Market is just crazy stupid right now 6 6

[ThothAmon]

As a prediction tool for future price increases eBay’s release of its earnings are a cautionary tale. While the current sales numbers qualify as “crazy stupid” eBay’s future guidance about the ebbing impact of stimulus has caused a fairly dramatic sell off of their shares. I’m very doubtful that comics can sustain current price levels. Probably a good thing for the market in the long run. 

[The lips]

3 hours ago, ExNihilo said:

Sign up for travel rewards cards and you too can occasionally enjoy the perks of First/Business Class.  Let's face it, if we're going to start dropping 4 figures on key comic books, you might as well get some sort of reward out of it.

You are correct. After all I need somewhere luxurious to sit when I’m reading my AF15 9.0 !!! 

[WolverineX]

4 hours ago, ExNihilo said:

Sign up for travel rewards cards and you too can occasionally enjoy the perks of First/Business Class.  Let's face it, if we're going to start dropping 4 figures on key comic books, you might as well get some sort of reward out of it.

Which one do you recommend?

[Tec-Tac-Toe]

56 minutes ago, ThothAmon said:

As a prediction tool for future price increases eBay’s release of its earnings are a cautionary tale. While the current sales numbers qualify as “crazy stupid” eBay’s future guidance about the ebbing impact of stimulus has caused a fairly dramatic sell off of their shares. I’m very doubtful that comics can sustain current price levels. Probably a good thing for the market in the long run. 

Comic book prices will fall like a bomb ... ... ... at the moment I finally decide to sell mine.

[Mephisto]

Not comic books but related to the craziness...I know a lot of people started noticing how much graded 90’s Marvel cards were selling for...I started finding a lot of those early sales were completely fake. The same exact cards (PSA serial numbers match) by the exact same sellers would be relisted laster on. Others would apparently be sold for a ton and then just a few months later show up again with a different seller and absolutely flat line. Once again it would often be the same serial number card.

Aside from stimulus there is no denying that stocks and especially crypto have lead to some of these insane prices.

As noted above some price manipulation has occurred and lead to a rise in legitimate sales as well. Shortly after the big graded Marvel cards sales, I sold the few I had for WAY more than I had purchased them for two years earlier. Many of the prices are starting to come down which is revealing even more cards where the sales never actually went through but appear to have if you simply click completed eBay sales and don’t look too closely.

[Prince Namor]

11 minutes ago, Mephisto said:

Not comic books but related to the craziness...I know a lot of people started noticing how much graded 90’s Marvel cards were selling for...I started finding a lot of those early sales were completely fake. The same exact cards (PSA serial numbers match) by the exact same sellers would be relisted laster on. Others would apparently be sold for a ton and then just a few months later show up again with a different seller and absolutely flat line. Once again it would often be the same serial number card.

Aside from stimulus there is no denying that stocks and especially crypto have lead to some of these insane prices.

As noted above some price manipulation has occurred and lead to a rise in legitimate sales as well. Shortly after the big graded Marvel cards sales, I sold the few I had for WAY more than I had purchased them for two years earlier. Many of the prices are starting to come down which is revealing even more cards where the sales never actually went through but appear to have if you simply click completed eBay sales and don’t look too closely.

Yep. FF Galactus trilogy is an example of something that actually IS hot - we're all pretty sure a movie is coming - but there's a lot of shill bidding on eBay going on that's really noticeable. 

[PKJ]

5 hours ago, Prince Namor said:

Yep. FF Galactus trilogy is an example of something that actually IS hot - we're all pretty sure a movie is coming - but there's a lot of shill bidding on eBay going on that's really noticeable. 

True, The OP mentioned FF49, I assume it was the 8.0. I actually bid on it myself since it is my favorite cover, but only up to 3K which was I guess January market price. I did however win one of the FF50's for what I thought was a current "market" price.  I was pretty surprised at that, so 49 may just be gaining the majority of the attention of the trilogy.

[ExNihilo]

6 hours ago, PKJ said:

Not all Ferrari’s lose value. 

Only the one's I'm looking at.  Can't afford anything new or of actual value.    The other downside of a Ferrari is the insurance is way more it would be insure my comics.  Nevermind the annual maintenance.

5 hours ago, The lips said:

You are correct. After all I need somewhere luxurious to sit when I’m reading my AF15 9.0 !!! 

For when your "throne" isn't good enough, there's First Class.  

5 hours ago, Wolverinex said:

Which one do you recommend?

TL;DR - If you like traveling and are responsible with credit cards, there's no reason not to get a travel rewards card/program like Chase Ultimate Rewards.

To start, I know not everyone is financially proficient and that credit cards are a bane for most people (the average US household had over $7k in revolving credit card debt in 2020).  So I'll preface by saying that anyone who reads this who is already in dire financial straits or is otherwise irresponsible with credit, should not be signing up for credit cards.

With that said, credit card rewards falls into 2 categories: travel vs cash back.  Travel requires a little more work, but yields greater rewards.  Cash back is easy but has fewer returns.  If you're going cash back, the best you can do is 2% with something like the Citi Double Cash which gives 1% when you purchase and then another 1% when you pay, so you get $0.02 back per dollar spent.

For travel, I'm a fan of Chase's Ultimate Rewards program because of it's flexibility in travel partners.  However, unlike the Citi Double Cash which is one card that can be used for all purchases, the Chase Ultimate Rewards program spans several cards (Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserve, Chase Freedom Flex, Chase Freedom Unlimited, Chase Ink Cash).  In order to maximize your earning potential requires the use of 4 cards.  That's likely daunting to most, but once you get the hang of things, it becomes second nature.  Chase cards are broken down into categories.

Chase Sapphire Preferred 2x on Travel/Dining ($95 annual fee)
Chase Sapphire Reserve 3x on Travel/Dining ($495 annual fee)
Chase Freedom Flex 5x on quarterly categories (rotates between gas, grocery, etc), 3x on Dining, 3x on Drug Stores
Chase Freedom Unlimited 3x on Dining, 3x on Drug Stores, 1.5x on everything else
Chase Business Ink Cash 5x on Office Supply, 5x on Phone/Internet/Cable, 2x on Gas

So basically I've linked my Chase Business Ink Cash to my Phone/Internet/Cable bill so it autopays every month.  I also use this for gas (unless the Freedom Flex quarterly category is gas).  The Sapphire Reserve I use for Travel (flights, hotels, rental cars, parking).  The Freedom Flex is used for whatever the quarterly category happens to be.  The Freedom Unlimited is used for everything else.  All in all, I'm probably earning closer to 3 travel points back per dollar spent across all my cards (which is a cash equivalent of $0.03 per dollar spent).  Now, that doesn't sound like a huge boost for all the trouble when you can simplify and get $0.02 back without the headaches.  But the key comes in the redemption values.  United Business class (because they've done away with First class) can be bought for 60k-80k points with their Saver promotions.

As an example, I once booked a one way First Class (this was a few years ago on one of the few legs that still offered a First Class service) flight for 80k points which had a cash equivalent cost of $12k.  At an earnings rate of 3points/dollar, in order to reach 80k points, I would have to spend about $27k.  And in return, I got a $12k flight for free.  Had I used a simple cash back card, my $27k in expenses would have yielded $540 cash back.  That's an extreme example, but it highlights the amount of return you can achieve with a travel card.  A less extreme example, I just booked a roundtrip flight in Business for 135k points.  Cash value of $3100.  135k points would take $45k in expenses to earn for what amounts to a $3100 reward.  (Conversely, $45k in expenses on a  2% cash back card would only yield $900).

At this point you're probably thinking "it's gonna take me forever to spend $45k or earn that many points.  But a lot of these cards will offer promotional sign up bonuses.  "Earn 30k points after spending $3k in the first three months."  When the Reserve first came out, it was "Earn 100k after spending $4k in the first three months."  All in all, I've probably earned 300k points purely from sign up bonuses.  I've done the one leg in First Class, 2 legs in Business Class, have a roundtrip flight lined up (travel restrictions permitting), and still have about 400k points banked.  I'd like to think I've gotten my moneys worth just for putting my every day spend on credit cards.  (Should also specify that I pay off my cards in full each month and have no revolving credit card debt.)

[NewWorldOrder]

17 hours ago, IronMan_Cave said:

I feel so defeated, waiting 2-3 weeks for end of auction only to see the books that I want go way over my budget, and my budget is way over GPA, but apparently not high enough

it's so frustrating 

Make more money

[WolverineX]

18 minutes ago, ExNihilo said:

Only the one's I'm looking at.  Can't afford anything new or of actual value.    The other downside of a Ferrari is the insurance is way more it would be insure my comics.  Nevermind the annual maintenance.

For when your "throne" isn't good enough, there's First Class.  

TL;DR - If you like traveling and are responsible with credit cards, there's no reason not to get a travel rewards card/program like Chase Ultimate Rewards.

To start, I know not everyone is financially proficient and that credit cards are a bane for most people (the average US household had over $7k in revolving credit card debt in 2020).  So I'll preface by saying that anyone who reads this who is already in dire financial straits or is otherwise irresponsible with credit, should not be signing up for credit cards.

With that said, credit card rewards falls into 2 categories: travel vs cash back.  Travel requires a little more work, but yields greater rewards.  Cash back is easy but has fewer returns.  If you're going cash back, the best you can do is 2% with something like the Citi Double Cash which gives 1% when you purchase and then another 1% when you pay, so you get $0.02 back per dollar spent.

For travel, I'm a fan of Chase's Ultimate Rewards program because of it's flexibility in travel partners.  However, unlike the Citi Double Cash which is one card that can be used for all purchases, the Chase Ultimate Rewards program spans several cards (Chase Sapphire Preferred/Reserve, Chase Freedom Flex, Chase Freedom Unlimited, Chase Ink Cash).  In order to maximize your earning potential requires the use of 4 cards.  That's likely daunting to most, but once you get the hang of things, it becomes second nature.  Chase cards are broken down into categories.

Chase Sapphire Preferred 2x on Travel/Dining ($95 annual fee)
Chase Sapphire Reserve 3x on Travel/Dining ($495 annual fee)
Chase Freedom Flex 5x on quarterly categories (rotates between gas, grocery, etc), 3x on Dining, 3x on Drug Stores
Chase Freedom Unlimited 3x on Dining, 3x on Drug Stores, 1.5x on everything else
Chase Business Ink Cash 5x on Office Supply, 5x on Phone/Internet/Cable, 2x on Gas

So basically I've linked my Chase Business Ink Cash to my Phone/Internet/Cable bill so it autopays every month.  I also use this for gas (unless the Freedom Flex quarterly category is gas).  The Sapphire Reserve I use for Travel (flights, hotels, rental cars, parking).  The Freedom Flex is used for whatever the quarterly category happens to be.  The Freedom Unlimited is used for everything else.  All in all, I'm probably earning closer to 3 travel points back per dollar spent across all my cards (which is a cash equivalent of $0.03 per dollar spent).  Now, that doesn't sound like a huge boost for all the trouble when you can simplify and get $0.02 back without the headaches.  But the key comes in the redemption values.  United Business class (because they've done away with First class) can be bought for 60k-80k points with their Saver promotions.

As an example, I once booked a one way First Class (this was a few years ago on one of the few legs that still offered a First Class service) flight for 80k points which had a cash equivalent cost of $12k.  At an earnings rate of 3points/dollar, in order to reach 80k points, I would have to spend about $27k.  And in return, I got a $12k flight for free.  Had I used a simple cash back card, my $27k in expenses would have yielded $540 cash back.  That's an extreme example, but it highlights the amount of return you can achieve with a travel card.  A less extreme example, I just booked a roundtrip flight in Business for 135k points.  Cash value of $3100.  135k points would take $45k in expenses to earn for what amounts to a $3100 reward.  (Conversely, $45k in expenses on a  2% cash back card would only yield $900).

At this point you're probably thinking "it's gonna take me forever to spend $45k or earn that many points.  But a lot of these cards will offer promotional sign up bonuses.  "Earn 30k points after spending $3k in the first three months."  When the Reserve first came out, it was "Earn 100k after spending $4k in the first three months."  All in all, I've probably earned 300k points purely from sign up bonuses.  I've done the one leg in First Class, 2 legs in Business Class, have a roundtrip flight lined up (travel restrictions permitting), and still have about 400k points banked.  I'd like to think I've gotten my moneys worth just for putting my every day spend on credit cards.  (Should also specify that I pay off my cards in full each month and have no revolving credit card debt.)

Dude, that's sweet.  Thank you.  How about international flights?

[ExNihilo]

14 minutes ago, Wolverinex said:

Dude, that's sweet.  Thank you.  How about international flights?

The reward flights I've taken have all been international (I don't fly premium cabins unless the flight is greater than 9 hours).  There are two schools of thought: 1) quantity (more flights) over quality (economy seating), 2) quality (business seats) over quantity (fewer flights).  To each their own on how they'll best enjoy using their points.  United has a lot of travel partners (Star Alliance) so I have yet to have any issues finding a ticket for any of my destinations.  In some cases, you'll find the best reward value by flying out on a Thursday instead of a Friday so at worst, it just requires a little flexibility on your part.

Here's a list of Chase's Travel partners.  For what it's worth, I've had more success finding deals on Star Alliance flights.  I'm not as familiar with finding partner flights via OneWorld, nor do I like how flights to London via British Airways seem to incur massive airport fees (despite the fact that I prefer British Airways service over United).

[WolverineX]

1 minute ago, ExNihilo said:

The reward flights I've taken have all been international (I don't fly premium cabins unless the flight is greater than 9 hours).  There are two schools of thought: 1) quantity (more flights) over quality (economy seating), 2) quality (business seats) over quantity (fewer flights).  To each their own on how they'll best enjoy using their points.  United has a lot of travel partners (Star Alliance) so I have yet to have any issues finding a ticket for any of my destinations.  In some cases, you'll find the best reward value by flying out on a Thursday instead of a Friday so at worst, it just requires a little flexibility on your part.

Here's a list of Chase's Travel partners.  For what it's worth, I've had more success finding deals on Star Alliance flights.  I'm not as familiar with finding partner flights via OneWorld, nor do I like how flights to London via British Airways seem to incur massive airport fees (despite the fact that I prefer British Airways service over United).

That is so sweet.  I hate the fact that there are annual fees but if I can make up for it in bonuses that will be worth it!

[ExNihilo]

1 minute ago, Wolverinex said:

That is so sweet.  I hate the fact that there are annual fees but if I can make up for it in bonuses that will be worth it!

It should be noted that the Sapphire Reserve comes with an annual $300 travel credit which effectively reduces the annual fee to $195 so to speak (assuming you have at least $300 in travel expenses each year).

It also comes with a $100 credit to be used towards Global Entry/TSA Pre Check.  Global Entry allows you to use a quicker line when returning on international flights so you don't have to wait in the standard customs line (which can take forever).  On most occasions I use the kiosk, hand the customs agent my slip and walk right through.  The downside is I end up having to wait for my luggage anyways so it's a matter of waiting in the customs line or waiting at the luggage queue.  Global Entry comes with TSA Pre Check included so I'm not sure why anyone would elect Pre Check over Global Entry.  Global Entry does require an in person interview with Customs and Border Patrol, but the questions are basically "Have you traveled anywhere in the last 5 years?  Where did you go?  Was this for business or pleasure?  Is this your address?".  As long as you haven't been anywhere you shouldn't be, it's a breeze.

Then, for me, there's the best perk: Priority Pass.  Priority Pass is a program that grants lounge access at airports all around the world so even if you're flying a non-premium cabin, you can still get lounge access and all the amenities that come with it.  Free food, free drinks, lounge chairs, a quiet space away from the hustle/bustle of the terminal, and in some cases, showers and sleep pods.  No longer do I cringe at the thought of having to be at an airport early.  Now I look forward to getting through security as quickly as possible so I can post up in a lounge with internet, hot food, and a beer/wine.

[Qalyar]

8 minutes ago, ExNihilo said:

Global Entry comes with TSA Pre Check included so I'm not sure why anyone would elect Pre Check over Global Entry.

For awhile (well before COVID, of course), TSA Pre Check had much, much faster turnaround time than Global Entry. I was Pre Check but not Global Entry for a couple years because I was doing a good share of domestic travel but knew I'd have no international trips, and so just picked up the cheaper, faster endorsement.

[MetalPSI]

The comic guy at the local flea market put on his tinfoil hat and went on at length about how the current market is total hype by the bigwigs, how it is unfair and people are going to be screwed

Didn't stop him selling a She Hulk 1 to me for 40 dollars though

[BanjerD]

2 hours ago, PKJ said:

True, The OP mentioned FF49, I assume it was the 8.0. I actually bid on it myself since it is my favorite cover, but only up to 3K which was I guess January market price. I did however win one of the FF50's for what I thought was a current "market" price.  I was pretty surprised at that, so 49 may just be gaining the majority of the attention of the trilogy.

And since I have a VF FF49, I was cheering the last minute rise in auction prices on CLink. 

[ExNihilo]

21 minutes ago, Qalyar said:

For awhile (well before COVID, of course), TSA Pre Check had much, much faster turnaround time than Global Entry. I was Pre Check but not Global Entry for a couple years because I was doing a good share of domestic travel but knew I'd have no international trips, and so just picked up the cheaper, faster endorsement.

This is true.  It also depended on your location.  Where I live the wait was something like 4 months, but I heard other places had more openings.  You could also check for cancellations if you really wanted to get your Global Entry approved sooner as appointments would open up if someone were persistent about checking.  Also, there was a system in place where you could schedule your interview after returning from an international trip, but I'm not sure how much availability they had.

[InfantTerrible]

1 hour ago, BanjerD said:

And since I have a VF FF49, I was cheering the last minute rise in auction prices on CLink. 

 

BOOOO!!!!!

 

FF52 is HOT as well, those 2 books are probably the hottest FF, or even hottest SA books right now

 

 

[JazzMan]

Big keys are going for 30%-50% more than market price - every sale seems to be a new record.  I haven't been able to get anything at market price other than some items on the boards, but even those prices are at a premium at times.  It's not just the auction sites, either.  It's some of the bigger dealers and brick and mortar stores that I have frequented over the past few months.  It looks like the dam broke at the start of the year - I long for those reasonable times only six months ago.

[serling1978]

For non grails I would definitely say to wait for things to cool down. Like if you must have the 1st appearance of Agatha Harkness then wait, but if you must have X-men 1...ehhhhhh. Waiting could easily mean it just gets further out of range. Sure it will eventually stop somewhere, but will it fall back to what's its at today for example? I have no clue, but if 2 months ago you had decided to wait for it to die down you'd be pretty disappointed at how much it's gone up I think. I'm not following every sale but I've got a 3.0 of that book so I peek now and then... 

For me personally I've been looking for a JIM 83 and I started my search about 6 weeks ago maybe and it was very doable at the time but with it being a grail I still had to try to find the right grade and price. But with recent ebay sales and lack of any other offers I think I may have missed my chance. 

Sticking to grails, I would say if you want to buy a TOS 39 this is probably a good time. Compared to JIM 83 it doesn't seem (someone else can probably confirm) to be going up nearly as fast but if anything is hinted about iron man coming back I'm sure it will start to go crazy as well. 

Edited April 29, 2021 by serling1978
So many phone typos