The comic book marketplace is like the wild west when it comes to investing.    Large sums of money are invested in comic books. Fortunes can be made and life savings lost.  We must remember that the comic book market is not regulated and there is no SEC protecting investors from possible wrongdoing.  A recent case of possible market manipulation involves our favorite Canadian, James Howlett.

A Cameo Appearance

 

Incredible Hulk #180 was long considered the Silver Medal of Wolverine comic books.  No mention of the character on the cover.  There was no multi-issue buildup of his introduction like those done for Darkseid and  Venom.  Instead, this book was a key because in the very last panel you see a future star.  Yes, this book was already valued in the market place, but everyone knew what the true treasure was in Wolverine comic books.  This was the appetizer. The main course was the next issue. If you wanted the best you had to pay for the book that had the iconic cover we all know.

The Holy Grail of Wolverine Books

Incredible Hulk #181 was the book that skyrocketed to the top of everyone's wish list.   Wolverine was featured on the cover. His name right under Hulk's name in big bold letters.  Reprints were issued because this book soon was priced out of the realm of most buyers.  Those that did want a truly original copy on a budget purchased copies without covers or books that looked great but had the Marvel Value Stamp removed. The markets had spoken and the people had decided that this was the book to have if you wanted the most valuable first appearance of Wolverine.   And then...

Market Correction or Manipulation

In 2019 I started to notice an influx of Incredible Hulk #180 come to market.  At many of these auctions, I had seen Incredible Hulk #181 come to auction, but they started to come with less frequency.  I talked to people at auctions to determine what they were hearing.  I was pointed to several websites that were arguing that the cameo appearance of Wolverine was severely undervalued.  Some blogs even argued that this should be the book targeted by investors instead of #181 because it contains the 1st true appearance of Wolverine. Blogs started to beat the drum for this book and the markets took notice.  This book was never ignored, but now it was red hot.  Those that had the book or bought low watched FOMO fever spread and they profited.  Demand increased exponentially almost overnight as prices rose. These arguments were still being made in 2020 and have not gone away in some areas.

The significance of a true first appearance was not being disputed for  Venom, so why was this argument being made for Wolverine?  These blogs took a position that was not prevalent and influenced the market to assist in the "pump and dump"  of this book.   In simple terms, their articles manipulated the value of the cameo appearance of Wolverine artificially to someone's advantage.  I am not sure if that was the intent of the bloggers that took this position, but again intent does not have to present to impact an outcome.

 

A Tale of Two Wolverines

 

I should state for the record that I am not a fan of facsimile editions but I do recognize their attractiveness to the industry and buyers.  I still study them and I noticed something weird about these two editions.  The FMV for a 9.8 Facsimile copy of #181 (2019) was $70 on 9/15/20 with a total of 610 copies in the census. The FMV for a 9.8 Facsimile copy of #180 (2020) was $75 on the very same date with a total of 35 copies in the census.  I understand there are fewer copies in the census but am I seeing this argument of what book is more valuable taking hold with those that purchase facsimile copies? I am also seeing buyers actively search for Hulk #180 now more than ever before.  Is this a case of FOMO?

 

What Does it Mean to you?

I was concerned when I saw books come to market as bloggers were hyping Hulk #180 as the first true appearance of Wolverine to invest.  Bloggers have great power with their words.  I am new to blogging but I try to be honest with books and their investment potential.  I am not hoarding titles with the intent to write about them later so I can sell them at a profit.  I want to share my knowledge and help people with information as I was assisted by others regardless of how it impacts me personally in the hobby.  I have already lost a book that I wanted and wrote about how it came to auction and attracted other bidders who must have read my column.

GoCollect is a dual-threat site that provides the reader tools not possessed by other sites. That is the reason I post my blogs here. I have come to trust GoCollect bloggers because they provide insight and opinions on a website where you can look at the numbers and decide what to do.  The site has the tools you need to differentiate yourself from the uneducated hobbyist.  These tools will only protect you from the hype by giving you also the facts.

Comic Book Fans 101

Read the articles.  Research what is presented. Ask other collectors/investors/speculators.  Trust your gut.