Comic Book Values in 1972

[Marvelmania]

I collect Overstreet Comic Book Price Guides (yes, among too many other things) and was looking through the 1972 #2 Overstreet Price Guide at the values of some of the comics and how much they've gone up. It's kind of fun to look back at these prices. Take a look at some of these:

Captain America #1 mint $250
Action Comics #1 mint $450
Superman #1 mint 325
Detective Comics #27 mint $375
Batman #1 mint $230
Avengers #1 mint $7
Amazing Fantasy #15 mint $18
Spiderman #1 mint $16
Fantastic Four #1 mint $40
Hulk #1 mint $16
X-Men #1 mint $6
Tales of Suspense #39 mint $10

There's an ad listing comics for sale and here are just a few of the deals:

Avengers #1-#95 + Annls #1-#5 $40 for the set
Daredevil #1-#83 + Annls #1-#3 $31 for the set
Ironman #1-#30+Annls #1, #2 $7 for the set
Spiderman #6-#10 $2
Tales of Suspense #39-#100 $36 for the set
X-Men #1- #66 + Annls #1, #2 $25 for the set

[Riffster]

where's my handy deloreon and Doc Brown

[cjefferys]

I have a couple Overstreets from the late 70's and it's just insane comparing the prices of key issues then and now.

[The Toyroom]

My 1st Overstreet Guide was in 1979 and I remember being astounded that the most expensive comic at the time was Marvel Comics #1 for $10,000 in Mint condition. Compartively, now it is worth $460,000 in Near Mint (9.2). While the most expensive is Action Comics #1 clocking in at $750,000 in Near Mint. Back in '79 you could have snagged it up for $8400. Seems cheap compared to what it's going for today.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

Wouldn't it be great to have the foresight about which current ones will become desirable in future.

[saildog]

The value of that list today: $ 4,936,800.00

Adjusted for inflation what it would have cost you in 1972
(given 416% inflation rate from 72 to 2009): $ 8,994.09

(actual 1972 dollars): $ 1,743.00

If you invested $1743.00 in 1972, you would have made: $ 4,935,057.00

ROI : 283,236%

If you adjust the inflation rate back and told someone an initial outlay of $1,743 would return $956,722 (in 1972 dollars) they would have thought you were crazy.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

Comic prices didn't really jump until the mid 80's. I was looking at some Mile High ads from '82, and it's funny to see stuff like X-Men 1 selling for a couple hundred. The speculators really took over during the mid 80's mainstream comic boom.

*sigh*

Don C.

[toys2cool]

my god, I wasn't around but what were you guys thinking? you should've asked your parents for some of these