Key Collector Comics

Silver Age Down Report

THE DOWN REPORT II Silver Age Blue Chip Key Issues. An analysis of the most recent sale in applicable grades against the twelve-month average.

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Fantastic Four #5

Marvel ⋅ 1962

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Fantastic Four #5
 
Low
$3.5k
Mid
$11k
High
$32k
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Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Doctor Doom

1st appearance of a Doombot

The Down Report

9.2 sold for $108,000 vs the average $120,000 (-10%)

8.5 sold for $40,800 vs the average $45,600 (-11%)

8.0 sold for $18,000 vs the average $22,800 (-21%)

7.5 sold for $14,200 vs the average $16,100 (-12%)

6.5 sold for $13,200 vs the average $13,487 (-2%)

5.5 sold for $7,800 vs the average $11,400 (-32%)

5.0 sold for $7,800 vs the average $9,646 (-19%)

4.5 sold for $6,600 vs the average $7,661 (-14%)

4.0 sold for $6,300 vs the average $6,855 (-8%)

3.5 sold for $4,680 vs the average $5,063 (-8%)

3.0 sold for $4,508 vs the average $5,063 (-11%)

2.5 sold for $3,750 vs the average $4,239 (-12%)

2.0 sold for $2,880 vs the average $3,368 (-14%)

1.8 sold for $2,375 vs the average $3,190 (-26%)

1.5 sold for $2,640 vs the average $2,824 (-7%)

The fact that Doctor Doom’s intro landed on this list is evidence enough that MCU fans are uneasy whether this direction — reintroducing Robert Downey Jr. in a radically different role — is the right creative move

However, if Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios manage to successfully pull off this high-wire act, it could restore fan faith and boost interest in the MCU as a whole

Regardless of how the casting plays out, the current uncertainty in the secondary market could make this a strategic time to invest in this legacy Key Issue

This is more of a risk as a short term investment but buyers with a long term mindset could benefit at this time of investor apprehension

Incredible Hulk #1

Marvel ⋅ 1962

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Incredible Hulk #1
 
Low
$7k
Mid
$37k
High
$210k
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Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of the Hulk

1st appearance of Betty Ross

1st appearance of Rick Jones

1st appearance of General 'Thunderbolt' Ross

The Down Report

9.2 sold for $780,000 vs the average $825,000 (-5%)

7.0 sold for $49,200 vs the average $60,300 (-18%)

5.0 sold for $21,600 vs the average $25,211 (-14%)

4.5 sold for $18,000 vs the average $20,700 (-13%)

4.0 sold for $21,600 vs the average $21,720 (-1%)

3.0 sold for $10,800 vs the average $13,361 (-19%)

2.5 sold for $10,860 vs the average $11,930 (-9%)

2.0 sold for $10,200 vs the average $10,638 (-4%)

1.0 sold for $7,800 vs the average $8,245 (-5%)

Uncanny X-Men #4

Marvel ⋅ 1964

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Uncanny X-Men #4
 
Low
$400
Mid
$1.3k
High
$4.5k
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Key Facts

1st team appearance of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants led by Magneto

1st appearance of Scarlet Witch

1st appearance of Quicksilver

1st appearance Mastermind, later becomes Jason Wyngarde

1st appearance of Toad

2nd appearance of Magneto

Although the Scarlet Witch's costume is colored green on the cover, it is red in the story

[December 2023 - a Brotherhood of Mutants projects is rumored to be in discussion for the MCU slate]

The Down Report

9.4 sold for $18,000 vs the average $19,631 (-8%)

9.2 sold for $12,000 vs the average $13,800 (-13%)

8.5 sold for $5,463 vs the average $6,234 (-12%)

8.0 sold for $4,400 vs the average $5,380 (-18%)

7.5 sold for $3,200 vs the average $3,696 (-13%)

6.5 sold for $2,026 vs the average $2,395 (-15%)

5.5 sold for $1,680 vs the average $1,784 (-6%)

5.0 sold for $1,526 vs the average $1,591 (-4%)

4.5 sold for $1,125 vs the average $1,277 (-12%)

3.0 sold for $820 vs the average $999 (-18%)

1.8 sold for $750 vs the average $759 (-1%)

Avengers, The #1

Marvel ⋅ 1963

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Avengers, The #1
 
Low
$1.8k
Mid
$5.7k
High
$21k
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Key Facts

1st team appearance and origin of the Avengers: Hulk, Iron Man, Wasp, Thor, Ant-Man

The Down Report

Despite being an iconic issue, the unfortunate reality of The Avengers #1 is that it is missing the Key Issue value driver of not introducing an actual character to the Marvel Universe. In addition to this, The Avengers team name is suffering a dilution as Marvel Studios rebranded the Thunderbolts as The New Avengers

Upcoming films Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars confuses the general MCU fan who wonders why the team name precedes a film that, as of now, does not reunite the core members as they were when the world first fell in love with them

The combined factors are possible culprits to the -12% decrease in recent sales compared to the twelve-month average of 14 grades: 8.5 sold for $21,000 versus the $27,95598 average (-33%)

7.5 sold for $9,000 versus the $11,709 average (-30%)

5.5 sold for $3,781 versus the $5,015 average (-33%)

3.0 sold for $1,925 versus the $2,348 average (-22%)

1.8 sold for $1,200 versus the $1,498 average (-25%)

The most abundant grade is 3.0 of which there are 669 copies out of 5,864 total

Estimating a value of $2,000 for a 3.0 today compared to five years ago would yield an even return – no loss, no gain

Compared to ten years ago, buyers who acquired a 3.0 for the $1,200 average could expect a 67% return on their investment which would also even out to being a flat return when taking inflation into consideration

Showcase #22

DC ⋅ 1959

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Showcase #22
 
Low
$2.2k
Mid
$7k
High
$35k
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Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Hal Jordan as Green Lantern

1st appearance Carol Ferris, later becomes the second Star Sapphire

1st appearance and death of Abin Sur, an alien who gave Hal his ring as he died

First mention of the Green Lantern Corps

[January 2023 - Hal Jordan and John Stewart will lead a new Green Lantern TV series inspired by True Detective]

The Down Report

Green Lantern is a character who is perennially in demand but there has been a notable drop in the recent average sale price versus the twelve-month average

Hal Jordan’s first appearance is down -11% averaged across eight grades

The highest grade that sold in 2025 is a 5.0 for $4,600, a decrease of -10% versus the 4,738 average

Recent sales in lower grades are down double digits compared to the twelve-month average:

3.5 sold for $2,301 in June versus the $2,650 twelve-month average (-15%)

3.0 sold for $2,314 in March versus the $2,750 twelve-month average (-19%)

2.5 sold for $2,146 in March versus the $2,664 average in 2024 (-24%)

1.8 sold for $1,320 in June versus the $1,503 twelve-month average (-14%)

Demand is softer on this issue than it has been in the past

The most common grade is 3.0 of which there are 210 out of 1,504 total graded copies

At the half point of the year, only 3 copies sold in 3.0 versus 10 in the same grade in 2024

For fans of Green Lantern, it is a good time to consider buying this issue as it seems to have found its value buoyancy which could change if The Lanterns series proves to be a global success or if DC Studios shows potential of capturing the same lightning in a bottle that Marvel Studio once had

Values today are in line with 2020 but show growth of approximately +$1,000 in 3.0 compared to the $1,200 average 10 years ago

Amazing Spider-Man #15

Marvel ⋅ 1964

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Amazing Spider-Man #15
 
Low
$200
Mid
$800
High
$2k
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Kraven the Hunter

2nd appearance of the Chameleon

First mention of Mary Jane Watson

The Down Report

Sony’s expanded live-action Spider-Man Universe has not been kind to the values of associated comics which is in contrast to the positive increases in books related to the animated universe

Kraven the Hunter was not an abysmal failure in terms of audience reviews as evidenced by a 72% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes (though critics panned at 15%)

Recent values are collectively down -24% with most grades seeing double digit decreases in the past few months versus the twelve-month average:

9.2 sold for $5,750 versus the $6,955 average (-21%)

8.5 sold for $1,826 versus the $2,975 average (-63%)

7.0 sold for $1,140 versus the $1,604 average (-41%)

6.5 sold for $885 versus the $1,374 average (-55%)

3.0 sold for $160 versus the $479 average (-199%)

On a positive note, Kraven’s first appearance sells for 2x the amount in low grades compared to ten years ago while mid-to-high grades sell for 3x-4x higher than a decade ago

This Key Issue has likely found its correction point simply because it is an early issue that introduces a major villain in The Amazing Spider-Man title but it is a good idea to wait until the decrease is more consistently in the single digits before predicting the bottom

Strange Tales #110

Marvel ⋅ 1963

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Strange Tales #110
 
Low
$1.7k
Mid
$8.6k
High
$27k
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Doctor Strange

1st appearance of the Ancient One, former Sorcerer Supreme

1st appearance of Wong, Doctor Strange's assistant

1st cameo appearance of Nightmare, multiple panels, named but obscured by shadows

The Down Report

8.0 sold for $6,300 vs the average $7,500 (-16%)

6.0 sold for $2,420 vs the average $3,165 (-24%)

5.0 sold for $2,369 vs the average $2,539 (-7%)

4.5 sold for $1,620 vs the average $1,935 (-16%)

3.0 sold for $1,200 vs the average $1,391 (-14%)

2.5 sold for $933 vs the average $1,248 (-25%)

1.8 sold for $800 vs the average $970 (-18%)

1.5 sold for $650 vs the average $907 (-28%)

Simply stated, Strange Tales #110 is one of the few Key Issues currently trending downward, with recent sales approaching price levels not seen since 10 years ago

While it's unlikely the book will drop significantly below its current value, this contrasts with many other books on the list, which continue to perform well compared to their average from five years ago

Chances are the market has reached a bottom for Strange Tales #110, barring a major economic downturn

Batman #181

DC ⋅ 1966

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Batman #181
 
Low
$220
Mid
$800
High
$2.2k
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Poison Ivy, Pamela Isley

Interior pin-up poster of Batman and Robin included

The Down Report

9.0 sold for $4,661 vs the average $5,481 (-15%)

8.5 sold for $3,137 vs the average $3,513 (-11%)

8.0 sold for $2,655 vs the average $2,775 (-4%)

7.5 sold for $1,800 vs the average $1,963 (-8%)

7.0 sold for $1,250 vs the average $1,413 (-12%)

6.5 sold for $900 vs the average $1,019 (-12%)

4.0 sold for $437 vs the average $498 (-12%)

3.5 sold for $352 vs the average $432 (-19%)

3.0 sold for $375 vs the average $388 (-3%)

2.0 sold for $223 vs the average $260 (-14%)

Action Comics #252

DC ⋅ 1959

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Action Comics #252
 
Low
$1.5k
Mid
$5k
High
$15k
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Supergirl

1st appearance of Metallo

1st appearance of Zor-El, the father of Supergirl

1st appearance of Allura In-Ze, the mother of Supergirl

The Down Report

Despite the certainty of a Supergirl feature film being filmed, this Key Issue has yet to experience significant movement in dollars but this can change after the release of the Superman film

In other words, DC Studios has yet to prove itself but if critic and fan reception to the Superman film is positive, expect investment attention to shift dramatically to DC Key Issues

Supergirl’s first appearance is down -12% averaged across 12 grades

A 9.0 sale in January of $48,000 versus the previous $34,500 from 2016 skews the average

The greatest decrease in transaction amount occurred in grade 2.5 when a recent $840 sale performed -48% compared to the $1,242 twelve-month average

The most common grade is 3.0 of which there are 175 copies out of 1,399 total graded copies

The most recent 3.0 sold for $1,178, a decrease of -15% compared to the $1,351 twelve-month average

In 2015, the average purchase amount for this issue was $1,200 in grade 3.0

At this time, this issue is a low risk investment with positive potential upside considering the overall value has changed little in a decade’s time and there is a sizable and diverse audience that will be exposed to Supergirl

Amazing Spider-Man #41

Marvel ⋅ 1966

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Amazing Spider-Man #41
 
Low
$120
Mid
$400
High
$1.2k
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Rhino

The Down Report

9.6 sold for $12,000 vs the average $12,900 (-7%)

9.2 sold for $2,559 vs the average $2,868 (-11%)

9.0 sold for $2,300 vs the average $2,745 (-16%)

8.5 sold for $1,200 vs the average $1,586 (-24%)

8.0 sold for $1,125 vs the average $1,229 (-8%)

7.5 sold for $600 vs the average $813 (-26%)

7.0 sold for $560 vs the average $696 (-20%)

6.5 sold for $471 vs the average $556 (-15%)

5.0 sold for $312 vs the average $387 (-19%)

4.5 sold for $250 vs the average $318 (-21%)

4.0 sold for $275 vs the average $288 (-5%)

3.5 sold for $161 vs the average $245 (-34%)

2.5 sold for $195 vs the average $232 (-16%)

2.0 sold for $149 vs the average $178 (-16%)

Another casualty of the Sony Spider-Verse, Rhino’s first appearance has seen sharp double-digit declines in value, which is an opportunity for collectors and investors

The first 100 issues of The Amazing Spider-Man remain a major bucket list goal for many collectors with budgets that align with all grades

Live-action and animated projects create legions of new fans with each generation

Regardless of short-term market trends, there will always be demand for both Key and non-Key issues from the early years of this iconic title — an axiom that is equally true for the next two books on this list

Amazing Spider-Man #14

Marvel ⋅ 1964

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Amazing Spider-Man #14
 
Low
$600
Mid
$1.8k
High
$6k
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Key Facts

1st appearance of the Green Goblin

First battle of Spider-Man versus the Hulk

The Down Report

9.4 sold for $21,745 vs the average $28,150 (-23%)

9.2 sold for $12,651 vs the average $15,726 (-20%)

9.0 sold for $9,900 vs the average $12,021 (-18%)

8.5 sold for $5,000 vs the average $6,100 (-18%)

8.0 sold for $5,635 vs the average $6,449 (-13%)

6.5 sold for $3,300 vs the average $2,928 (13%)

6.0 sold for $2,185 vs the average $2,454 (-11%)

5.5 sold for $2,180 vs the average $2,401 (-9%)

5.0 sold for $1,860 vs the average $2,017 (-8%)

4.5 sold for $1,620 vs the average $1,775 (-9%)

4.0 sold for $1,500 vs the average $1,661 (-10%)

3.5 sold for $1,110 vs the average $1,375 (-19%)

2.5 sold for $970 vs the average $1,113 (-13%)

2.0 sold for $710 vs the average $970 (-27%)

1.8 sold for $820 vs the average $842 (-3%)

1.5 sold for $630 vs the average $808 (-22%)

1.0 sold for $660 vs the average $767 (-14%)

Amazing Spider-Man #50

Marvel ⋅ 1967

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Amazing Spider-Man #50
 
Low
$400
Mid
$1.2k
High
$4.5k
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Key Facts

1st appearance of the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk

Story includes the iconic interior panel of Peter Parker walking away from his Spider-Man suit that is discarded in a garbage can

The Down Report

9.4 sold for $9,000 vs the average $11,020 (-18%)

9.0 sold for $5,751 vs the average $5,934 (-3%)

8.5 sold for $2,900 vs the average $2,942 (-1%)

8.0 sold for $2,100 vs the average $2,440 (-14%)

7.5 sold for $1,680 vs the average $1,758 (-4%)

7.0 sold for $1,200 vs the average $1,393 (-14%)

6.5 sold for $960 vs the average $1,120 (-14%)

6.0 sold for $900 vs the average $947 (-5%)

5.5 sold for $775 vs the average $839 (-8%)

5.0 sold for $639 vs the average $739 (-14%)

4.0 sold for $242 vs the average $562 (-57%)

2.5 sold for $287 vs the average $371 (-23%)

2.0 sold for $270 vs the average $339 (-20%)

Fantastic Four #1

Marvel ⋅ 1961

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Fantastic Four #1
 
Low
$12k
Mid
$49.5k
High
$240k
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Key Facts

1st team appearance and origin of the Fantastic Four: Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, The Thing

1st appearance of Mole Man

1st appearance of Giganto, a Deviant Mutate from Monster Isle

1st appearance of Tricephalous

Landmark issue that launched the Marvel Age of comics

💰 In April 2022, a 9.2 sold for $1.5 million

💰 In September 2024, a 9.6 sold for $2,040,000

The Down Report

Surprisingly The Fantastic Four #1 is down -13% in recent sales versus the twelve-month average across 13 grades even during the height of the marketing push for the First Steps film

The Fantastic Four: First Steps gives hopes to fans that Marvel Studios may refocus on the elements of storytelling that garnered a massive fan base but buyers are wary to invest after the overinflated secondary market during the pandemic correction

The most shocking difference in sale price is seen in high grades:

A 9.0 sold for $180,000 in June, a decrease of -44% versus the 2021-2022 average sale of $260,000

A 9.0 copy from the White Mountain pedigree sold for $600,000 in June which was 3x higher than the $191,200 sale from 2013

A 7.0 sold for $42,000 in June versus the previous $70,000 sale from 2024 (-67%)

Make no mistake, this issue has and continues to be a Blue Chip Key Issue that even recent investors have seen abundant returns

The 7.0 drop from $70,000 to $42,000 puts the value back to where it was before the secondary market boom

Buyers who purchased prior to 2019 could expect a 1.5x to 2.0x return if sold today

The most common grade is 3.0 of which there are 376 copies out of 3,134

The most recent 3.0 sold for $9,600 a decrease of -20% compared to the $11,551 twelve-month average

The lowest sales of 2023 and 2024 were $9,000 and $9,210 respectively which is a better signal of consistency in the issues value

Compared to five years ago, values show today show a 15% - 20% increase on average

Compared to ten year ago, the value of Fantastic Four #1 is nearly 2x the value in most grades which is more indicative to the strength of this issue as an investment than comparing today’s sales versus the extremely inflated market of the pandemic

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will create lifelong fans who will want to own a piece of comic history for decades to come

It is important to have long-term investment mindset when it comes to purchasing Silver Age comic books

Avengers, The #48

Marvel ⋅ 1968

View Details  ⋅  View Series  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Avengers, The #48
 
Price Trend
Low
$20
Mid
$80
High
$200
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Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of the third Black Knight, Dane Whitman in armor

1st appearance of Aragorn, the winged steed

[July 2022 - Marvel recently trademarked the title Black Knight: Origins]

The Down Report

9.4 sold for $950 vs the average $1,065 (-11%)

9.2 sold for $550 vs the average $710 (-23%)

9.0 sold for $412 vs the average $585 (-30%)

7.0 sold for $125 vs the average $153 (-18%)

6.5 sold for $86 vs the average $127 (-32%)

6.0 sold for $80 vs the average $96 (-17%)

4.0 sold for $62 vs the average $63 (-2%)

3.0 sold for $33 vs the average $59 (-44%)

2.5 sold for $97 vs the average $85 (14%)

Kit Harington was expected to appear in the Blade movie but the project seems to be in limbo

There is potential that the character could still emerge as a key player in the Marvel Universe if a Midnight Sons or M-13 project gets off the ground

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