dannybal_2000

Action Comics #1 with Superman#1 and Dective comics #27(1st Batman) running a close 2nd.

CharlesC

Steve Martin.

Nick Danger

I once knew a guy who had bought Batman #1 from the newstand. He toted it all over the world in the next few decades. He was the only person in the world who still had his original purchase of Batman #1. He said that he had been on national television because of his comic. He brought it into the store showed it to me. I thought that was very cool.

He sold it when the market was high, just after the Batman movie came out.

Seeker

Amazing Fantasy #15 (first Spider-Man) is up there.

I think Marvel #1 is pretty near the top.

renaldow

Richie Rich #54. Richie catches Cadbury and Reggie fingercuffing Gloria while Casper watches. It was almost pulled off the shelves until the publisher realized nobody read Richie Rich anyways.

_tony_

anyone know of any websites where someone could find out how much some older comics are worth, similar to Wizard magazine. like 10 years ago i was into collecting comics and marvel cards and am curious how much they are worth now.

BJacks

Try http://www.comicspriceguide.com. Not sure how far back their database goes, though.

grunter

Now I'm not terribly proud of the fact that I plunk down something like $4.95 a month to pick up the advertising circular otherwise known as Wizard. But hey - since the only quality comics magazine - Overstreet Price Guide Update - has been defunct for nearly a decade and since there really are no other monthly magazines nowadays devoted to mainstream comics (Comics Journal being a little too "indie" and "oldie" for my tastes and CBG getting bludgeoned by the internet), I pick up Wizard for a little diverting bathroom reading.

To say that the back issue market hasn't exactly been bullish for the past six months to a year is probably a huge understatement. Even though Wizard tracks it's "hot" comics using a color coding system, the majority of its price guide over the last year has been almost a solid white in color. No movement up or down on anything, but minor "cult" titles here and there.

That changed a bit - artificially so, I believe - with the release of the "Daredevil" film. Suspiciously, the back issue prices of the "Daredevil" comics jumped almost 150% the same month that the film was featured on the outside cover. Sure, I can believe there was some interest in the back issues due to the film - but the speed with which these prices shot up and the amount by which these prices rose made me suspect otherwise.

Now with this month's issue (#140) - I see some positively obscene over-pricing of the "Uncanny X-Men" back issues supposedly due to the excitement over "X2." A little excitement I can see translating into a couple bucks uptick in the prices for these books.

But noooooooooooo - in this month's issue - nearly every issue from #94 through around #300 has jumped nearly 100%!!! Issues that were supposedly valued at $35 a pop are suddenly topping $60?

Sorry, but I just don't buy it.

Has there ever been an explanation as to how Wizard compiles its price guide? With that top-10 list of "hot" books every month, I always wonder how they compile that data. It often seems suspiciously arbitrary and manipulative - with the "hottest" books usually coinciding with the creators that they spotlight in that particular issue.

Of course, I suppose you can't expect less from a magazine that's sold it's soul to those comic-slabbing CGC demons.

It just irritates me that the whole industry now turns to this over-blown advertising circular for valuing it's "collectables." At least the Overstreet Update made a stab at explaining the prices it listed in its guide - by spotlighting various regional areas and documenting the individual sales made by reliable comics dealers.

I guess I just don't trust Wizard and am dreading hitting the con circuit this summer only to find those early "X" books artificially inflated.

All right, I'll stop now. geek rant off.

Tuan Jim

Because I don't like paying for stuff like this, I've started using www.comicspriceguide.com -- dunno how accurate it is, but it can give you a decent idea about how badly you're getting screwed ;p

It doesn't have everything, but it does list a lot of stuff and often you can use it for cover shots for ebaying stuff.

Tom Banjo

I feel sorry for the people paying too much for these back issues, only to have the price drop again in a few months. That reminds me, I'm still waiting for my copy of New Mutants #87 (1st app. of Cable) to lead me to early retirement.

Rogue588

Quote:

Originally posted by grunter
Has there ever been an explanation as to how Wizard compiles its price guide? With that top-10 list of "hot" books every month, I always wonder how they compile that data. It often seems suspiciously arbitrary and manipulative - with the "hottest" books usually coinciding with the creators that they spotlight in that particular issue.

Of course, I suppose you can't expect less from a magazine that's sold it's soul to those comic-slabbing CGC demons.

It just irritates me that the whole industry now turns to this over-blown advertising circular for valuing it's "collectables." At least the Overstreet Update made a stab at explaining the prices it listed in its guide - by spotlighting various regional areas and documenting the individual sales made by reliable comics dealers.

Rant on brotha

I think Wizard adujsts their prices based on who does the best job on their knees..it's the only possible explanation.

Seriously though, it's similar to the "speculative" days of the early 90s. "Ooo this is the first appearance of so-and-so." "Ooo Wolverine's in this issue too!" "Ooo this is the lenticular holographic cover that has Wolverine farting.."

When I used to work at a comic book store, [back when this rag was just getting off the ground -- '91], Overstreet was the bible. And like you said..Wizard was "...a little diverting bathroom reading."

I guess the bottom line is a book is worth whatever you're willing to pay for it..if you're going to a Con, your best bet is to shop around and not jump at the first thing you find..

But, i'm sure i'm not telling you something you don't already know..

Tuan Jim

Seems likely that the top ten might come from compiling Diamond's sales each month -- most demanded issues vs. hardest to find, etc.

CharlesC

I know I've read that Wizard does surveys from comic shops and retailers for thier prices.

I think a lot of that X-Men markup is just comic shops trying to cash in on a big trend. They see the movie is coming out soon and they jack up the prices.

Sessa17

I'm a comic book retailer & I can tell you the bottom line w/ Wizard is that 90% of comic book stores price their back issues using the Wizard price guide, I know we do. Are they retarted when it comes to pricing things, absolutely, but from the retailer perspective, Wizard prices up the hot comics that are selling, so why would the store not want to so the same.

The basic rule of thumb for the true prices of comics is just go to ebay, see what the comics are selling for. 9 times out of 10 conventions will have old X-men comics & the like for around the same price they are going for on ebay.

Josh-da-man

The fact is that most back-issue comic books of recent vintage are essentially worthless with a few exceptions.

There really isn't any need for a monthly price guide outside of certain comics that are deemed "hot" by the fanboy illuminati. Like -- oh, recently -- Ultimate Spider-Man #1, or Kevin Smith's Daredevil books.

And these kinds of books are ones that won't necessarily hold their value over time. It's sort of like tech-stocks or junk bonds.

This is the market Wizard has capitalized on. Ten years ago, they were pushing Valiant and Image comics hard. Fanboy trends.

The true "investment" comics, mostly silver-age and older, don't have price fluctuations and sudden "hot" streaks or whatever that necessitates frequent updates.

grunter

See, I would extend that to certain early, "key" bronze age books - with things like "Giant-Sized X-Men #1," "Incredible Hulk #181," or "(Uncanny) X-Men #94 - 150."

The sudden huge price increases in some of these books are just not credible and don't seem to be supported by real-life transactions. Especially puzzling were the prices of "(Uncanny) X-Men" issues around #120 - #150 - where the books have undergone a markup of almost 100% or more this past month. For the past few years, these books have maintained a fairly steady value. I was just apalled at the sudden, seemingly arbitrary, doubling in price for these books.

It just doesn't seem warranted and as Sessa corroborates, since Wizard is a huge influence on how most comic stores price their back issues, I just get sick to my stomach watching these prices suddenly shoot up so incredibly high solely based on the hype for a movie sequel. Wizard doesn't ease those prices back down very often. It simply doesn't make for good "guide," if you catch my point. So now because Wizard is essentially manufacturing a trend for "key" "X"-titles, the comic marketplace is going to have to adjust to match the price guide?

Maybe I'm just not out there often enough seeing these books change hands at these inflated prices, but it just doesn't seem to match my experience. Just weeks ago at the Motor City Comicon here in Chicago, those "X"-books were trading at nowhere near those levels.

How can Wizard justify these astonishingly inflated figures?

Nick Danger

I don't pay much attention to comics anymore. I just read my five or so titles and that's it. So this may be all wrong.

I thought that Wizard controls the distribution of some titles and simply declares them to be valuable. That pushes up the sales of the new books of those titles. Higher orders, better sell-through, everybody wins!

Sort of like the way Ty published the price guide to beanie babies. Of course beanie babies are valuable, the guide says so.

dannybal_2000

You think the spike in prices are insane now, wait until the Hulk comes out!

darkside

I love these price guides. If you want to buy back issues from a comic store you have to pay the wizard price. If you want to sell your comics the guide is meaningless and they usually offer a tenth of the guide price.

BJacks

Wizard owns the Comic Book Grading service, so basically it's in their interest to keep the price guide numbers high.

Seeker

It's supply and demand, except when Wizard decides the demand will be high.

Giantrobo

grunter I agree with you post.

I've always viewed these sudden price hikes as suspicious and bordering on GOUGING.

The Antipodean

What I love is how Wizard never REALLY makes clear that they own the CGC that they give such effusive space and hype to in their magazine. A clear case of conflict of interest if you ever saw one, but journalistic ethics and Wizard are not even in the same block.

horseflesh

Anyone know where to get comic valuations online??

benedict