What's a Silver Surfer fan to do? His first appearance is a holy grail and far out of reach. Luckily, there's Fantastic Four #49, but it won't be within sight for much longer, especially when he inevitably enters the MCU. 

Silver Surfer has been getting a push in the comics lately. With the return of the classic Defenders, he's been featured prominently along with Doctor Strange, Namor, and Hulk. Then there's the newest volume of Guardians of the Galaxy, and it appears the Surfer will be featured heavily in that series as well.

Once Disney finishes dotting the I's and crossing the T's of the Fox deal, then we'll be anxiously awaiting his debut in the MCU. Considering Marvel Studios is charging further and further into the cosmic realm, then it will only make sense for the company's most prominent cosmic hero to be front and center.

All of this has put Silver Surfer on the minds of both passing and hardcore Marvel fans, which is great for those with a nice collection of classic Surfer appearances. But if you've been on the fence about dropping the bucks and making some purchases, you'd better act quickly because the prices aren't going to be slowing down anytime soon.

For the majority of us, Surfer's first appearance in Fantastic Four #48 is already out of reach. Personally, I'm kicking myself for not acting sooner and grabbing a lower grade copy a couple of years ago. Even then, it's not like it was cheap; in 2016, a lowly 1.8 averaged $129. That's a great price compared to the $450 a 1.8 brought this past July.

Those collectors who are on a tighter budget will have their sights set on his second appearance in FF #49. While it's not in the same ballpark as FF #48, it's still a significant piece of Surfer history and will prove to be a great investment considering that the Surfer's popularity is building. That's not to say that he hasn't always been popular, but he's poised to move into a whole new league of popularity similar to what we're seeing now with Captain Marvel.

That being said, all things Surfer are exploding these days, particularly his early silver age appearances. FF #49 is riding this boom to record highs across the gamete of grades. Where you could have bought a very nice 6.0 for an average of $163, that same amount will only get you a 2.0 by 2018's standard.

Let's say you have $300 to spend on an FF #49. In 2017, you could have walked away with a 7.5. In the words of Don Henley, those days are gone forever. Over the past 90 days, a 7.5 is averaging $1,114, and one even sold for over $1,200 earlier this month. "Fine," you might say, "what can I get for $300 today?" Based on the 90-day fair market value, you won't get anything above a 3.5...and that will seem like a low price a year from now.

While prices are soaring for the Surfer's second appearance, this is a good time to be an investor. As long as Marvel keeps pushing him in the comics and anticipation for his inclusion in the MCU builds, any investment you make now will pay off in the next couple of years, likely sooner.