The big news this month is the fact that there's a Detective Comics #27 CGC 9.2 in the CGC Census.
And… officially, that's all we know about the book.
What a tantalizing single digit- the "1" in the 9.2 column.
Since we don't know anything, it's time to speculate.
After some discussion, I think there are three reasonable possibilities for this book.
- It's an unknown book, freshly graded.
- It's the "other high grade copy" resurfacing 20+ years after selling for $101k. This book was listed in Overstreet as a FN68, but people who have seen it think it's much nicer- right around 9.2. I've had it on the World's Most Valuable Comic Books list for ages. If it is that copy, I would move it from #5 to #3 on the list. I think a 9.2 Detective #27 would be the most valuable CGC graded comic book known by a hair over the eBay 9.0 Action #1.
- It's the "missing" Mastronet copy returned from its vacation and pressed up to a 9.2. Looking at the scan that follows and checking the grading notes it's a possibility. It was graded harshly at the time (just look at it!) and had some pressable defects (non-breaking "finger creases", etc.) As with the FN68 copy, this book would move from off the list (as an 8.0), up to #3.
I've actually heard about this book from a few people and… I've gotten conflicting stories about the origin of the book. Which is rare. Normally, someone knows something, even if I can't talk about it. This time… no one is sure.
We've been expecting the book to surface for auction but it looks like it's not coming up for air any time soon. It appears this will remain a tantalizing mystery.
As for the question of value… If this book were to come up for auction it would be the new record holder. This is the most valuable CGC graded comic right now.
ComicLink Sells Brave and the Bold 28 for $120,000
The ComicLink summer auction closed with a Brave and the Bold 28 CGC 9.2 selling for $120,000, which feels like a pretty fair number for that book. Two 9.2s have sold for more than $100,000 this year.
What are the 9.4s worth now? One of them sold for "over $100,000" privately in 2009. Depending on how far "over" that book has probably doubled in five years. Which is basically what it had done in the previous five years, selling for around $60k in 2004.
Silver Age DCs are crazy books. They're tough as hell and the collector pool isn't what it is for Silver Age Marvels so there's less activity. That makes them hard to value and makes it difficult to predict where they'll end up price-wise when they do surface. See this book on the upside and the disappointing recent history of high grade Showcase #4s for evidence on the downside.
Amazing Spider-Man #300 Cover for Sale at Heritage
The most interesting lot for sale at the upcoming Heritage auction is the cover to Amazing Spider-Man #300. There's not much art on the board, most of it is a stat, but it's an iconic cover to a key issue so it's still a crazy piece which will have a lot of interest when it comes up for auction. On the CGC forum it was reported to have sold for $125,000 to a collector in China 2-3 years ago. It will go for more now, I would think. There are a lot of people who will be interested in this cover up to a point. What that point is ($200k?) and how many people are "in it to win it" will determine if it surprises or underwhelms at auction.
That's it for this month. I'll be back the first Wednesday in November with more comics and original art news to BLOW YOUR MIND.