So you think keys are immune to the market downturn? Take a good look at the three images below, and the dates of each sale. They start with the most recent Heritage 9.6 sale.

Hey, pre-code horror, can't get much better than that, right? For some of us anyway. Seems like a good price for this book? Maybe, but maybe you don't realize the previous CGC NM 9.4 handled by Heritage went for $15,600.00, in 2023. When pre-code horror starts dipping, you know we have a problem Houston. If you want to throw out the fact that this current sale was a Harvey File Copy, that's a fair point. I would hope, however, any serious buyer realizes that due to the File Copies, there will naturally be more high grade Harvey pre-code horror than most other publishers. We won't get into the E.C. Gaines file copies though, since most of those are exceptional and they stand on their own as a true anomaly. Regardless, the File Copy argument does not hold water since the previous sale I referenced was also a File Copy. Maybe even the same one, ouch to the seller!

The lowest this book has sold for via Heritage since 2008. This issue is generally considered a key due to this not necessarily war cover, but definitely wartime with the 1942 publication year. It is certainly considered a very patriotic cover, and every red-blooded American should feel a bit of that, even if you don't like the duck books. I honestly considered this book to at least hold ground if not continue to grow steadily in price during these decline years.

Early Bronze Age DC now. I'm sure many of you were as enthralled and maybe perplexed as I was watching all the DC Kirby 4th World books skyrocket in value during the movie hype years. Very likely, that's what it was, movie hype - which of these cool characters and/or teams would make the big screen? Well, kudos to those of you who were sitting on cases of OMAC #1 and cashed in. That ship has sailed. The previous price realized by Heritage for a New Gods #6 in this grade? That would be $1,620.00 in (you guessed it?) 2023. Don't get me wrong on this sale, in fact congrats to the buyer on what I consider to be a pretty good price for this book, in this grade.

Early Bronze Age Marvel now, to show it's not just DC. Amazing Adventures #12, what a cool and underrated book, I've always thought! You've got The Beast, the cooler, more wild animal-like Beast, just pummelling Iron Man. Far-fetched maybe, but fun. A nice Gil Kane cover. And on the interior you've got Mike Ploog art, while his style was rapidly becoming distinct and phenomenal. Regarding the price - consider, a CGC NM/MT 9.8 copy (same grade) sold for $1,075.50, in 2007. I know we had a long way to fall, but this is almost starting to look like a really nice buyer's market.

Is all that glitters just grease on garbage? What? Ok, what I mean is, are there any bright spots? Of course there are! I tell you this every update, and what to look for. Here you go - great cover, great artist, scarcity. The best known copy for this book is only a 7.0. And how many times do I need to emphasize L.B. Cole covers? Not to mention this could technically be considered an Xmas cover. And seriously, what a gorgeous Christmas cover! The previous Heritage sale for the same book in the same grade? $480.00 in 2020. Might have seemed high at the time, but put it all in perspective, and consider especially census.

Ok, one more bright spot, and sorry, Mr. Cole again. If you read my market reports regularly, you know I love genre mash-ups! Sure, crossing Westerns with Romance Comics is one of the easier mash-ups, but it's still damn cool to me. There are no previous Heritage sales in this grade, though I'd love to see what that 9.6 would go for! The Nosto charts show sparks starting for this book around 2018, hopefully a few of you picked up on that.

One quick coin to highlight this round, and don't ask me why this one stood out, other than performing really well. It's just a really good looking coin, and it's nice to give credit to NGC for a change. I guess I've also always been partial to this series. I can't help but wonder if a re-grade might bring a plus on this coin. But I don't know how that is factored in when it already has two key designations.

Thank you Heritage, for running an all-certified-magazines auction! This brought in new bidders, who fought like lions for the high grade copies of Heavy Metal and other magazines offered. Buyers ponied up for the 9.8s. Smartly? I don't think so, given it's still relatively early in magazine slabbing census time. There were several 9.8 Heavy Metals that did really well in this auction, probably because they are Finest Knowns on the census, but it is still a very sparse census (10 for this issue). This is not a scarce magazine, and more 9.8s will definitely roll in.