CGC-Graded Comic Book Price Guide - From Silver to Modern Age Key Issues
The Action Figure Grader reviews recent CGC-graded comic book sales on eBay, spanning Silver Age to Modern Age key issues, while sharing his personal buying decisions and preferences. He also features a segment from Patreon member Byron showcasing a custom cabinet storage solution for graded and raw comics. Notable books covered include first appearances of Iron Man, Batgirl, Two-Face, Venom, and various Star Wars titles.
Summary
The video is hosted by 'The Action Figure Grader,' who walks viewers through a curated list of recently sold CGC-graded comic books on eBay, ranging from Silver Age classics to modern key issues. The host frames the discussion around books he has been watching, books he considered bidding on, and one he actually won — Batman #234 (first Silver Age appearance of Two-Face) in an 8.0 with white pages.
The Silver Age section covers major keys including Tales of Suspense #39 (first Iron Man, CGC 1.0, sold for $3,150), Fantastic Four #52 (CGC 5.0, sold for $510), Detective Comics #298 (first Silver Age Clayface, CGC 6.0, sold for $560), Detective Comics #359 (first appearance of Batgirl Barbara Gordon, CGC 7.0, sold for $1,026), Detective Comics #400 (first appearance of Man-Bat, CGC sold for $400), and Batman #189 (first Silver Age Scarecrow, CGC 7.5, sold for $620).
The host discusses his personal grading preferences extensively, particularly his preference for white or off-white-to-white pages over off-white pages, and his willingness to sacrifice a half grade increment to secure better page quality. He explains his decision to buy Batman #234 in an 8.0 white pages over an 8.5 off-white-to-white copy that sold for only $5 more, illustrating his page quality philosophy. He also mentions winning another 8.0 white pages Batman book on Heritage Auctions, which he will reveal in a future video.
The Spider-Man section covers ASM #41 (first Rhino, CGC 8.5, sold for $1,180), ASM #43 (origin of Rhino, CGC 8.0, sold for $430), ASM #121 (Death of Gwen Stacy, CGC 9.8, sold for $3,938), ASM #122 (Death of Green Goblin, CGC 9.8, sold for $3,827), ASM #300 (first full Venom, CGC 9.8, sold for $2,550), and Ultimate Fallout #4 (first Miles Morales, CGC 9.8, sold for $898).
The Star Wars section highlights Star Wars #41 newstand edition (first Yoda cameo, CGC 9.8, sold for $21,750 — noted as below fair market value), Star Wars #42 newstand (first Boba Fett and Yoda in standard comics, CGC 9.6, sold for $430), and several CGC Signature Series books including The Mandalorian Season 2 #3 signed by Katee Sackhoff ($309), Kodor #9 first full Revan ($459), Ahsoka #2 signed by Ashley Eckstein ($212.50), and a Hayden Christensen-signed John Tyler Christopher action figure variant ($519).
Partway through the video, Byron — a Patreon supporter — presents a short video tour of his custom-built cabinet storage system for CGC-graded and raw comics. The cabinets feature a combination of cubby holes and pull-out drawers, accommodating short boxes, individual CGC slabs, and Amazon storage cases. Byron also highlights different drawer sizes for Silver Age versus modern comics and built-in file cabinets. The host wraps up with Batman Beyond #1 (first Terry McGinnis, CGC 9.8, sold for $681) and Marvel Comics Presents #79 (Weapon X/Wolverine origin cover, CGC 9.8, sold for $233.50 — noted as well below its historical range of $350–$400).
Key Insights
- The host argues that white pages justify paying a premium over a higher-grade copy with off-white-to-white pages, explaining he was willing to pay $30–$50 more for white pages on Batman #234 in an 8.0 rather than buy an 8.5 with off-white-to-white pages that sold for only $5 more.
- The host notes that Batman #227 has continued to hold its value very well even in a down market, with a 7.0 off-white-to-white copy selling for $1,075 — roughly $100–$150 more than what he paid for a comparable copy — calling it one of his top three covers in his collection.
- The host observes that Star Wars #41 newstand 9.8 sold for $21,750, which he describes as well below fair market value according to GoCollect, and notes that Byron (who bought it) used his affiliate link for the purchase.
- The host points out that ASM #121 and #122 in CGC 9.8 each have only approximately 100–120 copies in the census, making them expensive despite being findable, and that both 9.8 copies from Probstein Auctions sold within about $100 of each other at $3,938 and $3,827 respectively.
- The host notes that Marvel Comics Presents #79 — which features the high-demand John Byrne Weapon X cover — sold at $233.50, well down from its historical range of $350–$400, attributing the low result partly to the relative scarcity of 9.8 copies meaning prices are unpredictable when they appear.
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