Comic Book selling

[Travis]

I have a collection of about 200 issues of various titles, but the vast majority are 1970s Hulk and Thor and early 1990s X-titles.  The older ones are pretty worn (slightly wrinkled covers, frayed edges) while the newer ones are pristine.  I'm moving soon and I'd like to start paring down this collection, but from the little research I've been able to do most of them are only worth a couple dollars each.  I've got a couple home runs in the collection I might put up on Ebay, but for the others I'm not sure how to handle them.  Does anyone have experience dealing with comic books?

[KungfuRabbit]

i've got the same problem. 

When it comes to "collectibles" these days, the market is gone.  There are soooooooooooooooooooooooo many of those sitting in someones garage they are worth almost nothing.  The only ones worth anything are the super rare / pristine ones.  Anything from the 90s or newer especially has basically zero value, again unless its very rare or special in some way. 

i used to buy cheap ones just for the point of reading them, so i'd actually go to the bargain box at my local store and get a bunch for super cheap (used, frayed, non special ones back then).  i threw out a bunch of those recently. 

[Frankies Girl]

If you've got a small amount that you know from research are worth a little, I'd save the time/trouble of listing them on ebay and just call about bringing the whole collection to the local comic book store and see what you could get for them. They'll pull out the ones they want that are worth something, and the ones they don't want, you could tell them "$10 and you can have the rest" and they might take you up on it. At least you would know they'd go to support a local business and you don't have to lug them around any more. ;)

Unless you've got a super hot or rare item, you're not going to get much on ebay for it, and you'll have the added expense of listing fees and shipping and the hassles that come with all of that.

My husband and I had a ton of collectibles (comics/action figures) that we'd been getting rid of over the years, and it was just so much easier to go to the shop we liked and get cash or even trade for stuff we wanted.

[waltworks]

The entire comic book and baseball markets in the 1990s were a classic speculative bubble (more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comic_book_collecting#The_speculator_boom). And your stuff from the 70s, unless it's rare and in perfect condition, is also valueless.

I'm not kidding. I hauled at least 3000 comics from the 70s-mid 90s in to my local shop a few years ago, simply because I wanted them gone and we were moving. I got $45 I think - and I was one of those kids who kept their comics in mylar bags and read the Overstreet guide religiously. I believe I might actually still have one of my spreadsheets somewhere with all my comics and their "value" tallied up.

Anyway, not meaning to be a downer here. The best thing you can do with them is find some kid who just *loves* comics and give them away.

-W

[Travis]

I'll be out of town next week, but when I get back I'm going to put one of them up on ebay (it's selling for $50-$500 depending on condition), but the others I'll probably create a few Craiglist ads for the whole lot.  If I don't get any takers prior to the move this summer I'll take them to the comic book store for whatever they'll give me.

[geekette]

Well, it may not work for you, but we sold my DH's comic book collection in his Dad's estate sale.  Prices were nuts.

I think he had 2 rubbermaid tubs of comic books (60's and up), all in bags (5 to a bag?)  Not in perfect shape by any means (well thumbed, his dad smoked, too).  They auctioned them off - high bidder got choice of any bag.  Second highest got next choice.  Kept going...  Started selling in lots of 5 bags, and so on.  The whole bunch went for over $1500.  Shocking.

Then the antique pump organ went for $10.  Ya never know.

If there's a company near you that does estate auctions, they may accept your "lot" for sale during someone else's sale.  Some do it on property, but some have an auction house where you can take stuff to be auctioned off.  They may take up to 40%, though.  This guy took 20%, but he boy did he earn it because he and his team spent a week prior to the auction going through and organizing everything in the house, the shop, the outbuildings, the barn.  Put up tents, brought in portajohns, advertised, etc.

[waltworks]

Wow. When was this? There is some 60s stuff that is worth a fortune (as opposed to the OP's stuff that is most likely all very common/valueless), but I'm still pretty shocked that you got significant money for them if they weren't in great shape or being sold individually. Crazy. I could imagine that happening in, say, 1991. But not today. But it's awesome!

-W

[geekette]

This was last summer!  But auctions are just so weird. All it takes is for two idiots to want the same thing...  These were by no means professional collectors, just people who seemed to want particular lots, and apparently auctioneers are good at playing people off each other.

I asked my DH, and he says they were late 60's to mid 80's, with the majority in the 70's. Two Rubbermaid tubs and a wine box, and about 5 to a bag.

The first few lots went for $350, and it went down from there.

[waltworks]

Man, gotta hire me an auctioneer next time! :)

That said, you'd need some serious idiots in the room to get anything for early 90s X-men stuff. It's basically bum wipe. They were printing *millions* of copies of individual issues! People would buy like 10 at a time and pop 'em all in bags, just waiting to get rich. Hilarious in hindsight. At least I had the excuse of youth for my participation in that idiocy.

I don't like to think about the kind of money I'd have now if my 15 year old self hadn't been part of the mania and just stuck that money in the market, or hell, in a jar in the pantry...

-W

[Travis]

Man, gotta hire me an auctioneer next time! :)

That said, you'd need some serious idiots in the room to get anything for early 90s X-men stuff. It's basically bum wipe. They were printing *millions* of copies of individual issues! People would buy like 10 at a time and pop 'em all in bags, just waiting to get rich. Hilarious in hindsight. At least I had the excuse of youth for my participation in that idiocy.

I don't like to think about the kind of money I'd have now if my 15 year old self hadn't been part of the mania and just stuck that money in the market, or hell, in a jar in the pantry...

-W

From 1992 to 1995 my "habit" was at least $5 a week.  Even today I'd be hard pressed to spend $5 a week on any kind of hobby.  I financed it by not buying lunch at school.  I remember walking into the comic book store and throwing down a stack of ones for something.  I also have a 3 inch binder full of Marvel trading cards.  You can buy a complete set of the cards on Amazon for $20 now.  Those cards came in packs of 10 for a few dollars and you were guaranteed to end up with dozens of duplicates.  I shudder to think how much my mother spent on my Star Trek obsession in those days too.  We went to conventions, bought toys, models, and I still have a book of trading cards, a commemorative plate, and a few actions figures.

[JAYSLOL]

Yes, do sell the higher value ones on Ebay ($10 each and above), and find an auction house that will take the rest.  I've found that sending comics (even 80s and 90s ones) in small batches will yield the best returns.  If i send in a box with 200 comics in it, the auctioneer may sell the whole thing off for $20, but sending in 5 - 20 comics/week in small groups presents a false sense of rarity to the auction-goers and they generally sell for $5 - $20 in those small batches.  Pro tip: If you have other small collectable-ish things you can part with, it may be a good time to send them in also as the more $/week you are selling through an auction house the better the commission rate can be.  I tend to pick up quite a lot of small stuff to send to auction very cheaply though garage sales and buying storage units.  Congrats on parting with your comics and adding to the Stash! 

[eyePod]

Lots on eBay might work or Craigslist just to unload this.

Honestly, it was a bad "investment" and you want to move the material. Maybe you could find some kid who just wants to read it instead of profiting on them?

[Travis]

I sold one on Ebay for $300 a couple weeks ago.  I just sold the rest of them a few minutes ago.  If all my comics were in perfect condition they would fetch $1000-$1500.  Half of them are definitely NOT in perfect condition and I was able to sell the whole lot on Craigslist for $250.  I'm happy with the deal.  I could have sold them in small batches over the next year, but I'm about to move and I'd rather have the cash now and be done with it.  It's 50 pounds and almost 20 cubic feet of storage I no longer have to deal with.

[eyePod]

I sold one on Ebay for $300 a couple weeks ago.  I just sold the rest of them a few minutes ago.  If all my comics were in perfect condition they would fetch $1000-$1500.  Half of them are definitely NOT in perfect condition and I was able to sell the whole lot on Craigslist for $250.  I'm happy with the deal.  I could have sold them in small batches over the next year, but I'm about to move and I'd rather have the cash now and be done with it.  It's 50 pounds and almost 20 cubic feet of storage I no longer have to deal with.

That's totally the smart way to do it. Pick out any high dollar ones and then get them to someone who wants them. Slow your home actually did an interview with a comic collector turned minimalist. http://www.slowyourhome.com/18/

[dramaman]

I had a box of comics, only a few years old, that hardly sold at a garage sale. I listed them on ebay at 25 cents per comic, 100 for $20 and a fellow came by and paid $20 for 100.

[eyePod]

I had a box of comics, only a few years old, that hardly sold at a garage sale. I listed them on ebay at 25 cents per comic, 100 for $20 and a fellow came by and paid $20 for 100.

Yep. If they're not ancient (like 50's and earlier), there's most likely no value. But there's still people who would want to have a bunch and actually read them, so at a nickel a piece, that's a good deal.

[ArcadeStache]

Shame how these are basically so worthless. I have some comics and collectible superhero cards from the 90s,  so I'll probably hold onto them to show my son what his old man was into as a kid when he is a little older. Hopefully he can spare 5 min away from his future iPad or whatever and show some interest.

[dramaman]

I had a box of comics, only a few years old, that hardly sold at a garage sale. I listed them on ebay at 25 cents per comic, 100 for $20 and a fellow came by and paid $20 for 100.

Yep. If they're not ancient (like 50's and earlier), there's most likely no value. But there's still people who would want to have a bunch and actually read them, so at a nickel a piece, that's a good deal.

Well, it was more like 20 cents a piece, but yeah that's still not much value.

[eyePod]

I had a box of comics, only a few years old, that hardly sold at a garage sale. I listed them on ebay at 25 cents per comic, 100 for $20 and a fellow came by and paid $20 for 100.

Yep. If they're not ancient (like 50's and earlier), there's most likely no value. But there's still people who would want to have a bunch and actually read them, so at a nickel a piece, that's a good deal.

Well, it was more like 20 cents a piece, but yeah that's still not much value.

Early weekend morning math just doesn't work for me until u go to garage sales...

[Sailor Sam]

I was a comic book kid. Okay, fine, I'm also a comic book adult. At one point I had 4 storage boxes of bag and boarded mint comics worth basically nothing.

Eventually I got tired of hauling the chaff around and I went to the library to sheepishly ask if they would accept individual comics. I figured they'd say no, since comics are flimsy things. But the lady's eyes lit up and she practically ripped the 2 examples I'd brought in from my hands. When I admitted I had 2 full boxes* in the car she kissed me on the cheek.

So, yeah, I encourage donating them. I guess kids are still into them.


*Yup, I still have 2 boxes that are appreciating value in my closet. Hope springs eternal.

[eyePod]

I was a comic book kid. Okay, fine, I'm also a comic book adult. At one point I had 4 storage boxes of bag and boarded mint comics worth basically nothing.

Eventually I got tired of hauling the chaff around and I went to the library to sheepishly ask if they would accept individual comics. I figured they'd say no, since comics are flimsy things. But the lady's eyes lit up and she practically ripped the 2 examples I'd brought in from my hands. When I admitted I had 2 full boxes* in the car she kissed me on the cheek.

So, yeah, I encourage donating them. I guess kids are still into them.


*Yup, I still have 2 boxes that are appreciating value in my closet. Hope springs eternal.

That's awesome. I wonder if you can claim them on your taxes?

[Sailor Sam]

That's awesome. I wonder if you can claim them on your taxes?

Definitely! I got a standard donation receipt for my troubles.

[eyePod]

That's awesome. I wonder if you can claim them on your taxes?

Definitely! I got a standard donation receipt for my troubles.

That's fantastic. Helping out and getting savings too. BAM!

[moneywookiee]

I was a "serious" collector in the late 90's after getting a box of older comics from my uncle and purchasing close to 10,000 comics from a shop that went out of business (paid a little over $100 IIRC).  Anything valued over $100 I sold online, everything else i sold at the local swap meet for $1 or 2/$1.  I remember one time these two guys coming to my booth and their jaw hitting the floor as they went through the comics.  They kept whispering to each other "this guy doesn't know what he has"  They thought they had found gold and I felt like I was slinging fool's gold. 

The whole experience turned me on to comics but I only buy what I enjoy reading.

[aFrugalFather]

Dang, I have a lot of 80s- 90s era stuff too I think.  I've been meaning to go back and see if its worth anything, but this thread pretty much tells me not to get my hopes up.  I guess I will just let the kids have at them when they are older.

[FrugalKube]

Wow, this takes me back. In the early 90s I was a big comic book guy I think I have 150 someplace in a box. Mostly Marvel and DC, some of the special editions are sealed and unread.

I also have a few collections of comic book cards, Marvel Universe and Xmen Series 2? Both are complete sets I remember I had to haggle my way at school or at friends to get them

I almost sold all of the comics at a yard sale a few years ago. I think I wanted $100 for the box everything and a guy offered $60 but I couldnt part with them

I also have a ton of sports cards, including some valuable rookies and a few complete sets that are in the un-opened boxes. Wonder if I should sell off some of those. I think I have a few Ken Griffey Jr rookies someplace, and maybe a Jo Montana Rookie. I collected from the late 80s to the early 90s before I got into comics