Pokemon Investment

 The valuation of high-grade and vintage Pokemon cards since 2004 has grown, according to CardLadder by over 3400%. Compare that to the Standard and Poor 500 stock market index, which has grown by a “mere” 483% over the same time period. The overall value of Pokemon cards has grown this year 28%, compared to “only” 13% by the S&P 500. AJ Scaramucci of Treasure Trove.com says he has already turned down an offer of over $3 million for the Tales of Suspense #39 and, though Treasure Trove has no plans to sell the comic or the Pikachu Illustrator card, he believes these sort of collectibles are vastly undervalued and expects the Pikachu Illustrator card due to the same type of rarity as that of artworks by masters from the 18^th and 19^th centuries to reach a valuation of $100 million sometime in the future.

New Comics for 9/23/26

 A MISCHIEF OF MAGPIES #2

ABSOLUTE BATMAN #24

ABSOLUTE FLASH #19

ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #24 CVR A HAYDEN SHERMAN

BISHOP #4

BLACK STAR #3

BLACK TOWER THE RAVEN CONSPIRACY #2

BUG WARS THE COMING OF THE WARDOOM #2

CONAN THE BARBARIAN TIDES OF THE TYRANT KING #1

CORPSE KNIGHT #6

CRIMES AGAINST NATURE #1

DC W.I.P. BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS #1

DEAD ACRE #3

DISNEY TIM NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS: ALL HAIL THE PUMPKIN KING  ISSUE #3

DISPATCHED #3

DO A POWERBOMB BLACK AND WHITE #3

DORC #8

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK ESCAPE FROM CHICAGO #1

EXQUISITE CORPSES RASCAL RANDY #3

EYE COLLECTOR #4

EYRIE MAGAZINE #14

FERAL #26

FLASH #37

FORGED #13

FORT PSYCHO #2

GAMBIT GONE #1

GENERATION X-23 #8

GHOST OF A GHOST #1

GHOST PEPPER #15

GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #110

GREATEST AMERICAN HERO #3

GREEN LANTERN #39

GUN HONEY DOUBLES DOWN #4

HARLEY QUINN #66

HELLRAISER: RESURRECTIONS – HELL’S COUNCIL #1

INFERNAL HULK VS. WOLVERINE #1

INVINCIBLE UNIVERSE CAPES #11

JUNK PUNCH #4

JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #23

LAST DRIVER #2

LAST STARFIGHTER #3

LAZARUS ORDER #2

M1 MONSTER RACING LEAGUE #4

MADAME TARANTULA MAGAZINE #3

MARVEL MANGAVERSE: GHOSTLOCKE #1

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: LEGENDS OF ETERNIA  ISSUE #2

MEGA MAN GEAR MASTERS #1

MIKE HOFFMANS TIGRESS MAGAZINE #1

MILES MORALES: SPIDER-MAN #2

MUPPETS TAKE THE MARVEL UNIVERSE #1

POWER RANGERS GREEN #2

PUNISHER VS. SPIDER-MAN #3

ROCKETFELLERS #14

SMILE: ANY GIVEN SMILE #1

SOLOMON KANE THE LION ERRANT #3

SPAWN SCORCHED #55

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY #5

SPIDER-MAN/HULK: FIRE AND BRIMSTONE #2

STAR TREK (2026) #1

STAR WARS: THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT #2

STREET FIGHTER MASTERS JURI #1

SUPERMAN #141 FACSIMILE

SUPERMAN #42

SUPERMAN FATHER OF TOMORROW #5

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SATURDAY MORNING ADVENTURES #41

TERMINAL #3

THAT TEXAS BLOOD HELL COMES TO ALLISON RANCH #1

THE DOGSITTER #3

THE FOUNDRY #2

THE ROCKETEER: INFILTRATOR! #3

THOR #801

UNIVERSAL MONSTERS BLOOD OF THE WOLF MAN #4

V FOR VENDETTA #1 FACSIMILE

VAMPIRELLA (2026) #6

VOID RIVALS #34

WATCHMEN #1

WOLVERINE #28

YUMI 00EX #2

Pokemon Valuation

 

Remember Logan Paul’s Pokemon card which sold for over $16 million (See “Logan Paul’s Pokemon TCG Pikachu Illustrator Card Becomes Most Expensive Trading Card Ever Sold”)? It went to AJ Scaramucci, who calls himself a “venture collector” and is, according to the September 11, 2026 issue of The Hollywood Reporter, a partner in the Treasure Trove website, which bills itself as “a holding company structured to hold and compound elite culturally-significant real-world collectibles” and spent $2 million in cash on a CGC 9.8 copy of Tales of Suspense #39 (first appearance of Iron Man) earlier this summer. Like many other Pokemon collectors, Scaramucci got interested in collecting the cards during COVID though he apparently had no interest in the game when he was younger and, like many of today’s collectors, has no interest in playing the game but sees the cards, comics and other epherema as artistic and cultural items he expects to grow in value over time.

Murloc Figure

 to move more World of Warcraft D&D merchandise to the customer, stores ordering at least one of each SKU of the assorted D&D World of Warcraft products, which means at least one of each of the covers,  the DM Screen,  Icecrown Citadel Adventure Map Pack, Miniatures Horde Pack and  Miniatures Alliance Pack, will receive an assortment of unpainted Murloc miniatures to give away with the purchase of D&D World of Warcraft products.  Although the promotion does not dictate how the miniatures are to be given away, it recommends giving one to each customer buying both a book and one other related D&D World of Warcraft product. I hope WotC puts some effort and additional promotional dollars into not only the World of Warcraft promotion but also letting people know about it, making the Murloc figure a rare and hard to find item.  Too often, and this is not only Wizards but most other game (and comic) publishers, companies come up with promotions and then rely on social media or word of mouth to get the word out about them.  In the case of most recent promotions, the customer comes in, makes a purchase or qualifies for the promotion but has no idea about it and is surprised when we give them the item for which they qualified. We and other stores make in-store signage but if a company decides to go to the effort to design a promotion, also go to the effort to let the target market know about it.

Games Workshop New Releases

 These will release October 3rd. let us know by 3 p.m. Sept 15 if you want any.

The Emperor’s Angels have finally arrived! The 11th Edition release of our most iconic faction, includes new miniatures, new variations, and a new format codex.

Codex: Space Marines is designed for gamers to react rapidly in the most tense encounters and comes in a new format with updated lore, rules, and hobby inspiration. 

 This release contains multi-purchase Astartes kits that have an answer for all the horrors the galaxy will throw at them. Hobbyists will collect multiple kits to fulfill all battlefield roles.

Keep the tide at bay with new heroes such as Kaius Konorius, who stands ready to sacrifice all in their dedication to their Chapter and the Emperor.

Fluxx as a Gift

 

Fluxx is always number one on my list of recommendations to people coming into the store looking for gifts (as long as they are not looking for Magic, Pokemon or something specific). With dozens of different versions of the game, a staff member can usually find one which fits into the parameters the gifter has set. Although Looney Labs has fewer licensed versions than in the past (I believe Monty Python and Star Trek are the only two current ones), the addition of Wonderland, Oz and Pooh, I mean Hundred Acre Wood, appeals to older gamers and, although there is Mystery Fluxx, given the characters continued popularity and its presence in the public domain, I would  certainly stock a Holmes and Watson themed deck.

One Piece TCG

 We are unable to secure a steady supply of English One Piece cards but have found a source for Japanese packs, the same place we are getting our Japanese Pokemon cards. We should start getting in some next week.

GW New Releases Sept 26

 Releasing Sept 26

Two Gargants bashing heads? Sign us up! This new two player box sets the stage for a titanic bash up with two Gargants and all new terrain. With a great added value, this will be a highly sought after box for more than just Age of Sigmar collectors.

The foundations of the Mortal Realms shake as the Sons of Behemat dominate the battlefield. Boasting a full line of new re-imagined Gargant models, Battletome and play accessories, the Sons of Behemat will be in higher demand than ever before. Ma Maegran, Chooser of the Mighty, accompanied by her two pet Ancient Ghyrochs, leads the new Boss-Stompers kit that can also build the Rock Hurlers.

New Comics Releasing 9/9/26

 ACTION COMICS #1102

ALADDIN #2

ARCHIE #1

BARBARA GORDON BREAKOUT #5 CVR A KARL KERSCHL

BATMAN #251 FACSIMILE

BATMAN & ROBIN YEAR ONE DYNAMIC DUOS #2

BATMAN BAD SEEDS GOTHAM CENTRAL #1

BLACK CAT #14

CHACHU #2

CHALLENGES OF DOOM: SPIDER-MAN #1

CLAYFACE CELEBRITY DIRT #3

COMICS THE MAGAZINE #7

DEADLY TALES OF THE GUNSLINGER SPAWN #18

DEATH VIGIL (2026) #2

DOCTOR STRANGE #10

DOOMQUEST #4

EMPEROR AQUAMAN #21

EVENT HORIZON: INFERNO #5

FIRE AND ICE DARKWOLF #3

FIXATION #1

FOLK OF DOONEY HOLLOW #1

FOREVER HOME #1

FURY OF FIRESTORM #6

GI JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO #332

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #20

HELLRAISER: RESURRECTIONS – THE ONANISTIC RITUAL #1

HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: THE WINGS OF FATE #3

HONOR AND CURSE ETERNAL #6

INGLORIOUS X-FORCE #9

IRON MAN #9

KARMAN BLADE #1

MAGIC: THE GATHERING: UNTOLD STORIES–JACE #4

MARVEL GOLD ’76 #1

MARVEL MANGAVERSE: IRON KNIGHT #1

NANO #2

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH #5

OF THE EARTH #5

OMEGA BOOK #2

PUNISHER #8

SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT DARK WINTER #2

SIX OF US #1

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #89

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG X GODZILLA #2

SPAWN 77 #1

STAR TREK: 60TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL

STAR TREK: DEVIATIONS–EVERMORE

STAR TREK: RED SHIRTS–GHOST OF THE 21ST CENTURY #2

STAR WARS: THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT #1

STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC ADVENTURES–PATHFINDERS #5

STARHENGE BOOK TWO A KISS FOR ATTICUS #3

SUPERGIRL #17

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: COASTAL CHAOS #1

TANK GIRL BLUE HELMET SUMMER SPECIAL #1

TANKERS VS ANCIENT ALIENS #4

TARZAN BEYOND #3

THUNDERCATS CHEETARA #1

TMNT: JOURNEYS #13

TRANSFORMERS #36

VALIANT BEYOND: ALL-NEW HARBINGER #8–RISEN #2

VALIANT BEYOND: BLOODSHOT #5

WOLVERINE #27

YOUNG HELLBOY: THRILLING SKY ADVENTURES #3

ZORRO #3

Don Reents Retirement

 

I want to  congratulate Don Reents on his announced retirement from Chessex Manufacturing (See “Chessex Owner Donald Reents Retires”). Don has been a fixture in the industry and Chessex was the first national distributor to compete with The Armory, eventually merging the two companies in 1998 (See “Chessex Founder Don Reents”). Chessex was also the first company to greatly expand the varieties of dice stores offered to the hobby game customer as well as related items such as Battlemats, tokens and markers.  However, the thing I most remember about Reents was sitting down with him at Ft. Wayne Pentecon back in the late nineties and pelting him with questions about baseball and his thoughts about various aspects of the sport and its fans which I incorporated into my dissertation. So Don, happy retirement, thanks for the help and to paraphrase Douglas Adams “So long and thanks for all the dice”.

D&D World of Warcraft

 

Wizards of the Coast is making a big push to make sure its first Gameplay Expansion for Dungeons and Dragons sell successfully (See “Wizards of the Coast Reveals Product Line Details for Dungeons and Dragons:  World of Warcraft”) offering stores incentives tied to the quantity of books purchased. For the first time, a D&D book will release with three covers:  Standard cover, Alternate/WPN Store cover and a Collector Edition cover with an MSRP of $99.99.  Ordering 6 copies of any cover gets a store a metal display rack similar to the one given out with the release of the 2024 updates for the Dungeons and Dragons core rulebooks. Order 12 copies of any cover in any combination and the store receives the metal display rack and a free copy of the Standard cover book.  To encourage stores to really push their orders, a store ordering 24 copies of any combination of covers will receive a large display holding 12 to 15 books and a free copy of the Collector’s Edition cover.

Pokemon

 We currently have Pitch Black, Chaos Rising, Perfect Order and destined Rivals booster packs in stock, as well as a limited quantity of Japanese Pokemon packs. We also have a few Destined Rivals ETKs left and expect to get in more First Partner Series 3 boxes later this week.

We do play Pokemon from 6 to 8, generally a tournament, on Wednesday night and 1 to 3 on Saturday afternoon.