The Fantastic Four is all the rage with Disney purchases giving them the rights to this venerable group that essentially ushered in the Silver Age for Marvel. Everyone and I mean everyone, loves the primary keys in this series FF #48 is the high water mark for them all. This is the first appearance of the Silver Surfer. This character has the honor of Captain America, the strength of the Hulk, and more power than Iron Man. This issue FF #48 is the first appearance of Silver Surfer and Galactus in Marvel comics. Over the last six months, this book has eclipsed positive +60% returns. This return is in grade (9.2) and right in the sweet spot at $6,250 FMV. This might be a little rich for the average investor, or speculator. For a great deal less, try the second appearance and first cover appearance; the book is Fantastic Four #49. In my opinion, a far superior cover as well. It will CGC nicely, but can it return the same world-devouring results as FF #48?
Comparing FF #48 to FF #49
The bottom line is of all Marvel's heroes the Silver Surfer never quits. He is the quintessential superhero. The shining knight with no outward humanity, yet a heart of gold. I mean this guy has even fought the devil. What a hero! Are his returns just as heroic? First, let's take a look at some of the basics of the primary key FF#48. This comic FF#48 written by Stan (the man) Lee and Jack (the giant) Kirby back in 1966. The current CGC inventory has 4,606 books, a hefty number for a book this old. This is bad because almost 5,000 can overturn demand pretty quickly. However, with the age of this key, I don't think we have to worry about more than maybe 500 books being CGC in the near future. So the pricing will probably hold and even grow. Speaking of the price the top grade is (9.8) recently sold for $28,000; do you have money for a down-payment on the house? Probably not, let us look at the lower grades. Two months ago grade (2.0) sold on one website for over $300, not a bad price for a key that will just go up from here.
The Fantastic Four #49 is the beautiful backup key that everyone can own in the lower grades. You don't have to spend 100's of dollars to get it either! Using the example above the lower grade of (2.0) is downright cheap at $65 recent sale. With a total outstanding inventory of 1,851 books in CGC, there is a ton of fun to come for this second appearance and first cover appearance. But honestly, if you are going to invest in this stuff why only (2.0). Spend a couple of hundred and move as far up the grades as you can. My humble suggestion is to purchase a (6.0) to a (7.0) for somewhere between $400 and $500, current FMV for the grade (7.0) is $500. This book is in the process of exploding like the Power Cosmic!
The current returns for Fantastic Four #49 in grade (7.0) are positive +238.6%. When we compare these two issues, FF #48 alongside FF#49 in the same grade we find an exciting turn of events: FF#48 equals a positive +148.7% return on investment, paradoxically FF#49 equals +238.6% ROI. The bottom line, the Surfer is flying high in the cosmos with Fantastic Four #49; it returns a "powerful and cosmic" profit.
