Spring 2021 Investor Update
This update has been compiled for the loyal Mythic Markets investor community, as well as prospective investors who are curious about joining us. We’ll look back on the last year and how our first assets have performed since their initial offerings.
Collectibles investing has gone mainstream
The past 12 months have seen greater and greater interest in collectibles investment from major funds and the mainstream media.
One after another, niche alternative asset classes have seen widely-reported spikes. Sports rookie cards saw a massive uptick in new records starting with Michael Jordan’s “The Last Dance” documentary which is still going strong. YouTube’s biggest influencers drummed up hype for vintage Pokemon cards. And more recently, the NFT craze has forced millions to re-think their stance on alternative assets and collectibles in general.
Trading starts April 20 on Mythic Markets
Since inception, Mythic Markets has grown its marketplace around a slew of “holy grail” assets from dominant pop culture IPs. Magic: The Gathering - the first and most popular trading card game, played by close to 40 million people worldwide - provided our first prominent offerings, including the world’s most valuable trading card. We also dove into the world of vintage comics, including the foundational debut issues for Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four.
Peer-to-peer share trading* launches April 20, 2021 - a major step in our mission to democratize access to alternative investments. New buyers will be able to move into these previously sold-through offerings by buying up existing shares from their original owners. Of course, this also provides those initial investors a chance to adjust their position should they choose!
Four assets will be available for trading on our first trading day:
In light of this massive step for our fractionalized collectibles marketplace, we wanted to quickly check in on how they have been performing since their shares first sold. If you’ve been waiting for trading to open to make your move, or you’re thinking of buying in to ride the ongoing collectibles buzz, this is the hard performance data you need to know.
News and updates on trading assets
Alpha Edition "Black Lotus" MTG card, 9.0 grade (MTG-ABL90)
BACKGROUND
Our very first public offering, MTG-ABL90 established the standard we wanted to maintain throughout our collection. It is the most prestigious status symbol within its class, with a price tag and cultural significance which makes it well-known even outside of Magic. With a market value within that community which has rarely fallen and always recovered, the legend of the Lotus and the importance of Magic within gaming history make this a sought-after blue-chip collectible.
Learn more about MTG-ABL90 and historical sales
NEWS
It turns out that the Black Lotus is actually more rare than anyone realized! Retiring Wizards of the Coast CEO Peter Adkison challenged the long-accepted estimate of the Alpha print run size, positing that it was one of only 1,008 printed versus 1,100.
The growing focus from buyers on Magic’s artwork has enshrined late Lotus artist Christopher Rush, who died in 2016, as an element of interest in itself. It’s no accident that several of the recent record sales involve cards he signed - including a PSA 10 graded copy which sold on eBay this January for a record-smashing $511,100.
Even the surge in attention on Pokemon cards brought on by big-name YouTubers has seemed to help, as interest in those cards spills over to older and bigger-ticket trading cards.
These combined growth forces have led to the record price for a high-grade Lotus being broken and then doubled again in just the past six months.
RECENT SALES
We initially offered MTG-ABL90 in August 2019 with a $90,000 market cap.
Since then, Alpha Black Lotuses of the same grade have sold on eBay and Heritage Auctions for:
$101,100.00 on June 27, 2019
$75,612.00 on July 22, 2019
$84,600.00 on August 1, 2019
$79,100.00 on November 26, 2019
$160,988.88 on February 24, 2021
Factory-sealed booster boxes of MTG cards, featuring each set released in 1994 (MTG-94BOX)
BACKGROUND
The strong performance of early Magic cards is not limited to the Black Lotus alone. These booster boxes, representing a complete set of releases from the game’s breakout year, are subject to a perfect storm of factors contributing to their collectable status. But the “Reserved List”, a list of cards which the game’s publisher Wizards of the Coast has promised never to reprint, is the biggest factor. It has led to heavy interest from speculators, becoming an unofficial buyer’s guide to the rarest and most valuable Magic cards.
Learn more about MTG-94BOX and historical sales
NEWS
The last few years have seen annual spikes across the entire Reserved List, which predominantly features cards from the sets in MTG-94BOX. The 2020 surge alone more than doubled the market price of standouts like “Mishra’s Workshop” (+435%), “Candelabra of Tawnos” (+168%), “Gwendlyn Di Corci” (+272%), “Mana Drain” (+123%) and “Transmute Artifact” (+132%).
Each of those was already worth hundreds or thousands of dollars, and they are still not even at the top of the price guide for 1994 today. To imagine the potential for many of these cards to be found, mint fresh, within the sealed packs of MTG-94BOX is to understand the appeal of the offering to long-term investors.
The Magic brand is still showing strong growth, with owner Hasbro reporting 2020 as the game’s “best year ever” after revenue grew 15%, and major tie-in deals have been announced with Lord of the Rings and other fantasy IPs. So long as the game’s footprint grows, we expect these relics of its history will continue to elevate their stature among collectors.
RECENT LISTINGS
We initially offered MTG-94BOX in May 2020 with a $55,000 market cap.
While it’s rare to see public sales of an entire set of booster boxes like this, we’ve seen a few recent listings and sales of individual boxes:
Boxes of Antiquities ($65,000), Legends ($40,000), Revised ($20,000), and The Dark ($8,000) are among the most expensive booster boxes listed through major Magic vendors, with only Fallen Empires ($1,000) close to the median.
The 1994 Magic The Gathering Legends Booster Box sold on January 13, 2021 for $27,999.95 on eBay. Another one reportedly sold for $40,000 in a private transaction in March 2021.
The 1994 Magic The Gathering The Dark Booster Box sold on February 1, 2021 for $6,100.00 on eBay.
Spider-Man's original debut comic: Amazing Fantasy #15, 7.0 grade (COM-AF157)
BACKGROUND
Spider-Man is the biggest star in Marvel’s stable, and has been since the release of this book in August 1962. Debut (or “key”) issues are the place to be when investing in comics. Throw in perhaps the most beloved and resonant origin story in comics history, and you see why Amazing Fantasy #15 can command a higher price than even Golden Age comics from the ‘30s and ‘40s.
Very few high-graded copies exist, with only 51 known to receive a 7.0 from CGC. Our specimen is among the best-displaying of its grade, as detailed in its QES evaluation.
Learn more about COM-AF157 and historical sales
NEWS
Aside from the high floor established by its historic significance, the major growth factor for COM-AF157 has been the release of blockbuster movies. When Tom Holland finally introduced the web-slinging superhero to Marvel’s cinematic universe in 2017, the median price of 7.0 copies jumped from ~$45,000 to ~$95,000, with several copies since fetching over $100,000 based on their specific qualities and defects.
RECENT SALES
We initially offered COM-AF157 in July 2020 with a $92,000 market cap.
While the only public auction of a 7.0 copy since 2019 reached a disappointing final bid of $81,000, this can be attributed to a prominent “PAID” stamp which defaces the front cover - a sign of how numbered grading can sometimes be too abstract to capture the specific qualities of a comic.
By contrast, the three other high-grade copies of Amazing Fantasy #15 in 2020 broke or came within 10% of the record for their grade, including a stunning $795,000 (+75% increase) for a pristine 9.4 comic. With so few sales and only 155 known copies graded 7.0 or above, we expect to see continued interest from collectors as they search for the best specimens available on the open market.
Fantastic Four #1, 6.0 grade (COM-FF160)
BACKGROUND
The Fantastic Four is another great household name from Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the first big commercial success that put the creative superteam on the map. It was published continuously until 2015, the longest unbroken run for a Marvel title and one of the best records in all of comics. These 1960s comics, themed as they are around super-science and cosmic invaders, perfectly capture the zeitgeist of that period. They also allow Kirby, the most highly regarded comics artist of all time, to show off his famed imagination for alien worlds and psychedelic special effects.
Learn more about COM-FF160 and historical sales
NEWS
Given the massive cultural influence of Marvel’s cinematic universe on the popular culture of this past decade, it is impossible to ignore that their entire superhero universe began on page one of this issue. Now free of a licensing stalemate, the characters are positioned as the centerpiece for Marvel’s post-pandemic wave of films.
While confirmed details are still forthcoming, the internet is already awash in speculation. The Fantastic Four are heavily rumored to be debuting in the upcoming third Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (late 2022 release date) opposite potential Thanos replacement Kang the Conqueror. It's also possible they’ll show up on TV earlier next year, considering their connection to characters like She-Hulk.
Either way, now that they're confirmed to be joining the MCU, their high status in the canon plus their link to cosmic/interdimensional villains (the calibre which most easily gives us new Avengers-tier threats) makes them obviously pivotal.
As the biggest Marvel stars not yet over-exposed to moviegoers, we expect the Fantastic Four to garner a new surge of mainstream attention once the Disney marketing engine kicks into gear.
RECENT SALES
We initially offered COM-FF160 in September 2020 with a $32,000 market cap.
This issue has seen steady growth since 2011, with the median price of 6.0 graded copies rising from $7,600 to:
$10,500 in 2015
$19,000 in 2017
$26,852 in 2019 (the last known auction of a 6.0 graded copy)
Recent sales of 7.5 and 7.0 graded copies have shown growth of 43.8% and 83.4% respectively, in the same timeframe.
Additional resources
Comic Book Investment Guide
The History of Comics Grading
Trading on Mythic Markets