It’s been an ugly three months for the Silver Age Index as most comics are down in value, although a few are running counter to the overall trend. Let’s take a look at the Silver Age CPI to note some winners and losers over the past 90 days.
Winner – Avengers #4 – up 3.0%
It’s a sad time when the best our top winner can do in three months is gain a meager three percent in value. Such is the market nowadays. Gains in the mid to upper grades made the difference here. In particular, our sliding scale covering the past four sales in the 7.5 grade jumped nearly 40% thanks to a July 12 fixed price eBay sale netting $3,750, a $750 increase over the last 7.5 sale in an April 15 Heritage auction.
Loser – Fantastic Four #49 – down 15.8%
Last time around, this book was a big gainer – up 4.9% in our May report. Now, however, the first cover appearance of Galactus has taken a tremendous slide. It’s a fairly typical reaction when we’re talking about comics that see a run up in value prior to a films release. With the premiere of Fantastic Four: First Steps now in the rear-view mirror, prices are dropping accordingly. In fact, now may be a good time to buy as all of the Covid gains that this book saw have been wiped out. The last time its index value was this low was back in May 2020.
Winner – The Silver Surfer #4 – up 2.4%
A favorite Silver Age cover saw solid gains thanks primarily to sales in the 8.5 grade. A number of fixed price eBay sales have the 30-day average price up to $2,200, a 10.5% increase over the one-year average of $1,991. We also saw gains earlier in the period in the 8.0 and 7.5 grades. However, recent drops in the 7.0 and 6.5 grades are why we see the recent dip and are a reason for caution.
Loser – The Flash #123 – down 11.4%
The comic that brought us the multiverse has seen steady declines in nearly every grade. It isn’t until you get down to the low grades of 3.0 and 2.5 that you see any gains. The losses in the high grades are particularly troubling – 8.5 down 21.5%, 8.0 down 10.9%, 7.5 down 4.1%, and 7.0 down 6.3%. This book has dropped down to its June 2022 index value and the majority of the losses have been in the past three months.
Winner – Aquaman #1 – up 2.0%
After seeing a dip in June, Aquaman’s first solo comic has been on an upswing since we turned the page from July to August. The August 9 sale of an 8.0 in a Heritage Auctions fixed price sale for $2,459 is the primary reason for the index increase. That sale alone was 82% higher than the average of the previous four sales in the grade. Looking across other grades, however, we see a mixed bag of ups and downs without significant gains or losses.
Loser – Captain America #117 – down 10.8%
The first appearance of the Falcon is no longer flying high. Since the critical and box office failure of Captain America: Brave New World, this book has really taken a nosedive. It’s pretty bleak overall, with declines in nearly every grade and no sales in a few. The decrease in demand is particularly problematic as there isn’t really much on the horizon that would point to an eventual turnaround.
Honorable Mention Winner – Our Army At War #83 – up 1.7%
A favorite of war comic collectors, Sgt. Rock’s first appearance gained in the index primarily due to the sale of a 6.0 for $7,800 in a June 29 Heritage auction. While that may have been enough to increase its index value based on the past four sales, it’s down 27.8% in the grade.
Honorable Mention Loser – Fantastic Four #5 – down 8.7%
When the top book in the index takes this big a tumble, it’s worth noting, even if it wasn’t one of the biggest losers of the past 90 days. Perhaps no comic benefitted more from the Covid boom than this book. So, in many respects, its drop isn’t that surprising. Its index value is now down to June 2021 levels. That may not scream “buy” yet, but it’s getting there.
