For the last half of 20/20, I am going to try and put several blog pieces together that look back at popular speculative books with the full benefit of hindsight. In doing so, I will try my best to consider books from typically the same time frame and typically the same level of “key” status. this week I’m starting off with incredible Spider-Man #129 and Hulk #181.

“Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, “It might have been.”
-Kurt Vonnegut

With GoCollect’s massive database of sales data, we can know precisely what would have happened if we had purchased book X instead of book Y at Z grade 10 years ago. Does that information help us going forward? Does it introduce bias? What new information can we use if we are dropping our hard-earned dollars on these books today?

Hopefully, the data and knowledge of the general popularity of a book can help guide our decisions going forward.

Let’s jump best in.

Looking Back to 1974

What a year it was back in 1974. Watergate hits its climax. Hank Aaron hits home-run number 714 to tie Babe Ruth. “Lucy” hit the scene as the possible missing Link. All this, plus the Punisher and Wolverine hit newsstands for the first time in incredible Spider-Man #129 and amazing Hulk #181 (arguably).

It’s hard to imagine a time before these two superstar superheroes were a part of our comic lives. until 1974, we didn’t know about the Punisher logo, “Snikt,” or adamantium skeletons. because that time, these two major keys have become some of the most sought-after comic works in history.

Looking back five, ten, and twenty years, which was the better essential to own, relative to purchase price?

Amazing Spider-Man #129 (February 1974)

Early that year, Spider-Man was forced to reckon with a mercenary. This mercenary was hired by the Jackal to end the web-slingers life once and for all. From this point forward, the world would get to know Frank Castle as a takes-no-prisoners, slightly unstable assassin who carries out revenge on all who he believes are worthy of his style of vengeance.

It’s not a stretch to say that Punisher has probably never been quite as popular as Wolverine, so this essential is typically less expensive across the board in 2020. However, prices on high- and mid-grades have risen dramatically over the years.

GoCollect has data all the way back to sales in 2001 on CGC 9.0. While there is evidence that this book sold for as low as $173 in 2001, many in that time frame sold for about $300-$400. So, we will call it $350 for the sake of comparison. Today, fair market value (FMV) on this book is $1,700. If you purchased in 2001 and held on, your investment would be worth 486 times what you paid for it. A ten-year review of a CGC 9.0 shows similar positive returns. The average sales price in 2010-2011 was about $550-$600. assuming the same FMV of $1,700 that is at minimum a 283% return on your purchase. Hopefully, those who purchased at the turn of the century didn’t get set off pleased when there was little movement in the first 10 years and waited out the comic book essential grow of this past decade.

Let’s say you invested in the mid-grade, trying to get in at a much more inexpensive level. GoCollect has data back to 2004 for a CGC 6.0, and it would have only set you back about $100 at that time. Comparing to today’s $750 FMV, that’s a staggering 750% return. In 2010, however, CGC 6.0 copies were still only selling for about $200 each. even in this middle grade, a 10-year hold on this book would net you about 375%

So it’s safe (and not surprising) to say that the value of the first Punisher has exploded over the long term. certainly helping this fact is the relatively cheap price label this book held in the first decade of the century. In this relatively down period for Frank Castle – no recent screen appearances, Punisher Soviet was only 88th in total comic sales in March – I wonder if we will see some price softening which will present a strong purchasing opportunity for investors looking again into the long term. In fact, all grades 8.5 to 9.8 are down in market value over the past 12 months.

Incredible Hulk #181 (November 1974)

Canada’s favorite child actually first showed up in the pages of amazing Hulk #180, but it is in the November issue we get our first full look at the character and what he is capable of. Over time, Hulk and Wolverine have carried out their love-hate relationship across numerous of Marvel’s pages. Wolverine concerned be one of the most popular X-Men members of all time.

So while Wolverine’s first appearance is typically much more costly, higher purchasing price doesn’t always correlate to a higher return on investment.

Consistent GoCollect data for a CGC 9.0 copy goes back to about 2005 when copies sold for around $1,100. Today, FMV on that grade is consistently around $5,500. representing a 500% return over a little much more than 15 years of growth. looking back just 10 yearsnull