Be patient, and make a purchase you will be comfortable with now and 3-5 years from now. I would encourage any comic book investor or collector for that matter, to do their own research. With that being said, the best buys for the two books I was going after, Incredible Hulk #181 and Amazing Spider-Man #129, are 6.5 and 5.5 using this formula. It does need to be said though, that when I added in some lesser key books (from a value perspective) like Fantastic Four #49 and Special Marvel Edition #15 (First Shang-Chi), the 8.5 started to look very comparable to the 6.5 in using the same formula. Personally, I didn’t want to go after anything lower. From an investment and collectible value, the desire and demand just aren’t there below the 5.0. On the flip side, the ratio for a 9.8 was 2.15 and the ratio for a 9.6 was. I found that the ratio for both 6.5’s and 5.5’s was. The lower the ratio of that x-factor, the better. So I basically boiled it down to an x-factor (pun intended.) I used a formula that incorporated the increase in cost for the higher grade and the 10-year total return for that particular grade. However, it boasted an 81% return over the past 10 years. In comparison, a 6.5 was only 6% more expensive than a 6.0. The return over 10 years is currently 86%. What I found was that on average a 9.8 was 185% more expensive than a 9.6. Plus, who doesn’t want to look up at their office wall and see a Hulk 181 and ASM 129?! Where Financial Analysis meets Comic Books Adding some blue chip key comic books with a long track record of value seemed to be a great place for me to park some money. I was looking to diversify my investment portfolio a bit. Two of my favorite characters as a kid growing up in the 1990s, were obviously Wolverine and the Punisher. More specifically I was looking at The Incredible Hulk #181, affectionately known as HULK 181, and Amazing Spider-Man #129, or ASM 129 for those in the know. I was looking to purchase a couple key Bronze Age books. The good news is that you can use analytics to determine the best comic book buys when it comes to the grade for a key! Now, if you are looking to purchase a comic book for your collection that has the best chance of increasing in price while spending the least amount possible, you are in the same boat I was. If, that is, you are a collector and strictly looking to own the best grade of a book that features the first appearance of your favorite character. The grade really doesn’t matter as much as your budget. The old adage is “buy the best you can afford” when it comes to collectibles right? Well, that really all depends on your end goal.

Book collector 6.5