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Want to Gain Market Insight? Ask Questions, Listen, and Read!

hether you are a beginner or a seasoned collector, having a the price of a 9.8 has collapsed, with current prices being in the $350
better understanding of the marketplace for your chosen range,” he wrote.
Wcollectible(s) is always desirable. Acquiring that understanding
often means listening to a lot of opinions before it becomes any easier to KAREN O’BRIEN
form your own accurate takes on the lay of the land. Comics Journalist
Using comic books as an example, The Overstreet Comic Book Price “Key issues and the expanding definition of
Guide has solicited market reports and other contributions from its readers ‘key’ remain hot topics. It’s not just about the first
for more than five decades. It offers those collected expressions to readers appearance of a character anymore. Key hunters are also
each year when it’s released, and it has recently begun featuring market looking for ‘minor keys,’ including the first cover
reports on the Guide’s website, OverstreetAccess.com, too. appearance, the first time a character guest starred in
The Overstreet Advisors constitute a group of brick-and-mortar another character’s book, costume changes (not
retailers, convention dealers, high-end auction houses, historians, and Amazing Spider-Man #252 because we’ll all likely agree that’s an actual key
everyday collectors, all of whom are asked to contribute their observations issue), the first use of a certain plot twist or superpower … I’m not really
on the state of the market for comic books. sure where it ends. But this fervor has highlighted a very interesting
There are areas of general agreement—anticipation of new characters collecting avenue to pursue – a creator’s first published work. Just try to
popping up in Marvel or DC movies that drives speculation, as an find a bargain bin-priced copy of Astonishing Tales #25 (Marvel, 1974)
example—but as you might imagine with more than 150 people asked for and you’ll see what I mean. It’s the first appearance of Deathok the
their thoughts, the viewpoints and conclusions are diverse and not always Demolisher, but that’s not the reason that a copy in NM condition can
in agreement. They span differences in ages, interests, and experience, just run you nearly $600. It’s also the first published work of comics legend
as a start. If you’re trying to build a better understanding, though, this lack George Pérez,” Karen O'Brien, a longtime collector and pop culture
of homogenous opinions is exactly what the doctor ordered. collectibles journalist, wrote.
Here are a few excerpts:
DAVID T. ALEXANDER
STEVEN HOUSTON CultureAndThrills.com
Torpedo Comics David T. Alexander, who is in his 55th year as a full-
“After the lockdowns and major restrictions were time comic book dealer, has owned a dozen comic shops
removed, our customer count was down 75% from pre- and helped open another 40 across the U.S. His first
pandemic levels. It has slowly increased, but if not for convention was the very first San Diego Comic-Con at
our aggressive online sales campaigns, we may have had the U.S. Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego in 1970,
to close the store. As of this writing, I have good news. and he’s done more than 1,000 shows since.
We just did a signing with Jim Lee and the attendance Some of his finds were more comic book adjacent than
level was much better and only a small minority wore comics themselves.
masks. We may have turned the corner here in regards “We had a handful of impressive pulp collections arrive at our
to Covid and the fear it caused,” wrote Las Vegas-based retailer Steven warehouse in the last 12 months. You might have noticed that several
Houston of Torpedo Comics. larger comic dealers are trying to get involved with pulp collecting this
“As for comic book content, the industry has seen an unprecedented year. Maybe you should explore this area. Pulps are lots of fun to look for
release of superhero television and movie-related material, with each show and the best ones are generally from the 1930s making many key issues
causing a knock-on effect of speculator-driven sales. around 90 years old,” he wrote.
“Shortly after the publication of the last Guide in 2021, the What If? “The most significant collection that we received was the personal
animated series exploded across fandom, sending speculators off in search estate of famous pulp author Wyatt Blassingame. Using his own name and
of the first appearance of The Watcher in Fantastic Four #13. Regarding his pen name, William B. Rainey, he was very prolific in the weird menace
the Fantastic Four, rumors ran rampant regarding both the Sub-Mariner and horror titles. We received many of the ‘Spicy’ titles published by
and Doctor Doom as word spread that the Fantastic Four movie franchise Trojan, plus Horror Stories, Terror Tales, Dime Mystery, Ace G-Man,
was coming to the MCU. Fantastic Four #4 and #5 exploded in demand, Scorpion, Black Mask, Captain Satan, and more. This collection showed
especially in the lower to mid-grades. Word also spread that Namor up at the annual Florida Memorabilia Show which took place on the
could appear in the second Black Panther movie, driving up demand waterfront in historic Gulfport, Florida. You can be assured that we will
even further. attend that show next year,” Alexander wrote.
“As we moved into the fall of 2021, two Marvel movies were close to
being released, both Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings These are just snapshots, of course, and with only three contributors
(September) and Venom: Let There Be Carnage (October) caused reverber- we’re not even scratching the surface, but we hope it’s enough that you can
ations through fandom as the first appearance of Shang-Chi in Special see that even though it’s just the proverbial tip of the proverbial iceberg,
Marvel Edition #15 peaked in 9.8 at $18,000!! Just for reference, the the information is indeed out there for you to find.
current going price of a 9.8 at the time of this writing is $7,500 – a lesson
to be learned here for sure. As for the second Venom movie, sales of J.C. Vaughn is the President of Gemstone Publishing.
Amazing Spider-Man #361 peaked at $1,450 for a 9.8. Again, as of writing Amanda Sheriff is Gemstone’s Editor – Digital.
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