Valiant V1 prices

[StarBrand]

When was the last time Master Darque appeared in a new Valiant comic book? I was pretty surprised when I saw how cheap Shadowman 8 has been going for, I thought I’d try to make some sense of it. I saw a Shadowman 8 CGC 9.8 listed for $50, and a CGC 9.6 at $25. Have other semi-key or key Valiants dropped in price?

[StarBrand]

Looks like Archer and Armstrong 8 is down from where I remember it too. That’s not a key, but I’d call it a semi-key.

[nycjadie]

There are so many of those two books in 9.8, and not a lot of interest in them at the moment, character-wise. Definitely two that could pop in the future.

[StarBrand]

There are so many of those two books in 9.8, and not a lot of interest in th
em at the moment, character-wise. Definitely two that could pop in the future.

I hadn’t looked at them in a few years, and was just surprised at how low the prices are now. It’s a shame the Valiant creators don’t make use of a great villain like Master D’arque.

[DirtbagSailor]

These books are certainly “keys” however, they were printed in high quantities and the 9.8 supply current exceeds the market demand.

Perhaps they “should” be of greater value, but at the moment, Rai #0, Eternal Warrior #4, Harbinger #1, and Solar #3 are on more collector radars.

Not every key spikes when we might like it to. The “trick” is to be aware of these keys before others in the general population are aware, and then strike early when it reasonably appears that the characters are about to become a major “thing” outside of what they already are.

[nycjadie]

I loved the Darque in the 2012 Shadowman run. Not everyone like it. I did. It was a good read, especially compared to the stuff coming out today. Hope we get to see more of this villain.

[StarBrand]

Has Shadowman appeared since that run?

[ckb]

I was rooting around on eBay looking at the Solar gold key prices and noticed that 1st print VH1 Solar 10s routinely sell for $5 + shipping. Now I'm sure everyone assumes that when you buy a random one of these, it's about VF.... But still. I sold a really sharp NM on eBay for 125 within the last 3 months.

[Rai-fan]

I doubt the Shadowman 8 print run is appreciably larger than that of EW # 4, since it came out just one month later.

As the above list shows, the only major Valiant books that have heat right now are those with direct (or, soon-to-be-presumed) movie tie-ins.

Also, random question, but why the high asking prices for CGC 9.8 copies of Harbinger 8? Multiple copies are floating around on eBay with $200+ asks.

Was there a production flaw with it that made 9.8s difficult 15 years later? I don't get it...

[jmatt]

I think that's the first appearance of Ax? No, that's not it...

[greg]

Also, random question, but why the high asking prices for CGC 9.8 copies of Harbinger 8? Multiple copies are floating around on eBay with $200+ asks.

Was there a production flaw with it that made 9.8s difficult 15 years later? I don't get it...

There weren't enough CGC 9.8 Harbinger #8 for collectors attempting to complete their Pre-Unity and Unity sets until recently. Frustration had pushed the price over $400. More recently, several 9.8s have been graded and the price had fallen to around $50, which is usally about right for common issues from Unity. Those sellers asking $200 now are hoping for a price somewhere in between.

[nycjadie]

That was a tough issue for many of us to obtain in 9.8. I had to screen dozens and dozens to finally get one. There is a production error that causes a crease on the spine. I think a bunch of folks pulled out some old stock and graded them up, possibly with a press.

I typically don't press my books (unless it's one of these situations), but the cost of assembling a pressed book is about $35, plus the raw book cost. While this book is no longer a $.50 book, $50 for this book is a bargain. Great time to buy.

[Rai-fan]

Thanks, folks! I’m not surprised there are books like this that likely languished for 15+ years before slabbing & discovering they’re rare in high grade, but seemed weird to me.

[ckb]

Thanks, folks! I’m not surprised there are books like this that likely languished for 15+ years before slabbing & discovering they’re rare in high grade, but seemed weird to me.

There's another thread on just this topic. I have 100 unread well-cared for copies and not one of them will grade 9.8. I don't even think a press would help on many of them. I (and others) went so many years not slabbing this book because we never had candidates the census stayed low. With such a big print run there are bound to be parts of it that lie flat and look nice. Looks like we are finding them, or CGC is "evolving" a bit.

[DirtbagSailor]

Also, random question, but why the high asking prices for CGC 9.8 copies of Harbinger 8? Multiple copies are floating around on eBay with $200+ asks.

Was there a production flaw with it that made 9.8s difficult 15 years later? I don't get it...

Greg is right. It’s a book few slabbers cared about, with a flimsy, thin, black inked cover stock.

When I was building my 9.8 set, certain issues were repeat 9.6 disappointments. As it can take a LONG time for CGC to receive, grade, and return a book (again, often in less than 9.8 condition) I found myself considering options.

Did I “really” want to spend another year or three driving to shops and longbox diving for a 9.8 candidate — only to be disappointed with a 9.6 yet again? Should I play “Russian roulette” with eBay or Facebook sellers promising a NM+/M raw copy that turns out to be VF- once receive? Oh, and all the shipping fees too? Pressing fees? How much would this cost me in terms of gas, time, and energy? Grace certainly doesn’t want to follow me around the state looking for a NM+/M copy of Harbinger #8.

So when I saw a 9.8 Signature Series copy Signed by cover artist Frank Miller (who at the time charged $300 just to sign...) I felt 100% self-justified in dropping half a grand lol!

[DirtbagSailor]

Similar to Harbinger #8, it cost me well over a grand to finally acquire a CGC 9.8 Harbinger TPB (Second Printing), which is currently the only one.

I previously ordered/purchased/shipped/submitted well over a dozen copies with NOTHING over a 9.4. Most were not even worth submitting (I didn’t lol) despite the sellers always stating “NM+” and later... ...”sorry, we are not professional graders...”

Trust me when I say that (for me) the price was worth it.