Origin of Wonder Girl) ANNUAL #2 (1st VIGILANTE in Costume 1st Lyla Michaels aka HARBINGER 150%); ** New Titans #122(Crimelord/Syndicate War: Part 3 of 4; Kyle Rayner, Deathstroke, Supergirl, Donna Troy, Impulse, Arsenal /future Red Arrow, Terra NM- $12);
#130(2/1986 = 400%); ** OMEGA MEN #3 (1st of LOBO; CGC 9.8=$150); #5,9(2nd-3rd LOBO); #10(1st full LOBO story); #26-27(ALAN MOORE-s); #34-35(Teen Titans X-over)
** 100 BULLETS #1(1999; raw VFNM= $50; CGC 9.8=$200); ** Our Army at War #1, 51,61,67; #83(1st True app Sgt Rock; 200-300%); #84-111; #112(classic Roster 150%); #113,114; #115(MLLE MARIE 150%); #116-128, 130; #151(1st ENEMY ACE 150%); #152-155,158,162,163; #168(1st UNKNOWN SOLDIER 150%); #182,183,186, 220, 235-246, 251-253, 269,275,280(OAAW #81,83-r), 300; ** Our Fighting Forces #1,41,45, 49; #66,71(Both Source for ROY LICHTENSTEIN Paintings = 200%) #99,106,121; #123(1st LOSERS 150%); #133-137, 146, 151-162, 181; ** Phantom Stranger (1969-76) #1(150%); #2-14; #23(1st Spawn Frankenstein 150%); #26; #31(Black Orchid Begins 135%); #33,39-41(Deadman) ** PLASTIC MAN (1966) #1(150-200%); #2-20; ** PLOP (Wolverton & Wood) #1,5; #23(Lord of Rings, Wood-a 200%);** PREACHER (1995) #1 [1st JESSE CUSTER & Saints of Killers; 150%); #13(1st HERR STARR; 300%); #51(100 Bullets Preview; 200%); 65(Death of HERR STARR; 300%); ** QUESTION #1(1987 150%); ** RED (Basis for Movie #1, 2 & BNC TV series) #1 (9/2003; 1st PAUL MOSES NM- $12) ** RAGMAN #1(1976 150%); ** RED ROBIN #1(8/2009; 1st TIM DRAKE as RED ROBIN NM- $10) ** RICHARD DRAGON (1975) #1(1st RICHARD DRAGON, 1st Ben Stanley aka BEN TURNER later BRONZE TIGER; 150%); #5 (1st LADY SHIVA; 400%); #14(Spirit of BRUCE LEE; 200%); #18 (1st BEN TURNER as BRONZE TIGER; Scarcer LAST issue; 200%); ** RIMA (1974) #1(classic GGA 150%);** RIP HUNTER (1961-65) #1(200%), 20(Hitler); ** Rudolph 1950-1963(150%); ** Rudolph #NN(1972; aka C-20; Treasury; 200%), ** RONIN (Possible Movie?) #1(1984; 1st RONIN), 6(Low Print) ; ** SANDMAN (1989; NEIL GAIMAN); #1 (1st MORPHEUS; 150%); #4(1st LUCIFER Morningstar; raw 200%); #8(1st DEATH; 150%); #22(1st DANIEL; 200%); ** Secret Hearts #83,88(both Source for ROY LICHTENSTEIN Paintings = 300%); #120,127,134,141,142 ** SHAZAM (1973-1978); #1(125%), 8(Marvel Family #1-r = ORIGIN & 1st BLACK ADAM); #17(BLACK ADAM Cameo on page 24 & mention on page 40); #25(1st ISIS 150%); #28(1st BLACK ADAM; 150%), 34,35; ** SEA DEVILS #1(1961 125%); ** SECRET ORIGINS #1(1961) #1(1973) ** SECRET ORIGINS (1986-1990; IMPORTANT UNDER-VALUED Major DC Copper Age Series, NEW UPDATED ORIGINS, for the POST-CRISIS 1986 & Newer DC Universe = MOST are the FIRST "COPPER AGE" ORIGINS of these Heroes) #11(POWER GIRL NM-$10) #13(NIGHTWING NM-$12) #14(Three versions of the ORIGIN of SUICIDE SQUAD NM-$20) #20(BATGIRL), 21(Jonah Hex), 31(JSA), 32-35(JLA), 36(Poison Ivy by Neil Gaiman NM- $8), 38(Green Arrow, Speedy) 39(Animal Man) 41(Rogues Gallery of FLASH) 44(Origins of CLAYFACE I, II and III) ANNUAL #1(8/1987 Origin of Original & New DOOM PATROL pre #1 NM- $10); ** Secret Society of Super-Villains (1976-78) #1(150%); #2-14(135%); #15(150%); ** Secrets of Haunted House 1-5,44 ** Sgt Bilko #1 ** SGT ROCK #302(150%), 303-320(120%); 400-421(Low Print 150% Guide), 322(200% Guide) **SHOWCASE (1956-1978) #4(1st SA Flash 125%); #6-14; #17(1st Adam Strange 150%); #18, 19; #20(1st RIP HUNTER 200%); #22(1st SA Green Lantern 135%); #23-24; #27(1st SEA DEVILS); #30(Origin SA AQUAMAN 150-200%); #34(1st SA ATOM 150%); #37 (1st METAL MEN 150-200%); #43(James Bond 1 50%); #45; #53(1st DC GI JOE 150%); #54; #55(HOURMAN & DR FATE vs SOLOMON GRUNDY; 1st SOLO GA GREEN LANTERN in SA; 1st SA SOLOMON GRUNDY; ORIGIN of HOURMAN & DR FATE in Text-s; 200%); #56(150%); #57(ENEMY ACE 150%); #58; #59(3rd TEEN TITANS 200% ); #60(1st SA SPECTRE 150%); #61; #62(1st Inferior 5); #64,70; #73(1st CREEPER 150%); #74(1st Anthro); #75(1st HAWK & DOVE 150%); #76(1st Bat Lash); #77(1st Angel & Ape); #79(1st DOLPHIN 135%); #80(1st SA PHANTOM STRANGER 150%); #81,83,84; #94(1st new DOOM PATROL 1st NEGATIVE WOMAN 200%); #95,96; #97(Origin POWER IRL 200%); #98-100 ** SHOWCASE ’96 #3(1996; 1st BIRDS OF PREY PROTOTYPE with LOIS LANE, BLACK CANARY and Barbara Gordon; NM- $18); ** Sinister House #1-4 ** SPECTRE (1967-69) #1(150%); #2-5, 9 ** ** SPECTRE V3#54(6/1997; 1st MICHAEL HOLT new MISTER TERRIFIC NM- $50); ** Spirit World #1(Kirby; with Poster 150%); ** STARMAN #1(1988 150%); #9(4/1989 1st Roland Desmond new BLOCKBUSTER NM- $6); #0,1(1994 150%); ** Star Spangled War Stories #131(#1 150%); #45,53,62,64,67; #84(1st MLLE MARIE 400-600%); #85-89(MLLE MARIE 200-400%); #90(1st WAR THAT TIME FORGOT 200-300%); #92, 95-100; #94(12/1960-1/1961; TRUE 1st Baron Von Richter "GHOST ACE" aka ENEMY ACE-s predates OAAW #151 by 4 Years; 200-300%); #102(Source for ROY LICHTENSTEIN Paintings = 200%); #134; #138(ENEMY ACE Begins 150%); #139-150; #151(1st Solo UNKNOWN SOLDIER 150%) #154( 1st Time ORIGIN UNKNOWN SOLDIER; 150%); #151-155, 181-183,200; ** STRANGE ADVENTURES (1950-1973) #1; #9(150%); #104, 114,; #117(150%); #124,177; #180(1st ANIMAL MAN; 300%); #184, 190,195, 201 (2nd to 5th ANIMAL MAN G-FN=200-300% Guide; 8.0-9.2=150-200% Guide); #187(1st ENCHANTRESS; 300%); #191, 200 (2nd & 3rd ENCHANTRESS 200% Guide); #205(1st Deadman; 200%), 206-217,222; ** STALKER #1(1975 150%); ** STARFIRE #1(1976 150%); ** STEEL (1978) #1(150%);** SUICIDE SQUAD (1987) #1(125%); #4(Chronos & NIGHTSHADE Join NM- $10) #11-12(11 Speedy, VIXEN, Black Orchid- app; 12= VIXEN Joins NM- $10) #13(JLA vs Suicide Squad) #16(RE-INTRO SHADE the Changing Man NM- $10); #23(1st ORACLE aka Barbara Gordon; 200%); #26(Death of Rick Flag), 27-30(Janus Directive; X-over with Firestorm, Captain Atom, Checkmate); #33(Poison Ivy Joins) #38(Origin BRONZE TIGER Barbara Gordon revealed as Oracle NM- $10) #40-43(BATMAN) #44(1st Adam Cray aka ATOM, Origin Captain Boomerang NM- $8) #48(JOKER & ORACLE aka Barbara Gordon aka BATGIRL aftermath of KILLING JOKE Part-1 of 2 NM- $45) #49(JOKER & BATGIRL NM $25) #58(BLACK ADAM); #59-61(JLA), 66; ** Super A / Super AA / Super B (DC 1970's Magazines; FN/VF $15 each), ** SUPERBOY (1949-1979) #5; #10(150%); #49 (1st Original SA METALLO 125%); #68(Origin & 1st Original BIZARRO; 150%); #78, 80,83,86; #89(1st MON-EL 150%); #93,94,98,100, 104,115(Atomic Bomb-c/s Phantom Zone), 129,138,147; #171(1st Aquaboy 150%); #185, #197(LEGION series Begins 150%); #198-200, 202(Grell 1st comic work), 205, #226(1st Dawnstar-c/s = Native American Super-Heroine NM- $30); #240(ORIGIN Dawnstar NM- $22); ** Super DC Giant #S-13 thru S-26 ** SUPER FRIENDS (1976-1981) #1(1st Super Friends in Comics-c/s; Cheetah, Toyman & Poison Ivy app 150%); #7(1st Zan and Jayna the Wonder Twins, Seraph & Gleek 200%); #13(1st DR MIST later of Justice League Dark 200%); #14(Origin Wonder Twins 200%); ** SUPERGIRL (1972; 1-5,7= ZATANNA appears) #1(120-150% Guide); #2-10 ** SUPERGIRL (1983-84) #14-23 Low Print 200%); SUPERGIRL (1996-2003) #1(150%); SUPERGIRL (2005-2011) #35(1/2009; 1st LUCY LANE as new SUPERWOMAN NM- $12)
*** SUPERMAN (1939-1986) #100, #123(Supergirl Tryout 125%), 125(1st Original Power Girl), #127(1st app Titano 150%), 129(1st Lori Lemaris the Mermaid 135%), 146, 147, 149(Death of Superman); #158(1st Firbird & Nightwing), 167(new Origin Braniac), 168(Luthor & JFK), 170(JFK); #199(1st Superman/Flash Race 1 35%); #200; #233 (1st NEW Direction SUPERMAN; Classic ADAMS-c; 200%); #245,249, 252,254,264,272, 276,278,279; #281(1st VARDOX 200%); #284,292, 300, 301,317,323,338,344,354,376,400, 411; #423(LAST issue; ALAN MOORE-s 150%); ** SUPERMAN (1987) #1(1st Copper Age METALLO; VFNM $10); #75(Death Superman 150%); **** SUPERMAN ADVENTURES (1996-2002); #4(LIVEWIRE Preview; VFNM $20); #5(1st comic app LIVE-WIRE; raw VFNM $60; CGC: 9.8=$280; 9.6=$160); #21 (1st Animated SUPERGIRL VFNM $15); #22 (2nd cameo LIVE-WIRE VFNM $15); #23(2ndfull LIVE-WIRE; VFNM $25); #25 (1st Animated Barbara Gordon BATGIRL in Title; VFNM $15); #65(3rd full LIVE-WIRE; VFNM $15); #66(LAST issue; 4th LIVE-WIRE-c/s; DARKSEID app; VFNM $20); ** SUPERMAN FAMILY #164(1st issue 150%); #182-185(ADAMS-c 150%); #203(1st Unnamed app H.I.V.E.); #204-205 (1st & 2nd Full Cover Appearance of ENCHANTRESS in SUPERGIRL Story = Her Only 2 appearances in the 1968-1984 Era; VFNM $15); #211(Earth-2 Batman & Catwoman marry 150%); ** SUPERMAN MAN OF STEEL #17(DOOMSDAY Cameo; NM- $50; CGC 9.8=$200); #18 (1st full DOOMSDAY; NM- $40; CGC 9.8=$135); #18(has 5 Printings; 5th Print = Rare); ** Superman's Girl Friend LOIS LANE #1-10, 12(Aquaman), 14; #17(2nd app BRANIAC 150%); #23(1st Elastic Lass; 1st Lena Thorul = Luthor’s sister 150%); #29, 33; #36(4/1959; 1st LUCY LANE, the younger sister Lois Lane; 200%); #47, 50; #70 (1st SA CATWOMAN; 200%) #71(2nd SA CATWOMAN; 150%); #74(1st Bizarro FLASH 135%); #79-95,108(ADAMS-c); #89(Batman), 93(Wonder Woman); #105(ORIGIN & 1st ROSE & THORNE; 150%); #106(Lois SKIN COLOR turns BLACK; 200%); #111(JLA), 113(uncommon Giant), 132(Zatanna), 136(Wonder Woman), 137(Last issue); ** Superman's Pal JIMMY OLSEN #1-10, 29; #31(1st Elastic Lad 150%); #36(intro Lucy Lace 150%); #37, 48, 57,62,63, 72,77, 79(BEATLES spoof); (ADAMS-c issues); #133(1st app KIRBY's Fourth World; 150%); #134(1st cameo DARKSEID 200%); 135(2nd Cameo DARKSEID 150%); ** SWAMP THING (1972) #1; #2(1st cameo Patchwork Man); #3(1st full Patchwork Man) ** SWAMP THING (1982-1996) #20 (1st ALAN MOORE; 150%); #21(Origin Swamp Thing by MOORE; 150%); #22-24; #25(1st Cameo CONSTANTINE aka HELLBLAZER; 150%); #26-30; #37(1st full CONSTANTINE aka HELLBLAZER; 150%); #49-50(JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK Prototype; Alan Moore-s; NM- $35); #67(6 Page HELLBLAZER Preview; VFNM $25); #171(400%); ANNUAL #2(1985; JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK Prototype; Alan Moore-s; NM- $35); ** Swordquest (Mini Promo) #3(Scarce VF $25), ** TALES OF THE NEW TEEN TITANS (1982 Mini; PEREZ-a; Secrets, ORIGIN & Histories) #1-4 (1=CYBORG, 2=RAVEN, 3=CHANGELING, 4=STARFIRE; NM $10h); ** Tales of the TEEN TITANS (1984-1988) #42-43(Judas Contract; VFNM $10 ea); #44(Origin DEATHSTROKE; 1st NIGHTWING; 150%); #52(1st full Azrael 200%) #91(Scarcer LAST issue; 200%) ANNUAL #3(2nd full NIGHTWING; 150%); ** TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED #1; (KIRBY-a issues)40(SPACE RANGER begins; 125%); #91(1st Automan 150%) ** TARZAN #207; TARZAN FAMILY #60; ** Teat Beat 1, Teen Beam 2; ** TEEN TITANS (1966) #1(200%); #2-5; #19(SPEEDY begins) #20-23(ADAMS-a; 21-22=Hawk & Dove; 22= Origin of WONDER GIRL; 150%); #23(WONDER GIRL new Costume); #25(HAWK & DOVE appear; 1st LILITH later joins in #50 150%); #26(1st Mal Duncan, aka Guardian = one of DC's first black superheroes, later marries BUMBLEBEE 150%) #29+31(HAWK &DOVE; 29=OCEAN MASTER), 30(AQUAGIRL) #44(1st Mal Duncan as the GUARDIAN vs Dr. Light 150%); #47(125%); #48[JOKER'S DAUGHTER becomes HARLEQUIN = 1st App = 150%); #49-52(Duela Dent as HARLEQUIN appears 125%); ** TEEN TITANS SPOTLIGHT #1(8/1986 150%); #3-6(JERICHO); #7-8 (HAWK); #9(CHANGELING; Doom Patrol) 10,18(AQUALAD) 11(Brotherhood Of Evil); 12(WONDER GIRL) #13(CYBORG); #14(NIGHTWING 200%) 15(Omega Men); 16-17(Thunder & Lightning); #19(STARFIRE & Harbinger); #20(CYBORG); #21(Scarcer LAST issue) ** TITANS #1(3/1999; 1st DAMIEN DARHK NM- $12); ** TOMAHAWK #1,28,81, 83,96; #116(Adams –c 200%); #117-119, 121,123-130(Adams-c 150%) ** TRANSMETROPOLITAN #1(1997; 1st SPIDER JERUSALEM 150%) #13(1st Gary Callaham aka SMILER - Arch-Enemy 200%); ** TV Screen Funnies (Scarce) 129-138 ** Unexpected #105,116,119,128,157-162, *** Unknown Soldier #205(150%), 219(Frank Miller 150%), 265-268 ** VERTIGO GALLERY: DREAMS and NIGHTMARES #1(1/1995; TIES with Absolute Vertigo as 1st True app PREACHER NM- $35) ** V for Vendetta #1(150%), 2-10 ** Watchmen #1(150%), 2-12 ** WARLOD #1 ** Weird Mystery #1,2,21 ** WEIRD WAR TALES #1-5, 8, 64(1st MILLER 300%), 68(2md Miller 200%), #93(Origin & 1st CREATURE COMMANDOS & General Matthew Shrieve; 150%); #94(War that Time Forgot returns 150%); #101(1st J.A.K.E. 1, G.I. ROBOT 125%); ** Weird Western #12(150%); #13-20, #22(1st Cameo QUENTIN TURNBULL); #29(ORIGIN OF JONAH HEX; 1st FULL app of Arch Enemy QUENTIN TURNBULL; 135%); #39(1st Scalphunter 150%); #48-50,70 ** WHITMAN Variants of DC Comics (200% Guide; ** Rare JUNE 1980 Variants = VF$300-$500) ** Witching Hour #1(150%); #2-14, ** WONDER WOMAN (1942-1986) #61-97,101-105,106,107-110,111-120(Low Print 125-150%); #98(1st SA Wonder Woman 1st Steve Trevor 200%); #105(Origin 150%); #121,122,124,128,129; #159(1st SA ORIGIN 150%); #160(vs CHEETAH Battle-c/s; 1st SA CHEETAH 300-400%);
#177(classic SUPERGIRL vs WONDER WOMAN 150%) #178(10/1968; MOD-c; 1st New WONDER WOMAN on cover Only; 200%); #179(12/1968; CLASSIC-c; 1st full New WONDER WOMAN without Costume & without Powers thru to #203; 1st I-CHING 200%); 199(Jones-c 150%); #200(Wonder Woman in BONDAGE Jeff JONES painted-c 200%)
#201-202(vs Catwoman; 202= 1stFafhrd & Grey Mouser 150%); #204(Return of old Wonder Woman costume; Death of I CHING; 1st NUBIA; 150%); #205(Origin NUBIA; Classic BONDAGE-c = WW Strapped to BOMB Aimed over NYC 200%); #211,214(100 Pages); #213(Flash), 215(Aquaman) #216(Black Canary) #217(68 Page Giant; Green Arrow); #218(Phantom Stranger & Red Tornado; Statue of Liberty-c); #219(Elongated Man); #220(Neal ADAMS art assist; ATOM & Chronos); #223-228, 249(Hawkgirl), 250(1st ORANA the new WW); #267-268(1st Copper Age Animal Man 200%); #271(HUNTRESS & 3rd Life Steve Trevor Begin); #274(1st Deborah Domaine new Bronze Age CHEETAH 150%); #281-283(Joker); #287(New Teen Titans); #291-293(Supergirl, Power Girl, Batgirl, Huntress, Black Canary; x-Over); #300; #29(150%); ** Wonder Woman (1987-2006) #1(150%); #7(1st Dr. Barbara Ann Minerva new Copper Age version of CHEETAH 200%); #50,63, 85-89; #90(1st ARTEMIS); ** WORLDS FINEST #71; #84(10/1956; First SA app in Title of GA version of Green Arrow; 150%); #88, 90(3rd Batwoman), 94(Origin), 95 #96(10/1958), 97-99(new SA version of Green Arrow by Jack Kirby; 135%); #100-140(Green Arrow appears); #111(1st William Tockman aka the CLOCK KING in Green Arrow-s 150%); #113,117; #125(AQUAMAN Begins 150%); #129,142, 144,148, 154,156, 166,169; #173(2/1968; 1st SA TWO-FACE 150%); #176-176(ADAMS); #178(1st Super Nova 150%); #198-199(2nd SUPERMAN vs FLASH Race 150%); #200,215, 217, 223-228, 244-253; #246(1st Baron Blitzkrieg) #257(3rd All-New Story BA BLACK ADAM 150%) #264,267(all BLACK ADAM); #300(125%); #323(200%);
** Y: the Last Man #1(150%); #2-60 ** Young Love #39,69,73,78,79,88-96,107-114, 121-126 ** Young Romance #125,154,163,164, 170-183,194-204;
DC Comics Back issue Sales are dominated by their Long-Standing classic characters & Teams, especially; Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, JLA, JSA, Legion , Superman, & Wonder Woman, so it might shock readers to realize all these titles were poor sellers with low print runs in the early 1980's. ** Circulation Statements reveal these Low Print Runs; Batman #357-402(75,303 to 97,741/month), Detective #482-569(64,635 to 89,635/month), Flash (1959) #317-350(72,771 to 69,881/month), Green Lantern (1960) #150-195(89,657 to 80,765/month), Justice League (1960) #234-257(96,281 to 82,406/month), Superman (1939-1986) #403-423(98,767/month), Wonder Woman (1942) #299-329(73,256 to 52,145/month); Miller revived Batman, Byrne revived Superman & Crisis revived the others, with sales of these backbone characters never again low since the mid-1980's. Batman is by far the most collected DC character, as Spider-Man is to Marvel, yet 1960's Batman price are far more affordable. Justice League is easily the mostly collected DC Team series, yet price remain more affordable when compared to marvel's Fantastic Four of the same time period. Since Crisis & George Perez resurrected Wonder Woman in 1987, she has become arguably the most important female character in comics history. Wonder Woman (1942) #51-130 are in very Low Supply on the marketplace, a very tough run to complete, with G-FN condition copies often bringing 125-200% Guide. Wonder Woman (1942) #177-220 are in steady demand. Wonder Woman (1987) #50-100, 121-226 are hard to keep in stock & usually sell at 25-100% Over Guide;
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DELL Comics;
Due to the Wide Price Jump from FN to VF or Better Copies, Most buyers want only FN or Lower Graded copies, except for KEY issues; Strangely Enough, the Guide has recently Dropped G-FN Prices, while leaving VF-NM prices alone, the Opposite of what is happening in the REAL Market; Bestselling Titles (G-FN=120-150% guide; FN/VF-VF/NM= 100-120% Guide) included; Adventures of Mighty Mouse, Air War, Andy Panda #35-56 (Chilly Willy Backup-s issues), Annie Oakley, Bat Masterson, Beetle Bailey, Beep Beep Road Runner, Ben Bowie, Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, Big Valley, Brave Eagle, Bugs Bunny, Bullwinkle, Cheyenne, Chilly Willy, Cisco Kid, Colt 45, Combat, Creature, DELL Giants (Bugs Bunny, Lone ranger, Little Lulu, Nancy, Tarzan, Western Roundup, Yogi Bear, etc), Dracula 1, Dunc & Loo, Felix the Cat, Flintstones, Flying Nun, Flying Saucers, Four Color (Many People are attempting to Collect the entire series; #601-1354 have the majority of the Most requested issues, and far outsell the Scarcer #1-600), Frankenstein 1, Fritzi Ritz (with Peanuts), F-Troop, Gene Autry #101-121, Get Smart, Ghost Stories, Gidget, Have Gun Will Travel, Hogans Heroes, Howdy Doody, Huckleberry Hound, I Dream of Jeannie, I Love Lucy, Indian Chief, Jetsons, John Carter of Mars, John Wayne Movie Classics (all), Jungle War, King of Royal Mounted, Kona, Laramie, Lawman, Leave it to Beaver, Little Lulu, Lone Ranger 1-10, 112-145 Looney Tunes 1-50, 201-246, March of Comics (50% of this Promo Giveaway series are above average sellers), Maverick, McHales Navy, Melvin Monster, Monkees, Movie Classics (Western, SF & Horror), Mummy, Nancy (Peanuts-s, Oona-s, Stanley-a), New Funnies 65-120, 241-288, Outer Limits, Peanuts, Pogo, Ponytail, Popeye, Quick Draw McGraw, Rawhide, Real McCoys, Red Ryder 1-118, Ricky Nelson, Rifleman, Rin Tin Tin 18-38(TV's RUSTY & the Cavalry of Fort Apache issues), Rocky & Friends, Roy Rogers 119-145, Sgt Preston, Smokey Stover, Tales of Wells Fargo, TARZAN 1-30, 80-131, Thirteen, Tip Top #211-225(with Nancy & Peanuts), Tom & Jerry #60-100, Tonto, Top Cat, TUROK, Twilight Zone, Voyage to Bottom of Sea, Wolfman, Woody Woodpecker, Wyatt Earp, Yak Yak, Yogi Bear & Zorro.
Over 100 different DELL Comics have a REGULAR Edition (with AD on the BACK cover), but ALSO have a VARIANT Edition with a Comic Strip or Other illustration on the BACK cover = These VARIANTS are in Increasing DEMAND and currently sell for 20-30% MORE the Regular Editions (I have Many of the Documented on the Website under DELL and WALT DISNEY Comics);
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOLD KEY COMICS;
Strictly Graded VF or Better copies in High Demand on KEY issues, more Collectible titles remain hard to find, but sell well on the right books. The Bestselling Titles (G-FN = 120-140% guide) included; Addams Family, Amazing Chan, Atom Ant, Astro Boy, Auggie Doggie, Avengers (TV) #1(AD Back-c 125%), 1(Photo back-c 150%), Bamm Bamm, Banana Splits, Battle of the Planets, Beatles the Yellow Submarine (with Poster 150% Guide), Beneath Planet of Apes (with Poster 150% Guide), Beep Beep 1-10, Beetle Bailey, Boris Karloff, Bugs Bunny 86-100, Bullwinkle, Cave Kids, Close Shaves of Pauline Peril, Daffy Duck 31-50, Dagar, Dan Curtis (Giveaways) #1-9, Daniel Boone, Dark Shadows 1,3 (with Poster 150-200% Guide), 2, 4-35(125%), Doc Savage #1(150-200%), Doctor Solar #1(200%), 2-20(125%), Family Affair, Fat Albert, Flash Gordon, Flintstones #7,11,16,24,33,34(the Key issues = 150-200% Guide), Frankenstein Jr(150%), Fun-In, Funky Phantom, George of the Jungle, Gold Key Spotlight, Gomer Pyle, Green Hornet 1-3, Grimm's Ghost, Hair Bear Bunch, Hanna-Barbera (all #1 & Key issues), Hanna Barbera Super TV Heroes, Hanna-Barbera Bandwagon, Happy Days, Honey West, H.R. Pufnstuf, Huckleberry Hound, Inspector, Jetsons #1(150%), 2up(120%), John Carter #1-3(150%), Jonny Quest, Korak, Kroft Supershow, Lancelot Link, Land of Giants, Laredo, Lidsville, Little Lulu #207 up, Little Monsters, Lone Ranger, Looney Tunes 1-10, Lucy Show, Magilla Gorilla, Marges Little Lulu 165-206, Magnus Robot Fighter #1(200% Guide), 2-20(125%), Man from UNCLE #1(150%), Mars Patrol, Mighty Samson #1(150%), 2-10(120%), Mighty Hercules, Mighty Mouse, Milton Monster, Mister Ed #1-5(150%), Mr & Mrs J Evil Scientist, MOD LOVE #6201(#1; One-Shot; 1967 200-400%), Munsters #1(200%), 2-16(150%), My Favorite Martian, Nancy & Sluggo, Occult Files of Dr Spector, Peanuts (150%), Peter Potomus, Phantom #1(150%), 2-17(120%), Pink Panther, Popeye, Quick Draw McGraw, Ripley's Believe it or Not #1(150%), 2-30(125%), Rifleman (150%), Rocky & Fiendish Friends, SCOOBY DOO #1(300%), 2-20(150%) Secret Squirrel, Snagglepuss, Snooper & Blabber, Space Family Robinson #1(150%), 2-20(125%), Space Ghost, Space Mouse, Spine Tingling Tales, Star Stream, Star Trek #1(150%) 2-3(Photo BACK-c Variants 150%), 2-9(125%), Supercar, Tarzan, Tasmanian Devil 1(150%), Three Stooges, Time Tunnel, Top Cat, TUROK & Twilight Zone, UFO Flying Saucers, Underdog #1(200%), 2up(125%), all Gold Key VARIANTS , Wacky Races, Wacky Witch, Wagon Train, Wild Wild West 1(150%), 1(Photo BACK-c Variant 200%), 2-3(Photo BACK-c Variant 150%), 2-7(125%) Woody Woodpecker 75-100, & Yakkey Doodle.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HARVEY Comics;
The BACK TO THE FUTURE Comics are suddenly in DEMAND due to the 30th Anniversary of the Movie #1 and the fact that Doc Brown travels with Marty and Jennifer to the year 2015 in Movie #2; Back to the Future (11/1991-6/1992; all Gil Kane-c) #1-4(VF/NM $20 each)
Back to the Future: Forward to the Future (10/1992-2/1993) #1-2(VF/NM $20 each) Back to the Future SPECIAL #NN (#1; One-Shot; 1991; the Animated Series; Promo/Giveaway; Low Print & Scarce; VF/NM $30)
BEETLEJUICE Comics are Also suddenly in DEMAND due to Director Tim Burton Confirming that production is to begin the BEETLEJUICE 2 Movie; Winona Ryder will again play Lydia Deetz. (all sell in VF/NM for $20 each); BEETLEJUICE #1(10/1991; One-Shot; 1st BEETLEJUICE in Comics)
Crimebusters on the Haunt #1-3(9-11/1992), HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1(2/1992); IN THE NEITHERWORLD #1(11/1991; One-Shot; 2nd BEETLEJUICE in Comics);
All 1950-1975 CARTOON Titles were in Above Average Demand, in FA/G thru FN Grades. Most 1976-1990 were in Moderate demand (mostly in VG to VF grades); Most 1991-1994 Titles were in Low Supply & Good Demand, in any Grades; The HIGH GRADE HARVEY FILE Copies that have Hit the Marketplace in the Last Five Years, currently have more Supply than Demand thus usually sell Near Guide Prices with NO Premiums, Given a few More Years these should all be in Permanent Collections and Once again Begin to Bring Premium Prices;
>>> Bestselling titles Includes; (G-FN=130-150% Guide, unless Noted) Include; Baby Huey 1-10, Blondie (undervalued), Caspers Ghostland, Casper & Nightmare, Dagwood, Devil Kids, Family Funnies, Flintstones (Undervalued = 200-400% Guide), Fruitman, Hanna-Barbera Giant Size(200-500% Guide), Harvey Hits 1-75, Harvey Pop, Hot Stuff the Little Devil #1(400% Guide), Jetsons (Undervalued = 200-500% Guide), Little Dot, Little Dot's Uncles & Aunts, Little Lotta, Playful Little Audrey, Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm(Undervalued = 200-500% Guide), Richie Rich (all 1960-1974), Sad Sack (all Pre-1965), SCOOBY DOO (RED HOT & Undervalued = 300-500% Guide), Spooky, & Stumbo Tinytown, Tuff Ghosts, TV Casper & Co, Underdog(Undervalued = 300% Guide), Unearthly Spectacular, Wendy, Yogi Bear(Undervalued = 200-400% Guide),
>>> Other Great Sellers (Guide; G-FN=120-135% Guide, unless Noted) include; all 25 cent Square-bound Giants, Alarming Tales, Alarming Adv, Alvin, ASTRO Comics (Giveaway with 21 Variations Known & Documented on my website), Baby Huey #11up, Black Cat, Blast-Off, Bunny, Casper the Friendly Ghost 1-20, CASPER (assorted Titles, 1961-1974), Chamber of Chills (150-300% Guide), Dotty Dribble, Felix the Cat, First Love, First Romance, Friendy Ghost Casper, Harvey Collectors Comics, Harvey Hits 76-122, Joe Palooka, Little Audrey (all titles), Little Max, Man in Black, Mazie, Mutt & Jeff, Richie Rich (all 1976-1994), Sad Sack(all 1965 up), Tastee-Freez, Thrill-O-Rama, Tomb of Terror(150-300% Guide), Warfront, Witches Tales(150-300% Guide), & Woody Woodpecker.
Canadian VARIANTS of the Square-Bound Giants (35 Cents rather than 25 cents) are SCARCE ans sell at 125-150% Guide
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARVEL COMICS;
*** Below I present a List of The Most Requested, Best-Selling, and Most Under-Valued, and Items with Potential (Future Key issues) of MARVEL Comics from 2015 with Prices Realized & Notes (Percentages Listed are based on Overstreet #45 Prices); ALF #48(apparent RAPE cover; VF/NM, 9.0 = $39) / ALIAS #1 (1st JESSICA JONES; NM=$89; CGC 9.8=$299) #22-23(ORIGIN CGC 9.8 set =$325) / ALL-NEW X-MEN #40(Iceman is GAY; NM $10) / ALPHA FLIGHT #33(1st cameo LADY DEATHSTRIKE; NM=$30; CGC 9.8=$150) #34(1st full LADY DEATHSTRIKE; NM=$20; CGC 9.8=$125) #106(Northstar is Gay CGC 9.8=$99) / ALPHA FLIGHT (1997-1999) #17 (12/1998; 1st BIG HERO SIX VF+= $25; CGC 9.8=$120) / AMAZING ADVENTURES #1(6/1961; 1st DR DROOM 150% Guide) / AMAZING ADVENTURES (1970-1976) #1 (BLACK WIDOW & INHUMANS; Undervalued VF/NM, 9.0 = $105.00) #11(BEAST begins; VF/NM=$299); #18 (1st KILLRAVEN Undervalued VFNM=$50; CGC 9.4=$150); #1 (1979 REPRINT of X-MEN #1 VFNM=$25; CGC 9.8=$199) / Amazing Fantasy #15(2002 Reprint CGC 9.2=$125) / AMAZING FANTASY V2 #15 (8/2006; 1st Amadeus Cho VFNM=$50; CGC 9.8=$450 9.6=$250 9.4=$175) / AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL (2006-2009) #1-A,1-B,1–C(Undervalued 200% Guide) / AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963-1998 = 120-150% Guide unless noted) #1-20, 28, 39-40,50; #41(1st RHINO 150-200% Guide) #59 (1st Jane Watson-c) 61(1st Gwen Stacy-c) 62(MEDUSA of Inhumans-c/s) 78(1st PROWLER-c/s early BLACK Anti-Hero) 83(1st Full VANESSA FISK Kingpin's Wife) 86(Re-Intro & ORIGIN BLACK WIDOW in new Costume) 92(ICE MAN Battle-c/s) 96-98(GREEN GOBLIN DRUG Story issues) 101-102(1st MORBIUS) 113(1st HAMMERHEAD) 119-120(vs HULK) 121(Death of GWEN STACY G-FN=150-180% Guide; VF-NM=150% Guide) 122(Death GREEN GOBLIN) 123(vs LUKE CAGE) 124(1st MAN-WOLF) 125(ORIGIN MAN-WOLF) 129(1st PUNISHER G-FN=140-160% Guide; VF-NM=125-140% Guide) 136(1st new GREEN GOBLIN) 149(1st CLONE) 194(1st BLACK CAT G-FN=150-200% Guide VF-NM-=150% Guide) 209(1st CALYPSO = BLACK Female Villain) 210 (1st MADAME WEB) 229-230(Juggernaut) 238(1st HOBGOBLIN) 252(1st BLACK COSTUME in TITLE) 298-299(Venom) 300(1st full Venom 150% Guide) 301(Classic-c 200% Guide) 308(early TASKMASTER) 315-318(Venom) 344-345(1st CLETUS KASADY aka CARNAGE 150% Guide) 361(1st full CARNAGE 150% Guide) 362-363(Carnage) 430-431(Carnage & Silver Surfer 150% Guide) 529(1st IRON SPIDER ARMOR; VFNM=$40; CGC 9.8=$160) / AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #1(1st SINISTER SIX G-FN=150-200% Guide VF-NM-=150% Guide) 16(1st Black Female CAPTAIN MARVEL VFNM=$15; CGC 9.8=$99) 21(Wedding) 22(1st SPEEDBALL VFNM=$20; CGC 9.8=$199) / AMAZING SPIDER-MAN V3#4-A(2014; 1st Full CINDY MOON CGC 9.8=$70) V#4-B(1:10 RI VARIANT CGC 9.8=$90) / A-NEXT #7(1st Cameo HOPE PYM CGC 9.8=$125) #12(1st full HOPE PYM CGC 9.8=$125) /ANNIHILATION CONQUEST #6(1st new GUARDIANS of GALAXY CGC 9.8=$175) / ASTONISHING TALES #1(Ka-Zar, KRAVEN, DR DOOM VF/NM=$90) 6(1st cameo BOBBI MORSE later MOCKINGBIRD VF+, 8.5=$110 CGC 9.2=$250) 12(1st full BOBBI MORSE later MOCKINGBIRD, 2nd MAN-THING VF=$40) 23-24(IT, the Living Colossus & FIN FANG FOOM 125-150% Guide) 25(1st DEATHLOK VFNM=$129 CGC 9.4=$275) 29(reprint 1st Guardians of Galaxy CGC 9.4=$150) / AVENGERS (1963-1996 120-150% Guide unless noted) #1,4(150% Guide) 2,3,5,7,10; #6(1st Baron Heinrich ZEMO 150% Guide) 8(1st KANG 150% Guide) 9(WONDER MAN 150% Guide) 11(SPIDER-MAN Battle; Beware KANG Pinup often missing) 13(1st Count Nefaria & MAGGIA) 16(New Avengers Lineup; 200% Guide) 19(1st SWORDSMAN Origin HAWKEYE) 28(1st COLLECTOR) 32(1st Dr. Bill Foster later BLACK GOLIATH = Undervalued) 46(Re-Intro ANT-MAN) 47-49(MAGNETO battle) 48(1st BLACK KNIGHT) 51(2nd COLLECTOR) 52(1st GRIM REAPER, Black Panther Joins) 54-55(1st ULTRON) 56(BUCKY & ZEMO) 57(1st VISION, 1st full ULTON G-FN=150-200% Guide) 58(Origin Vision) 59(1st Yellowjacket 150% Guide) 62(classic BLACK PANTHER = Reprinted in JUNGLE ACTION #5) 66 (1st mention of ADAMANTIUM ULTRON cameo) 67(1st ULTRON-c) 69(1st cameo SQUADRON SINISTER 1st GRANDMASTER) 70(1st full SQUADRON SINISTER) 71(1st INVADERS 150% Guide) 80(1st RED WOLF 200% Guide; CGC 9.4=$349) 83(1st LIBERATORS 200% Guide; CGC 8.0=$250 CGC 9.4=$600) 85(1st SQUADRON SUPREME 150% Guide; CGC 9.2=$200) 89-97(classic KREE/SKRULL WAR) #111(BLACK WIDOW Joins; X-MEN & MAGNETO-c/s) 112(1st MANTIS; CGC 8.0=$150; CGC 9.4=$600) 125(THANOS VF=$65; CGC 9.4=$250) 134-135(ULTRON & TRUE ORIGIN VISION 150% Guide) 144(1st HELLCAT VF=$75; CGC 9.4=$300) 165(BYRNE-a PEREZ-c 1st GYRICH) 167-177(KORVAC Saga with Guardians) 181(1st SCOTT LANG VF=$45; CGC 9.8=$300) 183(MS. MARVEL Joins) 185-186(Origin Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch 150% Guide) 195(cameo TASKMASTER VF=$25; CGC 9.8=$150) 196(1st full TASKMASTER VF=$50; CGC 9.8=$400) 223(3rd Taskmaster) 229(HAWKEYE kills EGGHEAD 200% Guide) 257(1st NEBULA CGC 9.8=$125) 315-318(SPIDER-MAN app, 316 = Joins Avengers) 326(1st RAGE) / AVENGERS ANNUAL #2(New AVENGERS vs early Alternate Universe ORIGINAL AVENGER; 150% Guide; Scarce in VF or better) 6(1st Heinrich Zemo as BARON ZEMO?) 7(Thanos) 10(1st ROGUE & Madelyne Pryor) / AVENGERS #40(2015 BLACK PANTHER & BLACK BOLT KILL SUB-MARINER NM = $10) / AVENGING SPIDER-MAN 9(2012 1st CAROL DANVERS as CAPTAIN MARVEL CGC 9.8=$125) / Baby's First Deadpool Book #1 VFNM $40 / BATTLE SCARS 6(1st PHIL COULSON CGC 9.8=$150)/ BLACK GOLIATH 1(CGC 9.6=$150 CGC 9.8=$250) BLACK PANTHER 1(1977; 1(CGC 9.6=$250 CGC 9.8=$525) BLACK PANTHER 5(5/2005; 1st Shuri NM $10) / BLADE RUNNER (1982) 1-2(VFNM $10) / Cable & Deadpool 38(1st BOB Agent of HYDRA VFNM $10) / CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968-1996 120-150% Guide unless noted; 145-192, 217-332 = all Undervalued) 100(1st issue) 109(Origin) 110(1st MADAME HYDRA 150-200% Guide) 111&113 Steranko) 117(1st FALCON G-FN=150-200% Guide CGC 8.0=$350 CGC 9.4=$1100) 144(1st Femme-Force) 153-156(JACK MONROE & 1950’s Cap 150-300% Guide) 157(1st VIPER 200% Guide) 163(1st SERPENT SQUAD) 164(1st NIGHTSHADE early BLACK Villainess 150-200% Guide) 168(1st Helmut ZEMO VF=$60; CGC 9.6=$300 CGC 9.4=$200) 172-175(X-MEN) 180(1st NOMAD 200% Guide) 181(1st new CAP 200% Guide) 186(Origin Falcon 200% Guide) 192(1st Karla Sofen aka Moonstone 200% Guide) 208(1st DR. ARNIM ZOLA 200% Guide) 217(1st modern MARVEL MAN aka QUASAR VF=$40; CGC 9.8=$600 CGC 9.6=$250) 263-289(ZECK art = High Demand, undervalued) 275(1st new Baron ZEMO VF=$25 CGC 9.8=$225) 281(BUCKY Returns SPIDER-WOMAN VIPER 150% Guide) 290(1st MOTHER SUPERIOR aka SIN 200% Guide) 310(1st Diamondback & SERPENT SOCIETY 200% Guide) 332(Cap resigns) 359(CROSSBONES cameo VFNM $12) 360(1st full CROSSBONES VF=$30 CGC 9.6=$95 CGC 9.8=$175) / CAPTAIN AMERICA (2005) #6 and #14(WINTER SOLDIER VFNM=$30; CGC 9.8=$150) / CAPTAIN BRITAIN (1976) #1 (1st appearance CB; with Bonus MASK VF=$50; CGC 9.8=$799 CGC 9.6=$449) 2(Origin; with Bonus Boomerang VF=$35 CGC 9.8=$499 CGC 9.6=$299) 8(1st Betsy Braddock aka PSYLOCKE VF=$200 CGC 9.8=$1199) 12-27(SCARCE in Guide NOT distributed in USA; Capt America Red Skull-s 150-200% Guide) 19(1st Lance Hunter = TV's Marvel's Agents of SHEILD & Most Wanted 200-300% Guide) 24(with Bonus Jet Plane VF=$35 CGC 9.4=$250) / CAPTAIN MARVEL (1968-1979; #1-14,16-18 = 2nd to 18th CAROL DANVERS) 1(3rd CAPTAIN MARVEL 2nd CAROL DANVERS 125% Guide) 17(1st full RICK JONES as CM in New Costume 125%) 18(CAROL DANVERS gains MS.MARVEL Powers VF=$99 CGC 9.4=$365 9.0=$229) 25-34(Thanos Saga Starlin 125-150% Guide) / Captain Marvel (2002-2004) 16-17(1st Phyla-Vell aka Quasar & new Captain Marvel later Guardians of Galaxy VFNM=$8) / CAPTAIN MARVEL 14(1st cameo KAMALA KHAN VFNM=$20 CGC 9.8=$150) CAPT SAVAGE (1968) 1(Origin, 1st Leatherneck Raiders), 2-4(ORIGIN of HYDRA; Baron Von Strucker becomes Supreme HYDRA) 7(Pre-THING of FF Ben Grimm-s) / CAT (Beware! Claws of) 1(VF=$75; CGC 9.0=$200 CGC 9.4=$360) 2-4(150% Guide) / Chamber of Darkness 4(CONAN Tryout 125% Guide) / CIVIL WAR set 1-7(VFNM $99) / CONAN THE BARBARIAN (120-150% Guide) 1(1st Conan & Kull) 23-24(1st RED SONJA) 275(Low Print VF=$50 CGC 9.8=$300) / CRASH RYAN (MOVIE in Development) 1(VFNM $15) / DAMAGE CONTROL 1(1989 TV series in Works VFNM $12) / DAREDEVIL (1964-1998 120-150% Guide unless noted) 1(1st app 2(2nd Electro) 3(1st Owl) 4(1st Purple Man 200% Guide) 7(vs Namor) 12(1st SA KA-ZAR) 13(Origin 2nd KA-ZAR, 1st Vibranium) 18(1st GLADIATOR) 16,17,27(Spider-Man) 30(Thor) 36-37(Dr Doom) 42(1st Jester) 43(Capt America) 50-52(Barry Smith) 52&69(Black Panther) 56(1st app Death's Head) 59(1st TORPEDO) 81(1st Black Widow in Title & Begins) 100(Origin) 105(1st MOONDRAGON VF=$60 CGC 9.4=$270) 111(1st SILVER SAMURAI) 115(House AD for HULK #181 200% Guide) 124(1st Copperhead) 126(1st new Torpedo) 131(1st new BULLSEYE G-FN=$150-200% Guide VF-NM-=150% Guide) 132,141,146(BULLSEYE) 150(1st PALADIN) 153(1st Ben Urich 150% Guide) 158(MILLER Begins) 168(1st ELEKTRA) 170(1st new Miller KINGPIN) 174(1st app the Hand) 176(1st STICK 150% Guide CGC 9.8=$175) 197(1st Yuriko 200% Guide CGC 9.8=$125) 232(1st Nuke) 254(1st TYPHOID MARY 200% Guide CGC 9.6=$130) / DAREDEVIL V2 #58(1st modern NIGHT NURSE NM=$30 VFNM=$15) / Darkhawk 1(CGC 9.8 $95) 20(1st Evilhawk VFNM $6) / DAZZLER 1(NM $20) 22(vs ROGUE NM=$10) 24(Full ROGUE Powerman & Iron Fist NM $10) 33(Michael Jackson THRILLER Parody NM $30) DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG-FU #1(CGC 9.8=$799) 14+17(Bruce Lee-c by Adams VF=$50) 19(1st WHITE TIGER the 1st Puerto Rican superhero VF=$149 FN=$99 GVG=$49) 22(1st brief JACK OF HEARTS VF=$79) 23(1st full JACK OF HEARTS VF=$79) 32(1st DAUGHTERS of the DRAGON = Misty Knight & Colleen Wing Story VF=$115 FN=$69) DEADPOOL 1(1993 Circle Chase CGC 9.8=$120) 1(1994 CGC 9.8=$90) 1(1997 VF=$50 CGC 9.8=$300 CGC 9.6=$150) 54-55(vs PUNISHER VFNM=$30 CGC 9.8=$125) 69(LAST issue TASKMASTER VFNM=$30) / Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars 2(8/2015 GWENPOOL VARIANT Cover NM $30) DEFENDERS (1972-1986; 120-150% Guide unless noted) 1(G-FN=200% Guide; VF up = Undervalued) 4(1st Barbara Norris as VALKYRIE & JOINS) 8-11(vs Avengers) 10(Hulk vs Thor) 26(Guardians VF=$25) 27(1st cameo STARHAWK VF=$40 CGC 9.6=$180) 28(1st full STARHAWK VF=$70 CGC 9.6=$400) 44(1st HELLCAT in DEFENDERS & Joins VF $20) / DEVIL DINOSAUR 1(CGC 9.6=$99) /DOCTOR STRANGE 169(1968 G-FN=300% Guide CGC 9.0=$525 CGC 8.0=$400) 183(DEFENDERS Prototype Part-1 contd in Sub-Mariner #22 Hulk #126 200% Guide) #1(1974 G-FN=200% Guide CGC 9.8=$799) 71(Origin Dormammu 200% Guide) / Dr Strange, Sorcerer Supreme 1(NM=$30 VFNM=$15) / EDGE of SPIDER-VERSE 2(1st SPIDER-GWEN 1st print CGC 9.8=$150) / DRACULA LIVES (all Undervalued 120-135% Guide) 1(CGC 9.8 $899) /EPIC ILLUSTRATED #3(NM=$99 CGC 9.8=$399)/ ETERNALS 1(1976; 1st ETERNALS, DEVIANTS & IKARIS CGC 9.8=$150) 2(1st CELESTIALS 150% Guide) 14-15(Cosmic Powered HULK 125% Guide) / FANTASTIC FOUR (1961-1996 = 120-150% Guide unless noted) #1-28; #19(Undervalued = 1st Nathaniel Richards as RAMA-TUT later KANG) 33(1st ATTUMA) 36(1st MEDUSA of INHUMANS 150% Guide) 44(1st GORGON of INHUMANS 125% Guide) 45(1st INHUMANS 150% Guide) 46(1st full BLACK BOLT 200% Guide) 47(1st MAXIMUS of INHUMANS 125% Guide) 48-50(SILVER SURFER & GALACTUS) 52(1st BLACK PANTHER 200% Guide) 53(1st Ulysses KLAW 2nd BLACK PANTHER 150% Guide) 65(1st RONAN 150% Guide) 66-67(Origin HIM & Cameo aka WARLOCK 150% Guide) 82&99(Inhumans) 110(GREEN & Pink Error-c 200-300% Guide) 112(THING vs HULK) 121-123(Silver Surfer & Galactus) 129(1st Thundra 150-200% Guide) 131-132(Quicksilver Inhumans STERANKO-c) 140(ORIGIN Annihilus) 164(Re-Intro MARVEL BOY as CRUSADER 1st PEREZ on FF 1st Frankie Raye later Nova herald of Galactus 200% Guide) 165(ORIGIN & 2nd CRUSADER) 166-167(HULK vs THING) 168(LUKE CAGE Joins FF 150% Guide) 173(Galactus High Evolutionary Counter-Earth) 196(1st full Dr Doom Clone) 211(1st TERRAX 200% Guide) 238(Frankie Raye gets powers joins FF) [Note; BYRNE issues 209-218,220,221, 232-293 = all Very Undervalued compared to X-Men] 243(Classic GALACTUS-c) 244(Frankie Raye becomes Nova, herald for Galactus) #252(with TATOOZ) 273-274(1st NATHANIEL RICHARDS aka Rama-Tut and KANG) 334-355(1st FRANKLINVERSE Continuity EVENT) ANNUAL 4(1st SA app of GA Human Torch 1st Quasimodo) 5(early Black Panther & Inhumans; 1st Solo SILVER SURFER-s) 6(1st ANNIHILUS & FRANKLINS RICHARDS 200% Guide) 23(FRANKLINVERSE Introduced NM=$12) / FEAR (125-150% Guide) 19(1st HOWARD THE DUCK) 20(Morbius begins) 24(early Blade) / FEAR ITSELF #7(1st Cameo Marcus Johnson aka Nick Fury Jr NM=$8) FOOLKILLER 1(1990 1st Kurt Gerhardt 3rd FOOLKILLER VFNM $10) 1(2007 1st Mike Trace NM $6) / GHOST RIDER #1(1967 1st Carter Slade 125% Guide) / GHOST RIDER 1(1973 Johnny Blaze 1st Daimon Hellstorm aka SON OF SATAN G-FN=200% Guide VF up =150% Guide) #93(1998 NM- $20) / Giant Size AVENGERS 1(2nd Invaders 125%) Giant-Size CREATURES 1(1st TIGRA VFNM=$89 CGC 9.4=$299) Giant Size DEFENDERS 3(1st KORVAC VFNM=$89 CGC 9.4=$299) 5(3rd Guardians of the Galaxy VFNM=$75) Giant Size Fantastic Four 3(1st Four HORSEMEN OF APOCALYPSE VFNM=$50) GIANT SIZE MAN-THING 4-5(1st & 2nd FULL appearance and First SOLO HOWARD the DUCK-s 125%) Giant Size Spider-Man 4(3rd PUNISHER = undervalued) GIANT SIZE X-MEN 1(1st New X-MEN; 2nd full WOLVERINE 125% Guide)/ G.I. JOE (1982-1994 = 120-135% Guide Unless Noted) #1,21,25-27,93,139-155 / GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #1(1990 VFNM=$25 CGC 9.8=$125) / HAUNT OF HORROR (all Undervalued 130-150% Guide) 1(CGC 9.8 $349) / HERO FOR HIRE 1(1st LUKE CAGE 300-400% Guide) 5(1st BLACK MARIAH 150% Guide) 14(ORIGIN 125%) / HOWARD THE DUCK 1(1976 Scarce in CGC 9.8 = $700-900) 1(2016 1st full GWENPOOL NM- $6) / HULK FUTURE IMPERFECT 1(1st full MAESTRO of Battleworld NM- $16) / HULK (1978-81 Magazine; all Undervalued 120-135% Guide) 10(150% Guide) 11(MOON KNIGHT Begins 150%) / ICEMAN #1(1984 came out as Gay in 2015 NM- = $10) / INCOGNITO #1(TV/movie rumours NM- = $10) / INCREDIBLE HULK (1968-1999 = 120-150% Guide unless noted) 102(1st issue; Origin) 121(1st GLOB) 126(DEFENDERS Prototype X-Over w Dr Strange 183 & Sub-Mariner 22; 1st Barbara Norris later VALKYRIE 200% Guide) 140(1st Jarella Harlan Ellison-s 150%) 141(1st DOC SAMSON 200% Guide) 159(Abomination) 161(BEAST; MIMIC dies) 175(Black Bolt Inhumans) 177-178(WARLOCK) 180(cameo Wolverine 200-300%) 181(1st full Wolverine 150-200% Guide) / 228(1st MOONSTONE VFNM=$30) 234(1st QUASAR VFNM=$30) 271(Rocket Raccoon) 324(1st return of Grey Hulk 200% Guide) 330-334, 336-346(McFarlane = Undervalued) 401(1st cameo MAESTRO of Battleworld) 449(1st THUNDERBOLTS NM- $15) ANNUAL 1(1968 Classic-c INHUMANS-s G-FN=200% Guide VF up = 150%) 5(2nd GROOT 200-300% Guide) INCREDIBLE HULK V2 #92(1st PLANET HULK NM- $20) / INFINITY GAUNTLET 1(NM- $40) INFINITY WAR 1(NM- $12) / INHUMANS 1(1975 Undervalued)/ INVADERS 1(1975 Undervalued) / Invincible Iron Man 8(12/2008 1st Victoria Hand of SHEILD NM- $8) / IRON FIST 1(1975 G-FN=200% Guide VF up = 150%) 14(1st Sabretooth G-VF=150% Guide) / IRON MAN (1968-1996 = 120-150% Guide unless noted) 1(Origin) 9(vs HULK) 17(1st MADAME MASQUE 150% Guide) 47(ORIGIN Barry Smith 150%) 54(1st Madame MacEvil later MOONDRAGON Hot = 400% Guide) 66(THOR battle 150%) 55(1st Thanos 150% Guide) 88(THANOS 150%) 118(1st JIM RHODES 150%) 125(3rd Scott Lang as ANT-MAN) 128(Alcoholic) 131-133(ANT-MAN HULK) 169(Jim Rhodes as new IRON MAN) 261(Origin Fin Fang Foom) 281(1st cameo WAR MACHINE NM- $20) 282(1st full WAR MACHINE NM- $50) 284(DEATH of TONY STARK NM- $10) 304(1st cameo HULKBUSTER NM- $30) 305(1st full HULKBUSTER NM- $30) Iron Man 2 Agents of Shield 1(11/2010 1st Comic app Phil Coulson NM- $20) / JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (120-135% Guide Unless Noted) #83-89, 98(1st COBRA) 99(1st HYDE) 102(1st SIF) 103(1st Enchantress & Executioner 150% Guide) 108(vs LOKI; early Dr Strange & AVENGERS) 109(1st MAGNETO Xover) 112(vs HULK) 114(1st ABSORBING MAN) 118(1st DESTROYER) 119(1st WARRIORS 3) ANNUAL 1(1st HERCULES) / JUNGLE ACTION 5(BLACK PANTHER reprint 250% Guide) 6(new BLACK PANTHER SOLO Panther’s Rage Begins 400% Guide) 8(Origin 200% Guide); #7,9-18(Panther’s Rage) 19-21(KKK) 22(Last issue)= 150% Guide / KA-ZAR 1(1970 135% Guide) 1(1974 150%) KISS-ASS (2008) 1(1st Dave Lizewski NM- $30) 3(1st Mindy McCready aka HIT-GIRL NM- $15) /Kitty Pryde & Wolverine 1-6 (YUKIO app undervalued) / Kraven's Last Hunt Spider-Man Storyline (Classic MIKE ZECK; Amazing Spider-Man 293-294 Spectacular Spider-Man 131-132 Web of Spider-Man 31-32 150% Guide) / LOGAN'S RUN 6(1st THANOS Solo-s 125%) / LONGSHOT 1(1985 undervalued) / MAN-THING (1974) 1(undervalued) 3(1st FOOLKILLER 200% Guide) 4(ORIGIN FOOLKILLER 150%) / MARC SPECTOR: MOON KNIGHT 1(NM- $10) 55-60(150%) / MARVEL CHILLERS 3(Origin TIGRA Series Begins 200% Guide) / Marvel Comics Presents 26(1st COLDBLOOD NM- $10) 85(1st SAM KEITH Wolverine; 1st Jae Lee Marvel-a; early SPEEDBALL Solo-s NM- $8) 175(Low Print Last issue NM- $10) / MARVEL COMICS SUPER SPECIAL #7(French Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, PEREZ-a; Softcover FN=$150, Hardcover FN=$200) 16(Spring/1980; 1st True MARVEL Comic app BOBA FETT and YODA published simultaneously with the TREASURY from Spring 1980 and the Marvel Illustrated Books Paperback #02114 from May/1980 (all 3 were Published SEVEN MONTHS before STAR WARS #42 from 12/1980) NM- $45) 22(BLADE RUNNER NM- $30) / MARVEL FEATURE (1971-1973) 1(1st DEFENDERS G-FN=150% Guide VF up=125% undervalued) 4(ANT-MAN Begins 150%) 11(THING vs HULK 125%) / MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL 1(Death Capt Marvel 150% Guide) 3(Dreadstar 200% Guide) 4(1st New Mutants VFNM=$99; CGC 9.8=$699) 5(X-Men VFNM=$65; CGC 9.8=$399) 17(1st APOCALYPSE behind the Scenes VFNM=$120 VF=$80) 23(Dr Strange VFNM $60) 27(Avengers Emperor Doom VFNM $30) NN(Avengers Death Trap Vault VENOM VFNM $25) NN(Dr Strange Dr Doom Triumph & Torment vs MEPHISTO VFNM $30) NN(Squadron Supreme Death of a Universe VFNM $50) / MARVEL MANGAVERSE 3(8/2002 1st T'CHANNA aka SHURI sister of T'Challa the BLACK PANTHER Low Print NM- = $15) / [Marvel Mangaverse; Spider-Man The Manga 1(Diamond Pre-orders of only 22970 Copies NM $15) 31(6/99; Diamond Pre-orders of only 2776 Copies NM $30) X-Men The Manga 1(Diamond Pre-orders of only 28548 Copies NM $15) 26(6/99; Diamond Pre-orders of only 2616 Copies NM $30)] / MARVEL PREMIERE (1972-1981) 1(1st WARLOCK SOLO Series 200-300% Guide) 3(Dr Strange Series begins Undervalued) 15(1st IRON FIST 200-300% Guide) 19(1st Colleen Wing early ASIAN Female Super-Hero; Wolverine AD for HULK #181 200-300% Guide) 20(1st Mention of MISTY KNIGHT 150%) 21(1st full MISTY KNIGHT early BLACK Female Super-Hero 200-300% Guide) 23(1st Rafael ”Rafe” Scarfe 125%) 25(1st Jeryn Hogarth 1st JOHN BYRNE on Iron Fist 150%) 28(1st Comic app Legion of Monsters 150%) 47(1st SCOTT LANG as ANT-MAN 120%) 57(1st American DR WHO 135%) / Marvel Presents 3(Guardians of the Galaxy Begins 150% Undervalued) / MARVEL PREVIEW #4(1st STAR-LORD CGC 9.8 $1695) 7(1st ROCKET RACCOON CGC 9.6 $1899) / MARVEL SPOTLIGHT (1971-1977) 1(Origin RED WOLF 150% Guide) 5(1st GHOST RIDER G-FN=300% Guide; VF up =200% Guide) 12(SON of SATAN Begins Undervalued) 28(1st solo Moon Knight VF=$50; CGC 9.0=$150 CGC 9.6=$275) 32(1st SPIDER-WOMAN CGC 9.6=$299; CGC 9.8=$799) / MARVEL SUPER ACTION 1(1/1976; early PUNISHER; 1st Bobbi Morse as HUNTRESS later MOCKINGBIRD 150% Guide Undervalued) / MARVEL SUPER ACTION 1(1977 Capt America 100-r 150% Guide) 18(AVENGERS #57-r NM- $35, CGC 9.8=$249) / MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (1967-1982) 12(1st CAPTAIN MARVEL CGC 9.0=$475 CGC 8.0=$349) 13(1st Carol Danvers 150% Guide) 19(1st GUARDIANS of the GALAXY 150% Guide) V2 #8(1991-1992 1st SQUIRREL GIRL CGC 9.8 $329) / MSH SECRET WARS 1(1st BEYONDER CGC 9.8 $125) 8(1st Black Costume CGC 9.8 $149) / MARVEL TALES #77-79(Green Goblin DRUG NM- $15) 98(Death of GWEN VFNM=$20 CGC 9.6=$175) 98(Death of Green Goblin VFNM=$20) 106(1st Punisher VFNM=$30) 137(Amazing Fantasy 15-r NM- $22) 138(Spider-Man #1-r NM- $15) 223-239(new McFARLANE covers NM- $9) / MARVEL TEAM-UP (120-150 Guide unless stated) 1(Undervalued; Rare in CGC 9.6-9.8) 8(3rd CAT later TIGRA 150% Guide) 11(Black Bolt & INHUMANS) 12(Werewolf by Night Pre #1) 15(early Ghost Rider) 22(Hawkeye) 24(Brother Voodoo) 44(MoonDragon) 53(1st Byrne on X-Men) 55(WARLOCK; 1st GARDENER 1st Power & Time Infinity Gems NM- $59) 57(2nd SILVER SAMURAI NM- $15) 63-64(IRON FIST, Daughters of the Dragon, early Colleen Wing & MISTY KNIGHT; 64=MISTY KNIGHT & IRON FIST Fall in Love, 1st comics Inter-Racial Super-Hero Couple NM- $25) 65(1st American CAPT BRITAIN, ARCADE cameo CGC 9.8 $295) 95(1st MOCKINGBIRD CGC 9.8=$275 CGC 9.6=$149) 103(2nd full TASKMASTER, Scott Lang ANT-MAN NM-=$22 CGC 9.6=$149) / MARVEL TEAM-UP (2005-06) 15(1st LEAGUE OF LOSERS 2nd SLEEPWALKER by ROBERT KIRKMAN NM- $7) 21(1st Mitchell Carson of SHEILD NM- $10) / MARVEL TREASURY (all Undervalued; Scarce in 9.0 or Better; Raw copies in 9.8=400% Guide 9.6=300% 9.4=200% 9.2=150%; 9.0=125%) / MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #1-4(undervalued) 5(2nd Guardians of the Galaxy 150% Guide) 8(Ghost Rider 150% Guide) 29(Spider-Woman cameo 150% Guide) 30(2nd Full SPIDER-WOMAN 150% Guide) 52(1st CROSSFIRE NM- $25) 55(1st BLACK GOLIATH as new Giant Man NM- $10) 61-63(Coming of HER NM- $15) 69(Guardians of the Galaxy NM- $15) ANNUAL 7(1st Ben Grimm as CHAMPION NM- $10) / Masters Of The Universe (1986-88) 1(150% Guide) 12(DEATH of HE-MAN VFNM $49 CGC 9.6=$199) 13(DEATH of SKELETOR VFNM $49) MOTU The Motion Picture 1(NM- $20) / MICRONAUTS (1979-1984) 1(1st MICRONAUTS & BARON KARZA in comics CGC 9.8=$149 CGC 9.6=$79) 8(1st CAPTAIN UNIVERSE CGC 9.8=$199 CGC 9.6=$99) 59(Scarcer LAST issue NM- $12) / Millie the Model #18-93(Dan DeCarlo-a 200-400% Guide in Any Grade) 135(1st Groovy Gears 150% Guide) 154(1st new Millie 150%) 207(scarcer last issue 150%) / MONSTERS UNLEASHED (all Undervalued 120-135% Guide) 1(CGC 9.6 $349) MOON KNIGHT 1(1980 CGC 9.8 $169) 29-30(Werewolf by Night NM- $12) MORLOCKS 1(2002 1st ANGEL DUST NM-=$25 CGC 9.8=$125) / MS. MARVEL (1977-1979) 1(CGC 9.8=$899 CGC 9.6=$299) 18(1st full MYSTIQUE CGC 9.8=$799 CGC 9.6=$350) / MS. MARVEL 1(2014 1st full KAMALA KHAN as MS. MARVEL CGC 9.8=$149) / NEMESIS #1(2010 Mark Millar What if Batman was the Joker? Warner Bros MOVIE NM- $10) / NEW MUTANTS 1(CGC 9.8=$120) 16(1st WARPATH 200% Guide) 25(1st brief LEGION NM- $12) 26(1st full LEGION NM- $12) 86(1st cameo CABLE CGC 9.8=$119) 87(1st full CABLE CGC 9.8=$350; CGC 9.6=$175) 98(1st DEADPOOL CGC 9.8=$900; CGC 9.6=$500 CGC 9.2=$300) 100(1st X-FORCE NM-= $22 CGC 9.8 = $100) ANNUAL 2(1st USA app PSYLOCKE CGC 9.8=$399 CGC 9.6=$175) / NICK FURY AGENT OF SHIELD (1968-1971) 1(G-VF=150% Guide) 2(1st CENTURIUS early BLACK Super-Villain) 4(ORIGIN Nick Fury & SHIELD 125% Guide) / NIGHT NURSE (1972-1973; Scarce) 1(300% Guide) 2-4(200% Guide) / NOVA (1976-1979) #1(CGC 9.8=$600; CGC 9.6=$200) 4(vs THOR 150% Guide) 6(1st SPHINX 200% Guide) 12(vs SPIDER-MAN 150% Guide) 24(1st new CHAMPIONS 150% Guide) 25(LAST issue 150% Guide) V4 #8 (2008 1st COSMO NM- $39) / NYX 3(2004 1st X-23 VFNM=$100 CGC 9.8=$450; CGC 9.6=$275) / OMEGA THE UNKNOWN 8(1st Cameo Salinger 2nd FOOLKILLER VFNM $20) 9(1st full Salinger 2nd FOOLKILLER VFNM $20) / PLANET of the APES (Magazine all Undervalued) #1-20(135% Guide) 21-28(Low Print 150%) 29(200%) / POWER MAN (1974-1986) 17(1st issue NM- $100) 18(1st Mention of COTTONMOUTH 125% Guide) 19(1st full COTTONMOUTH 150% Guide) 24(1st BLACK GOLIATH NM- $100) 48(Power Man meets IRON FIST CGC 9.6 $250) 50(Power Man joins IRON FIST Team-Up Series begins CGC 9.6 $195) 54(1st HEROES FOR HIRE NM- $50) / PSYLOCKE (2010) 1(1st & 2nd Printings; NM-=$35 CGC 9.8=$150) / PULSE 1(2004 2nd JESSICA JONES Series Begins; NM-=$10) / PUNISHER 1(1986 CGC 9.8 $350) /RAMPAGING HULK (all Undervalued 120-135% Guide) 1(CGC 9.6 $170) / RED WOLF 1(1972 150% Guide) 7(1st Thomas Thunderhead new Superhero Red Wolf 150% Guide) / RISE OF APOCALYPSE (1996-1997) 1(NM- $15) 2-4(NM- = $8) / ROM Spaceknight (1979) 1(CGC 9.8=$275 CGC 9.6=$99) 75(Low Print LAST issue 200% Guide) / Savage SHE-HULK 1(1980 CGC 9.8=$199 CGC 9.6=$99) / SCOOBY-DOO 1(1977 CGC 9.8 $399) 9(CGC 9.8 $249) / SECRET SERVICE #1(2012 source for FILM Kingsman: The Secret Service NM- $12) 1(1:25 Variant NM- $35) / SECRET WAR 2(2004 1st Johnson aka QUAKE aka SKYE NM-=$30 CGC 9.8=$129 CGC 9.6=$75) / Secret Warriors (2009) 2(1st Daniel Whitehall aka KRAKEN NM- $8) / SGT. FURY (120-130% Guide unless stated) 1(1st Nick Fury) 5(1st BARON von STRUCKER 150% Guide) 8(1st Baron Heinrich ZEMO same month as Avengers 6) 10(1st Capt Savage) 13(early SA Captain America & Bucky) 27(ORIGIN Nick Fury Eye Patch) 34(ORIGIN of the HOWLING COMMANDOS) 167(SGT FURY #1-r NM-=$30 CGC 9.8=$199) / SILVER SURFER (1968) 1(G-VG=150% Guide) 3(1st MEPHISTO G-FN=200% Guide VF-NM-=150% Guide) 14(vs SPIDER-MAN 150-200% Guide) 8-9,16-17(early MEPHITO 110%) 18(vs INHUMANS vs 200% Guide) / SILVER SURFER (1987) 34-38(THANOS 150% Guide) 44(INFINITY GAUNTLET Prelude; THANOS Acquires the INFINITY GEMS NM-=$50 CGC 9.8=$300 CGC 9.6=$125) 45-49(INFINITY GAUNTLET PRELUDE 150% Guide) 50(vs THANOS Battle NM- $20) / SLEEPWALKER 1(1991 NM-=$12 CGC 9.8=$79) / SON OF SATAN 1(1975 Undervalued 150% Guide) / SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION 15(1973 1st SHANG-CHI & FU MANCHU CGC 9.8=$999) / SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN 27(1st MILLER on DD undervalued) 64(1st CLOAK and DAGGER G-FN=200% Guide CGC 9.8=$500 CGC 9.6=$200) 90(1st BLACK COSTUME in this TITLE CGC 9.8=$139)/ SPIDER-MAN & His AMAZING FRIENDS 1(1981 1st Fire-Star CGC 9.8=$219 CGC 9.6=$125) / SPIDER-WOMAN 1(1978 CGC 9.8=$135 CGC 9.6=$75) 37(1st SIRYN later of X-FORCE; X-MEN & SILVER SAMURAI app CGC 9.8=$135 CGC 9.6=$75) 50(DEATH of Jessica Drew NM-=$30 CGC 9.6=$99) / SPIDEY SUPER STORIES (Low Print; Scarer in High Grade) 1(125% Guide) 32(3/1978 One panel Cameo & Second appearance of SABRETOOTH, 22 Months before Power Man #66; 3rd USA app Captain Britain; NM- $40) 39(THANOS, Cat & Cosmic Cube NM- $50) 56(2nd JACK O'LANTERN later HOBGOBLIN NM- $35) / Squadron Supreme (2016) 1(Decapitation DEATH of NAMOR NM- $6) 1(Action Figure VARIANT-c NM- $10) 1(1:25 KIRK VARIANT-c NM- $25) / STAR WARS #1(7/1977 1st Print Newsstand Ed VFNM=$150 CGC 9.8=$1800 CGC 9.6=$500) 6(1st Marvel Art by DAVE STEVENS, and his 2nd ever Published PRO Art 120% Guide) 42(1st comic app BOBA FETT & YODA; 1st BOBA FETT-c; VF=$50 CGC 9.8=$540 CGC 9.6=$250 CGC 9.0=$100) 68(Re-Intro BOBA FETT classic-c/s VF=$30 CGC 9.8=$400 CGC 9.6=$150 / Star War Marvel Comics Super Special #16 [Spring/1980; TRUE First BOBA FETT & YODA simultaneous with TREASURY from Spring 1980 & Marvel Illustrated Books Paperback #02114 from May/1980 (all 3 were Published SEVEN MONTHS before STAR WARS #42 from 12/1980); NM- $45]; / Marvel Special Edition featuring STAR WARS: EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (TREASURY) Volume-2 #2 (Spring/1980; TRUE 1st BOBA FETT & YODA simultaneous with Marvel Comics Super Special Magazine #16 from Spring 1980 & Marvel Illustrated Books Paperback #02114 from May/1980 (all 3 were Published 7 MONTHS before STAR WARS #42 of 12/1980); LOW PRINT and one of the SCARCEST Marvel Treasury’s NM- $125) / STAR WARS: EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Marvel Illustrated Books Paperback #02114; [5/1980; TRUE 1st MARVEL BOBA FETT & YODA simultaneous with Marvel Comics Super Special Magazine #16 of Spring 1980 & TREASURY from Spring/1980 (all 3 were Published 7 MONTHS before STAR WARS #42 from 12/1980); NM-, 9.2 = $35.00] / STAR WARS WEEKLY (UK British MARVEL Mag) 1(Feb 8/1978; with Bonus insert X-FIGHTER; CGC 9.8=$699 & $799; CGC 9.6=$399) 2(with Bonus insert CGC 9.8 $349) STRANGE TALES #89(1st FIN FANG FOOM 200-400% Guide) 97(1st Aunt May & Uncle Ben 300% Guide) 110(1st DR STRANGE 150-200% Guide) 111(2nd STRANGE 1st BARON MORDO 200-300% Guide) 115(ORIGIN DR STRANGE 200-300% Guide) 126(1st DORMAMMU & CLEA 200% Guide) 135(1st Colonel NICK FURY & SHEILD 150% Guide) 138(1st ETERNITY 200% Guide) 146(1st AIM 125% Guide) 148(ORIGIN Ancient One 125%) 151(1st STERANKO at Marvel 125%) 156(1st SUPREME HYDRA aka BARON STRUCKER 125%) 167(Classic FLAG-c by STERANKO 125%) 169(1st BROTHER VOODOO G-FN=300% Guide CGC 9.0=$260 CGC 8.0 = $140) 178(WARLOCK begins by STARLIN G-VF=300% Guide CGC 9.6=$350) 180(1st GAMORA G-VF=300% Guide; CGC 9.8=$799 CGC 9.6=$399) ANNUAL #1-2(125-150% Guide) / SUB-MARINER (1968-1974 = 120-135% Guide unless o/w stated) 1(G-FN=150% Guide) 8(vs THING) 14(vs GA TORO /HUMAN TORCH) 19(1st STINGRAY) 22(Namor Dr. Strange Hulk X-over Defenders Prototype 200% Guide) 26(1st SA RED RAVEN) 34-35(Pre-DEFENDERS Prototype 200% Guide) 50(1st NITA aka NAMORITA later joins NEW WARRIORS 300% Guide) 59(vs Thor 200%) 67(1st new Costume 200%) 69(Spider-Man 200%) / Summer of Spider-Man NN(5/2012 Avenging Spider-Man #9 preview =1st Carol Danvers as new Captain Marvel NM- $10) / SUNFIRE and BIG HERO SIX (1998) Set of #1,2,3 VFNM, 9.0 Set = $129/ SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN 32(10/2014; 1st Edge of Spider-Verse NM- $8) / Super SPIDER-MAN & the Super-Heroes #178(UK Marvel 1st PUNISHER Amazing 129 CGC 9.6 =$199) / SUPER-VILLIAN TEAM-UP 1(undervalued) 5(1st SHROUD 150% Guide) / TALES of SUSPENSE (120-135% Guide unless noted) 39-49 50(1st MANDARIN 150-200% Guide) 52(1st BLACK WIDOW 200-300% Guide) 57(1st HAWKEYE 200% Guide) 58-59(Captain America) 60(Baron ZEMO 2nd HAWKEYE) 63(1st SA ORIGIN of Capt America) 66(Origin 2nd SA RED SKULL) 69(1st TITANIUM MAN) 75(1st Agent-13 aka Sharon Carter; 1st cameo BATROC) 77(1st full Peggy Carter 200% Guide) 79(1st Cosmic Cube 1st Modern RED SKULL; 3-Part IRON MAN vs SUB-MARINER Battle begins) 91(1st CRUSHER) 93(1st cameo MODOK) 94(1st full MODOK) 97(1st WHIPLASH) 97-99(early BLACK PANTHER X-Over) 99(1st Full New ZEMO) / TALES TO ASTONISH (1959-1968 = 120-135% Guide unless noted) 27(1st ANT-MAN 150-200% Guide) 36-37,39-43(120%) 38(1st EGGHEAD 135%) 44(1st WASP 150-200% Guide) 45-48,50-51(120%) 49(ANT-MAN becomes GIANT-MAN 135%) 52(1st BLACK KNIGHT 135%) #57(GIANT-MAN & WASP vs SPIDER-MAN-c/s vs EGGHEAD 135%) 59-60(Incredible HULK) 61(1st GLENN TALBOT) 62(1st LEADER) 70(SUB-MARINER begins) 82(Namor vs IRON MAN) 90-91(1st ABOMINATION 150%) 92-93(SILVER SURFER 135%) 100(Namor vs HULK) / TALES OF THE ZOMBIE (all Undervalued 125-150% Guide) 1(CGC 9.4 $249) /THING 1(1983 CGC 9.8=$100 CGC 9.6=$60) 26(5th TASKMASTER NM- $10) / THOR (1966-1996; 120-135% Guide unless noted) 126(1st issue vs HERCULES) 127(1st Marvel RAGNAROK Storyline in Tales of Asgard 150% Guide) 128(1st PLUTO 2nd RAGNAROK) 134(1st HIGH EVOLUTIONARY) 146-152(ORIGIN of the INHUMANS series by JACK KIRBY 150% Guide) 154(1st MANGOG; 3rd RAGNAROK Storyline) 155-157(MANGOG & RAGNAROK) 163-164(Brief app COCOON of HIM Warlock 150% Guide) 165(1st full HIM aka WARLOCK 200% Guide) 166(2nd full HIM aka WARLOCK 150% Guide) 168-169(Origin GALACTUS 135%) 193(SILVER SURFER 150%) 225(1st FIRELORD 200%) 226(Galactus 150%229(Wolverine AD for HULK #181 200% Guide) 332-333(DRACULA 200% Guide) 274-278,283,293(RAGNAROK Storyline) 337(1st BETA RAY BILL, 1st LORELEI CGC 9.8=$200 CGC 9.6=$100) 344(1st MALEKITH) 347(1st ALGIM the ELF later KURSE NM- $15) 350-353(RAGNAROK Storyline) 411(1st Cameo NEW WARRIORS NM- $30) 412(1st full NEW WARRIORS NM- $30) ANNUAL 6(1977 Guardians of the Galaxy; 2nd KORVAC 135%) / TOMB OF DRACULA (1972-79; 120-135% Guide unless noted) 1(G-FN=150% Guide) 3(1st Van Helsing & Inspector Chelm) 10(1st BLADE 150%-200% Guide) 13(Origin BLADE G-FN=150% Guide) 25(1st Hannibal King) 33(1st DRACULA vs QUINCY HARKER Battle) 34(BROTHER VOODOO) 43(Classic WRIGHTSON GGA-c 150%) 45(1st DEACON FROST) 50(vs SILVER SURFER) 54(Birth SON of DRACULA) 58(all BLADE issue) / TOXIC AVENGER 1(1991 NM- $10) TOXIC CRUSADERS 1(1992 NM- $10) / TRANSFORMERS (1984) #1(CGC 9.8=$350 CGC 9.6=$150) 80(LOW PRINT LAST issue; Return of OPTIMUS PRIME; CGC 9.8=$339) / 2001: A Space Odyssey 8(1st MACHINE MAN CGC 9.8=$399 CGC 9.6=$150) ULTIMATE FALLOUT 4(1st print 1st MILES MORALES Bagged VFNM=$18 CGC 9.8=$150) / Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1(NM- $8) 1(1:25 Variant-c by ART ADAMS NM- $25) / UNKNOWN WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION (all Undervalued 120-135% Guide) / VAMPIRE TALES (all Undervalued 120-135% Guide) 1(CGC 9.8 $899) 2(CGC 9.8 $399) / Visionaries, Knights of the Magical Light 1(1/1988; possible Hasbro & Paramount Movie NM- $12) / WARLOCK (1972-1976) 1(150% Guide) 9-15(Starlin 120% Guide) / War Machine 1(1994 NM- $8) / Web of Spider-Man 1(5h BLACK Alien Costume undervalued) 18(9/86; 1st VENOM behind scenes NM- $30) 36(1st TOMBSTONE NM- $8) 118(1st CLONE SOLO aka SCARLET SPIDER vs VENOM NM- $20) / Weird Wonder Tales 19(12/1976; Tales to Astonish #13-r = 1st GROOT 200% Guide) / WEREWOLF BY NIGHT 1(G-FN=150% Guide Undervalued) 32(1st MOON KNIGHT 300% Guide) 33 & 37(2nd & 3rd MOON KNIGHT 125% Guide) / WEST COAST AVENGERS 46(1st GREAT LAKES AVENGERS NM- $10) WHAT IF? ( 1977-1984) 1(CGC 9.8 $250) 7(1st Betty Brant as Original SPIDER-GIRL 200% Guide) 10(1st JANE FOSTER as a FEMALE THOR CGC 9.8=$400 CGC 9.6=$150) 24(Gwen Stacy Had Lived 200% Guide) / What if Planet Hulk #1(2007 1st SKARR Son of HULK NM- $15) / Venom/Deadpool: What If 1(2011; VF=$50 CGC 9.6=$200) / WHAT IF V2 #49(5/1993 SILVER SURFER Possessed INFINITY GAUNTLET NM- $29) 105(1st Spider-Girl VFNM=$40 CGC 9.8=$200 CGC 9.6=$120) / WHERE MONSTERS DWELL 6(Tales to Astonish 13-r 1st GROOT VFNM=$100) / WOLVERINE Limited Series 1(1982 Miller CGC 9.8 $200) 2-4(Canadian Price Variants 150% Guide) / WOLVERINE V3 #66(1st OLD MAN LOGAN NM- $22) / X-FACTOR 5(1st cameo APOCALYPSE CGC 9.8=$100 CGC 9.6=$60) 6(1st full APOCALYPSE CGC 9.8=$275 CGC 9.6=$169) 10(2nd full APOCALYPSE; 1st SABRETOOTH in an X-MEN NM- $12) 15(1st Copper Age HORSEMEN of APOCALYPSE NM- $10) 23(1st cameo ARCHANGEL NM- $20) 24(1st full ARCHANGEL CGC 9.8=$200 CGC 9.6=$100) / X-FORCE 2(2nd full DEADPOOL CGC 9.8 $75) 19(1st COPYCAT CGC 9.8 $75) / X-MEN (Uncanny...) (120-135% Guide unless noted) 1(140%) 2-3(120%) 4(1st QUICKSILVER & SCARLET WITCH 200% Guide) 5-8(120%) 9(X-MEN meet AVENGERS 125%) 10(1st SA KA-ZAR & ZABU 130%) 11(1st STRANGER) 12(1st JUGGERAUT Origin PROFESSOR-X 130%) 14(1st SENTINALS 1st TRASK) 19(1st MIMIC) 28(1st BANSHEE) 35(SPIDER-MAN) 40(1st Monster of Frankenstein) 44(1st SA RED RAVEN) 44-45(Origin ICEMAN came out as GAY in 2105) 49(STERANKO-c 1st LORNA DANE/ POLARIS) 56-63,65(NEAL ADAMS) 56(1st HAVOK) 66(vs HULK) [67-93 Reprint issues, LOW PRINT, RARE in High Grade = ComicLink CGC Auction 10/2015 Sales = #73 CGC 9.6 $965, #76 CGC 9.6 $4,302, #79 CGC 9.6 $4,359, #82 CGC 9.6 $900, #83 CGC 9.6 $950, #85 CGC 9.6 $749, #87 CGC 9.6 $849, #90 CGC 9.8 $2,169, #93 CGC 9.6 $1,000] #94(NEW X-MEN Team Begins) 101(Jean Grey becomes PHEONIX 1st full BLACK TOM CASSIDY 150% Guide) 118(1st Mariko; WOLVERINE 1st meets MARIKO) 120(1st Brief ALPHA FLIGHT) 122(1st full ALPHA FLIGHT) 125(1st Mutant X / Proteus) 129(Classic DARK PHEONIX Saga Begins 1st KITTY PRYDE 1st EMMA FROST White Queen) 137(DEATH of Jean Grey the DARK PHEONIX) 141-142(Days of Future Past) 158(1st ROGUE in Title) 163(Origin BINARY CAROL DANVEL app) 164(CAROL DANVERS Becomes BINARY) 172,173(Wolverine & Mariko wedding, Yukio app, Continued in Wolverine Limited Series) 174(SILVER SAMURAI) 193(1st FIRESTAR in Marvel Universe; 1st Proudstar as WARPATH; 1st HELLIONS) 201(TRUE 1st Baby Nathan Summers aka CABLE 150% Guide) 221(1st MR. SINISTER NM-=$35 CGC 9.8=$150 CGC 9.6=$75) 244(1st JUBILEE CGC 9.8=$129 CGC 9.6=$75) 266(1st full GAMBIT 9.8=$375 CGC 9.6=$190) 317(1st BLINK NM-=$15 CGC 9.8=$75) 318(1st GENERATION X NM- $10) 456(1st RAINA NM- $8) ANNUAL 10(1st X-Babies, LONGSHOT joins X-Men NM- $15) 14(True 1st GAMBIT = 5 Pages pre #266 CGC 9.8=$125) / X-MEN (1991) #4-5(1st/2nd OMEGA RED NM- $10) 8(1st Bella Donna Boudreaux NM- $10) 114(1st Cassandra Nova NM- $10) 115(1st Negasonic Teenage Warhead NM- $15) 128(1st FANTOMEX 1st Uncanny X-Force NM- $32) / XXL (Hip-Hop Mag) May 2009 (Bonus insert Eminem/Punisher comic VF $39) / YOUNG AVENGERS #1(4/2005 1st KATE BISHOP NM- $8) YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS 6(8/2008 1st full KATE BISHOP as HAWKEYE NM- $12)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VALIANT/ Acclaim COMICS;
From 1991-1993 VALIANT Comics were perhaps the HOTTEST Back issues on the Planet bringing Record Prices, but then with Unity they started Overprinting & eventually the Prices Crashed; 24 Years Later, Nostalgic Fans are now buying them back again & Prices are on the Rise; Valiant & DMG Entertainment have SUPERHERO MOVIES in development including; HARBINGER and BLOODSHOT at Sony Pictures, Plus ARCHER & ARMSTRONG and SHADOWMAN scripted by J. Michael Straczynski. Also in the Works is X-O Manowar; SONY and VALIANT will begin with a HARBINGER Movie #1 and #2, and a BLOODHOT Movie #1 and #2, followed by a crossover movie, HARBINGER WARS, with both Bloodshot & Harbinger.
Current Prices are Very VOLATILE, varied from 125-1000% of Overstreet #45, but prices settled down by 12/2015, when the Movies Get Closer, Many expect the Wild Ride to start again, a few of the KEY issue to Buy up while still affordable include; (Print Run Details from Valiant Comics Com); ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #0(7/92; 1st ARCHER & ARMSTRONG), #1, 2(2nd Turok) 8(1st IVAR the Time Walker) 26(Scarcer LAST issue) / ARMORINES 12(26000 Printed Scarcer LAST issue) / BLOODSHOT 50(9000 Printed Scarcer LAST issue) BLOODSHOT (Acclaim; Volume-2) 1(7/1997 Only 9,000 Printed) 16(1998; 5500 Printed) BLOODSHOT Retailer Review Copy V2 #1 (3/1997; 5000 Printed) BLOODSHOT LAST STAND SPECIAL #NN(#1; 3/1996; 12,000 Printed) / CONCRETE JUNGLE: The LEGEND of the BLACK LION and the BLACK LION #1(4/ 1998; 9000 Printed) / DESTROYER #0(4/1995; US$2.50-c VARIANT 7500 Printed VFNM $49) Doctor Tomorrow #1(9/1997 14000 Printed) 12(7000 Printed) / ETERNAL WARRIOR (1992-1996) #1(8/1992) 4(11/1992; 1st cameo BLOODSHOT) 26(10/1994; Scarcer LAST issue) ETERNAL WARRIORS (1997-1998) #1-6(Low Print) ETERNAL WARROR (Time & Treatery) Retailer Review Copy V2#1(2/1997; 5000 Printed) / GOAT – H.A.E.D.U.S. #1(4/1998; 9500 printed) HARBINGER (1992-1995) #0(1992; SCARCE Promo PINK VARIANT) #1(1/1992; VFNM=$99; CGC 9.8=$750 CGC 9.6=$250) 2-7(Pre-Unity) 41(6/1995; Scarcer LAST issue; 28000 Printed) / H.A.R.D. CORPS #30(6/1995; Scarcer LAST issue; 28000 Printed) / MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER (1991-1996) #0(1992; With Cards/Coupon intact) #1-11(Pre-Unity) 12(1st TUROK in Valiant Universe) #64(2/1996; Scarcer LAST issue; 14000 Printed) / MAGNUS Retailer Review Copy V2 #1(1/1997; 5000 Printed) MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER (1997-1998) V2#1(1/1997; 11000 Printed) V2#18(10/1998; SCARCER LAST Issue; 5500 Printed) / MAN of the ATOM Retailer Review Copy #1(1/1997; 5000 Printed) / MASTER DARQUE #1(2/998; 9000 Printed) / NINJAK V2#12(2/1998; LAST issue; 7300 Printed) / N.I.O. (1998-1999) #1-4(3500-5000 each Printed) / QUANTUM & WOODY (1997-2000) #1-A and 1-B(6/1997; PAINTED-c and Line-Drawn-c = 8500 each printed) #32 (9/1999; 8000 printed) #21 (1-2/2000; Scarce LAST issue; 6500 printed) Quantum and Woody Retailer Review Copy V2 #1(2/1997; 5000 Printed) / RAI (& the FUTURE FORCE) (1992-1994) #0(11/1992; 1st full BLOODSHOT) #1(3/1992) #2-5(Pre-Unity; LOW PRINT) #33(scarcer LAST issue) / SHADOWMAN (1992-1995) #0(4/1994; ORIGIN SHADOWMAN) #1(5/1992; 1st full SHADOWMAN) 8(1st MASTER DARQUE) 43(12/1995; Scarcer LAST issue) Retailer Review Copy #1(11/1996; 5000 Printed) #1(3/1997; 22000 Printed) 20(6/1998; LAST issue; 7500 Printed) V3 #1(7/1999; $3.95-c; 5500 Printed) V3#1(7/1999; NO Price; 3000 Printed) V3#3(9/1999;3500 Printed) V3#5 (11/1999; 5500 Printed) / SOLAR, MAN OF THE ATOM (1991-1996) #1-10(Pre-Unity) #11(1st full ETERNAL WARRIOR) #60(4/1996; Scarcer LAST issue; 14000 Printed) SOLAR: Hell on Earth (1998) #1-4(Low Print) / TRINITY ANGELS (1997-1998) #1-12(Low Print) / TROUBLEMAKERS (1997-1998) #1-19(Low Print) Retailer Review Copy #1(11/1996; 5000 Printed) / TUROK (3-6/1998) #1-4(Low Print) TUROK: Dinosaur Hunter (1993-1996) #47(8/1996; 13000 Printed) TUROK the Empty Souls Retailer Review Copy #1(11/1996; 5000 Printed) TUROK: The Hunted (1996) #1-2(Low Print) TUROK: REDPATH (1997) #1(Low Print) TUROK/ SHADOWMAN #1 (2/1994; 5,600 Copies Printed) TUROK: Spring Break #1(7/1997; Low Print) TUROK: TALES OF THE LOST LAND #1(4/1998; 9250 Printed) TUROK: TIMEWALKER (1997) #1-2(Low Print) / UNITY 2000 (1999-2000) #1(12500 Printed) #2(10500 Printed); NM, 9.4 = $39.00) #3(1/2000; 3,500 Printed) / X-O MANOWAR (1992-1996; An X-O MANOWAR Movie is in Development) #1/2(1994; Wizard Send-Away with COA) #1(2/1992; 1st X-O MANOWAR) #68(9/1996; Low Print) X-O MANOWAR (1996-1998) V2#1(2/1997; Low Print) V2#21(6/1998; 8500 Printed)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WARREN, SKYWALD & MISC HORROR & SF Magazines;
There is High Demand for WARREN mags in ALL Grades. The affordable G-FN copies are the Most Requested & thus the hardest to keep in stock; VF/NM or Better High Grade copies are still good sellers if Raw Copies, with CGC slabbed Copies being slower movers, due to the added cost of both the Slab & the Shipping, UNLESS a good KEY issue; >>> Bestselling WARREN Mags & Scarcer issues Include (Percentages of Guide #45 are Listed); Blazing Combat #1 & Anthology (G-FN=400% Guide; VF-9.2=200%), Comix International #1(200%), CREEPY #9,11,19,29,76,79,146(G-FN=150% Guide; 8.0-9.2=125%), #32(G-FN=200% Guide; VF-9.2=150%), #10,14,17,18,34,39,46,47,50,53,63,70,71,78, 85, 91,113,132-145 (G-FN=135% Guide; 8.0-9.2=110%), Best of Creepy Paperback (VF $30), Dracula (TPB; G-FN=200% Guide; 8.0-9.2=150%), Dracula (UK NEL / New English Library mag editions 1-12 FN/VF set = $200); Edgar Allan Poe's Fall of the House of Usher Hardcover and Softcover (G-FN=200% Guide; VF-9.2=150%), Eerie #1, 23(G-FN=300% Guide; VF-9.2=200%), #8, 25, 48, 135(G-FN=150% Guide; VF-9.2=125%), #17(G-FN=400% Guide; VF-9.2=200%), Eerie #18, 24, 28, 38-41,45, 60, 81,125,128, 130-134,136-139 (G-FN=135% Guide; 8.0-9.2=110%), Famous Monsters #1(VF=$2000; FN=$900; VG=$600; We sold CGC 7.0 for $1400), 2-10(VF = $300-$900 ea; VG=$150-400), 11-30(VF = $150-$300 ea; VG=$50=$125), 1962 Yearbook #1(VF $250; VG=$100), Famous Monsters (Dynacomm) #200(1993), 203, 205(VF = $25-35 ea); #201,206,211-214, 216/217, 219,221, 223,224(VF $20-$25 ea); Others up to #250($10-$15 ea); FM Convention Books (1974, 1975; VF = $75+ ea), FM Paperbacks 1-3(VF=$100; FN=$60; VG=$40; G=$30), Flintstones at New York World's Fair 1964(1st print; 150%), HELP magazine (Kurtzman) (Note; Spines SPLIT easily, thus tough in VF or better) #1(VF=$100; VG=$50); #2-5, 9, 13,15, 16,21-26(VF=$40-$60 VG=$20-30); Others (VF = $25-$40; VG=$12-20); (HELP Paperbacks #1,2(VF $35); Heidi Saha (500 Printed? Very RARE; VF=$900; FN=$500; G=$250); Monsters & Heroes (Warren Related; Pub by Larry Ivie; 1967-1969; VF = $30-$50); MONSTERLAND / Forrest J. Ackerman's Monsterland (1984-1987) #1-17(VF= $12-$20); Monster World (replaces Famous Monsters #70-79) #3(VF $60+); #4(VF $40+); #1,2,5-10(VF = $20-30); Odd World of Richard Corben (G-FN=300% Guide; 8.0-9.2=200%), On the Scene / Freakout #NN (#1; Fall 1967; G-FN=150% Guide; 8.0-9.2=125%), Screen Thrills (1962-1965) #1,10(VF $75+); #2-4(VF $50); Spacemen (Note; Spines SPLIT easily, thus tough in VF or better) #1,3(VF=$200+); #2,4-8 & Yearbook (VF=$50-$75); Spirit Special (Mail Only Approx 1500 printed; G-FN=150% Guide; 8.0-9.2=125%), Outer Space Spirit (TPB; VF $35); Teen Love Stories 1-3(G-FN=125% Guide; 8.0-9.2=150%), Tiny Tim(125%); VAMPIRELLA #1,3,112,113 (125-135% Guide) #2,4-8,11,12,16,19,32-34,36,41,45,46,48,49,51, 52,61,63,64, 77,78,89,90, 100-111(115-125% Guide); #32-34(Beware; Spines SPLIT easily); Annual #1(125%), Vampirella Special #1(Softcover=125%; rare Hardcover=300%), Vampirella Paperbacks #1-3(VF $30), 4-6(VF $50); Vampirella UK mags #1-4(VF $50 ea); Warren Presents #13, 14(150%); Wildest Westerns/Favorite Westerns of Filmland (Note; Spines SPLIT easily, thus tough in VF or better) #1(VF=$200; G=$50); #2(VF=$100; G=$35); #3-6(VF=$60; G=$20);
The SKYWALD Mags (Crime-Machine, Hell-Rider, Nightmare, Psycho & Scream) are in constant demand, are 3-10 Times harder to find than warren mags & very hard to keep in stock. These are great horror comics & a must try for Fans of the Genre. Fans especially like the issues with; Al Hewetson stories, Dracula, Edgar Allan Poe, Frankenstein, Heap, "Horror-Mood", H.P. Lovecraft, Human Gargoyles, Lady Satan, Nosferatu, Werewolf, etc; Especially in Demand are issues with art by; John Byrne, Everett, Jeff Jones, Bruce Jones, Kaluta, Marcos, Segrelles, Boris Vallejo, Wrightson, etc. The Horror-Mood issues are said to have ispired Stephen King. VF or better copies especially difficult & in very high demand; Reading copies as fast as we get them. The "KING" mags (3-7/1971; Boris-a) are Rare [#1 VF =$100; #2 VF=$70]; Crime-Machine & Hell-Rider are also decent sellers (#1=150%; #2=120%); ** Nightmare, Psycho & Scream [G-FN= 140-165%; VF-NM- = 120-150%] High Grade copies are in HIGH Demand [Raw 9.6=300% Guide, 9.4=200%; 9.2=150%]
Eerie Pub, Modern Day, & Stanley Horror Comic mags (Many are Loaded with Pre-Code Horror & published with NO Comic Code) are in very high demand in G-FN, especially in Lowest graded Reading copies. About 75% of the copies we get in stock in FA/G thru VG, sell within just a few weeks & Usually most of what we have in stock is in about FN/VF to VF average; Most of the Titles have Scarcer issues & thus most of the sets are quite difficult to complete (the 1966-1970 issues and 1977-1982 issues are Generally the Hardest to Find; Thus the 1971-1976 issues represent most copies still found for sale in the Marketplace); FN/VF thru VF+ are all slow sellers, as most Collectors want either Reading Copies, or Investment copies. Strict Graded VF/NM copies are more popular, with 9.2-9.4 copies in better demand. [We sell them at these rates; G-FN=140-160%; FN/VF, VF,VF+=100-115%; VF/NM=120-130%; 9.2=150%]; High Grade copies are in HIGH Demand [Raw 9.6=300% Guide, 9.4=200%; 9.2=150%]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHITMAN COMICS;
The Whitman VARIANTS of DC Comics are up in Demand. They sold to Readers from the General Public, thus most copies are in FA/G to VG/FN condition range. For these, higher grade starts at FINE or Better, with perhaps only about 10% of surviving copies in FN 6.0 or Higher grades. The Eight JUNE 1980 Variants are all SCARCE to RARE, typically with ZERO copies of any of them on eBay in ANY Grade; They include; ACTION #508, BATMAN #324, DC Comics Presents #22, FLASH #286, JLA #179, LEGION #264, NEW ADV SUPERBOY #6, & SUPERMAN #348 [VG/FN Range now List at $250-$500 on eBay; VF/NM copies are Rare to Non Existent];
The Rare 8-12/1980 WHITMAN Comics (of former Gold Key Titles) are Back in BIG DEMAND; Typically only about 10% of the Copies in the Marketplace are in FN 6.0 or Better. DEMAND for 8-12/1980 issues, with Nice FINE or Better Raw copies at Record High Asking & Selling Prices for RAW copies on eBay; My new Minimum Selling prices on these is; [VF+=$100; VF=$80; FN/VF=$60; FN=$40; VG=$30; G=$20] = I often see over-graded Raw copies at ABSURD Prices on eBay (Like VG copies worth $30-40 listed at $200, and the sellers wonders why it does not sell); But Note the SCARCEST issues in STRCTLY GRADED Raw VF/NM to NM will sell for $150 to $300 each on eBay;
The Mttemp WHITMAN Collection won the CGC Registry BRONZE AGE Set of the Year Award (for her Pre-Pack Only 8-12/1980 and 1983-1984 WHITMAN issue set) beating out all the Amazing MARVEL and DC Comic Sets out there!!! In April 2015 New World Records Prices were Observed (NOT my Books); HUEY, DEWEY & LOUIE #65 (same Pre-Pack as Scrooge #179; CGC 9.4 = $2000); Little Lulu #260 CGC 9.4 = $1500; WDC&S #480 CGC 9.6 = $2000; Winnie The Pooh #22 CGC 9.4 = $1300; (In July 2015 this Lot of Five Comics Sold for $4000 = Winnie the Pooh #22 CGC 9.6, Donald Duck #222 CGC 9.6, Tom & Jerry 330 CGC 9.6, Pink Panther #75 CGC 9.6, and Popeye #171 CGC 9.8); *** Notable Recent WHITMAN SALES of My Own;Daffy Duck #129 CGC 9.6 = $399; Daisy & Donald #45 CGC 9.6; Porky Pig #97 CGC 9.6; Tweety & Sylvester #105(CGC 9.6 $499), 107(CGC 9.4 $299); Some of My Own notable CGC Sales in 2015; Daffy Duck #129(CGC 9.6 $399), Daisy & Donald #45(CGC 9.6 $349), Porky Pig #97(CGC 9.6 $399) Tweety & Sylvester #105(CGC 9.6 $499), #107(CGC 9.4 $299); >>> Re-Presenting the Complete Updated List of 68, now legendary Scarce to Rare 8-12/1980 Whitman Comics; I have Updated the Quantities so far graded by CGC, according to CGC's December 19/2015 Census; Battle of the Planets #7(10/1980; x36), #8(11/1980; x29), #9(12/1980; x34); Beep Beep the Road Runner #91(8/1980; x4), #92(9/1980; x7), #93(10/1980; x10); Black Hole #4(9/1980; x28); Buck Rogers in the 25th Century #8(11/1980; x7), #9(12/1980; x15); Bugs Bunny #221(9/1980; x17), #222(11/1980; x 10 Total for 40 cent & 50 Cent Variants Combined); Chip 'N' Dale #67(8/1980; x6), #68(11/1980; x10), #69(12/1980; x13); Daffy Duck #129(8/1980; x7), #130(1980; x12), #131(12/1980; x10); Daisy and Donald #45(8/1980; x10), #46(10/1980; x10), #47(12/1980; x23); Donald Duck #221(8/1980; x10), #222 (10/1980; x26), #223(11/1980; x25), #224(12/1980; x22); Flash Gordon #30(10/1980; x15); Huey, Dewey and Louie Junior Woodchucks #65(9/1980; x4), #66(11/1980; x8); Little Lulu #260(9/1980; x39), #261(11/1980; x32); Looney Tunes #33(8/1980; x11), #34(1980; x16), #35(1980; x11); Mickey Mouse #207(8/1980; x11), #208(10/1980; 26), #209(12/1980; x13); Pink Panther #75(8/1980; x15), #76(10/1980; x19), #77(12/1980; x17); Popeye #158(9/1980; x12), #159(11/1980; x9); Porky Pig #97(9/1980; x14), #98(11/1980; x20); Super Goof #60(7/1980; x11), #61(9/1980; x18), #62(11/1980; x9); Tom and Jerry #330(8/1980; x9), #331(10/1980; x11), #332(12/1980; x12); Tweety and Sylvester #105(9/1980; x14), #106(10/1980; x10), #107(11/1980; x9); Uncle Scrooge #179(9/1980; x65), #180(11/1980; x40), #181(12/1980; x39); Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #479(8/1980; x12), #480(9/1980; x29), #481(10/1980; x10), #482(11/1980; x16), #483(12/1980; x17); Winnie the Pooh #20(8/1980; x5), #21(10/1980; x5), #22(1980; x20); Woody Woodpecker #190(10/1980; x15), #191(11/1980; x14); Yosemite Sam #68(9/1980; x9), #69(10/1980; x24), #70(12/1980; x15);
***** Battle of the Planets #7-9 have more copies slabbed than other titles, as many dealers judge them as a “better” Title & more worthwhile to slab. Take note that there are STILL ONLY 45% of the 68 Different (31 different issues) with UNDER THIRTEEN (12 or Less copies) Graded by CGC. The Big-5 (Black Hole #4, Donald Duck #222, Little Lulu #260, Uncle Scrooge #179, WD Comics &Stories #480) have been well known TOUGH issues for 35 Years & were the first to bring record prices on eBay, now listing relatively high in Guide, thus a disproportionate number of copies have been CGC graded, they are still scarce & in huge demand in spite of what the skewed CGC quantities would indicate.
****************************************************************************************************************************************************
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #45 (2015-2016) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa;
Forget the Recession: Collectible Back issue Comics are BACK and BOOMING!!! 2014 was new Landmark for me, I recorded my Best Year of Sales EVER, in my 43+ Years of Selling as a Comics Dealer! It was NON-STOP WHIRLWIND of Customers for us from 7-12, 2014 and into early 2015. I am including in this MARKET REPORT, the Most of the IMPORTANT and VALUABLE INFORMATION that made 2014 a Blockbuster Year for us. (Unfortunately this means the standard back issue market needs to take a back seat, to make room for all the info on Hot Key issues); As should be Common Knowledge by now, almost the entire Marketplace was Driven by the Success COMICS have enjoyed in the MOVIES, on TELEVISON and in other Media too. This was the year when even many of the Hardcore longtime collectors took a huge pause in their buying habits, and started joining the stampede to buy up the 100s of Hot Key issues related to the recent past, current & upcoming TV & Movie related Key issues; When DISNEY Paid Billions of Dollars each for MARVEL and LUCASFILMS, I knew we were in for a WILD RIDE, as they are perhaps the Greatest Marketing Machine as these Media have ever known. When we consider all the MEDIA and Merchandising, and add the Internet & Social Media, it is easy to see that COMICS are Currently them MOST POPULAR they have even been, and on a Global Scale in Most Languages too.
My Biggest Moneymakers for 2014 includes (A Combination of Multiple Copies, with Raw copies in all Grades, plus High Grade CGC Copies; My approx. Sales for 2014 by Title); Legends #1,3(1986 DC $2000); SHAZAM #1,25,28 (1973-1978 DC $3000); New Teen Titans #1,2 & DC Comics Presents #26 ($3000); Captain Canuck comics (all Series = $6000; I could have sold 20K worth if I could Locate more of the Scarce to Rare issues); assorted Harley Quinn comics ($5000); assorted Power Man & Iron Fist related Key comics ($5000); Captain Britain (1976 series $20,000+ in sales) on #1,2,8,24 (including 5 copies of #1 in CGC 9.8 for $799 each; 5 copies of #8 in CGC in 9.8 for $1199 each each); EPIC illustrated #3(over 100 Copies Sold, well over $5000 in Sales); Ms Marvel #1,16,17,18 ($6000); Black Panther #1 (1977 over $3000 in sales); Vampire Tales #2 ($2000+ = includes 5 Copies of in CGC 9.8 at $399 each); 8-12/1980 & 1983/84 Whitman pre-pack comics (Over $10,000+ in Sales); 1970’s Marvel Magazine #1’s in CGC High Grades; (Over $10,000.00 worth sold); 1980’s Canadian Newsstand Cover Price VARIANT comics (70% Marvel, 20% DC, 10% other = Over $10,000.00 worth sold); I could have Sold a LOT More of the Above, if I could have Located More High Grade Copies;
Collectors, Dealers, TV & Movie Fans alike, all used IGN's Top-100 Comic Book Villains Of All Time & Top-100 Comic Book Heroes Of All Time List in Droves in 2014, with almost everything on the Two Lists seeing Spikes & Avalanches in Demand; An odd side effect, is that many First appearances listed are cameos which often now have higher values than First Full appearances (Bucking 44 Years of evaluation History in the Overstreet Guide); For example; Adventure #283(4,1961; 2 panel cameo of General Zod lists at $750 in 9.2 in guide, but CGC 9=8.0 copies sell at around $1800), meanwhile Action #297(2,1963; 1st full app ZOD) remains Overlooked and lists at only $250 in Guide; First appearances of all the Major VILLIANS (Especially the ARCH Enemies) for all the Major Heroes of MARVEL and DC have gone thru the Roof in Demand, many now bring 200% to 1000% current Guide #44 values; Shazam #28 ($20 in 9.2 in Guide #44) hit peek prices of (VG=$100; VF=$400 for Raw Copies) before cooling off a bit by late 2014 (with CGC copies; 9.8 = $1325; 9.6 = $875); All the major Villain and Hero KEY issues of DC Comics from the 1955-1974 Era were in Very Short or Non-Existent Supply in VF or Better, thus it was common to see overgraded FA, G, VG and FN copies on eBay selling for 200%, 500% and even 1000% Guide Prices, all thru the year 2014. (Example; Action #252, Aquaman #35, Batman #171,181,189,227,232, 251, Brave & Bold #25, 28, 54, 60-62, Detective #359, 411, Flash #110, 139, Hawkman #4, Richard Dragon #5, Showcase #37,55,59, Strange, Adventures #180, 187,205 and many More)
The other Fast Growing part of the Market is Demand for; (A) Heroes of Villians that Started out Obscure, but have lasted 10-50 Years, Joined popular Teams, or have grown in stature over the Years (Animal Man, Black Adam, Black Manta, Catman, Mockingbird, Peggy Carter, Squirrel Girl, Vixen, Zatanna etc); (B) First appearance of Early BLACK Heroes and Villains (Plus other Ethnic minorities & Related) from the 1960s, 1970s & beyond (Black Goliath, Black Panther, Brother Voodoo, Dawnstar the Native America, Gabe Jones of Howling Commandos, Lobo from Dell, Misty Knight, Northstar & Kevin Keller are Gay, etc); (C) Vintage Reprints of Valuable Key issues, are suddenly in very High Demand, with many bringing 200-600% of Guide Raw, and 500-1500% Guide in CGC 9.0 (Includes Select Millennium Editions, Marvel Milestones, Astonishing Tales #29, Marvel’s Greatest #35-37, Marvel Super Action #4,14,18, Marvel Super Heroes #56, 74, 92, Marvel Tales #98,99,106,137,138, Sgt Fury #167, Action #1 + Detective #27 Giveaways, 1966 Marvel Golden Record Reprints and Many More);
***************************************************************************
ARCHIE Comics;
Archie Back issue Sales, continue to gain momentum in sales, with all major KEY issues in VERY High demand, with very LOW supply; Most 1961-1969 Key issues are Scarce to rare in FN or Better; Most 1971-1985 Key issues are Scarce to rare in VF or Better; Thus it was common to see overgraded FA, G, VG and FN copies on eBay selling for 200%, 500% and even 1000% Guide Prices on eBay; RIVERDALE is in the works for FOX TV series by Greg Berlanti (producer of Arrow & The Flash)
JOSIE (1963 -1982; #1-20 = all LOW PRINT) was the Hottest Archie book of 2014, #1-50 are all SCARCE, due to HIGH DEMAND; #1-10 Bring 300% to 1000% Guide on eBay, with Most copies in G, VG or FN at best. Raw copies of Josie #1 sold for FN = $960 and VG =$500 on eBay in 2014; #11-40 Bring 200% to 500% Guide on eBay,
Josie #34 raw in FN- = Sold on eBay for $280.99; Overlooked Key issues include; #42(Josie meets folk singer named Alan M. Mayberry, who becomes Roadie for Pussycats Band), #43(Alexandra Cabot & Sebastian the Cat discover their Witchcraft Powers); #45-50(First 6 JOSIE and the PUSSYCATS BAND issues); #101-106(LOW Print Run & SCARCE)
CHERYL BLOSSOM (Last Years Bestseller) racked up many impressive sales this year, with many people now seeking her First 28 Appearances from 10/1982 thru 6/1985; My new MINIMUM price on these KEY issues is; [VF/NM=$50; VF=$30; FN=$20; VG=$14; G=$7; For First appearances in each Title issues = add 50-100% or More]; Including; ARCHIE Comics #323-326, Archie's Girls BETTY AND VERONICA #320(1st app), 321-322, 326-328, ARCHIE'S PALS 'N' GALS #161(1st Solo CB), ARCHIE AT RIVERDALE HIGH #89,90,92,96-99, 103(1st CB date with Archie), ARCHIE'S TV LAUGH-OUT #91, ARCHIE GIANT SERIES #526(1pg Cameo), 530, BETTY AND ME #136(1 panel cameo), EVERYTHING'S ARCHIE #104,107, JUGHEAD #325 (2nd app), LAUGH #380, PEP Comics #396(9/1984);; ** Archie's Girls BETTY AND VERONICA is still Hot [Recent CGC eBay sales; (#320; USA 9.2=$405; ; Canadian 9.0 = $750 & $590; Canadian 7.0 = $480); Jughead (#325: CGC Canadian 8.5 = $372; CGC Canadian 7.0 = $200); Explorers of the Unknown Series #1-3 & 6(cameo) featured Agent BLAZE BLOSSOM of the CIA a Futuristic Version of CHERYL BLOSSOM, still overlooked with VF copies selling at around $10.00 each;
The HORROR & SCI-FI issues from 1961-1962 Era are Red Hot & Hard to Find bringing 150-500% guide (Archie #123-125,127, Archie Giant #17, 19, Betty & Veronica #70,73,75,77,79,80, Jokebook #58,59,76, Jughead #77-82,85,86,88, Laugh #128,129, 130(Creature), 132,133,136,139, Life with Archie #9,11,35,39, Little Archie #18,20,22, Madhouse #6,8,11,13,15-26,29,35,36,38,42,48,51,58,60, Pals N Gals #18, Pep #151-154, 158-158)
Archie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics are now in Demand in ALL Grades, with High Grade Collectors seeking them out again, many CGC copies are now breaking the $100 Barrier, even with Low Guide Values. TMNT Adventures #50-72, Specials #6-10 & Digests, all had Low print runs & are now quite hard to find, still bringing 200-500% guide, if you can find them at all (We sold #72 in CGC 9.8 for $300);#1(Mini from 8/88 & ongoing series from 3/89 now sell for $200-$300 in CGC 9.8)
Other Notable Keys; Afterlife with Archie = all issues and #7 (1st modern Archie Universe appearance of Cheryl Blossom as she turns into "BLAZE"; see Explorers of the Unknown for First BLAZE Blossom; VF/NM = $10); ARCHIE Comics #271 [6/1978; Classic "Pearl Necklace" Sexual innuendo cover; VGFN range brings $50-$100]; Betty & Me #16(Sexual innuendo-c; VG=$100; G=$50); ARCHIE GIANT #551 ( JOSIE Sexual innuendo-c; VF=$20+); LIFE with ARCHIE Magazine #16(Kevin Keller gay Wedding; VF = $35)
#23(11/2012; 1st Afterlife with Archie as a VARIANT cover; Low Print = 1500 copies? VF copies bring $50+; We sold 3 CGC 9.8 copies for $350 each)
The new SABRINA Horror series #1 was released in 12-2014 & Sony Pictures has a Live-Action FILM in the Works; Sonic the Hedgehog will be a Hybrid Live-Action & CG Animated Big Screen MOVIE, by Sony Pictures, Marza Animation Planet, & SEGA based on the Video game series; thus all the Key issues of SONIC & SABRINA are Bringing 150-200% Guide in all Grades;
***************************************************************************
CAPTAIN CANUCK Comics;
CAPTAIN CANUCK is now having his 40th Anniversary and has never Been Hotter! Demand for is at a Fever Pitch & still on the Rise. The Combo of 40th Anniversary, the new Animated On-Line Animated Series, Long Lines for Comely Autographs at Conventions & the 2014 Summer Special have once again made CAPTAIN CANUCK my #1 best-selling Back issue Title. (People are buying ALL the issues, NOT just KEY issues and #1’s like other Hot Titles) In the last 5 Years, the number of American Buyer interested in Captain Canuck has increased Ten-Fold.
HOT Issues include; CAPTAIN CANUCK (1975-1981) #1 (7/1975; a CGC 10.0 copy for $3000 on eBay); We sold about 30 Sets of #1-14 & Special #1 in VF for $99.00 each in 2014, and are about to be sold out; (VF single copies now bring $8-12 each) # 4 [2/1977; 1st Printing; $5.00-c; VF=$150; VG=$75]; # 4 [7/1977; 2nd Printing; 15 Copies Printed; Known Sales of #4 2nd Print; FN+=$650; FN = $499; VG=$375) #15 ( 8/2004; 150 copies; Raw copies in NM for $450 and $510.00 on ebay); We sold 14
Special Collector's Packs (Original Comics #1 and #2 Polybagged with "Colour & Cut-Out 3-D DIORAMA in VFNM for $35 each) ** CAPTAIN CANUCK: Summer Special Canada Day Edition (2014) One Regular & SIX Different VARIANTS Exist = 7 in Total; #1-A [July/2014; REGULAR Ed; $3.95-c; Cover depicts Aziz & Captain Canuck watching the Happy Canada Day Parade; NM-, 9.2 = $5.00]; #1-B (George Freeman VARIANT-c; $19.95-c), 1-C (Richard Comely VARIANT-c; $19.95-c), 1-D(Mike Rooth Colour VARIANT-c; $19.95-c), 1-E(Mike Rooth B&W VARIANT-c; $24.95-c), 1-F (Blank WHITE VARIANT-c; $29.95-c) all dated 7/2014; all Limited Edition of only 500 Variant Copies Printed all sell for around $35.00 each in VFNM; #1-G [7/2014; $64.95-c; Blank WHITE Cover VARIANT featuring a Serially Numbered Edition, with an ORIGINAL ART illustration on the Cover by RICHARD COMELY (Limited Edition of only 30 Variant Copies Printed; VFNM = $100) ***CAPTAIN CANUCK: LEGACY #1.5 Fan Expo Special Edition (2011; Promo Ashcan for Toronto Con; Low Print Run; VFNM = $12); ** CAPTAIN CANUCK: UNHOLY WAR (2004-2007) #1-3(VFNM $6), #4(VFNM $9); ** CAPTAIN CANUCK (1993-1996; Semple Comics Pub);
#0(ENGLISH in VF = $10; FRENCH in VF = $30); #1 (Polybagged with Trading Cards; VF = $15); #1 (ENGLISH Newsstand GREEN-c; VF = $12) #1 (FRENCH Low Print in VF = $30);
#2 (7/1994; Smaller Print Run; NM-, 9.2 = $15.00); #3 (1996; NOT distributed to Newsstand market. Most Destroyed; SCARCE in ANY Grade and RARE in VF or Better; VF=$150; FN=$99);
***************************************************************************
DC Comics; HOTTEST issues of the Year;
The MOVIE and TELEVISION Related Comics Dominated the Market this Year, all the Major KEY issues (Especially First appearances & Origins of the Heroes, Main Characters & especially the Villains) related to these have had a HUGE INCREASE in Demand, (Shows of the Past, the Present and most especially those in the upcoming Future) so take a Closer Look at all the related Characters; AMETHYST, Princess of Gemworld (TV Cartoon), AQUAMAN 2018 Film, ARROW (CW Network TV based on GREEN ARROW Year One & Longbow Hunters), BATMAN vs SUPERMAN: Dawn of Justice 2016 Film (with Lex Luthor, DOOMSDAY and Anatoli Knyazev the KGB Beast] , Constantine aka HELLBLAZER on NBC TV & 2005 Movie; CYBORG (of Teen Titans) 2020 Film, FLASH (CW Network TV), GREEN LANTERN #2 Film in 2020,
JUSTICE LEAGUE MOVIE #1(2017), #2(2019); DARKSEID appear in JLA Film?; KRYPTON (TV), LOBO long in development as a Film, LEGION of Super-Heroes Film, LUCIFER (Vertigo Sandman Spinoff optioned for FOX TV); 100 BULLETS developing for the SHOWTIME TV Network; PREACHER (AMC TV), RONIN (by Frank Miller for SYFY TV), Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN Warner Bros Movie;
SHAZAM 2019 Movie (Dwayne the Rock Johnston as Black Adam), SUICIDE SQUAD 2016 Movie (HARLEY QUINN; Amanda Waller, Deadshot, Lex Luthor, Joker, Enchantress & Capt Boomerang), SUPERGIRL (CBS TV) TEEN TITANS (TNT TV; NIGHTWING as Leader), VIXEN (Animated CW TV Network), WONDER WOMAN 2017 Film; Y: the Last Man film
*** Market Value in Late 2014 on these HOT KEY Issues Issues (Combo of items we Sold & Prices Observed) Includes; ACTION #242(1st BRANIAC; G-FN = 200-400% Guide), #252(1st Supergirl & Metallo; G-FN = 200-300% Guide), #309(pre death JFK 200% Guide), #484(4 different 3-D punchout Doll Variants; VF = $75 each); #521 (1st VIXEN; VF = $75); Adventure #381 (6/1969; SUPERGIRL Begins; 135-160% Guide); #428 (1st BLACK ORCHID; 135-160% Guide); ALL-NEW Collectors Edition #C-56(Superman vs. Muhammad Ali; G-FN=300% Guide; 8.0-9.2=200% Guide); #C-58 (Superman Vs. Shazam; 2nd new BLACK ADAM; 200-400% Guide); ALL-STAR #58 (1st POWER GIRL; JSA returns; 135-160% Guide); #69(1st BA HUNTRESS, 150-200% Guide); AMETHYST #1(1983; VFNM = $15); Aquaman #11(1st Mera; 200% Guide); #29(1st Ocean Master; 200% Guide);#35(1st Black Manta; 400-600% Guide); ATOM #3(1st TIME POOL & CHRONOS; 135-160% Guide); #19[2nd ZATANNA 150-200% Guide); ** BATMAN #171(1st SA Riddler 150-200% Guide) #181(1st Poison Ivy 150-200% Guide); #189(1st Scarecrow 150-200% Guide); #227(classic Adams-c 200-300% Guide); #232(1st Ras Al Ghul 150-200% Guide); #251(classic Joker by Adams 200-300% Guide); #235 + 240(2nd + 3rd app TALIA & RA'S AL GHUL; 125-150% Guide); #258 (1st Mention ARKHAM 125-150% Guide); #357(1st Jason TODD aka RED HOOD; VF/NM $75); #361 (1st modern HARVEY BULLOCK VF/NM $25); #386(1st BLACK MASK; VF/NM $75); #404-408 = BATMAN Year One by MILLER, basis for TV’S GOTHAM; #404 (1st Modern CATWOMAN; CGC 9.8 $150+); #417(1st Anatoly Knyazev aka KGBeast; VF/NM $30); #475(1st RENEE MONTOYA VF/NM = $25); ** BATMAN ADVENTURES #12(1st HARLEY QUINN CGC 9.8=$1200; CGC 9.6=$600; CGC 9.0=$350); #28(HARLEY QUINN; VF/NM $30); ANNUAL #1(3rd HARLEY QUINN VF/NM $30) Holiday Special #1(5th Harley Quinn VF/NM $25); ** BATMAN BEYOND #1(3/1999; VF/NM $18) BATMAN & Outsiders #1(Katana VF/NM $12); BATMAN: SHADOW of the BAT #1 (1st VICTOR ZSASZ; VF/NM $10); Birds of Prey #1(VF/NM $20); #8(Nightwing; VF/NM $60); #76 (1st Black Alice VF/NM $10); BOOSTER GOLD #1(1986 VF/NM $20); ** BRAVE and the BOLD #25(1st SUICIDE SQUAD-c/s; G-FN=200-400% Guide); #26-27( SUICIDE SQUAD; G-FN=150-200% Guide); #54 (1st TEEN TITANS; G-FN=200-600% Guide); #60(2nd TITANS 1st WONDER GIRL G-FN=200-400% Guide);
#61(1st SA ORIGIN WILDCAT + BLACK CANARY G-FN=150-250% Guide); #200(1st KATANA = TV's ARROW; Low Print; VF/NM=$30); CHALLENGERS OF UNKNOWN (inspired Fantastic Four) #3(9/1958; Rocky Returns from Outer Space with Powers similar to FF = Prototype; G-FN=125-150% Guide); ** DC Comics Presents #22(Rare Whitman Variant; raw VG+ = $402; CGC 8.5 = $1525); #26(1st New Teen Titans; raw VFNM=$120; CGC 9.8=$600; CGC 9.6=$300); #27(1st MONGUL raw VFNM=$30; CGC 9.8=$300; CGC 9.6=$170); #47(1st Master Universe; raw VFNM=$50; CGC 9.8=$300-500; CGC 9.6=$150); #49(classic Superman/Capt Marvel vs BLACK ADAM Battle; raw VFNM=$35; CGC 9.8=$140; CGC 9.8=$140); #77-78(Forgotten Heroes VFNM=$15); ** DC Super-Stars #17 (1st BA HUNTRESS, raw VFNM=$99; CGC 9.8=$1080; CGC 9.6=$375); ** DETECTIVE Comics #298(1st SA CLAYFACE; G-FN=150-250% Guide); #311(1st CATMAN G-FN=150-200% Guide); #355(4th ZATANNA 140-160% Guide); #359(1st BATGIRL; raw G-FN=200-400% Guide; CGC: 9.8=$18,250; 9.6=$7644; 9.0=$1500); #363,369,371(all Batgirl), 370(1st Adams-c) all 135-160% Guide; #411(1st TALIA; CGC: raw G-FN=300% Guide; 9.6=$3000; 9.4=$1000; 8.5=$325) #474 (1st BA DEADSHOT; VFNM=$90; CGC 9.6=$304); #647(1st Stephanie Brown aka SPOILER becomes BATGIRL in 8/2009; VFNM=$20) #648-649(Stephanie Brown; VFNM=$10); #742(1st CRISPUS ALLEN VFNM=$15); #783(1st NYSSA Raatko, aka NYSSA al Ghul; VFNM=$12); ** FIRESTORM (1978) #1(raw VFNM=$100; CGC 9.8=$500; CGC 9.6=$240); #3(1st KILLER FROST; VFNM=$50); ** FLASH (1959-85) #110(1st Kid Flash; G-FN=150-200% Guide); #112(1st Elongated Man; G-FN=125-150 Guide); #117 (1st CAPT BOOMERANG; G-FN=150-200% Guide); #139(1st Reverse Flash; raw G-FN=400-600% Guide; CGC: 8.5=$100; 7.5=$650); #147,153,165,175(2nd-5th Professor Zoom the Reverse; 130-160% Guide) #198(6th ZATANNA, Her FIRST SOLO-s; VF/NM $90); #286(Rare WHITMAN VARIANT; VF $150); #289(1st FIRESTORM Backup & SERIES Begins; VF/NM $22); #323(vs Reverse Flash, VF/NM $20); #324 (Flash KILLS Prof Zoom VF/NM $30); FLASH (1987) #1(VF/NM $20); #92 [1st IMPULSE; raw VF/NM $20; CGC 9.8=$150); #197(1st Hunter Zolomon as ZOOM; VFNM $35); FLASH: Secret Files & Origins #3 (1st Hunter Zolomon. Later becomes ZOOM; VFNM $35); FOREVER PEOPLE #1(1st FULL app DARKSEID, = 3rd app anywhere; raw VFNM $175; CGC 9.8=$1450; CGC 9.0=$300); FURY OF FIRESTORM (1982) #1 (VFNM $12); #23 (1st FELICITY SMOAK = CW TV’s ARROW; 1st BYTE; VFNM $20); #24 (Origin BYTE; 1st of BLUE DEVIL VFNM $12); #34 (1st new KILLER FROST; VFNM $12); GOTHAM CITY SIRENS (CATWOMAN, POISON IVY and HARLEY QUINN); #1(VFNM $25); #2-26(VFNM $6-$10 each);
(GREEN ARROW); CW Television Network’s ARROW (based on GA Year One series) related KEY issues include, Bringing 150-500%+ Guide includes; [ Amanda Waller (Legends #1) // 1st Anatoly Knyazev aka KGBeast (Batman #417-420) // Barry Allen aka the FLASH (Flash #105, Death in Crisis #8; Barry Allen has his own new CW Network TV Series The FLASH) // 1st Ben Stanley aka BEN TURNER aka BRONZE TIGER = see RICHARD DRAGON Kung-Fu Fighter #1,8,18; // 1st China White (GA Year One #3) // 1stCount Vertigo (World’s Finest #251) // 1st Dinah Laurel Lance aka the new Bronze Age BLACK CANARY in the Comics (JLA #75; Member of JLA, JSA & Birds of Prey; Current Leader of JLA; in ARROW Sara Lance appears as the CANARY & a Member of the League of Assassins) Silver Age Black Canary see Flash #129 and Brave & Bold #61, 62 // //1st SA Deadshot (Detective #474) // 1st Eddie/ Edward Fyers (GA Longbow Hunters #3) // 1st Felicity Smoak (Firestorm #23 = 5/1984) // Green Arrow aka Oliver Queen (Adventure #250 = 1st GA by Kirby; #256 = First Transformative NEW Silver Age ORIGIN for GREEN ARROW, as he becomes the new Silver Age Hero by JACK KIRBY) // 1st KATANA (Brave and the Bold #200) // 1st Isabel Rochev (Green Arrow Brightest Day #1 = 8/2010); // 1st Lady Shiva (Richard Dragon Kung Fu Fighter #5) // 1st League of Assassins (Detective #405), // 1st Lyla Michaels aka HARBINGER (New Teen Titans Annual #2) // 1st Malcolm Merlyn aka Arthur King(Justice League #94), 1st,2nd & 3rd Ra’s Al Ghul (Batman #232,235,240; Multiples mentions in Arrow) // 1st Ray Raymond Palmer aka the ATOM (Showcase #34) // Roy Harper (Roy Harper was adopted by Oliver Queen and became his sidekick SPEEDY who later Joined the TEEN TITANS in Brave & Bold #54; Roy Harper becomes Arsenal in New Titans #99 = 7/1993; Roy Harper becomes the alternate earth Red Arrow in Kingdom Come #2; Roy Harper becomes the mainstream earth Red Arrow in JLA #7 = 5/2007) // 1st Shado (GA Longbow Hunters #1) // 1st Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke (New Teen Titans #2) // 1st Sebastian (Brother) Blood (New Teen Titans #21 from 1982) ] *** GREEN ARROW THE LONGBOW HUNTERS #1 (1st SHADO; VF/NM $20) #3(1st Eddie/ Edward Fyers; VF/NM $14); GREEN ARROW; YEAR ONE (Source for ARROW TV Series) #1(NM-, 9.2 = $12) #3(1st CHINA WHITE; NM-, 9.2 = $15.00); #2, 4-6 (NM-, 9.2 = $8) Green Arrow (Brightest Day) #1 (8/2010; 1st Isabel Rochev; NM-, 9.2 = $10)
Early appearances of HARLEY QUINN, related KEY issues include, Bringing 150-500%+ Guide includes; Action Comics #765(5/2000), 770(10/2000), Adventures of Superman #583(10/2000), #600(3/2002), Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60(1/2000), Batman #570(10/1999), 573(1/2000), 613(5/2003; Sold Out), Batgirl Adventures #1 (2/1998; Poison Ivy appears), BATMAN ADVENTURES #12 (9/1993; 1st HARLEY QUINN); #28(1/1995; 4th HARLEY QUINN-c/s?); ANNUAL #1(9/1994; 3rd app); HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1 (1/1995; 5th app?); MAD LOVE #NN(2nd app); BATMAN BEYOND, RETURN JOKER, Batman: Collected Adv #2; Batman & Robin Adv (1995) #18(5/1997 6th app?); Batman Chronicles Gallery #1 (5/1997; 7th app?), Batman: Gotham Adv #10(3/1999), 14,29,30,43, BATMAN HARLEY QUINN #1(10/1999), Batman Harley and Ivy (2004) #1-3; Batman Legends Dark Knight #126, Batman: No Man's Land Gallery #1 + Secret Files #1 (12/ 1999), Batman: Shadow of Bat #93 Batman & Superman Adv: World's Finest #1 (10/1997), Birds of Prey #27, CATWOMAN (1994) #63, 71, 82-84, Dark Claw Adventures #1, DETECTIVE #737, 740, 741 831, 837, HARLEY QUINN (2000-2004 series) #1-38, Harley Quinn: Our Worlds At War #1(10/2001); Joker / Mask (2000) #1-4,, Superman (1987) #161, Superman Emperor Joker #1, Superman Man of Steel #105, THRILLKILLER: BATGIRL & ROBIN #1(1/1997); Thrillkiller '62 #NN(1998), Wonder Woman #164;
Comics from 1961-1964 that ROY LICHTENSTEIN (Mostly DC Comics) used for his Sources for his Multi-Million Dollar POP ART, with G-FN Copies, when identified these Bring 150-300% Guide; All American Men of War #89, Battlefield Action (Charlton) #40, Donald Duck Lost and Found (Little Golden Book), G.I. Combat #94, Girls' Romances #78, 105, Our Fighting Forces #66,71, Secret Hearts #83,88, Star Spangled War #102, Strange Suspense Stories (Charlton) #72.
*** Market Value in Late 2014 on more HOT KEY Issues Includes; GREEN LANTERN #59(1st GUY GARDNER; 150-200% Guide); #87(1st JOHN STEWART; 150-200% Guide); HAWKMAN #4 (1st ZATANNA; raw G-FN=400-600% Guide; CGC: 9.6=$5000-6000; 9.2=$2500; 7.5=$600); HELLBLAZER {John CONSTANTINE} #1(raw VFNM=$90; CGC 9.8=$300) ISIS #1(1976; VFNM=$30); Jonah Hex #2(1st EL PAPAGAYO; VFNM=$100) #23(1st MEI LING Later becomes the WIFE of Jonah; VFNM=$30); ** JUSTICE LEAGUE (1960-1987) #51(5th ZATANNA; 130-150% Guide); #64(JSA, ORIGIN Red Tornado; 120-135% Guide); #75[2nd GREEN ARROW in SA Costume; 1st Dinah Laurel Lance aka BA BLACK CANARY; 150-200% Guide); #78(1st SA Vigilante; 120-135% Guide); #87 (7th ZATANNA 120-135% Guide); #94(1st MERLYN aka Arthur King the Arch-Enemy of GREEN ARROW; 200% Guide); #100-102(JSA & Seven Soldiers of Victory; 120-135% Guide); #137(JSA; Classic SUPERMAN vs GA CAPTAIN MARVEL battle; 140-160% Guide);
#183-185(New Gods, Mr Miracle, JSA, Huntress & Power Girl vs DARKSEID; VFNM = $25); Justice League of America (2006) #7 ( Roy Harper aka Speedy becomes RED ARROW; VFNM $10); LEGENDS (1986-1987; Red Hot DARKSEID Storyline; BYRNE-c/a; Copper Age START-UP for New Copper Age Flash, JLA, Shazam with Black Adam & Suicide Squad series); #1 (1st Copper Age CAPT MARVEL-c/s; NM-, 9.2 = $18.00); #3(1st new Copper Age SUICIDE; NM-, 9.2 = $32.00); #6(1st Copper Age JLA; NM-, 9.2 = $18.00); LUCIFER #1 (6/2000; VFNM $30); Masters Of The Universe (HE-MAN, Mini Series) #1-3; MY GREATEST ADVENTURE #80(1st DOOM PATROL; G-FN=150-200% Guide); NEW GODS (1971); #1(3pgs Darkseid; G-FN=120-140% Guide); #2(2nd full DARKSEID 1st Cover; G-FN=120-140% Guide); NEW TEEN TITANS (1980) #1(raw VFNM=$50; CGC: 9.8=$250; 9.6=$125)
#2(1st Deathstroke; raw VFNM=$125; CGC: 9.8=$560; 9.6=$230) ANNUAL #2 (1st VIGILANTE in Costume 1st Lyla Michaels aka HARBINGER; VFNM=$18);
OMEGA MEN #3 (1st of LOBO; raw VFNM= $30; CGC 9.8=$150); 100 BULLETS #1(1999; raw VFNM= $50; CGC 9.8=$200); PLASTIC MAN #1(1966; G-FN=150-200% Guide);
PREACHER (DC / Vertigo comics pub; 1995-2000; BAD ASS DIGEST has Reported it that AMC Television {Home of Walking Dead & Mad Men} has Ordered a PILOT Episode of PREACHER (1995) #1 [1st JESSE CUSTER & Saints of Killers; raw VFNM=$175; CGC: 9.8=$575; 9.6=$330); #13(1st HERR STARR; raw VFNM=$35; CGC: 9.8=$170; 9.6=$100); #51(100 Bullets Preview; VF/NM=$15); 65(Death of HERR STARR; VF/NM=$12); ** RICHARD DRAGON (1975) #1(1st RICHARD DRAGON, 1st Ben Stanley aka BEN TURNER later BRONZE TIGER; VF/NM=$35); #5 (1st LADY SHIVA; VF = $50); #14(Spirit of BRUCE LEE; VF/NM=$35); #18 (1st BEN TURNER as BRONZE TIGER; Scarcer LAST issue; VF/NM=$25);
RONIN #1(1984; 1st RONIN), 6(Low Print); raw NM-, 9.2 = $20 ea; ** SANDMAN (1989; NEIL GAIMAN); #1 (1st MORPHEUS; raw VFNM= $100; CGC: 9.8=$350, 9.6=$175); #4 (1st LUCIFER Morningstar; raw VFNM= $40; CGC: 9.8=$200, 9.6=$100); #8 (1st DEATH; raw VFNM= $40; CGC: 9.8=$300, 9.6=$125); #22 (1st DANIEL; VFNM $20); **
SHAZAM (1973-1978); #1(raw VFNM= $100; CGC: 9.8=$500, 9.6=$280, 9.0=$150); #8(Marvel Family #1-r = ORIGIN & 1st BLACK ADAM; VFNM $125); #17(BLACK ADAM Cameo on page 24 & mention on page 40; VFNM $100); #25(1st ISIS; VFNM $75); #28(1st BLACK ADAM; hit peek prices of VG=$100; VF=$400 for Raw Copies, before cooling off a bit by late 2014 with CGC copies; 9.8 = $1325; 9.6 = $875); SHOWCASE (1956-1978) #37 (1st METAL MEN; G-FN=125-150% Guide); #55(HOURMAN & DR FATE vs SOLOMON GRUNDY; 1st SOLO GA GREEN LANTERN in SA; 1st SA SOLOMON GRUNDY; ORIGIN of HOURMAN & DR FATE in Text-s; 200-300% Guide); #56(140-160% Guide); #59 (3rd TEEN TITANS; G-FN=200-300% Guide); #79 (1st DOLPHIN; G-FN=125-150% Guide); SHOWCASE ’96 #3(1996; 1st BIRDS OF PREY PROTOTYPE with LOIS LANE, BLACK CANARY and Barbara Gordon; VF/NM $15); *** STRANGE ADVENTURES (1950-1973) #180(1st ANIMAL MAN; G-FN=300-500% Guide; 8.0-9.2=200-300% Guide);
#184, 190,195, 201 (2nd to 5th ANIMAL MAN G-FN=200-300% Guide; 8.0-9.2=150-200% Guide); #187(1st ENCHANTRESS; G-FN=300-500% Guide; 8.0-9.2=200-300% Guide);
#191, 200 (2nd & 3rd ENCHANTRESS; G-FN=200-300% Guide; 8.0-9.2=150-200% Guide); #205(1st Deadman; G-FN=200-300% Guide; 8.0-9.2=150-200% Guide);
SUICIDE SQUAD (1987) #1(VF/NM $20); #23 (1st ORACLE aka Barbara Gordon; raw VF/NM $20; CGC 9.9=$225); *** Notable team members from Suicide Squad, bringing 150%-500% Guide, include: Amanda Waller (Legends #1 = 11/1986), Bronze Tiger (Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter #1), Captain Boomerang (George Harkness; Flash #117 = 12/1960), Count Vertigo (World's Finest Comics #251), Deadshot (Detective #474), Doctor Light (Arthur Light; Justice League of America #12 = 6/1962), Duchess (Lashina = Mister Miracle #6 = 1/1972), Enchantress (Strange Adventures #187 = 4/1966), HARLEY QUINN (Batman Adv #12), Jewelee (Captain Atom #85 =3/1967; 1st Modern DC = Secret Origins #28), Nemesis (Tom Tresser = Brave and the Bold #166), Nightshade (Captain Atom #82 = 9/1966), Oracle (Barbara Gordon; as Batgirl: Detective Comics #359 = 1/1967; First as Oracle = Suicide Squad #23 = 1/1989), Poison Ivy (Batman #181 = 6/1966), Punch (Captain Atom #85 =3/1967; 1st Modern DC = Secret Origins #28), Ravan (Suicide Squad vol. 1 #1 = 5/1987), Rick Flag, Jr. (Brave and the Bold #25),Shade the Changing Man (Shade #1 = 6/1977), Thinker (Cliff Carmichael)(Clifford Carmichael in Firestorm #1 = 3/1978; as the Thinker = Firestorm, The Nuclear Man #99 =7/1990), & Vixen (Action Comics #521)
*** Market Value in Late 2014 on more HOT KEY Issues Includes; SUPERBOY (1949-1979) #49 (1st Original SA METALLO-c/s; 120-150% Guide); #68(Origin & 1st Original BIZARRO; 150-250% Guide); #197 (LEGION series Begins; 120-150% Guide); #223(1st Dawnstar-c/s = Native American Super-Heroine VF/NM $25); #240(ORIGIN Dawnstar VF/NM $25); SUPERGIRL (1972; 1-5,7= ZATANNA appears) #1(120-150% Guide); *** SUPERMAN (1939-1986) #127(1st app Titano), 129(1st Lori Lemaris the Mermaid), 149(Death of Superman-c/s) = all 120-140% Guide; #233 (1st NEW Direction SUPERMAN; Classic ADAMS-c; raw G-FN=150-200% Guide; CGC: 9.8 = $3500; 9.6=$925) #423(LAST issue; ALAN MOORE-s; VF/NM $22); SUPERMAN (1987) #1(1st Copper Age METALLO; VFNM $10); ** SUPERMAN ADVENTURES (1996-2002); #4(LIVEWIRE Preview; VFNM $20); #5(1st comic app LIVE-WIRE; raw VFNM $60; CGC: 9.8=$280; 9.6=$160); #21 (1st Animated SUPERGIRL VFNM $15); #22 (2nd cameo LIVE-WIRE VFNM $15); #23(2nd full LIVE-WIRE; VFNM $25); #25 (1st Animated Barbara Gordon BATGIRL in Title; VFNM $15); #65(3rd full LIVE-WIRE; VFNM $15); #66(LAST issue; 4th LIVE-WIRE-c/s; DARKSEID app; VFNM $20); SUPERMAN FAMILY #204-205 (1st & 2nd Full Cover Appearance of ENCHANTRESS in SUPERGIRL Story = Her Only 2 appearances in the 1968-1984 Era; VFNM $15); Superman's Girl Friend LOIS LANE #70 (1st SA CATWOMAN; raw G-FN=150-200% Guide; CGC: 9.8=$4899; 9.6=$1550)
#71 (2nd SA CATWOMAN; G-FN=140-160% Guide); #105(ORIGIN & 1st ROSE & THORNE; G-FN=140-160%); #106(Lois SKIN COLOR turns BLACK; raw G-FN=150-200% Guide; CGC 9.0=$260); SUPERMAN MAN OF STEEL #17(DOOMSDAY Cameo; raw VFNM $50; CGC 9.8=$200); #18 (1st full DOOMSDAY; raw VFNM $40; CGC 9.8=$100);
SWAMP THING (1982-1996) #20 (1st ALAN MOORE; raw VFNM $40; CGC: 9.8=$180, 9.6=$120); #21(Origin Swamp Thing by MOORE; raw VFNM $30; CGC: 9.8=$150, 9.6=$80); #25(1st Cameo CONSTANTINE aka HELLBLAZER; raw VFNM $50; CGC: 9.8=$200-300); #37(1st full CONSTANTINE aka HELLBLAZER; raw VFNM $100; CGC: 9.8=$500; 9.6=$250); #67(6 Page HELLBLAZER Preview; VFNM $25); TALES OF THE NEW TEEN TITANS (1982 Mini; PEREZ-a; Secrets, ORIGIN & Histories) #1-4 (1=CYBORG, 2=RAVEN, 3=CHANGELING, 4=STARFIRE; raw VFNM $10 each); Tales of the TEEN TITANS (1984-1988) #42-43(Judas Contract; VFNM $10 ea); #44(Origin DEATHSTROKE; 1st NIGHTWING; raw VFNM $50; CGC 9.8=$300, 9.6=$150); ANNUAL #3(2nd NIGHTWING; VFNM $20); WEIRD WAR TALES #93 (Origin & 1st CREATURE COMMANDOS & General Matthew Shrieve; VFNM=$60; VF=$40) #101 (1st J.A.K.E. 1 the G.I. ROBOT; VFNM=$25); Weird Western Tales #22(1st Cameo QUENTIN TURNBULL; VFNM=$70); #29(ORIGIN OF JONAH HEX; 1st FULL app of ArchEnemy QUENTIN TURNBULL; VFNM=$100); *** The WHITMAN Variant of DC Comics from June 1980 are all Scarce to RARE, typically there are ZERO copies of any of them on eBay in ANY grade; DC Comics Presents #22 is the #1 RAREST DC Whitman thought to NOT exist until about 3/2012 (2 Copies have been sold on eBay; raw VG+ copy for $402 and CGC 8.5 = $1525); The other issues include; BATMAN #324, Flash #286, JLA #179, Legion #264, New Adv Superboy #6, Superman #348 (Most copies that surface are in the VG condition Range & usually bring in the $50 to $150 range; VF or Better copies are VERRY RARE) *** WONDER WOMAN (1942-1986); #204 (Return of old Wonder Woman costume; Death of I CHING; 1st NUBIA; VF/NM $70); #205 (Origin NUBIA; Classic BONDAGE-c = Wonder Woman Strapped to BOMB Aimed at NYC; VF/NM $80); #267-268(Animal Man; VFNM 18); WORLD'S FINEST Comics #96-99(Greeen Arrow by Kirby; G-FN=120-140% Guide); #111 (1st William Tockman aka the CLOCK KING in Green Arrow; G-FN=150-200% Guide); #251,257,264,267 (251=1st COUNT VERTIGO; 257,264,267 = 3rd to 5th All-New Bronze Age BLACK ADAM; all VFNM $30 each); Y: the Last Man #1(2002; raw VFNM=$120; CGC: 9.8=$400; 9.6=$300; 9.4=$220); #2(1st WAVERLY; VFNM $35);
***************************************************************************
MARVEL Comics; HOTTEST issues of the Year;
The MOVIE and TELEVISION Related Comics Dominated the Market this Year, all the Major KEY issues (Especially First appearances & Origins of the Heroes, Main Characters & especially the Villains) related to these have had a HUGE INCREASE in Demand, (Shows of the Past, the Present and most especially those in the upcoming Future) so take a Closer Look at all the related Characters; AGENT CARTER and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (with DEATHLOK) TV Series’; ALIEN LEGION (Possible MOVIE development), ANT-MAN 2015 Film; AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR #1(2018) and #2(2019); BIG HERO SIX (Disney Animated Movie), BLACK PANTHER 2017 Film; CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR 2016 Movie; CAPTAIN MARVEL 2018 Movie (CAROL DANVERS formerly Ms. Marvel), DAREDEVIL (Netflix TV), DAZZLER (possible MOVIE or TV development), DEADPOOL 2016 Film, DEFENDERS 2015-2016 TV Mini-Series (SPINOFF from the Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones NETFLIX), DOCTOR STRANGE 2016 Film, DREADSTAR Movie, FANTASTIC FOUR Re-Boot MOVIES #1(2015), 2(2017), FOOLKILLER [featured on AMC’s Comic Book Men; Fan Speculation of Development), GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY-2 2017 Film; HOWARD THE DUCK (appeared in GUARDIANS #1 = Speculation of HTD MOVIE); INHUMANS 2018 Film; IRON FIST (NETFLIX TV); IRON MAN Movies #1(2008), #2(2010), #3(2013), JESSICA JONES (NETFLIX TV with LUKE CAGE), KA-ZAR (Possible MOVIE or TV development), LUKE CAGE / POWER MAN (NETFLIX TV), NOVA (Fan Speculation of Development of Movie); POWER PACK (Possible MOVIE or TV development), RUNAWAYS (Possible MOVIE development); SINISTER SIX 2016 Sony Movie; STAR WARS the Force Awakens 2015 Movie (Plus; BOBA FETT and HANS SOLO = Spinoff Solo Films); THOR: RAGNAROK 2017 Film; VENOM: CARNAGE (MOVIE by Sony in Development); X-MEN: APOCALYPSE 2016 Movie
*** Market Value in Late 2014 on these HOT KEY Issues (Combo of items we Sold & Prices Observed) Includes; ALPHA FLIGHT #33(1ST cameo LADY DEATHSTRIKE; VFNM $20); #34(1ST full LADY DEATHSTRIKE; VFNM $15); #106(Northstar Revealed to be GAY; VFNM $15); ALPHA FLIGHT (1997-1999) #17(Chronologically 1st BIG HERO SIX; LOW PRINT; VFNM $40); AMAZING ADVENTURES (1970) #1-10 (1-10=Inhumans; 1-8 = Black Widow; 120-135% Guide); #18(1st KILLRAVEN VFNM $60) AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #22 (1st SPEEDBALL VFNM $20); A-NEXT #7( 1st Cameo appearance of HOPE PYM the RED QUEEN; VFNM $20] #12(1st full RED QUEEN; VFNM $20] ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST #6 (1st new GUARDIANS of the GALAXY Team, VFNM $80); ASTONISHING TALES (1970); #6 (1st cameo Dr. Barbara Bobbi Morse; VFNM $100); #12 (1st Full Dr. Barbara "Bobbi" Morse; VFNM $70); #21 (1st IT, the Living Colossus; VFNM $50); #22-23 (IT, the Living Colossus; VFNM $35); #24 (IT vs FIN FANG FOOM Battle; VFNM $50); #25(1st DEATHLOK; VFNM $120); #29 (MSH #18-r = 1st GUARDIANS; VFNM $25); ** AVENGERS (1963-1996) #46(11/1967; Re-Intro ANT-MAN-c/s; vs Whirlwind-c/s; Black Widow appears; VFNM $120); #59(1st Vision VFNM $1200) #59 (1st YELLOWJACKET; VFNM $100); #62(BLACK PANTHER-s Reprinted in JUNGLE ACTION #5; VFNM $100); #125(THANOS VFNM $75); #144(1st Hellcat; VFNM $45); #183(MS. MARVEL Joins the Avengers; VFNM $18); #181(1st Scott Lang; raw VFNM $80; CGC 9.9=$400) #223(3rd TASKMASTER; HAWKEYE & Scott Lang ANT-MAN Story & classic Cover; VFNM $25);
#229 [ HAWKEYE kills EGGHEAD; VFNM $15); ** BATTLE SCARS #1(1st full Nick Fury Jr.; VFNM $8);#6(1st Shield Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel Universe continuity; VFNM $25); BLACK GOLIATH #1(1976; raw VFNM $35; CGC 9.8 = $150); BLACK PANTHER (1977) #1(raw VFNM $90; CGC: 9.8=$600; 9.6=$250); CAPTAIN AMERICA (1968-1996); #117(1st Falcon; raw VF $200; CGC: 9.8=$4000; 9.4=$1000); #208(1st DR. ARNIM ZOLA VFNM $25); #217 (1st MARVEL BOY, later MARVEL MAN & QUASAR; raw/NM $50; CGC: 9.6=$360; 9.4=$150); #281(1950’s BUCKY Returns; SPIDER-WOMAN & VIPER appear; VFNM $12); #290(1st Red Skull's Daughter MOTHER SUPERIOR, later SIN; VFNM $12); #310(1st Diamondback & SERPENT SOCIRTY ; VFNM $12); #359(1st Cameo CROSSBONES; VFNM $30); #360(1st full CROSSBONES; VFNM $30); CAPTAIN AMERICA (2005) #6, 14(both WINTER SOLDIER; raw VFNM $30; CGC: 9.8=$125); *** CAPTAIN BRITAIN weekly (1976-1977; RED HOT) #1(with Bonus MASK; raw VFNM=$100; CGC: 9.8=$799; 9.4=$499); #2(with Bonus BOOMERANG; raw VFNM=$50; CGC: 9.8=$399); #8 [1st Betsy Braddock aka PSYLOCKE; raw VFNM=$250; CGC: 9.8=$1199; 9.4=$600);
#13-23, 25-27 (Low Print & SCARCER issues; VFNM $30 ea); #24 (with bonus SUPER-JET; raw VFNM=$50; CGC: 9.8=$399; 9.4=$199); CAPTAIN BRITAIN Monthly (1985); #8 (8/1985; Origin & 1st app MEGGAN as a Super-Heroine-c/s aka Gloriana; VFNM $50); ** CAPTAIN MARVEL (1968-1979; CAROL DANVERS appears in #1-14, 16-18) #1(5/1968; 2nd CAROL DANVERS later becomes Ms Marvel; G-FN = 150-200% Guide; CGC: 9.8=$2619; 9.6=$1554); #18 (CAROL DANVERS gains POWERS that make her MS.MARVELVF=$100; FN=$60; VG=$40); #34(1st Nitro who started Civil War by killing the New Warriors; CM gets cancer that later kills him; VFNM $60); Captain Marvel (2002) #16 (1st Phyla-Vell aka Quasar, Captain Marvel and Martyr joins new Guardians of the Galaxy; VFNM $15); Captain Marvel (2012-2014) #14-A (Joe Quinones-c; 1st Cameo KAMALA KHAN, later new Muslim MS. MARVEL; NM-, 9.2 $20); #14-B (1 in 30 Variant-c by Amanda Conner; NM-, 9.2 $35); #17-A (1st Printing; Quinones-c; 1st Cameo KAMALA KHAN, later new Muslim MS. MARVEL; NM-, 9.2 $20); #17-B (1st Print;1 for 20 Variant-c by Pascal Campion; NM-, 9.2 $35); CAT #1(1972; raw VFNM=$60; CGC: 9.8=$600; 9.4=$350); Chamber of Darkness #4(CONAN Tryout by Smith; 120-140% Guide); CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1970) #23(1st RED SONJA; CGC: 9.8=$660; 9.6=$300); #24(1st full RED SONJA; CGC: 9.8=$640; 9.4=$180); #58(2nd Belit; raw VFNM $18; CGC 9.8=$150); **** DAREDEVIL (1964-1998); #1(FA-FN = 140-180% Guide); #105 (ORIGIN & 3rd MOONDRAGON; Early THANOS Cameo; raw VFNM $60; CGC 9.8=$275; 9.4=$171); #115 (11/1974; 1/3 pg AD for HULK #181 with 2 images of “the Dreaded Deadly WOLVERINE; VF/NM $40); #131(1st Bullseye; raw VF=$80; CGC 9.8=$1000, 9.0=$175); #153(1st app Ben Urich; raw VFNM $30; CGC 9.8=$150); #158 (1st MILLER Art & Begins; CGC 9.8=$800; 9.6=$300); #164 (Updated Bronze Age ORIGIN of MATT MURDOCK and DAREDEVIL by McKenzie & MILLER; VFNM $50); #168 (1st ELEKTRA; 9.8=$850; 9.4=$250); #170(1st app of FRANK MILLER’s new & revised Bronze Age version of KINGPIN-c/s; VFNM $50);#176(1st STICK, who Trained & Taught Matt Murdock to becomes DD; VFNM $40; CGC 9.8=$180) #197(BULLSEYE-c/s; 1st Yuriko Oyama later Lady Deathstrike; VFNM $20) DAZZLER #1(CORRECTED EDITION with FULL COLOR ADS on pages 24; NM-. 9.2 = $8.00]; #1(VARIANT ERROR EDITION with B&W ADS on pages 24; NM-. 9.2 = $16.00] ** DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU #1(CGC 9.8 $799); #28(CGC 9.8 $799) DEADPOOL (1994) #1 (raw VFNM=$20; CGC 9.8=$100); DEADPOOL (1997) #1 (raw VFNM=$70; CGC 9.8=$250, 9.6=$180); #54-55 (7/2001; classic DEADPOOL vs PUNISHER Battle VFNM $30); #55 (8/2001; classic DEADPOOL vs PUNISHER Battle Part-2 of 2-Parts-c/s; Copycat cameo; Tim Bradstreet-c; Jeanty & Holdredge-a; NM-, 9.2 = $40.00); #69 (Low Print LAST ISSUE; TASKMASTER app; Battle VFNM $30); Baby’s First Deadpool Book #1(VFNM $40); DEFENDERS (1972-1986); #1(CGC: 9.8=$2000; 9.6=$600; 9.4=$400); #26,27,29 (Guardians of the Galaxy; VFNM $30); #28 (1st full STARHAWK; VFNM $50);
. DOCTOR STRANGE (1968) #169(#1; raw VF=$150; CGC: 9.8=$5000; 9.6=$1600; 9.4=$1100); Doctor Strange (1974) #1(raw VF/NM=$150; CGC: 9.8=$800; 9.6=$350; 9.4=$230); DRACULA LIVES #1(CGC 9.8 $899); Edge of Spider-Verse #2-A (1st Printing; Rodrigue-c; 1st GWEN STACY as SPIDER-GWEN the New SPIDER-WOMAN-c/s; raw VFNM $50; CGC 9.8=$150); #2-B (1st Printing; 1 for 25 VARIANT; Greg Land-c; raw VFNM $99; CGC 9.8=$400) *** EPIC ILLUSTRATED #1(1st app Dreadstar's SWORD; raw VFNM $20; CGC: 9.8=$200-250); #3 (1st DREADSTAR; raw VFNM $50; CGC: 9.8=$300; 9.6=$150); #15 (1st DREADSTAR SOLO Story; VFNM $20); ETERNALS (1976); #1(ORIGIN & 1st ETERNALS & DEVIANTS; 1st IKARIS; raw VFNM $30; CGC: 9.8=$150; 9.6=$90); #2(1st CELESTIALS & AJAK; VFNM $22); #3 (1st SERSI; VFNM $18); FEAR #19(1st HOWARD THE DUCK; raw VFNM $130; CGC: 9.8=$1400; 9.6=$600); #20(Morbius Begins; raw VFNM $90; CGC: 9.8=$400); FEAR ITSELF (2011) #7-A (McNiven green-c; 1st Cameo Appearance of Marcus Johnson aka Nick Fury Jr; VFNM $7); #7-B (Billy Tan Variant-c; VFNM $9); #7-C (1 in 25 RED VARIANT-c by McNiven; VFNM $12); FOOLKILLER (1990; classic violent Steve Gerber-s) #1(VFNM $10); #2-10(VFNM $5); Giant-size Defenders #5(3rd Guardians of the Galaxy-c/s; VFNM $60); Giant Size Fantastic Four #3(1st app Original Marvel Four HORSEMEN OF APOCALYPSE = PROTOTYPE for the Modern Copper Age that later appear in X-Factor #15; VFNM $60); GIANT SIZE MAN-THING #4(1st FULL & SOLO HOWARD the DUCK Story, Brunner-a; VFNM $75); #5(2nd FULL & SOLO HOWARD the DUCK Story, Brunner-a; VFNM $60); GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (1990) #1 (raw VFNM $25; CGC 9.8=$150); HAUNT OF HORROR #1 (CGC 9.8 $349); HERO FOR HIRE (1972); #1(ORIGIN & 1st LUKE CAGE; Marvel's FIRST Ever African-America Black Super-Hero and Second ever Black Super-Hero; RED HOT KEY issue; G-FN=200-400% Guide; CGC 9.8=$6000; 9.6=$3000; 9.4=$1000); HOWARD THE DUCK #1(1976; raw VFNM $75; CGC 9.8=$1000; 9.6=$220; 9.4=$150); HUMAN FLY #1(1977; raw VFNM $15; CGC 9.8=$160); INCOGNITO #1(2008; VFNM $10); ** Incredible HULK (1968) #102(G-FN=150-200% Guide; CGC 9.8=$4600; 9.6=$1200; 9.4=$600); #234 (1st QUASAR raw VFNM $30; CGC 9.8=$140); #449(1st THUNDERBOLTS, raw VFNM $20; CGC 9.8=$150; 9.6=$80); Annual #5 (2nd GROOT of GUARDIANS of the GALAXY; raw VFNM $50; CGC 9.8=$350; 9.6=$200); INHUMANS #1(1975; VFNM $60; CGC 9.8=$430; 9.6=$180; 9.4=$130); INVADERS #1(1975; VFNM $99); #7(1st Baron Blood; VFNM $30); *** Invincible Iron Man (2008-2011) #8-A(LARROCA-c; 1st Victoria Hand of SHIELD; VFNM $6); #8-B(Sienkiewicz Variant-c; VFNM $10) IRON FIST #1(1975; raw VFNM $130; CGC 9.8=$1500; 9.6=$450; 9.4=$225); *** IRON MAN (1968-1996); #1(G-FN=200-300% Guide; CGC 9.8=$7800; 9.6=$3000; 9.4=$1800; 9.0=$1100); #55(G-FN=200-300% Guide; CGC 9.8=$5000; 9.6=$2200; 9.4=$1600; 9.0=$1200; 8.0=$800); #118(1st JIM RHODES later WAR MACHINE; raw VFNM $45; CGC 9.8=$275; 9.6=$130; 9.4=$90); #169(Jim Rhodes as new IRON MAN; VFNM $20); #282(1st Full WAR MACHINE; raw VFNM $35; CGC 9.8=$175; 9.6=$90); #304 (1st Cameo HULKBUSTER Armor; VFNM $20); #305(1st full HULKBUSTER Armor; VFNM $20); Iron Man 2 Agents of Shield #1(2010; 1st Comic appearance of Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D.; VFNM $20); JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY (1952-1966); #99(1st Mister HYDE, father of Daisy Johnson aka SKYE the Inhuman on Agents of SHEILD TV; G-FN=120-140% Guide); #103(1st Enchantress & Executioner; 140-180% Guide); JUNGLE ACTION #5 (BLACK PANTHER Series Begins = Avengers #62-r; raw VFNM $100; CGC 9.6=$300+); #6 (1st New Material BLACK PANTHER SOLO Series & Panther’s RAGE Saga Begins; VFNM $120); #8(New ORIGIN BLACK PANTHER-c/s VFNM $120); #19-23(KKK/Ku Klux Klan; VFNM $22); KA-ZAR (1970) #1 (VFNM $70); #2,3(VFNM $45); KA-ZAR (1974) #1 (raw VFNM $30; CGC 9.8=$275; 9.6=$100); Kitty Pryde & Wolverine (1984) #1-6 (YUKIO appears; VFNM $8); LOGANS RUN #6 (1st THANOS Solo; raw VFNM $50; CGC 9.8=$200; 9.6=$150); LONGSHOT #1(1985; raw VFNM $25; CGC 9.8=$220; 9.6=$90);
MAN-THING (1974) #1(raw VFNM $80; CGC 9.8=$500; 9.6=$200; 9.4=$140); #3 (1st Original FOOLKILLER; VFNM $45); #4(ORIGIN & LAST Original FOOLKILLER; VFNM $35); MARC SPECTOR: MOON KNIGHT #55(1st Stephen Platt pro art; raw VFNM $20; CGC 9.8=$180; 9.6=$75); #56-60(VFNM $10); Marvel Chillers #3(Origin TIGRA the WERE-WOMAN & series Begins; raw 9.2=$50; VFNM $35); Marvel Comics Presents #26(1st COLDBLOOD; VFNM $12); #85 (1st SAM KEITH Art on Wolverine; 1st JAE LEE Art at Marvel; early SPEEDBALL Solo-s; VFNM $10); ** MARVEL COMICS SUPER SPECIAL #NN [aka #7; Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; PEREZ-a; FRENCH Language; (HardCover; VF = $250)( SoftCover; VF $200); #16 [Spring/1980; TRUE First MARVEL Comic appearance of BOBA FETT and YODA published simultaneously with the TREASURY from Spring 1980 and the Marvel Illustrated Books Paperback #02114 from May/1980 (all 3 were Published SEVEN MONTHS before STAR WARS #42 from 12/1980); VFNM $40; CGC 9.4=$139]; MARVEL FEATURE (1971-1973) #1(1st Defenders; CGC: 9.4=$600; 9.0=$300); #4(Re-Intro ANT-MAN with Origin & new Series Begins; raw VFNM $120;
CGC: 9.6=$750; 9.4=$350); #8 (Origin of ANT-MAN & Wasp-c/s; VFNM $50); MARVEL GRAPHIC NOVEL #17(Revenge of the Living Monolith; GCD dates as 6/1985; 1st Print $6.95-c; 1st APOCALYPSE behind the Scenes = Same month as X-Factor #5, Pre-Dates X-Factor #6; VFNM $75); ** MARVEL PREMIERE (1972); #15(Origin & 1st IRON FIST; raw VFNM $200; CGC: 9.8=$2000; 9.6=$1000; 9.4=$700; 9.0=$300); #16(Origin part-2 & 2ndt IRON FIST; raw VFNM $70; CGC: 9.8=$420); #19(1st Colleen Wing as a member of Iron Fist’s Posse= early ASIAN Female Super-Hero, partner to Misty Knight, Power Man & Iron Fist; 1/3 pg AD for HULK #181 featuring 2 images of “the Dreaded Deadly WOLVERINE!”; VFNM $70); #21(1st First Actual app of MISTY KNIGHT = early BLACK Female Super-Hero, partner to Colleen Wing & IRON FIST; VFNM $60); #25(First BYRNE Art on Iron Fist; VFNM $70); #28(1st Color Legion of Monsters = Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Morbius the & Werewolf by Night; VFNM $40); #47(Origin & 1st app of SCOTT LANG as ANT-MAN; ; raw VFNM $100; CGC: 9.8=$650; 9.6=$33; 9.4=$200; 9.3=$160); #57(1st American Marvel DR WHO; raw VFNM $30; CGC: 9.8=$150); #61(9th STAR- VFNM $18); Marvel Presents (1975) #3(1st SOLO Guardians of the Galaxy & 1st SERIES Begins; raw VFNM $45; CGC: 9.8=$180; 9.6=$100); #4-12(VFNM $16); MARVEL PREVIEW #11(2nd STAR-LORD; HEINLEIN VARIANT; CGC NM+ 9.6 = $499); Marvel Special Edition featuring STAR WARS: EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (TREASURY) Volume-2 #2 (Spring/1980; TRUE First MARVEL Comic appearance of BOBA FETT and YODA published simultaneously with the Marvel Comics Super Special Magazine #16 from Spring 1980 and the Marvel Illustrated Books Paperback #02114 from May/1980 (all 3 were Published 7 MONTHS before STAR WARS #42 from 12/1980); LOW PRINT; VFNM $70];
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT (1971) #32(1st Jessica Drew Original SPIDER-WOMAN; raw VFNM $120; CGC: 9.8=$900; 9.6=$400; 9.2=$240); MARVEL SUPER ACTION (1976 Magazine) #1 (1/1976; 1st HUNTRESS in Costume & 1st SOLO = Dr. Barbara "Bobbi" Morse 1st appears as a costumed Super-later changes to MOCKINGBIRD in Marvel Team-Up #95; raw VFNM $100; CGC: 9.8=$599; 9.6=$275); MARVEL SUPER ACTION (1977)#14(Avengers #55-r; VFNM $16); #18(Avengers #57-r = 1st Vision; VFNM $20); ** MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (1967) #12(raw VF=$200; CGC: 9.8=$4000; 9.4=$720; 9.0=$380); #13 (3/1968; 1st Carol Danvers later Ms. Marvel; raw VG=$90; CGC: 9.2=$1800; 8.5=$700); #18 (1st GUARDIANS of the GALAXY; raw FN=$200; VG=$125; CGC: 9.8=$19,000; 9.6=$500; 9.4=$2200); MARVEL SUPER-HEROES (1990-1993); V2 #8 (WINTER SPECIAL 1991; 1/1992; 1st SQUIRREL GIRL; raw VFNM=$80; CGC: 9.8=$325; 9.4=$180) MARVEL SUPER-HEROES SECRET WARS (1984) #1(VFNM $25); #8(1st Spider-Man's Costume; raw VFNM $50; CGC 9.8=$150); Marvel Tales #98(Spider-Man #121-r; raw VFNM $30; CGC 9.6=$100); #99(Spider-Man #122-r; raw VFNM $30; CGC 9.8=$130); #106(Spider-Man #129-r; raw VFNM $40; CGC 9.8=$250); #137(Amazing Fantasy #15-r; VFNM $20); ); #138(Spider-Man #1-r; VFNM $15) ** MARVEL TEAM-UP #1(raw 9.0=$240; CGC: 9.6=$900; 9.4=$400); #57(2nd SILVER SAMURAI; raw 9.2 $20); #63 (IRON FIST & Daughters of Dragon; between Iron Fist #15 & Power Man #48; MISTY KNIGHT app = early BLACK Female Super-Hero, partner to Colleen Wing & IRON FIST; VFNM $20); #64 (IRON FIST & Daughters of Dragon; MISTY KNIGHT app; MISTY KNIGHT & IRON FIST Kiss, fall in Love and then become the First Comics Inter-Racial {Black Woman & White Man} Super-Hero Couple in Comics History; raw VFNM $30; CGC 9.8=$135); #65 (1st USA app CAPTAIN BRITAIN; 1st Cameo ARCADE; raw VFNM $40; CGC 9.8=$400); #66 (2nd USA app CAPTAIN BRITAIN; 1st full ARCADE; VFNM $30); #95(1st Barbara "Bobbi" Morse as the MOCKINGBIRD; raw VFNM $60; CGC 9.8=$450; 9..6=$150); #103(2nd full TASKMASTER-c/s; raw VFNM $30; CGC 9.8=$150); #141(1st Black Costume in title; raw VFNM $30; CGC 9.8=$200); ** Marvel Two-In-One #1(raw VFNM $90; CGC 9.8=$800; 9.6=$200); #5(2nd Guardians of the Galaxy-c/s; raw VFNM $75; CGC 9.8=$420; 9.6=$220)
#52(1st CROSSFIRE; raw VFNM $30; CGC 9.8=$200); #55(1st GIANT-MAN II aka Dr. Bill Foster, later BLACK GOLIATH; VFNM $15) Annual #2(Death of THANOS; raw VFNM $90; CGC 9.8=$470; 9.6=$200); Masters Of The Universe (1986) #12(DEATH of HE-MAN; raw VFNM $50; CGC 9.8=$500; 9.6=$175); #13( DEATH of SKELETOR; VFNM $40; CGC 9.8=$275; 9.6=$135); MICRONAUTS (1979); #1 (1st MICRONAUTS & BARON KARZA; VFNM = $18); #8 (1st CAPTAIN UNIVERSE; raw VFNM $40; CGC 9.8=$220); *** MS. MARVEL (1977) #1 (Carol Danvers becomes MS. MARVEL; raw VFNM $150; CGC 9.8=$1400; 9.6=$500; 9.4=$300); #16 (1st cameo MYSTIQUE; VFNM $100; CGC 9.8=$450; 9.6=$300); #17 (2nd cameo MYSTIQUE; raw VFNM $50; CGC 9.8=$300; 9.6=$160); #18 (1st FULL MYSTIQUE; VFNM $100; CGC 9.8=$900; 9.6=$350; 9.4=$225)
NEW MUTANTS (1983) #16 (1st James Proudstar/Thunderbird later WARPATH; raw VFNM $25; CGC 9.8=$150); #87 (1st full CABLE-c/s; raw VFNM $80; CGC 9.8=$300; 9.6=$170); #98(1st DEADPOOL; raw VFNM $175; CGC 9.8=$750; 9.6=$450; 9.4=$350); NICK FURY AGENT OF SHIELD (1968); #1(raw VFNM $225; CGC 9.8=$2000; 9.6=$650; 9.4=$430) #2(1st CENTURIUS, one of the First BLACK Super-Villains; VFNM $140); #4(ORIGIN of Nick Fury & SHIELD; raw VFNM $130; CGC 9.8=$900; 9.6=$375; 9.4=$200); NIGHT NURSE #1(1972; raw VFNM $220; CGC 9.8=$1500; 9.6=$870; 9.4=$470); NOVA #1(1976; raw VFNM $90; CGC 9.8=$850; 9.6=$300; 9.4=$160); NOVA (2007-2010) #8 (1st COSMO the Space Dog & Knowhere Guardian of the Galaxy; VFNM $25); NYX (2003); #3(1st X-23, Laura Kinney, Daughter of WOLVERINE; raw VFNM $70; CGC 9.8=$300; 9.6=$200; 9.4=$135); OMEGA THE UNKNOWN (1976) #8 (Omega vs NITRO; 1st Cameo app 2nd FOOLKILLER VFNM $30); #9 (1st full app 2nd FOOLKILLER VFNM $30); ***** POWER MAN (1974-1986) #17 (1st NEW TITLE & Luke Cage Series Continues; raw VFNM $60; CGC 9.8=$355); #24 (Bill Foster becomes BLACK GOLIATH = early BLACK Super-Hero; VFNM $25); #48 (Power Man meets IRON FIST; raw VFNM $100; CGC 9.8=$600; 9.4=$150); #49 (2nd Man & IRON FIST issue; VFNM $50);
#50 (Power Man JOINS IRON FIST and they become a regular TEAM, Team-Up Series begins; raw VFNM $100; CGC 9.8=$300; 9.4=$200); #54 (1st Power Man & Iron Fist as HEROES FOR HIRE; raw VFNM $100; CGC 9.8=$350); POWER PACK (1984) #1(VFNM $12); PULSE (2004; 2nd Jessica Jones Series) #1(VFNM $10); SECRET WAR (2004) #2(1st Daisy Johnson aka QUAKE aka SKYE of Agents of Shield, an INHUMAN & Daughter Mr Hyde; VFNM $18); Secret Warriors (2009) #2 (1st KRAKEN; VFNM $10); Secret Wars II (1985) #4 (ORIGIN & 1st KURSE = Beyonder turns ALGIM the ELF into KURSE = Villian in THOR Movie-2 VFNM $10); SGT. FURY (1963-1981); #1 (1st SGT. NICK FURY; FA-FN=150-200% Guide); #5 (1st BARON Wolfgang von STRUCKER; FA-FN=200-300% Guide); #25 (RED SKULL Appears; 120-140% Guide); #27 (ORIGIN of Nick Fury's Eye Patch; 1st Eric Koenig; 120-140% Guide); Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #64 (ORIGIN & 1st CLOAK and DAGGER; CLOAK is a Popular & early BLACK Super-Hero at Marvel; raw VFNM $50; CGC 9.8=$280; 9.6=$160; 9.4=$100); #90 (1st BLACK COSTUME in this TITLE, raw VFNM $25; CGC 9.8=$125); SPIDER-MAN and His Amazing Friends #1 (1981; Animated: Iceman, Fire-Star, Green Goblin; raw VFNM $30; CGC 9.8=$250; 9.6=$140); ** SPIDEY SUPER STORIES (1974); #1(raw VFNM $70; CGC 9.8=$380); #32( One panel Cameo & Second appearance of SABRETOOTH, 22 Months before Power Man #66; 3rd USA app of Captain Britain; VFNM $40); #39(THANOS, Cat & Cosmic Cub; VFNM $40);
#56(1/1982; LOWER Print Run & Scarcer; Second appearance of JACK O'LANTERN-c/s = Later becomes HOBGOBLIN; early CAPTAIN BRITAIN in America-c/s; Green Goblin, Iron Man appears; Mary Jane as Spider-Woman; BLACK cover makes it tougher in High Grades; Under-Valued & Scarcer Bronze Age KEY issue; M-, 9.2 = $40.00); STARLORD SPECIAL EDITON #1 (1982; VFNM $18); *** STAR WARS (1977) #1(1st Print; raw VFNM $110; CGC 9.8=$700; 9.6=$300; 9.4=$200); #6 (1st Published Marvel Art by DAVE STEVENS, and his 2nd ever Published PRO Art, proceeded only by Quack #1 from 7/1976; raw VF/NM $32; CGC 9.8=$280); #42 [1st BOBA FETT on a Marvel Cover; 1st regular Comic Book format appearance of BOBA FETT; raw VF/NM $50; CGC 9.8=$30, 9.6=$150; 9.4=$100); #64-107(Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variant = 200-400% of the CGC & RAW prices for USA printings); #68 (Re-Intro BOBA FETT raw VF/NM $25; CGC 9.8=$260, 9.6=$120); #81 (classic Hans Solo, Princess Leia & BOBA FETT PAINTED cover by Palmer; VF/NM $30); #107(raw VF/NM $75; CGC 9.8=$500, 9.6=$200); STRANGE TALES (1951-1976) #110(1st DR STRANGE; G-FN=200-400%; CGC: 9.6=$61,506; 9.4-$50,788; 8.0=$7000; 7.0=$4200); #126 (1st CLEA; 1st DORMAMMU; G-FN=300-500%; CGC 9.2=$2600; 8.0=$560); #135 [ORIGIN & 1st Colonel {formerly Sgt} NICK FURY & S.H.I.E.L.D.; G-FN=200-250% Guide; CGC: 9.6=$6700; 9.4=$2462; 9.0=$700; 8.0=$350); #169 (1st BROTHER VOODOO, Early BLACK Super-Heroes, with Supernatural Powers; raw VF $60; CGC 9.8=$400; 9.6=$220; 9.4=$150); #178( WARLOCK; Prelude to Thanos Wars; raw VF/NM $70; CGC 9.8=$425; 9.6=$260); #179(4/1975; 2nd WARLOCK issue by STARLIN; 1st app PIP the TROLL; NM-, 9.2 = $60.00); #180(1st GAMORA; raw VF/NM $120; CGC 9.8=$1000; 9.6=$340; 9.4=$250); ** SUB-MARINER (1968); #34(Prelude to 1st Defenders; Hulk vs Sub-Mariner & Silver Surfer battle; raw VF/NM $150; CGC 9.8=$915; 9.4=$350); #35(2nd Pre-Defenders; Hulk/Namor & Silver Surfer Teamup to battle Avengers-c/s; raw VF/NM $100; 9.4=$300); #50 (1st NITA aka becomes NAMORITA later joins NEW WARRIORS; raw VF/NM $35; 9.8=$225; 9.6=$160); SUNFIRE & BIG HERO SIX #1(1998; Technically the 1st BIG HERO SIX; Chronological 1st was Alpha Flight V2#17; raw VF/NM $60; CGC 9.8=$260);
TALES of SUSPENSE #52 (1st BLACK WIDOW; G-FN=200% Guide; CGC 9.0=$2400); #75 (1st Agent-13 later named Sharon Carter as Agent of SHEILD; raw VF/NM $250; CGC 9.6=$956; 9.4=$460); #77 (5/1966; First FULLY seen Peggy Carter; raw VF/NM $200; CGC: 9.8=$2697); #93 [1st cameo MODOK; raw VF/NM $140); #94 (1st full MODOK; raw VF/NM $160; CGC 9.4=$435; 9.2=$300); TALES OF THE ZOMBIE #1(CGC 9.6 $449); THING (1983); #26 (5th TASKMASTER; VF/NM $12); *** THOR (1966-1996); #127 1st Marvel RAGNAROK Storyline in Tales of Asgard; raw VFNM $160; CGC 9.8=$1400; 9.6=$680; 9.4=$290); #146-152 (ORIGIN of the INHUMANS series by JACK KIRBY; 140-160% Guide); #154-157 (MANGOG with RAGNAROK Storyline by JACK KIRBY; 140-160% Guide); #163-164 (2nd & 3rd brief COCOON of HIM {Warlock}; 120-140% Guide)
#165 (1st full HIM who later becomes WARLOCK; G-FN= 200-300% Guide; CGC: 9.6=$2000; 9.4=$1400; 9.0=$500); #166 (2nd full HIM who later becomes WARLOCK; 150-200% Guide): #274,275,278,283,293,350-352=RAGNAROK Storyline issues; #337 [1st BETA RAY BILL as he becomes new THOR, 1st LORELEI; raw VFNM $40; CGC 9.8=$200; Canadian Newsstand Solo 75 cents Cover Price Variants = 200% Value of USA Printings); #347( 1st ALGIM the ELF who later becomes KURSE = THOR Movie-2; VFNM = $16);
#411 (1st cameo NEW WARRIORS; VFNM $20); #412 [1st full NEW WARRIORS; VFNM $20); Annual #6(KORVAC & Guardians of the Galaxy; VFNM $50); TV STARS #3 (SPACE GHOST = TOTH-c/a; 3rd Published Marvel Art by DAVE STEVENS; VFNM $40); VAMPIRE TALES #1(CGC 9.8 $999); WARLOCK (1972) #9-15(Thanos saga by Starlin; 125-150% Guide); Web of Spider-Man (1985) #18 (1st VENOM = behind the scenes, 17 MONTHS before Amazing Spider-Man #298 in 3/1988; VFNM $25); #118 (1st Ben Reilly Spider-Man CLONE SOLO aka SCARLET SPIDER Cover & Story; CLONE vs VENOM; VFNM $20); Weird Wonder Tales #19 (Tales to Astonish #13-r = = 1st app & ORIGIN of GROOT; VFNM $30); WEST COAST AVENGERS #46 (1st GREAT LAKES AVENGERS; Hawkeye & Mockingbird appear; VFNM $10); WHAT IF? #105(1st Spider-Girl-; VFNM $35); What if Planet Hulk #1 (1st SKARR, the Son of HULK as a Baby; VFNM $10); Where Monsters Dwell #6 (Tales to Astonish #13-r = = 1st app & ORIGIN of GROOT; VFNM $50); WOLVERINE (1982; Limited series; Frank MILLER); #2-4 (Canadian Newsstand Solo 75 cents Cover Price Variants = 200% of the Price of USA Printings); *** X-FACTOR (1986-1998); #5 (1st cameo APOCALYPSE; VFNM $40); #6 (1st FULL APOCALYPSE; CGC 9.8=$300; 9.6=$150) #10 (2nd full APOCALYPSE; VFNM $20);
#15 [1st Modern Copper Age HORSEMEN of APOCALYPSE; VFNM $18); #23 (1st cameo Warren Worthington as the ARCHANGEL aka First appearance of DEATH, the Fourth Horseman of APOCALYPSE; VFNM $20); #24 (1st FULL Warren Worthington as the ARCHANGEL aka First FULL appearance of DEATH, the Fourth Horseman of APOCALYPSE; ORIGIN of APOCALYPSE; raw VFNM $20; CGC 9.8=$180); X-FORCE (1991-2002); #2 (2nd full DEADPOOL; raw VFNM $15; CGC 9.8=$90); #5 (3rd full DEADPOOL; raw VFNM $12);
X-MEN (Uncanny) #163 [Origin BINARY-c/s; CAROL DANVEL (aka MS MARVEL) & WOLVERINE appear; VFNM $20); #164 [1st CAROL DANVERS (aka MS.MARVEL) as BINARY-c/s; VFNM $20); #193 (1st FIRESTAR in Comics; 1st James Proudstar as WARPATH in Costume; VFNM $15); #266 (First Full appearance of GAMBIT-c/s; VFNM $75); #317(1st BLINK, VFNM $12); X-MEN (1991-2012) #4-5 (1st & 2nd OMEGA RED; VFNM $10) #114 (1st Cassandra Nova; VFNM $10) #128 (1st of FANTOMEX; 1st Uncanny X-Force;; VFNM $20) X-MEN Annual #10 (1st X-Babies, LONGSHOT joins X-Men; VFNM $18); #14 (1990; True FIRST appearance of GAMBIT = FIVE Page appearance, Precedes X-Men #266; VFNM $35)
***************************************************************************
MISC Comics; HOT issues;
ARMY OF DARKNESS (Dark Horse 1992); #1(11/1992; NM-, 9.2 = $50.00); #2-3( NM-, 9.2 = $35.00); CALIBER CHRISTMAS, A .. (Caliber Press Pub.; 68 page); #1 (12/1989; SCARCE; All-NEW Stories; early CROW cover & story = by James O'Barr, only 11 Months after First appearance = Sixth appearance Overall?; , early DEADWORLD; NM-, 9.2 $40); ** CALIBER PRESENTS (Caliber Press Pub.) #15 (9 page PREVIEW for the Un-Released the CROW #5 with classic Story & Art by James O'Barr; PLUS has 8 page Jim O'Barr SKETCKBOOK wich includes 4 pages with CROW Images; Thus a total of 17 Pages of James O’Barr art; NM-, 9.2 = $50.00); Continum {Presents} #1(1988; 1st Joseph Michael LINSTER art; NM-, 9.2 = $50.00); Cowboy Ninja Viking (Image Comics Pub; 2009-2010) #1(10/2009; NM-, 9.2 $50) #2-10 VFNM $7.00 ea; Dreamwalker (1998 Avatar) #0 (11/1998; 4 page "Goon" preview by Eric Powell that predates Goon #1 Avatar. NM-, 9.2 = $200.00); FROM HELL (Mad Love / Tundra Pub., 3/1991-9/1998) #1 (3/1991; FIRST Printing; NM-, 9.2 = $30.00); GHOST IN THE SHELL (Dark Horse; 1995) #1 (3/1995; NM-, 9.2 $50); Goon (1999 1st Series; Avatar; see Dreamwalker #0 for First appearance of GOON) #1 (1st full Goon; NM-, 9.2 = $250.00); LETTER 44 (ONI PRESS INC; 2013) #1 (1st printing; NM, 9.2 = $12.00); #1 (2nd Printing Variant; NM, 9.2 = $8.00); #1 ( Phantom Variant edition, 1st Printing; NM, 9.2 = $20.00); Love and Rockets #1 (1981; 1st Series; RARE, only 800 Copies Printed; ; NM, 9.2 = $400.00); MOD LOVE (Western Pub) #6201(#1; One-Shot; 1967; NM-, 9.2 = $180.00); OUTCAST (Image Comic); #1 (1st Printing; Robert Kirkman; NM-, 9.2 = $40.00); QUACK (Star Reach) #1 [7/1976; 1st Printing; Kosmo Kat = 12 pages by Evanier, with art by Scott Shaw & DAVE STEVENS; First Published PRO Comics Art by DAVE STEVENS; NM-, 9.2 = $30); #1 [10/1976; 2nd printing; ; NM-, 9.2 = $15); *** RAPHAEL (Mirage Studio Pub., 1985; 1st Turtles One-Shot Spin-Off; Contains the FIRST drawing of the TURTLES as a GROUP from 1983 by Eastman & Laird, that started it all ); #1 (1985; 1st Printing; NM-, 9.2 = $100.00); #1 (1987; 2nd Printing; NM-, 9.2 = $50.00); RAZOR ANNUAL (London Night) #1 (12/1993; First appearance of SHI; William Tucci art; Tim Vigil Back cover pinup; NM-, 9.2 = $30); REALM (Arrow Comics/Weebee//Caliber Pub) #4 (9/1986; 1st DEADWORLD; NM-, 9.2 = $10); R.I.P.D. { (Dark Horse; 1999) #1-4(Basis for July 2013 MOVIE starring; Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, Mary-Louise Parker; NM-, 9.2 = $10.00 each): STRAIN (Dark Horse) #1 (First Print; Guillermo Del Toro; FX TV show; NM-, 9.2 = $50.00)
***************************************************************************
WHITMAN Comics;
The Pre-Pack WHITMAN comics (8-12/1980 and 1983-1984) were in BIG Demand in 2014, below were some of my CGC Sales; Beep Beep #93 (CGC NM 9.4 $299); Bugs Bunny #222 (CGC 9.2 $299); #238,239,245(all CGC 9.6 $129 ea), 239(CGC, 9.6 $129); 244 (CGC, 9.4 $99) ; Chip and Dale #82 (75 cents Canadian VARIANT; CGC 9.0 $109); #83 (CGC, 9.6 $129); Daffy Duck #129 (CGC, 9.2 $159); #143 (CGC, 9.6 $129); Daisy and Donald #45 (CGC 9.4 $299); Donald Duck #245 (CGC 9.8 $199); Huey Dewey and Louie #76(CGC, 9.4 $99) .#77(CGC 9.6 $129); #78 (CGC 9.8 $199); #81 (CGC 9.6 $129); Jungle Book #1 (CGC 9.8 $199); Little Lulu #267 (CGC 9.8 $199); Looney Tunes #46 (CGC, 9.4 $99); Mickey Mouse #208 (CGC NM 9.4 $699); Popeye #158(CGC 9.6 $429); Popeye #169 (CGC 9.8 $199); Porky Pig #106 (CGC 9.8 $199) #109( CGC 9.6 $139); Super Goof #70 (CGC 9.2 $89); Tom & Jerry #342 (CGC, 9.4 $99) #343 (CGC, 9.4 $99) Tweety & Sylvester #106 (CGC NM 9.4 $229) #117 (CGC 9.2 $89); #120 ( 75 Cent Canadian VARIANT; CGC 9.2 $199); Uncle Scrooge #206 (CGC 9.8 $239); #208 (CGC 9.8 $239); Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #479 (CGC 9.6 $329); #479(CGC, 9.4 $219) .
Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #481(CGC, 9.4 $219) #483 (CGC NM 9.4 $225); #501,505,506,510 (all CGC 9.6 $139 each); Winnie the Pooh #20 (CGC 9.0 $249) #29 (CGC, 9.4 $99); Woody Woodpecker #198 (CGC 9.6 $129); #200 (CGC 9.8 $199); Yosemite Sam #81 (CGC 9.6 $129); *** BLACK HOLE (Whitman) #4 (1980) in CGC 9.8 sold for $6,250.00 on the CGC Boards, and was paid by Paypal to the Seller;
*********************************************************************************************************************
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #44 (2014-2015) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
*** The UN-EDITED Original Version;
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INTRODUCTION;
The Origins of comics can arguably be traced back to the Stone Age when Cavemen told Stories with pictures carved on walls. The Comic Book format that most us us collect began circa 1933 thus 80 Years OId. Most Print Media are fast on the Decline & headed for extinction. This worries Comic Collector's as print runs keep declining, as they fail to recognize the Transformation of the Media as the Total Package involved. When you correctly view COMICS in the Current Age, it includes; (in Multi-Languages & Countries around the World); Comics in Print Format (Books, Colloring Books, Comic Books as Periodicals, Digests, Graphic Novels, Hardcovers, Magazines, Newspapers, Paperbacks, Posters & more), Documentaries, Electronic Media (Internet & Mobile Phone), Films/Movies (8, 16 & 35 mm Film, VHS, DVD, Blu-Ray), Games (Board Games, Puzzles, Role-Playing, Video Game etc), Kindle Reader, Music (Cassette tape, CD, 8-Track, Vinyl Record), News, Radio, Television & More; Add to that an endless Stream of Memorabilia, Collectibles & Disposable items too, including; Action Figures, Bikes, Blankets, Bobble-Heads, Candy, Caps/Hats, Clothing, Coins, Costumes, Curtains, Drinks & their Containers, Food Containers, Fridge Magnets, Games, Key-Chains, Lithos, Lunch Boxes, Model Kits, Non-Sport Cards, Original Art, Patches, Radio's, Rings, Stamps, Statues, Stickers, Toys, Wallets & Much More. Given that Colossal amount of items related to Comics Today & add the current growing Population of the World, Comics Today are Unquestionably currently the most Popular they have ever been in their entire History, and still growing in all related Mass Media. Warner Brothers owns DC Comics. The Walt Disney company bought Marvel Comics in 2009 & Star Wars in 2012, so you can bet the Explosion of related items has just begun. Comic Books as Print media still have very high value as low priced Source Material for all the aforementioned items above, if they make a bit of money that is a Bonus, if they only break ever that is still great. Even as a loss Leader, they have great potential, at very Low Cost (It was a small investment for Marvel to produce the ALIAS series from 2001, that will now Reap the rewards of becoming a TV Series for Netflix in the near future). Collector's are a stange breed, they prefer to Collect the ORIGINAL Items, rather than Reprints, if they can afford them.
Since Tastes are ever changing & evolving, there will always also be Overproduced Comics out of Favor & Slow Sellers, they might stay stagant in price for years, but given time they gain value, simply by inflation & cover prices of new items, so one needs only to be patient. If you want to be an Investor in Comics, do NOT buy just anything, do your Homework, Read Market Reports, ask advanced Collectors & Dealers, check out Auctions, Dealer Sites, Conventions, eBay & Flea Markets. If you are spending larger amounts money & are NOT an expert at recognizing Strictly Graded Condition, then BEWARE, buy Low Price items, CGC graded items, & Strict Graded items from trusted Experience Sellers, until you are confident about Grading. Collector's need to think about LIQUIDITY. Comics were produced as Disposable Entertainment objects, once you have read them you are to have used up their value, if you can salvage any value at all out of common comics after that, that should be considered found money. You will probably NOT be able to fund your Children's Education or your Retirement with common comics, they are not Cash or Bonds, you cannot buy Groceries with them. To educate yourself, when you make a purchase, immediately ask another seller what he would BUY that same item for. Chances are that if 90% or More of your Comics Collection is 1981 and Newer, you will have to become a Dealer & sell them yourself, to get any noteable money from your collection. Your options include; (1) ebay. (2) craigslist (3) kijiji (4) your Local Newspaper (5) Local FLEA MARKETS (6) SELL or TRADE to your Local Second Hand Bookstores "BOOK" Stores often have a Low Selection of Comics, while Comic Shops might be overstocked; (7) have a GARAGE SALE listing COMICS as the main feature (Many people will show up) and sell MOST common 1980's to Date Comics in the 50 cents to $1.00 each price range; The ones that have a Price Guide Value of $5.00 or More, you can ask $1.00 each or More (or 20-35% of Guide); NOTE; Comics sold in Complete Sets or Runs [Complete Consecutive Runs of 10, 20 or 30 Comics in One Lot are Reccomennded] sold at 10% to 50% Off Guide (based on Popularity & Scarcity), sell near equally as good as a decent selling KEY issue of same Value.
In the 1980's Fans & Collectors both thought Bronze Age comics were common in High Grade & would never be worth anything = They were all VERY WRONG, as prices exploded & many comics are scarce to rare in High Grade; In the last decade Fans & Collectors both thought Copper Age comics were common in High Grade & would never be worth anything = They are again VERY WRONG, as many Key issue Prices are exploding as i write this & many of these comics are scarce to rare in High Grade; Many think that Modern Age Comics are Common & Worthless, but with the Lowest Print Runs in the history of Comics, any Key issue that becomes HOT, has overnight exposive potential. Since all these characters started in the Comic Books that we Know & Love, they will aways be collectible.
Once
again the Hottest Comics of the Year were those Related to Current &
Upcoming TV and Movies, with many items experiencing Skyrocketing
Prices. Even many Veteran Advanced Collectors have been drawn into
the Frenzy. If there is one thing i have Learned in 42+ Years
Experience as a Dealer, it is to SELL the Comics the Customers want,
when they want them. Often this involves buying Hot comics at
100-200% or More of Guide, and Marking the Price up from there &
selling immediately, even if at a modest profit. Many collector's get
sucked into the "I have it and You Don't" phenomena that
makes them overpay for items that are on everybody's MUST HAVE list.
The mistake they make is buying at or over the PEAK PRICE, when the
NEXT Must Have HOT book comes along, the previous MUST HAVE items can
Drop in Value, or stay stagnant for up to 10 Years, or Longer. Most
Collector's are now in the Habit of BUYING as Prices are PEAKING,
when it is actually the time to be SELLING these Must Have Books (I
have been making a good living for 42 Years by selling at the right
time. Rather than buying the current Must Have book at 600% Guide,
you are usually better off buying 6 Undervalued Key Issues with lots
of future potential at cueect guide Levels. This Year there were so
many Collectors Diverted from their regular Collecting practices by
hot TV and Movies, that many Non-Key Silver & Bronze-Age titles
saw Slow Downs in sales. The Marketplace noted a lot of Price
Corrections on CGC Graded Comics, often with items like uneventful
1966-1969 Marvel Super-Hero comics in CGC 9.4 selling at 9.0 Guide or
lower Prices. In fact many High Grade Non-Key issues now sell at
below Guide Prices, meanwhile the G-FN copies on same comics are now
undervalued in Guide & sell OK at current Guide Levels. The
newest phenomena is that many Marvel & DC Key issues that are
priced at $100 or more in VF, sell much better in G to FN grades at
125% to 200% current Guide Prices. This is partly because smart
sellers realize they are undervalued in G-FN at current Guide levels,
as the price spreads are now too wide, so the dealer pays full guide
& makes his markup from there. The Hot TV and Movies trend
appears to be recurring for the forseeable next 2-5 Years before the
next reevaluation occurs. Meanwhile, this is the time to buy up the
bargain priced undervalued CGC comics, and the undervalued affordable
key issues with future
potential.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ALTERNATIVE
/ Independant Comics;
Since
COPPER AGE Comics have Picked Up in Demand, so have ALTERNATIVE
Comics from that Era & Beyond; Those from POPULAR MEDIA, have
always Sold faster, including; (Adult, Aliens, Anne Rice,
Avengers(TV), Crow, Animated Cartoons, Bone, Buffy, Classics, Comic
Strip Reprints, DAVE STEVENS Art (everything), Dick Tracy, Doc
Savage, EC Reprints, Elric, Green Hornet, HORROR(Most), H.P.
Lovecraft, Indiana Jones, James Bond, Man from UNCLE, Movie
adaptions, Phantom, Planet of the Apes, Predator, Robotech, Rock &
Personality comics, Robert E Howard, Shadow, Sherlock Holmes,
Simpsons, Spirit, Star Wars, any with Top Comic Artists, Tarzan, TV
Shows, Underground, Vampires, Vietnam War, Werewolf, Zombies, etc;
Collector's are highly interested in all 1980 and Older
ALTERNATIVE Comics, including; Ground-Level Comics, Underground
comics, Ditto-Zines & Fanzines. Most of these have small Print
Runs & are never seen by the average collector. When you add to
that the challenge of Locating these scarce & Cool items, &
at still reasonable Price Levels, it is easy to see why many fans get
hooked. We have over 100,000 Different Independent Comics from the
1975-2010+ Era in stock, one of the biggest selection anywhere, with
well over 1/3 Not listed in the Overstreet GUIDE. Only about 10% of
them were Overprinted, giving the False impression that they are all
Common & Worthless. Millions of these COMICS were DUMPED in
BARGAIN BINS & many are no longer common in HIGH GRADE, because
of Over Handling. Many had small Print Runs of only 1000-5000 Copies,
making them among the Scarcest comics of the last 40 Years. Yet about
95% can bought for under $5.00, so now is the time to BUY the Scarcer
issues, while still affordable;
>>>
I present a HIT LIST of many of the HOT Issues, Bestsellers &
Suggested issues to Watch & Buy Up (Many bring 135-200% Guide if
Strictly Graded);
Albedo
#0,1,2, Aliens #1(5/1988), all Alan Moore titles, Amazing Heroes 1984
Preview (1st Spider-Man's Black Costume Anywhere?), Armour, Army of
Darkness, Berni Wrightson Master of Macabre, Big Apple #1(Wood-a),
Bizarre Sex #9 (1st full Omaha the Cat Dancer), Blackthorne, 3-D Zone
& other 3-D comics (GI Joe, Star Wars, Transformers, Harvey, TV
etc), Blazing Combat (apple), Blood of Dracula(Wrightson issues),
Bone #1-10, Caliber Presents #1(1st Crow), Cerebus #1-21, Cody
Starbuck(1978), 1980's Continuity Comics (Neal Adams), Cobalt
Blue(1977), Critters #1-5, 48-50(Scarce), Creatures of the ID #1(1st
Madman), Crow (1989) #1-4, Cry for Dawn #1-8, Crusaders #1(Southern
Knights), Dark Horse Presents #1, #24 (1st Aliens), #36(1st A vs P),
51-62, 5th Anniversary Special (1st Sin City), Deadworld(Graphic
covers), Death Rattle #8(1st Xenozoic Tales), Destroyer Duck #1(1st
Groo), Dick Tracy (Blackthorne) #71-99(low print), Dick Tracy Ruben
Award series, Echo of Futurepast, Eddie Campbell's Bacchus,
Eightball, Elflord (Nightwind; 1980-82; all RARE) #1-14, V2#1,
Elfquest #1, Fantasy Quarterly #1(1st Elfquest), Femzine(Paragon)
#1,2, FLAMING CARROT #1, FAUST (Rebel) #1-5; Faust #11-13(Low Print &
Scarce = $35-$50 each), Femforce, Galaxia, Gasm, Gobbledygook (1984)
#1, 2, Grendel #40(Last issue 2/1990), Harbinger #0(Pink), 1-6, Hate,
Hobbit, Hot Stuf (Sal Q), How to Draw series (Transformers & GI
Joe), I Lusiphur #1, 3, Imagine(Star Reach), John Byrne's Next Men
#21(1st Hellboy), Judge Dredd, Justice Machine (Noble) #1-3 &
Annual #1, Justice Machine Annual #1(1st Elementals), Leather &
Lace, Lone Wolf and Cub # 1,41-45, Love and Rockets #1 (1981; 1st
Series; Hernandez Bros pub Mag; B&W Covers; $1.00 cover Price;
PROTOTYPE for the 1982 Regular Series is Quite RARE, with only 800
Copies Printed = Estimated Value in VF/NM = $250-$400), Love and
Rockets #1(Fall/1982), 2-10, MACROSS (Comico) #1(12/1984; 1st
Robotech), Mage (the Hero Discovered; Comico; 1984-86) #1,6,7, Magnus
Robot Fighter #0, 1- 8, 12, Magazine #1-4, Malibu Sun #13(5/1992; 1st
SPAWN in Print; VF= $50+), Megaton #3(1st Savage Dragon), 8,
Explosion, Miracleman #10-24 easpecially #15 (Death of Kid
Miracleman), Mr. A series (Ditko), Mister X #1(Vortex), Nexus
#1(Capital 1981), 2,3, Ninja High School (1986/87), Nucleus #1(1979
Cerebus by Sim), Oktoberfest #1(1976 Dave Sim & Day-a), Omaha Cat
Dancer #1, Omega #1(1987 Rebel; Tim Vigil), Omen (Vigil), ORB
#1(Scarce), all Paragon Pub (Pre-1982 titles, Femzine etc),
Phantacea(1977; Dave Sim), Planet of the Apes(all), Power
Comics(1970's), Predator #1(1989), Primer (Comico) #2(1st Grendel),
5(1st Sam Kieth?), #6(1st Evangeline; 1st pro Chuck Dixon), Quadrant,
QUACK #1 [7/1976; First Printing; First Published PRO Comics Art by
DAVE STEVENS), and 2-6, RAI (Valiant Pub; 1992) #0(11/1992; First
FULL appearance of BLOODSHOT; MOVIE in Works), 1-5, Realm #4(Arrow
pub; 1st Deadworld), Reid Fleming #1(1980; 1st), Rocketeer Special
Edition #1 & Adventure Magazine #1, R.I.P.D. (Dark Horse;
1999-2000) #1-4(Basis for 2013 MOVIE), Rock Comics (Tavloid;
Adams-a), Rust #12(Now; 1988; 1st Terminator), Solar #1,10, SPAWN #9
[Neil Gaiman 1st ANGELA], Star Reach, Starslayer #2(1st Rocketeer),
Tales to Terrible to Tell Terrology(Low Print) #1-11, Tank Girl,
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage 1984-1993) #1(all Printings),
#2-4(1st Prints), #4 (5/1987; 2nd Print Misprint VARIANT, Manfactured
in ERROR with the Wraparound-c meant for Tales of TMNT #1, Most
copies Destroyed, High Grade copies bring $300-600), Terminator
#12(Now pub; 1st John Connor), Terminator: The Burning Earth #1 (1st
pro Alex Ross work), Tick #1, 2000 AD #2(1st Judge Dredd; VF with
Stickers = $1000+), Transit, Twisted Tales, Uncensored Mouse, Untamed
Love, Usagi Yojimbo 1-5, VALIANT comics (Pre-Unity issues and LAST
issues), Vanguard Illustrated #7(1st modern Mr. Monster), Vortex
#2(Vortex; 1st Mister X cover), Wally Wood's Thunder Agents, Weird
Romance, Windblade #1(Nightwynd; 1982; Barry Blair; Rare; VF=$100+),
World of Wood, Xenozoic Tales, Yummy Fur, Zen (1987), Zot & more;
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ARCHIE
COMICS;
This
was our All-Time best Year for Archie Back issue Sales, with KEY
issues & Chreryl Blossom leading the way; The First 28
Appearances of CHERYL BLOSSOM (10/1982 thru 6/1985) are all RED HOT,
especially the First appearance in each Title; My new MINIMUM price
on these KEY issues is; [VF/NM=$35; VF=$25; FN=$15; VG=$10; G=$5; For
First appearances in each Title issues = add 50-100% or More];
Including; ARCHIE Comics #323-326, Archie's Girls BETTY AND VERONICA
#320(1st app), 321-322, 326-328, ARCHIE'S PALS 'N' GALS #161(1st Solo
CB), ARCHIE AT RIVERDALE HIGH #89,90,92,96-99, 103(1st CB date with
Archie), ARCHIE'S TV LAUGH-OUT #91, ARCHIE GIANT SERIES #526(1pg
Cameo), 530, BETTY AND ME #136(1 panel cameo), EVERYTHING'S ARCHIE
#104,107, JUGHEAD #325 (2nd app), LAUGH #380, PEP Comics
#396(9/1984); *** Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants exist on
all of these, and Bring a PREMIUM Price of 135-200% over the current
Value of USA Editions; ** Archie's Girls BETTY AND VERONICA is
especially Hot [Recent CGC eBay sales; (#320; 9.0=$400; 7.5=$325;
Canadian 7.0 = $480)(#321; 9.2=$200; 9.0=$150)(#322; 9.6=$300;
8.0=$175); Also Hot is; Jughead (#325: 8.0=$149; Canadian 7.0 =
$200)]; In the 1990-1991 Explorers of the Unknown Series #1-3 &
6(cameo) featured Agent BLAZE BLOSSOM of the CIA a Futuristic Version
of CHERYL BLOSSOM; Otherwise From 7/1985 to 10/1994 there were very
few appearance of CHERYL BLOSSOM; The 4-Part "Love Showdown"
storyline in 11-12/1994 (Archie #429, Betty #19, B&V #82,
Veronica #39) made CHERYL BLOSSOM a Superstar at Arche Comics, with
VF/NM Copies still at only around $10.00 range, sure to be a great
Long Term investment. ** The 4 different CHERYL BLOSSOM Mini Series
from 1995-1997 are all Under-Valued, as is the 1997-2001 Main Series
#1-37 = A suprisingly Difficult lot of 50 different 1995-2001 Modern
Comics to Complete.
The 1961-1962 Era HORROR & SCI-FI issues
are Red Hot (Archie #123-125,127, Archie Giant #17, 19, Betty &
Veronica #70,73,75,77,79,80, Jokebook #58,59,76, Jughead
#77-82,85,86,88, Laugh #128,129, 130(Creature), 132,133,136,139, Life
with Archie #9,11,35,39, Little Archie #18,20,22, Madhouse
#6,8,11,13,15-26,29,35,36,38,42,48,51,58,60, Pals N Gals #18, Pep
#151-154, 158-158 & Others; Hard to Find bringing 125-200% guide)
Demand for the Archie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics has
been 3-5 Times Bigger than the Mirage Pub. ones for over 5 Years,
with no signs of slowing. The Archie editions had widespread
newsstand distribution, thus those are the ones the General Public
bought when the Movies, Toys & Cartoons all Hit the Market. The
1988-1990 Titles are mostly stiil relatively common, but the 1991 up
issues are Scarce. TMNT Adventures #50-72, Specials #6-10 &
Digests, all had Low print runs & are now quite hard to find,
still bringing 200-400% guide, with virtually every dealers
everywhere sold out (#72 in VF/NM brings $30-$50); The Mighty Mutant
Animals in TMNT Adventures are still Hot (1st app in #19, and
#51-54); The Mighty Mutant Animals (4/1992-6/1993) is a HOT title
(Current VF/NM values are = #1-5=$6; #6-8=$10; #9=$15); TMNT
Adventures Special (1992-1994) is a HOT title (Current VF/NM values
are = #1-6=$7; #7-9=$12; #10=$20); TMNT MUTANT UNIVERSE SOURCEBOOK is
a HOT title (Current VF/NM values are = #1,2=$10; Update=$15);
>>>
Other Bestsellers & Hot KEY issues include (with Percentage of
Guide #43 they sell at in brackets);
AFTERLIFE
With ARCHIE #1(6+ Variant covers), Archie & Me #1,49,67,160,161,
ARCHIE Comics #1-100,133,158,185(1st "the ARCHIES" Band-s /
TV Cartoon related) 189,200,283, 300,322,326,336, 356(Calgary
Olympics), 400,429, 600-605,616,617(125-150%), ARCHIE ALL-STAR
SPECIAL - SERIES; (Winter/1975; 164 Pages, 4 different = 200%),
Archie as Pureheart(120%), Archie at Riverdale High #1,47,113, Archie
Giant series (all B&V, Josie & Sabrina issues = 125-150%),
1-7,8(B&V as Devils-c), 9(Adams), 10-20,26,32, 142,143,195,196,
597,603,620(Edmonton Mall), 632, Archie All Canadian Digest
#1(Scarce; 300%), Archie's Girls Betty & Veronica
#1-30(125-150%), 31-200(120-135%), #75(B&V sell Souls to Devil;
200%), 105,118(1st Superteen),119,123,127,199(Spanking panel),
300,339,347, Annual #1-8, Archie's Jokebook #44-48(Neal Adams =
125-135%), 100, 102, 124, 200, 288(200%), Archie's Madhouse [
#22(150%), Sabrina issues(125-135%); #36 = 1st Salem the Cat &
Annual #3 Origin Sabrina], Archie's Mechanics(135%), Archie's Pal
Jughead #1-20, 58(Adams), 78,81,83,84,86(1st app of the
Brain),87,90(Jughead selling Traquilizer DRUGS-c),100,101(125-135%),
Archie's Pals N Gals #1-10, 12(Adams), 15(Adams)(125%), 19(Marilyn
Monroe), 23(1st Josie = 200-400%), #29(Beatles 150%), 40(Superteen &
Purehaeart), 41-53, 54(SATAN meets VERONICA), 71-72(2-Part DRUGS
story); 100,176,198,200,202( END of Archie's JALOPY), 224, Archie's
Ten Issue Collectors Set #1-10(Giveaway 125-150%), Archie's TV
Laughout #1-23(125%), 91(200%), 92,93,96,100-105(120-150%), Betty &
Me #1-10(125%), 16(200%), 23(150%), 40(125%), 79-86(Betty Cooper
Mysteries; 79-81= Drago the Vampire; 125%), 139(Katy Keene
collecting-s), 160(Wheel of Fortune parody-s), 200(150%), Black
Hood(1983 = 150%), Cartoon Network presents SPACE GHOST #1(200%),
Chilling Adv in Sorcery(150%), Christmas with Archie Treasury(200%),
Cosmo the Merry Martian(125%), Everything's Archie #1,100,157, FAST
WILLIE JACKSON #1-7(200%), Flintstones #1-10(150%), 11-22(200%), FLY
(1983-84 = 150%), Ginger(120-135%), Hanna-Barbera All Stars(200%),
Hanna-Barbera Presents(200%), Jetsons(200%), Josie #1(150%),
2-20(125%), 42(1st Alan M. Mayberry), 43(Alexandra Cabot &
Sebastian the Cat discover their witchcraft powers), 45(200%),
46-74(125-150%), 100-106(Low Print; 150%), JCP Presents Thunder
Agents (200%), Jughead #352(200%), Jughead as Capt Hero(125%),
Jughead Fantasy #1-3, Jughead's Folly #1(1st ELVIS in comics 125%),
Katy Keene(1983-1990) (#1-20=150%; #21-32=200%; #33=300%), Laugh
Comics #20-100,127-150,164,166,168, 200,300,400(120-150%); Laugh
#106-109,111,113(Neal Adams; 150%); Life with Archie(1958) #1-20,
45-58, 59(1st app Little SABRINA), 60-66,100,113,172, 176,190,
200,238,279,286(125%), LIFE WITH ARCHIE Magazine #1, 16 (Kevin Keller
GAY Wedding), 23(11/2012; 1st app AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE on VARIANT
cover by Francavilla = $20-$30+); Little Archie #1-66(125%), Madhouse
#95-97(Horror 150%), Mighty Crusaders(1983-85 = 150%), PEP Comics
#22-127(120-135%), 138-140(Neal Adams 200%), 150-160(150%), 161(Josie
Begins 200%), 162-170,200,224(1st Hot Dog),
298,300,393,400,411(150%); Red Circle Sorcery(150%), Riverdale
Rambling (Archie Fanzine = $5-12 ea), Sabrina #1-17, 71-77
(135-150%), Scooby Doo(200%), SHEILD (1983-84 = 150%); SONIC the
Hedgehog #1-50(120-150%), SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #1/4 (1991-1992; SEGA
Game Ashcan; 1st App SONIC in comics; SCARCE; VF/NM $50); ** Scarcer
SPIRE Titles; [Big Ethyl(150%), Mr Weatherbee(150%), Circus(200%),
Date Book(150%), Festival(150%), Roller Coaster(200%), Sports Scene
(200%), Christmas with Archie (Giant; 250%), Jughead Soul Food=150%]
Suzie(120-135%), Tales Calculated to Drive you BATS(120%), That
Wilkin Boy(150%), Thunder Agents (Archie; 150%), WHIZ KIDS (Archie &
Radio Shack $5 ea), Wilbur (Katy Keene #5-56,58-69 & DeCarlo art
in later issues =
120%);
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CAPTAIN
CANUCK COMICS;
From
7/2013 to 1/2014 CAPTAIN CANUCK the Animated Cartoons - Episode #1
thru Episode #4 were released On-Line, with More to Come; Old &
New Fans are very excited. Richard Comely is a Popular Guest at
Canadian Comic Conventions, with long Lineups for his Autograph.
Minds Eye Entertainment is Developing a Feature Film/MOVIE for the
big screen. Over the years, there have been a many licensed CAPTAIN
CANUCK products, including t-shirts, sweat shirts, doodle posters,
etc.
The Canada Post SUPERHEROES official POSTAGE STAMPS SETS,
one of the most popular Canadian Collectible stamp sets of all-time,
are fast sellers at $25.00+ per set; (1995 includes SUPERMAN by
Canadian Joe Shuster; JOHNNY CANUCK, by Leo Bachle / Les Barker;
NELVANA of the Northern Lights, by Adrian DINGLE; FLEUR de LYS, by
Mark Shainblum); By Far Our Bestselling Set (all Publishers &
Titles) for the last 5 Years has Captain Canuck #1-14 with Special #1
(1975-1981) with over 150 Sets Sold in that period at $39 to $55
range. Captain Canuck is Canada's most famous title, all the main
titles were distributed in the USA, but probably 90% of the Print Run
was Distributed to Canada, thus Uncommon to Scracer in USA. The
1975-1981 issues are getting scarcer in strict VF/NM or better. I
have again SOLD OUT of original Treasury Sized #4 (2/1977; 1st Print;
150% Guide); #4(2/1977; 2nd Print, one of the rarest comics of the
entire Bronze Age, lists at $30 in FN in Overstreet, but sells for
around $500 in that Grade it my some miracle you can find one);
Canadian TIME MAGAZINE April 28/1997(VG/FN $15); >> Comely
confirmed Small print Runs for Captain Canuck Re-Born (1993/1994);
#0(English = 90,000 Copies; VF $9), #0(French = 6000; VF $30),
#1(47,000 Newsstand GREEN-c; VF $8); #1(40,000 bagged gold-c; VF
$10); #1(French = 6000; VF $30); #2(30,000; VF $12), #3(8,000 Copies,
but most Copies Destroyed thus RARE; VF = $100), 99% of all Capt
Canuck 1975-81 Original Art was donated to Canada's National
Archives, thus the few left command high prices. Comely's Star Rider
& the Peace Machine 1-2 (1982; VF $6 ea) are getting scarcer too.
All Memorabilia & Promo items are fast sellers. CAPTAIN CANUCK
#15 [8/2004; 150 copies; is virtually impossible to find; In 2013 raw
copies Sold on eBay for NM= $450 and $510);
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHARLTON
comics;
We have about 35,000 Charlton Comics in stock, with 95% of 1960-1986 issues in stock & a great selection of 50% of the 1940's-1959 issues too The HORROR titles as usual were the bestselling titles, especially in affordable G-FN condition ranges. Strict VF or Better are still uncommon, with VF/NM or better Scarce to Rare; Investors like VF/NM or better copies, but there are very few CGC graded copies. [Key issues are 10-100 Scarcer in High Grade them same era Marvel & DC keys, yet only a few Collector's ever notice this fact] The 1945-1950 issues are all Very Scarce, with Most 1951-1957 issues also Scarce, all being in High Demand & with a growing number of Completionists who glady buy them in any complete grades (at 120-150% Guide). The 1958-1969 Silver Age issues are uncommon to scarce, but with some legwork most sets are possible to complete in a Reasonable amount of time, these are in Moderate Demand (at 115-125% Guide). The 1970-1986 Bronze Age issues are uncommon, with most of the 1984-1984 Being Lower Print & Scarcer issues, these are in above average demand (at 120-135% Guide).
We
sell far more Hanna Barbera comics from all publishers (one of our
speciaties) than Walt Disney Cartoon Comics. This is because several
generations grew up on HB Cartoons in their Home Daily on TV as Kids,
while Disney was more often exprienced as an occasional one-shot
Movie Theatre Films. Most of the 1950's and 1960's WAR & WSTERN
Comics are above average sellers. All the other Genre's are solid
Steady sellers (at 115-125% Guide) including; Adult Cartoons,
Cartoon, Crime, Funny Animals, History, Humor/Parody, Licsenced
Characters, Movie, Hot Rod, Jungle, Martial Arts, Mythology, Mystery,
Newspaper Comic Strip, Pirates, Pop Music Stars, Radio, Romance,
Science, SF, Soap Opera, Superhero, Teenage, TV); The Scarcer items
include; Digests, Comic Magazines, Horror Mags & Non-Comic mags
(Adult Cartoon, Crossword & Puzzle mags, Horror Film mags,
Kung-Fu & Karate mags, Sick mag, True Romance mags, True Western
mags) = these fascinate many collectors & are above average
sellers. A fast selling Gem that is not listed in the guide is;
CHARLTON PORTFOLIO (B&W Comics Fanzine; Charlton/CPL Gang Pub.;
1974; aka CPL Double-Issue #9 & 10; 1974; Limited to 500 Copies??
UNPUBLISHED Blue Beetle #6 = 18 pgs DITKO-a; Aparo, Byrne, Gulacy,
Newton, Staton;
VF=$50);
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DC
COMICS;
The
DC Comics Related Movies, TV Shows & Video Game Comics are the
Most Requested, (at 125-500% Guide #43) this Includes (In Production
and/or Confirmed); Black Mask (Batman Video Game), Booster Gold TV,
Doomsday(Rumored), FLASH Movie (Barry Allen & Wally West), Green
Arrow TV (Smallville & Arrow), Green Lantern #2(vs SINESTRO),
Justice League Movie (Rumored with Darkseid), Man of Steel Movie
(with Batman), Nightwing (Rumored), Preacher TV, Sandman Movie
(Gaiman), Y the Last Man & More; Other HOT Key issues include;
Animal Man, Batgirl, Black Canary, Black Orchid, Brainiac,
Deathstroke, DUELA DENT (aka Joker's Daughter aka Harlequin = Harley
Quinn prototype), Freedom Fighters, Guy Gardner, Huntress, John
Stewart, Pre-1990 JSA comics, Kid Flash (Wally West the new Flash),
Lobo, Lori Lemaris, Mon-El, Red Hood, early Sgt Rock, Star Sapphire,
Supergirl, Toyman, Ultra-Boy, Wonder Girl, Zatanna, etc;
First
appearances of all the Major VILLIANS for all the Major Super-Heroes
have Way Up in Demand, and almost all are a good buy even at 125-150%
Guide in Strictly Graded Condition; Note; The Guide now Undervalues
almost all Hot & Key issues in G thru FN Grades (and often in VF
too), so when almost anything gets hot, they can be considered
Wholesale Prices, and retail prices vary from 150-400% Guide for Raw
copies, [Meanwhile High grade copies often usually bring lower
premiums, unless CGC graded]; A few of the HOT Villians Include;
Bane, Bizarro, Black Mask, Catwoman, Clayface, Darkseid, Doomsday,
Faora Hu-Ul, Gauntlet of Super-Villians (Flash #130 and all First
appearances), General Zod, Grodd, Harley Quinn, Joker, Man-Bat, Mr
Freeze, Parasite, Phantom Zone villians, Poison Ivy, Penguin,
Professor Zoom the Reverse Flash, Metallo, Ra's Al Gual, Riddler,
Scarecrow, Secret Society Super Villians, Sinestro, Talia al Ghul,
Titano, Two-Face, Vandal Savage, etc;
Ordinary Non-Key issues of
Common & Uncommon DC & Marvel Comics from 1960-1980 were
slower sellers, thus many were sold at discounted prices on eBay this
year [Since DC's of the period are scarcer than Marvels in general,
they are expected to rebound, if buyers & sellers remain
patient]; I made up dozens of bargain Lower Grade Copy sets at 25-50%
Off Guide on these & they actually sold quite well to happy
buyers who just wanted affordable reading copies; Meanwhile i held
back the better more presentable copies for the long haul, if given
time they eventually sell themselves at guide guide levels, as we get
an endless stream of buyers filling out runs.
Superman The Movie
from 1978 introduced General ZOD to the Film Media & General
Public, Terence Stamp plays the Phantom Zone Criminal/Villian General
Dru-ZOD; The DC TREASURY'S All-New Collector's Edition #C-62 & DC
Special Series #25 are DC's commoration of the Movie #1 and #2 that
featured ZOD; a Ruby-Spears Superman Animated epidode in 1988 had
ZOD; Callum Blue played General ZOD in 23 episodes of TV's SMALLVILLE
from 2009-2011; Michael Shannon played General ZOD in the 2013 Man of
Steel Movie #1; In the eyes of the General Public, General ZOD rivals
LEX LUTHOR as the Top Superman Villian in the TV & FILM Media.
The First & second 2-Panel cameo appearance of General ZOD were
in Adventure #283, 293, with #283 bringing 150-300% Guide; The First
& Second FULL appearances of General ZOD were in Action Comics
#297, 298; See also ACTION Comics #471-473 for General ZOD appearance
along with the First 3 appearances of FAORA Hu-UL (after Crisis
renamed as Zaora; Villianess from Krypton Phantom Zone, appeared in 7
episodes of the Smallville TV Series in 2009-2010, in the Man of
Steel 2013 Movie she appeared as Faora-Ul); Faora Hu-Ul & General
Zod also appear in 1979 World of Krypton & 1982 Phantom Zone Mini
Series';
>>>
Movie & TV Related, Bestsellers & other Hot KEY issues in
2013 included (with Percentage of Guide #43 they sell at in
brackets);
ACTION
#297(1st FULL General ZOD; G-FN=300%; VF-NM=200%) #298(2nd full ZOD;
G-FN=200%; VF-NM=150%) #309(JFK G-FN=200%; VF-NM=150%); #440(1st
Grell on Green Arrow 150%); #471-473(FAORA Hu-UL; 150%); #484(w Rare
3-D Superman Doll = 400%); #521(1st DC Black Superhero = VIXEN-c/s;
300%); #583(150%); ADVENTURE #229(10/1956; First SA app in Title of
GA version of Green Arrow = George Papp-a; First SA Aquaman = Ramona
Fradon-a; G-FN=140%; VF-NM = 120%); #250,
256(#250 = 7/1958, 1st Kirby Green Arrow; #256 = 1/1959, First
Transformative NEW ORIGIN for Green Arrow, as he becomes the new SA
Hero by Jack Kirby;
G-FN=200%;
VF-NM = 150%); #251–255(early new Green Arrow by Jack Kirby;
G-FN=125%; VF-NM = 110%); #257-266,268,269(Green Arrow; 110%);
#283(1st Zod 2 panel cameo; G-FN=200%; VF-NM=150%) #293(2nd Zod 2
panel cameo; 120%); #461,462 (Death GA Batman; 125%); All-New
Collector's Ed #C-62 (Superman The Movie; ZOD; 150%); Animal Man
#1-10(150%); DC Special Series #25(Superman II w Zod 125%);
All-American Men Of War #89 (Art in comic Re-Imagined by Top American
pop artist Roy Lichtenstein for his famous paintings “Whaam!"
and “As I opened Fire”; 250%); ** BATMAN Older Key issues
(most G-FN=135-160%; VF-NM=120-140%) #121(1st Mr FREEZE), 131,
139(1st Original BATGIRL), 155[1st SA PENGUIN), 171(1st SA RIDDLER),
181(1st POISON), 183, 189(1st SCARECROW 150%), 197, (all NEAL ADAMS
Art or Cover issues), 219, 222(150%), 227(200%), 232-235,237, 240,
243-245,251 ** BATMAN newer Key issues #357[1st JASON TODD Later RED
HOOD; 300%); #366,368(120%); #386(1st BLACK MASK; 1000%); #387(BLACK
MASK; 500%); #357-402(Lowest Print Runs in the History of Title
75,303-97,741 per month = 150%); 497(135%), 426-429(125%); BATMAN
FAMILY #6(1st DUELA DENT, Two-Face's Daughter in her Guise as the
JOKER'S DAUGHTER, later becomes HARLEQUIN an inspiration / prototype
Character of HARLEY QUINN; 200%) #9[2nd JOKER'S DAUGHTER, 1st Duela
Dent as PENGUIN, RIDDLER & SCARECROW DAUGHTERS; 150%); #16[JOKERS
DAUGHTER 125%]; Batman Adventures #12(1st Harley Quinn; 300%); Batman
Adventures: MAD LOVE (200%); Batman: Sword of Azrael #1-4(125%),
Batman Vengeance of Bane #1(150%); Batman Killing Joke(150%), Booster
Gold (1986) #1(200%); #2-25(150%) Crisis of Infinite Earths # 7,
8(120%); DC Whitman Variants = see WHITMAN; ** DC Comics Presents
#26(1st NEW TEEN TITANS 150%); #47(1st HE-MAN; 300%); *** DC REPRINTS
(2nd, 3rd, 4th & more Printings) = In Almost all Cases, these are
much Scarcer with many that are RARE, as compared to the Common First
Printings (VARIANT Collector's have paid $25 to $100 each for some of
the RARE issues); The Best know ones are BATMAN #397(7/1986),
398.399,401-403,408-416,421-425,430-432 all had 2nd Printings in
1989, with Some issues up to 8 Printings; Some are NOT identified as
Reprints, but have newer ADS after the cover Dates; ALL of these
Reprints have DIFFERENT AD'S on the BACK covers then Original 1st
Printings; ALL the REPRINTS have the SAME value as the 1st Prints]
NOTE: VARIANT Collector's will pay 50-200% Premiums for these Scarcer
Reprints; ** DETECTIVE Older Key issues (most G-FN=135-160%;
VF-NM=120-140%) #359(1st BATGIRL 150%), 363-365,369,(all NEAL ADAMS
Art or Cover issues), 370,371,384, 400(150%), 411 (200%), #482-569
(LOWEST Print Runs for Title, 64,635-89,635 copies 150%); #521(Green
Arrow series begins 200%); #524(175%), 553(2nd BLACK MASK; 400%),
569. 570, 572, 574-578; Doom Patrol #19,35,36,42-44,87(150%); FLASH
#139(1st Prof Zoom Reverse Flash; G-FN=300%; VF-NM=200%);
#147,153,165,175,186(2nd to 6th Reverse Flash 125-150%),
#275-276(Reverse Flash Kills IRIS West/Allen wife of Flash; 200%),
#323(Flash vs Reverse Flash; 400%), 324(Flash KILLS Reverse Flash;
600%); #350(RETURN of Reverse Flash & Iris Allen 200%); Flash
(1987) #1(150%); Firestorm #61 Variant(150%), FOREVER PEOPLE#1(1st
Full DARKSEID; 150%); GREEN ARROW (1988) #1, 75,
97-100,101,104,110,111,125,137(150%); #0(1st Connor Hawke 200%);
#96(300%); GREEN LANTERN #7(1st SINESTRO; G-FN=200%; VF-NM=150%);
#9,11,15,18 (2nd to 5th Sinestro = 125%) #16(1st SA STAR SAPPHIRE;
120%); #59(1st GUY GARDNER 135%); #87(2nd GUY GARDNER; 1st John
Stewart 125%); #116 (1st GUY GARDNER as GL; 125%), 141(150%), #192(
Re-Intro STAR 150%), 194-195(125%), HAWKMAN #4 (1st ZATANNA;
G-FN=200%; VF-NM=150%); Hellblazer #1-10, 27(150%); JUSTICE LEAGUE
#4(Green Arrow joins JLA; G-FN=125%; VF-NM = 110%); #137(Superman
meets Captain Marvel 150%), 183-185(New Gods, Mr Miracle, JSA vs
Darkseid; Movie Plot?) = 150%; Justice League (1987) #1, and
3(Variant) = 150%; Last Days of JSA #1 = 150%; Leading #1(Winter
1941; 2nd Green Arrow? 110%); Legends #6(1st new JLA by BYRNE; 150%);
Legion of Superheroes #37,38(Death Superboy; 150%); Masters Of The
Universe #1-3(150%); More Fun Comics #73(11/1941; 1st Aquaman; 1st
Oliver Queen the Green Arrow & 1st Speedy; G-FN = 125%; VF or
Better = ??); NEW GODS #1-2(early DARKSEID = 125%); NEW TEEN TITANS
(1980) #1-2(150%); Omega Men #3(1st LOBO; 150%); PREACHER #1(500%),
2-20(200%); SANDMAN (1989) #1(250%), #2-7,9,11-21,23-30(150%);
#8,10,22(all 200%); SHAZAM #1(2/1973; a CGC 9.8 copy sold for $2500
in 2013]; Strange Adventures #180,184,190,195,201(Animal Man;
G-FN=200%; VF-NM=150%); #205,206(G-FN=150%; VF-NM=125%); SUPERBOY
#68(1st BIZARRO; G-FN=200%; VF-NM=150%); SUPERMAN Keys (most
G-FN=135-160%; VF-NM=120-140%) #123(Supergirl Tryout), 125(1st
Original Power Girl), 127(1st Titano), 129(1st Lori Lemaris Mermaid),
233(1st NEW Diection Superman; Classic ADAMS-c), 423(LAST issue; ALAN
MOORE); Superman # 75(Death Superman 150%); Superman Man of Steel #17
(1st cameo Doomsday; 200%); #18(1st full Doomsday 500%); #18(has 5
Printings; 5th Print = Rare); Superman's Pal JIMMY OLSEN #133(1st app
KIRBY's Fourth World; G-FN=200%; VF-NM=150%); #134(1st cameo DARKSEID
150%); 135(2nd Cameo DARKSEID 150%); SWAMP THING (Saga of; ALAN
MOORE) #20-30(150%); #37(200%); #31-36,38-64(135%), 171(400%);
Superman #423(LAST issue; ALAN MOORE; Perez-a; 200%); Tales of Teen
titans #443(1st Nightwing), TEEN TITANS (1966) #1,20-23(G-FN=135%;
VF-NM=120%); (Note: Duela Dent / Joker's Daughter as HARLEQUIN
inspiration / prototype for HARLEY QUINN}; #46(JOKER'S DAUGHTER
begins, Third app overall = 150%); #47(125%); #48[JOKER'S DAUGHTER
becomes HARLEQUIN = 1st App = 150%); #49-52(Duela Dent as HARLEQUIN
appears 125%); V for Vendetta #1-12(150%); Wonder Woman (1942-1986)
#61-120(Low Print 125-150%); #159,177-204(125%); #267-268(1st Copper
Age Animal Man 150%); #281-283,291-293,300,329(150%); World's Finest
#84(10/1956; First SA app in Title of GA version of Green Arrow;
G-FN=135%; VF-NM = 120%); #96(10/1958), 97-99(new SA version of Green
Arrow by Jack Kirby; G-FN=135%; VF-NM = 120%); #95, 100-140(Green
Arrow appears); #71,88,90,94,113,125,129,144,148,154,156,169,
173-178,198-200(G-FN=120-135%; VF-NM=110-120%); #215,217,244-253,
300(125%); #323(200%); Y: the Last Man #1(150%); #2-60(200%);
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DELL Comics;
These have been strong & steady sellers for over 40+ years, if a seller is patient everything they produced sells, but only if the dealer has a good selection; We have about 20,000 DELL Comics in stock, with 95% of 1955-1972 issues in stock; These have wiedespread international demand, many comics selling to Non-Collectors who are nostalgic about the characters & just want a few examples. PRICE seems to be the most important factor to most of the majority of buyers, with over 90% of what actually sells in the FA/G to FN condition range. The Price Spreads in the Guide do not reflect the real market on these. Most FN/VF or better copies have major price resistance & are slow sellers (usually only selling if i do not have a more affordable copy in stock); The usual exceptions that are still in demand in High Grades include; We have about 35,000 Charlton Comics in stock, with 95% of 1960-1986 issues in stock FIRST & KEY issues, Tarzan, Turok, Carl Barks art comics, better Hanna-Barbera, better cartoon & Popular TV & Movie comics. Dell comics in CGC graded VF/NM 9.0, NM- 9.2 and NM 9.4 often need to be priced at 25% to 50% Off Guide to sell. Most DELL comics in G-FN are Under-Valued in the Guide, while most VF-NM Dells are overvalued in Guide, this was caused by using the same Price to Condition spreads for Dell as wide as for MARVEL & DC Superhero comics, while that is not the reality of the marketplace.
The Bestselling Titles (G-FN = 120-140% guide; FN/VF-VF/NM= 75-115% Guide) included; Adventures of Mighty Mouse, Air War, Andy Panda #35-56 (Chilly Willy Backup-s issues), Annie Oakley, Bat Masterson, Beetle Bailey, Beep Beep Road Runner, Ben Bowie, Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, Big Valley, Brave Eagle, Bugs Bunny, Bullwinkle, Cheyenne, Chilly Willy, Cisco Kid, Colt 45, Combat, Creature, DELL Giants (Bugs Bunny, Lone ranger, Little Lulu, Nancy, Tarzan, Western Roundup, Yogi Bear, etc), Dracula 1, Dunc & Loo, Felix the Cat, Flintstones, Flying Nun, Flying Saucers, Four Color (over 100 Hot issues, over 300 issues in High Demand, about 700 are moderate sellers, with only about 200 being slower sellers), Frankenstein 1, Fritzi Ritz (with Peanuts), F-Troop, Gene Autry #101-121, Get Smart, Ghost Stories, Gidget, Have Gun Will Travel, Hogans Heroes, Howdy Doody, Huckleberry Hound, I Dream of Jeannie, I Love Lucy, Indian Cheif, Jetsons, John Carter of Mars, John Wayne(all), Jungle War, King of Royal Mounted, Kona, Laramie, Lawman, Leave it to Beaver, Little Lulu, Lone Ranger 1-10, 112-145 Looney Tunes 1-50, 201-246, March of Comics (50% of this Promo Giveaway series are above average sellers), Maverick, McHales Navy, Melvin Monster, Monkees, Movie Classics (Western, SF & Horror), Mummy, Nancy (Peanuts-s, Oona-s, Stanley-a), New Funnies 65-120, 241-288, Outer Limits, Peanuts, Pogo, Ponytail, Popeye, Quick Draw McGraw, Rawhide, Real McCoys, Red Ryder 1-118, Ricky Nelson, Rifleman, Rin Tin Tin 18-38(TV's RUSTY & the Cavalry of Fort Apache issues), Rocky & Friends, Roy Rogers 119-145, Sgt Preston, Smokey Stover, Tales of Wells Fargo, TARZAN 1-30, 80-131, Thirteen, Tip Top #211-225(with Nancy & Peanuts), Tom & Jerry #60-100, Tonto, Top Cat, TUROK, Twilight Zone, Voyage to Bottom of Sea, Wolfman, Woody Woodpecker, Wyatt Earp, Yak Yak, Yogi Bear & Zorro.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOLD
KEY COMICS;
I
have 35,000 Gold Key comics in stock, with about 95% of everthing in
stock. We had above average sales on G-FN copies this year. Strictly
Graded VF or Better copies on High Demand more Collectible titles
remain hard to find, but sell well on the right books. Non-Key issues
on less popular Titles, are harder to sell in VF or Better; The
Bestselling Titles (G-FN = 120-150% guide; FN/VF-VF/NM= 110-125%
Guide) included;
Addams
Family, Amazing Chan, Atom Ant, Astro Boy, Auggie Doggie, Avengers
(TV) #1(Photo back-c), Bamm Bamm, Banana Splits, Battle of the
Planets, atles Yellow Submarine, Beneath Planet of Apes, Beep Beep
1-10, Beetle Bailey, Boris Karloff, Bugs Bunny 86-100, Bullwinkle,
Cave Kids, Close Shaves of Pauline Peril, Daffy Duck 31-50, Dagar,
Dan Curtis (Giveaways) #1-9, Daniel Boone, Dark Shadows, Doc Savage,
Dr Solar, Family Affair, Fat Albert, Flash Gordon, Flintstones,
Frankenstein Jr, Fun-In, Funky Phantom, George of the Jungle, Gold
Key Spotlight, Gomer Pyle, Grimm's Ghost, Hair Bear Bunch,
Hanna-Barbera (all #1 & Key issues), Hanna Barbera Super TV
Heroes, Hanna-Barbera Bandwagon, Happy Days, Honey West, H.R.
Pufnstuf, Huckleberry Hound, Inspector, Jetsons, John Carter, Jonny
Quest, Kortak, Kroft Supershow, Lancelot Link, Land of Giants,
Laredo, Lidsville, Little Lulu #207 up, Little Monsters, Lone Ranger,
Looney Tunes 1-10, Lucy Show, Magilla Gorilla, Marges Little Lulu
165-206, Magnus Robot Fighter, Mars Patrol, Mighty Samson, Mighty
Hercules, Mighty Mouse, Milton Monster, Mr Ed, Mr & Mrs J Evil
Scientist, Munsters, My Favorite Martian, Nancy & Sluggo, Occult
Files of Dr Spector, Peanuts, Peter Potomus, Phantom, Pink Panther,
Popeye, Quick Draw McGraw, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Rifleman,
Rocky & Fiendish Friends, SCOOBY DOO (Red Hot), Secret
Squirrel,Snagglepuss, Snooper & Blabber, Space Family Robinson,
Space Ghost, Space Mouse, Spine Tingling Tales, Star Stream, Star
Trek 1-9, Supercar, Tarzan, Tasmanian Devil 1, Three Stooges, Time
Tunnel, Top Cat, Turok & Twilight Zone, UFO Flying Saucers,
Underdog, all VARIANTS (see Variant Comics in this Report), Wacky
Races, Wacky Witch, Wagon Train, Wild Wild West, Woody Woodpecker
75-100, & Yakkey Doodle. ** MOD LOVE #6201(#1; One-Shot; 1967)
remains RARE & sells at 200-400% Guide #43
Prices;
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARVEL
COMICS;
The
Movie & TV Show Related MARVEL Comics were the Most Requested,
(at 125-500% Guide #43), plus a few added Hot Key issues, Includes
(In Production and/or Confirmed); Agents of SHEILD TV, Antman (Henry
Pym & Scott Lang), Amazing Spider-Man movie (Black Cat & Gwen
Stacy), Beta Ray Bill, Big Hero Six - Disney Movie, Blink, Black
Panther movie, Black Widow (Movie appearances), Capt America movie
(Aim, Bucky, Falcon, Red Skull), Capt Marvel (Thanos related), CLOAK
and DAGGER (Speculation), Legend of CONAN (King Conan movie with
Arnold Schwarzenegger), Daredevil (Netflix TV), Defenders (Netflix TV
Mini series), Doctor Strange movie, Fantomex, Guardians of Galaxy
movie (still Red Hot; Collector, Drax, Gambit, Gamora, Groot, Human
Fly (delayed film), Iron Fist (Netflix TV), Iron Man (Jim Rhodes War
Machine), Luke Cage Power Man (Netflix TV), Marvel Man / Quasar,
Rocket Raccoon, Starlord), Hawkeye (TOS #57), Inhumans movie
(rumored; FF #36 38, 41-47; Medusa, Gorgon, Inhumans, Black Bolt &
Maximus, with Origins in Thor), Jessica Jones (Netflix TV = Alias &
Pulse), MS. MARVEL (Carol Danvers - Avengers film & new reboot
series), Nick Fury in multiple Movies, Mystique, NOVA movie
(Rumored), PSYLOCKE (Elizabeth Betsy Braddock in 1976 Capt Britain
#8-10), Puck (Alpha Flight #1 in Xmen movie), Rogue, Punisher, Star
Wars (3 more Disney Films - Boba Fett is Hot), Thor (ALGIM the ELF /
KURSE, MALEKITH, Warriors 3), Vision (Avengers movie?), Warlock
(Thanos related), Warpath, Wolverine (Mariko, Silver Samurai, Viper &
Yashida), X-FORCE Movie (Cable, Deadpool), X-MEN movie (Days of
Future Past movie from #141-142; followed by APOCALYPSE in next
Film)
First appearances of all the Major VILLIANS for all the
Major Super-Heroes have Way Up in Demand, and almost all are a good
buy even at 125-150% Guide in Strictly Graded Condition; Note; The
Guide now Undervalues almost all Hot & Key issues in G thru FN
Grades (and often in VF too), so when almost anything gets hot, they
can be considered Wholesale Prices, and retail prices vary from
150-400% Guide for Raw copies, [Meanwhile High grade copies often
usually bring lower premiums, unless CGC graded]; A few of the HOT
Villians Include; APOCALYPSE, Bullseye, Carnage, the Collector,
Destroyer, DORMAMMU, Drax, Elektra, Enchantress & Executioner,
Fin Fang Foom, Graviton (Agents of Sheild), KORVAC, Mandarin, Modok
(Iron Man movie?; TOS #93,94), Nebula (Guardians), Red Skull &
Cosmic Cube (Capt America film), Ronan (FF #65 re Guardians),
Sabretooth, Silver Samurai, Taskmaster, Thanos, Ultron-5 (Avengers-2
Movie), Venom (& early Symbiote Black Costume)
Ordinary
Non-Key issues of Common & Uncommon DC Comics from 1960-1980 were
slower sellers, thus many were sold at discounted prices on eBay this
year [Since DC's of the period are scarcer than Marvels in general,
they are expected to rebound, if buyers & sellers remain
patient]; I made up dozens of bargain Lower Grade Copy sets at 25-50%
Off Guide on these & they actually sold quite well to happy
buyers who just wanted affordable reading copies; Meanwhile i held
back the better more presentable copies for the long haul, if given
time they eventually sell themselves at guide guide levels, as we get
an endless stream of buyers filling out runs.
>>>
Movie & TV Related, Bestsellers & other Hot KEY issues in
2013 included (with Percentage of Guide #43 they sell at in brackets,
or Grade/Price);
ALF
#48 (400%); ALIAS #1 (1st Jessica Jones 300%); ALPHA FLIGHT #1(1983;
1st Puck; 200%); #51(1st Jim Lee 200%); ALPHA FLIGHT V2 #17(1998;
Chronological 1st BIG HERO SIX; VF/NM = $20); Amazing Spider-Man
#119-122(G-FN = 150%; VF-NM = 120%) #194(1st BLACK CAT; G-FN = 200%;
VF-NM = 150%); #195,204,205,226,227,(2nd thru 5th Black Cat 125%);
#229,230(Juggernaut; VF/NM = $16); #238, 252(Canadian 75 cent
VARIANTS = 200%); #233-279(Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants,
printed in USA = 200%); #300 (1st Venom 125%), #315-317(Venom; 135%),
#298,299,301-314,318-328(McFARLANE 125%); #344-345(135%);
#361(CARNAGE, 200%); #430, 431 (Carnage & Silver Surfer; VF/NM- =
$25); ANNIHILATION: CONQUEST #6(1st new Guardians VF/NM = $40);
Astonishing Tales #21-22(First IT, the Living Colossus 120%)
#23-24(FIN FANG FOOM 150%); #25(120%); #29(Guardians 200%); AVENGERS
#28 [1st COLLECTOR 150%); #46(Re-Intro ANT-MAN 135%); #51(2nd
COLLECTOR 125%);#54-55(250%); #57(1st Vision; G-FN = 300%; VF-NM =
200%); #58(2nd Vision 125%); #62(classic BLACK PANTHER-c/s =
Reprinted in JUNGLE ACTION #5; 125%); #119(Collector 125%);
#125(Thanos 150%); #134-135(Revised TRUE ORIGIN of GA Human Torch
becaming the VISION; 150%); #144(1st Hellcat 150%); #158(1st Graviton
aka Dr. Franklin Hall = 250%); #167-177(classic KORVAC Saga with
Guardians, Capt Marvel & Ms Marvel; 200%); #181(1st SCOTT LANG
who becomes the new ANT-MAN 250%); #183(MS MARVEL Joins 200%);
#195-196(TASKMASTER; 200%) Avengers Annual #7(Thanos 120%),
#224-270(Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants, printed in USA =
200%); Annual #10(1st Rogue 120%); BLACK PANTHER #1(1977 130%);
CAPTAIN AMERICA #117(1st FALCON; G-FN = 250%; VF-NM = 175%);
#153-155(150%), #180-181(135%); #217(1st Bronze Age MARVEL MAN; NM- =
$50); CAPTAIN BRITAIN (1976 UK); #1,2,24 (with Bonus inserts; VF/NM =
$50 each); #8[1st Betsy Braddock aka PSYLOCKE; VF/NM = $250);
#9-10(2nd & 3rd Betsy Braddock; VF/NM = $25 each); CAPTAIN
BRITAIN Monthly (2nd series); #8(1st app & Origin MEGGAN Braddock
as a Super-Heroine-c/s, later Gloriana; VF/NM = $50); Conan the
Barbarian #1(G-FN = 150%; VF-NM = 120%); #23-24(135%); #58-59(150%);
#139-185(Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants, printed in USA =
200%); #251-260(VF/NM $6); #261-270(VF/NM $9); #271-274(VF/NM
$12);#275(VF/NM $40); DAREDEVIL #18,43,50-53,105,131,132,141,146(all
125%); ##111(1st SILVER SAMURAI 150%); Darkhawk #1(CGC 9.8 = $100+);
DEADPOOL (1997-2002); #1-53(200%); #54, 55(PUNISHER VF/NM = $30 ea);
#55-60(300%); #61-68(400%); #69(VF/NM $30); BABY'S First DEADPOOL
Book (VF/NM $40); DEFENDERS #1(150%); #2-25(125%);
#26-29,36(Guardians 200%); #94,96(200%); DOCTOR STRANGE #169(1968;
G-FN = 200%; VF-NM = 150%); #170-183(125%); Droids #1-8(Star Wars
150%); Ewoks #1-14(Star Wars 150%); FANTASTIC FOUR #36(1st MEDUSA
150%); #38,41-43(2nd-5th Medusa 120%); #44(1st GORGON- 150%); #45(1st
INHUMANS; G-FN = 300%; VF-NM = 200%); #46 (1st full BLACK BOLT G-FN =
150%; VF-NM = 135%); #47(1st MAXIMUS 150%); #52-53(1st/2nd BLACK
PANTHER G-FN = 200%; VF-NM = 150%); #65(1st Ronan; G-FN = 200%; VF-NM
= 150%); #66-67(Warlock 125%); #110(Error 150%); #247-293(Canadian
Newsstand Cover Price Variants, printed in USA = 200%); Ghost Rider
(1973) #1-5(125%); GI Joe #21(150%); #26, 27, 93-96,139-154(all
125%); #155(G-FN = 200%; VF-NM = 150%); Special #1(G-FN = 200%; VF-NM
= 150%); Giant-Size Defenders #5(Guardians 150%); HERO FOR HIRE
#1(150%); #2-16(125%); HUMAN FLY #1-19(150%); Incredible HULK
#102(135%); #121,122,126,140,141,161,162(all 125%); #234(1st QUASAR
VF/NM $30); #271(Rocket Raccoon; G-FN = 600%; VF-NM = 400%);
#276-322(Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants, printed in USA =
200%); #331-334,336-345(McFARLANE 135%); Annual #5(2nd app GROOT
VF/NM $60); INHUMANS (1975) #1(150%); #2-12(125%); IRON FIST #1(1975
150%); #2-15(125%); IRON MAN #1(G-FN = 150%; VF-NM = 125%);
#55(150%); #88(early THANOS 150%); #118(1st Jim Rhodes 150%);
#169(150%); #163-209(Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants, printed
in USA = 200%); #281(VF/NM = $8); #282(VF/NM = $12); #284(VF/NM =
$9); Journey Into Mystery #83-86(120%); #103(G-FN = 200%; VF-NM =
150%); #112-115,118,119(all 125%); JUNGLE ACTION #1-4, 11-23(125%);
#5,6,8,24(200%); #7,9,10(150%); LOGANS RUN #6(THANOS 135%); Longshot
#1-6(150%); Marvel Age #12(3/1984 1st Spider-Man Black Costume; VF/NM
$15); MARVEL COMICS SUPER SPECIAL #7[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club
Band; RARE; Not issed in USA; Perez-a; French Softcover VF = $200;
French Hardcover VF = $300; French Softcover combo with #4 Beatles VF
= $250]; MARVEL FEATURE #1-3(Defenders 135%); #4(Antman; G-FN = 300%;
VF-NM = 200%); #5-10(150%); #11-12(125%); MARVEL PREMIERE #1-14(125%)
#15(1st IRON FIST; G-FN = 200%; VF-NM = 150%); #16-24(125%);
#47(150%) 48(120%); Marvel Presents #3(Guardians 200%); #4-12(150%);
MARVEL PREVIEW #4(1st STAR-LORD 2000%); #7(1st ROCKET RACCOON 2500%);
#11,14,15,18(2nd-4th Star-Lord 600%); #3,8,10(all 150%); MARVEL
SPOTLIGHT (1971) #28-29(125%); #30(1st Solo Warriors-3 = 200%)
#32(150%); Marvel Spotlight (1981-1981) #6-7(ORIGIN of STARLORD
250%); MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #13(1st Carol Danvers later becomes Ms.
Marvel; G-FN = 600%; VF-NM = 400%); #15(MEDUSA 150%); #18(1st
GUARDIANS of the GALAXY; G-FN = 600%; VF-NM = 400%); Marvel
Super-Heroes Secret Wars #8(1st Black Costume; USA=120%; Canadian
Variant=200%); MARVEL TEAM-UP #57(2nd SILVER SAMURAI 200%); #83,84,85
(SILVER SAMURAI 150%); #86(Guardians 200%); Marvel Team-Up
#141(Scarcest 1st Black Costume in High Grade; 200%); Marvel
Two-In-One #5(2nd Guardians of the Galaxy 200%); #61(STARHAWK &
Guardians 200%); Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2(Death of THANOS; G-FN =
150%; VF-NM = 125%); #4(3rd Graviton aka Dr. Franklin Hall 150%);
Masters Of The Universe #12(DEATH of HE-MAN 200%); #13(DEATH of
SKELETOR 200%); Mighty World of Marvel (UK; 2nd series) #7(12/1983;
1st MEGGAN Braddock later Gloriana by Alan MOORE & Alan DAVIS;
VF/NM = $100); MS. MARVEL #1,18(both 135%); 'NAM #81-84(Low Print &
Scarce 400%) NEW MUTANTS #5(SILVER SAMURAI 150%); #16(1st WARPATH
400%); #86-87(1st Cable 150%); #98(1st DEADPOOL; G-FN = 250%; VF-NM =
175%); #100(1st X-FORCE 300%), ANNUAL #2(1st US PSYLOCKE 125%); NICK
FURY (1968) #1(150%); #4(Origin 150%); #2,3,5-7(125%); NOVA #1(1976
150%); POWER MAN #17(1st issue with NEW TITLE 150%); #48-50(IRON FIST
begins; BYRNE-a; 200%); Punisher (1986) #1(150%); Punisher (1987)
#1,10(150%), 100-104(250%); PULSE #1(Jessica Jones VF/NM = $10);
ROCKET RACCOON (1986) #1-4(150%) Rom #75(150%); Secret Wars II #4(1st
app & ORIGIN of KURSE 150%); SILVER SURFER (1968) #1,3,4(G-FN =
130%; VF-NM = 110%), (1987) #1, 34-38(150%), (1988-89 Moebius Mini)
#1,2(200%); SMURFS (1982) #1-3(VARIANTS with Star Wars Jedi Arena
Game Ad on Back-c 150%), Treasury Edition #1(Scarce 200%);
Spectacular Spider-Man #64(1st CLOAK and DAGGER 200%);
#69,70,81-83(150%); #90(200%); #71-117(Canadian Newsstand Cover Price
Variants, printed in USA = 200%); Spider-Man (1990) #1(Platinum
150%), #1(Gold UPC 150%); #1(No Price on Comic 150%); SPIDER-MAN and
His Amazing Friends #1(250%); SPIDEY SUPER STORIES #1-10(135%);
#39(early THANOS 200%); Star Wars (1977) #1(125%); #6(1st First
Published Marvel Art by DAVE STEVENS 150%); #42(1st BOBA FETT 300%);
#68(Re-Intro BOBA FETT; USA=250%; Canadian Variant=500%);
#100-106(120%); #107(135%); #64-106(Canadian Newsstand Cover Price
Variants, printed in USA = 200%); STRANGE TALES #89(1st FIN FANG FOOM
250%); #97(1st Aunt May & Uncle Ben 200%); #110(1st Dr Strange;
G-FN = 200%; VF-NM = 150%), 115(Origin Dr Strange; G-FN = 150%; VF-NM
= 125%); #126(1st CLEA & DORMAMMU 200%) #135(1st SHIELD; 150%);
#169(150%); #180(1st GAMORA 200%); #179,181,182(135%); SUB-MARINER
(1968) #34-35(Defenders Prelude; G-FN = 200%; VF-NM = 150%); SUNFIRE
AND BIG HERO SIX #1(600%), 2-3(300%); TALES of SUSPENSE #50(1st
MANDARIN; G-FN = 200%; VF-NM = 150%); #57(1st HAWKEYE; G-FN = 200%;
VF-NM = 150%); #58-60,62,65,66(125%) #93(1st cameo MODOK 150%);
#94(1st full MODOK 200%); #97(1st app of WHIPLASH 125%); TALES TO
ASTONISH #27 (1st ANT-MAN; G-FN = 200%; VF-NM = 150%); THOR
#126,134,136,158,159(G-FN = 125%; VF-NM = 110%); #146-151(Origin of
Inhumans; G-FN = 150%; VF-NM = 125%); #162,168,169(Galactus; G-FN =
150%; VF-NM = 125%); #163-166(HIM/Warlock; G-FN = 135%; VF-NM =
110%); #324(4th Graviton aka Dr. Franklin Hall 200%);
#332-333(Dracula; USA=200%; Canadian Variant = 500%); #337(1st Beta
Ray Bill; US Edition = 200%; Canadian Variant = 400%); #344(1st
MALEKITH 200%); #347(1st ALGIM the ELF later KURSE; VF/NM $20)
#411-412(1st New warriors 150%) Thor Annual #6(/1977; Korvac &
Guardians 150%); Transformers #1, 61-80(150%); TV STARS #3(Dave
Stevens 3rd Marvel Art 150%); WARLOCK (1972) #10(Origin THANOS &
GAMORA later of Guardians 150%); WEB of SPIDER-MAN #18(1st VENOM
behind scenes 17 months before AS #298 = 500%); Weird Wonder Tales
#19(2nd TTA #13-r = 1st Groot-s 150%); WHAT IF? (1977) #11,16(2nd &
4th Marvel Art by DAVE STEVENS; 150%); WHAT IF? (1989 2nd) #105(1st
Spider-Girl 175%); Where Monsters Dwell #6(11/1970; 1st TTA #13-r =
1st Groot-s 200%); WOLVERINE (1982; MILLER Mini) #2-4(Canadian
Newsstand Cover Price Variants, printed in USA = 200%); Wolverine
(1988) #1(150%); ##2-4(Lord Shingen Yashida & YUKIO / Earth 616
appear; 2-3=SILVER SAMURAI); #2(1st SILVER SAMURAI Battle;
150%);#10(1st Sabertooth battle; 120%); X-FACTOR #5(500%), 6(200%),
23-24(160%); X-MEN (Uncanny) #118(Mariko 120%); #129(125%);
#141-142(Days of Future Past 125%); #158,162-164,171,184(all 125%);
#172-173(Yukio & Wolverine 135%); 174(SILVER SAMURAI 125%);
#193(Warpath 150%); #201(1st Baby Nathan Cable 150%);
#162-208(Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants, printed in USA =
200%); #244(1st Jubilee 150%), # 248(1st Jim Lee 125%) #266 (1st
Gambit 150%) #316(1st Blink? 150%), Annual #14(1st GAMBIT = 5 Page
appearance Precedes X-Men #266 125%); X-MEN (1991) #128(1st Fantomex
& Uncanny X-Force; VF/NM =
$20);
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WARREN,
SKYWALD & MISC HORROR & SF Magazines;
Demand
for WARREN
mags is
still strong. The more afforable G-FN copies are the Most Requested &
thus the hardest to keep in stock; VF/NM or Better High Grade copies
are still good sellers if Raw Copies, with CGC slabbed Copies being
slower movers; Demand for Famous Monsters has been up all year,
especially #1-30 in all grades. >>>
The High Demand WARREN Mags & Scarcer issues Include (Percentages
of Guide #43 are Listed);
Blazing
Combat #1 & Anthology (G-FN=400% Guide; VF-9.2=200%), Comix
International #1(200%), CREEPY #9,11,19,29,76,79,146(G-FN=150% Guide;
8.0-9.2=125%), #32(G-FN=200% Guide; VF-9.2=150%),
#10,14,17,18,34,39,46,47,50,53,63,70,71,78, 85, 91,113,132-145
(G-FN=135% Guide; 8.0-9.2=110%), Best of Creepy Paperback (VF $30),
Dracula (TPB; G-FN=200% Guide; 8.0-9.2=150%), Dracula (UK NEL / New
English Library mag editions 1-12 VF set = $200); Edgar Allan Poe's
Fall of the House of Usher HC and SC (G-FN=200% Guide; VF-9.2=150%),
Eerie #1, 23(G-FN=300% Guide; VF-9.2=200%), #8, 25, 48, 135(G-FN=150%
Guide; VF-9.2=125%), #17(G-FN=500% Guide; VF-9.2=300%), Eerie #18,
24, 28, 38-41,45, 60, 81,125,128, 130-134,136-139 (G-FN=135% Guide;
8.0-9.2=110%), Famous Monsters #1(VF=$1800; FN=$900; VG=$600),
2-10(VF = $300-$900 ea; VG=$150-400), 11-30(VF = $150-$300 ea;
VG=$50=$125), 1962 Yearbook #1(VF $250; VG=$100), Famous Monsters
(Dynacomm) #200(1993), 203, 205(VF = $25-35 ea);
#201,206,211-214,216/217,219,221,223,224(VF $20-$25 ea); Other up to
#250($10-$15 ea); FM Convention Books (1974, 1975; VF = $75+ ea), FM
Paperbacks(VF = $75-100 ea; VG=$35), Flintstones at New York World's
Fair 1964(1st print; 150%), HELP magazine (Kurtzman) (Note; Spines
SPLIT easily, thus tough in VF or better) #1(VF $75+); #2-5, 9,
13,15, 16,21-26(VF=$40-$60); Others (VF = $25-$40); (HELP Paperbacks
#1,2(VF $35); Heidi Saha (500 Printed? Very RARE; VF=$900; FN=$500;
G=$250); Monsters & Heroes (Warren Related; Pub by Larry Ivie;
1967-1969; VF = $30-$50); MONSTERLAND / Forrest J. Ackerman's
Monsterland (1984-1987) #1-17(VF= $12-$20); Monster World (replaces
Famous Monsters #70-79) #3(VF $60+); #4(VF $40+); #1,2,5-10(VF =
$20-30); Odd World of Richard Corben (G-FN=300% Guide; 8.0-9.2=200%),
On the Scene / Freakout #NN (#1; Fall 1967; G-FN=150% Guide;
8.0-9.2=125%), Screen Thrills (1962-1965) #1,10(VF $75+); #2-4(VF
$50); Spacemen (Note; Spines SPLIT easily, thus tough in VF or
better) #1,3(VF=$200+); #2,4-8 & Yearbook (VF=$50-$75); Spirit
Special (Mail Only Approx 1500 printed; G-FN=150% Guide;
8.0-9.2=125%), Outer Space Spirit (TPB; VF $35); Teen Love Stories
1-3(G-FN=125% Guide; 8.0-9.2=150%), Tiny Tim(125%); VAMPIRELLA
#1,3,112,113 (125-135% Guide)
#2,4-8,11,12,16,19,32-34,36,41,45,46,48,49,51, 52,61,63,64,
77,78,89,90, 100-111(115-125% Guide); #32-34(Beware; Spines SPLIT
easily); Annual #1(125%), Vampirella Special #1(Softcover=125%; rare
Hardcover=300%), Vampirella Paperbacks #1-3(VF $30), 4-6(VF $50);
Vampirella UK mags #1-4(VF $50 ea); Warren Presents #13, 14(150%);
Wildest Westerns/Favorite Westerns of Filmland (Note; Spines SPLIT
easily, thus tough in VF or better) #1(VF=$200; G=$50); #2(VF=$100;
G=$35); #3-6(VF=$60; G=$20);
SKYWALD MAGS (Nightmare, Psycho & Scream) always Top Sellers for us. They are very hard to restock once sold, with & VF or better copies especially difficult. I usually buy them at 65-80% Guide and resell them at 140-160% Guide. Strict graded VF/NM or Better copies are very hard to find (When I find them, I sell them instantly at; 9.0=150%; 9.2=150%; 9.4=200% or 9.2 Guide); KING magazine #1(Rare; 200%); #2(Scarce 150%);
Eerie Pub, Modern Day, & Stanley Horror Comic mags (Packed with Pre-Code Horror & published with NO Comic Code) are in very high demand in G-FN, especially in Lowest graded Reading copies. About 75% of the copies we get in stock in FA/G thru VG, sell within just a few weeks & Usually most of what we have in stock is in about FN/VF to VF average; Most of the Titles have Scarcer issues & thus most of the sets are quite difficult to complete (the 1966-1970 issues and 1977 & Newer issues are Generally the Hardest to Find; Thus the 1971-1976 issues represent most copies still found for sale in the Marketplace); Examples in FN/VF, VF and VF+ are all slow sellers, as most Collectors want either Reading Copies, or Investment copies. Strict Graded VF/NM copies are more popular, with 9.2-9.4 copies in better demand. [We sell them at these rates; G-FN=140-160%; FN/VF, VF,VF+=100-115%; VF/NM=120-130%; 9.2=150%]; The Weird Indexes of Eerie Publications by Mike Howlett is a MUST have book for Fans (Mind Boggling List of Cover, Art & Original Pre-Code Source Listings, with Checklist & Cross Refernaces); Weird Vampire Tales & Terrors of Dracula list the publisher as Modern Day, which is a pseudonym for Eerie Pun & they are perhaps their Scarest Titles & among our fastest sellers. The Stanley Pub mags have a lot of Pre-Code Horror reprints & are about 50% Scarcer than Eerie Pub mags, thus are also in Higher Demand.
Oddball
Scarce Finds; MYSTICOGRYFIL, the Journal of Wonder (A&W Pub Coy;
SF & Comic Fanzine) #1(VF = $60); #2 (5/1975; Neal ADAMS-a, Jack
KIRBY-a & interview; First Published Cover & Art by DAVE
STEVENS. Cover art is dated as 1974 by David Stevens. DAVE STEVENS
illos on pages 2,8,27; VF = $125); #3(Winter 1976-77; DAVE STEVENS-s
= page 21-22, DAVE STEVENS-a = page 3, 23; VF = $75); ** WEIRD
MYSTERIES (Pastime Pub; B&W Comics & illustrated Text-s Mag)
Volume-1 #1(3-5/1959; TUSKA-c/a; Reinman, Torres, Burgos, Orlando-a;
VF =
$200);
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHITMAN
COMICS;
The
Whitman VARIANTS of DC Comics are up in Demand, with Diminishing
Supply. Since they were sold in Pre-Packs Only mainly in Big Box &
Chain Stores, they sold mainly to Readers form the General Public,
with most being thrown out, and the remaining copies mostly well used
in the FA/G to VG/FN condition range. For these, higher grade starts
at FINE or Better, with perhaps only about 10% of surviving copies in
FN 6.0 or Higher grades. *** This year it became evident that the
Eight JUNE 1980 Variants are by far the scarest, typically with ZERO
copies of any of them on eBay; They include; ACTION #508, BATMAN
#324, DC Comics Presents #22, FLASH #286, JLA #179, LEGION #264, NEW
ADV SUPERBOY #6, & SUPERMAN #348 [VG/FN Range copies of these
typically bring $50+ at eBay auctions; VF/NM copies are Rare to
Non-Existant and would bring in the $100-$150 range]; The exception
is; DC Comics Presents #22 = the #1 RAREST DC Whitman thought to NOT
exist until about 3/2012, there are currently FIVE KNOWN COPIES in
exisitance; In 9/2013 i sold a raw VG+ copy for $402.00 at eBay
auction;
The Rare 8-12/1980 WHITMAN Comics (of former Gold Key
Titles) had a temporary slowdown after the Random House File Copies
find a few Years back. A small amout of High Grade Scarce
8-12/1980 issues
surfaced
in that Collection, but all got quickly absorbed into permanent
Collections, and once again there are very few VF or better copies in
the Marketplace at any qiven time. Typically only about 10% of the
Copies in the Marketplace are in FN 6.0 or Better. DEMAND for
8-12/1980 issues has TRIPLED in the Last Year, with Raw copies at
Record High Asking & Selling Prices for RAW copies on eBay; My
new Minimum Selling prices on these is;
[VF/NM=$90; VF=$65;
FN=$36; VG=$24; G=$12]
=
I often see overgraded Raw copies at 50% to 100% Higher than these
prices on eBay;
Quantities
of the Rare 8-12/1980 WHITMAN Comics so far graded by CGC, according
to CGC's December 14/2013 Census;
Battle
of the Planets #7(33), 8(27), 9(30), Beep Beep #91(3), 92(6), 93(7),
Black Hole #4(15), Buck Rogers #8(3), 9(9); Bugs Bunny #221(17),
222(5 Total for 40 & 50 Cent Variants Combined), Chip 'N' Dale
#67(5), 68(8), 69(11), Daffy Duck #129(4), 130(9), 131(9), Daisy and
Donald #45(6), #46(6), #47(19); Donald Duck #221(9), 222 (21),
223(23), 224(19); Flash Gordon #30(11), Huey, Dewey and Louie #65(4),
#66(7), Little Lulu #260(x37), 261(26); Looney Tunes #33(8), 34(14),
#35(11), Mickey Mouse #207(8), 208(20), 209(10); Pink Panther #75(9),
76(17), #77(16); Popeye #158(8), #159(5); Porky Pig #97(11), 98(18);
Super Goof #60(10), 61(15), 62(5); Tom and Jerry #330(6), #331(8),
#332(12); Tweety and Sylvester #105(10), #106(6), #107(6); Uncle
Scrooge #179(54), #180(19), #181(21); Walt Disney's Comics and
Stories #479(8), 480(27), 481(7), 482(13), 483(7); Winnie the Pooh
#20(2), #21(4), 22(13); Woody Woodpecker #190(14), 191(8); Yosemite
Sam #68(8), #69(21), #70(8); ***** Battle of the Planets #7-9 have
more copies slabbed than other titles, as many dealers judge them as
a “better” Title & more worthwhile to slab. Take note
that there are STILL ONLY 50% of the 68 Different (34 different
issues) with UNDER TEN (9 or Less copies) Graded by CGC. The Big-4
(Donald Duck #222, Little Lulu #260, Uncle Scrooge #179, WD Comics
&Stories #480) have been well known TOUGH issues for 30 Years &
were the first to bring record prices on eBay, now listing relatively
high in Guide, thus a disproportionate number of copies have been CGC
graded, they are still scarce & in huge demand in spite of what
the skewed CGC quantities would indicate. On 6/12/2013 BLACK HOLE #4
in CGC NM/M: 9.8 sold for $2653.00 on comicconnect;
The EARLY
DIRECT editions of MARVEL COMICS from 2-12/1977, 1978 and 1979 (Most
with BLACK DIAMOND) are Often Mistaken to be Whitman Marvel. In
reality, only the Plastic Bag is WHITMAN, once the Comics are removed
they are identical to Marvel DIRECT editions, as they are one &
the same. There are approx 200+ Comics published thus in each of
these years, with an estimated total of 600-700 Existing in the
Period. The 1977 issues are usually scarcest, & typically Command
50% Over Guide Premiums, while 1978-1979 issues on average sell at
about a 25% Over Guide premium. Since they are not broken out in the
Guide, most collectors are aware that they exist. A few issues were
not published as EARLY DIRECT editions in the Period, probably a
publiher error & seem likely to not exist. Knowledge &
Statistics are still hard to find on these, with no detailed reaseach
on Scarcity. Some issues seem quite RARE, with a few collector's
having seached to fin in Gaps in their Collection for 5-10 Years,
with little or No Luck. I would not be surprised to see some of these
Rare evasive issues bring $50 to $100 in Middle Grades on eBay, if
they ever surface.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #43 (2013) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
*** The UN-EDITED Original Version; (Paragraphs Highlighted in BLUE were Edited Out of Printed Version)
INTRODUCTION;
This was the biggest year to date, for Back issue Comics demand related to Upcoming MOVIES (see Marvel & DC sections of this report for more); Minds Eye Entertainment has picked up the rights to CAPTAIN CANUCK for a possible feature film circa 2015. If it actually pans out, this under-valued series could skyrocket in price, as US Dealer inventory's are very low.
Comics from the late Copper Age circa 1988-1992 thru to the Mid-1990's, have started to become Nostalgic for Fans of the Era. Demand is up for; early Carnage, Maximum Carnnage, Batman vs Bane, Death of Superman, Batman's Death in the Family, Image Comics, Valiant Comics, Todd McFarlane comics, Amazing Spider-Man #298-328, Incredible Hulk #330-346, AMALGAM titles, Rise of the Midnight Sons/Midnight Massacre/Siege of Darkness & other titles.
This was a Record Year for us, for Clearing out Overstock Inventory. We made up & Sold 1000's of affordable Set Lots of around an average 20 Comics per Lot, on our Website, eBay & Elsewhere. The great news is that fans worldwide still love to read comics & it is not all about investment & value. Far and Away the Bestselling Set was Captain Canuck #1-14 with Special #1 (1975-1981) with over 100 Sets Sold at $39 to $55 range. After 37 Years of heavy Captain Canuck inventory, we might actually be SOLD OUT in the not too distant future. We also sold 25 sets of CAPTAIN CANUCK Unholy War #1-4 and CAPTAIN CANUCK Legacy #1a,#1b,#1.5.
The Suprise to us, was that the most popular mainstream Character sets (Batman, Spider-Man, X-Men etc) were not the bestsellers. These were our Top Selling Overstock Clearance sets this Year (Sold at 25%-50% off Guide) with 7-15 sets each Sold; ADVANCED DUNGEONS and DRAGONS 1-36, AKIRA #1-10, AMALGAM Comics 24 issue Set, ATARI FORCE 1-20, BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT COMIC BOOK #1-12,BLACK LIGHTNING #1-11, CAPTAIN BRITAIN (Marvel UK 1976) #1-11, CAPTAIN CARROT #1-20, CAPTAIN PLANET #1-12, CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED 1990-1991 Berkley First comics #1-27, DESTROYER DUCK #1-7, DOCTOR STRANGE 1974 #1-81, DOOM 2099 #1-44, DRAGONLANCE #1-34, ELVIRA'S HOUSE OF MYSTERY #1-11, FURTHER ADVENTURES OF INDIANA JONES #1-34, GROO CHRONICLES 1-6, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1-62(Movie on the way), HUMAN FLY #1-19(Possible Movie), INFINITY GAUNTLET #1-6, JOHN CARTER (Marvel) #1-28, Annual #1-3, Marvel Feature (RED SONJA) #1-7, MS. MARVEL #1-23, the 'NAM #1-84, NOVA #1-25, PIRATES OF DARK WATER #1-9, Rampaging HULK Magazine #1-9, RED SONJA V1 #1-15, V3 #1-13, ROCKET RACCOON #1-4(Guardians of the Galaxy Movie related), ROM the Spaceknight #1-75, Savage SHE-HULK #1-25, SHOGUN WARRIORS #1-20, SPIDER-WOMAN 1978 #1-25, TARZAN Lord of the Jungle #1-29, Annual #1-3, THANOS QUEST #1-2, TOMB OF DRACULA 1979 Magazine #1-6, TOXIC AVENGER #1-11 TOXIC CRUSADERS #1-8, 2001 a Space Odyssey #1-10;
CGC purchased Classics Incorporated the comic book restoration company & is moving them in-house. CGC will now know exactly what restoration is done on in-house books, perhaps they can eventually Rate the amount of restoration on a scale of 1-10 (for example), as many top books are resored & deserve more respect. In many hobbies Restoration & Preservation of items adds value, does not detract as in the Comics hobby. It seems the Pressing contoversy is now permanently settled; CGC cannot detect Pressing & it is still the Original book, so they basically have now endorsed the practice. So now you can get your books pressed by Classics Incorporated & sent direct to CGC for grading with the Blue Unrestored Label. Pressing has made High Grade copies more common, thus affecting prices downward on many titles, as can be seen at GPA. But one needs to remember, there are a Limited amount of High Grade copies, so once the Pressing Surge has finished & the economy recovers, prices should start to rise again. The practice of Breaking comics out of the Slab & re-submitting for a higher grade, will multiply once Pressing becomes more common. The drawback, is that CGC does not know it is the same copy over again, and counts it as a new item in the CENSUS, thus skewing the real quantities. Too bad CGC had not adapted the practice of marking the items with a DNA Coding (as in the Aurograph Hobby), for ID and Verification purposes. Hopefully they will consider this in the future.
The Prices Listed in the Overstreet Guide in my opinion, is an estimation of what you should expect to pay to a Professional Dealer with a Large Inventory. Many people feel that eBay is the Real Price Guide, but i disagree for many Reasons, just a few include; (1) an eBay sale that is Forced by auction in a Limited Time Period (like a week) is often not seen by the many buyers who might want the book, thus can often sell well below a Market Value that is often achieved by a Patient Seller; (2) It is a given Fact that condition grading is all over the Map & you usually do not know for sure what you will get, until it arrives. They most smart buyers bid expecting items to be overgraded & are often right. Many Sellers put scans where you really cannot Judge the Condition. (3) All it takes is 2 buyers who want the same item to drive prices way above market value. These one-offs might never be repeted & cannot be used as a benchmark. (4) Most Buyers, myself included, miss items all the time, simply because we did not realize they where up for auction, until it was too late. (5) eBay is basically a Gigantic Flea Market, with all kinds of Random prices Realized; Random pricing is just not a good Basis for setting Standard Pricing in a serious Collectible Hobby; (6) eBay is most accurate on High Demand items, that are sold on a regular basis. But even with these short time period established records, worldwide buyers often stampede to buy items everytime a new Trend happens (Like Comics related to new Movies) & usually overpay. These buyers often do not have enough experience to realize you should SELL when the price peek, not buy. The "It's Hot & I have it but you Don't" mentality has cost endless buyer some of their hard earned money. When the next hot things around, the previous ones often settle back down closer to previous levels. (7) The best time to BUY Hot comics, is before they become Hot. This takes experience, knowledge & foresight, something you cannot find on eBay, as it has not yet happened. (8) Many sellers price most of their VF, 8.0 comics in the $20.00 or Less price range, at full NM-, 9.2 price Guide prices, then complain they do not sell. Meanwhile if they properly graded & priced (for example) that VF comic at the $10 guide price, rather than the $20 NM-, 9.2 price, there is a good chance it would have sold.
Affordable KEY issues ($10 to $200 price Range) were HOT for all the major Publishers, from 1950's thru 1990's, in all grades that fell onto this price Range. In many cases, this means that G thru FN copies were the Hottest issues, bringing the highest premiums over Guide.
ARCHIE comics;
ARCHIE KEY issues have been bringing record Breaking Prices the last few years (with many Scarce even in FINE or Better), including; Archie #1(VF+ $167,300); Archie's Girls Betty & Veronica #1(7.5 = $2868), #320(9.6=$600; 9.0=$400); Archie Giant series #1(7.5 = $2,350); Archie's Madhouse #22(VG+ = $250); Archie's Mechanics #3(FN $568); Archie's Pals N Gals #1(9.2 = $2500); #23(1st Josie; FN $308), Jughead #325(Cheryl Blossom; VF/NM $125), Jughead's Folly #1(1st ELVIS in comics; FN/VF $480), Laugh Comics #20(FN+ $700); Little Archie #1(VG/FN $1554); Pep Comics #22(1st Archie; G = $28,680), Wilbur #5(1st Katy Keene; FN/VF $950); Like most Cartoon & Humor comics, they tend to be well read, most were saved by Non-Collectors, thus the great majority are in Low Grade condition. Unlike some publishers, i have not heard of any FILE copies for Archie, thus HIGH GRADE by PERIOD begins with these Conditions are are often very Tough even in these Grades; (1981-1990= VF/NM; 1968-1980 = VF+; 1962-1967 = VF; 1946-1961 = FN/VF; 1941-1946 = FN);
We have 35,000+ Archie Comics & 10,000+ Archie Digests in stock, thus we always do well with them. I have noticed in recent Years that some of our regular collectors, who typically buy Marvel & DC, have started picking up Archie KEY issues, as are buyers on eBay, thus the rising prices. *** KEY issues include; all 1941-1950 issues, most 1951-1956 issues, all #1's, #100's, Last issues, Dan DeCarlo art issues, NEAL ADAMS art issues, most issues of the better GIRL Titles (Archie's Girls Betty & Veronica, Cheryl Blossom, Ginger, Josie & the Pussycats, Katy Keene, Sabrina, Suzie, etc), the Circa 1960 Horror & Sci-Fi Cover issues.
The Archie 15 cent test market variants (2/1962-4/1963) are around 100 Scarcer than regular Editions & bring around 200% Guide; The Archie's Madhouse #22(1st Sabrina) exists as a 15 cent variant, and might set new price records in the not to distant future. Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants (All comics & Digests from 9/1982-4/1997 with Digest up to 12/1997) are 10-20 Scarcer than USA editions, & includes B&V #320(1st Cheryl Blossom) bringing 125% Guide for Regular issues and 150% Guide for KEY issues; ARCHIE 35 cent Giants from late 1950's thru Mid 60's sell for about 120% Guide;
All the Archie brand Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures titles are in even Higher Demand (original Mirage titles are slow sellers, with the exception of TMNT #1) with #50-71 bringing 200% Guide or More as they are LOW Print Runs & Scarce issues;
FAST WILLIE JACKSON by Fitzgerald Periodicals seems to be ARCHIE Comics related & possibly published be them. It is Archie-Style Teen-Age Humor with almost all BLACK Characters; Covers & Art by Gus Lemoine an African-American comic artist that worked at ARCHIE Comics; Bertram Fitzgerald-s; all LOW PRINT and SCARCE to RARE; This little 7 issue set is extremely hard to put together in any grade.
CARtoons
& similar mags by Millar/Petersen
&
related publishers, have been one of our Bestsellers for the Last 5
Years. Five Years back started with a Large selection of about 500
Mags (including duplicates) on our Website, and within 3 years we
sold 75% of them at full retail. We then bought about 3-4 collections
getting our selection back up to 300+ mags, but within 2 years wer
back down to less than 50 Mags. These have been difficult to re-stock
in the last 1-2 years, but we manage to keep an assorted inventory
around 100 issues. About 90% of the copies on the Martketplace are in
G-FN condition, with about 9% in FN+ to VF, and perhaps 1% in VF+ or
Better; Most major are almost alway Sold Out or nearly so on all
these titles. With no real guidelines, these often bring good price
on ebay, when compared to other Humor titles of the Period. Since
none of these are in the Guide, i will provide a rough but usable
price Guide, as below. Prices Below are for FN copies (VF=add 100%;
FN/VF=add 50%; VG=Subtract 20%; G=Subtract 40%); BREEZY
RIDER
(Coloney
Pub.; Motorcycle Humor comics; 1971) - Volume-1 #1 (1971; FN $36);
#2, 3(6/1971), 4(8/1971) FN=$27; // CARtoons
(1960-1991;
Millar / Petersen Pub; Car Humor cartoons comic; 1960-1961 issues =
Digest Size; 1962 up = Regular Magazine size, 8-1/4" x 11")
#NN (#1; SCARCE; No Date; 1960; First Story = Saga of Rumpville";
Digest size; FN=$90); #2 (1960; RARE; Digest size), #NN (#3?;
Fall/1961; RARE) FN=$60; #5(4/1962; #7; 52 pages magazines begin;
FN=$48); #11-30(FN=$36); #31-50(FN=$27); #51-80(FN=$21);
#81-101(FN=$21); 1979-1985 issues (3/1979 = 2 page IRON-ON Bonus
Inserts BEGIN; issues published with Bonus with Bonus intact FN=$18;
Subtract 1/3 if Bonus Missing; issues published without a Bonus FN=
$14); 1986 thru 6/1991 issues (issues published with Bonus with Bonus
intact FN=$15; Subtract 1/3 if Bonus Missing; issues published
without a Bonus FN= $12);
8/1991; (LAST ISSUE?; with Bonus 2-Sided
Centerfold POSTER intact FN=$18; Poster Missing FN = $12); // BEST
OF CARtoons
(Petersen
Pub.; 1977-1990) #1 (Fall/1977; IRON-ON Bonus Inserts intact FN=$36;
Subtract 1/3 if Bonus Missing); #2, 3(Summer/1978); with IRON-ON
Bonus Inserts intact; FN=$27; Subtract 1/3 if Bonus Missing); #4-9
(9=1990; FN=$18) // CYCLEtoons (Petersen Pub.; 1968-1973; CYCLEtoons
combines with CARtoons in #76 in 4/1974); #1(1968; FN=$60); #2-10(FN
$30); #11-19(1969-1972; FN $25); // Pete
Millar's DRAG Cartoons
(Millar
Pub. Co..; 1963-1971; Alex TOTH Art in many early issues); #1(FN $80)
#2(12/63, Millar-a; Russ Manning-a; Warren Tufts-a; Mel Keefer-a;
Alex TOTH-a; FN=$60) #3-10(FN=$40); #11-20 (FN=$30); 1966-1969
issues(FN=$27); 1970-1971 issues (FN=$21);
WILDEST
/ BEST OF DRAG CARtoons
#1-4
(4=1970, FN=$27) // HOT
ROD CARtoons
(Petersen
Pub.; 11/1964-11-12/1974; Combines with CARtoons in 1975);
#1(11/1964; Scarce; FN=$60); #2-5(2=1/65; FN=$40) #6-10(FN=$30);
#11-30(FN $27); #31-60(FN=$22); #61(11-12/1974; 10th Anniversary
issue; LAST issue; Low Print & SCARCE; FN=$27) // RACIN'
toons
(Lopez
Pub.; Car Racing Humor cartoons comic; 1970-1973) Volume 1 #1 (1970?;
FN=$36); Volume 1 #2-8(FN=$27); Volume 2 #1-4 (1972; FN=$22); Volume
3 #1-4 (V3#2=10/72; V3#4=2/73; FN=$20); // SURFtoons
(Petersen's
Pub; 52 pages; B&W Magazine; all SCARCE; Rick Griffin in early
issues) #1 (1965; FN=$200); #2 (1966; FN=$120); #3(1966; FN=$100); #4
(11/1966; FN=$90); 1967 issues (FN=$45); 1968-1969 issues (FN=$36) //
WACKY WHEELS (Colony Pub.; Car Humor cartoons comic) Volume-1 #1
(7/1971; FN=$27); *** BIG DADDY ROTH #1-4 is Listed in the Guide, but
is very under-valued in G-FN(usually sell at 200% guide in these
grades), with very few VF or better copies ever surfacing;
DC COMICS;
The Economy still affects sales on many "ordinary" back issue comics. For example, most DC superhero comics of the 1960's are very slow, unless they are a Key issue, or minor-Key issues (Origin, Last issues, Giants, top Artists, major Villian, new Directions etc). Lack of space in the guide hinders some of these needed changes, to break out prices on Minor-Key issues, so that the market can be better reflected. Most 1960's DC #1-10's still have some demand. NEAL ADAMS covers on Most 1965-1975 era DC Comics are Hot to Red Hot, while all the ordinary issues around them are slow sellers even at a Discount. The only thing holding back the values of these NEAL ADAMS cover DC's, is that the prices are not yet broken out from the rest of the pack on most titles. Titles like Tomahawk that do have them broken out are now very noticeable & sell 200-400% Better than ordinary surrounding issues, and at premium prices. The NEAL ADAMS covers on DC Love comics (Girls' Romance #134, Secret Hearts 120, Young Romance #154 are near impossible to find in better than VG and bring 200-300% Guide in nice shape); ADAMS Covers/Art in these DC Titles should be a good long term investment; Action, Adventure, Adventures of Bob Hope, Adventures of Jerry Lewis, All Star Western, Aquaman, Batman, Brave and the Bold, Challengers of the Unknown, DC Special, Detective Comics, From Beyond the Unknown, Green Lantern, Hot Wheels, House of Mystery, House of Secrets, Justice League of America, Our Army at War, Phantom Stranger, Secret Hearts, Showcase, Spectre, Star Spangled War Stories, Strange Adventures, Super DC Giant Superboy, Superman, Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, Teen Titans, Tomahawk, Unexpected, Witching Hour, World's Finest,Young Romance;
Demand related to Upcoming MOVIES was huge this year, for DC that translated into a complete sellout of; BATMAN: Vengeance of BANE Special #1 (9.4=$59; 9.2=$49; 9.0=$39; 8.0=$29); Christopher Nolan's movie Dark Knight Rises did amazing at over One Billion Dollars worldwide. We also sold a lot of copies of Batman #497(9.0=$5 to 9.6=$15 each range); the DC movies have drawn less back issue action than Marvel titles, but V for Vendetta and Watchmen are still great selling back issues. Man of Steel film has some potential, as it is directed Christopher Nolan of recent Batman Trilogy fame. Thus there has some interest in Phantom Zone villian comics, in particular Action comics #471-473(5-7/1977; have the first 3 appearances of FAORA Hu-UL the Kryptonian Super-Villianess who appeared in TV's Smallville season-8; with Phantom Zone Villians Jax-Ur, Zod, Kru-El & Vakox; #473 has a Neal Adams cover); Jonah Hex had big potential with fans imagining a cool Clint Eastwood style spagetti western, but instead we got a lame boring Western character with zero personality. Hopefully it will be done right one day in the future. Booster Gold appeared in TV's Smallville in season 10 and a potential TV series of his own, thus #1-25(1986-88) was hot for nearly a year, but has now cooled.
Kirby's Fourth World Series began with Jimmy Olsen #133 in 10/1970, it was one of the biggest hits of the early Bronze Age, it raised the status of JACK KIRBY from mere Legend, arguably to the most important artist in Comics History. Jack Kirby dominated most of the 1970's, at both DC & Marvel, with everything he worked on becoming a Bestseller, yet these 1970's titles have been slower sellers in recent years, unless sold at Discount prices. The 1970-1975 DC Kirby comics, are much scrcer that the 1976-1980 Kirby Marvel comics, especially in High grade, thus the DC's are due for a price increase in the next few years. Perhaps DARKSEID will be the catalyst that will turn the tide. Many fans are already getting excited about the 2015 film version of Justice League (tentatively with Aquaman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Superman, Wonder Woman). Rumor has it that Darkseid will be the villian, thus Jimmy Olsen #134-136 and Forever People #1,2, New Gods #1,2 are starting to heat up, after near a decade of being a sleepers. Rumor says the storyline might adapt JLA #183-185 with the JSA X-Over, so those are comics to watch & most major dealers are already sold out. The JLA movie could be the DC film that makes related DC back issues nearly as Hot as Marvel.
BATMAN comics were HOT again all year. Other than the early Golden Age, Batman blows away Superman in sales. It is amazing that Action #1 still lists at about 30% Higher than Detective #27 in Guide #42. To date CGC has grade 58 copies of Detective #27 (29 Restored) and 59 copies of Action #1(24 restored). If Batman continues to dominate the market, perhaps Detective #27 price will one day overtake Action #1 in value, in spite of the impotance of the latter. All the NEAL ADAMS art issues of BATMAN Titles have been hot for several Years, but now demand for all issues of Neal Adams under-valued Batman & Detective covers is way up. Batman #222,227 are Blazing Hot in all grades, with current Guide prices at below Wholesale. #222[CGC copies bring; 9.2=$400; 9.0=$300; Raw copies bring; FN=$75; VG=$50]; #227[CGC copies bring; 9.4=$1000+; 9.0=$600; 7.0=$225; Raw copies bring; FN=$100; VG=$60]; ** Other HOT issues; #189[CGC 7.0 copies bring $230]; #232[CGC 8.0 copies bring $275]; #243-245 have very few 9.0 or Better copies on the market in the last 2 years & are due for a big Price Jump. #251[CGC 9.0 copies bring $200]; #423(classic McFarlane-c is much requested & under-Valued); Detective Comics #370, 372 & all ADAMS-c issues are Sleepers; Detective Comics #411 is Red Hot & below Wholesale in Guide [CGC 9.0 copies bring $300; Raw copies v=bring; VF=$100; FN=$60; VG=$30]; Circulation Statements reveal these Low Print Runs on Batman #357-402(75,303 to 97,741/month), & Detective #482-569(64,635 to 89,635/month), when collectors start to put togester High Grade Runs, these are due to skyrocket in Price; Batman #357[1st app JASON TODD now the RED HOOD; 1st brief app Killer Croc; CGC 9.6 copies bring $135; Raw VF copies bring $40]; The hottest Modern DC character is HARLEY QUINN; Batman Adventures #12 (1993; Raw copies bring $50-75; CGC copies bring $90-$300); Batman Adventures: Mad Love #1 (1st Print; Raw copies bring $25-75; CGC copies bring $125-$200); Of the modern Era BATMAN titles, all the Animated & Batman Adventures titles are among the top sellers.
Other Hot comics that are Listed below Wholesale in Overstreet #42; DC Comics Presents #47[CGC copies bring; 9.4=$150; Raw copies bring; VF=$50; FN=$30];
Masters of the Universe #12,13[Raw copies bring; VF=$20-25 each]; Our Army at War #83[recent CGC copies sold for; 6.5=$5676; 6.0=$3900; 4.0=$1135; 1.8=$750]
DELL comics;
Marvel & DC are by far the most collected publishers of Vintage Pre-1986 Comics, with Dell/Gold Key typically being the third most collected. Dell embraced the traditions of turning Liscensed characters into Comics (from sources like; Cartoons, TV, Movies, Radio, Pulps, magazines, Books, newspaper Comics, studios like Disney, Walter Lantz, Looney Tunes/Warner Bros, Hanna-Barbara & more); Most of the creators were not credited, perhaps in an effort to not distract the reader from the Original Source material. This formula for success has suceeded for 75 Years in Comics & well beyond when we consider the Platinum age. Most Dell comics in G-FN are still Under-Valued in the Guide, while many VF-NM Dells are still overvalued in Guide [the Price to Condition spreads are far too wide on 95% of DELL comics -- The Wide price spreads that work for superhero comics, do not apply for most cartoon, western, & other Liscensed character Comics]; In the last few years, demand for FOUR COLOR comics in general has been up, more & more Collectors are going after the complete series. Many series began in Four Color & were later awarded their own titles with new numbering - The FC issues are usually the bestselling issues.
HARVEY
comics;
The Harvey FILE COPIES that have been dumped on eBay at Bargain prices saturated the market in the last 2 years or so, with many high grade copies currently selling at below guide prices. But, collectors have discovered that many issues did not have FILE copies & are not availiable in high grades. Once this collection disperses thru the marketplace, demand & prices should fall back into line, as has happened with other File Copy collection finds. KEY issues were naturally the first to sell out & values held up on most, with some already increasing in value. Meanwhile all 1975 & Older CARTOON Titles were in Good Stead Demand, in FA/G thru FN Grades, and most are actually undervalued in these grades. Most 1976-1994 titles were in Moderate demand (mostly in VG to VF grades); HARVEY comics are traditionally not stocked by the the great majority of Comic Dealers, thus putting together RUNS on most titles can be much more difficult thyan moodest guide prices would indicate. As has been the Trend in recent years, Collectors who normally do not buy Cartoon comics, have been dabbling with KEY issues of Harvey comics, & have found that many are SCARCE in better than VG condition.
All 1991-1994 Titles all had LOW Print Runs (Except for issue #1's) & are Scarcer, with most issues always Sold Out with most major dealers [We sell VF/NM copies in the $6 to $10 each range, when we are able to stock them]; The 1989-1992 Alfred Harvey (Recollections Comics / Lorne-Harvey Pub) Titles are all had LOW PRINT runs & are already scarce (VF/NM copies bring $10-$15), including; ALFRED HARVEY'S BLACK CAT The ORIGINS #1(1992), ALFRED HARVEY Presents the MAN IN BLACK #1(1990), ALFRED HARVEY VINTAGE COMIC CLASSICS #1(1990; RED DEMON-c/s), ORIGINAL BLACK CAT (Alfred Harvey Presents) #1-3(1989-1990), WAR SIRENS and LIBERTY BELLES #1(1991; 100 Pages);
MARVEL Comics;
Comics demand related to Upcoming Marvel MOVIES were easily the Hottest comics of the Year, with no end in site. The upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Marvel/Disney MOVIE is sceduled to hit theatres in August 2014, and has evoked huge demand (9-12/2012 Market Values noted for the KEY Back issues); The 30 Marvel comic books from 1969-1980 that are Guardians related include; MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #18 (1/1969 Squarebound GIANT; FIRST appearance & ORIGIN of the GUARDIANS of the GALAXY-c/s; VF=$200; VG/FN=$100); Astonishing Tales #29(4/1975; MARVEL SUPER-HEROES #18 reprint); Marvel Two-In-One #5(9/1974; 2nd Guardians; VF/NM=$40); Giant-size Defenders #5(7/1975; 3rd Guardians; VF/NM=$50); DEFENDERS #26-29(8-11/1975, 4th-7th; 26,27= 1st/2nd cameo of Starhawk; 28,29 = 1st/2nd Full app of Starhawk; VF/NM=$15); Defenders #36, Marvel Present #3-12(2/1976-8/1977; FIRST Guardians SOLO SERIES), Thor Annual #6, Avengers #167,168,170,173,175-177,181, MARVEL TEAM-UP #86, Marvel Two-In-One #61,69,
Guardians of the Galaxy movie is actually based on the roster of members from the 2008 series; [Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Quasar {Phyla-Vell}, Rocket Raccoon, Star-Lord & Warlock], thus these related Back Issues have the Higest Demand (9-12/2012 Market Values noted for the KEY Back issues);
Incredible HULK #234(4/1979; Manitoba; 1st app of Quasar, formerly Marvel Man); #271(5/1982; 1st app of Rocket Racoon in the MARVEL UNIVERSE; 2nd app of Rocket Raccoon overall; Rocket Raccoon 1st appeared in Marvel Preview #7 in the Sword in the Star / Witch-World Universe; First app of Rocket Raccoon on a Cover; NM, 9.4 = $70; VF/NM, 9.0 = $35); MARVEL PREVIEW (1975-1980; B&W magazine) #4(1/1976; 1st app & ORIGIN of STAR-LORD cover & 33 page story, Later the Team Leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy; VF/NM=$125; VF=$75; VG=$30); #7(Summer/1976; FIRST app of ROCKET RACCOON in Sword in the Star / Witch-World Universe story = a member of the Guardians; VF/NM=$150; VF=$100; FN=$75; VG=$50); ROCKET RACCOON (5-8/1986) #1-4(VF/NM set $25); STRANGE TALES #180(6/1975; 1st app of GAMORA, a member of the New Guardians of the Galaxy; 9.2=$60; VF/NM=$40); Tales to Astonish #13 = 7 page story "I Challenged...Groot! The Monster from Planet X!" by Jack KIRBY & Ayers = 1st app & ORIGIN of GROOT; GROOT is a member of the New Guardians of the Galaxy; 150% Guide in any grade]; Weird Wonder Tales #19 (12/1976; 2nd Reprint of Tales to Astonish #13 with Groot); Where Monsters Dwell #6 (11/1970; 1st Reprint of Tales to Astonish #13 with Groot)
The AVENGERS #1 movie did around 1.5
Billion Dollars worldwide at the Box Office. Tales of Suspense
#52(1st Black Widow), #57(1st Hawkeye), Nick Fury #1 (1968) and
Strange Tales #135 are all still Hot sellers at 150%+ Guide; The
AVENGERS #2 film is very highly anticipated & Speculation has
gone Rampant. Because THANOS made a Cameo at the end of film #1, many
expect the THANOS War Saga with Warlock & Captain Marvel to be
the storyline, thus all related items are Hot. IRON MAN #55 is on
Fire [9.6=$1500+; 9.4=$1000; 9.2=$750; 9.0=$600; FN=$300; G=$100];
These are the other Related issues (Current 12/2012 Market value
listed on KEY issues); Avengers #125(125% Guide), Avengers Annual
#7(135% Guide), CAPTAIN MARVEL #25-34(125-150% Guide), Daredevil
#105(125% Guide), IRON MAN #88, LOGANS RUN #6 (6/1977; First THANOS
Solo story = 5 page backup by MIKE ZECK; VF/NM=$50; VF+=$40; VF=$30),
Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2(135% Guide), SPIDEY SUPER STORIES
#39(3/1979; THANOS, Cat & Cosmic Cube-c/s), Strange Tales
#178,179,181(125% Guide), #180*(150% Guide), Warlock #9-15(125%
Guide),
The other school of though are Rumors that Vin Diesel
will play VISION in Avengers-2 Movie and Ultron-5 might be the Main
Villian. The AVENGERS #54 (7/1968; 1st app of the ULTRON-5 disguised
as the CRIMSON COWL, with 1 panel cameo of ULTRON-5); #55 (8/1968;
2nd app of the ULTRON-5 disguised as the CRIMSON COWL, with 3 panels
depicting ULTRON-5); #57(10/1968; First apperance of Silver Age
VISION-c/s; First FULL appearance of the ULTRON-5 on 7 pages, with
partial Origin; VF/NM=$300; VF=$180); #58(11/1968; ORIGIN &
second Apperance of Silver Age VISION-c/s; Second FULL appearance of
the ULTRON-5; VF/NM=$180);
The ANT-MAN and WASP Movie is scheduled for release in 2014, thus these issues are Up in Demand; Both Henry Pym as Ant-Man of the 1960s along with Scott Lang as the modern day Ant-Man are said to be major characters in the Film. AVENGERS #181(3/1979; BYRNE-a; PEREZ-c 1st app SCOTT LANG who becomes the new ANT-MAN, one month before Marvel Premiere #47; VF/NM=$25). MARVEL FEATURE (1971-1973) #4-10, MARVEL PREMIERE #47(4/1979; Origin & 1st app of SCOTT LANG as the New Astonishing ANT-MAN; John BYRNE-c/a; VF/NM=$24); #48(5/1979; 2nd of SCOTT LANG as the New Astonishing ANT-MAN; BYRNE-c/a; VF/NM, 9.0 = $22); TALES TO ASTONISH #27, 35-48, with #44(1st WASP red hot at 125-200% Guide)
The WOLVERINE #1 film made $373
Million at Boxoffice; Kenuichio Harada the SILVER SAMURAI will be the
main Villian in the 2013 WOLVERINE #2 Movie will feature; Jean Grey,
Kenuichio Harada the Silver Samurai, Lord Shingen Yashida (Japanese
Yakuza Crime Boss & father of SILVER SAMURAI), Viper(Madame
Hydra), Mariko Yashida, YUKIO, etc; Demand is up for these issues;
Daredevil #111(7/1974; 1st appearance of Kenuichio Harada the SILVER
SAMURAI cover & story; VF/NM=$50); *** SILVER SAMURAI also
appears in these; Marvel Team-Up #57(5/1977; 2nd app SILVER SAMURAI),
#83,84,85(Viper also app), Spider-Woman #37,38, 42,43, New Mutants
#5,6(Viper also app), Uncanny X-Men #172-174, Wolverine (1988)
#2(12/1988; Wolverine vs SILVER SAMURAI Battle-c/s), and #3,
Wolverine Saga #3; >> Other Related Comics; Uncanny X-Men
#172,173(Wolverine & Mariko wedding, continued from the 1982
Mini-Series), Captain America #157-159,163, 170, 180-182 (VIPER /
Madame Hydra), WOLVERINE (1982; Limited Series; classic FRANK
MILLER-s/c/a) #1(9/1982; 1st app Lord Shingen Yashida; 1st app YUKIO
/ Earth 616; Mariko Yashida, Asano Kimura, Noburu-Hideki appear);
#2(10/1982; Mariko Yashida, Lord Shingen Yashida appear); #3(11/1982;
Yukio kills Asano Kimura; Mariko Yashida app); #4(12/1982; Mariko
Yashida, Yukio, the Hand & X-MEN appear; Death of Lord Shingen &
Noburu-Hideki; Mariko and Wolverine get engaged, story continues into
X-Men #172); Kitty
Pryde and Wolverine #1-6 (YUKIO appears);
Uncanny
X-Men #118 (2/1979; Mariko the daughter of Shingen Yashida,
half-sister of the Silver Samurai, & cousin of Sunfire and
Sunpyre. Upon her father's death, she became head Oyabun Yashida clan
Yakuza crime family)
The THOR #1 Movie made $450 Million Worldwide
at Box office. The THOR #2 Movie is scheduled for release in 2013,
thus these issues are Up in Demand; Journey into Mystery #103
(4/1964; 1st appearance of Enchantress & Executioner-c/s =
rumored to be Villans in the THOR #2 Movie; Red Hot at around 200%
Guide); #119(8/1965; 1st app of the WARRIORS THREE = Fandral, Hogun,
and Volstagg; Warriors Three, they appeared in THOR Movie #1 and will
again in #2);
JIM #103 has NOT cooled in demand, even though it now seems they will not be in Film #2. THOR Movie #2: the Dark World with star MALEKITH as the Main Villian, thus these are HOT; THOR #344(6/1984; Simonson-c/a; 1st app of MALEKITH the Accursed, Ruler of the the Dark Elves; 9.4=$20; 9.2=$15; 9.0=$10)
THOR #345-349(2nd-6th app of MALEKITH)
The CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 Movie made $368 Million Worldwide at Box office. The Captain America movie #2: Winter Soldier Movie (with Bucky, Black Widow & Falcon) is scheduled for release in 2014, thus These issues are Up in Demand; Avengers #4, 56(Bucky), CAPTAIN AMERICA #117(9/1969; 1st app FALCON-c/s; Red Skull & Cosmic Cube-s; 150% Guide); #118-119(10-11/1969; 2nd & 3rd app FALCON-c/s;with Red Skull & Cosmic Cube-s); Tales of Suspense #52(1st Black Widow), #79–81(1st Cosmic Cube issues),
Other Movies of Note; IRON MAN #118(Manitoba; 1/1979; Layton-c/a; John BYRNE layouts-a; 1st app JIM RHODES; Jim Rhodes appeared in Iron Man Movie #2; In Iron Man Movie #3 Jim Rhodes will become WAR MACHINE, with Ben Kingsley as the Mandarin); #169(4/1983; First app of the NEW IRON MAN, as Jim Rhodes replaces Tony Stark); #170(2nd Jim Rhodes as new IM story, and 1st time on cover; Obadiah Stane from Movie #1 appears); #284(9/1992; DEATH of TONY STARK / IRON MAN Cover & Story; JIM RHODES Becomes the New IRON MAN); Tales of Suspense #50 with 1st app of Mandarin is red hot; Ghost Rider #2: Spirit of Vengeance was a bust, but still made $132 Million at boxoffice; No sequesls for Blade, Daredevil, Hulk or Punisher in near future. Amazing Spider-Man Movie-1 made #121 the Death of Gwen Stacy a HOT book, and should continue with movie-2 (which will might have Electro or the Lizard as the villian);
***
Other
Movies on the way; X-Men Days of Future Past (2014; with
Raven/Mystique & Magneto) and Fantastic Four (2015); *** More
Movies in Development stages with No Dates announced; Black
Panther(Wesley Snipes?), Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds?), Iron Fist, Nick
Fury Agent of SHEILD, Punisher, Vision. LUKE CAGE Hero for Hire
(Cage; In 2003 Columbia Pictures bought the Rights to a future LUKE
CAGE Movie / Film, that may eventually go to Theatre's; potentially
with Tyrese Gibson as Luke Cage); HUMAN FLY [the Eisenberg-Fisher
Productions MOVIE is in development, based on real-life stuntman Joe
Ramacieri & also the basis for the 1977-1979 Marvel Comics
Series];
The
Economy still affects sales on many "ordinary" back issue
comics. For example, most MARVEL superhero comics from 1966-1970 are
slow, unless they are High Grade, a Key issue, or minor-Key issue.
For Example; Amazing Spider-Man #65(Prison), 75(Man-Mountain Marko),
81(Kangaroo), 95(London), 99(Prison) are Slow issues and should List
at 10-20% Lower than issues with Better Villians; Just as JOKER
issues of BATMAN list at Premium Price, better Villians (Green
Goblin, Dr Octopus, Venom) issues of Spider-Man sell faster &
should be broken out of the pack & list at premium prices. Lack
of space in the guide hinders some of these needed changes, so that
the market can be better reflected. Early issue and KEY issues remain
in Constand demand in all grades; The higher priced 1966-1970 SA
Marvels, have slowed in demand compared to the affordable 1971-1975
Bronze Age issues; Examples include; Avengers #21-53 are mostly slow
sellers, while #54-200 are all good sellers; Captain
America #121-150 are slower, while #100-120, 150-255 are all good
sellers; Daredevil #21-49 are slower, while 1-20, 50-168 are good
sellers
Fantastic Four #61-110 are slower while 1-60 111-167 are good sellers; Incredible Hulk #102-250 and Iron Man #1-150 are exceceptions with most issue Good sellers;
Journey into Mystery #113-124 are slower, with #83-112 always in demand; Strange Tales #116-134, 136-147 are slower, while 101-115, 148-181 are good sellers;
Tales of Suspense #67-99 are slower, while #39-66 are Good sellers; Tales to Astonish #61-101 are slower, while 27, 35-60 are good sellers; Thor #127-161 are slower, while 125, 162-250 are good sellers; X-Men ##21-49, 67-93 are slower, while #1-20, 50-66, 94-110 are good sellers;
WARREN,
Skywald & MISC Horror Comic Mags;
Warren:
Investors
still want VF/NM or Better copies, with strictly graded Raw copies
selling faster (9.4=200% of 9.2 Guide; 9.2 at 150% Guide; 9.0 at 9.2
prices) than higher priced CGC copies, these are getting harder to
restock each year. Creepy and Eerie #31-80 are in shorter supply &
the best sellers in all Grades;
The under-Valued Reading copies (FA/G to VG) of most issues Creepy, Eerie & Vampirella are in Big demand bringing 135-150% Guide [On many issues my Lowest graded copy is often FN]; AFTER HOURS is on many Want Lists (1957 Jay Publishing Co. aka WARREN) #1-4 remain SCARCE in all Grades with VF or Better being Rare (#1 was the First Warren mag; #4 = 1st Forrest Ackerman on Monster article was the Famous Monsters Prototype is extra scarce with NO copies graded by CGC; #1,4 both had Bettie Page; #1 = only 7 copies graded by CGC, with #2(3), #3(2) CGC graded example; Blazing Combat #1 & Anthology (G-FN bring 300% Guide; FN/VF or Better copies are near impossible to find; CGC has so far only graded 10 copies in VF or Better); Famous Monsters #1-32 were in High demand in VG or Better this year, with almost all our VF or Better copies selling out; (Most FM #6-32 have only about 25 copies each so far Graded by CGC); the classic HELP Magazines by Harvey Kurtzman still have not been Re-Listed in the Guide & are Notoriously scarce in High Grade (CGC has graded only 14 of the 26 issues to date, mostly 1 copy each in VF range), as the paper at the spines are Fragile, and the spines to the cover split & separate easily; Heidi Saha (500 Printed? is Very RARE with mid grade copies bringing $500-$1000 if you can find one at all); VAMPIRELLA #1 in in consistant High Demand, but especially in short supply affordable range with G-FN range copies bringing 150% Guide range;
The SKYWALD Mags only lasted 52 months from 12/1970 thru 3/1975 (Crime-Machine, Hell-Rider, Nightmare, Psycho & Scream) and are still in constant demand; Warren magazines Folded 30 Years ago in 2/1983, with the Back issue Department copies plentiful in the market for the next 20 Years (until about 10 Years ago); The Skywald Back issue Department copies dispersed into the marketplace almost immediately in 1975, and supplies have been dwindling ever since, thus on average about 5-10 Times Scarcer than the average comparable Warren mag. Most SKWALD mags have less than 10 Copies graded by CGC (with 0-5 copies each in 9.0 or Better), thus almost every time i list a strictly grade raw example on my site in 9.0 or Better it sells almost instantly at 9.2 guide price. There is also big demand for FA/G to VG reading copies; ** Nightmare, Psycho & Scream [G-FN= 140-165%; FN/VF-VF+ = 120-140%; Raw 9.0 examples sell at 9.2 guide prices with 9.2 bringing 150% Guide; were are the 9.4 or Better copies??]
The MISC Horror mags by Eerie Pub, Globe, Hamilton, Major, Modern Day, Stanley, Tempest Pub, & World Famous, are in steady demand in FA/G to FN, and in VF/NM or Better (with FN/VF to VF+ copies the Slowest sellers); The 1966-1970 issues and the Low Print & Scarcer in All Grades; 1980-1983 issues are also Scarce & the toughest issues for Completionists. HAMMER magazines #1-30 (UK/Britis; 10/1976-11/1984) were HOT this Year mainly for the Hammer-Horror Movie Comics adaptions, but also for the ART (John Bolton, Adams, Wrightson, Parkhouse, Brian Lewis etc), great Painted covers & Movie Articles (Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, George Romero etc) (Average prices; 9.0=$30; 8.0=$24; FN=$16; VG=$10); Bestsellers this Year include; Chilling Tales of Horror, Ghoul Tales, Hammer mag, Horror Tales, Monsters Attack, Shock, Stark Terror, Tales from the Tomb(1969-70 issues), Tales of Voodoo(1968-70 issues), Terrors of Dracula (all), Terror Tales (1969-70 issues), Web of Horror, Weird (1966-1970, 1979-1981), Weird Vampire Tales(all), Witches Tales(1969-70) (9.0-9.2=125-150% Guide; 6.5-8.5=100% Guide; FA/G-FN=130-160% Guide);
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #42 (2012) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
INTRODUCTION;
We sold a Lot
of Comics this Year, but still below our pre Recession (Pre-Summer
2008) Era; The main element i have seen changed, is below average
demand for items priced at over $50.00, especially in High Grade. In
many Genre's, i have noticed Sales on Low Grade & Affordable
copies have actually increased. The biggest area of increased demand
was for affordable copies of KEY issues (First, Last, Origin, Giants,
Anniversary, better Artists, Low Print etc) with current Good thru
Fine Guide prices in the $5 to $50 price range. Price spreads between
G-FN vs VF-NM- are now so wide, Many of these are now very
undervalued in G-FN in the Overstreet guide & often bring
premiums of +25% to +100% over guide, with many eager buyers. Many DC
and especially MARVEL KEY issue comics in G-FN are near impossible to
keep in stock & the current guide prices are now Wholesale Prices
(Other Sellers & I, now more regularily buy KEY issues at 70-125%
Guide in G-FN to Mark-Up by 50% or More
over Cost for Immediate Re-Sale to want list buyers) Similarly,
affordable copies of hard to find issues from uncommon to scarcer
Popular Titles (especially 1950-1980 era) are sold out in most Major
Dealer inventories & often bring premiums of +25% to +100% over
guide [ Just a few Examples; Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man
(Most Key issues from #1-300), Archie #1-100, Archie's Girls Betty &
Veronica #1-100, Batman's by Neal Adams, Conan the Barbarian #1,
Creepy #31-80, 121-146 in G-FN, Dizzy Dames #1-6, Dracula Lives in
G-FN, Eerie #17-80, 121-139 in G-FN, Hanna-Barbera #1's, Iron Man
(1968) #1, Laugh #20-150, Little Lulu #1-30, Magnus (GK) #1, Marvel
Spotlight #5(1st Ghost Rider), Millie the Model #18-93 with
DeCarlo-a, Our Army at War #83-130(Sgt Rock), Pep #22-161, Scooby Doo
(1970's to 1990's), Tarzan (Dell) #1-20, Turok (Dell) #1-5, Vampire
Tales in G-FN, Vampirella #1-33, 91-113 in G-FN, Werewolf by Night
#32 and many More]; NON-KEY issues of common 1965-1980 Marvel &
DC Super-Hero comics in VG to FN/VF are still quite plentiful &
many were slower sellers. [We have started selling Large Quantities
Discounted Bargain Sets to Force sales on many of these, as our
Warehouse is Bursting at the Seems with Overstock on many of these];
Since i have Specialized in & gone out of my way to re-Stock
affordable comics that are Hard to Find in ANY grade for over 30
Years, I have always done quite well with these. I actually search
out to re-stock Sold-Out issues of Comics other Dealers on carry only
if they walk in the door. I try to keep near complete inventories of
(1960 and Newer, with Good selection of Older); ACG, Archie,
Charlton, Classics, Comic Digests, Cracked, Dell, Dennis the Menace,
Gold Key, Harvey, IW/Super, King, Mad, National; Lampoon, Religious,
Treasury, Walt Disney, Whitman, etc; The Shortage of copies in Dealer
Inventories, on these uncommon to scarce Oddball comics is usually
not reported by most Overstreet Advisors (High Priced & Superhero
comics are "sexier" in Market Reports) thus prices tend to
remain unrealistically Low & the Higher Demand Than Supply
shortage continues on year after year. I have a Loyal following of
Regular repete Customers, who love my Giganic Selection (World's
Biggest in many catagories). This once again was the area that we
brought in the most Sales this year.
High Grade investment copies
were still good sellers, but mostly items in the $5 to $50 price
Ranges, thus a lot of Bronze Age (1970-1984) comics, with increased
interest in Copper Age (1985-1992) comics. Many many buyers have
finally caught on to the fact that 1980's comics in stirct VF/NM or
Better are getting harder & harder to find, as they are already
23-32 Years Old. Decades of Dumping these Comics in Bargain Bins &
constant handling, have made the grade of copies of 1980's comics in
most Dealer inventories around FN/VF average. In addition, many major
dealers grade averything in VF or Better as NM, while the actual
grades (if submitted to CGC) would be a strict 7.0 to 9.0, with only
a handful in actual 9.4. Since most of the 1980's comics guide at
between $2 to $10 this has become a widespread practice, considered
acceptable by the majority of buyers. It has in fact persuaded many
uninformed collectors that VF copies are in fact NM copies. For the
advanced & informed Collector, it can be a frustrating maket to
buy in, if you collect only strict High Grade in 9.2 or Better.
Because i have over 20,000 Strictly Graded (with CGC in Mind)
Affordable High Grade comics in Stock, especially those from the
MANITOBA Pedigree quality collection, i sell many 100's of these at
Premiums; [My average asking price, as a Percentage of Overstreet
Guide 9.2 price, for Comics that Guide at $50 or Less is; 9.8=400%,
9.6=300%, 9.4=200%, 9.2=150% and with VF/NM copies bringing 9.2 Guide
prices]
Our 8000 Square Foot Warehouse is still bursting at the seems with 1,300,000 Comics, Magazines, Digests, Paperbacks, Records, Movies, Posters & other Related items. Since I hope to retire in 10-15 Years, I have continued to List more items our Overstock Clearance Sales [So far mostly Overstock Comics sets in 10-25 item groups 25-75% Off Guide Range. By far the Most Popular Set of the Year was Captain Canuck (1975-81) #1-4 and Special #1 VF for $39 (almost 50 sets sold), surpassing the Previous Best Seller ROM Spaceknight #1-75 and Annual #1-4. Booster Gold (1986-88) #1-25 became a surprise bestseller & I am currently Sold Out (He appeared in the Final Season #10 of TV's Smallville & Rumor has it, is getting his own SyFy channel TV Pilot & potential series); Other unexpected good sellers included; Amethyst (1983) #1-12, Captain Britain (1976 UK) #1-11, Capt Planet #1-12, Futher Adv. of Indiana Jones #1-34, Groo #61-120, John Carter #1-28 & Annual 1-3, Savage She-Hulk #1-25, 2001: a Space Odyssey #1-10, etc;
Many Collector's view the prices in Overstreet as set in stone, they will not pay more, but are still happy when they get items for less. They miss out on buying High Demand items that might have potential for future price escalations & often end up buying slower selling items. Many do not fully understand that it is a price GUIDE, and is more an average of the approx Retail price you should expect to have to pay to a professional Dealer. Pro Dealer are willing to pay more for High Demand items & then need to charge more, often well over guide. There are many discount places where you can readily buy common items at 25-75% Off Guide (eBay, Conventions, Small Dealers, fellow collectors, Flea Markets, Garage Sales, Auctions etc), but these (often transient) sellers usually have; Low overhead, smaller selections, Off condition items, questionable condition grading, etc - Thus leaving Discounting and/or selling to captive buyers (Local only, eBay only, Flea Market only, Non-internet etc) as their main selling tool. There is nothing wrong with buying Discounted Comics (as long as you are careful), but these type sales should NOT be used to Judge current values of Collectible comics. On the Flip Side, many collector's blindly buy comics (especially New Comics) for years & decades, without thought about how much they will be able to sell them for, when that time inevitably arrives (often old age) to sell. Many are shocked to hear offers like 25, 10 or even 5 cents each for their common newer comics. For example, I get many emails from sellers wanting to liquidate collections of 1986-1994 Era comics that are "Bagged & Boarded" (implying that they are "MINT" because they bought them new); One collector spent presumably 100+ Hours methodically cataloging over 10,000 Post-1980 Comics by exact condition & price in guide & came up with a value of over $35,000, he was asking only $20,000 and sent the list to dozens of dealers, but could not understand why he was getting no replies. So i finally emailed him & explained 95% of his Collection was items that all major dealers were already Overstocked on & they were already a hard sell. After several email exchanges, he began to understand that he would be lucky to get an offer of 10% Guide on his common slow selling comics & if he wanted more, he would need to become a dealer himself. Getting good money was extremely labour intensive & would take him 100's of Hours of work. Unfortunately a collector cannot just take his $12 Spawn #1 to the Grocery store & get a Meal for it, he would instead have a hard time getting $4 on eBay for it & even less from a Dealer who already has 10 copies in stock. He thanked me for explaining, but soon after there were still more similar sellers.
ARCHIE comics;
Our Archie inventory is the World Biggest Selection (35,000+ Archie Comics & 10,000+ Digests in stock); About 85% of what we sell falls into the $2 to $20 each FA/G to FN condition range items; With about 15% Selling in the FN/VF to VF/NM condition (Would sell more pre-1988 in High Grade if we had more, but most are scarce in strict VF or Better). Everything Betty & Veronica were easily our #1 Bestsellers. Golden Age 1941-1950 Archie Titles are in high demand (at 120%-150% Guide in Any Grade); Archies with Dan DeCarlo art issues are always top sellers; 1951-1964 Archie Titles are steady sellers; (Most G-FN copies we sell at 120-140% Guide); The Circa 1960 Horror & Sci-Fi Cover issues have 2-3 Times the demand as compared to other issues of the Period (at 120-135% Guide);
All the other GIRLS of Archie Titles still have strong demand (Cheryl Blossom, Ginger, Josie & the Pussycats, Katy Keene, Sabrina, Suzie, etc) Cheryl Blossom 1982-1993 (Pre 1994 & Love Showdown) appearances are in demand when Identified & sell for 125-150% Guide; The 1970's RED CIRCLE Horror, 1980's Red Circle/ Archie Adventure titles were the most requested in VF or better, they are in steady demand. All the LAST Issues are still in High Demand & even lower supply as Minor-Key issues; Archie and Me #161 (2/87), Archie at Riverdale High #113(2/87), Archie Giant Series #632(7/92), Archie's Girls B&V #347(4/1987), Archie's Pals N Gals #224(9/1991), Archie's TV Laughout #105(2/86), Betty & Me #200(8/92), Everything's Archie #157(9/91), Jughead #352(6/87), Laugh #400(4/87), Life with Archie #286(9/91), Pep #411(3/87); (bringing 150-200% Guide);
All the Archie brand Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures titles are in High Demand (While the original Mirage titles are slow sellers) with all the High Nember & Later issues have LOW Print Runs & Scarcer The 1990's Hanna-Barbera Titles are already hard to find, are in high demand, sold out with almost all dealers, & very undervalued in Guide, with #1-5 issues being Uncommon (sell at 150% Guide) with most #6 up issues being scarce (sell at 200-400% Guide);
The Archie 15 cent test market variants (2/1962-4/1963) are 50-100 Scarcer than regular Editions & bring a still very conservative 150-200% Guide (Archie's Madhouse #22 is the majhor Key issue); Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants (10-20 Scarcer than USA editions) include; ARCHIE Comics & Digests (35 cent Giants from late 1950's thru Mid 60's; All comics & Digests from 9/1982-4/1997 with Digest up to 12/1997) have a modest demand at about 120% Guide
>>> This Years Bestsellers include; ARCHIE Comics #1-120(120-150%), ARCHIE ALL-STAR SPECIAL - SERIES; (Winter/1975; 164 Pages, 4 different = 200%), Archie as Pureheart (120%), Archie at Riverdale High (#1-20 = 120% Guide; Early Appearances of CHERYL BLOSSOM = 89,90,92,96,99,103 = 150%), 113(200%), Archie Giant #26, 32(150%), Archie Giant series (#1-32, 136-200; G-FN= 125-150%; VF-NM- = 110-125%); Archie Giant series (all issues with B&V, Josie & Sabrina issues = 125-150%), Archie's Girls Betty & Veronica #1-30(125-150%), 31-200, 329-346(120-135%), (#320-322,327,328 Cheryl Blossom & 347 Last issue = 200%), Archie & Big Ethyl(150%), Archie & Mr Weatherbee(150%), Archie's Circus(200%), Archie's Date Book(150%), Archie's Festival(150%), Archie's Roller Coaster(200%), Archie's Roller Sports Scene (200%), Christmas with Archie (Giant; Spire Edition 250%), Archie's Jokebook (#1-43 = 110-120%; #44-48 Neal Adams = 125-135%), 288(200%), Archie's Madhouse [#1-21 = 110-120%; #22(150%), Sabrina issues(125-135%)], Archie's Mechanics(135%), Archie's Pal Jughead (#1-20 = 120-130%; #21-76 = 110-120%; #79 Creature-c 150%; #77,78,80-82,85,86,88 = 125-135%), Archie's Pals N Gals [#1-20 = 115-130%; #23(1st Josie = 200%), #29(Beatles 150%), #161(1st Cheryl Blossom Solo 200%], Archie's Ten Issue Collectors Set #1-10(Giveaway 125-150%), Archie's TV Laughout #1-23(120-130%), 91(200%), 92-106(120-150%), Betty & Me #1-15(120-130%), 16(300%), 23(150%), 40(125%), 79-86(125%), 200(150%), Black Hood(1983 = 150%), Cartoon Network presents SPACE GHOST #1(200%), Cheryl Blossom Mini-Series (13 issues total from 1995-1996 = 150-200%), Chilling Adv in Sorcery(130-150%), Christmas with Archie Treasury(200%), Cosmo the Merry Martian(125%), Flintstones #1-10(150%), 11-22(200%), FLY (1983-84 = 150%), HORROR /Science Fiction Covers issues (Circa 1962 = 125-135%), Ginger(120-135%), Hanna-Barbera All Stars(200%), Hanna-Barbera Presents(200%), Jetsons(200%), Josie #1(150%), 2-20(125%), 45(150%), 46-74(125-150%), 100-106(Low Print = 150%), JCP Presents Thunder Agents (200%), Jughead #325(Cheryl Blossom = 300%), 352(200%), Jughead as Capt Hero(125%), Jughead's Folly #1(1st ELVIS in comics 125%), Jughead Soul Food(150%), Katy Keene (1950's/1950's; G-FN = #110-120%; VF-NM- = 90-110%); Katy Keene(1983-1990 = 150%), Laugh Comics #20-168(120-150%), Life with Archie #1-66(120-130%), Little Archie #1-66(120-130%), Madhouse #95-97(Horror 150%), Mighty Crusaders(1983-85 = 150%), Pep Comics #22-180(120-135%), Red Circel Sorcery(150%), Sabrina (#1-17, 71-77 = 135-150%; #18-70 = 110-120%), Scooby Doo(200%), SHEILD (1983-84 = 150%); SONIC the Hedgehog #1-50(120-150%), Suzie(120-135%), Tales Calculated to Drive you BATS(120%), TMNT Adv #19,50-72, Special #6-10, Sourcebook 1-2, Digests, & Mighty Mutant Animals 5-9, are low Print items (sell at 200-400% Guide), That Wilkin Boy (all are Undervalued = 150%), Thunder Agents (Archie; 150%), WHIZ KIDS (Archie & Radio Shack $5-10 ea), Wilbur (Katy Keene #5-56,58-69 & DeCarlo art in later issues = 110-125%);
CHARLTON;
With over 25,000 in Stock, we have the World's Biggest selection of Charlton Comics (95% of 1960-1986 issues & about 50% of the 1940's-1959 issues); Our selection makes our site the first destination for many Charlton fans, from Readers to Advanced Collectors. The TV, Horror & Sci-Fi Titles are the Bestsellers in both Lower & High Grades, with all issues from 1966-1986 in High Demand. Second most Requested, were the better artist issues, including; Aparo, Boyette, Buscema, John Byrne, Ditko, Glanzman, Himes, Wayne Howard, Severin, Sanho Kim, Larson, Morisi, Don Newton, Staton, Tom Sutton, Wood, Williamson & Mike Zeck; Hanna Barbera comics are always consistent good sellers. The Moderate sellers included; Superhero, War, Western Titles, to fans & readers that enjoy those Genre's in multiple publishers. We always do well with Charlton, as most other Comic Dealers do not bother with them, eventually sells eventually, with no really dead titles. Completonists & Collectors who like hard to find & unusual items are often fascinated with the Charlton Magazines, including; Adult Cartoon Titles (Cartoon Carnival, Comedy Capers, Good Humor, 150 Cartoons), Charlton Bullseye, CPL (Fanzine), Horror Monsters, Mad Monsters, Monsters Attack, SICK mag, & other Non-Comic Mags by Charlton(True Western, Romance, Movie/TV, Puzzle, etc); The 17 different known Charlton / Xerox Comic Digests (Barney & Betty, Bugs Bunny, Dino, Dr Graves, Flinstones, Jetsons, Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm, Road Runner, Scooby Doo, Space 1999, Tweety and Sylvester, Woody Woodpecker, Yogi Bear, etc) are still very Scarce, rarely found in better than FN & sell for 200-300% Guide;
Bestsellers this Year included (at 115-135 GUIDE); Abbott & Costello, Barney & Betty, Beetle Bailey, Beyond the Grave, Bionic Woman, Blondie, Blue Beetle, Bobby Sherman, Bugaloos, Bullwinkle, Capt Atom, Charlton Bullseye (Comic & Mag), Charlton Premiere, Cheyenne Kid, Cowboy Western, David Cassidy, Dino, Doomsday + 1 (John Byrne), Dudley Do-Right, EH!, E-Man, Emergency(comic & Mag), Flash Gordon, Flintstones, Ghostly Haunts, Ghostly Tales, Ghost Manor, Go-Go, Gorgo, Great Gazoo, Gunfighters, Hanna Barbera Parade, Haunted, Haunted Love, Hercules, Hong Hong Phooey, Huckleberry Hound, Jetsons, Judo Master, Jungle Jim, Jungle Tales of Tarzan, Kid Montana, Konga, Korg, Magilla Gorilla, Many Ghosts of Dr Graves, Masked raider, Midnight Tales, Monster Hunters, Mysterious Suspense, Outer Space, Outlaws of the West, Partridge Family, Pebbles, Phantom, Ponytail, Popeye, Primus, Ronald McDonald, Quick Draw McGraw, Reptisaurus, Ronald McDonald, Sarge Steel, Scary Tales, Scooby Doo, Six Million Dollar Man(comic & Mag), Son of Vulcan, Space Adventures, Space 1999(comic & Mag), Space War, Speed Buggy, Static, Strange Suspense, Thane, Thunderbolt, Top Cat, Underdog, Unusual Tales, Valley of Dinosaurs, Vengeance Squad, War, WAR Comics (Most 1950-1970), WESTERN Comics (Most 1950-1970), Wheelie & Chopper Bunch, Wyatt Earp, Yang, & Yogi Bear.
DC COMICS;
DC Comics Back issue Sales are dominated by their Long-Standing classic characters & Teams, especially; Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, JLA, JSA, Legion , Superman, & Wonder Woman, so it might shock readers to realize all these titles were poor sellers with low print runs in the early 1980's. ** Circulation Statements reveal these Low Print Runs; Batman #357-402(75,303 to 97,741/month), Detective #482-569(64,635 to 89,635/month), Flash (1959) #317-350(72,771 to 69,881/month), Green Lantern (1960) #150-195(89,657 to 80,765/month), Justice League (1960) #234-257(96,281 to 82,406/month), Superman (1939-1986) #403-423(98,767/month), Wonder Woman (1942) #299-329(73,256 to 52,145/month); Miller revived Batman, Byrne revived Superman & Crisis revived the others, with sales of these backbone characters never again low since the mid-1980's. Batman is by far the most collected DC character, as Spider-Man is to Marvel, yet 1960's Batman price are far more affordable. Justice League is easily the mostly collected DC Team series, yet price remain more affordable when compared to marvel's Fantastic Four of the same time period. Since Crisis & George Perez resurrected Wonder Woman in 1987, she has become arguably the most important female character in comics history. Wonder Woman (1942) #51-130 are in very Low Supply on the marketplace, a very tough run to complete, with G-FN condition copies often bringing 125-200% Guide. Wonder Woman (1942) #177-220 are in steady demand. Wonder Woman (1987) #50-100, 121-226 are hard to keep in stock & usually sell at 25-100% Over Guide;
DC War Comics have never been more collected, with most 1950's issues in very low supply in any grade. Our Army at War #83(1st true Sgt Rock) & G.I. Combat #68 are extremely undervalued & on many many want lists (expect to pay 150-200% Guide); OAAW #81-82 (Sgt Rock prototypes) are now slower sellers. OAAW #84-120 are tough to keep in stock in any grade & most majot dealers are usually sold out. All Sgt Rock comics are in demand, with #401-422 have Low Print Runs & being scarcer; All American Men of War, G.I. Combat, Our Fighting Forces, Star Spangled War are all in demand, with 1950's and 1970's issues being most requested. Bronze Age DC War in VF/NM or better, are among the fastest selling investment grade copies of the period.
DC Horror & SF comics are also in Constant Good demand, with low grade reading copies being the bestsellers. Better artist issues of the 1968-1975 era are the most requested. Many investors are having a tough time completing runs of 1970-1985 Era Horror titles in VF/NM or better, they are much more uncommon to scarce than many would think. All the Oddball titles (Cartoon, Digests, Humor, Love, Teen, Treasury's, Western etc) still have a good following & always do well with these, as many delers do not bother to carry them.
** BESTSELLING DC Comics this Year included; (G-FN = 120-140% Guide; FN/VF-VF+ = 100-135% Guide; VF/NM, 9.0 to NM-, 9.2 = 120-150% Guide); Action #377-450, 583 Adventure #381-440, 491-503, All American Men of War #38-117, All New Collectors Edition C-53 to C-60; All Star Comics 58-74, All-Star Western #1-11, Angel & Ape #1-7, Aquaman #48-63, Amazing World of DC #1-4, 9,14-17, Bat Lash 1-7, BATMAN #103-429, Batman Family 1-20, Best of DC Digest 1-10, 41-71, Beware the Creeper #1-6, Blitzkrieg 1-5, Brave & Bold #50-120, 181-197, Challengers of Unknown #74, 81-87, Dark Mansion 1-4, DC Comics Presents #1,2,26,47,85- 97, DC 100 Page Super Spectacular #4-14, DC Special #2-4,6,11,28,29, DC Special Series #1-27, DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest 1-24, DC Superstars #17, Detective 298-600, Doorway to Nightmare #1-5, 1st Issue Special #1-13, Flash #105-130, 201-232,289-350, Flex Mentallo 1-4, Freedom Fighters 1-15, Ghosts #1-40, 97-99, GI Combat #55-210, Green Lantern (1960-1986) #76-123, 181-205, GL Corps Annual #2,3(Alan Moore), Hawk & Dove #1-6, Hot Wheels 1-6, House of Mystery #174-256, House of Secrets #61-154, Joker 1-9, Jonah Hex #1-20, 81-92 & Digest 1-3, Justice League of America #94-261 (especially JSA issues), Legion (1980) #290-300, Limited Collectors Edition C#21 thru C-59, Men of War 1-26, New Teen Titans #1-10, New Titans #101-130, Our Army at War #51-301, Our Fighting Forces 41-100, 123-150, Phantom Stranger #1-14,31-41, Rima #1-7, Sandman (1989) #1-27, Secret Society of Super-Villians 1-15, Secrets of Haunted House 1-10, Sgt Rock #302-350,400-422; Shazam #1,8,12-17, 25-35, Sinister House #1-4, Star Spangled War Stories #45-183, Strange Adventures #205-217, Superboy #197-245, Super DC Giant #S-13 thru S-26, Super Friends #1-10, Supergirl (1972) #1-10, Superman #233-300, 400-423, Superman Family #164, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133-150, Swamp Thing (1982) #20-64(Alan Moore), Tales of New Teen Titans #42-44 & Annual #3, Tomahawk #116-119, 121,123-130(Adams covers), Unexpected #105-162, Unknown Soldier #205- 220, 265-268, V for Vendetta 1-10, Watchmen 1-12, Weird Mystery #1-24, Weird War #1-124, Weird Western #12-20,39-50 WHITMAN Variants of DC Comics(150-200% Guide), Witching Hour #1-20, Wonder Woman (1942-86) #51-130, 177-220, 281-329, Wonder Woman (1987-Date) #50-100
DELL comics;
This year & went thru my entire DELL inventory & Identifed 100's Variants that are NOT yet listed in Guide & sold over 60% of What i found at premium prices;. These include DELL VARIANTS; (2/1957-7/1958 = 15 Cent variants & September/1958 "10c Now" Cover Date Variants = These sell for a 50% Premium over guide); (1956-1962 Back Cover VARIANTS with Strips in place of Ads & Dell Giants with 30-35 cent Variant cover prices; = These sell for a 10-30% Premium over guide); Those BACK cover VARIANTS with illustrations instead of AD'S are especially Popular, as many have bonus features on the title character. Identified VARIANTS are 2-10 Times more Saleable as compared to a standard issue [and at a Premium too] In addition; I also sold most of my Canadian Editions of DELL Comics (These are 10-20 Times scarcer than US edition, but in past these sold at discounts below guide. With Variant Collectors interest, i sold most of my remaining copies at US guide prices with no premiums)
VF or Better and High Grade CGC copies of DELL Comics (with the exception of high demand KEY issues & Titles) were once again slow sellers [Many sold at heavy discounts off Guide at eBay auctions]; Meanwhile about 95% of our DELL sales were in the FA/G (Reading Copies) thru FN (Presentable, but still affordable) condition ranges. FN/VF and better copies were slower moving than usual this year. Most Dell comics in G-FN are still Under-Valued in the Guide, while many VF-NM Dells are still overvalued in Guide [This problem occurs because the Price to Condition spreads are far too wide; Wide Price Spreads for Marvel comics makes sense, but do not apply well to Cartoon, Western & TV comics]
>> The Bestselling Titles (G-FN = 120-140% guide; FN/VF-VF/NM= 90-110% Guide) included; Adventures of Mighty Mouse, Air War, Annie Oakley, Bat Masterson, Beetle Bailey, Ben Bowie, Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, Big Valley, Bullwinkle, Cheyenne, Chilly Willy, Cisco Kid, Colt 45, Combat, DELL Giants, Dell VARIANTS, Dunc & Loo, Flintstones, Flying Nun, Flying Saucers, Fritzi Ritz (with Peanuts), F-Troop, Gene Autry #101-121, Get Smart, Ghost Stories, Gidget, Have Gun Will Travel, Hogans Heroes, Huckleberry Hound, I Dream of Jeannie, I Love Lucy, Indian Cheif, Jetsons, John Carter of Mars, John Wayne titles, King of Royal Mounted, Kona, Laramie, Lawman, Leave it to Beaver, Little Lulu, Lone Ranger 112-145 & Tonto, March of Comics, Maverick, McHales Navy, Melvin Monster, Monkees, Movie Classics (Western, SF & Horror), Nancy (Peanuts, Oona, & Stanley issues), Outer Limits, Peanuts, Pogo, Ponytail, Popeye, Quick Draw McGraw, Rawhide, Real McCoys, Red Ryder 1-118, Ricky Nelson, Rifleman, Rin Tin Tin 18-38(TV's Rusty), Rocky & Friends, Roy Rogers 121-145, Sgt Preston, Smokey Stover, TARZAN 1-30, 80-131, Thirteen, Tip Top #211-225, Top Cat, TUROK, Twilight Zone, Voyage to Bottom of Sea, Wyatt Earp, Yogi Bear & Zorro.
GOLD KEY (see also Walt Disney comics);
We have over 35,000 in stock (World's biggest selection) thus these are always considtant Good Solid Sellers. 90% of our inventory is G-FN range Grades, but we have a decent selection of FNVF to VF/NM copies. Luckily, the G-FN copies are the Most Popular & Bestsellers for us. [Titles Most requested in VF or better include;
Borid Karloff, Dr Solar, Hanna-Barbera Titles, Magnus, Tarzan, Turok, Twilight Zone, plus Key issues, Horror/SF, TV, #1's and one-shots]
Gold Key VARIANTS are still popular sellers; Whitman Variants of the Gold Key Comics (11/1971 thru 4/1980 = 125-200% of GK issue values)(Canadian Newsstand Variant cover price issues (4-8/1968 with 15 cent prices, 3/1972-4/1973 with 20 cent prices; 12/1977-3/1978 with reverse 30 Cent prices) bring 125-150% Guide); (Whitman Variant 75 cent cover price issues of 1984 Comics that are 60 cents in USA = bring 200-300% Guide);
the Bestsellers this year included; (at VF-NM= 110-130% Guide; G-FN=120-140% Guide), included; Addams Family, Amazing Chan, Atom Ant, Astro Boy, Auggie Doggie, Avengers (TV) #1(Photo back-c), Bamm Bamm, Banana Splits, Battle of the Planets, Beatles Yellow Submarine, Beneath Planet of Apes, Beetle Bailey, Boris Karloff, Bullwinkle, Cave Kids, Close Shaves of Pauline Peril, Daffy Duck 31-50, Dagar, Dan Curtis (Giveaways) #1-9, Daniel Boone, Dark Shadows, Doc Savage, Dr Solar, Family Affair, Flash Gordon, Flintstones, Frankenstein Jr, Fun-In, Funky Phantom, George of the Jungle, Gold Key Spotlight, Gomer Pyle, Grimm's Ghost, Hair Bear Bunch, Hanna-Barbera Bandwagon, Hanna Barbera Super TV Heroes, Happy Days, Honey West, H.R. Pufnstuf, Huckleberry Hound, Inspector, Jetsons, John Carter, Jonny Quest, Korak, Kroft Supershow, Lancelot Link, Land of Giants, Laredo, Lidsville, Little Lulu #207 up, Little Monsters, Lone Ranger, Lucy Show, Magilla Gorilla, Magnus Robot Fighter, Marges Little Lulu 165-206, Mars Patrol, Mighty Hercules, Mighty Mouse, Mighty Samson, Milton Monster, Mr Ed, Mr & Mrs J Evil Scientist, Munsters, My Favorite Martian, Nancy & Sluggo, Occult Files of Dr Spector, Peanuts, Peter Potomus, Phantom, Pink Panther, Popeye, Quick Draw McGraw, Rifleman, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Rocky & Fiendish Friends, Scooby Doo, Secret Squirrel, Snagglepuss, Snooper & Blabber, Space Family Robinson, Space Ghost, Space Mouse, Spine Tingling Tales, Star Stream, Star Trek 1-9, Supercar, Tarzan, Tasmanian Devil 1, Three Stooges, Time Tunnel, Top Cat, Turok, Twilight Zone, UFO Flying Saucers, Underdog, Wacky Races, Wacky Witch, Wagon Train.
HARVEY
comics;
All 1975 & Older CARTOON Titles were in Good Stead Demand, in FA/G thru FN Grades. Most 1976-1990 titles were in Moderate demand (mostly in VG to VF grades); >> 1991-1994 Titles all had LOW Print Runs (Except for issue #1's) & are Scarcer, with most issues always Sold Out with most major dealers [My Minimum Price for any of these is; VF/NM=$6; VF=$5; FN=$4; VG=$3; G=$2]
>>> Bestselling titles (9.2=150%; VF-VF/NM=115-130% Guide; G-FN=120-150% Guide) Include; all Squarebound Giants, Alarming Tales, Alarming Adventures, Alvin, Astro Comics, Baby Huey, Black Cat, Blast-Off, Blondie (undervalued), Bunny, Casper the Friendy Ghost 1-20, CASPER (assorted Titles, 1961-1974), Casper's Ghostland, Casper & Nightmare, Chamber of Chills, Dagwood, Devil Kids, Dotty Dribble, Family Funnies, Felix the Cat, First Love, First Romance, Flintstones, Friendy Ghost Casper, Fruitman, Hanna-Barbera Giant Size, Harvey Collectors Comics, Harvey Hits Harvey Pop, Hot Stuff the Little Devil, Jetsons, Joe Palooka, Little Audrey, Little Dot, Little Dot's Uncles & Aunts, Little Lotta, Little Max, Man in Black, Mazie, Mutt & Jeff, Playful Little Audrey, Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm, Richie Rich (all 1960-1974), Sad Sack (all Pre-1975), Scooby Doo, Spooky, & Stumbo Tinytown, Tastee-Freez, Thrill-O-Rama, Tomb of Terror, Tuff Ghosts, TV Casper & Co, Underdog, Unearthly Spectacular, Warfront, Wendy, Witches Tales, Yogi Bear.
MARVEL Comics;
To many collector's & dealer's alike, back issue Marvel are the only comics really worth having. This narrow view is actually quite widespread, and Marvel comics are so much hoarded, that they have inevitably become the most Common comics on the marketplace, for the given time period. There are almost 5000 CGC graded Hulk #181 & presumably 2-4 times as many still ungraded copies, yet it guides at $1700 in 9.2. There are 100's of other 1974 comics that are scarcer, yet guide at under 1% of that price. Although Marvel has published less than 5% of all extant comics, more dealer inventories have over 50% Marvel than otherwise. Incredibly, supply & demand is so high, that prices continue to climb. For about 35 years now Marvel has been viewed by many as the safest publisher to collect & deal in. How do you make an Popluar but common or uncommon Comic into a Scarce to Rare Comic?? Not with magic, but by seeking only the highest graded copies! When everyone wants high grade, prices keep increasing like a Juggernaut, thus the current state of the Market. High Grade Silver Age Marvel have priced many collectors out of that maket toward Bronze Age, & now High Grade Bronze Prices are driving many to Copper Age comics. In Stamp, Coins, Sports Cards & other hobbies, most of the money in the market is focused only on high grade slabbed copies. But in comics, this has not happened, because it is also a Media & Artform, with probably still over 75% of the buyers still want them for story & art, not just investment. Thus the comic collecting hobby is here to stay for the long haul. Quantity wise, over 90% of my Marvel Comic sales are Good thru VF condition copies, while only about 10% of my sale quantities are VF/NM or better "investment grade" copies.
** BESTSELLING Marvel's this Year included; (G-FN = 120-140% Guide; FN/VF-VF+ = 100-135% Guide; VF/NM, 9.0 to NM-, 9.2 = 120-150% Guide);
Amazing Adventures #1,5-8.11,18, Amazing Spider-Man #50, 96-150,194,300, Annual #1,2, Astonishing Tales #1,12, 25, Avengers #57-200 & Annual #1-10, Captain America #100, 109-113,117,140-255 & Annual #1-4, Capt Britain (1976 UK) #1, 8(1st Psylocke), Cat #1-4, Chamber of Chills 1-25, Champions 11-17, Conan #1, 3, 271-275, Creatures on the Loose #10-16, 30-37, Daredevil #50-158, 168 + Annual #1-4, Dead of Night 1-11, Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu #1,14,17,28, Defenders #1-11, Dr Strange(1974) #1,14,58-62, Dracula Lives #1-13, Fear #1-31, Fantastic Four #110-167, Foom #1-15, 22, Frankenstein 1,8,9,18, Ghost Rider (1973) #1-20, 81, Ghost Rider (199) #81-93, Giant Size (1974-1975 Most Titles), G.I. Joe #1-21, 93, 139-155, Haunt of Horror (Mag) #1-5, Hero For Hire #1, Incredible Hulk #102, 121-250 + Annual #1-10, Invaders 1-10, 31-33, Iron Fist 1-15, Iron Man #1-10, 31-150 + Annual #1-5, Journey into Mystery #83-112, Annual #1, Jungle Action #5-10, Kull the Conqueror (1971) #1-15, Man-Thing (1974) 1-10, Marvel Chillers 3-7, M. Feature(1971) #1-12, M.Feature (1975) #1-7, M. Premiere #1-28, M. Preview #1-8, Marvel Spotlight (1971) #1-33, M. Superheroes 1,12-50, Marvel Tales #1,31-50 Marvel Team-Up #1-20, 53, John Byrne issues, 141, & Annual 1, M. Treasury #1-20, M.Two-in-One #1-20,46 & all Byrne, Perez, Miller art issues, Master of Kung Fu #15-30, Masters of the Universe #1-13, Monsters of the Prowl 9-30, Monsters Unleashed 1-11, My Love#1-39, Nick Fury (1968) 1-5, Our Love Story 1-38, Planet of the Apes mag #21-29, Power Man 17-20, 48-50, Price Variants (1970's 30 cent Variants; 150-200% Guide); (1970's 35 cent Variants; 200-400% Guide); Rampaging Hulk 1-9, Red Sonja (1977) 1-15, Savage Sword #181-235, Savage Tales #1, Shanna 1-5, Silver Surfer(1968) #1-7,14,15,18, Spidey Super Stories 1-20, Spider-Man Digest 1-13, Strange Tales #101-115, 169-181, Superman vs Spider-Man #1, Supernatural Thrillers 1-15, Super Villian Teamup 1-17, Tales of the Zombie 1-10, Tales of Suspense #39-66, Tales to Astonish #27, 35-60, Thor #180-250, 332,333,337, Tomb of Darkness 9-23, Tomb of Dracula #1-13, Transformers #71-80, Vampire Tales #1-11, War is Hell 1-15, Warlock 1,9-15, Werewolf by Night #1-10, 32,33, What If (1977) #1-10, X-Men #50-66, 94-111, 120,121;
WALT DISNEY;
We have a large selection of about 20,000 Walt Disney Comics in Stock from their all Publishers (Dell, Disney, Gemstone, Gladstone, Gold Key, March of Comics, Marvel, Whitman, etc); Especially popular were all the Live Action TV Series & Movie Classic (both Cartoon & Live-Action) comics. Scarecrow of Romney Marsh #1-3 are by far the most requested & impossible to keep in stock even at 200% Guide. (WD Showcase #53 reprint is also in high demand at 200% Guide). Pre-1950 Golden Age Disney Titles were in steady Demand & hard to re-stock. Dell titles. The Four Color one-shot titles, Live Action Comics (TV & Movie) were above average sellers (except for the nature & science titles); ** BESTSELLING Pre-1985 Comics this Year included; (G-FN = 120-140% Guide; FN/VF-VF+ = 100-135% Guide; VF/NM, 9.0 to NM-, 9.2 = 120-135% Guide); Annette {Funicello - all titles), Beagle Boys, Black Hole, Chip N' Dale, Condorman, Darby O'Gill, Davy Crockett {Fess Parker}, many Dell GIANTS, Donald Duck, Dynabrite, Goofy FC, Greyfriars Bobby, Hayley Mills (all titles), Hardy Boys, Huey Dewie & Louie, Ludwig Von Drake, Mickey Mouse, Moby Duck, Movie Classics (most Live-Action), Phantom Blot, Scamp, Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, Spin & Marty, Super Goof, Tinker Bell, Uncensored Mouse, Unclue Scrooge #1-60, 174-197, 285-320, Walt Disney Presents (Hot Title), Walt Disney Showcase, Winnie the Pooh, World of Adventure & Zorro {Guy Williams}
WARREN,
Skywald & MISC Horror Comic Mags;
Warren:
It
seems strange now, but only about a decade below Warren mags were on
the Slow Selling List & the market still had a lot of leftover
Warren warehouse copies, but as demand picked up, they all got
absorbed into the marketplace & they have been in high demand
ever since. Due to handling wear, the average Warren warehouse copy
was in the FN thru VF condition range, with only a small percentage
in strict VF/NM range. The Warehouse copies has made them uncommon &
still affordable (Creepy #1 with Frazetta lists at only $230 in 9.2,
but might currently be worth 10 Times that, if it was not for the
Warehouse copies); The issues that sold out earlier in the 1970's &
1980's warehouse, are still the scarcest issues today & many are
consistantly sold out & in short supply with most dealers.
Creepy, Eerie, Famous Monsters & Vampirella usually make up 90%
of Warren Sales, yet are less than 50% of the mags they printed.
There are more & more Warren Completionists each year, thus the
Scarce issues are very difficult to keep in stock. Low Grade Reading
copies are amazingly fast sellers & actually bring good premiums.
Middle grade copies are the slower sellers. Creepy & Eerie #41-80
were the most requested issues in High Grades; Investors still want
VF/NM or Better copies & they get harder to restock each year.
>>> The Highest Demand WARREN Mags & Scarcer issues Include; Blazing Combat #1 & Anthology (G-FN=300% Guide; VF-NM- = 200%), Comix International #1(200%), CREEPY #32(200%), #9, 11, 19, 29, 76, 79, 146(150%), CREEPY #10,14,17,18, 34, 39, 46,47, 50, 53, 63, 70,71,78, 85, 91,113,132-145 (125% Guide); Best of Creepy Paperback (VF $30), Dracula TPB (Maroto-a; 150%), Dracula (UK New English Library mag editions 1-12; VF = $14; FN=$10; VG=$7 ea); Edgar Allan Poe's Fall of the House of Usher (Hardcover or Softcover 150%); Eerie #17(G-FN=300%; VF-NM- = 200%); #1, 23(200%); #8, 25, 48, 135(150%); Eerie #18, 24, 28, 38-41,45, 60, 81,125,128, 130-134,136-139 (125% Guide); Famous Monsters #1(VF=$1800; FN=$900; VG=$600), 2-10(VF = $300-$900 ea), 11-30(VF = $150-$300 ea), (Scarcer numbers = #32,38,114(VF+ = $100-$200 ea); (Uncommon numbers = #31,33,37,48,51,56,82,92,93,100,108; VF = $40-$60); 1962 Yearbook #1(VF $250), FM Convention Books (1974, 1975; VF = $75+ ea), FM Paperbacks (VF = $100; FN=$60; G=$25), Flintstones at New York World's Fair 1964(150%), HELP magazine (Kurtzman) (Note; Spines SPLIT easily, thus tough in VF or better) #1(VF $80); #2-5, 9, 13,15, 16,21-26(VF=$35-$50; others= $25-35); HELP Paperbacks #1,2(VF $35); Heidi Saha (500 Printed? Very RARE; FN = $500+); Monsters & Heroes (Warren Related; Pub by Larry Ivie; 1967-1969; VF = $30-$50); MONSTERLAND / Forrest J. Ackerman's Monsterland (1984-1987) #1-17(VF= $12-24); Monster World (replaces Famous Monsters #70-79) #3(VF $60+); #4(VF $35+); Odd World of Richard Corben TPB (200%), On the Scene / Freakout #NN (#1; Fall 1967 = 125%); Screen Thrills (1962-1965) #1,10(VF $75+); 2-4(VF $50); Spacemen (Note; Spines SPLIT easily, thus tough in VF or better) #1,3(VF=$200+); #2,4-8 & Yearbook (VF=$50-$75); Spirit Special (Mail Only Approx 1500 printed = 150%), Outer Space Spirit (TPB; VF $35); Teen Love Stories 1-3 (115-125%), Tiny Tim(125%); VAMPIRELLA #1,3,112,113 (G-FN=125-150% Guide; VF-NM- = 110-125%), #2,4-8,11,12,16,19,32-34,36,41, 45,46,48,49,51, 52,61,63,64, 77,78,89,90, 100-111 (G-FN=125-150% Guide; VF-NM- = 110-125%); #32-34 = Beware; Spines SPLIT easily; Annual #1(125%), Special #1(Softcover=125%; rare Hardcover=200%), Vampirella Paperbacks #1-3(VF=$30; FN=$20; G=$10), 4-6(VF=$50; FN=$30; G=$15); Vampirella UK mags #1-4(VF $50 ea); Warren Presents #13, 14(150%); Wildest Westerns/Favorite Westerns of Filmland (Note; Spines SPLIT easily, thus tough in VF or better) #1(VF=$200; G=$50); #2(VF=$100; G=$35); #3-6(VF=$60; G=$20);
The SKYWALD Mags (Crime-Machine, Hell-Rider, Nightmare, Psycho & Scream) are in constant demand, are 3-6 Times harder to find than warren mags & very hard to keep in stock. These are great horror comics & a must try for Fans of the Genre. Fans especially like the issues with; Al Hewetson stories, Dracula, Edgar Allan Poe, Frankenstein, Heap, "Horror-Mood", H.P. Lovecraft, Human Gargoyles, Lady Satan, Nosferatu, Werewolf, etc; Especially in Demand are issues with art by; John Byrne, Everett, Jeff Jones, Bruce Jones, Kaluta, Marcos, Segrelles, Boris Vallejo, Wrightson, etc. The Horror-Mood issues are said to have ispired Stephen King. VF or better copies especially difficult & in very high demand; Reading copies as as fast as we get them. "KING" mags (3-7/1971; Boris-a) are Rare [#1 VF =$75; #2 VF=$50]; Crime-Machine & Hell-Rider are also decent sellers (#1's = 150%; #2's = 120%); ** Nightmare, Psycho & Scream [G-FN= 140-165%; VF-NM- = 120-140%]
The MISC Horror mags by Eerie Pub, Globe, Hamilton, Major, Modern Day, Stanley, Tempest Pub, & World Famous, are in steady demand; Affordable reading Copies are in very High demand & sell as fast as we find them. VF/NM or Better copies are getting scarcer & are usually good sellers, but a bit slower this year due to the economy. The Eerie Pub & Stanley mags feature Wild Shocking Gruesome colorful covers that are the biggest appeal in these. The interiors also include; Blood & Gore, Bloody Stake thru the Heart, Bondage, Decapitations, Severed Heads & Limbs, Skeletons,Torture, Vampires, Werewolf's & More. Stanley pub mags have a lot of Pre-Code horror reprints, & less copies on the marketplace, faster sellers. The 1966-1970 issues and the Low Print 1980-1983 issues are the Scarcer & the toughest issues for Completionists. Bestsellers this Year included; (VF-VF/NM=110-125% Guide; G-FN=130-160% Guide); Castle of Frankenstein #1-25, Chilling Tales of Horror,
Dread of Night, Ghoul Tales, Grace Tales, HAMMER magazines(UK), Horror Tales, Maggots, Monsters Attack, Murder tales, Shock, Stark Terror, Tales from the Crypt, Tales of the Killers, Tales from the Tomb(1969-70 issues), Tales of Voodoo(1968-70 issues), Terrors of Dracula (all), Terror Tales (1969-70 issues), Web of Horror, Weird (1966-1970, 1979-1981), Weird Vampire Tales(all), Witches Tales(1969-70);
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #41(2011) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
INTRODUCTION;
The Worldwide Recession continues and has affected sales on many back issues. Buyers have concentrated on four main continued avenues of collecting; (1) High Grade investment copies; (2) Low grade reading copies; (3) Collecting of KEY issues in ALL Grades, including #1's, Origin's, top Artist issues, Last issues & Scarcer issues; (4) Seeking below guide bargains while price are depressed. Since the 1960's, downturns in the economy have not much affected sales of back issue collectible comics. But, this is not a normal recession, it has many people running scared, thus buyers have been more careful & selective.
For the first time in nearly a decade, our percentage of high grade copies Sales has started to decline. Investors no longer will pay high for just anything in high grade, they want popular titles (especially Marvel), older comics (especially pre-1975) and key issues. Our bestselling high grade comics were virtually all in the $5 to $50 each price range this year, mostly Bronze Age & including a lot of early to mid 1980's titles. Low Grade reading copies of uncommon Pre-1980 was the only area where sales were up this year. Sales on most 1955-1990 comics that was Uncommon, Scarce or Rare in ANY grade were strong this year, many bringing 135-175%+ Guide.
By far the most requested Marvel & DC comics were all the major & minor Key issues, but many are getting hard to re-stock due to relentless demand, otherwise we would have sold a lot more. Strangely enough, for most 1975 & newer comics, the #1 issues are usually the most common issues, thus possibly not as good an investment as many expect. Meanwhile many LAST issues (especially on longer running titles) are in very low supply, & high demand, with most remaining very undervalued. Many many KEY issue comics in G-FN are now far too undervalued in guide & near impossible to keep in stock (just try to find Conan #1 or Iron Man #1 in FN, or Amazing Fantasy #15 in FA/G anywhere near guide); Affordable KEY issues is a fast growing area for Dealers, most desirable books can easily bring anywhere from 125% to 200% Guide. (Thus many of the guide prices are now wholesale)
As we have about 1,300,000 Comics & Related items in our warehouse, we have literally tons of overstock. We have continued our Clearance Sales, by making up Overstock sets in groups of approx. 10, 25, 50 or 100 items, typically at 35-65% Off Guide Range. Clearance sets continue to be very popular, thus we hope to set up our efforts & offer 100's to 1000's more Clearance sets thru the year 2011, ideally clearing out about 1/3 our Inventory over the next decade.
It needs to be noted, that eBay Auctions are often not a good indicator of Value. A forced sale in a short period of time (typically 7 days) often causes skewed results. (Imagine a typical Antique shop putting everything in the store up for sale by auction in a 7 day period, many good items would bring 5-20% of Retail, but if patient a lot of items will easily bring full retail). When I buy a collection, the percentage of retail I pay is based on the amount of time is based on estimated turnover time at full retail prices, broken down into 4 broad catagories; (1) Percentage that will sell in under 90 days; (2) Sell in 3-12 Months; (3) 1-5 Years; (4) 5-10 Years, possible never sell; I virtually never discount items in Category-1. I am most likely to discount items in Catagory-4. Items that fall into Catagory-2,3 I usually am patient & let them sit in my inventory, until the right buyer comes along. When an eBay seller puts items in categories 2-4 up for auction, there could easily be no ready buyers that week, thus bad results. Ebay stores with fixed Buy-it-Now prices are a much better indicator of current Values (although this still does not account for varied good to bad condition grading).
ARCHIE comics;
Our Archie inventory is the World Biggest, with over 35,000+ Archie Comics (90% of 1958-2000 in stock; Good selection of; 1957 & Older, 2001 & Newer) & 10,000+ Digests in stock (95% of 1973-2005 issues in stock), thus we always do well with them. The great majority of our sales are items in the $2 to $20 each price ranges. But this year we had an above average number of advanced collectors filling in gaps in the collection in the $25-$100 each price range. Key issues & minor Key issues were in higher than usual demand. Key issue buyers typically wanted higher grades, but for most 1965-1985 even VF copies can be hard to find. Betty & Veronica were once again our strongest sellers, including all the Archie Giants & other related titles. All Golden Age 1941-1950 Archie Titles are in demand (at 120%-150% Guide in Any Grade); Everything with Dan DeCarlo art is in demand (includes many Non-Archie titles & his Adult Girlie magazine cartoons); All Archie's from 1951-1964 are continued good sellers; (Most G-FN copies we sell at 120-140% Guide); The Circa 1960 Horror & Sci-Fi Cover issues in in about double the demand of other surrounding issues (at 120-135% Guide);
There was a lot of interest in 1982-1990 appearances of rich “bad girl” Cheryl Blossom. Interest in Cheryl Blossom exploded in 11/1994 because of the “Love Showdown” storyline where Archie picked Cheryl over B&V. Since that time she has been one of the most wanted characters by completionist fans. Her 1982-1983 appearances are in low supply due to Low Print runs, & should continue to climb in value. The Four 1995-1997 Cheryl Blossom Mini-Series, & 1997-2001 On-Going Series are also well up in demand & a good long-term bet. It was a slower than average year for Katy Keene, probably as most are high valued & priced, but her Low Print 1983-1990 Title & Digests continue to be in demand & short supply. Josie & the Pussycats has been a top seller for nearly a decade & this year was no different. Pre-Pussycats Josie #1-44 were up in demand, as were the 1960's appearances in Laugh #145-168 and Per #161 to ?; Josie's first app in Pals N Gals #23 is still very undervalued & now hard to find (sells at 150-200% Guide); SABRINA the Teen-Age Witch was not quite as popular this year, but still in steady demand. Early appearance of Little Sabrina (appearing in Little Archie #59-179) were selling decent, but later issues were slower titles.
The RED CIRCLE / Archie Adventure Horror & superhero titles were titles often requested in VF or better, they are in steady demand. The 1987-1992 Low Print Era Last Issues are in High Demand as Minor-Key issues; Archie and Me #161 (2/87), Archie at Riverdale High #113(2/87), Archie Giant Series #632(7/92), Archie's Girls B&V #347(4/1987), Archie's Pals N Gals #224(9/1991), Archie's TV Laughout #105(2/86), Betty & Me #200(8/92), Everything's Archie #157(9/91), Jughead #352(6/87), Laugh #400(4/87), Life with Archie #286(9/91), Pep #411(3/87); (at 150-200% Guide); The Archie brand Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures. Are the comics of choice by the General public, as those are the ones they remember on the newsstands.
TMNT Adv #1,19,50-72, Special #6-10, Sourcebook 1-2, Digests, & Mighty Mutant Animals 5-9, are low Print items (sell at 200-400% Guide); Early SONIC the Hedgehog are in demand & are some of the most valuable comics of the 1990's, but later issues are slower sellers. The 1995-1997 era Hanna-Barbera Titles are already hard to find, are in high demand, sold out with almost all dealers, & very undervalued in Guide, with #1-5 issues being Uncommon (sell at 150% Guide) with most #6 up issues being scarce (sell at 200-400% Guide);
Archie #1 is now one of the hottest comics of the entire golden Age, with low to mid grade CGC copies selling in the 300-400% Guide Range. All Golden Age Archie comics are top sellers in any grade. The 70th Anniversary of the Archie Gang approaches, making them among the most enduring comic characters of all time, members of an elite club, as only a handful of characters have attained uninterrupted newsstand distribution for 7 decades. (Most of the others are DC characters). Superhero collectors often underestimate the potential of Humor & Cartoon characters.
ATLAS / Marvel;
More & More Marvel Collector's are looking backwards & discovering the Atlas titles. 90% of what we sell is in the FA/G thru VG range, which works out great, as these are the condition the majority of copies we locate fall into. The Horror & SF titles were once again the most requested, especially the 1956-1962 Kirby & Ditko Era issues; We sold about 100 Low Grade issues (at 115-135% Guide) (USA Fans want the Post-Code issues they remember in the 1970's Marvel Reprint Titles; UK fans want Originals of issues reprinted in their Alan Class titles); Next most requested were all the Western titles (old & Newer = at 120-135% Guide). Millie the Model #18-93 by Dan DeCarlo were impossible to keep in stock (G-FN copies bring 150-200% Guide; VF-NM copies at 125-150% Guide); If I could locate a set of the DeCarlo Millie's, they would likely prove to be the bestselling of all Atlas Marvels. The Humor, Cartoon & Parody, Romance, & War Titles were moderate seady sellers (at 115-130% Guide).
ATLAS
/ Seaboard comics
(1974-1975);
When these first hit the market, they were among the first major top-selling comics among Collectors (as opposed to just the General Public); I pre-ordered & sold an average of 250-500 copies of each in my early Comic Shop years & remember them well. The ID's (independent Distributor's) did not want to give them shelf space, they had above average returns. For these & other reasons, the publisher folded before any one title could print more than 4 issues. For nearly 25 Years these were dumped into bargain bins, causing the worldwide dealer inventories to virtually disappear, with remaining copies now mostly in the VG-FN Condition ranges (VF copies are now Uncommon; strict VF/NM or Better copies are Scarcer);
Circa 1999 due to internet & eBay, these were back in demand. For the last decade, we have had constant demand, especially from Collectors who want a completionists who want the full set of all Comics produced from this publisher. The biggest Obstacle for the last decade has always been the scarce Gothic Romances #1 (sells at 200% Guide) and My Secrets #1 (B&W Magazine; 2/1975; sells at 300-500% Guide); Many fans finally settle on Collecting only all the Color Comics & skipping all the Mags (or just the 2 Rare mags).
Vicki #3 and 4 are scarce (bring 200% Guide in ANY grade.); All these mags are Uncommon to Scarce; Devilina #2, Movie Monsters #2-4, Thrilling Adv #2 & Weird Tales of the Macabre #2 (sell at 125-150% guide) Movie Monsters still not listed in the Overstreet Guide (#1 is Uncommon & sells for $30 in VF/NM; #2-4 are hard to keep in stock & bring $50 each in strict VF/NM);
Long Time fans love this publisher due to familiar Creators including; Adams, Austin, Boyette, Buckler, Chaykin, Colan, Conway, Craig, Ditko, Fleisher, Heath, Marcos, McWilliams, Milgrom, Nostrand, Ploog, Sekowsky, Springer, Summers, Thorne, Toth, Wood, Wrightson, etc;
With the return of new Atlas comics, demand for back issues is already up by almost 50%. Most of the 1974-1975 Atlas/Seaboard comics remain low to Modesty priced in the Guide, all are undervalued, especially in strict VF/NM or Better investment grades. Bigger demand for the Vintage issues, should continue as long as the new product continues to be released. If you have not yet sampled these back issues, now is a great time to give them a try.
Captain Canuck;
The IDW Hardcover Collections of Captain Canuck, have once again stirred up interest in the classic original Back issues. Comely assembled 50 Limited Edition Sets of the IDW HC Books #1,2 with Autographs on front endpage of both books, and with a Unique new Original Art Sketch on the front endpage of the Book #1's, we sold all 5 sets we got in stock within a week of receiving them at $85.00 per set.
2010 was the 35th Anniversary for Captain Canuck, Canada's most famous comic title & superhero. Captain Canuck #4 (2/1978; 2nd Print; Large Oversized 11" x 17" Treasury Sized, Comes with Hand-Written signed & numbered Certificate of Authenticity bound-in) is one of the rarest comics of the entire Bronze Age. It is also among our Top-10 Most Requested comics of the Entire Bronze Age. I've only seen 3 copies on eBay in the last decade (a VF copy sold for $525 in 2005). I finally uncovered the first copy I have ever had in stock & sold it quickly in FN for $295.00 (Current Guide value of $30 in Fine is absurdly Low)
Among our Top-10 Most Requested comics of the Entire Modern Age are; Captain Canuck Re-Born (1993/1994); #3(only 8,000 Copies printed & amazingly Scarce; Current VF/NM Value is $50+) And Captain Canuck CANUCK #15 (8/2004; 150 copies printed; ; Current VF/NM Value is $125+); Richard Comely has mentioned he might print a Limited 2nd Printing of both of these High-Demand comics. Captain Canuck LEGACY#2,3 never got published & might also appear in a future Limited Edition. As a friend of Richard Comely for 35 Years, you can be sure I will stock all these Limited editions, if he ever gets around to publishing them.
CHARLTON;
We have the World's Biggest selection of Charlton Comics, with over in stock (95% of 1960-1986 issues & about 50% of the 1940's-1959 issues), thus we are the destination Collector's go to to fill in missing numbers & complete their sets. The HORROR & Sci-Fi Titles were the Bestsellers in both Lower & High Grades, with all issues from 1966-1986 in High Demand. (For 1965 & Older, only the DITKO issues were in high demand) After the Horror Titles, the Hanna Barbera comics were the next most consistent sellers. Third most Requested, are the better artist issues, including; Aparo, Boyette, Buscema, John Byrne, Ditko, Glanzman, Himes, Wayne Howard, Severin, Sanho Kim, Larson, Morisi, Don Newton, Staton, Tom Sutton, Wood, Williamson & Mike Zeck; Due to poor Printing, Charlton comics are notoriously Scarce in Strict VF or Better; Most Investors were happy with VF/NM or better copies, as there are very few CGC graded copies, & if they wait for better copies, they might never find them. (G-FN= 120-140% Guide; VF-VF/NM= 110-120% Guide; raw NM-,9.2 copies= 150% of 9.2 Guide Prices; raw NM,9.4 copies= 200% of 9.2 Guide Prices);
The Next most requested (moderate sellers) were all the Western, War & TV Titles, mostly to fans that simply enjoy those Genre's. All the other many Genre's are solid Steady sellers (at 115-125% Guide); Unlike the major publishers, Charlton has virtually nothing that does not eventually sell & because we have very little competition on these, we always do well with them.
DC COMICS;
DC Comics continue to be the #2 bestselling back issue publisher (after Marvel), but many are gaining in popularity with Back-Issue collectors. KEY issues in ALL Grades, including #1's, Origin's, top Artist issues, Last issues & Scarcer issues, were the strongest sellers. In this spirit, I have prepared the list to follow, of the fastest selling DC Comics at full guide or higher prices. Most of them sell in these ranges; (G-FN = 110-140% Guide; FN/VF-VF+ = 100-120% Guide; VF/NM, 9.0 to NM-, 9.2 = 120-140% Guide); Notable exceptions are listed; (I might have missed a few); >>> Here my List of the HIT-LIST of the Top Silver & Bronze DC Comics to own; Action #242, 252-255, 267, 276, 283-288, 300, 309, 340, 347, 360, 373, 425,432, 440, 484, 583 Adventure #210, 247-260, 267, 275, 282,290,293,300-310,346,353,381,416,428,431,440, 459-462, 467, 491-503, Adv of Bob Hope #94,95,106-109, Adv of Jerry Lewis #68,74,97,101-105,112,117, All American Men of War #21,28,39,42,48,57,63,64,67-69,82,89,112, All New Collectors Edition C-53-55, 58, C-56(Superman vs Ali = Red Hot; 150-200% Guide); All Star Comics 58, 69, All-Star Western #1,10,11, Angel & Ape #1, Aquaman #1, 50-52, Amazing World of DC #1-4, 9,14-17, Atari Force (Mini Promo) #3-5(200% Guide), Atom #1,7,8,29, Bat Lash 1, BATMAN #105,121,129,139,155, 169,171, 179,181,189,190,197,210,219,227,232,234,237,238,243-245,251, 254-262,332, Batman Family 1,10,18-20, Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children #26-30(200% Guide), Best of DC Digest 1,3,4,10, 21 & the Low print #41-71, Beware the Creeper #1, Blackhawk #108,118,133, 141, Blitzkrieg 1-5, Brave & Bold #1,25,28-30, 34, 50-63, 79-87, 93, 182,197, Capt Action #1, Challengers of Unknown 1, 74, 82, Dark Mansion 1-4, DC Comics Presents #1,2,26,47, 56, 77, 78, 85-88, 94, 97 & Annual #1, DC 100 Page Super Spectacular #4-14, DC Special #2-4,6,11,28,29, DC Special Series #1,3-13,15,16,18-24,27, DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest 1,3,7,11,16, 20-24, DC Superstars #17, Detective #225,233,267, 298, 311, 318, 325, 327,328, 359,362-364,369-372, 377, 385,387, 389,391,392, 394-424, 437-445,471-474,478-483, Doom Patrol #86, 99,100,121, Doorway to Nightmare #1, 1st Issue Special #1,5,7-9,12,13, Flash #105-130, 137, 139, 140, 175,214,217-219,226,229, 232,289,300,306-313,350, Flex Mentallo 1-4, Forever People #1, Fox & Crow 1-10, Freedom Fighters 1, 10-15, Ghosts #1-5, 97-99 GI Combat #55-58, 66, 67, 68(1/59 = Red Hot 200+ Guide), 83,87-100, 108, 114, 138, 150, 168, 193, 200-202, Girls Love #150, 161-170, Girls Romances #109,134, 159, 160, Green Lantern (1960-1986) #1,7,13,40, 45,59,61,76-90,100,112,116,123, 181,182,185,188,194,195, GL Corps Annual #2,3(Alan Moore), Hawk & Dove #1, Hawkman #1, 4, Heart Throbs #47, 101, 133-142, Hot Wheels 1-6, House of Mystery #174-195, 204,207,209,213,215,216,218,221,224-229,231,236,251-256, 290,321, House of Secrets #61, 81-100,154, In Days of the Mob #1, Joker 1-9, Jonah Hex #1-10, 91-92 & Digest 1-3, Justice League of America #1-5, 9,21, 22,29,30, 37,38,46,47, 55,56,64,65, 71,74, 94-102, 107,108,110-116, 123, 135-137,147, 148, 159,160, 166-168,171,172, 183-185, 195-197, 200, 207-209, 219,220,231,232, 261, Kamandi #58,59, Leave it to Binky #61, Legion (1980) #259, 290-194, 300, Legion(1984-89) #37,38, Limited Collectors Edition C#23-25,32-34,37,39,41,43-46,48-52,57, Men of War 1,26, Metal Men #1, 21,27,45, Metamorpho #1, Mr Miracle #1, My Greatest Adv #80-85(Doom Patrol), Mystery in Space #53,75,87-90, New Gods #1, New Teen Titans #1,2, New Titans #130(2/1986 = 400-600% Guide), Our Army at War #51,61,67, 83(1st True app Sgt Rock; 150-200% Guide), 84-128, 130,151-155,158, 168,182,183,186, 235-246, 269,275, Our Fighting Forces 41,45, 123, 133-137, Phantom Stranger #1-14,23,26,31,33,39-41, Plastic Man (1967) #1, Plop 1,5,23(Lord of Rings, Wood-a), Preacher #1, Richard Dragon 14, Rima #1, Rip Hunter #1, Rudolph 1950-1963, Rudolph #NN(1972; aka C-20; Treasury; G-FN=300% Guide; VF-NM=200% Guide), Sandman (1989) #1,8,22, Sea Devils #1, Secret Origins #1(1961), Secret Society of Super-Villians 1,15, Secrets of Haunted House 1-5,44, Sgt Bilko #1, Sgt Rock #302-330; Sgt Rock #400-421(Low Print 150% Guide), 322(200% Guide), Shazam #1,8,12-17, 25,28,34,35, Showcase #1-10, 13,14, 17-20, 22-24, 30,34,37, 43,45,53-55,57-62, 64,70, 73-77, 79-81,83,84, 97-99, Sinister House #1-4, Spectre 1-5, 9, Spirit World 1, Star Spangled War Stories #45,62,64,67, 84-90, 92, 94-100, 134, 138-155, 181-183, Strange Adventures #117,124,180, 184,190,195, 201, 205-217,222, Super A / Super AA / Super B (DC 1970's Magazines), Superboy #49,68,78, 80,83,86,89, 93,98,100,129,138,147,185, 197-200, 202, 205, Super DC Giant #S-13 thru S-26, Super Friends #1-10, Supergirl (1972) #1-10, Superman #100,123,127,129, 146,147,149, 158,167,199, 233,245,249, 252,254,272,278, 279, 284, 300, 400, 423, Superman Family #164, Superman's GF Lois Lane #1-10,14, 29,33,47, 50,70,71,79,89,93, 105, 106,111, 113, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #31,37,57,62,63, 72,79,133, Swamp Thing (1972) #1, (1982) #20-30, 37,171, Swordquest (Mini Promo) #3(200% Guide), Tales of New Teen Titans #42-44 & Annual #3, Tarzan #207, Teen Beam 2, Teat Beat 1, Teen Titans (1966) #1-5, 20-23, 46-53, Tomahawk #116-119, 121,123-130(Adams covers), TV Screen Funnies (Scarce) 129-138, Unexpected #105,116,119,128,157-162, Unknown Soldier #205, 219, 265-268, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Warlord #1, Weird Mystery #1,2,21 Weird War #1-5, 8, 64, 68, 93,94, Weird Western #12-20,29, WHITMAN Variants of DC Comics(150-200% Guide), Witching Hour #1-14, Wonder Woman (1942-86) #98-110, 159, 177-179, 198-202,211,214,267,268,281-283,287,291-293,329, Wonder Woman (1987-Date) #50,63, 85-90, World's Finest #90,94,96-99,129, 142, 144,156, 169,173-178, 198-200,223-228, 244-252,323, Young Love #39,69,73,78,79,88-96,107-114, 121-126, Young Romance #125,154,163,164, 170-183,194-204;
DELL comics;
DELL comics specialized in POPULAR Culture Icons (Licensing popular Characters from other Media, including; Cartoons – Original, Theater & TV, Golden Age of TV Series, Kids Shows, Movie Classics, Newspaper Comic Strips, Novel & Pulp Series adaptions, Radio stars, & Westerns) and they featured more PHOTO and PAINTED covers, than any other publisher in the history of Comics. Because of this they have eternal Worldwide appeal, as many of these TV shows are still in reruns all over the world, many are now on DVD & many with complete DVD Seasons. Many of the Cartoon characters are so strong they have better worldwide recognition than almost all modern cartoon creations. Thus they have worldwide appeal in affordable grades and will sell forever when still in disposable income price ranges ($5 to $40 each), while slower in the pricey High Grade ranges ($50-$200+ each). The 1950's Dell sported some of the Highest Print Runs in comics history, yet scores of the were well loved & read, now residing in comics graveyards. But the upside is that almost all are still affordable in G-FN, and most sets can be completed easier than perhaps any other publisher of the period. This adds to the desire to assemble complete sets. The majority of Dell sets have between 5 to 50 comics, certainly attainable goals. Even the Long-Running titles are mainly in the 100-250 copy range, & still no $1000 and up issues to worry about (as with Marvel, DC, etc).
We have one of the World's Biggest selections with over 20,000 DELL comics in stock & thus they are usually our Bestselling Pre-1962 Comics Publisher. As usual, about 95% of what we sell falls into the FA/G (Reading Copies) thru FN (Presentable, but still affordable) condition ranges. FN/VF and better copies were slower moving than usual this year. Most Dell comics in G-FN are still Under-Valued in the Guide, while many VF-NM Dells are still overvalued in Guide. The same Price to Condition spreads for Dell are far apart for Low Grades vs High Grades, while this does not reflect real sales in the marketplace. The average VF is more than double the FN price in guide, whereas VF copies should only list about 50% Higher than FN copies. While most VF-NM- copies do not require a price drop, most G-FN copies do need a price increase. These are sepecially popular with our International collectors around the world, & large amounts back issues continue to disappear into permanent foreign collections each & every year. DELL VARIANTS (6/1956-1-2/1961 = 15 Cent variant; Back Cover variants with Strips in place of Ads; Giants with 30-35 cent cover prices) are up in demand since McClure's Variant article in Oversrteet #40. The DELL's that still have in Demand in VF or Better include; Key issues & First issues, Tarzan, Turok, Hanna-Barbera, popular TV shows, Carl Barks art comics, better Movie comics (John Wayne, Sci-Fi, etc).
GOLD KEY (see also Walt Disney comics);
We have the World's biggest selection of Gold Key comics with over 35,000 in stock, with most in stock in G-FN Grades & a smaller selection in VF or Better. We do our best to keep everything they published in stock at all times, including scores of Elusive to Scarce Cartoon titles. Thus we are now a major destination for many advanced & serious Collectors who are looking to fill in holes in the sets. In recent years I have run across more and more collectors completing large Gold Key Collections (example; all Hanna-Barbera, all Looney Tunes, all Cartoons, all Tarzan/Turok, all Horror titles, all Whitman's & Variants, all TV Titles, etc) and a brave few that have attempted gathering the entire GK Output. Collector Pat Simpson has a near complete GK set with all variants, his cataloged collection has of invaluable help Jon McClure & me in our research for the Overstreet #40 Variant article. In addition we are more than happy to help the constant flow of buyers than just want affordable reading copies.
Much like DELL comics, Gold Key continued the legacy & specialized in many POPULAR Culture Icons, but added a lot of new original in-house titles. Because the price Spreads for Condition are much less extreme than with Dell, VF or better copies are decent sellers. Since most of these comics sold to the General Public & not to Collectors, even VF or Higher Grade copies can be a lot harder to find than one would expect. Putting together a VF to NM range set of Gold Key's DR SOLAR, MAGNUS, TARZAN, TUROK or TWILIGHT ZONE (a few of the titles in demand in high grades) is actually a difficult task, but Infinitely rewarding to those than manage to attain this lofty Goal, as these are beautiful comics, still very undervalued when compared to Marvel & DC comics of the same period.
As seen in the Overstreet #40 Variant article, Gold Key has a huge wealth of VARIANTS from the Pre-1988 vintage comics Era, rivaling even Marvel & DC, thus they have become even more interesting to collectors of SCARCE comics. Whitman Variants of the Gold Key Comics (11/1971 thru 4/1980) continue to Bring 125-200% of GK issue values, to Variant Collectors. Canadian Newsstand Variant cover price issues (4-8/1968 with 15 cent prices, 3/1972-4/1973 with 20 cent prices; 12/1977-3/1978 with reverse 30 Cent prices) Sell at 125-150% Guide to Variant collectors; Whitman Variant 75 cent cover price issues (of 1984 Comics that are 60 cents in USA) are Rare & Sell at 200%+ Guide;
As with Dell, Most Gold Key's are currently undervalued in G-FN Condition ranges. All the uncommon to scarce issues tend to be sold out in virtually all dealer inventories worldwise. Many are so low, that I am able to pay 75-100% Guide to restock Reading Copies (Many buyers will gladly pay 150-200% Guide in these grades)
Most of our Largest Gold Key orders (100-300+ comics for one one shipment) are for Large groups of affordable reading copies.
HARVEY;
We got in a nice Collection of 400+ Beautiful High Grade 1950's/1960's Harvey FILE Copies, most in the VF+, 8.5 thru NM, 9.4 Condition ranges. We sold a good number of the Stronger Characters (Baby Huey, Casper, Harvey Hits, Hot Stuff, Little Audrey, Little Dot, Little Lotta, Playful Little Audrey, Sad Sack, Spooky, Wendy etc); These Strong titles were also our bestsellers in Lower Grades; The File copies of less Popular Characters & Non-Original-Harvey characters had resistance (Blondie, Family Funnies, Joe Palooka, Junior Funnies, Little Max, Mutt & Jeff, Warfront etc), which surprises me, as many are undervalued & even scarcer than the mainstream titles. (Sold at these; Rates; 9.4 copies at 200% of 9.2 Prices; 9.2 copies at 150% Guide; 9.0 copies at 9.2 prices; VF+ copies at 9.0 prices);
CARTOON Titles; (Late 1940's thru 1962 were in High Demand; 1963-1974 were in Strong Steady Demand; 1976-1990 were in Moderate demand; The Low Print 1991-1994 Titles were in Strong Demand in any Grade); The majority of our Sales were Books in the FA/G thru FN Grade Ranges. Many 1960's and 1970's titles are very undervalued in G-FN grades & thus permanently sold Out with almost all major Dealers. We sell them most G-FN copies over guide & thus have managed to keep nearly 90% of all Titles in stock. We have 20,000 Richie Rich Comics in stock & we have 10,000 other Harvey Comics in stock, easily the World's biggest selection. Most we sell in These Price Ranges; (G-FN = 125-150% Guide; FN/VF to VF/NM = 110-125% Guide);
The First app of FRUITMAN is in BUNNY #3, thus now a newly uncovered superhero Key issue. Many fans always assumed the One-Shot Fruitman #1 was the only appearance. He also appears in Bunny #6,8,9, 10,12, 13-17, 19-21.
MARVEL Comics;
The Marvel Comic continue to be the bestselling back issue publisher. Iron Man was the Title most up in demand this year (Thanks to Movie #2) & even thought #1 is one of the most common First issues of the 1960's, it was near impossible to keep in stock, selling at 125-200% of Guide everywhere. All 1970's Horror Titles were in constant demand & many are getting harder to re-stock. Bronze Age comics were hands down the bestsellers (especially 1970-1974), followed by early 1961-1964 issues in any Grades.
KEY issues in ALL Grades, including #1's, Origin's, top Artist issues, Last issues & Scarcer issues, were far stronger sellers than any one title (Often 3-10 Times the Demand of standard issues). In this spirit, I have prepared the list to follow, of the fastest selling Marvels at full guide or higher prices. Most of them sell in these ranges; (G-FN = 135-200% Guide; FN/VF-VF+ = 110-135% Guide; VF/NM, 9.0 to NM-, 9.2 = 120-140% Guide); Notable exceptions are listed; I might have missed a few.
>>> Here my List of the HIT-LIST of the Top Marvel Comics to own; Amazing Adventures #11, Amazing Spider-Man #1-28,50, 96-98, 101,102, 119-122, 124,125,129,149,194,300,441(Last issue 200-300% Guide), Annual #1,2, Astonishing Tales #12, 25, Avengers #1-11, 16,57,71,94-101, 400-402(Last issues 200-300% Guide), Annual #1,7, Brother Billy #1, Captain America #100, 109-113,117,153-155,241,247-255,332,454(Last issue 200-300% Guide), Annual #1, Capt Britain #1,2,24, Capt Marvel #1,14, 21, 25-34, Chamber of Chills 4, Champions 1, Chili 1, Conan #1, 3, 23,24, 271-274, 275(Last issue 200-300% Guide), Creatures on the Loose #10, 30, Daredevil #1-7, 16-18, 27, 53, 50-53, 131,132, 158, 168, 380(Last issue 200-300% Guide), Annual #1, Dead of Night 11, Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu #1,14,17,28, Defenders #1-3, 8-11, Dr Strange(1974) #1,14, Dracula Lives #1-3, 11-13, Electric Company Mag (with Spider-Man) #1-50, Fear #10,19,30, Fantastic Four #1-38, 48-50, 52,53, 55,73, 110(Error ed = 200% Guide), 112,121-123, 155-157,166,167, 416(Last issue 200-300% Guide), Fear 10,19,20, Foom #1-15, 22, Film International #1-4, Frankenstein 1, Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera 1-3, Ghost Rider (1973) #1,2, 81, Ghost Rider (199) #81-92, 93(2/1998; Last issue 200-300% Guide), Giant Size Kid Colt 1-3, Giant Size Spider-Man 1-4, Giant Size X-Men #1, G.I. Joe #21, 93, 150-155(all 150-200% Guide), Gothic Tales of Love #1-3(G-FN= 300-500% Guide; VF-NM = 200-300% Guide), Gunhawks 1-7, Gunslingers 2,3, Haunt of Horror (Mag) #3-5(low print), Hero For Hire #1(150-200% Guide), Homer the Happy Ghost 1, Incredible Hulk (1962) #1-6, (1968) #102,118,122,126,140, 141, 161,162, 180,181,197,198, 200, 250,314,330,331, 340, 474(Last issue 200-300% Guide), Annual #1, Invaders 1, 7-9, 31-33, Iron Fist 1,14,15, Iron Man #1(G-FN = 150-200% Guide), 9, 25, 47, 51-55, 66, 100, 118, 128(Alcoholic issue 150-300% Guide), 150, 169, 282, 284, 332(Last issue 200-300% Guide), Annual #1, Journey into Mystery #83-101, 108,109, 112, Annual #1, Jungle Action #5, 8, Lil Kids 1-12, Lil Pals 1-5, Kull the Conqueror (1971) #1, Mad about Millie 1, Man-Thing 1, Marvel Chillers 3, 6, Marvel Comics Super Special #1,4,5, M. Feature(1971) #1-4,11,12, M.Feature (1975) #1, Marvel Novel (paperback series) #1-11, Marvelmania (mag), M. Premiere #1,3,15,28,50, M. Preview #1-3,7,8, M. Presents 3, Marvel Spotlight #2, 5(1st Ghost Rider; 1 50-250% Guide), 12, 28, 32, M. Super Action (mag) 1, M. Superheroes 1,12,14,18, M. Superheroes Secret Wars #8, Marvel Tales #1, Marvel Team-Up #1-4, 12,15, 53, John Byrne issues, 141, & Annual 1, M. Treasury #1-10, M.Two-in-One #1,8,46 & all Byrne, Perez, Miller art issues, Master of Kung Fu #15, Masters of the Universe #12-13, Mighty Marvel Western 1-5, Millie the Model 135,154,192, Millie Annual #1(150-200% Guide), 2,3, Monsters of the Prowl 9,16, Monsters Unleashed 1, Moon Knight #29,30, Ms Marvel #16-18, My Love#1-39(G-FN= 150% Guide), New Mutants #98(200% Guide), Nick Fury (1968) 1-5, Night Nurse 1-4, Nostalgia illustrated, Not Brand Echh 1, Our Love Story 1-4,6-38(G-FN= 150% Guide), #5(150-200% Guide), Patsy & Hedy Annual 1(150% Guide), Peter the Little Pest 1-4, Pizzazz 1, Planet of the Apes mag #21-28(150% Guide), 29(200% Guide), Power Man 17, 48-50, Prototypes (Atlas/Marvel 1958-1961 era), Punisher (1986 Mini), Pussycat #1(G-FN= 400% Guide; VF-NM- = 250% Guide), Rampaging Hulk 1-9, Rawhide Kid 17, 22,23,31,32,34,35,38, 43,45,46, 92,93, Red Sonja 1, Red Wolf 1, Savage Sword #221-235 (150-200% Guide and the Scarce #235 at 400% Guide), Savage Tales #1, Scooby Doo 1, Sensuous Streaker #1(200-400% Guide), Sgt Fury #1-10, 13, Shanna 1, Silver Surfer(1968) #1,3,4,12, Spectacular Spider-Man #27,28,90, 263, Spidey Super Stories 1-5, Spider-Man Digest, Strange Tales #89(Fin Fang Foom 150% Guide), #97(1st Aunt May & Uncle Ben 200% Guide), #101-115, 169-181, Sub-Mariner #1, 8, 14, 34,35, 50 59, 69, Annual #1, Superman vs Spider-Man #1, Supernatural Thrillers 5, Super Villian Teamup 1, Tales of the Zombie 1, Tales of Suspense #39-60, 63,65,66,79,80, Tales to Astonish #27, 35-52, 57,59,60, 70, 82, 90-93,100, Tex Dawson 1; (1970's 30 cent Variants; 150-200% Guide); (1970's 35 cent Variants; 200-400% Guide); Thor #126-130, 134, 159,162,168,169, 180,181,193, 225, 332,333,337, 502(Last issue 200-300% Guide), Tomb of Darkness 9, Tomb of Dracula #1-5, 10,12,13,18, Tommy the Movie, Transformers #71-79(150% Guide), #80(200% Guide) Transformers Digest, Vampire Tales #12,5,8,11, War is Hell 9, Warlock 1, Werewolf by Night #1-5, 32,33, Western Gunfighters #1-5, Western Kid 1, Western Team-Up #1, What If (1977) #1, Wit & Wisdom of Watergate #1(200% Guide), X-Men #1-15, 28, 35, 50,51,53, 56-66, 94-111, 120,121, You Don't Say #1,2;
VARIANT Edition Comics;
Jon McClure's VARIANT Article in Overstreet #40 (on pages 1010-1038) has set the New & Definitive Standard, an absolute MUST HAVE for all Variant Collectors for the next Decade. I was proud to have spent 40+ Hours of Labor assisting him with the monumental task. Since even most Dealers & Collectors are completely unfamiliar with this area of collecting, many noted to me it was 29 pages of dense & difficult reading, but usually easier to read the 2nd time thru. Many of the newly uncovered Variants are not yet well known enough to have gained any premium values. But keep in mind, this is how the Marvel 30 & 35 cent cover price variants started, as they took several years to catch on, they are now some of the most sought after & hot selling issues in the entire hobby. Because 90% of these Variants are NOT listed (and might never be listed) in the Body of the Main Ovestreet Guide, it might take a while for momentum to build on these. There are probably 6000-9000 Canadian Cover Price Variants alone, & perhaps 3000-5000 UK Cover Price Variants.
The scarce 3/1962-4/1963 ARCHIE Price Variants with 15 Cent Cover prices (approx 106 different estimated to exist) were noted in We had several inquiries, but only had 4 in total in stock, they sold instantly at 150% Guide (probably too low). These are some of the scarcest Test Variants & so far less than Half have a single proven copy known to exist. Because of this, I think a reasonable starting point would be at 200% Guide (Eventually they could be worth 300-400% Guide values on regular issues)
We still have a good stock on many of the 35 Cent Variants of Archie & Harvey Square-bound Giants, as well as the 30 cent & 35 cent DELL Canadian Cover Price Variants. Only a few inquires so far, sold at 120-135% Guide. As completionists learn of these, they will start to disappear from our inventory, & only replaced with increasing difficulty.
The early MARVEL Direct Editions VARIANTS (1977-1979) often mistakenly Sold as "WHITMAN Variants of MARVEL" comics are still in demand. These had print runs that vary from approx 2% to 10% of the quantities distributed as Newsstand editions. These Early MARVEL DIRECT Editions (with Black Diamond on cover, with NO "cc" on cover, with NO UPC or obscured UPC Codes, or Blank White UPC Codes) when correctly identified can sell at 120-150% Guide to Variant Collector's; Whitman published Direct market White Logo printings from 2-6/1982 of many of their Gold Key/Whitman Cartoon titles, these sell at 150% Guide or more. The bestselling & by far the most requested VARIANTS of the year for us were the Marvel & DC Canadian Newsstand VARIANT Cover Price editions, thus I have included a List of the most Desirable titles by these publishers. The Scarcest titles as Canadian Variants are all the unpopular characters & all the Cartoon Series', but they are not included in the list for brevity purposes (We can email a free more complete list upon request)
MARVEL; Canadian Newsstand VARIANT Cover Price editions (10/1982-08/1986 - Printed in USA) Higher Demand Variant Titles include; Amazing Spider-man #233-279 & Annual #16-20, Avengers #224-270 & Annual #11-15, Captain America 274-320 & Annual #6-8, Conan #139-185 & Annual #7-11, Conan Annual #7-11, Daredevil #187-233, Defenders #112-151, Dr. Strange #55-81, Ewoks #1-5, Fantastic Four #247-293 & Annual #17-19,Further Adventures of Indiana Jones #1-33, Gi Joe #4-50, Ghost Rider #73-81, Iron Man 163-209, Annual #5-8, Incredible Hulk 276-322 & Annual #11-14, King Conan #13-19, Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #1-6, Machine Man Mini Series #1-4 (Barry Smith-a), Magik #1-4(X-Men related), Marvel Tales #144-190, Marvel Two in One #92-100 & Annual #7, Marvel Saga #1-16, Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1-12, Marvel Team Up #122-150 & Annual #5-7, Master Of Kung Fu #117-125, Micronauts #46-59, New Mutants #1-42, Night Crawler #1-4, Power Man and Iron Fist #86-125, Power Pack #1-19, Red Sonja #1-12, Rom #35-75 & Annual #1, Secret Wars II #1-9, Spectacular Spiderman #71-117 & Annual #4-6, Spider Woman #46-50, Star Wars Return of the Jedi #1-4, Star Wars 64-103 & Annual #2-3, Thing #1-31, Thor 324-370 & Annual #10-13, Transformers #1-12, Uncanny X-men #162-208 & Annual #6-10, West Coast Avengers (Mini) #1-4 & West Coast Avengers (on-going) #1-11 & Annual #1, Web Of Spider-Man #1-17 & Annual #1-2, What If #35-47, Wolverine Limited Series #2-4, X-Factor #1-7 (Most Sold at 150% Guide); These were again our bestselling variants of the year (Most at 150% Guide); X-Men was the most requested title of the year, we sold 3 near complete sets & 3 more partial sets, thus most of our variant X-Men inventory is already sold.
DC Comics; Canadian Newsstand VARIANT Cover Price editions (10/1982 thru 09/1988 - Printed in USA) Higher Demand Variant Titles include; Action Comics #536-599, Adventures of Superman #424-440, All Star Squadron #13-67, America vs. the Justice Society #1-4, Aquaman #1-4, Batgirl Special #1, Batman #337-423 & Annual 9-12 & Special 1, Blackhawk #251-273, Blue Beetle #1-24, Brave and the Bold #192-200, Captain Atom #1-9, Captain Carrot #1-20, Cosmic Boy #1-4, Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-12, Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #1-13, DC Comics Presents #50-97 & Annual #1-4, Demon #1-4, Detective Comics #519-590, Doom Patrol #1-12 & Annual #1, Elvira's House of Mystery #1-11 & Special #1, Flash #300-350,Flash (Volume-2) #1-18, Fury of Firestorm #5-64 & Annual 1-4, Green Arrow #1-4, Green Lantern #157-224 & Annual #1-3, Hawkman #1-17, Hex #1-18, House of Mystery #309-321, Jonah Hex #65-92, Justice League #1-16, Justice League of America #207-261 & Annual #1-3, Last Days of the JSA #1, Legend of Wonder Woman #1-4, Legends #1-6, Legion of Superheroes 282-313 & Annual #1-3, Man of Steel #1-6, Masters of the Universe #1-3, Millenium #1-8, New Adventures of Superboy #34-54, New Teen Titans #18-40 & Annual #2, Power Girl #1-4, Secret Origins #1-30, Sgt. Rock -422 & Annual 3,4, Shazam #1-4, Star Trek #1-54 & Annual #1-3, Suicide Squad #1-16, Supergirl #14-23, Superman #376-423 & Annual 9-12 & Special 1-3, Superman (Volume-2) #1-20 & Annual 1,2, Super Powers (Volume-1 #1-5; Volume-2 #1-6; Volume-3 #1-4), Swamp Thing #5-59 & Annual 2, Sword of the Atom #1-4 & Special 1-3, Tales of the Legion of Superheroes #314-354 & Annual 4-5, Tales of the New Teen Titans #1-4, Tales of the Teen Titans #41-91 & Annual #3, Underworld #1-4, Unknown Soldier #256-268, V #1-18, Warlord 62-131 & Annual #2-7, The Weird #1-4, World of Kryton #1-4, World of Metropolis #1-4, World of Smallville #1-4, World's Finest #284-323, Wonder Woman (Volume-1) #296-329, Wonder Woman (Volume-2) #1-18 (Most Sold at 150% Guide);
Canadian Newsstand Variant Print Runs are 10% or Less of American issue quantities. Newsstand had Lower Survival rates than Direct editions, thus they are about 50-100 Times Scarcer than a USA Direct Edition Printings, with perhaps an average of 2500 copies each still existing. Because newsstand copies were sold to Non-Collectors, perhaps 90%, are Lower Grades (G thru FN); Only a Handful of these Variants have even been graded by CGC; ** DATES for Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants Existing include; ARCHIE Comics & Digests (Giant from late 1950's thru Mid 60's; and 9/1982-4/1997 with Digest to 12/1997), CHARLTON (2/1983-8/1984), DC(all Newsstand Comics, Magazines & Digests from 10/1982-9/1988), DELL (6/1956-1-2/1961 = 15 Cent variant; Back Cover variants with Strips in place of Ads; Giants with 30-35 cent cover prices), GOLD KEY / Whitman (5-8/1968, 3/1972-4/1973, 12/1977-3/1978, 1-7/1984), HARVEY(1959-3/1974 Giants with 35 Cent cover prices), MAD (some 1964 & 7/1978-7/1979), MARVEL (all Newsstand Comics, Magazines & Digests from 10/1982-8/1986), WARREN (3/1977-3/1983);
UK / British Pence cover price editions (1950's-1980's) of Dell, Marvel, DC, Gold Key & other publishers were published in the USA, but only sold in the UK. These are still been sold at discounted prices by UK dealers. Since these books are actually made in USA Variants & are 50-200+ Times Scarcer the the USA standard editions, they should AT LEAST sell for the Same as US editions. Currently only the cheaper 1970's issues are bringing a small premium price in the USA. The High Priced Silver Age issues are still being discounted & are a real BARGAIN. The "MARVEL ALL-COLOUR COMICS" Banner across the top of the front cover, mostly in the 1974-1980 Bronze Age Era (Sold at 120-150% Guide) The new UK on-line only Price Guide by Duncan McAlpine was finally re-released in 10/2010, updating his 1997-98 guide. Duncan lists many "ND" (Not Distributed) periods in UK, where NO copies (USA Printings or UK Printings) were DISTRIBUTED & thus those issues are scarcer overseas.
WALT DISNEY;
Walt Disney Comics have been very popular worldwide for at least 60 Years, especially the Cartoon titles. This is particularly true in Europe, where comics have less of a stigma & are more ingrained in the cultures of the lands. The Netherlands & Italy have reprinted most of the American comics & due to their insatiable appetites for more, they have added 1000's of new stories in their own original comics. Only a tiny portion of these European originals have seen print in the USA. Carl Barks & Don Rosa have rock-star like status in certain circles. The Childhoods of half the planet Earth were filled with the beloved memories of the Walt Disney Movies, Books, TV shows, Merchandise, Cartoons, Theme Parks & more. I have always been puzzled why the comics are not that popular among Comic Collectors. Certainly Carl Barks is widely considered one of the Top-10 Creators in all of Comics History, with a huge cult following & some of the most valuable Original Art in our Hobby. (Barks has always been my #1 favorite)
This was a better than usual year for sales of Walt Disney Comics. We have about 20,000 Walt Disney Comics in Stock from their many Publishers (Dell, Gold Key, Whitman, Gladstone, Disney, March of Comics, Marvel, etc); Especially popular were all the Live Action TV Series & Movie Classic (both Cartoon & Live-Action) comics. Once again, Scarecrow of Romney Marsh #1-3 were the most requested of all Disney comics, undervalued in Guide & sold out with virtually all dealers. (Even the reprint in WD Showcase #53 is hard to keep in stock). There has been a similar Trend with WD Movies, with Scarce/Rare titles (usually still on VHS, & out of print on DVD) inexplicably up in demand, selling in the $25-100+ each Price Range on eBay, Amazon, Alibris & Various websites (example; Almost Angels, Charley & the Angel, Diamonds on Wheels, Dr Syn alias the Scarecrow**, Emil and the Detectives**, Fighting Prince of Donegal**, Ghosts of Buxley Hall, Horsemasters**, Light in the Forest**, London Connection, Love Leads the Way, Scandelous John, Smith, Tonka**, Westward Ho the Wagons**). Seven of these rare titles have comics (with asterix**) & have fueled demand as an alternative source to experience these stories & this has lead non-comic-collectors to our website thru google searchs. These buyers loved the comics & came back for many other items, thus we now have new collectors in our hobby. Affordable copies in the FA/G thru FN Grades are typically what we have in stock & luckily are also the most popular grades. (VF or better copies are often too pricey & slower sellers);
The Pre-1950 Golden Age Disney Titles were in Low Supply & in good steady Demand. The 1960's Gold Key titles were in higher demand than the (often more common) 1950's Dell titles. The Four Color one-shot titles were the most requested Dell comics (except for the the nature & science type series); Especially & notably popular were; Annette Funicello, Brer Rabbit, Cartoon Movie Classics, Davy Crockett / Fess Parker, Hardy Boys, Hayley Mills, Spin & Marty, Tinker Bell & Zorro/ Guy Williams comics. (VF-VF/NM=110-120% Guide; G-FN=120-140% Guide);
WARREN,
Skywald & Misc Horror Comic Mags;
This
year we had an endless stream of Requests for Affordable Reading
Copies (FA/G, G and VG) for all the Horror Mag publishers (including
Marvel) & had to actually seek out more Low Grade collections. 10
Years ago we often had 10-25 copies each in VG or Lower grades, but
today we now have about 35% of the issues with nothing left under FN,
and about 15% with nothing left under VF. The slowest sellers were FN
thru VF+ copies. There is still good demand for VF/NM or better
investment copies (although somewhat diminished from 2007-2009 sales,
due to the slow economy); Our stock of VF/NM or better copies has
also dropped greatly in the last 4 years & they are getting
harder to replace. (FA/G-VG Reading copies sold at 125-175% Guide;
Mid Grade FN thru VF+ copies sold at 110-120% Guide; On average the
High Grade copies brought these Rates; VF/NM at 120-130% Guide; raw
9.2 copies at 150% Guide; raw 9.4 copies at 200% of 9.2 prices)
I got in a near complete set of Famous Monsters of Filmland #1-130 (many #11-38 in VF to VF/NM, many #39-130 in VF/NM to 9.2) and was pleasantly surprised that we sold almost 50% of them in only 2 Months for excellent prices.
Creepy, Eerie & Vampirella as usual made up 90% of our Warren Sales. Creepy & Eerie are even sellers up to #80, but from #81 up Creepy sells about 50% better than Eerie. (Creepy stays more true to the one-shot Horror anthology stories; Eerie strays more towards an anthology of alternating On-Going Series of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery characters); Due to the passing of FRANK FRAZETTA in 2010, demand for everything Frazetta doubled (including; Calendars, Comics, Fanzines, Mags, Paperbacks, Posters, Portfolios & more). Thus all the Warrens with FRAZETTA covers were up in Demand; Vampirella covers by Frazetta (up 100% in Demand), other Warrens with Original covers by Frazetta (up 50% in Demand), Warrens with Reprint covers by Frazetta (up 25% in Demand). All Rare & Scarcer Warren titles were in Constant Demand as per usual (at 150-300% Guide);
Monster Magazines (Famous Monster imitators, Film Related) are always Highly Collected. Unfortunately these are not listed in Overstreet so they fall off the Radar of Comic Collectors. These always worthwhile collecting, & have steadily increased in Value over the last 10-20 Years. Some of the Bestsellers include; Castle of Frankenstein, Famous Monsters, Fangoria, Fantastic Monsters, For Monsters Only, Gorezone, Horror Monsters, Mad Monsters, Monsterscene, Monster Times, Monster World, Movie Monsters, Quasimodo's Monster Mag, Scream Queens, World Famous Creatures. 1958-1975 issues are all scarce in strict VF or better. (with 1976-1990 issues Scarce in VF/NM or Better) Prices vary widely from $5-$200+, most are excellent sellers.
The MISC Horror mags by Eerie Pub, Globe, Hamilton, Major, Modern Day, Stanley, Tempest Pub, & World Famous, were in High demand in FA/G to FN Affordable reading Copies (There was resistance to FN/VF thru VF+ copies; Investment copies in VF/NM or better, although scarce, were slower sellers this year)
SKYWALD published only 69 Magazines total (Crime Machine, Hell-Rider, King, Nightmare, Psycho & Scream). Due to this small output, they consistently have the faster turnover of all Horror Mag publishers. These sell great in any & all grades (at 125-150% Guide) Once sold are hard to re-stock.
WHITMAN comics;
It has been 9 Years (2001) Since I put up for eBay auction the rare Uncle Scrooge #179(VG copy sold for $510, and VF copy sold for $1200) when they still listed at $10 in NM in the Guide. In 2003 i auctioned a of Little Lulu #260(VG, it sold for $710); In 2005 a 9.8 copy of Lulu #260 sold for $1827; This started the stampede to collect all the Pre-Pack Only Whitman Comics (from 8-12/1980, 1983-1984). For about 4-5 Years Collectors went wild buying G-VF copies at 200% to 2000% of Guide (Especially the scarcer 8-12/1980 issues).
In 2007 the Random House File Copies Archives got dumped on the market all at once. The Gold Key comics & more common Whitman's had 100 each or more on many issues. There was also a smaller selection of 8-12/1980 issues (smaller quantities of 0-25 copies each), with many issues still having ZERO copies among the File-Copy collection. This all has stalled the market a while, but virtually all the Scarcer issues have already been absored into the Marketplace. The number of CGC Graded Pre-Pack Whitman's in VF thru 9.4 increased by 200%-300% Over the Last 3 Years. Suddenly that stopped appearing & there is once again a shortage of the Pre-Pack issues (especially 8-12/1980); It is now Estimated that the 8-12/1980 Pre-Pack issues have an average of 100-250 Copies each still Existing, while the 1983-1984 issues have about 250-500 copies each existing. There are 47 different RARE 75 cents Canadian VARIANT cover price editions existing (US copies were 60 cent), all from 1984, with an estimated 75-150 copies each still existing (They sell fast at 200-300% of regular 60 cent edition prices);. In the 1980's these issues were all thought to be Very Rare & were on everyone's want lists; Buck Rogers #10, Popeye #160, 161, Porky Pig #99, Woody Woodpecker #192 (but by 2005 it was found that they were NOT Printed & do NOT exist); Whitman printed at least 31 Direct Market White Logo Variants from 1981-82 (they sell for 150% of standard Yellow Logo regular editions) Nine 40 cent Whitman Reverse Variants exist of 50 cent Whitman comics (11/1980-1/1981) selling at around 200% of the standard 50 Cent edition prices; Most Whitman variant collectors, prefer Raw, Non-CGC copies (with the exception of the issues that guide over $100)
About 69% of all Gold Key comics published from 11/1971 thru 2/1980 are proven to exist as Whitman Variant Editions (5-50 Times Scarcer than regular GK printings); This has proven to be one of the toughest Variant Sets to complete in it's entirety & only a few are trying. But a lot more Variant Collectors are seeking to complete their favorite Titles, or Genres. (Adventure, Horror, SF & TV Titles sell at 150-200% of GK issue values) (Cartoons Titles sell at 125-150% of GK issue values);
*** I present the Complete List of 67, now legendary Scarce to Rare 8-12/1980 Whitman Comics. I have added the Current Quantities so far graded by CGC, according to their 12/2010 Census; Battle of the Planets #7(10/1980; x32), #8(11/1980; x24), #9(12/1980; x28); Beep Beep the Road Runner #91(8/1980; x4), #92(9/1980; x4), #93(10/1980; x5); Black Hole #4(9/1980; x2); Buck Rogers in the 25th Century #8(11/1980; x2), #9(12/1980; x8); Bugs Bunny #221(9/1980; x16), #222(11/1980; x4); Chip 'N' Dale #67(8/1980; x5), #68(11/1980; x7), #69(12/1980; x10); Daffy Duck #129(8/1980; x4), #130(1980; x8), #131(12/1980; x8); Daisy and Donald #45(8/1980; x3), #46(10/1980; x5), #47(12/1980; x16); Donald Duck #221(8/1980; x7), #222 (10/1980; x19), #223(11/1980; x15), #224(12/1980; x13); Flash Gordon #30(10/1980; x5); Huey, Dewey and Louie Junior Woodchucks #65(9/1980; x3), #66(11/1980; x7); Little Lulu #260(9/1980; x33), #261(11/1980; x23); Looney Tunes #33(8/1980; x7), #34(1980; x14), #35(1980; x11); Mickey Mouse #207(8/1980; x7), #208(10/1980; x18), #209(12/1980; x4); Pink Panther #75(8/1980; x8), #76(101980; x16), #77(12/1980; x16); Popeye #158(9/1980; x7), #159(11/1980; x5); Porky Pig #97(9/1980; x11), #98(11/1980; x18); Super Goof #60(7/1980; x10), #61(9/1980; x16), #62(11/1980; x3); Tom and Jerry #330(8/1980; x3), #331(10/1980; x7), #332(12/1980; x12); Tweety and Sylvester #105(9/1980; x10), #106(10/1980; x5), #107(11/1980; x6); Uncle Scrooge #179(9/1980; x44), #180(11/1980; x11), #181(12/1980; x13); Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #479(8/1980; x4), #480(9/1980; x19), #481(10/1980; x5), #482(11/1980; x9), #483(12/1980; x7); Winnie the Pooh #20(8/1980; x2), #21(10/1980; x4), #22(1980; x10); Woody Woodpecker #190(10/1980; x13), #191(11/1980; x3); Yosemite Sam #68(9/1980; x7), #69(10/1980; x21), #70(12/1980; x5); Take note that there are still 20 different issues with 5 or Less copies Graded by CGC. The Big-4 (Donald #222, Lulu #260, Scrooge #179, WDC&S #480) have been well known TOUGH issues for 30 Years & were the first to bring record prices on eBay, now listing relatively high in Guide, thus a disproportionate number of copies have been CGC graded, they are still scarce & in huge demand in spite of what the skewed CGC quantities would indicate. Battle of the Planets #7-9 have more copies slabbed than other titles, as many dealers judge them as a “better” Title & more worthwhile to slab. Sales on the 8-12/1980 issues were up by over 50% this Year & we are once again starting to sell out on Most issues; Lower grade copies are undervalued & in demand; (G-FN = 150-200% Guide; VF-NM- = 125-150% Guide);
The above List gives an idea what is Scarcest in HIGH GRADE (although I suspect a lot of VF or Better copies valued at $30 or Less in Guide have NOT yet been submitted to CGC, as they are judged by dealers as not yet being worth the costs of Slabbing); **** Currently the 37 RAREST 8-12/1980 Whitman's in ANY Condition are; (Lowest CGC Quantity;Rare in High Grade Condition; Most difficult to find issues; Estimated that 100-150 copies each exist in the current marketplace); In Alphabetical & Numerical Order; Beep Beep Roadrunner #92,93, Black Hole #4, Buck Rogers #8, Chip N Dale #67-69, Daffy Duck #130,131, Daisy & Donald #47, Donald Duck #221,222, Huey Dewey Louie #65,66, Little Lulu #260,261, Looney Tunes #33-35, Mickey Mouse #208,209, Popeye #158,159, Super Goof #62, Tom & Jerry #330,331, Tweety & Slyvester #105,107, Uncle Scrooge #179, Walt Disney's Comics & Stories #479,480, Winnie the Pooh #20-22, Woody Woodpecker #191, Yosemite Sam #68,70;
MARVEL Whitman Variants DO NOT exist, they are still scarcer, but are actually low print run early DIRECT Market variant editions from the 1977-1979 era (see page 1033 of Overstreet #40);
This is the List of Whitman Variant Editions of DC Comics known to exist (3/1978 thru 8/1980); ACTION COMICS #481-483,485-492, 495-499,501-505, 507-508; ALL-NEW Collectors Edition #C-56; BATMAN #306-308,311-320,323,324,326; BRAVE AND THE BOLD #145-147,150-159,165;DC COMICS PRESENTS #1-4,9-12,14-16,19,21; FAMOUS FIRST EDITION #C-61; FLASH #268,273-276,278,283,286; GREEN LANTERN #116-119,121; JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #158,160-162,166-169,171-173,176, 179,181; LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #261,263,264,266; NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY #1,2,5,6,8; SGT ROCK #329; SUPERBOY #244-248,251-258; SUPER FRIENDS #13-16,20-23,25,32;SUPERMAN #321-323,325-327,329-332,335-345,348,350; WARLORD #22; WONDER WOMAN #250-252,255-263; These are about 20-50 Times scarcer than standard DC printings & are still in High Demand among Variant Collectors (at 150-200% Guide); Only a small quantity have so far been Graded by CGC & they remainb Scarce in strict Vf or Better.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #40(2010) Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa
INTRODUCTION;
The Worldwide Economy, along with home values & jobs took a big plunge into recession in late 2008 and thru all of 2009. My sales took a big dip in 10-11/2008, but by 12/2008 was already recovering. My american buyer sales dropped by about 40% in 10-11/2008, but returned to about 85% of the previous years levels for the rest of 2009. My Canadian & Overseas buyer sales dropped by about 20% in 10-11/2008, but returned to previous years levels by 12/2008 and thru to date. American comics are valued worldwide in USA Funds, but because the US Dollar was devalued this year, their buying power value as an investment in the worldwide market has fallen same. This year many saw their lifetime investments take large decreases in value, while Comics at least held steady in the US Dollars market value. The main change i have noted in the market, is less demand for high grade & higher priced items in general. I have seen virtually zero change in the buying habits of the Zillions of collectors that mainly buy G, VG and FN graded comics. Many of our High Grade (and other) collectors have started KEY issue collecting (High Demand & easy to resell issues) & are actively buying G thru FN/VF graded comics (more affordable & plentiful). You can typically buy multiple copies of KEY issues in G-FN for the price of one High Grade example. I still have a Huge Selection of 20,000+ RAW comics (90% from 1975-1987 era) in High Grades on my Website (Most from the Manitoba collection) in the 9.0 thru 9.8 and they again were among my bestsellers, but with resistance to most items priced at over $100, and with $10-20 High Grade items being the fast movers. If i single out the Trend of the year for us, it would be that customers are seeking out anything that is hard to find, with condition being the less important factor. For the last 30+ years, i have directed my focus on going out of my way to keep in stock items that everyone else does not bother with. We have in stock literally 1000's of Comics, Books, Magazines, Records, Movies, Posters, that no other Dealer on the internet has in stock. Most of these items are not of high value, but are very often extremely elusive, so we get daily requests from buyers who are very happy to have located their long lost treasures.
I started as a Comics Reader & Collector in 1965. By 1970 i had 5000 Comics & was already selling Locally out of my parents basement at age 13-14. In February 2010 i will have hit the FORTY YEARS mark of Selling back issue Comics. Within a year, by 1971, i was already a Mail Order dealer with ad's in the RBCC & Later in the CBG. By 2/1974 i had opened my first all Comics store after school, 160 Square feet on a 2nd Floor location in downtown Winnipeg (one of the first in Canada). I estimate i have bought over 6 Million comics over those 40 Years, & sold around 5 million of them, with a current inventory of approx 1,300,000 Comics & related items in stock. The face of Comics Collecting has had drastic chances every decade or so thru all those years. In the 1960's back issues were often near impossible to find, even 5-10 year old ones, we had to depend on 2nd Hand stores & other collectors. (Flea Markets & Garage Sales wer near non existant in our City of 500,000+ in that period). The release of the first Overstreet Guide started out a quiet event, but kept gaining momentum thru the 1970's, within a decade the undisputed main catalyst & driving force for the hobby. In those early days, condition was not much of a factor in collecting, with many dealers catalogues proclaiming "everything in GOOD or Better condition, unless otherwise stated". Grading was not yet considered a necessity, other than separating comics with covers & without. Some dealers claimed that they did NOT consider TAPE to be a defect. In the early 1970's, very few comics actually sold for over $100. Until this time in collecting, finding the wanted comics was the only real concern. Most fans still bought almost exclusively their favorite characters, with no regard to investment. Condition, price and investment potential were all lesser concerns. As fans found fanzines & mail order dealers, things started to change. Fan / pro articles (in RBCC, CBG, etc) & advance comics news (Comic Reader, etc), started a DRIVE to collect what was HOT. Stampedes to Collect, Hoard & invest in new comics began, & still continue thru to today. [In the 1970's, the HOT titles included; Jack Kirby, Conan, Shazam, Marvel Horror comics, new X-Men, Howard the Duck, Marvel & DC #1-10's, etc]; Most of those HOT 70's titles are still among the most plentiful comics of the period today & are only uncommon in VF/NM, while all the "Lesser' titles are a lot scarce in strict high Grades. By the Mid 1970's a High Grade Action #1 sold for an astounding $1800 and was worldwide news. By the late 1970's the high grade Edgar Church Mile High comics hit the marketplace. Suddenly condition was becoming a very important factor. What many dealers called MINT in the late 1970's would grade about at FN average today. What most called NM in the late 1980's would grade about at about VF average today. Items that are scarce in ANY grade have always been good sellers for me, as i have always offered a huge selection of same. Many collectors wanted their favorite titles & characters to be scarce & valuable, but this was not the case for most of the 1970's-1990's. With the advent of CGC grading, for many collectors, condition became the most important factor in their buying habits. Suddenly common & uncommon items could be considered scarce to rare, in certain high grades, so especially the Marvel comics market went thru the roof (with DC not far behind) in value in the last decade or so.
Strangely enough, the (Post 1960) items that are truely Scarce to RARE in high grade (Cartoon, Teen, Western, Love, War etc) are only of Low interest to investors. The high multiples for high grade, are mainly focused on Marvel & DC comics (especially superhero), typically many of the most plentiful comics of each given time period. On the Flip-Side, low grade obscure collectible items that are scarce in any grade, change hands daily worldwide via retail sales & auctions at high multiples of established values, completely under the radar of the vast majority of collectors & dealers. These obscure & scarce items are the backbone of my inventory, have held a huge fascination for me for decades, and provide an endless stream of recession proof buyers (Collectors, Investors, Reasearchers, Readers, as well as Creators & their family, friends & decendants). The internet has connected buyers & sellers in an historically unparalleled way. Dealers & Collectors looking for a way to expand their horizons, take heed as this is one of the most exciting areas of collecting, but beware as it can easily become an obsession.
ARCHIE comics;
The Marriage of Archie Veronica, was the new events of the year for this publisher, but lost some steam once he then married Betty. They will still be in high demand as back issues for years to come, as Archie does not have a lot of Key issues. Archie Digests are sold in more Locations than perhaps any other type of new comics, as they target sales to the General Public, in places such as supermarket check out stands. It is suprising that the Marriage event took place in the standard size Archie Comics series #600-605. Archie & his Friends first appeared in Pep #22 in 12/1941 and their 70th Anniversary approaches, making them one the Top-10 Most enduring & Long Lasting Characters of All-Time. All comics with Archie & Gang are highly collected, but are out of the mainstream, going unnoticed by the great majority of dealers & collectors. In general most collectors are satisfied with decent Middle Grade copies, so most are affordable & not high profile items. I also sell a large volume to the fans who just want Low Grade complete affordable copies. My inventory is the World Biggest, with 35,000+ Archie Comics & 10,000+ Digests in stock. I sell a better percentage of my total inventory of this publisher each year, than virtually anything else. Even the Sellers who do keep a good size inventory of Archie Back issues, normally tend to be sold out on 50-75% of Everything printed. Collectors need to do a lot of hunting to fill in the sets, luckily for them it happens to be one of our specialties.
There is a huge shortage of 1941-1950 Archie Titles, with most that do surface being in G/VG or Lower grades, thus even VG or better runs are very difficult to assemble, most sell swiftly at 125%-150% in Any Grade. These classic 1940's issues have the big appeal of the more Realistic early Look, often with GGA / Good Girl Art. Archie's Girls Betty & Veronica is not the most valuable set, but is the the most collected title by this publisher. Beginning with issue #4, Dan DeCarlo started changing the Look of the characters, a look that would last for over 50 Years, making this one of the most overlooked major KEY issues in Comics history, still with zero premium value in guide, just try to find one in ANY grade. All Archies from 1951-1964 are stong Steady sellers, in Low Suppy, with many collectors attempting to complete all their runs, these are difficult to Restock once sold. (Most G-FN copies we sell at 120-140% Guide); These did not change much thru this period, & are all highly collectible, still affordable, and there are many still undiscovered minor key issues. Among the most prized collectible issues of the period, are all the Horror/Sci-Fi cover issues. All the early FEMALE titles are in even good demand, including; Ginger, Katy Keene, Suzie. Overgraded copies of hard to find issues often sell at 200% to 400% Guide on ebay, especially on lower graded copies, as fans don't want to miss them.
By the early 1960's Archie began to expand it's tiltes, with the most collectible today being SABRINA in Mad House, and with JOSIE (Dan DeCarlo's classic new creation). Neal ADAMS first published comics appeared in Archie Joke Book #44-48 & are not major Key issues. Archie's Silver Age experimentation continued with the Super-Hero Characters (Pureheart the Powerful, Super Teen, Evil Heart, etc), Mystery Stories (Life with Archie), Secret Agent stories (Man & Girl from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., etc), Musical Bands (the Archies, Josie & the Pussycats = which became TV Cartoons), Cavemen Archie Gang stories, loads of great Squarebound Giant issues, Return of the classic GA MLJ Superheroes (including Back-Up stories in Laugh & Pep) , That Wilkin Boy (with the Bingoes; #50-52 are undervalued & Scarcer) Cosmo the Merry Martian and more. You never know for such what you will discover in these SA issues, they are fun to collect & good steady sellers (at 115-135% Guide);
The Bronze Age issues from 1970-1984 are typically considered the most plentiful of the Archie Comics, but actually it was mainly the 1970-1980 issues. Thru most of the 1970's, there were very few notable changes for the Archie Gang characters, i suppose they chose to ride on their Laurels, thus these tend to be a bit slower than other eras. But they did usher in their RED CIRCLE line of Comics, beginning with the Horror titles Chilling Adv in SORCERY #1-11, Mad House #95-97 & the one-shot Super Cops, all of which are highly collected & scarce in High Grade. In 1983 the Red Circle Line was revived this time with the return of the MLJ & other Superheroes, these were well done, but short Lived. In 1984, 1/2 these titles were cancelled, the Red Circle logo was dropped & they began the Archie Adventure Series Logo, these were all Low Print & Scarcer (bringing 150% Guide). The 1981-1984 issues are in Much Lower Supply. (from 1978-1984 Archie cancelling about 1/2 their Titles, and cutting back others from monthly to Bi-Monthly or Quarterly). In the 37 Month period from 10/79 thru 10/82 JOSIE & the Pussycats managed to only publish 7 issues (#100-106) all are LOW Print Run & Scarcer, bringing 150-200% Guide; SABRINA the Teen-Age Witch #71-77 are also Low Print (Bringing 150% Guide). Four highly collectible titles, Madhouse, Sabrina, Josie & Little Archie (with Little Sabrina) saw cancellation in this imposion Low Print era. But the most important new character of the Bronze Age era of Archie did not appear until 10/1982 when CHERYL BLOSSOM was first introduced in B&V #320 (and the same month in the very overlooked & undervalued Jughead #325), both appeared in this Low Print era, are major KEY issues, are tough to find & are fast sellers at 200% Guide in any grade (Canadian Newsstand VARIANT Cover Price editions exist for both, bringing 250-300% Guide - See Variants further down in this Report). All 1982-1985 early appearances of Cheryl Blossom are in very High Demand & Low Supply (Bringing 150%+ of Guide). All Pre 11/1994 appearances of Cheryl Blossom are also in strong Demand, when identified as such. Archie Comics #429(11/1994) featured the Love Showdown Part-1 which begans the famous storyline in which Archie chooses Cheryl Blossom over B&V, thus the turning point that made her forevermore a major character in the Archie Saga. Fans scrambled thru back issues to find her first & early appearances, but they were near impossible to find in the short print era stacks, thus the prices begun their meteoric rise & major Key issues, outpricing most Marvel & DC Key comics of the era. By the mid 1980's Digests started to rival & then surpassed the sales of the standard comics. The comics have always the items that appealed to collectors, but also supplied new material that could one day be reprinted in the popular digests.
The Low Sales & Low Print Era continued & the 1987-1992 Modern Era and saw 12 Major Titles cancelled, the Last issues include; Archie and Me #161 (2/87), Archie at Riverdale High #113(2/87), Archie Giant Series #632(7/92), Archies Girls B&V #347(4/1987), Archies Pals N Gals #224(9/1991), Archies TV Laughout #105(2/86), Betty & Me #200(8/92), Everythings Archie #157(9/91), Jughead #352(6/87), Laugh #400(4/87), Life with Archie #286(9/91), Pep #411(3/87); All these 12 last issues are now highly sought KEY issues by Collectors, are tough to find and bring 150-200% Guide. In addition, it should be noted that the last 10-12 issues of all these issues had low Print Runs & are also hard to complete, bringing 150% Guide. In the late 80's thru early 90's, Archie used the marvel formula & rebooted many of their titles by starting again fresh with many new Series' starting again at #1's. This revitalized the publisher & got more collectors interested once again. The new wave of Modern titles included the highly successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures. This is the TMNT title that the General public & Toy buying crowd identifies with & are by far the most requested TMNT back issues. TMNT Adv #50-72, Special #6-10, Sourcebook 1-2, Digests, & Mighty Mutant Animals 5-9, are low Print items, selling at 200-400% Guide, if you can find them. SONIC the Hedgehog turned out to be a high successful for the publisher, already passing issue #200 with early issues coveted & among the most valuable comics of the 1990's. The 1990's Hanna-Barbera Titles were largely ignored by collectors & already hard to find, the #1-5 issues are Uncommon, with most #6 up issues being scarcer, these are undervalued, & sell at around 200% Guide. Archie began a series of Specials (Super Teens, Spring Break, Vacation, etc), that happened to include three CHERYL BLOSSOM 3-issue Mini Series from 1995-1997, plus the 4 issues Special series. This finally lead to Bad Girl Cheryl Blossom being awarded her own series, which lasted 37 issues & is already collectible. In the Post-2000 Era Archie has once again started to experiment, with; TV Cartoons, Weird Mysteries, the return of Katy Keene, the manga look Sabrina, Realistic looking stories in Digests, & the marriage Limited Series & more, these are the future collectibles. It is amazing that this rich history of collectibles, is lost & completely missed by mainstream collectors.
ATLAS / Marvel;
These have become one of our bestsellers, with a high turnover rate & they sell in any complete grade. This year the Western titles were the most requested, especially all titles that eventually became Post-1962 Marvel Titles (at 120-135% Guide). Next most popular were all the TEEN Titles (at 120-135% Guide). Millie the Model #18-93 by Dan DeCarlo was on Many want lists, but are now very hard to find (G-FN copies bring 150-200% Guide; VF-NM copies at 125-150% Guide); The Humor, Cartoon & Parody titles were great sellers (at 120-135% Guide). The WAR Titles were moderate sellers (at 120-135% Guide). All the above had a good number of collectors attempting to find missing issues & complete sets, on all the Genre's above. Crime/Mystery, Funny Animal, Romance, Sports, & Spy Titles were slower but still decent sellers, they are uncommon & all eventually move (selling at 110-120% Guide); The Horror & SF tiltes, are always steady sellers, but as they are more expensive tend to have less completionists. The hot 1970's Marvel Horror reprints continue to fuel demand for these, as collectors seek specific reprinted stories in their original incarnation. Fin Fang Foom in Strange Tales #89 is now widely considered to be a KEY issue, as are all the hot Prototype issues & issues with KIRBY and DITKO art. Finally of note, there is an eternal appeal to sample Pre-Code Horror issues.
CANADIAN Comics;
The rare Golden Age Original Material "Canadian White" Comics were basically non existant on the market this year & in Huge Demand. When they do appear the Average Current Value for NON-Key issue is; (FN=$150; VG=$100; G=$65); The Pre-1947 Canadian Whites of Fawcett (Capt Marvel, Grand Slam, Three Aces, Wow, etc) were re-drawn be Canadian artists, are Still in High demand (Average Value for NON Key issues is; FN=$100; VG=$75 and G=$50); Triumph (Nelvana of the Northern Lights), & Dime comics (Johnny Canuck), Doc Stearne / Mr Monster, & Men of the Mounted issues bring 200% or More of the Above Prices, with KEY issue even higher. Vintage Canadian Variant Editions of 1940's & early 1950's USA comics, are 10-50 Times Scarcer than the USA editions. (Issues with same page counts bring 80-100% the Value of USA Editions.. Those with less pages than their US counterparts sell for about 60% of their USA equivalents.) Canadian Variant's (mostly 1946-1954) include these Publishers; Archie, Atlas, Avon, Classics, DC, Dell, EC, Fawcett, Fiction House, Lev Gleason, Quality, Timely, Toby, & others. The Canadian CLASSICS illustrated Variants are the most collected & bring the biggest premiums, at 150-300% Guide; Classics #17-20 with BLANK inside covers are Canadian Editions & are perhaps the rarest of all the Variants. (VG copies are worth in the $100-200 each range); The Canadian EC Comics brig about 60% of USA Values, due to poor Printing. the rare EC Variants Weird Suspenstories in FN copies bring $1000+ each; I once owned a Captain America Annual (1942) that was a Canadian Printing, if it surfaced again it would likely be the single most Valuable Canadian Comic (estimated at $15,000+ in VG);
I have 3000 Canadian French Language comics in Stock (Archie, DC & Marvel from the late 1966-1990) = they had small print runs of 2000-10,000 each, & smaller survival rates, making these desirable & Collectible (Most at $3-$10 each) The New material French language Comic Digests (1950-1970's, Adventure, Jungle, Romance, Western, War) sell at $3-$7 each. & the well known Character Titles bring $5-$12 each; The 1970-1982 Era French HORROR Comic Digests (Italian Reprints & New French Material) are RARE & are the best sellers of them all ate $10-$25 each (These are full of NUDITY, Violence, Bondage, Torture & more, and most have great Covers); EXISTING EARTH #1 is a consistent seller (1987; 1500 Copies Printed; Art by BRENT L. BUTT, of Canadian TV's #1 comedy - Corner Gas); Canadian artist Owen McCarron is a CULT figure among collectors (Puzzle Books; Marvel Fun & Games comic, Fireside Marvel Fun & Game books, Marvel Tempo puzzles books, Binkly and Doinkel, Spidey Super Stories #29,42,43, Ghost Rider #28 & Super Villian Teamup #8); There are a growing number of Canadian Comic Completionists interested in getting one each of everything printed from 1961-2010. (Perhaps 40% or more of what exists in this Era were Giveaways & another 50% were Small Print Run independents).
Captain Canuck;
All the main Captain Canuck titles were distributed in the USA, thus the listing in the guide. This is by far Canada's most famous title. We again sold over 20 sets of the Original series of #1-14 & Special #1 (1975-1981), they remain scarcer in the USA due to Lower Sales. The 1975-1981 issues are getting scarcer in strict VF/NM or better. Captain Canuck #1(7/1975) Has one CGC graded copy in 10.0 and one in 9.9; (The seller of the 10.0 is asking a staggering $5000); I sold several copies of the original over sized #4 (2/1977; 1st Print) in the VG-VF range at $50-$100 each; #4 (2/1977; 2nd Print), is one of the rarest comics of the entire Bronze Age, with 100 Times the Demand as compared to supply, sells at 400-800% Guide on the rare occasion that one surfaces. Captain Canuck has appeared Twice on the cover of TIME magazine ($10-15 ea) . >> Comely confirmed Small print Runs for Captain Canuck Re-Born (1993/1994); #0(English = 90,000 Copies), #0(French = 6000), #1(47,000 Newsstand GREEN-c); #1(40,000 bagged gold-c); #1(French = 6000); #2(30,000), #3(8,000 Copies = $25+), All are in big demand & very hard to restock; 99% of all Capt Canuck 1975-81 Original Art was donated to Canada's National Archives, thus the few left command high prices. CAPT. CANUCK #15 (150 copies) is virtually impossible to find & brings $75-125; (a Limited 2nd Printing might get published one day); Captain Canuck LEGACY#1(9-10/2006), and Legacy Special Edition #1(Limited to 1000 Copies), were issued for the 30th Anniversary of Canada's Most Famous Comic, the conclusion scheduled for a future TPB or HC. Unholy War 1-3 with West Coast Captain (2004-/2005) had a Low Print under 5000 copies, with the scarce #4(9/2007; Hot hail pub) even lower = these sells well, as most Canadian & especially American fans missed them. The Canada - SUPERHEROES official POSTAGE STAMPS SETS, one of the most popular Canadian Collectible stamp sets of all-time, are fast sellers at $15+ per set; (early 1990's includes SUPERMAN by Canadian Joe Shuster; JOHNNY CANUCK, by Leo Bachle / Les Barker; NELVANA of the Northern Lights, by Adrian DINGLE; FLEUR de LYS, by Mark Shainblum; CAPTAIN CANUCK by Richard Comely, illustration by George Freeman; A proposed "special" COIN might surface one day; The TV Cartoon still looks like it might eventually materialize (with an option for a Motion Picture); Comely's Star Rider & the Peace Machine 1-2 (1982) are getting scarcer too. All Memorabilia & Promo items are fast sellers.
CHARLTON;
If you like oddball comics, this is the ultimate publisher to collect. They had more Genre's than any other publisher, quality varied Crude to Superior. Distribution was poor, most comic shops did not bother to carry them, and the print runs range from moderate to low. Most copies were in the hands of the general public, with many damaged & discarded, thus a Low Survival Rate. Under only minor editorial control, many creators thrived under this publisher. We have about 35,000 Charlton Comics in stock, Including 95% of 1960-1986 issues & about 50% of the 1940's thru 1959 issues also. The HORROR titles were by easily the strongest selling titles, with 100's of copies in the G-FN ranges, helping many Collectors fill in dozens of Sets. These were published with Cereal Box type covers on many issues, interior pages are often misaligned & Miscut, and a host of other Printing Problems, make these Tough to find in Strict VF or Better (with VF/NM or better copies Scarce to Rare); Investors like VF/NM or better copies, as there are very few CGC graded copies, thus we sold nearly 100 of them this year (mainly from the Manitoba collection)
One Fan recently said to us "if people talk about horror comics and fail to mention Tom Sutton, well then they are not really talking about horror comics at all". Because Charlton is viewed as a marginal company by many, they missed some of the Best Artwork ever produced by; Aparo, Boyette, Glanzman, Himes, Wayne Howard, Sanho Kim, Larson, Morisi, Don Newton, Staton, Tom Sutton, Wildman, & Mike Zeck; In addition, look for great art by; Buscema, John Byrne, Ditko, Giordano, Mastroserio, Severin, Williamson, & Wood. The 1945-1950 issues are all Very Scarce, with Most 1951-1957 issues also Scarce, all being in High Demand & with a growing number of Completionists who glady buy them in any complete grades (at 120-150% Guide). The 1958-1969 Silver Age issues are uncommon to scarce, but with some legwork most sets are possible to complete in a Reasonable amount of time, these are in Moderate Demand (at 115-125% Guide). The 1970-1986 Bronze Age issues are uncommon, with most of the 1984-1984 Being Lower Print & Scarcer issues, these are in above average demand (at 120-135% Guide).
There is a large following for Hanna Barbera comics from all publishers (one of our speciaties) & many of these are scarcer than most of the Dell & Gold Key issues. The Pre-1962 Western comics are up in demand, and the 1960's issues new backup series are also in higher Demand, including; Billy the Kid (Bounty Hunter series), Cheyenne Kid #66-87(classic WANDER Science Fiction/Western Backup-s by JIM APARO), #88 up(Apache Red Series Begins by Fred Himes); Outlaws of the West (Capt Doom, Kid Montana, Sharp Shooter), Six Gun Heroes (Gun Master); Most of the 1950's and 1960's WAR Comics are above average sellers. Fans especially like the GLANZMAN art issues; The 1960's issues new Backup series are also in higher Demand, including; ARMY WAR HEROES (Iron Corporal), Fightin Army (Lonely War of Willie Schultz)
All the other Genre's are solid Steady sellers (at 115-125% Guide) including; Adult Cartoons, Cartoon, Crime, Funny Animals, History, Humor/Parody, Licsenced Characters, Movie, Hot Rod, Jungle, Martial Arts, Mythology, Mystery, Newspaper Comic Strip, Pirates, Pop Music Stars, Radio, Romance, Science, SF, Soap Opera, Superhero, Teenage, TV); The Scarcer items include; Digests, Comic Magazines, Horror Mags & Non-Comic mags (Adult Cartoon, Crossword & Puzzle mags, Horror Film mags, Kung-Fu & Karate mags, Sick mag, True Romance mags, True Western mags) = these fascinate many collectors & are above average sellers.
COMIC DIGESTS;
I have the Worlds Biggest inventory of Comic Digests (10,000 Archie Digests & 5,000 other Comics Digests), so I always do well with them. This year the Archie Digest saw the most activity, with about 85% of the requests being for G-FN copies to fill in Reading Copy to Presentable condition sets (at 120-150% Guide). There was only moderate demand for high grade copies, but as Pre-1985 copies are scarce to rare in VF/NM or better, we still ended up selling about 1/3 of our HG inventory. The 1974-1975 early issues are getting harder to find & are easily the most sought issues (bringing 150-200% Guide). Next best selling are all issue #1-10's (at 120-150% Guide).
The GOLD KEY digests are the ones that started the trend way back in 1968. All are Uncommon to Scarce in any grade (with strict VF or better copies scarce to Rare); Mystery Comics Digest (only 1 GK issue CGC graded), Golden Comics Digest (only 16 CGC graded), Walt Disney Comics Digest (only 7 CGC graded), Story Digest's (Boris Karloff, Dark Shadows, Ripley's, Tarzan = only 7 CGC graded in Total); Golden CD #2,7,11 are the most requested (bringing 150-200% Guide in any grade); The 3 main titles issue #1-10 are in Low Supply & High demand (150% Guide in Any Grade), with #11 up in good demand (at 125% guide); Dennis the Menace Pocket Full of Fun Digest #1-20 are in Low Supply & High Demand (bringing 150-200% Guide in any grade), with #11 up in good demand (at 150% guide) and NO examples yet graded by CGC;
The Harvey Digests are on many Completionist Lists (1977-1985 issues are uncommon = selling at 120-135% Guide; 1986-1993 ate 2-10 Times Scarcer than the earlier issues = bringing 150-600% Guide); These are amazingly TOUGH sets to complete, as all major Dealers are sold out of the later issues of the 1990's; SHOCKING TALES DIGEST #1(Powell, Jack KIRBY & Nostrand-a) is an uncommon One-Shot Title, but in constant demand (at 135% Guide); The SCARCE issues (bringing 200% Guide) include; Casper Adventure Digest #6-8, Casper Digest (10/1986-1991) #11-18, Casper Digest (V2; 9/1991-11/1994) #6-14, Casper Enchanted Tales #6-10, Harvey Wiseguys #3,4, Hot Stuff Digest #2-5, Million Dollar Digest(11/1986-11/1994) #11-20, New Kids on the Block Digest #1-5, Richie Rich Adventure Digest #4-7, Richie Rich Digest (10/1986-10/1994) #11-20, Richie Rich Digest Stories #11-17, Richie Rich Digest Winners #11-16, Richie Rich Gold Nuggets #1-4, Richie Rich Million Dollar Digest #6-10, Richie Rich Money World Digest #1-8, Richie Rich Digest (11/1977-8/1982) #7-9, Wendy Digest #2-5; The Very SCARCE issues that everyone needs (bringing 300-500% Guide) include; Million Dollar Digest(11/1986-11/1994) #21-34, Richie Rich Digest (10/1986-10/1994) #21-42,
High Grade Pre-1990 DC and Marvel Comic Digests in VF 8.0 to VF/NM are Uncommon to Scarce, with 9.2 to 9.6 copies being Rare. These are by far the most sought in High Grades. Only Low Quantities have so far been graded by CGC, considering the highly collectible status of these titles. The War & Horror titles are the bestsellers. DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #20(Dark Mansion) is the tough Major Key that everyone needs (Bringing 150% Guide); the 4 Digest issues of DC Special Series #18,19,23,24 are top sellers as many are trying to complete sets. Best of DC #41-71 are all Low Print & Scarce, making it a tough set to complete. The Jonah Hex digests have been up in demand, sice the announced Movie coming. The Atari Promo / giveaway Mini comics (Atari Force, Centipede & Swordquest) are in high demand, with only issue #1's being easier to find. The Marvel Digests (Alf, Dennis the Menace, G.I. Joe, Haunt of Horror, Spider-Man, Star & Transformers) are already uncommon in any grade & scarce in strict VF/NM or Better (Bringing 150% Guide in any grade); the 1978-1980 UK British BATMAN POCKET BOOK {Comics Digests} by EGMONT / Methuen are Scarce (Selling at; VF=$12; FN=$9; VG=$6 ea); the 1980-1982 UK MARVEL Pub British POCKET BOOK /Comics Digests (Chiller, Classics, Conan, FF, Hulk, Spider-Man, Star Heroes, Titans, X-Men & Young Romance) are getting Scarcer & sell well to Marvel collectors who like Oddball items (VF=$6-12; FN=$4-9; VG=$3-6 ea); Young Romance #3 reprinted the Our Love #5 Steranko Mod Classic (VF=$18; FN=$12)
The 1970's Charlton / Xerox / Now Age Comic Digests, are all Low Print, and scarce to Rare, including; Barney & Betty, Bugs Bunny, Dino, Dr Graves, Flinstones, Jetsons, Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm, Road Runner, Scooby Doo, Space: 1999, Tweety & Slyvester, Woody Woodpecker & Yogi Bear (Bring 200-300% Guide in any grade)
These are tough to find in even FINE, much less high Grade, thus NO copies have yet been graded by CGC. Fiction Illustrated digests #1-2 are in good demand (at 120% Guide); With #3 (Chandler by Steranko) rating as HOT and hard to keep in stock (at 200% Guide). The TPB versions of #3, 4 are scarce & goos sellers (at 150% Guide)
COMIC & CARTOON Mass Market Paperbacks;
I have in stock over 6000 Cartoon & Newspaper Comic Strip Mass Market Paperbacks, with perhaps the World's biggest selection of Different Cartoon books. I usually sell about 300-500 of these in a year. The majority sell to Readers (who are not otherwise Comic Collectors) in the $2 to $5 each range. In almost all cases the later Titles had just one printing with smaller print runs & are scarcer. (Example, most late 1980's PEANUTS books are 10-30 Times scarcer than 1950's-1960's Titles); The Popular Characters typically have 20 to 100 Titles each, with about 50% being Common, 25% Uncommon, & 25% Scarce to Rare. The Scarce titles often bring $10-$25, & Rare titles can sell for $25-$50 each; Comic Collectors who cross over into this area of the Hobby often want the Scarcest Titles & often in the Highest grades. (Presumably because they already have the common titles); *** Some of the SCARCER & More Valuable Series & Titles (at $10-50 each) include; Archie at Riverdale High Series, Autumn People by Ray Bradbury, Beetle Bailey (Giant Size titles), Berenstains, Best of Creepy, Conchy, Cracked, Dick Tracy, Dracula (Russ Jones), Famous Monsters of Filmland ($50-100 each), Funky Winkerbean, Hagar (Later Titles can be Rare), Harvey Kurtzman (Help, Humbug, Jungle Book etc), High-Camp Super-Heroes, Hocus-Focus, Jimmy Hatlo, (Hatlo's Inferno at $35-50), Lockhorns, Luann, Richie Rich, Rose is Rose, Scooby Doo, Scroogie, Sick, Spirit, Tales form the Crypt, Tales of the Incredible, There Outta be a Law, THUNDER Agents, Tomorrow Midnight by Ray Bradbury, U.S./Acres by Jim Davis, Vampirella (USA & UK), & Vault of Horror. *** The TEMPO PUZZLE Books for both MARVEL and DC circa 1977 are all Scarce, especially Un-Marked and bring $10-$25 each;
Over 100 Marvel & DC Related Mass Market Comic related paperbacks in the 1966-1988 era exist; These are by far the most sought paperbacks by Comic collectors. The 1960's Titles are Scarce in FN or better & sell at; (G=$6-12; VG=$10-$20; VF=$25-$50); The 1975-1985 Titles are Scarce in VF or better & sell at; (VF/NM=$15-$35; VF=$10-$20; VG=$5-10); The Marvel & DC titles are the Most Requested in High Grade Investment quality copies. We got in a nice batch of 9.0-9.6 copies from the Manitoba collection & about 50% of them sold at 25-100% Premiums. But the standard G-FN copies of the Marvel & DC paperbacks remained the bestsellers.
DC COMICS;
Many collectors have not yet tried to complete their 1980's Series', assuming they will be easy to pick up any time they want them. But take note, that dealer inventories have shrunken greatly on a lot of these titles, because guide value remain so low. High Grade collectors should take special note, most of these books are already Scarce in strict VF/NM or better in Dealer inventories. As they are low value, most sellers have not got the extra mile to preserve High Grade copies. Average dealer inventory copies, that are graded or assumed to be in NM are more like FN/VF to VF average, if submitted to CGC. I have sold a good quantity of High grade copies to Speculators who can only see the upside on these. *** These issue numbers Lowest Print Runs in the History of the Pre-1999 Era of each Title (only 50,000 to 99,000 copies per month, whereas most had double the print runs or higher on issues that are a decade older); Batman (1940) #357-402, Brave & Bold #170-200, Detective comics #482-569, Flash (1959) #293-350, Green Lantern #113-224, Justice League (1960) #234-261, Sgt. Rock #372-422, SUPERMAN (1939); #401-423, Wonder Woman (1942) #263-329, World's Finest #248-323; If the print runs are so small on all these major titles, imagine how small they are on a lot of the lesser titles.
BATMAN titles are the most consistantly demanded of all DC titles of the last 60 Years. All Key issues, better artist issues & major villian issues, as well as Bronze Age Giant issues are in extra high demand, & do not currently have enough of a premium added in the guide. This year I have seen nearly a 50% increase demand for Detective comics in the #250-600 number range, collectors have noted they are less common & cheaper than Batman comics of the same vintage, with less CGC graded copies too. Batman's with Neal Adams Covers & Art are the most requested.
1950's DC sold moderately well this year, but I have noted that 1960's issues were slower in general, likely due to the economy. But almost everything from the more affordable 1970 Bronze Age thru to the 1985 Crisis era was selling consitantly well. Green Lantern #76-89 are hot sellers, with #76 continuing to set record prices in VF or better. All NEAL ADAMS DC Comics are in high demand, but especially those with ADAMS Covers, as most carry no premiums over surrounding vintage issues (many should list at 25-50% Higher than current levels). AQUAMAN #53(10/1970), 54, 55, 56(4/1971) = Extremely under-Valued, these should List in the $35-$50 range, #49 is dated 2/1970, there should not be a 79% PRICE DROP from $75 to $16 because #49 and #53 are SAME YEAR & only 10 Months apart. All 52, 68, and 100 Page Giants & are considered to be KEY issues by fans & sold about 200% better than surrounding regular sized issues & most remained elusive in higher grades. The "Dollar" Giants of the Late 1970's were roundbound with 2 staples (as oppossed to Squarebound) and are a very TOUGH set to put together in High Grade & thus are a good long term investment in High grade. Many factors tended to Lower the Grades of these Dollar comics including; (1) Weight of the book pulled at the staples, (2) they are Taller than other DC's of the Period & got crushed as they stuck out of stacks & in dealer long boxes, (3) they were thicker & did not cut well at the presses thus most have splits to the covers at top & bottom of the Spine; The Bronze Age Bestsellers for us this year (at 120% to 150% GUIDE) included; All Treasury's, all Digests, All Big-5 War comics, all Batman & Superman Titles, all teenage, Romance, Cartoon & Obscure titles, all Horror titles, all 52, 68, and 100 Page Giants, Teen Titans, Flash, Green Lantern, Tarzan, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Warlord, Wonder Woman. In the last Year I sold about 700+ Raw High Grade & "MANITOBA collection" DC comics of all types, in the 9.0 to 9.8 range, mainly from the 1974-1987 Era at 125% to-300% GUIDE.
The JONAH HEX Movie starring Josh Brolin is Due in Theatres June /2010, with Voodoo & Army of the Undead, it might be a hit & collectors have already started to show increased interest. Many fans consider it to be the best western comic series of all-time, and All-Star Western #10 is already one of the most valuable of all Bronze Age comics. JH #81-92 had a low print run & most dealers are perpetually sold out on them, they should guide about 50% Higher than current levels. The HEX (1985-87) #1-18 were near universally hated by fans & i think DC wants to forget they exist, but they are part of the saga & most completionists buy them, with #11-18 a bit tougher to find. Most JH #21-91 have only 5-10 copies each so far graded & are scarcer in High Grade than most collectors would think. DC Special Series #16 the Death of Jonah Hex story is a Bronze Classic & is a recommended must buy.
The DC Big-5 WAR Comics (all issues 1950's thru 1988; All American Men of War, G.I. Combat, Our Army at War/Sgt Rock, Our Fighting Forces & Star Spangled War Stories/Unknown Soldier) and all DC HORROR / SF Comics (of the 1968-1985 Era) were consistantly our best selling DC Bronze Age sellers in ANY grade, outselling all superhero titles with the exception of Batman & Detective. Weird War combines elements of both Horror & War, thus appealing to both type fans, with #37-123 quite undervalued in guide, perhaps due for a 35-50% Price increases (#64,68,93,94,100,101,124 even higher increases needed; #64, 68 are the hottest issues & sell instantly at 150-200% Guide). Low grades appeal to Readers, who tend to buy in larger quantities. Medium grades appeal to collectors who want them, but have opted to go after affordable presentable examples. Many investors view these as scarce in High Grade, among DC's strongest demand titles & thus a good long term investment. OOAW #83-130 are near impossible to keep in stock in ANY grade & are the only SA Comics that outsell Batman. OAAW #81-82 are now seen as overpriced Sgt Rock Prototypes & are slow selling, perhaps due for a drop in price. Meanwhile G.I. Combat #68 and OOAW #83 in Huge Demand, but impossible to find, easily worth 150-200% current Guide values. Sgt Rock #400-422 had Low Print Runs & Sold Out in most dealer inventories, selling well at 150-175% Guide. All appearances of Haunted Tank, Enemy Ace & Unknown Soldier are top sellers, most are scarce in High grade. The early Haunted Tank issues in G.I. Combat #87-114 & War that Time Forgot / Dinosaur issues of Star Spangled war #90-100 are in very low supply & High demand, in any grade. 1950's thru 1962 DC Horror comics are in Moderate but consistant demand, the 1963-1967 issues are slow sellers, but the 1968-1985 issues have remained among bestsellers for a decade now. The 1968-1974 Horror issues are especially tough in high grades, many fans still want them badly, thus are now happy with a nice VF, or even a FN/VF. Neal Adams & Wrightson issues, including all covers only & one page art issues are all in the highest demand, at 125-150% Guide. DC Horror are among our most requested titles in low Grade Reading copies. Swamp Thing #20-64 classics by Alan Moore are highly collected, undervalued & a good investment in strict VF/NM or better. 1975-1988 DC Horror & War issues in strict VF/NM are still among our Top selling DC's, as most copies in the Marketplaces are in the VG to FN/VF range.
DELL;
DELL comics have been strong & steady sellers for nearly 40 solid years for me, thus i always strive to carry a large inventory of them. They have worldwide appeal, with virtually everything they published always being sought be someone somewhere out there, both within the Comics Collecting Hobby, but also by Non-Collectors who are nostalgic about the characters & just want a few examples. PRICE seems to be the most important factor to most of the majority of buyers, with over 90% of what actually sells in the FA/G to FN condition range. Most FN/VF, VF, VF/NM copies see price resistance & are slow sellers (often only selling if i do not have a more affordable copy in stock); The exceptions that are still in demand in High Grades include; Carl Barks comics, Key & First issues, Tarzan, Turok, better Hanna-Barbera, better cartoon & Popular TV & Movie comics. Dell comics in CGC graded VF/NM 9.0, NM- 9.2 and NM 9.4 have among the Lowest Multiples of Guide among all older comics, with many non-key issues regularily selling below guide at Auctions (not to mention the $25+ cost lost to slabbing fees). What this tells me is clear; Most dell comics in G-FN are Under-Valued in the Guide, while many VF-NM Dells are overvalued in Guide, this was caused by using the same Price to Condition spreads for Dell as wide as for Superhero comics, while that is not the reality of the marketplace.
>> The Bestselling Titles (G-FN = 120-140% guide; FN/VF-VF/NM= 100-115% Guide) included; Adventures of Mighty Mouse, Air War, Andy Panda #35-56 (Chilly Willy Backup-s issues), Annie Oakley, Bat Masterson, Beetle Bailey, Beep Beep Road Runner, Ben Bowie, Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, Big Valley, Brave Eagle, Bugs Bunny, Bullwinkle, Cheyenne, Chilly Willy, Cisco Kid, Colt 45, Combat, Creature, DELL Giants (Bugs Bunny, Lone ranger, Little Lulu, Nancy, Tarzan, Western Roundup, Yogi Bear, etc), Dracula 1, Dunc & Loo, Felix the Cat, Flintstones, Flying Nun, Flying Saucers, Four Color (over 100 Hot issues, over 300 issues in High Demand, about 700 are moderate sellers, with only about 200 being slower sellers), Frankenstein 1, Fritzi Ritz (with Peanuts), F-Troop, Gene Autry #101-121, Get Smart, Ghost Stories, Gidget, Have Gun Will Travel, Hogans Heroes, Howdy Doody, Huckleberry Hound, I Dream of Jeannie, I Love Lucy, Indian Cheif, Jetsons, John Carter of Mars, John Wayne(all), Jungle War, King of Royal Mounted, Kona, Laramie, Lawman, Leave it to Beaver, Little Lulu, Lone Ranger 1-10, 112-145 Looney Tunes 1-50, 201-246, March of Comics (50% of this Promo Giveaway series are above average sellers), Maverick, McHales Navy, Melvin Monster, Monkees, Movie Classics (Western, SF & Horror), Mummy, Nancy (Peanuts-s, Oona-s, Stanley-a), New Funnies 65-120, 241-288, Outer Limits, Peanuts, Pogo, Ponytail, Popeye, Quick Draw McGraw, Rawhide, Real McCoys, Red Ryder 1-118, Ricky Nelson, Rifleman, Rin Tin Tin 18-38(TV's RUSTY & the Cavalry of Fort Apache issues), Rocky & Friends, Roy Rogers 119-145, Sgt Preston, Smokey Stover, Tales of Wells Fargo, TARZAN 1-30, 80-131, Thirteen, Tip Top #211-225(with Nancy & Peanuts), Tom & Jerry #60-100, Tonto, Top Cat, TUROK, Twilight Zone, Voyage to Bottom of Sea, Wolfman, Woody Woodpecker, Wyatt Earp, Yak Yak, Yogi Bear & Zorro.
GOLD KEY;
I have 35,000 Gold Key comics in stock, with about 95% of their entire output always in stock. We had above average sales on G-FN copies this year, for many dozens of collectors looking to fill in their Sets. Many dealers have a good stock of the Horror, SF, Hero & Adventure tiltes, but we always have about 99% of them, thus many buyers ask for bulk prices on bigger batches of these when they want to start a new title, and naturally we are accomadating. Most dealers do not bother with Cartoon titles, while many others have only 25-50% of all the existing issues in stock, we typically have 90-95% in stock, even with choice of grade on most, thus we are probably the #1 destination for Collectors wanting to finally finish completing these titles. The Hanna Barbera Titles are all highly collected & are one of our Specialties.
Awareness of Whitman Variants of the Gold Key Comics & Canadian Newsstand Variant cover price issues has risen & thus demand nearly doubled this year (see Variants for more info)
Demand for High Grade copies was down about 25% this Year, due to Tighter money in the Economy, but still in strong demand, if you have the Titles that investors wanted; Raw copies (mainly from the manitoba collection) in Demand in High Grade (Sold at; VF to VF/NM =120-135% Guide; 9.2= 150% Guide), included; Atom Ant, Astro Boy, Auggie Doggie, Avengers (TV) #1(Photo back-c), Beatles Yellow Submarine, Beneath Planet of Apes, Boris Karloff, Dark Shadows, Doc Savage, Dr Solar, Fantastic Voyage #2(12/1969; “Civilian Miniaturized Defense Force” VARIANT ), Grimm's Ghost, Hanna-Barbera (all #1 & Key issues), Hanna Barbera Super TV Heroes, Honey West, Korak, John Carter, Jonny Quest, Marges Little Lulu 165-206, Magnus Robot Fighter, Mars Patrol, Mighty Samson, Munsters, Occult Files of Dr Spector, Peanuts, Phantom, Popeye, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Scooby Doo, Secret Squirrel, Space Family Robinson, Space Ghost, Spine Tingling Tales, Star Stream, Star Trek 1-9, Tarzan, Tasmanian Devil 1, Turok & Twilight Zone, all VARIANTS (see Variant Comics in this Report), Wild Wild West & Yakkey Doodle.
The Bestsellers this year (at VF-NM= 110-120% Guide; G-FN=120-140% Guide), included; Addams Family, Amazing Chan, Bamm Bamm, Banana Splits, Battle of the Planets, Beep Beep 1-10, Beetle Bailey, Bugs Bunny 86-100, Bullwinkle, Cave Kids, Close Shaves of Pauline Peril, Daffy Duck 31-50, Dagar, Dan Curtis (Giveaways) #1-9, Daniel Boone, Family Affair, Fat Albert, Flash Gordon, Flintstones, Frankenstein Jr, Fun-In, Funky Phantom, George of the Jungle, Gold Key Spotlight, Gomer Pyle, Hair Bear Bunch, Hanna-Barbera Bandwagon, Happy Days, H.R. Pufnstuf, Huckleberry Hound, Inspector, Jetsons, Kroft Supershow, Lancelot Link, Land of Giants, Laredo, Lidsville, Little Lulu #207 up, Little Monsters, Lone Ranger, Looney Tunes 1-10, Lucy Show, Magilla Gorilla, Mighty Hercules, Mighty Mouse, Milton Monster, Mr Ed, Mr & Mrs J Evil Scientist, My Favorite Martian, Nancy & Sluggo, Peter Potomus, Pink Panther, Quick Draw McGraw, Rifleman, Rocky & Fiendish Friends, Snagglepuss, Snooper & Blabber, Space Mouse, Supercar, Three Stooges, Time Tunnel, Top Cat, UFO Flying Saucers, Underdog, Wacky Races, Wacky Witch, Wagon Train, Woody Woodpecker 75-100, & Zody the Mod Rob.
HARVEY;
All 1950-1975 CARTOON Titles were in Above Average Demand, in FA/G thru FN Grades. Most 1976-1990 were in Moderate demand (mostly in VG to VF grades); Most 1991-1994 Titles were in Low Suppy & Good Demand, in any Grades;
>>> Bestselling titles (9.2=150%; VF-VF/NM=120-130% Guide; G-FN=125-150% Guide) Include; all 35 Cent Variants of Squarebound Giants, Baby Huey 1-10, Blondie (undervalued), Caspers Ghostland, Casper & Nightmare, Dagwood, Devil Kids, Family Funnies, Flintstones, Fruitman, Hanna-Barbera Giant Size, Harvey Hits 1-75, Harvey Pop, Hot Stuff the Little Devil, Jetsons, Little Dot, Little Dot's Uncles & Aunts, Little Lotta, Playful Little Audrey, Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm, Richie Rich (all 1960-1974), Sad Sack (all Pre-1965), Scooby Doo, Spooky, & Stumbo Tinytown, Tuff Ghosts, TV Casper & Co, Underdog, Unearthly Spectacular, Wendy, Yogi Bear.
>>> Other Great Sellers (VF-VF/NM=110-120% Guide; G-FN=120-140% Guide) include; all 25 cent Squarebound Giants, Alarming Tales, Alarming Adv, Alvin, Astro Comics (Giveaway with 15+ Variations), Baby Huey #11up, Black Cat, Blast-Off, Bunny, Casper the Friendy Ghost 1-20, CASPER (assorted Titles, 1961-1974), Chamber of Chills, Dotty Dribble, Felix the Cat, First Love, First Romance, Friendy Ghost Casper, Harvey Collectors Comics, Harvey Hits 76-122, Joe Palooka, Little Audrey (all titles), Little Max, Man in Black, Mazie, Mutt & Jeff, Richie Rich (all 1976-1994), Sad Sack(all 1965 up), Tastee-Freez, Thrill-O-Rama, Tomb of Terror, Warfront, Witches Tales & Woody Woodpecker.
IW & SUPER Reprint Comics (1958-1964);
These 46-52 Year Old Vintage comics have LOW Guide values & thus are highly Sought by Collectors. (Most Reading copies are only in the $5-$10 range) Many have Pre-Code reprints at much lower prices than the slightly earlier vintage Original, but at a fraction of the price. None of these comics carry the Comic Code, in a time period when all comics should have had them. They published a wide variety of Genre's, with the Horror/SF, Western & War titles being the bestsellers The Superhero, Jungle, Teenage, Humor & Romance titles are are all moderate sellers. Funny Animal & Cartoon titles are generally the slowest. Many issues contain Top Artists including; Powell, DeCarlo, Frazetta, Wood, Kirby, Crandall, Ward, Kinstler, Lou Fine, Severin, Cole, Krigstein, Davis, Heath & Others. About 340 different issues exist & many Completionists are attempting to gather them all. The Guide lists far too many under $20 with many as low as $12-14 in NM-, this needs to changed so that none list under $20; They are quiet scarce in VF/NM or Better & even $25 seems very low for the Minimum price for a NM- in Guide.
If they listed higher, perhaps more would come out of hiding & hit the marketplace. Those who like old cheap books usually buy Reading Copies. The Completionist generally prefer the Higher Graded copies. The scarcer titles tend to sell instantly when listed, as they are extremely undervalued in the guide & due for a big upward price adjustment. About 1/3 are Common, another 1/3 are Uncommon, with 1/3 being Scarce to Rare. I sell these for minimum prices of; G=$4; VG=$7; FN=$10; VF=$18, VF/NM=$24, with the More collectible titles sell for about 50-100% Higher.
MARVEL Comics;
The Marvel Movies continue to fuel demand for these classic back issues. Slated to eventually by releashed as MOVIES & characters to Buy Now include; Ant-Man, Avengers, Black Panther, Capt America, Iron Man 2, Luke Cage, Planet Hulk & Punisher, Thor; It was big News when DISNEY Studio's purchased marvel Entertainment, I expect we haven't even seen the the beginning of merchandising Marvel, as this is Disney's cash cow. The TV Cartoons Super-Hero Squad, Iron man Adv & Black Panther, plus the Animated DVD's, are getting the Younger Non-Comics reading crowd more interested in these characters. Although Marvel comics are typically the most plentiful, they also have had the highest demanded back issues for over 45 years, with no end in site. For the majority of Dealers worldwide, Marvel is the backbone to the back issue industry, many with over 2/3 their inventory as Marvel comics. (Many mistakenly think they are the only comics worth investing in)
Low Print Run Marvels of the Late Bronze Age into the Copper Age, have picked up in sales & are good lot term investments, especially in High Grades. Dealer inventories are LOW on a lot of these titles, as guide values are still low. Strict High grade investment quality copies are a lot scarcer than you would think, as there are a lot less copies around to choose from. *** These issue numbers are the Lowest Print Runs in the History of the Pre-1999 Era of each Title (only 100,000 to 150,000 copies per month, whereas most had 50-100% Higher print runs only a decade earlier); Avengers #382-402, Capt America #206-228, 286-294, 313-336, Conan the Barbarian #190-275, Daredevil #129-177, Ghost Rider #36-81, Incredible Hulk #423-474; Iron Man #297-332, Spectacular Spider-Man #235-263, Thor #328-338, 469-502, X-MEN #81-116; Since print runs are small on all these major titles, many lesser titles often had print runs of half these low levels.
We sold a lot of ODDBALL Comics & other Format items (Marvel Fanzines, Giveaway/Promo items, Memorabilia, Posters, Slurpee Cups, Calendar's, Portfolios, Digests, Treasury's, Paperbacks & Magazines, etc) because of our huge selection. The TNC - Traditionally Non-Collected Genre's of comics (Cartoon, Humor & Parody, TV/Movie, Romance, Teenage, Toy Related, TV, War, & Western) Sold steady as always, at 125-200% Guide, with G-FN the most requested. These are especailly popular among Completionists & those who like items that are scarce in any condition. The Rare "Pow Biff Pops" is a 1977 Promo Comic for Boston Pops, (with Spider-Man, Capt America, Batman & Superman) had only 250 printed, unsold copies were destroyed, only about 10 copies exist, rarely surfaces & is worth approx $1000-$2000.
All the Marvel 1970's HORROR reprint Titles, were Top sellers in all grades all thru the year. It seems eveyone was scrambling to complete all these sets & dealers inventories are at an all-time low. To keep them in stock, we pay more & we sell most at 125-150% Guide ranges. All these issues are Hot Sellers; Beware 1-8, hamber of Chills 1-25, Chamber of Darkness 1-8 and Special 1, Creatures on the Loose #11-15, Crypt of Shadows 1-21, Dead of Night 1-11, Fear 1-9, Giant Size Chillers (1975; 2nd series) #1-3, Journey into Mystery (2nd series) 1-19, Tomb of Darkness 9-23, Tower of Shadows 1-9, Special #1, Uncanny Tales (2nd series) 1-12, Vault of Evil 1-23, Weird Wonder Tales 1-22, Where Creatures Roam 1-8, Where Monsters Dwell 1-38; The three 1990's titles all had LOW Print Runs and already hard to find (with the exception of the semi common issue #1's) and all are great sellers; Book of the Dead 1-4, Curse of the Weird 1-4, Monster Menace 1-4. The New Material Horror Titles (Color Comics and B&W mags) Dracula, Fear 10-31, Frankenstein, Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Monsters Unleashed, Scarecrow, Supernatural Thrillers, Tales of the Zombie, War is Hell 9-15, Werewolf, are all in strong demand in all Grades. Most of the maga
1961-1964 Marvel Superhero comics were still big demand in every grade. 1965-1969 Marvels Superheroes were slower sellers, but all other Genre's of the 1961-1969 had steady sales; 1970 thru 1987 Bronze to Copper Age comics were in HIGH demand, in all grades. G-FN copies of 1965-1974 Marvels sold about twice as fast as VF or Better copies, mainly be cause buyers were more cardful with spending in the current economy. The More affordable 1975-1987 Marvels sold about equally well in Lower vs Higher grades. Dazzler #33(Michael Jackson Thriller-c/s) was the surprise marvel sell-out of the Year (at 600% Guide in Any grade), due to the hysteria of MJ's passing. 1988-1995 are still the Slowest selling Marvels, but actually sold quiet well as Overstocked Clearance SETS at 40-70% Off Guide, especially the Stong Character titles. MODERN 1996-2009 Marvels, have small print Runs (40,000 to 100,000 Copies) & most Dealers have small inventories of these years. Even a slight spike in Demand, can cause a large rise in Back Issue prices asked. New Mutants #98 (First DEADPOOL) is one of the hottest Modern Marvel comics, with almost all dealers sold out & it should list higher than the slow selling #87. VF to NM raw/unslabbed copies are selling for $35 to $75 each range on eBay. [a CGC 9.9 of #98 sold for $12,250 in 11/2009]; All other DEADPOOL titles & issues are also HOT, with many dealers asking $5 to $10 each or more, for Ordinary issues of the main series & all the smaller titles too. There has been a decline in demand & prices for CGC Graded Marvel comics on much of the more average & lower graded comics.
Meanwhile the scarce in High Grade comics, as well as the highest graded copies seem to be doing better, with some record prices still being set. I have a large Selection of about 20,000 Raw / unslabbed High Grade comics Listed on my Website (approx 2/3 are from the MANITOBA Collection), and have noted that Pre-1975 Sales have slowed by about 15-25% over the previous year, but with 1976 Up issues holding Steady and about even with last years sales. Many Collectors have resorted to Collecting only KEY issues & High Demand Titles, perhaps as a buffer against investmenst in the hobby. The 1975-1984 era Bronze Age KEY issues are in HIGH Demand in all Grades, but virtually all are currently Under-Valued in Guide in G,VG & FN grades, due to overly Wide Price to Condition Spreads in Guide. These KEYS are way up in demand, with many collectors (some probably part time dealers) buying multiple copies, with many selling well at 125-150% Guide (in G-FN) & with the Hottest issues at 150-200% Guide.
National Lampoon;
National Lampoon has cried to be listed in the guide for years. These classic mags are loaded with great material that is unknown or forgotten. In the 1950's & 1960's MAD was Arguably the Greatest Parody Mag of them all, but in the 1970's NAT LAMP took that Position. 90% of the issues we sell are in the G-FN range. We had about 100+ High Grade 1970's issues from the MANITOBA collection & sold about 50% of them at 150-200%+ Our normal VF range Prices. 1970-1973 Issues are SCARCE in VF or better, with 1974-1979 Issues are SCARCE in VF/NM or better. As of 12/2009 only 26 issues have been CGC graded, with only 13 in 9.2 or Better. With their Superb Roster of Artists, one would think many more would be slabbed. Included in the series is great art by; Adams, Bode, Frazetta, Jeff Jones, Kaluta, Morrow, Romita, Arnold Roth, Barry Windsor-Smith, Gahan Wilson, Berni Wrightson & many others. There are 40+ different Squarebound Special's & they are uncommon in ANY grade, with many Scarce to Rare. The stiff cardboard covers on the specials make them Scarce in strict VF or better. (We sell Specials at; G=$5; VG=$9; FN=$14; VF=$20; with Scarce & Rare issues bring 50-150% Higher); The 3 highest demand issues are; COMICS [ Special #7; 1974; Nick Fury agent of SHEILD Parody; Morrow-a; MAD parody; Jeff Jones-a; Bode-a; BEATLES Comics Parody; Blackhawk Parody; 9 pgs DEADMAN by ADAMS; 9 pgs ZIMMERMAN Comics by ADAMS; VF=$25 ]; Encyclopedia of Humor [1973; WRIGHTSON-c; FRAZETTA Back-c; Lesbian comics by Heath; Jones-a; BODE-a; FOLDOUT MAP Insert {often missing} still INTACT; Ted Kennedy Volkswagen page 29 {often missing} still INTACT; VF $25 ]; Very Large Book of Comical Funnies [ 1975; Tarzan Parody; ADAMS & Continuity studios-a; NEGRO Comics = Kaluta, Chaykin & Simonson-a; Ploog & Evans-a; LOST EC Comics = Simonson, Heath, WRIGHTSON, Chaykin & Reese-a; VF $20]; >> The 9 different issues published in 1993-1997 had Very Small Print runs & rarely show up even on eBay, they bring $15-$30+ each, if you can find them at all. The November/1998 LAST issue is incredibly hard to find & can sell for $50-$100 to Completionists. Price ranges; Nat Lamp #1($50-$200), #2-10(1970; at $30-$75 each); #10-21(1971 sell for $20-$50); #22-33(1972; sell for $12-30); 1973-1990 (Sell at $4 to $20 each price range) >>> Notable Sales; #1(FN $135); #20(Adams & Frazetta; VF $60); #22(1/1971; 1st Son of God by ADAMS; VF+ $60); #26(Conan parody by Barry Smith; FN $20); #34(Death issue; Red Hot Classic; “Buy this Magazine, or we will shoot this Dog!” Photo Cover; DEADMAN Comics by ADAMS; PLAYDEAD parody; VF $39); #55(10/1974; Red Hot Pubescence issue; VD COMICS by ADAMS; VF $30); Volume-2 #42 (Sword & Sorcery issue; Conan parody, Tolkien, Wrightson & Simonson; VF $25); Volume-2 #51(10/1982; O.C. & STIGGS; VF $25);
RELIGIOUS Comics;
I have specialized in carrying all Religious comics for over 25 years, have about the best selection around, thus consistantly sell many each year. The SPIRE titles are by far the most collected & are perhaps 35-40% of our entire yearly sales. There are 19 Archie Titles & they are always in the Highest demand at 125-150% Guide. The SCARCE Archie Spires titles (bring 200-250% Guide) include; Archie & Mr. Weatherbee, Archie's Circus, Archie's Date Book, Archie's Festival, Archie's Roller Coaster, Archie's Sports Scene & Christmas with Archie. There are about 38 Non-Archie Spire titles & many completionists that want them all (we sell them at 125-150% Guide). Spire comics are typically found in G or VG condition, with FN copies being uncommon & VF or better copies being scarce. Easily the Bestsellers (at 150-200% guide) are; HANSI the Girl who loved the Swastika, Hello I'm Johnny Cash, & Tom Landy & Dallas Cowboys. The Barney Bear Series (9 diff) is actually quite hard to put together;
Sunday Pix (David C Cook) are good sellers, with most being uncommon to scarcer, & low prices making them sell fast. Most dealers have only Zero to a handful of copies in stock & many never heard of the title. The 1949-1955 issues are all scarce to Rare, with over 700 issues in this series (one of the biggest titles in comics history), the set is nearly impossible to complete. Most buyers seem to try to Collect certain Storylines (Tullas, H.G. Wells, John Glenn Astronaut etc); The David C Cook Mass Market Paperback SERIES (1973-1977) are always in demand, (at $4-$12 each) including; (A) the Picture BIBLE for All Ages, (B) JESUS and the EARLY CHURCH (C) CHRISTIAN FAMILY CLASSICS, & (D) TULLUS in the Ancient Roman Empire; ** TOPIX (Catechetical Guild, thus related to Classics) had over 150 different issues, yet there are almost ZERO copies for sale on the market. Topix are among the most requested of all Religious comics & among the hardest to find in ANY grade. I know several buyers who have been trying to complete the set for over a decade & are having a hard time getting past the half way point. ** BOY'S LIFE Magazine has both Boy Scout & Christian Theme's & Includes COMICS. The 5 issue Gilberton Pub series Best from Boys Life collects some of these stories. Thus the MAG is both Classics illustrated & Christian Comic related & are collectible. ** CRUSADERS #1-17 art by Jack T. Chic, feature superb art, along with in your face, fire & brimstone type messages, loaded with religious propoganda = Thus they are recommended just for being over-the-top.
Life of POPE John Paul-II #1 is still the bestselling of all Christian comics at 200-300% Guide; Other consistent DC & Marvel sellers include Easter Story, Francis Brother of the Universe #1, Life of Christ, Limited Collectors Edition C-36 (Bible), Mother Theresa & Life of Christ, Pilgrims Progress, Screwtape Letters. With over 500 issues in the series, Treasure Chest is also one of the biggest titles in comics history. We have about 2000 in stock, so many fans come to us to fill holes in their sets. Most of what we sell are G-FN copies, with little demand for higher graded copies. Volume 1-10 (1946-1955) and Volume 26-27(1971-1972) are the best sellers at 125-150% Guide, with the other issues being more common & selling at 110-125% Guide; A good number of fans are trying to complete their favorite serialized stories & we often flip thru issues to find where stories start & end, as long as they can ID at least one issue in the series.
The Jack T. Chic "Tracks" mini comics (over 215 different, Not including variants & multiple printings, not listed in guide) are quite collectible with most selling at $1-$5 each, but Scarce to Rare titles at $10-25+; These have the Fire & brimstone type religious propoganda, with a different message in each title. With over 500 million sold worldwide in about 100 Languages, this is the Best-Selling comics series of all-time (Sold in Christian book Stores, by Mail Order & given out at churches, schools, etc); The 30-40 Year Old First printings are scarce, especially in higher Grades. Virtually none of the major comic Dealers carry these in their inventories, so collectors tend to hunt them down on ebay. I have carried a good stock of these for over a decade & typically sell over 100 of these in a given year. *** The Chic"Tracks" TITLES To Find (Higher Demand, most requested, Scarce & Rare titles) include; Angels?, Apes Lies and Ms. Henn, Attack, Baby Talk, back from the dead?, Big Deal, Big Spender, Birds and the Bees, Brat, Breakthrough, Burn Baby Burn, Cats, Caught, Crisis, Curse of Baphomet, Dark Dungeons, Deceived, Devil's Night, Don't Read this Book, Dreamer, Earthman, Fallen, Fat Cats, Fire Starter?, First Jaws, Framed, Frame Up, Gay Blade, Gladys, Going Home, Going to the Dogs, Good Ol' Boys, happy Halloween, Hit, Holocaust, Hunter, Is There Another Christ?, Kidnapped, Killer Storm - the Story of Noah , Kiss India Goodbye, Kiss the Prodestant Goodbye, Last Judge, Little Bride, Loser, Losing That Old Zippp, Lost Continent, Man in Black, Missionaries Are Fools, Miss Universe,Monster, Murph, My Name in the Vatican?, Nervous Witch, Operation Somebody Cares, Outcast, Outsider,Passover Plot, Payback, Pilgrimage, Plagues, Poor Little Witch, Promise, Pssst! Isn't it Time?, Ransom, Real Heat, Reverend Wonderful, Royal Affair, Sacrifice, the Scam, Scoundrel the Story of Jacob, Secret, Secret of Prayer, Secret Weapon ,Sky Lighter, Squatters, Story Teller, Superman?, Terminator?, That Crazy Guy, Thing, This Book is banned, Titantic, Traitor, Trap, Trial, Trick, True Path, Tycoon ,War Zone, Where's Rabbi Waxman?, Who Cares?, Who's Missing?, Who Me?, Why No Revival?, Wordless Gospel-New Guinea version,You Are About to See; If you can manage to gather all these scarce Titles, you will have assembled one of the scarcest Sets in Comics.
THEME & Completionist COLLECTING;
This area of the hobby continues to Fascinate collectors. The internet & eBay has made this type of collecting easier & more popular. Collecting by character, cover or content is an exciting & fun method of collecting & can easily become an obsession. Endless items can be found at low prices, yet new finds can be high value in satisfaction. The Driving Force to this type of collecting, is the incredible fun of the hunt. What exists is often unknown & like finding treasure when discovered. Many collectors have an ultimate goal of trying to get one copy each, of each & every appearance, anywhere on or in anything, of their favourite character or artist. Low print fanzines, odd format items, Promo items, parody items & memorabilia often bring top dollar in this very competitive arena, often with sky-high prices on the scarcest items. In addition many collectors are now competing to get one copy each, of each & every appearance, anywhere on or in anything, of their favorite character or artist. ** Character Favourites include; Capt.Marvel/Shazam, Edgar Rice Burroughs characters, Flash Gordon, Hanna Barbera, Howard the Duck, Hulk, JLA, JSA, Phantom, Pulp heroes, Robert E. Howard characters, Silver Surfer, Spider-man, Wolverine, Wonder Woman, etc. ** Artist Favourites include; Adams, Byrne, Ditko, Kirby, Miller, Perez, Steranko, Toth, Wrightson. ** To date, the strongest theme markets & items we sold includes 1 panel cameos, or larger, {Parodies included}, appearances in anything of; Golf & Sports, Spider-Man, Sherlock Holmes, Vampires.
THEME and Completionist Comic
Collecting; (Most people who Collect Themes prefer it on the cover,
but many also collect stories or for even single panels)
Abominable
Snowman / Bigfoot / Yeti, Amazon Women, Animals, Anniversary (issue
#25, #50, #100 etc; 10th, 25th, 50th, etc), Apes/Gorillas (esp. DC),
Armageddon / End of World, Atom bombs, Author adaptations (Poe,
Bloch, Lovecraft etc.), Bath / Shower, Beauty Pagent, Billiard / Pool
games, Black people, Black heroes, Bondage, Car/Drag racing,
Celebrity, Cheerleaders, Chess, Christmas / Santa, Circus/Carnival,
Comics, Countries of the World, Crossovers, Cross-dressing,
Decapitation, Devil / Satan, Dinosaurs, Dismemberment, Doctor /
Dentist, Dragons, Drugs, EC swipe/parody, Errors, Famous (Places,
People, Buildings, Time Periods, etc), Female heroes,
Flag,
Frankenstein swipe/parody, Frogman, Gimmick, GGA (“Good Girl”
art), Golf, Graveyard, Halloween, Headlights (Big Breasts), Hitler &
WWII, Horror, Horses, Indians, Infinity, Jack the Ripper, KKK/Racism,
Last issues, Lesbian suggestive panels, Lingerie panels, Mermaids,
Monsters, Monuments (Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty, etc),
Motorcycles, Mummy, Mythology, Negative, Nudity panels, Out of
character, Paper dolls, Pirates, Playing Card(s), Police (especially
if based on reality), Political / Politics / Politicians, Politically
incorrect panels, Pool / Billiards, Prison (especially if based on
reality; Alcatraz, Devil's Island, Sing Sing, etc), Racist,
RCMP/Mounties, Religion, Robots, Rock/Music star parody and
appearances, Santa Claus, Sci-Fi, Shrunken Head, Skull / Skeleton,
Slavery/Slaves, Space/SF/Rockets,
Spanking (Girls), Spider, SPORTS
cover/story (baseball boxing, football, basketball, fishing, hockey,
martial arts, skiing, soccer, surfing, tennis wrestling,
etc.),
Swimsuit & Bikini, Swiped, Taxi cabs, TV character
parody, UFO/Flying saucers, Time Machine / Travel, Titanic, Torture
panel, Vampire(s), Villians, Voodoo, Wars (Various ; WWII, Civil War,
etc.), Wedding, Werewolf, Whipping, Wraparound covers,
Witches/Witchcraft, Wonders of the World (Ancient & Modern),
Zombies & more...
.
TREASURY Editions;
These were Traditionally Not Widely Collected for items for DC & Marvel, most were not stored well, not bagged & over handled, thus the majority of the copies in the market fall into the G/VG to FINE condition ranges (Luckily they are very popular in Lower Graded Cheaper copies). Strict VF copies are uncommon, and most are Scarce in strict VF/NM 9.0 or better grades. I usually have about 95% of these in stock. **** The Bestselling title of the Year (selling at; G-FN=120-140% Guide; FN/VF-VF+=110-120% Guide; VF/NM to NM at 135-200% Guide) included; All New Collectors edition C-54(Superman vs. Wonder Woman), C-55(Legion marriage issue), C-56(Superman vs. Muhammad Ali), 59(Batman Strange cases), Captain America's BiCentennial Battles 1(Kirby/Smith-a), DC Special Series #27( Batman vs. Hulk), Giant Superhero Holiday Grab-Bag #1(1974), Limited Collector's Edition #23(House of Mystery), 25,37,44,51(all Batman), 32(Ghosts), 39,45(Super Villians), 41(Super Friends), 43 (Superhero Xmas), 46(JLA), 48(Superman vs Flash), 49(Legion), Marvel Special Edition featuring Spectacular Spider-Man #1(1975), Marvel Treasury #1-5, 7,14,15,17-28, Savage Fists of Kung Fu #1(Adams & Starlin-a), Star wars #1-3, Superman vs Spider-Man #1. *** Captain E-O 3-D #1(Michael Jackson-c/s) was the surprise Treasury sell-out of the Year (at 400% Guide in Any grade), due to the hysteria of MJ's passing.
UK / BRITISH Comics;
The HORROR comics by Alan Class, Miller & others, are among our bestsellers. They are B&W Squarebound giants (60-100 pages featuring Vintage USA Horror & SF titles from; Atlas/Marvel, Archie, ACG, Charlton, DC,etc); Alan Class 1950's-1980's sell for $7-$12, with early issues higher. Miller issues from 1960's sell at $12-$30 each ; The British Hardcover Annuals of 1950's thru 1990's are scarce in the USA, with only later issues seeing some US Direct Only distribution; They have many Major characters of the period, including USA & UK; Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Cartoons, Hanna-Barbera, Walt Disney, TV Series, Cowboys & Westerns, Music Stars. They are packed with Great covers, Comics, Art, Text stories, photo's, puzzles & Games, much of it is new material not seen in USA. (1950-1975 sell at $20-$50 each; 1976-1990+ sell at $12-$25 ea); The 1950's DC & Superman Annuals are Scarce to RARE & can command $50 to $200+;
I sold about 250+ UK War comic digests (Battle Picture Library, Commando, & War Picture Library, etc) contain all original UK material (excellent reading & art for WAR Comic Fans, including many True War based campaigns & stories) at; (1950's/60's = $6-$20 and 1970's-1980's = $2-$6 each) The Vinatge All-British New material weekly comics (Beano, Dandy, etc) of the 1937-1950's, are totally Alien products to American's, yet they set World Record prices each year in the UK (With #1's often over $5000+ each).
I have one of the World's biggest selections of UK Marvel, with over 10,000 in stock (1966-1990; $3-$12 ea); Plus we have about 1000 Marvel "POCKET BOOK" comics DIGESTS from the 1980-1982 era ($5-$12 ea); We have 1000+ British DC Realted Comics. The Bestselling Characters & Artists include; Action Force (GI JOE), Avengers, Batman, Captain Britian, Dr Who, Hulk, Planet of the Apes, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Superman, Transformers, Wonder Woman, X-Men, Adams, Bolland, Byrne, Grant, Kirby, Miller, Alan Moore, Perez, Starlin, Bryan Talbot, & others; Terry Austin, Alam Moore, Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Starlin & did original work in the 1970's UK Marvel never seen in the USA.
WARRIOR (1982-1985 B&W comics magazine; Bolland, Bolton, Alan Davis, Gibbons Alan Moore, Morrison, with Marvelman / Miracleman) are always in demand at $8-25 each; The classic 2000 AD weekly (Bisley, Bolland, Dan Dare, Dillon, Alan Davis, Fabry, Gibbons, Grant, Alan Moore, Nemesis, JUDGE DREDD, Robo-Hunter, Rogue Trooper, Slaine, Stronium Dog, Stainless Steel Rat, Bryan Talbot, & more) is a must for UK collectors, but little known in the USA; (#2 features the 1st app of Judge Dredd & sells for $200-1000); With Miracleman, Judge Dredd & top notch UK Creators, these 2 Titles are perhaps the greatest unknown/forgotten comics series' of the entire Bronze Age.
VARIANT
Edition Comics;
I
spent about 40-50 Hours assisting Jon McClure in Identifying &
verifying Variants for his large article in Guide #40. I have
discovered & actively been selling 1000's of these variants for
about a decade now. The Marvel's 30 & 35 cent Variants are now
among the Hottest of all BRONZE Age Comics, but we do not see many of
these up in Canada, always selling at above guide prices in all
grades. Star Wars #1(35 cent Variant) is Legendary & still brings
the top premiums, although it is one of the most common of these 35
cent variants, it has gone unfilled on 100's of Marvel Want lists for
up to 30 Years. (Yet regular printings of Star Wars #1 are slow to
DEAD sellers);
If
all the 35 Cent variants had been listed in the guide for the last 30
Years (Rather than 8 or so years), Iron Fist #14 would easily be the
#1 most valuable Bronze Age comic. The Star Wars #1 variant lists at
24 Times the price of the Regular edition, Yet the much scarcer Iron
Fist #14 lists at only 5 Times.
Canadian Newsstand VARIANT Cover Price Variant editions, were our bestselling variants of the year. These are NOT broken out & Listed in the Guide, because there are too many of them (over 5000?). I sell these Variants at 125-150% Guide for most & more for High Grade copies; I am often asked how many of these exist, or how Scarce are they; Canadian Print Runs are 10% or Less of American issue quantities. Thus if 200,000 Printed, about 20,000 would be Canadian, of those 50% would have been Direct & 50% Newsstand. Approx 75% of Direct editions still exist today in Collections & Comic Dealer inventories, but the Survival Rate of Newsstand copies is about 25% of the Original Print runs (because they were sold to Non-Collectors); Thus in this example; 5% of the Print run of 200,000 copies would have been printed as Canadian Newsstand VARIANT Cover Price Variant editions, with about 2500 copies surviving thru to today (approx 1.25% of the Original Print Run); thus they are about 50-100 Times Scarcer than a USA Direct Edition Printings. Because newsstand copies were sold to Non-Collectors, perhaps 90%, are Lower Grades (G thru FN); Only a Handful of these Variants have even been graded by CGC, perhaps because they have not yet realized some of them are Variants yet. . ** DATES for Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants Existing include; ARCHIE Comics & Digests (Giant from late 1950's thru Mid 60's; and 9/1982-4/1997 with Digest to 12/1997), CHARLTON (2/1983-8/1984), DC(all Newstand Comics, Magazines & Digests from 10/1982-9/1988), DELL (6/1956-1-2/1961 = 15 Cent variant; Back Cover variants with Strips in place of Ads; Giants with 30-35 cent cover prices), GOLD KEY / Whitman (5-8/1968, 3/1972-4/1973, 12/1977-3/1978, 1-7/1984), HARVEY(1959-3/1974 Giants with 35 Cent cover prices), MAD (some 1964 & 7/1978-7/1979), MARVEL (all Newstand Comics, Magazines & Digests from 10/1982-8/1986), WARREN (3/1977-3/1983); ** Recommended Variant items to Buy: Archie (First & Last issues, Cheryl Blossom app, Key issues), Charlton (Low print Horror), DC(Batman, New Teen Titans, Swamp Thing), Dell (all Back Cover non-Ad variants), GOLD KEY / Whitman (Donald Duck, Little Lulu, Magnus, Tarzan, Turok, Uncle Scrooge, all 1984 whitman & all Horror titles), Harvey (all Richie Rich & Hot Stuff Giants), Mad (Key issue popular culture cover & story issues), Marvel (G.I. Joe, Hulk, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Wolverine mini #2-4, X-Men, plus all scarce titles such as the Star cartoon titles), Warren (all Vampirella, Key art & appearance issues)
Similarily, from the 1950's thru to the 1980's, Dell, Marvel, DC, Gold Key & other publishers had sporadically printed UK / British Pence cover price editions the were published in the USA, but only sold in the UK. These simultaneously printed Original Canadian & UK variants have been "feared' to be reprints by collectors for decades & have thus been sold at discounted prices. Now that VARIANT fever has begun to catch on, fans are beginning to recognize that these same books are actually made in USA Variants that are 50-200+ Times Scarcer the the USA standard editions. Almost universally, less than 1% of these 1000's of variants, have ever been slabbed by CGC, perhaps because most are so very scarce in VF or better. There were many "ND" (Not Distributed) periods in UK, where NO copies (USA Printings or UK Printings) were DISTRIBUTED & thus those issues are scarcer overseas. (best Referanced in the 1997-98 McAlpine Guide #8); For us the bestselling of the UK Variants are those with the "MARVEL ALL-COLOUR COMICS" Banner across the top of the front cover, mostly in the 1974-1980 Bronze Age Era, at 120-150% GUIDE.
The early MARVEL Direct Editions VARIANTS (1977-1979) often mistakenly Sold as "WHITMAN Variants of MARVEL" comics are still in demand. These had print runs that vary from approx 2% to 10% of the quantities distributed as Newsstand editions. In 1980, distributors other than Seagate were suddenly able to sell non-returnable DIRECT editions to Comic shops & within a short time period, most Comic Shop carried only DIRECT editions. Thsu variant collectors are only focused on seeking out 1977-1979 Direct editions. These Early MARVEL DIRECT Editions (with Black Diamond on cover, with NO "cc" on cover, with NO UPC or obscured UPC Codes, or Blank White UPC Codes) when correctly identified can sell at 120-150% Guide to Variant Collector's; Whitman published Direct market White Logo printings from 2-6/1982 of many of their Gold Key/Whitman Cartoon tiltes, these sell at 150% Guide or more.
Limited Edition Modern Variants (mainly 1990-2010) including GOLD editions, Multiple Cover Variants, Convention editions, Dynamic Forces, Signed Copies, Hologram covers, Platinum, Polybagged specials, Signed & Numbered, are often red hot upon release. But most have performed well once 1-10 years old. It seems as soon the the newest HOT Limited Edition Variant gets released, the previous ones tend to get forgotten. Unfortunately this is what happened to Limited Edition Sports Cards, one can always make MORE new limited editions & the old ones get more & more diluted in value. The ones that seem to hold value & demand, are those in which there is constant demand for the Regular editions. I actually have a big selection of about 1000 Different, yet rarely seem to have the issues requested on want lists. These tend to be our slowest selling variants, possibly as most are modern as opposed to older Vintages. I buy low & sell high on these, to make them worthwhile. Given another 10-20 years, they should actually turn out to be a better long-term investment, especailly if you can buy them up at clearance sale prices. Giveaway & Ash Can Variants on the other hand, seem to be much better sellers & sell propotionately about twice as well as the current popularity of the titles, as there are many collectors who specialize in these type of variants.
Scarce 2nd, 3rd & beyond VARIANT Printings (Mostly from Marvel & DC comics in the 1980's to early 1990's), are becoming more & more sought items; Batman the Killing Joke (1988) had at least 11 Printings, with only the 1st Printings being Commom & a complete set near impossible to assemble. Typically 65-90% of the copies on the for sale market are First Printings, because dealers did NOT Stock-Up on Reprints. Batman #397-399, 401-403, 408-416, 421-425, 430-432 all had at least 2 printings each, some with 6 or More Printings. (About 50% have the Printings noted in the indicia inside. The other printings, one can only tell apart by comparing the AD's on the BACK Cover. Approx 75-100 different printings exist for these 23 different issues, an extremely difficult set to assemble) Other early 1990's & older second printings include; X-Men #248,270,275,282, New Mutants #87, 100, New Warriors #1, G.I. Joe #2-64, Amazing Spider-man #361,256,270, Silver Surfer #34, Star Wars #1-6, Transformers #7-9, many assorted other Marvel & DC comics. Variant Collecters are usually happy to pay multiples to complete these sets, because most still have low guide values in the $2-$5 price range. 2nd/3rd Printings of G.I. Joe #2-64 are sure to gain value as awareness spreads, as only a few are common & uncommon (mostly #2-10) while the later issues are uncommon to Scarce, a very TOUGH variant set to assemble, in ANY grade. ** Recommended Variant items to Buy: Batman, G.I. Joe, & Killing Joke.
WALT DISNEY;
We have about 20,000 Walt Disney Comics in Stock (all Publishers); The Live Action TV Series & Movie Classics comics were in steady demand, especially if the had Photo covers (with the exception of Nature / Science titles); Good artists (Toth, Manning, Buscema, etc), had even more demand; Scarecrow of Romney Marsh #1-3 were the Most requested Disney title of the year, near impossible to keep in stock (Bringing 150% guide in any grade); And the rare Black Hole #4 is in constant demand (at 300% Guide); All 1940-1949 Disney Titles were in Above Average Demand, in FA/G thru FN Grades. Most 1950-1962 Dell and 1970-1980 Gold Key Disney Comics were in Moderate demand (mostly in VG to VF grades); Most 1963-1969 and 1980-1984 WHITMAN Disney Titles were in Above Average Demand, in ALL Grades. CARL BARKS is considered by many to be the greatest Writer/Artist & Total Creator in Comics history (just check out the value of his original art), thus the multiple printings of his FINITE output. All these reprints have held back the value & saleability of Originals for many years, but that started to change, as they are up in demand again in all grades. In fact, high grade 9.0 or better CGC copies of Pre-1965 Carl Barks original (non-reprint) comics, are among the only Dell comics that bring strong multiples of guide. For the average DELL comic, about 15% of what we sell ships Overseas (Marvel & DC are at about 10%), but for Walt Disney comics it is closer to 25%. Several copies of Uncle Scrooge #310 sold on eBay this year, and all finished at over $100, easily the hottest modern Disney comic. The Bestselling Titles (G-FN= 120-140% guide; FN/VF-VF/NM= 100-115% Guide) included; Annette, Aristokittens, Black Hole, Chip N' Dale (GK) 1-20, Beagle Boys 1-10, Davy Crockett FC, Donald Duck all FC, and #81-120, 221-245, Donald in Mathmagic Land, Four Color (over 50% of the existing titles), Dynabrite titles, Goofy FC, Gyro Gearloose FC, Hardy Boys, Huey Dewey Louie Junior Woodchucks 1-20, Jungle Book treasury, Mickey Mouse FC, and #71-120, 205-218, & Dell Giants, Mickey Mouse in Magic Land, Moby Duck, Movie Classics (most Pre-1970 Cartoon & popular Live-Action), Scamp (GK) 1-20, Spin & Marty, Super Goof 1-20, 58-74, Tinker Bell FC, Uncle Scrooge 1-10, 39-70, 285-320, all VARIANTS (see Variant Comics in this Report), WD Comics & Stories #31-100, 250-300, 474-510, WD Paint Books , WD Presents, WD Showcase, Winnie the Pooh & Zorro;
WARREN,
Skywald & Misc Horror Comic Mags;
Creepy,
Eerie & Vampirella account for 90% of Warren Sales, yet represent
less than 1/2 their total output. These 3 titles are among our
Highest Turnover Series out of all Back issue comics. Creepy has
emerged as the bestselling title. Vampi was hampered slightly this
year, as they are the most expensive of the main 3 comic Tiltes.
Famous Monsters of Filmland is the highest Valued set (about $15,000
in VF), but is a Photo/Article mag, thus not in guide. >>>
The High Demand WARREN Mags & Scarcer issues Include;
Blazing
Combat #1 & Anthology (G-FN=400% Guide; 8.0-9.2=200%), Comix
International #1(200%), CREEPY #32(200%), #9, 11, 19, 29, 76, 79,
146(150%), CREEPY
#10,14,17,18, 34, 39, 46,47, 50, 53, 63, 70,71,78, 85, 91,113,132-145
(125% Guide); Best
of Creepy Paperback (VF $30), Dracula (TPB; 150%), Dracula (UK New
English Library mag editions 1-12; VF = $14 ea); Edgar
Allan Poe's Fall of the House of Usher HC and SC (150%); Eerie
#17(400% Guide); #1, 23(200%); #8, 25, 48, 135(150%); Eerie
#18, 24, 28, 38-41,45, 60, 81,125,128, 130-134,136-139 (125% Guide);
Famous
Monsters #1(VF=$1800; FN=$900; VG=$600), 2-10(VF = $300-$900 ea),
11-30(VF = $150-$300 ea), 1962 Yearbook #1(VF $250), Famous
Monsters (Dynacomm) #200(1993), 205(VF $35 ea);
#211-213,219,221,223,224(VF $22 ea); FM
Convention Books (1974, 1975; VF = $75+ ea), FM Paperbacks(VF =
$75-100 ea), Flintstones at New York World's Fair 1964(150%), HELP
magazine (Kurtzman) (Note; Spines SPLIT easily, thus tough in VF or
better) #1(VF $75+); #2-5, 9, 13,15, 16,21-26(VF=$30-$50); HELP
Paperbacks #1,2(VF $35); Heidi Saha (500 Printed? Very RARE; FN =
$500+); Monsters & Heroes (Warren Related; Pub by Larry Ivie;
1967-1969; VF = $30-$50); MONSTERLAND / Forrest J. Ackerman's
Monsterland (1984-1987) #1-17(VF= $12-20); Monster World (replaces
Famous Monsters #70-79) #3(VF $60+); #4(VF $35+); Odd World of
Richard Corben (200%), On
the Scene / Freakout #NN (#1; Fall 1967 = 125%); Screen
Thrills (1962-1965) #1,10(VF $75+); 2-4(VF $50); Spacemen (Note;
Spines SPLIT easily, thus tough in VF or better) #1,3(VF=$200+);
#2,4-8 & Yearbook (VF=$50-$75); Spirit Special (Mail Only Approx
1500 printed = 150%), Outer Space Spirit (TPB; VF $35); Teen
Love Stories 1-3 (115-125%), Tiny Tim(125%); VAMPIRELLA
#1,3,112,113 (125-135% Guide)
#2,4-8,11,12,16,19,32-34,36,41,45,46,48,49,51, 52,61,63,64,
77,78,89,90, 100-111(115-125% Guide); #32-34(Beware; Spines SPLIT
easily); Annual #1(125%), Special #1(Softcover=125%; rare
Hardcover=200%), Vampirella Paperbacks #1-3(VF $30), 4-6(VF $50);
Vampirella UK mags #1-4(VF $50 ea); Warren Presents #13, 14(150%);
Wildest
Westerns/Favorite Westerns of Filmland (Note; Spines SPLIT easily,
thus tough in VF or better) #1(VF=$200; G=$50); #2(VF=$100; G=$35);
#3-6(VF=$60; G=$20); Lower Graded Reading copies were the fastest
sellers. Demand for High Grade Vampirella was down about 1/3 this
year, probably due to higher prices. Creepy & Eerie #41-80 were
the most requested issues in High Grades (Probably because there are
less copies on the Market than the #40 and Lower number issues)
The Sci-Fi Movie / TV mags have been slower sellers for the last 4-6 Years. The exceptions include these decent Sellers; CINEFANTASTIQUE, Cinefex, Cinemagic, FILES Magazines ($8-$30 ea); **** The HORROR Movie / TV mags have been in Constant steady demand. The Bestselling mags include; Castle of Frankenstein (#1-11=VF=$35-$100; #12-25= $15-$35); Fangoria (Scarce issues=$25-100; Regular issues=$5-$20 each), Gorezone ($5-$20 each); Mad Monsters (Charlton; VF=$35-$90); **** The better selling Crossover mags include; Femme Fatales & Scream Queens ($5-$20 each); Comix Scene ($15-$40); Famous Monsters (see Warren); House of Hammer ($10-$30); Media Scene ($8-$25 each); Monster Times ($8-$40 ea)
The MISC Horror mags by Eerie Pub, Globe, Hamilton, Major, Modern Day, Stanley, Tempest Pub, & World Famous, are in steady demand, with Affordable reading Copies, outselling FN/VF thru VF+ copies by about 6 to 1. There are a growing number of Collectors starting to assembl;e sets in VF/NM or Better. It is the Over the Top Shocking Gruesome colorful covers that are the biggest appeal in these. The interiors also include; Blood & Gore, Bloody Stake thru the Heart, Bondage, Decapitations, Severed Heads & Limbs, Skeletons,Torture, Vampires, Werewolf's & More. Stanley pub mags have a lot of Pre-Code horror reprints, thus added appeal. The 1966-1970 issues and the Low Print 1980-1983 issues are the Scarcest & are in constant demand in ANY grade. All First issues are in aboult double the demand; These Hotter titles Bring (VF-VF/NM=115-125% Guide; G-FN=140-150%); MONSTERS ATTACK, MURDER TALES, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, TALES OF THE KILLERS, TERRORS OF DRACULA, WEB OF HORROR, WEIRD VAMPIRE TALES; These titles Bring (VF-VF/NM=110-120% Guide; G-FN=125-140%); ADVENTURES IN HORROR, CHILLING MONSTER TALES, CHILLING TALES OF HORROR, DREAD OF NIGHT, GHOUL TALES, GRAVE TALES, HORROR STORIES, HORROR TALES, MAGGOTS, SHOCK, STRANGE GALAXY, STRANGE UNKNOWN, TALES FROM THE TOMB, TALES OF VOODOO, TERROR TALES, WEIRD (Eerie Pub), WEIRD WORLDS, & WITCHES TALES;
Nightmare, Psycho & Scream (the SKYWALD Mags) are other compared to Warren mags, but they did not have a big inventory of Back issues upon folding, as did warren, thus they are 3-6 Times harder to find than warren mags of the same time period. Very few Dealers can manage to keep these in stock & in fact most are typically sold out of 75-90% or more of all issues. There is an endless stream of collectors seeking to complete all sets, thus they sell in ALL Grades (at 135-160% Guide)
WHITMAN;
The WHITMAN Variants of DC comics (Action, ALL-NEW Collectors Edition, Batman, Brave & Bold, DC Comics Presents, Famous First Edition, Flash, Green Lantern, JLA, Legion, New Adv Superboy, Sgt Rock, Superboy & Legion, Superman, Super Friends, Warlord, Wonder Woman) are still in high demand by Variant Collectors. Approx 160 are confirmed to exist & many are going after completing the set. About 75% of them are uncommon, but the Last 25% are Scarcer & a bit of a challenge to complete, in any grade. As these where sold mainly in Chain Stores direct to the general public, survival rate is low (They are about 20-50 Times scarcer than standard DC printings), and most are tough to find in even a strict VF or better. High Grade VF/NM or Better copies are fast sellers (at 150-200% Guide), as only a low quantity have so far been graded by CGC. MARVEL Whitman' variants DO NOT exist, but are in fact lower print run early DIRECT Market variant editions from the 1977-1979 era. (See Jon McClure's Variant article);
The Pre-pack Only Whitman comics from 8-12/1980 issues are now well known to SCARCE (bring 150-300% Guide), with 1983-1984 issues are uncommon (120-200% Guide). Whitman printed at least 31 Direct Market White Logo Variants from 1981-82 (Bring 125-150% of Yellow Logo regular editions) Nine 40 cent Whitman Reverse Variants exist of 50 cent Whitman comics (11/1980-1/1981) selling at around 200% of the standard 50 Cent edition prices; 47 x Rare 75 cents Canadian newsstand VARIANT cover price editions exist for all Whitman's published in 1984 (Bringing 200% of regular 60 cent edition prices); The majority of Gold Key Whitman variant collectors, prefer Raw / Unslabbed copies, over the higher priced CGC copies (with the exception of the issues that guide at over $100)
About 69% of all Gold Key comics published from 11/1971 thru 2/1980 are now proven to exist as Whitman Variant Editions (over 1600 Variants NOT listed in the Guide), these are uncommon to Scarce, with some Rare, (on Average these are 5-50 Times Scarcer than regular GK printings) with a complete set being near impossible to collect to until this date , as what even exists has NOT been known before this point in time (see Jon McClure's VARIANT article, for the near complete known issues list); (Cartoons = 125-150% of GK issue values); (Horror, Adventure & SF Titles, such as Boris Karloff, Star Trek, Tarzan = 150-200% of GK issue values) … DOUG SULIPA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARKET REPORT for #39(2009) Overstreet Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa;
INTRO;
My 8,000 Square Foot Warehouse is bursting at the Seems with over 600,000 Pounds (by Weight) of Inventory. I needed to make the choice if I wanted to built an expensive addition to my Warehouse, or begin the Huge Process of Clearing out Overstocked items & I decided on the latter. Since the great Majority of my Overstock, is 1975-1995 Marvel's & DC in Middle Grades (VG-VF) are started with those, making up 50 to 150 issue sets, moving them at a Blow Out Sale on my Website & on eBay. Although I barely made a dent in the 200,000+ issues I want to clear out, I did manage to clear out over 10,000 comics in the 40-65% Off Guide Price ranges. The big surprise was that, even though I had Spider-Man, X-Men & Ghost Rider sets, the #1 most Popular was Rom #1-75, Ann 1-4 (15 VF Sets Sold @ $99 ea), followed by Micronauts #1-59, Ann 1-2(11 VF sets @ $75 ea) and Defenders #31-152(9 VF sets @ $125 ea) & Strangely enough no one wanted Wolverine #1-74;
When we next get some downtime, I am hoping to get to Clearing out some Overstocked VG sets of 1970's Archie's, Charlton's, Gold Key's. To my delight, as a Side-effect of Clearance Sales, I found that Low Grade, hard to put together uncommon 25-100 issue sets of 1950's & 1960's Comics, would bring 100-125% Guide (Especially Dell, Disney, Harvey & Gold Key Cartoons, Tarzan, TV & other Popular Culture Titles);
Demand for Popular KEY issues was huge as usual, Most rarely remained in stock for Long in VF/NM or Better. The twist this year, is that many fans feels that most of the major Marvel & DC Key issues of the 1966-1980 Era, are undervalued in G-FN Grades & we started selling out of a lot of them. Thus I started to buy many of these G-FN issues at 60-90% Guide & Flip them swiftly at 135-200% Guide; High Grade Marvel & DC comics were the much requested, but my selection of 1974 and Earlier issues in VF/NM or High continues to Dwindle. But, I did offer a Huge Selection of 15,000+ RAW comics (90% from 1975 thru 1987 era) in High Grades on my Website (Most from the Manitoba collection) in the 9.0 thru 9.8 and sold over 2000 of them (at 135-300% Guide) with nearly Zero returns, due to my Strict Grading.
Even though I do well with the above mentioned High grade comics, what I have become the best know for among my Clients over the last 38 Years, is having the Biggest selection on the Planet of affordable Different Comics from the 1950's thru the Present. I mostly stock to Comics in the $2-$100 each Price Range (But I do have a decent selection of Over $100 comics); I do not normally carry Higher Graded $200-$10,000+ Up Silver Age; Collectors from around the World Come to us to Complete their Sets of Comics that the majority of Dealers do not both with (Archie, ACG, Charlton, Classics, Dell, Digests, Dennis the Menace, Fanzines, Gold Key, Harvey, Magazines, Religious, Treasuries, Walt Disney & More); Oddball comics have become my #1 Specialty & it is commonplace for collectors to buy 50, 100 & even 300 comics at a time at full retail, as they are so very happy to find them all in one place, saving time & postage, while also having the satisfaction of crossing most numbers off want lists. Naturally many of these comics are uncommon to scarce, so G-FN copies are all I am able to re-stock on many many titles, but that is OK, as they are also the most popular & requested grades for us. It is commonplace for us for example, to get 5 want lists in a row, all asking for the Lowest availiable graded complete Reading copies in stock. Reading copies are so popular on some titles, that I sometimes only have FN and VF copies left in stock. I often find myself buying G-FN copies uncommon to scarce high demand comics, that Guide under $10, at 60-100% Guide, and pricing them at 135%-200% Guide. When I list them on my site, many resell swiftly within a few weeks to months.
ACG Comics;
We sold a bunch of Hero issues (Magicman, Nemesis, Magic Agent) of Adv into Unknown, Forbidden Worlds, mainly to fans trying to complete runs (G-FN=120-140% Guide; VFup=110-120% Guide), The Pre-Hero issues were in High Demand (G-FN= 135-150% Guide; VF up =120-130% Guide), HERBIE comics are a fondly remembered Cult favorite & sold well, as did Gasp, Magic Agent & Midnight Mystery (G-FN=120-140% Guide; VFup=110-120% Guide); the HERBIE one page Original material (all different?) Comic strips & Cartoon AD's where Great Sellers to Completionists, as I have them all Ientified on my Website (Forbidden World's #125, 126, Unknown World's #20, 31-39, etc; G-FN= 135-150% Guide; VF up =120-130% Guide), There was resistance on most VF or better copies, especially on the pricier 1950's issues. Reading copies of all 1950's Titles were in High Demand, as many collectors were filling in gaps in their sets. ** There is good Demand for everything printed by this Publisher, including; Blazing West, Commander Battle and the Atomic Sub, Cookie, Funny Films, Giggle, Ha Ha, Hooded Horseman, Kilroys, Lovelorn, Romantic Adv, Operation Peril, Out of the Night, Soldiers of Fortune, Spy Hunters & Young Heroes (G-FN= 125-150% Guide; VF up =110-125% Guide),
ARCHIE comics;
About 30 Years ago, I discovered there are many 1000's of ARCHIE Collectors around the world, that are unknown to most other dealers. This inspired me to specialize in them, & to go out to buy all the Archie collections I could find. I ended up with our current inventory of 35,000+ Archie Comics & 10,000+ Digests, & they are by far one of our bestsellers, with a turnover rate that is about 500%better than Marvel or DC comics. Most Pre-1988 Archie's are Scarce in VF & Rare in VF/NM. About 15% of my Clients are looking for VF or better copies, but usually only under 10% of my Pre-1988 Archie's attain this Lofty Grade. *** The most requested in VF or better (with most tough to locate), include; All DAN DeCARLO art comics, Betty & Veronica, Josie, Red Circle Horror, Neal Adams, Cheryl Blossom, Giants, Monster covers, Sabrina, 1974-1985 Digests, #1,100's and Last issues & all other Key issues (Bringing 120-135% Guide). ** The 1990's Hanna-Barbera Titles bring 200% Guide on average & continue to get scarcer, with Scooby Doo the most requested; TMNT Adventures #50-72, Specials #6-10, Sourcebook 1-2, & Digests, plus Mighty Mutant Animals 5-9, are low Print items, hard to find in any grade as almost all dealers everytwhere are sold out, but I managed to buy a couple collections at over 100% Guide & sell them at 200-400% Guide in VF thru VF/NM average grades. Most of the 1980's Cheryl Blossom appearnce stories sell for 200% Guide in any grade.
Over 90% of our Archie back issue sales are for FA and G-FN Condition copies, as condition is not a big factor for most buyers. There were not actually a lot of different 1941-1950 Archie's published as they only had a handful of titles in the period, thus demand usually outstrips supply by 2-1 to 3-1 depending on the issue & most easily sell at 120-150% Guide, especially if lower graded reading copies. 1951-1960 Archies are also in lower supply, as most are locked away in permanent collections & it can often take collectors years to complete their runs of titles from these years (Most FA and G-FN copies we sell at 120-150% Guide); I have seen many buyers get into real battles at eBay auctions, often paying 200-400% Guide for Overgraded copies. Most 1960's Archies are uncommon & completing sets can still be quite challenge. Issues from the 1970's seem to be the most plentiful years. From about 1978-1984 Archie had an implosion similalr to that at DC, cancelling about 1/2 their Titles, and cutting back others from monthly to Bi-Monthly or Quarterly. In this same era the Digests started to rival & then surpass the sales of the standard comics. I surmize that they realized that they would eventually run out material to reprint, thus from 1987-1990 & on, they started to publish regular format comics once again. But the Print Runs of the regular sized comics never got large again, as the Digests became their eternal bestsellers. The comics presumably wer meant form collectors, & the Digests became the inexpensive compact Trade Paperback Reprints for the General Public & readers worldwide. I have found that restocking issues missing in our inventory from 1983-2008 Achie's is much tougher than most issues of the 1965-1982 era. Most buyers are not too concerned about condition, on comics that guide out at $7 or Less in Grade, (Guide value becomes irrelavant in this range) thus I find almost no price resistance when pricing G-FN copies at 135-175% Guide, as is need to keep many of these items in stock.
ATLAS / Marvel;
We have in stock a decent selection of about 1000 Atlas/Marvel comics & as always they were very popular. When compared to 1961-1965 Marvel comics, this much scarcer 1950s incarnation, still seems a relative bargain & many Marvels fans find them dabbling with these highly collectible comics. This year the bestsellers were the Western & Teenage titles. We could have sold a lot of Horror & SF tiltes, but are currently low in stock. Many fans grew up on the 1970's Marvel reprints (Dead of Night, Monsters on the Prowl, Where Monsters Dwell, etc) and now what the Original's & especially the issues that have not been reprinted. [Alan Class of UK, reprinted a lot more Atlas/Marvel Horror/SF comics than US Marvel ever did & Readers are advised to pick some up, most sell for only $6-12 ea]; Joe Maneely started at Timely in 1949 & became Atlas's main workhorse by the Mid-1950's (in the Period when Timely was transorming into Atlas) until his tragic death in 6/1958, & is fondly remembers for his 100's of dramatic Covers. After his passing, Jack Kirby came along & more than filled that void, transforming most of the Horror comics into the Tongue-in-cheek Big Lumbering Monster type stories, along with Steve Ditko who rendered many memorable fantasy stories. Stan Lee, along with the dynamo Team of Kirby & Ditko, led to the creation of the Marvel superheroes & that changes comics forever. I sometimes wonder what direction comics would have gone, if Joe Maneely had remained amomg Atlas' cheif artists. Many Joe Maneely covers & art are still not listed in the guide, but i have noted a growing number of collectors are mor elikely to buy comics that i list as having his artwork. Any & every Atlas with art by Dan DeCarlo, is Red Hot ( selling at 125-150% Guide); Decarlo's Millie the Model #18-93 are the most requested of all Atlas comics (FA, & G-FN copies= 150-200% Guide; VF or Better copies = 125-150% Guide); The Crime/Mystery, Funny Animal, Sports, & Spy Titles were slower sellers, but still uncommon (selling at 110-120% Guide); ** Horror/SF, Humor/Parody, Romance & War titles were good solid sellers (G-FN= 120-140% Guide; VF up =110-120% Guide);
CHARLTON;
In the 1970's when some of the Comic-Code restrictions were Lifted on Horror comics(allowing Vampires, Werwolves etc), Marvel & DC led the way to a Boom in the sale of Horror Comics & Mags (Tomb of Dracula, Werewolf by Night, House of Mystery, Swamp Thing, etc). Naturally both were already publishing Horror/Mystery/SF Titles, as was Charlton, but they were suddenly less BLAND, a lot of top art talent migrated to these titles & fans started buying Horror comics in Droves. Warren & others were already publishing great Horror, but in much higher priced & less accessable B&W Magazine formats. Charlton gladly jumped on the bandwagon & produced 100's of Horror comics under many Titles. They had Smaller Print runs than most of the other major publishers & an even lower Survival Rare. Collectors of that period still considered anything published by Charlton to be Junk, judging that Marvel & DC were them most collectible comics. Those that did not bother to check them out, missed a lot, especially since most of the artwork of Tom Sutton & Steve Ditko appeared in Charlton's thru all these years. While most fans say that the 1970's Ditko art, just does not compare to his 50's classics, an amazing amount of fans now collect all these comics. Perhaps most of Tom Sutton's best art appeared in his Charlton years & many fans consider him on of the Top-10 Horror comics artists of all-time List & most certainly of the Bronze Age. Non-Charlton fans have no idea of what they are talking about. Since I have a Comic Shop in Winnipeg thru most of the 1970's, I lived thru this Horror Boom period & it was because of this I got heavily involved in stocking all Charlton comics. I now have the world's biggest selection of Charlton's, with over 35,000 in stock. Usually I have in stock 90% of all 1961-1986 issues ever printed and about 35% of the 1946-1960 issues Printed & because I specialize in them, our Turnover Rate is excellent & always do well with them.
Charlton did manage to publish a lot of Poor Art & Stories, so many dismiss them, without looking closer. But, for those that take the time to look, it turns out to be one of the most facinating publishers of all-time. They offer one of the widest variety of GENRE's of all major publishers (Adult Cartoons, Cartoon, Crime, History, Horror, Humor/Parody, Liscenced Characters, Monsters, Movie, Hot Rod, Jungle, Martial Arts, Mythology, Mystery, Newspaper Comic Strip, Pirates, Pop Music Stars, Radio, Romance, Science, SF, Soap Opera, Superhero, Teenage, TV, War, Western); They published Comics, Digests, Magazines & Non-Comic mags (Adult Cartoon, Crossword & Puzzle mags, Horror Film mags, Kung-Fu & Karate mags, Sick mag, True Romance mags, True Western mags); With minimal control by Editor's, many creators did a lot of experimenting & produced a lot of Great & often forgotten & overlooked Classics. Charlton had a Lot of PAINTED covers thru the 1970's, wheras most other publishers dropped them. These Artists Produced a Lot of Great Work at Charlton; Aparo, Boyette, Buscema, Byrne, Cuti, Ditko, Giordano, Glanzman, Himes, Wayne Howard, Sanho Kim, Larson, Lopez, Rocke Mastroserio, Morisi, Don Newton, Severin, Staton, Tom Sutton, Wildman, Williamson, Wood, Mike Zeck;
HORROR / SF, Monster(Gorgo, Konga) & Superhero/Hero (including Flash Gordon, Phantom, Blue Beetle, Judomaster, etc) & TV titles (Emergency, Six Million dollar Man & Space 1999) were again the bestsellers & the Most Requested in HIGH grades, although moving well in all grades (G-FN= 125-150% Guide; VF-NM+ =120-300% Guide); We sold about 150 High Grade & MANITOBA collection Charlton's in 9.0-9.6 Grades at 125-300%+ Guide; Charlton's are all good steady sellers in all grades, but 90% of our NON-Horror/Superhero Sales Sold in the FA/G to FN/VF condition ranges, most are Scarce in VF or better (G-FN= 120-150% Guide; VF or better =110-125% Guide); The Hanna-Barbera tiltes are eternal bestsellers, especially in the more affordable in Mid to Lower grades. There is a lot of demand for all Hanna-Barbera issue #1's in VF or Better conditions, to key issue collectors. PHANTOM Comics are popular among American buyers, but are among the most requested Charlton's to overseas buyers, as he has a huge Cult Following in Europe, British Colonies & Australia. The Western & War titles have a rather Large following, with many fans trying to complete thier sets. Sam Glanzman is a big favorite among the war comics fans & he did much of his best work at Charlton.
CLASSICS
ILLUSTRATED & Related;
We
had a BOOM years for Classic Comics, selling 100's of issues mainly
in the $15 to $200 each Price ranges. We have perhaps about 5000
Classics in stock & they are among our best Turnover items in
stock, & naturally selection makes all the difference. The
biggest single factor that made buyers come to us, is our big
selection including examples of all the various covers & art
variants for each issue. Several of the buyers, already had complete
sets of all the cheaper Painted Cover & Later interor art issues,
but now wanted to add examples of the Original interior art &
Line drawn covers to their collections, resulting in several orders
for 50-100+ books. We also had several buyers who had complete sets
of Originals, or editons with Original Covers & Art, but now
wanted examples of 2nd & 3rd covers & art printings. There
are 199 interior Art Variations in the set & 272 different covers
in a complete set, and obtaining all these variations is now the
major goal of many collectors. The most serious collectors, who had
near complete to complete sets of Original's, nearly all wanted only
the First printings of the Painted covers for #1-80 and the 1st
Prints of 2nd & 3rd Cover & interior Art printings, as they
are widely viewed as a new type of "Original". Most First
new Cover & Art issues are uncommon to scarce & most are
tough to find in even FN or better. Since we get a lot of action on
these, I bought up a lot of them at 75-100% Guide from other dealers
to boost our inventory selection & priced them in the 150-200%
Guide range, the result was a nearly 90% Sellout in a 6 month period
(over 200 issues), with no price resistance. Canadian Variant
Editions (NOT in Guide) of #1-74 are Still in high demand, especially
those with new illustrated Text stories that do not appear in US
editions & many have HRN numbers that do NOT exist on US
printings (Printings with HRN #'s within 5 digits of the issue
number, I usually price at 50% of the Price of the US Original; Other
CDN Variants I price at 150-300% US Prices); The Rarest Canadian
Variants are #17-20 (BLANK inside covers = VG @ $100+ ea), and issue
#11;
There is a definite shortage of most issues of Classics illustrated #109-169 in the marketplace, because 49 of the 61 of these issues had 5 or Less printings. There is an overabundance of issues #1-50, as most issues had 10-20+ Printings (15 printings average). Most people who collect classics have the long term goal of completeing the set. Yet the common editions of Low # issues guide out at almost the same prices as the scarcer high numbers, thus there is a permanent marketplace shorage of most issues from #109-169. To solve this problem in my own inventory, I price the cheaper reading copies of my #109-169's in stock, at 50-100% Higher than my #1-50 reading copies. As they are difficuly to restock, i usually need to buy my #109-169's at 75-100% Guide from other dealers, but I am well rewarded by having many buyer who order 50-100 books at a time from us, because we have 'em & most other sellers do not.
CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED that had One or only a few Prinings are ALWAYS in big demand (any printing & all Grades = 120-150% Guide) includes; #14,20,21,33,40,43,44,53,66,71,73,74,84,110,113-118,129,161-169. ** Scarcer CLASSICS JUNIOR's include; #506, 514, 525-529, 532-534, 537,540,542,543,547,553,555, 556,558-565,568,571-573,575-577 (FA-VG = 200-300% Guide; FN-VF = 150-200% Guide); About 1/3 of all Junior's are Common (in ANY printing), another 1/3 are Uncommon & about 1/3 are Scarce, and there is a permanent shortage of most issues from #553-577 (because they had less printings). The UK British Classics #143, 146-150, 156, 157, 159,162 with All-New Stories never seen in USA are in very high demand (VG/FN = $100+ each) (#158A James Bond Dr =$500; #161 Aeneid = $200+; #163 Argonauts = $300+); We sold a lot of Classics related items, mainly to Collector's that had ost everything else, including; Acclaim, Amar Chitra Katha (India Mythology & Legend), Berkley/First, Boys Life, British Classic Editions, Dell (related Four Color & Movie classics), Dell Junior Treasury, Famous Authors, Gold Key (related Movie Classics), Golden Legacy(history of Black People), Golden Picture Classics, King Classics (a tough series to complete), Marvel Classics, Marvel-UK Classic Graphic Novels & Digests, Mexican Junior series, Moby Books (Big Little Book format #4501-4536) , Pendulum, Pocket Classics, Power Records, Tele-Guide (Graphic Novels), World illustrated & all others.
There are still quiet a few Classics completionists, looking to get one copy each of every printing of #1-169 (nearly 1400 Variations); Most of the 2nd Printings (1943 up) thru to reprints with HRN #161(3/1961) are Undervalued, especailly those that Guide for nearly the same value as the More Common HRN#164-169 Printings; HRN#161 and Earlier Reprint printing comics would grade out at about G/VG average, whereas the average HRN#164-169 Reprint Printings would grade out at about FN. Completionists constantly tell me, that many HRN#161 and Earlier Reprint printing, are very tough to find in even strict VG or FN, thus I have gone out of my way to stock some of these, priced at a still inexpensive 150-200% Guide & have done quite well with them. There is a GLUT on the market of multiple copies Common HRN#164-169 Printings (Especially of issues #1-50), that fosters the illusion that Classics Comics are COMMON, when that is only true for perhaps less than 1/3 of the various 1400 Printings.
COMIC DIGESTS;
We sold nearly 1000 Comic Digests this year, with nearly 90% in the FA/G thru FN/VF condition ranges & mostly to Buyers buying near complete sets, or Filing in numbers off their Want Lists. When I had my Retail Stores in Winnipeg (1974-1996) I always carried all the various Comics Digests & always did well with them, thus I saved a few copies each for Back Issues inventiry thru all these years & bought all the collections in site, thus I Literally sold perhaps 30,000 Digests over the last 35 Years, and have a current inventory of 10,000 Archie Digests & 5,000 other Comics Digests. High Grade Pre-1995 Comic Digests in VF 8.0 to VF/NM are Uncommon to Scarce, with 9.2 to 9.6 copies being Rare. Very Few have yet been graded by CGC. We located perhaps the Highest Graded existing set of Mystery Comics Digest #1-26 and Sold 85% of them as Raw copies in the 200-350% Guide range; There are High Grade collectors for Virtually all Pre-1995 Digests, (Archie, Charlton, Classics related, DC, Dennis the Menace, Gold Key, Harvey, Marvel, Skylark & Walt Disney related) but not many HG copies exist to satisfy demand. Luckily, most collectors are happy with average Middle Grade copies. There are 16 Different Titles known (plus at least 7 different Cover Price Variants) for the Rare Charlton related Xerox / Now Age Comic Digests, & these are our Minimum Selling Prices (VF/NM=$50; VF=$40; FN=$30; VG=$20; G=$14); The Harvey Later 1986-1994 Digests are by far the toughest sets to complete, with most issue #1-5's being uncommon, but with #6 up & Latter Half of each Larger set being scarce to Rare.
DC COMICS;
BATMAN has been hot for many years now, but the film Dark Knight has fueled the fire. With Dark Knight now entrenched as the #2 Box Office Hit of all-time, there is no doubt that he is one of the most recognized fictional character's in history. Superman historically is recognized as DC's main character. In the Golden Age, Batman & Superman sell equally well. From 1955-1962, Batman sells about 50-100% Faster than Superman. But from 1963 to Present, Batman Titles Rule, selling 300-400% of the quantities of Superman Titles. This explains why Batman prices are so much higher. Yet, when compared to Spider-Man comics of the same vintage, Batman comics remain a bargain. 1963-1986 Era Batman Title's are in the most demand & sell in all grades, but there is a notable shortage of high grade copies, as they simply were not hoarded in quantities as Marvel comics were. All Batman KEY issues from 1950 thru early 1990's are in Demand, with scarcer, uncommon & high demand issues easily bringing 135-165% Guide in all grades. By far the most requested Batman's are those with Neal Adams Covers & Art. Many fans already have all the issues with interior art & thus there has been even higher demand for all the Adams cover issues. Demand is so high for High Grade copies & supply so low, that collectors who really want them, have found themselves buying VF copies & even FN/VF copies. Batman #263-403 should be considered the "Slump" era, with lower sales & these issues are all still very undervalued. The Miller's Dark Knight Returns from 3/1986 Revitalized the franchise & the Miller mini-series #404-407 made the title hot once again. We have all forgotten that Batman was actually slow seller in the 1976-1985 Era, when it was competing against New Teen Titans, Spider-Man, the New X-Men & the prolific Direct-Only titles. [Superman was also slower in this period & was resurrected by John Byrne & Crisis]; Batman #331-400 had perhaps the Title's lowest print run, in it's 48+ Years of Storied History. After Miller, came Crisis, Death in the Family, the Movies, Tim Drake, Knightfall (Azrael & Bane) & more, thus the title has been a Top seling title for over 22 years. Detective #405 (Adams-c; CGC 9.8 sold for $3,250.00 at Auction = over 54 Times Guide); Joker(1975-1976) 1-9 became red hot for the first time in years, due to Heath Ledger in the 2008 Film; One of the big secrets to Batman's success, is that he boasts the greatest stable of Cool Villians in all of Comics [Followed by a close 2nd with Spider-Man] Great Villians make a superhero great. Flash has some great villians too, thus his popularity has risen above other characters such as Hawkman. The Bronze Age Bestsellers for us this year (at 110% to 135% GUIDE) included; All New Collectors Edition, All-Out War, All Star Comics, Amazing World of DC, all Batman Titles, Batman Family 11-20; Best of DC Digest, Binki, Black Magic, Blitzkreig, Brave & Bold, 74, Crisis, DC Comics Presents, DC 100 Page Super Spectacular, Dc Special, DC Special Series, DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest, Detective, Doorway to Nightmare, Flash, Freedom Fighters, Ghosts, GI Combat, Girls Love, Girls Romances, Heart Throbs, House of Mystery, House of Secrets, Isis, Joker, Jonah Hex, JLA, Limited Collectors Edition, Men of War, New Teen Titans, Our Army at War, Our Fighting Forces, Phantom Stranger, Rima, Secret Society of Super-Villians, Secrets of Haunted House, Sgt Rock, Shazam, Showcase, Sinister House, Star Spangled War, Super DC Giant, Super Friends, Supergirl (1972), Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, Superman Family, Swamp Thing (1982), Tarzan, Tarzan Family, Time Warp, Tomahawk, Unexpected, Unknown Soldier, V for Vendetta, Watchmen(movie in the works), Warlord, Weird Mystery, Weird War, Weird Western, Witching Hour, Wonder Woman, World's Finest, Young Love, Young Romance;
Superman has some good Villians, but does not compare to Batman. But Superman has one of the greatest Mythos, with all the Colorful Superman Family characters, Krypton tie-ins, various Kryptonites, Fortress, Superboy Years, Legion X-Overs, JLA membership, Movies, Memorabilia & Huge worldwide recognition.
Starting with CRISIS #1 in 3/1985, a new Era began for DC comics. They realized that Superman, Batman & Wonder Woman needed to be the foundation on which the strength of the company needed to be built upon. Wonder Woman is the most important female superhero of all-time, with no close second. (Demand is relentless for 1st Series WW #51-220); They were not going to become #1 with titles like Arak, Arion, Amytheyst. They needed to revitalize their Core Characters. Add in improvements to their other Long-Running series, Flash, Green Lantern, JLA & JSA, Swamp Thing, Legion & you have a formula for success. Demand for JLA & JSA just continues to grow, but especially the JSA appearnces in the original JLA title. JLA #100-263 are all in high demand & still undervalued, especially the issues over #200 & the PEREZ & JSA issues. All-Star #58-74 (esp #58, 69) & All-Star Squadron continue to be bestsellers, that are on many fans must-have lists. DC Special #29 and DC Superheroes #17 are Red Hot. All Pre-1970 Comics with the Main DC Female characters (Batgirl, Batwoman, Catwoman, Supergirl & Wonder Woman) sell 150-300% Faster than the Ordinary issues that surround them & many need to show higher premiums. Many fans are now on a Quest to own all vinatage comics with Neal Adams art, most seem to have the majority of the interior art issues & are now chasing the more elusive Cover Art issues, thus demand continues to grow for his covers on Tomahawk, Love, SF, Horror, Humor & other odd titles. Tomahawk #116 and Batman #227(Classic Gothic-c) are the 2 most requested Adams cover & continue to get harder to find, now even in strict FN or better. Nick Cardy covers of the 1960's thru mid-1970's continue appear on want list, especailly on Aquaman, Teen Titans & Romance comics. Aquaman (1962-78) Classic issue #53-56 should be the same value as #41-49, yet list at 75% Lower in the guide, a major error in the guide & a major bargain if you can find a dealer who is not sold out. ** These 1960's strong DC characters were suprisingly slower sellers this year; Aquaman, Atom, Blackhawk, Hawkman, Green Lantern, Metal Men, Plastic Man, Rip Hunter, Superboy (Non-Legion). Note that the Green Lantern #76-89 with Green Arrow by Adams are eternal bestsellers, with High Grade #76's continuing to bring record prices; ** But these Titles remained in moderate to good demand; Adventure (Legion & Supergirl), Capt Action, Creeper, Deadman, Doom Patrol, Flash, JLA, Legion, Mystery in Space, Spectre, Strange Adv, Superboy (with Legion), Superman(all titles); Bob Hope & Jerry Lewis are stong sellers, with issues #1-75 being hard to keep in stock in any grades. Many buyers have been picking up a lot more of both Brave & Bold, and DC Comics Presents, spcifically looking for key X-Over issues with the High Demand Characters. DC SPECIAL SERIES is a Hot title, as many fans are intrigued that this is a mostly new-material series of Annual Giant's that match other titles & offers a variety of Formats (Comics, Digests & Treasuries) with High Grade copies being Red Hot & getting harder to find (only the Swamp Thing Reprint issues are slower). #16 is one of the most fondly remembered comic of the entire Bronze Age with that shock ending in the Death of Jonah Hex story. Kubert's Tarzan was in moderate demand thru the year, but was a bestseller in strict VF/NM or better ranges, & demand tagged along for the related Titles (Tarzan Family & Korak). All 100 Page Giants & the "Dollar" Giants of the Late 1970's are considered to be KEY issues by fans & sold about 200% better than surrounding regular sized issues & most remained elusive in higher grades. The Kirby 4th World Titles were moderate to Slow sellers, unless in strict VF/NM or Better, with the Jimmy Olsen titles easily the toughest.
From about 1964-1986, Marvel was #1 in the Marketplace. By the 1990's, DC Sales started to Rival those of Marvel & by the late 1990's, many outsold Marvel's. For us, modern DC Back issues have been outselling modern Marvel back issues for over a decade. New Teen Titans broke new ground for DC in 1980 & led the way for updating all their main characters. Titans established George Perez as a comics superstar & only the Large print runs hold back prices of Perez issues from skyrocketing. NTT #1-40 are actually uncommon in STRICT VF/NM or Better, as they have been well handled for 25-28+ Years, and 9.4 or better copies should be a good long term investment. 1950's DC Superhero comics sold moderately well in all grades. 1960's DC Superhero comics were slower, with the exception of Batman & anything in strict VF or better. 1970-1987 DC Superhero comics were moderate to good sellers thru the year, with stict VF/NM or better copies selling excellent to hot.
This was our best year ever for DC Big-5 WAR Comics (All American Men of War, G.I. Combat, Our Army at War, Our Fighting Forces & Star Spangled War Stories). They sold well in all grades. Just a few years back we have near complete runs of all titles in stock, but we are now sold out of 75% of 1950's Titles. High Grade collectors, who actually want to complete these runs, have decided to start buying them at the point at which they start getting scarce in grade, thus; 1950's(FN or better), 1960's(FN/VF ob), 1970's(VF ob), 1980's(VF/NM ob) & any books we had that met these standards sold very well at 120-135% Guide. OAAW #83 is the new Holy Grail of DC War, with #81's now slow sellers. G.I.Combat #68 & OAAW #83 are near impossible to find & both bring 200%+ of Guide in any grade; ** The Hot Key issues (at 120-150% Guide in all Grades) include; AAMOW #127(#1; 1952), 17,18,21,28,39,42,48,57,63,64,67-69,82,89,112, G.I.Combat #44,55-58,66,67, 83,87-100,108,114,138, 144-150, 193, 200-202,288, OAAW #67, 83-120, 127,128,140,151-155,158,162-164, 168,177,182,183,186,190,200,203,216,220,229,235-246,269,275,280 300; OFF #41,45,123-137, SSWS #131(#1; 1952), 53,64,67,84-100,134,138-163,181-183,200; ** FA/G thru VG Reading copies of OAAW #83-260 are in very high demand & usually bring 135-160% Guide. The other DC War titles also have a stong following (All-Out War, Blitzkreig, Capt Storm, Men of War, Weird War etc); Sgt Rock & Unknown Soldier comics from the 1980's are among our best selling DC comics in all grades, with stirct VF/NM or better copies flying out the doors. The Low Print high number Sgt Rock #400-422 are notable scarcer, with most major dealers sold out in all grades & are overdue for a 50-100% Price Jump in the Guide. Weird War #37-124 are also very undervalued & need to see a similar price hike, to encourage more copies to come back onto the market. The Enemy Ace high # issues of Unknown Soldier are in bigger demand, uspecially in strict VF/NM or better.
1968 thru 1980's DC Horror comic are still in very high demand & continue to sell well in all grades. (1950-1967 issues are moderate to slow sellers, except in higher grades) The 1968-1974 issues are especially tough in high grades & many fans are now happy finding a nice VF, or even a FN/VF. Neal Adams & Wrightson issues, including all covers only & one page art issues are all in the highest demand, at 125-150% Guide. Swamp Thing (1972-1976), although one of DC's all-time most important titles, remain rather common & slow selling. But, the Swamp Thing (1982-1996) #20-64 classics by Alan Moore are highly collected & a lot tougher in strict VF/NM or better than one would think. 1975-1983 DC Horror issues in strict VF/NM are still among our Top sellers. Dark Mansion & Sinister House continue to have strong demand, especailly the scarce early Gothic issues. In the last 12 months we sold nearly 1000 Raw High Grade & "MANITOBA collection" DC comics of all types, in the 9.0 to 9.8 range, mainly from the 1974-1987 Era at 125-300% GUIDE, with the affordable 1980's titles, being the bestsellers.
DC was perhaps the most prolific comics publishers of the all-time (Ian Levine, who completed the entire DC Set, says over 32,000 different issues exist) & they had a huge selection of Non-Superhero Genre Titles (Cartoon, Horror, Humor & Parody, Love, SF, Sword & Sorcery, Teenage, Toy Related, TV/Movie, War, Western, etc). Fans of these Oddball comics typically prefer them in affordable G-FN grades (which is a good thing, as most would be rare in high grades); This year, we sold an unusual amount of DC Cartoon comics, with Fox & Crow & Sheldon Mayer Titles being in the most demand. Binki & the other teenage Titles, as well as all the Romance titles, sold very well to many collectors who were filling in their runs, probably mostly due to our huge selction all in one place. Many DC Oddball Comics sold at 120-135% guide, (Mostly in G-FN grades). The Western titles were only moderate sellers, except for the good selling Bat Lash, Jonah Hex, All-Star Western & Weird Western. Since we have a big selection, we always manage to sell a lot of Amazing World of DC, Digests, Fanzines, Fireside Books, Giveaways, Magazines, Paperbacks, Posters, Promo items, & Treasuries, to anxious buyer who want them in any grade (most at 120-135 Guide)
DELL;
DELL comics feature more PHOTO and PAINTED covers, than any other publisher. They specialized in Licensing popular Characters from other Media, including; Newspaper Comic Strips, Movies, TV Series, Cartoons, Kids shows, Novel & Pulp Series adaptions, Radio stars, & Westerns, They captured the essense & images of Two Generations of Popular Meda & thus they have many of the bestselling comics of all-time. Many of these characters are still popular today & most still have followings around the world, as the nostalgic images continue to resonate in the minds on fans. Larger print runs have kept most titles affordable, with most Series Relatively easy to complete given an adequate amount of searching, so they remain among the most collectible comics of all-time. They are especially popular with the many 1000's of International collectors around the world, & large amounts back issues continue to disappear into pertmanent foreign collections each & every year. PRICE seems to be the most important factor to most of these buyers, thus Low grade complete Reading copies (FA and GD) are always extremely high demand. Next most popular is the Mid-Grade (VG and FN) presentable copies, for those who want nicer looking collectible copies. Of all the major publishers, Dell might well be the #1 least popular in Higher (VF-NM) Grades, especially due to the excessively widening price spreads between G-NM. Most of our 100's of regular DELL buyers are NOT willing to pay 100%, 200% or even 300% more for a VF copy over a FN copy. If the VF copies were priced at only 50% More than FN copies, then VF would once again become Popular. The major exceptions are Carl Barks comics, Major Key & First issues, Tarzan, Turok, the better Hanna-Barbera's & the most popular TV / Movie comics, which have a good following for VF or better copies. Over 90% of Dell's we sell are FA or G-FN copies & turnover is well above average, as compared to almost all other publishers; I often buy missing issues to restock the gaps in our inventory of our better selling titles at 65-80% Guide, if in FA, or G-FN and then ask 125-150% Guide when resellling them. Most FN/VF, VF, VF/NM copies met price resistance & were are slow sellers (with the above listed exceptions) when priced at Guide & if I really wanted to move them, I would need to discount them. When Guide #38 came out, there was widespread price reductions of 5-15% (perhaps 10% Average Drops), as compared to Guide #37, on most G-FN Dell comics, when there should have been 20-35% Price Increases. Ironically, most of the VF-NM Dell's had modest price increases. Rather than think negative of this, I have begun to take advantage I have been buying up 100's of undervalued Dell's in FA and G-FN, from eBay & other Dealers to restock my best selling titles. I am still using the guide #37 G-FN prices & still adding premiums to those prices. Thus I was able to get many complete runs back in stock. Many of my regular buyers were very happy to see my selection get much better & I found that i managed to sell over 15 near complete runs of Titles with 50 or more issues, to collectors who were ecstatic to see them all in one place at one time. Iin addition I also sold many complete smaller runs, with affordable FA/G thru G/VG copies by far the most popular (at 135%-165% Guide, with no resistance). Collectors should take advantage of the low prices on reading copies while they can. Many Major Dealer inventories that once had near complete selections of the many long runs, are fast getting depleted & selections are dropping to 10-35% of all existing issues. This Year we found that Western comics were the most requested, followed by Tarzan, TV Comics, Turok, Four Color's & Cartoon Titles.
GOLD KEY (NON Disney);
Demand for High Grade copies was up for the Titles that investors Judged as High Demand items with good Long Term Investment Potential. When one compares equivalent prices to Marvel comics of the same Vintage, some of these books seem incredibly Low. When you factor in that most are 10-100 Times Scarcer in High Grade, they seem even more attractive. ** Raw copies of these titles sold well at; (125-140% Guide for VF, VF+ and VF/NM copies; and at 150-160% Guide for 9.2 copies); Boris Karloff, Dark Shadows, Dr Solar, Grimm's Ghost, Hanna-Barbera (all #1 & Key issues), Korak, John Carter, Magnus Robot Fighter, Mars Patrol, Mighty Samson, Munsters, Occult Files of Dr Spector, Phantom, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Scooby Doo, Space Family Robinson, Spine Tingling Tales, Star Trek 1-10, Tarzan, Turok & Twilight Zone, Wild Wild West. Whitman Variants of the Gold Key Comics (11/1971 thru 3/1980) continue to Bring 125-200% of GK issue values, to Variant Collectors. Canadian Newsstand Variant cover price issues (5-8/1968, and 4/1972-4/1973; Sell at 125-150% Guide); Most of the other GK Titles sell moderately well in VF, VF+ and VF/NM and the prices are mostly pretty accuarte in the Guide, but since most are scarce in these grades, we usually ask & get 110-120% Guide for them. Except for about 5% of the different existing issues that hit the marketplace as High Grade File-Copies, most GK's remain scarce in even strict VF or Better.
Despite that fact that high grade collectors hunted the above titles, the majority (80%+) of our Gold Key sales, are for afforable copies in the G-FN Condition ranges. Most are currently undervalued in these grades & all the uncommon to scarce issues tend to be sold out in most dealer inventories. Many are so low, that I am able to pay 75-100% Guide to restock Reading Copies & have found that many buyers are more than willing to pay 150-200% Guide in these grades. For example, many of the Cartoon title Series can be extremely challenging to complete & since most only sell for $2-$5, fans try their best to aviod having to to buy them on ebay & have to add $5-7 Postage for EACH single comic. Low Guide values for most Uncommon to Scarce that price out at under $7 are often irrelivant to Collectors who need them & sellers often have a hard time stocking them without extra efforts, thus healthy premiums are easily justifyable, to once again make these titles availiable to our many happy buyers. They are more than happy to pay $3 for a book that guides at $2, or $5 for one that guides at $3, thus we sell literally 1000's of comics like this. In fact buyer orders, with 200-600 comics in one shipment, are getting more & More common for us. All the titles above also sold extremely well in lower grades. Easily, the next most popular sellers were; most Hanna-Barbera Titles & TV Related Titles. Since we always have in stock 35,000+ Gold Key comics, about 95% of all the ever published, we continue to sell many 100's of other Misc Cartoon comics too, with many fans always telling us they are not able to complete all these titles with any other Dealers.
HARVEY;
Investor's have decided that High Grades Pre-1975 Harvey's are very desirable (Whereas Cartoon comics from Archie, Dell, GK, etc, are much less coveted) & record prices continue to be set on CGC graded copies. Unfortuantely, other than the 1980's File-Copies Find, not a lot of High Grade copies survived. Most 1950's Harvey's in the Marketplace are in in the FA/G thru G/VG condition range, with most 1960's in VG average, 1970-1985 in VG/FN average & 1986-1993 in FN/VF average. The 1988-1994 Harvey comics including Hanna-Barbera & Other Harvey Cartoon Titles, all had Low Print Runs (#1-5's= VF $4-$8 ea; Scarcer #6up issues = VF $6-10 ea); Scooby Doo is hot from all publishers (Harvey issue sell at 200% Guide); It is commonplace for collectors to buy 25-100 or More comics at a time. 1950's & 1960's Harvey Cartoon comics are among our bestsellers in ANY grade, with 170's thru 1990's issues also Good Solod sellers. As per usual, our biggest problem is trying to restock them once sold. About 95% of the issues we sall are graded in the FA/G thru FN/VF condition ranges. Most Pre-1976 issues are undervalued in Guide in all grades, but especailly in the G-FN ranges. Values of Uncommon & Scarce copies, that Guide at under $10 in G-FN are often so low they are irrelivant. To restock many of these issues sold out in our inventory, I have resorted to paying 75-100% Guide for G-FN copies & buying from other dealers, pricing them at the required 150-200% Guide when necessary. Many of my efforts have been well rewarded, with a good number of orders for 50-100 comics at a time from happy collectors. Richie Rich, Sad Sack & Casper issues from the 1977-1984 Period are the most plentiful Cartoon Harveys in the Marketplace, virtually else is uncommon to scarce. We have in stock about 20,000 Richie Rich Comics & about 10,000 other Assorted Harvey comics. I have so many Richie Rich Comics, as there was a boom in Richie collecting in the 1974-1984 Period. Richie Rich is one of the very few Characters to boast to having over 50 Titles (including Digests) & has become Harvey's most important character. Casper originally was Harvey's most important character & is still a very highly collected character. There were a lot of Sad Sack comics published & there are many collector's, yet prices lag far behind the values of Richie & Casper, most remaining quite undervalued.
LOW vs HIGH Grade Comics;
High Grade comics continue to break records & dominate the Headlines in our Hobby. As per usual I sold a lot of "Investment Grade" Comics, mainly from the "Manitoba Collecton". Since my biggest selection of High Grade is in the 1976-1986 Era, those are the books that flew out the Door in Large Numbers to Collectors. Almost all were RAW (Non-CGC Graded) Copies, yet due to my STRICT grading, many of my 9.0 to 9.8 Comics Sold for 125% to 400% of Guide with almost NO resistance. There is a HUGE segment of the Marketplace, looking to fill in runs of 1976-1986 Comics, with Values in the $2 to $20 each price ranges (by Guide NM-, 9.2 Prices). These "Low End" priced comics, normally do NOT show up in Large numbers graded by CGC. Yet, many collector feel that these books are still very undervalued & want to scoop them up while still affordable. Usually, it is easier for a $5 to rise to $20 in the Guide, than for a $50 comic to rise to $200, thus greater percentage increases are predicted for these 23-33 Year Old Comics.
The great majority of the Strong Demand for High Grade, is for Marvel & DC Superhero comics, which are the most plentiful of all comics in the Post-1964 Era. Most 1966-1970 Marvel Superhero comics have have 50-100 Graded 9.0 or Better at CGC, with perhaps 500-2000 copies existing (including Raw examples) in VF or Better. But, comics from the other Misc Major Publishers of the ERA (ACG, Archie, Classics, Charlton, Comic Digests, Comic Magazines, Dell, Gold Key, Harvey, Oddball GA & SA, etc) exist in quantities of perhaps 1% to 10% of the Marvel's from said era. Many oddball comics of the Era, have only 1-10 Copies graded by CGC in 9.0 or Better. In addition, Misc Major Publishers exist in much smaller quantities in all grades, as compared to Marvel. Logic would seem to dictate, that the oddball comics should bring very high premiums, but the opposite is the case. The High Grade & CGC Marvel superhero comics bring high premiums, but the scarce to rare oddball comics, bring small premiums. The reason is Supply & Demand. There are probably 100 Times as many buyers for Avengers #57 in 9.4, as there are for Time Tunnel #1 in same grade.
Our turnover rate is Very High for 9.0 and Better Marvel & DC Superhero comics of the 1960-1986 Era; We have a Large inventory of the same in G to VF condition ranges, as do 100's of other Dealers Worldwide, thus there is heavy competition & a GLUT on the Market. Many dealers resort to Discounting & sales on these. This has caused the Large price spread in the guide between G to NM-. Normally I have no problem getting the current guide prices on most of these comics, as G-FN comics are now real bargains in most cases. But, on comic where I am overstocked with excess copies, I do sometimes dicount at 25-60% Off Guide, just as everyone else does.
Now many of the KEY issues & Lesser Keys, are TOO LOW in the Guide in G-FN Grades & getting hard to keep in stock & harder yet to re-stock. To streamline prices, the Guide has dropped premiums on G-FN copies of many Minor Keys (Example; World's Finest #241-246 are all priced at $2-6 in G-FN, but #241-243 are $8-12 in VF-NM, while 244-246 are $11-$20 in VF-NM); My 38 Years of Experience, show that this is a big mistake, as demand does NOT drop for Minor Keys issues, just because they are in Lower Grades. The Opposite is in fact True, Demand Increases, as the Keys & minor Keys always sell faster. *** There is now a big shortage of many Key Issues in G-FN (These easily bring 125%-200% Guide or in G-FN); All-Star Comics #58, 69, All Star Western #10, Amazing Adventures #11, Amazing Spider-Man #121, 122, 129, Avengers #57, 100, Batman by Neal Adams, Conan #1,3, Dark Mansion 1-4, DC 100 Pagers (Many), Deadly Hands #28, Defenders #1, Detective by Neal Adams, Fantastic Four #112, Ghost Rider #1-5, Gothic Romances #1, Green Lantern #76, Incredible Hulk #180, 181, Iron Fist #14, Iron Man #1, 55, Marvel Spotlight #5, My Love 1-39, Our Army at War #83-200, Our Love Story #1-38, Phantom Stranger #1-4, Savage Sword #1, Silver Surfer #1,4, Tomb of Dracula #1-10, Weird War #1-5, Wonder Woman #100-200 and many Others; A small Cottage Industry has started, of Basement dealers buying up these affordable G-FN copies of Key issues from bigger dealers at full guide & re-selling them at 150%-250% Guide, often loosening the graded condition, for great profits.
An Anomaly has occured in the guide, due to the Large price spread in the guide between G to NM-. The Misc Publishers Comics & all TNC {Traditionally Non-Collected} Comics (Cartoon, Crime, Humor, Jungle, Love, Movie, SF, Teen, TV, War, etc), have had the Wide Price to Condition Spreads that correctly apply to Superhero comics, also creep into these Uncommon to Scarcer comics. Unfortunately, the reality of the marketplace is that there is big demand for affordable G-FN copies & with many too cheap in low grades. The great majority of Dealer inventories of these comics are typically G-FN condition copies. For Marvel & DC Superhero comics, many dealers have deep near complete runs in many grades, but this certainly is not the case for oddball comics. In fact collectors have to look far & wide, to fill in runs of many series, such as Nancy, Red Ryder, Millie the Model, Betty & Veronica, Wild Western & many many others. Most sellers have selections of only 5%-25% of all issues of such series. Demand in affordable grades is often bigger than supply. Thus when I go out of my way to re-stock such series (at high cost), I find no problem & no resistance to selling at over guide prices.
For us, for the last 39 Years & still today, there is lower demand for VF-NM copies on most of these titles & this is the arena in which I find price resistance. Strangely enough, Guide #39 chose to raise VF-NM prices & drop 1000's of G-FN prices on Vintage Comics. My turnover rate for Oddball comics, is much much higher than the common Marvel & DC superhero comics. Naturally if a Dealer specializes in Marvel Comics & has a small selection of 100 or Less Harvey comics, they are not going to sell well for them. But Dealers who do specialize in Comics Like, Archie, Dell, GK, & Harvey, & have a great selection, will find they do very well & have a great turnover rate. As I attempt to fill out Client Wantlists (Something I do often), I sometimes check 20 or More Dealer inventories & would gladly pay 100% Guide to buy for resale, but often end up filling in only 10-35% of these extensive want lists, as almost everybody is sold out. It was strange to seem widespread price drops in Guide #38 for G-FN comics that actually needed significant price increases. The effect is that the supply of Vintage Oddball comics will become even smaller & they will be even more difficult to find in affordable conditions. Although about 30% of my entire Sales Revenue in a Year is Higher graded comics, still the great majority (perhaps 90%) of the sheer volume of Back Issues that I ship out throughout the year are ordinary G-FN comics, as they are the Bread & Butter backbone of my entire market. Here is a quick random List of great selling back issues, that should have gone up in price, yet dropped in the Last Guide. *** Percentage FN Prices Dropped from Guide #37 to #38; Archie Comics #81-93, 95-99 (14.3%), Batman #182 Giant Joker-c/s (10%), Batman #222 Beatles-c/s (16.6%), Brave & Bold #34 = 1st SA Hawkman (6%), Doctor Solar (GK) #1 (14.3%), Iron Man #1 (8.5%), John Wayne comics #31 Williamson/Frazetta (5%), Journey into Mystery #41-44,46,48 (9.5%), Looney Tunes #20-25 ( 8.5%), MAD magazine #71-75, 77-80 (16.7%), Magnus Robot Fighter (GK) #1 (12%), Maverick FC#892 (15.5%), Munsters #1 (15%), Mystery in Space #5 (8.3%), Our Army at War (Sgt Rock) #121-125,130-133,135-139,141-150 (10%), Red Ryder #11-20 (12.5%), Space family Robinson (GK) #1 (12.5%), Superman #150 (9.1%), Tarzan (Dell) #6-10 (10.4%), Turok (Dell) #3 (13%);
Proper Condition Grading is still a big problem within our hobby. Most small shops, Flea Market Dealers, eBay Sellers & Convention sellers, routinely price (for example) VF 8.0 comics at NM-, 9.2 prices, many actually believing they have actual 9.2 copies, while other do not actually grade the items at all & let it to the buyers to figure out. I would estimate, it is likely that over 80% of the Raw comics sold by dealers would not attain the grade described, if the item where submitted to CGC. Similarily, I see many sellers grade an item VF, when the actual strict grade would be FN, so naturally educated buyers would avoid these as that would make many such items price out at 200% Guide in actual strict grade. When this type of sellers complains the items is not selling & offers a 25% Discount, he often finds collectors who only buy discounted items, but sadly the misinformed buyer is still paying 50% over guide, as compared to if he would have bought the item from a strict grading seller who graded it FN & sold it at guide. The average inexpensive 1980's comic sitting in Dealer Inventories, would grade out strictly to be in the FN/VF to VF range, but sellers routinely grade them as NM & because they are low priced, most buyers are not really concerned if they receive an actual NM. The hard facts are, that only about 10% of these 80's comics would grade out a strict VF/NM or Better, if submitted to CGC. Most fans do not recall, that in the late 1990's, the guide once stereotypically stated that all 1970's (Bronze Age) comics are COMMON in Near Mint & thus have low values, yet about a dozen years later, we certainly know that is not true. In fact, for those that do not bother to hand select their own brand new comics off the store shelves & just grab the top copy, you sould know that the average new comic that has had minor handling, would grade out as a strict 9.0 to 9.2 (NOT 9.4 to 9.8 as Many fans assume); (In fact, probably under 2% of 1970's comics would grade a strcit 9.4 or better). Now that Bronze Age prices are getting increasingly higher, it seems a sure thing to predict that Copper Age comics are due next for big price hikes in scarcer High Grades. Collectors need to educate themselves, to see what a strictly graded 8.0, 9.0 and 9.4 comics actually look like & the best way to be sure, is to closely examine a few CGC copies of each different grade.
MARVEL Comics;
For over 40 Years, Marvel Comics have formed the Backbone of the Entire Vintage Comics industry & they are the main comics inventory in most Dealer Inventory's, with the exception of Dealers who deal mainly in Silver & Golden Age comics. There are over 1000 Comic Shops, plus probably over 2000 Mail Order & eBay Dealers, ranging in size from small to large. I estimate that 90% of these Dealers make most of their Back issue money from vintage Marvel Comics, mainly those of the 1961-1986 Era. [DC Comics from 1987 to Present sell perhaps equally well, if not better than Marvel in this Modern Era; In the 1960's Golden Age comics started & ruled the market]; The continuous stream of Marvel Movies continues to fuel demand for these classic back issues. [The Coming movies include; Luke Cage=2009; Avengers=2011; Ant-Man=2010; Capt America=2011= all will be HOT back issues in near future]; The Majority 1961-1975 Marvels are to Good thru Fine conditions in most Dealer inventory's (with most 1976-1986 in VG-VF average); Marvel's are by far the most collected comics in High Grades & also boasts the most slabbed comics by CGC. Luckily 1000-5000+ copies each exist for most 1960's Marvels, with perhaps 5K-50K Marvels each existing from 1970's issues, as they are the most hoarded comics of the era, so there is usually plenty of copies to meet most demand on the market. But when everyone suddenly wants Higher Graded copies, because they are viewed as better investments, suddenly supply is low on anything that would grade among the 1-10% Best Existing copies. Surely this trend will continue & perhaps strenghten even more, as time goes on. CGC has brought out most of the best existing copies over the last 8+ years or so & most have sold, returning to private collections. There seems to be a "Lull" in new high grade vintage Marvel finds & a bit of a shortage as compared to demand, thus many collectors have been forced to lower their minimum grade requirements. 1961-1964 Marvel Superhero comics were still top sellers in every grade. 1965-1969 Era Marvels sold best in FA/G-VG and VF or Better; The smaller print run 1970-1974 era Marvels were our TOP sellers in all grades & are in especially huge demand in strict VF/NM or Better. The 1975-1980 Era were in high demand, especially in VF or better. The 1981-1987 Late Bronze to Copper Age comics were in VERY HIGH demand in STRICT VF/NM 9.0 or Better Grades, but only in Moderate Demand in Low to Middle grades. 1988-1995 Marvels were the Slowest sellers, but when they did sell, condition was not important. 1996-2008 Marvels, had smaller print runs & continue to boast moderate to semi-hot demand, with condition typically not important & many issues being hard to restock once sold. Most Dealer inventories have far less copies per issue in stock, for 1996-2008 Marvels, as compared to the much more common 1976-1995 issues. Many popular modern Marvels have average print runs under 40,000 copies, as compared to 200,000+ copies for 1970's print Runs. Many modern Marvels have a good resale value as sets on eBay & many should be a good long term investment.
All good Bronze Age KEY issues were selling in all grades, with Shortages of affordable G-FN copies becoming a lot more common, as many are undervalued in the Guide. [Bronze Age KEY's; G-FN & 9.2 copies brought 135-175% Guide; VF thru VF/NM copies brought 120-135% Guide]; Many G-FN Key issues now bring much higher Premiums than Semi-High Grade (VF,VF+,VF/NM copies); We Sold about 1500+ "Raw" Bronze & Copper Age issues in 9.0 thru 9.8 (Mostly from the "Manitoba" collection) at 120-300%+ of Guide, with almost no resistance & must again report that High Grade 1980-1987 Marvel's continue to be in big demand. As always, many collectors come to us for our big selection of Marvel Fanzines, Giveaway/Promo items, Memorabilia, Posters, Slurpee Cups, Calendar's, Portfolios, etc = Condition is usually not important, as Locating these collectiblesat all seems to be the hardest task, many items sell as fast as I can find them.
Of special note, is that DEMAND has increased twofold average for these still undervalued 1970's & 1980's Era comics in strict VF/NM or Better Investment Grades; Avengers #101-250, Capt America #131-300, Conan the Barbarian #25-200, Incredible Hulk #140-300, Iron Man 21-200, Jungle Action #5-23, Luke Cage #1-50, Marvel Team-Up #21-150, Marvel Two-in-One #1-100, Thor #191-350;
We sold a lot of ODDBALL Comics & other Format items, mainly because of our giant selection, including; Cartoon, Humor & Parody, TV/Movie, Romance, Teenage, Toy Related, TV, War, Western, etc, at 125-200% Guide, with G-FN the most requested; Night Nurse seems extra tough to keep in stock, even at 150% Guide; Digests, Treasury's, Paperbacks & Magazines, Sold in all Grades, but with G-FN copies selling best (at 125-175% Guide); My Love & Our Love Story easily bring 50% over guide in all grades, as many collectors are filling in runs & almost all dealers are sold out. The 1970's Atlas Horror Reprint Titles (Beware, Chamber of Chills, Vault of Evil, etc) were in huge demand in all grades, with demand over double supply, thus we SOLD OUT of about 20% of the numbers for the first time ever. I located only one Gothic Tales of Love (#1) in ANY grade this year, and sold it swiftly for $725.00(CGC, VF/NM, 9.0); The shortage of PLANET OF THE APES mags #21-29 continues, with all bringing 150% Guide in Any Grade (#29 brings 200% Guide); All MOEBIUS Comics & especially Graphic Novels are Blazing Hot, with almost every Mail-Order & Internet dealer in North America Sold Out, as the Overseas collectors consider them some of the Greastest comics of All-Time [Condition is Not important on Moebius items & most bring 200-500% Guide in Any Grade]; We sold; Moebius [Epic GN 1987] #5(near FN = $20); #7(VF/NM = $75); #8(FN+ = $35); LIEUTENANT BLUEBERRY #2 Steelfingers (Epic GN; VG/FN $44); ** Treasuries & Marvel Horror Mags were Top Sellers, with notable shortage of Reading Copies (G-FN, 9.2=135-165% Guide; VF-VF/NM=120-135% Guide); ** The 1960's Marvel Paperbacks are Scarce in Higher Grades & sold Morderately well (Average Prices; VF/NM=$50; VF=$36; FN=$24; VG=$16; G=$8); 1976-1986 Marvel Paperbacks (Average Prices; VF/NM=$20; VF=$15; FN=$10; VG=$7; G=$4) with the #1-11 Novel Series at 150%+ Higher;
Savage Sword of Conan is an eternal bestseller in all grades, with High Grade collectors mainly after #1-100; Savage Sword #200-235 are Low Print & bring 150-200% Guide and the Scarce #235 at 400% Guide; Transformers #71-80 & GI Joe #150-155 are very hard to stock bring 150-200% Guide; Ghost Rider #93(2/1998) is an instant seller at $25 (for VF or Better); *** Many more High numbered comics & especially LAST issues of the 1990's had Lower Print Runs, many already scarcer, & I expect will gain Value in the Years to come, as Collectors find this to be true (Akira 31-38, Amazing Spider-Man #421-441, Avengers #350-402, Conan #250-275, Conan the King #50-55, Conan Saga #90-96, Conan (1996-2000 titles), Daredvil #350-380; Fantastic Four #381-416, Ghost Rider #61-93, Incredible Hulk #; Iron Man #300-332; Savage Sword #200-235, Thor #460-502; What If #81-114);
1970's & 80's Electric Company Magazine's are in bigger demand than supply, due to the Spidey Super Stories Comic Strips, with #1-40 and #100 up being the Scarcest issues (Average Retail; VF/NM=$16; VF=$12; FN=$9; VG=$6); ** A few Notable Sales; Film International (1975 Marvel Mag) #1-4(VG/FN $30 each); PHOTO NEWS FEATURE (1975 Marvel Mag) #1(HITLER; VF $30); #2(FDR; VF $24); YOU DON'T SAY (1973 Marvel Mag) #1(VF $79); Many 1970's Adult Cartoon Mags by MARVEL (Best Cartoons; Popular Cartoons, etc; with PUSSYCAT-s in VG average for $15 ea; NO Pusscat in VG = $10 ea); The Marvel Western & War titles were moderate to slow sellers in G-VF, but have picked up in demand for the scarce VF/NM or better copies. ** The Marvel Anti-Hero Horror Titles (Death, Dracula, Frankenstein, Ghost Rider, Man-Thing, Morbius, Mummy, Scarecrow, Satana, Werewolf, Zombie) in both Color Comics and B&W mags are all still top sellers (with all KEY issues being Red-Hot) in all Grades, with a lower supply than demand on high grade copies.
.
TREASURY Editions;
We usually manage to keep about 95% of all the Large oversized Treasury format comics in stock at all times, where most our our competing sellers are typically 50-90% Sold Out, thus they are always stong sellers for us & there are always a few issues we need to scramble to restock. ** The Rarest issues (Bringing 200%+ Guide) include; RUDOLPH #NN(1972), Christmas & Archie, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali (Whitman variant) ; ** Also Rare (Bringing 150% Guide) is Golden Picture Story Book (1961) ST#1-4 & Famous First Edition (Silver Stone Graphics Pub) C-61 S&N Signature Edition; ** The Scarce Titles (Bringing 150-175% Guide) include; The Annie, G.I. Joe, Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera #1-3, Smurfs, Star Wars #3, Empire Strikes Back, Modern Promotions (1972/73; Beetle Baily, Flash Gordon, Katzenjammer Kids, Mandrake) & Walt Disney Paint Book series (6 different circa 1975); ** Superman vs. Muhammad is by far the all-time bestseller treasury (we had 200 copies in 2001 & are now down to under 25 copies); Rounding out the Top-6 Bestsellers includes; Superman vs Spider-Man #1, Captain America's BiCentennial Battles (Kirby/Smith-a), DC Special Series #27( Batman vs. Hulk), C-54(Superman vs. Wonder Woman), & C-55(Legion marriage issue); >> All BATMAN & Spider-Man Treasuries are always in stong demad. Most of the DC & Marvel Treasuries with New Material are in high demand & are still undervalued, as they continue to get scarcer. Most buyers are Happy with Middle Grade VG thru VF copies.
Traditionally Treasuries never had Plastic Bags readily availiable for protection. Factor in the cumbersome size & format, with too much handling. Add to this the fact that they have stiff cardboard covers that easily show a lot of stress marks when handled. And finally take note that handling easily causes rubbing wear & scuffing to the originally Glossy covers. It redily becomes obvious why Treasuries are now Scarce in STRICT VF/NM 9.0 or better grades. We again sold about 50+ High Grade & Manitoba collection copies in 9.0-9.6 range copies (at 125-300% Guide)
Variants
& Premium Editions;
The
Marvel's 30 & 35 cent Variants are now among the Hottest of all
BRONZE Age Comics. The 30 cent Variants Sell at 350% the price of the
regular 25 cent editions at minimum, & up to 1000%+;
The 35 cent Variants Sell at 700% the price of the regular 30 cent editions at minimum, & up to 2000%+; The Rare Western, War, Horror & Reprint title Variants sell even higher prices in ANY grade, as only a handful of each exist (VG-FN copies of 30 Cent Variants $50-$200; and 35 Cent Variants in the $100-$800 range)
-1979 MARVEL Direct Editions are often mistakenly Sold as "WHITMAN Variants of MARVEL" comics, all thru the year. Only a few Treasuries were actual WHITMAN Printings, otherwise only the Plastic Bags were actually "Whitman"; (See Guide #36 on page 125 for full details, or email me); ** Early MARVEL DIRECT Editions (with Black Diamond on cover, with NO "cc" on cover, with NO UPC or obscured UPC Codes, or Blank White UPC Codes). 1977 MARVEL Direct Editions sell at 120-150% Guide to Variant Collector's; For the 2 months 7/1978 & 3-4/1979, only Newsstand editions were published. (exceptions are; Micronauts & Shogun Warriors, often mistaken as reprints, but actually just Direct 1st printings). These are only on the ground floor as collectibles, as a lot is not yet known or Documented.
This yet again another Record year for sales of the Canadian Newsstand VARIANT Cover Price Variant editions. They are NOT listed in the Guide, because it involves perhaps over 5000 Comics.
Character Completionists & Variant Collectors alike have been very actively seeking these out & we are starting to sell out on about 20% of Existing issues. We sell these Variants at 150-200% Guide;
As most of these comics were bought by the General Public & NOT collectors, Most Existing copies, perhaps 90%, are Lower Grades (G thru FN), with FN/VF to VF copies being uncommon, VF+ to VF/NM copies are Scarce, and NM-, 9.2 or better copies being Rare. VF/NM copies occasiaonally sell at auction for 300-500% of Guide. Sometimes these are sold on ebay as "Rare Variants" by sellers who do not know what they are & buyers that do not know either, thus occasionally have been know to pay 10-50 Times Guide, when they should not have paid over 2 times. Only a Handful of these Variants have even been graded by CGC, perhaps because they have not yet realized some of them are Variants yet. They are about 50-100 Tmes Scarcer than a USA Direct Edition Printings. ** DATES for Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants Existing include; ARCHIE Comics & Digests (1/1984-12/1997), CHARLTON (2/1983-8/1984), DC(all Newstand Comics, Magazines & Digests from 10/1982-9/1988), DELL (random 1960-1962, plus Back Cover variants & assorted 1950's Cover Price variants = Regular issues with 15 Cents Covers & Giants with 30 cents covers), GOLD KEY(5-8/1968, and 4/1972-4/1973), HARVEY(1960's Giants with 35 Cent cover prices), MAD (some 1964 & 7/1978-7/1979), MARVEL (all Newstand Comics, Magazines & Digests from 10/1982-8/1986), WARREN (3/1977-3/1983), WHITMAN (Mainly Early 1981, & 1983-1984); The most requested issues, have been comics that feature Spider-Man, I have so far sold 4 Near Complete Sets (over 300 different Spider-Man related comic exist in the period)
Walt Disney;
There has been a notable increase in Demand for strict VF or Better Pre-1976 Titles. Pre-1966 Carl Barks comics in VF/NM or Better, are hot, especially if CGC graded, especially Four Color's & 1940's issues, with even 9.0 copies bringing 400-800% of Guide. I had several High Grade collectors purchase quantities of VF or Better oddball cartoon Titles, focusing on titles that did not see much reprints, including; Beagle Boys, Chip N Dale, Micket Mouse, Scamp, Super Goof, Winnie the Pooh (VF-VF/NM= 125% Guide; 9.2=150% Guide; 9.4=200% Guide);
1950 & Older issues were in Strong demand, in all grades. 1951-1970's issues were all steady sellers & continue to grow stronger, & they are especially popular to our Europeans customers, with over 35% of our sales headed Overseas. Reading copies were very popular, as many readers tried to complete their sets. When Gold Key changes to Whitman in 1980, the Pre-Pack only issues become an obstacle to many fans trying to complete collections, but I have managed to keep most of these in stock & our clients are always greatful. Strangely, most of inexpensive 1986-1995 Gladstone & Disney Pub comics are Slow sellers, even though they are loaded with great content, i suppose most have been reprinted too many times. But they are loaded with great new Don Rosa art, plus english reprints of foreign disneys not see over hear before. The Don Rosa Classic "Life & Times of Scrooge McDuck" issues serialized in Scrooge #285-296 are in High Demand & getting hard to find, it is with these issues that demand for modern Disney's once again gets strong. The high Cover Priced Uncle Scrooge #309-318 and WDC&S #601-633 had smaller print runs & are now sold out with most back issue dealers, some already bring high premiums on eBay. #309, 311-320= $15-20 ea; #310(Scarce = $50+) [Two recent eBay sales of #310 were at $119 and $179]; The majority of 1995-2008 Walt Disney comics are Uncommon to Scarce (bringing 150-400% Guide); All better Live Action TV & Movie Classic comics showed a resurrgence in demand. (with Nature & Science titles very slow); Most Dell Four Color Disney's were popular sellers, ecept a few that were reprinted too often by Gold Key. We sold 3-5 copies each of the unusual Walt Disney Paint Books Series (circa 1975, Treasury sized) to curious collectors who had never heard of or seen them before.
WARREN,
Skywald & Misc Horror Comic Mags;
Demand
for WARREN mags has been strong & still growing for over 8 Years,
with no end in site. The more afforable G-FN copies are by far the
most requested & we sold over 1500 of them this year, and on
about 15% of the issues we have nothing left in stock in less than
FN/VF Grades, especially on Vampirella #91-112 and Creepy/Eerie
#35-70 and #130 up; On most G and VG Warrens that Guide under $10 we
ask & get 135-150% of Guide. For a Client, I managed to put
together complete sets of Creepy, Eerie & Vampirella in G/VG
average conditions & sold thus at over guide for the VG prices as
sets (approx 150% Guide). (This was actually quite a difficult task,
because each set has about a dozen scarcer issues, like Eerie #17,
Creepy #32 and Vampi #112 & many issues were hard to restock as
Reading Copies); About 70% of all our Warren sales is for these 3
strong titles, about 10% of sales are for Famous Monsters, with the
remaining 20% for the other 25+ Titles; There are quite a few Warren
completionists out to get everything, but there are quite a number of
Scarce to Rare issues, that make to a very difficult quest. Blazing
Combat #1 & the Anthology are listed below wholesale in the guide
(They are instant sellers; G-FN=400% Guide; 8.0-9.2=200% Guide);
Eerie #17 is on everyone's Want List & sells at 400% of Guide in
any grade.
On the Flip side, Warren mags are also highly collectible in High Grades, especially in VF/NM or Better. But since most HG collectors actually want to be able to complete their sets, most have decided to buy VF or Better copies (often on my recommendation) & thus the complete sets become attainable. It should be noted than many Warren's still have only 2-10 Copies so far Graded. Thus, so far CGC 9.4 Sets of Creepy, Eerie & Vampirella are virtually unattainable. We sold a about 200 High Grade & Manitoba Collection copies of Warren mags from 1975-1983 Era (VF/NM to NM+ copies at 125-300% Guide);
SKYWALD MAGS (Nightmare, Psycho & Scream) are not as popular as Warren, but the demand is typically Double that of Supply, so our turnover is always high. These are excellent mags & those who have not looked closely at them, should take another look to see what they are missing. The "Horror-Mood" issues, Werewolf, Vampires/Dracula, Heap, Frankenstein, Nosferatu, Lady Satan, Human Gargoyles, Lovecraft, Poe, decapitatation issues, Al Hewetson stories & many others are fondly remembers by fans. There was art by Wrightson, Boris Vallejo, Segrelles, Everett, Jeff Jones, Bruce Jones, Kaluta, Marcos, John Byrne & others. The Horror-Mood issues are said to be credited as an ispiration to Stephen King. They are very hard to restock once sold, with & VF or better copies especially difficult, thus I usually buy them at 65-80% Guide and resell them at 140-160% Guide.
Strict graded VF/NM or Better copies are very hard to find (When I find them, I sell them instantly at; 9.0=150% Guide; 9.2=165%; 9.4=225% Guide);
** The Horror Comic mags published by Eerie Pub, Modern Day, & Stanley are in very high demand in G-FN, especially in Lowest graded Reading copies. About 75% of the copies we get in stock in FA/G thru VG, sell within just a few weeks & Usually most of what we have in stock is in about FN/VF to VF average; The LURID Violence & GORE on the Covers & inside, made them very memorable to many fans. Most of the Titles have Scarcer issues & thus most of the sets are quite difficult to complete. Examples in FN/VF, VF and VF+ are all slow sellers, as most Collectors want either Reading Copies, or Investment copies. Strict Graded VF/NM copies are more popular, with 9.2-9.4 copies in better demand. [We sell them at these rates; G-FN=140-160%; FN/VF, VF,VF+=100-115%; VF/NM=120-130%; 9.2=150%]; Weird Vampire Tales & Terrors of Dracula list the publisher as Modern Day, which is a pseudonym for Eerie Pun & they are perhaps their Scarest Titles & among our fastest sellers.
The Stanley Pub mags have a lot of Pre-Code Horror reprints & are about 50% Scarcer than Eerie Pub mags, thus are also in Higher Demand.
WHITMAN comics;
There exists SIX scarce Whitman ERROR VARIANT Cover Price editions (all dated 1/1981with incorrect 40 Cent cover prices; BUGS BUNNY #223, DONALD DUCK #225, LITTLE LULU #262, PINK PANTHER #78, SUPER GOOF #63 and Walt Disney Comics & Stories #484), all existing with more common correctly priced copies bearing 50 cent Cover Prices. The 40 Cent Variants are worth about double the value of the corrected editions. (all other 1/1981 Whitman's carry the 50 cent cover prices); The Pre-Pack only Whitman comics 8-12/1980 are all SCARCE & now have a large following of Collector's & a few completionists (they sell at 150-400% GUIDE). The No-Date, no Date Code Whitman comics of 1983-1984 issues are uncommon & sell well at (135-200% GUIDE); These Vaiants make it tough on many collectors attempting to finish these many Series that Start as Gold Key & end up as Whitman's, but now that prices have risen, they are much more readily availiable, then when they were mysteriously Scarce & not yet listed as thus in the Guiide. Uncommon to Scarce Whitman Variant editions exist for about 50% of all the Gold Key's published from 11/1971 thru 2/1980 (NONE are listed in the Guide) and sell for 125-200% of GK issue values. >> MARVEL Whitman' variants DO NOT exist (see my Variant report)
Approx 160 Different WHITMAN Variants of DC comics, were published in the 3/1978-8/1980 Time Period, with most being 20 to 50 Times Scarcer than standard DC Printings;
This was our best year ever for these Variants, as we sold almost 50% of all the issues we had in stock in any grades that were availiable. Previously collectors wanted VF or Better, then FN or better, but now have begun to buy whatever they can find, as copies are discappearing from the market in most dealer inventories. Our minimum prices for DC Whitman's are(VF/NM=$18; VF+=$15; VF=$12; FN=$9; VG=$6; G=$4);
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARKET REPORT for #38(2008) Overstreet Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa;
[Two Sections were DELETED in the Published Overstreet Version & are Marked as such below]
INTRO;
We bought & Sold a lot of comics in the last Year. There was the usual relentless demand for Popular KEY issues, in almost all grades. High Grade Marvel & DC comics were the MOST requested, but we were only able to supply about 20% of the issues requested in these Grades. [Most of the 9.0 thru 9.8 graded RAW comics we SOLD were from the 1975 thru 1987 era]; If we had more 9.0 Up Copies from 1974 & Older, we would have sold a lot of them. We also had a lot of requests for G to VF Comics from the 1960 thru 2006 Era from ALL Publishers and were able to fill about 90% of Those Orders [About 50% of 1960's Comics we did not have in VF or Better, otherwise we would have fulfilled about 95% of Want Lists]; We sold a lot of 1950's Comics, but especially DELL comics. I specialize in trying to carry all comics printed from 1960 to 2006 in the $100 and Under Price Range; [Although we do have a decent selection of Over $100 comics & Probably 50,000 comics from the 1950's & perhaps 2,000 comics from the 1940's ]; The great majority of Collector's buy only the more affordable under $100 comics. If at one point in their lives, they have more disposable income, collectors might graduate to the More Expensive items they have always dreamed about. In the late 1980's i was still dealing in a lot of High End items, but made the decision to instead try to stock EVERYTHING (in the under $100 price range) from ALL publishers. I have never regretted the decision & have since handled almost everything Printed in North American Comics Related items from the last 50 Years, most items many many times. In addition I got into everything COMICS Related & also into all types of Non-Comic Magazines, Books, Records & Posters. I have a very loyal group of buyers who constantly thank me for carrying 1000's of items almost no one else can be bothered with. It was & still is, an amazing experience. For me, Sad Sack & Jughead comics outsell both Wolverine & X-Men comics, mainly because the latter are carried by almost every back issue dealer nationwide, so why bother ordering by mail. How many dealers have a decent selection of Harvey & Archie comics? Superhero Comic Sales have been Strong in the last year (to Investors, in part because of all the Films, but also to buyers wanting to fill in runs & get a lot of books all in one place, with Good Grading). But the Oddball comics that most dealers do not carry are much more notable, because they tend to sell well in ALL grades, at higher percentages of Guide & at a much better turnover rate. As in any collectible field, dealers who specialize & excel in one area of collecting, obtain better prices & have a strong repete clientele & that has been our aim. eBay sellers will usually tell you, that it is hard to convert one-time buyers, into new longterm clients. The presence of the Overstreet Price Guide since 1970, has done a superior job of stabilizing prices, far beyond what we see in most other hobbies. Many would say it has over-inflated Superhero comics, but that is not so, because if you take into account STRICT GRADING, you will find the majority of items that sell are within the 50% of Guide to 150% of Guide Price Range, which it relatively stable for a Collectibles Hobby. Without the Guide, we would see wildly erratic pricing (as with the Used paperback market, where books that should sell for $2 can bring $50, & books that should sell for $50 can he had for $10); For example, RICHIE RICH DIGEST MAGAZINE (10/1986-10/1994) #11-42 are near impossible to find for collectors who need them, and low GUIDE prices make them sell instantly when they do show up. Demand is 5-10 Times Bigger than supply, & in another marketplace one would expect them to sell for $25-$50 each range, but they simply remain SOLD OUT everywhere in the $5 each & under range. Just a few Lesser Known items that consistently sell for 200% or More include; Josie #45, 106, Transformers #80, Savage Sword #235, Katy Keene Digests, Creepshow, Betty & Veronica #320, many Giveaway comics, Dennis & the Bible Kids, Masters of the Universe #12, 13, Moebius Graphic Novels, Hunger Dogs GN, Squadron Supreme Death of a Universe GN, Conan GN's, Charlton Comic Digests, & many More; Many investors try hard to make money in comics & do not succeed, while many Collectors who do not follow the trend & buy what they like, do make good money when selling their collections. It is always recommended that you go after the items that you enjoy, once there learn about them & use that knowledge to guide your buying decisions.
ALTERNATIVE / Independant Comics;
We have managed to sell to Book Reading Crowd (normally Non-Comic Collectors), quite a lot of ALTERNATE COMICS from POPULAR MEDIA, at a much faster Rate than to Comic Collectors, including; (Doc Savage, Shadow, MOST HORROR, Aliens, Predator, Star Wars, Crow, Vampires, Werewolf, Zombies, Anne Rice, H.P. Lovecraft, Adult, Underground, Planet of the Apes, Green Hornet, Westerns, Vietnam War, WW2, Animated Cartoons, Bone, Buffy, Classics, Religious, all EC Reprints, Indiana Jones, Elric, Phantom, Sherlock Holmes, 1990's Robotech, James Bond, Personality, Simpsons,
Top Comic Artists, much TV related, Tarzan, Robert E Howard, Movie adaptions, SF & Other Author Book adaptions, Comic Strips, Dick Tracy, etc); These buyers appreciate them for what they are, Good Reading & are not particularly concerned about condition.
Comic Collector's are fascinated with all 1980 and Older Comics, including; Ground-Level Comics, Underground comics, Ditto-Zines & Fanzines. Most of these have small Print Runs & are never seen by the average collector. When you add to that the challenge of Locating these scarce & Cool items, & at still reasonable Price Levels, it is easy to see why many fans get hooked. These sell in any & all grades, with most attempts at Price Guides being futile, as pure Supply & Demand is the rule. Record Prices & demand continue for the best known of the Investment Alternate comics (at 150-300% Guide), including; Albedo #1,2, Cerebus #1-21, Elflord (Nightwind; 1980-82) #1-15, Orb #1, TMNT #1, etc.
We have over 50,000 Different Independent Comics from the 1980-2006 Era in stock, surely the biggest selection anywhere, with well over 1/3 Not listed in the Overstreet GUIDE. Probably only about 10% of them were Overprinted, biving the False impression that they are all Common & Worthless. Millions of these COMICS were DUMPED in BARGAIN BINS & many are no longer common in HIGH GRADE, because of Over Handling. Many had small Print Runs of only 1000-5000 Copies, making them among the Scarcest comics of the last 30 Years. Yet about 95% can be had for under $5.00;
So if you want an affordable area to collect, with endless Variety & lots of Surprises, this is for you.
Some of the Bestsellers (at 120-175% GUIDE), include; Alien Encounters, Aliens (1988 mini), Alien Worlds, all Alan Moore titles, Armour, Army of Darkness($20 ea), Berni Wrightson Master of Macabre, Big Apple, Blackthorne, 3-D Zone & other 3-D comics (GI Joe, Star Wars, Transformers, Harvey, TV etc), Blazing Combat (apple), Blood of Dracula(Wrightson issues), Bone, Cody Starbuck(1978), 1980's Continuity Comics (Adams, etc), Cobalt Blue(1977), Crow #1-3, Critters #1-5, 48-50(Scarce), Crow(1st series), Crusaders #1(Southern Knights), Deadworld, Dick Tracy (Blackthorne) #71-99, Dick Tracy Ruben Award series, Echo of Futurepast, Eddie Campbell's Bacchus, Eightball, Elfquest, Fantasy Quarterly #1, Faust, Femforce, Flaming Carrot #1-5, Galaxia, Gasm, Gobbledygook (1984), Grendel (comico), Hate, Hobbit, Hot Stuf (Sal Q), How to Draw series (Transformers & GI Joe), Imagine(Star Reach), John Byrn'e Next Men #21, Judge Dredd, Justice Machine (Noble) #1-3 & Annual #1, Leather & Lace, Lone Wolf & Cub #1,41-45; Love & Rockets #1-20, Macross #1(1984), Mage (1984) #1-7, Magnus #1-12, Magazine #1-4, Mr. A series (Ditko), Miracleman #11-24 (Red Hot), Nexus (Capital) #1-3, Ninja High School (1986/87), Nucleus, Oktoberfest, Omaha Cat Dancer, Omen (Vigil), ORB , all Paragon Pub (Pre-1982 titles, Femzine etc), Phantacea, Planet of the Apes(all), Power Comics(1970's), Primer (Comico), Quadrant, Quack(Star Reach), Rai #1-10, Rock Comics (Adams-a), Solar 1-10, Spirit, Star Reach, Tales to Terrible to Tell(Hot & Scarce), Tank Girl, Tarzan(all), Tick, Transit, Twisted Tales, Uncensored Mouse, Untamed Love, Usagi Yojimbo 1-5, Vortex, Wally Wood's Thunder Agents, Weird Romance, World of Wood, Xenozoic Tales, Yummy Fur, Zen (1987), Zot & more;;
ARCHIE comics;
We have a Giant selection of 35,000 Archie Comics & 10,000 Digests, thus they are a specialty & one of our bestsellers. Since there are so many to choose from, collectors have seemed focused on their favorite characters, and/or anything that could be considered a KEY issue. (Including; Giants, #100's, LAST issues, X-Over's, Monster covers, Origin's, all 1980's appearances of Cheryl Blossom/Josie/Sabrina, etc); The High Grade collector's mainly seem interested in Betty & Veronica, Red Circle Horror and KEY issues, but as most of these are scarce in better than VF, so we mainly had & sold only 1980's & Newer issues in 9.0 or Better; The only exception was the Archie DIGESTS of the 1974-1985 Era, as we bought & sold over 100 High Grade 9.0-9.6 copies from the MANITOBA Collection at 125-300% Guide; Most buyers were just happy to find someone who had what they needed in ANY grade, thus we sold mainly G thru FN copies all thru the year. Archie's Betty & Veronica was by far the best seller, with #1-30, 320-347 being HOT sellers & very hard to keep in stock. B&V #320(1st Cheryl Blossom) is the #1 most requested Archie & when we can locate it at all it is worth, 200% Guide; 1950 and Older Golden Age Archie's are in very Low Supply & have Big Demand, bringing 120-150% Guide; 1951-1960 Archie's are even getting Scarcer as more disappear into permanent collections. It is getting more commonplace for overgraded Scarce & KEY issue Archies to sell on EBAY for 150-300% Guide in actual Grade, especially on Lower Graded & more affordable copies. All DAN DeCARLO art comics are in high demand, including all his Non-Archie comics & even his Adult Cartoon Digests.
With the last TMNT movie came an Unexpected demand for the Archie comics, but NOT the the Mirage Pub. ones. Presumably it is because the Archie editions had widespread newsstand distribution. The 1988-1990 Titles are mostly stiil relatively common, but the 1991 up issues are Scarce. TMNT Adventures #50-72, Specials #6-10 & Digests, all had Low print runs & are now quite scarce, are suddenly in BIG demand bringing 200-400% guide, with virtually every dealers everywhere sold out (#72 in VF/NM brings $30); The Mighty Mutant Animals in TMNT Adventures are extra Hot (1st app in #19, and #51-54); The Mighty Mutant Animals (4/1992-6/1993) is a HOT title (Current VF/NM values are = #1=$6; #2-4=$4; #5-7=$6; #8=$8; #9=$12); TMNT Adventures Special (1992-1994) is a HOT title (Current VF/NM values are = #12,4-6=$6; #7-9=$12; #10=$20); TMNT MUTANT UNIVERSE SOURCEBOOK is a HOT title (Current VF/NM values are = #1,2=$10; Update=$15);
>>> This Years Bestsellers include (with Percentage of Guide they sell at in brackets); ARCHIE Comics #1-100(120-150%), 300,322,326,400,429(125-150%), ARCHIE ALL-STAR SPECIAL - SERIES; (Winter/1975; 164 Pages, 4 different = 200%), Archie as Pureheart(120%), Archie at Riverdale High (Early Appearances of CHERYL BLOSSOM = 89,90,92,96,99,103 = 150%), 113(200%), Archie Giant #26, 32(150%), Archie Giant series (B&V, Josie & Sabrina issues = 125-150%), Archie's Girls Betty & Veronica #1-30(125-150%), 31-200(120-135%), (#320-322,327,328 Cheryl Blossom = 200%), Archie & Big Ethyl(150%), Archie & Mr Weatherbee(150%), Archie's Circus(200%), Archie's Date Book(150%), Archie's Festival(150%), Archie's Roller Coaster(200%), Archie's Roller Sports Scene (200%), Christmas with Archie (Giant; Spire Edition 250%), Archie's Jokebook #44-48(Neal Adams = 125-135%), 288(200%), Archie's Madhouse [ #22(150%), Sabrina issues(125-135%)], Archie's Mechanics(135%), Archie's Pal Jughead #79(Creature-c 150%), #77,78,80-82,85,86,88(125-135%), Archie's Pals N Gals #1-20(125%), #23(1st Josie = 200%), #29(Beatles 150%), #161(1st Cheryl Blossom Solo 200%), Archie's Ten Issue Collectors Set #1-10(Giveaway 125-150%), Archie's TV Laughout #1-23(125%), 91(200%), 92-106(120-150%), Betty & Me #1-10(125%), 16(200%), 23(150%), 40(125%), 79-86(125%), 200(150%), Black Hood(1983 = 150%), Cartoon Network presents SPACE GHOST #1(200%), Cheryl Blossom Mini-Series (13 issues total from 1995-1996 = 150-200%), Chilling Adv in Sorcery(150%), Christmas with Archie Treasury(200%), Cosmo the Merry Martian(125%), Flintstones #1-10(150%), 11-22(200%), FLY (1983-84 = 150%), HORROR /Science Fiction Covers issues (Circa 1962 = 125-135%), Ginger(120-135%), Hanna-Barbera All Stars(200%), Hanna-Barbera Presents(200%), Jetsons(200%), Josie #1(150%), 2-20(125%), 45(150%), 46-74(125-150%), 100-106(150%), JCP Presents Thunder Agents (200%), Jughead #325(Cheryl Blossom = 300%), 352(200%), Jughead as Capt Hero(125%), Jughead's Folly #1(1st ELVIS in comics 125%), Jughead Soul Food(150%), Katy Keene(1983-1990 = 150%), Laugh Comics #20-168(120-150%), Life with Archie #1-20, 45-66(125%), Little Archie #1-66(125%), Madhouse #95-97(Horror 150%), Mighty Crusaders(1983-85 = 150%), Pep Comics #22-180(120-135%), Red Circel Sorcery(150%), Riverdale Rambling (Archie Fanzine = $5-12 ea), Sabrina #1-17, 71-77 (135-150%), Scooby Doo(200%), SHEILD (1983-84 = 150%); SONIC the Hedgehog #1-50(120-150%), Suzie(120-135%), Tales Calculated to Drive you BATS(120%), That Wilkin Boy(150%), Thunder Agents (Archie; 150%), WHIZ KIDS (Archie & Radio Shack $5 ea), Wilbur (Katy Keene #5-56,58-69 & DeCarlo art in later issues = 120%);
ATLAS / Marvel;
We had a lot of requests for the Pre-Marvel Horror / SF Prototype issues & have virtually Sold Out (120-135% Guide); Millie the Model #18-93(Dan DeCarlo) were in huge demand & we nearly sold out (125-150% Guide); All the Western Titles sold well, but especially those that became Marvel (Gunsmoke Western, Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid, Ringo Kid, Two Gun Kid) at 110-125% Guide; We sold every $50 & Under Atlas in stock that had Dan DeCarlo art (120-135% Guide); The most popular Genre & Bestseller this year was all the Teenage Titles at 125-150% Guide, including; Cindy, Frankie, Georgie, Hedy DeVine, Jeannie, Kathy, Linda Carter, Millie the Model (all Titles), Miss America, Mitzi, My Friend Irma, Nellie the Nurse, Patsy Walker (all Titles), Tessie the Typist, Teen & Wendy Parker; All Horror / SF & War Titles were steady sellers (115-125% Guide); The other Genres sold slower (but still better than many other publishers of same vintage) thru the year, (at 100-120% Guide), including; Crime/Mystery, Funny Animal, Humor /Parody, Romance, Sports, Spy Titles.
ATLAS / Seaboard;
We sold more 9.0 & up High Grade copies this year, than any other, mainly from the Manitoba collection (125-200%+ Guide); There are 61 different Color Comics from this publisher & they are one of the most sought of all publishers for Bronze Age Completionists, as the number is so finite & they are historically interesting. VICKI is by far the toughest of the Color Comics to find, especially the low print #3,4. The titles with Art by Adams, Chaykin, Ditko, Toth, Wood, & Wrightson sold fastest as usual. We sold a lot of G-FN copies also (125-150% Guide); Most also pick of the 6 Comics Related mags; DEVILINA, THRILLING ADVENTURE & WEIRD TALES OF THE MACABRE sold in all grades, with the scarcer #2's at 150% Guide, and #1's at 125% Guide; Getting a complete set of the 7 Non-Comic B&W Magazines is a great Challenge; MY SECRETS #1(2/1975) is very rare, we sold a G/VG copy for $50; Sea Monsters #1(1976) is Rare(VG $50); MOVIE MONSTERS are harder to find #1(VF$30; FN$20; VG$14); #2-4(VF=$40; FN$30; VG$20); Gothic Romances #1 is rare in any Grade & sells instantly in the 300% Guide range;
BRITISH / UK Comics; >>> [This section was DELETED / Edited OUT of the Published Overstreet #38];
WARRIOR (1982-85; Bolland, Bolton, Alan Davis, Gibbons Alan Moore, Morrison, with Marvelman / Miracleman) are in demand at $8-25 each; The classic 2000 AD weekly (Bisley, Bolland, Dan Dare, Dillon, Alan Davis, Fabry, Gibbons, Grant, Alan Moore, Nemesis, JUDGE DREDD, Robo-Hunter, Rogue Trooper, Slaine, Stronium Dog, Stainless Steel Rat, Bryan Talbot, & more) is a must for UK collectors, but little known in the USA; (#2 features the 1st app of Judge Dredd & sells for $200-1000); We sold several 100 UK War comic digests (Battle Picture Library, Commando, & War Picture Library, etc) contain all original UK material (excellent reading & art for WAR Comic Fans) at; (1950's/60's = $6-$20 and 1970's-1980's = $2-$6 each) The HORROR comics by Alan Class, Miller & others, are among our bestsellers. They are B&W Squarebound giants (60-100 pages featuring Vintage USA Horror & SF titles from; Atlas/Marvel, Archie, ACG, Charlton, DC,etc); Alan Class 1950's-1980's sell for $7-$12, with early issues higher. Miller issues from 1960's sell at $12-$30 each ; The Vinatge All-British New material weekly comics (Beano, Dandy, etc) of the 1937-1950's, are totally Alien products to American's, yet they set World Record prices each year in the UK (With #1's often over $5000 each). The British Hardcover Annuals of 1950's thru 1990's are scarce in the USA; They have many Major characters of the period, including USA & UK; Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Cartoons, Hanna-Barbera, Walt Disney, TV Series, Cowboys & Westerns, Music Stars. They are packed with Great covers, Comics, Art, Text stories, photo's, puzzles & Games, much of it is new material not seen in USA. (1976-1990 at $12-$25 ea; 1950-1975 at $20-$50 each); The 1950's DC & Superman Annuals are Scarce to RARE & can command $50 to $200+; We have one of the World's biggest selections of UK Marvel, with over 10,000 in stock (1966-1990; $3-$12 ea); Plus we have about 1000 Marvel "POCKET BOOK" comics DIGESTS from the 1980-1982 era ($5-$10 ea); We have 1000+ British DC Realted Comics. The Bestselling Characters & Artists include; Action Force (GI JOE), Avengers, Batman, Captain Britian, Dr Who, Hulk, Planet of the Apes, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Superman, Transformers, Wonder Woman, X-Men, Adams, Bolland, Byrne, Grant, Kirby, Miller, Alan Moore, Perez, Starlin, Bryan Talbot, & others; Terry Austin, Alam Moore, Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Starlin & did original work in the 1970's UK Marvel never seen in the USA.
CANADIAN Comics; >>> [This section was DELETED / Edited OUT of the Published Overstreet #38];
The rare Golden Age Original Material "Canadian White" Comics were basically non existant on the market this year & in Huge Demand. When they do appear the Average Current Value for NON-Key issue is; (FN=$150; VG=$100; G=$65); The Pre-1947 Canadian Whites of Fawcett (Capt Marvel, Grand Slam, Three Aces, Wow, etc) were re-drawn be Canadian artists, are Still in High demand (Average Value for NON Key issues is; FN=$100; VG=$75 and G=$50); Thiumph (Nelvana of the Northern Lights), Doc Stearne / Mr Monster, Johnny Canuck, & Men of the Mounted issues bring 200% or More of the Above Prices, with KEY issue even higher. Vintage Canadian Variant Editions of 1940's & early 1950's USA comics, are 10-50 Times Scarcer than the USA editions. (Issues with same page counts bring 80-100% the Value of USA Editions.. Those with less pages than their US counterparts sell for about 60% of their USA equivalents.) Canadian Variant's (mostly 1946-1954) include these Publishers; Archie, Atlas, Avon, Classics, DC, Dell, EC, Fawcett, Fiction House, Lev Gleason, Quality, Timely, Toby, & others. The Canadian CLASSICS illustrated Variants are the most collected & bring the biggest premiums, at 150-300% Guide; Classics #17-20 with BLANK inside covers are Canadian Editions & are perhaps the rarest of all the Variants. (VG copies are worth in the $100-200 each range); The Canadian EC Comics brig about 60% of USA Values, due to poor Printing. the rare EC Variants Weird Suspenstories in FN copies bring $1000+ each; I once owned a Captain America Annual (1942) that was a Canadian Printing, if it surfaced again it would likely be the single most Valuable Canadian Comic (estimated at $10,000+ in VG); We have 3000 Canadian French Language comics in Stock (Archie, DC & Marvel from the late 1966-1990) = they had small print runs of 2000-10,000 each, & smaller survival rates, making these desirable & Collectible (Most at $3-$10 each) The New material French language Comic Digests (1950-1970's, Adventure, Jungle, Romance, Western, War) sell at $3-$7 each. & the well known Character Titles bring $5-$12 each; The 1970-1982 Era French HORROR Comic Digests (Italian Reprints & New French Material) are RARE & are the best sellers of them all ate $10-$25 each (These are full of NUDITY, Violence, Bondage, Torture & more, and most have great Covers); Many Canadian Comic Completionists interested in getting one each of everything printed from 1961-2006. (1/3 or more of what exists in this Era were Giveaways ). EXISTING EARTH #1 is Hot (1987; 1500 Copies Printed; Art by BRENT L. BUTT, of TV's Corner Gas); Canadian artist Owen McCarron is a CULT figure among collectors (Puzzle Books; Marvel Fun & Games comic, Fireside Marvel Fun & Game books, Marvel Tempo puzzles books, Binkly and Doinkel, Spidey Super Stories #29,42,43, Ghost Rider #28 & Super Villian Teamup #8);
. Captain Canuck #1(7/1975) Has one CGC graded copy in 10.0 and one in 9.9; (seller of 10.0 copy wants $5000); I sold several copies of the original oversized #4 (2/1977; 1st Print) in the VG-VF range at $50-$100 each; I still have never seen in person a rare #4 (2/1977; 2nd Print), but seen it sell at 400-600% Guide. Captain Canuck has appeared Twice on the cover of TIME magazine ($10 ea) . >> Comely confirmed Small print Runs for Captain Canuck Re-Born (1993/1994); #0(English = 90,000 Copies), #0(French = 6000), #1(47,000 Newsstand GREEN-c); #1(40,000 bagged gold-c); #1(French = 6000); #2(30,000), #3(8,000 Copies = $25+), All are in big demand & very hard to restock; 99% of all Capt Canuck 1975-81 Original Art was donated to Canada's National Archives, thus the few left command high prices. CAPT. CANUCK #15 is already impossible to find & brings $75-100; (a Limited 2nd Printing might get published one day);
CHARLTON;
With our 35,000 Charlton Comics, we have the world's biggest selection, thus we always do well with them. These comics sell well in all grades, but easily 85% of sales are in the G to FN/VF condition ranges, mainly because most are tough in VF or better. We sold over 100 issues from the MANITOBA collection (Almost entirely Horror & SF) in 9.0-9.6 Grades at 125-200%+ Guide; In addition we sold a lot of Horro/SF & Superher/Hero comics in VF or Better; The other Genre's actually sell better in FN or Lower. The Hanna-Barbera titles were easily the bestsellers in Mid to Lower grades, followed by the TV Realted titles. All 1960 and Older Titles were way up in demand, but especially the more Obscure titles. By far the most popular HERO title was the PHANTOM, especially #67-74(Don Newton art issues); Hercules & other titles with Jim APARO art are up in demand. This year was notable in that we had far more buyers filling in sets, rather than KEY issue Buyers. Collectors who enjoy the hard to find & unusual, love the Charlton Magazines & Oddd related items, including; Adult Cartoon Titles(Cartoon Carnival, Comedy Capers, Good Humor, 150 Cartoons), Charlton Bullseye, Charlton / Xerox Comic Digests(12+ Different), CPL (Fanzine), Horror Monsters, Mad Monsters, Monsters Attack, SICK mag, & other Non-Comic Mags by Charlton(True Western, Romance, Movie/TV, Puzzle, etc);
Our Bestsellers (at 120% to 150% GUIDE) included; Most 1950-1970 WAR Comics, Abbott & Costello, Barney & Betty, Beetle Bailey, Beyond the Grave, Bionic Woman, Blondie, Blue Beetle, Bobby Sherman, Bugaloos, Bullwinkle, Capt Atom, Charlton Bullseye (Comic & Mag), Charlton Premiere, Cheyenne Kid, Cowboy Western, David Cassidy, Dino, Doomsday + 1 (Byrne), Dudley Do-Right, EH, E-Man, Emergency, Flash Gordon, Flintstones, Ghostly Haunts, Ghostly Tales, Ghost Manor, Go-Go, Gorgo, Great Gazoo, Gunfighters, Hanna Barbera Parade, Haunted, Haunted Love, Hercules(Hot), Hong Hong Phooey, Huckleberry Hound, Jetsons, Judo Master, Jungle Jim, Jungle Tales of Tarzan, Kid Montana, Konga, Korg, Magilla Gorilla, Many Ghosts of Dr Graves, Masked raider, Midnight Tales, Monster Hunters, Mysterious Suspense, Outer Space, Outlaws of the West, Partridge Family, Pebbles, Phantom, Ponytail, Popeye, Primus, Ronald McDonald, Quick Draw McGraw, Reptisaurus, Ronald McDonald, Sarge Steel, Scary Tales, Scooby Doo, Six Million Dollar Man, Soap Opera Love/Romances, Son of Vulcan, Space Adv, Space 1999, Space War, Speed Buggy, Static, Strange Suspense, Thane, Thunderbolt, Top Cat, Underdog, Unusual Tales, Valley of Dinosaurs, Vengeance Squad, War, Wheelie & Chopper Bunch, Wyatt Earp, Yang, Yogi Bear.
CHRISTIAN & RELIGIOUS Comics;
We sell a lot of Religious comics, because we have the biggest selection around; The SPIRE titles are by far the most collected of the Genre. The 19 Archie Titles & they are always in the Highest demand at 125-150% Guide. SCARCE Archie Spires titles (200% + Guide) include; Archie & Mr. Weatherbee, Archie's Circus, Archie's Date Book, Archie's Festival, Archie's Roller Coaster, Archie's Sports Scene & Christmas with Archie. There are about 38 Non-Archie Spire titles & many completionists that want them all (at 125-150% Guide). Spire comics are typically found in G or VG condition, with FN copies being uncommon & VF or better copies being scarce. The Bestsellers (at 150-200% guide) are; HANSI the Girl who loved the Swastika, Hello I'm Johnny Cash, & Tom Landy & Dallas Cowboys. The Barney Bear Series (9 diff) is acually quite hard to put together; Sunday Pix (David C Cook) are good sellers, 1955 Up are uncommon; 1949-1954 are Scarce, the low prices make them sell fast. With over 700 issues in this series (one of the biggest titles in comics history), the set is nearly impossible to complete. The David C Cook Comics Mass Market Paperback SERIES (1970's) are in demand, (at $6-$12 each) including; Picture Bible, Jesus & Early Church, Christian Familt Classics, Tullus in Ancient Roman Empire; TOPIX (Catechetical Guild, thus related to Classics) had over 150 different issues, yet ther are almost ZERO copies for sale on the market & sell fast at 150% Guide. BOY'S LIFE Magazine is Classics illustrated related, has Boy Scout & Christian Theme's & Includes COMICS. The 5 issue Gilberton Pub series Best from Boys Life collects some of these stories. CRUSADERS #1-17 art by Jack T. Chic, feature superb art, along with in your face, fire & brimstone type messages, loaded with religious propaganda(125% Guide). Jack T. Chic "Tracks" mini comics (over 75 dfferent, not listed in guide) sell $1-$3 each, with Scarce titles at $10-25+; Treasure Chest is also one of the biggest titles in comics history (500+ Issues). Many fans come to us to fill holes in their sets, most in G-FN copies; Volume 1-10 (1946-1955) and Volume 26-27(1971-1972) are the best sellers at 125-150% Guide, (others 110-125% Guide); Many fans are trying to complete their favorite serialized stories & we try to help. Life of POPE John Paul-II #1 is the bestselling of all Christian comics at 200-300% Guide; Other consistant DC & Marvel sellers include Easter Story, Francis Brother of the Universe #1, Life of Christ, Limited Collectors Edition C-36 (Bible), Mother Theresa & Life of Christ, Pilgrims Progress, Screwtape Letters.
CLASSICS
ILLUSTRATED & Related;
This
year was the Opposite of Last year, as we sold mostly G-FN Ranges
Cheaper editions in the $5-$50 each Price Range. We helped fill in
some reading copy runs, with the Scarce issues & issues with Less
Printings still being the Usual obstacles. First appearance of New
Art & New cover issues were in even higher demand, as they are a
different type of Original. Many collectors are just as satisfied
with any printings, but want both the Old & New cover & Art
editions. Canadian Variant Editions (NOT in Guide) of #1-74 are in
high demand, especially those with new illustrated Text stories that
do not appear in US editions (150-400% of Equivalent USA Ed); ** The
Scarcer CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED JUNIOR issues
are; #506, 514, 525-529, 532-534, 537,540,542,543,547,553,555,
556,558-565,568,571-573,575-577 (FA-VG = 200-300% Guide; FN-VF =
150-200% Guide);
** In constant
demand are all the Scarcer issues of CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED (in any
printing & in all Grades = 120-150% Guide)
#8,14,20,21,33,40,43,44,53,66,71,73,74,84,110,113-118,129,161-169.
**
Once they finish their main sets, many Buyers then go out to
complete; World Around Us, Classics Special Issue, Classics Junior,
Famous Authors, Picture Progress, Boys Life, etc. I do well with &
Carry a Large Selection of Non-Gilberton CLASSICS Related Items,
including; Berklet/First Classics #1-27(#14up = Low Print &
Scarcer), Marvel Classics 1-36, MOBY Books BLB Classics (36 Diff),
Pocket Classics (72 diff), Clasicos Infantiles (Mexican Juniors),
Jack Lake (30+ Diff, Modern Junior-r), King Classics, Golden Legacy,
Golden Picture Classics, Power Records, Tele-Guide, Marvel-UK
Digests, Acclaim Classics, & More; The UK Classics Illustrated
with All-New Stories & Covers never seen in USA are in very high
demand in the $25-$150 each range (#158A James Bond Dr No brings $500
in High Grade & became DC's Showcase #43);
COMIC DIGESTS;
We have about 15,000 Comic Digests in stock, thus are the #1 destination for fans who want to complete sets. Over 85% of what we sold this year were in the G to FN/VF conditions ranges, going to fans trying to complete various sets. Most of the Pre-1994 Comics Digests were never bagged, as nothing was commonly available to collected, thus Rubbing & Handling Wear is present on almost all still existing copies. High Grade begins at VF 8.0 on Pre-1995 Comic Digests. Most sets are Tough to assemble in even VF, never mind VF/NM 9.0 or Better. Most Digests have zero copies graded by CGC, with even the most popular issues have on 1-3 copies each slabbed. In the last 5 Years, we managed to buy several collections, especially those from the Manitoba Collection & we have sold over 300 in strict 9.0 or Better. But now all thje sources have dried up & we will again find it tough to stock even VF or better copies.
The rare Rare Charlton / Xerox Comic Digests Bring 200-300% Guide, including; Barney & Betty, Bugs Bunny, Dino, Flinstones, Jetsons, Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm, Road Runner, Scooby Doo, Space: 1999, Tweety & Slyvester, Woody Woodpecker & Yogi Bear; The Marvel Digests are often requested in High Grade, but sell in all grades (135-175% Guide) including; Alf, Dennis, GI Joe, Haunt of Horror, Spider-Man, Star & Transformers. The DC Digests are MOST requested in High Grade, but sell in all grades (125-150% Guide) including; Adventure #491-503, Best of DC #1-71(with 41-71 low print), DC Special Blue Ribbon #1-24, DC Special Series #18,19,23,24, Jonah Hex & other Western Tales 1-3, Tarzan Digest #1; The 1979 Skylark Digests of Doc Savage & Stories from the Twilight Zone are scarce & sell instantly at 200% Guide; Dennis the Menace Pocket Full of Fun #1-50 & Dennis & His Friends #38-46 Digests are undervalued & getting scarcer (150-200% Guide); The Gold Key Comic Digests started it all, with the 1960's issues being the most desirable of all Digests (Golden, Mystery, Walt Disney, plus the even scarcer Story Digests of Boris Karloff, Dark Shadows, Ripleys, Tarzan), they are always regular Bestsellers (at 125%-150% Guide in ANY grade). High Grade 9.0 & Better GK digests are nearly Non-Existant. .
The Harvey Digests were in big demand; (1977-1985 = 120-135% Guide; 1986-1993= 150-500% Guide); ** These Harvey Digests had Low Print Runs, are Extra Scarce, Dealers are Sold out everywhere & on are on most wantlists (Bring 200-500% Guide in ANY grade); Casper Adventure Digest #6-8, Casper Digest (10/1986-1991) #11-18, Casper Digest (V2; 9/1991-11/1994) #6-14, Casper Enchanted Tales #6-10, Harvey Wiseguys #3,4, Hot Stuff Digest #2-5, Million Dollar Digest(11/1986-11/1994) #11-34, New Kids on the Block Digest #1-5, Richie Rich Adventure Digest #4-7, Richie Rich Digest (10/1986-10/1994) #11-42, Richie Rich Digest Stories #11-17, Richie Rich Digest Winners #11-16, Richie Rich Gold Nuggets #1-4, Richie Rich Million Dollar Digest #6-10, Richie Rich Money World Digest #1-8, Richie Rich Digest (11/1977-8/1982) #7-9, Wendy Digest #2-5;
DC
COMICS;
For
the Silver, Bronze Age & on, BATMAN is seen as the main character
to buy from DC. Perhaps only in the Golden Age does Superman become
more important to collectors. Especially in the Bronze Age, we see
2-3 Times the demand for Batman over Superman. Wonder Woman is hands
down the most important female superhero of all-time. JLA & JSA
are incredibly popular teams, & along with the 3 previous
character, they form the backbone of collectible DC Comics. It is
hard to recall that in the 1981-1985 period, that all the above were
all slower sellers & had smaller print runs, because Marvel
dominated the marketplace. If you check around, you will find no one
is heavily stocked on the above in the 1981-1986 era. Perhaps
inspired by the success of the New X-Men, Perez's New Teen Titans hit
the market in late 1980 & became a bestseller. CRISIS hit the
market in 1986 to Re-Vamp the entire roster at DC comics, perhaps the
best move they ever made. The Man of Steel 6 issue Mini series in
1986 turned Superman back into the Top Seller it should have always
been. Frank Miller blew away fans & breathed new life into BATMAN
in Dark Knight Returns in 1986; The 1987 Justice League series, was
the starting point for entrenching their popularity near the top.
Perez's 1987 Wonder Woman series finally restored her to Glory. The
1986 Secret Origins series, features all-new Post-Crisis Origins for
most of the main characters. The 1989 Batman Movie blew it into the
Stratosphere. [Most 1989-1990 Batman comics are overprinted] All
these 1985 & Newer comics form most of the important DC comics
that started the COPPER AGE of comics. [the Oversteet Guide Glossary
now officially defines the Bronze Age as 1970-1984]; The above
1985-1989 Era are good long-term investments in STRICT 9.0 or Better.
But take note, that the lower Print Run 1981-1985 era books might
outperform them.
Many fans are assembling sets of DC's with Neal Adams covers. The TOMAHAWK's with Adams covers remain the most elusive in high grades. If you check the CGC Census, you will see only 1-3 copies each exist in 9.0 or better. CGC 9.4 copies would easily bring $500 each, with #116 (the 1st & most wanted issue) probably worth closer to $1000; Up in demand are the classic 1960's by NICK CARDY, thus Aquaman & Batlash are a bit up in demand. But the most requested Cardy covers are the Teen Titans issues & Romance comics. [High Grade CGC copies are still rare];
DC Comics seem to attract more Readers than Marvel, thus they sell well in all grades. Perhaps it is simply because there are usually more than double the Marvel Comics in Dealer Inventories as compared to DC. There most certainly is a lot of demand for High Grade copies, but Lower Grades are perhaps even more popular, as most buyers seemed to be filling in runs this year, rather than just chasing KEY issues. Silver & Bronze Age DC have far LESS copies, and are also much Scarcer in High Grades, as compared to their Marvel counterparts, yet on average, the Marvels are far more expensive. The sales of NEW Comics from DC often Rival & Surpass the new Marvel's, thus the 1960's-1970's DC seem to be a relative bargain. This year we sold over 700 Raw High Grade "MANITOBA collection" comics in the 9.0 to 9.8 range from the 1975-1985 Era at 125-300% GUIDE. DC War Comics were the most requested & Bestsellers in High Grade (DC Horror would have rivaled them, if we had not previously sold most of the HG Manitoba copies); High Grade collectors have started realizing that 1960's DC Comics are quite scarce in even VF & i have noticed a sharp increase in sales of VF range copies. Oddball comics sold better than the last 3 years at 120-135% guide, (Mostly in G-FN grades), including; Amazing World of DC, Cartoon/Humor, Digests, Fanzines, Fireside Books, Giveaways, Magazines, Paperbacks, Posters, Promo items, Romance, Teenage, Treasuries, TV, War & Western. All DC Horror title war again Top Sellers in all grades, especially 1968-1974 era, Giants, Neal Adams & Wrightson art issues. DC Horror & War comics have been getting harder to re-stock, as supplies continue to dry up.
The Bestsellers for us this year (at 110% to 135% GUIDE) included; Action #252-300, 347, 360, 373(Giants), 377-392(Legion), 401-440, Adventure #267-320, 381-400, 428-440, 459-467, 461-466, 491-503, All American Men of War #82-117, All New Collectors Edition C-54-56,58, All-Out War, All Star Comics 58-74, Aquaman #50-52, All-Star Comics #59-74, All-Star Western #1-11, Amazing World of DC #1-4, 9,1 4-17, Bat Lash, Batman #121-429, Batman Family 11-20; Best of DC Digest 1-71, Black Magic, Blitzkreig, Brave & Bold #59-200, Challengers 74, Crisis #1-12, Dark Mansion 1-4, DC Comics Presents #1,2,26,47, 56, 77, 78, 85-88, 94, 97 & Annual #1, DC 100 Page Super Spectacular #4-22, DC Special #2-4,6,11,28,29, DC Special Series #1,3-13,15,16,18-24,27, DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest 1-24, DC Superstars #17, Detective #311, 318, 325, 327,328,355,359,362-364,369-372,385,387, 389,391,392, 394-495, Doorway to Nightmare, 1st Issue Special #1,3,5,7-9,12,13, Flash #105-130, 201-250, 275-313, 340- 350, Flex Mentallo, Fox & Crow, Freedom Fighters, Ghosts #1-40, GI Combat #66-68,83,87-154,200-210, Girls Love #84-180, Girls Romances #81-160, Green Lantern (1960-1986) #40,45,59,61,76-123, 181-200, Heart Throbs #75-146, Hot Wheels, House of Mystery #174-259, 291-300,321, House of Secrets #81-154, Isis 1-8, Joker 1-9, Jonah Hex #1-20, 81-92 & Digest 1-3, Justice League of America #91-261, Kamandi #50-59, Legion #259-300, Limited Collectors Edition C#23-25,32-34,37,39,41,43-46,48-52,57, Men of War, Our Army at War #83-301, Our Fighting Forces 123-162, Plop 1-5, 21-24, New Teen Titans #1-20, Real Screen, Our Army at War #83-250, Our Fighting Forces #123-181, Phantom Stranger #1-41, Rima #1-7, Secret Society of Super-Villians 1-15, Secrets of Haunted House 1-20,41,44, Sgt Rock #302-350, 400-422, Shazam #1,8,12-17, 25-35, Showcase #55,57,60,61,64,70,79-81,83,84, 97-99, Sinister House #1-4, Spectre 1-5, 9, Star Spangled War #84-183, Strange Adv #205-236, Superboy #80-100, 197-245, Super DC Giant #S-13 thru S-26, Super Friends #1-20, Supergirl (1972) #1-10, Superman #150-200, 233-300, 400-423, Superman's GF Lois Lane #79-137, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #100-150, Superman Family #164-190, Swamp Thing (1982) #20-40, Tales of New Teen Titans #42-44 & Annual #3, Tarzan #207-258, Tarzan Family, Teen Titans (1966) #1-25, 46-53, Time Masters #1-8, Time Warp, Tomahawk #116-119,121,123-130, Unexpected #105-162, Unknown Soldier #205-219,248-268, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Warlord #1-10, 37-50, Weird Mystery #1-10, Weird War #1-30, 64, 68, 93-101, Weird Western #12-39, Weird Worlds, Witching Hour #1-85, Wonder Woman (1942-86) #51-130, 171-220, 267-329, Wonder Woman (1987-Date) #51-63, 85-96, 120-200, World's Finest #81-120, 169,173-179, 198-212, 244-282, 320-323, Young Love #39-126, Young Romance #125-208;
DELL;
We have a large selection of 20,000+ Dell comics, thus they always do very well for us. Tarzan comics were the #1 Dell/GK seller of the year, followed not far behind by TUROK. TV Comics & Western Comics were the next most requested this time around. Those with PHOTO covers sell fastest. Next most popular were Animated Titles from TV Cartoons, especially those from Hanna-Barbera. After a period of being moderate to slow, the Movie Classics have again picked up in demand, especially those with PHOTO's Covers, Horror/SF theme's, Good Art (Manning, Toth, etc), or John Wayne appearances. Newspaper Strip Reprint Titles have slowed again in sales. Over 90% of Dell Buyers purchased G-FN copies; FN/VF and Better copies were Slow sellers. The GUIDE is low on G-FN copies, and at the same time high on VF to NM- copies. The wide Condition/Price Spread that works for superhero comics, just does not work as well on other Comic Genre's & especially with Dell.
Most investor's do not think of Dell, when looking for their High Grade investments, except perhaps the KEY issues. Easily over 50% of the Pre-1970 Comics we sell to Overseas customers, are Dell Comics.
>> The Bestselling Titles (115-135% guide for G- FN copies) included; Annie Oakley, Bat Masterson, Beetle Bailey, Ben Bowie, Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, Big Valley, Brain Boy,
Brave Eagle, Bugs Bunny, Bullwinkle, Cheyenne, Chilly Willy, Cisco Kid, Colt 45, Combat, Creature, Dick Tracy, Dracula, Felix the Cat, Flintstones, Flying Nun, Flying Saucers, Four Color(Most PHOTO-c), Frankenstein, Fritzi Ritz (with Peanuts), F-Troop, Gene Autry, Get Smart, Ghost Stories, Have Gun Will Travel, Hogans Heroes, Howdy Doody, Huckleberry Hound, I Love Lucy, Indian Cheif, Jetsons,
John Wayne(all), King of Royal Mounted, Kookie, Laramie, Lawman, Leave it to Beaver, Little Lulu, Lone Ranger, Looney Tunes, Maverick, Melvin Monster, Mighty Mouse, Monkees, Movie Classics (Western, SF & Horror), Mummy, Nancy (Stanley-a), Outer Limits, Peanuts, Ponytail, Popeye, Rawhide, Real McCoys, Red Ryder, Ricky Nelson, Rifleman, Roy Rogers, Sea Hunt, Sgt Preston, Smokey Stover, Sugarfoot, Tales of Wells Fargo, TARZAN, Thirteen, Tonto, TUROK, Twilight Zone, Voyage to Bottom of Sea, Western Roundup, Wolfman, Wyatt Earp, Woody Woodpecker, Yogi Bear.
FANZINES,
Misc Comic & Cartoon Magazines;
We have a giant
selection of 10,000 Different
(NON-Marvel/DC),
Assorted COMIC & CARTOON Related Magazines, Fanzines &
related items. This includes; Adult Cartoon mags, Adult Fantasy mags,
Hot Rod & CARToons, Comic Strip Reprints, Comic News Mags, Comics
Review Mags, Interview Mags, Publisher & Dealer catalogs, 1960's
Ditto (Mimeograph) early Fanzines, Comic Art Mags, Joke Mags,
Underground mags, Older Softcover Trade Paperbacks & Graphic
Novels, UK/British comics, Small Press Amateur mags, Canadian Mags,
Promo mags, Animation mags, Artist profiles, Humor/Satire/Parody
Comic Mags, Convention Mags & Books, ADzines, Manga,
Promo/Giveaway, Kids/Children's mags, Walt Disney Mags, Comic
Newspapers & Tabloids, Comic Price Guide mags, and MORE; I have
Bought & Sold literally 100's of items that i have only seen once
in the last 40 Years. I really enjoy dealing in ODDBALL items, &
they certainly abound among these. These are loaded with early &
obscure works of now famous artists, & writers (much never
reprinted), plus have in-depth articles pinups covers and art on all
the popular characters, thru all the way to totally Obscure & the
Very Bad. These can be exciting to collect, as you run across endless
things of interest, that most collectors will never see in a
lifetime. The majority of these items sell in the $5 to $25 each
price Range. Most customers are not overly concerned about condition,
most are focused on finding ANY copy of the item of interest.
GIVEAWAY & PROMO Comics;
Giveaway comics are fascinating. Less than 25% of those existing are listed in the GUIDE, but most of the important ones are in fact listed. The Marvel, DC, Popular Character & Popular Artist issues, are just an extension to the collecting the regular series of those titles. Some Promo comics are so rare, that it is not unusual to see them sell for 2 time to 100 times GUIDE prices at auction. Most of those that go for the highest multiples, are the ones NOT listed in the guide & usually involve a highly collectible character, most especially Spider-Man. When you take into account Regional Giveaways, Pamphlets, Flyers, Marvel Shareholder items & Titles with 10 or more Variant Printings, Spider-Man collectors will tell you take under 25% are listed in the guide. If you collect Promo items with Spider-Man on the cover, the number suddenly explodes Ten-Fold into 100's & perhaps 1000's of items. MARVEL & DC related Promo & Ephemera items are in the biggest demand by the fans who love scarcer & oddball items, including these titles; Marvel Age, Marvel Comics Preview (Distributor Ashcan Promo), Marvel Monthly Catalog, Marvel Quarterly Report, Marvel Requirer, Marvel Spotlight (Retailer Promo Giveaway from Marvel, on Slick Paper), Marvel Spotlight (Retailer Promo Giveaway on Newsprint), Mega Marvel & Sales to Astonish, handouts, flyers, displays, posters, advance news items, distributor books, shareholder items, Preview items, insert items, sendaway items, Toy items, Direct Currents(DC), Store & Restaraunt Promo's, & More; Most of these items sell in the $3 to $20 each price ranges, to very active buyers. Supergear Comics (Superman) & Boston Pops’ Biff Bam Pops (Spider-Man) are $500-$1000 items in High Grade, but impossible to find.
There are over 35 Titles of He-Man / Masters of the Universe & over 12 Titles of She-Ra/ Princess of Power mini comics that came with the action figures, if you include variants it might be double that. These are among the most collected Giveaways, (Common titles=$5-$7; Uncommon=$8-$10; Scarce=$12-$18 ea); The DC Comic Booklets from Atari Video Games are in High Demand; Atari Force, Centipede, Swordquest. Super Power Collection (Kenner Color Gum card size Mini Comic; 2-3/4" x 4-1/4") #1-25 are fast sellers (VF $10 ea); March of Comics are top sellers, but can be extremely elusive, I have many customers who have searched for many years for select issues (125-200% Guide);
Literally 1000’s of Non character giveaways, especially Post-1980 titles remain unlisted. Many of these are regional items, which makes them even scarcer. Most collectors collect by; (1) Age; (2) Scarcest; (3) THEME; The most commonly collected themes are; Unknown Superheroes, Politics, Health, Restaurants, Christmas, by Country, Job Related, Environmental, Educational, Substance abuse, Sex Related, Institutional, Cartoon, Science, etc. Our #1 best sellers, are any & all titles published in Canada, as we have many Canadian Comic Completionists, The majority of Promo Comics in the $5-$15 price range, with Scarce & Desirable titles widely varied from $20 to $100 each;
GOLD KEY (NON Disney);
TARZAN was our #1 Bestselling GK (and Dell) this year, with VF or better copies the Most requested, then Reading copies next most requested, finally even Mid-Grade copies moved well, as many people seemed to want to complete their runs. The Scarce Photo Back Cover Variants are selling in all grades (at 125-150% Guide) Including; Avengers(TV) #1, Star Trek 1-3, & Wild Wild West 1-2; Demand for Dark Shadows virtually doubled this year, presumably due to the 40th Anniversary & the release of seasons on DVD. Demand for Dark Shadows paperbacks was even higher.
Whitman Variants of the Gold Key Comics & Digests published from 11/1971 thru 3/1980 sell moderately well at 125-200% of GK issue values. 1968 Canadian Newsstand Variant cover price issues that are still selling to Completionists & Variant collectors (at 115-125% Guide); The 1972-1974 era Gold Key's with 16 Page Bonus Fun Catalogs (Advertising), make the standard 36 page comics into 52 pages ones, with almost none listed in the Guide. These 52pg Fun Catalog issues seem to have a slightly smaller survival rate & tend to be about a grade lower than surrounding issues. it is perhaps time they got identified & had a premium of about 20% added in the Guide.
Demand for High Grade copies was up by almost 50%, with these titles bringing 125-150% Guide (forVF or better copies) including; Boris Karloff, Dark Shadows, Dr Solar, Grimm's Ghost, Korak, John Carter, Magnus Robot Fighter, Mars Patrol, Mighty Samson, Munsters, Occult Files of Dr Spector, Phantom, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Scooby Doo, Space Family Robinson, Spine Tingling Tales, Star Trek 1-10, Tarzan, Turok & Twilight Zone, Wild Wild West & all Hanna-Barbera #1 & Key issues.
>> These issues are among the Bestsellers (selling in ALL grades at 115-135% Guide), including; Adam-12, Addams Family, Amazing Chan, Auggie Doggie, Banana Splits, Battle of the Planets, Beatles Yellow Submarine, Beetle Bailey, Beneath Planet of Apes, Bullwinkle, Close Shaves of Pauline Peril, Dagar, Dan Curtis (Giveaways) #1-9, Family Affair, Fat Albert, Flash Gordon, Flintstones, Fun-In, Funky Phantom, George of the Jungle, Gold Key Spotlight, Gomer Pyle, Hair Bear Bunch, Hanna-Barbera Bandwagon, Happy Days, H.R. Pufnstuf, Huckleberry Hound, Inspector, Jetsons, Kroft Supershow, Lancelot Link, Land of Giants, Laredo, Lidsville, Little Lulu, Little Monsters, Lone Ranger, Looney Tunes, Lucy Show, Magilla Gorilla, Mighty Mouse, Milton Monster, Mr Ed, Mr & Mrs J Evil Scientist, My Favorite Martian, Nancy & Sluggo, Peanuts, Peter Potomus, Phantom, Pink Panther, Popeye, Quick Draw McGraw, Rifleman, Smokey Bear, Snagglepuss, Snooper & Blabber, Space Ghost, Super TV Heroes, Three Stooges, UFO Flying Saucers, Underdog, Wacky Races, Wacky Witch, Wagon Train, Yakkey Doodle, & Zody the Mod Rob.
HARVEY;
1950's & 1960's Harvey Cartoon comics are among our best sellers in ANY grade, with the biggest problem being trying to re-stock them once sold. The Only Harvey comics that are seem a bit more plentiful are the Richie Rich, Sad Sack & Casper issues from the 1977-1984 Period, otherwise everything else is uncommon to scarce. These comics were Traditionally Not saved by Collectors, thus most copies on the market are "Used" copies from from Childhood days & Readers, so High Grade copies are Scarce to Rare. Most of the Harvey Cartoons have been around longer than the Marvel Superheroes & those generations remembers them well. Completing any of the 50+ issues runs can actually be very difficult, as most dealers have only tiny selections. We have 30,000 Harvey's,
so we help many fans fill in gaps in their sets. High Grade copies are hard to find & continue to bring record prices. We managed to get in a batch of about 75 Sad Sack File Copies from the 1960's in 9.0 to 9.4 and sold over 50% of them within the first week at 150-250% Guide; We also sold over 50 more 1976-1984 Richie Rich comics from the MANITOBA Collection (9.0-9.6 at 150-300% Guide);
The 1988-1994 Hanna-Barbera & Other Harvey Cartoon Titles had Low Print Runs, but at least can be more easily found in VF, they remain undervalued; (VF copies bring $4-$8 ea); The Non-Cartoon Harvey's are actually good solid sellers & often get forgotten. All 1960's comics with a Richie Rich Backup story are more sought, as Collectors with near complete Richie sets, are now moving on to these, thus titles like Mutt & Jeff are up in demand. Scooby Doo is hot from all publishers & the Harvey ones are getting scarcer (Bringing 200% Guide); All Richie Rich issue #1-10's (over 50 Titles of Comics & Digests) sell 50-150% Faster than Later issues. Richie Rich is by far the most important & collected character from this publisher & should be a grat long-term investment for decades to come.
>>> Bestselling titles (at 130-160% Guide) Include; Baby Huey, Blondie (undervalued), Caspers Ghostland, Casper & Nightmare, Dagwood, Devil Kids, Flintstones, Fruitman, Hanna-Barbera Giant Size, Harvey Hits, Hot Stuff, Jetsons, Little Dot, Little Dot's Uncles & Aunts, Little Lotta, Playful Little Audrey, Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm, Richie Rich (all 1975 & Older), Sad Sack (all Pre-1965), Spooky, & Stumbo Tinytown, Tuff Ghosts, TV Casper & Co, Underdog, Unearthly Spectacular, Wendy, Yogi Bear. Other Good Sellers (at 115-125% Guide) include; Alarming Tales, Alarming Adv, Astro Comics (Giveaway with 15+ Variations), Black Cat, Blast-Off, Casper the Friendy Ghost, Dick Tracy, Felix the Cat, First Love, First Romance, Friendy Ghost Casper, Joe Palooka, Kerry Drake, Little Max, Man in Black, Mazie, Mutt & Jeff, Richie Rich (all 1976 up), Sad Sack(all 1965 up), Warfront.
IW & SUPER Reprints;
There are a lot of Completionists for these publishers, thus they all sell. About 1/3 are Common, 1/3 are Uncommon, with 1/3 being Scarce to Rare. Our minimum prices is; (G=$4; VG=$7; FN=$10; VF=$18), with better titles sell for about 50-100% Higher. Those who like old cheap books usually buy Reading Copies. Completionists usually prefer the Higher Graded copies. Scarcer titles sell instantly when listed, with many still undervalued in the guide. Many have Pre-Code reprints at much lower prices than the slightly earlier vintage Originals. None of these comics carry the Comics Code, but should have. Superhero, Jungle, Horror/SF, & War titles being the bestsellers Western, Teenage, Humor, Funny Animal & Cartoon & Romance titles are are all moderate sellers. Top Artists including; Cole, Crandall, Davis, DeCarlo, Fine, Frazetta, Heath, Kinstler, Kirby, Krigstein, Powell, Severin, Ward, Wood, & Orhers. Most of these books are 40-50+ Years old, yet Reading copies are only in the $5-$10 range.
LIQUIDITY & Beyond;
The backbone of the Comics Back Issue market is the SUPERHERO comic. In the pre 1970 years it was Golden Age superheroes that transformed Readers into Collectors. From the 1970's to date, it has become the Marvel & DC Silver Age superheroes that dominate the market. Many of us started as younger readers with Cartoon, Archie or other comics & drifted into reading Superheroes. But it is the MARVEL superheroes of the Silver Age in particular & beyond, that have driven the Market to the lofty heights we know today. The growing legends & Universe was a world most of us got hooked on, usually in our pre-teen to teenage years. The quest to read & enjoy more of these classic tales, has made many Readers into lifetime Collectors. As we delve more into the world of comics, many of us tried out other genre's of comics; Horror, SF, Western, War, TV, Cartoon, etc. A very large portion stayed with Superheroes, but perhaps moved to to try & enjoy those of other publishers too. Naturally the GA superheros are the rarest, most valuable & are extremely important. But likley over 90% of today's collectors will never purchase a single GA back issue. MOST of the Comics currently available for sale in DEALER Inventories are MARVEL comics. Well over 50% of the Comics currently available for sale are 1981-2007, about 1/3 are Silver thru Bronze Age, about 15% are Comic Related items & only about 3% are Golden Age. The vast majority of existing back issues are in collections. In my 36 Years as a Dealer i estimate i purchased 6 Million comics & Sold 5 Million of them, thus my remaining current stock of just over 1 million comics. When collectors buy these items, few of them worry about future LIQUIDITY. If you are buying them to enjoy, this is NOT a concern. If you are spending large amounts, or a substantial portion of your income, this should be a concern. Currently the biggest GLUT in the Market are the 1981-1995 MARVEL and DC superhero comics in STRICT 8.5 Very Fine+ or LOWER Grades. (Especially those from 1988-1995) MANY dealer inventories are Loaded with these SLOW sellers (including about 40% of my own inventory); [It needs to be duly noted that for us, 1981-1987 MARVEL and DC superhero comics in STRICT 9.0 or Better (especially 9.4 up) are currently among our HOTTEST sellers]. MOST of the collections we have been offered in the last few years are heavily loaded with average graded 1981-1995 MARVEL and DC superhero comics, thus would be yet more overstock for us & of no value (in fact they would take up more valuable Space & Cost more for Labor to process them). Collections like these, if one is able to find a dealer-buyer at all, typically garner offers of 5% to 15% of Guide value (Often only 10 cents per book). Meanwhile, the TNC comics (Traditionally Non-Collected) from the 1981-1995 period are Uncommon to Scarce, including; Archie, Harvey, Cartoon, Charlton, Gold Key/Whitman, Western, War, Horror, Digests, Magazines, Fanzines, Mad & Cracked. These TNC comics are low in stock in most dealer inventories & tend to have a higher wholesale value per unit, as they are harder to re-stock. YES, most dealers do not care about Harvey & Archie comics. BUT how many dealers have a decent stock of these collectible items? TNC comics tend to sell well in ALL grades, for us with a turnover rate of 300% to 1000% better then average graded Superhero comics of the 1981-1995 period. This is the year that i have finally decided to begin CLEARANCE Sales on our Overstock of 1981-1995 MARVEL and DC superhero comics, with most being sold in lots of 25-100 comics each in the 50 cents to $1 each wholesale price range. Some sell to dealers, but most sell to fans who just want to READ THEM {Gasp!}. So far they have sold quite well & we hope to clear out 300,000+ Comics out of our Warehouse in the next few years. We added in some TNC comic Sets to the mix & on average we have yielded about DOUBLE the average prices as compared to Superhero comics of the period.
SUPPLY & DEMAND plays a large role in the market. If you buy all the same comics as everybody else, you might end up with common & thus SLOW selling material. If you buy items that are SCARCE in ANY condition, you will find a lot more buyers & at better percentages of retail. If you decide to collect the most popular & common Characters, & want them SALEABLE at a good price in the future, you will need to buy HIGH GRADE items that are SCARCE in CONDITION. These High Grade comics NEED to be able to withstand the strict Grading Standards of CGC and not just wishful thinking. HIGH GRADE comics (even those from the 1980's) can be sold successfully in many ways; (1) CGC Grade them & Auction them; (2) to a knowledgeable High Grade dealer; (3) to fellow collectors; (4) RAW on eBay with LARGE Scans to show you know how to grade; (5) on the CGC Chat Boards; On the Flip Side, older comics in LOW Grade sell quite well to READERS on eBay & for a decent percentage of Guide. >> Many collectors bought a lot of Comics in the 1980's, only to realize today that; They did not Hand-Select them by today's CGC standards, they did NOT Bag & Board Them on day of Release & they made the mistake of Reading Them, thus the collection they thought was "Pristine Mint" is now in fact only a bunch of common Very Fine average comics & thus hard to sell.
MARVEL Comics;
Marvel Superhero comics from the 1961-1964 Era are by far the most wanted comics of the Silver Age Comics. Yes we all dream about those rare Golden Age comics, but as most collectors today grew up on Marvel Comics, they have become the HOLY GRAIL's of the Hobby for many or even most fans. This explains the staggering prices received on High Grade issues & since most of them are still issued today as new comics, it seems there is no end in sight. Thus the 1961-1964 Marvel Superhero comics sell in every grade. For the 1965-1969 Era, Low Grade & High Grade copies sell the fastest, but because even 9.0 copies are getting expensive, I have seen increased demand for nice VF copies. The 1970-1974 era Marvels had small print runs & are scarcer than most the 1965-1969 issues & are more affordable, so sell about 2-3 Times Faster & moving well in all grades. The 1975-1980 Era are in high demand, mainly in VF or better. The 1981-1987 Late Bronze to Copper Age comics
were in VERY HIGH demand, but mainly only in STRICT VF/NM 9.0 or Better Grades. 1981-1995 Marvel Superhero issues in VG to VF are perhaps the most Overstocked Comics of all-time, & mainly sell in investment grades & as reading copies. Most 1996-2007 Marvel's had lower print runs & fetch better prices than 1988-1995 era comics, they might even be good long term investments. All good Bronze Age KEY issues were selling in all grades, but non-key issues of lesser titles were slower. We had a lot of Bronze & Copper Age issues in 9.0 and Better from the Manitoba collection & they sold about 3 times faster than the more common VG-VF grades. As usual, I sold a lot of ODDBALL Comics & other Format items, mainly because of our huge selection, including; Cartoon, Humor & Parody, TV/Movie, Romance, Teenage, Toy Related, TV, War, Western, etc, at 125-200% Guide; I also sold more than usual ODDBALL Format items, including; Digests, Fanzines, Giveaway/Promo items, Memorabilia, Paperbacks, Posters, Treasury's, Slurpee Cups, Calendar's, Portfolios, etc; Many of these odd items are getting harder to restock once sold out.
All Marvel Horror Comics & all Pre-1985 Marvel Magazines (all types) were TOP sellers in all grades, with high grade the most wanted. Reading copies are always in high demand & in fact i have sold out on lower graded copies (G, VG) on many many issues & often have only FN or even VF as my cheapest copies. We have more people trying to fill out the Marvel magazine runs than anything else from this publisher this year. Savage Sword of Conan is a set everyone wanted to complete this year, with the biggest obstacle being the Low Print #200-235 for most buyers. [Print #200-235 are hard to keep in stock even at 150-250% GUIDE]; This year Savage Sword #235 was our bestselling marvel & constantly selling out (NM=$125; VF/NM=$60; VF=$45; FN=$30; VG=$20; G=$12);;
If you check out the CGC Census, you will see that the 1970's Marvel Magazines are much 2-10 Times Scarcer in High Grade than their color comic counterparts. From the "Manitoba" Collection, we had another great year, selling over 900+ Raw 1976-1985 Era High Grade 9.0 to 9.8 Marvel Comics, Magazines & Treasuries at 125-300% of Guide. The most undervalued comic of the SA is probably Strange Tales Annual #2(7/1973; 4th app Spider-Man) which precdes Amazing Spider-Man #3 yet lists at 25% of the Value; Tales Of Suspense #49(1st X-Men X-Over) is undervalued too.
The Bestsellers for us this year (at 115%-150% GUIDE) included; Amazing Adventures #1,5-8,11-18, Amazing Spider-Man #1-30, 101-150, 252, 298-300, Astonishing Tales #1-6, 12,13, 21-25, Avengers #1-11, 47-250, Beware, Bizarre Adv, Capt America #100, 109-113, 131-300, Capt Marvel #1,14, 21-36, Cat, Chamber of Chills, Champions,Chili, Conan #1, 25-50, 261-275, Conan the King #51-55, Creatures on the Loose #10-16, 21, 22, 30-37, Crypt of Shadows, Daredevil #1-7, 50-168, Dazzler #6-7(Hulk) & Mystique/Rogue issues, Dead of Night, Deadly Hands of Kung-Fu, Defenders #1-11, Dos Savage Mag, Dr Strange(1974) #1,2 14, 48-53(Rogers-a), 58-62(Dracula), Dracula Lives, Electric Company Mag (with Spider-Man), Fear #1-31, Fantastic Four #1-30, 110-200, Foom #1-15, 22, Frankenstein, Ghost Rider #1-20, Giant Size X-Men #1, GI Joe #1-21, 91-100, 138-155, G.I. Joe Digest, Godzilla 1-3, 25, Gothic Tales of Love #1-3, Haunt of Horror, Hero For Hire #1-10, HULK mag, Incredible Hulk #121-250; Invaders 1-20, 31-33, Iron Fist , Iron Man 1, 21-150, John Carter, Journey into Mystery #83-112, Journey into Mystery (1972-75 all), Jungle Action #5-23, Lil Kids, Lil Pals, KULL and the Barbarians, Kull (1971) #1-5, Man-Thing, Marvel Comics Presents 72-84(Weapon X), Marvel Comics Super Special #1,2,4,5,9, M.Fanfare #45(all Pinup), M. Feature(1971) #1-4,11,12, M.Feature (1975) #1-7, Marvel Novel series #1-11, M. Premeire #1,3,7,8,15,45-50, M. Preview #1-10, Marvel Spotlight #1-12, 26-32, MSH Contest of Chanpions, MSH Secret Wars #8, Marvel Team-Up #1-15 & John Byrne issues, M. Treasury 1-28, M.Two-in-One #1-10 & all Byrne/Perez/Miller art issues, Master of Kung Fu 15-50, Masters of the Universe #12-13, Micronauts 1-10(Golden-a), Mighty Marvel Western 1-15, Monsters of the Prowl, Monsters Unleashed, Moon Knight #29,30, Ms Marvel #1,16-18, My Love 1-39, Nick Fury 1-7, Night Nurse, Night Rider, Nova 1,12,25, Our Love Story #1-38(esp #5), Pete the Pest, Planet of the Apes mag #21-29, Powerman 17-50, Prototypes (Atlas 1961 & Older), Punisher (1986 Mini), Pussycat #1, Rampaging Hulk, Red Wolf, Savage Sword of Conan #1-30, 200-235, Savage Tales #1, Savage She-Hulk #1,6,8,25, Sgt Fury #1-13, Shanna, Silver Surfer(1968) #1,3,4,12, Spidey Super Stories 1-30, Spider-Man Digest, Spider-Woman #6, 19, 32, Star Digest, Strange Tales 101-115, 169-181, Sub-Mariner #1, 8, 14, 34-50, 59, 69, Superman vs Spider-Man #1, Supernatural Thrillers, Super Villian Teamup, Tales of the Zombie, Tales of Suspense #39-60, Tales to Astonish #27, 35-60, Thor #181-250, 332,333,337, Tomb of Darkness, Tomb of Dracula #1-30, Transformers 1-10, 61-80, Transformers Digest, Uncanny Tales, Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction, Vampire Tales, Vault of Evil, War is Hell , Werewolf by Night #1-20,32,33, Western Gunfighters #1-15, Western Kid, What If (1977) #1-20, Worlds Unknown, X-Men #1-20, 50-66, 94-121;
.
National Lampoon;
National Lampoon are loaded with great material that is unknown or forgotten. In the 1950's & 1960's MAD was arguable the Greatest Parody Mag of them all, but in the 1970's NAT LAMP took that Position. 90% of the issues we sell are in the G-FN range. We had about 100+ High Grade 1970's issues from the MANITOBA collection & sold about 50% of them at 150-200%+ Our normal VF range Prices. 1970-1973 Issues are SCARCE in VF or better, with 1974-1979 Issues are SCARCE in VF/NM or better. As of 8/2007 only 12 Different issues have been CGC graded, with only 7 in 9.2 or Better. With their Superb Roster of Artists, one would think many more would be slabbed,. Included in the series is great art by; Adams, Bode, Frazetta, Jeff Jones, Kaluta, Morrow, Romita, Arnold Roth, Barry Windsor-Smith, Gahan Wilson, Berni Wrightson & many others. >> The 10 different issues published in 1993-1998 had Very Small Print runs & rarely show up even on eBay, they bring $15-$40 each, if you can find them at all. Price Ranges for the Classic issues in VG-VF are; #1($100-200); #2-10(1970; $35-$60 each); #10-21(1971 $20-$40); #22-33(1972; $12-30); >>> Recent Sales; #1(VG $100); #20(Adams & Frazetta; VF=$60; VG=$30); #22(1/1971; 1st Son of God by ADAMS; VF=$60; VG=$22); #26(Conan parody by Barry Smith; FN $20); #34(Death issue; Red Hot Classic; “Buy this Magazine, or we will shoot this Dog!” Photo Cover; DEADMAN Comics by ADAMS; PLAYDEAD parody; VF $50); #55(10/1974; Red Hot Pubescence issue; VD COMICS by ADAMS; VF $45);
There are 40+ different Squarebound Special's, they are uncommon in ANY grade, with many now scarce to rare. The stiff cardboard covers on the specials make them scarce in VF or better. (Most we sell at; G=$5; VG=$9; FN=$14; VF=$20; with Scarce & Rare issues bring 50-150% Higher); The 3 higest demand isues are; COMICS [ Special #7; 1974; Morrow-a; Jeff Jones-a; Bode-a; Mad Beatles & Blackhawk Parodies; DEADMAN by ADAMS; ZIMMERMAN by ADAMS; VF=$25 ]; Encyclopedia of Humor [1973; WRIGHTSON-c; FRAZETTA Back-c; Lesbian comics by Heath; Jones-a; BODE-a; FOLDOUT MAP Insert {often missing} is INTACT; Ted Kennedy Volkswagen page 29 {often missing} is INTACT; VF $25 ]; Very Large Book of Comical Funnies [ 1975; Tarzan Parody; ADAMS & Continuity studios-a; NEGRO Comics = Kaluta, Chaykin & Simonson-a; Ploog & Evans-a; LOST EC Comics = Simonson, Heath, WRIGHTSON, Chaykin & Reese-a; VF $20]; 1964 High School Yearbook (VF = $50);
TREASURY Editions;
Treasury Editions are steady Good Sellers, with the Marvel & DC Titles the best sellers. The majority sell best in affordable G to FN/VF grades. We sold about 75 Manitoba collection High Grade 9.0-9.6 range copies (120-300% Guide) All are now Scarce in STRICT 9.0 or better. Bestsellers (at 120-135% Guide) included; All New Collector's Edition C-54(Superman vs. Wonder Woman), C-55(Legion), C-56(Superman vs. Muhammad Ali), Captain America's BiCentennial Battles (Kirby/Smith-a), DC Special Series #27( Batman vs. Hulk), Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera #1-3(New-s), Limited Collectors Edition C-23 (House of Mystery), (Batman issues = C-25, C-37, C-44, C-51), C-32 - Ghosts(New-s/a), C-34 (Christmas w SuperHeroes), C-46(JLA), C-48( Superman vs Flash), Marvel Treasury #24-28(with New Material), 1-10(Reprints), Superman vs Spider-Man #1. ** The Annie, G.I. Joe & Smurfs Treasuries all had small Print Runs & are Scarcer (150% Guide); ** RUDOLPH #NN(1972) is one of the Rarest Bronze Age comics & Christmas & Archie Treasury is Rare too (Both bring 200% Guide); Amazing World of Superman is getting scarcer, but especially in High Grade (due to Black-c); The Oddball Titles are Scarce & Bring 125% Guide, including; Golden Picture Story Book (1961) ST#1-4, Modern Promotions (1972/73; Beetle Baily, Flash Gordon, Katzenjammer Kids, Mandrake) & Walt Disney Paint Book series (6 different circa 1975); A forgotten rarity was uncovered this year; Famous First Edition (Silver Stone Graphics Pub) C-61 Signature Edition (1979; Superman #1 Softcover in Portfolio type Slipcase; Serial Numbered Edition of 250 Copies; Signed by Jerry Seigel & Joe Shuster; Rare; NM- value estimated at $500)
TOWER comics;
Dynamo, Fight the Enemy, Go-Go, Noman, Thunder Agents, Tippy Teen, & Undersea Agents, were all great sellers all thru the year, selling mostly to Readers & fans filling out sets in G-FN Grades (at 110-125% Guide); We did fill a few want lists for VF or better copies, but these are becoming tougher to find in higher grades & very few exist in CGC 9.0 or Better. These gems remain undervalued in High Grades, considering they contain the talents of; Crandall, Ditko, Kane, Wood, etc; They published Good Old Days magazine (1964-1981; $5-$20 ea); Tower was also a vintage paperback Publisher (related to Belmont & Midwood books) with many highly collectible titles ($5-$50 ea);
Variants
& Premium Editions;
The
Marvel's 30 & 35 cent Variants are the Ones that Started the
VARIANT CRAZE. These are some of the highest demand comics of the
entire Bronze Age. GUIDE Values are still well below market &
even wholesale values, but are finally beginning to creep up. The 30
cent Variants are about 50-200 Times Scarcer than regular 25 cent
printings & should guide at a MINIMUM of 300% of the 25 cent
edition prices (better & Scarcer titles bring 500-1000%); The 35
cent Variants are about 200-1000 Times Scarcer than regular 30 cent
printings & should guide at a MINIMUM of 600% the 30 cent edition
prices (better & Scarcer titles at 800-2000%); Iron
Fist #14(35 cent Variant) is the most desirable of the Marvel
variants. The Western, War, Horror & Reprint title issues turn
out to be some of the rares, with RAW copies sometimes Bring; (30
Cent Variants $50-$200 in MID Grades) (35 Cent Variants $100-$800 in
MID Grades) Spider-Man titles bring top premiums & should be
priced at about 50-100% Higher than other Superhero titles. Star Wars
#1(35 cent Variant) still brings top premiums, although it is one of
the most common variants, it has gone unfilled on 100's of Marvel
Want lists for up to 25 Years. [Which is STRANGE because regular
printings of Star Wars #1 are slow to DEAD sellers)
We found more buyers for the UK British PENCE cover Price VARIANT Editions, (mainly selling to Marvel Completionists); These Marvel's were printed in USA & originally ONLY for sale in UK. They appeared periodically from 1961 thru to the 1980's, with many interruptions. The 1960's UK Price Variants were printed simultaneously with the US Editions & are to be considred Originals. [ But when it comes to UK edtions of expensive books like Amazing Spider-Man #1 and TTA #27 buyers become afraid, as they lack the knowledge to realize they are perhaps 20 to 100 Times Scarcer than the original US printings]; I sold a Amazing Spider-Man #1 UK Variant in G/VG for 120% GUIDE. There were many "ND" (Not Distributed) periods in UK, where NO copies (USA Printings or UK Printings) were DISTRIBUTED & thus those issues are scarcer overseas. (best Referanced in the 1997-98 McAlpine guide); For us the bestselling of these Variants are those with the "MARVEL ALL-COLOUR COMICS" Banner across the top of the front cover, mostly in the 1974-1980 era. Because Bronze Age is Hot & as are Variants, these have been our the bestselling UK variants, at 120-135% GUIDE.
Limited Edition Modern Variants (mainly 1990-2007) including GOLD editions, Multiple Cover Variants, Convention editions, Dynamic Forces, r Signed Copies, Hologram covers, Platinum, Polybagged specials, Signed & Numbered, are often red hot upon release. But most do not perform well in the long-term, because as soon the the newest HOT Limited Edition Variant gets released, the previous one tend to get forgotten. Unfortunately this is what happened to Limited Edition Sports Cards, one can always make MORE new limited editions & the old ones get more & more diluted in value. The ones that seem to hold value & demand, are those in which there is constant demand for the Regular editions.
Canadian Newsstand VARIANT Cover Price editions to their Collection, sold better than ever before, as awareness spreads. There are FAR too many of them (5000++) to EVER be listed in the main part of the GUIDE. Many times this year i saw them Both intentionally & mistakenly Sold as "Rare Price Variants, NOT listed in Overstreet. [Just 2 examples of Many; a FA/G Transformers #1 and a GI Joe #21 in VG, both sold for over $50 on eBay]; Most want the comics of their Favorite Character or Artist, but some just like Variants & will ask for more Obscure Titles. In General these are about 50 to 100 Tmes Scarcer than a USA Direct Edition Printing. To make matters more difficult, about 90% of them are only FA/G thru FN/VF, with about 9% in VF or VF+, and perhaps 1% are in VF/NM or better. ** DATES for Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants Existing include; ARCHIE Comics & Digests (1/1984-12/1997), CHARLTON (2/1983-8/1984), DC(all Newstand Comics, Magazines & Digests from 10/1982-9/1988), DELL (random 1960-1962, plus Back Cover variants & assorted 1950's Cover Price variants = Regular issues with 15 Cents Covers & Giants with 30 cents covers), GOLD KEY(5-8/1968, and 4/1972-4/1973), HARVEY(1960's Giants with 35 Cent cover prices), MAD (some 1964 & 7/1978-7/1979), MARVEL (all Newstand Comics, Magazines & Digests from 10/1982-8/1986), WARREN (3/1977-3/1983), WHITMAN (Mainly Early 1981, & 1983-1984); We sell these Variants at 135-200% Guide; High Grade copies have been known to change hands at 300% or More Guide. Very few of these Variants have been graded by CGC. For example, Secret Wars #8 has 1885 Copies Graded, but only ONE Canadain Variant (in FN) on their Census. One day i expect that VARIANT Collectors will regret not buying these sooner.
Early 1977-1979 MARVEL DIRECT Editions were Both intentionally & mistakenly Sold as "WHITMAN Variants of MARVEL" comics, all thru the year; Only a few Treasuries were actusl WHITMAN editions; Otherwise only the Plastic Bags were actually "Whitman"; (See Guide #36 on page 125 for full details, or email me); ** I have witnessed sellers who know they are early Marvel Direct Edition, intentionally sell them as "rare Whitman Variants" in a quest for more money & often indeed getting rewarded with 200%-1000% selling prices for their efforts. ** Early MARVEL DIRECT Editions (with Black Diamond on cover, with NO "cc" on cover, with NO UPC or obscured UPC Codes etc). The 1977 issues are most desirable & sell at 120-150% Guide to Variant Collector's; For 7/1978, 3-4/1979 there were only Newsstand editions printed. (with the exceptions of Micronauts & Shogun Warriors, which are often mistaken as reprints, but are actually uncommon Direct 1st printings). Strangely enough, i am told by Variant Completionists, a few 1978-1979 DIRECT issues are very elusive & Scarce, but is too early to ID & price these in this newer segment of the collecting market.
A new trend in VARIANTS is the quest for Scarce 2nd, 3rd & beyond Printings (Mostly from Marvel & DC comics in the 1980's to early 1990's); Batman the Killing Joke (1988) had at least 11 Printings, of which typically 65% of the copies on the for sale market are First Printings, thus gathering a complete set of 11 Printings is a very difficult Task. ** Batman #397-399, 401-403, 408-416, 421-425, 430-432 all had at least 2 printings, with some issues having 6 or More Printings. About 50% have the Printings noted in the indicia inside. The other printings, one can only tell apart by comparing the AD's on the BACK Cover. At least 75 different printings exist for these 23 different issues, but most likely the actual number exceeds 100 different. This BATMAN Variants set would be extremely difficult to assemble, as no one knows what exists & many are rare. Other early 1990's & older second printings include; X-Men #248,270,275,282, New Mutants #87, 100, New Warriors #1, G.I. Joe #1-30, Amazing Spider-man #361, Silver Surfer #34, many assorted other marvel & DC comics. The strange part is, that most later printing are scarcer than First Printings & it would not suprise me to see Variant Collecters pay multiples to complete their sets.
WARREN,
Skywald, Eerie/Stanley & other Horror Comic Mags;
WARREN
Mags are one of the bestselling & fastest turnover items in my
entire inventory. They sell in every grade, but the Reading Copies
(VG and Lower) are the toughest grades to keep in stock.
When Warren folded circa 1983, their back issue department copies got dumped on the market in quantitles of about 1000-5000 Copies each (More of the Low Numberes & Less of the High Numbers);
By about 2002 over 95% finally got absored by the market, as most of the final copies got dumped on eBay. Suddenly, Horror comics became HOT, & literally 1000's of collectors found themselves having 25%, 50% and 75% Completed sets of Creepy, Eerie & Vampirella, so they all decided to start filling in these sets, these are by far the most collected titles. This resulted in dramatic Price increases & Constant demand. Most of our buyers buy groups of 20, 50 or even 100 mags at a time. We have discovered some issues seem to be MUCH scarcer than others, so the theory is that Some issues were SOLD OUT, & others only available in LOW Quantities, from Warren Warehouse. It is only the Warehouse, that has held back the values of these amazing mags, otherwise under regular market conditions they would be 200% to 600% Higher in Price. Blazing Combat #1 & the Anthology(Mail Order Only) are Scarce in ANY grade, but Rare in 9.0 or better & sells instantly at 200% Guide; The scarcity of Eerie #17 is now Legendary (90% of existing copies have Chipped interior upper & lower right Corners, caused by a Dull Blade at factory), with most copies bringing 300%-500% Guide on eBay; [Just yesterday a raw FN/VF copy sold for $548.99]; I sold the best copy i ever owned 3 years ago for $500; This book need to TRIPLE in the Guide & would still be low. We sold a 100's of High Grade copies of Warren mags in the 1975-1983 Era from the Manitoba Collection (9.0 to 9.6 copies at 125-300% Guide);
>>> The Scarce and/or High Demand WARREN Mags Include; After Hours #1(1957; 1st Warren mag; Betty Page; VF = $500+), 2,3(VF = $200+ ea), #4(Ackerman; Monster article, pre-FM; VF=$700+), Blazing Combat #1 & Anthology(200%), Comix International #1(200%), CREEPY #9,32,146(150%), CREEPY #10,14,17-19,29, 32,34, 39, 50, 70,71,76,78,91,113,132-145(125%); Best of Creepy Paperback(VF $30), Dracula (TPB; 150%), Dracula (UK New English Library mag editions 1-12; VF = $12 ea); Edgar Allan Poe's Fall of the House of Usher HC(125%); Eerie #9(150%), 17(400%), 23(200%), 135(150%); Eerie #5, 18, 24,25,28,38-41,45, 48, 60,81,94,95,98,108,125,128, 130-134,136-139(125%); Famous Monsters #1(VF $2000), 2-30(VF = $200-$900 ea), Famous Monsters (Dynacomm) #200(1993), 205(VF $35 ea); #211-213,219,221,223,224(VF $22 ea); FM Convention Books (1974, 1975; VF = $75+ ea), FM Paperbacks(VF = $75-100 ea), Flintstones at New York World's Fair 1964(150%), HELP #1(VF $75+); #2-5,9, 13,15,21-26(VF=$30-$50) ; Heidi Saha (500 Printed? Very RARE; VF = $1000+); Monsters & Heroes (Warren Related; Pub by Larry Ivie; 1967-1969; VF = $30-$50); MONSTERLAND / Forrest J. Ackerman's Monsterland (1984-1987) #1-17(VF= $12-20); Monster World (replaces Famous Monsters #70-79) #3(VF $60+); #4(VF $35+); Odd World of Richard Corben,(200%), ON THE SCENE PRESENTS FREAK-OUT, USA #NN (#1; Fall 1967 = 125%); Screen Thrills (1962-1965) #1,10(VF $75+); 2-4(VF $50); Spacemen #1,3(VF=$200+); #2,4-8 & Annual(VF=$50-$75); Spirit Special (Mail Only Approx 1500 printed = 150%), Teen Love Stories 1-3 (115-125%), Tiny Tim(125%); VAMPIRELLA #1-8,12,16,19,33,36, 41,45,46,48, 52,61,63,64, 77,78,89, 101-113(115-125% Guide), Annual #1(125%), Special #1(Softcover 125%) Special #1(Hardcover 200%), Vampirella Paperbacks #1-3(VF $30), 4-6(VF $50); Vampirella UK mags #1-4(VF $50 ea); Warren Presents #13, 14(150%); Wildest Westerns/Favorite Westerns of Filmland #1(VF $200); #2(VF $100); #3-6(VF = $60+ ea)
** The Comics Horror mags by Eerie Pub, Globe, Hamilton, Major, Modern Day, Stanley, Tempest Pub, & World Famous, never hot, but always consistant sellers. Reading copies are in Higest Demand & we have started to sell out of everything in less than FN Condition; The Eerie & Stanley Titles glorious colorful Violent Torture, Bondage & Gore Covers & Contents, this is what everyone remembers & why they want then. Weird Vampire Tales & Terrors of Dracula are Uncommon to Scarce & bring 135-150% Guide; The rest sold in all grades in the 120-135% Guide Price Range, including; Chilling Tales of Horror, Horror Tales, Murder Tales, Shock, Strange Galaxy, Tales from the Tomb, Tales of Killers, Tales of Voodoo, Terror Tales, Web of Horror, Weird, Weird Worlds, & Witches Tales;
** The SKYWALD Mags (Nightmare, Psycho & Scream) are about 3-6 Times Scarcer than the Average Warren Mag, with the last 4 issues of each title being the Scarcest issues; They sell in ALL Grades bringing at 140-160% Guide; They are very hard to restock once sold & VF or better copies are getting Very Hard to find all the time. "KING" mags (3-7/1971; Boris-a) are Rare [#1(VF)=$75; #2(VF)=$50]; Crime-Machine & Hell-Rider are also decent sellers (#1's = 150%; #2's = 120%);
WHITMAN comics;
The Whitman comics (former Gold Key) 8-12/1980 issues are finally understood to SCARCE & still bring 150-500% GUIDE prices. The Whitman comics (former Gold Key) 1983-1984 issues are uncommon & bring 120-200% GUIDE prices. The Whitman Variant's (NOT listed in the Guide) of Gold Key's published from 11/1971 thru 2/1980 are uncommon to Scarce, with some Rare, depending of the Popularity of the Character bring 125-200% of GK issue values. The better Non-Cartoon Titles (Star Trek, Tarzan, Twilight Zone etc) near the High End; We got the most requests ever for the WHITMAN Variants of DC comics, with most buyers wanting FN or better (But we sold VG & lower to a few buyers completing runs); We sell most DC Whitman's from this price range (and up) = VF/NM=$16; VF=$12; FN=$9; VG=$6; G=$4; >> MARVEL Whitman's DO NOT exist (see Variant's in this report)
MARKET REPORT for #37(2007) Overstreet Annual Comic Book Price Guide by Douglas W. Sulipa (Written & Submitted in 10/2006); (UN-EDITED & Complete Original Version)
[Several Sections were DELETED in the Published Overstreet Version & are Marked as such below]
Doug
Sulipa's COMIC WORLD
BOX 21986
STEINBACH, MANITOBA
CANADA
R5G 1B5
Website; www.dougcomicworld.com
Email; cworld@mts.net
(Ph; 1-204-346-3674)(Fax; 1-204-346-1632)
INTRO & Overview;
For us, the Comics Marketplace was Business as Usual all year long. Yes, everyone still wanted the top 100 "Must Have" comics, that has not changed much in the last 3 years. DC & Marvel had events happen in new comics, that had roots in older back issues & the fans loved it, scooping up many of these related back issues, beyond these, not much other older items would be considered "Hot". Since buyers have not been distracted by must have HOT items, many have decided to go back to buying comics that they really like, & that is never a bad thing. The question on many collectors minds is; Since New Comic Sales are low compared to previous Era's, will values hold & will the market continue to be strong in the future? To answer this we need just realize that there have been consistent Boom & Bust Collecting Fad Era's, which expand back to the Roots of comic collecting in the 1960's & Earlier. Comics as a viable avenue of collecting, is in the neighborhood of 50 Years & still going strong. Unlike other Hobbies, COMICS have the huge advantage that fans like to both Read Them & appreciate them for their Artwork. Just as BOOKS will never stop being read & collected, i expect that there will always be plenty of buyers for Comics. Now with the internet, we have more & more collectors from around the world, buying up back issues, which often disappear permanently from our back issue pools. European Disney Comic sales in Europe & Japanese Manga Comic sales in Japan, make the American new comics market seem small. If these Overseas buyers graduate to buying American comics, there is no end in site to the future of our collectibles. In my experience, Collectors of older Back-Issue Comics are usually a different Group of Buyers than those who usually buy New Comics. (Although there are Crossover collectors & Long Time collectors who buy both; Typically buyers usually focus most of their hobby budget on one or the other). Thus Print Runs & even survival of New Comics, are not imperially tied to & of paramount importance to the survival of our hobby. In fact all Print Media are in lower demand as we move forward into the computer age. Events in New comics do however affect back issues prices in the books in which they began.
In the early 1990's there was a boom (Image Comics, Death of Superman & Valiant comics) followed by a bust in part caused by overprinting, & aggravated by fear of Marvel folding when they were in Chapter-11 protection. Soon after this happened, collectors in droves started using the internet & a strong recovery set in. Then, we had the Oddball & Scarce Comics Rage spread thru the industry as never before & price rose dramatically. Next we saw eBay grow faster & faster, each year becoming a more important factor in our industry. One of the things that collectors least anticipated was next to come, as CGC entered the Marketplace. CGC revolutionized the industry & made it "Safer" to collect, with the bonus advantage of making our treasured collectibles more Liquid in the marketplace. The CGC Age of collecting ushered in the huge Growth in Comic Auctions at both eBay & at Private Auction houses. Comics boomed for several years on end, with seemingly no end in sight. But as all these factors became an integral & normal part of our marketplace, things started to cool & hit more realistic levels. Just as we wondered what would happen NEXT, the Comic Book Movies in the Theatre's hit unprecedented levels of success. Interest in comics once again hit very high levels & many collectors came back into the marketplace. We experienced a Mini-Boom in 1968-1985 Era Horror Comics in the last few years, but many dealers do not carry a decent selection of these comics & missed out on these sales. The marketplace seems to have leveled off again this year, with collectors once again asking; what's next? I have been selling comics since 1971 & one trend that always holds true; as values of back issues continue to rise, at one point in time collectors en-masse will move from one Era of Collecting up to the next & newer Era, mainly due to afford ability. This usually happens about once every 10 Years or so. Comics that are 20-25 Years old are already from a previous Generation & collectors begin to get nostalgic for them. These 20-25 Years old comics become less common in higher grades & they start disappearing from Dealer inventories. In 1996 it was still believed that BRONZE AGE comics were Ultra-Common & that they were all COMMON in NM, & even the price guide even used to state they were common in NM. In the last decade BRONZE AGE comics have skyrocketed in price, just compare the Top-50 Bronze Age prices in the 2006 Guide to the 1996 Prices. [500% to 2000% price increases are commonplace]; Today we still often hear that 1980's comics are plentiful & that they are all common in NM. Just as it was not true for Bronze Age in 1996, it is again not true for 1980's Comics Today. STRICTLY Graded (Using the CGC Standard as a Guideline) 1980's Comics in INVESTMENT GRADES (Typically VF/NM, 9.0 or Better) are nowhere near as common as is commonly believed. Although in Gross Dollars we still sell more in Pre-1980 Bronze Age & Older Comics, the quantiles of 1980's comics we sold this year saw a dramatic rise. I fully expect that a decade from now, we will look back & find it hard to believe that 1980's comics were so low priced in 2007. Since collecting by it's very nature is the repetition of collective & individual learned behavior, it seems a very strong probability these trends will continue.
The BRONZE AGE has been our consistent Best Seller for the last 5 years. There is not yet a definitive consensus of where the Bronze Age begins & ends, so most people go by the eBay definition of 1970-1979. These artificial cutoffs by date seem a little absurd, since GA & SA are more clearly defined. Based on Customer Interest & Buying habits, it seems more logical that the Bronze Age ends with Secret Wars-1 (1984-85), and CRISIS on Infinite Earths (1985-1986) at DC. Most of our Bronze Age collectors now seem to be extending their sets to include all the issues thru approx the 1985 Era, depending on the title. The completely Re-Vamped DC Universe of Post-Crisis seems to be a much more Logical Place to start the Copper Age. Spider-Man in Black Costume, the Coming of Venom & other changes, seem to be Logical for Marvel. Regardless of if we call them late Bronze Age or early Copper age, the comics of the 1980-1986 Era are way up in demand for us.
ACG Comics; This year we sold mostly the Superhero issues of Adv into Unknown, Forbidden Worlds, Unknown Worlds mostly in average grades of G thru FN at 110-120% Guide. HERBIE by many is considered the most important title by this publisher & they were by far the bestseller of the year, with all from Low to High grade moving at a fast pace. The Horror/SF, & Cartoon, Humor, Romance & Misc titles moved moderately well in G-FN. Once issues we quoted in FNVF or better showed resistance by buyers. Dizzy Dames is a much asked for title & they usually sell as fast as we can find them at 135-150% Guide levels.
ALTERNATIVE / Independent Comics;
Independent Comics because a notable force in the World of Collecting in 1982 with Pacific, Eclipse & a few other Pioneering Publishers, thus by the time this Guide is released, it will be the 25th Anniversary. Seagate, Bud Plant & others were Distributing to a Small Degree to the Tiny DIRECT market from 1976-1979, but the DIRECT Market do not Truly get rolling until other Distributors were allowed to compete with Seagate in 1980. In 1980 the first Comic published to be sold ONLY thru this young DIRECT Market was Superboy Spectacular. In 3/1981 Marvel followed suit with the release of the Direct Only DAZZLER #1, which had record sales. (I remember that i ordered 6000 Copies for my shop); By 1/1982 Marvel converted 3 Titles to DIRECT Only; Ka-Zar the Savage, Moon Knight & Micronauts. The 1980-1981 Experiments made Independent creators take notice & by 1982 Pacific, Eclipse & others entered the market with a BOOM. Most of the 1982-1983 issues were overprinted & remain common today (but not in STRICT NM condition ranges); The Initial BOOM continued but with modified Print Runs from 1984-1986. By 1987 there were so very many Independent comics on the market, that there was a BUST. Publishers, & Titles were Folding everywhere & Print Runs Plummeted. Most Alternative comics of the 1987-1991 Period had smaller print runs. VALIANT comics Revived Magnus & Solar in 1991, based on the classic Gold Key Characters, to moderate initial good sales. Then in 1992 Todd McFarlane, Erik Larsen, Jim Lee & other Left Marvel to form IMAGE Comics & the 2nd Independent comics BOOM had Arrived. Valiant added several titles in 1992 & started the UNITY Crossover between all the titles. Because Image was setting Record Sales, the excellent comics by Valiant got caught in the wave & sales soared to Huge Print Runs. The Big Print runs continued thru the Death of Superman Era, but started to subside by the Batman/Azreal/Bane Era & a CRASH started to set in ny the time the Batman Knightfall Era was finishing (Summer 1993); The comics of 1992-1993 Remain some of the Most overprinted Comics of all time. The 1994-1996 Print Runs kept on the decline & leveled off to Low Levels by the late 1990's. It was an exciting Era, that much of existing Fandom lived thru.
There are Untold Treasures Hidden thru the entire 1982-1996 Era & Beyond. The Overprinted issues might take a while to gain any value above Cover Prices, but the 1000's of Low Print Run items should fair much better. We have probably the World's Biggest Selection of INDY's with about 200,000 in stock.(Perhaps 50,000 Different??); People are always checking my Website & Finding Rare Oddball items than NO one else has in stock. Sometimes it even surprises me on some of the items we have in stock, that i have long forgotten. Perhaps as much as 35-50% of the Independent Comics we have in stock, are not listed in Overstreet, Many of the Greatest Creators of the Modern Era got their start in the pages of these books. Pre-Unity, Promo & Low Print Valiant comics are again booming. [For Current values, Print Runs, Rarities & Action results go to = www.valiantcomics.com/valiant.asp ]; We have witnessed World Record Prices on CEREBUS, TMNT, ALBEDO & other Classics. After 2 Major Boom & Bust periods, Literally Millions of these COMICS were DUMPED in BARGAIN BINS & many are no longer common in HIGH GRADE, dues to careless & Over Handling.
There are a Large number of Fans buying up PRE-1982 Independand Comics (In that period they were considered Ground-Level Comics, Underground comics, & Fanzines) and extends back to a prehistoric era of 1960's DITTO ZINES (Mimeographed with Tiny Print Runs of 100-1000 copies etc), many with very crude stories & art; These historic Independent Comics are becoming more sought each & every year. [Especially in CANADA with Canadian-Made Comics, as the output was so much smaller]; Most Buyers of these early issues are not too concerned about Condition & will take whatever they can find. Among the most sought are the RARE 1970's Paragon comics (Macabre Western, Starfems, etc) by Bill Black (VF copies bring $20-$50 each); Other Pre-1982 Comics that are UP in Demand (at 125-150% Guide) include; Astral Comics (1977), Badtime Stories (Wrightson), Captain Al Cohol #1-3(1973; $50-100 ea) ; Cazco (Phil Yeh), Cerebus, Cobalt Blue(1977), Elflord (Nightwind; 1980-82) #1-15, Elfquest (1st Prints) #1-10, Fantasy Quarterly #1, Great Society Comic Book (1966), Hot Stuf (Sal Q), Imagine, Kosher Comics(1966), Mr. A series (Ditko), Nexus (Capital) #1-3, Oktoberfest, ORB, Phantacea, Power Comics, Quack(Star Reach), Rock Comics (Adams-a), Star Reach, & Others; >>> But Even Scarcer are the Low Print Run Independent comics of the 1960's (at $20-$50+ each) including; Alter Ego, Batfink & Rubin, Kosher Comics, Larry Ivie’s Monsters & Heroes, Star Studded, Witzend, & Others.
ARCHIE comics;
Many Dealers say that old Archie's do not sell, but that is because they do not have a good selection. With 35,000 Archie Comics & 10,000 Digests, no one can touch our selection. We had one buyer alone, over a period of about a year, buy one of each of every different issue we had in stock from 1970-2005, Literally 1000's of issues. He now owns about 95% of all the issues printed in that period, something no other dealer could hope to accomplish for a client. This is one of the big advantages of selection & buyers really appreciate our efforts.
A new trend has begun this year, namely the collecting of "KEY" issues within the many series, as collectors from other Genre's have decided to expand their horizons The early 1960's Horror/Monsters/SF cover issues were the most requested issues bringing 125% guide, especially Jughead #79 with the Creature from Black Lagoon-c at 135% Guide; Also in high demand was the very tough Pals N Gals #23 with the first Josie in the 150% Guide range. Rare items sold well including; Jughead's Folly #1(1st ELVIS in comics), Archie's Mechanics & others. Beatles parody issues are in constant demand. All early & Key issues with Josie & Sabrina are once again up in demand. Josie #45-50 are very tough to keep in stock, as are the tough high numbers #100-106 in the 135-150% Guide range. Sabrina #1-17 & the Low print #71-77 bring 135-150% Guide. Cosmo the Merry Martian is an overlooked classic Cult favorite & a must have title for humor fans, selling fast in the 120% guide range. The early 1960's Laugh & Pep with Superheroes are in consistent demand, but forget about finding FN or better copies, they are hard to keep in stock in G/VG. The demand for early CHERYL BLOSSOM comics seems to never subside, once Identified, everything Pre Love-Showdown (1994) sells 200-400% Faster than other issues. There are 4 different Cheryl Blossom Mini-Series (13 issues total) from 1995-1996 & these are becoming more & More popular, with investors also requesting 9.0 or better copies. Demand for Archie Giant #26, 32 has tripled since they were broken out as B&V All-Pinup issues by Dan DeCarlo bringing 125% guide. All the 1960's Squarebound Giants are Popular, selling at 110-125% Guide. Anything & Everything with Dan DeCarlo art sells well (including Millie the Model & his many other Non-Archie comics); DeCarlo's Adults Digest Cartoon's also have a good following & are rather uncommon. We even had a fan buying up all the DeCarlo covers on a few Digest titles, as they are New material that does not appear elsewhere. The Red Circle Sorcery, & Madhouse HORROR issues are in High Demand, in all grades, but with High Grades selling fastest.
TMNT Adventures #61-72, Specials #6-10 & Digests, all had Low print runs & are now quite scarce bringing 200-400% guide. The 4 Huge Trade Paperback Archie All-Star Specials (1975) are SCARCE in any grade, but Rare in FN or better; The Christmas with Archie Treasury is Rarte in any Grade & is a fast seller at 200% Guide. Tales Calculated to Drive you BATS is a Popular title, but tough in better than FN, (One collector has tried for years to put together a VF or better set, with little luck)
There were only a finite number of Pre-1950 Golden Age age Archie's & these are in constant High Demand in all grades, with most dealers being consistently sold out. The early issues & all Key issues bring good premiums with Archie #1 and Pep #22 now being among the most desirable of all GA comics. There are about 5 different magazine size GA B&W Canadian Archie Comics, these are quite RARE and VG range copies typically bring $400-600 each, but the issue with the 1st Archie story from Pep #22 brings $1000+ in VG;
It is amazing that with all the recent Comic Movies, that Hollywood has not caught on the the eternal Popularity of Archie, Betty, Veronica & Friends has huge appeal. I was told by someone has done work at Archie, that the management really does not understand the properties they hold. There is not aggressive efforts to understand & properly merchandise their products. Due to the widespread distribution of Archie Digests in Supermarkets, Chain Stores & other newsstand locations, one could ague that Archie is the most Popular Character still selling to the non-collecting General Public.
If a great Live Action Theatrical Movie or TV series ever hits, back issue would soar & values on Key issues would follow in no time. In general about 75% of Buyers are satisfied with ordinary G-FN grades, which is a good thing, as most issues Pre-1988 are TOUGH to find in even VF, much less VF/NM or better. NM 9.4 Copes are Non-Existent for most Pre-1980 issues. For example, only 7 different issues of Betty & Veronica 1-347 have been CGC graded in 9.4 or better & indeed even 9.0 copies are rare. So High Grade in Archie means VF 8.0 or better. Betty & Veronica has been the #1 most consistently collected set for over 5 Years straight. It would very a monumental task to put together a STRICT Very Fine or better condition set. B&V #320 is a Instant Seller Double Guide book any time it is found.
>>> Other Notable items still in demand; 1960's Archie Gang as Superhero's, Spies & the Archie Music-Band issues (TV related), Spire Christian comics, SONIC the Hedgehog , Katy Keene, Wilbur, Ginger, Suzie, Riverdale Rambling (Archie Fanzine), Red Circle & Archie Adventure titles. The 5 issue WHIZ KIDS (Archie & Radio Shack) Promo series, have been selling to a few curious buyers. Many people have forgotten or never knew that Archie published Hanna Barbera comics in the Mid-1990's, these are already getting hard to find & VF+ range copies bring $5 each.
ATLAS/Marvel;
All the Teen-Age Titles were very Popular this year, with the Millie the Model by Dan DeCarlo bing the most requested. The Many Western titles with Kirby, Williamson, Maneely, Severin & other good artists were great sellers, as affordable in ordinary G-FN grades. I ran across 2 more issues destined to be Key issues; KATHY #24(8/1963; Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant, Ed Sullivan & Liz Taylor-c; >> Frank Sinatra, Ed Sullivan, Fred Astaire & Many Celebrities cameo inside; 5 pages of Paper Dolls) and #26(12/1963; Kathy becomes a Model; Millie the Model app); War comics were in higher demand also, especially Artist issues. Pre-Code issues sold better than later issues. The exception was any title that went on to become a Marvel Title, they are always in higher demand, as many Marvel fans eventually decide to extend their sets backwards. All the Horror Title Prototype issues & all Horror with Kirby or Ditko sold about twice as fast as surrounding issues at 115-135% Guide.
Misc Genres sold steady thru the year, (at 100-120% Guide), in GD thru FN grades, including; Crime/Mystery, Funny Animal, Humor /Parody, Sports, Spy, Romance & titles.
ATLAS/Seaboard;
We always sell a lot of VG-FN/VF copies of all titles, as this publisher had a small output & there are many many completionists. We got in a lot of nice copies from the MANITOBA Collection, all in VF/NM or better & these sold FAST at 125-200% Guide ranges. Horror Titles & issues with Art by Adams, Chaykin, Ditko, Toth, Wood, & Wrightson sold twice as fast & at higher premiums. These books are now over 3 Decades OLD and becoming uncommon in even VF, as most copies sitting in dealer inventories have been handled too many times, thus VG/FN copies are the most common. Vicki #1-4 are Scarce in Strict VF or better, with the Low Print #3,4 tough in ANY grade. . But by far the best sellers in ordinary grades of G-VF were all the Magazines; DEVILINA, MOVIE MONSTERS , THRILLING ADVENTURE & WEIRD TALES OF THE MACABRE at 125-150% Guide; Gothic Romances #1 remains impossible to find, bringing 250-400% Guide in ANY grade. >> BUT just when we though that was tough, i uncovered a new One-Shot RARITY to drive completionists Insane (Only known copy so far in comic collecting circles); MY SECRETS (Atlas/Seaboard Pub; B&W Magazine; Text-s & Photo's; 68 pages) Volume-1 #1 (2/1975; Sex Junkies; Baby that even God forgot; I Stripped in the Confessional to win the Priest i Loved; Honeymoon of Hate; I won't have Sex that disgusting way; Maybe they'll Love me if i Kill myself);
BRITISH-UK Items; >>> [This section was DELETED / Edited OUT of the Published Overstreet #37];
We continue to sell a Lot of UK British Comics & Annuals, as we have certainly have the biggest selection in North America. In fact we have a bigger selection than most UK dealers & we have a lot of British customer buying from us too. We sols a good amount of "MARVEL ALL-COLOUR COMICS" with the Banner across the top of the front cover (1974-1980 era). Note that Amazing Spider-Man #1, Tales to Astonish #27 and other 1960's comics exist with BRITISH Cover Prices. These were all actually Printed in the USA for UK Distribution (NOT to be sold in USA) & thus are true Marvel VARIANTS from America, they are all Same Vintage Simultaneous ORIGINALS. They are MUCH Scarcer than USA editions, so at the worst should have same value & at best, should have solid Premium Values.
The Less expensive Variants we typically sell at 150-200% of the USA Edition values. There are also OTHER UK British PENCE cover Price VARIANT Editions, as the number of Variant collectors continues to grow. These Marvel's appeared periodically from 1961 thru to the 1980's, with many interruptions. There were many "ND" (Not Distributed) periods in UK, where NO copies (USA or UK) were DISTRIBUTED & thus those issues are scarcer overseas. (Referenced in the 1997-98 McAlpine guide);
The Vintage All-British New material weekly comics (Beano, Dandy, etc) of the 1937-1950's, are totally Alien products to American's, yet they set World Record prices each year in the UK.
WARRIOR (1982-85; Bolland, Bolton, Alan Davis, Gibbons Alan Moore, Morrison, with Marvelman / Miracleman) are in demand at $8-25 each; The classic 2000 AD weekly (Bisley, Bolland, Dan Dare, Dillon, Alan Davis, Fabry, Gibbons, Grant, Alan Moore, Nemesis, JUDGE DREDD, Robo-Hunter, Rogue Trooper, Slaine, Stronium Dog, Stainless Steel Rat, Bryan Talbot, & more) is a must for UK collectors, but little known in the USA; (#2 features the 1st app of Judge Dredd & sells for $200-1000); We sold several 100 UK War comic digests (Battle Picture Library, Commando, & War Picture Library, etc) contain all original UK material (excellent reading & art for WAR Comic Fans) at; (1950's/60's = $6-$20 and 1970's-1980's = $2-$6 each) The HORROR comics by Alan Class, Miller & others, are among our bestsellers. They are B&W Squarebound giants (60-100 pages featuring Vintage USA Horror & SF titles from; Atlas/Marvel, Archie, ACG, Charlton, DC,etc); Alan Class 1950's-1980's sell for $7-$12, with early issues higher. Miller issues from 1960's sell at $12-$30 each ;
The British Hardcover Annuals of 1950's thru 1990's are scarce in the USA & most America collectors have not seen them. They Licensed many of the Major characters of the period, including USA & UK; Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Cartoons, Hanna-Barbera, Walt Disney, TV Series, Cowboys & Westerns, Music Stars. They are packed with Great covers, Comics, Art, Text stories, photo's, puzzles & Games, much of it is new material not seen in USA. Most are in the $12-$25 Price Range, (with 1950/60's at $20-$50); The 1950's DC & Superman Annuals are Scarce to RARE & can command $50 to $150+; If you haven't tried these, you owe it to yourself to pick up 1-2 of your favorite characters & give them a try.
We have probably the best selection in North America of the classic British Hardcover Annuals of 1950's thru 1990's (over 1000 in stock); These were published in December as Christmas Gifts & usually carried the Cover Dates of the following Year. . Most had NO USA distribution, but by the mid to late 1980's, a few of the DIRECT Market Distributors imported them, so they did have some limited USA distribution. These have Great covers, Comics, Art, Text stories, Photo's, Puzzles & Games = MANY contain NEW material never seen in USA. These are consistent Good Sellers; (1976-1990 at $12-$25 ea; 1950-1975 at $20-$50 each); The Rare Superman Annuals of the 1950's bring $20-$300 each; Popular Titles include; Avengers (TV), Avengers (Marvel), Batman, Battlestar Galactica, Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels, Cheyenne, Dr. Who, Dukes of Hazard, Fantastic Four, Flintstones, Funky Phantom, Huckleberry Hound, Incredible Hulk, Laurel & Hardy, Lone Ranger, Marvel Annuals, Mighty World of Marvel, Planet of the Apes, Roy Rogers, Scooby Doo, Six Million Dollar Man, Space 1999, Spider-Man, Star Trek, Star Wars, Superadventure (DC characters), Superman & Batman, Tarzan, Thundercats,Transformers. 2000 A.D., Wagon Train, X-Men & Yogi Bear. Green's Guide to Collecting Annuals with price guide by Paul Green & Laura Taylor is a must if you collect these.
These awesome Annuals, (64-120+ Pages) typically sell for less than the more common Thin Same Vintage American Comics. Everyone should sample at least a few of them. By far our biggest selection of UK comics are those related to Marvel, we have over 10,000 in stock, mostly from 1968-1983 & a smaller selection of 1984 thru early 1990's; Plus we have about 1000 Marvel "POCKET BOOK" comics DIGESTS from the 1980-1982 era; Most of these sell in the $3-$10 each price range. The Main Buyers are Collectors who have Favorite Characters & like to have further COOL and ODD items that their fellow American fans have never seen. Occasionally American fans have been known to vastly Overpay for these items, as they appear to be very rare to new eyes. We also have a decent selection of about 1000 British DC Related Comics. The Bestselling Characters include; Action Force (GI JOE), Avengers, Batman, Captain Britian, Dr Who, Hulk, Planet of the Apes, Silver Surfer, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Superman, Transformers, Wonder Woman, X-Men. >>> In Addition there is a good size group of Buyers who buy these items to further enhance their Collections of their Favorite Creators, including; Adams, Bolland, Byrne, Grant, Kirby, Miller, Alan Moore, Perez, Starlin, Bryan Talbot, & others; Terry Austin, Barry Windsor-Smith, Jim Starlin & other did a notable original work in the 1970's for Marvel UK related titles, that has never been seen in the USA, unfortunately most of it is un-signed & not documented. The 1960's titles with Marvel & DC characters are a lot Scarcer than most USA comics of the same Vintage, (selling at $8-$25 each) titles include; Fantastic, Pow, Terrific, & Smash.
CANADIAN Comics; >>> [This section was DELETED / Edited OUT of the Published Overstreet #37];
The rare Golden Age Original Material "Canadian White" Comics were basically non existent on the market this year. Perhaps the World's Biggest collection of different GA Canadian Whites changes hands this year, at very high level prices, but it seems unlikely any of these books will hit the market in the next decade. Where they do appear the Average Current Value for NON-Key issue is; FN=$150; VG=$100; G=$65); The Pre-1947 Canadian Whites of Fawcett (Capt Marvel, Grand Slam, Three Aces, Wow, etc) were re-drawn be Canadian artists, are Still in High demand (Average Value for NON Key issues is; FN=$100; VG=$75 and G=$50); We had many requests for; Triumph (Nelvana of the Northern Lights), Doc Stearne / Mr Monster, Johnny Canuck, & Men of the Mounted, but were not able to turn up a collection of these items this year. There are vintage Canadian Editions of many 1940's & early 1950's USA comics. Those with less pages than their US counterparts sell for about 60% of their USA equivalents. These are 10-50 Times Scarcer than the USA editions, thus the issues with same page counts bring 80-100% the Value of USA Editions. Variant collectors have been known to pay premiums over the value of USA Editions, especially on the Scarcer titles like the Timely's. Canadian Variant's (mostly 1946-1954) include these Publishers; Archie, Atlas, Avon, Classics, DC, Dell, EC, Fawcett, Fiction House, Lev Gleason, Quality, Timely, Toby, & others. The Canadian CLASSIC Variants are the most collected & bring the biggest premiums, at 150-300% Guide; Classics #17-20 with BLANK inside covers are Canadian Editions & are perhaps the rarest of all the Variants. (VG copies are worth in the $100-200 each range); The Canadian EC Comics brig about 60% of USA Values, due to poor Printing.
No copies of the EC variants Weird Suspenstories surfaced this year, but FN copies would still bring $1000 each if they surfaced. I once owned a Captain America Annual (1942) that was a Canadian Printing, if it surfaced again it would likely be the single most Valuable Canadian Comic (estimated at $10,000+ in VG);
Our selection of Canadian French Language comics is still growing with over 3000 in Stock, including Archie, DC & Marvel from the late 1966-1990. Small print runs of 2000-10,000 each, & smaller survival rates, make these desirable & Collectible (Most at $3-$10 each) The New material French language Comic Digests (1950-1970's, Adventure, Jungle, Romance, Western, War) sell at $3-$7 each. & the well known Character Titles bring $5-$12 each; The 1970-1982 Era French HORROR Comic Digests (Italian Reprints & New French Material) are RARE & are the best sellers of them all ate $10-$25 each (These are full of NUDITY, Violence, Bondage, Torture & more, and most have great Covers)
There is a Growing Number of Canadian Comic Completionists interested in getting one each of everything printed from 1961-2006. Perhaps 1/3 or more of what exists in this Era were Promo Giveaways comics on uninteresting subjects, yet would have a 500% Better chance of selling (& at a Higher Price) than an equivalent Comic printed in the USA. It is unknown what exists as there is no decent guide on them. A now notable HOT book in Canada is; EXISTING EARTH #1 (11/1987; 1500 Copies Printed; 22 Pages of comics of Art by BRENT L. BUTT, now the Star of Canada's #1 TV series "Corner Gas"); Canadian artist Owen McCarron is now becoming a bit of a CULT figure among collectors, he is best known for Puzzle Books; Marvel Fun & Games comic, Fireside Marvel Fun & Game books, Marvel Tempo puzzles books. McCarron also did work for Binkly and Doinkel, Spidey Super Stories #29,42,43, Ghost Rider #28 & Super villain Teamup #8;
We have now encountered many VARIANT Collectors who want to Add Canadian Cover Price Newsstand Variant editions to their Collection. Most want the comics of their Favorite Character or Artist, but some just like Variants & will ask for more Obscure Titles. In General these are about 50 to 100 Times Scarcer than a USA Direct Edition Printing. To make matters more difficult, about 90% of them are only G-FN/FN, with about 9% in VF or VF+, and perhaps 1% are in VF.NM or better. Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants Existing include; ARCHIE Comics & Digests (1/1984-12/1997), CHARLTON (2/1983-8/1984), DC(10/1982-9/1988), DELL (random 1960-1962, plus Back Cover variants & assorted 1950's Cover Price variants = Regular issues with 15 Cents Covers & Giants with 30 cents covers), GOLD KEY(5-8/1968, and 4/1972-4/1973), HARVEY(1960's Giants with 35 Cent cover prices), MAD (some 1964 & 7/1978-7/1979), MARVEL (All Newsstand Comics, Magazines & Digests from 10/1982-8/1986), WARREN (3/1977-3/1983), WHITMAN (Mainly Early 1981, & 1983-1984); We sell these Variants at 135-200% Guide; High Grade copies have been known to change hands at 300% or More Guide. Very few of these Variants have been graded by CGC. For example, Secret Wars #8 has 1885 Copies Graded, but only ONE Canadian Variant (in FN) on their Census. One day i expect that VARIANT Collectors will regret not buying these sooner.
CAPTAIN
CANUCK;
>>>
[This section was DELETED / Edited OUT of the Published Overstreet
#37];
Captain
Canuck LEGACY#1(9-10/2006), and Legacy Special Edition #1(Limted to
1000 Copies), issued dor the 30th Anniversary of Canada's Most Famous
Comic, has once again revitalized interest in all the back issues.
The completion of the Mini-Series Legacy #2-4 are to appear in early
2007. Comely tells me the series will have a EVENT that will SHOCK
his Fans. Unholy
War 1-3 with West Coast
Captain
(2004-/2005) had a Low Print, under 5000 copies & still sells
well, as most Canadian & especially American fans missed them. We
again sold over 20 sets of the Original series of #1-14 & Special
#1 (1975-1981), they remain scarcer in the USA due to limited
distribution. The 1975-1981 issues are getting scarcer in strict
VF/NM or better. Captain Canuck #1(7/1975) Has one CGC graded copy in
10.0 and one in 9.9; (The seller of the 10.0 is asking a staggering
$5000); I sold several copies of the original over sized #4 (2/1977;
1st Print) in the VG-VF range at $50-$100 each;
I still have never seen in person a rare #4 (2/1977; 2nd Print), but know that they typically bring 400-600% Guide Levels. The unused Capt Canuck Official 1990's Canadian Post Office 8 STAMP Package (with NELVANA & Superman stamps) are fast sellers at $15 per set; Apparently the stamp was one of the most popular Canadian Collectible stamps of all-time. A proposed "special" COIN might surface one day; The TV Cartoon still looks like it might eventually materialize (with an option for a Motion Picture); Captain Canuck has appeared Twice on the cover of TIME magazine. >> Comely has confirmed to me the Small print Runs for Captain Canuck Re-Born (1993/1994); #0(English = 90,000 Copies); #0(French = 6000 Copies); #1(47,000 Newsstand Edition Copies; GREEN cover); #1(40,000 bagged gold cover); #1(French = 6000 Copies); #2(30,000), #3(8,000 Copies), These are all in big demand & very hard to restock, with #3 now a very fast sale at $25+; . 99% of all the Capt Canuck Original Art from the 1975-81 Series' was donated to Canada's National Archives, these the few stray pages there were not are quite rare. The ASHCAN issues #1-A and 1-B (2004) by Mark Shainblum; & Carruthers sell for $15 each; I sold my last copy of CAPTAIN CANUCK #15 on eBay for $127.50; #15 is now a very hard item to find & should list at $50-60 in the Guide; (A Limited Special 2nd Printing might get published one day); Comely's Star Rider & the Peace Machine 1-2 (1982) are getting scarcer too. All Memorabila & Promo items are fast sellers.
CARTOON & COMIC Mass Market Paperbacks; >>> [This section was DELETED / Edited OUT of the Published Overstreet #37];
. We have in stock over 4000 Cartoon & Newspaper Comic Strip Mass Market Paperbacks, with perhaps the World's biggest selection of Different Cartoon books. As per usual we sell about 500 or more of these in a typical year. The majority sell to Readers (who are not otherwise Comic Collectors) in the $2 to $5 each range. In almost all cases the later Titles had just one printing & it was much smaller. The Popular Characters typically have 20 to 100 Titles each, with about 50% being Common, 25% Uncommon, & 25% Scarce to Rare. The Scarce titles bring $10-$25, & Rare titles can sell for $25-$50 each; Comic Collectors who cross over into this area of the Hobby often want the Scarcest Titles & often in the Highest grades. (Presumably because they already have the common titles)
Some of the SCARCER & More Valuable Series & Titles (at $10-50 each) include; Archie at Riverdale High Series, Autumn People by Ray Bradbury, Beetle Bailey (Giant Size titles), Berenstains, Best of Creepy, Conchy, Cracked, Dick Tracy, Dracula (Russ Jones), Famous Monsters of Filmland ($50-100 each), Funky Winkerbean, Hagar (Later Titles can be Rare), Harvey Kurtzman (Help, Humbug, Jungle Book etc), High-Camp Super-Heroes, Hocus-Focus, Jimmy Hatlo, (Hatlo's Inferno at $35-50), Lockhorns, Luann, Richie Rich, Rose is Rose, Scooby Doo, Scroogie, Sick, Spirit, Tales form the Crypt, Tales of the Incredible, There Outta be a Law, THUNDER Agents, Tomorrow Midnight by Ray Bradbury, U.S./Acres by Jim Davis, Vampirella (USA & UK), & Vault of Horror. >> The TEMPO PUZZLE Books for both MARVEL and DC circa 1977 are all Scarce, especially Un-Marked and bring $10-$25 each; >> There are over 100 Marvel & DC Related Mass Market Comic related paperbacks in the 1966-1988 Period; The 1960's Titles are Scarce in FN or better & sell at; (G=$6-12; VG=$10-$20; VF=$25-$50); The 1975-1985 Titles are Scarce in VF or better & sell at; (VF/NM=$15-$35; VF=$10-$20; VG=$5-10); The Marvel & DC titles are the Most Requested in High Grade. We got in a nice batch of 9.0-9.6 copies from the Manitoba collection & about 50% of them sold at 25-100% Premiums. But the standard G-FN copies of the Marvel & DC paperbacks remained the bestsellers.
CHARLTON;
We have a giant selection of about 35,000 Charlton Comics, with about 95% of Everything 1960-1986 in stock at all times & about 50% of the Pre-1960 issues too. Thus we always do well with Charlton's. This year the HORROR and Sci-Fi titles were by far the strongest selling titles. We sold 100's of copies in the G-FN ranges, with some buyers buying complete or Near complete sets.
Normally i would say that VF copies are about the Highest grades you will be able to find. But we got in over 150 copies from the MANITOBA collection in 9.0-9.6 Grades & sold 2/3 of them within a few months at 125-200%+ Guide; The 2nd Best Sellers were the TV related Titles & the Hanna Barbera Cartoons mostly in VG-FN/VF at 115-130% Guide; Charlton's of the late 1940's thru 1950's are selling in all grades & are getting harder to find. Kings Features Titles (Beetle Bailey, Blondie, Flash Gordon, Jungle Jim, Phantom, Popeye) are steady sellers, but the Cartoon titles are Under-Valued & are getting hard to restock at the Low Price Levels. Strangely enough, Phantom is one of the most popular comics all around the World, with the exception of USA & Canada. (Australia has over 1500 issues in their Series, the Belgium French issues have several 100 issues). Phantom prices have a lot of room to move upward, especially those issues with the classic Don Newton art. The Superhero, Western & War titles are all solid steady sellers. The over $25 1950's Westerns are a bit slower, but they are scarce, so they eventually sell. I have had a few requests for High Grade copies of the Superhero issues & sold over 50% of all my VF or better copies. In addition, there have been more requests for VF or better Kongo, Gorgo & Reptisaurus, but we only had a handful in such Lofty grades. Charlton Collectors often have a taste for obscure items, so they like the Charlton; Adult Cartoon Titles, SICK magazine, Horror Monsters, Charlton Bullseye, True Western Mags, Fanzines & other Non-Comic items by Charlton.
CHRISTIAN & RELIGION; >>> [This section was DELETED / Edited OUT of the Published Overstreet #37];
I have stied to have a wide selection of Religious comics for over 20 years & still have about the best selection around, thus we always sell quite a few of them.
The SPIRE titles are by far the most collected & are perhaps 35-40% of our entire yearly sales. There are 19 Archie Titles & they are always in the Highest demand at 125-150% Guide. The SCARCE Archie Spires titles (bringing 200-250% Guide) include; Archie & Mr. Weatherbee, Archie's Circus, Archie's Date Book, Archie's Festival, Archie's Roller Coaster, Archie's Sports Scene & Christmas with Archie. These 7 Titles make the set very difficult to complete in any grade. In addition there are about 38 Non-Archie Spire titles & many completionists that want them all (we sell them at 125-150% Guide). Spire comics are typically found in G or VG condition, with FN copies being uncommon & VF or better copies being scarce. Easily the Bestsellers (at 150-200% guide) are; HANSI the Girl who loved the Swastika, Hello I'm Johnny Cash, & Tom Landy & Dallas Cowboys. The Barney Bear Series (9 diff) is actually quite hard to put together;
Sunday Pix (David C Cook) are good sellers, with most being uncommon to scarcer, & low prices making them sell fast. Most dealers have only Zero to a handful of copies. The 1949-1955 issues are all scarce to Rare, with over 700 issues in this series (one of the biggest titles in comics history), the set is nearly impossible to complete. The David C Cook Mass Market Paperback SERIES (1973-1977) are in demand, (at $6-$12 each) including; (A) the Picture BIBLE for All Ages, (B) JESUS and the EARLY CHURCH (C) CHRISTIAN FAMILY CLASSICS, & (D) TULLUS in the Ancient Roman Empire; TOPIX (Catechetical Guild, thus related to Classics) had over 150 different issues, yet there are almost ZERO copies for sale on the market. Topix are among the most requested of all Religious comics & among the hardest to find in ANY grade. I know several buyers who have been trying to complete the set for over a decade & are having a hard time getting past the half way point.
BOY'S LIFE Magazine has both Boy Scout & Christian Theme's & Includes COMICS. The 5 issue Gilberton Pub series Best from Boys Life collects some of these stories. Thus the MAG is both Classics illustrated & Christian Comic related & are collectible. CRUSADERS #1-17 art by Jack T. Chic, feature superb art, along with in your face, fire & brimstone type messages, loaded with religious propoganda = Thus they are recommended just for being over-the-top. The Jack T. Chic "Tracks" mini comics (over 75 different, not listed in guide) i remain quite collectible with most at $1-$3 each, but Scarce to Rare titles at $10-25+; We carry a wide assortment of assorted Publisher RELIGIOUS Comics, & these remain steady sellers with most in the $4-12 range; Life of POPE John Paul-II #1 is the bestselling of all Christian comics at 200-300% Guide;
Other consistent DC & Marvel sellers include Easter Story, Francis Brother of the Universe #1, Life of Christ, Limited Collectors Edition C-36 (Bible), Mother Theresa & Life of Christ, Pilgrims Progress, Screwtape Letters.
With over 500 issues in the series, Treasure Chest is also one of the biggest titles in comics history. We have about 2000 in stock, so many fans come to us to fill holes in their sets. Most of what we sell are G-FN copies, with little demand for higher graded copies. Volume 1-10 (1946-1955) and Volume 26-27(1971-1972) are the best sellers at 125-150% Guide, with the other issues being more common & selling at 110-125% Guide; A good number of fans are trying to complete their favorite serialized stories & we often flip thru issues to find where stories start & end, as lond as they can ID at least one issue in the series.
CLASSICS
ILLUSTRATED & Related;
Never
Hot, but Always a dependable seller, Classics Come & Go at a
steady rate. Normally we sell a lot of Reading Copies, but that was
down a bit this year. This year the majority of issues we sold were
in the VG-VF range. We sold a larger than usual Pre HRN #160
Non-Originals this year, it seems about 6-8 Collectors wanted to
whittle away at getting a complete set of one copy each of all 1500+
different Printings of the main 169 issues & middle grade was the
most popular. The Pre HRN #160 Reprints are undervalued as they are
45-55 Years old with most still under $10 in FN, thus Dealer Stocks
are dried up on these affordable copies. We also sold quite a few
$50-$250 Range Originals. The First appearance of New Art & New
cover issues are in high demand, as they are a different type of
Original. Many buyers as they become more Advanced Collectors, start
by picking up at least one copy each of all each New Art & New
Cover issues, as well as the Originals, this makes the 1-2 Printing
issues all that much tougher to keep in stock and/or find. Most
Buyers also want a set each of
World Around Us &
Classics Special Issue, once they have most or all the CI #1-169.
Canadian Variant Editions (NOT Listed in Overstreet) of #1-74 are in high demand, selling at 150-400% of the USA Editions values. The issues that contain illustrated Text stories on the inside covers, that appear ONLY in Canadian Editions, are the highest demand items. "Canadian Originals" (HRN within 6 numbers higher than the actual issue number) are valued in in-between the value of the closest US reprint & the US Original. Jack Lake Productions has so far Restored & Reprinted about 30 CLASSICS JR & SR Comics, they are high Quality, so we carry them all & Recommend Them. Gilberton Classic Junior's steady once again, with Originals the Most Popular this Year. The Junior's with HRN #576's are usually the Most Common. About 1/3 of all Junior's are Common (in ANY printing), another 1/3 are Uncommon & about 1/3 are Scarce. The Low Values for the Scarce issues makes them disappear fast & most dealers are almost always sold out. So putting together a set is not as easy as Guide Values would indicate. We carry a Huge Assortment of Non-Gilberton CLASSICS Related items & have a good following of buyers for these uncommon to scarce items.
COMIC DIGESTS;
All Comic digests were in demand all year long. We have about 10,000 Archie Digests & 5,000 Other Misc Comic Digests in stock, so we have almost no competition on these. Demand for High Grade Digests has more than doubled in the last 2 Years. Collectors are realizing the Scarcity of these little Gems in High Grade more all the time. As of 10/2006 CGC has only graded 4 different Golden Comics Digests & only 3 Different each of Disney & Mystery Comics Digests, with only 24 of the 71 Different Best of DC Digests Slabbed. From the MANITOBA Collection we got in about 200 Archie Digests from the 1974-1985 Era in grades ranging from 9.0 thru 9.6, and we sold over 90% of them RAW (NOT CGC graded) in only a few months at 125-200% Guide & Up. (Most of these are likely the Highest Graded copies still existing); The 1974-1976 Archie Digests are all Scarce in even FN/VF (Getting Scarcer in ANY grade), the 1977-1985 issues are Scarce in VF or better. We also sold 100's of
G-FN copies to Fans who where filling holes in their sets.
The Gold Key Comic Digests (Golden, Mystery & Walt Disney) are getting SCARCER all the time, along with the Rare "Story Digests" (Boris Karloff, Dark Shadows, Ripleys, Tarzan), these are among our regular Bestsellers (at 125%-150% Guide in G-FN). I turned up a small collection in High Grade & will probably send them to CGC, with most sure to be the Highest Graded copies existing.
. The Harvey Digests were in about double the demand this year. VF or better copies are scarce & in highest demand. (1977-1985 Digests at 120-135% guide; the Scarcer1986-1993 at 150-200% Guide). In Most Cases the 25% Highest numbers in each set are 2-6 Times Scarcer than the issue #1's *& i often sell than for more than the first issues; >>> Still selling well at 150-200% Guide are; Dennis the Menace Pocket Full of Fun #1-50 (#1-15 SCARCE in ANY grade) and Dennis & His Friends #38-46 Digests are in HIGH demand in all grades (at 150-200% Guide);
The DC Digests are in constant Demand at 120-135% Guide, with G-FN/VF being Most popular. We got in a batch of 9.0-9.6 Copies in the Manitoba Collection & sold about 50% of them in a few months at 125-200%+Guide ; DC Digest Titles include; Adventure #491-503, Best of DC #1-71(with 41-71 low print), DC Special Blue Ribbon #1-24, DC Special Series #18,19,23,24, Jonah Hex & other Western Tales 1-3, Tarzan Digest #1; Compare the 1996 Guide Values to the 2006 prices, you will see these have proven to be great investments & should continue to perform. >> We turned up a couple copies each of the rare Skylark Digests (1979) of Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze & Stories from the Twilight Zone, with all selling fast at 200% Guide;
Almost NO copies of Rare Charlton & Related Comic Digests (Barney & Betty, Bugs Bunny, Flinstones, Jetsons, Pebbles & Bamm-Bamm, Road Runner, Scooby Doo, Space: 1999, Woody Woodpecker & Yogi Bear) surfaced this year. Most are only found in FA-VG grades, with FN being High Grade. I have sold several of these, when i manage to locate them in about this Price Range; (VG=$35; G=$25; FA=$15 each) >> The Marvel digests (Alf, Dennis, GI Joe, Haunt of Horror, Spider-Man, Star & Transformers) are in steady demand in this Price Range; (VF=$10; FN=$7; VG=$5; G=$3 each); Most of the copies we find and sell are in the VG-FN/VF range. These are already scarce in VF or better, & especially in VF/NM or better. Only a handful have so far been graded by CGC. This year i had a Several Requests for 9.0 or Better investment copies & i sold almost every one in stock.
CONDITION SHOCK and CGC
When Collector's & Dealer's first get hit with the reality that their long time perceptions of the STRICT grading of comics in the Current Marketplace (ie; Since CGC came into existence) are completely and utterly WRONG, they often go into what i call "Condition Shock". This usually does NOT hit home until; (A) They send in their prized comics to CGC, or (B) They BUY their first CGC comics; (C) They attempt to sell their vastly overgraded comics to a professional Dealer. Once they come to know more about grading there is often a pause in their collecting where they decide if they want to exit the hobby, or begin again anew, armed with more powerful knowledge. It is extremely commonplace for Dealers to have in fact submitted dozens or even 100's of books to CGC, thus know more than well what a NM 9.4 book looks like, yet they will choose to sell a RAW copy as a NM when they intrinsically know would likely only get a VF 8.0 at CGC. This is especially true on most comics priced at under $50. It is just so much easier to grade anything VF or better and call it NM, than to take the needed time to properly scrutinize every single individual comic. Since the great majority of collector's do not question the grading of $10 and under comics in particular, they actually encourage the practice by buying with no regard to the grade. This is just fine for those who just like to READ comics, but if have any intention at all of considering you collection a long term investment, you should educate yourself as much as possible by; (1) Buying & reading the Overstreet Grading guide cover to cover; (2) VERY carefully examine dozens of CGC graded comics to Truly understand the industry standard. If you want your investment to have future liquidity, you need to know at least this much.
We constantly get offered so very many many collections, that are in most cases very common slow selling items, & are obviously way overgraded, with these we usually do not want to get into the prolonged discussions of why we are not interested. Several things become an automatic turn-off along with the offering of collections; (1) Commonplace use of the grade of NM, or especially MINT on far too many items in the collection to be realistic; (2) The mention that "Everything is BAGGED and BOARDED" as if that is an actual grade meaning that everything is MINT; (3) The mention that it is an Original Owner collection, so everything MUST be either NM to MINT. In these given scenarios, the automatic assumption is that, Here is yet another collection of common books that are probably only in FN/VF to VF range. to in REALITY be in these lofty grades, the Collector would had to spent hours every week personally searching for the best possible copies he could find, looking for the Least Possible minor STRESS marks, (with Lack of Stress taking precedence over Factory Flaw Free copies), then never having read the comics, then bagged & boarded them immediately, carefully storing them for investment purposes. This would show the makings of a collection of possible providence & many dealers interest would rise greatly, even on cheaper books. But 99% of the collectors who claim to have these grades when selling, actually do NOT. If the collection had a lot of CGC graded Books, that would be another matter entirely.
This is WHY i think 1980's comics will gain momentum in the years to come, because HIGH GRADE 1980's comics are simply NOT as common as is the current school of thought. Look again at your 1980's comics, if you hand picked them, you probably looked for copies with good alignment & NO factory Flaws, thus NOT selecting the best copies by today's strict standards. MOST 1990's comics purchased Brand New & are in collections thought to be High Grade are in fact only VF/NM, 9.0 copies, with MOST 1980's in fact being only VF, 8.0 copies. Just TRY to put together a STRICT NM, 9.4 Set of Moon Knight (1980-84) with all those BLACK covers, a very tough task to say the least. (in grades that WILL hold up, if submitted to CGC); [If you are NOT buying CGC copies, you might have to look at 100's or 1000's of copies in dealer inventories];
We again sold 1000's of 9.0 & better RAW (Non-CGC graded) comics, mags, & treasuries from the 50,000+ Book "Manitoba" collection, mostly from 1975-1985. (VF/NM raw copies sold at 9.2 prices; 9.2 copies bring 150% Guide; 9.4 raw copies bring 200% Guide); There seems to be very little competition on these still affordable books in STRICT High Grade, likely because they are getting less & less common in Investment grades. We sold a lot of Odd Format items (Books, Calendars, Digests, Fanzines, Magazines, Paperbacks, Portfolios, Posters, Promo Items, Records, Trade Paperbacks, Treasury's, etc); Most of these items were not bagged at time of purchase, thus they can be quite scarce in high grades. These should be watched carefully, as they are probable great future investments in higher grades.
On OLDER Comics of the Bronze & Silver Age, more & more buyers have been taking note that in the price guide, 8.0 is now directly related in price to 9.0 and 9.2 copies & thus is the beginning of High Grade. As these comics continue to climb in price, VF 8.0 copies seem more reasonable in price, & more available so that it becomes easier to aim for a Complete Set of your favorite title. Thus VF and VF+ copies have become a bit more popular of late, especially given that they can be purchased at closer to guide prices, whereas NM range comics typically involve multiples of guide. Many ordinary comics are very scarce in even VF. For example i attempted to put together a set of Boris Karloff #1-20, in VF or better for a Client & found only #1 and #2 were easy to find, due to the higher prices.
When one takes into account that the Guide prices are meant to relate values for STRICTLY graded comics, suddenly it comes into focus that the guide values are much more accurate than many would otherwise understand. Just walk a convention floor & you will find 100's of examples of FN comics priced at VF prices, with the seller complaining that the books will not sell at guide prices.
This year i made many proactive searches to fulfill want lists for clients, with eBay being one major place for searches. Again i found the great majority of items to typically be overgraded by a full grade (ie; a VF was actually a FN, etc). But there seems to be a turning point & i did indeed run across a few excellent graders on eBay.
There is a LOT of talk about High Grade comics, mainly because there is greater amounts of money involved, thus the "Reader" often feels neglected in these Market Reports. Let me be very clear; There is still a HUGE Number of collectors who just love comics & they buy ordinary affordable G, VG and FN condition comics. Most just want a reasonable looking copy that is not defaced. But there is also a giant group of buyers who want the lowest possible grade complete copy they can find, as long as the price is cheaper. We sell 1000's of books to these buyers year in & year out & have in fact sold millions of low grade comics over the last 35 Years. It is commonplace for me to be SOLD OUT of LOW GRADE copies because demand is so very high on some titles (Such as; Dracula Lives,
Marvel's John Carter comics, Doc Savage Paperbacks #100-125, Planet of the Apes Mags #21-29 & many more); These buyers often do not give a hang about investment, if it happens it is just a lucky bonus. These buyers always have & always will get great respect from me, as they are the backbone of which our incredible hobby it based. Perhaps one day they might graduate to an investor. Or perhaps the little kid in them will stay with them the rest of their lives & they will continue to just buy for enjoyment. I salute them all.
DC
COMICS;
We
sold a lot of 1950's & 1960's DC's this year, typically in VG
average condition. We had a nice run of VF range DC Horror & SF
comics from the same era & most of those are already gone too.
Silver Age Batman was by far the strongest. SA books that were
related to Infinite Crisis & other new DC Storyline's were in
very high demand, especially the early appearances of CAT-MAN
(Detective #311, 318, 325); Low to mid grade Detective #311's brought
300-600% Guide on eBay for several months. All 1960's appearances of
Batgirl, Catwoman & Batwoman were in very high demand, often
bringing 25-50% Premiums over guide. Both Supergirl & Wonder
Woman saw strong demand in the SA. Detective #411 (5/1971; 1st app
TALIA al GHUL) was Hot all year long. FLASH comics with classic
villains saw a sharp rise in demand, for example; #130 (7/1962; 1st
GAUNTLET of Super-villains = Trickster, Captain Cold, The Top,
Captain Boomerang, & Mirror Master); Collectors have also begun
to hunt down unknown or nearly forgotten Prototype's in SA DC, in
particular; Superman #125(11/1958; 1st app of Lois Lane as the
Original Power Girl) and Batman #139(1st app Original Batgirl);
We need to watch the Hot Worlds Finest #178(9/1968; 1st App Super Nova, a major character in the modern "52" series; Neal Adams-c); All SA DC with Neal Adams art were very strong all year, but especially those with his Covers, many fans have completed their sets of his interior art. Batman #227 and Tomahawk #116 are still in huge demand, especially in higher grades. There is only one CGC graded copy of Tomahawk #116 in 9.2 (if a 9.4 ever hits the market, surely it will bring $500-1000);
POWER GIRL was the Break-Out HOT back issue DC character of the year, due to events in new comics. In a 3 month period i sold over 50 copies of ALL-STAR Comics #58 on eBay in all grades at 150%-200% Guide values, most with Buy-it-Now. Power Girl also made all these issues HOT; ALL-STAR #59-74, Adventure Comics #461-466, DC Comics Presents #56, JLA #171, 172, 183-185, Power Girl (1988 Mini series), SECRET ORIGINS #11(2/1987), Showcase #97-99 & others;
All Bronze Age & Newer issues of JLA were Hot all year long, especially the later cheaper issues. Even hotter were All Bronze Age & Newer issues of JSA, with many items bringing 25-50% Premiums. JLA #101-261 are due for price increases, especially the very undervalued #158 up; All issues of JLA over #100 with JSA Crossovers are tough to keep in stock, as they sell 2-3 times faster than other issues & need to be increased in value in guide. Many sellers are sold out of most JSA appearance issues.
Other HOT issues reacted to CRISIS, 52 & other events in new Comics; Action #544, 583, 598, ALL-STAR SQUADRON (DC; 1981-1987), Animal Man #10,22-24(Early Psycho Pirate at $10-20 each), Batman #357, 475, Crisis #1-12, DC Comics Presents #77, 78, 86, 94 & (#87 = 1st Superboy Prime blazing hot in $20-$40 range) & Annual #1(1st Alex Luthor) , Detective Comics #474, Flash #275- 276(death Iris), 323-324(death Reverse Flash), Freedom Fighters 1-15 (move from Earth-X to Earth-1), Green Lantern (2nd series) #145(1st app Kyle Rayner), JLA #166-168 (1st Mindwipe storyline), Last Days of JSA, LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE: CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS (One-Shot; 2/1999; LOW Print), SECRET ORIGINS (1986-1990; Mark Waid editor; All NEW & UPDATED ORIGINS, for the POST-CRISIS World of DC), Secret Society of Super-villains 1-15, Shazam #28, Suicide Squad #23 [1st App ORACLE {Batgirl}], Superman #414(2nd Superboy Prime), 423, Swamp Thing #37, & others; All vintage HUNTRESS appearances are up in demand (DC Superstars #17, Adventure, Wonder Woman 271-321); The early New Teen Titans by Perez are hotter than they have been in over 20 years; DC Comics Presents #26, NTT #1-10 and Tales of New TT #42-44 & Annual #3 are all in huge demand & selling out in dealer inventories in all grades. High Number issues of Titles that were canceled in the original CRISIS Era are suddenly in high demand, but especially in high grade investment copy grades, including; Brave & Bold #141-200, Daring adventures of Supergirl 1-23, DC Comics Presents #26-96, Flash #289-350 (Trial issues 340-350 in short supply), Green Lantern #116-196, JLA #166-261, Legion #259-300, Superman 400-423, Wonder Woman #271-329, World's Finest #244-282, 320-323;
From the High Grade "MANITOBA collection", we again sold over 1000 DC comics in the 9.0 to 9.8 range from the 1975-1985 Era. Almost all worthwhile 1980-1985 DC titles sold well in investment grades of 9.0 or better Collectors seem to be noticing they are in shorter supply than thru equivalent Marvel's. DC has a strong share of the new comics market today, but did not have same in the 1975-1985 era, thus supplies are NOT plentiful. I have been needing to restock more of these titles lately as my supplies continue to diminish. DC Digests & Treasury's are SCARCE in 9.0 or better & continue to see good demand.
Oddball material sold moderately well at 120-135% guide, typically in the more ordinary G-FN grades in which the are usually found, including; Amazing World of DC, Cartoon, Digests, Fanzines, Fireside Books, Funny Animal, Giveaways, Humor, Magazines, Paperbacks, Parody, Romance, Teenage, Treasuries, TV, & Western. All DC Horror title was again strong this year, especially early Adams & Wrightson issues. Weird War was especially strong right thru to the last issue, as later issues also had great Key's. We would have sold even more, but did not find enough High Grade copies. We saw a big growth in demand all year for the DC "DOLLAR" Comics. Their "Roundbound" nature with too many pages caused stress at the staples & mass deterioration of the still existing copies on the market, thus they are getting harder & harder to find in high grades. All DC WAR titles were great sellers in all grades, with HIGH GRADE copies the most popular for the first time, followed by Low Grade reading copies. 1975-1980's Sgt Rock, Haunted Tank, & Unknown Soldier were all in equal high demand in higher grades this year. 1950's thru 1974 issues sold best in G thru FN grades. I could have sold a lot more high grade 1970-1974 DC WAR, if i was able to restock them.
DELL;
There is a Huge widespread following for for most of the comics they ever produced. But that should be expected, as they Licensed most of the major worthwhile Family Entertainment Properties of the Movies, TV, Radio, Newspaper Comics, Walt Disney, Walter Lantz, Westerns, Looney Tunes, & more, for over 2 Decades. They sold Big Quantities of most of these comics right from 1940 thru 1962 & beyond. DELL comics have a much higher survival rate than most other comics of the period, & this is now part of their appeal. As they are more plentiful, most sets are reasonable easy to complete with some legwork, and they are available at much lower prices, than most of Vintage comics of the period, & you get to collect well known popular characters. So what's not to Like?
With TV, Cable, DVD (& DVD complete seasons), VHS, & Internet constantly Re-running old TV Shows & Movies around the World, Continued, New & Revived interest are being stirred up every day. Overseas buyers just love old Dell's & they have been disappearing forever in fairly large quantities, to these buyers for over a decade via internet. On top of that, 1000's sell well each & every week on eBay, with Large Quantities selling to the General Public Fans & otherwise Non-Comic-Collector's. (These buyers often do not understand that high grade copies are worth huge premiums & generally go after the G and VG range copies);
Normally the Newspaper Strip Reprint Titles (Tip Top, Crackerjack Funnies, Super Comics, plus the Non-Dell Ace, Sparkler, etc) are slow sellers, but of late have been selling to eager Overseas buyers at near guide, then suddenly out of nowhere, a few aggressive bought almost my entire inventory of these titles. So to fill in gaps for my clients, i started buying off eBay & noticed prices have been climbing there & you can no longer get them at low wholesale prices.
>> The Most Popular Titles (at 115-135% guide for FA- FN copies) included; Most PHOTO-c Four Color's, Air War, Beetle Bailey, Ben Bowie, Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, Big Valley, Bonanza, Brain Boy, Bugs Bunny, Bullwinkle, Cheyenne, Chilly Willy, Cisco Kid, Colt 45, Combat, Creature, Dick Tracy, Dracula, Felix the Cat, Flintstones, Flying Nun, Flying Saucers, Frankenstein, Fritzi Ritz (with Peanuts), F-Troop, Gene Autry, Get Smart, Ghost Stories, Gunsmoke, Have Gun will Travel, Hogans Heroes, Howdy Doody, Huckleberry Hound, I Love Lucy, Indian Cheif, Jetsons, all John Wayne, Jungle Jim, King of Royal Mounted, Little Lulu, Lone Ranger, Looney Tunes, Maverick, Melvin Monster, Monkees, Mummy, Nancy, Neutro, Nukla, Peanuts, Ponytail, Popeye, Rawhide, Red Ryder, Rifleman, Roy Rogers, Sgt Preston, Smokey Stover, Tarzan, Thirteen, Toka, Tonto, Turok, Twilight Zone, Voyage to Bottom of Sea, Western Roundup, Yogi Bear, Zane Grey & Zorro.
About 95% of Dell Buyers want G-FN copies & Price Resistance begins at FN/VF, with VF thru 9.0 copies being the Slow sellers. It seems the G-NM Price Spread is a bit too wide in Overstreet, as many of the G range copies sell very fast & in fact are undervalued. If the Price Spread was narrower then FN/VF up copies would be more appealing & would sell better. Investors normally are not interested in High Grade Dells, with the exceptions of; Key, Rare & Artist issues, but these are usually not the issues available, so they quit looking & go elsewhere.
FANZINES,
Misc Comic & Cartoon Magazines;
We have over 10,000
Different Assorted Comic Related Magazines (Not by Major Publishers),
Prozines & Fanzines, most of which are not listed in Overstreet.
Over 50% of these are not well known to the Majority of Collectors &
Dealers alike. It is much easier to deal in the safe & well
defined world of Marvel & DC comics. But for those of us who like
Oddball items, Unexplored & Forgotten items, Hidden Treasures,
Wide Variety, items that are scarce to Rare in ANY grade, & are
otherwise just plain Jaded with the Status Quo in the hobby - These
mags offer a lot of excitement.
The fact that there are no guide price actually enhance the appeal to a lot of Fans. There have been attempts to Catalog & make a Price Guide, but there is so much forgotten & unknown material, & just so many items, that the task is just too big. A lot of the value depends on; What is on the cover, Rarity & Print Runs, Publisher, Writers & Artists, interviews, featured articles & Characters, so values can vary wisely within an given title. The 1960's Ditto (Mimeograph) early Fanzines had print runs of 50-500 copies or less, with Likely 75% of those copies lost & destroyed over the years. The 1961-1965 issues are especially RARE, & depending on the Contents can bring $35-$150 each, with the 1966-1970 Ditto zines in the $15-$50 each price range. Every Time we get in a collection of these, i sell about 75% of them within a Year. They are getting very hard to find, but i just got in a batch of about 100 of them & will Catalog them soon. I am excited to see what hides in the Contents of these Crude, but Historically Important Gems.
Some of the more Popular Titles we carry worth collecting include; Chas Adams books, Alan Moore 's Big Numbers, Ariel Book of Fantasy (Frazetta, Jones, Smith, Corben, etc), Alter Ego, Amazing Heroes, Apple Pie, Art of Neal Adams, Adams index, Asterix, Bananas, Barbarella, Basically Strange, Blast (Wrightson & Kaluta), Breazy Rider, Buried Treasure, Capt George's Comic World, Cartoonist Profile, CFA-APA limited Fanzines (Print Runs around 60 copies each; Sterakno, Byrne, Perez, etc; $100-$200 each), Collector's Dream (George Olsevski), Comic Book Artist, Comic Book Marketplace, Comics Buyers Guide, COMICS Calendars, Comics Feature, Comics Interview, Comics Journal, Comics Revue, Comic Reader, Comic Shop News, Comixscene, Convention Programs (Seuling NY, Creation, San Diego, etc), CPL(Charlton Fanzine, Byrne etc), Cracked, , Diamond Previews, Doctor Weird (Starlin), Dragon Lady Press Mags, Dynamite, Electric Company mag (Spidey Super Stories), ERBdom, FRAZETTA Titles, FLASHBACK (Alan Light), Fuddle Duddle, Fun comics (Paragon), Gasm, Golden Age, Goose, Graphic Story, Harpoon (Adams, Chaykin, Stalin, Simonson), Heavy Metal, Hot Dog, Hot Stuf (Sal Q), International Insanity (Adams, Heath), Laugh-In, Le Beaver (Canadian), Look-In UK), Lucky Luke, MAD, Masters of Universe mag, Mediascene, Menomonee Falls Gazette & Guardian, Monster Times, Myth Adventures, Neat Stuff, NEMO, Nostalgia Journal (later Comics Journal), Omniverse, Overstreet Advanced Collector (combines with CBM at #22 up), Peterson's Mags (CARtoons, CYCLEtoons, SURFtoons, etc), Phantacea, RBCC, Sick, Sojourn (1977), Spa Fon, Squa Tront, Star Studded Comics (Starlin, etc), Steve Canyon mag, Taboo, Tandra, Thimk, Tintin, Titan Graphic Novels. Trump, Wacko, Weirdo, Witzend, Wizard, Wrightson titles, Zany, Zippy the Pinhead, etc, The majority of these items are in the affordable $5-$20 each price range.
GOLD KEY (NON Disney);
As with Dell, Gold Key is loaded with eternally Popular Characters of TV, Movie & Cartoons, so they will continue to have a strong following for decades to come. About 75% of buyers just enjoy the titles and want copies in ordinary affordable G-FN Grades. The Frank Miller Twilight Zone #84, 85 were in huge demand at 300-400% Guide in ANY grade; >>> DEMAND for High Grade VF or better copies was very strong for these selected titles (at 115-135% Guide); Boris Karloff, Dark Shadows, Doc Savage, Dr Solar, Green Hornet, Korak, John Carter, Magnus, Mars Patrol, Mighty Samson, Munsters, Phantom, Ripley's, Scooby Doo, Space Family Robinson, Star Trek, Super TV Heroes, Tarzan, Turok, Twilight Zone, Wild Wild West & all Hanna-Barbera #1 & Key issues. (ALL these titles were also great sellers in G-FN/VF);
Investor's have discovered what an Bargain all the Previous Titles are, when compared to their Marvel & DC equivalents, plus the added fact they they are usually Scarce in even VF, thus i expect these should continue to preform very well over the next decade & beyond. Now is a good time to get them, while still reasonable. [Magnus & Doc Solar are the GK Big Guns equivalent of the Similar vintage Marvel Spider-Man & Fantastic Four, at about 1-2% of the Prices & are both Superb Classic Titles];
>>> Whitman Variant Editions (11/1971 thru 3/1980) & the 1968 Canadian Newstand Variant cover price issues, continued to interest Variant collectors at 120-150% Guide;
>> Other Better selling Titles (at 110-125% Guide), included; Addams Family, Amazing Chan, Avengers(TV), Banana Splits, Battle of the Planets, Beetle Bailey, Beneath Planet of Apes, Bullwinkle, Dagar, Family Affair, Fat Albert, Flash Gordon, Fun-In, Funky Phantom, Gomer Pyle, Grimm's Ghost, Happy Days, H.R. Pufnstuf, Inspector, Jetsons, Kroft Supershow, Lancelot Link, Land of Giants, Little Monsters, Lone Ranger, Looney Tunes, Lucy Show, Mighty Mouse, Nancy & Sluggo, Occult Files of Dr Spector, Peanuts, Phantom, Pink Panther, Popeye, Space Ghost, Spine Tingling Tales, Three Stooges, UFO Flying Saucers, Underdog, Wacky Races, Wacky Witch, & Zody the Mod Rob.
HARVEY;
High Grade 1960's & older Harvey Cartoon comics are in Huge Demand, especially key issues & are becoming solid investments. With the 9.6 Richie Rich #1 bringing near 10 Times Guide, it is now apparent there are serious buyers. For most Key issues, only 5 or less CGC graded copies in 9.0 or better exist. Rare early issues & CGC Graded copies set record prices, often even in VF range grades. 1970's to early 1980's issues in High Grades are also often requested, but especially for Richie Rich titles, as they are fondly remembered by several generations that grew up with them.
We had a nice batch of 9.0 to 9.6 copies of 1976-1984 Richie Rich comics from the MANITOBA Collection & we sold most of them in less than 2 months. Other than these, i rarely come across High Grade Harvey's, so i cannot cater to the High Grade around on most of these. Instead i have a good stock of about 20,000 RICHIE RICH Comics & 10,000 MISC HARVEY (NON Richie Rich) Comics, of which about 95% are in G-FN grades, with only a small selection of VF or better. Other than the investors, the great majority of my buyers are more than happy with G-FN graded copies. Putting together complete sets of most Long Running Harvey Titles in ANY grade, can be a very difficult task, as other than my own inventory, there are very few dealers with a decently size stock. There are many moderate sized Collections of Mid Grade 1975-1992 Casper, Richie Rich & Sad Sack's = Other than these, almost everything else are both Great Sellers & nearly impossible to restock once sold out. They are too expensive to buy hap-hazard on eBay with individual postage rates added to each single issue needed. The DIGESTS are becoming more highly collected, with the last few issues in each run being Scarcer.
>>> The Highest Demanded titles (at 125-150% Guide) included Titles with; Baby Huey, Harvey Hits, Hot Stuff, Little Dot , Little Audrey, Spooky, Squarebound Giants, & Stumbo, Wendy & all Pre-1976 Richie Rich. Also in Strong demand (at 110-125% Guide) were all Titles with; Casper, Richie Rich 1996 up, Sad Sack. All the other titles are moderate sellers at 110-125% Guide. We consistently sell 100's of these comics year in in year out in ordinary G-FN grades, to very happy buyers who are often glad to find them in any condition.
>> Many people have forgotten or never knew that Harvey published Hanna Barbera comics in the circa 1990, these are Low Print & already getting hard to find (VF+ range copies bring $4-6) including; Flintstones, HB Big Book & Giant Size, Huckleberry Hound, Jetsons, Pebbles & Bamm Bamm, & Yogi Bear. In addition, the Scooby Doo titles are is extra High Demand & bring $6-12 each in VF+ range; All the other forgotten Circa 1988-1994 Titles had low Print Runs, with the #1's uncommon & all the other numbers Low Print & getting scarcer each year (VF+ copies at $4-$6 each) including; Alvin, Back to the Future, Beethoven, Beetle Bailey, Beetlejuice, Felix the Cat, Little Dracula, Muppet Babies, Monster in my Pocket, New Kids on the Block (no kidding, they are selling), Pink Panther, Popeye, Saved by the Bell, Stone Protectors (1-3 & Promo not listed in Guide), Tom & Jerry, Underdog & Woody Woodpecker. Completing a set of these 1988-1994 Titles is not an easy task & in a few more years will become a lot tougher, so now is the time to get them.
IW & SUPER Reprints; >>> [This section was DELETED / Edited OUT of the Published Overstreet #37];
LOW Guide values are a big attraction for these comics. Many have Pre-Code reprints at much lower prices than the slightly earlier vintage Original, but at a fraction of the price. None of these comics carry the Comic Code, in a time period when all comics should have had them. They published a wide variety of Genre's, with the Horror/SF, Western & War titles being the bestsellers The Superhero, Jungle, Teenage, Humor & Romance titles are are all moderate sellers. Funny Animal & Cartoon titles are generally the slowest. Many issues contain Top Artists including; Powell, DeCarlo, Frazetta, Wood, Kirby, Crandall, Ward, Kinstler, Lou Fine, Severin, Cole, Krigstein, Davis, Heath & Others. Amazingly, these books are 40-50 Years old, yet Most Reading copies are only in the $5-$10 range.
There are a lot of Completionists for these titles. About 1/3 are Common,, another 1/3 are Uncommon, with 1/3 being Scarce to Rare. I sell these for minimum prices of; G=$4; VG=$7; FN=$10; VF=$18, and the More collectible titles sell for about 50-100% Higher. The Guide lists far too many under $20 with many as low as $12-14 in NM-, this needs to changed so that none list under $20, the perhaps more would come out of the woodworks & hit the marketplace. Those who like old cheap books usually buy Reading Copies. The Completionist generally prefer the Higher Graded copies. The scarcer titles tend to sell instantly when listed, as they are very undervalued in the guide & due for an upward price adjustment.
LOVE & ROMANCE;
We have a HUGE selection of Love & Romance comics. (Assort Golden Age & Silver Age, Atlas, Marvel, DC, Harvey, Charlton, ACG, & others); There are 5 main reasons People collect them; (1) For the GGA {Good Girl Art}, & in many cases the BAD girl art (poorly drawn); (2) SCARCITY due to LOW print runs. Survival rates are even lower than most genre's, as most were saved by the Non-Collecting General Public; (3) Because they were held by Non-Collectors, they are usually only found in Lower Grades; So many like to try to find High Grade copies of items that are Rare in HG. (4) For the Great Art. Almost every big name from the 1950-1980 Era did a few Love Comics, including; Frazetta, Wood, Crandall, Matt Baker, Williamson, Neal Adams, Steranko, Kirby, Buscema, Colan, Romita & Many others; (5) and Because many Fans are Completionists of Publishers (especially Marvel & DC), or of ERA's (Especially Bronze or Silver age);
Over 90% of the Buyers are more than happy to buy them in ordinary G-FN Grades. I picked up a fairly big collection of over 300 Charlton Love comics from 1960-1975 in VF or better & sold a bunch initially, but then they slowed down, as most Charlton fans seem to perfer the more affordable G-FN copies. We usually have on Hand a good selection (700-1000) of MISC Publisher 1948-1962 Era Romance Comics & these are Steady Good sellers for us at 110-125% Guide, as not a lot of other Dealers seem to want to carry them. The Painted Cover, Photo Cover & Artist issues are the best sellers. The Canadian Superior Titles have a decent following. Those with Movie Stars or Movie adaptions were among the best sellers this year, including; Movie Love & Personal Love. Naturally, Matt Baker issues continue to Fly out the door at 120-135% Guide; We had a few collector's filling out their Harvey Titles (First Love, First Romance, Hi-School Romance, Love Problems & Advice, etc) at 110-125% Guide;
All KIRBY Art titles move consistently well (especially Young Love & Young Romance); Atlas/Marvel titles almost all sell in all grades, but this year not as well as the Teenage titles. Marvel's Our Love Story & My Love are in the heart of the Bronze Age & are on many completionists lists, they remain the #1 Top selling of all Romance Comics. Both are SCARCE in even VF or better & sell fast in these grades, with VF/NM or better been INSTANT sellers. STERANKO's Mod-Classic Our Love Story #5 is always in huge demand & is still on of our top-25 Best Selling Bronze Age comics at 150-200% Guide; Gothic Tales of Love #1-3 rarely surface & remain very rare. Just this week i managed to Buy #1,2, these are likely the highest graded examples still existing, so they are off to CGC, i expect results should by very interesting. All the DC Titles, although never hot, are very uncommon, they sell steady & are hard to restock, thus they seem to move relatively fast. Both Silver Age & Bronze Age completionsts go after them to fill their the respective holes in their sets. Falling in Love, Girls Love, Girls Romance, Heart Throbs, Love Stories, Young Love, Young Romances are all good movers at 120-150% Guide; All Artist issues, Key issues, Last issues & Giants ate the fastest sellers, with Neal Adams & Toth issues near impossible to keep in stock.
MARVEL;
GHOST RIDER is the most anticipated Comics Movie of the years by Fans. Marvel Spotlight #5-11 and Ghost Rider #1-20 have been HOT for over 2 years now & are heating up even more. CGC FN/VF Marvel Spotlight #5's bring over $200 on eBay, so the guide #36 value of $240 for a 9.2 is well below Wholesale Prices, it need to DOUBLE immediately in the Guide. If the Movie is a HIT as expected, prices will climb even higher. Ghost Rider #21-81 are all up in demand, especially in High Grades. All June 1983 (Death of Ghost Rider) and Older Crossovers are suddenly in double the demand, especially M. Teamup #15. In addition Ghost Rider Volume-2 (1990-1998) are in demand with a big shortage of the High Numbers #75-93; #93 in 9.0 brings an easy $15-$20 if you can find one at all.
Finally it should be noted that many fans are now completing the later Midnight Sons imprint related issues & the complete Siege of Darkness crossover series.
VENOM is the next character that is heating up fast, as he will be in the next Spidy Film. Suddenly no one seems to have lots of copies of Amazing Spider-Man #300 any more & 9.0 or better copies are not that easy to find. By the time the film hits theaters, demand will probably be up 200-400% from current hot levels. Buyers should also pick up the RELATED First Black Costume & Early Venom Title appearances in; Amazing Spider-Man #252, 288,299, Web of Spider-Man #1, 18, MSH Secret Wars #8, Spectacular Spider-Man #90, Marvel Team-Up #141.
HOT issues related to events in newer Comics; Avengers #195(1st CAMEO app of current Moon Knight villain, the Taskmaster), #196(1st full app Taskmaster), Avengers West Coast #56(3/1990; 1st full app of DARK SCARLET WITCH-c/s), Capt Marvel #34(9/1974; 1st app Nitro, He started "Civil War" by killing off the New Warriors), Daredevil #232( 1st App. NUKE; KEY issue re Wolverine: Origins), New Mutants #16(6/1984; 1st App. Warpath; KEY issue re Civil War); In addition; Capt America #332 is very tough to keep in stock, with most dealers sold out in all grades & is an easy double guide book.;
All 1961-1964 Marvels Super-Hero books sell in all grades & remain the Highest demanded Silver Age Comics. This year i have sold a lot of my most beat up lowest grade & cheapest issues, to a number of buyers who just want to own the Originals, without the big expense. There is some price resistance to Marvel Super-Hero comics in the 1966-1968 Era in the VF range. But the 15 cent thru 25 cent cover Price Marvels from 1969-1974 are excellent sellers in the VF range, as they are in short supply & much more affordable. All the major Bronze Age KEY issues were selling in all grades, whereas the 1966-1968 Key's were generally a lot slower. There is constant demand at 100-125% Guide for; Amazing Adventures #11, Amazing Spider-Man #101-129, Astonishing Tales #25, Avengers #93-150, Capt America #151-192, Capt Marvel #25-34, Cat, Champions, Conan #1, Daredevil #71-168, Fear #10-31, Fantastic Four #120-200, Ghost Rider #1-20, Giant Size X-Men #1, Gothic Tales of Love #1-3, Hero For Hire #1-10, Incredible Hulk #140-200; Invaders 1-20, 31-33, Iron Fist , Iron Man 41-128, John Carter, Jungle Action #5-23, Marvel Spotlight #2,5-12,32, Marvel Team-Up #1-15, M.Two-in-One #1-10, Master of Kung Fu 17-50, Ms Marvel #1,16-18, Pussycat #1, Savage Tales #1, Shanna, Special Marvel Edition #15, Spidey Super Stories 1-10, Super villain Teamup, Thor #201-230, 332,333,337, Tomb of Dracula #1-10, Werewolf by Night #1-10,32,33, What If 1-20, X-Men #94-121;
The Teenage Titles (Millie, Chili, Patsy) are again up in demand, this time with many looking for nice VF or better copies. Because we have perhaps the best selection around, we always sell a lot of ODDBALL Comics & Format item titles; Cartoon, Digests, Humor, Fanzines, Giveaway/Promo items, Memorabilia, Movie, Reprint titles, Paperbacks, Posters, Romance, Teenage, Toy Related, Treasury's, TV, War, Western, etc;
All Marvel Horror Comics & Mags were Hot, in all grades, with high grade the most requested, & reading copies next most popular. Frankenstein, Man-Thing, Scarcecrow, Son of Satan, Tomb of Dracula, Supernatural Thrillers (Living Mummy), War is Hell (Death) & Werewolf by Night were all the most popular this year. In addition, all the crossover appearances of these Anti-Heroes in other titles are in high demand (See; Invaders, M. Premeire, M.Spotlight, M.Teamup, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Spider-Woman, etc). The Anthology Horror titles were about 50% as popular as the previous titles, but still were great sellers & we have had to go out of our way to restock more of these titles.
All the Marvel Magazines sell great in all grades, but especially in High grade & in Reading copy grades. When you consider that Dracula Lives, Tales of Zombie & the other marvel Horror mags still sell for only 1/3 to 1/2 the prices of their equivalent color comics, yet are 3 to 10 Times Scarcer in High Grade, it is obvious that they are still undervalued & overlooked by most, thus remaining a good buy. Squadron Supreme - Death of a Universe GN is Scarce & In High Demand at $25-$50 if you can find one at all;
A VG+ Marvel Mystery Annual (1943-44) was sold at Heritage, topping $29,000 with Buyers Premium. This and the Scarce Capt America Annual (1942) remain among the rarest, most desirably & most Under-Valued books of the entire Golden Age.
From the "Manitoba" Collection, we sold over 1000 Raw 1976-1985 Era High Grade 9.0 to 9.6 Marvel Comics, Magazines & Treasuries at 125-200% of Guide. This year we saw a sharp rise in demand for Investment Quality (9.0 or better) Marvel's of the 1980-1985 Era for most popular Titles. All comics with Art by Frank Miller, George Perez & John Byrne are near the top of want lists, but now fans also want to add the dozens of forgotten COVERS by these artists to their collections too. (Look at Teamup, Two-in-One, Hulk & other titles). When i list a 9.4 book with a cover by these artists, that issue is twice as likely to sell as surrounding issues. CONAN #51-200 are Highly Sought by many in many in HIGH Grades. Many issues from the Bill Hughes collection #25-99 range recently brought 10 to 50 Times guide on Comiclink in 9.8. Conan, Savage Sword & Red Sonja have constantly been among my most requested comics in very high grades & we have sold many 100's of them to eager buyers.
1980-1985 Era Marvel's are now a Generation of 21-26 Years Old, thus more fans are becoming nostalgic for them & seeing that they are still real bargains. >> Demand for STRICT High Grade copies of these Under-Valued Comics has increased 200-500% in th last 2 Years; Alpha Flight 1-28(Byrne), Avengers #201-240,315-318, Capt America #215-300, Conan #51-200, Conan the King, Defenders 51-125, Dr Strange 46-58, Fantastic Four #209-296, Iceman (1984 Mini), Incredible Hulk #251-300, Iron Man #150-200, King Conan, Man-Thing (Volume-2), Kitty Pryde & Wolverine, Kull (Volume-2 & 3), Machine Man (Barry Smith), M.Premiere #29-61, MSH Contest of Champions, MSH Secret Wars, M.Team-Up #61-150, M. Two-in-One #29-100, Masters Of The Universe 1-13, Moon Knight (tough set in 9.4), New Mutants 1-10,16, Peter Porker 1-17, Questprobe, Red Sonja (Volume-2 & 3), Spectacular Spider-Man #51-100, Thing 1-36, Thor 300-350, Vision & Scarlet Witch, West Coast Avengers #1-4(1984 Mini) & #48-102, What If #32-47, X-Men #151-200; The Costs of Slabbing are prohibitive for most items with a Guide Value of $10 or less, thus may of these comics are actually very difficult to find in True Strict grades of 9.4 or better. Those who do not take up the opportunity to buy up raw high grade copies now, will be paying much more dearly in the future for CGC copies when they are worth more & worth encapsulating.
National Lampoon; >>> [This section was DELETED / Edited OUT of the Published Overstreet #37];
Too bad National Lampoon are not listed in the guide, these classic mags are loaded with great material that is unknown or forgotten. In the 1950's & 1960's MAD was arguable the Greatest Parody Mag of them all, but in the 1970's NAT LAMP took that Position. 90% of the issues we sell are in the G-FN range. We had about 100+ High Grade 1970's issues from the MANITOBA collection & sold about 50% of them at 150-200%+ Our normal VF range Prices. 1970-1973 Issues are SCARCE in VF or better, with 1974-1979 Issues are SCARCE in VF/NM or better. As of 10/2006 only 12 Different issues have been CGC graded, with only 7 in 9.2 or Better. With their Superb Roster of Artists, one would think many more would be slabbed,. Included in the series is great art by; Adams, Bode, Frazetta, Jeff Jones, Kaluta, Morrow, Romita, Arnold Roth, Barry Windsor-Smith, Gahan Wilson, Berni Wrightson & many others. >> The 10 different issues published in1993-1998 had Very Small Print runs & rarely show up even on eBay, they bring $15-$25 each, if you can find them at all. #1-10(1970; sell for $30-$100 each); #10-21(1971 sell for $20-$50); #22-33(1972; sell for $12-30); >>> Recent Sales; #1(VG $100); #20(Adams & Frazetta; VF $60); #22(1/1971; 1st Son of God by ADAMS; VF+ $60); #26(Conan parody by Barry Smith; FN $20); #34(Death issue; Red Hot Classic; “Buy this Magazine, or we will shoot this Dog!” Photo Cover; DEADMAN Comics by ADAMS; PLAYDEAD parody; VF $39); #55(10/1974; Red Hot Pubescence issue; VD COMICS by ADAMS; VF $30);
That 40+ different Squarebound Special's are uncommon in ANY grade, with many now scarce to rare. The stiff cardboard covers on the specials make them scarce in VF or better. (Most we sell at; G=$5; VG=$9; FN=$14; VF=$20; with Scarce & Rare issues bring 50-150% Higher); The 3 highest demand issues are; COMICS [ Special #7; 1974; Nick Fury agent of SHEILD Parody; Morrow-a; MAD parody; Jeff Jones-a; Bode-a; BEATLES Comics Parody; Blackhawk Parody; 9 pgs DEADMAN by ADAMS; 9 pgs ZIMMERMAN Comics by ADAMS; VF=$25 ]; Encyclopedia of Humor [1973; WRIGHTSON-c; FRAZETTA Back-c; Lesbian comics by Heath; Jones-a; BODE-a; FOLDOUT MAP Insert {often missing} still INTACT; Ted Kennedy Volkswagen page 29 {often missing} still INTACT; VF $25 ]; Very Large Book of Comical Funnies [ 1975; Tarzan Parody; ADAMS & Continuity studios-a; NEGRO Comics = Kaluta, Chaykin & Simonson-a; Ploog & Evans-a; LOST EC Comics = Simonson, Heath, WRIGHTSON, Chaykin & Reese-a; VF $20];
TREASURY Editions;
They are now 25-35 Years Old, so the Treasury Editions have now never been seen by a great number of collectors. These are Giant Over Sized Color Comics about 10"x13" in size (Double the Area of a normal sized comic); This ODD size meant storage problems for most collectors, in addition Plastic Bags have never been widely available, the big size means they pick up STRESS damage easily, the Stiffer Cardboard covers damage easily. & add years of over-handling = Result is the Great majority still existing are in G/VG to FN/VF condition ranges; We have over 1000 in stock & always try to carry as Complete a Selection as Possible, thus they have been Reliable Top Bestsellers for over a Decade; They get a bit more Uncommon each Year & a Little Harder to Re-Stock. MOST of what we sell are the G-FN/VF range copies, collectors are always filling-in gaps in the collections. Many collectors buy them to get the Large Size Art of their favorite Characters & Artists. The New Material titles sell about 25% better than the reprint titles. DC & Marvel titles both sold well all thru the year.
From the Manitoba collection we got in over 100 High Grade 9.0-9.6 range copies & sold over 50% of them at 120-200%+ Guide. Many of the Lucky buyers let me know that they had never seem such Beautiful examples, because normally thus are tough iin even 9.0 or better. Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera #1-3 have All-New Material in each, with almost all Hanna-Barbera characters apperaing in all, theyare getting scarcer & sell at 120-135% Guide; >>> Christmas & Archie Treasury is RARE in Any Grade & in HIGH Demand at 175-200% Guide every time i find one. (It is the only Archie Treasury, thus on many want lists); Still in Demand are the Oddball Titles; Golden Picture Story Book (1961), Modern Promotions (1972/73; Beetle Baily, Flash Gordon, Katzenjammer Kids, Mandrake) & Walt Disney Paint Book series (circa 1975);
By far the #1 Bestseller is C-56 - Superman vs. Muhammad Ali (76 pgs All-New ADAMS-c/a, with 172 Character Cameo Appearances) at 110% Guide; (10 Years Ago we were overstocked, Today we are getting closer to Sold Out); The Hardest to find DC Treasuries are the RUDOLPH Titles, with the #NN(1972) remaining one of the Rarest os all Bronze Age comics; >>> The HOTTEST Sellers (at 120-135% Guide in any grade), include; Limited Collectors Edition C-23 - House of Mystery(Wrightson, Adams, Wood, Toth), C-25/C-37/C-44/C-51(all Batman), C-32 - Ghosts(New-s/a), C-34 - Christmas With the Super-Heroes, C-46 - JLA, C-48 - Superman vs Flash, C-54 - Superman vs. Wonder Woman, C-55 - Superboy & Legion, Batman vs. Hulk (DC Special Series #27), Superman vs Spider-Man #1, Marvel Treasury #24-28(with New Material), 1-10(Reprints), Captain America's BiCentennial Battles (New KIRBY & Barry Windsor-Smith-a),
TOWER comics;
These are now around 40 Years Old & still among the greatest classics of the Silver Age, yet they sell for a fraction of Marvel & DC price Levels. All are Squarebound Giants & thus are usually harder to find in High Grades. Not a lot of 9.0 or better copies have yet been graded by CGC. They are packed with great art by Wood, Ditko, Crandall, Gil Kane & others. Most of what we sell are in G-FN at 110-125% Guide, including; Dynamo, Fight the Enemy, Noman, Thunder Agents, & Undersea Agents. We actually sell a greater percentage of Go-Go & Animal, plus Tippy Teen, mainly because most of dealers do not carry them. Tower published Good Old Days magazine from 1964-1981 (They sell for $5-$20 each); >> Tower also published Mass Market Paperbacks, the Notable ones with recent sales include; BATBABE and ROSIE. [Sexy Female Batman Parody; VF=$39; VG=$20], Terrific Trio (Dynamo, Noman, Menthor; FN/VF $35); Menthor (VG=$18); NoMan (VG=$22;);
Variants
& Premium Editions;
The
Marvel's 30 & 35 cent Variants are just about the highest
demanded comics of the entire Bronze Age, mainly because a lot of
people actually believe the Guide Values. Current guide prices are
still below wholesale prices, & this both angers & frustrates
100's of Buyers. These have a proven track record with many 100's of
eBay auctions to back it up. It is time the guide finally got caught
up on these. The 30 cent Variants are about 50-200 Times Scarcer than
regular 25 cent printings & should guide at a MINIMUM of Triple
the 25 cent edition prices (with better & Scarcer titles at 5-10
Times); The 50 cent Variants are about 200-1000 Times Scarcer than
regular 30 cent printings & should guide at a MINIMUM of FIVE the
30 cent edition prices (with better & Scarcer titles at 8-20
Times);
Iron Fist #14(35 cent Variant in CGC 9.4) sold for $5100.00 on eBay & is the Holy Grail of Marvel variants. The Western, War, Horror & Reprint title issues turn out to be some of the rares, with RAW copies sometimes bringing 50-100 Times Guide on eBay. Spider-Man titles are in highest demand & bring the higher multiples. Popular character & artists & Key issues Variants are worth premiums in mid range multiples. Star wars #1 is easily the most common of all the 35 Cent Variants, (estimated 200 copies existing) but still brings top prices, as it has been listed in guide for 25+ Years, where the rest have only been a little over 5 years. UK British Pence Cover Price Variants (printed in USA) are in moderate demand Variant collectors (see our British comics); Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants are in growing demand every year. (see our Canadian comics). Early (1977-1979) Direct Distribution copies were mistaken for Whitman editions again this year (see Whitman below), but are gaining some moderate demand as variants.
Limited Editions are expensive to stock & collect. These Include; Multiple Cover Variants, Convention editions, Dynamic Forces & other Signed Copies, Gold, Hologram covers, Platinum, Polybagged specials, Signed & Numbered. These are often very popular when new, often climbing to high Multiples, especially high now that many are getting CGC graded. But many take steep drops in value, as the popularity of Characters Decline (Example; Hellina, Lady Death, etc); If you are going to collect these, it is best to stick to strong long running characters (Vampirella, Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, etc); Since these all start as NEW products, there is always a risk that too many different High Priced Limited Editions will be produced, diluting the market & harming long-term values. With these Limited Editions often comes a lot of Hype & Skyrocketing prices. My advice is to consider waiting 2-3 Years until prices have Levels off & to see if the items still interests you, many will have dropped in the time. The Truly good ones can still preform extremely well as long term investments, but one needs to be careful.
Walt Disney;
All Golden Age 1950 & Older issues were in good demand, in all grades. All the Four Color issues below #500, and 1953 & Older BARKS Comics were also in Higher Demand. The 1954 & Newer BARKS remained on the Slow Side, probably due to 40 Years of Reprinting them. Strangely Enough, DISNEY Comics in the Netherlands, Italy & the rest of EUROPE are Gigantic Sellers thus Big quantiles of New Comics (Reprint & NEW Material), yet are only a small BLIP in the American marketplace. Apparently back issue DISNEY comics (Especially Lower Grade affordable copies) sell for more to much more in some of these European Cities. Over 1/3 of my DISNEY sales are to Overseas Buyers & i love selling to them, as they really appreciate these classic Comics. Most of the 1985 & Newer Titles are slower sellers, as most are Reprints, but occasionally we get a buyer who will but 10-50 at a time, so i don't mind carrying them. The inexpensive (Non-Barks) G-VG range comics of the 1965-1979 ERA have been getting more difficult to re-stock lately, because most were held by NON collectors & there are no big hidden stashes in Dealer Inventories. The Strongest sellers this year (at 100-135% Guide) included; Beagle Boys, Black Hole, Cartoon Movie Classics, Chip N' Dale, Dell Giants, Donald Duck, Goofy FC, Hardy Boys, Huey Dewie & Louie, Mickey Mouse, Moby Duck, Scamp, Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, Spin & Marty, Super Goof, Walt Disney Showcase, Winnie the Pooh;
Warren,
Skywald, Eerie/Stanley & other Horror Comic Mags;
In
1996 it seemed no one wanted Warren & Skywald Magazines, but for
the last 6+ Years, they are always in out Top 10% Best Sellers. These
are among the MOST Popular Titles among Readers & we get endless
requests for the Lowest Graded Cheapest Reading Copies in stock. This
has caused a shortage of Reading Copies in our inventory, as Most
have VG as our Lowest Grade (where once we had plenty of FA& G
copies), but on many Key issues out cheapest copies are now FN and
FN/VF Copies. Thus i often price Low grade copies at 135-175% Guide &
they still Fly out the Door.
The Warren Back Issue department Copies (Dumped on the Market circa 1983) put enough copies on the market to make them still affordable to Collectors today. Otherwise Creepy #1 would probably be a $2000 Mag & not only $170 in Guide. SKYWALD on the other hand only had a Small Back Issue department & it made no impact on the market when they folded in 1975, thus they are several times scarcer than Warrens of the Same period. The Skywald Mags (Nightmare, Psycho & Scream) are very hard to restock once sold & VF or better copies are getting Very Hard to find on the For Sale Open Market. Skywald Mags in G-FN have been bringing 140-160% Guide; We got in 100's of High Grade 9.0-9.6 Warren Mags from the 1975-1983 Era from the MANITOBA Collection, we have so far sold about 60% of them at 125-200%+ Guide to many Very Happy Buyers (Many who have never seen STRICT high grade RAW copies); In 2004-2005 Creepy & Eerie were the Most requested in High Grade, but for 2006 it was Vampirella & we sold about 75% of our 9.0 or better copies. The SCARCER Warren Magazines are in HUGE Demand & continue to bring 140-200% Guide. Monsters & Heroes (1967-69) is a Warren related title because it was created by Larry Ivie, they are getting scarcer & are worth buying, being a cross between Famous Monsters & Creepy (With Comics, Photo's & Articles, Horror, SF & Super-Heroes) & Scarcer than most Warrens. (#2=Jones-a; #3=Wrightson-a; #6=Williamson-a); Web of Horror 1-3 (Jones, Wrightson & Kaluta) are in very High Demand, selling fast in any grade, with VF or better copies being very hard to find.
The Comics Horror mags by Eerie Pub, Globe, Hamilton, Major, Modern Day, Stanley, Tempest Pub, & World Famous, are consistent good sellers. The Eerie & Stanley Titles have Over-the-Top Violent Torture, Bondage & Gore images & Contents, which is perhaps their biggest appeal. About 90% of the Copies we sold were in the G-FN Range (at 115-125% Guide) to people who just wanted affordable Reading Copies. . Stanley Pub mags are scarcer & have more Pre-Code stories, thus they sell faster. I sold a small selection of VF+ thru 9.2 copies at about 120-135% Guide;
Weird Vampire Tales & Terrors of Dracula were a bit more elusive due to low print runs & sold at about a 50% Faster pace. Famous Monster immatators & other Film / Monster Mags are Highly Collected, including; Castle of Frankenstein, Fantastric Monsters, For Monsters Only, Gorezone, Mad Monsters, Monster Times, Monster World, Movie Monsters, Quasimodo's Monster Mag, World Famous Creatures. Sadly these are not listed in Overstreet so they fall off Collectors Radar, but are always worth considering to add to your collections. Prices vary widely from $5-$200+, most are excellent sellers. The 1958-1970 issues are all scarce in VF and Rare in VF/NM or better.
WEBSITE;
>>>
[This section was DELETED / Edited OUT of the Published Overstreet
#37];
MOST
of our sales come directly from our WEBSITE. We do not use eBay much
any more. In addition, most of our sales come from Replete Customers
& Word of Mouth. I don't get much time to check it out, but
apparently dozens of people on the CGC forum are always recommending
me & we get a lot of business from that too. I guess it pays off
to treat people right. the Listings on our Website include about 130
Catagories of items & if printed out would be about 6000 Typed
Pages. People sometimes get frustrated, as all 2,000,000+ items are
not Graded & Priced. At this point in time, we have only listed
85% of Everything in stock & it might be another 2-4 years before
it is all cataloged. My regular buyers all realize, it is not easy to
Maintain Daily & List, what is perhaps the World's Biggest
Selection of many many items. They are more than happy to send a want
listed, based on the Zillions of items cataloged & we are happy
to get back with full details ASAP. Our COMICS Related Items are
about 50% of the Items listed on our Site, the rest is a huge
selection of Magazines, Paperbacks & Other items.
WHITMAN (former Gold Key) comics; >>> [ 50% of This section was Edited OUT of the Published Overstreet #37];
The Whitman comics 8-12/1980 issues continue to bring well over guide prices. But this year the Random House File Copies Archives got dumped on the market all at once. The Gold Key comics & more common Whitman's had 100 each or more on many issues. There was also a smaller selection of 8-12/1980 issues, but in smaller quantities of 5-25 copies each, with over 1/2 the issues still having ZERO copies among the File-Copy collection. This all has stalled the market a while until collectors figure out what happened & how scarcity holds up today. Suddenly there are some nice VF thru 9.4 copies on the market. But in the long run, it should not hurt the market much. The best place to check for rarity, is now the CGC Census, where you will find only 3-15 copies each slabbed for most of these Rare issues. The 20 Rarest 8-12/1980 issues still have only about 50-100 Copies each circulating in the collectible comics market & the rest are approx in the 100-250 each range.
The 1983/1984 issues are still quite uncommon, with perhaps 250-500 copies each on the marketplace. The 8-12/1980 Whitman's should still guide at a NM- = $60 MINIMUM & the 1983/1984 issues should guide in around NM- = $30 minimum; >> Bugs Bunny #223, Super Goof #63, Pink Panther #78, & WDC&S #484 all exist with both 40 Cent & 50 Cents Cover Prices (They were supposed to have 50 Cent covers), the 40 Cents Cover Price Versions are Error Variants & sell at 150-200% Guide;.
About 50% of all Gold Key's published from 11/1971 thru 2/1980 have Whitman Variants, varying from uncommon to Scarce, Rare & Very Rare. There is no accurate record of what exists as a variant is this period, making them tough to collect. Completionists & Variant Collectors pay 150-250% of GK issue values. One day when we find out which Variants are Truly rare, we might see premiums of 500-100% for some of the better Non-Cartoon Titles (Star Trek, Tarzan, Twilight Zone etc).
WHITMAN Variants of DC comics; >>> [This section was DELETED / Edited OUT of the Published Overstreet #37];
NO unknown issues have turned up since my last years listing, so perhaps that list was complete? These can vary from Uncommon to RARE & the MINIMUM value in guide should be $15 for NM-, although that is a fair minimum for a strict VF in the real market. Still Rumored to Exist, but NOT verified are; Action #506, Brave & Bold #143, Superfriends #17 = thus they probably do not exist. . Most still sealed bags appearing on eBay, are about VF condition range, rather than NM are advertised. June/1980 issues remain elusive. There are very few CGC graded copies to date, which shows they are indeed rare in High Grades. Batman & Wonder Woman issue in VF/NM bring $30+ each if you can find them. The JLA #166-168 (Mindwipe issues) are easily the most valuable with VF/NM copies worth in the $75-100 each range. Warlord #22 and Sgt Rock #329 are very scarce & desirable & VF/NM copies would bring $30+ each.
WHITMAN Variants of MARVEL comics are actually only Early MARVEL DIRECT Editions; >>> [This section was DELETED / Edited OUT of the Published Overstreet #37];
(See Guide #36 on page 125); With that reminder under my belt, let me say that there are Fans out there collecting these Early MARVEL DIRECT Editions (with Black Diamond on cover, with NO "cc" on cover, with NO or obscured UPC Codes etc). The 1977 issues are most desirable & sell at 120-150% Guide to Variant Collector's; For 7/1978, 3-4/1979 there were only Newsstand editions printed. (with the exceptions of Micronauts & Shogun Warriors, which are often mistaken as reprints, but are actually uncommon Direct 1st printings). Strangely enough, i am told by Variant Completionists, a few 1978-1979 DIRECT issues are very elusive & Scarce, but is too early to ID & price these in this newer segment of the collecting market.
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet Annual Comic Book Price Guide #36 (April / 2006), by Douglas W. Sulipa; [Written & Submitted in 9/2005] (UN-EDITED & Complete Original Version)
Doug Sulipa's COMIC WORLD BOX 21986 STEINBACH, MANITOBA CANADA R5G 1B5
Website; www.dougcomicworld.com
Email; cworld@mts.net
(Ph; 1-204-346-3674)(Fax; 1-204-346-1632)
The year 2005 was an unusual one. Collectors seems unable to focus & make one category "Hot". The main trend that occurred was everyone getting on the same
bandwagon & chasing the same 100 or so Marvel & DC Key issues from the 1966-1975 era. This at the expense of all other 150,000+ different comics existing.
To compound this, almost everyone also wanted "highest possible" grade. Needless to say, this made these key very difficult to keep in stock. I was not
able to restock most of them on eBay, as even poorly graded copies sold by amateurs often brought well over guide. Some of these Key issues (Like Marvel Spotlight #5)
we had over 100 requests for in the last year. It seems buyers have begun to submit their want lists to all dealers listed in the price guide in an attempt to complete
their "Hot" lists. To restock these titles, i have needed to pay 90% to 150% guide & resell at 135% to 200%+ Guide. Past experience has often shown that buying
hot items at their peek prices at large premiums, often results in a less substantial investments than expected, once the demand cools & moves to the next hot thing.
Those who make the biggest gains, are more often than not, the buyers who anticipate new trends before they happen & buy at guide, or below. For example Daredevil #168 was blazing hot 2 years ago & has now "cooled", thus now is a better time to buy than 2 years back. If the trend continues, we can expect guide to eventually reflect the current market values with large price increases, probably just meeting current market levels. Marvel Spotlight #5 should actually list for at least $400 in 9.2, & with VF copies in the $200 range. VF copies overgraded as NM on eBay, usually bring in the $200 range. Thus listing it at $400 in 9.2 would not actually represent a profit for those who just paid well over guide, it would just mean guide reflected current values. When guide does catch up to the hot book prices, all other keys of the period will look relatively cheap & buyers will move elsewhere.
Early 2005 was extremely busy for us, with almost everything selling. As usual, we had a burst of sales just before the new guide, many fans try to save money before the new prices are released. But when guide # 35 hit the market, many of our regulars where disappointed. It was the most conservative guide in years. All the "Hot" books that regularly brought 150-250% guide only went up an average of 5-10% in price. Good selling comics like FF #48, Conan #1-24 & X-Men #94-119 experienced an unwarranted drop in price. The lowering of prices on GD thru FN grades on Silver & Bronze Age Marvel & DC's is perhaps playing with fire. Our post new guide Spring & Summer of 2005 sales showed the biggest drop for that period in about a decade, for that quarter year. In my estimation this was caused in part by the shaking of consumer confidence. Fortunately, by September buyers started to return & by October things began to boom again. Since high grade & high priced "investment quality" comics are much higher profile, it is easy to lose perspective on the lower end market. Perhaps the books that dropped in value, might have been suggested by sellers that do not grade strict enough & thus were not able to sell them?. Those books were all selling well at guide #34 prices, if STRICTLY graded. The reason collecting back issue comics is such a strong hobby, is that there is a gigantic CORE of readers & fans that enjoy the comics themselves. MOST collectors buy average GD thru FN grades & have the same in their older comic collections. This only makes sense, as this is mainly what is available on the market. Thankfully, most comic fans still buy to enjoy the comic & not the investment. From this solid core base, emerges most of the investors who buy the expensive items. Most fans have just modest budgets & disposable incomes, thus they buy the more affordable items. These buyers do NOT expect to make big gains on their low to mid grade copies, they just want to enjoy them & stay with the status quo. That said, the fact remains that even collecting low end comics can cost a substantial amount of money over time & it can rudely shake their confidence to see what should be solid value items, drop in price. In my view, it is much better for the longterm survival of the hobby, to simply not increase prices on "slow" sellers for 5-10 years, rather than DROP them in the short term & affect consumer confidence. Prices on low end items will slowly & eventually drift upwards, as inflation keeps the prices of new comics on the rise. This is all the "Quiet Majority" of fans ask for. Just because a comic is slow for a period, does not justify an immediate price drop. Everything can't be hot. Some sellers seem to feel everything MUST sell, when THEY want to sell it. I guess i am "old school", as i like to stock everything, so that when something becomes "Hot", i already have it in stock. I concentrate on selling what is hot, while it is still strong, & if buyers want normal inventory items, i am always ready for them. I have very high inventory costs, due to constant restocking, labor, adding & deleting items, and storing everything. But my buyers appreciate it, & i have a solid repete customer base.
I believe many people have misconceptions about the Overstreet price guide. In my view, Overstreet prices are NOT meant to reflect anything on eBay, Flea Markets or any other lowball or amateur seller market. The guide reflects the prices you should expect to pay, if you buy from a Professional Comic Dealer, & thus is extremely accurate. MOST better & successful Price Guides, for ANY type of collectible do the same thing. Overstreet is an average of Professional dealer retail prices. This is what MOST collectors WANT & what sells the guide. Collectors do NOT want to look in a price guide & see LOW prices. They LOVE to see prices GO UP. The competing monthly newsstand price guide mag has their niche in the NEWER comics (1990-2005) market, as they understand this is what their customers want to see, (prices GOING UP on items they own) & they in the New Comic market, whereas Overstreet dropped the monthly guides. (They cater to their market & even manage to survive on the newsstands, often in markets that do not carry actual new comics themselves). Overstreet likes the Conservative approach on newer comics, as the market is quite volatile. Crashing prices on hot new books, can harm the market. High prices on new comics usually weaken given time, & when the next "Hot" thing comes along, thus perhaps conservative is the better approach. Competing Price Guides have attempted to average a small portion of eBay prices, being unable to take into account the BAD grading & RISK of amateur sellers, thus their guide is rarely used by most serious collectors. Buyers want to know what Overstreet thinks it is worth. MANY collectors like to buy comics BELOW Overstreet values, then look them up & see that they got a bargain. eBay bargains are often irrelevant to Overstreet Values, but can add some weight to finalizing prices. Trying to buy BELOW Overstreet is a GAME many 1000's of collectors enjoy, as it empowers them & makes them feel good. Would you truly enjoy seeing prices DROP by 50-75% in Overstreet because of eBay amateur sellers bargains? Professional Comic dealers & Comic Shops probably hold about a HALF BILLION comics in their inventories & account for probably over 50% of all Back issue sales. Once collectors get tired of bad sellers, bad grading & bad deals on eBay, they turn to PRO dealers to get what they want. There will ALWAYS be bargains in COMICS collecting. Many sellers often run out of the "Hot" titles, & then try to push other slower items. Sellers cannot FORCE people to buy their unwanted comics, just because they are in the market to sell them. Thus slow titles often go well below guide at auction. One of the big "secrets" in selling comics, is having WHAT the customer WANTS, and WHEN they want it. Especially with the maturing "Echo Generation", in this instant gratification age & with the internet. If i do not have the wanted item, by next day they have often gone elsewhere.
A lot of customers DO put value on their time, once the "fun of the hunt" turns to the "frustration of the hunt", they go to PRO dealers.
The GD to 9.2 Price Spreads are off on a great number of comics. Most notable are the DELL comics. This is one area where the VF to 9.2 prices should
remain the same for 2-5 years, but with the GD to FN prices on the rise. The high grade only investor's do NOT pay high multiples for CGC graded copies. VF to 9.0
copies are very slow sellers, yet G-FN copies are constant consistent sellers & often difficult to restock. Western comics in particular are difficult to sell in better than FN,
with reading copies being fast sellers. I typically need to ask premiums on G-FN copies to get them back in stock, whereas VF copies are slow & take quite a while to sell at guide. Many of my buyers resort to buying VF copies, only if i am unable to supply lower grade cheaper copies. A 10 to 1 spread is more than sufficient for most Non-Superhero, Non-Marvel & Non-DC copies priced at $100 or less in 9.2. Spreads of 12 to 1, 15 to 1, 20 to 1 etc., should mainly be applied to the HIGH demand comics (Like Marvel & DC superheroes) and KEY issues. Buyers of standard inventory books (like VG copies of Popeye, Blondie, Classic Jr., Hot Stuff, 1950's Archie's etc) can experience difficulty completing affordable sets, because they are undervalued in lower grades & thus sold out in most dealer inventories.
Minor Keys issues are in more demand than ever before. These are KEY issues that have only small premiums, or NO premiums over their surrounding issues.
Many are listed in guide, but are not yet broken out in price. The demand is especially true for Marvel & DC comics. Silver Age & Bronze Age prices are quite high for many people on modest budgets. It is thus becoming more & more common for them to NOT collect the entire series, but rather to chase after these MINOR key's,
thus having a very cool & desirable collection of samples from many diverse titles. I see these comics as a better investment at close to guide, then buying the latest HOT book at 200% guide at the peak of the market. In comics, particularly superhero comics, the Villains & side characters, are what makes the comic great.
Most great superheroes have great villains, that is what defines then & makes them superior. Batman in particular has some of the best Villains in comics.
It only follows that issues with these Villains should be in greater demand, & that greater demand should eventually lead to higher prices. First & second appearances,
along with first returns, of Villains have already gained value, some with significant gains (like Batman #155, 171, 197). Which issue of Amazing Spider-Man do you think will sell faster [ #99 with Prison scene on cover, or #89 with Dr Octopus on the cover? ] at the same price? Female Super-Characters of the 1960's & early
1970's are up in demand (especially Catwoman, & Batgirl). Many better artist issues currently only carry modest premiums, but big demand might cause much wider
price spreads. In particular, 1967-1975 era DC's with NEAL ADAMS covers are way up in demand, most currently with no guide premiums. Batman #227, Detective #370 and Tomahawk #116 are in huge demand, with little supply. All these minor keys especially bring top dollar in high grade & CGC grade d copies. Anyone looking for something that is both fun & exciting to collect, with the bonus of good long term investment, should explore these avenues.
ACG Comics; Items priced $20 & under sold well. Almost everything was selling & we had a few completionists filling in gaps. The Superhero issues of Adv into Unknown, Forbidden Worlds, Unknown Worlds were back in demand, with the horror titles selling steady, at 110-120% Guide. The Humor & Cartoon titles move next best. We also sold quite a few romance comics. ACG's typically sell best in the G-FN grades, with VF copies often showing price resistance.
ALTERNATIVE Comics;
For those that like to "invest" in comics, there should definitely be some choice items in your portfolio. Most of the Scarcest comics of the last 40 Years are found here. Mind Boggling prices for High Grade copies of ALBEDO #2, Cerebus #1 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 are just the tip of the iceberg. Here is a quick list of some good long term investments; Albedo #1-10, Army of Darkness, Berni Wrightson Master of Macabre, Blackthorne 3-D Series (GI Joe, Star Wars, Transformers), Blood of Dracula(Wrightson issues), Captain Alcohol (Scarce), Cerebus #1-30, Cody Starbuck(1978), 1980's Continuity Comics (Adams, etc), Cobalt Blue(1977), Crow #1-3, Critters #1-5, 48-50(Scarce), Crow(1st series), Crusaders #1(Southern Knights), Echo of Futurepast, Eddie Campbell's Bacchus, Eightball(hot), Elflord (Nightwind; 1980/82) #1-15, Elfquest (1st Prints) #1-10(in VFNM or better), Fantasy Quarterly #1, Faust & all other Tim Vigil titles, Flaming Carrot #1-5, Gobbledygook (1984), Grendel (comico), Hate, Hot Stuf (Sal Q), How to Draw series (Transformers & GI Joe), Lone Wolf & Cub #1,41-45; Love & Rockets #1-20, Macross #1(1984), Mage (1984) #1-7, Magazine #1-4, Mr. A series (Ditko), Miracleman #11-24 (red hot), Nexus (Capital) #1-3, Ninja High School (1986/87), Nucleus, Oktoberfest, Omen (Vigil), ORB , all Paragon Pub (Pre-1982 titles, Femzine etc), Phantacea, Power Comics(1970's), Primer (Comico), Quadrant, Quack(Star Reach), Rock Comics (Adams-a), Star Reach, Tank Girl, Tick, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1st prints) #1-10, Tick (1st) #1-5, Transit, Uncensored Mouse, Usagi Yojimbo 1-5, Pre-Unity VALIANT titles & Low Print High numbers, Vortex, Wally Wood's Thunder Agents, Xenozoic Tales, Yummy Fur & Zen (1987), Zot;
Comics that were produced for the DIRECT Market by Small independent publishers, had their "Golden Age" in the 1960's & 1970's (as Fanzines, Ground Level, & Underground comics, with the occasional attempt of a Newsstand Magazine, usually without a Comics Code); The "Silver Age" of these "Alternate" Comics was 1980-1990, when DIRECT Distribution took off & the BOOM of Independent hit the market. Many were overprinted, many were under printed. But the real point was that,
comics could now be published & sold, circumventing the major publishers. The importance of 1980's Alternates is usually very underestimated. These are still selling mainly to people who just love comics & grade is often not important. Most remain inexpensive in the $2-$5 range. It is the incredible variety of comics that do not look like mainstream superhero Marvel & DC, that is a big appeal to many. They are loaded with inventive creators, horrid to superb art & stories, quirky & bizarre covers & stories, a real treasure trove for those that love to explore comics, & mostly at modest prices. Perhaps 50% of all independents that exist, are not listed in overstreet, so new & strange titles are discovered all the time. Many of these comics had small print runs in the 1,000-10,000 ranges. 1980's alternates are already 15-25 Years Old, & millions have been cleared out in Bargain Bins, eroding condition & existing print runs each year. Beyond all that, there are also many superior titles that would have never seen print thru mainstream publishers. Some of the best comics of the last quarter century exist in their pages, by many of modern comics greatest creators.
ARCHIE comics;
Back issue Archie's were again among our better sellers, mainly due to our large selection. Naturally most older Archie's were saved by readers & not by Collector's, so high grade copies are uncommon in all Era's. We have about 35,000 Archie's in stock & i have noted these to be the averages grades in which they are found; (1950's are GD average, with VG being above average, FN being higher grade) (1960-1975 are VG average, with FN being above average, VF being higher grade)
(1976-1987 are FN average, with VF being above average, still scarce in VF+ or better);
There are not a lot of different 1950 & Older Golden Age Archie comics in total, as there were only a handful of series, thus demand is near an all-time high, for this relatively small group of comics. Archie & his Gang, are among the best known comics in the worldwide history of comics, including with the General non-collecting public. As time goes on, it only seems right that they continue to be more & more prized. The 1940's issues sell in any grade, even incomplete, as long as reasonable priced. Key issues are in big demand & always bring over guide.
Archie's Girls Betty & Veronica (1st series) is still the #1 seller, with huge demand for #1-100(at 120-135% Guide) and #310-347(at 150-200% Guide); All related B&V titles are very strong sellers too; Betty, Betty & Me, Betty's Diary, Betty & Veronica (2nd series), B&V Spectacular, Veronica; The next best seller was Archie Giant Series Magazine & all other Giants. Betty & Veronica were most requested, but #1-35,136-200, 600-632 were also in high demand (at 120-135% Guide);
1982-1983 appearances of Cheryl Blossom are RED HOT, Very Scarce & almost always sold out (at 150-300% Guide in ANY grade); All identified 1984-1993 appearances of Cheryl Blossom (pre "Love Showdown") are in high demand (at 125-150% Guide); The 1995-1996 Cheryl Blossom Mini-Series are up in demand (at 150% Guide); All issues of Sabrina, & Josie continue to move well, with these issues most requested (at 120-135% Guide); Sabrina 1-17, 71-75, Josie #1-10, 45-74, 100-106, Madhouse (all with Sabrina), Archie's TV Laughout 1-23,91-106, Laugh #145-168(Josie issues); ** Archie's Pals 'N Gals #23 now seems certain to be the first appearance of JOSIE & should actually be worth more than Josie #1, as it is scarcer; All Dan DeCarlo comics are in demand (even Non-Archie), which is one of the Reasons B&V, Josie & ARCHIE GIANT SERIES #26 and #32(for the DeCarlo pinups), are top sellers. There is forgotten DeCarlo art in high numbers of Wilbur; The Circa 1960 ARCHIE titles with the SF/Horror covers were RED HOT at 125-150% Guide. The 1960's Superhero appearances in Laugh & Pep are in very high demand at 150% Guide, as most collector's did not buy them to go with their 60's superheroes sets (Fly, Jaguar, etc); The Archie Gang Superhero's are in moderate demand (Pureheart the Powerful, Superteen), as are the SPY titles (Man & Girl from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E.) . The Archie Band issues are related to the TV series, & thus are popular, especially if the band appears on the cover. The Non-Teen superhero titles (Mighty Comics, Fly, Shadow, Jaguar etc) were slower in high grades, but Reading copies sold to a few buyers. The SPIRE Christian Archie Titles are usually in lower grades, with FN or better being higher grades. The SPIRE Archie Titles from 1980 & newer had only one printing, plus smaller print runs, thus are scarce to rare (We are usually sold out at 200-300% Guide); Cosmo 1-6 are well loved comics, great fun & are eternal good sellers;
All the Red Circle & Archie Adventure titles seem to be fondly remembered & more people were filling in runs. Horror issues (Sorcery, Madhouse) were great sellers, in ALL grades. (High grade copies sold well when we found them); These newer superhero issues sold well, (while the high price 60's issues did not); The newer "Archie Adventure" issues had small print runs & low survival rates, thus are getting scarcer, especially at current low guide prices. [ Art by; Chaykin, Kaluta, Kirby, Morrow, Steranko, Toth, Wood, & Wrightson, certainly helps fuel demand]; Most of the 1994-1995 TMNT titles had small print runs, are scarce & we are starting to sell out
(at 200% Guide); Early SONIC the Hedgehog have cooled a bit in demand, but are still scarce, we remain sold out of most issues #1-50;
Katy Keene comics are decent sellers, only being slowed by price levels that are much higher than other Archie titles. I find that FA, GD & VG copies move best, with resistance to FN or better; Katy Keene (1980's series) #11-33 are very hard to find & restock (they bring 150-200% Guide); Many collectors have completed the
min Katy Keene series & are now after appearances in Wilbur, Ginger, Laugh, Suzie, etc.
ATLAS/Marvel;
This year we sold most of our Pre-Hero Horror/SF issues. Some customers have sited that they have been buying the 1970's Marvel horror reprints & now want to go back & pick up the Originals, especially non-reprint issues, classic Kirby & Ditko issues. All the other types sold steady thru the year, (at 100-120% Guide), in GD thru FN grades, including; Crime/Mystery, Funny Animal, Humor /Parody, Sports, Spy, Romance, Teenager , War & Western titles.
ATLAS/Seaboard;
These are steady sellers & most Bronze Age collectors (who venture outside Marvel & DC) eventually get around to collecting some or all of these sets.
Gothic Romances #1 is still Rare with G-FN copies easily bringing 300% Guide and 8.0-9.2 copies bringing 250% Guide, but they are near impossible to find,
as there are 100 buyers for every one seller. Vicki #3 and #4 are tough in any grade (sold out at VF=$50; FN=$24; G=$12); . DEVILINA, THRILLING ADVENTURE & WEIRD TALES OF THE MACABRE sold in all grades, with the scarcer #2's at 150% Guide, and #1's at 125% Guide; MOVIE MONSTERS is one of last sets people
finish & they are harder to find #1(VF$29; FN$16; VG$10); #2-4(VF=$33; FN$22; VG$15); We sell a lot of VG-VF copies, but lately are getting more & more requests for VG/NM or better copies); Horror Titles & issues with Art by Neal Adams, Chaykin, Ditko, Toth, Wood, & Wrightson, are the main issues requested by investors in
High Grade (VF/NM raw copies sell at 9.2 prices; 9.2 copies bring 150% Guide; 9.4 raw copies bring 200% Guide);
BIG LITTLE BOOKS;
Whitman 1960's hardcovers still sold best, because most are well known & popular characters. They are uncommon in better than VG, with most well used in the FA, G & VG ranges. The 1st printing (identified by white trademarks on blue endpapers) sell for about 20% more than later printings (identified by gray trademarks on white end papers) (Our Minimum price was; G$6; VG$10; FN$16; VF$24), with better titles at 25-50% Premiums; The 1977 Modern Promotion titles (Flintstones titles, Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear) were scarce & we are almost sold out (FN=$14; VG=$10; G=$7); Golden Star Library (Fairy Tales, Disney, etc; 1960's) BLB's are scarce in ANY grade (but especially in high grade; G$8; VG$12; FN $18) This was our best year for Moby Books softcover "illustrated Classics Editions" (1977/83 ; VF=$15; FN=$10; VG=$7; G=$5); Our Pre-1960 well known characters BLB's 125-150% Guide, while the less popular character issues sold for 100-120% guide.
The 1930's-1950's titles still seem undervalued, (especially when compared to comics of the same vintage) but i suppose as they still only appeal to a smaller group of collectors. Most of the early BLB's we find are in FA, G or VG, with collections of FN or better copies being elusive. I have seen high grade copies are bringing better & better prices at auctions, thus they should be good long term investments.
BRITISH-UK Items;
This year we began to sell more & more UK British PENCE cover Price VARIANT Editions, as the number of Variant collectors continues to grow. These Marvel's
were printed in USA & originally ONLY for sale in UK, they appeared periodically from 1961 thru to the 1980's, with many interruptions. There were many "ND" periods in UK, where NO copies (USA or UK) were DISTRIBUTED & thus those issues are scarcer overseas. The most interesting Variants were those with the "MARVEL
ALL-COLOUR COMICS" Banner across the top of the front cover, mostly in the 1974-1980 era. Because Bronze Age is Hot & as are Variants, these have been our the bestselling UK variants.
Beano & Dandy #1's continue to bring record price in UK ($3000-5000 range), yet are of little interest to American collectors. You had to grow up with them to appreciate them, they remain some of the longest running titles in the Worls history of Comics. Beano, Dandy, Oor Wullie & other hardcover Annuals of the 1930's thru 1950's continue to bring records prices, from $100-$1000 each & up to $3000+ for the rarest ones; WARRIOR (1982/85) includes; Bolland, Bolton, Alan Davis, Dillon, Dave Gibbons Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Parkhouse, & Marvelman (later Miracleman) by Alan Moore, & much more, with #4(1982 Summer Special)
being the bestseller (at VF=$24; FN=$16; VG=$10) & other issues at $7-$15; 2000 AD contains; Bisley, Bolland, Dan Dare, Dillon, Alan Davis, Fabry, Gibbons, Grant, Leach, McMahon, Alan Moore, Nemesis, Ridgway, Robo-Hunter, Rogue Trooper, Slaine, Stronium Dog, Stainless Steel Rat, Bryan Talbot, Wagner, & more; (We sell most issues from #100-1000+ for $3-$6 ea);.
UK War comic digests (Battle Picture Library, Commando, & War Picture Library, etc) contain all original UK material (although later issues reprint earlier issues)
are still in demand & still rising in value. 1950's/60's issues sell for $6-$20 and are Scarce to Rare even in UK (1950's #1-20's are higher value); Most 1970's & 1980's issues sell for $2-$6 each; WAR comic buffs should give them a try, they are great reading.
Some American collectors are now getting turned on to the Horror issues of Alan Class, Miller & other B&W Squarebound giants (60-100 pages; Packed with 1950's & 1960's USA Horror & SF titles from; Atlas/Marvel, Archie, ACG, Charlton, DC,etc); They are a great way to buy cheaper reprints of MANY issues NOT reprinted in the USA & all at affordable prices in a neat format. Alan Class issues of the 1950's-1980's sell for $7-$12 (early issues higher). Miller Pub issues (1960's) sell for $12-$30, as they are scarcer, had less titles & issues, & had more Pre-code reprints. The Miller issues & pre 1965 Alan Class issues are scarce even in the UK, with most British dealers sold out.
Marvel UK editions are the most collected, & we now have about 10,000 in stock, mostly from 1968-1983. The appear in differents format from weekly, monthly, comics, mags, digests, B&W, color, oblong, thick & thin, to the great hardcover Annuals. USA collectors like the reprints of their favorite characters & artists;
The All-Time bestselling UK comic for us has been; SPIDER-MAN COMICS WEEKLY #1-666 [1973-1985; Many Title changes, includes; Spider-Man Comics Weekly = #1-157; Super Spider-Man, with the Super Heroes = #158-198; Super Spider-Man and the Titans #199-230; Super Spider-Man and Captain Britian, with New material UK only stories = #231-253; Super Spider-Man = #254-310; Spider-Man Comic = #311-333; Spectacular Spider-Man Weekly & Marvel Comic = #334 -375; Spider-Man and Hulk Weekly #376-415, 417-431, 433-437, 439-443, 445-449; Spider-Man and Hulk Team-Up = #432, 438{July 29, 1981 w/Spider-Man Mask}, 444; Super Spider-Man TV Comic = #450-483, 485-490, 492-500, 502, 509, 517;Spider-Man = #501{1/13/81}, 503-508, 510-516, 519-526, 529-541, 543-552; Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends = #553{10/12/83}, 554- 578; Spider-Man = #579, 580, 581-597, 599-608, 609{New UK Only Spider-Man story}, 610-617, 619-629, 630{New UK Only Spider-Man story}, 631; Spider-Man Comic = #634, 635; Spidey Comic = 655{Sept, 28, 1985}, 660,661; known Original UK Only Jim Starlin Cover issues= #3,4,7; There may be others with early Starlin; #501-600 = Lower Print & Harder to Find; #601-666 = Low Print & SCARCE]; (We sell VF copies for; #1 at $25+; #2-50 at $7-$20; #51-200, 500-666 at $3-$7; #201-499 at $2-$5; With VG or FN copies at 50-75% of the VF prices);
Our Bestselling UK MARVELS (Most in the $3-$10 each range) include; ACTION FORCE (UK version of GI JOE); AVENGERS (Weekly) #1(1973), 2-148; BLAKES 7; CAPTAIN BRITAIN (1st series $1-39 & 2nd series); DOCTOR WHO Classic/ Weekly/ Monthly & Specials; DRACULA LIVES #1-87(1974-76); COMPLETE FANTASTIC FOUR #1(1977), 2-37; FANTASTIC (Power Comics Pub; early Marvel Superheroes) #1(2/1967-10/1968), 2-89; FORCES IN COMBAT; FURY (Comics Weekly; Sgt. Fury by Kirby, Atlas/ Marvel War); FUTURE TENSE- #1(1980), 2-41; HULK COMICS #1(Includes Hulk Sticker Album; 1979), #2-62; MARVEL BUMPER COMIC - #1(1988), 2-31; MARVEL MADHOUSE - #1(1981), 2-17; MARVEL SUPER ADVENTURE - #1(1981), 2-26; MARVEL SUPER-HEROES MIGHTY WORLD OF MARVEL (HULK etc; known Original UK Only Jim Starlin Cover issues= #5-7,9-17,19,21; Possibly= #24,27,44; There may be others) #1(1972), 2-341; PLANET OF THE APES - #1(1974) 2-123(Many articles, covers, photo's & art not seen in US editions); Punisher (1989/1990) 1-25; RAMPAGE comics weekly #1(1977; Defenders, etc), 2-34; RAMPAGE MONTHLY Magazine #1(1978), 2-27(HULK issues); RAMPAGE MONTHLY Magazine #28-54(28-54=X-MEN, with JOHN BYRNE art & THING; LUKE CAGE=28-39; Timesmasher by Paul Neary & Nick Austin = #40-44; Iron Fist= #45-50); REAL GHOSTBUSTERS - #1(1988), 2-81; SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN - #1(1975), 2-18; SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN - #1(1977; 2nd Series), 2-93; SECRET WARS I & II; SECRET WAR II SPECIAL - #1(March/1986),2; SPIDER-MAN AND ZOIDS - #1(1986), 2-50; STARBURST (Marvel TV & Movie SF mag) #1(1978), 2-240; STAR WARS WEEKLY #1(1978), 2-117(Star Wars), 118-158(Empire Strikes Back); STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI - #1(1983), 2-155; STRIP - #1(1990), 2-20; SUPER-HEROES (Silver Surfer) #1(1975), 2-50; TERRIFIC - (Power Comic Pub.; early Marvel Superheroes) #1(1967), 2-35; THING IS BIG BEN (NEW Cover-Art, and #1-5 New Centerfold Posters); THOR AND THE X-MEN THUNDERCATS - #1(1987), 2-,77; TRANSFORMERS - #1(1984/85?), 2-332; VALOUR #1(1980), 2-19; WARRIOR WOMEN; WESTERN GUNFIGHTERS SPECIALS; X-MEN;
Plus all the 1980-1982 UK MARVEL British "POCKET BOOK" comics DIGESTS are great sellers (Most at $5-$10 each); CHILLER (Tomb of Dracula,Ghost Rider; Man-Thing) 1-26; CONAN 1-13; FANTASTIC FOUR 1-22; INCREDIBLE HULK 1-13; MARVEL CLASSICS 1-12; SPIDERMAN 1-27; Star Heroes 1-11[ Battlestar Galactica-s; Micronauts; #10,11= X-Men]; TITANS 1-13; X-MEN (formerly Titans) 12-28;YOUNG ROMANCE 1-10;
UK Hardcover Annuals of 1950's thru 1990's are scarce in the USA & most America collectors have not seen them. They Licensed many of the Major characters of the period, including USA & UK; Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Cartoons, Hanna-Barbera, Walt Disney, TV Series, Cowboys & Westerns, Music Stars. They are packed with Great covers, Comics, Art, Text stories, photo's, puzzles & Games, much of it is new material not seen in USA. Most are in the $12-$25 Price Range, (with 1950/60's at $20-$50); The 1950's DC & Superman Annuals are Scarce to RARE & can command $50 to $150+; If you haven't tried these, you owe it to yourself to pick up o1-2 of your favorite characters & give them a try.
.
CANADIAN Comics;
Golden Age "Canadian Whites" were much requested, but near impossible to restock this year. Very few appeared on eBay. Demand is about 1000% Bigger than Supply. I had perhpas 50 requests & could have perhaps sold 1000+ books, but only found about a dozen books all year. I even sold out of coverless & incomplete issues. They sell in ANY grade & are typically found in FA to VG, with high grade beginning at FN. The Pre-1947 Canadian Whites of Fawcett hero titles, (Capt Marvel, Grand Slam, Three Aces, Wow, etc) with USA comics re-drawn be Canadian artists, turn up more than others, but still sold very well. (Average prices of; FN=$99; VG=$75 and G=$50); "Name" characters were by far the most requested, with Nelvana of the Northern Lights, Johnny Canuck, Men of the Mounted, One-Shots, #1's, Letkeman, Ted McCall & Adrian Dingle-a, Leo Bachle issues the most prized & sought items. The Original Material Canadian story & art titles, are in about twice the demand of the Fawcett related titles. Anything NON Cartoon was HOT, but even the Funny titles would sell, if i could find them.
The Canadian Editions that are vintage variants of 1940's & early 50's USA comics, sell for 60-100% of their USA equivalents. Those with less pages than their US
counterparts sell for less. Still, they are 10 to 50 Times Scarcer than the USA editions & have some interest to Variant collectors. Canadian Variant's (mainly 1946-1954) include these Publishers; Archie, Atlas, Avon, Classics, DC, Dell, EC, Fawcett, Fiction House, Lev Gleason, Quality, Timely, Toby, & others. The CLASSICS
sell for 50-200% MORE than USA editions. (Especially if they have the Canadian Only illustrated Text Stories on inside covers); EC reprints traditionally only sold for about 50-60% of the USA edition values, due to poor printing quality, but even these are up in demand at slightly higher prices & i nearly sold out. (Weird Suspension stories
#1-3 bring over $1000 each for FN copies, thus causing increased demand for other issues); The Timely Variant issues tend to bring higher percentages also. It is probable that some/most/all of the 1950's DELL comics that have a Comic Strip on the back cover, in place of an AD, are actually Canadian editions. These are quite desirable once identified & bring premiums of +25% to +100%.
We have a big selection of Canadian French Language comics of Archie, DC & Marvel from the late 1960's thru 1990. They had very small print runs of perhaps
2000-10,000 each, sold mainly just in the province of Quebec, & with small survival rates. There were more MARVEL comics, than all others put together. Issues with Popular Characters (Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron Man, Conan, Batman, Superman, Betty & Veronica, Sabrina, etc) and Popular Artists (Byrne, Starlin, Adams, Perez, etc)
sell the fastest. (Most 1980's issues at VF=$7; FN=$5; VG=$3) (Most 1975-1979 issues at FN=$7; VG=$5; G=$3) (Pre-1974 & Key issues a bit higher);
The New material French language Comic Digests from the 1950's-1970's, with; Western, War, Adventure, Jungle & Love themes brought $3-$7+ each. Titles like
Laurel & Hardy, Felix the Cat, Popeye, Charlie Chaplin are scarcer, usually bringing $5 in GD & $8 in VG;
Also up in demand are the many Canadian Comics of the 1970's & 1980's. >> Some are better know like; Capt Canuck, Cerebus, Flaming Carrot, Ms Tree, Reid Fleming, Quadrant, & Yummy Fur. >> Many are less well know, such as; Adventures of Binkly & Doinkel, Andromeda, Arik Khan, Fog City, Fuddle Duddle, Gamut, Journey, Mackenzie Queen, Mr X, Neil the Horse, Orb, Phantacea, Star Rider & the Peace Machine, Vortex; >>> Some of the rarest titles include; Beer Comix, Berford Seaman's Flabby Thighs & Butter, Borealis (Sim) Captain Alcohol, Dragonring (Blair), Elflord (1980/82), Giveaways (many), Great Canadian Schimegly Follies, Hidden Planet Nebula / World of Elzon, Le Beaver (fanzine), Oktoberfest (Dave Sim), Polar Funnies, Roldo the Barbarian, Windblade (Blair; 1982). The rarer & more obscure the titles, the faster we were able to sell them. There are now quite a number of completionists of 1970's & new Canadian Comics. They are now among our strongest sellers.
Canadian Cover Price Newsstand Variant editions are becoming more collected all the time. Marvel titles lead the way, but DC sales are on the rise too.
Known Canadian Cover Price Variants Era's include; ARCHIE Comics & Digests (1/1984-12/1997), CHARLTON (2/1983-8/1984), DC(10/1982-9/1988),
DELL(random 1960-1962, plus Back Cover variants & assorted 1950's Cover Price variants), GOLD KEY(5-8/1968, and 4/72-4/73), HARVEY(1960's Giants
with 35 Cent cover prices on books with 25 cent US cover prices), MAD (some 1964 & 7/1978-7/1979), MARVEL (All Newstand Comics, Magazines & Digests
10/1982-8/1986), WARREN (3/1977-3/1983), WHITMAN (Mainly 1983/1984); MANY of these cover price variants have never been seen by Americans & they are
often mistaken for much rarer & more valuable items. The Marvel & DC variants are from a period when most collectors & dealers saved DIRECT editions,
thus all are relatively SCARCE even in Canada & are RARE in the USA. Because Newsstand copies were mainly in the hands of NON collectors, they are
typically found in G-FN, with VF or better copies being scarce. We sell most of these Variants for a 25%-50% Premium over guide, depending of collectibility
of the character. I think a lot of collectors are overlooking this area of collecting, which has great potential.
CAPTAIN CANUCK; Captain Canuck "Unholy War" with the new West Coast Captain (10/2004-1/2005;Low Print, under 5000 copies?) has again revived interest in the Original Series & all related items. We sold about 25 sets of the Original series of #1-14 & Special #1 (1975-1981) on eBay, they are relatively common in Canada, but scarcer in the USA due to limited distribution. (strict VF/NM or better copies are rather uncommon after 24-30 years of handling); With the current high interest in Canadian comics, this has always been the best selling title. We sold several copies of the original oversized #4 (2/1977; FN/VF=$79 each) Captain Canuck Summer Special #1 is a good starting point as it contains (68 pages; Captain Canuck; George Freeman art; "Jean Claude St Aubin art; PARODY Story with Catman, & with Beyond; 1 page art each by; GENE DAY, Tom Grummett, & DAVE SIM; Capt Canuck had an Official Canadian Post Office STAMP issued in the 1990's (along with a NELVANA & Superman stamp); A possible TV Cartoon is in the works (with the option for a possible Motion Picture); Captain Canuck might become the official comic of the hit TV series "Corner Gas". Captain Canuck has appeared on the cover of TIME magazine. Captain Canuck Re-Born (1993/1994) had Small print Runs for #2(30,000), #3(8,000 Copies), with much smaller print runs in FRENCH language #0 and #1, these are all in big demand & very hard to restock, with value climbing swiftly.
CARTOON & COMIC Mass Market Paperbacks;
. Newspaper Comic Strip & Misc Cartoon Mass Market Paperback's sell better to the General Public readers than to Comic Collectors, with cheapest Reading Copies in biggest demand. The format died in the 1990's & was re[laced by the Oblong & Trade Paperback formats (at Higher Prices); A few comic fans have caught on to the scarcity of some of these titles, especial in condition, & we are seeing some increased demand for "highest available grade". The ultra popular long lasting titles (Dennis the Menace, Family Circus, Mad, Marmaduke, Peanuts, etc) sell for $2-$5 range (Scarce or high grade at $7-$15+); . The less common but well known titles (Beetle Bailey, Broomhilda, Hagar, & Tumbleweeds, etc) sell for $4-$9 (Scarce or high grade at $12-$25+); Older titles, tend to have more multiple printings, thus more common & lower values. Oddball Titles, Adult Cartoon Titles, Forgotten Titles, Obscure, Low Print, Series with under 10 books, are often scarce to rare & often sell for $10-$25+;. We sold a few complete & near complete runs, saving these buyers months to years of hunting. Usually with the larger series titles, about 50% are easy to find, about 25% are uncommon & about 25% are Scarce;
TEMPO books put out a line of PUZZLE Books for both MARVEL and DC circa 1977 (Wordfind, Mazes, Crosswords, etc; Digest Size, 5-1/4"x8"; B&W; 68 pages including cover; Softcover book with Stiff Covers; ALL are SCARCE in unmarked copies); About 15 different each exist for each Marvel & DC, & they are all scarce in any Grade & rare in VF or better. Usually they are found in G or VG. We had a few finds & sold quite a few this year (VF=$15-$25; VG=$8-$15);
Marvel, DC, Warren, EC, & Superhero related Mass Market Comic related paperbacks were mainly sold to the general public & not to collectors, thus many are scarce in even FN or better. Collectors that did buy them, typically did not put them in a plastic bag, thus due to handling & rubbing wear, they are scarce in better than VF. Marvel & DC paperbacks are now out of stock from most comic dealers, except for the typically few "beaters" that hang around. This year we located & sold a good number of VF/NM or better Marvel & DC paperbacks. There are over 65 Marvel Paperbacks from the 1966-1985 Period; There are over 40 DC related Paperbacks from the 1966-1988 Period; (1960's titles; VF=$20-$50; VG=$10-$20); (1975-1985 titles; VF/NM=$15-$35; VF=$10-$20; VG=$5-10);
CHARLTON;
If you like oddball comics, this is the publisher for you. Their comics varied widely from superb to very crude. They had more Genre's & Sub-Genre's probably than any other publisher. Distribution was always spotty, with most of their print runs moderate to low in quantities. Most collectors of the 1971-1985 avoided them & they were ridiculed for many years. Great quantities were in the hands of the general public, with many lost & destroyed. Large quantities sat in dealer bargain bins for many years, further eroding condition. In retrospect, we all missed a lot. With only minor editorial control, many creators thrived under this publisher, many had some of the best work of their career, including artists like; Aparo, Boyette, Byrne, Ditko, Giordano, Glanzman, Wayne Howard, Sanho Kim, Larson, Lopez, Morisi, Newton, Staton, Sutton, Zeck; All the HORROR titles were by far the bestsellers of the year (especially with Ditko, Howard, Newton, Sutton & Zeck), followed by the TV titles & then the Hanna-Barbera cartoon titles (especially Scooby Doo), all were often requested in High Grade, but we sold much bigger quantities in standard G-FN grades. Many of the Ditko issues are still not listed in guide. All the early John Byrne art & text panel issues were in demand & also requested in higher grades. The superhero titles were all in moderate demand, with a few requests for higher grade copies. All the War & Western titles sold better than usual, with 1950's & 1960's issues undervalued, especially in G-FN grades. War comic buffs like the Glanzman art issues & his Hercules series was a nice title too, especially with the nice Aparo backup stories; Bugaloos seems to be one of the rarest titles of the 1970's. Bobby Sherman, David Cassidy, & Partridge Family are in constant demand & are getting hard to find in FN or better. Love comics in G-FN sold steady, but with price resistance to VF or better copies. The Kings Features (Beetle Bailey, Blondie, Flash Gordon, Jungle Jim, Phantom, Popeye) titles are consistent sellers, with the cartoon titles still undervalued in guide. The Low Print Run issues of the 1985/85 era are among the most requested issue in high grades. Almost all affordable the Charlton's of the late 1940's thru 1950's are selling in all grades. Demand for the obscure & forgotten Adult Cartoon Titles (CARTOON CARNIVAL, COMEDY CAPERS, GOOD HUMOR, 150 NEW CARTOONS, etc; with NO comics code) is on the rise. Most of the non investors, are happy finding many of these issues in ANY condition & we still sell mostly copies in the G-FN range.
CHRISTIAN & RELIGION;
Most dealers cannot be bothered with Religious & Christian comics, & many buyers tell us they cannot find many of these items anywhere else. The SPIRE titles are the most collected, but we also sell a lot of copies to non collectors who are nostalgic for them, wanting to re-read them, or pass them on to their kids, thus condition is often not important. The most sought by collectors (in higher grades) include; ARCHIE titles (all), HANSI the Girl who loved the Swastika, Hello I'm Johnny Cash, & Tom Landy & Dallas Cowboys. [9.0 copies of Hansi are worth about $75-$100]; Sunday Pix (David C Cook) are constant sellers, especially for the TULLUS (Christian of Ancient Rome) strip, with Pre-1955 issues in especially short supply & high demand. There is a series of uncommon Mass Market Paperback comics (1973-1977) published by David C. Cook that collects some of these scarce vintage stories; "Picture Bible for all Ages" #1-6 and "Tullus" (4 diff) & Christian Family Classics: (Ben-Hur, Christian Family Courageous) & others;
Treasure Chest comics are decent sellers, as we have a huge selection. Too bad someone has not indexed all the Series' as we often get requests & can occasionally find them, but often cannot. The Pre-1955 issues sell best. Next to that we find people trying to complete various years in the 1960's.
Assorted other series of interest include; Amar Chitra Katha (India; History, Mythology & Legend), Holi-Day Surprise Vol.2 #55; (1967; STORY OF CHRISTMAS", The Story of HANUKAH); COLLECTION "LA BIBLE" Series; (French Language Graphic Novel Albums; 1978/1980); COSMICS Pub (JESUS, JOSEPH, SAMSON);
Crusaders (Fire & Brimstone comics, by Jack Chick); Tales from the Great Book; LOGOS Pub (Prison to Praise & Run Baby Run; Adventures of Mendy and the Golem (Kosher Comics); MARX, LENIN, MAO & CHRIST; Dan Red Eagle and the SOUL CATCHER; Dan Red Eagle and the SOUL CATCHER; UNITED BIBLE SOCIETY Pub(12+ Titles); YOUNG READER'S CHRISTIAN LIBRARY & ZAANAN Series; ( BARBOUR PUB; 1989-1992; CHRISTIAN CLASSICS COMICS in Big Little Book Format; 16 Titles?) and others;
Life of POPE John Paul-II #1 was the bestseller of the year, with prices soaring up to $50 in the first few weeks after his death, but now settled back down to about $12 in VF. Other Bestsellers were; Francis Brother of the Universe #1, Limited Collectors Edition C-36 (BIBLE), Mother Theresa & Life of Christ. The Marvel / Nelson Christian Trade Paperbacks are scarcer (Screwtape Letters, In his Steps, Pilgrims Progress); JACK CHICK TRACTS (3"x5"; B&W; Christian Religious MINI COMICS; 24pgs including covers) are highly collectible, with about 75 different titles that sell in the $1-$2 each range. But with many more, long out of print that can command $5-$25 each range. TOPIX comics / Timeless Topix (CATECHETCAL GUILD Pub; Classics illustrated related) are always in very high demand & we are almost always sold out (at 150% Guide range in ANY condition)
CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED & Related; Always a steady decent seller, Classics Buyers continue to change their buying pattens. This year originals were slower, with the exception of #1-20 & Scarcer issues. Pre HRN #160 Painted Cover Reprints & Line-Drawn covers were selling best. Normally we have many buyers who would want low grade Reading Copies & are just filling in numbers, but this year we saw less of those buyers & more serious collectors. It seems that Pre HRN #160 Painted Cover reprints are getting hard to find in FN or better, as they are 45-55 Years Old, yet still average a pitiful $6 in FN in guide. As these LOW price levels, not many nice condition copies are hitting the market. Line-Drawn cover reprints are higher in guide, but still sell quite well to buyers who want the EARLY first Cover & Art. DEMAND never dies for the scarcer issues which had fewer or NO reprint editions (we sold these numbers at 120%-135% Guide in ANY printing & condition); #8,14,20,21,33,40,43,44,53,66,71,73,74,84,110,113-118,129,161-169. The first New Art, or first New cover issues, are an undervalued new type of Original & are in very high demand & low supply, they should continue to climb in value. Virtually all Classic Collectors who begin to become advanced collectors, now want at least one sample of each Cover Art & Interior Art edition. Either before or after collecting all Cover & Art editions, most collectors also go after full sets of World Around Us & Classics Special Issue. Canadian Variant Edition Classics exist on most issues 1-74, & are scarce to rare, Canadian Editions are now one of our fastest sellers at 50-200% Premiums over USA editions. Many contain illustrated Text stories on the inside covers, that appear ONLY in Canadian Editions, & thus they are very high demand items. First Canadian Editions are usually those with HRN numbers within 6 numbers higher than the actual issue number, & can be considered "Canadian Originals", & thus are valued in in-between the value of the closest US reprint & the Original. Note that many HRN's exist on Canadian Editions that do not exist on US editions. Some Canadian Editions look like US editions thru the rest of the book, but state "Printed in Canada" on the splash page or near the front of the comic. Issue #11 has always been a tough Canadian Variant. Apparently issues #17-19(?) with Blank inside Cover(s) are among the Scarcest of all Canadian Editions, with very few existing & will fetch high premiums. Jack Lake Productions
will apparently be publishing their new "Classics Illustrated Special Edition" Hardcover series including; War Between the States, World War II, RCMP, United Nations, Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings by Tolkien & Mel Gibson's The Passion. This might stir up more interest in the Originals The Golden Picture Classics Giants, are always in high demand in ANY grade (at 150% Guide)
Jack Lake Productions ( Website: http://www.jacklakeproductions.com) has so far printed at least 25 different 2004/2005 Printings of JUNIOR's (US$3.99 to 5.99-c)
& will continue to print them monthly, with most collectors still unaware of their existence. The regular Gilberton Classic Junior's sold better than usual. This year we saw more collectors than readers. Collectors have come to realize the Pre HRN 576 Reprints are much more difficult to complete, even in VG or better, than anyone had suspected & they are thus way up in demand. HRN #576 printings remain the most common & can easily cause one to make the incorrect assumption that all Juniors are plentiful. Originals & cheap reprints are no longer the best sellers. These issue remain the Scarcest & highest demanded Classics Junior's issues; #506, 514, 525-529,532-534,537,540,542,543,547,553,555, 556,558-565,568,571-573,575-577 (we sell all printings at; FA-VG at 200-300% Guide; FN-VF at 150-200% Guide);
We sold a lot of Classics related items, mainly to Advanced Collector's that had almost everything else. This includes; Acclaim, Amar Chitra Katha (India Mythology & Legend), Berkley/First, Boys Life, British Classic Editions, Dell (related Four Color & Movie classics), Dell Junior Treasury, Famous Authors, Gold Key (related Movie Classics), Golden Legacy(history of Black People), Golden Picture Classics, King Classics (a tough series to complete), Marvel Classics, Marvel-UK Classic Graphic Novels & Digests, Mexican Junior series, Pendulum, Pocket Classics, Power Records, Tele-Guide (Graphic Novels), World illustrated & all others.
The Moby Books (Big Little Book format #4501-4536) series was especially popular this year (Most at; VF=$15; FN=$10; VG=$7; G=$5);
COMIC DIGESTS;
All Comic digests were in demand. Most 1975 & older issues are getting harder to restock all the time. The older issues are too thick to fit the CGC cases,
thus almost no copies are graded. This makes finding high grade copies especially difficult. I located some high grade early Gold Key & Archie issues & sold
them raw in the 150-200%+ of Guide range.
The Gold Key Comic Digests (Golden, Mystery & Walt Disney) & the rare Story digests (Boris Karloff, Dark Shadows, Ripleys, Tarzan) sell consistently
at 130%-150% Guide for average G-FN range copies.
All Harvey Digests sold well . High Grade copies are scarce & in demand. The 1977-1985 Digest brought 115-125% guide; The issues from 1986-1990 harder to find than the earlier group. The Harvey Digests from the 1991-1993 era had the LOWEST print runs, (except for issue #1's), especially the highest numbers, which are often found only in lower grades. (Low numbers at 120-135% guide; High numbers at 150-200% Guide). The 1991-1993 era digests were printed with THIN cover stock & too much glue, thus the entire Print Run now has Wrinkled covers, & almost none would grade higher than VF. The One-Shots are in big demand, as they are easy to collect (Baby Huey, Felix the Cat, Tom & Jerry, Woody Woodpecker); The NON Casper/Richie Titles are in shorter supply & thus sell faster (Hot Stuff, Harvey Wiseguys, Spooky, Wendy); >>> SHOCKING TALES DIGEST #1(Powell, KIRBY & Nostrand) is a consistent bestseller. >>> The SCARCEST issues (almost always sold out at 200% Guide) include; CASPER Digest Magazine (Vol-1 #11-18)(Vol-2; 1991/94; #8-14); CASPER Enchanted Tales Digest #7-10; (Richie Rich) MILLION Dollar Digest (11/1986-11/1994; #11-34); Richie Rich Digest Magazine (10/1986-10/1994; #11-25=Scarce; #26-42=Very Scarce), Richie Rich Digest Stories #11-17; Richie Rich Digest Winners #11-16; Richie Rich Gold Nuggets #1-4, Dennis the Menace Pocket Full of Fun #1-50, and Dennis & His Friends #38-46 Digests are in HIGH demand in all grades (at 150-200% Guide); Even sharp FN copies are getting difficult to find. Pocket Full of Fun #1 (1969) in VF would easily bring $100+; The Marvel Dennis the Menace digests with DC symbols on the cover continue to garner interest & sell well.
All DC Digests sold well in all grades at 120-135% Guide. We sold more VG-FN copies than other grades. We are getting more requests for VF/NM or better "Investment" grade copies. ** Their Output included; Adventure 491-503, Best of DC #1-71(with 41-71 low print), DC Special Blue Ribbon #20-24, DC Special Series #18,19,23,24, Jonah Hex & other Western Tales 1-3, Tarzan Digest #1; The ATARI Game giveaway Booklets are in high demand, with these issues being scarce;
Atari Force #3-5, Centipede #1, Swordquest (Perez-a) #2,3 (selling at $10+ each in VG or better); Many of the Masters of the Universe/He-Man giveaway Comic Booklets that came with the action figures are DC Comics related, & vary from Uncommon to scrace & rare (VG-FN copies bring from $5 to $15 each);
"Disney Adventures" (11/1990-2002+) is one of the longest running digests, but is often ignored, as most of it is non-comic content. Still, it's longevity should make
it quite a decent collectible of the future. It is loaded with tons of hidden & overlooked great Cartoon Comic, TV, Movie, characters & Star contents. The Gladstone digest will surely be more collectible in high grades in the future. The scarce "Wonderful World of Disney" comics digest from 1978 is unknown to most collectors.
The 1973-1975 Archie Digests remain Scarce & in high demand, bringing 150% to 200% of Guide in any grade. All Archie Digest #1-10's from all era's are in high demand, but especially in VF or better. Since most were never placed in plastic bags, rubbing wear is very common & makes high grade collecting quite a challenge.
Many Katy Keene digests have paper dolls & other pages cut out &/or missing, so check your copies if bought used. Many Archie Activity Digest & Archie Story & Game Digests are marked up inside, with puzzles & game done, thus can be hard to find in nice un-marked condition. In greater demand are also; all Betty & Veronica titles, Jokebook & Madhouse digests. The ARCHIE'S SUPER HERO SPECIAL Digests #1, 2 from 1978 are top sellers, but especially requested in high grades,
thus a good long term bet. Archie Digests are among the biggest of all modern Newsstand distribution sellers, as they are also commonly available at grocery supermarket checkouts. More people from the non-collecting general public read Archie Digests, than they do almost anything superhero related. Most collectors underestimate how widely known the Archie Gang is. These will be widely collected for several generations to come.
The Rare Charlton Comic Digests (with Xerox, Now Age Books, Ottenheimer & Pendulum), are usually found only in FA to VG, with FN or better being quite scarce.
A very tough set to complete, these 1971-1976 Digests bring 200-400% Guide in ANY grade; Barney & Betty, Bugs Bunny, Flinstones, Jetsons, Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm (Teen-Age), Road Runner, Scooby Doo, Woody Woodpecker & Yogi Bear; Apparently these were related to some type of Children's book club & might have had only regional distribution, or were perhaps sold mainly by mail order. SPACE; 1999 Comic Digest (1976; 100 pages) also exists & should grow fast in demand,
once it's rarity is more widely known, but it will be very tough to locate in any grade (we sold a FA/G copy for $15). Most dealers & collectors have never seen a single issue in the series.
The Marvel digests (Alf, Dennis, GI Joe, Haunt of Horror, Spider-Man, Star & Transformers) are in steady demand. The Scarce issues due to lower
print runs included; GI Joe 11-13, Spider-Man, 11-13 Star 11-13, and Transformers 8-10. The Haunt of Horror series are in demand with Marvel Horror
completionists. These sold mainly to General Public & NON-Collectors, plus most were never stored in plastic bags, thus most are in G-FN, with High
Grade copies being scarce. There has been some interest in 9.0 & better copies, but they were hard to find.
Among the rarest of all comic digests are the 1979 one-shot Skylark Titles (they bring around 200% Guide in any grade); Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze #15406-0 and STORIES FROM THE TWILIGHT ZONE #15405-2;
CONDITION & CGC;
I had more positive feedback on my grading comment in last years guide than anything. YES, i do realize that condition is not that important to people who buy comics to read them. But even in this arena, if you order a NM copy of a cheap book for the VF price & receive a FN copy, you need to realize that you did not get a bargain. You are often better off buying a strictly graded FN near guide from a Professional dealer. It is a common widespread practice for dealers to automatically grade
all (especially) 1985-1995 comics as NM without even looking closely at them, when in fact many of these have many stress marks, dings & small flaws, thus more like FN/VF to VF+ average grades. It is also common practice for larger dealers to store large quantities of comics in Long Boxes, flipping thru the same boxes over & over 100's of times, the spines buckle a little more each time this is done, leaving countless stress lines in the spine & at the corners of the books. Many with large quantiles of comics, do not bags them, thus constant handling causes rubbing wear to covers, gathering of dirt to covers & lower grades. Many dealer stocks have comics in bags with bags scotch taped closed, but after 10-15+ years or so this scotch tape turns sticky & thus gets stuck to the next comic (if the next book is in a bag, they need to be peeled apart & thus causes stress; If next book not in bag, it gets stuck directly to the cover & destroyers the book); Less dealers store large quantities of comics, individually bagged, with flaps NOT taped down, but even handling these often will downgrade them, especially as the boxes begin to empty. Storing then upright in long boxes with untaped plastic bags & with heavy backing boards is a better approach, but can be expensive on cheaper comics, thus usually not done. Even this approach has flaws, because flipping thru the box still leaves stress to the spines & causes buckling.
I learned all the above the hard way, slowly damaging most of my inventory over the years, including 100's of 1000's of comics bought new & stored. About 20 years ago i decided NOT to store comics in boxes, for the above reasons. All my comics inventory are stored flat on shelves in one foot high piles, i have rolling tables to place the piles onto & then turn the piles as i go thru them to fill orders. This puts much less stress on the spines & keeps them in better shape. 75% of my 1985 up comics are not in bags, but i have started to bag higher grade copies. I have also started to group higher grade copies of chap comics in packs of 10 in a mag bag. Most of my Pre-1975 comics are in untaped bags. Most of my original warehouse copies from the 1970's that were bought new, are now VG/FN to FN/VF. Most of my original warehouse copies from the 1980-1995 that were bought new, are now FN/VF to VF+ (about VF average).
With the huge price spreads between GD and NM-, it is extremely important to understand the current very strict grading standards. [With CGC standards as a benchmark]; Probably 75-90% of Collectors (and many dealers) do not yet understand the new strict standards. Many collectors think if they bought it new, it must be "Mint". (When in fact their 1975-1990 comics are in fact more likely to be FN/VF thru VF+ grades); About 95% of 1980-1989 comics no longer would grade a Strict VF/NM, 9.0, with perhaps about 1% being in NM 9.4 or better (even if you bought them brand new & stored them bagged & unread on day of release); This is because most collectors did not go thru every possible copy available to pick the best possible copy. Those who did pick them this carefully, were more likely to buy a copy with fewer or no factory flaws, in a day when tiny stress marks were not considered too important. By todays standards, copies with NO stress anywhere on the book, & perfect razor sharp corners, are much more prized, than copies lacking factory flaws.
The value of comics is determined by supply & demand. Comics that are scarce in ANY grade gain value, because even small demand is often not satisfied.
Because many collectors much prefer to buy up all their favorite mainstream Marvel & DC superhero comics, a way to make these "common" comics scarcer
needed to be found & that way turned out to be condition. Bronze age is the most popular because they are still affordable & they are possible to find in 9.0 or higher grades. The price spreads between GD to NM- should continue to wider for mainstream Marvel & DC superhero comics. But although scarcer in high grade,
will not widen as much on other Genre's & other publishers, as there are less high grade collectors for these grades. (The exception seems to be HORROR comics, which have been consistency Hot & Scarce in 9.0 & better). Grading should always be done under a strong light focused directly on the book being examined. Proper grading cannot be done in poor or dull light, as many tiny flaws are missed. Many of my competitors do not grade 1980's comics STRICTLY & they regularly sell comics as NM but ship FN/VF to VF copies. Thus i do not normally have to worry about having any competition in the selling of strictly graded 9.0 to 9.6 comics from the 1980's.
My FN/VF to VF copies are typically lower in price than others overgraded NM copies that are in same grade. YES, i to can & do offer great SALE prices on common
FN/VF-VF copies. But i rarely discount Pre-1990 comics in strict 9.0 or better & in fact usually ask & get guide & higher. If you think 1980's comics are common in 9.4,
just attempt the very difficult task of putting together a complete set like GI Joe, Transformers or Micronauts in STRICT 9.4 or better (in grades that WILL hold up, if submitted to CGC);
We again sold a lot of 9.0 & better Raw (Non CGC graded) comics, mags, & treasuries from the 50,000+ Book "Manitoba" collection, most from 1975-1985. (VF/NM raw copies sell at 9.2 prices; 9.2 copies bring 150% Guide; 9.4 raw copies bring 200% Guide); If trends continue, as we expect they will, 1980-1985 comics should gain a lot of value in STRICT 9.0 & better in the next decade, as more & more people come to understand the the new strict standards & scarcity in these grades. Now is still the time to buy, while these books are still cheap & before they all disappear in high grades. All other sized & Odd Format items (Magazines, Paperbacks, Digests,
Books, Treasury's, Fanzines, Posters, Trade Paperbacks, Calendars, Portfolios, etc) were much less likely to be placed in a plastic bag, as often bags were not available, thus they can be quite scarce in high grades. These should be watched carefully, as they are probable great future investments in higher grades.
DC COMICS; Almost everything from the Bronze Age & 1970-1985 Era was selling. 1960's & older titles were a bit slower this year, except for the "Top" titles with Superman,Batman, JLA & Wonder Woman, which are always strong sellers. Every Horror title was again strong this year, but they are all getting tough to restock in high grades.
Unlike Marvel collectors, those after High Grade DC are not quite as demanding, because with small supply they would never find anything. 1960's DC comics in VF are now in stronger demand, with high grade collectors now buying 1971-1975 in VF+, and with 1976-1985 in VF/NM or better; They are hard to find in these STRICT grades,
but they are obtainable with legwork, thus these seem to be about the average goals for many buyers. [This is especially true for the eager & very hungry buyers of High Grade DC HORROR titles];
DC Horror comics of the 1968-1983 Era were still among our top sellers of the year. The higher the grade the faster they sell. Investors still want the 1968-1975 issues in high grades (9.4 up) but are having a hard time even finding 9.0 copies, thus are now settling for STRICT VF copies, if they really want them. Guide should raise the 1968-1975 issues by about 25% (regular issues) to 50% (Better artist, early & key issues), with a most increase to the G-FN copies, to more realistically reflect demand. Not many copies are CGC graded, thus buyers need to buy them raw. Key issues, Giants & better artist issues will continue to rise in price, until price again meets demand, but that might take quite a while. All Adams & Wrightson issues need to see a 20-40% jump in guide to come closer to current demand. The 1976-1983 era DC Horror comics are also in big demand & we have seen more completionists than ever before. Many fans are also buying G-FN copies, but there are adequate supplies to meet demand in these grades, although we need to charge about 115-130% guide to keep replenishing supplies of all the related titles. Weird War #64 (Frank Miller's 1st work at DC), 68 (2nd Frank Miller), are extremely Hot & very undervalued (strict High grade copies would bring about 300% of Guide)
All harder to find Oddball material sold well in the more ordinary G-FN grades, with most at 120-135% guide, including; Amazing World of DC, Cartoon, Digests, Fanzines, Fireside Books, Funny Animal, Giveaways, Humor, Magazines, Paperbacks, Parody, Romance, Teenage, Treasuries, TV, War, & Western.
All DC WAR titles were great sellers in all grades, with Low Grade reading copies most popular, followed by nice looking mid-grade copies, but also with
growing demand for 1975-1990 issues in VF/NM or better "Investment" grades. These were NOT saved in high grades, as were superhero comics, thus a strict high grade set of even 1980's issues is tougher than one might think. Sgt Rock is considered by many to be the best war comic of all-time, thus is virtually always the best seller. But Haunted Tank, Unknown Soldier & Enemy Ace also have very strong followings.
From the High Grade "MANITOBA collection", we sold a lot of 9.0 to 9.8 range DC's of the 1975-1984 era. LATE Bronze in STRICT 9.0 or better are much less common than previously thought, especially the Non-Superhero titles. This is the time to buy them, while still available RAW in High Grades & at reasonable prices. Once these "catch on" it will be too late, with higher prices & more competition. The 1981-1985 Pre-CRISIS DC Superhero books were non "Hot" years for all the major
DC heroes & dealer inventory levels are much lower than one would think. I have have to start restocking more & more of these titles lately. Digests & Treasury's, which are rarely found in 9.0 or better, but we had a nice selection & they moved well.
Wonder Woman #271-321 had a Huntress long running backup series, forgotten by most, but starting to be more collected. Wonder Woman is perhaps the greatest Superherone in all of comics history, & is thus gaining more & more attention these days. Other Key issues picking up in demand & worth buying include;
#199-200(Jones-c), 201-202(Catwoman-c/s), 211(100 Page), 212(JLA), 213(Flash), 214(100 Page), 215(Aquaman), 216(Black Canary), 217(68 Page; Green Arrow), 218(Phantom Stranger & Red Tornado), 219(Elongated Man), 220(ADAMS art assist; ATOM), 267-268(Animal Man), 272-273(Solomon Grundy), 274-276(Power Girl), 276-278(Kobra), 280-283(Demon), 281-283(Joker), 284-285(Robin of Earth-2), 287(New Teen Titans), 291-293(1982; 3-Part Epic with Supergirl, Power Girl, Batgirl, Huntress, & Black Canary), 298(Miller-c), 300(Giant), 321-329(Low Print Runs);
The most requested DC CGC issues were, All Star #58(1st Power Girl), Batman #189, 197, 222, 227, 232, Detective #359, 369, 370, 400, 411(1st Talia),
JLA #166-168 , New Teen Titans #2 & Tomahawk #116, all still quite undervalued in guide.
The MOST requested DC Comics of the year included; all DC Horror titles (most #1-10, Key issues, Giants, better artist issues & all 1968-1972), Adventure 381,397-400; All Star Comics 58-74(especially #58 for 1st Power Girl), BATMAN, Brave & Bold & DETECTIVE (all issues with; Original Batgirl, Barbara Gordon Batgirl, Batwoman, Catman, Catwoman, early Man-Bat, Neal Adams Covers & art, Ras al Ghul, Scarecrow); Batman Family 11-20; DC Special #29; DC Special Series 1-16, DC Superstars #17(Huntress); Flash (1959) #130; Freedom Fighters; Infinity Inc #1 (Power Girl begins); JLA #166-168 (Identity Crisis related; JLA vs Secret Society of Super Villains); JLA (all JSA appearance issues & 183 -185); New Teen Titans #2 (1st Deathstroke); Power Girl (1988 Mini series); Secret Society of Super Villains; Showcase #97-99(Power Girl); Superboy 197-220; Supergirl (1970's series); Supergirl (1960's appearances); Swamp Thing #37; Tales of the New Teen Titans #42-44 (Judas Contract; 44=Origin Deathstroke; Dick Grayson becomes Nightwing & joins Titans); V for Vendetta (ALAN MOORE; Movie due in theater's 3/2006), Weird War, Wonder Woman #171-220, 267-329,
DELL; As always, Dell was one of our steady reliable sellers. It is interesting to note that Overseas buyers in particular are buying more & more of them, especially Western comics. Perhaps they are getting more old TV shows in reruns? Old B&W TV seem to be getting less common on North American TV, except on cable channels. The exciting advent of more entire TV Seasons in DVD sets might stir up some interest in these old TV shows. The best thing about Dell, is they were loaded with popular culture characters, & are widely underestimated & overlooked by many collectors. YES, the older generation that grew up on old Western TV shows is aging, but the steady demand does not seem to decrease. With move overseas buyers, & more younger collectors looking for "cool" older affordable comics, Dell remains one of the staple sellers of our hobby. Low to mid grade remained the best sellers. Most investors steered clear of the Higher Grade copies, preferring instead to buy superhero or Marvel comics. Many sellers think the Cartoon titles do not sell, but this is mainly because they simply do not have the selection. Four Color comics were again in higher demand. This year for the first time in about a decade, Movie Classics showed a large gain in demand, especially those with photo covers. On my website i started to add notes of who starred in the Movie, plus Photo vs Painted cover info & this helped add to the demand. For example; (Listing that Lloyd Bridges & David McCallum, appeared in "Around the world under the sea" and that MAYA has a Clint Walker & Jay North Photo-c, doubles the availability of those titles); The Vincent Price movies, Jules Verne, SF/Horror, & Harryhausen films are well up in demand, especially the Universal Pictures Monster comics. Early Universal Monster Movie Posters are among the most valuable posters, bringing as much as $200,000+, yet the uncommon early 1960's One-Shot Movie Classics can be had for under $100 in nice condition. All comics with JOHN WAYNE were in almost double the demand, then we saw in the last few years. Four Color's & even other Dell comics with good artists like Manning & Toth, also saw increased demand. Kurtzman's Mad Monster Party is always in demand & in short supply in ANY grade. Most titles that survived for 50 or more issues, continue to sell well. Even though these comics are in the 40-60 years old range, most of the characters remain well known, unlike many comics from other publishers.
ERROR Comics;
Many fans like Comics that were printed incorrectly by publishers. The most common type are those with Double Covers (plus triple & multiple covers). Comics with 2 covers are not highly valuable, but are valued by the higher grade of the 2 covers (usually the inside cover), with a small 25-50% range premium for the extra cover(s).
When graded by CGC, the higher grade cover is the grade they assign. Occasionally a very strange double cover will surface & might bring a high price on eBay,
but this is not the rule. A few collectors who have collected them for 10 or more year, have 100 or more examples. Other ERRORS are less collected, but often much scarcer (many buyers now consider them scarce VARIANTS); For Example; many copies of Total Eclipse #4 have pages 7-14 upside down. Kazar the Savage #12
comes with & without the extra panel. Some FIGHTIN' MARINES (Charlton Pub) #??? (7/1957?; are Misbound with Billy Kid inside; and with BLANK inside front & back cover); SHERIFF OF TOMBSTONE, (Charlton Pub); #?? (JULY issue; 1959-1961; Misbound with Fightin' Navy inside; BLANK inside front & back covers);
I had a; Incredible Hulk #246(Bizarre Printing error; Cover Printed inside out, backwards, twisted & horribly cut, one of the worst printing errors i've ever seen);
Basically Strange #1(Pages out of sequence); Dennis the Menace Digests (Marvel Pub with DC logos); ACTION COMICS #495[Normal printings have the "DC" in the LOGO as the same color GREEN as the Circle in the Logo;** This VARIANT printings has the "DC" in the LOGO as the same color BLUE as the letters in the comic TITLE); Marvel Spotlight #1(1979; some printed without #1 on cover); Most of these books are affordable & they can be fun to collect.
FANZINES & Misc Comic Magazines; Those who like Oddball & Scarce collectibles, should look again at the huge variety of related Magazines & Fanzines. 1960's Fanzines are still high in demand,
but almost non existent in supply. An early set of RBCC changed hands twice in the last few years, at record prices each time. How long will it be before everyone catches onto the true rarity of the important 1960's Fanzines? Some of Marvel's earliest & rarest fanzines (like Yancy Street Journal & Gazette) barely sell for the
value of mid 1970's FOOM mags. Fandom was built on what happened in the mags of these early mags. Most buyers do not worry much about condition & are just happy to find them at all. Comic Reader in the 1970's was perhaps the most important magazine to those buying new comics, as all the news releases & upcoming
info of the perid is recorded in those pages. [a treasure trove of info for Researchers]; Many magazines & fanzines for monetary value, but for the contents.
The interview, study & discussion mags (Amazing Heroes, Comics Journal, Comics feature) have Art, Articles, & interviews of almost every important Creator in comics, from the Golden Age up until the time of release. Other mags are very tough to find for completionists trying to find one of each of everything by Popular Creators (Adams, Alan Moore, Byrne, Frazetta, Kirby, Perez, Starlin, Steranko, Wrightson, etc); Mags (like Comics Revue) with highly collected Comic Strips (Modesty Blaise, Red Ryder, etc) are always in demand. General market mags like Comics Buyers Guide & RBCC are in demand for period articles, cover & interior art & research purposes. The related KIDS mags (Bananas, Dynamite, Electric Company, Hot Dog etc) are in higher demand for their Comic Related contents (along with TV, Movie, Music & other stars & characters); Convention books are highly prized items, as most have a few very collectible Guest Stars inside.
Although not valuable, the Asterix & Tin-Tin graphic novels are eternal good sellers. These Graphic Novels are uncommon to scarce & even Rare (in English Language), they are in high demand, & are growing fast in price; Lucky Luke, Moebius, Ompa-Pa (by Goscinny) & Iznogoud (by Goscinny);
Hear are a few samples of Scarcer Oddball Item Sales; ASTRAL COMICS #1 (Magazine; Tom Sciacca Pub. 1977; VF $25); BADTIME STORIES (Wrightson 1972; VF+ $75); BATFINK & RUBIN (1966 Jewish Batman & Robin - Cartoon Comic Parody by Jack Gerber; VF $18); BOMBSHELL (1967; with Gene Simmons of KISS writing as Gene Klein; VG+ $50); BREEZY RIDER (Coloney Pub.; 1971; #3 FN/VF $20); CAZCO (Magazine;, Phil Yeh, 1976; #1 FN $10);
Peterson's CYCLEtoons (#1; 2/1968; VG $36); (#3; 6/68; VG+ $24); (#4; 8/1968; Mike Ploog art; VG $20); (#10; 6/1969; FN $22); (2/1973; Stout art; VG $10); (6/1973(Stout art; Horror story; 1st Pig Iron by Bob Taylor; Evil Willie story by Bob Taylor; VG $12); KOSHER COMICS, (Parallax Pub., 1966; B&W #1 Jewish Parodies/Spoof of; Superman, Lone Ranger, Dick Tracy & Tarzan; VG=US$25; G=US$15); UP YOUR NOSE and out your Ear (Klevart Ent; #2; 6/1972; VG $12);
YARROWSTALKS (#2; Large Newspaper/Tabloid Underground with ROBERT CRUMB; VG $99);
This overlooked & forgotten title, sells well when pointed out to customers; International Insanity (7/1976-5/1977; Phi Pub; Mature Humor/Parody Mag; National Lampoon imatator); #1 [Neal Adams-a; FN$18]; #2 [1st app of {super-heroine} Singlewoman comics, with Mike Nasser/Rubinstein-a; 1st app Panascopic Man comics = Neal Adams-a; FN$18]; #3 [JFK parody; FN$12]; #4 (2nd app of {super-heroine} Singlewoman 4pgs color comics, vs the Bionic Housewife; FN$12]; #5 (Mark Wheatley-a; FN$12]; #6 (Deborah Harry/Blondie Easter Bunny Photo-c; 3rd app & ORIGIN of {super-heroine} Singlewoman 4pgs comics; FN$12];
------------------------------------------------------
GOLD KEY;
Gold Key took the reins from Dell & produced comics for many of the most popular Licensed TV, Movie & Cartoon characters of the period. They are nostalgic to many people who are not normally comic collectors & have worldwide appeal, Most of these syndicated shows are still running somewhere & interest will continue for
generations to come. Most people who collect them, buy them in standard GD thru FN grades. All the Horror titles continued to be among the bestsellers of the year, in all grades, with more & more requests for VF or better. Twilight Zone #84 (1st FRANK MILLER pro work) is in HUGE demand at 300-400% Guide & #85(2nd Miller) is Hot too, both are very hard to find, at current Low Guide levels.
The titles that interest investors the most (in VF or better) include; Boris Karloff, Dark Shadows, Dr Solar, Magnus Robot Fighter, Mars Patrol, Mighty Samson, Phantom, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Scooby Doo, Space Family Robinson, Tarzan, Turok & Twilight Zone. Strict VFNM or better copies remain Scarce & these are
due for future price increases. The Rare Photo Back Cover Variants are not much more requested & selling in any grade; Avengers(TV) #1, Star Trek 1-3, & Wild Wild West 1-2 (at 120-135% Guide); About 50% of ALL the Gold Key Comics & Digests published from 11/1971 thru 3/1980, exist in Whitman Variant Editions, all are scarce & some are Rare, (at 150-250% of GK issue values, with horror titles the bestsellers); These are 1968 Canadian Newstand Variant cover price issues that are still selling to Completionists & Variant collectors (at 110-125% Guide);
The Hanna-Barbera Cartoon comics have quite a following & usually outsell Walt Disney titles by 3 to 1. [Disney Movies are something we only occasionally saw as kids, whereas as TV cartoons were on weekly & even more with reruns. That is why many still have great nostalgic memories of TV Cartoons]; All other TV Cartoons all have a good following. Jay Ward title are strong sellers (Bullwinkle, George of Jungle); Many people like the many Gold Key one-shots & Movie Classics. Most of the TV Show titles move consistently well, especially if they have Photo covers. The Western Titles still sell steadlily, with many going to overseas buyers. Some of the greatest cartoons that many of us grew up with, are all the Warner Bros Looney Tunes character titles, yet they remain below average sellers & have lower values, in spite of being tough sets to complete. Strangely enough, the Walter Lantz titles are slower sellers, even though Woody Woodpecker was always popular, yet may issues are also scarcer (perhaps because of low guide prices); We helped 2 different Completionists almost complete an entire set each, of all existing Gold Key's published, quite the task. In both cases, many of the scarcest issues where traditionally non collected cartoon title issues, mainly low value items, but just plain tough to find.
HARVEY;
It was another booming year for Harvey sales. Rare early issues & CGC Graded copies set record prices, often even in VF range grades. There simply are not a lot of high grade early or key issues on the market. There is suddenly a lot of requests for High Grade copies of the 32 or so Assorted Richie Richie Comic & Digests #1-5's of the 1972-1982 Era. CGC Graded copies in 9.2 to 9.6 are bringing record prices & they are are also up in demand in raw FN thru VF grades too. All 1960's Richie Rich titles are also in big demand & we have a hard time keeping Poor Little Rich Boy 1-50 and all Squarebound Giants in stock. Hot Stuff, Devil Kids & all the related titles are also in huge demand in any condition & from all ages. (at 125-175% Guide); These were also in High Demand; Baby Huey, Harvey Hits, Little Dot, Playful Little Audrey, Sad Sack (all), Spooky, Tuff Ghosts, & Stumbo & Wendy. The 1970's Casper titles are up in demand, as is are most 1950's issues & all the 1960's Squarebound Giants. Most of the popular Harvey Characters have now been around for 45-55 Years & i only see interest climbing for quite some time, as demand far outstrips supply on almost 50% of their Cartoon output. There were never a lot of big Harvey collections out there, so they should be great long term investments.
Besides at that, they are also a lot of fun, just as comics should be.
IW & SUPER Reprints;
These 40-50 Year old comics are among the lowest priced comics of the period & are full of great stories, art & Genres, thus they have a wide appeal to many fans.
If you like reading copies, most can be had in the $5 & under range, with most higher grade copies in only the $15-30 range. (My minimum prices are; G$4; VG$7; FN$10; VF$18); About 250-300 different exist & there are now many completionists. One you get up to about 50% of them, you will swiftly find the the rest will be much more difficult to find. LOW guide price, mean that many uncommon to scarce issues are always sold out with all major dealers. It is possible that a few listed in guide, might not even exist. Many contain Pre-Code Reprints, as none carried the Comic Code, in a period where all the major published were obligated to do so. It would be interesting if collectors would email me with their opinions on the 20 Rarest issues, in order of rarity. (If enough people respond, i will share the list next year);
This publisher keeps the FUN in collecting, as they are affordable, challenging & interesting.
LOVE & ROMANCE;
People often ask me why grown men would buy Love Comics. I thought it was obvious; Love comics have GIRLS, GIRLS & more GIRLS. Many have GGA {Good Girl Art}, plus Popular artists, & yes there is BAD girl art (poorly drawn) too, but they are all fun to collect. One of the biggest attractions is LOW print runs & LOW survaival rates. This is naturally because most Romance comics which purchased but NON-Collecting females, many read to death & most were eventually thrown out. Thus they are often also hard to find in even FN or better. Most buyers are not too concerned with condition & are more worried about filling in missing issue numbers. Most 1950's issues in the $5 to $25 are decent steady sellers. Higher priced issues sell fast if the have Matt Baker, Kirby or other GGA, if early or Key issues. Older DC and Atlas/Marvel titles almost all sell in all grades. Photo covers & GGA covers naturally sell better. Gothic Tales of Love #1-3 & Gothic Romances again very rare, with the handful that surfaced on eBay, bringing 200-400% Guide in ANY grade. Skywald's Tender Love (squarebound giants) & Warren's Teen Love Stories (Magazines from 1969/70) sold steady to Completionists. There have been more & more collectors of the Charlton titles of late, i suppose because they are quite affordable & a fun challenge to collect. The Canadian titles by Superior have been moving to fans curious about them, many for the Kamen-like art. The main issues requested in higher grades are the Bronze Age Marvel & DC titles.
MARVEL;
It seems that everyone wanted the same books all year long, (all brought 25% to 75% range Premiums over guide in ANY grade, but especially in high grades) including; Amazing Adv #11, Amazing Spider-Man #121,122,129, 194, Conan #275, Fear #20, Ghost Rider #1-20, GI Joe #155, Gothic Tales of Love #1-3, Hero For Hire #1, Incredible Hulk #140,141,161,162; Marvel Spotlight #2,5-12,32, Marvel Team-Up #12, 15, Ms Marvel #18, Pussycat #1, Savage Tales #1, Savage Sword #235, Tomb of Dracula #1-10, Werewolf by Night #1-10,32,33, X-Men #101; Guide is too low on all these books & prices need to be corrected.
From the "Manitoba" Collection, we sold a lot of Raw 1976-1984 Era High Grade 9.0 to 9.6 Marvel Comics, Treasuries & Magazines at 125-200%+ Guide. The Treasuries, Mass Market paperbacks & Digests, were typically not placed in plastic bags, as they were rarely available in the 1970's & 1980's, thus due to handling & rubbing wear, they are normally quite scarce in strict VF/NM or better, thus the 9.0 & better copies we located sold quite well. Most of the Marvel Horror mags, still have low quantities graded by CGC & thus look to be good long term investments. We also sold lots of Late Bronze Age Marvels (1981-1985) because of our great selection of Manitoba copies in 9.0 to 9.6 grades. The early Bronze Age Marvel's are among our most consistent better sellers, with 1970-1975 issues selling 50% better than
the issues from 1976-1980 issues. Almost all the Superhero comics of this era are great sellers, as they are still affordable, when compared to 1960's Silver Age issues.
Thus many buyers now begin their collections with circa 1970 issues. 1961-1965 Superhero books are good sellers, but are expensive, thus do not get near the same numbers are Bronze issues. 1966-1968 Era Marvel's in average grade are slow sellers, as much higher priced tahn early 1970's, but 9.0 & better copies tend to move faster.
. Once again, all the Marvel Horror Comics & Mags were Hot, in all grades. Strict 9.0 and better copies were in short supply, but we managed to keep a decent selection. We had enough copies in G-FN to fill orders in these grades. My supplies of the Atlas Horror Reprint titles is dwindling at the fastest rate & i am now sold out an almost 10% of the issues. [ Beware, Chamber of Chills, Dead of Night, Journey into Mystery (1972), Monsters on Prowl, Supernatural Thrillers 1-4, 6, Uncanny Tales, Vault of Evil, Where Creatures Roam & Where Monsters Dwell = are all UP in demand & getting more difficult to restock]; All issues of all the Anti-Hero Titles are now among our bestsellers, in ANY grade; [Dead of Night #11 with Scarcecrow, Frankenstein, Giant Size titles, Man-Thing, Marvel Chillers 3-7, Marvel Premeire #27, 28, Marvel Spotlight #2-4,26, Supernatural Thrillers 5,7-15, Tomb of Dracula, War is Hell 9-15, & Werewolf by Night, & all the Horror Magazine titles];
Oddball Titles are normally found only in G-FN, but luckily those who collect them know this & usually will buy these grades. They sold steady but not hot for most of the year at 120%-135% Guide; Cartoon/humor titles, Fanzines, Giveaway/Promo items, Memorabilia, Movie, Reprint titles, Romance, Teenage, Toy Related, TV, War, Western, etc;
Modern Marvel's from 1996-2005 continue to sell well, due to lower print runs. The Onslaught crossovers seem to be in short supply & still in demand.
Also in low supply & seeing increased demand are; Amazing Spider-Man #401-441, Avengers #375-402, Daredevil #350-380, Fantastic Four #381-416, Incredible Hulk #444-474, Iron Man #301-332, Punisher #75-104, Thor #475-502, Uncanny X-Men #375-394, Venom (all 1997-2004 titles);
. Low Grade copies of 1960's & 1970's comics continue to move well, to the Reading Copy buyers. The readers are still out there, but often get overshadowed by the higher priced & higher profile items. Strangely enough, those who clear out their Low Grade Silver Age Collections on eBay, usually get a better percentage of guide than those selling VG/FN to VF copies. Many people do not trust middle grades on ebay, but do not worry about lower grades & there are still quite a few readers that want
affordable copies.
I always do well selling items other Dealers do not bother to carry. Some overlooked, forgotten, but highly collectible Marvel related Magazines, Fanzines & Kids Books include; AD LIB (2/1962) #1; A-TEAM STORYBOOK (TPB, 1983), AVENGERS ANNIVERSARY MAGAZINE (11/93) #1; BEST CARTOONS FROM THE EDITORS OF MALE & STAG (1972-1974); BROTHER BILLY, THE PAIN FROM PLAINS (1979) #1; CARTOON CAPERS - (1966-1974); CARTOONS AND GAGS (1958-1974); CASPER AND FRIENDS MAGAZINE (1997); COLORING BOOKS (Bullwinkle, FF, G.I. JOE, Heathcliff, Hulk, Sectaurs, Spider-Man & many others); COMIC BOOK, SPUMCO (1995) #1; Comic FILES Magazines (Many on; FF, GI Joe, Spider-Man, X-Men & others); COMIX BOOK (1974) #1-3(marvel), 4-5(Krupp); Creem 4/1973 (Spider-Man on Cover by John Romita); DRAW THE MARVEL COMICS SUPER HEROES (1995; Spiral Bound); Film International 1-4 (1975; Slick Magazine; Photo's & Articles; Nudity; All Scarce) FUN HOUSE (1979-1980); Heritage Pub. Trade Paperback.Graphic Novels (Hulk, FF, Spider-Man) KEEPSAKE Collections (Ghost Rider, Spider-Man, etc); IDEALS Pub; Color Graphic Novels (FF, Hulk, Spider-Man); Poster Books (Ghost Rider, Hellraiser, Spider-Man, Wolverine, X-Men); LAUGH PARADE (1961-1975); MAD WORLD OF MARVEL (Becomes Marvel Mirror October/ 1967 Volume 1 #1; Fanzine); MARVEL ART REVIEW (Marvelous Art Comics; 1976; Fanzine); MARVEL COMICS INDEX (G&T Enterprises Pub., 1976; George Olshevsky; #1 Amazing Spider-man #2 Iron Man;#3 Avengers; #4 Fantastic Four; #5 Thor; #6 Heroes from Strange Tales; #7A Heroes from Tales to Astonish; #7B Sub-Mariner, Etc.; #8A Captain America; - #8B Iron Man; - #9A X-Men; #9B Daredevil); MARVEL COMIC POSTCARD BOOK (1978); MARVEL COMICS PREVIEW (Distributor Ashcan Promos); MARVEL-CON '76! (Digest, Vince Colletta Pub., 1976); MARVEL ILLUSTRATED (1991) #1; MARVELMANIA CATALOG; MARVELMANIA MAGAZINE (1969-1970); MARVEL MONTHLY CATALOG (1998-99); MARVEL POSTER BOOK; MARVEL POSTER MAGAZINE; MARVEL POWER GAME (SPIDER-MAN, VENOM, X-MEN, etc); MARVEL SUPER HEROES RPG - ROLE PLAYING GAMES and MODULES (MANY from TSR. Inc Pub; 1984-1990 & up); MARVEL SUPER HEROES SUPER ACTIVITY BOOK (1983); Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars Sticker Album (PANINI pub; 1986); MARVEL SWIMSUIT SPECIAL (1992) #1-4; Marvel Times #1-3 (circa 1972; scarce fanzine; SFCA); MARVEL, THE YEAR IN REVIEW (1989-1992); MEGA MARVEL (Consumer Edition Order Catalogue for Marvel Products); MIGHTY MARVEL COMIC CONVENTION (1975) #NN; MONSTER MADNESS (1972) #1-3; MONSTERS OF THE MOVIES (6/74) #1-8, Annual #1; MONSTERS TO LAUGH WITH (1964) #1-3; NFL PRO ACTION; NOSTALGIA ILLUSTRATED (1974-1975); OFFICIAL MARVEL COMICS SUPER HERO STAMP ALBUM (1976); OFFICIAL MARVEL UNIVERSE STICKER ALBUM (1986); ORIGINAL CROSSWORD PUZZLES mag (1970's); PHOTO NEWS FEATURE (10/74) #1,2; PIZZAZZ 1-16 (1977-1979); POPULAR CARTOONS (1979-1980); PRO ACTION (Marvel/ NFL Pub.; 1994) ; PUSSYCAT#1 [10/1968]; ROLLING STONE Magazine #91 (Sept.16/1971; HULK Cover by Trimpe & Marvel article); SALES TO ASTONISH; SPIDER-MAN; Assorted titles including; ( Book of Colors and Days of the Week, Hide, Seek and Destroy, Lizard's Deadly Trap, Pop-up Book, Long Arms of Dr. Octopus, Look and Find, Magic Eye, Meet the Characters, Movie Storybook, Panini Sticker Album, Whitman Sticker Fun, Fleer/ Skybox Stickerbook; TOMMY THE MOVIE (1977) #1; TOR (6/93) #1-3; TRANSFORMERS Assorted titles including; (Autobots Secret Weapon, Battle for Earth, Big book of coloring fun, Bumblebees Dangerous Mission, Deception Hijack, Message From Outer Space Coloring Book, Sticker Adventure Book: Return to Cybertron); WOLVERINE POSTER MAGAZINE (1995) – #1; X-MEN: Assorted titles including; [Ambush Picture back Flap Book, Anniversary Magazine (1993), Battle of the Sentinels; Beauty and the Beast; Companion I, II (Fantagraphics 1982); Fleer/ Skybox Deluxe Sticker Activity Book; Enter the X-Men; Experiment on Muir Island; Look and Find X-Men; Masquerade; Pop-Up Book (1994); Repo Man; Slaves of Genosha; Spellbound; Sticker Activity Album; History of the X-Men: Sticker Series II; Santuary Sticker Album, Sticker Books (Landoll); villains; The Wedding Album (Marvel Pub., 1994); Wedding of Jean and Cyclops]; YOU DON'T SAY (#1) & MORE, YOU DON'T SAY (#2) (1963; both written by Stan Lee)
Marvel Promotional Comics & mags are in demand by the fans who love scarcer & oddball items, including these titles; Marvel Age, Marvel Comics Preview (Distributor Ashcan Promo), Marvel Monthly Catalog, Marvel Quarterly Report, Marvel Requirer, Marvel Spotlight (Retailer Promo Giveaway from Marvel, on Slick Paper), Marvel Spotlight (Retailer Promo Giveaway on Newsprint), Mega Marvel & SALES TO ASTONISH;
MINI COMICS from action figures; These Promotional color 4" x 5-1/4" Mini Comics have been in very high demand for many years. They appeared from 1981-1986. Many variations exist.
Most where avaliable in one-sided all English copies. In Canada, flip copies with French on one side & English on the other exist. Multi Language editions also exist.
Not all titles are known, but below is a base list of the main titles (without mentioning Variants) to start from. Earlier issues are typically more common, & later issues scarcer. Prices vary from $6-16 for VF, or $2-$8 for VG, depending on Rarity;
HE-MAN, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE; (A-1) (1981) = He-Man and the Power Sword [#1 in Series ?; DC Comics Pub Related] (A-2) MOTU (1981) = NO TITLE [same as A-1 above, but without title] (B-1) (1981) = King of Castle Grayskull (#2 in Series ? ; DC Comics Pub Related); (B-2) (1981) = NO TITLE (same as B-1 above, but without title) (C) Battle in the Clouds! (1981; #3 in Series ? ; DC Comics Pub Related); (D) The Battle of Roboto! (1984); (E) Escape from the Slime Pit! (1985);
(F) Eye of the Storm! (G) The Fastest draw in the Universe! (1985) (H) Grizzlor - The Legend comes Alive! (1984); (I) He-Man meets Ram-Man! (1982; DC Comics Pub);
(J) Hordak - the Ruthless leaders Revenge! (1984) (K) The Magic Stealer! (#6 in series on cover; 1982; DC Comics Pub); (L) Mantenna and the Menace of the Evil Horde! (M) Masks of Power! (N)"The Menace Of Trap Jaw! (1983, Series 2; DC Pub Related); (O) The Obelisk! (1984) (P)"The Ordeal Of Man-E-Faces!" (DC Pub;1983);
(Q) The Power of...Point Dread! (1982; #6 in series; DC Pub); (R) Rock People to the Rescue! (1985); (S) the Secret Liquid of Life! It's He-Man vs Geldor! (1983);
(T) Spikor Strikes! (1984); (U) The Stench of Evil! (1984); (V) The Tale of Teela! (#5 on cover; DC Pub); (W) Temple of Darkness; He-Man vs Skeletor in... (1983);
(X) The Terror Claws Strike! (1985; He-Man vs Skeletor on cover); (Y) "The Terror Of Tri-Klops!"(1983, DC Comics Pub) (Z) The Vengeance of Skeletor! (1981; #4 in Series ?; DC Pub Related); SHE-RA PRINCESS OF POWER ; (A) Across the Crystal Barrier! (1985) (B) Adventure of the Blue Diamond! (1984) (C) A Born Champion!(1985) (D) Disappearing Treasures! (1984) (E) A Fishy Business! (1986) (F) The Hidden Symbols Mystery! (1984) (G) Journey to Mizar! (1984) (H) A Most Unpleasent Present! (1986) (I) The Story of She-Ra! (#1 in series?) (1984) With 6 page appearance of HE-MAN (J) Where hope has gone! (1986)
National Lampoon;
National Lampoon continues to be a good seller. In it's "golden age" in the 1970's, it was perhaps the greatest humor mag on the planet. It is amazing they are not worth a lot more. It is too bad they are not listed in Overstreet, as they are loaded with great stories & art of major interest to Comics fans. They carried NO comics code, & were sold mainly to Adults, thus Creators, had a lot of creative freedom; The issues in higest demand are; #1-30, the better Comic Parody stories & issues with art by; Adams, Bode, Frazetta, Jeff Jones, Kaluta, Morrow, Romita, Arnold Roth, Barry Windsor-Smith, Gahan Wilson, & Berni Wrightson. So far only about a dozen have been graded by CGC & it is becoming obvious that High Grade copies are quite scarce. Most of what we sell are in G-FN. We have a nice batch of High Grade 1970's issues that came from the "Manitoba" collection & sold a bunch at nice premiums. There are about 40 different Squarebound Special's, most are now uncommon, with many now scarce to rare. The stiff cardboard covers on the specials make them scarce in VF or better. Our Minimum Price on the specials is now G=$5; VG=$9; FN=$14; VF=$20; (Scarce & Rare issues bring 50-150% More); We sell a lot of copies to non-collecting readers who have fond memories of their favorites covers or stories. They seemed to have lost most of their flare & fans thru the 1980's. In the 1980's print runs dropped, & by the early 1990's many issues are scarce. National Lampoon expanded into Movies with Animal House & with about 15 more movies (Vacation, Loaded Weapon, etc) thru the 1980's.
7-11 PLASTIC "COMIC CUPS"; (1973-1975);
These Plastic Cups are now 30+ years old, & are very nostalgic to 1000's of fans. Many have long forgotten them. These seemed to be everywhere in the 1970's, but as time marched on, more & more have been damaged, throw out & destroyed. They are now rarely seen at comic shows, comic shops or even on eBay. For those starting from scratch, you will find perhaps 35-50% of them in a shorter period of time, but completing either or both sets can be very difficult. Many buyers have told me they gave up completing their sets many years ago. Strangely enough, we sold more this year (over $1000 worth) than in the last decade, which is why i mention & list them here. They are 5-1/4" Tall Plastic White Cups, with Full Color Character illustrations; Condition grading partly relates to if the illustrations have no wear, minor wear, moderate, or heavy wear, plus if clean/soiled, discolored, cracked etc; [Average Cup; VF=$16; VG=$8]; [Most Popular characters & Scarcer Cups; VF=$24; VG=$12]
DC Comics "COMIC CUPS"; (1973); (1)Alfred (2)Aqualad (3)Aquaman (4)Atom (5)Batgirl (6)Batman (7)Brainiac (8)Brainiac 5 (9)Bruce Wayne (10)Capt. Boomerang (11)Capt. Cold (12) Captain Marvel (13) Captain Marvel Jr. (14)Catwoman (15)Chameleon Boy (16) Clark Kent (17) Commissioner Gordon (18) Cosmic Boy (19)Dick Grayson (20) Dr. Fate (21) Elongated Man (22)Flash (23)Green Arrow (24)Green Lantern (25)Hawkman (26)Heat Wave (27)Hourman (28)Jane Clayton (Tarzan's companion) (29) Jimmy Olsen (30) Joker (31)Jonathan Kent (32)Kid Flash (33)Lana Lang (34) Lara & Jor-El (35)Lex Luthor (36) Lightning Lad (37)Lois Lane (38)Martha Kent (39)Mary Marvel (40)Metamorpho (41)Mirror Master (42)Mon-El (43)Mr. Mxyzptlk (44)Mr Tawky Tawny (45)Penguin (46)Perry White (47) Riddler (48)Robin (49)Saturn Girl (50)Sgt. Rock (51)Speedy (52)Star Man (53)Superboy (54)Supergirl (55)Superman (56)Tarzan (57)Vigilante (58)Wildcat (59)Wonder Girl (60)Wonder Woman;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MARVEL Comics "COMIC CUPS"; (1975); (1) Amazing Spiderman (2) ANGEL (3) BEAST (4) BLACK BOLT (5) BLACK PANTHER (6) BLACK KNIGHT (7) BLACK WIDOW (8) CAPTAIN AMERICA (9) CAPTAIN MARVEL [Starlin-a] (10) CLEA (11) CONAN [Barry Smith-a]; (12) CRYSTAL [Kirby-a] (13) CYCLOPS (14) DAREDEVIL (15) DOC SAVAGE (16) DOCTOR STRANGE (17) DRACULA (18) FALCON (19) HAWKEYE (20) HERCULES (21) HULK#1 [both hands, clenched as fist] (22) HULK #2 [right hand as fist, & left hand open in front] (23) HULK #3 [both hands open/behind his back] (24) HUMAN TORCH (25) INVISIBLE GIRL #1 [5 1/4" tall]; (26) INVISIBLE GIRL #2 [same as #24, but variation = under 5" tall, wider at top]; (27) IRON FIST (28) KA-ZAR (29) KILLRAVEN [Craig Russell-a] (30) LUKE CAGE POWER-MAN (31) MEDUSA (32) MISTER FANTASTIC [Kirby-a] (33) NIGHTHAWK (34) ODIN (35) QUICK-SILVER (36) SCARLET WITCH (37) SHANG CHI, Master of Kung Fu (38) SILVER SURFER (39) SUPER-STAN [Stan Lee in Spidy costume] (40) THING #1 [Two fists above head] (41) THING #2 [Two fists, near waist] (42) THING #3 [left fist above head, right fist near waist] (43) THOR (44) THUNDRA (45) TRITON [Neal Adams-a] (46) VISION (47) WARLOCK (48) WATCHER [Kirby-a?] (49) YELLOWJACKET;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.
TREASURY Editions;
Treasury Edition Oversized Comics were great sellers this year. By far the greatest number of copies were in the G-FN ranges, as collectors fill in gaps in the collections. But many collectors just buy all the issues with their favorite Characters & artists. The New Material titles sell about 25% better than the reprint titles.
These are now old enough at 25-33 Year Old, that many collectors have never seen one & do not realize how large they actually are. Many are delighted to see these comics with glorious big covers & interior art panels. The reprint issues are like early Trade Paperback anthology's in a strange format. The DC titles usually outsell the Marvel titles, perhaps due to more new material & because the DC titles are scarcer. Almost one one put these in plasic bags when they originally bought them, plus the awkward size made storing & handling them difficult. Thus most copies on the market are in the GD to FN range. Most are uncommon in VF or better & Scarce in
VF/NM or better. We were very happy to get in more High Grade 9.0-9.6 range copies from the Manitoba collection & we sold a decent selection at 120-200%+ guide.
>> Some WHITMAN VARIANT editions exist (ALL-NEW Collectors Edition #C-56; Buck Rogers; FAMOUS FIRST EDITION #C-61; Marvel Treasury #18; Star Wars #1-3) that bring a small premium over guide; >> Close Encounters of the Third Kind = Marvel Comics Super Special #3 was Printed by WHITMAN ONLY in Treasury Format, & the Marvel printing was only in the Magazine format; Battlestar Galactica (Marvel Comics Super Special) #8; has a Scarce MODERN PUB. Variant Edition;
*** These Marvel Tiles had smaller Print Runs (and bring 150% Guide); Annie, G.I. Joe, Star Wars Empire Strikes Back, Smurfs; *** Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera #1-3 are uncommon (selling at 120% Guide); Rudolph C-20 implied (1972) and Archie Special Edition: Christmas and Archie #1(1975) are both RARE & sell fast at 200% Guide; Golden Picture Story Book (1961) #ST-1 thru ST-4 are RARE and are the first comics to appear in Treasury format. Also scarce are the Modern Promotions 1972/73 B&W issues with Newspaper Strip-r (Beetle Baily, Flash Gordon, Katzenjammer Kids, Mandrake the Magician; They sell for; FN=$22; VG=$15; G=$10); The 6 issue Walt Disney Paint Book series (circa 1975) are still mistaken by people as 1930's items, as they carry no modern copyright dates, they are scarce & we sell VF copies for about $29 each. DC Special Series #25-27 still confuse fans, as the series has Giant Comics, Digests & Treasuries, but the set is thus popular,
since it is so unusal.
TOWER comics;
Dynamo, Fight the Enemy, Noman, Thunder Agents, & Undersea Agents are loaded with great art by Wood, Ditko, Crandall & others. These always sell slow & steady, but never seem to get hot. We sold a bunch of G ot VG range copies to people who just finish their sets. We also found some unusual high grade copies that brought 115-130% Guide range. Go-Go & Animal, plus Tippy Teen, continue to sell steady, mainly in lower grades to the Reading Copy crowd.
Variants & Premium Editions; The Marvel's 30 & 35 cent Variants showed Strong demand all. Current guide prices are at way below wholesale prices. The 30 cent Variants are about 50-200 Times
Scarcer than standard printings & should guide at a minimum of Triple the standard printings prices. The 35 cent Variants are about 200-1000 Times Scarcer than standard printings & should guide at a minimum of Five Times the standard printings prices. Spider-Man, Better character & Key issue Variants are worth primiums over those multiples. The Western, War, Horror & Reprint title issues turn out to be some of the scarcest, with LOW Grade Unslabbed copies sometimes selling 50-100 Times Guide on eBay. Minimum Price on these 30 cent Variants should be; G$8; FN$25; 9.2=$50; (Minimum for 35 cent variants should be G$15; FN$45; 9.2=$90);
UK British Pence Cover Price Variants (printed in USA) are gaining some interest among Variant collectors (see British comics); Canadian Newsstand Cover Price Variants with higher cover prices were more popular than usual. Many American's have never seen one & often mistake them for much Rarer variants. (see our Canadian comics). Early Direct Distribution copies were mistaken for Whitman editions again this year (see Whitman below).
Walt Disney;
After many years of being among our slower sellers, Pre-1985 Disney comics are back in demand. The Cartoon titles in particular did not sell too well in the
last 5+ years, but this year they were mainly the best sellers. For some reason, Mickey Mouse was the most requested titles of the year & we sold over 300 of them, we are now sold out on about 25 issues. Second most requested was Super Goof, with many of the middle numbers being scacer & selling out. The Next Stong sellers included; Chip N' Dale, Beagle Boys, Donald Duck, Scamp, Moby Duck, Winnie the Pooh; All Golden Age 1950 & Older issues were way up in demand, in all grades,
but we mostly had & sold lower grade copies. Most of the Over Reprinted Carl Barks Uncle Scrooge, WDC&S, and Donald Duck, remained slower sellers, but did pick up significantly over the previous few years sales. The exceptions were Four Color issues & almost everything 1950 & Older. I even sold a bunch of Cheeios & Wheaties giveaways. DONALD IN MATHMAGIC LAND and MICKEY MOUSE IN MAGIC LAND are much requested items & getting harder to find. Other Good sellers included; BLACK HOLE, CALGARY EYE OPENER mags (non disney, but 1929-31 BARKS GGA), GOOFY, GYRO GEARLOOSE, HUEY, DEWEY AND LOUIE JUNIOR WOODCHUCK, SPIN AND MARTY, TINKER BELL, WALT DISNEY SHOWCASE & ZORRO; In addition, all the Live Action TV Series comics were in demand, especially if the had Photo covers; This year the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh was request many times & we sold out (at 120-130% Guide); Finally, the Movie Classics were all in demand (except if Nature or Science types), especially if Photo Cover, or with good artists (Toth, Manning, Buscema, etc); All the Walt Disney's Adventures in Color, by Carl Barks Series Titles (Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge, WDC&S) are in big demand, but we are now almost sold out & market values are climbing fast.
Yet the older 1987-1991 Gladstone & Disney Albums remain in very low demand. All the scarce 8-12/1980 and 1983/84 Whitmans are in high demand & a lot of copies are now being CGC graded. [See Whitman section in this market report];
Warren, Skywald, Eerie/Stanley & other Horror Comic Mags; Warren & Skywald were selling well all year long. High grade was very popular, but we also sold a lot in G-FN to people who wanted to fill in holes in their collections. It seems more & more people want to complete their sets. High grade sold well in Raw copies, but strangely enough Warren's were harder to sell if CGC graded. I guess many buyers do not feel that most $10-$30 range mags are worth the extra $25.00 slab fees, except perhaps in the 9.6-9.8 range. Weak CGC prices on 9.0 thru 9.4 copies, is going to make them not worth slabbing for sellers. Vampirella seems to be the exception to the rule, but mainly for issues under #60. Fortunately,
we have a lot of buyers for raw copies we got in from the "Manitoba Collection" in the VF+, VF/NM & 9.2 ranges. Warren mags do not seem to exist in consistent quantities. This is surely attributed to the fact that a great deal of the copies on the marketplace came from the Warren Warehouse when they closed in 2/1983.
Some issues were sold out in the Warren warehouse, with some in low quantities, some in moderate quantities & some in large quantities. Although most were absorbed into the market in the 1980's, a few still remain more common even today. We are seeing more & more people needing the same scarcer issues numbers. At this time Blazing Combat #1 still has only one CGC 9.4 & only one in 9.0, with other VF+ down, thus is rare in high grade & still very elusive in ANY condition. It always sells way over guide on ewBay, & should guide at $500+ and perhaps a few more copies would surface & would be much closer to current values. At this time Eerie #17 (which had a bad interior cutting factory flaw on most copies) still has only graded four CGC 9.0 copies, with none higher. It continues to sells for 200-300% Guide on eBay in ANY grade. I sold a raw 9.0 copy for $500. Eerie #17 should at least double in guide, to be even close to market value. >>> Warrens that are on most want lists & bringing Good Premiums, or at 150-200% Guide or more; After Hours #1(1st Warren mag; Betty Page), 2,3, 4(Ackerman; Monster article, pre-FM), Blazing Combat #1 & Anthology, Comix International #1, CREEPY #146, Creepy Paperback, Dracula (TPB), Dracula (UK New English Library mag editions 1-12); Eerie #17, 23, 135, Famous Monsters #1, Convention Books& Paperbacks, Flintstones at New York World's Fair 1964, Help #1-5,9, 13,15,21-26; Heidi Saha (500 Printed? Very RARE & near impossible to find; Higher Grades $1000+ ?); Odd World of Richard Corben, Spirit Special (Approx ONLY 1500 printed), VAMPIRELLA Special #1(HC),
UK mags 1-4, Paperbacks by Ron Goulart (USA 1-6 & UK 1-3 with different painted covers), Warren Presents #13, 14, Wildest Westerns/Favorite Westerns of Filmland 1-6; [Many issues not listed in Overstreet, are listed in the Jerry Weist guide]; >>> Other MOST requested issues bringing 120-150% Guide; Blazing Combat #2, CREEPY #9,10,14,17-19,29,32,39,50,70,71,76,78,91,113,132-145, Eerie #5, 8, 18, 24,25,28,38-41,45,60,81,94,95,98,108,125,128, 130-134,136-139, Edgar Allan Poe's Fall of the House of Usher HC, Famous Monsters #2-32, & Paperbacks, Famous Monsters #200-237(Dynacomm), Help Paperbacks, Lord of the Rings, LUANA paperback (Frazetta-c), MONSTERLAND (New Media Pub. Inc; #4 up = Forrest J. Ackerman's Monsterland; 1984-1987) #1-17; ON THE SCENE PRESENTS FREAK-OUT, USA #NN (#1; Fall 1967); Screen Thrills (1962-1965) #1-4, 10; Spacemen #1-3 & Annual, Teen Love Stories 1-3, Tiny Tim(1968 One-shot), VAMPIRELLA #1-8,12,16,19,33,36,41,45,46,48,52,61,63,64,77,78,89,100-113, Annual #1, Special #1(solftcover), VAMPIRELLA UK mags 1-4, Wildest Westerns/Favorite Westerns of Filmland 1-6;
Castle of Frankenstein (Gothic Castle Pub; 1961/62-1975) Was similar to Famous Monsters, but they are far less common than FM #23 up. These are always solid
sellers, with VF copies usually selling in the $20-$50 each price range. A few Notable key issues include; #1(Cover dated 1-2/1962; Actually released in 11/1961; Frankenstein-c); #9(11/1966; Cesar Romero as JOKER photo-c; Batman, Karloff); #11(Nimoy as SPOCK photo-c; Men behind MARVEL comics); #12(SPOCK speaks; Stan Lee interview; Frank Brunner-a; ABC-TV's Spider-Man; Christopher Lee interview; Planet of the Apes); #14(SPOCK & KIRK of Star Trek Photo-c; Ray Bradbury); #15(Brunner-a); #16(Barnabas Collins-c; 10 pages of comics with Early art by WRIGHTSON); #17(Brunner Painted-c); #18(Frankenstein painted-c, by Kelly; Cameo art by; Wood, Krenkel, STERANKO, ADAMS); Annual/Fearbook (#1; SCARCER; 1967);
Nightmare, Psycho & Scream exist in much smaller quantities than Warren's, & are getting very difficult to restock, even in G-FN, much less in High Grades.
We sold almost every VF or better Skywald we got into stock, at 120-135% Guide. VF is now considered "High Grade" by many collector's & sets are tough to complete even in these grades. We managed to get in quite a few G-FN issues, buy paying 65-85% Guide & quickly resold than at 140-150% Guide. We we are now typically sold out of about 20% of the issues numbers at any one point in time, the lowest inventory levels we have had on these in over 20+ years. Hell-Rider #1 and Crime Machine #1 remain in short supply; KING magazine (Adult Mens exploitation) #1(3/71; Boris-a), 2(7/71; Boris-a?) are both RARE & sell fast, if you can find them.
The MISC Horror mags by Eerie Pub, Globe, Hamilton, Major, Modern Day, Stanley, Tempest Pub, & World Famous, have a growing number of fans. They feature delightfully grotesque colorful covers & interiors which include; Bondage, Torture, Decapitations, severed limbs, vampires, werewolfs, skeletons, blood & gore, stake thru the heart & more. Stanley pub mags have a good amount of Pre-Code horror reprints. The 1966-1970 issues and the Low Print 1980-1983 issues are the Scarcest & are in constant demand in ANY grade. All first issues now have much bigger demand & they will proably climb in value over the next few years. These sell best in G-FN, as most people just want to own them & they prefer affordable grades. [Although we have sold a decent number of VF+ or better copies at 110-120% Guide]; The main titles from these publishers (bringing 120-150% in G-FN grades) include; ADVENTURES IN HORROR, CHILLING MONSTER TALES, CHILLING TALES OF HORROR, DREAD OF NIGHT, GHOUL TALES, GRAVE TALES, HORROR STORIES, HORROR TALES, MAGGOTS, MONSTERS ATTACK, SHOCK, STRANGE GALAXY, STRANGE UNKNOWN, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, TALES FROM THE TOMB, TALES OF THE KILLERS, TALES OF VOODOO, TERROR TALES, TERRORS OF DRACULA, WEB OF HORROR, WEIRD (Eerie Pub), WEIRD VAMPIRE TALES WEIRD WORLDS, & WITCHES TALES;
WEBSITE; When customers go to our Website, they are always amazed by the Giant Selection of Non Comic Collectibles we have in stock. Because we have just so much material, we have a hard enough time just getting everything listed, & then maintaining all the new additions & deleting all the sold items. We just do not have time to properly grade & price our 2 Million+ items, thus we choose to catalogue them all, so customers can at least find them & ask for full details if interested; Our system works well for us & we not be changing it the foreseeable future. When we have the occasional slow period in comics, it is time for me to work on our many many other items. The current internet value of these items often comes as a surprise to those that do not collect them. Many of the items are much scarcer than most comics from the last 50 years. Some of our Good sellers include; ACE DOUBLES; Adult CARTOON DIGEST Magazines; ADULT Mags; Ballantine Adult Fantasy; BIOGRAPHY Paperbacks; Children's COLORING Books; Children's Magazines (DYNAMITE, Bananas, Hot Dog, Sesame Street); Collins WHITE CIRCLE; 1942-1952 Vintage Canadian Paperbacks; COMIC STRIPS; GENERAL FICTION (20,000 1940's - 1990's Paperbacks); GOLF Magazines; HISTORICAL FICTION Paperbacks (10,000); MARTIAL ARTS Magazines; MEN'S ADVENTURE & Exploitation Magazines (3000); MEN'S Style, Fashion, Lifestyle & Culture Mags (Details, Esquire, FH, GQ, Maxim, Stuff, etc.); MOTORCYCLE / BIKER magazines (Biker, Chopper, Custom, Cycle, Easyriders, In the Wind, Iron Horse, Outlaw, Rider, Supercycle); MOVIE POSTERS - Inventory (ONE-SHEET Original Movie Theatre Posters, Original Movie Theatre Half-Sheets, Video Store Posters); MUSCLE, FITNESS & HEALTH Magazines; MUSIC and ROCK Magazines(5000+); MYSTERY & CRIME Paperbacks (75,000 from 1950's thru 1990's); NEWS & Current Events Magazines - 1940's thru 2000+ (Maclean's, LIFE, Newsweek, New Yorker, Time); OCCULT paperbacks; PEOPLE weekly Magazine & " US " Magazine Weekly (1974-2002); [ PLAYBOY (1954-2004) and PENTHOUSE (1966-2004) - Magazines, VHS Videos & Related Items ]; PORTFOLIO'S and CALENDAR'S (Comics, Science Fiction, Music, Character, Advertising Promo items, and Misc. General items); PULP Magazines [1920's-1950's PULPS; Adventure, Air Aces/Aviation, Anthology, Argosy, Atlantic, Blue Book, Golden Book, Love/Romance, Mystery, Railroad, Science Fiction, Sports, Western's, etc]; 100,000 RECORDS ( Most standard issue LP's frm 1970-1990 in stock, good selection 1950-1969, Most in the $5.00 thru $20.00 Price Range); Saturday Evening POST Magazine; SCANDAL - MINI News & Exploitation - 1950's (TV & Movie Stars, Personalities etc.Mini Pocket Size Magazines & Digests); Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror 1950's-1990's Magazines & Fanzines (Fiction, & TV - Movie Related); Science Fiction, Fantasy & HORROR Mass Market PAPERBACKS and DIGESTS - (50,000+ Vintage 1940's-1990's); TENNIS Magazines (1970's thru 1990's); TRUE DETECTIVE, Police & Crime Magazines (1940's-1990's); TV GUIDE (National Weekly Digest Magazine, Canadian & USA Editions; 1953-2004); TV, and MOVIE magazines (Radio, Soap Opera, ET Weekly, Hollywood, Gossip, Marquee, Photoplay, Premiere, Screen, Tribute, Regional TV Guide Supplements & Related - 1940's-2000 Magazines); TV/Television & Related Mass Market Paperbacks (1950's-1990's); UNDERGROUND Comix (1970's & 1980's); VHS Movies; Video Cassette Tapes (2000 x Uncommon, Scarce, Rare, Obscure, Oddball & lesser known titles) & VHS Movies; (8000 more Popular, Top Hits & Mainstream Titles); Video Disc's (RCA SelectaVision CED Video; 1980's); VIDEO GAME & Computer Magazines Vintage (1970's-1990's); WAR and MILITARY Mass Market Paperbacks (Fiction & Non-Fiction; Vintage 1940's-1990's); WESTERN - Mass Market Paperbacks (10,000 Vintage 1940's-1990's); WHITMAN Hardcover Books - Inventory (TV-Television, Western, Character's, Movie, Comic Character, Celebrity, Boys & Girls Juvenile/Children/Kids Series, Classics, Sports, Walt Disney, etc); WOMEN'S FASHION, Lifestyle & STYLE Magazines ; WRESTLING and BOXING magazines (Vintage 1950's-1990's); >>> Some modern items started small & grew
fast, thus MAXIM #1 (1997) brings $100+ in VF; Cult Favorites Easyriders #1 and High Times #1 are worth aboyt $100 each in VG/FN; Early 1980's Video Game mags are scarce if they have good features on Atari, Coleco & Intellivision. Mens Adventure Mags from the 1960's with Nazi, Bondage & Torture covers are hot in the $20-$50 range. VF/NM Playboy #1's (Marilyn Monroe) are worth about $10,000; Many Comic & SF related Calendars are rare & worth $20-$50+ each (Dune is $100+);
All Fashion mags of the 1975-1985 Era are HOT, & one of my bestsellers, as they are full of the early Supermodels.(Older issues scarcer, but with less known models, are in demand too); Anything vintage with Gia Carangi (Late 70's to early 80's, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, etc) sells for $20-$40 in FN; Wrestling mags from 1960-1976
are all among my Bestsellers & sell about 3 times faster than we can restock them (at $8-$25 each for VG-VF copies); Collectible Paperbacks at are an all-time high, with many tradtional Popular authors & Titles dropping in value & many scarce to rare obscure titles climbing in value daily (There are over 100 Million Books listed on over 10 major Booksellers sites, with over 20,000 sellers listing items); If you want something different to collect, consider some of the above. With the ever expanding worldwide internet, some of the great future collectibles will be found among them.
WHITMAN (former Gold Key) comics;
The Whitman comics 8-12/1980 issues continue to bring well over guide prices, consistently one of the highest over guide group of books in the hobby. The 1983/1984 issues are easier to find, but still quite uncommon, especially in high grade. The 8-12/1980 issues sell in ANY condition, with only a small number of each being CGC graded. Higher prices have brought some RARE issues into the Marketplace, & thus some of last years crazy multiples have cooled. Some of the secondary ignored issues have now become the toughest issues on the CURRENT Marketplace & Least contained within major collections. LOW Values in Guide for 8-12/1980 issues prevent the TRUE value & Scarcity from being known, as most collectors & dealers do not consider slabbing comics that guide under $50.00. Those that list HIGHER in guide are now becoming easier to locate. HIGH PRICES make Winnie the Pooh #22, Uncle Scrooge 179, Little Lulu 260, Donald 222, WDCS 480 & others, show up more & look MORE common than they actually are. [If these 5 books still listed at $25 each, they would be at the top of the Rarity chart]; When ALL the 8-12/1980 Whitman's guide at a $60.00 MINIMUM (as they should) the REAL RARITY will become more apparent and STABLE. The 1983/1984 issues should actually guide in around $30.00 minimum each too.
CURRENT Top-20 RAREST 8-12/1980 issues (Alphabetical order); (Lowest CGC Quantity; Rare in High Grade Condition; Most difficult to find issues; Estimated that 25-50 copies each exist in the current marketplace & some of the rarest comics printed in the last 50 years); In approximate order of Rarity (beginning with the current VERY RAREST); Woody Woodpecker #191, Bugs Bunny #221, Popeye #158, Beep Beep Roadrunner #92, Looney Tunes #35, Tom & Jerry #332, Super Goof #61, Daffy Duck #130, Little Lulu #260, Super Goof #62, Huey Dewey Louie #66, Tom & Jerry #331, Yosemite Sam #68, Black Hole (Beyond the...) # 4, Winnie the Pooh #20, Tweety & Slyvester #105, Mickey Mouse #208, Beep Beep Roadrunner #93, Winnie the Pooh #22, Battle of the Planets #7;
Next 22 RAREST 8-12/1980 issues; (Low CGC Quantity; Estimated that 51-75 copies each exist in the current marketplace); Beep Beep Roadrunner #91; Chip N Dale #69; Daffy Duck #131; Daisy & Donald #47; Donald Duck #222; Huey Dewey Louie #65; Little Lulu 261; Looney Tunes #34; Mickey Mouse #209; Pink Panther #76; Popeye #159; Super Goof #60; Tom & Jerry #330; Tweety & Slyvester #106, 107; Uncle Scrooge #179,180; Walt Disney's Comics & Stories #480; Winnie the Pooh #21; Yosemite Sam #69, 70; Woody Woodpecker #190;
Next 15 Scarcest 8-12/1980 issues (Alphabetical order); (Scarce issues; Estimated that 76-100 copies each exist in the current marketplace);
Battle of the Planets #9, Beep Beep Roadrunner #93; Bugs Bunny #222; Chip N Dale #67,68; Daisy & Donald #46; Donald Duck #224; Looney Tunes #33;
Mickey Mouse #207; Pink Panther #75,77; Porky Pig #97,98; Uncle Scrooge #181; Walt Disney's Comics & Stories #482;
Scarcest 1983/84 NO date, NO date Code Whitmans; (beginning with the scarcest; Estimated that 100-300 copies each exist in the current marketplace); Chip and Dale 78, Popeye 168, Tweety and slyvester 118, Chip and Dale 79, 83, Woody Woodpecker 199, 198, Huey,Dewey and Louie 75, Daisy and Donald 55, Pink Panther 84, Winnie the Pooh 30; ** Canadian Newsstand Variant Editions exist for most or all the 1983/1984 issues, all with a 75 cent cover price, rather than the standard 60 cent cover price. These variants are currently highly sought & scarce in ANY condition. ** a Variant Edition of Bugs Bunny #222 exists, having 50 cent cover price, rather than 40 cent. 1/1981 Whitmans can have either 40 or 50 cent cover prices & thus are so far not identified as variants.
Whitman Variant's of Gold Key's 11/1971 thru 2/1980 are possible, with an estimated 50% existing as variants. They sell to completionists & Variant Collectors for 150-250% of GK issue values, with horror titles the most sought. These apparently had widely varied sizes of print runs, as some are just uncommon, with some being quite rare. It is far to early to tell, but it is estimated that the print runs can vary from 2% to 25% the numbered printed for the regular Gold Key editions.
WHITMAN Variants of DC comics; These were highly collected this year & we sold about 75% of all issues we could find in ANY grade. HIGH GRADE begins at VF for these variants, with 9.0 or better being quite rare. LOW guide prices on these issues have prevented them from turning up in larger quantities. Small numbers of still sealed bags have appeared on eBay, once opened averaging in about the VF+ condition range. Print run quantities seem to vary widely, with most later issues
being scarcer. June/1980 issues seem to be the scarcest of them all. Our minimum prices on them were; VF=$12; FN=$8; VG=$5; G=$3 and most at a fast pace.
Rumored to Exist, but NOT verified are; Action #506, Brave & Bold #143, Superfriends #17 (probably do not exist); After many many people searching, it looks like we are close to the final list of all existing Variants.
The current list of all known WHITMAN VARIANT issues includes; ACTION COMICS #481-483,485-492, 495-499,501-505,507,508; ALL-NEW Collectors Edition #C-56; BATMAN #306-308,311-320,323,324,326; BRAVE AND THE BOLD #145-147,150-159,165; DC COMICS PRESENTS #1-4,9-12,14,-16,19,21,22; FAMOUS FIRST EDITION #C-61; FLASH #268,273-276,278,283,286; GREEN LANTERN #116-119,121; JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #158,160-162,166-169,171-173,176-179,181; LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #261,263,264,266; NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERBOY #1,2,5,6,8; SGT ROCK #329; SUPERBOY #244-248,251-258; SUPER FRIENDS #13-16, 20-23,25,32; SUPERMAN #321-323,325-327,329-332,335-345,348,350; WARLORD #22; WONDER WOMAN #250-252,255-264;
The current Rarest issues includes (begining with the rarest & in approx order); Warlord 22, Flash 286, DC Comics Presents 22, Justice League of America
#177, 178, 179, New Adv Superboy 6, Legion 264, Superman 348, Action 508, 505, DC Comics Presents 9, & Superfriends 32;
WHITMAN Variants of MARVEL comics ??; One of the most controversial areas in the hobby. For the last 2-3 years i have seen many eBay sellers claiming that WHITMAN Variant's of Marvel comics exist. Some assume (incorrectly) that the early DIRECT variants with Black Diamond's, (No UPC box, slash thru UPC box, etc), must be "Whitman variants". The Newsstand copies are easy to identify (They have the full UPC CODE, plus they have the letters "cc" for Curtis Circulation always on the cover); YES, there were "Whitman" PLASTIC BAGS from 2/1977-1979 that had Black Diamond copies inside the bag. But these Black Diamond copies were widely sold to Comic Stops nationwide as "DIRECT" only NON-Returnable comics. They might have been originally specially produced for whitman by Marvel,
but very early on, were simultaneously sold to Seagate. Seagate incorperated in 11/1977, but they seem to have sold DIRECT books before that time. DIRECT copies are still made today. ONCE OUT OF THE "Whitman" BAG, these copies are IDENTICAL to Seagate DIRECT copies and one cannot them them apart. In fact today's DIRECT market copies well outnumber the Newsstand copy print runs on almost everything. Marvel simply made NON-Returnable editions, which they sold to Whitman to put in their plastic bags. These NON-Returnable editions were also sold to the comics shop market thru Phil Seuling of Seagate. To make it more clear; ONLY THE PLASTIC BAG is a WHITMAN product. Marvel simply used Whitman as another venue to sell their comics, as they did with Seagate. They are more correctly termed "Early DIRECT Market" copies. Apparently the WHITMAN bag experiment lasted from 2/1977 thru 1979 & ended abruptly. The DIRECT Non-Returnable editions kept getting distributed to the comic shop market, as several competitors to Seagate entered the market. The 2-12/1977 "Early DIRECT Market" VARIANTS had small
print runs, estimated at 2-10% of the total Print Run & in fact remain quite collectible (i sell them at a +30-50% Premium); I also estimate that the 1978 & 1979 "DIRECT Market" VARIANTS had small print runs, estimated at 10-20% of the total Print Run (i sell them at a +15-30% Premium); Thus the 1977-1979 VARIANTS are the main collectible ones & should gain value as time goes on & awareness sinks in. For 1980-1985 the "DIRECT Market" Print Runs soared & thus are less collectible as Variants. Although Newsstand copies might have still outnumbered the 1980-1985 DIRECT Market copies, the SURVIVAL Rates differ widely. Perhaps 90% of the DIRECT Market copies exist in Dealer Inventories or Private Collections. Whereas perhaps only 20-50% of the Newsstand copies sold mailny to non-collectors, still exist today. Researcher extraordinary Jon McClure will soon publish an article proving WHITMAN did NOT publish any Marvel comics, (as they did for DC & Gold Key), other than a few Treasury's. There was a few months where Marvel seemed to have FORGET to mark the differences, (July/1978, March/1979 & April/1979) as they were experimenting HOW to mark NON-Returnable comics. These months exist only in standard Newsstand copies.
A few "Reprints" also exist in "WHITMAN" Polybags, but these too were sold to the DIRECT market. (But sold better in the Pre-Pack market, than in the Direct market, as reprints were not deemed collectible) The REPRINTS seem to be confined to a small number of LICENCED Popular Products of the Period, mostly brought on by the Huge Success of STAR WARS. Marvel was careful to mark REPRINT on the small number of issues that they did reprint. Overstreet has INCORRECTLY listed Shogun Warriors #1-3 and Micronauts #1-3 for many years as "Reprints" because of the blank UPC boxes. But if you check all the other "Direct" market marvels of the same months, you will see in fact that they have the identical markings & are in fact NOT reprints. Actually, most of these Reprints are quite a bit SCARCER than the Original Newsstand editions & should be MORE valuable, rather than LESS valuable, to Variant collectors.
The EMPTY "WHITMAN" bags were available in the early 1980's. The Newsstand Distributor in our area had them available. They might have also been available in the DIRECT Market. [Any sealed factory bags of the 1977-1979 period with books from the same month, were certainly NOT the EMPTY jobber leftover bag variety].
I have seen a few 1980's books in sealed Whitman Polybags with mixed contents. These bags are typically filled with 1980's leftovers & slow sellers, by dealers who wanted to clear out overstock & then heat sealed. They can contain comics from different months, different years & different publishers. Occasioanally even Direct & Newsstand in the same bag. I have seen sealed packs for example with Arak & Kazar in the same bag. These JOBBER Clearance packs are of LOW value,
& bring only mild curiosity premiums. The practice of filling empty bags & then heat sealing them, continued until the early 1990's with NON Whitman bags.
These books were typically dumped to the chain stores. The practice stopped when a few alternate adult & mature comics started surfacing in the bags, subjecting the stores to fierce compalints by parents & even the media.
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet #35 Annual Comic Book Price Guide for 2005 by Douglas W. Sulipa (Published on pages 94-109) (UN-EDITED & Complete Original Version)
I am Douglas W. Sulipa, an Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide SENIOR ADVISOR for 34 years {since Guide #2 way back in 1972; See Overstreet #32-36 on pages 9 & 10 to confirm}; >> Read my MARKET REPORTS; (in the New Overstreet 2006 Annual #36, pages 108 thru 125, and see our AD on page 180); And MY REPORTS in; (Overstreet 2005 Annual #35, pages 94-109) (Overstreet 2004 Annual #34, pages 89-100)(Overstreet 2003 Annual #33, pages 86-95)(Overstreet 2002 Annual #32, pages 72-81)(Overstreet 2001 Annual #31 on pages 64-75); (c) Overstreet;
Doug Sulipa's COMIC WORLD BOX 21986 STEINBACH, MANITOBA CANADA R5G 1B5
Website; www.dougcomicworld.com
Email; cworld@mts.net
(Ph; 1-204-346-3674)(Fax; 1-204-346-1632)
ACG Comics;
All the Horror/Mystery (Adv into Unknown, Forbidden Worlds, Unknown Worlds) titles from all years were way up in demand, with VG to FN+ copies selling fastest, at 110-120% Guide. Our Pre-Code issues in low affordable grades, have sold out. Requests have doubled for; Gasp, Herbie, Magic Agent Midnight Mystery, bringing 120-135% Guide. There was resistance to the VF & better copies. We had some FA/G thru VG/FN nice runs of the humor Titles; Cookie, Funny Films, Giggle, Ha Ha, Kilroys, & sold about 90% of our stock, at 120-150% Guide. The demand was not huge, but the collectors trying to complete their sets, jumped at the opportunity to get large groups in one place. The 1960's Superhero titles are in moderate steady demand & were the most requested in VF or better. The Romance titles sold steady, especiallly those price at under $15.00 each. This year, as i identified them, the HERBIE one page Original material (all different?) Comic strips & Cartoon AD's where RED HOT (Forbidden World's #125, 126, Unknown World's #20, 31-39, etc) at 120-135% Guide.
ALTERNATIVE Comics;
Many consider the Alternates of 1975-1990 the unexplored "Last Frontier" in Scarce comics. Small print runs under 10,000 abound, with hidden treasures everywhere. No one is sure what will be the hot titles in 5-10 years, but some are buying up some of the better known & popular titles. Many of the scarcer titles, you cannot be fussy about condition & should just grab them when you see them, if reasonably priced. Record prices were set thru the year for Cerebus #1 and TMNT #1's, as investors see them as the best known & safest alternates. That is understandable, but it might turn out to be a better buy to grab the many scarce issues that are still available at much smaller multiples of guide. ALBEDO Anthropomorphics, with #2 (1st Usagi Yojimbo) is still hot & very hard to find even in middle grades. An unread set of the very rare ELFLORD #1-15 (Nightwind Productions; Barry Blair; 6/1980-1982) surfaced this year, but is not yet for sale. (#1 easily worth $200 in VF, with others at $50 & Up); Barry Blair has a strong fan following & many underestimate the long term potential. Blair also did the popular Leather & Lace series. Blood of Dracula #4,16-19 with Wrightson are red hot & hard to keep in stock.
*** Popular Titles & titles to examine & consider include; Adventurers (Aircel), Albedo #1-10(Hot), Alien Encounters, Aliens (1988 mini), Alien Worlds, all Alan Moore tites, Armour, Army of Darkness (red hot), Authotity, Berni Wrightson Master of Macabre, Big Apple, Black Kiss, Blackthorne 3-D Series (esp, GI Joe, Star Wars, Transformers), Blood of Dracula(Hot), Blazing Combat (apple), Bone, Boris the Bear (Transformers, & many other parodies app), Caliber Presents #1, Captain Alcohol (Scarce), Cerebus #1-30, Cody Starbuck, many 1980's Continuity Comics(Adams, etc), Cobalt Blue(1977), Crow #1-3, Critters #1-5, 41-50 (48-50=Scarce), Crow(1st series), Crusaders #1(Southern Knights), Dark Horse Insider, Deadworld, Dick Tracy (Blackthorne) #91-99, Dick Tracy Ruben Award series, Dirty Pair, Echo of Futurepast, Eddie Campbell's Bacchus, Eightball, Elflord (Nightwind; 1980/82) #1-15, Elfquest (1st Prints) #1-10(in VFNM or better), Fantasy Quarterly #1, Faust & all other Tim Vigil titles, Femforce, Fish Police, Flaming Carrot #1-16, Galaxia, Gasm, Gobbledygook (1984), Gore Shreik, Green Hornet (Now) # V2#31-40(low print), Grendel, Groo, Hate, Hobbit, Hot Stuf (Sal Q), How to Draw series (esp, Teansformers & GI Joe), H.P.Lovecraft titles, Imagine(Star Reach), John Byrn'e Next Men #21, Judge Dredd, Justice Machine (Noble) #1-3 & Annual #1, Leather & Lace, Love & Rockets #1-20, Macross #1(1984), Mage (1984) #1-7, Mangazine #1-4, Mechanics, Megalith, Megaton, Mr. A series (Ditko), Miracleman #11-24 (red hot), Mr Monster, Mr X, Ms Mystic, Nexus (Capital) #1-3, Ninja High School (1986/87), Nucleus, Oktoberfest, Omaha Cat Dancer, Omen (Vigil), ORB , all Paragon Pub (Pre-1982 titles, Femzine etc), Phantacea, Planet of the Apes (Adventure), Poison Elves, Power Comics(1970's), Primer (Comico), Pudge the Girl Blimp, Quadrant, Quack(Star Reach), Red Fox, Robert E. Howard titles, Rock Comics (Adams-a), Samuree, Sherlock Holmes titles, Skateman, Spicy Tales, Star Reach, Tales of Terror, Tank Girl, Tick, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1st prints) #1-10, Thund'da tales, Tick, Toyboy, Transit, Twisted Tales, Untamed Love, Uncensored Mouse, Usagi Yojimbo, VALIANT titles (see below), Vietnam Journal & other Apple pub WAR titles, Voltron (Modern; 1985), Vortex, Wally Wood's Thunder Agents, Weird Romance, World of Wood, World's Worst Comic Awards, Xenozoic Tales, Yummy Fur & Zen (1987), Zero Patrol, Zot, etc;
ARCHIE comics;
All in all, 2004 was our best year ever for old Archie's. We sold 700 Pre-1971 issues to one retail customer alone. Many dealers think Archie's do not sell, but our 30,000 copy selection is the key to drawing many buyers. All issues of Archie's Girls Betty & Veronica remained our bestsellers thru the entire year, with #1-30 and #300 up remaining very elusive. B&V #1 is very undervalued & could easily rise 50% in Guide. All identified 1982-1993 appearances of Cheryl Blossom (pre "Love Showdown") remain in big demand & are not very difficult to keep in stock. Everything with Dan DeCarlo sells well, with some completionists even now collecting the original material DeCarlo cover's on the 1980/90's Digests. All 1941-1950 Archie's are in big demand, mainly because so few different issues exist (mainly just Archie, Laugh & Pep), thus causing excess demand. Typically the FA to VG copies sold best, but this year we had many request for VF or better copies (which we could not supply). Demand for Archie #1, Jackpot #4 and Pep #22 is huge, among the hottest of all GA, commanding 150%+ guide, if you can find them in ANY grade. Even the 1950's issues where not numerous, thus demand often exceed supply. The Laugh & Pep issues in particular were had to find. The 1950's issues sell extremely well in FA, GD & VG grades, because the current price/condition spreads make the low grade copies, far too cheap. "Ordinary" Non-Key, Non-Hot titles, from the 1950's in VF or better, had resistance. But the HOT 1950's titles sold very well in FN/VF to VF+ grades.
In the 1982-1984 Era, there was an Archie implosion, with titles cancelled & others dropping from monthly to Bi-Monthly & quarterly. Many of these issues are in short supply (especilally Cheryl Blossom & LAST issues). This is likely the era when the DIGESTS started to sell as well & even better than the regular comics. Since 1990, the standard comics must have mainly been produced, as a future source of material for their bestselling digests, as the comics have low print runs & short supply. A complete set of 1990-2004 would probably be more difficult to complete than a 1950-1960 set. ARCHIE GIANT SERIES #26 and #32(for the DeCarlo pinups), plus the Circa 1960 ARCHIE titles with the SF/Horror covers were RED HOT at 125-150% Guide. Josie & Sabrina remain in demand, with the last 10 issues of each in very low supply. The 1960's MLJ Revival Superhero appearances in Laugh & Pep are in very high demand at 150% Guide, if you can find them at all. The regular 1960's Non-Teen superhero issues (Mighty Comics, Fly, Jaguar etc) were slower, but we had some demand for VF or better copies. The Red Circle & Archie Adventure titles on the other hand, sold quite well. The Horror issues (Sorcery, Madhouse) were HOT, especially in higher grades. The superhero issues sold well, with the later Archie Adventure issues in short supply. Many are just now realizing there are issues with art by; Steranko, Morrow, Wood, Toth, Kaluta, Wrightson, Chaykin, etc. The Archie Gang as Superheroes, while not hot, were good & steady sellers. Some of the later TMNT titles are quite scarce.
Bestsellers (bringing 120-150%) Guide, included; All 1980 & newer (Low Print) SPIRE titles, Archie #1-30, 61-127, Archie & Me 1-10, Archie at Riverdale #1-5,89-113, Archie Giant Series #1-35, 136-200,600 up, Archie's Girls Betty & Veronica 1-347, Archie's Madhouse #1-30,95-97, Archie's Pal Jughead 1-20,77-101, Archie's Pals N Gals #1-54,224, Archie's TV Laughout 1-23,91-106, Betty & Me 1-16, Cosmo 1-6, Ginger 1-10, Josie 1-20,45-75, 100-106, Laugh 20-144,381-400, Life with Archie 1-66, Little Archie 1-60, Chilling Adv./Red Circle Sorcery 1-11, Sabrina 1-17,71-77, Scooby Doo 1-21, Sonic #1-40, That Wilkin Boy 1-26,50-52, Veronica 1-20, Wilbur 1-10, 71-90.
ATLAS/Marvel;
The Pre-Hero Horror/SF issues slowed this year, but we did sell most of our lowest graded Reader copies. Strange Tales #97 is cheap at double current guide & very hard to locate. The Teenager titles were the bestselling this time around. Cindy, Frankie, Georgie, Hedy, Jeannie, Millie the Model, Miss America, My Friend Irma, Nellie, Patsy, Rusty, Wendy poarker & all others were in solid demand, especially anything with Dan DeCarlo, Paper Dolls & Pinups. Romance, War & Western titles sold steady. Crime, Sports, Spy & Funny Animal titles, were still slower. Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid, Ringo Kid & Two-Gun Kid were the good sellers. Humor & Parody titles were in short supply & sold fast. Most remain quite affordable in lower grades, especially when compared to the more common early 1960's Marvel hero comics.
ATLAS/Seaboard;
Never hot, but always good solid & very affordable sellers. Many buyers want a set of all issues, but Gothic Romances #1 remains rare with VF copies easily bringing $200+. Vicki #3 and #4 are next scarcest, bringing around 200% guide or more. . DEVILINA, MOVIE MONSTERS, THRILLING ADVENTURE & WEIRD TALES OF THE MACABRE sold better than usual, with #1's being more common, but not in VF or better. All the Mag #2's are around in less than half the supply of #1's. This was the first year, that we got a lot of requests for "investment quality" VF/NM or better copies, of the regular color comic issues. Collector's are realizing they are about to reach 30 years old & are a real bargain in true high grades. There are low quantities of CGC copies in 9.4 or better. Those issues with Art by Neal Adams, Chaykin, Ditko, Toth, Wood, & Wrightson, are due for large price increases to high grade examples, in the next few years.
BIG LITTLE BOOKS;
I managed to pick up 2 small collections of pre-1960 BLB's in G-FN average. We had a few requests for pre-1960 issues in VF or better, but could not supply them.
The new listing in the guide has raised awareness & we sold about double what we do in a normal year. The most requested was Smokey Stiver & we sold out swiftly.
The well known characters brought 125-150% Guide, while the less popular character issues sold for 100-120% guide.
The 1977 Modern Promotion Pub. BLB's (4xFlintstones titles, Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, etc) had smaller print runs, are not yet listed in guide & are
scarcer, we sold a bunch in the VG $10 each range. The Whitman 2000 hardcover Series Books from #2001 thru #2036 were our best sellers, with our minmum prices set at; (G$6; VG$10; FN$16; VF$24), with better titles at 25-50% Premiums; The bestselling 2000 hardcover Series Books were; Aquaman, Batman, Dick Tracy, Fantastic Four, Frankenstein Jr, Lone Ranger, Tarzan, Hanna-Barbera's Shazan & Space Ghost. The 1972-1980 softcover BLB "5700" Series issues were decent sellers, due to lower prices, with our minmum prices set at; (G$2; VG$4; FN$6; VF$9), with better titles about 1/3 higher; The bestselling 5700's were; Batman, Donald Duck, Fantastic Four, Grimm's Ghost, Pink Panther, Popeye, Spider-Man; Merrigold Press has several scarce new material issues (Superman, Hulk, etc) which bring 50% more than "5700" Series issues. Most of the Merrigold Press are Reprint titles, scracer than the earlier printings (for Variuant collectors), but they simply bring the same as the "5700" Series editions. We sold several of 1958 larger size TV "1600" series books in the (G$12; VG$18; FN$26) price range.
There are at least 20 titles in the Golden Star Library BLB 1965 Hardcover "6000" Series of 1966-1970, & they are not yet listed in the guide.
Golden Star Library BLB's are scarcer, especially in high grades, selling in the (G$8; VG$12; FN $18) range; Better titles include; Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen, Let's go to the Moon, Peter Pan (Disney), Pinnochio (Disney), Richard Scarry's Mother Goose, Robinson Crusoe, Sleepng Beauty & Cincerella (Disney),
Snow Queen by by Hans Christian Andersen, Sprintime Tales (Richard Scarry art), Treasure Island;
The softcover "illustrated Classics Editions" "4500" Series by Moby Books, #4501-4536 (1977/83) Sold well in the (VF=$14; FN=$10; VG=$7; G=$5) price range, especially to Classic illustrted collectors. Best sellers included; Wizard of Oz, Sherlock Holmes, Tales of Mystery and Terror by Poe, War of the Worlds, Time Machine, Ben-Hur, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde & Great Expectations.
BRITISH-UK Items;
Two of the all time most important original material UK titles are; WARRIOR and 2000 AD. WARRIOR (1982/85) includes; Bolland, Bolton, Alan Davis, Dillon, Dave Gibbons Alan Moore script in 1-26, Grant Morrison, Parkhouse scripts, Marvelman (later Miracleman) by Alan Moore, Laser Eraser and Pressbutton, Madman by Paul Neary & More, most in the $10-$20 range; 2000 AD spawned most of the top UK talent & is probably their most important titles, with #2(1977) introducing JUDGE DREDD. #2 typically sells in the $100-$200 range, but high grade copies with the rare vionic stickers bonus, have sold for in excess of $1000 at action. 2000 AD also contains; Garnt, Wagner, Dan Dare, Gibbons, Bolland, Robo-Hunter, Stronyium Dog, Stainless Steel Rat, Leach, McMahon, Alan Moore, Dillon, Alan Davis, Bryan Talbot, Nemesis, Rogue Trooper, Slaine, Fabry, Bisley, Ridgway, & much more; Most issues from #100-1000 sell for $3-$6 each range.
We have a bigger selection of UK comics, than most British dealers, thus UK collectors are now ordering from us. Marvel UK editions are the most collected, ranging from early 1960's thru to date, with the bulk of the Vintage material being from 1968-1983. The appear in differents format from weekly, monthly, comics, mags, digests, B&W, color, oblong, thick & thin, to the great hardcover Annuals. US collectors like the reprints of their favorite characters, & thei favorite artists like Adams, Miller, Byrne, Kirby, Perez, Smith & others. There are (unfortunately unidentified) 1960's early new materil covers by Barry Windsor-Smith. There are early 1970's
unidentified covers & art by Starlin. Hidden treasures include; Original UK Comic Stories of Hulk, Spider-Man, Antman, Capt Britain, Nightraven & others. Alan Moore stories in Dr Who & other issues. There is lots of New Front & Back Cover & Pin-Up Art by UK artists. New art & Pinups by USA Artists like Terry Austin. New material Text stories, Games/Puzzles, articles & more. Then there is a lot of added new material to these extensive titles; G.I. Joe(Action Force), Dr. Who, Spider-Man, Hulk, Planet of the Apes, Transformers & others. Most of the 1974-1985 era issues run only in the $3-$6 price range. We sold some nice larger runs, sets & near sets, to several US buyers who enjoy oddball items & to UK completionists.
The Horror issues of Alan Class, Miller & other B&W Squarebound giant (60-100 pages) reprints sold better than usual. Alan Class (1950's-1980's) in the $7-$12 price range (early issues higher). While Miller Pub issues (1960's) sold in the $12-$30, as they had less titles/issues, are scarcer & had more Pre-code reprints.
They are a great way to buy cheaper reprints of MANY issues NOT reprinted in the USA. They are loaded with 1950's & 1960's USA Horror & SF titles from; Atlas/Marvel, Archie, ACG, DC, Charlton, & others; Miller
The original material UK War comic digests (Battle Picture Library, Commando, & War Picture Library, etc) are in demand & still rising in value. Most 1970-1980's issues sell in the $2-$6 range, with 1950's/60's issues in the $6-$20 range; WAR Comics fans try them, they find great stories & Good art, amazingly, virtually all never seen in USA. War fans like them, as they contain many realistic stories, of various wars, battles, campaigns, regiments, etc.
The UK Hardcover Annuals of 1950's thru 1990's, were typically published in December meant as Xmas gifts. Most saw little or no USA distribution. They are packed with Great covers, Comics, Art, Text stories, photo's, puzzles & Games, much is new material not seen in USA. The most sold in the the $12-$25 Price Range, (with 1950/60's at $20-$50); This years best sellers included; Avengers (TV), Avengers (Marvel), Batman, Battlestar Galactica, Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels,
Cheyenne, Dr. Who, Dukes of Hazard, Fantastic Annual, Fantastic Four, Flintstones, Funky Phantom, Huckleberry Hound, Incredible Hulk, Laurel and Hardy, Lone Ranger, Marvel Annuals, Mighty World of Marvel, Planet of the Apes, Pow, Roy Rogers, Scooby Doo, Six Million Dollar Man, Space 1999, Spider-Man, Star Trek, Star Wars, Superadventure (DC characters), Superman & Batman, Tarzan, Thundercats,Transformers. 2000 A.D., Wagon Train, X-Men & Yogi Bear. UK Annual beginners, should buy the price guide by Paul Green & Laura Taylor ($24); Many of these beautiful Annuals, sell for less the similar vintage 36 page comics.
CANADIAN Comics;
Golden Age "Canadian Whites" were still hot, but very difficult to restock this year. Many less appeared on eBay. Demand is probably about 400% Bigger than Supply, trhus the high current prices levels, for low grade copies. Many have settled into permanent collections. The Pre-1947 Canadian Whites of Fawcett hero titles, with USA comics re-drawn be Canadian artists, sold very well. But the most sought was the Original Material Canadian story & art titles. (FA-VG sold for $35-$100 each; FN-VF copies were very Scarce, bringing $75-$250 each); Humor titles brought less than hero titles. The better #1's, key issues & one-shots brount $300-$1000 each in VG-FN/VF;
The Canadian Editions that are vintage variants of US comics are bringing 60-100% of their USA equivalents, depending on page count, rarity & condition.
These GA Canadian Variant issues survive in quantites of 1-20 copies each, & are generally 10-50 Times Scarcer than the USA editions. Canadian Variant's included these Publishers; Archie, Atlas, Avon, Classics, DC, Dell, EC, Fawcett, Fiction House, Lev Gleason, Quality, Timely, Toby, & others. The Timely issues tend to bring higher percentages. The EC reprints bring lower percentages, as they had the worst printing quality. The exception is Weird Suspenstories, with a nice middle grade set of #1-3 in the $6000 range.
Our Canadian French Language comics of Archie, DC & Marvel from the late 1960's thru 1990, again sold well to completionist collectors, who like somewithing different. These had very small print runs for newstand comics, probanly in the 2000-10,000 each range, with small survival rates, of perhaps only 10-35% still existing on pre-1980 issues. There was perhaps 10 times the output of MARVEL comics, as opposed to DC, thus the Marvel issues always sell best, as more to choose from.
One buyer bought over 200 different reading copy DC issues. Most exist in G-FN, selling in the $3-$7 each range. (Pre-1974 & Key issues a bit higher);
The New material French language Comic Digests from the 1950's-1970's, with; Western, War, Adventure, Jungle & Love themes brought $3-$7+ each.
We sold still more Canadian Cover Price Newstand edition variants to Completionists & Variant collectors at 150%+ of USA copy prices. Spider-Man was most popular, but we also had buyers for; Avengers, Batman, Conan, Daredevil, Incredible Hulk, JLA, Jonah Hex, Vampirella, X-Men, etc. For the record; Known Canadian Cover Price Variants Era's include; ARCHIE Comics Digests (1/1984-12/1997), CHARLTON (2/1983-8/1984), DC(10/1982-9/1988), DELL(random 1960-1962), GOLD KEY(5-8/1968, and 4/72-4/73), MAD (some 1964 & 7/1978-7/1979), MARVEL (All Newstand Comics, Magazines & Digests 10/1982-8/1986), WARREN (3/1977-3/1983), WHITMAN (4/1980-1984);
The Canadian Archives has some Original Art for Golden Age Canadian Comics, otherwise Art is very rare on the market. In Mid-2004, from the estate of one of the creators, about 30+ pages appeared that will be sold on the market. This includes some splash pages & covers. As there is no yardstick for prices, it will be interesting to see what these sell for.
CAPTAIN CANUCK;
Captain Canuck "Unholy War" was released & sold out fast in most Canadian Cities. They had a small print run (under 5000 copies each??). February/2004 saw the release of "The New Original Captain Canuck Limited Edition" #1-A and #1-B (each limited to only 30 Signed & Serially numbered Ashcan copies; A & B feature 2 different Endings in the story, featured the return of Thomas Evans, the original Captain Canuck); But our single hottest comic of the entire year was; CAPTAIN CANUCK #15 (8/2004), finally printing the legendary complete UNPUBLISHED issue #15, originally due to be published back in 1981, with art by Freeman & St. Aubin, story by Comely. It will be a limited edition of 150 Signed and serially Numbered copies, of whcih we bought & sold 50% of the Print Run in a 2 month period. The original series #1-14 & Special #1 (1975-1981) & remain rather plentiful, very affordable & among the cheapest of all Mid to Late 1970's Superhero comics.
#1 is among the oldest comics to carry a CGC 10.0 Grade, with the owner asking a lofty $5000; Captain Canuck is about to become 30 years old & is now very nostalgic for many Canadian Fans. These new limited editions, along with the first printing of the original oversized #4 (2/1977) should make good long term investments. According to Richard Comely; Captain Canuck Re-Born (1993/1994) had these print Runs for the English Editions; #0 (100,000 Copies), #1(60,000), #2(30,000), #3(8,000 Copies), with much smaller print runs in FRENCH language. Thus #3's are hard to keep in stock at US$10 each; We have stocked up on all of these, plus many related scarcer material such as; memorabilia, portfolio's, Kids books by Comely, T-Shirts, Promo items, Autograph's, Canuck issue of TIME, & original Artwork items. This was our best year for Captain Canuck sales, in over 2 decades.
All the cover & story Original art to #1-14 & special (1975-1981) was donated to the Canadian Archives. Small quantitles of the NON Capt Canuck pages, Ad pages, etc. remain on the market. But in general, almost no Pre-1982 Art is available to the market. Comely has done paintings, sketches & will do commisions, but these are all of the 1983-2004 era. George Freeman went on to do Marvel, DC, First, Pacific & comics for other publishers, with Marvel Fanfare #7 & Jack of Hearts mini as his first Non-Comely titles.
CARTOON & COMICS Paperbacks;
. The Mass Market Paperback format ceased to exist for Cartoon & Comic paperbacks in the early 1990's, now replaced by the higher priced Trade Paperback, especially the oblong type as the new format of choice. Most were sold to the general public & not collectors, thus many are scarce in even FN or better. Luckily, most buyers want affordable reading copies. On most characters with over 10 titles, once you get 1/2 the set, & the remaining titles (especially the newer/last titles, most with just one printing) often get scarcer to rare. The once fairly common 1966-1985 Era Marvel & DC paperbacks are now out of stock from most dealers, & given that many were bought by collectors, you would thing they would be easier to find in higher grades. But as they were read, noyt bagged & handled too often, most are only in VG-FN range. VF/NM or better Marvel & DC paperbacks will likely become a hot commodity one day. But the most collected titles, remain to be the Newspaper Strip reprint titles. The ultra popular long lasting titles like Peanuts,Dennis the Menace, Mad, tend to have lower values in the $2-$5 range (Scarcer at $7-$15+) as more common. The popular, but less common titles like Beetle Bailey, Broomhilda, Hagar, & Tumbleweeds, are bringing $4-$9 range (Scarcer at $10-$25+); Older titles, tend to have more multiple printings, thus more common & lower values. Short Lived Newspaper strips & characters with only 1-5 titles, can often be quite scarce, & can command $10-$25+ prices. We sold a few complete & near complete runs, saving these buyers months to years of hunting.
CHARLTON;
This was our best year ever for Charlton, with most titles selling quite well, in all grades but mostly in G-FN, as not a lot of High Grades are normally available.
But we did manage to locate a few nicer collections of Horror/SF issues, due to persistant customer demand. I thought we sold a lot of Charlton Horror & SF titles comics in 2003, but we nore than doubled those sales in 2004. Horror/SF titles were selling in all grades, but the demand for VF or better copies has almost tripled, especially for VF/NM or better copies. We got in a lot of nice copies in the "Manitoba" collection & found many anxious buyers paying 120-200% or more for 9.0 to 9.4 & higher copies.While the 1950-1965 titles had decent sales, the real demand has been for the issues from 1966-1986 Era. The 1966-1972 era issues are hard to find in even in strict FN/VF or better. These issues had huge demand at 130-175% guide in all grades (but especially for strict FN-VF/NM range examples); Ghostly Tales #55-120, Ghostly Haunts #20-40, Ghost Manor (1968/71) 1-19 & (1971/84) #1-40, Haunted 1-30, Many Ghosts of Dr Graves 1-50. Also hot at 115-135% guide were; All remaining issues of above titles and, Creepy Things, Doomsday+1, Fantastic Giants 24, Gorgo, Haunted Love, Konga, Midnight Tales, Monster Hunters, Out of This World, Outer Space, Professor Coffin, Reptisaurus, Scary Tales, Space Adventures, Space War, Strange Suspense Stories. The 1984-1986 Era Charlton's all had small print runs, which is the main reason buyers go beyond the 1980 mark. The Late Silver & all Bronze issues are fast gaining demand. Especially popular are those issues with; Ditko, Sutton, Newton, Zeck, Wayne Howard; Also popular are; Aparo, Boyette, Giordano, Sanho Kim, Larson, Lopez, Morisi, Staton, etc. Haunted #21 up (the Baron Weirwulf issues) are fast growing in demand. Haunted #37 is the FIENDISH FEMALES issue, a cool oddball item. The All-Ditko specials are top sellers. One of the most under appreciated artists in comics, is Tom Sutton & he did much of his best work in Bronze age Charlton's. As buyers gather Charlton's, more & more are appreciating Sutton. CHARLTON BULLSEYE (the Color comics series) had Unpublished new material scheduled for #11 up, that ended up being published in Scary Tales #37 up. Many Ghosts of Dr Graves #54 has a early BYRNE cover from 12/1975 & is one of his scarcest early issues.
Also popular & still undervalued titles which brought 120-130% guide included; Pre-1970 WAR & Western tiles, Abbott & Costello, Beetle Bailey, Bionic Woman, Blondie, Blue Beetle, Bobby Sherman, Bugaloos, Capt Atom, Charlton Bullseye (mag), Cheyenne Kid, David Cassidy, Dudley Do-Right, E-Man, Emergency, Flash Gordon, Go-Go, Great Gazoo, Gunfighters, Hanna Barbera Parade, Hercules, Hong Hong Phooey, Jetsons, Judo Master, Jungle Jim, Jungle Tales of Tarzan, Kid Montana, Mysterious Suspense, Outlaws of the West, Partridge Family, Phantom, Ponytail, Popeye, Ronald McDonald, Sarge Steel, Scooby Doo, Six Million Dollar Man, Soap Opera Love/Romances, Space 1999, Speed Buggy, Static, Thane, Thunderbolt, Underdog, Wheelie & Chopper Bunch.
CHRISTIAN & RELIGION;
Religious & Christian comics continue to be good sellers. SPIRE is the most collected series. >>> The toughest issues to keep in stock (at 150-200% Guide) include; Barney Bear Out of the Woods, Barney Bear Swamp Gang, Barney Bear Toyland, HANSI, Hello I'm Johnny Cash, In his Steps, Live it Up, Noah's Ark, On the road with Andre Crouch, Prodigal Son, Tom Landy & Dallas Cowboys, ARCHIE (& Big Ethyl, & Mr Weatherbee, Circus, Date Book, Festival, Roller Coaster, Sports Scene, Christmas with Archie);
There was a warehouse find on Gods Heroes in America, thus they sell near guide. Otherwise all other Catechetcal Guild titles are scarce & bring 125-150% Guide. We sold over 50% of Sunday Pix (David C Cook) stock, with 1957-63 issues in $4-12 each range. We almost sold out of Dennis the Menace & the Bible Kids #1-6, (at G$4; VG$6; FN$9) and were unable to find any copies of the scarce #7-9(VF $50 value range) & rare issue #10(VF $100 value range). All the Marvel & DC Christian titles sold steady; The Bestsellers were; Francis, Limited Collectors Edition C-36 (BIBLE), Mother Theresa & Pope Paul. We sold a lot of Crusaders (over the top, Fire & Brimstone comics, by Jack Chick) at VF $8.00 each, theese are actually well drawn & well worth collecting. We sold a good amount of the other assorted publisher Religious & Christian comics, but once sold, are finding them getting more difficult to restock
We bought a few collections & now have a huge inventory of Treasure Chest comics, most in G-FN. This title had about 450+ issues, making in one of the biggest ever series of the Golden to Silver Age. One day, the contents need to be better listed, as there is a lot on ionteresting contents in these comics. Our current large selection, has made this one of out best ever years for sales on this title, as many buyers happily filled in their runs.
CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED & Related; For most of the last decade G and VG copies were the best sellers. But for 2 years now, we have had more & more requests for FN or better copies. Also, we typically sell 10 times the number of Reprints, as opposed to Originals. This year, we had a great increase in demand for Originals & acually sold several 100 of them.
Also, demand for Line Drawn cover & earlier reprint issues is up. In other words, there is a current wave of Collectors, rather than just the usual Readers, buying these little gems up. I think in part, because the Golden Age issues are relatively cheap, when compared to other desirable comics of the same vintages. The 1st appearance of New Art, or first New cover issues, are a new type of Original & also in big demand, with many being harder to collect than originals due to modest prices. Classics collectors now want to have the Line Drawn Versions & Painted cover versions, as both usually also have different interior story/art. Those with only 1-2 printings of certain cover or art variations, are getting to be in shorter & shorter supply, this may result in future price increases on those issues. Many buyers now have their cheaper copy Painted Cover sets & now need the earlier versions. As usual these scarcer issues had endless demand (at 120-135% Guide); #8,14,20,21,33,
40,43,44,53,66,71,73,74,84,110, 113-118,129,161-169 . Canadian Variant Edition Classics exist on most issues 1-74, most are quite scarce & most contain illustrated Text stories on the inside cover, not see in any USA editions, thus demand is good & we sold most of our selection.
World Around Us & Classics Special Series, were consistent & steady sellers, as per usual. We sold a bunch of MISC Classics related items, including; Berkley/First, UK/British, Moby Books - Big Little Books, Famous Authors, Golden Picture Classics, King Classics, Marvel Classics, Marcel-UK Classic Digests, Pendulum, Pocket Classics, Power Records, & all others. [Once sold, many are difficult to restock];
Classic Junior's were stong sellers. Most buyers did not care about which printing & instead had prefered condition ranges. We did have a few buyers that did want better Originals. About 20 of the 77 issues are common, especially due to the plentiful HRN #576 printings. About another 24 issues are uncommon. There are about 33 issues had fewer printings and/or no HRN #576 printings, thus are in very short supply. Some of the toughest Classics Junior's include; #506, 514, 525-529,532-534,537,540,542,543,547,553,555, 556,558-565,568,571-573,575-577 (selling at; FA-VG at 200-300% Guide; FN-VF at 150-200% Guide);
COMIC DIGESTS;
Gold Key digests were solid sellers, but are getting much harder to restock once gone. Golden, Mystery & Walt Disney Comics Digests, along with the Story digest, brought 135-150 Guide for G-FN copies, with 120-135% Guide for FN/VF to VF/NM copies. Normally these digest collections are rarely found in better than FN. But we located some 9.4 range copies & sold them in the 200% Guide range.
. All Harvey Digests sold well with all isues scarce in High Grades. The 1977-1985 Digest brought 115-125% guide; The Harvey Digests from the 1986-1993 era had LOW print runs, especially the higest numbers, whcih are often found only in lower grades. (Low numbers at 120-135% guide; High numbers at 150-200% Guide)
Dennis the Menace Pocket Full of Fun #1-50, and Dennis & His Friends #38-46 Digests are disappearing from the market, in all grades, with the eraly issues especially scarce. VF or better copies are near impossible to locate. Pocket Full of Fun #1 is from 1969 & would be a bargain at double current guide prices, if you can find it at all, in any grade.
The 1976 Archie Digests are fast disappearing from the market & are difficult to replace Archie Comics Digest #1-20 & JUGHEAD WITH ARCHIE #1-10 bring 150% to 200% Guide, & are usually only found in FA/G to VG+ grades. Pre-1980 issues in even nice FN or better are getting Scarcer, with VF/NM or better copies nearly non-existant. We now have 10,000 Archie Digests in stock & sell many many middle grade issues to, to those who just want to complete their runs. We do get fairly frequent request for assorted #1-10 issues, usually wanting FN or better copiers. Katy Keene, Jokebook & Madhouse Comics Digests are getting difficult to resock.
Be sure to count the pages on Katy Keene digests, they are loaded with pinups, often cut out of used copies.
These Rare Comic Digests published by Charlton, (also variously by Xerox, Now Age Books, Ottenheimer & Pendulum Pub., but are obviously all related & in the same format, with 60 to 75 cent original cover prices) are now known to exist; Barney & Betty, Bugs Bunny(1971), Flinstones, Jetsons (1973), Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm (Teen-Age; Charlton; 1973), Road Runner(1971) #63-2970, Scooby Doo (1976), Woody Woodpecker (1971) #63-3020, & Yogi Bear; They are mostly around 100 pages, in B&W and contain short one page gag comics. All appear to be new material. They are Scarce to Rare, with most having eluded guide listing all these years. I have been selling G to FN/VF copies in the $15 to $50 price ranges, as i am able to locate them.
All DC Digest sold extremely well this year, most in the VG to VF ranges, at 120-135% Guide. ** The set includes; Adventure 491-503, Best of DC #1-71(with 41-71 low print), DC Special Blue Ribbon #20-24, DC Special Series #18,19,23,24, Jonah Hex & other Western Tales 1-3, Tarzan Digest #1; It is still possible to get higher grade copies in the VF/NM range, but getting more difficult. These should be good long term items, if you can locate investment grade copies. They are like small Trade Paperbacks, most with 100 pages and 6-10 stories each. This is a great way to get GA & SA classic reprints, at affordable prices.
Low Grade copies all all titles, by all publishers sold well, as many buyers just want to read them. Most digests sold to the General Public & not to collectors, so strict VF or better Pre-1980 issues are Scarce, with strict NM copies being Rare.
CONDITION & CGC;
MOST collectors & dealers still grade by 1980's & early 1990's standards. When CGC came along, this has all changed. Comics are now need to be graded by the current MUCH stricter standards. Prices in the guide are based on the new STRICT standards & NOT on the old 1980's standards. Thus MOST collectors, even 20-40 year veterans, are often mis-informed about the grades of items they hold in their collections. MANY people buy off eBay & assume the low standards are the current standards, as bad grading is so widespread on eBay. The best way to get a grasp of the current strict standards is to dabble in a least a few CGC graded books,
examine them closely & compare them to books in your collection. (I suggest 2 copies each in; G, VG, FN, VF, VF/NM and NM); Even well meaning dealers are often mistaken about the current Overstreet & CGC standards, many getting an unwelcome suprise when they submit their first few items to CGC. Grading should always be done under a stong light focused directly on the book being examined. Proper grading cannot be done in poor or dull light, as many tiny flaws are missed.
Many buyers are paying 9.2 prices for overgraded VF's, as they just do not know better. Every time someone asks for NM to NM/MT copies, i have to explain to the that 9.4 to 9.8 copies carry huge premiums. After explaining, we have found that many of them actually just wanted nice srictly graded VF range books, which are much more reasonably priced than actual 9.2 copies. Many have lowered their expectations to the strictly graded & beautiful VF range copies & this was our best years for selling unslabbed VF to VF/NM comics, in over a decade.
All year long, i ran into collectors with their Original Owner Collection copies, many assumed they automatically held NM to NM/MT copies. MOST collectors who bought comics NEW from 1970-1985 and read them once, then bagged & stored them, have in their possession comics in VF to VF/NM average. The main reasons for this include; (1) It was assumed reading once would not lower the grade of the comic. Each comic was NOT treated as if it were a NM Action #1; (2) Strong & very stiff White backing boards were not in common use until the 1990's; Thinner & Gray Backing boards that only supplied minimal support & often stained the book & bags, were used by perhaps under 25% of dealers & collectors in the 1980's; (3) Most collectors did NOT hand pick the absolute best copy available on day of release, before handling by too many others. Many stores held the new copies for their customers for them, to pick up at a later date. Thus they received random copies often handled several times before they even bought them. (4) Even IF one did manage to HAND PICK their own copies, on day of release, they usually did NOT have enough copies to select from, thus one often had for example 10 copies in VF thru NM- to pick from. Sometimes none of the 10 copies were above VF when new at the location the collectors bought them. (5) In the 1970's & 1980's the FUSSY collectors avoided Factory Flaws if possible. Plus many selected copies that were as aligned as best possible at the spine. Copies with no factory flaws were what was considered the highest graded copies. This selection often meant picking copies with corner dings, hairline stress maks in the spine & copies without razor sharp corners. Unfortunately the opposite in now true in the current high grade market. Factory flawed Copies with NO stress & razor sharp corners are now much more prized & valuable, than copies with minor stress but no Factory Flaws.
We sold a large number of high grade Raw (Non CGC graded) comics, mags, & treasuries from the Manitoba collection. Most of these were in the 1975-1984 era & had book values under $20, thus most were not worth slabbing. But there is a large group of collectors that want these comics in TRUE strict High Grade 9.0 thru 9.6 or better copies, while they are still affordable, & we sold most at 125-200% or more of guide. The biggest difference between the CGC & RAW market; CGC buyers mostly prefer mainstream Marvel Superheroes while the RAW high grade market likes the same, but especially all the other Genre's not commonly found in CGC copies (especially Horror). Selling the RAW, cuts the cost per book by $15-$25 or more, saving CGC costs & leaving it up to the buyers if they want them graded. We sold a lot of high grade Charlton, Warren, Gold Key, Skywald, superhero Marvel/DC & non-superhero Marvel/DC. Most of the Pre-1974 High Grade Manitoba copies are sold, but the ones we still had did well. Many buyers are trying to complete large 50-100 book or more (esp 1975-1985) runs in 9.2 or better grades, like; Avengers, Conan, Hulk, Jonah Hex, Weird War, etc. CGC has set the standard & both collectors & dealers that want to suvive & thrive, need to try to attain those standards. The CGC
Magazine grading has so far been quite a sucess, with many amazing record prices. It can already be seen, that in general, less copies of mags exist in top grades, the same vintage standard comics. A lot of mags remain very undervalued.
DC COMICS; All the Super-Hero, SF, Horror & good artist Comics were in demand, with Bronze(1970-1985) selling best, followed by Silver Age (especially 1960's). This was the first year in over a decade, that VF or better copies were the most requested. Collectors now realize that putting together a large runs of 9.0 to 9.4 & better copies, is an near impossible task. Thus, those who like high grade & actually want to finish runs, bought VF 8.0 thru VF/NM 9.0 copies, along with any better we could find, at a fast & furious pace. Low grade Reading copies of ALL DC's sold well throughout the year, but higher grades sold best, for the first time in quite some time.
Because we came across the "MANITOBA collection", we got in a lot of 9.0 to 9.8 range DC's of the 1975-1984 era. The LATE Bronze (1981-1985 Pre-CRISIS) are now 20-25 years old & with still have very low $2-$10 each guide values, they sold especially well in RAW High Grades. Contrary to popular belief, these issues are quite uncommon in STRICT 9.0 or better (copies that would stand the test of CGC grading). Because of the low guide values, not many CGC graded copies are on the market, but High Grade collectors still want these books. The "MANITOBA collection" contains 1000's of these High Grade books & many found very happy homes at good multiples of guide, for RAW unslabbed examples. This even included Digests & Treasury's, which are rarely found in 9.0 or better. *** Currently, my most requested High Grade books of the 1980-1985 era include; Action, Adventure #467-503, All-Star Squadron #1-67, Batman, Brave & Bold, DC Comics Presents, Detective, Flash #300-350, GI Combat #200-220, Green Lantern #116-150, all DC Horror, Jonah Hex #81-92, Justice League of America #180-261, Legion of Super-Heroes, New Teen Titans #1-20, Sgt Rock 302-320, Superman 400-423, Swamp Thing #20-64 (Alan Moore), Weird Western, Wonder Woman #290-329, World's Finest #300-323;
For most of 2004, i saw the highest demand for DC Horror comics of the 1968-1983 Era ever. For the last 10 years, they have always sold steadily in the normal
G thru FN ranges, but not in the "HOT" catagory. This year they reached the status as the single hottest group of comics for us. The biggest change is that the investors are buying them up in higher grades. There are not many found in CGC graded copies, & there is a very short supply of STRICT high grade copies.
Thus buyers have are not getting all they can (before the expected big price increases) of; (1968-1972 in VF or better), (1973-1976 in VF+ or better) & (1977-1983 in VF/NM or better). I have bought & sold a lot of nice copies in these ranges this year & find them extremely difficult to restock in grade. Some of the 1968-1972 Era issues might explode in price by late 2005. House of Secrets #81 and House of Mystery #174 are now viewed as major Key issues, yet list at less than 1/3 the price of Weird War #1. All these DC Horror are quite scarce in strict high grades & will not surface on the market, at current low guide values. Due for big price 150% or more price increases are; Ghosts 1-10, House of Mystery #175-200, House of Secrets #82-100, Phantom Stranger 1-30, Unexpected 105-136, Weird War 5-20, 64, 68, 93-124, Witching Hour #1-20; (Especially those with covers & art by Adams, Wrightson, Toth & others); All the DC horror from any year with Wrightson Covers, stories & even single splash pages, as well as ADAMS cover or Art, are by far the most requested issues. Very unusual is the sudden huge demand for 1977-1983 issues in the very difficult to find VF/NM or better copies. Many buyers have told me their local shops do not even have mid grade copies of 1977-1983 issues any more, as they are too low in guide. Anything in VF/NM or better in the $8-$12 range flys out the door by the stack. LAST issues, GIANT issues, #1-10, 100's & Any KEY issues are hottest, which tells us investors are buying these books. We sold literally many 100's of RAW (Non-CGC graded) at good multiples of 120-200% or more of guide.
Most earlier Horror issues in CGC 9.4 would bring 300-600% Guide, if you could find them. All issues from all DC Horror titles are hot, (including the later issues of the above) & also including; Black Magic, Doorway to Nightmare, Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion, From Beyond the Unknown, Madame Xanadu, Secrets of Haunted House, Secrets of Sinister House, Strange Adventures #217-244, Tales of Ghost Castle, Time Warp, Weird Mystery, Witching Hour, etc. GHOSTS #97-99 have a SPECTRE story in each & a very fast sellers. WEIRD WAR has been the fastest growing in demand on the later issues, especially these issues, which can now be considered hot & are still very undervalued; #64 (Frank Miller's 1st work at DC), 68 (2nd Frank Miller), 93(1st app & Origin Creature Commandos), 94(1st Return of "War that Time Forgot"-c/s, with Dinosaurs) 100(Creature Commandos invade the War that Time Forgot), 101(1st app & Origin G.I. Robot-c/s, by Kanigher), 124(LAST issue; 6/1983);
Many collectors are trying to complete their DC Special Series sets, as they like the odd combination of Giants, Digests & Treasuries. All oddball material sold well to those filling in runs, usually in G-FN grades, with most at 120-135% guide, including; Amazing World of DC, Cartoon, Digests, Fanzines, Fireside Books, Funny Animal, Giveaways, Humor, Magazines, Paperbacks, Parody, Romance, Teenage, Treasuries, TV, War, & Western still sell well & we filled in many runs for buyers.
After Horror & Superhero, DC Big-5 WAR titles sold a strong third, in all grades, with Sgt Rock issues of Our Army at War by far the strongest in demand. The DC "Dollar" comic Giants of the 1979-1980 era, are roundbound, rather than squarebound, causing excess stress at staples, thus many are now getting scarcer in strict VF/NM or better. Demand for Fox & Crow and Real Screen was strong this year & i sold 90% of our stock in all grades.
All Pre-1975 ADAMS & Wrightson (Cover and/or art), were in big demand. Many now have their interior art issue sets & now look to buy up the cover & splash pages issues they still lack. For example, we have a hard time keeping the ADAMS cover Tomahawk's in stock in any grade, much less in the often asked for high grades. All 1960's appearances of BATGIRL, Catwoman & Supergirl showed very strong demand, with even Black Canary & Zatanna appearances showing life. The 1960's Batgirl issues are especially hot & due for a 50% Price Increase. Minor Key issues, plus issues with popular villains sold 50%-100% better than regular issues in many titles. >>>> The Hot Silver & Bronze issues that we got asked for all year long & due for price increases include; Action #347, 360, 373(Giants), 377-392(Legion), Adventure 381,397-400, All New Collectors Edition C-54-56,58, All Star Comics 58-74, Aquaman #50-52, Batman #155,164,169,171,179,181,183,189, 190,197,203,210,217, 219-222,224-227,229,230,232,234,236-241,243-246,251,255, Batman Family 11-20, Beautiful Stories For Ugly Children 21-30, Brave & Bold #51-100(esp. Adams), Challengers 74, DC Special #2-4,6,11,28,29, DC Special Series 1-16, Detective #355,359,363,364,369-372,385,387, 389,391,392,394-422, Fox & Crow, Freedom Fighters, GI Combat #66-68,83,87-138, Girls Love, Girls Romances, Green Lantern #76-89, Heart Throbs, Hot Wheels, Justice League of America #91-117,183-185, Limited Collectors Edition C#23-25,32-34,37,39,41,43-46,48-52,57, Men of War (esp. Enemy Ace issues), Our Army at War #83-301, Our Fighting Forces 123-162, Plop 1-5 (in VF/NM or better), Secret Society of Super villains, Shazam #8,12-17, 25,27-35, Showcase #55,57,60,61,64,70,79-81,83,84, Spectre 1-5, 9, Strange Adv #205-216, Star Spangled War #84-163, Superboy 197-220, Super DC Giant #S-13 thru S-26, Super Friends 1-10, Supergirl (1972) 1-10, Superman 233-300, Tarzan 207-258, Tarzan Family, Wonder Woman #51-200, World's Finest #169,173-177. >>> The most requested DC CGC issues (bringing 200% 9.2 Guide in 9.0; 500+% in 9.4; Sky High prices in 9.6) were, Batman #232, Detective #400, & Green Lantern #76, all could double in raw grades in the guide & still be a bit undervalued.
DELL; We sold a lot of ordinary G-FN range comics to 100's of buyers, most just attempting to complete their sets. Lowest available grade & cheapest copies were the most popular quantity-wise this year. But we also sold a lot of nice clean VG to FN/VF range books. There was resistance to the VF range copies we did have. We did not have the 9.4 copies that several buyers wanted. [I found most will not pay the premiums needed to locate them in 9.4. Mostly only tough Key Issues are requested] Four Color comics continue to be in higher demand. Western comics were the bestsellers, with Lone Ranger & Red Ryder the most requested. The Red Ryder comics below #70 are getting harder & harder to locate. The Harman #118 down issues far outsell the later Painted Cover issues. Lone ranger 1-30 & 112 up were the bestsellers. Smokey Stover was impossible to keep in stock. Tarzan #1-30, 80-131 were top sellers & are still undervalued.
>>>> The Bestsellers at 115-135% guide (for FA to FN copies) included; Air war, Alvin, Andy Griffith, Beetle Bailey, Ben Bowie, Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, Big Valley, Brain Boy, Bugs Bunny(esp. FC's), Cheyenne, Chilly Willy, Cisco Kid, Colt 45, Combat, Creature, Dracula, Felix the Cat, Flintstones, Flying Nun, Flying Saucers, Frankenstein, Fritzi Ritz (with Peanuts), F-Troop, Gene Autry, Get Smart, Ghost Stories, Have Gun will Travel, Howdy Doody, Huckleberry Hound, Indian Cheif, Jetsons, John Wayne, Jungle Jim, King of Royal Mounted, Kona, Little Beaver, Little Lulu, Lone Ranger, Looney Tunes, Maverick, Melvin Monster, Monkees, Mummy, Neutro, Nukla, Our Gang, Peanuts, Ponytail, Popeye, Rat Patrol, Rawhide, Red Ryder, Rifleman, Roy Rogers, Sgt Preston, Smokey Stover, Tarzan, Thirteen, Toka, Tonto, Turok, Twilight Zone, Voyage to Bottom of Sea, Western Roundup, Yak Yak, Yogi Bear, Zane Grey & Zorro.
FANZINES & Misc Comic Magazines; The Pre-1970 Ditto/Mimeograph early Fanzines had print runs of 100-500 copies or less, with perhaps 50-75% of those copies destroyed over the years, leaving tiny survival rates. These Ditto Zines are garnering a lot of interest of late, with most fetching $15-$50 each & some at up to $100 or more. Some of the better issues include; Biljo White, Raymond Miller, SFCA publications, RBCC, Bill Black, Stalin (& Gemini pseudonym), Marvel & DC parodies, famous Creator art & interviews, Saunders, Foss, Seuling, Love, Overstreet, Gene Klein (Gene Simmons of Kiss), Fagan, Newton, Fantucchio & many more.
Now that CGC is grading magazines, it will be interesting to see how many of the older Mags & fanzines surface in high grades. Typically, most older comics mags are found in mid to lower grades. There is no definitive price guide (although Jerry Weist made a good attempt at some), thus the market is quite erratic. Many 1960's & 1970's Fanzines had small print runs of 100-2000 copies & contain early, obscure & scarce works of most of the greatest creators of the period.
Many Fanzines from the 1960's thru 1990's are loaded with great articles & art, many are great sellers in the most $5-$20 each price range. (Scarcer in the $25-75 range) >>> Titles to watch & some better selling titles include; Assorted Neal Adams fanzines, Alan Moore (Big Numbers, Shocking Futures, Twisted Times, Warrior, & anything else), Ariel book of fantasy(Frazetta, Jones, Smith, Corben, etc), Alter Ego, Amazing Heroes, Apple Pie, Art of Neal Adams, Asterix, Bananas, Barbarella, Basically Strange, Batfink & Rubin, Berford Seaman's Flabby Thighs & Butter, Blast, Buried Treasure, Capt George's Comic World, CFA-APA limited Fanzines(Sterakno, Byrne, Perez, etc), Collector's Dream (Olsevski), Comic Book Artist, Comic Book Marketplace, Comics Buyers Guide, assorted COMICS Calendars, Comics Feature, Comics Interview, Comics Journal, Comics Revue, Comic Reader, Comic Shop News, Comixscene, Convention Programs(Seuling NY, Creation, etc), CPL, Cracked, Crazy, Diamond Previews, Doctor Weird (Starlin), Dragon Lady Press Mags, Dynamite, Electric Company mag (Spidey Super Stories comic strips in most), ERBdom, Assorted FRAZETTA fanzines, FLASHBACK (Alan Light), Fuddle Duddle, Fun comics (Paragon), Golden Age, Graphic Story, Harpoon (Adams, Chaykin, Stalin, Simonson, etc), Hot Dog, Hot Stuf (Sal Q), Humbug, International Insanity (Adams, Heath, etc), Kosher Comics, Laugh-In, Le Beaver, Look-In, Lucky Luke, MAD, Masters of Universe mag, Mediascene, Menomonee Falls Gazette & Guardian, Monster Times, Myth Adventures, Neat Stuff, NEMO, Nostalgia Journal (#32 up = Comics Journal), Omniverse, Overstreet Advanced Collector (combines with CBM at #22 up), Peterson's Mags (CARtoons, CYCLEtoons, SURFtoons, etc), Phantacea, RBCC, Sick, Sojourn (1977), Spa Fon, Squa Tront, Star Studded Comics (Starlin, etc), Steve Canyon mag, Taboo, Tandra, Thimk, Tintin, Trump, Wacko, Weirdo, Witzend, Wizard, Assorted WRIGHTSON fanzines, Zany, Zippy, etc,
GOLD KEY;
Gold Key horror titles have started to sell quite well, (mostly in G-FN) including; Boris Karloff, Grimm's Ghost, Occult Files of Dr Spector, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Spine Tingling Tales, & Twilight Zone. We got in some nice high grade VF/NM up copies, most sold in short order & we could sell more if we could find them. Black Hole (Disney) #4 is a scarce & undervalued Pre-Pack only LOW Print run Whitman. . TWILIGHT ZONE (Gold Key) #83 & 84 are 52 page Giants, with Lower Print Run & in high demand. All the 52 page Giants in Late 1970's Gold Key, had LOW print runs & are getting a lot Scarcer as more buyers try to complete their sets. Twilight Zone #84 is the 1st FRANK MILLER pro work in Comics & is ready to explode in price, (currently brings 300% Guide), with #85 being very overlooked as the 2nd Pro Frank Miller art.
The KEY Titles from Gold Key in the 1960's, were very strong this year, especially in strict FN or better; Boris Karloff, Dark Shadows, Dr Solar, Magnus Robot Fighter, Mars Patrol, Mighty Samson, Phantom, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Scooby Doo, Space Family Robinson, Tarzan, Turok & Twilight Zone. These at cheap, when compared to similar vintage Marvel & DC counterparts. Very few CGC 9.2 or better issues of these titles ever hit the market. Most well know, long running established characters seemed "safe" to buyers & enjoyed increased demand.
Whitman Variant Editions are possible for ALL Gold Key Comics & Digests published from 11/1971 thru 3/1980, but only exist on about 50% of all titles, with many of these variants being quite rare. These are 1968 Canadian Newstand Variant cover price issues that are still selling to Completionists & Variant collectors, at small premiums.
Other Top selling Titles at 120-135% Guide, included; Addams Family, Amazing Chan, Avengers(TV), Banana Splits, Battle of the Planets, Beetle Bailey #39-53, Beneath Planet of Apes, Bugs Bunny 86-120, Bullwinkle, Dagar, Doc Savage, Fat Albert, Flash Gordon, Fun-In, Funky Phantom, Gomer Pyle, Green Hornet, Happy Days, Inspector, Jetsons, Korak, Kroft Supershow, Lancelot Link, Land of Giants, Little Monsters, Lone Ranger, Looney Tunes, Magnus, Mighty Mouse 156-172 (esp. Mighty Heroes issues), Munsters, Nancy & Sluggo (for the Peanuts strip), Peanuts, Phantom, Pink Panther, Popeye 66-80, Space Ghost, Star Trek 1-9, Super TV Heroes, Three Stooges, UFO Flying Saucers, Underdog, Wacky Races, Wacky Witch, Wild Wild West & Zody the Mod Rob.
HARVEY;
We had difficulty in re-stocking many titles, especially the Hot Titles & Key issues. But we still managed to get a few small collections & enjoyed great sales of Harvey comics again this year. Much of our stock is getting more depleted from all years, yet we still have one of the biggest selections around anywhere.
Selection is what makes them sell. I noted that High grade pre-1960 Key issues where in very short supply & those that did appear got CGC graded and auctioned
at High multiples, even on some under 9.0. By far the most requested included; Devil Kids, Harvey Hits Key issues, Hot Stuff 1-100, Richie Rich Poor Little Rich Boy 1-50, Wendy, most pre-1975 #1-10, Key issues & Giants; Others in Big Demand included; Baby Huey, Harvey Hits, Little Dot, Playful Little Audrey, Richie Rich Millions & Success, 1970's Richie Rich titles, Sad Sack (all), Spooky, & Stumbo. The Low print run Comics & Digests of the 1988-1993 era, plus the Alfred Harvey Titles, circa 1990, are all consistent sellers, at 150% guide, with only the issue #'1 being relatively common. Less requested, but still good sellers include; Blondie, Bunny, Casper, Dagwood, Dick Tracy. Felix the Cat, Hanna-Barbera Titles, Joe Palooka, Li'l Abner, Little Max, Mutt & Jeff, Scooby Doo. & were slower. This year we had many requests for VF or beter copies, from many who wish to avoid the high CGC multiples, but were only able to find a few. Most of what we sold for buyers filling gaps in sets, who would take any grade available, with middle Grades the most popular. We cleared out a lot of our lowest grade reading copies. NOTE; the Standard size Harvey's should be 36 pages including covers, but many many copies on the market are missing the AD page centerfolds. >>> The 1970's Harvey #1's are a bit more findable & most of the sets that began in the 1970's can be completed, with some legwork, thus this is attracting some new buyers. We have managed to find & sell some nice VF range issues from these titles. >>> The most popular of these 1970's titles are; CASPER (& GHOSTLY TRIO #1-10; IN SPACE; SPACE SHIP; & SPOOKY; STRANGE GHOST STORIES & WENDY), HARVEY COLLECTORS COMICS #1-16, HOT STUFF CREEPY CAVES #1-7, JACKIE JOKERS, RICHIE RICH (& CASPER; & GLORIA; RR BANK BOOK; RR CASH; RR DIAMONDS; RR FORTUNES; RR GEMS; RR INVENTIONS; RR MONEY WORLD; RR PROFITS #1-47; RR VAULT OF MYSTERY; RR ZILLIONZ); SAD SACK (NAVY GODS 'N' GALS, with SARGE & SADIE, U.S.A), SPOOKY HAUNTED HOUSE, SUPER RICHIE #1-18;
And Finally, some of the near forgotten Harvey related titles have showed some signs of life, including; DOTTY DRIPPLE, FLAT-TOP, HORACE AND DOTTY DRIPPLE, MAZIE , MORTIE, NUTTY COMICS, RAGS RABBIT, & STEVIE, plus the assorted 1950's War & Romance titles too.
IW & SUPER Reprints;
IW & Super reprints are undervalued, as they are 40-50 Years old & still have issues listed under $20 in guide in high grade & most under $10 in middle grades.
We sell quite a few of these & my minimum price is now set at (G$4; VG$7; FN$10; VF$18); There are quite a number of completionists. About 20% of the 250-300 different issues are scarce to rare, & if identified can easliy vring 200% guide. They published without comics codes & many contain Pre-Code Reprints.
Some of the better selling titles included; Avenger, Black Knight, Blazing Six-Guns, Brain (hot, for the DeCarlo-a), Daring Adv, Dogface Dooley, Dream of Love, Dr Fu Manchu, Fantastic Adv, Firehair(GGA), Foxhole, Jungle Adv, Malu, Master Detective, Meet Merton, Red Mask, Sheena, Strange Planets, US Paratroops, Westerner.
MARVEL;
This is the first year, in which high grade marvel mags outsold low grade. There are still many readers buying them up, but investors are now getting in on a good thing. We had some top grade 9.0-9.6 copies from the Manitoba Collection, with Marvel Comics, Treasuries & Magazines in VF/NM thru NM, selling briskly at 125-200% Guide or more. Tales of the Zombie #1 had only one copy in CGC 9.2 or better, at time of writing. (Vampire Tales #1 & Dracula Lives had only 2 each in CGC 9.2 or better); Rampaging Hulk #1 (10 in CGC 9.2 or better); Spectacular Spider-Man mag #2 (108 copies in CGC 9.2 or better); But Savage Sword of Conan #1 registered 50 copies in 9.2 or better, with CGC 9.6 copies selling at $500+ and 9.8 copies at $1000+; All CGC 9.2 up copies brought good premiums. The horror titles remain quite undervalued in guide, especially in higher 9.0 or better grades. **** The most of the Marvel Magazines are selling well, in the 120-150% Guide range, especially; Bizarre Adv #25-28, 31, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1,14,17,28, Doc Savage mag #1 & 8, Dracula Lives #1-13 & Annual, Epic 31-34, Foom 1-11, 22, Haunt of Horror (mag #1-5, digest 1,2), Hulk 10-18, Marvel Preview #3,7,8,12, Marvel Treasury #1-20, Monsters Unleashed 1-11, Planet of the Apes (Mag) #1,21-29, Rampaging Hulk 1-9, Tales of the Zombie 1-10 & Annual, Unknown Worlds of SF 1-6 & Annual, Vampire Tales 1-11 & Annual; Pussycat #1 remains very Scarce & sells instantly at 150%+ Guide. Savage Tales #1 is in high demand, especially in VF or better. Gothic Tales of Love #1-3 (yes, there is a #3) are by far the Scarcest Marvel's with Raw overgraded VF copies always selling at $200+ on eBay. (CGC 9.4 copies would easily sell over $1000 each); The Marvel ADULT Cartoon mags & Digests (Cartoons & Gags, Cartoon Capers/Laughs/Parade, etc) sell fast, especially with the Pussycat strip, or Bill Ward art. It is not common knowlege, but Magazine Management (MARVEL) & it's many pseudonym's produced 100's of Men's Adventure Adult Mags like; Action for Men, For Men Only, Ken for Men, Male, Men, Stag, True Action, etc; Most have nice to superb Painted Covers, plus many illustrations & photo's inside. Many of these mags have interior art by comic artists. Many have great exploitive painted covers with Nazi's, Torture, Whipping, GGA, etc. Early James Bama art appears in circa 1960 issues. Later issues turned to Skin mags, with more photo's & less illustartions.
For the most of the year, all Conan & Robert E. Howard comics have had much increased demand, probably due to the new Dark Horse series. In biggest demand are; Conan the Barbarian #25-100, 250-275, Conan Graphic Novels (all), Creatuees on Loose #10, Kull #1-5, Kull & the Barbarians 1-3, Monsters on Prowl #16, Savage Sword of Conan #1-50,200-235, Conan Saga #80-97, Conan the King #50-55, Marvel Comics Super Special #2, 9, Marvel Feature & the Red Sonja titles, Savage Tales 1-5, & the 1994-1998 Conan revival titles. Savage Sword #200-235 all had small print runs, especially #231-235 (which are near impossible to keep in stock at 200-300% Guide); Many collects quit at #100, many more quit at #200, with few staying until #235. Savage Sword #235's in VF/NM bring $30+ each, and CGCG 9.4's at worth over $100; Although there are the High Grade investors, they are not the main buyers. Those who seek them out, are mainly those fans trying to complete their sets. There are a few High Grade collectors beginning to look for the REH titles, before the prices start to rise. Many fans never got to the earlier issues, just as many quit & never finished their sets, most did not wander into the related REH titles.
*** We had many high grade copies from 1975-1983, from the Manitoba collection. There was growwing demand & we sold a lot of LATE BRONZE (1981-1985 Pre-Secret Wars Era) & beyond in STRICT grade 9.0 to 9.6 copies, at 120-200% & more of guide, including; Amazing Spider-Man #190-252, Avengers #180-230, Capt America #230-282, Conan the Barbarian, Daredevil #182-233, Defenders #91-152, Fantastic Four #181-232, Incredible Hulk #201-300, Iron Man #118-200, Man-Thing (2nd series; 1979-1981) #1-11, Red Sonja, Spectacular Spider-Man #50-90, Thor #300-350, Uncanny X-Men #143-200, etc; The 1981-1985 (now 20-25 years old) era comics, list on average at 25-35% of 1975-1977 era comics, thus are quite a bargain. They are much tougher in strict 9.0 & Better than one would think.
The MARVEL VALUE STAMP BOOKS (1974; 1st Series) & later 2nd series, have caused 10's of 1000's of Bronze comics to be incomplete, as fans nationwide clipped the stamps out of the actual comics, to complete the 100 stamp collections. Most completed books were sent in, for apparently lame prizes. Completed books, evne in lower grades, ususlly sell for $75 & up. This includes the notorious Stamp #54 Shanna the She-Devil, which is SCARCE, because you could ONLY cut it out of HULK #181. Most completed copies are badly warped, with heavy WAVES thru the book, due to owners using too much glue. But even low grade copies are in high demand, as many particpated in the original stamp hunt & completed books are now scarce.
The MOST requested comics & those that came bring high premium's for high grade copies include; Amazing Adventures #11, Amazing Spider-Man #121,122,129, Daredevil #131,158, 168, Defenders #1,10, Fear, Ghost Rider #1-10, Hero For Hire #1-5, Incredible Hulk #122,126,140,141, 161,162,180, 181, Iron Man #47-55, Marvel Spotlight #2,5-11, Marvel Teamup 1-4, Sub-Mariner #34, 35, Tomb of Dracula #1-10, Werewolf by Night #1-10, 32; These are Red Hot & even on eBay, with even any unslabbed copies bringing over guide & with CGC copies regularily bringing high multiples.
. The Marvel Horror Mags were Hot (see above). All the color comics in G-FN copies selling excellent as per usual, but there was also sharp rise up in demand for any & all in VF or better, especially in 9.0 or better. All issues, of all these Horror titles showed unusually strong demand; Beware, Chamber of Chills, Dead of Night, Frankenstein, all Horror Giant Size titles, Journey into Mystery (1972), Man-Thing, Marvel Chillers 3-7, Monsters on Prowl, Supernatural Thrillers, Tomb of Dracula (comic & mag), Uncanny Tales, Vault of Evil, War is Hell 9-15, Werewolf by Night, Where Creatures Roam & Where Monsters Dwell.
Oddball Titles are still top sellers, but are too difficult to find in high grades, thus investors steer clear. Most copies are found & sell in G-FN, with not a lot of requests for high grade copies. These brought 120%-135% Guide; Cartoon, Digests, Fanzines, Giveaway/Promo items, Magazines, Memorabilia, Paperbacks, Reprint titles, Romance, Teenage, Treasuries, TV/Movie, War, Western, etc; The Mass Market paperbacks saw increased demand, with the 1966/67 Era Lancers being scarce in FN or better, and the 1977 Era Color Paperbacks thru the Mid-1980's B&W papeprbacks, all scarce in VF+ or better. With all the up & coming Marvel Comic related movies,
it may be too much of a good thing & prices may not jump as anticipted, every time a new movie hits the theatres . Low Grade Reading copies were again in big demand, for both readers & those on modest budgets, who just love comics. [Gotta love those Fans that like the comic itself, more than condition]; Due to Small Print Runs, many Marvel's from 1996-2000 sell well, with many titles from the 2000-2004 being Hot. Due to very few dealers stocking up on anything in the last few years, many issues are sold out by most sellers, with many issues selling at 200-400% and more of Cover Prices. Many of these modern comics have less existing copies, than still existing copies of most Bronze Age era Marvels.
All Super-Hero titles were in large demand, as everyone wanted to complete everything from 1961-1985, in all grades, but especially for STRICT 9.0 & higher graded copies. The 1961-1964 Era Marvel's are again hard to restock & selling fast. (Likely in part to all the Hollywood movies); >>> ALL this issues were in Heavy Demand, & bringing 110%-135% Guide; Amazing Adv #1-17, Amazing Spider-man 1-30,39,40,50 91-200, Astonishing Tales 1-10, Avengers 1-11, 50-200, Capt America #109-113,117,121-200, Capt Marvel #1,14,21,25-35, Daredevil #1-7, 16-18,43,50-181, Defenders 1-20, Dr Strange #1-5, 14, 58-62, 81, Fantastic Four #1-30,51-60, 100-200, Fireside books, most Giant Size titles, G.I.Joe 1-27, 93-120, 141-155, Gunslinger 1-3, Hero For Hire, Human Torch (1974/75), Incredible Hulk 1-6, 111-250, Invaders 1-20,31-33, Iron Fist, Iron Man #1,31-100, Journey into Mystery 83-112, Jungle Action 1-10, Kid Colt #91-156, Marvel Feature (1st series) #1-12, Marvel Fun & Games, Marvel Premiere 3-28, M.Tales 1-10, M.Superheroes 12-20, Marvel Teamup #1-50 M, Two-in-One #1-30, Ann.2, Masters of the Universe, Master of Kung Fu 15-50, Mighty Marvel Western 1-15, all Millie the Model, Ms Marvel #1,4,16-18, My Love, Nick Fury 1-15, Night Nurse, Not Brand Echh, Night Rider 1, Nova 1,12, Our Love Story, Powerman 17-20, 48-50,57,66,78, Punisher (1986 Mini), Rawhide Kid #1-50, Red Wolf, Savage She-Hulk #1,6,8,25, Scooby Doo, Shanna, Silver Surfer 14, Spectacular Spider-Man #26-28,64,81-83, Spider-Woman #6,19,32,50, Spidy Super Stories 1-20, Strange Tales #101-135, 150-167 & Annuals, Sub-Mariner 1,8,21-50, Tales of Suspense #39-60, Tales To Astonish #40-60, Thor #150-230,332,333,337, Transformers #61-80, Western Gunfighters, Western Team-Up #1, What If (1st series) 1-31, Wyatt Earp 30-34, X-Men #1-15,50-66, 94-121 & GS#1;
National Lampoon;
We sold a lot of National Lampoon this year, with about 75% in G-FN, but with now some growing demand for FN/VF to NM range copies. The regular Pre-1980 copies issues are roundbound, & have glossy stock covers, thus tend to cause spine to split & fray easily, with many coming detatched at the staples. Thus examples in better than VF are getting tough to find. This is one of the most important titles in comics histry, yet remains unlisted in the guide, thus overlooked by most collectors.
All were published with NO Comics-Code. Artists nclude; Adams, Bode, Frazetta, J.Jones, Kaluta, Morrow, Orlando, Rodrigues, Romita, A.Roth, Springer, Barry Windsor-Smith, G.Wilson, Wrightson, & More. Many nostalgic fans recall certain hilarious parodies, gags & stories & want to get those issues back. They are loaded with great color comic strip parodies on many subjects. #1-10 bring $40 & up, with #11-30 in the $10-$30 range, and #31-100 & up at $4-$12 range. The 1986-1993 issues had low print runs & are difficult to restock, thus our minimu, praices are now (VF$9; FN$6; VG$4);
The 1964 High School Yearbook Parody has been reprinted, thus slow demand on the originals. But collectors still want 1st printings. Many people are now collecting all the Squarebound Special's. Most were well read & typically show up in FA, G and VG, wiith FN copies being uncommon & VF or better being scarce. The stiff cardboard covers on the specials show creases easlily, especially if read from cover-to-cover even once. Our Minimum Price on the spcials is now (G$5; VG$9; FN$14; VF$20);
ROMANCE comics; Collectors like these as they are scarcer than most other genre's, especially in higher grades. They are filled with unintentional funny stories. Many have great artwork, & suprise suprise, they are filled with GIRLS, which appeals to a lot of guys. The Pre-1960 assorted publisher issues are in low supply on the market, whcih means they have been selling. The better sellers at 115-135% guide are titles by; Atlas, Avon, Fox, Prize, St John's, Superior, & Ziff-Davis. The Matt Baker, Kirby. Photo-Cover, Minor-Key's, GGA & exploitive issues are in highest demand.
We got in some nice collections of both DC & Marvel 1950's thru 1970's Love comics, most in G-FN. We sold a lot of all titles. There are a lot of collectors, that search all the major dealers, trying to fill in holes in their collections. There are a suprising number of completionists for the DC & Marvel titles. Only a few have attempted to collect these in high grades, as it is rather futile. High grade collectors mostly want just the key issues. Gothic Tales of Love #1-3 & Gothic Romances were impossible to find, often bringing 200-500% guide at eBay auction, on the rare occasions when they appeared. (These would be still undervalued at double current guide levels). Skywald's Tender Love & Warren's Teen Love Stories (1969/70) sold well to Completionists of those publishers. We sold a lot of Charlton love as well, with G-FN the most popular grades, & with resistance to VF or better copies.
.
TREASURY Editions;
Treasury Edition Oversized Comics sold better than usual this year. We actually sold out most of our lowest graded copies under VG, as they are too cheap in guide in those grades. This year we finally turned up some high grade 9.0 to 9.6 copies from the Manitoba collection, & this sold swiftly at 120-200%+ guide.
These are normally quite scarce in better than strict VF.
. >>> The Hottest issues, bringing 115%-135% Guide are; All-New Collectors edition C#53-56,58, Annie(scarce), Captain Amercia's BiCentennial Battles, Christmas with Archie(rare), DC Special Series #27, Famous First Edition F-4 to F-8, Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera 1-3, GI Joe(scarce), Golden Picture Storybook 1-4 (rare), Jungle Book, King Kong, Limited Collectors Edition C#21,23-25,32-34,37-39,41-52, Marvel Special Edition (Spectacular Spider-Man) #1 (1975), Marvel Treasury 1-28, Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man #1 & Walt Disney Paint Book series.
In addition, we sold several of the scarce unlisted Modern Promotions 1972 B&W issues with Newspaper Strip-r (Beetle Baily, Flash Gorden, Katzenjammer Kids, Mandrake the Magician, etc), at (G$9; VG$15; FN$22);
TOWER comics;
This year we saw increased demand for most titles. All grades sold well, but we got more requests than usual for FN or better copies. Dynamo, Fight the Enemy, Noman, Thunder Agents, & Undersea Agents are loaded with great art by Wood, Ditko, Crandall & others, & these great titles are due for a price increase. We had one high grade run of Thunder Agents, & most sold swiftly at about 120% guide. The Tippy Teen titles still sell well, but more to readers, who prefer low grade cheaper copies.
Valiant / Acclaim;
The Scarcer Valiant titles are still gaining momentum, especially the hard to find premium editions. The low print regular editions from 1991-1992 are geting scarcer in strict VF/NM or better; Many of the later & last issues, & they already regularly sell well over guide. Most variants we were not able to stock, but had multiple customer requests. I tried to win some, usually without success & followed many eBay prices. (Prices for VF/NM or better). The Key issue's to grab while you still can include; Most VALIANT Gold editions at $20 to $35+ each (CGC copies much higher), Most Valiant Signature Series issues at $50 to $75+ each (CGC copies much higher); Bloodshot #50,51($10+); Chaos Effect Alpha (RED cover $200+), Harbinger #0(pink sendaway $70), #1($40+), #2-10($6-$15 each), #41($10+); Hard Corps #30($7); Magnus #0(with Card $50+), #1($12) #2-10($6-10), 12($25), 64($12); Ninjak #26($7); Predator vs Magnus #1(Platinum $12); Rai #0($12), 1-2($12ea), 3-4($24ea), 5($10), 33($10); Dr Mirage #18($6); Shadowman #1($10), 43($12); Solar #1-9($8-12 ea); #10($20+), 58-59($7 ea), 60($14); Solar Alpha & Omega # 0(HC $60);
Turok #47($15); Unity #0(Red variant $90); Unity Trade Paperback (Diamond Distributors $120); Valiant Voice #11-19 ($10-$20 each & up); X-O Manowar #68($15); CGC copies can often bring much higher multiples, if you can find them. We have a hard time keeping the regular issues in stock, much less the premium issues. Plus many of the Acclaim revival issues had even smaller print runs of 5000 or less & should also be watched;
Variants & Premium Editions; The Marvel's 30 & 35 cent Variants showed Strong demand all. I had a hard time stock anything of note. The guide prices are perhaps more off on these than almost anything. Spider-Man is still the most requested. The Western, War, Horror & Reprint title issues turn out to be some of the scarcest, with Mid Grade Unslabbed copies sometimes selling at over $200 on eBay. The Marvel 30 cents price variants, brought 300%-1000%+ regular issue prices in grade. Our minimum Price on these 30 cent Variants; G$10; VG$15; FN$22; VF$35; NM$50; (Minimum for 35 cent variants begins at double these prices);
. Canadian Variants with higher cover prices, were again Popular, but often mistaken by American's as Rare variants. (see our Canadian comics section in this report). Newer Variants like Gold, Platinum, Signed & Numbered, Cover Variants, etc, are normally fast sellers when new & become slow later. The exception seems to be long proven characters like Vampirella. The Valiant premium edition are now hot, see above. As some of these premium editions get older, if the character remains popular, can begin to rise again in price. It will be interesting to see what they sell for in 10-20 years.
Early Direct Distribution copies were mistaken for Whitman editions all year (see Whitman below).
Warren, Skywald, Eerie/Stanley & other Horror Comic Mags; Horror mags were top sellers again this year. We had some top grade 9.0-9.6 copies from the Manitoba Collection, with Skywald & Warren in VF/NM thru NM, selling briskly at 125-200% Guide or more. We also have solid demand for low graded Reader copies too, selling several large 100-300 copy lots to eager buyers. The mags from Eerie the Publisher, Modern Day & Stanley still sold better to Readers, but garnered a few higher grade collectors recently too, especially Pre-1971 & the Low Print 1979-1982 issues. Creepy & Eerie have less than 5 CGC graded copies for most issues above #10 & not a lot for those under #10, there goes the theory that they are common in high grades. Most Higher Grade Warren & Skywald mags only grade in the VF and VF+ ranges, with a big shortage of Strict VF/NM or better copies. Nightmare, Psycho & Scream exist in much smaller quantities than Warren's, while demand grows stronger each year. Thus Skywald's should (on average) & often do bring 150-200% the price of the average Warren. We sold almost every VF or better Skywald i could get my hands on & also sold out on many issues in ANY grade. ** Eerie #17 & Blazing Combat #1 easily brings 200% of Guide in any grade. Eerie #17 had a bad interior cutting factory flaw, thus the highest CGC graded copy to date is a FN 6.0. If a CGC 9.4 Eerie #17 ever surfaces, it will bring in the $2000-$4000 range. We sold a good number of DRACULA (Magazine, New English Library Pub.; 1971; Full Color; Estaban Maroto art) #1-12, at $5-$1 each in VG to VF+, as part of this run was reprinted to make the DRACULA Trade Paperback for Warren. HELP (Warren's classic HARVEY KURTZMAN Humor magazine) badly needs to be listed in the guide, as one of the most important comics related humor mags in history. CGC is grading Famous Monsters, with the current highest grade at 9.0. If one ever surfaces in 9.4, it would likely break the $10,000 barrier. MOST requested issues bringing 120-150% Guide or more; Blazing Combat #1,2, & Anthology, Comix International #1, CREEPY #9,10,14,17-19,29,32,50,71,76,78,113,132-146, Eerie #5, 8, 17,18, 23-25,28,38-40,45,60,81,94,95,98,108,125,128, 130-139, EDGAR ALLAN POE's Fall of the House of Usher HC, Famous Monsters #1-32, & Paperbacks, Ghoul Tales, Nightmare 1-10, 20-23, Odd World of Richard Corben, Psycho #1-10, 20-24, Scream 1-3, 8-11, Shock, Spacemen(Warren), Spirit Special, Teen Love Stories 1-3, Terrors of Dracula, VAMPIRELLA #1-8,12,16,19,33,36,41,45,46,48,52,61,63,64,77,78,100-113, Annual #1, Special #1, UK mags 1-4, Paperbacks (UK & USA) 1-6, Web of Horror #1-3, Weird Vampire Tales, Wildest Westerns/Favorite Westerns of Filmland 1-6; WEBSITE vs eBay; We did not sell much on eBay, because prices were low on many unslabbed comics. But with large scans & being a known dealer, we did do some decent sales, when we liquidated some Silver Age collections for clients. I did not buy much off eBay this year, due to grading problems. I instead paid more, but saved time & received properly graded comics, by restocking from reliable well known dealers. We ran into problems restocking many non Marvel & Non DC items, especially Charlton, Harvey, Archie & 1966-1980 era Horror comics, as most dealers were sold out of the issues we required.
Our Website [ www.dougcomicworld.com ] contains about 100 Catagories (Many NON comic related) too choose from, with 10 to 150 pages of items listed in each Catagory. [And we have only listed 70% our inventory]; If printed out, these listings would be about 5000 Printed Pages. MANY of these catagories have the Biggest slection on the entire internet. Many buyers do not like our website, as they expect to see a shopping basket, with everything graded & priced. They do not comprehend that we do NOT have a small 100,000 item inventory. We have perhaps 3 Million items in stock, thus properly grading & pricing everything would take 10 or more years. By the time 25% were done, the first 10% would be obsolete. It has taken us 4 Years to lit the items currently listed on our website. We add 1000's of items each month to the lists. We make 1000's of updates each month for items sold. All this on top of answering emails, phone calls & letters. Then pulling, grading, pricing, processing, wrapping & shipping 100's of oders per month. All this is well well under control by our current methods. Many buyers now PREFER not to have to order single items one at a time in those annoying shopping baskets. A quick email or phone call with most wanted lists, is all that we need to go into action. The result; Buyers often make orders for 50, 100, 300 & even 1000 items in a single order. I strongly feel that having most of my items catalogued for what is actually in stock, is far better than having 10% of the items graded & priced in shopping baskets. We are extremely busy with returning customers, plus many new buyers that find those few things they need thru search engines, with our 3rd greatest customer source being referals from happy buyers & even from other dealers. Some buyers expect us to compete with the lowest eBay prices, which we cannot do. Most of our buyers actually place a value on their time & appeciated the efforts we go to to maintain our inventory levels, with so many hard to find items. Most uncommon items under $10 are simply not worth the time, effort, expenses, aggrivation & shipping charges, to be worth bargain hunting. We excel at filling in gaps in collections, at reasonable costs. Our custmers preferred to buy many well graded items, all at once from one seller, at reasoanble market value prices, over buying single items via auctions.
WAR & WESTERN Comics (Misc Pre-1960);
There are many fans of both these genre's. Rather than collecting certain character's, these fans collect by Genre. When they grow weary or jaded by Marvel, DC,
Dell, Charlton, Fawcett & the other major publishers, they look for something different. The Fawcett westerns are rather high priced, thus some major resistance in grades above FN, but G & VG copies are affordable & selling well. There are a lot less WAR comics, than Western, in the pre-1960 era, thus almost anything tends to sell well, if in the $5-$35 price range. The EC War comics are beginning to sell again & remain some of the best comics ever, War comics from Ace, Farrell, Standard & Toby, tend to sell faster than those by the more "collectible" publishers like Avon & Ziff-Davis, mainly because they are cheaper. The Pre-Charlton St.John's are in double the demand, as Charlton collectors extend their sets back to the early issues. G.I. Joe & Joe Yank are extremely popular, especially those issues with Dan DeCarlo art. We got in & sold a good number of WINGS comics from Fiction House, they have exceptional art & good stories.
In the oddball Western Comics; the Good Artist, Photo cover & known character issues sell first. The better selling publishers included; Hillman, ME, St John's, & Toby. There was resistance to issues in better than FN, & those priced over $50. Bestselling titles were; Billy the Kid, Black Diamond Western, Bobby Benson, Bulls-Eye, Dead-Eye Western, Indians, Jesse James, John Wayne, Masked Ranger, Prize, Red Mask, Straight Arrow, & Tom Holt.
WHITMAN comics;
The Pre-Pack Only Whitman comics of the August thru December 1980 era are still hot. After years of looking & thru many collectors, we have determined that Porky Pig #99 was never printed & needs to be removed from the guide. At least 10 copies each exist of all the other 8-12/1980 Whitman's; This leaves Super Goof #61 as the rarest Whitman; eBay & other sales (NOT our sales) include; Battle of the Planets #7(CGC FN 6.0 $90); Daffy Duck #131(CGC 6.5 = $150); Daisy & Donald #47(CGG 9.0 122.50); Little Lulu #260(CGC 9.2=$1535.00; CGC 3.0=$690; CGC 9.8 = $1827); Super Goof #61(RARE; VG $399.04), Uncle Scrooge 179(CGG 9.2 $800); Winnie the Pooh #22(CGC 6.0=$400; CGC 7.5 = $500); WDC&S #480 (CGC 9.2 $400); Like it or not, the 8-12/1980 Whitman's have proven for over 3 years on eBay, to be among the rarest comics on the last 50 years, & continue to bring record prices, often for unslabbed copies. Super Goof #61 & Winnie the Pooh #22 are currently bring $400 range prices for mid-grade copies, between a small number of buyers/sellers. (These, along with Daisy #47, Mickey 208 & BOP #7, should all list at perhaps $120 each range in the guide. But are unlikely to reach $400 in the guide in the next decade); Once the rarity of 8-12/1980 Whitman's becomes more common knowledge & guide price continue to rise (they should list at $50 minimum for the more available issues & up to $100 for the Scarcer issues),
i expect more copies will surface & prices will settle into more realistic levels. Lulu 260, Scrooge 179 remain the big two & should list in the $700+ range, as those prices are now proven. Donald Duck #222 has cooled, but still needs to rise to $300+ in guide. WDC&S #480 should also list about 50% Higher.
(Rarity List provided by top whitman collector, Andrew Rathbun); The rarest 8-12/1980 Pre-Pack only whitman list (Ranging from rarest to lesser Scarcity issues; 10-50 copies of each issue currently known to exist); (1) Super Goof 61, (2) Little Lulu 260, (3) Tom and Jerry #332, (4) Looney Tunes 34, (5) Daffy Duck #130, (6) Winnie the Pooh #22, (7) Looney Tunes #35, (8) Popeye #158, (9 & 10) Woody Woodpecker #190, 191, (11) Yosemite Sam #70, (12) Chip and Dale #69, (13) Beep Beep Road Runner #93, (14 & 15) Pink Panther 76, 77, (16) Tweety and Sylvester 107, (17) Beep Beep Road Runner #92, (18) Daisy and Donald #47, (19) Mickey Mouse #208, (20) Walt Disneys Comics and Stories #480, (21) Battle of the Planets #7, (22) Donald Duck #222, (23) Uncle Scrooge #179; >>> The Rarest 1983-1984 No-Dates, No Date-Codes issues; (Ranging from rarest to lesser Scarcity issues; 50-200 copies of each issue currently known to exist); Tweety and Slyvester 118, Woody Woodpecker 199, 198, Tweety and Slyvester 117, Popeye 168, Tweety and Slyvester 119, Beep Beep Road Runner 103, 104, 102, Popeye 171, Winnie the Pooh 30, 31, 32, 29,33; These 1983-1984 issues should guide for a minimum of $25, with Top Titles (Disney Duck, Lulu, etc) & Rarest Titles closer to $50 each. Whitman Variant's of Gold Key's 11/1971 thru 2/1980 are possible & they sell to completionists for 150-300% of GK issue values. Collector Byron Glass, has followed these for years & has determined that about 50% of all the possible issues, do in fact exist as Whitman's, with many of the variant's being quite rare.
There are now about 170 Known DC WHITMAN Variants in 16 titles, all are scrace in VF or better, completionists & Variant collectors regularily pay in the $6-$15 range for VG-VF copies. The Treasury Variants (C-56 & C-61) are especially scarce & sell at 200-300% the regular edition prices.
This year we saw many sellers trying to pass off WHITMAN Variant's of Marvel comics. Some assume (incorrectly) that the early DIRECT variants with Black Diamond's & NO UPC codes, must be Whitman variants. Take Note; Distributor's were able to buy empty whitman plastic bags & they could fill them with random leftover comics & then heat seal them. This does NOT make them Whitman edition's, it makes them regular editions in whitman bags & they carry no premium value,
except when sold to uniformed buyers. True Whitman Variants MUST have the Whitman Logo printed on the comic itself.
MARKET REPORT for Overstreet Annual Comic Book Price Guide #34(due in Spring/2004), (c) by Douglas W. Sulipa; (UN-EDITED & Complete Original Version)
Doug
Sulipa's COMIC WORLD
BOX 21986
STEINBACH, MANITOBA
CANADA
R5G 1B5
Website; www.dougcomicworld.com
Email; cworld@mts.net
(Ph; 1-204-346-3674)(Fax; 1-204-346-1632)
ACG Comics;
All 10 cent cover price issues are in demand, especially Horror titles. The 1960's Superhero titles are in demand.
The most consistant best seller is still Herbie & his early appearances in Forbidden World's. This year all the Love,
& Humor titles sold well too. The 3-D Effect Titles sold as fast as we found them.
ALTERNATIVE Comics;
From nowhere, demand has skyrocketed for almost all Pre-1990 Alternate Comics thought to be Scarce, or undervalued.
By far the most undervalued is ALBEDO Anthropomorphics, with #2 (1st Usagi Yojimbo) in VG/FN Regularily bringing
$200+, and NM copies at the $1000+ range, for the last 1-2 years. The Various printings of #0 bring 300-500% of
Guide #33 prices, the Yellow 50 Copy Version would bring $1000+ in NM, if you could find one! Dark Red #1 Brings
$70-$120, and Bright Red Brings $20-$40 range. CEREBUS the Aardvark #1 (1st), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
#1(1st), & Gobbledygook #1,2 (1984) are in huge demand, with Guide #33 prices being below Wholesale. Unslabbed
VF copies bring $400-$600, and CGC NM's would be an easy $1000-$1500 each. Cerebus #2-30 are all hot, bringing
150-200% Guide #33 in any grade. TMNT #2-10 & many of the 80's One-Shot's are up in demand & undervalued.
The Ultra-Rare self-published B&W ELFLORD #1 6/1980 by Nightwynd Pub, with Barry Blair-s-c/a, are unfindable &
an easy sale at $200+ in VF. Fantasy Quarterly #1 is suddenly in big demand & we expect high grade copies to break the $100 level in near future. Grendel (1983/84 Comico series) are hard to come by & bring 150%+ Guide. The Scarcer Valiant
titles that once had high value, are back in demand & almost gone, with very few noticing. Still great reading
& again due for Price increases are; Magnus #0,1-12, Harbinger #0,1-10, Rai #1-10, Solar #1-10, etc.
*** Other Hot & under-valued titles to watch include; Caliber Presents #1, Cody Starbuck, Crow #1-3, Crusaders
#1(Southern Knights), Flaming Carrot #1-16, Galaxia, Gasm, Imagine, Justice Machine (Noble) #1-3 & Annual #1,
Love & Rockets #1-20, Macross #1(1984), Mage #1-7, Mangazine #1-4, Megaton, Nexus (Capital) #1-3, Ninja High
School (1986/87), Nucleus, Oktoberfest, Omen (Vigil), Orb, Phantacea, Primer (Comico), Quadrant, Rock Comics
(Adams-a), Star Reach, Tick, Uncensored Mouse, & Zen (1987), etc;
ARCHIE;
We got in several Archie collections & this has been our best year ever for selling back issues. The single most requested Archie title this year has consistantly been Archie's Girls Betty & Veronica right from 1950 thru 1987 & also the Current series. Issues #310-347are the Most requested, hard to find & due for a big increase. This is right in the low print run era, that spawned Cheryl Blossom. B&V #3-5 have Betty with a Ponytail and 4-6 have Art that looks like Dan DeCarlo, thus i think the guide listing might be incorrect. All 1940's/50's Archie Gang teen character title issues are very fast sellers & are NOT possible for dealers to restock on eBay, as Overgraded copies typically sell well over guide, in FN or Lower grades. We have had to restock the hard way, by buying from other dealers & paying high guide percentages. Katy Keene is again selling well. In fact, Many who have completed their Katy Keene sets, now want the backup stories in; B&V, Laugh, Wilbur, Archie & Pep. Everything with Dan DeCarlo art sells well, Archie or not. Most buyers of Pre-1980 issues prefer G to FN range copies. But we have have many recent requests for
1960's-1980's issues in VF or better, no easy task on most pre-1980 issues, as most were well read by the general public & not in the hands of collectors thru all these years. ARCHIE GIANT SERIES MAGAZINE #26 (6/64) and #32 (6/65) are Hot, as both are ALL PIN-UP Issue Betty & Veronica Spectaculars, with Classic Dan DeCarlo-c/a; Circa 1960 ARCHIE titles with the SF/Horror covers are HOT, & in short supply, as are all issue #1-10's and All Giants. 1984-2002 Comics all had low print runs & can be quite difficult runs to complete, if issues were missed. Digest issues of the 1984-2002 period are more plentiful & are highly collected, often by otherwise NON comic colletors, thus price is often more important than condition. All early appearances of Cheryl Blossom from 1982-1990 are in demand & many are undervalued. B&V #320 & Jughead #325 easily bring 200-300% Guide. Josie & Sabrina in Archie Giant mag are in demand. Red Circle & Archie Adventure series Superhero & Horror titles of the 1970's-80's in steady demand, with Archie Adventure series having Low print Runs & being scarcer. The 1960's Superhero appearances in
Laugh & Pep are in very high demand at 150% Guide, if you can find them at all.
ATLAS/Marvel;
Pre-Hero Horror/SF, especially if they had Kirby, or Prototypes, were the top sellers this year. Many grew up on the 1970's
Reprints of these & remember them fondly, now wanting to sample Originals. Millie the Model, Patsy, & Teen titles were in demand, especially with Paper Doll & Pinups. Love titles & Western titles sold well, due to still low prices. Crime, Sports, Spy
& Funny Animal titles, were slower. Parody titles sold as fast as we could find them & are full of nice characters & art. We had a hard time stocking & keeping the under-valued WAR titles in stock. Kid Colt, Rawhide Kid, Ringo Kid & Two-Gun Kid were the best sellers this year, as many fans stetched their Marvel runs back to the Atlas years & discovered some truely wonderful comics.
Compared to 1960's Marvel's, these are infinitely scarcer, especially in nice condition & a definite "must try" for fans.
ATLAS/Seaboard;
All titles sold well, as many still want to complete all product from this publisher. The biggest Obstacle is always the rare Gothic Romances #1 which sells instantly in the 200% Guide range. Blazing Battle #1, Savage Combat #1-3, Vicki #1, 2 & Western Action #1 are in lower supplies. DEVILINA, THRILLING ADVENTURE & WEIRD TALES OF THE MACABRE #2's all remain Scarcer
& bring 25-50% over guide. MOVIE MONSTERS #1 is around, but #2-4 are Scarce, bringing $20+ in VF.
BIG LITTLE BOOKS;
BLB's Have picked up in demand of late. I think, because they remain a relative bargain when compared to their
Comic counterparts. Supplies from all era's are depleted in most dealer stocks. Pre 1960 BLB's are quite scarce
in VF or better, & typically found in G or VG. Most are full of Original material, many of highly collectible characters,
usually never reprinted & not found anywhere else. Even most of the prized GA issues, quite rare in high grade,
are very undervalued & selling for less than a NM Silver Age Marvel comic. The Taller 1950's TV Western's sold well
for us this year, at $25-$50 each in Mid Grades. But i speicalize in the Post-1960 issues. The 1960's Whitman color
Hardcover issues are in high demand, (at $15-$25 each in VG-FN), due to the finite quantity of issues in the Numbered
series (36 different?); The most from 60's requested were; Aquaman, Batman, Fantastic Four, Frankenstein Jr, Lone
Ranger, Tarzan, Hanna-Barbera's Shazan & Space Ghost. Many were later reprinted in the 70's Whitman softcover editions,
which also contained much new material, including Grimm's Ghost, & Spider-Man. They sold well at $6-12 each for FN-VF
copies; The Marigold Press reprints of 1980 up, are scarcer than the 70's editions & had several scarce new material
issues. The Gold Star Library Hardcover Series of 1966-1970, contained Fairy Tales (many with Early Richard Scarry art),
Classics, & Walt Disney (Pinocchio, Peter Pan). The Gold Star remain scarce, & sold steady at $7-$15 each in G-VG.
The illustrated Classics Editions by Moby Books, #4501-4536 (1977/83) Sold well in VG-FN copies at $4-$9 each,
with the most requested being; Wizard of Oz, Sherlock Holmes (2 diff), War of the Worlds & Time Machine.
The Hanna-Barbera softcover titles published by Modern circa 1977, had low print runs & all are scarce, with VG
copies bringing $9-$12 range. The Young Reader's Christian Library & Zaanan series are highly collected by Christian comic
collectors at $5-$12 each. The Chronicle Books series from the 1990's has suprizingly disappeared swiftly,
with NM copies bringing $10-$15, Xena was Most requested, followed by; Legendary Journeys of Hercules, Star Wars
& Zorro. The wise buyer would look again at BLB's, as we do not anticipate the low price levels to remain much longer.
BRITISH-UK
Items;
We
now likely have the biggest selection of UK comic this side of the
Big Pond. Marvel-UK comics are the most collected
in North America. The strange formats, B&W in mag & digest sizes, oblong, thick & thin, tend to fascinate buyers.
Many "hidden" Gems are there to be found, including; Original UK Comic Stories of Hulk & others, Alan Moore stories,
New Front & Back Cover & Pin-Up Art by UK artists, New art by USA Artists like Austin, Text stories, Games/Puzzles,
articles & more. Then there is; Action Force the UK Version of G.I. Joe, 300+ issues of Dr. Who, 666 issues of Spider-Man
weekly with loads of cool covers & contents, 122 issues of Planet of the Apes with with loads of cool covers & contents,
330+ issues of Transformers & 180+ Marvel Digests. These are loaded with the artists collectors love; Kirby, Starlin,
Byrne, Perez & more. Alan Class, Miller & other 1950's-1980's B&W squarebound giant reprints sell great, as they
are an inexpensive alternative to buying the 1950's & 60's USA Horror & SF titles they reprint, including; Atlas, Archie,
ACG, DC, Charlton, etc; Rosnock, Spencer, Strato, & Top Seller Pub. reprints of USA Western, TV, Cartoon, War, Love,
& Crime titles sold well, but were harder to find. The original material UK War comic digests like Commando, & War Picture Library, are in demand & still rising in value, as WAR Comics fans discover Superb stories & art not seen in USA, at still low
prices. Warrior, 2000 AD & other titles, with Alan Moore, Miracleman, Talbot, Bolland, were Hot. The UK Starblazer digest
was in good demand. The 1970's UK full color Vampirella mags #1-4, & UK paperbacks #1-6 with different painted covers, were in high demand at $20-$50 each in FN to VF. The original UK Classic Illustrated titles #143,146-150,156,157,159,161-163 sold
out at $75-$125+ each in FN-VF, with #158A (Dr No) impossible to find & worth about $400+ in VF. The UK Hardcover Annuals of
1950's thru 1990's, were Hot sellers in North American & supplies are dwindling in UK. They are packed with Great covers, Comics, Art, Text stories, photo's, puzzles & Games, much is new material not seen in USA. The most requested in the $15-$35 Price Range, included; A-Team, Avengers (TV), Avengers (Marvel), Batman, Battlestar Galactica, Bionic Woman, Charlie's Angels, Danger Man, Dr. Who, Hanna-Barbera titles, Hulk, Knight Rider, Lone Ranger, Madonna, Marvel Annuals, Planet of the Apes,
Roy Rogers, Scooby Doo, Six Million Dollar Man, Space 1999, Spider-Man, Superman, Tarzan, Thunderbirds, Transformers.
X-Men & Zoids. In the 1960's & 1970's there were UK Cover Priced VARIANTS of USA Marvel Comics. These were Printed at the same time as the Original USA edition, thus these are also Scarce VARIANT Original's & should NOT be considered reprints; These were certain NOT for all issues. Amazing Spider-Man #1 for example; Bottom inside front cover states "Sole Distributors in United Kingdom - Thorpe & Porter Ltd" & Printed in USA; UK publishers instead chose instead to print 90% of all UK Marvel's in Magazine sized B&W Comics, often with stories serialized in weekly issues & often with new UK cover art.
CANADIAN Comics;
Golden Age "Canadian Whites" saw perhaps their biggest demand & higest price increases ever this year.
The Pre-1947 Canadian Whites of Fawcett hero titles, including; Captain Marvel, Bulletman, Golden Arrow & others, with USA comics re-drawn be Canadian artists. All Original Material Canadian story & art titles, were in even greater Demand. "Canadian Whites" were typically found in Fair to VG & sold for $40-$100 each. FN copies were Scarce & sold for $75-$150 each, & finally VF copies are usually the best you can hope for, bringing $100-$250 each. Early numbers on all bringing 200-300% or more of above. The Most Valuable #1 issues which would bring $300-$1000 in VG-VF include; Active, Better, Bing Bang, Canadian Heroes, Capt Commando, Collosal, Commando, Dime, Freelance, Grand Slam, Joke, Lightning, Lucky, Nelvana, Red Rover,
Robin Hood, Rocket/Name-It, Slam-Bang, Space Nomad, Speed Savage, Spy Smasher, Super Funnies, Three Aces, Triumph,
Whiz, Wow, & Zor the Mighty. Nelvana of the Northern Lights & her appearances in Triumph & other comics are in Huge demand, with VG copies starting at $100 & up. Weird SuspenStories #1-3 (Superior; 1951; Color; Canadian Variant editions of EC's Crime SuspenStories #1-3; By Law, "Crime" was not allowed in Title of Canadian Comics; No copies known in FN or better; Very Rare; Less than 5 copies of each known) = These are selling in the $750-$1500 each price range for VG-FN copies, if you can find them.
The Rare Canadian Timely 132 page Annual's Marvel Mystery Variant with MM #41 contents sold for US$3000.00 in Fair & will be Pro Restored as i write this. The Canadian Editions that are vintage variants of US comics are bringing higher percentages of their USA equivalents. Canada has 10% of the Population of USA, thus Canadian Editions had 5-10% of the Print Runs & Survival Rates of their US counterparts. Variant Collectors have started to dabble in the more desirable titles. These GA Canadian Variant issues survive in quantites of 1-20 copies each. Publishers included are; Archie, Atlas, Avon, Classics, DC, Dell, EC, Fawcett, Fiction House, Lev Gleason, Quality, Timely, Toby, & others. USA Collector awareness of their scarcity, CGC graded copies & good prices at Major Auction houses, has made these rare items, yet more collectible. The Timely Canadian Variants were printed circa 1946 thru the 1950's Atlas issues, the Timely Superhero issues remain among the Scarcest & most valuable, with Titles like Captain America & Marvel Mystery near impossible to find. It is likely that a Canadian Run of 1946 up Timely would be impossible to assemble, at any price. Fuddle Duddle (B&W Comics Humor magazine) #4 & 5 features CAPTAIN CANADA = 1st app?; Canadian Cover Price Newstand edition variants are still in high demand, especially with Completionists & Variant collectors at 150%-300% USA copy prices. Especially Popular Variants are; Spider-Man, Hulk, Daredevil, Batman, JLA, Byrne-a &
Perez-a, etc; Known Canadian Cover Price Variants Era's include; ARCHIE Comics Digests (1/1984-12/1997), CHARLTON (2/1983-8/1984), DC(10/1982-9/1988), DELL(random 1960-1962), GOLD KEY(5-8/1968, and 4/72-4/73), MAD (some 1964 & 7/1978-7/1979), MARVEL (All Newstand Comics, Magazines & Digests 10/1982-8/1986), WARREN (3/1977-3/1983), WHITMAN (4/1980-1984); We bought & sold several collections of Canadian French Language comics out of Quebec, on Archie, DC & Marvel from the late 1960's thru 1990. These had very small print runs for newstand comics, as they were mainly distibuted only in one province. They had a bizarre mix of Contents & are cool variant items for fans of characters like; Archie, Avengers, Batman, Conan, Flash, Hulk, Spider-Man, Superman, X-Men etc. The many Rare large softcover Giants, containing Rebound French comics, with new outer covers are getting scarcer & sell rather fast. Finally there are a vast quantity Low Valued $3-$6 range of New material French language Comic Digests from the 1950's-1970's, with; Westerm, War, Adventure, Jungle & Love themes = all are Scarce & may be lost to history, if more collectors do not snap up the dwindling supplies, being lost daily to non-collectors. The 1970's Horror Digest issues sell best at $6-$15 each, as they have amazing Sex & Violence, Covers, stories & art = not seen in North American comics.
CARTOON & COMICS PAPERBACKS;
This remains one of the fastest growing area's on the internet, yet one of the most overlooked by comic collectors. The Mass Market Paperback format virtually ceased to exist for Cartoon & Comic paperbacks in the early 1990's. The format was very popular from 1950-1980, but slowed & died by 1990. Instead publishers went to the new & higher priced Trade Paperback, especially the oblong type (like the Garfield books), as the new format of choice. Most were sold to the general public & not collectors, most would be suprised to see how many of these are now scarce to ever rare. Peanuts paperbacks remain common & low valued, but the titles first issued in 1985-1990 era had low print runs & often retail between $8-$20 each; Already Scarce & getting Expensive in High Grades is the PEANUTS PARADE (1970's to late 1980's) Trade Paperback series #1-29 with VF Copies starting at $35 range for #1-10, and #11-20 at $40-$50 each, with #21-27 at $60 & up; The Rare #28, and #29 sell at well over $100 each in High Grade, if you can find them at all; Once one gets to ABOUT 50% of the Known Existing titles of a larger Series, the remaining titles get scarcer & Scarcer, to downright rare. *** These are Mass Market Paperback Series that many fans are now trying to complete (many with appox # of different titles known); Addams Family, Andy Capp (50+ Different titles), Archie, B.C. (33+ Titles), Beetle Bailey (70+ Different titles), BERENSTAINS (Pre-Bears; 20+), Blondie, Broomhilda (21+), Casper, Dennis the Menace (50+), DOONESBURY(35+), Family Circus (43+), Flash Gordon, Flintstones & Pebbles (19+), Hagar (47+), HEATHCLIFF(29+), HI AND LOIS(27+), MAD (220+), Marmaduke (14+), Peanuts, Pocket Classics (70 diff), Richie Rich, Tiger, Tumbleweeds (16+), Tiger, Vampirella (6 each USA & UK), Wizard of ID(24+), Ziggy(14+), & many more; Count the books in your collection to see how many you are missing! There is a general rule of thumb; Older issues had higher print runs, are common & often only sell for $3-$10 in the VG-FN range. Later & last issues in the various series, often have small print runs, are scarce & often bring $12-$25+ in FN or better; Playboy & other vintage Adult Cartoon paperbacks are very low in supply, highly collected & gaining value fast, with most in the $10-$20 each range for VG-FN copies. Noteable Scarcer Titles of value; Autumn People, BARNABY, CHRISTOPHER LEE'S TREASURY OF TERROR, Cracked, Creepy, Eggbert, Harvey Kurtzman titles, HIGH CAMP SUPERHEROES, Jimmy Hatlo, Luann, MODESTY BLAISE, Nellie the Nurse, Sick, Tales from Crypt, Thunder Agents, U.S. ACRES by Jim Davis; Hatlo's Inferno is Rare & brings $50+ in Higher Grades. All the Marvel & DC superhero titles are in high demand (1960's=$20-$50 each; 1975-1985= $8-$20 each) & are Scarce in VF or better.
CGC;
CGC graded comics
are how all higher grade & valuable comics will be sold in our
market for the forseeable future.
But Lower priced items, 1975-UP items & items with too many copies graded, have lost steam & many are dead sellers
& money losers for their sellers. On these items, we have found collectors still want them, but do not want to pay the $15+
premium for the slab, plus high per item shipping costs. I have found it more profitible to keep cheaper items in regular
inventory & sell unslabbed. We sold 100's of properly graded 1975-1984 comics, in 9.0 thru 9.6 unslabbed Comics from the "Manitoba" collection in the 150-300% Guide price ranges, to very happy buyers. [Over 50% of them under the $15 minimum
slab cost]; CGC buyers seem to want mainly Marvel & mostly the big mainstream titles. We experimented with Gold Key,
Charlton, Dell & DC War CGC comics with poor results. These buyers prefer them Unslabbed. But we did find many
buyers for all High Grade Harvey comics, with all preforming well. Superhero books is where most of the CGC big multiples
are acheived. We had a few good large batches of High Grade Marvel & DC 1965-1974 superhero comics & were able to sell over 50% of them off-line to ready Buyers at good multiples, we eventually sold the remaining issues on ebay, also at good multiples.
Buyers are still trying to find the highest graded copies, & they are getting harder to locate. We had a few buyers who are
trying to complete runs of Comics that Guide under $10 in 9.8 or better, but will not touch 9.6's. The CGC CENSUS has both helped & hurt sales, as what exists is now in front of you. Many collectors no longer understand how strict NM 9.4 is in the current market & constantly ask for unslabbled copies in NM, of items that regualrily bring 300-500% Guide, such as Marvel Spotlight #5.
It is now a process of explaining the strict grading & finding if they truely need "NM" copies, or if what they really want are reasonably price VF's. Many have lowered their expectations to the strictly graded & beautiful VF range copies. This has become one of our best years for selling unslabbed VF to VF/NM comics. CGC has just begun slabbing Magazines as i write this
& it is too early to judge results. It has caused a lot of demand for Marvel, Skywald & Warren mags in high grades. Once slabbed
copies become more common, these undervalued mags should be driven up in value by the CGC copies.
.
CHARLTON;
All types of Charlton titles sold well, in all grades, as few other sellers have a decent selection. This time Horror titles were the most requested, with many many buyers trying to complete runs. We had many requests for higher grade issues, & this usually means VF copies from this publisher, as VF/NM & up copies are quite scarce due to distibution & printing problems. Also popular were War, Hanna-Barbera, Western & TV Cartoon, John Byrne art & Western titles. The Best sellers & still undervalued titles
include, which brought 20-35% over guide; Beetle Bailey, Bionic Woman, Bobby Sherman, Cheyenne Kid, Creepy Things, David Cassidy, Dudley Do-Right, E-Man, Go-Go, Great Gazoo, Gunfighters, Haunted, Haunted Love, Hot Rod comics, Kid Montana, Love comics, Many Ghosts of Dr Graves, Midnight Tales, Outlaws of the West, Partridge Family, Phantom, Scary Tales, Underdog, Wyatt Earp. Hot titles which brought 35-60% over guide; Blondie, Bugaloos, Hong Hong Phooey, Jungle Tales of Tarzan, Ponytail, Popeye, Ronald McDonald, Scooby Doo, Speed Buggy, Wheelie & Chopper Bunch. Charlton Bullseye, Emergency, Six Million Dollar Man, & Space 1999 are selling faster in both Comic & Magazine Formats. Buyers still need many of the low distribution 1984-86 era issues to finish runs.
CHRISTIAN & RELIGION;
Religious & Christian related comics are consistant good sellers. SPIRE is the most collected series with about 37 Regular comic titles & about 19 Archie related titles. Those titles with a single printing in the 1980's are scarce & command about double the earlier issues. The hottest spire is; Hansi, the Girl who Loved the Swastika, with Strict NM copies starting to break the $100.00 barrier! Sunday Pix of 1957-63 vintage by David C Cook were hot in the $5-10 each range. The 1949-1954 issues are very tough to find & sport good competition on ebay when they appear. Sunday Pix was preceded by; What to Do, Boys World & Girls Companion, from 12/1943-2/1949, they all carried the very popular “Tullus” feature, later to Continue in Sunday Pix; The “Tullus” feature is the most collected part of Sunday Pix, thus 1943-1945 era appearances are very desirable, but near impossible to find.
Dennis the Menace & the Bible Kids werein huge demand, with the regionally distributed only #7-10 remaining very scarce.
All the Marvel & DC Christian titles sold steady, with Francis & Pope Paul the best sellers. Now highly collected are the Jack Chick Tracks - (3"x5"; B&W; Oblong Mini comics). [Chick is best known in fandom, for his over-the-top Fire & Brimstone "Crusaders" comic series]; There are about 80 "common" Tracks still in print that sell for about $1.00 each, but earlier
Pre-1985 Printing bring $3-$10 each. There are many Pre-1985 Tracks that are Long Out-of-Print & are in big demand to completionists, commanding $20-$35 each. All issues of Topix sold extremely well this year & are hard to restock.
All these Religious Comics sold well at 135-200% Guide; Bible Tales, Bible Visualized, Catechetical Guild, Cosmics, Crusaders(#16,17 = rare), Dan Red Eagle, Logos Pub, Open Door, Oral Roberts, Picture Stories from the Bible, Tales from the Great Book, United Bible, Young Reader's Christian Library & Zaanan BLB's, etc; All Pre-1955 Treasure Chest are scarce & in low supply, with newer issues selling steady. We also bought & sold a nice batch of circa 1980 Amar Chitra Katha Comics (INDIA related, English Language, Religion, History, Mythology & Legend) in the $10 each range for VG-FN copies; We sold a many issues of Adventures of Mendy and the Golem (Jewish related Kosher comics) of the 1982-1985 era at $5-10 each. MARX, LENIN, MAO & CHRIST" #NN (1977; One Shot; Superb Redondo studio Art; Scarce) is a beautiful comic & sells as fast as we find them in the VF $25 each range.
CLASSICS
ILLUSTRATED & Related;
Classics
collectors seemed to want Line-Drawn Cover issues more than ever this
year & they remain a bargain for comics of their vintage, with
most still under $10 in low grades. Since the story adaptions &
art are different in the Painted vs Line-Drawn cover versions, more &
more buyers now want both versions. Low grade copies still sell best.
We did see a notable increased demand for nicer FN or better copies.
These issues are always in biggest demand;
#8,14,20,21,33,40,43,44,53,66,71,73,74,84,110,
113-118,129,161-169 & bring premiums of 25-35% over guide. The 1st appearance of New Art, or 1st New cover issues, are a different type of Original & remain top sellers. Once collectors complete their main runs, they look to complete World Around Us & Classics Special Series, with #162A War Between The States in low supply & big demand. Once we listed them all on our website, we found many new homes for the various MISC Classics, including; Berkley/First, Big Little Books, Catechetical Guild, Famous Authors, Foreign, Golden Picture Classics, King Classics, Marvel Classics, Pendulum, Pocket Classics, Power Records, UK Marvel Classics Digests & all others. Classic Junior's sold about twice as fast as in previous years, with about 50% of the issues being common, 25% Uncommon & 25% are Scarcer, it is not as easy a series to complete, as the low guide prices would indicate. Among the toughest issues to keep in stock (& bringing 50-100% Over Guide), are; #514, 525, 527, 528, 531, 537, 542, 543, 547, 552, 555,558,559,564,565,568,571,572,575,576; Canadian Variant Edition Classics are quite scarce & most contain illustrated Text stories on the inside cover, not see in any USA editions. When we listed these facts on our website, it immeditely caused almost double the sales on these issues.
COMIC DIGESTS;
Gold Key digests were especially hot, with Mystery Comics Digest still the best seller. But this years we had more requests
for High Grade Copies, of & all Pre 1980 Digests, than ever before. Most pre-1975 issues are Scarce in strict FN or better,
but we managed to find an Original Owner collection of VF thru NM copies of Gold Key digests, & sold them at 150-200% Guide.
Most Gold Key Digests #1-10's are hard to keep in stock, in any grade. All Harvey Digests sold better than any previous year,
with 1970's issues scarce in High Grades. All the Harvey Digests from the 1986-1993 era had LOW print runs & are easily the scarcest issues & most difficult runs to complete. Harvey Digests from about 1990 up are Non-Existant in strict NM, as they had thing cover stock, & too much glue, causing wrinkling to amost all covers printed. Dennis the Menace Pocket Full of Fun #1-20,
Archie Comics Digest #1-20 & JUGHEAD WITH ARCHIE #1-10 are becoming scarce in ANY condition & are impossible to keep in stock at 150-200% Guide. The Marvel Dennis The Menace digests with DC logos are steady sellers. Best of DC #41-71 & Blue Ribbon #20-24 remain in short supply & brought 135-150% guide; The Rare Skylark digests (Doc Savage & Twilight Zone)
& Charlton digests (Barney & Betty, Flinstones, Jetsons, Scooby Doo, Space-1999, Yogi Bear) were near impossible to find in any grade, & are a bargain at 200% current guide levels. Most digests were originally sold to non collectors, so strict VF or better Pre-1980 issues are Scarce, with strict NM copies being Rare. Katy Keene, Jokebook & Madhouse Comics Digests were all in higher demand & lower supply. , Low Grade copies all all titles, by all publishers sold well, as many buyers just want to read them.
DC
COMICS;
All
Super-Hero books were in high demand, but in less supply than
Marvel's. The 1970-1974 Era issues are getting harder to keep in
stock, especially in VF or better. Wonder Woman #50-170 were
impossible to keep in stock, and #171-220 were also hot. Everything
from 1960 thru the 1985/86 Crisis Era sold well. 1987-1995 issues
were slower. 1998-2003 issues are low in most dealer stocks &
most can be sold for over guide. All issues with Neal Adams &
Wrightson Cover & Art were in high demand, especially in VF or
better. All oddball material sold well as usual, most at 20-35% over
guide, including; Amazing World of DC, Digests, Fanzines, Fireside
Books, Giveaways, Magazines, Paperbacks, & Treasuries. Horror &
SF were especialyy popular this year. Cartoon, Humor/Parody, Romance,
Teen, TV, War, & Western still sell well & we filled in many
runs for buyers. The Romance
titles were hardest to keep in stock. All Artist issue Love comics were in very high demand at about 35-50% over guide.
Bestselling were 1970's, followed by 1980's, then 1960's & 1950's issues, probably because Bronze Age titles fits most budgets.
*** Our Most requested issues included; Action #300-420, Adventure #300-440,491-503, (Supergirl issues most requested & in lower supply; Spectre issues were hot), All issues of Adv of Bob Hope & Jerry Lewis, All New Collectors Edition (scarce in VF+ or better; Hot=C-54-56,58), All Star #58-74(Hot=58,69), Amazing World of DC (Hot=1-4,9,14-17), Aquaman #50-52, Authority, Batgirl(2000up), Batman #150-350(Hot=250-300), Batman Family, Bat Lash, Best of DC Digest (Scarce=41-71), Birds of Prey, Brave & Bold #59-120(esp. Adams), DC Special, DC Special series, Detective #330-500, Flash #200-300, 341-350, FLEX MENTALLO, Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion, Forever People #1-9, Fox & Crow, Freedom Fighters, Ghosts, GI Combat, Green Lantern #76-125 (#76 Red Hot in VF & better), Hot Wheels (Hot at 25-35% over guide), House of Mystery #174-259, 291-300(Hot=Wrightson), House of Secrets #81-140, (Hot=Wrightson), Inferior Five, Jonah Hex #1-20, 81-92 (Hot= #90-92 at 50% over guide), Justice League #71-160,183-185,200,260,261 (#71-120 in LOW supply; Hot=JSA X-Over's), Leave it to Binky, Limited Collectors Edition (Hot= C#23-25,32-34,37,39,41,43-46,48-52,57; Scarce in VF+ or better), Mr Miracle 1-9, New Gods #1-9, Our Army at War #83-250, Phantom Stranger #1-20, Planetary, Scooby Doo, Secret Society of Super Villians, Sinister House, Spectre 1-5, 9, Star Spangled war #90-163, Strange Adv #205-236, Superboy 197-245, Supergirl (all), Super Friends, Superman 150-300,
Lois Lane #79-137, Jimmy Olsen 100-150, Superman Family 164-180, Swamp Thing (1982) 20-40, Tomahawk 100-125(Adams-c are hot), Unexpected 105-162, Weird Mystery #1-10, Weird War 1-50, Weird Western 12-39, Witching Hour #1-40, Wonder Woman (old) #51-220, 300-329, Worlds Finest #200-230, 244-282,300,323, Young Love & Romance. These sold in all grades, often bought by buyers in the condition that matches their existing collection, as they fill in runs.
DELL;
Dell is always a
steady seller, as they remain affordable & have loads of popular
characters. Westerns & most Four Color's were especially popular
this time, with almost all requested in G-FN. Tarzan & Turok are
way up in demand, with a very low supply of early issues. We tried a
few high grade CGC Dells & found they did not perform well, as
high grade buyers want only major key's & only in 9.4 or better &
were not willing to pay the premiums required to stock them at a
profit. We will gladly stick to good selling G-FN copies. >>>>
The Bestsellers at 20-35% over guide included; Air war, Andy
Griffith, Animal Comics, Beep Beep, Beetle Bailey, Ben Bowie, Beverly
Hillbillies, Bewitched, Bugs Bunny, Cheyenne, Chilly Willy, Cisco
Kid, Combat, Dracula, Flintstones, Flying Saucers, Frankenstein,
F-Troop, Gene Autry & Champion, Get Smart, Ghost Stories, Hogans
Heroes, Howdy Doody, Huckleberry Hound, Indian Cheif, all John Wayne,
Jungle Jim, King of Royal Mounted, Kookie, Lassie 39-58, Little Lulu,
Lone Ranger, Looney Tunes, Melvin Monster, Mighty Heroes, Monkees,
Peanuts, Pogo, Ponytail, Popeye, Raggedy Ann, Red Ryder, Roy Rogers,
Sgt Preston, Smokey Stover, Tarzan, Thirteen, Tonto, Top Cat, Turok,
Western Roundup, Yogi Bear & Zorro. Huck & Yogi Jamboree, and
Flinstone On the Rocks, remain among the rarest items for both
Hanna-Barbera & Dell collectors, bringing 200-400% over current
low guide prices.
DENNIS
THE MENACE;
Dennis
was great seller, with 1950's issues & all giants are still top
sellers & at 25-50% over guide. All issues are scarce in VF or
better. Pocketful of Fun #1-20 are getting scarce in any grade &
sold at 200% guide. The Marvel Comics & Digests also sold well.
Buyers are now trying to complete their mass market paperback series of 50+ Different, with about 15+ titles having only one printing & being scarcer. The Scarcer Dennis #143 (3/76; Olympic issue) was hard to find. We found no copies of Bible Kids
#7-10 at reasonable prices fro resale, but had many requests. #7-9 in FN-VF bring $25-$50 each, with #10 bringing $50-$100
if you can find it at all.
FANZINES;
Scarce fanzines are
on many want lists & can be very difficult to locate, in any
grade. We finally got in a couple nice Fanzine collections & many
issues sold fast. Some of the better titles sold included; ART of
NEAL ADAMS (VF+ $35 ea), ALTER EGO (1962-69; $25-$50), BACK FOR MORE
(VF$60), BADTIME STORIES(VF$75), BERNI WRIGHTSON TREASURY(VFNM$60),
CARTOONISTS AND ILLUSTRATORS PORTFOLIO #1-3 (VF $35 ea), CHRONICLE #3 (1973; BYRNE-a; FN $75),
COLOUR YOUR DREAMS (1972; VF-$30), COMIC ART CONVENTION Program Book (New York; Phil Seuling;
1971=VF$60; 1972-1977=VF$30-$40), Richard Corben's FUNNY BOOK (1976; HC; VF+$125), CPL #7,8,12 (all Byrne $25-$40 ea), DOCTOR WEIRD #1 (1970; Starlin; FN/VF $49), EAGLE #1(1971; Starlin; VF $59), FANTASY ILLUSTRATED #5 (1966; ERB, CRANDALL , Jeff Jones art; VF =US$125); FOCUS ON JOHN BYRNE (TPB; VF/NM $25), FOCUS ON GEORGE PEREZ (Trade TPB; VF $25), INFINITY #2 (WRIGHTSON, Frazetta, FN/VF $59), Illustrated HARVEY KURTZMAN Index 1939-1975; (TPB; VF+ = $149.00), RBCC 114 (WRIGHTSON-c; FN $22), Star Studded Comics #6-16 (1965-69; Starlin issues=$50; others=$30) ; Many Fanzines from the 1970's thru 1990's are loaded with great articles & art, many are great sellers in the $5-$15 each price range. Some Great Selling Titles include; Amazing Heroes, Comics Feature, Comics Interview, Comics Journal, Comics Revue, DRAGON LADY PRESS Mags, FLASHBACK (Series by ALAN LIGHT from 1970's; LOW Print Runs), Monster Times, Nostalgia Journal (#32 up = becomes THE COMICS JOURNAL), (Diamond) Previews, RBCC, etc,
FOREIGN
LANGUAGE;
We bought a huge
collection of French Language comics from the 1960's thru 1980's,
including many original material
digests. The Marvel & DC superhero reprint books of the 1970's are the best sellers, to completionaists of Spider-Man,
Hulk, Batman, Byrne, Starlin, Kirby, Perez, etc. We also moved a few batches of the Adventure, Jungle, War, Western
& Love digests. We are getting lower in stock on the 1970's French/France GORE Horror Comic Digests, with Sex,
Bondage, Nudity, & Violence. The European Disney digests, (Donald Duck & Uncle Scrooge, & also Mickey Mouse & others) sold steady & in several good size batches, to fans who have grown to appreciate them. We got in some large collections of the Belgium / French PHANTOM & Mandrake digests of the 1960's & 1970's, selling many in the $5-$10 each range.
GIVEAWAYS;
This
was a strange year for Giveaways. The bestsellers turned out to be a
few buyers who picked up a lot of issues, that are
not yet listed in the guide. We also had buyers who wanted any issues published in Canada, as is a very unknown territory.
March of Comics, Kite Fun, Comics Reading Library, Whitman Mini Comics & Dan Curtis titles were in demand from people with favorite characters, but most Pre-1970 issues were hard to find anywhere.All the DC Mini-Comics like Swordquest, Centipede, & Atari Force #4,5 sold well. All Power records, Record & Comic sold well, especially Marvel & DC titles. We also sold a bunch
of Classics titles. The Superhero records without comics are also up in demand, but low in supply. But the biggest increase in demand was for Non-Comic Promotional items; Advance news items, Catalogues, Ephemera, Distributor-Only items, Publisher & Reatailer Displays, Flyers, Handouts, Posters, Calanders, Publisher Shareholder items, Dark Horse Insider, Marvel Age(newsprint), Marvel Requirer, Marvel Spotlight, Comic Shop News, Previews, DC Currents, etc. Many completionists seem to grab these items FIRST, as they judge that they may never see them again.
GOLD KEY;
SCOOBY DOO (GK) #1 remains at the top of many want lists & easily brings 200-300% guide, especially in the elusive high grades. All issues of Tarzan & Turok, sold iin all grades. Tarzan by Manning & those with Ron Ely photo covers were the best sellers. Turok #100-130 seem to have less than 1/2 the supply than #71-99, and sell quite fast. Notable good & still undervalued sellers; Whitman Variant Editions are possible for ALL Gold Key Comics & Digests published from 11/1971 thru 3/1980, but
might only exist on 30-50% of all titles. These & the 1968 Canadian Newstand Variant cover price issues, sold mostly to Completionists. >>>> The Top selling Titles at 120-135% Guide, included; Addams Family, Amazing Chan, Banana Splits, Battle of the Planets, Boris Karloff 1-50, 80-86, Bugs Bunny 86-110, Bullwinkle, Dagar, Dark Shadows 1-20, Doc Savage, Dr Solar, Fat Albert, Flash Gordon, Fun-In, Funky Phantom, Grimm's Ghost, Happy Days, Land of Giants, Kroft Supershow, Looney Tunes, Magnus, Mighty Mouse 156-172 (esp. Mighty Heroes issues), Mighty Samson, Mars Patrol, Munsters, Nancy & Sluggo (for the Peanuts strip), Occult Files of Dr Spector, Most #1's, Phantom 1-10, Popeye 66-80, Ripley's 1-30, Space Family Robinson 1-20, Space Ghost, Star Trek 1-9, Super TV Heroes, Tarzan 132-206, Turok 30-50, 101-130, Twilight Zone 1-30, 83,84, UFO Flying Saucers, Underdog, Wacky Witch, Wild Wild West & Zody the Mod Rob. >>>> These undervalued & low supply titles sold well, at 135-150% Guide, included; Beetle Bailey #39-53, Golden Comics Digest, Inspector, Lancelot Link, Little Monsters, Lone Ranger, Mystery Comics Digest, Peanuts, Phantom, Pink Panther, Scooby Doo, Smokey Bear, & Wacky Races.
HARVEY;
Demand went thru the roof for almost all Cartoon Harvey titles this year, from all eras, but especially those from 1950-1970.
We sold more this year than in the previous 6-7 years combined. The greatest difficulty is re-stocking, which cannot be done on ebay, as prices go to high, for non strict graded copies. Even most of our 1970's & 1980's titles are greatly delpleted this year.
For the first half year Hot Stuff was by far the most requested, but in the 3rd quarter all Pre-1976 Richie Rich titles tripled
in Demand & became the new bestselling Harvey's once again. When compared to the much more common Marvel's,
everything from Harvey seems quite the bargain. Especially for very popular Characters that 2 Generations of Fans grew up on, 7 still get media exposure to this day. The few existing CGC 9.4 early & key issues that exist, can bring 300-800% Guide. A new trend is, buyers who having completed their favorite characters, hunting down back-up stories in other titles, of same characters. [Especially Richie Rich, who for example appears in Mutt & Jeff #116-131]; These are the approx order of most requested titles; Hot Stuff, Wendy, Devil Kids, Richie Rich Poor Little Rich Boy, all squarebound giants, Hot Stuff Sizzlers, all #1's, Baby Huey, Stumbo, Richie Rich Millions & Success, Harvey Hits, Sad Sack, Playful Little Audrey, Spooky, Little Dot, 1970's Richie Rich titles, Blondie, Casper, Scooby Doo, Dagwood, Felix the Cat, Hanna-Barbera Titles, Bunny, Little max, Mutt & Jeff, Joe Palooka. Li'l Abner & Dick Tracy were slower. Many buyers were filling in sets & would take any grade available, with VG-FN range the most requested. Those looking for pre-1970 strict NM copies were pretty much out of luck, as very few exist, with even most file copies being in the VF thru VF/NM condition range. The Low print run Comics & Digests from 1988-1993, plus the Alfred Harvey Titles, circa 19909, are all consistant sellers, at 150% guide.
HUMOR
& PARODY Comics & Magazines;
Mad,
Crazy, Sick & Cracked are not around in big supplies like a
decade back. Cover & contents affects value & salability.
Most buyers preferred cheaper G or VG range copies. Sick & Cracked #1-100 are hard to re-stock & are fast sellers at
125-150% guide. We encountered a few Cracked completionists, who are having a hard time with un-numbered specials,
series that did not begin at #1, and series where the last issue number is not known. Ther are also various Digests, Paperbacks,
Specials & other items on the above. At 220+ different titles, the MAD Mass Market Paperback series just might be more
difficult to complete than the complete comic & mag series. Many of the 1980's paperbacks had just one short & finite printing.
The early fold-in issues MAD #86-150 remain Scarce in Un-Folded High grade & bring premiums. It seems that Most of the
1975 & older Mad specials have the Bonuses missing, thus can be tough to complete intact. Warren's Help mags & Harvey Kurtzman paperbacks sold very fast at around 135% guide, & are hard to restock. Well up in demand & bringing 120-150% Guide are all the Obscure Parody titles; Ape, Apple Pie, Ballyhoo, Berford Seaman's Flabby Thighs & Butter, Brother Billy the Pain from Plains, CARtoons, Cycletoons, Eh, Fuddle Duddle, Grin, Humbug, International Insanity, Laugh-In, Nuts, Panic, Parody, Rump, Surftoons, Thimk, Trash, Trump, Up Your Nose, Whack, Wacko, Wild, Yell, You Don't Say (Marvel), Zany, etc.
IW & SUPER Reprints;
IW & Super reprints now date 40-50 Years old. There are perhaps about 250-300 different in total. About 100 of them are fairly easy to get, but once you get past that point they get scarcer. Some collectors are always asking if certain issues listed in the guide
actually exist, but that remains unknown at this time. I have been told by collectors, that once you get down to the last 50 needed,
many are quite scacr to rare, & must be purchased one at a time with lots of searching. They are cool titles to collect, as they contain great variety of genres, with lots of artists, from many publisher sources. In the early Comic Code Era, they published their titles without comics codes. Many issues contain Pre-Code Reprints, in an era where they were not allowed. 90% of their output
can be purchsed at under $10 per item in lower grades. Apparently some have previously unpublished Golden & Atom Age stories. DYNAMIC ADVENTURES #12(Unpublished Chestler GA material?; Canada's ZOR the Mighty -c/s; Letkeman-a);
All this probably explains why they sold so well in the last couple of years. They are affordable, lots of fun, interesting & a challenging series to collect, give 'em a try.
LOVE
comics;
It still amazes
Super-Hero fans, how Love comics have become so popular. The biggest
appeal seems to be the low survival
rates. Also most sellers do not, or will not carry them. Thus when buyers find us they are very happy & place nice sized orders.
Most buyers of NON Marvel & NON DC titles want lower grade copies in FA, G or VG, but higher grades move too.
Marvel & DC titles sell fast in all grades, but the FN & up issues are in short supply & now are the fastest sellers.
My Love & Our Love Story are constantly asked for, as many Marvel Bronze Age completionists need these. Any issue,
from any publisher, that is judged a Key issue, Minor Key, Giant, or Popular Artist issue, sells at least twice as fast.
Neal Adams issues are Red Hot & cannot be kept in stock at 150-200% Guide in any grade. A small warehouse find
of about 100 different issues of 1960's Charlton Love comics turned up, most in VF condition range, thus over supplying
the market on these issues for a short time. One must remember, that the other 100's of Charlton Love comics are still
quite scarce in better than FN condition. All in G-FN still moved very well. Demand for 1940's & 1950's Romance is still
strong & steady, with artist issues still the most sought out. . Steranko's Our Love Story #5 is now one of our most requested of all Bronze Age Marvel's. Gothic Romances #1 & Gothic Tales of Love #1, 2 sell at Double Guide, but were near impossible to find. Skywald Tender Love was also much requested by completionists. Teen Love Stories (1969/70) 1-3 has also been Hot with Warren Completionists.
MARVEL;
The Marvel's from 1970-1974 were the most requested & remain in short supply. Issues from 1961-1964 were in demand,
but high prices have scared off buyers with smaller budgets. All Major & Moderate Key issues of the 1970-1974 Period
over doubled in demand as compared to last year. Amazing Spider-Man #129 is Red Hot & even on eBay unslabbed copies bring over guide with CGC copies bringing good multiples. The other 10-15 earliest appearances of Punisher are hot too. The shortage of 20 cent era Marvels continues, especially in high grades. Strict High Grade copies bring well over guide, slabbed, or not. This was perhaps the best year ever for Bronze & Silver Age in strictly graded in 8.0 to VF/NM & better. All Super-Hero titles were in large demand, as everyone wanted to complete everything from 1961-1985 . *** These Marvel Key issues (bringing 135-150% Guide) saw their highest demand in many years; Amazing Adventures #11, Amazing Spider-Man #3,11,12,53-56,119-122,124,129, 134,135,161,162, Avengers #101-125, Daredevil #50-53, 77,81,100,131,158,168, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #28, Defenders #1-5,10, Evel Knievel, Fear #10,19,20,24, Ghost Rider #1-10, GS Spidey #4, G.I.Joe #21,93,150-155, Incredible Hulk #122,126,140,141, 161,162,180, 181, Ironfist #14,15, Marvel Feature #1-3, Marvel Preview #2, Marvel Spotlight #2,5-11, M.Teamup 1-15, Planet of the Apes (Mag) #29, Pussycat #1(Scarce & sells instantly at 150% Guide), Savage Sword #231-235, Savage Tales #1, Sub-Mariner #34, 35, Tomb of Dracula #1-10, Transformers #61-80, Werewolf by Night #1-10, 32, GS X-Men #1. All Marvel 1970's to early 1980's magazines have finally seen a good rise in demand, especially for STRICT high grade copies. Now that CGC grades them, they will likely not stat inexpensive as compared to Color comics, for much longer. It will be interesting to see how CGC handles grading mags, as they are traditionally much tougher in strict NM, than their color comic counterparts. TNC (Traditionally Non Collected) Titles are still big sellers, (but were overshadowed this year by Super-Hero titles), & are good Long term buy, they brought 120%-135% Guide, including; Cartoon, Digests, Fanzines, Giveaway/Promo items, Magazines, Memorabilia, Paperbacks, Reprint titles, Romance, Teenage, Treasuries, TV/Movie, War, Western, etc; The Marvel ADULT cartoon mags (Cartoons & Gags, Cartoon Capers/Laughs/Parade, etc) are hard to find in ANY grade & sell fast. Those with the Pussycat strip, or Bill Ward art, typically sell for about double the others. >>> ALSO in Heavy Demand, & bringing 120%-135% Guide, were; Amazing Adv #11-17, Amazing Spider-man 91-200, Avengers 71-99,126-200, Beware, Bizarre Adventures, Capt America #131-200, Capt Marvel #25-35, Chamber of Chills, Chili, Conan #26-100,270-275, Daredevil #50-181, Dead of Night 1-11, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, Dracula Lives, Epic, Fantastic Four #100-200, Fireside books, Foom, Fraggle Rock #7,8 (non reprinted issues), Frankenstein, all Giant Size titles, G.I.Joe 1-27, 94-120, 141-149, Haunt of Horror (mag & digest), Howard the Duck Mag, Hulk Mag, Incredible Hulk 121-200, Invaders 1-10, Iron Man #31-100, Kazar #12(variant), Kull 1-10, Kull & Barbarians 1-3, L'il Kids, L'il Pals, Mad about Millie, M.Comics Super Special 1-10,31-41, Marvel Fun & Games, Marvel Preview 1-10, M.Treasury 1-28, M, Two-in-One 1-10, Ann.2, Masters of the Universe, Master of Kung Fu 15-50, Mighty Marvel Western 1-15, all Millie the Model, Monsters on Prowl 9-16, Monsters Unleased, My Love, Nick Fury 1-5, Night Nurse, Our Love Story, Pizzazz, Planet of the Apes mags 21-28, Savage Sword #1-20,200-230, Savage Tales #2-5, Scooby Doo, Shanna, Spectacular Spider-Man #26-28,64,81-83, Spidy Super Stories
1-20, Sub-Mariner 8,21-50, Supernatural Thrillers, Tales of the Zombie, Thor 180-230, Tomb of Dracula mags 1-6, Uncanny Tales, Unknown Worlds of SF, Vampire Tales, Vault of Evil, What If (1st series) 1-31, X-Men #50-66, 94-121; Low Grade Reading copies were again in big demand. Early appearances of Abomination were hot for the previous 6 months, now upstaged by demand for Doctor Octopus items, due to the next Spidy film. Due to Small Print Runs, most Marvel's from 1996 up sell well. Onslaught issues still sell, with only the "Heroes Return" era selling slow. Marvel Knights & Many titles from the 2000-2003 are Hot & are actually tough to keep in stock. It is nice to see again, new comics that hold their value & even legitimately rise in value.
National Lampoon;
National Lampoon took over the helm from MAD in 1970, as the greatest Humor mag on the market. Every issue has comics & in the 1970's, the appeal of a Comics-Code Free mag, with huge creative freedom & higher wages, drew almost all the major talent of the time. Artists appearing (many regularily), include; Neal Adams, Bode, Frazetta, Jeff Jones, Kaluta, Morrow, Orlando, Rodrigues, Romita, Arnold Roth, Springer, Barry Windsor-Smith, Gahan Wilson, Wrightson, & many More. Issue #1(4/1970) thru #16(7/1971) are Scarce in FN or Better, but also in ANY grade; #17 thru #33(12/1972) are in Low supply, but espacially in VF or better; The Hottest issues are; #1 which sells at $150-$200 in FN/VF, #2-10 at $40-$75 each in FN range,
#13(Frazetta-c; VF $50), #16(7/1971; PORNOGRAPHY issue), 19(BEATLES parody), 20(HORROR issue; Wilson-c; DRAGULA, with FRAZETTA inner-c & 9 pages NEAL ADAMS art; VF $50), 22(1/72; NOTHING SACRED; 1st "SON-O-GOD" = 10 pages NEAL ADAMS art, ROBERT CRUMB art; Classic M. Gross painted-c, 1st FUNNY PAGES Section; VF $40), 26(CONAN parody, by Barry Windsor-Smith; VF $30), 27(SF issue; Classic FRAZETTA-c; VF $35), 31(Rolling Stones parody, Neal Adams; VF $30),
33(Adams-a; VF $25), 34(1/1973; Death issue; "Buy this Magazine, or we will shoot this Dog" Scarce & Hot; VF $50) & many
more; 1964 High School Yearbook Parody is the single hottest of anything they published with Reading copies bringing
$35-$50 and nice VF copies selling very fast at $100 each; Most of the Special's on the market are only G to VG+ copies,
with VF or better copies being Scarce, as most were not bagged & most were well read & loved by their owners.
Some of the highest demand, or scarcer specials include; Best of National Lampoon #1(VF $50), 3, 7-9, Breast of NL (#2),
Cartoons Even We Wouldn’t Dare Print, Comics, Encyclopedia of Humor(Wrightson-c; VF $30), Foto Funnies (VF $25),
French Comics(VF $25), Gentlemen’s Bathroom Companion Vol.1, 2 (VF $25+ each), Hitler’s Favorite Cartoons(VF $25),
True Facts(VF$30), Up Yourself Book (VF $30), Very Large Book of Comical Funnies(VF $22), & others. The Classic paperback "Bored of the Rings" has been in print since the 1960's & is a bestseller in any grade, at $4-$10 each. From 1981-1985 the Print runs dropped sharply & the remaining copies on the market are getting scarcer. From 1986-1993, it seems almost no one bought them & there are almost no copies on the market, prices are rising on this era & they will be tough to complete. Nat Lamp, remains one of the most overlooked & under valued collectibles in our entire hobby. Perhaps one day consumer demand will get them listed in the guide, they rightly deserve to be listed. We highly recommend you buy them now, while prices are still relatively low & before all supplies are gone. They remained one of our top sellers consistantly all this year.
TREASURY Editions;
All Treasury Sized Comics are on the rise in demand. Previous buyers were buying special artist & favorite character issues.
But recent buyers are now filling in their runs. The Scarcest Issues bringing 135-200% Guide; Annie, Christmas & Archie, Rudolph (1972), G.I.Joe, Golden Picture Story Book, King Kong, Smurfs; We even sold a couple nice sets & some singles of the 6 issue Walt Disney Paint Book series (1975), at Guide prices; Due to their large size Treasuries tend to become damaged easily, coupled with the fact that Treasury Comic Bags have never been widely available, means that true Strict VF+ and Better copies are quite scarce on the market. Since CGC does not grade this size, it makes it even tougher for fans to get true High Grade copies. Strict NM & better copies are nearly Non-Existant. Red & Black colored covers are ever tougher, as the colors rub so very easily on these giant comic mags. Marvel Treasury #1 and LCE C-23 & C-25 for Example are "Condition Sensitive" & extra Tough in High Grades. >>> The Hottest issues, bringing 120-135% Guide are; All-New Collectors edition C#53-56,58, Captain Amercia's BiCentennial Battles, DC Special Series #27, Famous First Edition, Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera 1-3, Limited Collectors Edition C#23-25,32-34,37-39,41-52, Marvel Treasury 1-10,14,18,26,28, Marvel Special Edition (Spectacular Spider-Man) #1 (1975), Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man #1.
Underground Comics;
Interest has picked up on Undergrounds, with Robert Crumb most requests, in any printings. Many are looking for impossibly Scarce Low print 1960's issues, & we could not help. But we do have a large 1970's to early 1980's selection & sold about double
what we did in previous years. Artist issues, Like Corben & Bode were most requested, followed by well know characters & titles. Bestsellers included; Air Pirates Funnies, Anomaly, Bijou Funnies, Cocaine Comix, Dr Atomic, Fat Freddy's Cat, Grim Wit, Rip Off, Rowlf, Skull, Slow Death, Snarf, Wonder Wart Hog & Zap. Most Pre-1975 issues are scarce in strict VF/NM or better. When the next Underground Price Guide eventually gets issues, we should see a sharp rise in prices & demand, especailly the Scarcer early issues.
Variants,
& LIMITED EDITIONS;
Marvel's
30 & 35 cent Variants saw big increased demand & price
increases. We sold almost all we could get our hands on, in spite of
the very low guide prices. There are now many buyers after these &
they now realize the guide is behind on these.
Value is determined by character popularity & implied scarcity. Spider-Man is hands down the most requested. The Marvel 30 cents price variants, with 100-500 copies each estimated to exist, brought 400%-1500% regular issue prices in grade. Amazing Spider-Man #155-159 Variants are most requested & VF copies would bring in the $100+ each range for VF copies. Omega the Unknown #3 is among the more common of the 30 Cent variants & reflects our minimum Price on these variants; G$7; VG$14; FN$20; VF$30; NM$40; (Minimum for 35 cent variants begins at double these prices); *** Marvel Western & Horror Reprint titles are among the scacest issues, & bring higher percentages. The much scarcer Marvel 35 cents price variants, with 10-100 copies each estimated to exist, brought 1000-5000% regular issue prices. Amazing Spider-Man #169-173 Variants are most requested & VF copies would bring in the $200+ each range for VF copies. The most common 35 cent variant being Star Wars #1, with an estimated 200 copies existing, but because it has been listed in the guide for about 20 years, has reached Legendary Status, thus the High Guide value & large demand. Over 3.5% of CGC graded copies of Star Wars #1's are variants. Canadian Variants were again Popular, see our Canadian comics section in this report. Limited Edition like Dynamic Forces Signed Copies, Hologram-c, Gold, Platinum, Signed & Numbered, Polybagged specials, Cover Variants, are expensive to stock & collect. They seem to be most popular when relatively new, but as they get older they get lost in a vast sea of such Limited Edition's & become hard to move. The only exception seems to be long proven characters such as Vampirella.
Warren,
Skywald & other Horror Comic Mags;
Horror
mags were again one of our strongest sellers. Marvel & Warren are
espacially hot in VF/NM or better, as many expect CGC grading mags to
cause price increases. It will be interesting to see how many
Under-Valued Dracula Lives #1's and Vampire Tales #1 exist in 9.4 or
better, as compared to the higher priced Tomb of Dracula #1's. How
long will the mags with early Blade & Punisher stay low priced?
Many fans will soon realize how scarce mags truely are in strict
grades of VF/NM, or higher.
We still have huge demand for low grader copies, as a lot of Readers want these mags, while they are still affordable.
The mags from Eerie the Publisher, Modern Day & Stanley had over-the-top Gory covers/stories, but still sell better to Readers,
than to higher grade collectors. These were scarcer & sold fast at 120-135% Guide; Ghoul Tales, Shock, Terrors of Dracula, Web of Horror & Weird Vampire Tales In the last 2 years, we sold over 25 copies of Creepshow 1st printing in VF/NM range at $50 average, mainly to ready buyer in the Stephen King collectible market. We finally got in some nice Skywald mag collections (Psycho, Nightmare & Scream) & all numbers sold fast & furious. Previously low grade was most requested, but this year High Grades were on most want lists. We had some amazing high grade copies in the "Manitoba" collection that brought 150-300%
Guide. Many buyers told me they got tied of bidding on overgraded VF-NM copies on eBay & having FN to F/VF copies arrive.
There are still some dwindling supplies of only a few issues (perhaps under 100 different in total) of Warren Warehouse leftovers,
but they are not high grade copies, as many are now only VG+ to FN+, after over 20 years of handling wear. The Warren Warehouse copies are what is holding back warren prices from exploding. As fans realize they all need the same issues
numbers, no longer commonly available, they begin to pay better prices to fill in their runs. We found a few each of Skywald's 1971 adult mag "King" with #1's selling fast with Boris Vallejo art at $20 in FN. We sold a VF After Hours #1 (1957; 1st warren Mag & Playboy immatator; 2 page centerfold B&W NUDE Photo Pinup of BETTY PAGE) for $500.00; Later in this 4 issue series, Jim Warren asked Forrest J Ackerman to do a feature on Hollywood Monsters & thus this became a very rare pre-cursor to Famous Monsters. These mags are RARELY offered for sale in ANY condition, MUCH LESS in HIGH GRADE! Eerie #17 is blazing hot, with current values of about; VG$75, FN$150, VF$250; Blazing Combat #1 easily brings 200% of Guide in any grade.
**** The MOST requestred issues, at 120-150% Guide; Blazing Combat #1,2, & Anthology, Comix International #1, Cracked Monster Party & For Monsters Only, CREEPY #9,10,14,17-19,29,32,50,76,78,113,132-146 & 1968 Yearbook; Devilina #2, Dracula Lives #1-3,10-13, Eerie #5, 8, 17,18, 23-25,28,38-40,45,60,81,94,95,98,108,125,128, 130-139 & 1970 Yearbook, Famous Monsters #1-32, & Paperbacks, Haunt of Horror #3-5, King (Skywald) #1,2, Marvel Preview #3,7,8,12, Monsters to Laugh With 1-3, Monsters Unleashed 1-4, 9-11, Monster World (replaces Famous Monsters #70-79) #2,3,4,9,10, Movie Monsters (Skywald) 2-4, Odd World of Richard Corben, Screen Thrills (Warren), Spacemen(Warren), Spirit Special, Tales of the Zombie 1,10 & Annual, Thrilling Adv #2 , VAMPIRELLA #1-8,12,16,19,33,36,41,45,46,48,52,61,63,64,77,78,100-113, Annual #1, Special #1, UK mags 1-4, Paperbacks (UK & USA) 1-6, Vampire Tales 1-5,8,9, Warren Presents #13(Sword & Sorcery Comix), 14 (11/81; Rex Havoc), Web of Horror #1-3, Weird Tales of the Macabre #2 & WESTERNS (aka Wildest Westerns of Filmland);
WEBSITE
vs eBay;
eBay
prices were low on many unslabbed comics. Buyers often now assume bad
grading & bid accordingly. There are many
sellers willing to accommodate this market. We bought a lot less material off eBay this year, as off-graded copies offset profits on many purchases. We did successfully sell a few batches of nice comics by using large scans, so buyers could see they were
properly graded. In general i found it too much labour to sell items that would bring decent prices. Most of what we sold on eBay
this year was CGC graded comics & they did quite well. To me eBay is a huge Flea Market & i prefer a more controlled market,
thus i really concentrated on listing items on my Website. Our Website now has about 100 Catagories too choose from, with 10 to 150 pages of items listed in each Catagory. [And we have only listed 2/3 our inventory]; We had a very strong return of Previous Buyers, plus Many New Buyers, who preferred to buy many well graded items all at once from one seller, over buying single items via auction. We gain more international buyers each year. eBay accounted for under 5% of our sales. Both my customers & i are finding endless items, that even i didn't know i had. We have Literally 1000's of items, that no one else on the entire internet has in stock, & buyers find these items many times per day. We abandoned our traditional Snail-Mail Catalogued lists in 1997. We still sell to many buyers who do not have internet, mainly thru phone calls, want lists, ad's & word of mouth.
It seems our Website & our Regular Repete buyers will be our main avenue for selling collectibles in the years to come.
WHITMAN;
Whitman's from 8-12/1980 are confirmed to be sold Only in Pre-Packs & with very low distribution. Porky Pig #99 might be the scarcest of all the Whitman 8-12/1980 issues, & would bring $100+ in VF, if it exists at all. The current market Rarest issues (in approx order from Rarest to Moderately Rare) are; Porky Pig 99, Winnie the Pooh 22, Looney Tunes 34, 35, Tom & Jerry 332, Super Goof 61, Pink Panther 76, 77, Chip & Dale 69, Little Lulu 260, Daffy Duck 130,131,Tweety & Slyvester 107, Yosemite Sam 70, Popeye 158, Woody Woodpecker 190, Porky Pig 98, Chip and Dale 68, Tweety & Slyvester 106, Yosemite Sam 69, Bugs Bunny 221, WDC&S 480, Battle of the Planets 7, Mickey Mouse 208, Donald Duck 222, Uncle Scrooge 179. Our minimum price for 8-12/80 Whitmans begin at; G$6, VG$10, FN$18, VF$25 & we are nearly sold out; The BIG-3 (Uncle Scrooge #179, Donald Duck #222 and WDC&S #480) are finding their way into the market because of high & still rising prices. Little Lulu #260 is apparently still not high enough in the guide, as they are not coming onto the market & would easily bring $500-$1000 in VF/NM. The books on the list above, might start to hit the market more as price rise. At current price levels, sellers are not hunting them down that hard. We have a waiting list for; Battle of the Planets #7, Porky Pig #99, Winnie the Pooh #22, & Super Goof #61 & Pink Panther #77; The 1983/84 No-Date, No Date-Code issues, are also Confirmed distributed only in Pre-Packs & bring $15 minimum in VF. Whitman Variant's of Gold Key's 11/71-2/80 are possible & they sell to completionists for 150-300% of GK issue values. The 163+ Known DC WHITMAN Variants in 16 titles, sell well to completionists & Variant collectors in the $6-$15 range for VG-VF copies.
******************************************************************************************************************************
MARKET REPORT on COMICS in Overstreet Annual Price Guide #32, by Douglas W. Sulipa = (UN-EDITED & Complete Original Version)
Below is a copy of my MARKET REPORT, written in Sept./2001, for use in Overstreet Annual #32! [the current guide which was released in May/2002; Thus ALL the info in the guide was 8 months OLD upon Release Date];
Below is the COMPLETED and UN-EDITED Original Report! About 40% of the Report Below, was NOT Printed in the New Guide #32; I have Highlighted in RED the catagory Headings to reflect sections edited out by Overstreet!
*** [my Current MARKET REPORT in Overstreet Annual #32, is on pages 72-81].
*** [my Previous MARKET REPORT in Overstreet Annual #31, is on pages 64-75].
I hope you enjoy it & find it informative!!!
Thank You! ..... Douglas W. Sulipa, of Comic World
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
>> Our WEB PAGE; [with HUGE Inventory of COMICS, Magazines, Books & other Collectibles
IN STOCK; If you see items of interest, ASK for current Availiability, Price & Condition ] = www.dougcomicworld.com = [ Bookmark this page! ]
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
COMIC WORLD
BOX 21986
STEINBACH, MANITOBA
CANADA R5G 1B5
Email; cworld@mts.net
(Ph; 1-204-346-3674)(Fax; 1-204-346-1632)
E-BAY;
Again this year, eBay has played an important role in the marketplace. It has especially been
important for the selling of CGC graded comics. Unslabbed comics that appear too often,
bring low prices compared to guide. Low value books that appear rarely, often go for multiples
of guide, even if newer vintage issues. Overstock material dumping has slowed,
due to poor results. Mistrust of grading, has made CGC more powerful in this marketplace,
than they otherwise would have been. It is now taken for granted by many buyers, that unslabbed
comics will be lower grade lower than that listed by seller, & thus auction end prices are lower.
EBay is in fact like a gigantic Flea Market. Thus many uneducated buyers & sellers participate.
Knowing this, one can easily see how unintentional errors occur with regularity, so do not be
to hard on either buyer or seller. Kindly inform them instead. Due to eBay, 1000’s have re-entered the
marketplace. Many are shocked how the market has changed in the last 10-20 years. One must
realize, that many books graded NM in 1980, are only FN/VF by todays strict standards. International
buyers are entering the market at an accelerated rate, as more go on-line. This should keep that market strong for many years to come. We must take good care of these new customers, for the long term strength of our market. Surprisingly, about 1/3 of all sellers will not sell to international customers, & about 25% of sell will not even sell to Canada. We find that about 10% of our eBay buyers are from Canada & about 15% are international. Known dealers still get better prices, as buyers realize they will get the condition they are bidding on. The advantage of grading properly, is repeat & loyal customers & off-line sales. EBay is an indicator of trends, but due to the many wild cards, not a good source to base Guide values. The fact that we can see market activity actually happen, perhaps makes us overestimate the importance of eBay as compared to the entire market. No longer “new”, eBay has settled it’s way permanently as an important tool and is stablizing the market. Many dealers report they have a hard time re-stocking, as collectors no longer need a middleman & can sell directly to the market on eBay. Many dealers in fact shop for stock & want lists for customer off eBay. We have seen a stong resurrgence of off-line buyers, who prefer to buy
many well graded items all at once from one seller. Much time & money is wasted buying items
one at at time via auction.
PROFESSIONAL GRADING;
CGC graded comics are now a permanent part of our market, & will likely continue to grow in importance.
Many buyers & sellers are now convinced, & have joined in on this segment of the market. A lot of
“testing the waters” experimenting still goes on, as we all decide the current & future trends. Most of
the negative fears are now subsided, as people realize this is essectially a great new tool in this dynamic marketplace. Fears that the entire market would depend on slabbing are gone too. Obviously, only about 1 in 100 vintage comics is in a Grade worthy of slabbing, due to the high & still escalating costs of encapsualtion, waiting & shipping. Record prices have already subsided & are now becoming more predictable & stable. Requests for high grade copies, not yet “slabbed” books is near an all time high, as buyers try to save a few dollars. Most CGC activity is with the traditional well known Key issues, & mainstream titles, especially Marvel, followed by DC! Buyers of slabbed comics see the best known tiltles as the safest buys. Oddball titles do not seem to fair as well. Many new “investors” & returning collectors are buying certified comics. Those who bought to early in the CGC market, find they can not recover initial high prices paid. These buyer should consult knowledgable dealers, before paying high multiples. Especially down in value are the multiples paid for 9.6 to 10.0 comics Post-1985. Many 1970’s comics, are scarce in strict high grades, but especially those from 1970-1974. This may change slightly as values escalate, as at this time, it costs $10 more to slab a 1974 & older comic, as oppoosed to a 1975 & newer issue. This has stopped slabbing of many pre-1975 Bronze books & has skewed the view of rarity by condition. We find that many long-time high grade collectors, are resisting paying the “new” multiples for slabbed copies & instead lowering their expectations to VF range unslabbed copies. The CENSUS or Population Report, is already an important referance for the market. Prices have already turned way downward on all Over-Slabbed books. Many do not even recover the cost of slabbing. New X-Men & related titles have suffered the biggest downturn, due to huge numbers already slabbed. Buyers have now decided they want the best existing copies. The census now releals that most are not the best & prices are suffering.
But, if you can find the best copy, then you will be rewarded with a high price. So the great scanvenger hunt for the best copies has begun. I should point out that most of the best copies, especially on Silver Age, are in permanent collections, thus we may never know what the best existing copies are. Thus we feel you should buy high grade at market prices, but should not overpay to get the current best copy. One annoying aspect of this market is the cases, as they crack so very easily. One must predict a certain percentage will crack into their projected profits & this being only for major cracks. We find as much as 5% of every shipment arrives from CGC with hairline cracks, if one examines them closely upon arrival. Hopefully something better will be manufactured one day. Most Silver Age graded less than 9.0, now bring below guide, as buyers are spoiled by all the high grade copies on the current market. Issues judged to have minor restoration go at fire sale prices. These 2 groups are perhaps the biggest bargain in CGC collectibles. The new 10 point grading system is easy to use & already highly accepted by everyone. CGC is to be congraulated
for setting the industry standard in concrete. Like it or not, weather you grade too loose or too stiict, you will have to adjust to this standard, as buyers with cash have spoken. Best of all, is now that we have this standard, it will not be necessary to change standards every 5 to 10 years,as we have had to in the past. Assuming proper storage, we now expect a strict graded VF today, to still be a VF in the year 2020 AD. CGC needs badly to add Magazine Sized item case to their offerings. There are 100’s of valuable items screaming to get slabbed, especially when one notes that most mags are scarcer in investment grades than equivalent comics. If this does happen, watch for very sharp price increases.
RESTORATION;
Professional grading has all but destroyed the market for Restored books. Dealers shiver & cry the blues when a CGC book comes back with the much dreaded Purple label. Silver Age comics in apparent VF or better, now bring only the G to VG range prices. Golden Age does better, but still below guide in general. The Pro restoration experts report most of their traditional buiness is all but gone, due to current events. This seems to be insanity, as perhaps 25-50% of all comics over $1000 value, have some amount of restoration. A formula need to be made, to relate the amount, type & mode (pro or amateur) of restoration to price. In most other collectibles Preservation is a positive feature & can increase value, but is not dealt with in our hobby. Preservation should be encouraged, not shunned. Minor restoration should not reduce value below the grade pre-restored, before the new “apparent” grade is assigned. Minor restoration to a VF, should reduce it to VG or less value. A multiplier needs to be assigned to say for example, that a small 1” tear seal, should be worth say 90% guide value. On the other hand, a GA book, that began as a Fair & had $1000 of major heavy restoration, parts replace, etc, to become an apparent VF, should have a multiplier that says it is worth say 15-30% of the VF guide value. Some of the best deals in our hobby, are now beautiful restored books, which are currently avoided like the plague, due to lack of knowledge & firm hobby guidelines. Un-Preserved comics may continue their current deterioration & need
deperately to be treated by Professionals. We are talking about 10’s of millions of dollars in comics. Restoration to stop further deterioration, should be a positive thing, especially by a Pro in the field. This needs to urgently be addressed ASAP, before we lose all the Restoration experts in our hobby. That would be tragic.
THEME & Completionist COLLECTING;
This has been perhaps our stongest year ever for Theme collecting. Entire huge libraries & potential museum collections are being built daily, thru ebay & accomidating dealers. The internet has made this type of collecting Blossom. More & more Collect by theme, character, & artist, on both cover or content, many with as little as a 1 panel cameo or parody. This is one of the most challenging & exciting areas in our hobby today, yet remains affordable to most. The stongest theme markets & items we sold heavily this year includes 1 panel cameos, or larger, {Parodies included}, apperances in anything of; Vampires/Dracula, Spider-Man, Sherlock Holmes, Girl Spanking Panels, Archie Swimsuit covers, & plus anything with Golf covers. We have contributed heavily to a Vampire/Dracula Comic appearance collection of approx 7-10,000 items!
We have contributed heavily to several Sherlock Holmes Parody & immitation collections, including 2 collections approaching & exceding 20,000 items each, including non-comic items too. Other Themes asked for & growing in popularity include; Amazon Women, Author adaptions (Poe, etc), Bath/Shower panel(s), Black People, Black Heroes, Bondage, Cheerleaders, Chess, Christmas, Crossovers, Cross-Dressing, Dismemberment, Devil/Satan, Dinosaurs, Dismemberment, Dragons, Errors, Female Heroes, Halloween, Horses, Last issues, Lingerie panels, Mermaids, Monsters, Motor Cycles, Mummy, #100’s, Nudity panels, Out of Character, Paper Dolls, Politically incorrect panels, RCMP/Mounties, Religion, Robots, Rock/Music star parody & app, Slavery/Slaves, Space/SF/Rockets, TV character parody, UFO/Flying Saucers, Time Machine/Travel, Titanic, Torture panel(s), various Wars (WW-II, Civil War, etc), Werewolf, Whipping panels, ; Witches/Witchcraft, Zombies. In addition many collectors are now competing to get one copy each, of each & every appearance, anywhere on or in anything, of their favorite character or artist. Character Favorites include; Capt.Marvel/Shazam, Edgar Rice Burroughs characters, Flash Gordon, Hanna Barbera, Howard the Duck, Hulk, JLA, JSA, Phantom, Pulp heroes, Robert E. Howard characters, Silver Surfer, Spider-man, Wolverine, Wonder Woman, etc. Fanzines, odd format items, promo items & memorabilia continue bring good dollars on many of these items. Many of these collectors buy just comics, but many have diversified into a wide variety of related collectibles.
PLATINUM AGE;
The revised section in Guide #32 has more collectors looking at this market. While not a
hot market, it is rather steady & has it’s serious collectors. The internet has made more & more new
finds possible. Many items sell below guide on eBay, as buyers do not think to search for the item, on the week offered, thus it is the wrong market to sell it to. We obtained a good size collection, in the usual lower grades. We expected scarcer items to sell first, but the lower priced Big Name character items went faster. This is likely due to familiarity. Many items in this catagory are historically important, but lost to the long gone generations & unknown to current collectors. Suprizingly, when compared to Golden Age prices, almost everything seems a bargain, especially when scarcity in considered. We had several requests for Yellow Kid, but had none! Our bestsellers included; Bringing up Father, Buster Brown, Disney, Little Orphan Annie, Mutt & Jeff. I found several variations, & several items not yet listed in guide #31. Much is still unknown, as these museum bound relics continue to age. Perhaps more prudent buyers, should look again at these historical gems. They are the items that began it all & need to be preserved, studied & more appreciated.
SILVER AGE;
For perhaps the first time, all grades seem to be selling well. Perhaps lowest & highest grades are
still the most popular, but attractive mid-grade copies have really begun to move. This likely due to
the new record prices on high grade. We have noticed that almost everything under $20 sells,
especially low grade readers under $10. Perhaps the only Silver Age that are around in suplus
quantities, are Marvel superhero comics from 1965-1968. Most issues from 1963 & older, and
1969/70 move out faster tahn they come in. We do very well with War, teen, cartoon,
love & western titles, because we have mosnster selections, with little competition. Customers
no longer expect to find these in high grade, & usually choose between reading copies & highest
availaible grades. The shortage of most 1969-1973 superhero comics grows bigger, as most are still
undervalued in the guide. Many 1962 Dell’s & 1963 Gold Key’s remain elusive & continue to enjoy
high demand. All comics published by Tower are again up in demand. Good Artist comics are still
in big demand. Early Adams & Wrightson are particularily hot. It seems more & more buyers are
dicovering Alex Toth, & we expect furure price rises. Pre-1965 Ditko & Wood has always been hot, but recently the demand is notably up for 1965 thru Bronze issues. Most long time proven series, especially those that still publish today, were very stong sellers. Demand for ALL Silver Age giants was relentless, with little supply especially on non-hero Genre’s. Oddball comics & Giants are just not around in high grades, save file copies & petigree collections. Buyers should either lower expectations, or be prepared to pay high market values.
BRONZE AGE;
Because they are still affordable & findable, the Bronze Age comics are perhaps currently the most widely collected catagory. Just as most buyers used to begin with Silver Age a decade ago, now they strive for Bronze Keys & Sets. SA has priced many casual & new buyers out of the market. Once they have dabbled a while in Bronze & begin to become advanced collectors, many will choose to move into SA or GA titles. But many will instead become Bronze completionists. This era is hot, because many buyers have hit that high disposable cash era of their lives & want back the era they grew up in, which now is often Bronze. We note patterns of Bronze age extending past 1980 & feel that buyings patterns strongly suggest that the Bronze Era ends with Secret Wars-1 & Crisis. Books after this period, plummet in demand. There are currently more completionists in this era, than any other, causing anything uncommon to scarce to continue elevating in price. Any grade sells, but most popular are still highest grade investment copies & lowest grade reading copies. There are just not enough high grade copies, especially of 1969-1973 era comic, to meet demand. The prices are still not tempting enough for all the original owner collections to surface on these comics, especially in light of high CGC values. There is still a shortage of almost all Traditionally Non-Collected titles & it grows each year as more disappear into collections. Shortages of high numbered issues from many cancelled titles continue, with many now bring more than issues 5-10 years older. In general for comics post-1974, the #1 issues are the most common & the final issues the least common. All Non-Regular format items continue to sell well, and at over guide, including; Magazines, fanzines, digests, treasuries, paperbacks, promo items, giveaways & all types of memorabilia. Super-Hero comics have made a big comeback, followed next by stong demand for everything Horror, & finally by relentless demand for Traditionally Non-Collected titles! There are more people scrambling to complete runs in this era, than any other. Atlas-Seaboard, Archie’s Red Circle & Warren are very high on many collection completion agenda’s. All Giants were in big demand, as are Treasuries & Digests, all being scarce in True NM. Many buyers find reprint titles an affordable way to collect SA & older titles.
MODERN AGE;
The slowest comics on the market, are mostly from the 1987-1993 era of Mainstream Marvel &
DC titles. This is where the most overprinted, overhoarded & still extant comics of all time live.
They will be dumped for many years to come, until they too become overhandled & begin it
erode in condition. If you are a reader on a low budget, this is where you should go.
But before you write off this era, you should look again, as many future collectibles abound.
First, it should be noted that buyers perceive 1980-1986 DC and Marvel comics as a different era
than 1987 & up. The mid 80’s began the trend of changing our heroes, until many became
unrecognizable to old time fans, thus alienating them & beginning the split in the market.
Now more than ever before, many buy only back issues & nothing New. Conversely, many new
comic buyers buy nothing old & not much in back issues, except to dabble in missed new era
titles. The New comic market & back issue market now survive Independent of each other.
The back issue market is growing. The new comic market has slowed it’s shrinkage & slump.
New comics now have very small print runs, with almost no one stocking recent back issues.
Thus if you miss a recent title, it can be very hard to find. Most new comic shops have dropped
back issues form their valuable floor space, because their market is not buying. Post-1994 comics
one day may actually gain respectible value, by virtue of the tight print runs.
The spill over Bronze titles of 1980-86 remain in high & growing demand, especially high
numbers of titles cancelled in the period. All publishers & Genres that died in this Era, had
low final print runs, & as collectors try to fill in runs, many remain elusive. The reason they all
died, was the advent of the direct market, which demanded & rewarded publishers of superhero
titles. This at the expense of horror, teen, cartoon, love, war, western & other Genre’s. This caused
the death of most publishers of the period, who specialized in non superhero titles. This began the rift
between the general public & their comic buying patterns. The public liked to buy these traditionally
non collected titles, as the disposable reading they were intended to be, but now they were disappearing from the stands. This began the shift of comic readers to the comic shops. The public left the market & newstand sales continued to slow. Comics were now made almost specifically for collectors & in large quantity. If publishers want to recapture the public’s interest, they need to give back the Genre selections, at low cost & were buyers can find them, like at a grocery checkout, perhaps in digest format. Most newer comics are to volatile to firmly report in the guide. Many of the best selling post-80 comics are alternates, especially; Popular artists & writers, TV/Movie, Character & Cartoon, manga, comic strip reprints, horror, 3-D, sports/personality/rock titles, & most items known in other media. Modern Age comics, graded by CGC, have slowed dramatically in price, many not even selling for the cost of slabbing, as the Census shows how common they are in high grade. Modern books may begin to disappear from the CGC market, until they become proven long term investments, rather than fads.
Promotional Comics & GIVEAWAYS;
Promotional comics continue to intrigue & mystify collectors. They are difficult to collect, due to
low supply, conditon & lack of knowledge. EBay has brought many onto the market, with 100’s
yet unlisted in the Guide. If one includes the many variants, there are about 100 Spider-Man
titles alone, not yet in the guide. Anything with a popular character sells with little resistance
to price or condition. Literally 1000’s of regional giveaways, Non character titles, & especially Post-1980 titles, many of very little interest, remain unlisted. Anything with known artists or popular theme sells. A few Super-hero titles were in fact overprinted & hit the direct market, these are the only slow sellers. Supergear Comics & Boston Pops’ Biff Bam Pops with Spiderman would easily bring $500-$1000 in high grades if you could find them. Demand is growing for Ephemera & Promotional items like; handouts, flyers, displays, posters, advance news items, distributor books, shareholder items & similar. The most requested Promo comics this year were; The He-Man/Masters of the Universe & She-Ra/ Princess of Power mini comics that came with the action figures, including variants, plus the
DC Mini comics from Atari games, like Swordquest & Atari Force. All promo comics based on long
standing proven characters showed more demans than supply. Completionists pay the highest prices
for these items.
LIMITED EDITIONS & VARIANTS;
We get many many requests for virtually unfindable variant editions, like Gold, Platinum, Signed
& Numbered, polybagged specials, cover variants, etc. On any popular character, we can get well
over the too conservative prices in the guide. These werer made to be scarce & indeed are.
They can be very frustrating to collect, as it takes too much legwork to find them. This, plus the
fact that there are too many, holds down values. The is something inherently wrong with new items
made to be scarce. Because if they catch on, endless quantities of small editions can be easlily
made, as was done in the Sports card market. Too many equates to diluted prices & slow sales.
Only completionists stay long in this market, thus strong characters & artists are the safest bet.
The slowest segment of this market, is the signed & numbered editions that come with a
Certificate of Authenticity. This again because, endless quantities of small S&N editions can be
made. Vintage Variants on the other hand are in big demand. Demand is directly related to character
popularity. Marvel 30 cents price variants sell from a minimum 5 times regular issue price to as much
as 20-to-1 for character like Spider-Man. Marvel 35 cents price variants sell for 2-3 times the
multiples as compared to 30 cent variants. One of the most common variants is Star Wars #1,
but it brings the highest multiples, only because it has been documented for 20 years & has reached
mythical status as a collectible. This was our best year ever for Canadian Newstand Price Variants.
Gold Key & Dells with Variant back covers & additional art or photo’s are growing fast in demand &
price, with almost none yet documented in the guide.
ARTIST ISSUES;
Always a mainstay of the hobby, Artist issues continue to shift in popularity. Most silver age era & older artists remain steady in demans, as long proven. But many Bronze & Newer era artists have gained huge followings. One segment of the market wants anything ever printed in any format, from Fanzines, odd format items, promo items & memorabilia, from cameo or larger, on their favorite artists. The most sought artists in all these formats are; Byrne, Kirby, Jones, Miller, Perez, Steranko, Starlin, Toth & Wrightson. Others choose collect simply any example of stories by their favorities. >>> Other currently hot artists include; Neal Adams, Baker, Boris Vallejo, Corben, Ditko, Eisner, Glanzman, Golden, Heath, Newton, Wendy Pini, Alex Ross, Don Rosa, Dave Sim, Barry Smith, Sutton, Wood, & Wolverton! Many will buy reprints when available. Issues never reprinted, thus have added demand. Many 1968-1975 issues by above artists are in very high demand & are due for increases, especially Neal Adams, Charlton-era Byrne, Don Newton, most pre-1980 Perez, everything with Steranko, & all Wrightson.
BRITISH EDITIONS;
We had another great year selling UK Reprints of USA comics! Great selling was the Alan Class Pub. 1960’s-80’s B&W squarebound giant reprints, of USA Horror & SF Titles, with some superhero, from Atlas, ACG, Charlton, Archie & others, in the $5-$15 range. As fast as we find them, we sell the 1960’s featured All-New UK-Only material digests from World Adventure library, including; Batman, Superman, Phantom, Flash Gordon, Man from Uncle, & others, selling in the $10-$25 each range. We sold 100’s of the UK weekly comics by Marvel from the 1967-1982 era for $3-$15 each. We imported & sold many of the 1980 era British Marvel “pocketbook” Comics Digests in the $5-$12 range! The hot UK Marvel Digest output includes; Chiller #1-27 (Dracula, Manthing, etc) , Conan #1-13 (Smith-r), Fantastic Four #1-24 (Kirby-r), Hulk #1-13 (Kirby & TTA-r), Marvel Classics #1-12, Spider-Man #1-22, Star Heroes #1-11 (Micronauts & Battlestar; becomes X-Men 12 up), Titans #1-13, X-Men #12-28, & Young Romance #1-10. Young Romance #3 sold for over $25-50 several times on eBay for the classic Steranko Love story-r. We also sold 100’s of the superb UK only, 1950’s-80’s War comic digests like Commando, War Picture Library, etc, in the $3-$20 range. British Hardcover Annual collecting is fast growing in demand, especially with the New Price guide on the subject. These Annuals include almost every Popular character, Superhero, TV show, comic, western & cartoon of the 1955-2000 era. These Annual’s are still a bargain, & sell in the $10 to $50 range range! The Rare to Scarce 50’s & 60’s Superman, Batman annuals bring $50-$200 range! Most requested, are annuals, which had no US equivalent, or All-New UK stories & art! Also HOT are the dozen or so original UK Classic Illustrated titles that have no US equivalent, averaging around $100+ in VF. The most famous being Dr. No, which was reprinted as DC’s Showcase #43. The uncensored & racist-implied UK Classic #158A version of Dr No sells in the $300-500 range for higher grades. Blazing Hot were the 70’s UK full color Vampirella mags #1-4 in the $50-$100 each range.
CANADIAN EDITIONS;
Many new record prices are being set lately, with four books recently breaking the $1000 barrier; the EC title Weird Suspense #1 & the vintage Super Comic that is the Canadian Edition of Pep #22 & a FA copy of the Canadian Timely Capt America Annual sold for about $1500 at a UK auction. Last year the Roy Rogers Annual brought $1500 in VG/FN. We also sold a VG Canadian Capt America #66 for $350. The Canadian Editions that are vintage variants of US comics attract the most attention & best prices. They survive in quantites of 1-20 copies on most of the GA Canadian Variant issues of Archie, Atlas, Avon, Classics, DC, Dell, EC, Fawcett, Fiction House, Lev Gleason, Quality, Timely, Toby, & others. The EC reprints still bring 25%-35% less than US edition, due to poor printing quality! The Western titles titles by Dell & Fawcett bring about 75% of US edition. EC & Westerns had the highest survival rate. The other GA variants sellling price is related to guide value. Highly deirable characters & artist issues bring 100-300% value of US equivalent for books that guide in the $10 to $100 range by condition. Most surviving coipes are FA to VG. Titles that guide in the $101 to $500 range by condition sell for 75-150% of US equivalent. Titles that guide in the $501 to $2000+
range by condition vary widely from 25-75% of US equivalent. At this time they are being scooped up as neat curiosities, but bring less when getting in serious money. Many Generic named Giant Annuals exist with rebound leftover copies rebound in new covers, often with mixing publisher contents. Depending on contents, VG copies bring $50 to $200 each or more. Everything published by Superior remains scarce & in demand, at 25-50% over current guide, as Love & Horror collectors continue to seek these gems! The rare all new material GA “Canadian Whites” are in high demand with no supply, in the $35-$100 each range for G-VG average copies. The Fawcett hero titles, with US comics re-drawn be Canadian artists are hot, especially issues with Captain Marvel & sell for $50-$150 in the G-VG range. Due to growing awareness, Canadian Cover Price Newstand edition variants are rising in price & demand. May to August 1968 Canadian 15 cent cover price variants of all Gold Key titles now bring 150-200% guide values! Completionists & Variant collectors are paying 200%-300% guide for the Canadian Newstand Variant editions of the 1980’s = Marvel (10/82--8/86) and DC (10/82--9/88); It is now known that most 1981-1984 Whitman’s also had Canadian Cover Price Canada also had a fairly big French Language Edition industry from the 70’s thru the 90’s! DC & Marvel French Titles in VG average sell for; 1960’s ($10-$25), 1970’s ($6-$15), 1980’s ($3-$9); Many large softcover Giants exist, with Rebound leftover French comics, bound with new outer cover, & sell for $10-$30 in VG depending on contents & age. 1970’s & 80’s French language Archie digests & Comics from Quebec sell for $3-$10. The fastest sellers were issues with Betty & Veronica, Josie & Sabrina!
FOREIGN LANGUAGE;
We imported a great collection of France Comic Digests, which typically consist of Horror titles. Loaded with great Marvel & DC bronze reprints & artists, many of these sold fast. These French digests also contained reprints of Italian Sex & Gore comics, plus similar all-new material horror comics. These vintage digests dated from 1975-1985 & contain graphic covers & rampant Bondage, nudity, & violence, art that would never be allowed in the USA market, yet were normal items in their market. Jaded US horror collectors love them. We also imported & sold many European Disney digests, many with new European stories & art, some seen reprinted in Gladstone, plus vintage Barks reprints. Finally we imported a collection Spider-Man comic digests from Brazil & sold most of them as soon as we received them. Most of the Foreign digests moved from steady to fast in the $4-$12 each range. Foreign Language editions, of any popular US chracters & artists are in demand. Value is determined by content & formats which include; Comics (Color and B&W), Magazines, Digests, Graphic Novels & others! But typically in the $4-$12 each range
COMIC DIGESTS;
These little gems are like Mini-Trade Paperbacks & are loaded with Great reprints of o/w expensive vintage classics, artists & characters. Low supply & scarcity in high grade, makes them great collectibles. Many are trying to complete the DC digests set, with Best of DC #41 up Still elusive. Some have new material, notably Adventure with New Shazam stories & Best of DC #10, with the 1st ever origin of Penguin. Some stories are only otherwise seen in the legendary Cancelled Comic Cavalcade. DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #20 has been known to sell as high as $125.00, with #21-24 also being scarce. Jonah Hex digest was hot. All the Gold Key digests remain in high demand, but especially Mystery Comic Digest. We sold several whitman varaiants of the GK digests, in the same price range. Golden Comics Digest #2,7,11 the Hanna Barbera issues issues are our most requested of all digests, with the Tarzan, Turok & Lone Ranger issues also enjoying high demand!
We bought at over guide & sold even higher. Fiction illustrated #3 (Steranko) was hot, with the large TBK version being scarce & selling instantly in the $75+ range! Many people have begun the big task of finishing Archie Digest sets. All 70’s issues & all Key issues brought over guide. Shocking Tales #1, and Archie Superhero #1,2 & all all other Archie’s with Neal Adams or other artists are always top sellers. 1970’s Harvey digest are finite sets & thus easier to collect, so more buyers are asking! Marvel digests are in steady demand, including; GI JOE, Spiderman, Star & Transformers. The Skylark digests of Doc Savage & Twilight Zone rmain rare. We discovered & sold 70’s Charlton
digests of Space-1999 & Flintstones, these are quite rare in any grade.
FANZINES;
Fanzines have become a very popular collectible. They are loaded with early & obsucure works of now famous artists, & writers (much never reprints), plus have in-depth articles pinups covers and art on all the popular characters. Many items are very hard to find & therefore sell for top dollar, in ANY condition. 1960’s Zines had print runs in the 100-500 copy range. Untold quantities of historical info are in their pages. A good Fanzine/Prozine collection can be like gold. In very high demand were; Squa Tront, Spa Fon, Foom, Amazing World of DC, Marvelmania, Comics Journal, Comics Interview, Art of titles (Byrne, Adams, etc), Witzend, etc.
Horror Comics & Magazines;
Next to Superhero, Horror was the strongest seller for post-1960 comics. In magazines, it was
the best seller. Warren had a banner year, in part due to the Warren Companion mag & all the recent
attention in fan media. All scarcer warren items brought 50-100% over guide.
Marvel Mags are strong sellers, & are still diminishing in supply. All Marvel Horror sold well,
but best selling was the 70’s Atlas reprint titles, with NM #1’s bringing up to double guide.
Eerie the Publisher, later became Modern Day Pub, with it’s final titles Terrors of Dracula &
Weird Vampire Tales being most elusive. Stanley Publications were Hot, because of finite titles
& pre-code reprints. All Skywald Titles were in very high demand (Psycho, Nightmare & Scream)
with High numbers bringing 50-100% over guide, due to almost no supply. Even at the higher
price levels, Web of Horror is hard to find & sells instantly.
Famous Monsters, Charlton’s Mad Monsters, Horror Monsters, Fangoria & all Photo horror mags
sold well. Movie Monsters #1-4 from Atlas/Seaboard were in high demand in the $15-$20 range for
FN copies. Every DC Horror title from 1968 thru the 1980’s was hot, with all issues in any grade
selling. Even all the assorted 1980’s Horror alternates sold well, especially Quality titles from
Pacific, Eclipse, etc.
HUMOR & PARODY Comics & Magazines;
The 4 main Parody mags are Mad, Crazy, Sick & Cracked. Now over ½ the issues we sell, are based on the satires they contain, as opposed to people who collect the entire title. Thus prices can vary widely, especially at auction. It is common to get from $5-$15 for VG 70’s & 80’s issues, irregardless of Guide value by condition. Mad’s from #86-150 are Scarce in High grade, as the early fold-in issues. Cracked mags before #120 are in short supply. Crazy mag #81-94 had smaller print runs & are scarcer. All Sick mags had lower print runs, but especially #1-50 & 120 up. Help mag from Warren has had a large increase in demand. Help mags are scarce in high grades, especially #11-20, which all have Spine’s that split easily. Help mags bring in the $15-$35 range for VG copies. All parody titles seem to be moving better, weather color or B&W. Other great sellers include; Humbug, Trump, Eh, Go-Go, International Insanity, Inferior Five, Not Brand Echh, Plop, National Lampoon, etc. Those who love obscure & oddball are seeking; Brother Billy the Pain From Plains, Wacko, Parody, Goose, Great Society, Bat Fink, Ape, 1001 Jokes, Apple Pie, & others. National Lampoon in particular, has Bronze age issues loaded with Great artists like Jones, Wrightson, Barry Smith, Adams, Frazetta & many more. Most 1973-1980 issues in VG with these calibre
of artists, bring in the $10-$15 range in VG.
MISCELLANEOUS;
Oddball comics remain very popular, but have lost some momentum to CGC & the return
of Superhero demand. Collectors seem to be sampling most affordable obscure titles from
1945 right thru to 1990. We have dusted off & are now often looking at titles not asked for
in years, even vintage obscure Funny Animal. Up in demand are the very early appearances of
Peanuts in United Feature titles of 1952-54, including; Fritzi Ritz, United Comics, Sparkle,
Sparkler, etc! IW & Super reprints continue to sell, as most are findable & at decent prices, so we are now seeing completionists. At ACG, all Artist issues are up in demand along with with Herbie & superhero issues. Gasp, Midnight Mystery & Magic Agent sold fastest, as smaller & easy to complete sets. All small output publishers are in demand, as they fascinate buyers. Many have asked for Mod Love by Western, but none have turned up at any price, which makes us wonder if this 36 page, high priced 50 cent cover comic from 1967 exists. Tower comics have risen sharply in demand, with everything selling. But Strict VF or better copies are very elusive, as all their titles were squarebound giants. Still hot are; Fatman, Capt Marvel (MF Ent), Henry Brewster, True Comics & Adv. (1965 Parents), Fast Willie Jackson, All-Star Story of Dodgers, Golden Legacy, Wham-O Giant Comics.
RELIGION;
Religious comics, especially Christian related comics were again very strong sellers this year, & buyers are very loyal to their Genre. We sold a nice collection of Sunday Pix by David C Cook christian comics & hope to see this huge 700+ issue series finally listed in the guide. Average copies sold for $3-$8 range. The H.G. Wells First Men in the Moon, Peanuts & John Glenn Astronaut issues sold very fast in the $8-$15 range. We had my customers trying to complete their Spire titles, & with most, condition did not matter. The single printing 1980’s titles are getting harder to find & bring highest prices at about $7-$15 for FN or better copies. Hansi, the Girl who loved the Swastika sold instantly when located at $15 range in FN. Archie Spire’s are the best selling of all Chistian comics. The Barney Bear Spire activity books remained scarce & sold out at $20 each; The Marvel titles are fast sellers and getting harder to find, the scarcest issues illuminator #3,4($7-10) & the Pilgrims Progress TPBK($15-$20). The DC Bible treasury was hot in the $15-$25 range.
The COSMICS Pub & UNITED BIBLE SOCIETY Pub titles all had low print runs & poor distribution, with VG copies bringing $5-8 each. Red hot again was the 1977 classic MARX, LENIN, MAO & CHRIST by OPEN DOOR Pub at $25.00 for VF; Low Grade reading copies of Treasure Chest sold well, but there was resistance to high grades. Crusaders with the great art & over the top themes, sold well at $5-$10 each, but #15-17 remained scarce! Dennis the Menace & the Bible Kids were hot at $6 each in VG, but #7--10 had only regional distribution & were unfindable.
They could easily bring triple current guide. All the Catechetical Guild one-shots are in very high demand, & sold in VG/FN at $10-20 or more.
ROMANCE;
Love comics now sell well from all era’s. This still remained one of the most unexplored area’s of collecting. Most of the major “name” artists in GA, SA & Bronze Age history have tried their hand at Love comics. Much of these arists scarcest work lies here. Strict high grade copies remain almost non existant. Kirby art issues brought 20% to 50% over guide. All Key, first & last issues, good artist, good cover, neat theme issues bring premiums of 25-100% over guide. Atom Age & Silver age issues are typically low grade & thus cheerfully cheap, so we sold many in the $7-$20 range. Painted covers sold best, followed by Photo covers, with lesser demand for line drawn covers. Atlas Marvel titles sold twice as fast as any other publisher. The Classic Steranko Mod story, in Our Love Story #5, is easily most requested & sells instantly in all grades. A CGC 9.4 copy is estimated to be worth in the $500 range! The reprints in My Love #23, Capt America Special #2 and Young Romance UK comic Digest #3, are all bring double guide! My Love & Our Love Story are by far the
most requested, & will continue to climb in value due to big demand. The Kirby, #1, & giant issues all bring 50-100% over guide. My Love #20 was red hot for the Starlin art. DC titles sold well, especially anything with a name artist & all Giants! Toth & Adams cover issues were the most requested.
We helped fill many Charlton runs for buyers this year, all being equally Scarce from 1965-1979. Soap Opera Love & Soap Opera Romance, both appeared on many want lists & remain in low supply. We sold many issues of the scarce “Teen Love Stories” mag from Warren for $25-$35 each. Atlas/Seaboard’s Gothic Romance #1 & Marvel’s Gothic Tales of Love #1,2 are all scrace & in huge deman, on many want lists, with VF+ copies bringing $150-200+, with Ease. IW & Super reprints
titles are now about 40 Years old & sell for about $10 each for a nice FN copy.
TEEN AGE (Non-Archie) comics;
Beyond Archie, most people would be hard pressed to name 5 Teen comic titles, yet there are many Dozens . Most bloomed out of being Archie clones. These comics have suddenly become extremely collectible, in all eras, but especially in Post-1960 titles. The main appeal is Scarcity. But once people begin with that, they begin to realize many of these comics, as quite enjoyable. This is one of the most forgotten & overlooked Genre’s. The single hottest title is VICKI from Atlas
Seaboard, with #1 & 2 being elusive, hot & fast selling. But, Vicki #3, 4 are Scarce, due to endless demand & no supply, with VF or better copies bringing $50-$75 each on eBay! The 2nd hottest series this year is Millie the Model, with the “Blonde Bombshell” issues from the early 60’s being most requested & #192, 200-206 & Annual #1-5 being elusive. Annual #1 is perhaps the Scarcest Marvel annual, & a NM copy would easily bring triple guide. Chili, Patsy Walker, & Mad about Millie all sold well at 25-50% over guide. Tippy Teen was the 3rd most requested, with many trying to complete runs. Issue #26 and #27 likely do not exist, as 100% of want lists have them on it. Teen-In remains more elusive. BUNNY by Harvey is highly sought, low in supply & contains great art requested in this genre. On Pre-1960 titles, the Marvel Atlas sell 2-3 times as fast as any other publisher. All issues that have Paper Dolls, if identified, bring premiums. More dolls equals more money. But one has to be careful, as these comics are notorious form have Paper Dolls & cut-out pages missing, especially in Squarebound annuals, where they are hard to detect missing. Most Pre-1960 series are too scarce to try & complete, so buyers buy what they can find, or buy samples of each titles, or buy by condition/price range. All grades are selling. Vintage Katy Keene had slowed for a while due to high prices, but has begun to heat up on-line. Many grew up with these & many want them for the paper dolls. The more affordable 1980’s series is acually hot, with higher numbers having low print runs & bringing $10-$25 each on eBay, often even in mid-grades! The Katy Keene digests are now scarce too & bring $7-$15 each. Charlton’s Ponytail has gained momentum & are already hard to find.
TV, MOVIE, Character, Toy, Cartoon & Personality;
TV & Animation based Cartoon titles continue to have stong demand. Hanna Barbera was perhaps the hottest. Guide prices are perhaps too high on high grade Disney’s, but the low grades sell steady.
1950’s & 1960’s TV Photo covers have leveled a bit, mostly in favor of lower priced & affordable
70’s-80’s titles. Movie comics without popular theme have slowed, but those with good actors,
Horror & Disney titles still move. TV titles & TV cartoons of the 1975-1985 period were hot with
titles like; Happy Days, A-Team, Masters of the Universe, Strawberry Shortcake, Space 1999,
Battle of the Planets, Smurfs, Transformers, GI Joe, Care Bears, Ewoks, Droids, Scooby Doo,
Rock Comics, Kiss, Madonna, Blip, parody mags & others.
WAR COMICS;
War comic were again very popular & fast moving. Most buyers actually read all these comics. Rather
tahn just invest. DC was still the most requested, with Sgt Rock easily the fastest selling. There was
a big shortage of copies on Our Army at War #83-120, and 190-220 in all grades & they sold as fast
as we got them at 25% over guide. All OAAW #83-280 sold well, & high Grade copies brought premiums up to 50% over guide. Unknown Soldier, Enemy Ace & Haunted Tank were all in very high demand, double-hot for all key & minor key issues. Weird War remained very hot, especially #1-10, with CGC copies bringing high premiums. The Pre-Series 1950’s issues in the $100 up range, were slower, but moved occasionally. But DC Key’s from 1958-1970 all sold very fast! We sold endless copies of every war comic from any company, that was priced at $5 & under, with condition not being important. Atlas titles are very much requested & sold as fast as we found them. All Marvel War sold well, except for Sgt Fury #14-80. War is Hell #9-15, was hot & are still undervalued! Many buyers tried to build high grade Marvel sets & happlily bought our petigree “SOO” (Sault Ste Marie) original owner collection copies at 50% over guide. But GI Joe, was by far the hottest title, especially the scarce high numbers from #141-155. We could easily sell a CGC 9.4 copy of #155 at around $100. Also hot were issues #1-27, 93-120 at 25-50% over guide. The digest brought double guide in condition. All Charlton war sold very well, especially 60’s & lower print 80’s issues. All artist, Series-within-series, & key issues were much requested & brought 25-50% over guide. We got in 4 big collections of the classic UK Weekly War comic digests from 1950’s-80’s & had a banner year with them. The 60’s Dell titles, Combat, Jungle War, etc, are much up in demand. All 1950’s obscure titles sold well if in the $5-$20 range.
WESTERNS;
Dell & Fawcett sold steady, with nothing being hot. There is still resistance to all graded above FN,
but no problems selling G & VG copies. Best known characters outsold shorter TV titles. Alex Toth
art issues sold extra well, due to double demand. Most difficult to keep in stock were
Western Roundup, Lone Ranger 1-40, 131-145, Red Ryder 51-100, all Sgt Preston, all King of The Royal Mounted. Charlton Westerns, that finished Fawcett titles outsold the latter by 3-to-1 & even brought premiums. The Gold Key titles sold faster & were in much small supply, than most Dell titles. Charlton Westerns again moved well, especially Series-within-Series issues, any Key or Minor-Key issue, Giants & Artist issues. Westerns continue to sell well for specialists, but slow for dealers with low selections. All Marvel Western titles sold well, in all grades. Many collectors bought our petigree “SOO” collection copies at 50% over guide, with all giants selling instantly. Vintage & reprint Kirby art issues were all top sellers. All Star/Weird Western #1-38 were top selling at DC, with CGC copies of #10 bringing record prices, so watch for guide increases. Jonah Hex Comics & Digests, Johnny Thunder, Trigger Twins & most 50’s DC titles sold steadily. We picked up a 300+ issue Atlas collection of Western’s, & best selling were Rawhide Kid, Kid Colt, Two Gun, Western Gunfighters & all with art by Kirby, Heath, Severin & Maneely. We also sold many popular & obscure 50’s westerns, by lesser publishers, with most in the $5-$20 range moving fastest.
ARCHIE;
Next to DC’s big-3 heroes, Archie has been around longest on the Newstand, so it shold not suprise
that there are many avid collectors & legions of fans. Archie digests are consistently among the bestsellers in the Newstand market, as they are still very popular with the general public. We have started listing Love Triangle covers & stories, (Threesome of Archie, Betty & Veronica, in jealousy, envy fights, etc) with great results & at premium prices. Early covers are not as common as you would think. The female characters are all more popular the the male. Out of Character stories are popular! (Seductive or evil Betty, Jughead with Girls, etc) Betty & Veronica, Suzie and Cheryl Blossom are strong sellers. Josie with Pussycats, & Sabrina are hot, & consistently sell over guide. Nice covers, & theme issues abound in Archie (see theme’s collecting above) Dan Decarlo art is gaining a bigger following, & Pre-1965 issues are in even more demand. Swimsuit, & cheerleader, cover & stories sell faster, when identified! Josie #45-74, 91-99 & Sabrina #1-20 brought 150%
Guide; Josie #100-106 & Sabrina #71-77 had very small print runs and brought 200-300% guide.
Non series inside appearances, in any other title, digests included, of Josie, Sabrina, and Cheryl Blossom, sold twice as fast. Also hot were Archie’s TV Laughout, Madhopuse, & Little Archie 1-100, especially with early Little Sabrina! 1960’s squarebound Giant’s usually appeared in VG & brought FN range prices, but remain hard to restock. 1960’s superhero titles sold steadily! Mighty Comics & Mighty Crusaders sold better, with Fly & Jaguar a bit slower. But 1960’s Archie characters as Superheros are hot, including digests! Red Circle & Archie Adventure series Superhero
& Horror titles of the 1970’s-80’s are in high demand & many are now trying to complete all titles. Supplies of Red Circle Sorcery & Madhouse #95-97 are dwindling, as demand continues to grow. The Red Circle with Toth, Steranko, Wood & other good artists sell very fast. Katy Keene is again selling, but especially the 80’s affordable isses & digests. Even the title Vicki Valentine by Renegade, by Woggon is hot & often brings $8-$15+ on ebay to paper Doll collectors. Less hot, but still in strong demand, is all Sonic the Hedgehog comics from 1993 to 1996. Single printing Spire titles
were in high demand & hard to find. Josie #45 and 50, are now more slightly requested than Madhouse #22, but all plus Archie Comics Digest #1, B&V #320 are in heavy demand.
ATLAS/SEABOARD;
This is the Bronze company that most collectors want to complete. Thus all the Scarest titles have heavy competition. Gothic Romances #1 is Scarcest, with NM easily in the $200 range. Vicki #1 & 2 are tough. Vicki #3 and 4 are downright scarce & high grades can bring $50+, if you can find them at all. Atlas comics were dumped by dealers for years, & thus strict NM copies are now scarce.
Movie Monsters #2-4 are next hardest to find, folled by Devilina #2, Thrilling Adv #2 & Weird tales of the Macabre #2, which all consistently bring 25-50% over guide. They had an output of under 100 comics, yet made a memorable mark on the Bronze Age.
CHARLTON;
This long overlooked publisher is being collected & scutinized like never before. Charlton was basically a training ground for new creators, with little supervision. So content varies widely from amateurish to brilliant. Other creators came & went to experience creative freedom. The wide variety of genre’s, talent, & overall different look from other comics, continues to attract new collectors. Most popular this year were the horror titles of 1968-84, with many buyers trying to complete runs. John Byrne issues were easily the most sought, at 150-200% current guide. We found a lot of material for our many theme colletors in their pages. The Ditko issues finally broke out in price & listings last year, thus many collectors tried to fill in newly identified art. After a few years of being slow, the 60’s Konga & Gorgo classics are on the upswing. Wally Wood, Kirby new & reprint art issues were hot! As buyers go thru the pages, they discover the wonderful works of Pat Boyette, Sam Glanzman, Wayne Howard, Sanho Kim, Pete Morisi, Don Newton, Joe Staton, Tom Sutton, all whose best works are perhaps at Charlton. All TV tiltles sell well, including; Bionic Woman, Bobby Sherman, Bugaloos, Emergency, David Cassidy, Dudley Do-Right, Hee Haw, all Hanna Barbera, My Little Margie, Partridge Family, Primus, Six Million Dollar Man, Space 1999. The magazine are in low supply, with Neal Adams issues selling faster. We have noted increased demand in Charlton Non-Comic mags, such as; Adult cartoons, True Westerns, photo Horror mags, etc. The Superhero titles have a nice increase in demand, especially; Blue Beetle, Charlton Bullseye, Charlton Premiere,
Hercules, Mysterious Suspense (Question), Peacemaker, & Phantom, all selling at 100-125% guide range. There are now growing numbers of Modern comic reprint completionists, plus regualr Charlton buyers who prefer cheaper versions, thus most sold easily in the $4-$9 range for typical VG to FN copies. Charlton Portfolio #1 (aka CPL #8/9) mag is red hot & selling for about $35 in VF. All war titles moved fast, but especially Navy Related titles, Glanzman art issues, & all series-within-series issues, both are due for price increases, and brought up to 150% guide. The low distribution 1984--86 issues have now attrated completionists, who want just those years, thus making it yet more difficult for set building collectors. Most titles from the Genre’s lacking/low at other
publishers sold well, including; Atomic Mouse, Black Fury (horse), Freddy (teen), Go-Go, Hot Rod
comics, Love comics, Pro Football, Ronald McDonald, Surf N Wheels, Timmt Timid Ghost & Yang.
All Comic strip based titles sold very well due to recognition, such as; Beetle Bailey, Blondie, Flash Gordon, Hi & Lois, Phantom, Popeye, Snuffy Smith. From the 50’s the Horror & SF titles were the most requested, but remain in short supply. Haunted Love & Phantom were 2 of the hottest titles, & were the most requested in high grades. Phantom has a huge worldwide fan base, with many 100’s of Foreign comics in print. Haunted Love was Charlton’s entry to the Gothic genre, & is among the best made. This was perhaps our strongest year ever for Charlton, yet almost everything post-1960 remains affordable to almost all.
CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED;
Classics are highly collected, with most buyers wanting 1 of each issue. Problem is, many issues have 1-5 printings, while others have 20+ printings, thus lopsided supply & endless demand for issues #8,14,20,21,33,40,43,44,53,66,71,73,74,84,110,113-118,129,161-169. These issues have always brought premiums of 25-50%, as dealers must continuously re-stock them. Collections without these issues, do not sell well, except to beginners. Most collectors are fans, & simply want the cheapest decent copy they can find. But, there are also many who want only Originals. Once the task of completing a set is done, many want to stay in the hobby, so move into phaze-2, which is make a set of one example of each Cover & one example of each interior art. Many of these books are quite different & you may re-enjoy the title via a new creator. Thus the hottest issues, are 1st appearance of New Art, or New cover issues. Get them now, as they are sure to continue rising in value. In general Low grade are very popular with buyers, thus a low spread form G to NM. All Classic Giants are top sellers, as most buyers want them all. Many advanced collectors move onto all other Classics related titles & find many are Scarce & take much searching, but yield a rewarding experience in the end. Classic Juniors ahave increased in demand, as collecors finish most other sets. Only issues with HRN-576 are common & all issues that did not have a HRN-576 printing are in high demand. The Scarce UK only titles are hot in the $100+ range. Finally, collectors have moved on to illustrated Classics by all other publishers, including; Marvel Classics, King classics, Golden Picture Classics, Regents, Pendulum, Berkley/First, Big Little Books & all other types. Most of these are in low supply, with increasing demand.
DC COMICS;
DC as a back issue is 2nd best selling, only to Marvel. But given quantities on the market,
they sell a better percentage of inventories. All Super-Hero books are back on the rise in demand.
Longest lasting heroes were stongest, due to consumer confidence. There are many less DC’s
graded by CGC, so they often performed better at auction. All issues of Wonder Woman,
but especially #220 down were red hot, in very low supply & all sold at 35-75% over guide.
All Artist issues were hot, with Wrightson, Kirby & Neal Adams, bringing 25-50% premiums!
But many artists we all grew up on were requested & up in demand, including; Gil Kane, Infantino,
Curt Swan, Wayne Boring, Marshall Rogers, Jim Aparo, Aragones, etc. All the Girl heroes, JLA, JSA,
& Legion were again hot. Many Minor-Key issues often sold twice as fast as standard issues & were much requested in CGC quality 9.0 or better grades, so many prices jumps may be looming! Dozens of buyers sent big want lists, wanting to fill in numbers from almost every title from 1960 thru 1986, with Bronze Age the most requested. All Giants were hot, with the exception of the high priced 80 page giants #1-15. But 80 page Giants #16-89 had much increased demand, as collectors have begun to attempt to complete this run & suppiles are dwindling fast. All 52pg, 100pg & “dollar comic” sold very fast, especially if solid VF or better. Still very popular & at over guide, were all Digests, Fanzines, Giveaways, magazines, Paperbacks, & Treasury editions, but with a definite shortage of VF or better copies! All TNC (traditionally Non-Collected) titles slow strongly, with Horror
& War the most sought, but also perfoming well were; anything Oddball, Cartoon, Humor/Parody,
Romance, Teen, TV, & Western. Burroughs titles (Tarzan, Korak, Tarzan Family, Weird Worlds) were up in demand, & many sold to non comic collecting ERB fans, with high grade much requested, but also strong demand for reading copies. Amazing World of DC had double the demand, not that is is listed in guide, with #1-4, 9, 14-17 in highest demand at 25-50% over guide. We could not keep Bob Hope & Jerry Lewis in stock. All 1965-1974 titles sold extra fast, due to still low prices & are all getting harder to find above FN, as dealer stock deplete. All are due for increases. >>>> The items to watch & Hottest issues included; Action #350-420, Adventure #381-440,491-503, all Adv of Bob Hope & Jerry Lewis, All New Collectors ed, All Star #58-74, All-Star Squardon #51-67, All Star Western 1-11, Amazing World of DC, America vs JSA, Aquaman #50-52, Atari Force giveaway, Batman #101-300, Batman Family, Best of DC digest, Binky, Brave & Bold #79-117, Capt Action, Capt Carrot, Capt Storm, Challengers #74, 81-87, Crisis 1-12 & crossovers, Dark Mansion, Forever People, Hunger Dogs GN, DC Special, DC Special series, Detective #359-500, Flash #200-232, 289-313, 341-350, Freedom Fighters, Ghosts 1-40,97-100, GI Combat #66-150, Green Lantern #76-100, Hawk & Dove, Hot Wheels, House of Mystery #174-259, 291-300, 321, House of Secrets #81-120, 134-136,139,140, Inferior Five, Isis, Jonah Hex 1-20, 81-92 & digests 1-3, JLA #71-160,183-185,200,260,261, Legion (1973) 1-4, Limited Collectors ed, Man-Bat, Men of War, Mr Miracle 1-9, Omac, Our Army at War #83-280, Phantom Stranger #1-20, Plastic Man 11-10, Plop, Prez, Rima, Rudolph (all), Sandman (Kirby), Secret Society SV, Sinister House, Shazam #8, 12-17, 25, 31-35, Spectre 1-5, 9, Star Spangled war #90-100, 138-163, 181-183, Strange Adv #205-236, Superboy 197-245, Supergirl (all), Super Friends, Superman 201-300, Lois Lane 79-123, Jimmy Olsen 99-150, Superman Family 164-200, Swamp Thing (1982) 20-25,37-40,84, Sword & sorcery, Tomahawk 100-140, Unexpected 105-162, Wanted, Warlord 1-10, 37-50, Weird War 1-50, Weird Western 12-39, Weird Worlds, Wonder Woman (old) #73-250, 320-329, (new) 63-100, Worlds Finest 200-230, 244-282,300,323.
DELL;
Dell sold steady, with Hanna Barbera, TV, TV Cartoon, Westerns & artist issues most popular.
Animation related titles sold well to the hardcore group of collectors, but only if a good selection.
In general all books above FN were slow, while all reading copies brought premiums. Thus shows
the spread between G to NM is too wide & need to be narrowed closer to 8-to-1. The spread on
Dell giants is far too wide, as reading copies are price far too lowe to keep in stock.
Looney Tunes, Stanley art, Lulu & Jay Ward titles were up in demand. Most Walter Lantz was slow.
Most Movie comics were slower, except Horror, Western & Disney. Combat, Ghost Stories, & Air War were in high demand at 25-50% over guide. Post-1962 Dells are in much lower supply than 1952-1960 issues. 1961-1963 issues had lower print runs & are often requested. Outside File copies, most Key dells remained scarce in VFNM 9.0 or better. Most Dells on the market are in the G to VG
range, which is good, as Reading copies are the most popular & most sets are completable with some legwork. Due to internet sales, Tarzan is way up in demand, especially Photo cover issues.
Most remain under-valued, especilly in reading copy grades. Considering the stature of ERB in the
world of collecting & the expanding world market, we expect Tarzan prices to continue to rise.
>>>> The items to watch & Hottest issues included; Air war, Alvin, Andy Griffith, Barbie & Ken, Beep Beep, Beany & Cecil, Beverly Hillbillies, Bewitched, Brain Boy, Bugs Bunny, Combat, Creature, Dracula, Felix the Cat, Flintstones, Flying Saucers, Frankenstein, Gene Autry 1-30, 100up, Get Smart, Ghost Stories, Guerrilla War, Hogans Heroes, Howdy Doody, I Love Lucy, Jungle war, King of Royal Mounted, Kona, Lassie 39-58, Little Lulu, Lone Ranger 1-41, 112-145, Looney Tunes, Melvin Monster, Mighty Heroes, Mighty Mouse, Millie loveable Monster, Mummy, Naza, Neutro, Nukla, Outer Limits, Peanuts, Ponytail, Popeye, Quick Draw, Red Ryder 41-118, Roy Rogers 1-30, 100up, Sgt Preston, Space Man, Tarzan, Thirteen, Toka, Tonto, Top Cat, Turok, Twilight Zone,
Twist, Werewolf, & Western Roundup. All Variant issues with Bonus Art or Photo’s on the back or inside covers (in place of advertising) were Red Hot when identified, bringing 150-200% of guide values,
DENNIS THE MENACE;
Demand keeps growing each year, as several generations have now know Dennis thru many media.
We expect consistent seady demand & price increases, for years to come. All giants are still undervalued & bring 25-100% over guide, all are scarce in VF or better. All shorter series are in higher demand, as easier to complete. The supply of Digests has dried up & they sell very fast, especially Pocketful of Fun #1-20 which bring 150-200% guide. The Marvel digests with DC logo are hot. Dennis #143 (3/76; Olympic issue) had Low distribution, possibly only regional & sells for $10+ in VG or better. Bible Kids #7-10 are very scarce & easily bring triple guide, if you can find them at all.
GOLD KEY;
GK, like Dell is loaded with Popular characters, but with lower print runs & lower prices, causing
virtually everything to sell well. Almost everything is still affordable.All 1963 issue had low distribution,
remain elusive & bring premiums. Tarzan & Phantom have had strong growth in demand, as they
are popular on the worldwide market, & are proven enduring sellers. Most popular were
Hanna Barbera, Hero/superhero, Horror, TV, TV Cartoon, giants & artist issues. With the exception
of a tiny selection of File copies, all GK remained Scarce in VF or better. All grades sold well.
Affordable reading copies were again very popular, bringing 15-30% of NM guide value.
We had many completionists looking for the 1968 Canadian Newstand Variant cover price issues.
All Variant issues with Bonus Art or Photo’s on the back or inside covers (in place of advertising)
were Red Hot when identified, & brought 150-300% guide, such as; Star Trek #1-4, TV Avengers #1,
Wild Wild West 1-4, etc! >>>> The items to watch & Hottest issues included; Addams Family,
Dr Solar, most Hanna Barbera, Banana Splits, Battle of the Planets, Beetle Bailey, Beneath Planet of the Apes, Boris Karloff 1-30,80-86,97, Buck Rogers, Bullwinkle, Cave Kids, Dagar, Dark Shadows 1-10, Doc Savage, Fat Albert, Flash Gordon, Fun-In, George of Jungle, Golden Comics Digest, Gold Key Spotlight, Grimm’s Ghost, H.R.Pufnstuf, Inspector, Jetsons, Jungle Twins, John Carter, Korak, Land of Giants, Kroft Supershow, Lancelot Link, Lassie, Little Monsters, Lone Ranger, Looney Tunes, Magnus, Mighty Samson, Mod Wheels, Munsters, Mystery Comics Digest, Occult Files of Dr Spector, Most One Shots, Peanuts, Phantom, Pink Panther, Popeye, Ripley’s 1-30, Scooby Doo, Space Family Robinson 1-20, Spine Tingling Tales, Space Ghost, Star Trek 1-9, Super TV Heroes, Tarzan 132-171, Turok 30-60, 101-130, Twilight Zone 1-30, 83,84,92, UFO Flying Saucers, Underdog, Wacky Races, Wacky Witch, Wally & Wild Wild West.
HARVEY;
Bunny is in huge demand & supplies are gone. Blondie, Dagwood & older Sad Sack are still undervalued & very hard to keep in stock. The squarebound giants were in very high demand at 150-200% guide & all other giants at 125-150% guide. Reading copies are in High demand. But high grades are in low supply, except for a small batch of File copies still circulating on th market, many with tanning covers & yellowing pages, so ask questions before buying. Richie Rich was the most prolific cartoon character of the post-1960 era, & yet many completionists are trying to fill in all those runs. From the post-1970, many of the toughest issues are those from 1988-1993 & the circa 1990 digests. The circa 1990 Hanna Barbera titles are hot, with many bringing $8-$20 on eBay in high grade. Scooby Doo is easily the hottest. All Non-Cartoon titles are selling well, especially; Alarming
Tales & Adventures, Black Cat, Blast Off, Bunny, all Horror, Dick Tracy, Double Dare, Fighting American, Harvey Pop, Joe Palooka 62-80, 116-118, all Romance, Spirit, Steranko’s Spyman, Thrill-O-Rama, Unearthly Spectacular & Warfront, most at 25-50% over guide. Shocking Tales digest #1 is Red Hot at $12 in VF. Hot Stuff titles are way up in demand & are difficult to re-stock. 1960-1975 Cartoon titles are far to low in G-FN in the guide & can not be kept in stock at those low values. The G to NM spread is too wide, thus G copies often bring 20-30% of NM prices. Reading copies are very
popular. High Grade Pre-1975 issues are very elusive.
.
MARVEL;
Marvel is the backbone of the entire Back issue market, in which most collectors has dealt & from
which most comparisons are made. It seems that the 1961-1985 issues are the “Classic” years
that will always set the standard & are among the most important comics in history. Buyers
feel safe with these & rightly so. Fifty years from now they will all be museum classics.
Titles get hot & cold, but always bounce back. This the the Super-Hero titles returned to huge
demand, as everyone wanted to complete everything from 1961-85. Lowest in supply & bringing
the best premiums, was all 1961-64, & 1969-1973 issues, with endless record prices for CGC
high grade copies. Marvel has more completionists by far, than any other company. TNC (Traditionally Non Collected) titles were again very stong sellers. CGC has caused a massive increase in demand for high grade copies, for both unslabbed VF or better, plus slabbed 9.0 or better. Longtime high grade buyer sometimes resist high multiples, but new buyers have replaced them threefold. Demand for Hulk #181, GS X-Men #1 and X-Men #94 has leveled as many many copies came onto the market. X-Men #138 and up have slowed in slabbed copies. But X-Men #131-200 now all sell twice as fast as last year, for unslabbed high grade copies, as they contain many key issues, are scarcer then we though in 9.4 or better & are due for a big price increase. Most unslabbed VF Bronze issues move fast at close to NM guide levels. Reading copies were still popular. Most 1986-1995 issues were slow, as longtime collectors shun the too much changed characters they love. But 1996-2001 titles sell well to the New comics buying crowd & are in short supply with lower print runs, & as almost now one stocked them all at current high cover prices. Most 1969-1973 vintage Marvels had lower print runs, & especially 15 and 20 cent cover price issues are in huge demand. We must buy & break longer sets just to attempt to keep these in stock. CGC copies in this era, often bring 300-1000% guide for 9.4 range copies. Many need to have
prices adjusted closer to the same levels as the more common 1966-1968 issues.
Still in high demand, in all grades, were all; Western, War, Teen, Cartoon, Love, reprint titles, & all odd formats {like Treasury’s, Digests, Mags, paperbacks, etc.} , TV, Movie, Character, & Cartoon titles. Avengers #71-120, Hulk #131-170, Capt America #131-170, FF #112-130, Capt Marvel #17-27, Conan #25-50, Daredevil #81-120, Ironman #31-70, Submariner #21-50, Thor #181-225, Xmen #67-93. It is a shame that CGC does not do Magazines, as the 1970’s Marvel Mags are red hot again, with all titles selling fast in all grades. All giants were hot, & very tough to restock in strict VF or better. Hottest were the 25 cent cover priced 52 page Giants of the early 70’s, with NM copies bringing 200% guide unslabbed, and 300-1000% Guide for slabbed copies. All Giant Size titles & all
Pre-1980 Annuals were again up in demand. Planet of the Apes Magazine #21-28 sold fast
in VF or better in the $20-$35 range, with issue #29 selling at $60-$100 range. Marvel Age & Marvel Vision sell very well for all the characters & artists features in the $2-$6 each range. Sub-Mariner #34 and 35 are red hot at around 200% guide in higher grades.
>>>> Hot titles & Titles to watch, included; Amazing Adv 5-8,11-17, Amazing Spider-man 1-28, 81-150, Arrgh, Astonishing Tales 1-13,21-25, Avengers 1-11, 71-150, 181-191,200, Ann.1,7,10, Barbie, Bizarre Adventures, Capt America #100,109-113, 131-200, Capt Britain 1-30, Capt Marvel #1-35, Capt Savage #1,2,7,11, Cat, Chamber of Chills 1-5, Chamber of Darkness, Champions, Chili, Conan #1-50, Creatures on the Loose #10-16,21,22,30, Daredevil #1-7, 77-131,158-170, Dead of Night 1,11, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, Defenders 1-10, Doc Savage, Dracula Lives, Dr Strange (1974) 1-20, Droids, Epic illustrated, Fantasy Masterpieces (1966/67), Fantastic Four #1-28,100-160, Fear #1-10,19,20, Film international, all Fireside books, Foom 1-4,8-15,22, Frankenstein, Ghost Rider (1973) 1-10,19,20, all Giant Size titles, G.I.Joe 1-27, 93-120, 141-155, Godzilla, Gunslinger, Gunsmoke Western, Hanna Barbera Spotlight & TV Stars, Haunt of Horror, Hero for Hire 1-5, Howard the Duck Mag, Hulk Mag 1-15, Human Torch (74/5), Incdedible Hulk 102, 121-200, Invaders 1-10, Ironfist, Iron Man 31-100, John Carter of Mars, Journey into Mystery 1-112, Jungle Action 1-8, Kull 1-5, Kull mag 1-3, Laff-a-Lympics, L’il Kids, L’il Pals, Mad about Millie, Manthing 1(1974), Marvel Chillers 1,3,6, M.Comics Index (Olshevsky), M.Comics Super Special 1-5,31-41, M.Feature (71/3 & 75/6), M.Premiere 1,3,4,15,25-28, Marvel Preview 1-10, M.Spotlight 1-5,12,28, M.Superheroes 12,14-20, M.Tales 1-10, M.Teamup 1-15 & Byrne, M.Treasury 1-28, M, Two-in-One 1-10, Ann.2, Masters of the Universe, Master of Kung Fu 15-50, Mighty Marvel Western 1-15, all Millie the Model, Monsters on Prowl 9-16, Monsters Unleased, Ms Marvel 1-5,16-18, My Love, Nick Fury 1-5, 16-18, Night Nurse, Nostalgia illustrated, Not Brand Echh, Nova 1-5,12,25, Our Love Story, Pizzazz, Planet of the Apes mags 21-29, Powerman 17-20,31,47-50,57,66,78, Rawhide Kid 1-50, Red Sonja, Savage Sword of Conan 1-50, Scooby Doo, Sgt Fury 1-13, Shanna, Silver Surfer (1968) 1-4,14, Spidy Super Stories 1-20, Spoof, Star Trek 17,18, Star Wars 81-107, Strange Tales 101-115, 135, 151-181, Sub-Mariner 1,8,14,21-50,69, Supernatural Thrillers, Super villain Team-Up, Tales of Suspense 1-60, Tales of the Zombie, Tales to Astonish 1-60, Tarzan, Thor 126-130, 158-230, Tomb of Dracula comic 1-20,25,50,70 & mags 1-6, Tower of Shadows, Transformers 50-80, 2001 #1, 8-10, Unknown Worls of SF, Vampire Tales, War is Hell 9-15, Warlock 1-15, Werewolf by Night 1-20, 32,33, Western Gunfighters 1-14, What If (1977) 1-31, X-Men 1-15, 50-66, 94-121,144-200
SKYWALD;
The B&W Mags Nightmare, Psycho & Scream are Red Hot. Demand is consistently twice that off
supply, & we sell all fast at 150-200% Guide. Nightmare, Psycho #20up low print & needed by most fans. Psycho #22 does not exist & is likely a Special they forgot to double number. All better artist issues sell twice as fast. Nightmare #20 with the 1st Byrne is in huge demand & commands up to $100 in high grades. Fans have discovered that all issues written by Al Hewetson, are among the best written comics in horror history & infleuenced the likes of Stephen King! All are Scarce to rare in strict 9.0 VFNM or better. All the squarebound color comic titles are again up in demand. Tender Love Stories are Scarce & easily brout 200% guide. Next in demand were Heap, & Jungle Adventures.at about 150% guide.
WALT DISNEY;
All Disney’s that have been Over Reprinted, mostly the Mickey & Duck titles, are still slow in Originals. When they do sell they atre ususlly the lower grade cheaper copies! There is resistance to high grade prices on most of the $100 and up classics. But most under $50 and especially under $20 titles still sell steady, with many buyers filling in runs of the more affordable era’s. We now suspect that the rare Whitman Uncle Scrooge #179, Donald Duck #222 and WDC&S #480 were released only in Canada, as this is where they usually are found. Most Non-Reprinted titles sold well, with
Animation titles selling best. Bestselling Disney’s included; Animation Movie Classics, Aristokittens, all Annette, Beagle Boys, Dell & GK Giant issues, Don Rosa art issues, Dynabrite titles, Foreign editions, many Four Colors, Gladstone digests, 70’s variant issues with Posters, Jungle Book treasury, Moby Duck, Scarecrow, Super Goof, Walt Disney Comics Digest (GK), WD Paint Books , WD Presents, WD Showcase, pre-1980 Whitman variant issues, Winnie the Pooh & Zorro.
WARREN;
Warrwn Mags have come of age. This was perhaps our best ever year for anything printed by Warren many are now attepting to get a set of all their output. Creepy & Eerie middle Numbers were still in low supply. High numbers of Creepy, Eerie & Vampirella were scarcer, due to low final print runs & most were difficult to re-stock. Creepy, Eerie & Vampirella roundbound mid-series issues, were printed with Spines that split easily & thus many are scarcer in high grades. This year, demand
for high grade copies tripled & they now outsell low grade readers that sold best in previous years.
We need CGC to start grading mags, as we not that true VFNM 9.0 or better copies are quite
scarce, even from Original Owner collections. All issues with Color sections sold faster, & top artist
issues are finally bringing decent premiums. Page counts varied widely with many Giant issues
issued typically in the Summer. These giants have gained some demand, but only moderate price increases. Vampirella has several issues, among the most valuable Bronze Age comics & thus is an important tiltle not to be overlooked. All issues with top artists! The Hottest issues & issues to watch include; Blazing Combat #1,2,& Anthology, Comix International #1-5, Convention books, Creepy #9,10,14,32,38-77, 113,141-146, & paperback, Eerie #17,23,25,39-82,94,95,125,130-139, Famous Monsters #81-120, & issues with comics sections {between 41-60}, & FM Paperbacks, Flintstones Worlds Fair, Help magazine, On the Scene Presents Freak Out USA #1,2, Spirit Special #1, Teen Love Stories #1-3, Tiny Tim special, Warren Presents, Vampirella #1-3, 8-12, 19, 26-33, 50, 64,73,101-113, Annual #1, Special #1, UK mags 1-4, paperbacks 1-6 & any
and all memorabila.
WHITMAN;
Five years ago all comics by this publisher were shunned, but now that knowledge is growing, they
are gaining hot comics status. I aided somewhat, to Jon McClure’s massive chore of dating the undated issues, & solved most of the unanswered Whitman questions. We all owe Jon a vote of thanks. This company had perhaps the most varied & wildest of printing schedules, by any newstand publisher ever. The Scarce Whitman Pre-packs are in high demand, on almost all titles, with almost no supply! It is estimated that about 20-25 copies of Uncle Scrooge #179 are known & the high prices have peeked & leveled at about $200-300 for VG copies & $700-1000 for V/F copies. Donald Duck #222 and WDC&S #480 remain rare & VF copies bring $100-$200 range! Battle of the Planets #7-9 are next biggest in demand, at $50+ in VF. The 11/71-2/80 Whitman’s are variant’s of the Gold Key’s and sell to completionists for 200-300% of GK issue values! All Whitman’s from 8-12/1980 are confirmed scarce, all with poor distribution! Next Scarcest, is the Un-Dated, No Code on cover issues from circa 1983-84. The 127 issues known WHITMAN VARIANTS of DC’s, in 14 titles, have a growing number of completionists, & Variant collectors seeking them all out, with most bringing $5-$10 range for VG to VF copies.
******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
MARKET REPORT on COMICS in Overstreet 2001 Annual Price Guide #31,
by Douglas W. Sulipa = (UN-EDITED & Complete Original Version)
BRONZE AGE;
Bronze Age comics remained extremely popular. There are more people trying to complete sets in this era, than any other, while still affordable. Everything sells by every company & in any grade. But most popular are highest grade investment copies & lowest grade reading copies. People has realized that many Traditionally Non-Collected titles are just not to be found in high grades & they now
actively seek any grade, but are quite satisfied with nice mid-grade copies. Many people with new dispoable incomes grew up on this era and are willing to spend there funds here. Prices were strong
and continue to rise. CGC awareness has made us all realize how scarce many of even the most common titles are now becoming in strict NM. 20-30 years of handling, has made even most large
original dealer new copies drop to FVF or lower average copies, many only in VGF; If demand for high grade continues, it will not be long before everything 1980 & older sells at $10 minimum in strict
NM; Original-Owner High Grade collections are still not surfacing, as expected. It is assumed that many consider current price levels still too low. The shortage of 1969-1973 comics is growing more accute, as dealers sell out & can not restock, due to low guide values. There was a sales implosion in the late 70's to early 80's that saw the death of many publishers & many genres. We saw Charlton, Harvey, Fawcett, Seaboard, Gold Key, & Warren all fold. Archie cut titles & frequency. We saw many Genre's gone, including most; Cartoon, war, western, love, reprints, teen, horror, humor & others; The New Age was beginning thru Direct distribution. Many Bronze Age collectors have spilled over their collecting into the 80's to finish off titles that began in the 70's. Some might argue that the Bronze Age ended when Crisis & Secret Wars began. Even if not, demand for titles up to here has grown. As people complete runs, new awareness of scarcer high numbers is arising & beginning to get reflected in prices. The last 10 or so issues of titles like Wonder Woman, Flash & JLA are in higher demand. These titles were experiencing low sales, which caused the cancellation & eventual re-vamping; Reprint titles have been selling quite well, especially the Marvel Horror titles. All Non-Regular format items continue to sell well, and often well over guide, including; Magazines, fanzines, digests, treasuries, paperbacks, promo items, giveaways & all types of memorabilia. Traditionally Non-Collected titles remain in high demand & yet lower supply. All magazines remained in strong demand, especially all horror titles by every company. Mainstream titles have made a growing comeback, mainly due to the infleunce of certified graded copies. CGC 9.0 or better copies all bring multiples of guide. This has caused those who resist the new high prices, to snap up nice Non-Certified VF copies at up to 100% of NM price, with more regularity. Marvel Price variants had some demand, most notably from completionists. Bronze Age collectors remain the biggest completionists; High demand for reprint titles of the 70's, from both DC & Marvel continues with some of the Teen, Love & Cartoon titles prices are beginning to rival the 50's titles they reprint. But there are few completionists of the 50's titles, so it is feasible some might one day outprice the originals; There has been a notable increase in demand, for the few remaining Bronze Age titles, that still guide at the $2 to $4 range, plus anything in general, that is still perceived of as undervalued. This has made Atlas Seaboard the company most-wanted to complete. All Giants were in large demand. DC's "Dollar Comics" have most notably been in demand. They had too many pages for a round-bound format & strict-NM copies, are proving much scarcer than previously thought. Treasuries & Digests are also scarce in True NM, because they typically did not have readily availiable storage bags. Also the odd sizes made the awkward for both collectors & dealers to store & handle. Both formats were considered periferal items & have suffered both in condition & supply, over these 15-28 years.
E-BAY;
eBay has been at the forefront of the attention of many people in the marketplace. Many people use it as a dumping ground for overstock material, so many items sell at low percentages of guide. Much goes unsold, as even eBay is now over-saturated with overstock material. There is mistrust of grading, with good reason, which also often lowers values. Known dealers & sellers with high feedback, get better prices, as people can bid with more confidence. Good items thru trusted sellers often bring well over guide prices. Many scarcer but still cheaper oddball comics, bring multiples of guide, with regularity. Mainstream titles in low grade do poorly. Record low and record high prices are set daily. Although a good indicator of trends, eBay is not a good source for averaging prices. The results are often very erratic. Also, in spite of all the attention, less than 10% of back issues sold on the market, are sold on eBay; The effects are beginning to level. Many people are still entering the market, but many are returning to their old more reliable markets. Much quality material is not being put on eBay due to risk of low prices. Customers tire of buying items one at a time. Still eBay has brought much great material back into the market and is an excellent way to study the most current market trends. Many new, returning & foreign collectors have entered the market thru eBay;
MODERN AGE;
Many have all thought of all Post-1980 comics as dead for several years now. But as prices continue to rise on Bronze & Silver age, more people have shifted to these low priced items. The biggest growing demand, is for Bronze titles that spill over into the 80's. Most Marvel & DC titles up to & including Crisis & Secret Wars have experienced increased demand & sales. Most others newstand
publishers were dying in this period & many people are looking to fill in runs. All 1984-86 Charltons had low print runs & remain elusive to collectors. There is an Over-Supply of the early issues of
the first Direct-Only titles (like Dazzler #1-5); Many last issues, or up to last 10 issues, of titles cancelled in this period are notabley Scarcer than the few years previous. Most titles from Genre's that died in the early 80's, had smaller print runs & may cause future problems for collectors, as supplies deplete. Variant collectors have noted that Early-Direct Only copies are in shorter supply than Newstand copies of this period, especially on DC titles. Comics from the 1st Batman movie in 1989 to the End of the exhaustive Death of Superman 1993 titles, seem to be the most overprinted period of comics, which currently glut the market. But there were other Boom & Bust periods in the last 20 years, especilly in the Alternative comics market. In the last 5 years, mass hoarding of New comics, especially by dealers, has nearly come to a hault. High cover prices has been the main cause. Collectors have lost confidence that New comics can be good investments. Many long-time collectors report that new comics are now to alien to them. Many of the buyers of new comics on the other hand, have little interest in Pre-1990 comics. Many newer comics do bring good premiums, but prices are to volatile on most to firmly report in the guide. Collectors are now more interested in proven winners, before the put hard earned cash into new titles. All that said, there is a noticable shortage of oridinary back issues from 1995-2000 titles. Any non-key issue can fast become hard to find, as no one wants to risk investing in recent comics inventories. This is an area to watch for the future. Low supplies of recent titles, may lend itself to future health in the back issue markets. Many alternative titles have had increased demand. Currently the best sellers include; All "good" artists issues, all TV/Movie titles, all Character & Cartoon titles, much of the better manga titles, comic strip reprint titles, horror titles, most 3-D titles, sports/personality/rock titles, titles resurrected from other publishers; Many were over-published, like early Pacific, but dumping has slowed or ended, & quanties have disipated. Many alternates had original quantities of 1000 to 5000 published & are legitimately hard to find. Many high
profile top alternates had relatively low print runs of 5000 to 20,000 copies & supply is diminishing. Collectors report, many of these sets are hard to complete, as dealers do not want to bother.
Character driven titles are bringing premiums, such as; How to Draw tiltes with GI Joe, Transformers & John Byrne. 3-D titles with Robert E. Howard, GI Joe, Starwars, etc. High numbers are
becoming scarcer on again popular titles, such as; Dick Tracy weekly/monthly, Kitchen Sink Spirit, Zot, ending issues of titles like Dreadstar. Marvel & DC charater driven titles are in bigger demand.
Most Star Titles by Marvel were in demand & most at over low guide levels. Many of the 80's mini series have renewed demand. These finite little gems guarantee self contained stories,
& many above par for the period. This has caused many to take another look at them, while still afforable. In very high demand, with little supply, are many high numbered issues before cancellation
of long running titles. This has not been noticable until recent years, as many were ignored for other new hot titles of the period. Now as collectors go back & try to fill in runs, a consistant trend has
emerged. Final issues & high numbered issues are consistantly elusive, on popular cancelled series'. Some titles, which are selling well, are annoying, but can be filled in with a little legwork, include;
Flash #340-350, Wonder Woman #321-329, Groo #87-120, all 1984-86 Charltons, Gold Key/Whitman final issues, Sgt Rock #400-422, Conan #251-275, Savage Sword #201-225, Dick Tracy monthly/weekly #81--99, Spirit (Kitchen Sink) #61-87, All Star Squadron #51-67 and others; But other titles had very low print runs & even lower survival rates, they are very difficult to find, bringing prices of $5 to $15 each are; Transformers #71-79 and GI JOE #141 to 154; ( The final issues varies widely bringing; Transformers #80 = $15-$40; GI JOE #155 = $10 to $30) By the time these titles reached these high numbers, most collectors & dealers alike, gave up on them. The big news, is the record prices for Modern Age comics, graded by CGC. It is becoming common to see exceptional examples bring 10 Times to 100 Times NM guide prices. Buyers should take heed, it is to early to tell on most titles, what is truely scarce & at what CGC grade level.
PROFESSIONAL GRADING;
Probably the biggest news on the market, is the great success of CGC graded comics. World record prices are being set daily for certified high grade comics. This has also caused a flurry of requests to
dealers, for high grade copies, not yet "slabbed". Contrary to the market trends of the last 5 years, the most activity in "slabbed" comics is with the traditional well known Key issues, mostly Marvel, but also DC; Many of these comics were dead sellers & now have new life. Many new "investors" are entering the market to buy these certified comics. New Buyers in the market, should consult knowledgable dealers, before paying high multiples of guide on these certified comics. Be warned, that given 5 years or 100 times as many items certified, current pricing structures can change
drastically. It is being discovered, that many 70's comics, are scarcer than originally thought, in strict high grades. The market may change again, once sellers have certified all their best material.
For the multiple guide prices, it is still unknown, how big in number the buyer pool is, & how deep their pockets are. Some long-time high grade collectors are resisting paying the "new" multiples.
Professional Grading is here to stay, but it's permanent long term effects will not be known until several years to come.
SILVER AGE;
Low grade reading copies remain in very high demand & are getting scarcer on Non-Mainstream titles. There is a lot of superhero comics still on the market in reading copies, but a shortage on other
genre's. Many dealers have begun to put minimum prices of $2 to $5 range on "reading copies", regardless of guide values and report they sell quite well. CGC graded comics in VFNM 9.0 or better regularily bring over guide with great renewed interest, & has greatly renewed interest in all the mainstream titles. The true scarcity of 9.0 or better copies, is slowly becoming apparent. Silver Age has been selling well for all companies & in all grades. SA inventories are getting depleted, as more enter permanent collections. Also, many collectors are selling via eBay, rather than to dealers. It is getting more difficult to replenish dealer stocks. It is now apparent, that many SA titles are scarce in even VF, especially; War, teen, cartoon, love & western. The "new" high prices on high grade, has grown a bigger audience for mid-grade nice copies in VG to FVF. There is a shortage of the many 1969-1973 superhero comics still undervalued in the guide. This is the period when both Marvel & DC greatly expanded title counts and thereby diluted & shrunk print runs. Yet guide values list many of these at 40% to 80% less than the more prolific 1966-1968 titles. Consistant dealer shortages on these issues, has caused rising prices & demand. In 1962 as the "original" Dell was dying to be come the new Gold Key, print runs dropped. Most 1962 Dell's & 1963 Gold Key's are scarcer the surrounding years & some prices are beginning to reflect this. Good Artist comics are again in heavy demand & due for more price increases; Most long time & proven series were stong sellers. This includes renewed interest in comics that became famous from newspaper strips, such as; Beetle Bailey, Blondie, Dennis the Menace, Dick Tracy, Phantom, Popeye, Sad Sack, Tarzan & others. Cartoon comics remained elusive in high grades, with the exception of the few file copies on the market. All Giants were very popular & bringing over guide in all grades.
--------------
ARCHIE Comics;
Collectors remain loyal to this company. There is a stong reader base, that just want reading copies. Betty & Veronica, Josie, Sabrina, and Cheryl Blossom are all the strongest sellers. Suzie has picked up in demand, making the trend toward Female titles. Nice covers, especially with Swimsuits, cheerleaders, UFO's, DeCarlo art, etc sell fast, as they are a way to distiguish a more finite group from the Larger group. Sabrina & Josie with Pussycats remained hot, with all key, early, giant & high number issues being near non-existant on the market. Josie #45-74, 91up & Sabrina #1-20, 71up brought 200% or more guide, when found. Covers & inside appearances, in any other title, of Josie, Sabrina, and Cheryl Blossom sold very fast. Archie's TV Laughout, & Little Archie's with Little Sabrina were again up in demand; Archie Giant spot appearance issues are red hot. All giants from all years, sold in every condition, especially 60's squarebound issues. Digests continue to be hottly persued, particularilly all #1-10 issues & any Pre-1980 issues; Final issues and last 5-10 issues of Titles cancelled in the 80's had low print runs & are an obsical to many trying to fill in these runs. All the superhero titles are up in demand; The 60's Archie heros are hot, including digests; The 60's superheroes titles are again selling, especially Mighty Comics & Mighty Crusaders, likely due to the many heroes. Fast on the move are all the Red Circle thru Archie Adventure series Superhero & Horror titles of the 70's to 80's. Sorcery & Madhouse #95-97 are hot, & bringing double guide & up, mostly due to great artists. The Red Circle superhero issues are way up in demand, mostly for good art like Toth & Steranko, but also for heroes, like Black Hood; Katy Keene has regained some strong demand from Paper Doll & other collectors on the internet; Especially hot & getting much scarcer, are the 80's Katy Keene comics & digests, many bringing 200-1000% of Guide #30; Still blazing Hot, is all Sonic the Hedgehog comics from 1993 to 1996, which consistantly bring $10 & up, with the mini #0,1 and regular #1,2 in the $20-$35 range; Spire titles remain hot, with scarce single print issues in very high demand. Many now want 1st print spire, while others want any reading copy. Christmas and Archie treasury's are rare in any grade, with GD copies now bringing $20+; The Archie All-Star Specials, rebound Giants, remained rare & very elusive, in any grade. Madhouse #22 was very much wanted, with all copies gone instantly from the market at multiples of guide.All Sabrina issues sold quite well & over guide.
ARTIST ISSUES;
Artist issues are again gaining in popularity. All traditionally highly collectible artists continue to be stable & sell well. Kirby remains the most widely collected artist. Many choose to collect Kirby thru reprints, to keep their costs down, thus demand is good for all such titles. Afforable never reprinted titles remain in highest demand. There is a resurrgance in demand, & all bringing premiums over guide, in all grades for; Neal Adams, Wrightson, Toth, Eisner, Jeff Jones, Kirby, Wood, Baker & Wolverton; There is especilly a lot of interest, & escalating prices on more recent vintage artists; J.Byrne, G.Perez,
F.Miller, A.Ross, D.Rosa, W.Pini, D.Sim, & J.Starlin. All scarcer items are bringing good premiems, due to heavy buyer competition.
ATLAS - SEABOARD Comics;
This is one company everyone seems to want to complete. Vicki's remained scarce, with #3 and #4 almost never seen for sale; Gothic Romances #1 was in huge demand & has broken the $100 barrier,
selling up to $150 or more; One shots & last issues were a bit more elusive. The 4 issue Movie Monsters series is tough to find; The war titles Blazing Battle Tales & Savage Combat Tales were bringing double guide or more, especially SCT #2 with Toth art; The magazines, Devilina, Thrilling Adv & Weird tales of the Macabre sell very fast, with all the #2's in very low supply & bringing over guide. Many great writers & artists appear in this short lived company, and many people now remember this company, which has led to the current big demand. Values continue to rise.
BRITISH Comics;
The UK has produced a vast amount of reprint material from the Golden, Silver, & Bronze ages, all still at much lower costs than US equivalents. Much of the material has not been reprinted in the US & therefore is in high demand by people who want to read them, or collect their favorite artists. Alan Class Pub., in the 60's thru 80's, has produced long runs, with many titles, of B&W squarebound giant reprints, mostly of USA Horror & SF Titles, with some superhero, including reprints from; Atlas, ACG, Charlton, Archie & others. Marvel's comics have been published in entirely different titles & formats from the late 60's to 80's in the UK, most in B&W. DC had less UK titles, but are fast sellers when found. Marvel & DC both had disgests in the UK circa 1980. The 1960's featured All-New material digests, both comic-type & illustrated-text type, from World Adventure library, including; Batman, Superman, Phantom, Flash Gordon, Man from Uncle, & others. UK has had long established weekly B&W All-new UK-Only War comic digests, from the 60's thru 80's. These superior quality & still low priced comics, are only recently being discovered in the USA, & sell swiftly to War comic fans. Many All-New to UK-Only comics have existed from the 50's and older, to date. Scarce early issues are bringing record prices in UK, but are of low interest in USA, as mostly unknown over here. British Hardcover Annuals continue to grow in demand. 2 competing guides were released in 2000. One by Hammer, whose main focus is on the scarce early British material. The other is Green's guide, which focuses on World-Wide Popular characters, TV shows, comics, cartoons & similar books. These Annual's are still a bargain, when compared to the slim volume US equivalent comics; Most still sell in the $10 to $25 range, with but a few in the $30 to $50 range; The Rare to Scarce Superman, Batman & other hardcover annuals from the 50's & 60's can still be had in the relatively low $50 to $200 each range; Most popular, are the HC Annuals, which had no US equivalent, & all the issues with All-New UK stories & art, never seen in USA. A fast growing area to watch; CANADIAN; Canada had an embargo on US editions, several times, from WW-II years thru mid-50's; During these periods, printing plates were sent to Canada & separate Canadian Editions were printed. Most had "cereal Box" type cover stock. This cover stock did not survive time well, & most are quite scarce in above VG condition. Most issues were from near the same vintage as US equivalents. Some issues, contents got switched around to US equivalent. some dropped page counts. Most of the direct reprints were in color. Some had entirely new titles & totally switched contents; Publishers that had Golden Age editions in Canada include; DC, Timely, Dell, Fawcett, Classics, EC, Archie, Toby, Quality, Avon, Fiction House, Lev Gleason & others. The survival rates on these comics is very low. Many may no longer exist & many others in quantities of 1 to 10 copies extant; Prices are difficult to track, as examples are getting scarcer on the market. Due to scarcity, prices are beginning to approach US equivalent prices. On issues of interest to completionists, maybe higher. The EC reprints though, still bring 25%-35% less than US edition, due to poor printing quality; The EC exception is the much requested & rare, EC title Weird Suspense Stories #1; Superior put out several series of All-New material, mostly Love & Horror titles, all are getting scarcer, & especially in high grade; Canada also had an industry of "Canadian Whites" which are all new Charcaters with all new comics & stories for Canada in B&W; Most had newsprint covers. They also experimented, mainly with Fawcett titles, with taking US comics & having them re-drawn be Canadian artists for publication in designated Canadian White titles. All are Scare to Rare, & many likely no longer exist. In the May to August 1968 Canadian 15 cent cover price editions exist on all Gold Key titles.
They are approx 10 times scarcer than US editions & bring 100-150% guide values; Variant collectors are paying 150%-250% guide for the Canadian Newstand Variant editions of the 1980's = Marvel (10/82--8/86) and DC (10/82--9/88) Canada also had a fairly big French Language Edition industry from the 70's thru the 90's; A limited amount were issued also in the 1960's & all are quite scarce today.
Since the audience they aimed at was mainly French speaking Canadians, which only comprises about 1% of North Americans, the print runs are all quite small. Smaller than even most Overseas
countries, which usually had a wider reading base. The French Canadian comics, for the most part, are comprised of Reprints of Marvel, DC & Archie comics. They also ventured into some
Gold Key, King, original character & Overseas reprint material. Being located so close to USA & sharing most newstand comics with Canada, has made these more desirable than most
Foreign comics; Artist & character collectors seek them the most. There was also the curious practice of taking unsold copies & rebinding them into Giant Annuals with new
wraparound outer covers. These are especially treasuered by collectors
CANADIAN, BRITISH & FOREIGN EDITION Comics;
The demand for foreign editions, continues to grow. Firstly for Completionists, 2nd for cheaper reprint editions, 3rd as interesting curiosities & finally for Scarcity.
CHARLTON Comics;
It is amazing how popular many of these comics have become in the last 5 years. There is something for everyone in this company, with much undocumented artists, character, appearnces, themes &
more yet to be discovered. As more people try them, more trends arise. Most of John Byrne's earliest pro work appears here, & he is one of the most collected artists, so value short continue to rise.
The text illos issues are getting tough to locate in any grade. Many Ditko issues are yet undocumented & most Post 1960 issues have yet to break out at higher prices, even though the majority is new material. Wally Wood new & reprint art issues are in high demand & very under-valued; Sam Glanzman, Pete Morisi, Don Newton, Sanho Kim, Tom Sutton, Boyette, Staton, & Wayne Howard are all names perhaps best known for their classic Charlton art & all are gaining a new respect, demand & have rising values. The TV tiltles are all in high & stead demand, including; Space 1999, Six Million Dollar Man, Space 1999 & Bionic Woman; The mags are all getting scarcer & all bring over guide, esp. Neal Adams issues. The Superhero titles have picked up in demand, especially the Ditko issues. The Modern reprints sell very well on any title that lists at $10 or more, in the guide, & some are trying to make sets. Charlton Bullseye mag is hot & selling fast at over guide. All 1984--86 issues had low print runs & are making completing these sets difficult. Attack #48 is red hot for the Kirby & Wood art, as is Gunfighters #85 for the Kirby; Charlton Classics has had a big increase in demand for the Hercules by Glanzman reprints. The War titles have especially picked up demand, particularilly Glanzman, Navy related titles, & 60's issues. The Hot Rod comics were almost unique to Charlton and are stead good sellers. The Surf N Wheels tiltle is a strange mix of Heroes of the surf & motorcycles and sells fast. All Hanna Barbera titles continue to have stong demand; All the cartoon titles have a good following, with high demand for Bugaloos. Blondie, Beetle Bailey & Popeye are in short supply, due to low guide values. Haunted Love was a high demand title, many are trying to complete. Space Adventures & Space War Ditko reprint issues sold very well, as a thrifty alternative to the high priced originals. Yang is gaining popularity as a strange Western Martial Arts title with GGA, slavery, drugs & more.
COMIC DIGESTS;
Once ignored, but now firmly entrenched as desirable collectibles, digests continue to grow in demand & value, as supply disappears. DC digests are still the most collected, with Best of DC #41 up remaining the scarcest issues, due to low print runs. Many people consider them to be like mini-trade paperbacks, because they are full of classic reprints at low cost. The original material & Comic Cavalcade reprint issues remain in high demand, when identified; All the Gold Key digests remain in high demand. Golden Comics Digest #2,7,11 the Hanna Barbera issues, are in huge demand, but are not to be found. They can command 200-300% current guide. All issues of Mystery Comic digest all in big demand. Fast sellers include; Fiction illustrated #3 (Steranko), Shocking Tales #1, Archie Superhero #1,2, all Archie titles #1-10 issues, all Archie's with Adams or other artists, all 1970's digests in general, Harvey #1-5 issues; Marvel digests have also grown strongly in demand, including; GI JOE, Spiderman, Star & Transformers. Digest awareness, has increased demand for the many British & other foreign comic digests. On these, the ones with classic USA reprint material sells best. But foreign digests are also selling better, with all-new unseen in USA material, especilly if popular themes like War, Sex & Horror;
DC comics;
Everything from Crisis & earlier sells in any grade. Superman & Batman titles haved increased in demand, as more people realize these titles realize they will be solid sellers forever. Wonder Woman was in very high demand, especially #177-214 which were in very short supply. Artist issues were much requested, especially Wrightson, Kirby & Neal Adams, so look for more long overdue increases; All the Girl heroes were in demand, including; Supergirl, Isis, Huntress, Power Girl. Many Team titles were in constant demand, including; JLA, JSA, Legion, Freedom Fighters, Doom Patrol & others. Many Minor-Key Issues with little or no break-out prices in current guide, sold much better than surrounding issues & may be due for increases. Many hunted down & paid premium's for their favorite characters in DC Comics Presents, Brave & Bold, and simililar titles. Hunger Dogs & New Gods #6(1984) were red hot; Many Mini Series & short series from all years sold well, because easier to collect. Shazam, & Super Friends are still selling well. Amazing World of DC is hot, with #9 bringing $75-$100; All the oddball, Teen, Love, Western, War, humor/cartoon, & horror titles were in constant demand, as many try to fill out runs. Still Hot & often at over guide, were all Treasuries, Digests, magazines, paperbacks, & giveaways;
DELL Comics;
Demand has slowly picked up across the board, as many prices are now falling behind other vintage comics. Dell had a great wealth of Popular characters, so they have never stopped selling. They are perhaps generally more plentiful than other comics of there time, because they sold a lot of product, but constant demand eats at the supply, until prices must again rise, as this year. Animation related titles have their core buyers, who tend to gravitate to sellers with better selections. Looney Tunes was a huge success in the animated film business, & are finally gaining more respect in the comics. Hanna Barbera has it's serious fans & buyers. TV comics are much more popular than Movie related titles, with the exception of big stars like Annette & John Wayne; Univeral Monsters Movie titles are hot; 1962 Dells are in lower supply, as "old Dell" became Gold Key & "New Dell" emerged in 1963. The New Dell horror & war titles, continue to gain demand, such as; Combat, Ghost Stories, & Air War;
The Post-1962 "New Dell" is like a different company to many & collecting trends & habits are different; The Dell File copies have spoiled buyers into thinking they can file any Dell in NM. But if not in the
File collection, they can all be scarce in NM, as collectors are finding out; Dell's were typically among the most well read & handed down comics & most normal inventory copies are in G or VG. But this is a plus, as many buyers prefer reading copies. Tarzan is fast gaining renewed demand, as one of the world's most recognizable charaters, he is again much collected & under-valued. All TV titles have strong consistant demand.
DENNIS THE MENACE Comics;
Dennis has been one of the most popular Newspaper comics for several generations. Add TV, movies paperback, merchandising & long runs of comics, & you see why he remains constantly collected.
Demand has continued to increase for several years now. All giants are undervalued & selling well. For many, condition is not a priority with these. The Digests & Marvel issues sell swiftly.
FANZINES;
Fanzines continue to be more & more avidly collected. Many collectors have run out of comics to buy, on their favorite artists, characters, or publishers. They have found fanzines can be an exciting
thing to collect to fill the void. The lack of documentation, makes pricing difficult & widely varied. Condition seems less important here, than in most other aspects of the hobby. Many items are hard to find & therefore sell for top dollar, in ANY condition. Hidden treasures are being found in the low quality but rare ditto-zines of the 60's. They feature many now well known names, plus a wide array of SA & GA characters, profiles, interviews & more. Early Pro-Zines are loaded with top talents. Many limited fanzines, have art by highly collected artists, that has never been reprinted. Thus very highly sought by competionists. Even more recent fanzines are peppered with collectible artists & characters. Some attempts at price guides are in the works, & if they materialize, could lead to an very lucrative collectible area.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE Comics;
There is some growing interest in Foreign Language editions, of popular US chracters & artists; Many of these editions had superior printing qualities, paper stock & colors over the US originals; There are many formats including; Comics (Color and B&W), Magazines, Digests, Graphic Novels & others; Comics are far more popular with the Japan general population, than in USA, with most material never seen here; Much of this material is reprinted in the US as the many popular manga titles. Europe & much of the World, loves Disney in Comics, more per capita than us in North America. The demand was so high, that much All-New for Europe comics were made in the 70's & 80's, some now reprinted in Gladstone. Thru the 70's & 80's All-New Sex related Adult comics digests were made for the Europe only buyers, including rampant Bondage, nudity, & violence; Many of the above have begun to interest buyers in North America. US reprints were especially popular on Horror & Superhero comic titles. Many have art by Wrightson, Adams & many others of the period. These have picked up in popularity, especially with completionists.
GIVEAWAY Comics;
The seperation of Giveaway's into their own section in the guide, has raised awareness & demand in general. Many are quite scarce, very hard to find & still undervalued. Many regional giveaways are
still unlisted. There are countless Non-Character giveaways which are not listed. Some have known artists & theme's of interest & might gain future value. Because of their nature, many have a very low
survival rate, & what actually exists will probably never be known. Even on well known characters like Spiderman, there are more unlisted than listed titles, plus endless variations of those titles.
Some titles remain more common, as they had easily accessible quantities upon release, but most of these are in the guide and usually sell at more reasonable prices. New discoveries, like the Action #484 with bonus 3-D poster, bring top dollar & excite collectors. Scarce titles & variants of highly collected characters have brought record prices at auctions. Completionists pay the highest prices for these items. Supergear Comics from 1976, has been the most requested of all giveaways, with buyers offering $500-$1000 for it; The Boston Pops', Biff Bam Pops, with Spiderman, is in the same price range; Both are unfindable at any price. Regional issues are commanding high premiums, & most Post-1980 issues are not listed. This trend has also led to a big demand for Ephemera & Promotional items like; handouts, flyers, displays, posters, advance news items, distributor books, shareholder items & similar.
GOLD KEY Comics;
GK's from 1963 remained in Short supply, especially high grade keys. Gold Key is loaded with TV, character, cartoon, artist & genre titles that makes them steady good sellers. They appeal more to a younger generation, as does the lower overall prices, thus they outsell their predecessor Dell comics. Hanna Barbera titles remained very popular. TV titles are strong. Cartoon titles, have slowly been gaining new popularity for 3+ years now. Horror titles have steady demand. There is a shortage of early issues of; Tarzan, Turok, Magnus, Dr Solar, Space Family Robinson, Star Trek & Phantom. Except for File copies, most Pre-1970 issues are scarce in NM, especially cartoon titles; Occult Files of Dr Spector is up in demand, for monster, Dr Solar & Owl appearances;
HARVEY Comics;
It turns out Harvey Pop & Rock Happening are the same tiltle, which explains endless want list problems, for this hot title. Bunny is in big demand. Blondie & Dagwood much requested & are still very undervalued; All Sad Sack is much up in demand, as a proven long time character. All afforable 1960's issues sold well; All giants were hot again, with diminishing supplies. The squarebound issues often brought up to double guide. Many are attempting to complete their 1970 thru early 80's runs, most starting with issues #1-10, which are now in lower supply. Some of the late 80's revival issues are tougher than 70's issues; The circa 1990 Hanna Barbera titles are very good sellers, as few have them & they remain undervalued. All the digests sell well, especially all #1-10 issues. Little Dot's Aunts & Uncle's and Wendy are much requested & seem to be in short supply. The 60's horror & superhero titles show some increased
demand.
Horror Comic Magazines;
All B&W Horror mags are strong sellers from every company. Warren leads the pack, mostly because they are best known & had the biggest output. Many people are trying to fill in sets. Middle number Creepy & Eerie especially from #40--70 are in shorter supply, as they were in low supply in the warren Warehouse which was dispersed in the early 80's. Also the high numbers of Creepy, Eerie & Vampirella are in lower supply, due to low final print runs as Warren was folding. Teen Age Love mags from Warren are a hot commodity as a spillover from the Love comic collecting craze.
Marvel Mags are consistant sellers, & are getting in shorter supply as more disappear into permanent collections. Most of the last 2 to 4 issues seem in shorter supply. Eerie Publication mags continued to sell well & 60's issues are getting more elusive. Stanley Publications mags were in even more demand, mainly because they had a much smaller total output & they reprinted more pre-code horror titles.
All Skywald Titles were in very high demand, including Psycho, Nightmare & Scream. Nightmare #20 is in huge demand & is beginning to break the $100 mark; Nightmare & Psycho #20up and
Scream #9--11 are Low Print, on most want lists & getting Scarcer. Web of Horror is very much requested & due for a big price rise. All Photo horror mags remained popular too, with Famous Monsters leading the way. Also popular were Charlton's Mad Monsters & Horror Monsters, plus Fangoria and all similar mags. Issues with popular characters on the cover, brought premium prices with regularity.
TV, MOVIE, Character, Cartoon & Personality; This remains a very fast growing area of collecting, especially via the internet. Trends show although still stong, a slight cooling of Pre-1970 titles, in favor of 1975--1985 titles. The latter group seems to have more current disposible income & are driving prices upward.
HUMOR & PARODY Comic Magazines;
Since the guide has listed the many Parodies in Mad, Crazy & Cracked & similar mags, sales have significantly increased; Now with the new listing for Sick magazine, most of the major Parodies are
listed; Many highly collectible Characters, TV shows, Movies & other items can easily bring far above guide values. Especially in the Non-Comic collectibles arena. Since many are hard to find, condition is less of a factor to buyers, on any desirable parody. Most in fact now sell as Character items, more than for the title itself, with perhaps the exception of Mad. It seems only Mad exists in large enough quantities to satisfy most of the want lists.
MARVEL Comics;
Almost all Marvel's are hot again; But once you pass Secret Wars-I, they slow again in sales; Of all companies, Marvel sports the most completionists; So oddball Bronze titles just keep selling & selling. Silver Age issues have regained a lot of demand. CGC has brought out many great high grade copies & set countless record prices. Certified Graded comics are still but a tiny part of the market, but growing fast. Even so, they have had great influence on the market, especially on Marvel comics. This is where many of the most serious high grade collectors lurk & with deep pockets. But many long time collectors, choose to continue dealing within longtime trusted sellers, to avoid paying huge multiples needed to buy CGC copies. High Grade Marvels are disappearing at an accelerated rate. CGC & high grade buyers seem to prefer Mainstream & superhero titles. Possibly because there is little hope of completing NM runs of oddball titles. Buyer resistance is low, on premium priced, Non-CGC graded comics, still at resonable percentages of guide. Many collectors are phoning dealers around the country trying to circumvent high CGC prices & "scoop" other collectors, only to be disappointed;
Hulk #181, GS X-Men #1 and X-Men #94 are on fire & NM 9.4+ copies consistantly bring $1500+ range prices each; Most strict graded VF Bronze keys will now bring near NM prices, as we realize how scarce true NM bronze comics are, on the For Sale market. All 1964 & earlier Marvel's are hot in all grades. Most 1966--1968 Marvels are readily availiable on th market & slower selling, with the exception of very high grade & low grade reading copies. Most 1969-1973 vintage Marvels had lower print runs & there is a definite shortage on the Market, as prices are far too low to keep up with demand, especially on; Avengers #71-120, Hulk #131-170, Capt America #131-170, FF #112-130, Capt Marvel #17-27, Conan #25-50, Daredevil #81-120, Ironman #31-70, Submariner #21-50, Thor #181-225, Xmen #67-93. Most 1975-1980 Marvels are in fairly good supply, but now a shortage of copies in strictly graded VF or better. All Western, War, Teen, Cartoon, Love, & reprint titles remain in high demand & are
selling in all grades. All odd formats are hot, including; Treasury's, Digests, Mags, paperbacks, etc. Many TV, Movie, Character, & Cartoon titles from late 70's to late 80's are all in higher demand, with yet less supply left. The 70's Mags are again gaining demand, as less sellers have any in stock. Even the mags of late 70's to early 80's are up in demand & price, such as; Marvel Preview, Marvel Comics
Super Special, Epic, Tomb of Dracula, Hulk mag & Bizarre Adventures. All giants Pre-1980 are in demand, including Giant Size, Annuals & Marvel Tales & Superheroes. These are proving quite tough to find in high grades & many will pay good premiums. Demand for reading copies is getting yet higher for most SA & Bronze issues, and they sell fast to eager readers worldwide. Planet of the Apes #21 up
had small print runs, & are sold out thru most dealers, with issue #29 selling as high as $50-$75;
MISCELLANEOUS Comics;
People remain intrigued with anything & everything oddball. This started with Bronze Age, but is spilling more & more to Silver & Atom Age titles; Low guide value seems to be the Key ingredient to saleability. IW & Super Reprints titles are all up in demand. Teen comics from all publishers & years seem to have more & more buyers. Binky, Millie, Bunny, Teen-In, Vicki, Chili, Tippy Teen & all similar are now commonly heard requests, and all still bring premiums. Charlton with the epitome publisher of Oddball comics & many people are trying all types of titles & Genre's. ACG titles are all steady sellers, with Herbie & superhero issues most requested. Anything with crossover character & odd appearance is getting more attention, like Real Life & True Comics. Any forgotten publishers & comics from
1960--1980 sells fast at over guide, including; Fatman, Capt Marvel (MF Ent), Henry Brewster, True Comics & Adventure Stories (1965 Parents), Fast Willie Jackson, Classics swipe titles, Golden
Legacy, Star Reach & others. Tower has renewed demand, mostly because they were loaded with great artists.
RELIGION comics;
Buyers of Religious comics, most especially Christian related comics, are serious buyers & typically want all different items that they can afford. Low guide values make guide irrelivant to many buyers & sellers. All comics by Spire Christian comics arew the most sought. Most Spire issues, with a single printing, usually 80's titles, are Scarce & sell at $5 to $10 each in any decent condition. Archie Spire's are especially hot, as 2 collecting groups want them. The Marvel titles are fast sellers and getting harder to find. The DC Bible treasury is very popular. Treasure Chest sells best in Low Grade reading copies, because of the huge size of the series. Crusaders had great art & many are attempting to complete the run, but find that all the high numbers are scarce; Dennis the Menace & the Bible Kids is hot, but #7--10 are scarce & might have had only regional distribution. All the Catechetical Guild one-shots are in very high demand, but most are not to be found, because of low guide values, most in VG bring $10-$15 or more, irregardless of low guide values; All the obscure publishers like Logos, & Open Door are highly sought & difficult to obtain.
ROMANCE & LOVE comics;
For several years running now, these have been strong sellers. Most people buy them for their scarcity. Most of the original print runs are destroyed, because they were almost entirely held by non collectors. There are some completionists, but do to quantity & scarcity, most choose to collect by titles, decades, publishers, or by Key issues. Big demand & low supply of Key issues is driving up prices, which have a while to go before peaking. Our Love Story #5, with the Classic Steranko Mod story, is by far the most requested & sells instantly in all grades, with NM copies in the $200 range; The reprints in My Love #23, Capt America Special #2 and Young Romance UK comic Digest #3, are all bringing multiples of guide; My Love & Our Love Story in all grades have constant unsatisfied demand, with still escalating prices. Virtually all Love comics are Scarce in strict NM, most are in VG or less. All Marvels in NM bring multiples of guide. DC titles sell strongly, but are diluted when compared to Marvel, due to long runs. Giants, artists & key issues are hot; Charlton titles are still selling fast, as they remain the cheapest of Love comics. Short runs of 30 or less, are in high demand, as many try to complete sets. Soap Opera Love & Soap Opera Romance, both had low print runs & sell briskly when found. Outside of Marvel titles, high grade copies are not required by most buyers. New on the hot
list, is first time listed 1960's "Teen Love Stories" mag from Warren. Atlas/Seaboard Gothic Romance is very scarce & high grade copies bring $100-$150. Vicki #3, 4 are very elusive & on many many want lists; Marvel's Gothic Tales of Love #1,2 do exist, but are not to be found in any grade, at any price. All IW & Super reprint titles are now hot, as collectors judge them undervalued compared to more recent Love comics. The strength of Post-1960 Love comics, has spilled to bigger demand for Atom to Silver Age Romance. Especially popular are anything in the $5 to $20 range. Natually artist issues remained very popular. All with Kirby art were bringing premiums from 20% to 100% over guide.
THEME & Completionist COLLECTING Comics;
This growing area in the hobby continues to intrigue collectors. The internet has especially made this type of collecting easier & more popular. Collecting by character, cover or content is an exciting
new avenue to the hobby. (See list in last years guide) Many items can be found at low prices. The "key" to this method of collecting, is the fun of the hunt. What exists is often unknown &
like finding treasure when discovered. In addition to theme collecting, many collectors are beginning to try to get one copy each, of each & every appearance, anywhere on or in anything, of their favorite
character or artist. Some Favorites include; Spiderman, Hulk, Wonder Woman, JLA, JSA, Byrne, Wrightson, Perez, Miller, Steranko. Low print fanzines, odd format items & memorabilia often
bring top dollar in this very competitive arena. Another newer trend, is people who are collecting 60's to 80's Female Hero titles. Demand is up for all titles, & Wonder Woman leads the way.
TV Cartoon Comics have a big following & condition is not a priority to many buyers. Demand is much higher on TV items, as compared to Movie items. But on Movie items from 1980 thru 1995, there is more buyers. Many Marvel, DC & Alternative comics of the period, had lower print runs, & less direct market distribution, than mainstream & superhero items of the period. Supply can & is beginning to disappear on these items. Prices are expected to rise on these items, as most have low guide values.
WALT DISNEY Comics;
Disney prices have been in a long slump, mostly due to Over Reprinting, of Mickey & Duck titles. Now most vintage issues remain undervalued, as compared to their classic stature in the hobby. They have been slowly picking up demand again. Perhaps people now see the bargains. Uncle Scrooge #179, Donald Duck #222 and WDC&S #480 were red hot, & bringing world record prices. All Non-Reprinted, & Non-Duck/Mouse titles have made good gains in demand. Animation titles sold best, especially with renewed demand for; Winnie the Pooh, WD Showcase, Animation Movie Classics, Super Goof, Huey Dewey & Louie, Beagle Boys & Moby Duck; TV & Movie titles were up in demand, especially Zorro, Annette, WD Presents, Scarecrow, & well known classic movies; Don Rosa art continues to be popular, as many want new great stories beyond the Barks classics & find them here. The WD Paint Books & Jungle Book treasury remain hot & scarce. The Gladstone digests sell well. Interest is gaining on Foreign Disney's, especially if new stories not in US editions;
WAR COMICS;
War comic collectors are serious collectors & avid readers as a whole. Virually all titles, by all publishers, in any condition sells well. This is one area, where many people are always trying to fill in runs. DC is still the strongest, followed by Atlas, Marvel & Charlton. Many of the obscure 50's titles sell much faster, than in many years. At Charlton, there is a growing respect for Sam Glanzman art issues. If identified as Glanzman, chance of sale virually doubles. Prices might be due for increases in the next few years. Interest has risen for the classic UK Weekly War comic digests of the 60's to 80's, as people discover they are getting scarcer. Our Army At War #83, 168, 242, GI Combat #68, 144-148,150, Star Spangled War #94, are all Red Hot and selling in the double guide range, if you can find one. Sgt Rock prototypes & Pre-Rock Easy Co stories continue in demand.
WARREN;
Warren has gained a lot of attention by fans & fan press, and has become a renewed favorite of many; This year, Creepy & Eerie listing are revised with much needed artists, character & other listings;
Many are now attempting to get complete runs & finding many issue numbers troublesome. Many mid-series numbers are in smaller supply & with spines that damage easily. Many of the color
inserts issues are missing the bonuses & posters. Wrightson, Corben & other artist issues have been in short supply, as not listed & broken out in the guide. Hopefully this is solved with the new revamped listings. Creepy was more of a straight one-shot story horror title. Eerie by around #40, became a Showcase title of Horror, SF & Adventure Mini Series'; High numbers are in low supply. There is big demand for reading copies & they sell swiftly at reasonable minimum values, well above last years guide. In High demand were; Blazing Combat #1, Creepy #9,146, Comix International #1, Spirit Special #1, Teen Love Stories #1-3, Warren Presents #13,14, Vampirella #101-113, Annual #1, Special #1, Famous Monster #81-120, Anthologys, paperbacks & others.
WESTERN Comics;
Demand for Dell titles has increased, with the passing of Gene Autry & Roy Rogers. Often requested & making a comeback in demand were Western Roundup, Lone Ranger, Red Ryder, Sgt Preston, King of The Royal Mounted. Dumping of Dells has ceased & prices have experienced a moderate rise. Charlton Westerns, that finished Fawcett titles are in short supply & often scarcer than their older counterparts. Most Charlton Westerns are in demand, due to low guide values. Any Key issue, Giant or Artist issue sells swiftly & at over guide levels. The awareness of low guide values of all oddball 50's publishers & titles, has increased demand on same. Many to most collectors of Pre-1960 titles, are very loyal to their genre, are consistant reliable buyers, & prefer lower cost reading copies. Vintage Western buyers, seems to be grouped regionally & sales can be spectacular in one area & disappointing in the next area. There is resisatance to VF or better copies. Fastest selling, were all Marvel Western titles of the 70's, as many try to complete runs. Kirby issues of 50's thru 70's all sold swiftly. All Star/Weird Western #10-38 were hot & supply is getting smaller. Jonah Hex #1-20, 80 up and Digests were in big demand. The oddball short DC & Marvel titles are finite, so easier to collect & hot, like; Trigger Twins, Gunslinger, Western Team-Up, 70's Marvel Wyatt Earp; The 80's Charlton reprints were good sellers, especially artist issues.
WHITMAN Comics;
The Scarce Whitman Pre-pack or 3-Pack comics remained in high demand, with almost no supply; Uncle Scrooge #179 is the holy grail of Post Golden Age Disney comics, several copies sold in the $1200.00+ range, plus a VG copy for $510.00; Donald Duck #222 and WDC&S #480 remain quite rare & sell in the $125-$200+ range; Buck Rogers #10 likely does not exist. Battle of the Planets #7-9 are in big demand, but remain elusive in any grade. The Pre-1980 Whitman's are simply variants of the Gold Keys, but in smaller quantities. They now sell at the same price as Gold Key's, but anything of interest to completionists, can easily bring 200-300% guide; The 8-12/1980 Whitman's remain by far the scarcest issues; Others might be considered "rare" but do not command the attention of Scrooge #179; The second scarcest group, is the Un-Dated, No Code on cover issues from circa 1982. Now that the guide indicates these as scarcer, collectors report they are even more difficult to find, at
current low price levels. For WHITMAN VARIANTS of DC's, there are 126 issues, in 14 titles, known to exist; Being a finite set, has made many people begin to try for complete sets; They are
scarcer, but not impossible to find, therefore a popular challenge to collectors; They are selling at 2 to 4 times the regualr format issues, about $10 average for VF or better copies.
******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************