100% not worth 5k. Too many on the census. I’ve seen 9.6’s hit 5k recently. Best bet is golden age and original art. If you really wanted a copy, best bet is a 8.5-9.0 because it’s way cheaper and not much downside, whereas a 9.4-9.8 are high risk and can drop more because of a high census count
Great counter-points to my narrative Taso! There are always two sides to each transaction and thank you for sharing the sell side here. I guess we'll have to wait and see which narrative is correct in the short-, middle-, and long-term.
Very well put together video Dr. Paul! There was a lot of effort and knowledge put into it and it’s appreciated. I love me some Gil Kane as he did the pencils for some of my favorite covers of all time most notably x-men 95 as I also believe it is highly underrated. Thanks for sharing this book with us. I think there is always going to be a time to buy this book as I do not ever see it losing value. Books like this are always going to be sought after and wanted by collectors 👍
Thank you for the kind words Up North, and I completely agree regarding Gil Kane’s covers. You know in his autobiography Stan Lee mentioned how Gil never x’ed out where all of the negative space was supposed to be and it drove Stan mad-he wanted to only pay him for breakdowns rather than finished pencils since the inkers had to guess where the negative space was and always under-inked his pages as a result. When I look at Gil Kane art now I can’t help but notice it has much less negative space than his contemporaries. I could have put another couple dozen covers in the video, and not even touch his DC work but I wanted to limit the conversation this time around to Bronze Age key issues he did for Marvel.
@@DrPaulKosnik that’s fantastic information and quite a history lesson! I really like his Bronze Age work, specifically with spider man and x-men as those are the two runs I collect most of
Congratulations on the acquisition! You make a great case for patience and going after high grade. With a book as liquid as this I see no difficulty in you getting at LEAST your money back when you decide to sell. You have got a STRONG collection Dr. Paul! 👏💪 and thanks for the shoutout and X-Men 95 mention! ☺️
Damn Rush way to go! I’d say you’re killing it. Did you get that ASM129 cleaned and pressed before submission? Either way, that is an incredible outcome, congratulations. 👍🏽
@@DrPaulKosnik yes I did get it cleaned and pressed....I paid more than usual for it cuz of the value and the age of the book. Also received hero for hire 1 9.6 white pages and batman 227 CGC 8.5
Congrats on the ASM #129, Dr. Paul. It’s truly iconic and awesome grade. I own a lower grade copy - I think a CGC 8.0. The Bronze Age has some great artists and writers - riveting story telling. Another Bronze Age books I’d like to get in high CGC grades are ASM 121 and 122. Waiting on those for lack of funds. Congrats again, and happy collecting!
Thanks Peter! I purchased a very high grade raw ASM 121 about 20 years ago. I paid the princely sum of $350 but it is near-flawless, I’m confident at least a 9.4. Unfortunately this set the bar really high for ASM 122 and I still don’t own a copy!
The standard wisdom is something is worth what someone will pay for it. It was obviously worth it to you. Not so much for me, since I got my copy for cover price off the rack. Maybe not in 9.4 anymore but I'm OK with that. But as long as you're happy with it, that's all that matters.
Awesome answer from someone who's been in the game a long time Blinky! Honestly i'd rather have a copy i purchased off the rack, regardless of condition but alas i was only 2 years old when this one hit the spinner racks!
I actually thought in Capt. A Winter Soldier. When Nick Fury was being chased by Hydra cops. That a huge garbage truck was going to run over a few of those cop cars. A side door was going to slide back suddenly. And a huge machine gun like on a ship or chuuppaa. Was going to pop out and start blasting the hydra goons into swiss cheese. And the Punisher was going to jump out of the truck and start mangling these goons. Then he was going to drive off with Fury.
@dr paul, so I believe it's a nice purchase. I don't think it was a steal, but I do believe a really great purchase. There are a few books out there that are prolific, not rare by any means, but maintain value and grow in value just because, like you stated, how much the character is lauded, and how often the character shows up in different story lines. IMHO, ASM #129 and Hulk #181 are the 2 top of mind most prolific of these kind of books. Maybe even Giant Sized X-Men #1. They aren't golden age, they aren't rare, and you can really get one anytime you want. ALSO, I think it's a great purchase, because you COULD definately make this a 9.6. Which I believe would be TOTALLY worth your while. THIS fact is what makes this book a steal IMHO.
Thanks Bob I think your analysis is spot on. 👍🏽 Initially I was going to talk about exactly those three comic books but as I was writing a script for my video I decided to go a different direction and talk more about Gil Kane being Marvel’s cover artist for about a three year period. I did this mostly because as I sat down to write it occurred to me I really didn’t like the story in ASM129 and I wanted to make the argument why this is an important book despite the story being, in my opinion, quite weak. The other two books have great stories, great covers, and big first appearances. Anyway, sometimes you write the script and sometimes it writes itself. 🤷♂️
Dr. Paul, if you're happy then i'm happy for you. Its a iconic cover for sure 😀 On the original cover art i'm troubled. While photostat paste up is nomal for titles, CCA, price and logos it bothers me a bit that the art is also cut and paste as can be seen from the cutout around the "art" Below all of the other things above it. i'm not implying the whole cover is a photostat cut and paste job, i would need to see it in person to know that. I know thats an odd thing to comment on 😂 but i own the original cover art for 'Mavel Tales #22' Ditko art but all photostat paste up art from the original cover of 'Amazing Spider-man #27 so not worth that much imo. Bought it in the mid 1970's. like i said, weird comment😂 sorry 😂
Sky Patrol good comments regarding the art and paste-ups. I agree! It’s the nature of the consumable art form we enjoy in our hobby that the original art was not put together like fine art but rather more like a necessary step in the production process. I agree it should affect the desirability of the original art. Still, certain pieces by the most beloved artists are going to fetch big bucks just because of how possessing them makes people feel.
@@DrPaulKosnik thank you. The connection we feel is why we gravitate to them. I was at a convention ( Star Trek ) once and saw a guy with a huge stack of original comic art. I didn't know who this person was and looked through the stack. I found a page with characters I didn't know but loved the art ( tight and intricate ) I asked how much and he said $40 dollars. Not knowing if he was the artist I asked if he would sign it, he said yes and signed it with a ballpoint pen. I gave him my money and walked away. Later I looked at the signature and felt so stupid. It was George Perez. Many years later I sold the original art on eBay and learned who the characters were ( the fearsome five ) for $750 I don't have any idea what that would go for today but that's okay I enjoyed it while I had it.
If you like it, it's worth it. I'll overpay for a 9.4 X-Men #109 UKPV in a hot second. Which is what you did. GPA, GoCollect, and COVRPRICE all have it at around 4K in grade. I also don't think there's any way to get a bumpski on it in the future. The notes say the back cover has a CREASE - not pressable. I also need an X-Men #121 Mark Jewelers in 9.4 or better. There's been a 9.6 on eBay for almost 2 years now. I wasn't buying it when it was $2300, and I damned sure not buying it for the $3400 it's at now. Again, I'd overpay - but within reason.
Hey Nix I agree with your overall assessment, but I don’t think it’s as clear-cut as you state either for FMV or the crease defect. Regarding FMV, at the beginning of this week, GoCollect had the FMV at $5K in grade. Then on the 13th, one sold for $3,600 and the FMV dropped to $4,400 plus shipping and taxes. I paid $4,700 plus shipping and taxes. Considering that I got a copy with White pages, and the FMV is an average for all copies, I think I paid FMV for a copy with White pages. That said, I don’t think I got a bargain and the fact the FMV is shifting around demonstrates how much volatility there is in pricing right now. But given the data I don’t think I overpaid as you assert. Regarding the crease, I know pressers/cleaners use the term “crease” to mean color-breaking specifically, and those are not addressable defects. However, CGC uses the term more broadly and what they call a ”light crease “, as I have on this book, does not break color. They use the term to mean the defect is slightly more severe than what they call a “bend”. Here is a quote from the CGC grading manual: “The severity of a crease is broad; a light crease nearly resembles a bend…The distinction between a bend and crease is determined by whether the paper fingers have been broken along the seam. Some creases do not break color…” Page 148 if you want to check it out. I have a lot of experience pressing, have examined the defect closely, and am very confident the light crease they mention is an addressable defect. Thanks for the response! I agree with your overall assessment-by no means did I get a big bargain, and there’s no guarantee of a grade bump. 👍🏽
Congrats on picking up a very nice copy. I have a lower grade copy that has a color breaking subscription crease on the back cover. The front cover looks like a 9.4. I tend to hunt books from the golden age up to bronze keys that have an amazing looking front cover where they have a problem on the back cover for a bargain price.
Amazing Spider-Man 129 9.4 just sold on eBay for a little more than $4000 . I wish I was still working. I was a bartender I would grab a 9.8. Yes they are still going for $28-$30,000.. a lot of comic books are on the rebound . Amazing fantasy 15 the last 2 5.0 sold at Heritage last month $63,000 $69,000.. I have a 6.0 no Marvel chipping I bought that years ago for only $4000.. right now there is 6.5. With three days left Comic Link it’s at $96,000.. anyway I was offered $100,000 for my copy and October at the New York comic con. I’m not selling it.
Wow Robert sounds like you had conviction early on, great purchase! It does feel like with the recent sales data, stock market recovery, strong economy, and even Bitcoin recovery that the bottom is in for collectibles generally and comic books specifically.
100% not worth 5k. Too many on the census. I’ve seen 9.6’s hit 5k recently. Best bet is golden age and original art. If you really wanted a copy, best bet is a 8.5-9.0 because it’s way cheaper and not much downside, whereas a 9.4-9.8 are high risk and can drop more because of a high census count
Great counter-points to my narrative Taso! There are always two sides to each transaction and thank you for sharing the sell side here. I guess we'll have to wait and see which narrative is correct in the short-, middle-, and long-term.
Fun fact:
The 1984 Overstreet guide valued this book for $2 in mint. Asm 129!
Also at the same time Marvel Fanfare #1 was valued at $10 in mint.
David this is an excellent fact! Thank you for commenting and keep ’em coming!
Good job. Very astute purchase 👍
Thanks Raul! 👍
Very well put together video Dr. Paul! There was a lot of effort and knowledge put into it and it’s appreciated.
I love me some Gil Kane as he did the pencils for some of my favorite covers of all time most notably x-men 95 as I also believe it is highly underrated.
Thanks for sharing this book with us. I think there is always going to be a time to buy this book as I do not ever see it losing value. Books like this are always going to be sought after and wanted by collectors 👍
Thank you for the kind words Up North, and I completely agree regarding Gil Kane’s covers. You know in his autobiography Stan Lee mentioned how Gil never x’ed out where all of the negative space was supposed to be and it drove Stan mad-he wanted to only pay him for breakdowns rather than finished pencils since the inkers had to guess where the negative space was and always under-inked his pages as a result. When I look at Gil Kane art now I can’t help but notice it has much less negative space than his contemporaries. I could have put another couple dozen covers in the video, and not even touch his DC work but I wanted to limit the conversation this time around to Bronze Age key issues he did for Marvel.
@@DrPaulKosnik that’s fantastic information and quite a history lesson! I really like his Bronze Age work, specifically with spider man and x-men as those are the two runs I collect most of
Wow that is sharp. I have a low grade ASM 129 hoping to be able to upgrade to mid grade. Congratulations.
Thanks Michael and good luck in your hunt! Let us know when you find one. 👍🏽
Congratulations on the acquisition! You make a great case for patience and going after high grade. With a book as liquid as this I see no difficulty in you getting at LEAST your money back when you decide to sell. You have got a STRONG collection Dr. Paul! 👏💪 and thanks for the shoutout and X-Men 95 mention! ☺️
Thanks Dan! I agree for what it’s worth. The pleasure is mine, if folks aren’t following you they should be!
I bought lots of grails at a garage sale back in 1983 and just got back my ASM129 back from CGC at a 9.6 white pages. very happy.
Damn Rush way to go! I’d say you’re killing it. Did you get that ASM129 cleaned and pressed before submission? Either way, that is an incredible outcome, congratulations. 👍🏽
@@DrPaulKosnik yes I did get it cleaned and pressed....I paid more than usual for it cuz of the value and the age of the book. Also received hero for hire 1 9.6 white pages and batman 227 CGC 8.5
@@rushdiehard8784 great books!
Congrats on the ASM #129, Dr. Paul. It’s truly iconic and awesome grade. I own a lower grade copy - I think a CGC 8.0. The Bronze Age has some great artists and writers - riveting story telling. Another Bronze Age books I’d like to get in high CGC grades are ASM 121 and 122. Waiting on those for lack of funds.
Congrats again, and happy collecting!
Thanks Peter! I purchased a very high grade raw ASM 121 about 20 years ago. I paid the princely sum of $350 but it is near-flawless, I’m confident at least a 9.4. Unfortunately this set the bar really high for ASM 122 and I still don’t own a copy!
The standard wisdom is something is worth what someone will pay for it. It was obviously worth it to you. Not so much for me, since I got my copy for cover price off the rack. Maybe not in 9.4 anymore but I'm OK with that. But as long as you're happy with it, that's all that matters.
Awesome answer from someone who's been in the game a long time Blinky! Honestly i'd rather have a copy i purchased off the rack, regardless of condition but alas i was only 2 years old when this one hit the spinner racks!
@@DrPaulKosnik Thanks! Your channel is fast becoming my #1 favorite comics venue! And you know how we collectors value a #1!
Congratulations on a very nice book, Dr. Paul. A book I'd love to have in my collection--but $5K books are definitely out of my price range.
Thanks Paul!
Great video, I finally got a 7.5 white pages at $1460 which I thought was a steal. So happy
Wow congratulations David!
I actually thought in Capt. A Winter Soldier. When Nick Fury was being chased by Hydra cops. That a huge garbage truck was going to run over a few of those cop cars. A side door was going to slide back suddenly. And a huge machine gun like on a ship or chuuppaa. Was going to pop out and start blasting the hydra goons into swiss cheese. And the Punisher was going to jump out of the truck and start mangling these goons. Then he was going to drive off with Fury.
That would have been awesome!
Awesome book, love yellow covers!
Thanks High-Grade!
A book on my want list. Great copy!
Thanks Brian and good luck in your hunt!
Very well packed.🎉
Double-boxed for safety!
I wouldn't pay more then 3k for a high grade asm 129
That’s still a lot of dough! Happy hunting. 👍🏽
@dr paul, so I believe it's a nice purchase. I don't think it was a steal, but I do believe a really great purchase. There are a few books out there that are prolific, not rare by any means, but maintain value and grow in value just because, like you stated, how much the character is lauded, and how often the character shows up in different story lines. IMHO, ASM #129 and Hulk #181 are the 2 top of mind most prolific of these kind of books. Maybe even Giant Sized X-Men #1. They aren't golden age, they aren't rare, and you can really get one anytime you want. ALSO, I think it's a great purchase, because you COULD definately make this a 9.6. Which I believe would be TOTALLY worth your while. THIS fact is what makes this book a steal IMHO.
Thanks Bob I think your analysis is spot on. 👍🏽 Initially I was going to talk about exactly those three comic books but as I was writing a script for my video I decided to go a different direction and talk more about Gil Kane being Marvel’s cover artist for about a three year period. I did this mostly because as I sat down to write it occurred to me I really didn’t like the story in ASM129 and I wanted to make the argument why this is an important book despite the story being, in my opinion, quite weak. The other two books have great stories, great covers, and big first appearances. Anyway, sometimes you write the script and sometimes it writes itself. 🤷♂️
Dr. Paul, if you're happy then i'm happy for you. Its a iconic cover for sure 😀
On the original cover art i'm troubled. While photostat paste up is nomal for titles, CCA, price and logos it bothers me a bit that the art is also cut and paste as can be seen from the cutout around the "art" Below all of the other things above it.
i'm not implying the whole cover is a photostat cut and paste job, i would need to see it in person to know that.
I know thats an odd thing to comment on 😂 but i own the original cover art for 'Mavel Tales #22' Ditko art but all photostat paste up art from the original cover of 'Amazing Spider-man #27 so not worth that much imo. Bought it in the mid 1970's. like i said, weird comment😂 sorry 😂
Sky Patrol good comments regarding the art and paste-ups. I agree! It’s the nature of the consumable art form we enjoy in our hobby that the original art was not put together like fine art but rather more like a necessary step in the production process. I agree it should affect the desirability of the original art. Still, certain pieces by the most beloved artists are going to fetch big bucks just because of how possessing them makes people feel.
@@DrPaulKosnik thank you. The connection we feel is why we gravitate to them.
I was at a convention ( Star Trek ) once and saw a guy with a huge stack of original comic art. I didn't know who this person was and looked through the stack. I found a page with characters I didn't know but loved the art ( tight and intricate ) I asked how much and he said $40 dollars. Not knowing if he was the artist I asked if he would sign it, he said yes and signed it with a ballpoint pen. I gave him my money and walked away.
Later I looked at the signature and felt so stupid. It was George Perez. Many years later I sold the original art on eBay and learned who the characters were ( the fearsome five ) for $750
I don't have any idea what that would go for today but that's okay I enjoyed it while I had it.
Awesome 👏
Thanks Anthony!
If you like it, it's worth it. I'll overpay for a 9.4 X-Men #109 UKPV in a hot second.
Which is what you did. GPA, GoCollect, and COVRPRICE all have it at around 4K in grade. I also don't think there's any way to get a bumpski on it in the future. The notes say the back cover has a CREASE - not pressable.
I also need an X-Men #121 Mark Jewelers in 9.4 or better. There's been a 9.6 on eBay for almost 2 years now. I wasn't buying it when it was $2300, and I damned sure not buying it for the $3400 it's at now. Again, I'd overpay - but within reason.
Hey Nix I agree with your overall assessment, but I don’t think it’s as clear-cut as you state either for FMV or the crease defect.
Regarding FMV, at the beginning of this week, GoCollect had the FMV at $5K in grade. Then on the 13th, one sold for $3,600 and the FMV dropped to $4,400 plus shipping and taxes. I paid $4,700 plus shipping and taxes. Considering that I got a copy with White pages, and the FMV is an average for all copies, I think I paid FMV for a copy with White pages. That said, I don’t think I got a bargain and the fact the FMV is shifting around demonstrates how much volatility there is in pricing right now. But given the data I don’t think I overpaid as you assert.
Regarding the crease, I know pressers/cleaners use the term “crease” to mean color-breaking specifically, and those are not addressable defects. However, CGC uses the term more broadly and what they call a ”light crease “, as I have on this book, does not break color. They use the term to mean the defect is slightly more severe than what they call a “bend”. Here is a quote from the CGC grading manual: “The severity of a crease is broad; a light crease nearly resembles a bend…The distinction between a bend and crease is determined by whether the paper fingers have been broken along the seam. Some creases do not break color…”
Page 148 if you want to check it out. I have a lot of experience pressing, have examined the defect closely, and am very confident the light crease they mention is an addressable defect.
Thanks for the response! I agree with your overall assessment-by no means did I get a big bargain, and there’s no guarantee of a grade bump. 👍🏽
Congrats on picking up a very nice copy. I have a lower grade copy that has a color breaking subscription crease on the back cover. The front cover looks like a 9.4.
I tend to hunt books from the golden age up to bronze keys that have an amazing looking front cover where they have a problem on the back cover for a bargain price.
Thank you Michael and that sounds like a great collecting strategy! 👍🏽
Here we go yippee 😊
Hope you enjoyed it Johnny!
Amazing Spider-Man 129 9.4 just sold on eBay for a little more than $4000 . I wish I was still working. I was a bartender I would grab a 9.8. Yes they are still going for $28-$30,000.. a lot of comic books are on the rebound . Amazing fantasy 15 the last 2 5.0 sold at Heritage last month $63,000 $69,000.. I have a 6.0 no Marvel chipping I bought that years ago for only $4000.. right now there is 6.5. With three days left Comic Link it’s at $96,000.. anyway I was offered $100,000 for my copy and October at the New York comic con. I’m not selling it.
Wow Robert sounds like you had conviction early on, great purchase! It does feel like with the recent sales data, stock market recovery, strong economy, and even Bitcoin recovery that the bottom is in for collectibles generally and comic books specifically.
Crack it open Dr Paul use your talent I'm sure you can probably get a 9.8 out of it . Become 1 out of 11 😮😅. Why not .
You have some faith in me James! Alas I have too many books to conserve and not enough time…maybe once I retire!
I have this good mint. Interested??
Sorry no but good luck!