Pandemic-era price increases followed by a few years of general price drops have led me to believe that 'BLUE CHIP' CPV's in the highest grades have stopped bleeding. However, non-key issues are getting closer to finding their bottom but are not there yet. My prediction may be tested once again if inflation, deflation or stagflation starts to become a larger problem in world economies.
I believe this is a great time to be buying major key CPV's in top grades especially when the Newsstand and Direct counterpart is still in high demand. Doing so allows a higher chance for future ROI (Return On Investment). Buy issues that have fallen in value to or below that of their US Newsstand or Direct counterpart. It's a screaming buy for this subset of books in top grades! It's like picking the low hanging fruit on a tree with minimal work. Given a number of these CPV's have sold at a minimal or non-existent premium over their counterpart is an opportunity awaiting!
I do believe that comics in general and CPV's specifically are very undervalued when compared to other collectible markets like sports cards, Pokémon, etc... Comics have a cultural importance that crossed generations, tapping into social media and modern entertainment and reinventing itself yearly with storylines that are relatable to us personally.
If possible, try focusing on top 100 books in higher grades given that investors with large sums of money will pay a premium down the road for the best of the best that rarely comes up for sale. When a higher graded book is not within your budget, try adding books in trade to make that deal happen. Don't be shy offering a little more if what you are getting is far scarcer!
I do believe that the gap between a 9.6 and a 9.8 can at times be wider than anticipated offering a great buying opportunity! This may also be the case for numerous 9.4's within the top 100.
Don't chase SCARCITY alone but seek issues with a LONG HISTORY, CULTURAL RELEVANCE, HIGH DEMAND and RUMORS of a MOVIE or SHOW.
The Overstreet Guide has overpriced a number of books that make no sense, with prices for Strawberry Shortcake #6, Betty and Me #137 & #141 that cannot be justified so be careful when buying.
I would like to caution you when buying books that seem popular but for some reason or another the CPV copies don't usually translate to higher prices in grades 9.6 and below. Books that come to mind are Wolverine Limited series #2-4 (#3 does get more money yet still down on my trajectory). I sold a dozen or so on auction sites as well as privately for each issue in this series over the last couple of years. Could this be a buying opportunity? I am uncertain to be honest, time will tell.
The CPV team cannot post sales of books that were traded or done as a cash/trade directly in the guide because it needs to be a clear cut financial exchange with proof-of-sale. However, I've had the privilege in doing cash/trades on numerous occasions but one exchange stood out this past year worth mentioning. One collector (a fine gentleman to converse with) offered cash and a book for a G.I.Joe #21 (9.8 CGC CPV) worth pointing out. He traded his Hulk #181 (9.0 CGC) + $3000 cash = $9500 USD. This exchange proves that values of major key books in top grades have much more room to grow when the right investor with the right knowledge decides to seize the moment before someone else does.
I do believe that when it comes to investing in comics it's best to buy what holds value long-term and not what you love to collect only. However, the collector in me also loves to buy what I enjoy reading (raw books in low grade) but the long-term goal needs to have a clear strategy based on solid numbers and not emotions which may prove to hurt financially.
In Conclusion
- Rule #1: Buy ‘quality’ books in the highest grade you can reasonably afford as opposed to buying ‘quantity’ in lower grades when ‘investing’ in C.P.V.’s
- Rule #2: Don’t forget rule #1.
— Angelo Virone