One Year Later: Spec Review for 7/13/16 and 7/20/16

By Shawn B. the One Year Later Investigator
What up CHU!?! Shawn B. back with another One Year Later round up, where we take a look at some of the comics that Anthony, Mel and Poyo specced on one year ago. Their specs turn out to be quick flips, slow burns, straight up misses, straight up winners and on and on. Sometimes they spec with their hearts out of their passion for comics. Sometimes they spec based on data. And sometimes they spec based off the word on the street. Either way, all their specs appeal to a few or many collectors whether it is due to them having similar taste in writing or art, or just an opportunity for a collector to flip a book and make money to “support their habit”. So, this is our weekly chance to look back at how some of our buys from a year ago are doing today. Very tough week for the guys!
Sorry for not getting one of these out last week. I was busy on vacation. So this week to make up for it you get a double dose of One Year Later reviews. Thanks for reading everyone!
Winners

Astonishing Ant-Man #10 Jenny Frison Death of X Variant – Mel Pick
Original Value: $4 Current Value: $13
Great cover. Still a lot of sales activity on this one. I would expect it to continue to rise.

Once Our Land #1 – Anthony & Poyo Pick
Original Value: $4 Current Value: $9
This was a hot book before it was even released. It was up to $40 at one point. Quick flipper’s dream!
Near Misses

Snotgirl #1 – Anthony & Poyo Pick
Original Value: $3 Current Value: $4-6
Sales are all over the place on this one. Went to a 3rd printing. Midtown has copies of first printings for $8.50.

Betty & Veronica #1 – Anthony Pick
Original Value: $4 Current Value: $6-7
Adam Hughes. B & V #1. Keep these stashed away for a while. (Editors note: I had these signed by Adam Hughes and sold the heck out of them -Anthony)

Night Trap #2 – Anthony Pick
Original Value: $4 Current Value: $5-6
Not a ton of sales but still activity. NM copies seem to be scarce. Option potential still with this one.
Misses

Brickleberry #1 – Anthony & Poyo Pick
Original Value: $4 Current Value: $4 Still available at Midtown
This one was sold out at one time and a very quick flip could have made you a couple bucks. Sold for as high as $15 so in and out was key.

New Super-Man #1 – Anthony & Poyo Pick
Original Value: $3 Current Value: $3
No major upswing yet on this issue or character. This character was New Super-Hyped by Bleeding Cool and coming off Batman Superman #32, it looked like a sure thing. Not so much.

Justice League #1 – Poyo Pick
Original Value: $3 Current Value: $3 Still available at Midtown
Still a #1 of a popular series. I am keeping mine for a while. Rebirth hasn’t hit as hard as New 52 did.

Black Hammer #1 Variant Jeff Lamire Cover – Mel Pick & Anthony & Poyo Picked Regular Cover(same results)
Original Value: $4 Current Value: $4 Still available at Midtown
Still a ton of sales on this whole series. Lemire did some great variant covers.

Batgirl and The Birds of Prey #1 – Anthony Pick
Original Value: $3 Current Value: $3 Still available at Midtown
No huge demand for this one yet.

Civil War II #3 Phil Noto Character Variant – Mel Pick
Original Value: $7 Current Value: $4
Not a ton of love for Noto unfortunately.

Civil War II: Gods of War #2 Elizabeth Torque Variant – Mel Pick
Original Value: $4 Current Value: $4 Still available at Midtown
I don’t expect much turn around on this one.

Deadpool #15 Variant Death of X Cover – Mel Pick
Original Value: $4 Current Value: $4 Still available at Midtown
Cute cover but probably not going anywhere from here.

Civil War II #3 Joe Quesada Midnight Launch Cover – Anthony & Poyo Pick
Original Value: $5 Current Value: $5 Still available at Midtown
A lot of hype a year ago on this one having the death of a major character.

Rick & Morty: Lil’ Poopy Superstar #1 – Anthony Pick
Original Value: $4 Current Value: $4 Still available at Midtown
Considering the continued success of the original series I still think that this is one to hold onto.

Kong of Skull Island #1 – Poyo Pick
Original Value: $4 Current Value: $4 Still available at Midtown
But my Spidey senses tell me this could be a movie one day…..wait……what?
Unspecced Winners
NO Unspecced Winners from Either Week

16 thoughts on “One Year Later: Spec Review for 7/13/16 and 7/20/16”

  1. I think the B&V #1 will be the long term winner out of this group. I did well with the snotgirl early issues when the series was new.

    1. I am hearing a rumor on Snotgirl that I cannot confirm yet. But there is word coming out of Sdcc something might happen with it. Fingers crossed.

      1. Most of my purchases nowadays are either to stowaway in my tree hut full of Star Wars mags or to list day of purchase. I think the volume of new releases rules against most comics every week heating up in the long run. Just my general philosophy on things.

    1. I have many as well. I always go in knowing it’s a gamble and try to set realistic expectations ahead of time and don’t usually buy multiple copies of the same issue.
      But Anthony is right. I wish we had the historic data to show the ones that were quick flip winners. A ton of the “Misses” each week would have been winners if we checked in on them within a month or two of release. I have been tracking the spikes in value for the most part since I started these posts but it will be months before we are able to show the quick flip winners more accurately.

      1. Start looking for the Wednesday winner posts that usually hit a day or two after the picks of the week. I don’t do them every week but there are a bunch of them there.

      2. I know the drill. 99% of the comics that come out on Wednesday you couldn’t get cover price 2 weeks later. But I will say this site has made me some dough w: the pro GN, many movie and tv first app. Etc. so I thank y’all for that. I do get the excitement buying and watching the bids on eBay. That and I have about 20 copies of venom red foil (what about a million print run?) that go for $10-$15 now for some reason.

  2. I think I may leave the comic collecting biz. I have many of these busts and the reward just isn’t there. Been collecting for years, just getting tired of “OMG! Must grab!” Only to see it for less than I bought it for or the same price. I’m not a nooby, I get it, but sometimes it’s hard to justify.

    1. Spec isn’t for everyone. I can honestly say sometimes it is more important to know where something is than to grab it right away. A day or two before the latest Mind MGMT announcement I found some issue #1’s. I didn’t buy them. I did go back and grab them when the news of the Tv show broke.

    2. Best to collect first appearances and keys over new stuff, but that’s getting hard as well these days with how pricey everything is these now.

    3. First & foremost, I collect for myself, so the ups & downs of the books’ value isn’t as big a deal for me. But I have been burned a few times when I speculate heavy on something and it doesn’t get any payoff. For the most part, I try not to “go big” on anything, since speccing is akin to gambling, and I can go too far when I think something is going to do really well. I try to hope things at least balance out that if I get a bunch of duds at some point, I will have more than made up for it by the books that soar.

  3. I’d never seen that Gods of War She-Hulk Variant. I need it, now! And I enjoyed Night Trap. Plus it had that mix-up with the incorrect pages (in issue#3, I think?) where my retailer didn’t get replacement copies, so I had to go directly to Lion Forge to get it, and they threw in a free T-shirt.
    Betty & Veronica only just had the 3rd issue come out a few weeks ago. If that had come out monthly I think #1 would have gotten more heat. And Snotgirl has been really interesting. I hope they keep it going for a while!

  4. #awesomesauce. b&v #1 by heughs will explode one day I get $5-8 one em all day long . and if you can get a heughs and riverdale cast ss 9.8 then you have a great winer plus b&v #1 had a ton of variants but riverdale has helped archie books across the board. a dr doom movie really?? little poppy #1 I will buyt hose at cover all day rick and morty is a machine and july 30th I am sure ic an get $5 and wonder what a cast ss would bring in. if the snot girl rumors are true then #1 and the promotional tissues will pay off big time comic books are are the best form of entertainment if you buy what you enjoy then you alwaysmake a profit justremeber these three rules ifyour playing the spec game. 1. don’t get high onyour own supply . 2 to quote the first Robocop there is good money to be made in comics and pop culture merch you just got to know where tof ind it . 3 remember what Kenny rogers says know when to hold em know when to fold em know when to walk away and know when to put those dudes in a dollar box and then reinvest it into something awesomesauce like figit spinners or funco pops or cos players hey o.k. getting an ida and I needto go write something I love you guys blind adam out

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