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Should I wait on Amazing Spider-Man 300
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I’ve been a long time fan of venom.  I bought his first comic and the first appearance of carnage when they came out, both still pristine.

I’ve always wanted Venom’s first appearance but couldn’t afford the price when I was younger, and then I forgot about comics all together until recently.  Now I see it and wonder if I will ever have a chance at buying a 9.8 at a lower price if I wait.  Been looking for Stan and Todd signed 9.6s on eBay as well but the prices are going up so fast.  Just not sure I want to splurge 4k.  Still a lot of money for me although I could swing it.

What do you guys think?

Edited by Mike_1
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I would buy anything less than a 9.8.

I just don’t know about the recent uptick in prices. I honestly have given up trying to predict where prices will go.

My best guess is that as long as you are willing to hold it for 5+ years that even if there’s a price correction you should be ok.

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1 minute ago, piper said:

I would buy anything less than a 9.8.

I just don’t know about the recent uptick in prices. I honestly have given up trying to predict where prices will go.

My best guess is that as long as you are willing to hold it for 5+ years that even if there’s a price correction you should be ok.

5+ years???? I kind of rationalize it’s a decent long term investment in my head, but honestly I never want to let it go.  Regardless of what else I ever got, that comic would probably remain the No 1 for me.

Although I must say comics look so cool now.  The 2018 venom series looks amazing.  I hadn’t looked at a comic in years but I love the art work.  I wish they were not in such high demand.  

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I got back into collecting around 2008, and the market has been very bullish since then but, recently, it just looks absolutely insane. I'm still mostly buying and occasionally selling, and I've even bought some of the 'hot' books (bought an ASM 300 last week or so but it was mid-grade). I'd say I'm around 90% a collector and 10% re-seller, so I'm really in this for the fun of it and maybe to slightly defray the cost of that fun, but this market is concerning. X-Men 1, GSX 1, IH 181, UF 4, ASM 300, etc. et al have increased exponentially, and I just wonder where this money is coming from. Are there really this many people migrating in from the crazy sports card market, bored at home due to covid, and looking for a place to spend their stimulus dollars? I'm not sure if this is a bubble, but it certainly feels like some of these books are in their own little micro-bubble.

I don't mean to be doom and gloom. There's still so many fun, cheap comics to be had everywhere. You want quality stories on the cheap? They're everywhere. You want reasonable keys? Look at DC silver and bronze. There's even under-the-radar Marvel keys that can be had relatively inexpensively. There are endless ways to collect, and that's pretty sweet. This is just a weird time for the hobby. It feels eerie. But maybe I'm the only one that feels this way?

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I never thought I would ever sell.

Here I am selling

There is no way I am buying anything in this market, I'm just hoping that by waiting now, I'm not screwing myself from ever getting books I'd like to have

Edited by Dr. Dank
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10 minutes ago, bb8 said:

I got back into collecting around 2008, and the market has been very bullish since then but, recently, it just looks absolutely insane. I'm still mostly buying and occasionally selling, and I've even bought some of the 'hot' books (bought an ASM 300 last week or so but it was mid-grade). I'd say I'm around 90% a collector and 10% re-seller, so I'm really in this for the fun of it and maybe to slightly defray the cost of that fun, but this market is concerning. X-Men 1, GSX 1, IH 181, UF 4, ASM 300, etc. et al have increased exponentially, and I just wonder where this money is coming from. Are there really this many people migrating in from the crazy sports card market, bored at home due to covid, and looking for a place to spend their stimulus dollars? I'm not sure if this is a bubble, but it certainly feels like some of these books are in their own little micro-bubble.

I don't mean to be doom and gloom. There's still so many fun, cheap comics to be had everywhere. You want quality stories on the cheap? They're everywhere. You want reasonable keys? Look at DC silver and bronze. There's even under-the-radar Marvel keys that can be had relatively inexpensively. There are endless ways to collect, and that's pretty sweet. This is just a weird time for the hobby. It feels eerie. But maybe I'm the only one that feels this way?

Yeah there are some others that I would like to get.  I have Frank Miller’s limited Wolverine series.  I’d love to get a signed copy of No 1.  Surprisingly that is cheaper than ASM 300 unsigned.  Trying to do my research and check all options.  I don’t know if getting a lower signed copy is worth the extra money compared to a higher unsigned grade.  I just know Lee isn’t signing anything else, and it would be cool to have a piece he helped create that he personally left his mark on.

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3 hours ago, Mike_1 said:

I’ve been a long time fan of venom.  I bought his first comic and the first appearance of carnage when they came out, both still pristine.

I’ve always wanted Venom’s first appearance but couldn’t afford the price when I was younger, and then I forgot about comics all together until recently.  Now I see it and wonder if I will ever have a chance at buying a 9.8 at a lower price if I wait.  Been looking for Stan and Todd signed 9.6s on eBay as well but the prices are going up so fast.  Just not sure I want to splurge 4k.  Still a lot of money for me although I could swing it.

What do you guys think?

Personally I would stay far away from that book and a few others. If you like Venom, I would look into another Venom book that you like or a much lower grade copy.

But if 4K isn't too much to you, and don't mind that there is a very good chance you might lose money in the next couple years then go for it.

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9 minutes ago, Rip said:

Personally I would stay far away from that book and a few others. If you like Venom, I would look into another Venom book that you like or a much lower grade copy.

But if 4K isn't too much to you, and don't mind that there is a very good chance you might lose money in the next couple years then go for it.

In 2 years will be taking about 12k at this rate...

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My strategy - not that it works for you - is to stick with the newsstands and forget about the 9.8. If you're thinking as an investor, I think that the 9.4 is a good slot and has much more 'room to move' - as this book is breaching $5K it's a bridge too far for most but there is are a lot more potential collectors at the $1-3K book mark. If you want to splurge, get the 9.6 - many times the difference is a coin flip. I prefer newsstands as the supply is much lower especially in higher grade. My gut is that there are probably a few collectors out there with a massive number of some of these books in the direct version - i wouldn't be surprised if someone was bogarting a full long box, selling off a few at a time. (I just checked eBay - it's easier to find 9.6/9.8 directs than 9.4 newsstands... there is one up for auction at comicconnect and one just sold at ha for $2,200 this past weekend)

With the saved money, get a 361, 316, 238, and a 344 for starters - or better diversify away from moderns and get the best 14/129 you can or away from ASM perhaps FF52, IM1, ST110, etc (curious to hear what other books people believe should be on this list)

 

(btw, you could also aim to get 9.6s and do a crack, press, re-sub strategy - that's how a lot of 9.8s are born. I believe that this is how the first Hulk 181 9.8 came to be, but why make life so complicated?)

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4 hours ago, amatta said:

My strategy - not that it works for you - is to stick with the newsstands and forget about the 9.8. If you're thinking as an investor, I think that the 9.4 is a good slot and has much more 'room to move' - as this book is breaching $5K it's a bridge too far for most but there is are a lot more potential collectors at the $1-3K book mark. If you want to splurge, get the 9.6 - many times the difference is a coin flip. I prefer newsstands as the supply is much lower especially in higher grade. My gut is that there are probably a few collectors out there with a massive number of some of these books in the direct version - i wouldn't be surprised if someone was bogarting a full long box, selling off a few at a time. (I just checked eBay - it's easier to find 9.6/9.8 directs than 9.4 newsstands... there is one up for auction at comicconnect and one just sold at ha for $2,200 this past weekend)

With the saved money, get a 361, 316, 238, and a 344 for starters - or better diversify away from moderns and get the best 14/129 you can or away from ASM perhaps FF52, IM1, ST110, etc (curious to hear what other books people believe should be on this list)

 

(btw, you could also aim to get 9.6s and do a crack, press, re-sub strategy - that's how a lot of 9.8s are born. I believe that this is how the first Hulk 181 9.8 came to be, but why make life so complicated?)

The news stands are being sold as much rarer with higher prices.  Prior to finding out there were far fewer news stand editions, I always preferred the direct version for aesthetics.  This makes me wonder if the news stand will really be worth more in the long run, but I guess someone will always view value based on availability.

What does IM and ST stand for?

Also, is crack and press considered a restoration.  Are restorations really considered of the same value as an unrestored copy one grade down.  I tend to view restorations as a leper.

Thanks

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5 minutes ago, Mike_1 said:

The news stands are being sold as much rarer with higher prices.  Prior to finding out there were far fewer news stand editions, I always preferred the direct version for aesthetics.  This makes me wonder if the news stand will really be worth more in the long run, but I guess someone will always view value based on availability.

What does IM and ST stand for?

Also, is crack and press considered a restoration.  Are restorations really considered of the same value as an unrestored copy one grade down.  I tend to view restorations as a leper.

Thanks

Funny - I like the newsstand’s aesthetic myself! But to that point, the best example is the 30/35 cent price variants when the price was changing from 25/30. The variants often seem to be forced in and not very nice to look at, yet the rarer ones do fetch more $

 

IM= iron-man

ST= strange tales 

these are just my thoughts and should be taken with spoonfuls of salt!

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10 hours ago, Mike_1 said:

I’ve been a long time fan of venom.  I bought his first comic and the first appearance of carnage when they came out, both still pristine.

I’ve always wanted Venom’s first appearance but couldn’t afford the price when I was younger, and then I forgot about comics all together until recently.  Now I see it and wonder if I will ever have a chance at buying a 9.8 at a lower price if I wait.  Been looking for Stan and Todd signed 9.6s on eBay as well but the prices are going up so fast.  Just not sure I want to splurge 4k.  Still a lot of money for me although I could swing it.

What do you guys think?

buy a mid grade and call it a day.  Cheap and who cares if its not a 9.8

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Although an expensive book, there are still a ton of them out there. If you really enjoy the character, I would recommend trying to find a nice published page of original art with him on it for around what you would spend on the book or get a commission from an artist you like for the character. I know Ron Frenz does some great spidey-universe commissions and there are many others! I encourage all comic fans to own at least one published page or commission. 

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1 hour ago, Dr. Dank said:

Love to see the numbers that support newsstands are more "rare"

I found an article analyzing the numbers based on eBay occurrences I think by May 2020.  Numbers may have changed since then. Presumably, if these didn’t sell in stores they would be shipped back to suppliers for disposal.

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Just now, Mike_1 said:

I found an article analyzing the numbers based on eBay occurrences I think by May 2020.  Numbers may have changed since then. Presumably, if these didn’t sell in stores they would be shipped back to suppliers for disposal.

Yeah but that's still just speculation. But I suppose sale and collection numbers are all we really have.

I still have yet to come across clear evidence that newsstands are "rare"

Harder to find in high grade? That is a more valid statement 

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1 hour ago, Angel of Death said:

Do you actually just want one? Or feel like you need one that's valuable?

Both if I’m being honest with myself.  Like I said, fav character if I had to pick one and I like the first appearance.  I wouldn’t call it a feeling.  I tend to want the best within reason from the get go of whatever I am doing.  Good quality products will serve you better over time.  It also bothers me when stuff isn’t taken care of.  If I get something where the wear is obvious, it would bother me.  I appreciate the value.

Put it this way, if 9.8s were only worth $50, I’d be just as excited to get it.

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1 hour ago, Drewsky said:

Although an expensive book, there are still a ton of them out there. If you really enjoy the character, I would recommend trying to find a nice published page of original art with him on it for around what you would spend on the book or get a commission from an artist you like for the character. I know Ron Frenz does some great spidey-universe commissions and there are many others! I encourage all comic fans to own at least one published page or commission. 

The art work would be cool at the point I ever have a man cave, but it wouldn’t substitute the first appearance in my mind.  I just like the idea of having the beginning, that point of creation especially of a really cool character.  By the same token I hate endings.  I’ll watch a really long series and get to the final few episodes and put it off for 2 years.  Subconscious I think.

Edited by Mike_1
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