In my opinion, one of the most useful aspects of GoCollect's CPI tool is the ability to analyze a key issue across multiple CGC grades in a single data visualization. Before the CPI existed, it was a painstaking process to analyze a single issue across multiple grades so you could view it from the 30,000 foot level. For instance, take a look at one of my blogs back in April trying to assess the state of the entire comic book market using only a single grade from three major keys. I just didn't have the right tools then.
Today, if you're a bargain hunter, you can quickly scan the CPIs and identify key issues that may be flying under the radar and / or may have over-corrected.
I think the data strongly suggests that Marvel Super-Heroes #13 is one of those books. Marvel Super-Heroes #13 includes the first appearance of Carol Danvers who would eventually become the most famous character to be called Captain Marvel.
Is it a buy at current price points? Let's take a closer look.
Personally, I think it's most helpful to view the CPI using the "Past Five Years" view. With that lens, you can see the value of a particular key issue across multiple CGC grades prior to the "comic boom" or the market bubble that occurred in 2020-21. It's important to see what values were before the bubble and after it popped.
The value of Marvel Super-Heroes #13 across 13 CGC grades hasn't been this low since January 2015.
With that in mind, a quick scan of the Silver Age CPI using the five-year view reveals several issues that appear to have over-corrected during the current bear market, including Marvel Super-Heroes #13:
Just prior to the pandemic, Marvel Super-Heroes #13 was contributing 3.75 points to the Silver Age CPI value, a composite score composed from sales across 13 CGC grades. Roughly a year later, by August 2021, that contribution had reached an all-time high of 4.86 or approximately a 30% increase in value. Just over three years later, it contributes a mere 1.79 points to the Silver Age CPI. The book hasn't been that low since January 2015. Personally, I'd invest in this book at prices from nearly ten years ago!
As an example, take a look at this really nice CGC 7.5 copy that sold for a mere $172 just over a week ago for a fixed price on eBay:
It is important to note that a 7.5 is within the top 25% of all CGC graded copies of this book (a 6.0 is the most common grade). There are only three 9.8s on the CGC Census. There just aren't that many copies in high grade at least in part because it's a square bound book. You'd have to go WAY back to March 2014 to buy a 7.5 at this price point. I think this is additional evidence of over-correction, in my opinion.
The supply of CGC graded copies of Marvel Super-Heroes #13 is unlikely to increase dramatically in the years ahead.
Graded copies of Marvel Super-Heroes #13 are also scarce. Today, there are just under 2,500 universal blue label copies of Marvel Super-Heroes #13 on the CGC Census. According to CGCData.com, there were 1,732 blue labels in December 2019, just prior to the comic boom when an unprecedented number of comics were shipped to CGC for grading. Compare the 700+ copies of Marvel Super-Heroes #13 during the past five years to the nearly 2,000 that were graded for Star Wars: The Clone Wars #1 which features the first appearance of another heroine during the same time period. I raise this point because I think you can be less concerned about increasing supply of this Silver Age key which could affect its long-term value.
