This question is kind of MPSIMS-ey, but I’ll post in here because I need a definitive answer. My apologies Manny if this needs to be moved.
I’m trying to reduce a bunch of the clutter in my house, and that includes boxes of comic books I have. I would like to put most of the stuff up for auction on E-Bay, but I have no idea how much most of the stuff is ‘worth’. Does anyone know if there is an online price guide (with current prices)? My search yielded the Comics Price Guide, but that link didn’t seem to work.
Better suggestion than trying online for price guide,IMHO
If there are comic dealers listed in your yellow pages, get an OVERSTREET guide from them. Buy an out of date one if cheep, as prices aren’t all that diff.
If not, go to local bookstore and get current Overstreet.
Just remember to grade conservatively. You don’t want returns.
Sorry sam, but an old version (even if 1 or 2 years) of the comic book price guide is not a good idea! Get the most recent copy of the CBPG you can get, and ask for a price beyond the list, depending what condition the comic is in. People who are buying vintage comics are either doing so as an investment or a nostogia thing (I can relate to the latter). With the current economy you want something as recent as possible to get the highest price!
Related to these pricing guides in general, I would like to know how valid their prices are. As an avid collector in the 1980s, I had a similar thought about selling off my ‘clutter’ in the mid-to-late 1990s only to find that the guides were nearly useless.
That is, the guide was what a comic book store (or other retailer) would charge you for the book, not what you as an individual could get for it. If people are really getting a fair price on eBay these days, I’d sure like to know because have I’d love to unload this crap.
I had all but given up and figured I’d just pass along the comics to my kids one day.
Well, Yarster, I don’t plan on realistically getting anywhere near guide prices for anything in my collection (with the exception of my X-Men #3, perhaps). I just needed some sort of idea what the books might be worth. I do realize that the books are only worth what anyone is willing to pay for them.
I have enjoyed reading each and every book in my collection, so I’ve already gotten something out of them. If they don’t sell, then perhaps I will pass them on to my children also.
Yarster is right in saying that “guide” or “list” price is what a retailer will charge for a given issue, and not necessarily what you can expect to get for it. Even then, some retailers can be argued down, and some may charge over guide if it’s a “hot” issue. As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to get 60% of guide when selling to a retailer or to a serious collector. Another thing to consider, especially on eBay, is what the title is, how old the comic is, who the artist/writer are, and whether or not it’s a “key” issue. (“Key” issues are first appearances of major characters, deaths of major characters, or other events that had a significant impact on the continuity of the comic) You mentioned X-Men #3, for example. (I am assuming this is X-Men volume 1, #3, from 1965, and not X-Men volume 2 #3 from 1991 ) That’s a solid Silver Age book (age premium), plus it’s a highly sought-after title (X-Men), it’s one of the first issues of a title (adds more cachet), it’s the first appearance of a semi-major character (the Blob), and it’s a Stan Lee/Jack Kirby issue. So, I would say you could expect to get a little more than 60% of guide for it, maybe 70%. (Maybe more) Too bad it’s not X-Men #4. Even though that issue is priced slightly lower in some guides, it’s even more of a key issue (first appearance of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch, who later went on to be major Marvel heroes in their own right, first appearance of the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and the second appearance of Magneto) For that issue, you could expect at least 75% of guide, maybe even 80%.
The best rule of thumb when selling on eBay is to grade the comic very critically, (if you think it’s borderline, call it a grade lower than it is), set your minimum at 60% of guide, and most importantly, provide a good clear scan or digital pic of the comic. Most serious collectors won’t even look at an auction if there’s no picture. Another good idea for older, valuable comics (like X-Men #3) is to get them CBC graded. (There should be an article about how to do this in that Overstreet Guide)
) That’s a solid Silver Age book (age premium), plus it’s a highly sought-after title (X-Men), it’s one of the first issues of a title (adds more cachet), it’s the first appearance of a semi-major character (the Blob), and it’s a Stan Lee/Jack Kirby issue. So, I would say you could expect to get a little more than 60% of guide for it, maybe 70%. (Maybe more) Too bad it’s not X-Men 
)