Buying Used Comic Books
Some rare comic books have sold for tens of thousands of dollars. The chance of that kind of payday is what prompts some to scour flea markets and yard sales, hoping they will find the next hidden treasure.
The problem is that some people, especially those new to collecting, sometimes spend too much on used comic books. And, if you’re spending more on them than they’re worth, you won’t turn a profit when and if you resell them.
So, if you’ve been bitten by the collecting bug, here are some suggestions that will help you make wise choices the next time you buy used comic books.
The Older, the Better
The older comic books are, the more likely they are to be valuable. This is especially true of those printed before the 1970s. Before then, people couldn’t imagine anyone would ever spend more than ten or twenty-five cents on comic books. So, they thought nothing of throwing them away soon after they’d read them. (That, or their mother’s tossed out their collections after they’d left for college.)
As a result, it’s very hard to find comic books, especially those in good condition, that were printed before the 1970s. People are willing to spend hundreds, even thousands, of dollars on the few of these comic books that still exist because they are so rare.
By the 1970s, people started to realize comic books could be valuable. So, they started saving and preserving them. As a result, these comic books aren’t as rare or hard to find. While you might think comic books that are twenty or thirty years old would be worth a lot of money, that usually isn’t the case.
Still, while most comic books made in the 1970s or later might not be worth thousands of dollars, you might find some that are worth ten, fifty, or even a hundred dollars. So, collecting these later editions is still worth while.
The Condition of Comic Books Determines Their Value
Comic books are graded based on their condition. And those that are in mint (or perfect) condition are worth more than those that are in poor condition.
If the comic books you’re thinking of buying were made in the 1970s or later, and are in poor condition (they have visible rips and tears, they are stained or have been written on, the colors are faded, or the covers are missing) then they probably aren’t very valuable.
Get a Comic Book Pricing Guide
If you’ve ever thought, for even a second, about buying comic books, an up-to-date comic book pricing guide is an invaluable tool. These guides list the value (how much most dealers and collectors are willing to pay) of comic books based on their condition. One look inside your guide will tell you if those comic books being sold at a flea market or yard sale for ten dollars each are actually only worth two or three dollars a piece.
Collecting comic books can be fun and exciting. It can also be profitable, but only if the comic books you’re buying are worth the price you’re paying.
