ACTION 1 3.25, BATMAN 1 2.2, TEC 27 1.5...... SO WHAT ARE ENTRY LEVEL PRICES ON THE TOP 5 GA SUPERHERO BOOKS IN TODAYS MARKET? 3 3

[I am not Glenda]

     I think it's fair to say that we have now reached a point where many collectors are priced out of owning a 100% complete high/mid/low grade example of any of the top 5 GA Superhero books. 

     Assuming you don't want parts & can live without a cover complete/coverless are the cheapest grail entry point. So if your looking to join the club, what is a poor mans example going to cost you?

   I will leave it to you to decide what those top 5 Superhero books are.............. 

My top 5 picks are the usual suspects.......................................

Below was the most recent HA data, not a lot to go on for the top 3...........................

Action 1   $33.460 in 2011 HA

Tec 27 $37.045 in 2017 (no centerfold) & a complete one in 2005 for $8,625 both at HA

Marvel Mystery 1 $3600 in 2003  HA

Superman 1 $15.600 ( brittle pgs) 2019 HA

Batman 1 $7,170 2018 or Cap 1 $10.755 in 2017 HA both NG complete

I just saw someone forked out 15k for a Miles Morales Variant & GSX 1 9.8 could be a legit 100k book in a few weeks, months or days lol.

AF15 pages are now 3k.

So does a coverless (complete) Action # 1 break $125k if one popped up on Heritage today?

 

Edited April 12, 2021 by I am not Glenda

[twmjr1]

No complete Tec 27 or Action 1, even restored, can be had for less than 200k now. 

[I am not Glenda]

1 hour ago, twmjr1 said:

No complete Tec 27 or Action 1, even restored, can be had for less than 200k now. 

Even without a cover?

Edited April 12, 2021 by I am not Glenda

[bpc3qh]

34 minutes ago, I am not Glenda said:

Even without a cover?

I'd argue that isn't complete.

[I am not Glenda]

6 hours ago, bpc3qh said:

I'd argue that isn't complete.

I would agree & should have been clearer & said complete except the cover, meaning not missing the often gone insert page, ads or parts of pages.( as I noted we are in an era where panels cut from pages of the big 5 and some SA books are now commanding real money). I think a few Tec pages hit something like 10-15k or so not to long ago on Heritage & was trying to avoid going into that arena

Edited April 12, 2021 by I am not Glenda

[ChillMan]

The Church Action 1 & Tec 27 should be worth $30M.  The Church Flash 1, AA-16, & MF-73 should be worth $10M.  A single best existing copy of Batman 1 & Cap 1 should be $10M.  AS-8 $5M.

[LDarkseid1]

On 4/12/2021 at 3:08 AM, I am not Glenda said:

I would agree & should have been clearer & said complete except the cover, meaning not missing the often gone insert page, ads or parts of pages.( as I noted we are in an era where panels cut from pages of the big 5 and some SA books are now commanding real money). I think a few Tec pages hit something like 10-15k or so not to long ago on Heritage & was trying to avoid going into that arena

That’s correct, the 3 Batman pages sold a year or so ago on Heritage for roughly $11K, $11K and $13K, more of course if sales tax was paid. Interestingly I can’t find those sales in the sold section of Heritage anymore, presumably because the owner(s) intend to resale at some point and want those amounts forgotten.

[LDarkseid1]

11 hours ago, ChillMan said:

The Church Action 1 & Tec 27 should be worth $30M.  The Church Flash 1, AA-16, & MF-73 should be worth $10M.  A single best existing copy of Batman 1 & Cap 1 should be $10M.  AS-8 $5M.

Those are certainly some generous sale prices lol. Would love to see those books sell for that though if they went to auction someday! If I had to guess in the current climate, the only book that would maybe come close to 10 mil is the Church Action 1.

[Mmehdy]

20 hours ago, ChillMan said:

The Church Action 1 & Tec 27 should be worth $30M.  The Church Flash 1, AA-16, & MF-73 should be worth $10M.  A single best existing copy of Batman 1 & Cap 1 should be $10M.  AS-8 $5M.

The GA market is not there yet...give it about 10 years and a ton of inflation over that same time period.

[KCOComics]

About 6 months ago a well respected dealer told me $35k(ish) could get you in the door for a Bat 1. Restored, lower to mid grade, but complete. 

I suspect the last 6 months have been kind to Batman and that numbers been inflated a bit. 

Any thoughts on what it would take to get in the door for a Cap1? 

[Crowzilla]

6 minutes ago, KCOComics said:

About 6 months ago a well respected dealer told me $35k(ish) could get you in the door for a Bat 1. Restored, lower to mid grade, but complete.

I don't see how, at this point you can break apart the pages and expect to get that much without factoring in the cover.

[KCOComics]

17 minutes ago, Crowzilla said:

I don't see how, at this point you can break apart the pages and expect to get that much without factoring in the cover.

Yeah, the idea that someone would buy a complete copy and piece it out for profit is pretty upsetting. 

When I reached out about Bat1 it was after watching the splash page on eBay go for well over $4k. SA and BA books had started running up and I was considering selling off a piece of my collection for an AF15.  

Then I started to think, wouldn't it be cool to go after something actually rare and special?  

I sent away some books for grading I would have considered moving and in the time they've been gone, the markets been crazy. So I'm stepping back, but would love to hear where the floor is on these big books in this market. 

[Crowzilla]

5 hours ago, KCOComics said:

Yeah, the idea that someone would buy a complete copy and piece it out for profit is pretty upsetting.

I agree, but that is the reality if the market is going to value a mid-grade restored at only $35K, it's gotta be worth more as pieces.  The origin page and 1st Joker story would probably be $15K total easy, the 2nd Joker story another $10K, the Cat splash is pretty plain, but her first appearance pages should still be solid, the monster story splash is great, the centerfold has to be $2-4K, maybe more, and then whatever you can get for a cover. I would think cutting up pages you would get $45K easy out of it, and that might be without counting the cover. If the market keeps severely undervaluing restored copies, it almost becomes the smart choice to piece it out.

[Daveb25]

Back cover would be worth a boatload as well 

[ChillMan]

On 4/15/2021 at 6:25 PM, Mmehdy said:

The GA market is not there yet...give it about 10 years and a ton of inflation over that same time period.

Guys accumilating $5-$20M in Pokémon, Trout, Mantle, etc. will sell it all to throw-down on a 1st appearance Church Justice Leaguer.

[Sauce Dog]

On 4/11/2021 at 9:00 PM, I am not Glenda said:

     I think it's fair to say that we have now reached a point where many collectors are priced out of owning a 100% complete high/mid/low grade example of any of the top 5 GA Superhero books. 

   

 

This is the main reason why I reaaallly wish CGC would allow for NG books to be allowed into the CGC Comic Registry for competitive sets. Managing to get a coverless copy of Action #1 (or any of those epic keys) should still count for something in a set - even if it's only 1 point - just to allow more collectors a chance of 100% completing their sets.

[I am not Glenda]

On 4/16/2021 at 3:56 AM, Crowzilla said:

I agree, but that is the reality if the market is going to value a mid-grade restored at only $35K, it's gotta be worth more as pieces.  The origin page and 1st Joker story would probably be $15K total easy, the 2nd Joker story another $10K, the Cat splash is pretty plain, but her first appearance pages should still be solid, the monster story splash is great, the centerfold has to be $2-4K, maybe more, and then whatever you can get for a cover. I would think cutting up pages you would get $45K easy out of it, and that might be without counting the cover. If the market keeps severely undervaluing restored copies, it almost becomes the smart choice to piece it out.

100% can't agree more on this, it's just a matter of time before the market makes a correction on books like BM 1 & Cap 1 with resto.  The old guard ( the  I remembers when BM #1 wasn't really all that rare) mentality is going to be a thing of the past on those two books and a few other iconic GA keys imho. For example I bought BM #1 3.5 resto years ago with a great looking cover ( yes it has a purple label & its trimmed "oh god noooooooo":) my intent was to upgrade but the right deal never came around & non resto BM1 are out of this working guys budget. I have valued it at about 25- 30k for several years, thinking that was a fair price based on the market However two weeks ago I was offered 35k & some trade (I  declined) as I know I am not going to be bale to replace it & regardless of it's value, being trimmed and having resto it is a dream come true to own & a highlight of my collection.

Edited April 19, 2021 by I am not Glenda

[Crowzilla]

12 hours ago, I am not Glenda said:

 I have valued it at about 25- 30k for several years, thinking that was a fair price based on the market However two weeks ago I was offered 35k & some trade (I  declined) as I know I am not going to be bale to replace it & regardless of it's value, being trimmed and having resto it is a dream come true to own & a highlight of my collection.

And there's the rub - the big two books (and maybe Superman #1) are out of reach of 99% of collector's pockets at this point in any complete w/cover condition. And when you consider how little $25 - 35K actually gets you in today's market (not even a 9.9 Transformers #1, half an X-Men GS 1, etc), it is very apparent how undervalued complete but restored copies of Bat 1 and Cap 1 are. Cap 1 also has a ton of great pages in it and as single pages/splashes sell for $1-2K+, the break-up value alone will drive these entry-level copies higher. As Spidey 300 approaches $7K in 9.8, you just can't convince me that 4-5 copies would be a fair trade for any Batman #1 (or Cap #1).

[I am not Glenda]

12 hours ago, Crowzilla said:

And there's the rub - the big two books (and maybe Superman #1) are out of reach of 99% of collector's pockets at this point in any complete w/cover condition. And when you consider how little $25 - 35K actually gets you in today's market (not even a 9.9 Transformers #1, half an X-Men GS 1, etc), it is very apparent how undervalued complete but restored copies of Bat 1 and Cap 1 are. Cap 1 also has a ton of great pages in it and as single pages/splashes sell for $1-2K+, the break-up value alone will drive these entry-level copies higher. As Spidey 300 approaches $7K in 9.8, you just can't convince me that 4-5 copies would be a fair trade for any Batman #1 (or Cap #1).

   I don't think it could have been said better and I imho a lot of buyers are going to wake up one day soon and all do the "what was I thinking dance" why didn't I pick one up at 30-35k? When the same crowd that is paying 2k for a NYX 3 9.8 realizes how undervalued these major historic keys are watch out. Regardless of what many members of the "old guard"  feel there has to be some major market adjustment at some point. The astronomical prices being paid for bronze/copper age books is pulling everything up and lets be clear here we are not talking about irrelevant characters ie cowboy books when that group figures out we have been sleeping on Jokers, Cat woman, Caps, Bucky and Capt Marvels first appearances they won't care about those purple labels a lot of us still turn our noses up at. PS using todays standards at this point anyone who thinks Cap #1 can't be defined as rare should look at print runs on moderns, copper and bronze books and then come talk to me because the new crowd now looks at the "population" of 3k NM 98 in 9.8 & thinks wow that's all there are of those?

Edited April 20, 2021 by I am not Glenda

[Crowzilla]

6 hours ago, I am not Glenda said:

  the new crowd now looks at the "population" of 3k NM 98 in 9.8 & thinks wow that's all there are of those?

Yep. And to shock some GA boardies, I think the 10.0 copy of NM98 could be the first 100K 90s book. The 9.9s are at least $25K each now.

Just not sure how much crossover there is between the people who collect NM98 and Bat 1, but Joker is extremely popular with that crowd, so there should be some.