The temporary tattoo sticker included with The Amazing Spider-Man #238 has become a key factor in determining whether a comic is complete. Among 9.8-graded copies, those missing the sticker have a price ceiling of around $500, while complete copies with the sticker are valued at $1,500 or higher.
This issue was published in December 1982 and introduced the villain Hobgoblin, who uses technology left behind by the Green Goblin. That same month, Marvel Comics partnered with Lakeside Tattooz to include temporary tattoo stickers in select comics, with issue #238 being one of them. Although the sticker is not directly related to the story, the grading company CGC labels copies missing the sticker with a conditional grade.
Hakes is currently auctioning a 9.8-graded copy with the tattoo sticker. At the time of writing, bids for this comic had already exceeded $1,000, with more than a week left until the auction ends. Another unique 9.9-graded copy sold for over $31,000 last year; this historical sale price is not in the same category as the ongoing auction bids or the reference valuations for standard copies.
The same month, issue #252 of Fantastic Four also included the same sticker, but at a much lower price. Some collectors have therefore transferred the sticker from it to incomplete copies of The Amazing Spider-Man #238. The collecting community is divided on whether this kind of completion is appropriate, and grading results may vary.