The unthinkable has happened: Spider-Ham's key issues have become major investments thanks to Into the Spider-Verse, and the current fair market values for his first appearance are rapidly climbing.
Dust off your 1980s nostalgic comics and cross your fingers that you have the Spider-Ham keys.
He is stealing the spotlight in the Into the Spider-Verse trailers, and now there are rumors of Sony producing Spider-Ham shorts to capitalize on his popularity. That's exactly what investors should be doing, too - capitalize on this surge in all things Spider-Ham.
Once upon a time, no one cared about the first appearance of Spider-Ham. The title was aimed at younger readers with its silly recreation of Marvel superheroes, like Hulk Bunny, Captain Americat, and Goose Rider. Still, there was something entertaining about Spider-Ham, and he has never completely disappeared from continuity.
Now that Sony has made what seems to be a hilarious take on the character, Spider-Ham is poised to enter Howard the Duck territory when it comes to anthropomorphic Marvel characters. As far as the collector's market, Marvel Tails #1 has recently begun to pay dividends. It's only been within the past three years that a graded 9.8 sold for over $100. In 2017, it actually dipped as it averaged $127 when a year prior it had a fair market value of $142. That's all in the past now.
The day of Spider-Ham has finally arrived, and that mild slump is officially over. Marvel Tails #1 has sold a record number of 9.8s this year with 33. Before that, there had never been more than nine sold on eBay in a given year.
All year, Tails #1 has been setting new records, but it truly hit the ridiculous stage on September 20 when a 9.8 sold for $900. Only 12 days later, that record was eclipsed with an October 2 sale of $1,000. Since then, it's consistently brought over $500, but it's cooled recently to the $400 range.
It's not just the near-mints that are booming. Every grade sold this year has seen a significant price jump all the way down to the 7.5 - the lowest grade traded in 2018 - which sold for $79 last month after averaging just $30 in 2017.
PETER PORKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-HAM #1
I never thought I'd say this, but if the prices for Marvel Tails #1 are out of your reach, you can fall back on Spider-Ham's first self-titled series. While it's not paying the dividends of Tails #1, Spectacular Spider-Ham #1 is nonetheless worth your investment dollars.
As the character's popularity has grown in recent years, so have the values for Spider-Ham #1. A 9.8, which was selling for no more than $72 six years ago, routinely sells for over $100. Currently its 90-day average is at a respectable $127, but I can see it going for well over that after the movie debuts.
The 9.6 is where you will be able to turn a profit. Two years ago, it sold for $110. So far this year, it hasn't gone over $45. With all the mainstream exposure Peter Porker is getting (and will continue to have), the 9.6 will surpass that $110 record high very soon. Now is the time to invest.
I can't write a post about an animal version of a superhero without talking about Throg, the frog version of Thor. The "Frog of Thunder" has evolved from being a transformation of Thor into a full-fledged tongue-in-cheek hero of his own. It all began during Walt Simonson's Thor run, and in 1986, Loki managed to change Thor into a frog. Most comic fans picked up on the allusion in the MCU's Thor: Ragnarok, and these days Throg has been fighting alongside the Asgardians of the Galaxy.
In a 9.8, this comic has been bringing in respectable numbers. It's currently averaging $54 in the past 12 months, and a $79 February sale set a new record high. Aside from the 9.8, the few other grades that have been sold on eBay tend to stay below the $50 mark.
