“Lucille is thirsty. She is a vampire bat!”
When Lucile collided with Glenn, we witnessed a model display of Newton's third law of motion. The action of Negan swinging the bat produced an equal and opposite reaction in Glenn’s head. Here we will examine the market for the key books required to fulfill this physics scenario.
For the event to occur, the first component required is Glenn, a fan favorite character whose inclusion in the incident makes it all the more impactful. Glenn’s first appearance took place very early in the series; specifically, in Walking Dead #2 (2003). In this issue, Glenn jumps into action to help Rick escape from being surrounded by the zombies.
Below is sales for this book in CGC 9.8 and 9.2, which is the top 16.3% and 79.1% of the census, respectively. 9.8 is on the left, 9.2 on the right:
Sales for the book graded in 9.8 peaked in early 2017, and has been in steady decline ever since. The timing of this peak in value could possibly be explained by the broadcast of the television version of the Glenn/bat event. For much of the last three years, Walking Dead #2 has been selling for lower highs and lower lows. The declining value also occurs in the lower grade of 9.2, which is selling at prices lower and lower at a faster rate. It is possible that Walking Dead #2 in CGC 9.2 will break below $200 by the end of next year.
THE WALKING DEAD #100 (RED FOIL EDITION)
The second component critical for the scenario of interest is Negan’s bat, which he fondly named after his late wife Lucille. While the issue with Lucille and Negan’s first appearance has multiple variants, the particular book we will be examining here is the Red Foil Edition of The Walking Dead #100 (2012). The iconic cover features Lucille in full form with barbed wires and blood; topped off with the bright shine of foil.
With a limited print run of 250, this book has attained considerable value and volume of sales for analysis. Below is sales for this book graded in CGC 9.8, an overwhelming 69.7% of the top of the census:
Like the Walking Dead #2, it appears that sales for this book also peaked in 2017. On the bright side, the range of selling price has narrowed, but it has narrowed with an overall downward trend. While only a single sale price has been below the $1000 level so far, it could be a growing a concern if it becomes a consistent concern. The rarity of this book has not translated to sustained growth in value.
For the sake of thoroughness, this article will include current market behavior for the main cover version of the Walking Dead #100. Below is sales for the book in CGC 9.8 (the top 78.8%):
Compared with the other book examined so far, this book has held its value the steadiest. Since early 2018, it has not decreased in value; but unfortunately, it has also not increased in value. With a low bar of being flat, technically it’s outperformed the other two books.
THE BOTTOM LINE
- The Walking Dead #2 - SELL
- The Walking Dead #100 (Red Foil Edition) - SELL
- The Walking Dead #100 - REDUCE
“I'll always miss you, Lucille. I'm sorry I named a fucking baseball bat after you.” - Negan
