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12 tips for successfully selling your comic book collection

Where should you go to sell your comics? How do you get the best price for them? And how do you make sure they go to a good home?

Going through a comics breakup is tough. Very hard. You have absorbed every page, every panel, every line. But circumstances change. Maybe your collection has gotten out of hand or you can't keep up the habit, or maybe your better half is questioning your first love. If so, it may be time to rehabilitate your collection in the community of comic book readers.

However, you don't want to just give them away. You need to make sure your collection gets the right money. Here are some tips for successfully selling your beloved comic book collection.

1. Know where to go

12 tips for successfully selling your comic book collection

You have quite a few options, both online and in the real world. Life will be easier if you can find a place to sell them offline:that way people can see what condition the comic is in, you don't have to risk a dodgy postal service, and you generally avoid some of the the problems you have. go the other way.

Try your local comic shop - lots of stock issues and you might be interested in your collection to top up your sales. Comics are popular right now (and we hope they remain so for a long time), so you can buy them in more stores than ever before - it's worth giving a second-hand bookstore a try. But keep in mind that these are dealers; They won't give you unbelievable prices because they need to make a profit. However, there is a chance that you will get good money if, for example, the dealer wants a particular issue for their own or customers' collections.

And if you really want to make sure your comics go to a good home, and if you have a sizable collection, you might consider buying a booth at a convention! They can be quite expensive, so you really need to think about whether it's worth it. As an added bonus, dealers often get extra incentives like skipping virtual autograph lines.

Otherwise, you can turn to bargain sites like eBay (although you may risk disappointment here), or more specialized online stores like Stanley Gibbons, better known for stamps but dabbling in other collectibles. Webuycomics.com has an extensive wish list, so say you'll buy all your comics and prepay for shipping; and Sellmycomicbooks.com will not only appraise your collection, but also offer a host of items and price guides so you can fully educate yourself in the process.

2. Facts of the face:price decreases

Let's get out of this soon:In terms of pricing, comics are a bit like cars. The second you buy them, they depreciate, usually at least. There are exceptions. First appearances and first adventures almost always demand a lot of money. Action comics #01, Superman's first appearance since 1938, sold for a record $3.2 million last year.

The chances of you having that, Amazing Fantasy #15, or Marvel Comics #01 are quite remote. You may have The Walking Dead #01, Man of Steel #281 (War Machine debut), or The Last Spider-Man #01 though. They're not worth millions, but they could get you a few hundred bucks each.

Nonetheless, your regular or garden comic book is priced at $2.99 ​​or (more likely) $3.99, and they plummet once you rush home to read them.

This sad fact led to Crave Online calling comic book collections. “worthless”, but that is unfair.

3. Know your terms

12 tips for successfully selling your comic book collection

If you treasure your collection, you are likely to keep them in good shape, and that makes them more valuable. Any small wrinkles, yellow pages and marks affect the price. Telling people exactly what your terms are will help sales; Qualifying them, however, is difficult.

Too plump for "mint." It further lists large numbers as NM ("Near Mint"). The proper rating is in numbers, and mint is rated only as 9.8 or higher. A NM starts at 9.0. Most are fine. Here is a very helpful guide to rate your issues.

However, most buyers do not expect such a comprehensive rating. As long as you accurately say if it's okay, NM, or fair, you should be fine.

However, if it's a particularly valuable comic, it's worth checking out CGC Comics, which professionally grades and seals your comics in certified headlines. But with prices starting at $18, I'd advise only looking at signed or rare issues.

4. Bag and board

12 tips for successfully selling your comic book collection

Buyers should know that you are serious about the condition:that you are not just taking care of them, you are selling them, but that you have taken care of them since you bought them yourself. In general, you can pick up bags and boards cheaply. In fact, many stores like Forbidden Planet offer a supplemental service when you initially pick up your pending orders.

Plus, this will appeal to serious collectors who will care for them as much as you do.

And don't just use hideous old bags covered in decades of Sellotape. Boards must be acid-free so they don't affect your comic; That should give you an idea of ​​how external forces affect the pages. Normal Sellotape is absolutely horrible to come off so consider investing in some satin or satin tape.

5. Take your own photos

Dealers often turn to Google for photos, and it's tempting with a large collection, but if you want buyers to trust you, especially when selling online, be sure to take your own photos. It means that they can see the condition for themselves. Here are some additional tips for selling on bidding sites like eBay. 11 Critical Tips On How To Sell More On eBay 11 Critical Tips On How To Sell More On eBay eBay is one of the leading online shopping sites. You may be an experienced eBay seller, or you may have just started your career as an eBay seller, these tips can help you increase your profits. Read more.

If they are bagged and boarded, try to protect them from reflections.

6. Give adequate descriptions

12 tips for successfully selling your comic book collection

Listing them correctly is not just a condition. Proper descriptions let buyers know that they've found the right issue, if it's one of their favorite creators (I'll collect anything from John Romita Jr.), and that you're actually investing in them, not just buying and selling in bulk.

If you're using a deal site, you only get a certain number of characters in the header to describe the comic, so limit exactly what's needed to attract people. The title and issue number, obviously, but what about the volume number, the publisher (especially Marvel or DC), and the story arc? A small misspelling can mean a search engine ignores your comic.

7. Separate the valuables

Do your research and make two stacks of comics:one with your daily $1 problems, and one for the more expensive ones. Your collection may surprise you. I was shocked last year that a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic I was selling was worth roughly $45. To present that with everyone else would have obviously been a huge mistake.

8. Consider grabbing bags

12 tips for successfully selling your comic book collection

Having two stacks makes bags possible. These are generally cheaper comics that are thrown in a bag and sold for a fixed sum, a bit like a goodie bag. After repeated attempts to get rid of a troublesome problem, you will be happy to hide it among others that may attract attention.

Grab bags usually contain three or four problems, but try not to exceed five.

9. Sell ​​stories together

12 tips for successfully selling your comic book collection

If you have the corresponding issue numbers, stack them up and sell as a lot.

It will attract more bidders if there is a full run because they feel they are getting a better offer. And they know that these are part of a treasured collection. Even a story with a missing problem or two is better collected than forcing buyers to search numerous listings for them.

Knowing that you are a collector could also mean that a buyer will explore your other items.

10. Wait for the perfect opportunity

12 tips for successfully selling your comic book collection

Iron Man comics are most sought after since Robert Downey Jr. became Tony Stark. Popular media boosts sales, so much so that it's worth buying a few comics starring Ant-Man before that movie is released.

Sell ​​your comics at an opportune time. Avengers:Age of Ultron has been released, so if you have any iteration of the team, especially with artificial intelligence, what is artificial intelligence that is not artificial intelligence? Are intelligent and sentient robots going to take over the world? Not today, and maybe never. Read More Ultron! - Now is the time to sell them. In the next couple of years, we'll have movies starring Black Panther, Dr. Strange, Suicide Squad, and the X-Men, so if you can, it's worth waiting before changing them.

11. Consider a batch of work

12 tips for successfully selling your comic book collection

This isn't an ideal situation, but if you're looking for a quick fix (for space or money reasons), or just want to keep your collection together, a working batch might be the way to go.

This could mean selling an entire series of a title together, or maybe every single issue you've ever bought. If the latter, include the comic boxes.!

You might get $50 for a full title, or $300 for everything - it really could go either way, especially if you're willing to haggle.

12. Look on social media

12 tips for successfully selling your comic book collection

Worried your comics aren't going to a good home? Go to Facebook. When you move in those circles, chances are a friend will take at least some of what you're selling from your hands.

Also try Facebook groups – many celebrate characters or publishers, but there are also some set up specifically for buying and selling items. The comic book collection is particularly popular.

If you go this route, beware of that scary phrase, “peer fees?”

Do you have any tips to share?

So, you've had to sell your comic book collection, but at least now you'll be able to get as much money as you can for it. And of course, all is not lost. If circumstances change, you can start bundling comics again 8 places to buy comics online, whether you like print or digital. 8 places to buy comics online, whether you like print or digital. I assume that you are the reader here. an adult or at least in their teens who is probably reading at least a Dan Brown or the latest bestseller in political philosophy... Read More Could you trade them all for graphic novels, or even go digital Do You Love Comics? This online guide is for you! Do you like comics? This online guide is for you! This guide explains how to download comics for free and legally, where to buy comics that aren't free, and even how to scan backup copies of comics you already own. Read more.

Have you had to part with your comic book collection? Or chosen to earn some extra money? What did you do? And do you have any other tips for people looking to do the same? Please let us know in the comments below.