Here we are in a bit of a lull. Post-holiday blues perhaps. Our very talented authors have collectively taken a short 'breather' from the relentless research they do for all of you. Heck, what am I saying - all of US.
Where would we be without the content creators in this hobby? Those brave and vulnerable nerds who publicly flaunt their inner child. We wouldn't even have a comic book to read without them!
Here's a long overdue THANK YOU to all of our authors here at GoCollect, and all of the content creators across the social media landscape. Let's keep that short and sweet.
Oh, and speaking of comics...
Halloween officially ends today thanks to Heritage Auctions EC Comics Showcase Auction, which features a massive surplus of horror comics from the Gaines File collection. Highlights are many and include 9 CGC 9.8s from the Crime SuspenStories series.
Heritage also just wrapped up an impressive Nintendo auction wherein values seemed to have slipped from their previous performances, Not by much, but just enough that the results should satisfy both collectors and investors in the video game hobby. I don't think there was a single offering that breached the 5-digit threshold. That feels like an approachable market to me.
Graded video games are in their 17th year now. The service was first offered in 2008 by VGA (the Video Game Authority) and has since matured into a very competitive and lucrative hobby. Collectibles juggernaut CGC moved into this service in October of 2022, and Wata Games took their first submissions way back in 2018.
Which brings us to some of the latest news. If you haven't heard yet, Wata Games is being rebranded as PSA Games. Effective immediately. This will affect a few details regarding how we showcase data on our Video Game Price Guide, which has been ingesting Wata video game sales since they launched. For your benefit, we have our in-house video game expert, Joe Parziale, in talks with PSA to better understand the nuances you will need to know. Keep an eye out for that article in the near future if you are a video game collector.
This will lead us to having 5 very popular collectible markets on GoCollect - video games, comics, magazines, Pokémon, and Magic: The Gathering - where PSA and CGC are leading the grading and making the majority of sales data. Head-to-head in every major market. This real-time battle-royale can only be found on one platform - GoCollect.
We've prepared ourselves for moments like this by tracking and managing as many details, facets, and avenues of the collectibles industry as possible. And we are always on the hunt for more independent marketplaces that are willing to share their sales figures with us.
One of our favorite platforms is Collectors Comics. They wrapped up a massive PSA auction on Sunday that we were watching very closely. Over 450 PSA-graded comics! This auction alone could lead us to a robust understanding of how collectors are valuing PSA grade points, but have to dive very deep in order to arrive there. I have been fervently preparing a large follow-up article to discuss how those sales align with current market values for CGC and CBCS. I hope to have that completed shortly.
PSA is also making enormous strides in their magazine division. Which is transferring over to a hefty amount of sales coming into GoCollect's Vintage Magazine Price Guide. So far, we are seeing the majority in the sports markets; titles like Sports Illustrated, SLAM, and of course, their flagship PSA Magazine.
Since we are on the topic of PSA and this editorial is moving at a decent clip, I feel I have built up the required courage to write down a very delicate statement for all to see. Yes, I believe I am going to say it.
Early data suggests that PSA is falling short of fair market values when compared to numbers realized from CGC, and in some cases, CBCS, in grade. I will also state that this is not true in ALL cases, and I beg you please not to read this as a blanket statement. I have seen quite a few examples of PSA matching or even surpassing FMV. It's super early in the game, but with every step you have to be willing to accept the math if you ever hope to find the answer.
This formula is something we at GoCollect were fully prepared to make sense of when we partnered up with PSA to represent their shift into graded comic books and graded magazines. These early results may make you believe that the sky is falling. Try approaching this with a clearer head and drop the paranoia. These PSA sales should pique the interest of those who understand that grading standards and valuations alter between these exact companies in multiple markets in much the same way.
We should be celebrating the adoption of a company that shepherds alternative pricing in our hobby. We have some serious calculations to bake up here at GoCollect. New numbers breed new paths and new purposes, and ultimately draws out the visionary in YOU to decipher through the good times and the not so good.
The discovery of the highest-graded copy of Superman #1 is a sign that we are still in the good times. Enjoy them.
