With the Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer dropping a few weeks back, it’s time to take a look and see how it’s affected the Fantastic Four CPI.
CPI Impact
While in the aggregate the Fantastic Four CPI stayed flat since the release of the trailer, individual issues did show some movement that helped to counteract the continuing effects of a down market. Time will tell as we build toward the July 25 release of the film and any additional promotional material that may reveal secrets, which in turn could cause collectors to scurry for Fantastic Four back issues.
The Big Gainer
No comic benefited more from the release of the trailer than Fantastic Four #209. Featuring the first comic appearance of H.E.R.B.I.E., this issue rose 51% in our index. This was driven primarily by a 58% increase in the average price paid for a 9.8 graded copy and a 19% gain for those in the 9.6 grade. Additionally, sales volume was up, with 12 sales in the week since the trailer drop and no sales in the week prior. The extent of H.E.R.B.I.E.’s role in the film and how much he shows up in upcoming video promotion will likely determine whether or not this rise is sustainable.
The Solid Gainer
Fantastic Four #13 – the first appearance of the Red Ghost – showed a very slight rise in index value thanks to the appearance of a long-haired and bearded John Malkovich in the trailer. While widely assumed that he will be playing the Red Ghost, that has not yet been confirmed. Sales volume increased from zero to seven in the week of February 4. Since December 22, we’ve seen a respectable rise in index value of 2% for this issue, not phenomenal but definitely an increase that beats out the index as a whole. Should Malkovich’s role be memorable, there could be some staying power for the increases.
Flat First Galactus
At first glance, it appears that the release of the trailer had no impact on Fantastic Four #49, the preeminent book in the Galactus trilogy, with the index showing a value that dropped ever so slightly. However, sales volume was up tremendously. Thirty copies sold in the week beginning February 4, thanks to a comic accurate Galactus appearing in the trailer, whereas there were only six sales in the week prior. With a CGC census of nearly 7,000, this isn’t a particularly rare Silver Age book. But if sales volume stays elevated, we could start to see some gains.
The first appearance of the Silver Surfer and Galactus in Fantastic Four #48 saw a very marginal increase in index value. While sale volume increased from three to twenty-two in a week prior/week after comparison, the market is flooded with copies of this comic. There are more than 10,000 copies in the CGC census with the top 11% graded 8.5 or higher. Galactus would have to become a figure well-known to the general public for us to see any serious value gains any time soon.
The often overlooked third issue in the Galactus trilogy, Fantastic Four #50, saw a slight 0.3% increase in value as well as a bump in sales volume from one to thirteen copies sold. With a much lower census count of 4,700, a dark cover that is hard to find in higher grades, and the potential for collectors to want to complete the trilogy should the film be well received, consider this issue a bit of a dark horse to watch over the next six months.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps. Do you see potential for a rise in the Fantastic Four CPI due to the film? Let us know in the comments.
