How to acquire an All-Star 8 3 3

[Bird]

nah, he did the right thing

 

[Math Teacher]

3 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

I am sure votes will come in on both sides, but which would you rather have

1) A run of Fantastic Four 1 - 60 all CGC 9.0 or better off-white or better

OR

2) Action Comics #15 Cover Original Art

I get the appeal of original art. You are the ONLY person that has that particular piece of artwork. For example, I have this Joe Jusko painting, pictured below, that I most likely never sell. First, it's a beautiful painting. Second, it's by Joe Jusko. Third, this is the only piece of artwork like this in the entire universe, and only I have it. Fourth, it was used as a variant cover to Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1. If I was to sell it to someone, I would dare to say that I would never see it again, let alone be able to buy it.

But man, a run of Fantastic Four #1 - #60 in high grade is quite attractive too. When you see them in the group picture above, it just takes your breath away.

So, as you can see, I'm on the fence about this.

[telerites]

1 hour ago, MrBedrock said:

 

 

 

Screw the AS 8. I want the shelving system. 

[MrBedrock]

9 minutes ago, Joe Ankenbauer said:

So, as you can see, I'm on the fence about this.

The cool thing is - there is no wrong answer!

Edited July 28, 2020 by MrBedrock

[valiantman]

41 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

1 hour ago, valiantman said:

But I have reached the point, in my collecting goals, where I have obtained all higher ranked books on my want list, and I'm now seeking some opportunity to satisfy at least a portion of the remaining want list despite the fact that almost all of them are too expensive to purchase outright. 

It would make no sense to sell any higher ranked books (much less several) from my list in order to "trade down" to a lower ranked book at a high cost. 

Therefore, my collection is either complete and I am done in this hobby, or I have dollars that are not being spent to meet my needs as a customer. 

Since vendors typically want dollars, and typically want customers, it seems that the correct type of vendor will do quite well if they can supply what I am looking for instead of 100% ownership in comic books that I cannot afford.

Namely... I am seeking legal ownership in a portion of otherwise unobtainable comic books with a 24/7 (or I would settle for daily) digital trading window converting my partial ownership into cash and vice versa, similar to owning shares of a company I could never own 100%.

If the worst companies on the planet have found a way to meet their customers needs and take their money through the stock market, I believe the best companies in the comic book industry will have no problem figuring out how to do the same.

If I answer this conundrum for you will you promise not to move the goalposts?

I'd have to see the answer to determine whether it goes through the goalposts right where they are.

[Dr. Love]

Greg, argue the financial benefits if you could.  You're the numbers guy, get the data together on a basket of books, you pick 'em

rate of appreciation over a particular time period - everyone understands that past performance blah blah blah

to what degree is this a correlated asset class to the S&P

compare to other asset classes with similar correlation

stop messing around and make a valid case or stick to who's stronger, Hulk or Thor 

 

PS love your work, man!

 

Edited July 28, 2020 by Dr. Love

[valiantman]

38 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

I am sure votes will come in on both sides, but which would you rather have

1) A run of Fantastic Four 1 - 60 all CGC 9.0 or better off-white or better

 

OR

2)

 

Absolutely take the Action Comics #15 - a unique piece of Superman history from the 1930s compared to a bunch of books representing a rubber dude, a rock thing, an invisible girl we see all the time, and a reboot of a Golden Age character 20+ years later? 

No contest.  Action Comics #15 all day long, every day, since 1939.

[MrBedrock]

2 minutes ago, valiantman said:

 a bunch of books representing a rubber dude, a rock thing, an invisible girl we see all the time, and a reboot of a Golden Age character 20+ years later?

wrong answer

[MrBedrock]

4 minutes ago, valiantman said:

No contest.  Action Comics #15 all day long, every day, since 1939.

Wanna buy a piece?

[valiantman]

1 minute ago, Dr. Love said:

Greg, argue the financial benefits if you could.  You're the numbers guy, get the data together on a basket of books, you pick 'em

rate of appreciation over a particular time period - everyone understands that past performance blah blah blah

to what degree is this a correlated asset class to the S&P

compare to other asset classes with similar correlation

stop messing around and make a valid case or stick to who's stronger, Hulk or Thor 

 

PS love your work, man!

 

Appropriately, your name is Dr. Love, so there's not much rate of appreciation calculable for "Love of the comics" or "Love of the character and desire to own even a fraction of a first appearance".  That's the first goalpost, so to speak.

To remove the "Love" aspects of the concept, and boil it down to just numbers would actually be pretty simple.

Any key CGC graded Golden Age book has a 5, 10, or 15 years history on GPAnalysis, so the growth rates of those books are straightforward calculations. Assuming the initial cost would have actually be 20% higher (due to some premium such as RallyRd builds into the system), the growth rate would suffer from a 20% higher starting point.

Otherwise, identical to owning the book outright.  A $50,000 comic (which instead sold as shares for $60,000) which is later sold for $100,000 would be a 67% increase (from $60K to $100K for the shares) instead of a 100% increase (from $50K to $100K for the outright owner).

[valiantman]

1 minute ago, MrBedrock said:

7 minutes ago, valiantman said:

No contest.  Action Comics #15 all day long, every day, since 1939.

Wanna buy a piece?

Possibly - but where are the pages of disclaimer on the potential purchase that we need to comb through for exactly how you'd be taking advantage of me?

[MrBedrock]

2 minutes ago, valiantman said:

4 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

11 minutes ago, valiantman said:

No contest.  Action Comics #15 all day long, every day, since 1939.

Wanna buy a piece?

Possibly - but where are the pages of disclaimer on the potential purchase that we need to comb through for exactly how you'd be taking advantage of me?

No disclaimer - 1/10,000 for $500

Edited July 28, 2020 by MrBedrock

[woowoo]

53 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

At the time I put the run together (2010 - 2013) the FF 1 9.0 ow cost me $97,000. The next most expensive book was the #5 in 9.4 for $45,000. They started to drop off from there. The whole run cost me, a humble comic shop owner, around $240,000.

I had the whole run from 1 to 200 in 9.0 or better in 82 and it cost under 2500 60 hear 25 there

[valiantman]

Just now, MrBedrock said:

No disclaimer 1/10,000 for $500

So, the Action Comics #15 is worth $5,000,000? or it's worth $1,000,000 and my cost of entry is +400%?  Somewhere in between?

[MrBedrock]

Just now, valiantman said:

2 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

No disclaimer 1/10,000 for $500

So, the Action Comics #15 is worth $5,000,000? or it's worth $1,000,000 and my cost of entry is +400%?  Somewhere in between?

Fred Guardineer could illustrated exploding values better that most.

[Dr. Love]

What's the difference?  It's about the ownership, not the valuation.  This isn't a dollars and cents thing as you keep pointing out.  You should do it man, no kidding.  Go to Houston and take a look at your piece anytime you like.  I'm pretty sure, Richard being who he is, would agree to take you out of your ownership somewhere down the line at entry cost.  Think of it as a zero interest loan on your part, no downside risk, for bragging rights on a unique item for which there is no other, unlike the Action #1.

[Robot Man]

1 hour ago, Joe Ankenbauer said:

OK. I'm sure that this will be considered out of line, but how do you (and others) afford to put together these high-grade runs? I shudder to think how much you run cost. Probably more money than I have earned in my entire lifetime (I was a teacher, but at least I have a great pension). Are you a doctor, a lawyer, a CEO, or did you get a large inheritance? If you consider this question to be inappropriate, just say so and don't answer it. I just don't understand how people can have that much money to spend on comics. Fantastic Four #1 in 9.0 alone is $260,000!

For Ritchie, that IS lunch money. He has oil wells in his back yard...

[Gotham Kid]

1 hour ago, MrBedrock said:

I am sure votes will come in on both sides, but which would you rather have

1) A run of Fantastic Four 1 - 60 all CGC 9.0 or better off-white or better

 

OR

2)

Action 15 OA !

You can put a SA run together practically overnight, just need to write a lot of checks.

Edited July 28, 2020 by Gotham Kid

[valiantman]

2 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

4 minutes ago, valiantman said:

6 minutes ago, MrBedrock said:

No disclaimer 1/10,000 for $500

So, the Action Comics #15 is worth $5,000,000? or it's worth $1,000,000 and my cost of entry is +400%?  Somewhere in between?

Fred Guardineer could illustrated exploding values better that most.

Last sold for $286,800 in February 2014.  So, if you decide to sell it for $500,000, then my $500 investment will be $50, right?  That's how I'd lose 90%.

Let's see how I would gain 90%... you'd just need to sell it for $9,500,000, which is only +3,200% higher than the previous sale. 

This is a tough one.  Looking at my options, I think I'd rather have $500 invested in ANY of the RallyRd CGC-graded comics at +20% over market price, since that's 1,623% lower than your markup.

Sorry, I'll have to pass.  It was a tough call.  Yes, I know I'll be kicking myself when you sell that Action Comics #15 cover for $9.5M and I could have made $450.

[Chicago Boy]

Action 15.  It’s gorgeous !