# Buying, selling, and collecting comic books. Teach me. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056 "2012-02-16T19:37:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/1 "2012-02-16T19:37:01Z")
I attend a weekly auction just for fun and maaaaaybe a little profit, and I’ve noticed that when they sell comic collections, they never sell for very much. So I bid on a few lots and won one. I now have 430 comics for 48, or .11 per comic. Now I need to know how to sell these for maximum profit. I’ve got some junk some (Teen Titans, Jenny Sparks) and some awesome ones (World’s Finest in the 300s, Action Comics 197-199 and 300s), so I’ve got a few questions: 1. Is it worth getting the old ones graded? The unofficial grade is Fine/Very Fine, so I’m not sure it’s worth the $25 per comic. 2. Where should I sell these? eBay? Amazon? A specific comics site? 3. Should I sell individually or in lots? If in lots, how many per lot? I’m thinking 10. Anything else I should know? ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/2 "2012-02-16T19:53:32Z")
What you should know is that unless you have some of the very few collectible issues, you’re not going to be making a profit, little or otherwise. You probably won’t be taking much of a loss, though – $0.10/comic is about what I’d expect. The comics speculation bubble had collapsed by the 90s. If you’re going to try to sell them, don’t bother paying to have them graded (none of the ones you mentioned make me think you’ve got a superrare). e-Bay or something like is probably what you want to go with; Amazon would be too much hassle for no return. Bundle them by consecutive runs – you’re more likely to get a bite by advertising “Action Comics #3XX-3YY” than you are with “10 random comics maybe including some Action Comics in the 300s”. Really what you _should_ do is read them to enjoy, but consider them disposable unless you have some sentimental attachment to them. Or leave them for your kids to sell after comics publishing collapses in a few decades, making them antiques after a few more decades. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/3 "2012-02-16T19:56:58Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > What you should know is that unless you have some of the very few collectible issues What’s the best way to find that out? Preferrably before bidding? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/4 "2012-02-16T20:27:00Z")
Sending this over to Cafe Society, where it can fight for truth, justice and the American Way. From IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/5 "2012-02-16T20:35:49Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > Sending this over to Cafe Society, where it can fight for truth, justice and the American Way. From IMHO. You truly understand that with great mod power comes great responsibility. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/6 "2012-02-16T21:53:33Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > some awesome ones (World’s Finest in the 300s, Action Comics 197-199 and 300s) Sorry, flip that. It’s “World’s Finest 197-199, 300s” and “Action Comics 400s” ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/7 "2012-02-16T22:32:27Z")
I don’t what else to add but I just sold my complete run of Marvel’s Master of Kung Fu series (including the various one-shots, the MAX mini-series, the four Giant-Size issues, the annual and a slew of other comics featuring MOKF appearances) for $500. That’s 175 comics. Average condition on the MOKF titles was Fine while most of the newer titles were Near Mint. I’m sure I barely broke even (if that) as I put the collection together from different sources. What made the MOKF comics so collectible (other than they’re surprisingly good) is that they’re unlikely to be reprinted due to rights issues over the use of Sax Rohmer characters. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/8 "2012-02-17T00:50:44Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > What’s the best way to find that out? Preferrably before bidding? I’m an insufficient comic grognard to help with this; a few of the comic book fans around here might have some suggestions. Personally, I’d just ask the guys at my local comic shop. That’s probably best for when you have a limited selection of books you’re interested in (e.g., “What’s worth $ from Action Comics runs?”). There are probably messageboards for comic collectors that would accomplish the same. Beyond that, you’re basically looking for EVENT issues. #1s often. Deaths of major characters (Death of Superman, Phoenix Saga in X-Men). Major story arcs – especially if _complete_; having the entire run is better. Since you’ve mostly got DC titles, you can probably find out fairly easily which ones are valuable by which issues people talk about (e.g., if you had “Whatever Happened To The Man of Tomorrow”, that’d probably be worth something). But basically you have two types of potential buyers: (1) buyers hoping that you don’t know what you have so that _they_ can make a buck off of _you_, and (2) buyers who are interested in that specific issue because of personal reasons. The former is really, _really_ unlikely… and you’re trying the same yourself. Best to focus on the latter if you do this. Also: variant covers are utterly worthless. But comic companies hype them very much. Ignore that hype. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/9 "2012-02-17T00:58:15Z")
I got some good advice in this thread. > **[Found my old comic book trove - what to do with it?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=621144)** > > Besides read it, I mean. 🙂 So I uncovered maybe 60 or 70 comics, the vast majority of them from Marvel’s Bronze Age (mid-to-late 70s), and including some oddities like Star Wars comics, Human Fly, Black Panther…and also a LOT of Conan! No surprise... ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/10 "2012-02-17T02:45:24Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > But basically you have two types of potential buyers: (1) buyers hoping that you don’t know what you have so that _they_ can make a buck off of _you_ True, but I have an advantage. I’m the one at the auction house. Last night, they sold two ceramic bowls for $500 but couldn’t sell a men’s diamond ring for $5. I’m still pissed that last week, they didn’t notice my absentee bid and let someone walk away with a lot of comics for $35 when it included at least 10 modern TPBs that are selling on eBay and Amazon for $20 apiece. That’s not because they’re rare, but because they were hardbacks. Bastards! So I do think there’s a buck to be made here. I’m in it for the fun of it, so a $1 profit makes me feel like the smartest guy on the planet. ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/11 "2012-02-17T04:18:51Z")
Go to eBay and check what some of the issues you own have sold for recently. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/12 "2012-02-17T14:03:47Z")
Has anyone ever heard of “The Sandman”? I just randomly hopped on Reddit in r/comics and a poster asked “What’s the best comics series ever?” All the replies were either “Watchmen” or “The Sandman”. Then I found out I have the complete run (1-75), plus a few spinoffs and a TPB. According to at least one trading site, it’s worth about $250. Can someone tell me what’s so great about this series? ---
**Author:** ![GEEPERS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c89c15/32.png) [@GEEPERS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GEEPERS)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/13 "2012-02-17T15:45:50Z")
My advice is to buy comics for reading not reselling. Just no profit, and even the comic stores are struggling to stay alive. The move to digital comic apps is only taking away more demand for print copies. Funny thing is I’m finding reprints editions are one of the few items that are holding and/or increasing in value. Particular the Marvel Omnibus collections when they go OOP. OOP Marvel Masterworks can bid up over $100 bucks for a single book. I love these books because they are hard to damage, and beautiful to read and enjoy. 90s era books are a hard sell anywhere. That’s when the comic book bubble existed, and companies were churring out thousands of copies so practically nothing is rare. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/14 "2012-02-17T16:47:36Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Has anyone ever heard of “The Sandman”? I just randomly hopped on Reddit in r/comics and a poster asked “What’s the best comics series ever?” All the replies were either “Watchmen” or “The Sandman”. > > Then I found out I have the complete run (1-75), plus a few spinoffs and a TPB. According to at least one trading site, it’s worth about $250. > > Can someone tell me what’s so great about this series? The Sandman was more like a graphic novel than a comic, but was written by Neil Gaiman. It is truly fantastic. You can get the graphic novels for about ½ retail anywhere, including Amazon. Don’t buy the actual comics. I found “the Watchman” to be over-rated but still it’s worth reading in graphic novel format. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/15 "2012-02-17T17:06:47Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Has anyone ever heard of “The Sandman”? I just randomly hopped on Reddit in r/comics and a poster asked “What’s the best comics series ever?” All the replies were either “Watchmen” or “The Sandman”. > > Then I found out I have the complete run (1-75), plus a few spinoffs and a TPB. According to at least one trading site, it’s worth about $250. > > Can someone tell me what’s so great about this series? Since you already have a complete run, you could try, you know, reading them. They’re kind of a horror/fantasy thing with a lot of literary allusions and a main character who doesn’t act much of anything like a traditional superhero. There was some gratuitous nastiness early on that I couldn’t/didn’t get past (the 24-hours-in-a-diner thing), but a lot of people really like it. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/16 "2012-02-17T17:50:52Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Since you already have a complete run, you could try, you know, reading them. They’re kind of a horror/fantasy thing with a lot of literary allusions and a main character who doesn’t act much of anything like a traditional superhero. There was some gratuitous nastiness early on that I couldn’t/didn’t get past (the 24-hours-in-a-diner thing), but a lot of people really like it. I’ve read the series a few times, and quite enjoy it, but I’ll also admit that it might not be to everybody’s taste. It can be a little difficult in the beginning, owing possibly to the references to other characters from other series, and the inclusion of the occasional superhero for no apparently good reason; but once the series finds its feet (which it does at about issue 15 or so), it is a series of superb short stories and longer story arcs, all of which are brought together at the end. I’ll agree that the 24-hour diner story was a little much, but the “Cereal Convention” was rather amusing. And IMHO, the later, and longer, story arcs such as “Season of Mists” and “A Game of You” are much better than anything in the beginning. Overall, I’d say “Sandman” is well worth trying, **Chessic Sense**! ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/17 "2012-02-17T18:01:10Z")
The references to other characters from other series is a way of acknowledging the original comic book Sandman. I don’t particularly care for the first arc, but overall the Gaiman Sandman series is exceptionally good. It’s not just worth reading, it’s worth re-reading to pick up the bits you missed the first time around. And the Death spinoffs are worth reading and re-reading too. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/18 "2012-02-17T18:32:52Z")
Very few post-1990 comics are going to bring a significant price on eBay because there are so many of them out there. For future bidding purposes, if I didn’t know anything about comics I wouldn’t bid on any comics that aren’t: a) Old (maybe 1970s and earlier) and b) In EXQUISITE condition (Even tiny creases along the spine or at the corners can radically reduce the value of a comic. When you see an eye-popping auction number for an old comic book, it is because that comic book was preserved in near-perfect condition while most others of that vintage were folded and dog-eared and read to death.) There are exceptions-- newer comics that are especially prized, and older comics that are so prized they are still valuable in spite of condition issues. But if you don’t know much about comics you won’t know how to look for these exceptional items. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/19 "2012-02-17T18:47:03Z")
Believe me, I wish I had time to read these comics. But between work, school, and a wife, there’s no time left in the day for it. Maybe I’ll hang onto this series until I get a break long enough to read. How long does it take to read 75 comics? > [@Spoke](#): > > But if you don’t know much about comics you won’t know how to look for these exceptional items. One of the reasons I like going to these auctions is because researching the rare items is fun. Just yesterday, some guy was talking about the old “washing bin” for sale. I said “That’s not for washing clothes! It’s a [Davis Swing Churn](http://www.butterchurnhistory.com/davis.html), made by a Vermont company in the late 19th century. It’s for making butter. See the ‘No. 3’ on it? That indicates the size- the bigger the more valuable. If only this piece still had the cradle and the lid, it’d be worth about $700.” Then I was like _did I just say all that?_ So I’m really here to learn. That’s why I started the thread, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056/20 "2012-02-17T20:35:23Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Believe me, I wish I had time to read these comics. But between work, school, and a wife, there’s no time left in the day for it. Maybe I’ll hang onto this series until I get a break long enough to read. How long does it take to read 75 comics? Eh, they’re comics; doesn’t take more than 20 minutes to read even a fairly complex one (as the Sandman books are); you should be able to blow through four or five of them and get a sense of whether you want to read the rest quickly enough. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/buying-selling-and-collecting-comic-books-teach-me/613056.md?page=2)