Hot Comics #57:
Fantastic Four 48
1st Silver Surfer and Galactus

Hot Comics: Fantastic Four 48, 1st Silver Surfer and Galactus. Click to buy a copy from Goldin

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Why Fantastic Four 48 is a Hot Comic

2024 MARKET REPORT: SUPER-WEIRD BOOK IN CGC 9.8

The pandemic high for this book was $108K. So a $96K sale in January 2024 is significant.

Two sales in 2023: $81K and $93K.

One sale in 2021: $108K.

Three sales in 2018: $37K, $32K, $28K.

Somehow, there are 44 of these in CGC 9.8 in the census.

2023 MARKET REPORT: TOP GRADES HOLDING STRONG, MID GRADES DOWN

It seems quite random, with some sales as much as 40 percent off the top of the early 2022 prices, and others pretty solid.

My guess is the worst of the selloff has already been priced out of this book. It isn't a bad time to buy again.

2022 MARKET REPORT: I SPOKE TOO SOON -- 9.8 BREAKS $100K BARRIER!

There are no fewer than 39 CGC 9.8s in the census. One sold last summer for $108K -- by far a new record.

The gap between 9.4 and 9.6 is now razor thin.

Have you missed the boat? Probably!

Recent sales:

9.8 $108,000
9.6 $36,000
9.4 $30,000
9.2 $18,000
9.0 $12,000
8.5 $9,300
8.0 $7,750
7.5 $5,100
7.0 $5,800(!)
6.5 $4,100
6.0 $4,080
5.5 $3,300
5.0 $2,750
4.5 $2,340
4.0 $2,150
3.5 $2,250
3.0 $1,825
2.5 $1,680
2.0 $1,400
1.8 $1,200
1.5 $1,200
1.0 $900
0.5 $850

2021 MARKET UPDATE: PRICES ARE STILL RISING, BUT NOT IN THE TOP GRADES

Prices have become unaffordable for most collectors in grades above 9.0. Meanwhile, in low grades, pretty much any copy is closing in on $1K.

Once the movie appears, be prepared to sell.

9.6 $19,800
9.4 $9,600
9.2 $7,800
9.0 $6,700
8.5 $5,280
8.0 $5,500
7.5 $3,900
7.0 $2,900
6.5 $2,100
6.0 $2,200
5.0 $1,495
4.0 $1,200
3.0 $950
2.0 $640
1.8 $700
1.5 $485

IF YOU BOUGHT MY RECOMMENDED GRADE LAST YEAR:

Here's the bottom line.

CGC 9.6 2020 $19,600
LAST SALE $19,800
PERCENT CHANGE +1%

2020 MARKET UPDATE: SHINE JUST STARTING TO COME OFF FF48

It couldn't last forever. While it's not setting new records anymore, Fantastic Four 48 is still among the ten hottest issues around.

Some grades have seen plateau prices, others are dropping.

We still have no official word about the FF movie project or projects, and what role, if any, Silver Surfer and Galactus will play in them.

Buyers are in a holding pattern until more data is known. For now, here are most recent sales:

9.4 $10,750
9.2 $6,300
9.0 $5,302
8.5 $4,550
8.0 $3,627
7.5 $3,000
7.0 $2,200
6.5 $1,725
6.0 $1,500
5.5 $1,219
5.0 $1,200
4.5 $900
4.0 $800
3.5 $630
3.0 $685(!)
2.5 $573
2.0 $640(!!!)
1.8 $600
1.5 $380
1.0 $426
0.5 $375

2019 MARKET UPDATE: FANTASTIC FOUR THE WORLD'S HOTTEST TITLE, FF48-50 THE HOTTEST ISSUES

It now seems certain that the FF will be coming home along with Spider-Man. And some of the long-sleeping keys have taken off.

FF#1 is the hottest-performing Marvel mega-key this year. FF#5 is huge. FF#52 has benefited from the Black Panther movie fuss.

Before I talk about Fantastic Four #48 specifically, I want to give an honorable mention to #49 and #50.

These books deserve a slot on the 100 Hot Comics list too -- but I had to draw the line somewhere before it became 100 Hot Spider-Man and FF Comics instead!

Fantastic Four #49 should be on the 100 Hot Comics list, but there simply isn't room for all the keys

FF#49

Recommended grade: CGC 8.0

Up in every grade above 4.0 this year, much tougher to find in grade than FF#48

Fantastic Four #50 should be on the 100 Hot Comics list, there isn't room! Click to buy one from Goldin

FF#50

Recommended grade: CGC 9.0

First full SS cover, not as hot as #49 but very tough due to the chocolate cover

2019 MARKET UPDATE CONTINUED

I still think CGC 9.6 is massively under-valued, when you consider the recent sales of other grades. I also like the last 9.2 price:

CGC 9.8 $31,833
CGC 9.6 $11,700
CGC 9.4 $9,750 (This was probably a buy it now)
CGC 9.2 $4,800 (very cheap too!)
CGC 9.0 $6,400

This books is SO COMMON in grades between 3.0 and 7.0. We get this book multiple times per month. Prices are NUTS for VG to FN copies. Really not good value in my opinion.

CGC 8.5 $3,840
CGC 8.0 $2,600 (vs. $1,159 in 2017!)
CGC 7.5 $2,336
CGC 7.0 $2,286
CGC 6.0 $1,610
CGC 5.0 $1,000 (vs. $390 in 2017!)
CGC 4.0 $820

Avoid low-grade copies. Fantastic Four 48 is a dog when it's worn. There are too many to choose from to settle for rough.

2018 MARKET UPDATE: SONY OFFERS SILVER SURFER A LIFELINE!

The deal which allowed Spider-Man to come in out of the cold might just rescue the Fantastic Four from their movie hell.

Certainly, investors have driven up the first appearance of Silver Surfer -- but it might be a gamble on Galactus. With Thanos tearing up the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Galactus could prove to be a foil to the character.

Whatever the thinking, prices of Fantastic Four 48 are strong at almost all grade levels, with a new record being set at the end of 2017 for CGC 9.8.

If you'd followed our advice and got in at 9.6 last year, you'd be $1,000 to the good now.

CGC 9.8 $30,000
CGC 9.6 $8,750
CGC 9.4 $4,300
CGC 9.0 $2,375
CGC 8.0 $1,625
CGC 7.5 $1,300
CGC 6.5 $750
CGC 5.5 $465

2017 MARKET UPDATE:

Other books have been hotter this year, but there's no doubting that Fantastic Four #48 is a deserving member of the 100 Hot Comics list. Especially in high grade, this book has been setting new records all year.

Lower down the grade range, things have cooled -- typical VG examples haven't changed in value much since our previous list.

CGC 9.8: $20,500 (Editor's note -- only $1,000 more than a Hulk 181 9.8!)
CGC 9.4 $3,800
CGC 9.0 $2,000
CGC 8.0 $1,200
CGC 7.5 $920
CGC 6.5 $550
CGC 5.5 $400

Silver Surfer and Galactus are massively important in the Marvel Universe. Like the Fantastic Four themselves, the characters have never been handled well on the big screen.

Perhaps their time has come. There are so many Marvel movies and TV series in the pipeline that it is not beyond possibility that, say, Thanos and Galactus/Silver Surfer could meet in the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel, for just one example.

The value of this book has been strong for years, but a recent surge in higher grades has boosted it up the charts of the Hot 100.

What we're recommending won't be affordable to all, but it's the best potential ROI in our opinion. This book is common in lower grades.

Owning a high-grade copy would be a pleasure. The cover is amazing when it's undamaged.