Undervalued Spotlight #466

World’s Finest #34, DC Comics, May/June 1948.

It was nice seeing one of my comic pals Warren up at the shop this past weekend. The man always has a positive outlook on things which is very refreshing. Warren asked when the next comic featuring the tried and true and practically fool proof Durajlija’s Equation for Iconic Golden Age Covers (DEIGAC), was going to be featured on a Spotlight. I promised him I’d do one this week and attach a shout out.

I was narrowing down my candidates when I stumbled upon a cover that just hit me with an instant bolt of joy, I knew right away I was going to have to tweak the definition of DEIGAC to include this week’s Undervalued Spotlight pick, World’s Finest #34.

Who needs villains (a prerequisite in the old DEIGAC) when you have personalized hot rod co-carts!

I can’t stop looking at this Win Mortimer cover, the heavy black margins around most of the book makes me pine for a higher grade copy and the splashes of strong primary colors across the cover make me shutter to think what it would feel like to hold a high gloss copy in my hands.

Yes this week’s pick is pure cover bliss, a cover that for some reason has stayed well hidden, maybe because its buried in the ghastly run that is World’s Finest?

Unfortunately there is little sales data on this book, In November 2017 a CGC 3.0 sold for $110 while a year earlier a CGC 5.5 sold for $235. Both sales were well into the resurgent Golden Age market so I can tell these sales amounts were not cover driven. Gah!, were was I in 2013 when the highest graded copy, a CGC 9.4, sold for $1,673.

Cover driven demand has been raging the last couple of years and will continue to be a significant driver of value. Classic covers and high demand covers are by no means set in stone and there are certainly still many future “must have” covers still out there hiding in the 31-40 Overstreet price groupings.

This is a cover you find at conventions like the New York Comic Con or Baltimore Comic Con, hit those old time dealers and dig into their Golden Age bins, odds are they’ll be itching to get rid of late 1940s World’s Finest comics.

The 48th Overstreet price breaks for this book are $659/$1130/$1600 in the 8.0/9.0/9.2 grade splits.

Strengths that make this comic a good long-term investment are:

  • Fantastic Win Mortimer cover, the type that can quickly become highly prized.
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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Dave Mackay
Dave Mackay
4 years ago

Geez Walt…I haven’t seen decent prices as a buyer of Wolds finest for twenty years…..where do I find the old timers your talking about? Nice cover and great pick though…what colors too. Colors so deep and rich left the comic market sometime in the early 1970’s methinks

Gerald Eddy
Gerald Eddy
4 years ago

I’d like to find those dealers myself because I love those late 40’s early 50’s Worlds Finest covers with Supes, Bats, and Boy Wonder having an amusing time together!

Derrick
Derrick
4 years ago

Great choice, Walt! I am not sure of the economics, but this is a comic that has been on my want list for a couple of years. I really enjoy GA DC comics, and World’s Finest has offered a way for me to get some really outstanding and whimsical covers featuring DC’s main stars. And I enjoy how Robin always seems to be winning these little contests.

Like Gerald, I need to find some of these dealers itching to get rid of early World’s Finest comics.

Gerald Eddy
Gerald Eddy
4 years ago

Next time I get up to Buffalo Walt….

Chris Meli
4 years ago

Yes Walt, Dave and Gerald are spot on, decent copies at 4.0 or better are nowhere to be found. You are living in the past. I just came from digging in the bins at NYCC and certainly nothing like this. I recently scored a copy of the similar #44 in a higher grade for near four figures and I thought that a bargain. This reminds me of that Sensation #20 pick.

My comments aren’t of the usual analytic quality because I am currently starring in _Escape from Tokyo_. Hopefully some increase In quality this coming weekend.

Gerald Eddy
Gerald Eddy
4 years ago

I am a collector… not a speculator… so lower grade copies with eye appeal are right up my alley… I was busy and couldn’t bid on one that Walt had on eBay recently…. ~sigh~

Gerald Eddy
Gerald Eddy
4 years ago

Yes….. that snitzel would have been a bonus… as it is I am on the road now in West Virginia for a family function….but I will get up to see you some time… I am only in Albany, NY!