Marvel Studios is producing new cartoons for Hulu, and that has created a buzz in the market. Before you overpay for the new shows' key issues, take a closer look at the current state of Runaways #1.

Hulu and Marvel Studios recently announced that four new animated comedy shows would be produced for the streaming company. Howard the Duck, M.O.D.O.K, Hit Monkey, Dazzler and Tigra are all slated to have new shows on the horizon with established names like Kevin Smith and Patton Oswalt attached in the writing/production department. For all the details, check out Entertainment Weekly's "Hulu Announces Four New Marvel Animated Shows."

As always, movie and television announcements bring mainstream attention to the characters, and that sends collectors jostling for their first appearances. At this point, it's a given that values for all five major characters will spike in the coming months. However, past data suggests those prices will peak going into season one and follow that with a large drop off.

Case in point: the Runaways.

Season one of Marvel's the Runaways premiered on Hulu on November 21, 2017. Heading into that date, prices for the team's first appearance in The Runaways #1 followed the long-established comic movie/show cycle and values spiked. A graded 9.8 skyrocketed in 2016, earning a high of $500 with a low of just $257. By the end of the year, it consistently sold for over $450.

The next year, prices dipped slightly, but it was still averaging $317 and sold for as much as $400 just a month before its release. From October 14 up to December 6, 2017, prices routinely kept in the $300 and up range. What's more is that it didn't sell for lower than $219 the entire year. However, 2018 told a much different story, and those prices fell significantly. The 2018 fair market value dropped to $220, and it sold for as low as $92. By the end of last year, most sales were for less than $200. So far in 2019, it has averaged $175 after such a huge 2016 and 2017.

The market will always fluctuate with fan interest and mainstream exposure, but such a large drop in FMV from 2017 to 2018 is more than simple fluctuation. Season two debuted last year, and it wasn't enough to bolster the falling values. That's why this is a cautionary tale of selling at the peak interest and not banking on high values to hold.

As we watch the market for Hulu's new star attractions, keep in mind that prices will initially jump. Like any other movie or show, the more trailers and the closer we get to the premiere, the higher those values are going to climb. However, as an investor you must always factor in the possibility of a bad show. Look at the Marvel Netflix shows. Iron Fist and Luke Cage's first appearances have plummeted thanks to low-quality outings. If the show is good, then that is a different story, obviously, but the best bet for turning a profit is to sell within a month of the release date. If you hold onto those keys hoping to make a bigger profit two years from now, you will likely have overpaid with little hope of it regaining its prior values.