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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);
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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];
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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;
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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;
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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