So, you have finally finished cleaning out your attic and have come across some old comic books.  Since comics are a very popular collectible, within the first few moments of finding your books, you ask yourself the age-old question, “What is this thing worth?”  To find the value of your comic book, you must take into account several factors.  You must first figure out what comic you have, including the issue number, then you need to grade it, and finally you must figure out if it is worth anything.  Also, if you have a comic book from after 1980, there is a high probability that it is worth only the cover price or possibly even less.  The comics that are worth the most are from the early years of comics (40’s, 50’s, 60’s).

     For those new to comics, or who have just found their ex-boyfriend’s stash, identifying the comic can be a little difficult.  The first thing you need to know is the series title.  Is it Spider-Man, Archie, Justice League of America, etc.?  For the vast majority of comics, this information is found in great big letters at the top of the cover.  Once you know the title, you need to know the issue number.  These are usually found at the corners of the cover and marked pretty clearly.  However, there are quite a few comics that do not have the information on the front cover.  For these, you may have to do a little searching around the insides of the book.  Try the inside of the cover, the inside of the back cover, or pages adjacent to these.  You are looking for copyright information, like who the publisher is and when the book was printed.  The first line of this little paragraph should hold the information you seek.

     After identifying your book, your next step is to grade it.  Grading is a tricky thing and two people can look at the same comic and assign two different grades.  The reason grading is important is because it can mean the difference between a $100 comic and a $300 comic.  Honesty is also important when grading.  If you sell someone a comic book that you have graded at an 8, and it is really a 7, you have just angered and alienated one of your customers.  “So how do I grade,” you ask?  First, you must know the factors that go into grading your comic book.  The most important factors that go into grading a comic book are: split spines, pages missing, page browning or brittleness, writing, loose pages, faded color, missing pieces, and whether or not the book is still square.  Look through your comic book, and asses it based on what is actually present.  No wishful thinking allowed.  When you have evaluated it based on the factors listed above, click here to find out the grade.

     Once you have graded your comic book, finding the value is easy.  I suggest consulting the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, since it is the industry standard for comic book prices.  If you do not own one, you can buy one here, go to your public library, or borrow from a friend.  Simply find your title and issue number, and it will show you the value based on grade.  You can also use iTaggit’s eBay Historical Value Estimator, available to all registered users.  Just go to your item, click “Valuation”, and then click on the “Estimate Value” link.  When the HVE pops up, type in your title and issue number and watch the fun!  The HVE searches completed eBay auctions and tells you the final selling price of every one that matched your query.

     After finding the value, your choice becomes whether to sell or to keep your comic.  Selling can also be a little tricky, since for some comics there is only a small market of collectors looking for an addition to their collection.  Try placing your ad on a classifieds page, or list your item on eBay or another comics auction house (like Metropolis).  A little sniffing around can offer you a wealth of information.  Just take your time and be a little patient and you will get the information you want.  If you have any questions, or would like to add information or helpful links, please feel free to use the comment section below.

Chris