Auction Highlights #70

Auction Highlights #70

ComicLink’s August Featured Auction ends Friday August 31st. All the books listed below sold between Tuesday August 28th and Thursday August 30th.

C-Link’s August offering was heavy on the original art, which Scott should cover in the next day or so, still it was no slouch in the vintage comic department.

Lots of great Golden Age offerings and it showed with 25 of the top 50 books being from the Golden Age (16 were DC). Usually dominant Silver Age Marvel’s had 20 pop up in the top 50 while DC Silver Age had 4 and a CGC 9.8 Hulk #181 was the sole Bronze Age book to crack the top 50.

My general sense was that many book in this auction underperformed. I kind of wish I wasn’t so busy with the Fan Expo last weekend; I should have jumped on a few of these.

Let’s have a look at a few results I found interesting.

 Action Comics #1, DC Comics, (June, 1938) Graded by CGC at 8.0 with moderate restoration and with Cream to Off White pages sold for $106,222,.00. The Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 8.0 un-restored is $850,000.00.

I don’t know! I mean here is the book of books, the one to have, the one everybody wants and it happens to be one that looks dynamite. But alas that dreaded purple CGC label!

Isn’t the Mona Lisa restored?

Won’t all the Action #1’s eventually need preservation because cheap pulp newsprint is not meant to last?

In fact 22 of the 57 Action #1’s that are CGC graded are restored, of those this is the 5th best copy.

I think I’ve convinced myself to like this book. I don’t like restored comics but this is Action #1! An 8.0 un-restored is well over $1 million now!

Advantage Buyer.

 

Detective Comics #18, DC Comics, (August, 1938) Graded by CGC at 8.0 with White pages sold for $16,250.00. The Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 8.0 is $7,425.00.

I swear, this is the book I wanted most in this auction! Look at it! Wow!

I knew the historic prices on this book put it out of my reach so I was kind of surprised when I read the final result. This book, in this grade at this price is a bargain!

I guess I’m lucky I wasn’t watching this, I might have been tempted.

Advantage Buyer

Amazing Spider-Man #311, Marvel Comics (January, 1989) Graded by CGC at 9.9 with White pages sold $2,120.00. The Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 9.2 is $6.00.

I don’t like it! I don’t like it one bit!

I mean come on, I think I have about half a stubby box of these in the basement and they almost all look this nice.

There were a whole bunch of these modern CGC 9.9s getting crazy prices this auction.

This paying for grade has to stop people. I sold a nice CGC 9.8 on the weekend for $30.

Advantage Seller

 

Action Comics #19, DC Comics, (December, 1939) Graded by CGC at 4.5 with Off White to White pages sold for $2,872.00. The Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 9.2 is $2,714.00.

Here is a mid low grade early Action that sold at about guide. No big deal right?

Well to me this is a great pick up because it delivers what for me is lots, for little.

This comic represents the 7th Superman cover and it represents the last published Superman appearance of the 1930s. A Superman comic from the 30s! I’ll take one.

Advantage Buyer

 

Marvel Mystery Comics #84, Timely Comics. (October 1947) Graded by CGC at 8.0 with Off White pages sold for $911.00. The Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 8.0 is $1048.00.

Timely’s are always tough, CGC 8.0 Timely’s are even tougher, Timely’s with great covers featuring Captain America, Sub-Mariner, Human Torch and the Blonde Phantom are tougher still and they are books we should be picking up at below guide!

This is a nice pick up.

Advantage Buyer

Well? I know I missed out on some great books, how about you? Pick up anything?

Walter Durajlija
Walter Durajlija

Walter Durajlija is an Overstreet Advisor and Shuster Award winner. He owns Big B Comics in Hamilton Ontario.

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Charlie
Charlie
11 years ago

Indeed… what gets me is how a bum books like Wolverine #5 outperforms a modern key like Secret Wars #8, both at 9.9. It’s a head scratcher:

http://www.comiclink.com/img/comics/scans/RAD2AB272012727_171717.jpg
http://www.comiclink.com/img/comics/scans/RAD953392012712_151434.jpg

Also a head scratcher was books Av#100 9.8 and GSX#1 9.8 that ended for $1100 and $5k respectively. These books are currently listed cheaper on eBay so why pay more?

http://www.comiclink.com/img/comics/scans/RAD5FCD42012814_12442.jpg

I picked up this ASM#129 for $1699:

http://www.comiclink.com/img/comics/scans/RAD7A8922012524_175113.jpg

Walt, what are your thoughts on Double Covers? As rarity goes… Double Covers are more rare than single covers which is what attracted me to this New Gods #1. However, I passed due to my limited budget:

http://www.comiclink.com/img/comics/scans/RAD951A2201281_17728.jpg

Peter K
Peter K
11 years ago

Walter, I wonder if this restored Action 1 sale will help to shed a better light on professionally restored comics, at least in cases where vintage high grade is in low supply. I agree with you about Marvel Mystery 84. I am a bit surprised that it went for under guide. True there are four 8.0s in the census, but that is really not much and there are only three higher In the census. I agree with you on.ASM 311. I think that is crazy money. Grading is subjective and 9.9s just make me nervous.

Charlie
Charlie
11 years ago

Walter, Hulk#180 is the 1st appearance of Wolverine “in cameo” and Hulk#181 is the 1st appearance “in full” so it’s worth a lot more. But in some cases, like Uncanny X-Men #120 and #121… the “cameo” appearance of Alpha Flight is worth more than the “full appearance”.

This inconsistency exists else where as well… Why do you think this is?