What Comic Book Should you Buy with $250?

There are several interesting characters and comics that have recently come to light in media and on Disney TV. They encompass the Savage She-Hulk, Venom, and of course the latest entry to the Hawkeye show, the  Swordsman.  From these current characters, what key comics should you buy at the  $250, or even $1000 price point? For consistency, and an apples-to-apples comparison, we will look at slabs only.  Each of these characters comes from the three ages of comics Copper, Bronze, and Silver Age. Which is the best bang for your speculative buck? What comic book should you buy?

She-Hulk #1

She-Hulk #1 was really overlooked back in the day unless you were a big fan. She kind of took a backseat to the Hulk, Iron Man, and even Captain America, but over time has definitely left her mark on the Marvel Universe. However, that will change when she appears on her TV show. This character will become one of the most popular in Marvel, mark my words.  When she does; then her books will explode in value.  For She-Hulk, breaking old boundaries will take on a whole new meaning.  If you don't own this book, you should.

She-Hulk #1 is currently running about $250 for an 8.0 grade. The one-year average is actually higher at $279.  The recurrent FMV for this book is $250. As recently as early 2020, the same book was selling for around $100. This mean, green, legal machine is going to light up the small screen! Further, anyone who owns a copy is going to see lots of green. 

Amazing Spider-Man #300

The Copper Age is as wild as a roller coaster ride with its ups and downs. But it is really nice to see this book come into its own.

Over the last few years, ASM #300 has dominated the Copper Age. This book is the most popular Copper book, bar none. It is highly speculative in nature.

Amazing Spider-Man #300 is the first appearance of Venom by Todd McFarlane. It is the Spider-Man 25th Anniversary issue.  The scriptwriter for this issue was David Michelini and he was supported by the artist team of Bob Sharon, Todd McFarlane, and Rick Parker. This book was published in 1988.

The value of Amazing Spider-Man #300 is extraordinary. The current value for grade 6.0 is about $510. Furthermore, it has an FMV of $600 and is continuing to trend upward in price.

Avengers #19

If you've been watching Disney Channel at all in the last few weeks; then you might have noticed a creeping resemblance one of the characters has to the Swordsman. He plays a womanizing  "Swordsman" (ahem). The writers on Hawkeye should be given kudos for the double entendre with this character creation. The Swordsman in Marvel Comics is one of those skills base heroes that is still interesting in modern times and they picked the perfect actor to play him in the series.

Avengers #19 was created by Stan Lee and had the art of Jack Kirby, Don Heck, and Artie Simek. It was published in 1965 and had a $.12 cover price. This valuable Silver Age book (Avengers #19) has sold recently for $1,650. The book's grade was 9.2 which is very-fine-plus to near mint.

Furthermore, its FMV is well below the last sale at $775. The lower FMV is a good sign a positive indicator of future growth. Obviously, this book is taking off along with the appearance of this character in Marvel. 

Buy the $250 or $500 Book?

What book do you buy? Will it be Avengers #19, She-Hulk #1, or the most popular book Amazing Spider-Man #300?

The only accurate answer for a true speculator is to “buy them all!”

Of course, I realize that cannot always be the case. 

Data Drives

High or Low?

Finally, what is better to buy a low-grade key or a high grade? Low grade is an easy choice. It is cheap, easy to pay for, and still a major key.  Over the years, I have observed that eventually, most grades rise in value. Therefore, if you can't afford the high grade go low grade, as it will eventually pay off. 

For high-grade keys, the determination of when to buy is not simple. My best advice is never to buy something you can't live with. You have to be able to buy the comic and sit on it while it percolates in value over time. The only way you can do that is to stand pat on an expensive key, that you feel confident investing in. 

Conclusion

Essentially, you have to pick and choose your purchases carefully, especially in this speculative game. My pick for this group of keys would be She-Hulk #1. This will give the speculator the "bang for your buck." Further, it is still a relativity new key book and has had little interest over the last 30 years; hence, it has room to run up much higher from here. Besides, we haven't even seen the first episode yet! Bet on this mean, green legal machine with She-Hulk #1.

When it comes to the big keys, owning any of them in any grade is preferable to not owning them. It is up to you, dear reader, and your intestinal fortitude as to the price you can afford, just make sure you can sleep with it. 

*Any perceived investment advice within this blog is that of the freelance writer and does not reflect advice from GoCollect.