There are some comics that are forever being talked about as ‘due for a movie’ or ‘going to get a live action show’ only to get stuck in development limbo.

But, if you ever needed any more proof that we truly are living in the age of peak geek, the forever discussed and, until recently, never actually developed, ‘Sandman’ live-action project, is now (see here) [apparently] on the cusp of getting the green-light; with Netflix no less…

I blogged about the endless called Dream or Morpheus and the investment potential of the Neil Gaiman Sandman comics a little over a year ago. At the time I wrote:

“Sandman was a critical success and a fan favorite since its first issue appeared back in 1988. Right now, all these old Sandman issues with their beautiful Dave McKean covers are languishing and not actively sought out…This means…now is the time to grab up these classic comics and either complete your run or add the key issues to your collection before these characters are used in some project or other and prices begin to rise.”

Was I right?

Upcoming sales will determine that.

Right now, it can be said, the FMV on the Sandman keys are definitely up from a year ago. Moreover, and no doubt due to the news released yesterday, there is significant current surge in value happening. A year ago, Sandman #1 in 9.8 was regularly selling for below $300.00, today the average sale goes for above the $300.00 mark. Moreover to match the gradual rise over the long term, eBay sales, since the announcement yesterday, show an unmistakable upward surge in prices on all the key issues:

Sandman #1 in certified 9.8 just sold today for $499.99 (a new high) in a completed eBay sale. An almost $200.00 increase over FMV! Raw copies in FN condition are selling for upwards of $60.00.

A copy of Sandman #8 (the first appearance of Dream’s sister, Death) sold for a best offer today of $549.00; again well above FMV (currently $425.00). This is a definite surge in prices and I think it will be maintained….and what do you think will happen if a Netflix teaser trailer drops?

Sandman v2 #1 (1988) - First appearance of Morpheus (Master of Dreams)

The original 75 issue run of Gaiman’s Sandman was, besides being the best Vertigo comic ever published by DC (RIP Vertigo, by the way), also a masterpiece of sequential art story telling. Erudite and literate while at the same time thoroughly readable, this series still stands as the high point of Gaiman’s career as a writer. It wasn’t just the writing either. The gorgeous Dave McKean covers made buying this title in the late 1980s and early 1990s a high point of my young comic book collecting days. What’s the next issue of Sandman going to bring? How will Gaiman and McKean outdo themselves from the brilliance of the last issue?

They always found a way.

There are now 2, 288 copies of Sandman #1 on the CGC census. Until now, long term returns were definitely mixed on this comic. Over the last 12 weeks, the numbers of sales were constant but also with mixed returns: the numbers were positive for 9.8 grades, with the last three eBay sales before today ending at: $320.00 (06/12/2019); $315.00 (06/14/2019); $340.00 (06/23/2019). Now add: 07/01/2019 = 499.99 before that sale, the highest prices that a 9.8 ever sold for were: $395.00 (in an eBay sale on 12/22/2017) and this was down form the previous high of $398.00 (eBay sale on 08/28/2014).

Sales on 9.6 grades were down over the last 12 weeks with negative -17.9% numbers. The last three sales going for: $101.02 (ebay, 06/05/2019); $81.00 (ebay= 06/18/2019) and $89.00 (eBay = 06/28/2019). Expect that to change if the show goes into development.

Keep on eye on all the Sandman key issues as well. If you don’t know what they are, check out my June 2018 article Dream the Endless – key issues on them.

For those who are Sandman fans and have been loyally sitting on their Sandman comics waiting for them to appreciate, this truly is the stuff of dreams. Let’s just hope the Netflix series can do justice to this wonderful book.