Are things improving for Silver Age comics? Are values trending upwards or continuing down? Let’s take a look at the Silver Age CPI to note some winners and losers over the past 90 days.
The Silver Age CPI was down 1.88% compared to three months ago. While not great, it’s certainly better than the 2.55% loss in the previous 90-day time period. Overall, 40 books were down, nine were up, and one was flat.
Winner – Marvel Super-Heroes #13 – up 8.1%
Well, this is a surprise. Perhaps the most maligned MCU character’s first comic appearance – Carol Danvers, aka Ms./Captain Marvel – saw the biggest increase of all the comics in our Silver Age CPI. That’s thanks to a 43% increase in the average price for an 8.5 graded copy primarily, although there were increases in a few other grades as well. It’s been a terrible few years for this book. Perhaps its fortunes have changed.
Loser – Marvel Super-Heroes #18 – down 11.4%
This comic has a couple of factors going against it, other than the downward trends of the market as a whole. First, while it’s the first appearance of the Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s not the team that contemporary fans know and love. Second, with no current comic series and nothing in the way of upcoming films, the Guardians as a whole are out of sight/out of mind. So, it’s really not surprising that this issue was hammered in a number of grades, including a 33.4% decrease in the average price for an 8.5 graded copy.
Winner – Aquaman #1 – up 7.1%
A $500 increase in value in the 8.0 grade and a $200+ increase in value in the 7.0 grade saw the King of the Seven Seas riding high over the past 90 days. It’s also the second three-month period in a row that Aquaman’s first solo issue has been a winner. Since the poor reception of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in 2023, this comic has been in freefall. Even though he’s a B character, his first issue still has value from a collecting and historical perspective. Perhaps this one has finally reached bottom and is starting a turnaround.
Loser – Fantastic Four #48 – down 10.6%
It’s been a brutal six months for the original Galactus trilogy. Since the release of Fantastic Four: First Steps (and even for a couple months before that), it’s been nothing but a negative trajectory for this book and Fantastic Four #49, which is down 8% over the past three months. The first issue in the Galactus trilogy is down in nearly every grade in our index and continues to tumble.
Winner – Vampirella #1 – up 3.4%
The higher grades – 8.5 and 8.0 in our index – saw significant gains, particularly the 8.5 grade, which jumped nearly $700 in average price paid. However, grades 7.0 and below saw drops. Such is the current bifurcation of the comic book back issue market. Those who are doing well in this economy can still afford to pay top dollar for high grade keys, while those who aren’t are unwilling to pay yesterday’s prices for lower grades.
Loser – Captain America #117 – down 8.7%
Making the list as a loser for the second 90-day period in a row, the first appearance of the Falcon is flopping with a busted wing. I mentioned last time around that ,“there really isn’t much on the horizon that would point to an eventual turnaround being in sight.” Unfortunately, that has proven to be prescient as the results have been ugly in just about every grade, as evidenced by the 17.7% and 11.3% drops in value in the 8.5 and 8.0 grades respectively.
Honorable Mention Winner – Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 – up 1.6%
Along with two other Spidey issues – Amazing Spider-Man #3 and Amazing Spider-Man #4 - this first appearance of the Sinister Six was among the few Silver Age winners over the past 90 days. Even the top Silver Age series hasn’t been immune to the downward trends in the market. If Amazing Spider-Man is starting to turn around, perhaps other books will follow.
Honorable Mention Loser – Iron Man #1 – down 8.0% and Avengers #8 – down 8.0%
These two books and their fates appear to be tied to the rapidly lessening reception for all things MCU. Both had been driven up massively in the height of the Covid boom that timed well with the MCU-related boom. Now that spare change is no longer jingling around in anyone’s pockets and as critical and popular critiques of the MCU are making the cracks in the foundation obvious, collectors are fleeing from both books.
