I talked about the strategy of spotting simmering books in this article on how to spot the next breakout hit. Specifically, my contention is that modern/copper books selling in the $500 range for 9.8 grades are simmering candidates that can break into the higher price ceilings. This is because the price is telling us that the market values this book. Under the right conditions, the market will value it even more. The recent breakout of Edge of Spiderverse #2 variant is an example of a book selling well in the $500 range before breaking into the current $1k level.

Spotting simmering books

Beyond the price, below are additional criteria I used to filter out what I think are simmering books:

• Price: As I stated, it has to be in the range of $400-$600 for a CGC 9.8 copper/modern book. The high price means there are positive factors that are making this book valuable. We don’t have to know all the factors as the price has neatly summarized everything into a single relevant point of data. We just need to open our eyes to them.

• Frequently of sales: A simmering book has to sell consistently. High price is useless if it is not selling.

• Availability: This is not a critical factor but one that is nice to have. Lots of simmering books in the past such as NYX #3, BA #12 etc al have plenty of copies available. However, it is much easier for a book that is rarer to go from simmering to full breakout, like Edge of Spiderverse #2 variant.

Which modern/copper books are simmering currently?

This is not an exhaustive list but something I have noting down in my hunt for such books

Solar #10

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One of the 2 must have keys from the 90s valiant books (the other is Harbinger #1 9.8). This book sells consistently above $500 and seems to be inching higher. The thing is this: this book always sells when the price is this range and they are never readily available. Just look at the current sales when there was an Ebay seller selling multiple copies of this book:

With a census count of less than 200 copies out of more than 700 submissions, this tough book will not increase in supply in the same manner as books like NYX #3.

Reasons to get this book

• Proven demand with consistent sales
• A floor has been set by collectors so value is easily preserved
• Supply is tight, making it very likely to spike in price when demand increases
• Potential eternal warrior movie is coming
• Plenty of money to be made when it crosses the $1k mark from its current price point

Batman #655 Variant

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The variant version of the first appearance of Damian Wayne is getting up there in terms of 9.8 prices. Sales for this book has been brisk, with no current 9.8 available on Ebay. It will be interesting to see the prices when the next one pops up.

Daiman is now part of the Batman mythology. His importance will only continue to grow and that is one reason why this book has the potential to suddenly become hot and break the #1k barrier.

Reasons to get this book:

• First appearance of Damian Wayne
• Consistent sales of 9.8, which indicates demand
• Character is growing in importance
• 200+ copies on census, based on 400+ submission. Supply is not as tight as Solar #10 but with a bigger batman fan base, demand might still exceed the current supply of this book

New Mutants #87

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Sales activity for this book is increasing. We are witnessing how a book is transiting from simmering to boiling. I believe this book will reach around $700-800 or even $1000 for newsstand versions in the coming months, despite its supply. Fox seems to be handling the character well. With a committed 3 movie appearances, I believe Cable will have legs in the future. The growth is not going to be as strong as the other 2 but it will grow.

Reasons to own this book

• Blue chip copper key
• Increasing sales activity, indicating that a boiling point might be reached soon
• Not as common as NM98 so it needs less demand to reach the same price level
• 3 movie contract

Conclusion

Simmering books are not easy to find but they are worth the effort. The previous simmering books I invested in ie NYX #3 and BA #12 paid generous dividends. I hope these 3 will offer the same kind of returns as well.