Even in a down market some comics rise in value. For some it’s a recent surge, while for others it’s a slow and steady lift. Bronze Age comics have been hit harder than most by recent dives in the market. However, some are bucking the trend.
Bronze Age CPI
On July 16, 2023, the fifty comics in GoCollect’s Bronze Age Collectible Price Index were at a value of 1,272. One year later, that value had fallen to 1,154, a loss of 9.28%. At times it seemed that the bleeding would never stop. But some books are seeing upward trends. Here’s a look at a few of them.
While it’s levelled off of late, House of Secrets #92 has seen two big jumps in value across 14 grades. The first was in September 2023 and the second was in January 2024. In general, we’ve seen a rise in Bronze Age horror as the natural descendant of Golden Age pre-code horror. Combined with the first appearance of Swamp Thing and the enduring popularity of Bernie Wrightson, we’ve seen the top Bronze Age horror comic rise and retain its value.
The first appearance of the Punisher has always been considered one of the most important Bronze Age comics. Even this wasn’t enough to save it from a deep swoon. However, the past few months have seen a rise in CPI value from 46.16 on April 28 to 47.78 on July 7. While it’s only a 3.5% increase, it’s a significant rise for a mega-key that has seen a steep fall since the boom.
The Neal Adams cover for Batman #227 has been a perennial favorite. During the COVID comic boom, DC comics were ignored for the most part. However, as the prices of Bronze Age Marvel plummeted, once forgotten DC comics have benefitted markedly. Batman #227 has seen an 8.2% rise in its CPI value over the past year and shows the most significant increase in the entire Bronze Age index.
Another book that saw a sharp rise at the beginning of 2024 and has managed to – for the most part – retain its value is Savage Tales #1, the first appearance of Man-Thing. It’s another beneficiary of horror fans who may have been priced out of pre-code horror books looking for less expensive options. It also doesn’t hurt that the character appeared in one of the few successful MCU productions of the past few years, Werewolf By Night.
The only non-Marvel or DC comic in our Bronze Age index, Scooby Doo, Where Are You #1 saw a significant rise in CPI value last fall and a slow lift since. As collectors have reached out beyond Marvel looking for key issues to collect or smart investments, comics like this have been beneficiaries and have performed well in the market as a result.
A recent dip should be a note of caution when mentioning the first appearance of Brother Voodoo. However, the 7.8% increase in CPI value in June shouldn’t be overlooked either. While the effect on the market of MCU rumors has been lessened of late, it can still affect prices, and quite significantly. This comic has risen and fallen for a number of years based on rumors. Now might be a good time to sell before rumors fade and a drop (potentially) continues.
While Conan the Barbarian #1 saw a significant rise in CPI value in the fall, the drop in March was even steeper. And yet its increase around Memorial Day was sharp as well and has retained its value since. While not one of the most important Marvel Bronze Age comics, it has always been considered a key issue and one worth having in just about any collection.
This classic Thing vs. Hulk cover by John Buscema dropped quite a bit over the past month – from a CPI value of 14.34 on June 16 to 13.93 on July 7. However, that’s still higher than at any point in the past year other than the June spike. Fantastic Four #112 has great potential as a later yet still classic key issue of one of the most anticipated MCU productions.
The first death of the Green Goblin in Amazing Spider-Man #122 has always been a popular issue. While its CPI rise has been short lived so far – from 9.09 on June 9 to 9.46 on July 7 – it’s still a solid 4.1% gain. Keep an eye on this one, as this could be just the start of an upward trend.
This is the kind of trendline you want to see. While it’s dropped quite a bit in value since the boom, the first appearance of Deathstroke has seen a slow but steady 9.6% increase in CPI value since March 3. He’s been a hit character since his introduction, and Deathstroke should never be counted out, nor should you ignore The New Teen Titans #2.
The first appearance of Rogue dropped a bit after the X-Men ’97 mini-boom but has since risen in value. Overall, Avengers Annual #10 has seen a remarkable 16.9% increase in CPI value this year. It’s one of the better showings in our Bronze Age index and is worth keeping on your watch list.
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