Should I invest in comic books?
Some of the questions we hear often from folks are: “Should I invest in comic books?” and if so, “Which comics should I buy?” “Which comic books have increased in value the most?”
We are not financial investment advisors, but we are experts in comic book investing. Most advisors recommend a mix of holdings such as stocks, bonds, real estate and collectibles and art. With the stock market so volatile, comics can provide another avenue for profit.
Art and collectibles have always been a part of investment mixes because they not only provide a nice return in the future, but something tangible to enjoy in the present. If you love comic books for their historical and artistic value there is no reason not to add them to your portfolio.
Which comic books should I buy?
As with stocks, Comic books also have their “Blue Chips” that have pretty reliably risen in value over the years. Vintage comic books (from the 1940’ 1950’s, and 1960’s) are most likely to grow or hold their value. In the mid 1970’s people began saving many issues, and as a result there are too many books in the marketplace. During the war years, comics were recycled in paper drives, making many issues very rare indeed. Of course parents also helped by cleaning out the “clutter” before anyone knew how much the value would rise.
RULE OF THUMB Vintage= rare and rare=valuable.
Here are the top 10 blue chip investments and the price compared from 2000 to 2020. As you can see, these are very expensive to obtain, especially in higher grades. Following is a list of the top 5 Golden Age and the top 5 Silver Age comics with prices from 2000-2020. These prices are from the Overstreet Comic Book Price guides and these are the near mint minus (NM-) prices.
Golden Age
Action 1
(1st Superman)
2000 – $200,000
2001 – $285,000
2017- $3,200,000
2019- $4,2000,00
Detective 27
(1st Batman)
2000 – $175,000
2001- $240,000
2017- $2,200,000
2019- $2,800,000
Marvel Comics 1
(1st Marvel Comic, 1st Human Torch and Sub-Mariner)
2000- $125,000
2001- $175,000
2017- $625,000
2019- $720,000
Superman 1
2000- $140,000
2001- $175,000
2017-$1,200,000
2019-$1,500,000
All American 16
(1st Green Lantern)
2000- $70,000
2001- $100,000
2017- $750,000
2019 -$825,000
Action Comics #1
Detective #27, 1st Batman
Silver Age
Amazing Fantasy 15
(1st App Amazing Spider-Man)
2000- $25,000
2001- $ 35,000
2017- $350,000
2019- $405,000
Showcase 4
(1st Silver Age Flash)
2000- $25,000
2001- $32,000
2017- $130,000
2019- $160,000
Amazing Spidey 1
2000- $18,000
2001- $25,000
2017- $68,000
2019 -$78,000
Fantastic Four 1
2000- $19,000
2001- $24,000
2017- $140,000
2019- $180,000
Incredible Hulk 1
2000- $12,000
2001- $15,000
2017- $240,000
2019- $285,000
Incredible Hulk #1
For the less well-heeled among us, try to look for some of these Bronze Age (1970) Key comics. (Keys are number ones or issues where a character appears for the first time.)
Top Bronze Age Comics
Giant-Size X-Men 1
(1st New X-Men)
2000- $490
2001- $900
2017- $1600
2019- $1900
Hulk 181
(1st Wolverine)
2000- $480
2001- $900
2017- $3,500
2019- $4,500
X-Men 94
(New X-Men Series)
2000- $450
2001- $750
2017- $1,400
2019- $1,425
House of Secrets 92
(1st Swamp Thing)
2000- $490
2001- $600
2017- $1,800
2019- $3,200
Star Wars 1 (Rare 35 cent price variant)
2000- $530
2001- $600
2017- $10,000
2019- $11,500
Incredible Hulk #181
If you have your finger on the pulse of the pop culture world you can buy up some more modern comic in the highest grade you can find, then hold and hope for a movie deal in the future!
Modern Comics
Walking Dead 1
Bone 1
Venom Lethal Protector
Marvel Collectible Classics: Spider-Man 1
Batman Adventures 12 (1st Harley Quinn)
As with any tangible investment, make sure you have adequate insurance and a safe DRY storage area. Always use top quality acid free backing boards and mylars. And with all investment there is risk. Book that have lost value in the past years include Westerns, War and some Dell and Gold Key comics. It’s important to keep up with the market.
Ted’s Picks
Based on the Golden Age chart, Ted thinks that the Marvel Comics #1 is undervalued and would be a good investment. It is the first Marvel Comic, The first Sub-Mariner by Bill Everett, The first Human Torch. And it has a great cover by the Dean of pulp illustrators, Frank R. Paul. In Bronze age, look for an X-Men #94, hard to find in nice grade, but most likely a sleeper!
Of course these charts display the “Crème de la Crème” and it is fun to look at the high prices, but there are plenty of other terrific investment comics in all price ranges. What ever your budget ,Superworld has something for you!
Ted and Lisa VanLiew
Superworld Comics, June 12, 2020