Valiant Market Report - sneak peek
Moderators: Daniel Jackson, greg
-
greg
- The admin around here must be getting old and soft.
- Posts: 22882
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 9:39 am
- Valiant fan since: Rai #0
- Favorite character: Depends on title
- Favorite title: Depends on writer
- Favorite writer: Depends on artist
- Favorite artist: Depends on character
- Location: Indoors
- Contact:
Valiant Market Report - sneak peek
Each year, Overstreet requires market reports from advisors be turned in by September, though they are not printed until the release of the Annual price guide in April of the next year.
This year was the same, and I have just submitted my Valiant market report for next April 2006's Overstreet Annual #36.
If anyone would prefer not to wait six months... here's what I submitted:
-----------------------------------------------------
Market Report for Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide – 36th edition
submitted September 2005
Greg Holland
ValiantComics.com
The market for Valiant Comics in 2005 appeared to be more stable than in recent years. Anyone wishing to obtain a collection of Valiant books can still find the majority of the issues far below cover price in online auctions or overstocked dealers. As usual, print runs are the key to determining demand. Valiant books from 1993 were printed in such large quantities that they may sit unsold for another dozen years, while books from 1991-92 and incentive variants have disappeared from the majority of back issue supplier inventories.
Current demand for a few Valiant books should not be interpreted as demand for all Valiant books. Though a complete Valiant collection (1991-1996) consists of just over 800 issues, half of the eighty-million total Valiant books in print were printed in 1993. As a result, Valiant regular issues from 1993 are nearly impossible to sell for more than a few cents each, which is true of 1993 Marvel, D.C., and Image as well. Less than 10% of Valiant books in print sell consistently for even cover price, while fewer than 5% of the books are consistent sellers for $5 or more. At these price levels, the cost of shipping is a major factor in the final auction prices realized. Sellers who attempt to increase profit through higher shipping charges generally see lower auction prices as bidders compensate. Some bidders avoid shipping-profiteers altogether.
While actual Valiant auction sales demonstrate a strong demand for particular issues, it is not enough to simply have the word ‘Valiant’ printed on the cover. Pre-Unity Valiant issues are usually among the most consistent sellers. The term “Pre-Unity” has become standard for describing the earliest 1991-1992 Valiant books. Here’s the list of the Pre-Unity issues: Archer & Armstrong #0, Harbinger #1-#7 (and #0 Pink cover), Magnus #0-#14, Rai #1-#5, Shadowman #1-#3, Solar #1-#11, Vintage Magnus #1-#4, and X-O Manowar #1-#6. These particular issues were printed before Valiant print runs skyrocketed in the early 1990s, though most would be considered strong sellers if compared to today’s sales figures. All are fantastic finds anywhere near cover price, and they are excellent examples of comics where the characters, art, story, and direction all come together with tight continuity. To understand Valiant, one must know the Pre-Unity Valiant stories.
Valiant incentive books, distributed to both retailers and as fan rewards, are usually recognizable as having a gold logo price box in the top left, as opposed to white. In addition to gold and sometimes platinum variants, three of the most popular incentives are actually red variants of blue covers. Because issues of Chaos Effect Alpha (1994), Unity #0 (1992), and Harbinger #0 (1992) are primarily found with blue covers, the red (or pink sky) variants remain more highly sought after. The lower print runs of incentive books has generally stabilized the higher prices, but it should be noted that any significant quantity of these books entering the market could greatly impact the prices paid. Valiant collectors represent a very small portion of the market, therefore supply increases would not have to be high to have a dramatic effect. As a specific example, the continuous auction sales of X-O Manowar #1/2 Gold variants have seen at least an 80% drop in the prices paid between 2003 and 2005.
When comparing auction sales totals for all individual Valiant books, issues which have been CGC graded account for over half of the secondary market share. The primary candidates for CGC have been Pre-Unity and variant issues, though CGC 9.8 examples of the most common Valiant books are also available (and often cheap). CGC 9.8 continues to be the grade-of-choice for most collectors, but some are commenting that 9.6 books usually offer very high quality at a much lower price.
The Acclaim Comics lines from 1997-2000 brought new versions of Valiant characters to print. Valiant collectors allowing their collections to include Acclaim have noted that later issues, particularly 1999, are often hard to find due to very low print runs associated with decreasing sales. Of particular interest are the variant covers or marketing promotional comic books of the Acclaim issues. The market for these books is much newer than the market for Valiant, which has contributed to fluctuating prices when books of interest are auctioned. In some cases, Acclaim comics are still being discovered as promotional issues were often unsolicited and remain undocumented.
The 2004 bankruptcy of Acclaim Entertainment, Inc., resulted in an auction for the Valiant/Acclaim copyright assets in 2005. With Acclaim gone and copyrights under new ownership, the return of Valiant characters is imminent, though it appears that legal issues were being negotiated in 2005 before a return to publishing could begin. It will be interesting to see what effect new stories from these characters may have on the market for the original Valiant books, whether in 2006 or after.
Back issue sales tracking…
Frozen: 1993 regular issues, Turok #1, Magnus #25, and Deathmate are examples ($1 or under)
Cool: Armorines, HARDCorps, Geomancer, Ninjak, PSI-Lords, Second Life of Dr. Mirage, Secret Weapons, Timewalker, Acclaim comics 1997-98 ($1-$2)
Warm: 1991-92 pre-Unity issues ($3-$20), gold and platinum incentive variants ($8-$25), 1993 Valiant Validated Signature Series books (with certificate from Valiant, embossed seal on each book) ($10-$20), 1996 final Valiant issues ($5-$20), 1999 Acclaim issues (such as Shadowman Volume 3) ($5-$100)
Hot: Chaos Effect Alpha Red cover ($100+), Harbinger #0 Pink cover ($40+), Harbinger #1 (with coupon) ($25+), Magnus #0 ($25+), Predator vs. Magnus 64page TPB ($50+), Solar #0 Hardcover ($40), Unity #0 Red cover ($50+), 1994 Valiant Validated Signature Series books (with certificate from Valiant, embossed seal on each book) ($30-$125)
This year was the same, and I have just submitted my Valiant market report for next April 2006's Overstreet Annual #36.
If anyone would prefer not to wait six months... here's what I submitted:
-----------------------------------------------------
Market Report for Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide – 36th edition
submitted September 2005
Greg Holland
ValiantComics.com
The market for Valiant Comics in 2005 appeared to be more stable than in recent years. Anyone wishing to obtain a collection of Valiant books can still find the majority of the issues far below cover price in online auctions or overstocked dealers. As usual, print runs are the key to determining demand. Valiant books from 1993 were printed in such large quantities that they may sit unsold for another dozen years, while books from 1991-92 and incentive variants have disappeared from the majority of back issue supplier inventories.
Current demand for a few Valiant books should not be interpreted as demand for all Valiant books. Though a complete Valiant collection (1991-1996) consists of just over 800 issues, half of the eighty-million total Valiant books in print were printed in 1993. As a result, Valiant regular issues from 1993 are nearly impossible to sell for more than a few cents each, which is true of 1993 Marvel, D.C., and Image as well. Less than 10% of Valiant books in print sell consistently for even cover price, while fewer than 5% of the books are consistent sellers for $5 or more. At these price levels, the cost of shipping is a major factor in the final auction prices realized. Sellers who attempt to increase profit through higher shipping charges generally see lower auction prices as bidders compensate. Some bidders avoid shipping-profiteers altogether.
While actual Valiant auction sales demonstrate a strong demand for particular issues, it is not enough to simply have the word ‘Valiant’ printed on the cover. Pre-Unity Valiant issues are usually among the most consistent sellers. The term “Pre-Unity” has become standard for describing the earliest 1991-1992 Valiant books. Here’s the list of the Pre-Unity issues: Archer & Armstrong #0, Harbinger #1-#7 (and #0 Pink cover), Magnus #0-#14, Rai #1-#5, Shadowman #1-#3, Solar #1-#11, Vintage Magnus #1-#4, and X-O Manowar #1-#6. These particular issues were printed before Valiant print runs skyrocketed in the early 1990s, though most would be considered strong sellers if compared to today’s sales figures. All are fantastic finds anywhere near cover price, and they are excellent examples of comics where the characters, art, story, and direction all come together with tight continuity. To understand Valiant, one must know the Pre-Unity Valiant stories.
Valiant incentive books, distributed to both retailers and as fan rewards, are usually recognizable as having a gold logo price box in the top left, as opposed to white. In addition to gold and sometimes platinum variants, three of the most popular incentives are actually red variants of blue covers. Because issues of Chaos Effect Alpha (1994), Unity #0 (1992), and Harbinger #0 (1992) are primarily found with blue covers, the red (or pink sky) variants remain more highly sought after. The lower print runs of incentive books has generally stabilized the higher prices, but it should be noted that any significant quantity of these books entering the market could greatly impact the prices paid. Valiant collectors represent a very small portion of the market, therefore supply increases would not have to be high to have a dramatic effect. As a specific example, the continuous auction sales of X-O Manowar #1/2 Gold variants have seen at least an 80% drop in the prices paid between 2003 and 2005.
When comparing auction sales totals for all individual Valiant books, issues which have been CGC graded account for over half of the secondary market share. The primary candidates for CGC have been Pre-Unity and variant issues, though CGC 9.8 examples of the most common Valiant books are also available (and often cheap). CGC 9.8 continues to be the grade-of-choice for most collectors, but some are commenting that 9.6 books usually offer very high quality at a much lower price.
The Acclaim Comics lines from 1997-2000 brought new versions of Valiant characters to print. Valiant collectors allowing their collections to include Acclaim have noted that later issues, particularly 1999, are often hard to find due to very low print runs associated with decreasing sales. Of particular interest are the variant covers or marketing promotional comic books of the Acclaim issues. The market for these books is much newer than the market for Valiant, which has contributed to fluctuating prices when books of interest are auctioned. In some cases, Acclaim comics are still being discovered as promotional issues were often unsolicited and remain undocumented.
The 2004 bankruptcy of Acclaim Entertainment, Inc., resulted in an auction for the Valiant/Acclaim copyright assets in 2005. With Acclaim gone and copyrights under new ownership, the return of Valiant characters is imminent, though it appears that legal issues were being negotiated in 2005 before a return to publishing could begin. It will be interesting to see what effect new stories from these characters may have on the market for the original Valiant books, whether in 2006 or after.
Back issue sales tracking…
Frozen: 1993 regular issues, Turok #1, Magnus #25, and Deathmate are examples ($1 or under)
Cool: Armorines, HARDCorps, Geomancer, Ninjak, PSI-Lords, Second Life of Dr. Mirage, Secret Weapons, Timewalker, Acclaim comics 1997-98 ($1-$2)
Warm: 1991-92 pre-Unity issues ($3-$20), gold and platinum incentive variants ($8-$25), 1993 Valiant Validated Signature Series books (with certificate from Valiant, embossed seal on each book) ($10-$20), 1996 final Valiant issues ($5-$20), 1999 Acclaim issues (such as Shadowman Volume 3) ($5-$100)
Hot: Chaos Effect Alpha Red cover ($100+), Harbinger #0 Pink cover ($40+), Harbinger #1 (with coupon) ($25+), Magnus #0 ($25+), Predator vs. Magnus 64page TPB ($50+), Solar #0 Hardcover ($40), Unity #0 Red cover ($50+), 1994 Valiant Validated Signature Series books (with certificate from Valiant, embossed seal on each book) ($30-$125)
-
mrwoogieman
- All this talk of 'snipping' is making me keep my legs crossed.
- Posts: 4054
- Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2004 8:13 pm
- Location: THE LOST LAND
-
greg
- The admin around here must be getting old and soft.
- Posts: 22882
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 9:39 am
- Valiant fan since: Rai #0
- Favorite character: Depends on title
- Favorite title: Depends on writer
- Favorite writer: Depends on artist
- Favorite artist: Depends on character
- Location: Indoors
- Contact:
I borrowed some text from last year's report.
It's still available here:
http://www.valiantcomics.com/valiant/OS35report.txt
It's still available here:
http://www.valiantcomics.com/valiant/OS35report.txt
Last edited by greg on Fri Sep 30, 2005 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
hillmanthe2nd
- 5318008
- Posts: 584
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:08 am
-
whetteon
- "Don't qoute me on that" -whetteon
- Posts: 3717
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 12:07 pm
- Valiant fan since: 1993
- Favorite character: Solar
- Favorite title: Magnus
- Location: Pittsburg, KS
- Contact:
What about VcVSS books? 
Good stuff Greg.
Good stuff Greg.
The Site for Tracking Collectible Comic Trends on Ebay
http://www.lyriacomicexchange.com/
http://www.lyriacomicexchange.com/
-
greg
- The admin around here must be getting old and soft.
- Posts: 22882
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 9:39 am
- Valiant fan since: Rai #0
- Favorite character: Depends on title
- Favorite title: Depends on writer
- Favorite writer: Depends on artist
- Favorite artist: Depends on character
- Location: Indoors
- Contact:
It's the truth.DawgPhan wrote:and not that it matters, but I was glad to see you mention the fact that a large number of any of these books could have a big effect on the value of some of these books.
Also mentioned in last year's report with reference to CGC prices.
"...any significant increase in the number of CGC graded copies available on the market would quickly have an effect on the prices being paid. Supplies do not have to be large to satisfy or outweigh the current demand for many of these books."
-
Daniel Jackson
- A toast to the return of Valiant!
- Posts: 38007
- Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2004 8:33 pm
-
IMissValiant
- My posts can all fit in a short box
- Posts: 202
- Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 7:57 pm
So I guess that means I shouldn't release my 5 cases of Turok #1's. Wouldn't want the price to go down 
www.ForeignComics.com - Valiants in Spanish, French, Italian, etc.
-
dellamorte
- Zombies and nightstand nightmares
- Posts: 6544
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 8:28 pm
- Location: down down down to mephisto's cafe
-
slym2none
- a typical message board assassin
- Posts: 37119
- Joined: Wed May 18, 2005 12:08 pm
- Location: Troll- free zone.
Rai #3 didn't get mentioned? I think that particular issue has had enough significant movement to be mentioned...
...otherwise, great work! Very useful and informative.
-slym
...otherwise, great work! Very useful and informative.
-slym
Some people spend their whole lives believing in fairy tales, usually because they don't want to give up the fabulous prizes.
-
cshepard81
- Get those scissors away from my coupons
- Posts: 278
- Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2004 11:16 pm
) this will be my second centered copy.
-
epowe10097
- Working on the first full appearance of me
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2005 8:55 pm
-
greg
- The admin around here must be getting old and soft.
- Posts: 22882
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 9:39 am
- Valiant fan since: Rai #0
- Favorite character: Depends on title
- Favorite title: Depends on writer
- Favorite writer: Depends on artist
- Favorite artist: Depends on character
- Location: Indoors
- Contact:
Welcome to the boards...epowe10097 wrote:Rai # 3. Centered copy? How would I know if my # 3 was "centered"? It looks centered, though I am not sure I know what I am looking for to be centered. Eddie
Here's the general information page about Rai #3:
http://www.valiantcomics.com/valiant/issue.asp?cn=468
Here's a graphic visually detailing "centered":
http://www.valiantcomics.com/valiant/images/rai3top.jpg
-
epowe10097
- Working on the first full appearance of me
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2005 8:55 pm
-
ZephyrWasHOT!!
- Chief of the Dia Tribe
- Posts: 22415
- Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2004 8:55 pm
Re: Valiant Market Report - sneak peek
My favorite part of the whole report.greg wrote:Sellers who attempt to increase profit through higher shipping charges generally see lower auction prices as bidders compensate. Some bidders avoid shipping-profiteers altogether.
-
myron
- I do embrace my inner geekdom
- Posts: 16286
- Joined: Wed Feb 04, 2004 10:37 am
- Valiant fan since: 1991
- Favorite character: Gilad
- Favorite title: Pre-Unity Harbinger
- Location: watertown, wi
Re: Valiant Market Report - sneak peek
ZephyrWasHOT!! wrote:My favorite part of the whole report.greg wrote:Sellers who attempt to increase profit through higher shipping charges generally see lower auction prices as bidders compensate. Some bidders avoid shipping-profiteers altogether.
Why waste time learning, when ignorance is instantaneous?