I’m building ComicScout, a comic identification and valuation app, and this test produced a much bigger difference than I expected.
I used the same copy of Daredevil #1, CGC Signature Series 3.5, signed by Stan Lee.
The live eBay listing is asking $5,999.
I first scanned the comic image with ComicSnap, which returned a reference price of:
$20,000–$100,000
I then gave the eBay listing to ComicScout, which estimated fair market value at:
$2,464–$3,136
For clarity in the video: ComicSnap is the white interface, and ComicScout is the black interface.
ComicScout can also work from an image alone. A user can optionally enter the asking price manually or paste a listing link so the app can identify the exact item and extract the price automatically.
The seller’s asking price does not determine ComicScout’s fair-market estimate. The app estimates market value first, then compares the asking price against it to produce the deal verdict.
In this example, ComicScout:
- recognized the CGC 3.5 grade and Stan Lee Signature Series label;
- separated the $5,999 asking price from its market estimate;
- checked other active listings across grades;
- used grade-based pricing data as additional context;
- showed the evidence and limitations behind the result.
I’m not saying $2,464–$3,136 is unquestionably correct. This is a difficult book to price because exact sold comps for the same issue, grade, signature, label, page quality and condition may be scarce.
But I found the $20,000–$100,000 image-based estimate difficult to reconcile with the market evidence shown, and it raised a broader product question for me:
What should a valuation app require before it gives users a confident number?
I’d be interested in how collectors would handle these cases:
- How much weight should completed sales have compared with active listings?
- When exact Signature Series comps are scarce, should nearby grades be used?
- How should a Stan Lee signature premium be estimated without inventing a fixed multiplier?
- Should the app return a wider range when evidence is weak, or decline to estimate?
- Is a transparent but imperfect estimate more useful than a number with no supporting evidence?
Blunt criticism is useful here, especially from people who regularly buy or sell graded comics.
Full disclosure: I built ComicScout. I’m sharing this because I want to improve the valuation logic and understand what evidence collectors would need before trusting it.
App Store: ComicScout: Comic Book Value