Welcome to the "True Value" era of foreign comics!
This is a step we have taken at HotKey Comics to address the roughly top 5% of our inventory, those truly scarce and nearly irreplaceable gems that we have managed to obtain.
First let me be clear on what this is not, and this is not an attempt to say this is what these will sell for on the market today. What this is, is an acknowledgement on our end that the rarest segment of foreign comics is long overdue for a true reflection of what these should be worth, not only in just overall rarity, but in comparison to their American counterparts as well.
With that in mind, here is the first comic we have added to the True Value tier, the Bengali Superman #1! This has been on the radar for several collectors for the last couple years, yet very few copies have emerged during that search.
This is definitely one of the rarest Superman comics in the entire world, and that is reflected with it being the first comic in our True Value tier. We raised this from a fair market value of $9,999 to a True Value of $49,999. This doesn't mean it's going to cost you 5 figures to go find this comic right now, but it also means that we don't think those times are too far off.
With the 2nd issue in this series with the blue background variant already having multiple private sales of over $2,000 in the last year, this limited 4 issue series is being hunted behind the scenes by many well informed collectors who want to add this to their collection before it's too late.
One question we have gotten repeatedly is why do this now? Isn't the market a little down? Our answer to that is that this move is not a reflection of the current market, but a reflection of a shift in our position as a company specializing in these amazing gems, and believing that now is the right time to add this category to the foreign comics we all love. Simply put, we are no longer willing to trade the rarest foreign comics in our inventory for less than we believe they should truly be worth, and that is what True Value reflects.
Nearly everyone in foreign comics has been saying for years how undervalued these are, especially the ghosts, and we have always agreed. We sincerely believe that this is the right time to implement this category and to start to highlight some of the truly rare gems that deserve that recognition.
Another question we've got is "What about foreign comic X? Why isn't that value raised?" We also want to be clear that this category is by no means all inclusive and just because we haven't added a comic to this tier doesn't mean it shouldn't be on there. This tier will be a work in progress for a while and we welcome all constructive feedback on it. Do you have a comic that you believe should be on the True Value tier? Reach out and let us know!
I also want to clearly state that we are not financial advisors at HotKey Comics (or HotKey Breaks for those who like to break live) and you should always consult with a professional before making any financial decisions.
We have been and remain big believers in the future of foreign comics and continue to work hard to grow awareness and increase our inventory in this space. We have built what we believe is the largest and strongest global contact network in the world for foreign comics, having either direct access or one degree of separation from access to nearly every foreign comic out there in every known collection, and many new discoveries as well.
Even with all that, I am still seeing pictures of new foreign comics every month for the first time. This Wild West aspect with the discovery of foreign comics remains a completely unique and thrilling adventure that keeps on delivering, time after time. With all that in mind I just have one question for you:
