• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

So, Why Has AF #15 Continued to Drop In Value?
8 8

1,031 posts in this topic

8 hours ago, piper said:

I think it’s time to pull out GPA and do a new valuation of my collection.

Piper, prepare to have your mind blown if you haven't updated values within the last 2 months.  And then.... once you're finished, consider that your collection is probably worth WAY more because GPA doesn't include all of the data (and there's been a lot of new data the last 2 months).  My collection increased by about $150k in the last 6 weeks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, AnkurJ said:

At the end of the day, the books mean more to me than how much they’re worth. I know the market has exploded, but it’s meaningless if you have no plans to sell.

I plan to sell them eventually, but not for many years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, AnkurJ said:

At the end of the day, the books mean more to me than how much they’re worth. I know the market has exploded, but it’s meaningless if you have no plans to sell.

Right - the real problem with this market is if you have plans to buy. 

If this were my stock portfolio, I would love this market. But as a collector it may have pushed some books out if reach for me. 

Truthfully, I'm kind of ok with that reality. I've been fortunate to get most of the big books I've wanted.  There are a handful of big books I will likely never own now, but there is more to this hobby than chasing keys (though, that is fun lol) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/24/2021 at 10:41 AM, KCOComics said:

Right - the real problem with this market is if you have plans to buy. 

But as a collector it may have pushed some books out if reach for me. 

There are a handful of big books I will likely never own now,

I think we're going to see an explosion of single pages being slabbed now on these Marvel Keys.  That will be the only way some collectors will be able to have a piece of a Key.

Might be a good time to invest in the Golden Record reprints? (shrug)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, gadzukes said:

I think we're going to see an explosion of single pages being slabbed now on these Marvel Keys.  That will be the only way some collectors will be able to have a piece of a Key.

Might be a good time to invest in the Golden Record reprints? (shrug)

Man, I hope we aren't at that point lol. 

One of the things I enjoy about this hobby is, there are so many elements to it. Ive bad a move into bronze age DC horror. Great stories, great art and still affordable. 

I'll always love and be interested in super hero keys, but if price keep soaring I've got plenty of stuff I can jump into. 

 

Someone in another thread compared this to what happened with GA years ago. As Tec27s and AC1s got out of reach, the next big thing was classic covers. Books that were $20 one day were suddenly considered a classic cover and hit 4 figures in no time. I can see that happening with SA.  Great covers like FF72 suddenly sky rocket once people can't afford FF48 and 49 anymore. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/23/2021 at 2:07 PM, Drummy said:

In my experience, chipping tends to run sales down 10-20% or so depending on other factors like eye appeal, wrap, writing, and page quality.

 

On 3/23/2021 at 2:11 PM, Pantodude said:

Sorry Drummy, but the sales data, especially in the last 12 months, does not support what you are saying, especially with respect to AF15.   MC has had zero effect, if you are referring to fetching then-current GPA at the time of sale.  All copies with MC that have sold in the past year that we know of (and by that I mean sales via eBay, Heritage Auction, ComicLink, Commic Connect, but not Instragram or Facebook b/c I don't know about that) have generally all sold for more than GPA at the time, usually significantly more.  Even recently, the 4.5, 4.0, and 3.0 that sold on eBay and set new GPA highs all had at least moderate MC.    

Even IH#1.   The 6.0 that sold on eBay on 3/8 for $35,601 had some MC and it too set a GPA high by a huge margin.   A 6.0 had most recently (according to GPA) sold for "only" $25,750 in November 2019.  

That's because Drummy is talking from his personal experience as a long time comic book collector who knows what a Marvel book is and also all about Marvel chipping.  (thumbsu

The newbies who have recently moved into this marketplace like the deep pocketed sports card traders and crypto investors know pretty much zippo about comic books except for the first appearance of a recognizable character and that big big number on the top left hand corner of the slab, and probably not much else about the actual comic book.  O.o

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/23/2021 at 7:50 PM, gadzukes said:
On 3/23/2021 at 7:48 PM, Jordysnordy said:

And it’s not healthy for the hobby. 

Yeah...... it's making me nervous.  Like the rug is going to be pulled out from under us any day now.

Are you referring to all of those investors who just put new money into the high tech portion of the stock market at the beginning of this year adfter seeing the fantastic returns they managed to fetched last year, and now the market is cycling over to the try and true?  hm  :tonofbricks:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/23/2021 at 7:37 PM, Jordysnordy said:

With everyone locked at home for a year, many must have lots of extra money now that travel, eating out and entertainment spending is practically at zero (shrug)

Sadly, this is definitely the case in most of the so-called advanced and developed countries of the world.  :(

And yet, some of our astute friends in the neighborhood have gone back to China and Taiwan where the enforced lockdown only lasted a few months and everything's been pretty much back to normal since last summer.  No way do they intend to come back here for now since they are pretty much free to go wherever they want and do whatever they want. :applause:

Heck, take a look at a country likeTaiwan with its tens of millions of citizens and yet they have had had only 1,020 cases in total with only 10 deaths since this whole thing started over a whole year ago, as compared to what has taken place over here.  :fear::sick:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/23/2021 at 7:44 PM, gadzukes said:

If it was just a one-off on a few comics in one month that would be one thing, but we are seeing a sustained massive almost exponential growth over just about every Marvel Key issue (trickling down into lesser keys).  New records are being made weekly (almost daily) in multiple grades over multiple Keys.

:ohnoez:

This is the case in quite a few hobbies right now.  We all know what's happening with sports cards, pokemon...watches are also going for crazy amounts.  This is a freaking "everything bubble".  Many are postulating this is the result of stock gains, bitcoin money, savings from staying home, etc.  I think those things are playing a role...along with companies like Rally selling shares of sports cards and comics, which is pushing prices up.  Another thing to consider is all the money printing by central banks around the world.  Wealthy people are seeking safe haven in non traditional asset classes that may serve as stores of value.  I was listening to a Michael Saylor interview where he basically says that with the debasing of the USD, its prudent to hold assets that cannot just be easily reproduced like bitcoin, real estate, and rare art/collectibles (Picasso, Da Vinci, etc).  I consider comic book keys (sports cards and other collectibles) to fall into that latter category.  The economy really is in uncharted territory with all the intervention going on right now.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, pins79 said:

  The economy really is in uncharted territory with all the intervention going on right now.  

Not that uncharted. After the GFC, the US engaged in "quantitative easing" reducing the value of the US$. It was a different sort of crisis but I suspect that did not have the same effect on prices of comics as we are seeing now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Albert Thurgood said:

Not that uncharted. After the GFC, the US engaged in "quantitative easing" reducing the value of the US$. It was a different sort of crisis but I suspect that did not have the same effect on prices of comics as we are seeing now.

Sure...but nowhere near the same scale.  Not even close...and likely much more to come.  My point is currency is being devalued and PART of the reason for the rise in price of these nontraditional assets is because wealthy are seeking alternative investments as potential stores of value.  I prefer bitcoin for that, but comics are more fun.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/21/2019 at 1:32 PM, Jeffro. said:

Given that AF 15 is the # 1 key in the silver age, it's not difficult to understand why it's surged in value. AF 15 doesn't need any external stimuli beyond that fact. Having said that, an adjustment if even only a small one is long overdue on this book. I think peewee is correct. A year from now we'll be discussing yet another upward trend. 

Agree. GL 76 and HOS 92 are good examples of both silver and bronze keys that have plateaued. Although when Wrightson died, HOS 92 went bananas. GL 76 is actually affordable in high grade now. Fine by me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/27/2021 at 6:48 PM, lou_fine said:

 

The newbies who have recently moved into this marketplace like the deep pocketed sports card traders and crypto investors know pretty much zippo about comic books except for the first appearance of a recognizable character and that big big number on the top left hand corner of the slab, and probably not much else about the actual comic book.  O.o

This right here!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
8 8