Sweet ToothFor the past month, Sweet Tooth #1 has been booming. Do you have your copy?

Up until mid-May, Sweet Tooth was an off-beat comic series with a cult favorite fan base. Then word spread that Netflix was giving it the live-action treatment. Now everyone wants a piece of Jeff Lemire's creation in the hopes that it will ascend to The Walking Dead levels.

THE MARKET FOR SWEET TOOTH

Whenever a character gets a live-action movie or series, prices inflate. It's no surprise, then, that values for Sweet Tooth #1 have gone through the roof.

Sweet ToothSince this comic is only 11 years old, it makes sense that most of the sales have been for the 9.8, although those sales were few and far between. From 2009 to 2018, the graded 9.8s were generally selling once per year. There is the exception of seven trading hands in 2013, but even that is a small number compared to Sweet Tooth's mainstream counterparts.

When that relative boom struck in 2013, it went from being a $30-$50 comic to jumping into the $100 range. Since then, that's where prices remained for the next four years. Two years ago, it received another boost and this time that 9.8 sold for $299. That's nothing compared to 2020's numbers.

So far this year, we've seen five online sales for the 9.8 Sweet Tooth #1. What they lack in volume, they make up for in fair market value. In March and April, there were only two sales, neither of which cracked $200. Then on May 15, Netflix announced Sweet Tooth was being adapted for live-action, and collectors lost their collective mind.

Sweet ToothOn May 16, a sale resulted in a new record high of $450. That was eclipsed by a June 7 sale of $575. There has been one more sale since then, this time bringing $500 on June 15.

WANT A PIECE OF THE ACTION?

If you don't mind compromising the grade, the 9.4 is a much cheaper option that will display nicely in a graded slab. Like the 9.8, the 9.4 has been steadily climbing in FMV. Two years ago, it averaged $43. In 2019, its FMV increased to $57.

These days, that 2019 FMV has nearly doubled thanks to a May 18 sale of $90.

Sweet ToothWHO IS SWEET TOOTH?

This was one series that escaped me. I heard rumblings that it was entertaining, and I saw it on the comic store shelf, but I never picked it up. I did some research (and by research, I mean Google), and I discovered a few interesting things.

It's described as a post-apocalyptic Disney cartoon and has been called "Mad Max meets Bambi." Basically, "Sweet Tooth" is the nickname for the protagonist, Gus. The world is populated by human/animal hybrids, and there is suspicion that a plague laying waste to mankind is linked to them. Adventures ensue.

As much popularity as the series gained, it sadly ended with Sweet Tooth #40. However, if the series is a hit, we could see more from the Sweet Tooth world.

THE FUTURE OF SWEET TOOTH

It's typical for these inflated prices to take a downturn when the excitement and buzz wear off. They usually spike again when the first trailers are revealed. The real test is whether or not the series gains a strong following. We've seen that Netflix's originals can boost comic values after the market explosion for Umbrella Academy thanks to its live-action series. It will be fun to keep an eye on Sweet Tooth and see how far the impact extends.