It’s time once more for Undervalued and Overlooked Comics! This time, we’ll be looking at Silver Age Comics. Take a look and see what comics you just might be missing out on.

Classic Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four

You’re likely looking at this and saying, “Come on! There’s no way any Stan Lee/Jack Kirby issues of FF are undervalued or overlooked!” However, you would be wrong. Out of the 102 issues that the dynamic duo teamed up to create, collectors and investors focus mainly on the key issues and the classic covers.

There are plenty of issues in the run that are being overlooked and undervalued. A savvy investor will take a look at these books and see the value they represent before we get a trailer for a new Fantastic Four film.

Take Fantastic Four #76 as an example. It’s the third of a four-part storyline involving Galactus and the Silver Surfer. It’s also the only one of the four issues without either of those two characters on the cover.

In a CGC 8.5 grade, this book sold on April 27 for $91 in an eBay auction. That’s the first time this book sold in this grade for under $100 since 2016.

Another good example is Fantastic Four #85. Doctor Doom figures prominently in the issue but he’s not on the cover. A #CGC 8.5 copy sold on July 17 for $71 in an eBay auction, the lowest price in two years.

Later Silver Age Fantastic Four issues are still very affordable and often overlooked by collectors searching only for keys. This list could go on and on – Fantastic Four #68, Fantastic Four #70, Fantastic Four #81… Many of these issues have great classic storytelling and extraordinary covers. Even if prime villains or guest stars aren’t on the cover, they’re still in the comics, and worth considering for your collection.

Return of a Golden Age Team

A running theme in the undervalued and overlooked Silver Age category is DC Comics. There is so much value to be had in key DC books that are currently dropping in price and can be had for a song compared to a year ago.

Justice League of America #21 is a key issue that has the first Silver Age appearance of the Justice Society, the first meeting of the JLA and the JSA, the first mention of Earth One, and the first time “Crisis” is used in a DC story. It’s a seminal Silver Age comic that would look great in any collection.

A 7.5 graded copy sold on July 5 in an eBay auction for $425. That’s lower than the prices paid in 2021 and 2020 – 20% lower than the average price paid and 39% lower than the high price paid. Simply put, Silver Age DC keys are there for the taking.

And Now For Something Completely Different

When someone mentions Funny Animal comics, the first thought is Disney. The second thought is Golden Age. There are, however, many key issues of Funny Animal and cartoon-based comics that first saw publication during the Silver Age.

While many are based on characters that are slowly fading from the public’s memory, Four Color #1042 features the comic book introduction of three characters who have appeared in no less than four fairly contemporary films. I’m talking, of course, about Alvin, Simon, and Theodore – the Three Chipmunks. Cover dated September 1959, Four Color #1042 is an early Silver Age comic so overlooked by collectors that only 11 copies are currently in the CGC census. And forget about sales – no graded copy has sold since 2014, a 9.6 selling for $383.

Compare this to Dell Giant #48, the first comic book appearance of the Flintstones with 60 graded copies in the CGC census.

A 6.5 graded copy sold on May 31 for $1,020 in a Heritage Auction, and then a 4.5. graded copy sold in a fixed price eBay sale on June 11 for $499. In Four Color #1042, you have an older comic with fewer graded copies featuring well-known characters beloved by millions.

For collectors and investors, this should be looked at as an opportunity, especially when you consider that Bagdasarian Productions, the owner of the Chipmunks property, is currently hunting for buyers, and all four films are available on Disney+, keeping them regularly in the public’s eye.

Next Week: Copper Age Undervalued & Overlooked

Well, that’s all we have time for this week.  Join us next week as we take a look at some undervalued and overlooked Copper Age comics.

Want more Undervalued & Overlooked analysis?

Do you think later Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four, Justice League of America #21, and Four Color #1042 are undervalued, overlooked, or both?  Let us know below.

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.