Stan Lee has been the face of Marvel Comics for as long as I can remember. He reportedly has a lifetime contract from Marvel that pays $1,000,000 per year just to be an ambassador for the brand. Some of the most iconic superhero characters were developed in his brain, and if you own some of his more renowned comic book works like Amazing Fantasy #15 or Fantastic Four #1...your collection is probably better than mine. But what about books that feature the man and not so much of his creations? Are they poised to have excelsior gains?
There are many options when it comes to collectible comics that feature Stan Lee, but one of the most popular on the market is Marvel Age #41. This comic features a photo cover of Stan "The Man" along with an interview (there is even the nice little Forbush Man appearance in the cover corner box). Data shows positive action for all grades above 9.0, with some even as high as 54%. This issue is a celebration of Stan Lee and highly sought after by collectors. 9.8 grades show 25% growth and a Fair Market Value (FMV) of $450. Copies that have sold recently on the open market are hitting on both sides of the $500 threshold, with copies going just above or below on final sale. One copy this week went for an astounding $625 on auction, which shows there is momentum on this book. There are a few CGC Signature Series (SS) versions that have the autograph of Stan right next to his picture...fancy! I personally do not collect SS comics, but if you are looking for a real collection gem, an SS copy of Marvel Age #41 would suffice. Be ready to pay in excess of $2000 for it though. Personally, nobody's Herbie Hancock is worth a thousand dollar premium, but to each their own.
Stan Lee is an incredible 95 years old and has been in the news recently with some questions about his estate, care, and the like. As an economist would say, they are not making anymore Stan Lee. With only 60 on the census, 9.8 copies of Marvel Age #41 are rare. I have also been noticing an uptick in the demand of Stan Lee collectible comics in the past few months. There have been unusual Stan Lee SS comics that have been selling at inflated prices for some unknown reason, and I am a bit confused why someone would want a Stan Lee Signature on a book that has no real connection to Stan Lee but... they seem to exist and sell on the market.
If you are unable to snag a copy of Marvel Age #41 you can look for some of the other rare books featuring Stan Lee. There is Marvel Age #8 that features a cartoon version of Stan along with Jim Shooter on the cover. Fun-loving marvel fans can look for the Marvel No Prize Book #1 with Stan dressed as Dr. Doom in a dizzying cover. If you are into the rarer books, try to pick up a copy of Marvel Fumetti Book #1...and for me this is a sleeper of an investment book and a rare gem. Along with having a photo cover much like Marvel Age #41, but with a bit of color, it also has every other significant Marvel writer and artist of the era included as well. Luckily for collectors, each of these books falls within a price-point that is affordable...for now.
What is your favorite Stan Lee cover? Do you think paying premiums for SS copies is smart speculating? Is Stan really "the man"? Drop your comments and join the conversation!
