Remember when Disney+ had just launched and Marvel was slowly introducing members of the Young Avengers? We saw Wiccan and Speed in WandaVision, Patriot in Falcon & The Winter Soldier, Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, and Cassie Lang in Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania. We even saw Ms. Marvel and Kate discuss the possible formation of the Young Avengers in the after-credits scene in The Marvels.
Young Avengers #1 used to be one of THE hottest books on the market for years because of all of these aforementioned teasers. One YouTuber once said that he thought Young Avengers #1 would "become the next Giant-Size X-Men #1" because of all of the first appearances it contained.
But as we all know, the opposite has happened -- it looks like this book is now dead in the water. Perhaps it could be a good time to pick it up when it sits at all-time lows?
Let's take a look at Young Avengers #1 from the 30,000 foot level; specifically, viewing the value of this book over the past five years across five CGC grades using GoCollect's Modern Age CPI tool:
As you can see from the data visualization above, all five CGC grades show the same pattern over the past five years; namely, the sudden jump in values in 2020-21 caused by the "comic boom," and then the steady decline in value over the past two years. In May 2021, a 9.8 sold for nearly $1,300; today, that same book might only sell for around $250.
This steep drop off can be partially be explained by a dramatic increase in the supply of 9.8s during the past five years. In December 2019, there were only 609 9.8s on the CGC Census; today, there are over four times as many 9.8s on the Census (2,413 copies). There just isn't enough demand to keep up with an increasing supply of 9.8s.
There may, however, be a light at the end of the tunnel; the 30-day average is the same as the 90-day average ($240). Could this leveling off be an indicator that $240 is the floor for a 9.8? We'll need more data to know for sure, but if you're a risk-taker, now might be the time to buy.
It is interesting to note that sales for 9.0s are actually higher than sales for 9.2s, and that the FMV of a 9.4 is essentially the same as a 9.6. There is also a very large disparity in values between a 9.6 and a 9.8; acquiring a 9.6 for around $75 might be a pretty good deal especially when you consider CGC case costs.
Importantly, Young Avengers #1 doesn't have a single 9.9 or 10.0 on the CGC Census. For a Modern Age book with nearly 6,000 graded copies, that surprises me; it must be a difficult book to grade for some reason. And that's obviously a good thing for all of you who own a 9.8.
