Even before Disney made Obi-Wan Kenobi's series official, Star Wars #2 and its companions from the original Marvel Comics series were trending upward this past week.
THE MANDALORIAN EFFECT
You do not need me to tell you that Star Wars is hot. Before The Mandalorian, that was a different story.
For the first time in franchise history, Star Wars had a dud of a movie with Solo, and that can be blamed on the dismal reception for Last Jedi. Then Rise of Skywalker tried to right the ship and only just succeeded in raising the post-Last Jedi bar. Of course, when the bar is already so low, anything is an improvement.
Ever since The Mandalorian, certain key issues are blistering hot. Practically every key issue - even minor ones - are getting a dose of steroids as speculators try to stay ahead of the curve on which characters will debut on the Disney+ series. Now that Obi-Wan is getting his solo Disney+ series, his first full appearance is trending.
But it's more than just the key issues that are getting a boost. Even non-key issues from the 1977 series are making gains. Take a look.
255. STAR WARS #2 (+743)
For those that don't know, I take a look at the GoCollect Hottest Comics list that is created based on QTY of comics sold. The numbers (+743 for #2) is comparing their ranking from two weeks ago to last week. Meaning: WAY more people purchased this comic last week that it jumped 743 places on the list. I do this every week so if you missed last week's check it out.
Any high grade for a classic Star Wars comic is at a premium, but this issue is particularly special since it features the first full appearances of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, and Chewbacca.
The hot seller for Star Wars #2 has been the 9.4, which has sold 10 times in the past 90 days for an FMV of $122. If you happen to own a 9.8, that near-mint-plus has a three-month average of $640 and last sold for nearly $900.
After the Obi-Wan Disney+ news, this issue will get much more expensive.
256. STAR WARS #4 (+744)
As a single issue, there is nothing particularly special about this issue aside from its depiction of the Obi-Wan/Darth Vader duel on the Death Star. Since it is part of that 1977 movie adaptation, it is coveted as part of the full set. The 9.0 has been the best seller for the past three months, and it has earned an average of $93 in that span.
257. STAR WARS #6 (+744)
This is the last of the six-part New Hope movie adaptation. Like issue #4, this issue is not necessarily coveted except as part of the movie set. An even dozen copies graded at 9.6 have swapped owners in the last 90 days, giving it an average of just $95.
ONGOING SERIES
It is not just the New Hope movie adaptation that is gaining momentum. After the success of those first six stories, Star Wars #7 featured the first original Star Wars story from Marvel Comics. Three seemingly random issues are following suit and making significant gains.
259. STAR WARS #12 (+741)
This is a good example of the inflation. There is nothing that would make this a key issue of any type, yet the 9.8 has grown from being a $121 comic to selling for $230 in May.
260. STAR WARS #16 (+739)
Of the three issues from the Marvel Star Wars stories, SW #16 has the most potential. While most of the new characters from The Mandalorian have been taken from the animated universe, speculators are keeping an eye on those Bronze Age characters just in case. In this issue, the Hunter, Beliert Valance, stormed onto the scene.
While nothing has been said about him joining Disney+, it could be worth the gamble for this issue, though it is no longer a cheap comic. Two years ago, it averaged $95 even at a 9.8. Now, you can expect to pay over $300.
261. STAR WARS #17 (+738)
Again, this is not a key issue and, as far as I can tell, it does not have the potential to become a key issue, yet it is earning decent money. On a side note, this one featured X-Men all-stars Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum, and Bob McLeod, not to mention Herb Trimpe. In the past year, this issue at a 9.8 has nearly doubled in FMV, rising from a $78 average in 2019 to a 90-day FMV of $137. In fact, the most recent sale was for $145 last month.
THE INFLATION
Considering the sheer volume of Star Wars comics on the market and virtually all of them are gaining value, this price inflation cannot be sustained forever. Eventually, fans will get their fill of Star Wars, but that is a topic for another blog.
