GOLDEN AGE:


Guide needs to be corrected on the first cover appearance of Lois Lane. Currently it�s listed as Action Comics 29, however, Lois actually appears on the cover of Action Comics 27 (8/40) kneeling in a yellow dress behind Superman. I�ve checked the story, and Lois is referred to by name in the story, in a yellow dress, and is the only female character remotely close to her age in the story. After further checks online, I�ve seen other listings of Action 27 for sale stating the same information. I feel with certainty, this is Lois, and this issue warrants its own line listing in guide, probably just swapping the pricing info with issue 29. Otherwise, it seems there is still steady demand for these great books, but I�m seeing increased resistance from buyers due to pricing. I�m not sure if the pricing/guide values are right, and people are just pinching their pockets, or if guide needs to remain flat for a year or two for inflation and interest to return to these books. I would like to know where are all of the Centaur�s? Were 90% donated during the war paper drives? Try putting together a complete collection of this publisher! Finding copies of The Arrow on Ebay in any grade is often difficult, and the asking price is usually double guide. Female characters I think are still undervalued such as Wonder Woman, Sun Girl, Miss Fury, Blonde Phantom, Mary Marvel, or the first appearance of Star Sapphire in All Flash 32, you know she�ll be in one of these Green Lantern movies. At shows I�ve been finding more people asking or collecting their favorite artists for this time period, then say putting together a run of a title or publisher. I think Nedor�s and Fiction House are way undervalued in general as they are much more difficult to find then Timely�s or DC�s. Try putting together a run of Black Terror or Planet Comics in Fine or better? It may not cost as much as a Detective Comics run, but it may be more difficult to find these books, forget about in grade. Exciting Comics 9 (1st Black Terror) & 39 (Nazis giving poison candy to kids) could skyrocket very soon, both sell way above guide, and the highest graded CGC sale of #9 is only a 5.5, and there have only been two CGC sales of #39, so yes, very scarce. Buy what you love from this time period, as most books will cost one a decent bit, and there just aren�t that many of them out there. Sales wise, I don�t do much presently in this time period, but I did sell some Blackhawk, Startling Terror Tales, Sensation Comics, Blue Bolt and Archies.

ATOMIC AGE:


I�m buying more, selling more, and seeing more people ask for books from this period, which to me parallel�s the Bronze Age in diversity and affordability. EC horror books are regularly in demand, although usually at a small discount below guide, war and Archie titles seem too cheap to me given their scarcity. There are quite a few cool crime/detective books from this period with some great artists doing just a few random issues. Ken Shannon�s seem quite reasonable with great artwork. Early $.10 romance books were in high demand and selling at a good percent of guide if I could keep them in stock. Pre code horror is always in demand, but pricing is a bit resistant, although I think it�s more economic based then guide being too high. I�m seeing less and less Avon one shots in shops and at shows. Try collecting all these! Some titles I sold this year include: Prize Comics Western, Mysterious Adventures, Tales From The Crypt, Strange Tales of the Unusual, I Love You, and Journey Into Fear.

SILVER AGE:


Amazing Fantasy 15 has finally cooled off after around a decade of insane increases. Still a great investment in all grades, but it may finally not be doubling every 3 years like it has been. My sales from this time period are about 70% superhero, 10% Archie, 10% romance, and 10% Dell/Gold Key, however, over the years I�ve been buying mostly superhero, so I have a much larger stock. Starting this year I am actively going to search out less superhero comics, and more from other genre�s, as although their ticket prices are usually much lower, they seem to be much more liquid books for me when I get them in. Amazing Spider-Man interest was low for the 2nd year in a row, other than issues 1-10, Incredible Hulk 1-6 are still very much in demand, with #1 showing huge gains in all grades, Fantastic Four has picked up steam after a few cool years with more interest in 1-10, 25, 26, 48-50 & 52. Avengers 1 has cooled quite a bit, however issues 2-50 are selling regularly as people try and complete their runs on a still very affordable title. X-Men, other than #1 have just been collecting dust for several years now (the movies really weren�t that bad!), and even this first issue has been basically flat price wise. Captain America has been hot for all issues, and #100 has been selling above guide in all grades. Thor & Journey Into Mystery are selling fairly regularly, but not close to the Avengers volume wise. Daredevil, now this one is strange to me, as many of my dealer and collector friends save �Daredevil�s a soft book, or that books dead in the water, etc��, yet show after show, I sell more Daredevil keys or filler issues then other Marvel superhero�s typically (I have to include Bronze sales here with this title due to Bullseye & Elektra sales). Sub-Mariner to me is a soft book, however issue #8 sells quite well in all grades & is due for a large increase in guide. Iron Man #1 is one of the most liquid books from this time period, and needs to go up in guide in all grades by at least 25%. DC wise, Green Lantern 7 (1st Sinestro, which I talked about in guide last year) seems to now be more available since everyone has caught on about this book, but is still very tough to find, and needs a huge increase in guide of about 300% in all grades as CGC 3.0-4.0�s are selling for $300-$400 at present. Issues 14 & 16 (1st Sonar & S.A. Star Sapphire) seem way undervalued and are very hard to find about VF. The first issue is doing quite well in FN or higher, but lower grades copies still out supply demand. Teen Titans books above FN seem quite hard to find, and #1 in high grade seems very affordable if you can find out, same for their first appearance in Brave & the Bold. Showcase 22 is currently one of the hottest books on the market if you can find one. Flash 105-110 still seem very undervalued to me, as he�s probably one of the most well known characters of all time, and a huge player in the DC universe. Wonder Woman�s are very affordable, and tough to find in any grade, especially FN or higher. Adventure Comics haven�t been showing much demand other than a few people collecting the Legion run starting at 300. These are very hard to find in VF or higher, and have great story lines. Archie�s sell almost as fast as I get them in, although usually at a discount off guide. Another character to watch is Richie Rich, whose first appearance in Little Dot seems very affordable, as do most of his titles. Romance titles are very much in demand with high grade selling at or above guide, and low to mid grade moving briskly, but at a % off guide. In general, sales were slower this year for this time period as there is becoming resistance to pricing. Some titles/books I sold include: T.O.S. 39 CGC 3.0 for $1100, Iron man 1 FN $120, J.I.M. 121 VF $50, Green Lantern 7 CGC 5.5 $340, Daredevil 1 G-/1.0 $120, Batman 171 VF- $115, Avengers 2 FN- $200, 9 VG $70, AMZ 14 CGC 7.5R $500.

BRONZE AGE:


My best selling period for at least the 3rd year in a row. People are filling their runs for quite cheap, as many books are still available in VF/NM/9.0 or higher for quite affordable, and FN to VF copies can usually be found for $3-$5. I saw an increase in demand for DC horror this year (in grade), as many of these have some of the best covers of the decade. Keys that sell often with little price resistance include: Green Lantern 76 (which is now has the highest sale price from this time period with the only CGC 9.8 selling for $37,344!), Hulk 180-182, AMZ 121, 129 & 194, Iron Man 55, Werewolf By Night 32 (this one needs to go up about 100% in all grades in guide!), Fantastic Four 112, Daredevil 131, 168, Ghost Rider 1, Marvel Spotlight 5 & 32 (1st Spider-Woman needs its� own line listing in guide with at least a 25% increase in all grades), X-Men 94 (interest returning after several slow years), Giant Size X-Men 1, Avengers 94, 95 (Neal Adams), Star Wars 1 $.35 price variant, Cerebus 1, Weird War Tales 1, Captain America 117 (1st Falcon), and Iron Fist 14 (regular or variant). One book I feel is a huge sleeper (and maybe it�s because it�s a DC) is Superman�s Pal Jimmy Olsen 134 (1st Darkseid). He almost took over the universe a few years ago, and now he�s the main villain on Smallville�s last season. If only Superman will fight Doomsday or Darkseid in a movie! House of Secrets 92 is still in demand, but showing price resistance. Tomb of Dracula 1 & 10 same thing, people want them, but aren�t shelling out guide for them at present. Green Lantern Neal Adams run is doing well, and the X-Men Bryne run has almost tanked in value for some odd reason. I love Wonder Woman $.15 covers without costume, as they are harder to find, great covers, and showing great annual returns. Shorter run titles are showing demand like Night Nurse, Beware The Cat, Black Panther, Black Goliath, and Champions. Gold Key/Whitman funny animal books sell quite well for $.50 - $2, but not much more as it�s usually parents buying these for their kids to read. Conan 1 is showing price resistance, and interest has been down on issues 23 & 24. Demand for Charlton�s has been up for cheap copies to fill runs, as well as high grade, as they are one of the most diverse publishers from this period. Lastly, one major point I�d like to make is about overall pricing for the end of this time period. Line listings for major Golden-Bronze Age titles (say superhero) seem to end sometime during the middle-end of the Bronze Age. It is also inconsistent between these major superhero titles, as Daredevil�s line listings end at issue #191 (02/83 a $.60 cover), but Fantastic Four�s end at issue #200 (11/78 when cover price was still $.35). Now, don�t get me wrong, I love that blind lawyer, but FF4 are a pretty important superhero team in the Marvel Universe. My suggestion is we add line listings to these major titles at least through the end of the Bronze Age (1984) when cover prices were $.60, this would be through around issue #260 for FF4. Books that are around 30 years old from major titles should probably have a line listing. Also, we should even begin considering line listings for important story arc�s or artist contributions, etc� for early Copper Age, which are 25 years old (talking $.60, $.65 & early $.75 covers. The rest of these books in this period might be due for an increase of $1-2, as most are currently listed in guide at only $3. Early Bronze Age has been showing substantial gains in guide over the last 5 years or so, but the end of the Bronze Age has been virtually flat in guide. This is also a great time period for people to invest in, as finding high grade NM-/9.2 books from this period in collections is becoming much more difficult then 3-5 years ago. Some sales for me this past year include: AMZ 129 VF/NM $400, 121 VF $100 & VF- $75, Daredevil 168 VF $50, Green Lantern 76 CGC 5.5 $210, CGC 5.0 $155, Hansi The Girl Who Loved the Swastika nn FN- $38, Hulk 180 FN $45, 182 FN $25, Weird War Tales 1 VF $100, Werewolf By Night 32 FN+ $1075, and Star Wars 1 $.35 variant CGC 6.0 $1200!

COPPER/MODERN AGE:


Increased interest and sales in these periods continues in the 1980�s and the late 1990�s to present. Most requested titles by far are: Deadpool, Walking Dead, GI Joe, Chew & now Morning Glories. Image is the most dominant publisher in the last 5 years as far as collectability by a long shot. Marvel and DC seem interested in just re-launching their superheroes over and over with an occasional �World Ending� event to pull buyers in. I think it�s time this two publishers hired some new writers with fresh ideas to bring to the table and do things that Image, Vertigo, Dynamite, Dark Horse and other smaller publishers are doing. I�m only reading a few current titles, as this isn�t my main focus collecting wise, and these are Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 8 (story wandered a bit during the issues in the 20�s, but the last half a year to year has been quite good again), House of Mystery�s re-launch staring Fig which contains great stories within the overall story by guest writers & artists, Mouse Guard, and Four Eyes, although I have no clue what�s going on here as it�s been one issue in the last year I believe, which is too bad, as it�s a great story about dragon fighting during the great depression. Deadpool is probably the most requested character for me at shows this past year, with copies from the 97� series selling almost as fast as I put them out. The entire series needs line listings with #1 at about $25, 2-10 in the $10-$15 range, and the last 20 issues or so when Marvel had their lower print runs in the $10-$35 range (#54 & 55 with the Punisher should be around $35 for NM- copies). Walking Dead is possibly the most successful comic ever. CGC 9.8�s are now regularly selling for $600 with a 9.9 selling for $1825 this year, although this 9.9 sale is down from a $2000 sale in �09), and 9.6SS selling for an absurd $1500! The first issue in guide should be around $200, with issue 2 at $100, 3-5 at $75, 6-10 at $50 and so forth. Never has a series gone up so fast so far, and not slowed down. Chew #1 is doing the same with CGC 9.8�s now hitting $200 in just over a year, although I�m not sure if this one will have the same legs. Transformers have been slow for the last year or two, but still seem quite affordable to me and strong title overall. New Mutants 98 (1st Deadpool) has cooled off considerably with 9.8�s now selling around $200-$250, which is probably due to it being fairly common. Moon Knight�s 1980 series is one to keep an eye on, and due for price increase as it�s quite hard to put a run together in VF/NM/9.0 range or higher. GI Joe�s are selling in all grades quite regularly, and the entire title deserves upward movement in guide. Cry For Dawn, Zelda, The Tick, Alien (1st series), Bone, Grendel/Primer 2, Albedo (especially #2, which needs to be doubled in guide in G-FN), THB, and other low print run indie�s are great investments, and deserve upward movement in guide. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1-10 are much harder to find then they used to be, and #1 deserves a line listing as sales are much more consistent than they once were. I would suggest a NM- price of $2000-2500 and a G listing of $250. New Teen Titans 1 & 2 are selling regularly, and need a price increase, especially #1. Amazing Spider-Man 252, 300, 361, and 431 all sell consistently at guide and deserve increases. 431 should have its� own line listing of $12 and be one of the first breakthrough issues in this title from this period. 361 first Carnage will become a classic Copper Age cover, and most likely one of Spidey�s most important villains. Vol 2 issues 15-36 are still quite desirable and tough to find, and deserve line listings, with #36 having a top listing of $20. McFarlane�s runs on Spider-Man & Incredible Hulk are consistently in demand and could move up. X-Men after the Bryne run seem quite affordable, as do issues 158, 201, 210-214, 222, 244, and 266, this last one is due for a decent price increase as it�s a classic cover from this time period and always in demand selling at or above guide. Cool miniseries are still in demand like Ronin by Frank Miller, as well as his Wolverine series, and 30 Days of Night, Batman The Dark Night, Origin, Crisis On Infinite Earths, 300, Watchmen, etc.. Miracleman across the board is due for a price increase with focus on issues 1, 15, 20-24, especially issues 15, 23 & 24 which sell way above guide in all grades. Sweet Tooth is a title to keep an eye on, as sales locally are consistent and the story idea is good. DC Comics presents 26 is a solid key. Other books that sell regularly and need increases in guide are: Grimm Fairy Tales 1, Fables 1, Sandman 1, Preacher 1 (early Vertigo #1�s in general), and John Constantine 1 (this whole series seems a great buy as it�s one of the longest running modern series). Another book to key an eye on is Superman The Man of Steel 18 (1st full Doomsday, and possibly a Copper Age classic cover). Superman doesn�t have that many villains to fight, and this is arguably his most difficult, who I�m sure will make it to the big screen at some point. NYX 3 is also a book that is still performing well, and has started to get a second wind this past year, as this character continues to be developed by Marvel. Valiant�s� ah yes, so many produced, so many sold, so many available� or are there? Harbinger, Solar, XO Manowar, Rai & Shadowman seem to be obtaining some demand/value. Gold variants still sell consistently. These books are now 15+ years old with some corners starting to get blunted, and a little stress on the spines. Buy these now for $.50-$2 if you can find them, as my thoughts are people have ignored these for so long or simply not cared enough to preserve them properly, that over the next 5-10 years, it will be much more difficult to find raw 9.6�s or better. This is a great period to find keys that are available often in $1 boxes at shows or for only $3-$5, that in 5-10 could very well be $25+ books. Some sales include: John Bryne�s Next Men 23 NM $45, Fables 1 NM $45, Sandman 1 NM $45, New Mutants 1 NM $5, 98 NM- $62, AMZ 238 FN+ $30, 300 CGC 9.6 $210, CGC 9.4 $105, CGC 9.0 $80, 361 VF $6, Vol.2 1 NM+ $20, 36 NM $35, 529 NM $15, Chew 1 NM $30, Deadpool 1 NM $25, GI Joe 1 VF/NM $25, 21 VF/NM $30, Kick Ass 1 CGC 9.6 $55, and X-Men 266 NM $60.

TOP