Analyzing the Sale of a $6 Million Comic Book: Collectible Finance meets Nostalgia & Superman Soars!

I don't know what brought you here, but I know you are out there. Let me welcome you to the matrix of my mind where collectibles and finance merge. Forget the hype. Forget the the disillusionment. Here we get real...Welcome to Reserved Investments! The only non-hype driven collectibles finance channel on KZbin that caters to the entire antiques and collectibles trade! And yes, collectibles can be a great investment, provided you understand the basics...and of course, buy right!
Short on time? Start the video at 4:56 in and watch it to the end and it will have the same impact as watching the full video. You're welcome critics and trolls!
Email for Antique and Collectible Consulting Services: [e-mail]
Link to the article we are discussing written by my alter-ego (Shawn's not as crazy as me, but he's getting close. I'm a bad influence on him, what can I say?):
antiquesandauctionnews.net/ar...
Patreon: / reservedinvestments
Disclaimer: Videos are not intended to provide direct investment advice and commentary. Investing and speculating in antiques and collectibles is inherently risky. Always use caution!
Remember I am not really here. I am just a figment of your imagination. I appeared because you needed me to...and I can disappear just as easily...for time is the fire in which we burn...!

[@riddlermangaming3533]

Just want to say I really enjoy your channel and your honest approach to explaining collectible markets and mentality. Thank You

[@ReservedInvestments]

Thank you!

[@hartspot009]

Every single point is spot-on as always. Whether its a Honus Wagner card or a 1913 V Nickel, very top tier items can be solid investments... but not always as you stated. Hopefully collectors will soak this information and use it to their advantage

[@pessithemystic]

Very surprised this article went viral, so to speak, because it’s not anything you haven’t already said before. It just happens to be the antithesis to the prevalent hype-driven media about these particular auctions, but again, that’s nothing new to us regulars here. Keep up the good work ✌🏻

[@Xtremeplayer63]

Unless this is a multi-billionaire that doesn't care about opportunity cost and is just purchasing this as a book to read and enjoy; then from that perspective, this was a very poor investment. $6,000,000 invested in an S&P index fund would yield roughly $18,6000,000 in just 10 years. Think about that compounded over 30 years?!!! That comic book will never keep up with that type of grow. Period. Just something to think about.

[@monkey39128]

Even if I was a billionaire I don't think my brain would let me spend that much on a comic. 😂

[@timreierson26]

Well written piece. I am surprised as to the attention it is getting as it is fairly straightforward. I am confident that whoever bought this comic did not do so for investment purposes. People with this amount of wealth usually are pretty financially savvy. In my opinion, it was bought as a status symbol, a piece in their personal museum. To own a piece of comic history is priceless to them. It feeds their ego.

[@Johndeplume.]

Can't argue against any of what you've written in that article, Shawn. Solid points. 👍

[@user-tl7mj2bm4m]

PERFECTLY written article.....I completely AGREE with you on ALL your points. Anybody who fights or argues with you on your points are idiots. You state facts...and yeah....I'd be inclined to shove it all in an S&P index fund....

[@shook1965]

Sean, thanks for your wisdom. I have been a Toy/Game Reseller for the past few years and your videos have given me a lot to think about and how I look at what I do in the market and adding an S&P fund to my portfolio. Once again thanks and I look forward to more of your perspective...

[@MarveltheCross316]

Very well astute in your article. Comic enthusiasts should realize that a majority of comic books, especially those published 1975 onwards, have short term value. I read what I collect because I enjoy the hobby as a source of entertainment. I understand going in that I won’t make my money back because I plan not to invest but only in some books that I own. Thank you for the video

[@jaybjorklund7338]

Fantastic video/article. I think it brings perspective to the sale and exposes people to a side of the industry that is not often talked about. It makes people think critically about collectible finance instead of just reading a headline and going "wow" and moving on. I think once people digest that the person who bought this comic would have to sell it at auction for almost 8 million just to break even , it will make them see that big numbers don't equate to big gains. However I'm willing to bet the person who bought this doesn't need to flip or make a profit as you pointed out. Great video Shawn👍👍

[@jayz6706]

I feel like whoever purchased this, a large reason behind the purchase is because they really just wanted to own it…and they (hopefully) easily had the means to go about it. Otherwise, yes, like you said they could just park their money and receive interest on it each year, easily outpacing the value of the book year after year. Loved your article!

[@goldeneastgun]

It's true. If you've got debt, like a mortgage... and, you're sitting on a pile of valuable comics... you could be paying off your mortgage, credit card or any other loan. You could be freed from banks while saving $$ on the interest they're charging you.

[@scottywalker701]

im 1 minute in and with you. and now this im reading comments thing. Slow your roll. Tied up money of this sort is CRAZY!

[@scottywalker701]

but, i will never come close to having any sort of anything close. tied up or not.

[@oarancards4443]

Love this guy hes great and smart

[@freshyfresh9838]

Right on!! I hope you do the media tour 🎉

[@monkey39128]

Right, I'm off to buy a new Superman comic from the local shop. Nice to have my retirement sorted. 😂😉 In all seriousness though that was a fantastic listen. I'll make sure to read more of your articles.

[@doctorshawn3461]

Totally agree with your article!

[@MegaMrchips]

I’m here before Sean is super famous

[@joshuawyatt4381]

Excellent video and a lot of good points!

[@buildingyoursuccess]

This channel responsibly reiterates again and again to first establish a solid foundation of investments (index funds for example) before venturing into the collectibles market. What I would like to hear from this channel is WHY some people over expose themselves to the collectibles market. Having a comic book, or baseball card, or action figure is more sensorially enjoyable than having x amount of shares in the S&P 500. I know this isn't a psychology channel, but perhaps the viewers could benefit from understanding their desires to own collectibles versus owning investments that will out perform the collectibles market and what the opportunity costs are of holding collectibles long term.

[@ReservedInvestments]

We’ve covered this many times now. The book Psychology of Money goes into this realm as well. If you want me to do more videos on the psychology of collecting and confirmation bias, I would be more than happy to do so.

[@buildingyoursuccess]

yes, I believe viewers would benefit from that, thanks so much for your content

[@monkey39128]

That really should be the standard for all collectibles finance channels but Shawn is an anomaly unfortunately. Rudy used to reiterate the same message but he's doing it less and less nowadays. Maybe got sick of saying the same thing? I'm not sure.

[@markfiala6730]

I’m reading Dan Ariely Dollars and Sense right now. Definitely apropos to this video. Starts by talking about how every monetary transaction involves opportunity costs and how people don’t consider that

[@monkey39128]

I'll add that one to my reading list!

[@tomneijnens4048]

Thank you very much

[@lexluthor8888]

I would tend to agree that this was not a good investment but I say this from a different perspective. Although, the auction house will not admit it, the "whisper" number expected, before the auction, was between $7-8M. That it sold for "only" $6M was likely a disappointment. Coupled with the realization that a Superman #1 CGC 7.0 sold in July 2023 at Goldin Auctions for about $1M less than what it sold for in 2021 (same copy) reinforced the impression that the expensive, super key vintage books may have peaked or is in decline. Oddly enough, Superman titles other than the #1's in super high grade (9.0 or greater) are still selling at record prices perhaps in anticipation of the upcoming movie.

[@monkey39128]

There's a new movie?! Hope it's good. Been a long time since we had a truly great Superman movie.

[@geeksurge]

I agree with you. Well stated

[@nevercold808]

6 million dollars... that's a huge number that I have difficulty wrapping my head around. That's a lot of money to be tied up in a single collectible. Edit: Forgot to say that was a great article. Very well written and like always, your points were clear and concise.

[@blackjuju5154]

Did Jim Helperin buy the comic book? I do not trust Heritage Austions after the Wata debacle. You have absolute on point views, Shawn

[@omegacollects]

Well said 👏

[@ReservedInvestments]

Thank you!

[@JohnGauntSega32]

The comic book is a unicorn, the amount of money is well into the top 1%, the interest foregone is massive, and the overall market will not be affected. Well done. I am thinking about a recent carnival-glass auction for a glassware unicorn. At the Keystone Carnival Glass 2024 auction, a rare set of carnival glass sold for $140,000. No, it's not a pop-culture collectible, but it shares similarities with the Action Comics sale.

[@comiccowboy]

I agree that this sale won’t “lift” the market for back issues. Action Comics and Superman golden age comics, outside of the known keys remains relatively flat to down, compared to Batman. For all we know, it could have been bought by a Saudi and it’s a prestige item, not even a traditional investment.

[@winstonw2020]

I really enjoy your work and agree and sometimes disagree with your points but greatly respect the framework from where it all comes from. In terms of my professional background , I had previously worked in the finance industry, I am a CFA and CAIA charter holder thus I tend to view things from a value perspective. I personally don't look at (my) collectables as investments due to non-conformity from one item to the next, the difficult nature of selling an item if one needs to in a short period and just a lack of a fluid system to buy/sell them. That being said, I am glad my collectables do increase in value but I am a collector versus a speculator. I do agree with you on the article that the Action 1 buyer must be an extremely wealthy person where the 6 million would not even be close to effecting their liquid needs of capital. It essentially would be as they call it F u money. They have the ability to wait it out and when they sell it will most likely be profitable. However, we are assuming the sale is legit, but it doesn't relate to most comic books as they would be more subject to current economic factors. Really enjoy your content and sorry for the long post.

[@leehaskins307]

All good points… question tho do you think it can effect the 1940 gum trading card rookie #1 super man ? Its a pretty expensive card and mostly only low grades exist...

[@chrisl6238]

Shawn, Can you do a video discussing relationships whether it be one night stands, or life long marriages, and what effects do relationships have on one’s investment portfolio? You are a single man who’s in his “peak earning years,” you are financially well established, and you have had the fortune of getting the digits of many women. What are pros and cons to opening yourself up to relationships, and how would your investment life changed if you had a wife and children? Thank you!

[@ReservedInvestments]

That said, it would be best asked during a Q & A video. Believe it or not, I would LOVE to do videos on relationships in general. Maybe 🤔 who knows. But the question is well worth answering regardless…

[@chrisl6238]

@@ReservedInvestments Thank you for the response! In regard to my first comment, and maybe you can include this when answering my initial question, do you have an opinion on someone who has a family, but chooses to prioritize their self interest collectible investments over family obligations? I’m sure you’ve dealt with couples who’ve divorced over collecting and not being aligned in this regard. Thank you! I always appreciate your content!

[@terraincognita3749]

So this means that my rare first appearance of Jessica Cruz (Justice League 31, 2014, only 75.000+ sold and only 840 graded so far) is about to go to infinity and beyond?? 😍🤩😍🤩 Seriously though, this sale shows well the vulnerabilities of modern key comics. In comparison with Action Comics 1, there is SO much supply of modern comics. Many modern keys are also derivative characters, like Jessica Cruz (derived from Green Lantern). This may make them less attractive to storytellers and experience makers (games, movies, comics, amusement parks, tv series, webtoons and more): why tell a story about Jessica Cruz or X-23 when you can tell a story with Hal Jordan or Wolverine? Since the storytellers and experience makers can grow a character's fan base, this may matter a lot in the long run. Still, I love collecting modern key comics. They are affordable, lots of fun, often have gorgeous covers and sometimes one can even make a bit of money. But I am not expecting anyone selling for $ 6 million ;-) PS Thanks for sharing this video, I enjoyed it!

[@kenrogers1948]

Price increases tend to be 'sticky'... we've all experienced inflation in the last few years generally, and those price increases tend to become more or less permanent... while you are correct that record prices for high-end sales in comics are not a defacto indicator of the direction of the entire market, they can signal fluctuations(either up or down) and they tell the rest of us 'something' about the general health of the market in the moment...

[@ReservedInvestments]

It does not, because you can’t base or even judge the health of a collecting category by simply seeing how the top 5% of the market is performing. If that would be a realistic benchmark, both PEZ dispensers and Atari video games would like bonafide ‘investments’ right now. So would a lot of other dying and dead collecting categories. This sale means absolutely nothing overall.

[@kenrogers1948]

@@ReservedInvestments I said "they CAN signal the direction of the entire market"... so you are asserting that the 'top 5%' of collectibles markets moves independently of the rest of that market?..

[@TheAmazingphenomenon]

What do you think is the price ceiling for this item? $8M? 10M ? Assuming he would sit on the comic book for 5 years and then resell it, you would have to weigh the benfit of selling then vs the interest rates at that time. If the top price is $6M and no one wants to pay more, or if superman ever falls out of the pop culture spotlight, that comic book won't be worth the paper it is printed on. As always, you do you with your own money. Great info as always. Thank you very much.

[@Gichie79]

You're completely right. I would question a $50 million minimum net worth to buy this as that feels low. Unless you have say a consistent income of $10-12 million a year in addition to a $50 million net worth buying a $6 million dollar comic seems irresponsible. Off net worth alone I would say they would need to be closer to $100 million. The owner of both CGC 9.0 Action Comics #1 is a billionaire and he paid less for both of them then what this 8.5 sold for. However, that was over a decade ago. He actual is in the podcast Stealing Superman which is a good popcast to listen to about the theft of Nicolas Cage's Action Comics 1.

[@monkey39128]

What would you usually think is a good amount to spend on something like that as a percentage of your net worth? It's a question I've wondered about for a while. I remember someone with a net worth of $10 million calling in to Dave Ramsey asking if it was ok to spend $1 million on a holiday home he'd only spend three weeks a year in. Ramsey thought that was ok but 10% seems like a lot to me. Maybe it's not so bad because it's a property. 🤔

[@Gichie79]

@@monkey39128 real estate is something completely different and something you can put a much larger percentage of your portfolio in. Especially if it will be used as rental income when not in use. The other aspect of what percentage one can dedicate to an asset such as a collectible has multiple factors besides your net worth. One being what makes up your net worth.? What’s your age? What’s your income? How stable and consistent is that income? What’s your lifestyle and financial commitments? What are your long term goals? Someone with a $50 million net worth isn’t likely living off of $100-200k a year and their house is only $400k of that net worth. If that scenario was the case and say didn’t work as and were just getting a 5% return on their money. Then one day out of the blue they see this auction for an Action Comics 1 CGC 8.5 and says I want to devote $6 million to acquiring this. Side note they likely paid more as I believe they had to pay sales tax. Back to my point. If that was all the case yes they could afford and still be financially responsible. However, that is not the typical behavior. Someone with a 50 million net worth living on a 100k a year would never branch and do something like that. They are extremely conservative. Someone with a net worth that would spend 6 million on this has most likely bought stuff off high value before. They likely have a high cash flow and or a larger reserve of easily liquid assets to cash out and pay for this. My guess is they are likely worth over 100 million whoever bought this and have an income of 12-20 million a year.

[@thevideogamecabinet3681]

I bought it.

[@ReservedInvestments]

I sold it! ;) LOL.

[@thevideogamecabinet3681]

@@ReservedInvestments great video as always, Mr Shawn. No, I did not buy the Action Comic #1. I’ll stick to my videogames. The most expensive collectible I actually do own is a complete-in-box Little Samson that I bought five years ago for $2500. Now it’s worth over double that, but I will never sell it.

[@jordanparks99]

Pretty good video. Definitely just a rich guy who doesn't care about the cost. Do you plan to discuss sports cards or non sports cards in the future at all?

[@realryal8317]

Antiques can be a diversifier for long term wealth preservation. If there were not the endless bailouts the ramifications of 2008 would be very different. Is this the right artefact for that purpose? Its a collectible rather than antique, and if there was a traumatic financial reset, global mindset change would this asset class hold? Is it on a par with 6 million dollars in art, rare docs, books, etc for that purpose? Thanks

[@user-tl7mj2bm4m]

I"ve said this before and I'll say it again....Superman collectibles go SLOW as hell. It's a shame too, because I do personally like Superman and am more of a DC fan anyway. My bin section for Superman usually is filled with cobwebs....

[@HenryHoolington]

My guess is there was a bidding war to prove how much money they had. This is one of the only times I would say he should crack it out of the case and read it because he ain’t getting that money back

[@Odinoian]

Totally agree, but I don't think it's impossible that it's an "Arabian prince" type purchase, aka someone who can take the loss completely. But I don't think there's any reason for an investor to pay $6m to hopefully sell on to a "prince". Anyone can grow tired of being the guy that always pays the premium

[@jeffmccombs4463]

Is Superman still relevant? I’m not a comic book collector but wonder what the long term popularity of Superman will look like?

[@rocketfighter8]

In your best estimation what do you think will be the value of that particular issue in 3, 5 and 10 years?

[@ReservedInvestments]

As long as comic books and more importantly, Superman, stay culturally relevant, it has upside potential. It is hard to 'estimate' on an item like this, but I could see it eventually surpassing $10 million or more...

[@UrbanBeastPlays]

I have to wonder when people say the top 1%. If i go out somewhere and i see 100 people i doubt 1 person out of most groups of 100 make over 3 million per year

[@JMMREVIEW]

Hi Sean my name is Tim, with the Xbox 360 online market place shutting down I have started collecting xbox 360 games with my wife Kimberly. When will my xbox 360 games be worth 6 million dollars 5 years, 10 years?

[@ReservedInvestments]

Hi Timmy! 🙃

[@JMMREVIEW]

​@ReservedInvestments I love your videos, long time subscriber. Keep up the great work ❤

[@Mitjitsu]

I don't see someone of a $50m net worth putting more than 10% of their wealth into a comic book. I'd say the person who bought it most likely has net worth that is greater than $120m.

[@RapidResponce]

There's a collector of comic books in Dubai that has endless money. I'm sure he is the person that purchased that comic.

[@lexluthor8888]

Doesn't that collector already own the two CGC 9.0's? Why would he want a 8.5?

[@RapidResponce]

@@lexluthor8888 control the market

[@monkey39128]

@@lexluthor8888 I'll play Devil's Advocate: There's that guy in Pokemon who owns about 8 1st Edition PSA 10 base Charizards. There's also another guy who at one time owned most of the Illustrator Pikachus. There's a guy in Magic who owns 100 Arabian Nights sets. Why they do it? I have no idea. Monopolize the market maybe? Who knows.

[@Gichie79]

@@lexluthor8888 because he wants to and he can. That is some wealthy collectors mentality at times on certain items. Does it make good financial sense? No, but when you have a lot of money and a large income stream too sometimes are your actions don’t need to be logical.

[@mattelder]

I would have thought someone purchasing this would have a networth in the couple hundred million. If only.£50m, £6m comic book would represent 12% of networth. To have in an asset that doesn't generate income.doesnt seem right.

[@lukeorloki]

Piff ... 6 million dollars for superman when they could have afforded buying The Six Million Dollar Man!!!! "Steve Austin, astronaut. A man barely alive." "Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world's first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better... stronger... faster."

[@TheSameoldjoe]

Could this item have been bought by a corporation or a financial institution?

[@ReservedInvestments]

Most likely not. Those particular entities do not invest in comic books and if they are a publicly traded company, it is doubtful the purchase would be approved by the board of directors.

[@user-bj5xr5ju4n]

antiques are cool but hardly an investment. the buyers premium alone takes years off the profit. i buy them for the feeling not the expected appreciation.

[@kurjan1]

People need to realise there are individuals out there where $6m is pocket change. Shawn, I applaud your work and that was an excellent article. However, you are preaching to an entirely different demographic to those who can, and do, very easily afford such items. There are people out there who will spend millions on a piece of non plantation agarwood, or tens of millions on a vintage Ferrari (and have a dozen of them), a hundred million on a single work of art. you need to grasp just how much money is floating around out there. Most Americans look at people like Musk and Bezos and some movie stars etc and think they are wealthy people in their little capitalistic society... lol. They are drops in the bucket.

[@paulblart9333]

Hey man, just discovering your stuff. I don't have any useful input here but as a friendly point you say in vids and write in the article the word "particular" way too much.

[@ReservedInvestments]

Can you be more particular in your response and cite particularly useful examples? This would be particularly helpful in correcting this ‘issue’ going forward. Thank you for the feedback. 😊😉

[@sanesaint90]

Bet you Logan Paul bought it

[@TOSStarTrek]

Not a good idea. The interview. Smells like a abush interview.

[@ReservedInvestments]

I’ve been interviewed by the media multiple times, it’s nothing new.

[@shook1965]

Sean, thanks for your wisdom. I have been a Toy/Game Reseller for the past few years and your videos have given me a lot to think about and how I look at what I do in the market and adding an S&P fund to my portfolio. Once again thanks and I look forward to more of your perspective...