Selling old comic books... (1 Viewer)

[Mike Frezon]

I'm thinking about selling off a small collection of comic books (maybe a few hundred) which I collected when I was a young teenager. Most titles would be DC and from the late-60s to mid-70s (Action, Adventure, JLA, Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, World's Finest, various odds and ends). That list is from memory. I haven't looked at them in years. There is also some Daredevil from Marvel.

My question is what would likely be the best way to maximize my gain on the sale of these comics? eBay (shudder), take them to an auction house, contact collectors, advertise in trade publications? I'm not sure where to begin.

Of course, I want it all: high gain, low effort.

I'm not even sure there is much of a market for this kind of material. Does anyone know of any good on-line resources to figure that out?

Thanks!

 

[Greg_S_H]

These guys buy a lot of comics. I've been shopping in their stores since the early '80s, so they are reputable. I've never sold them comics, so I don't know exactly what it entails. But, you've got comics from the era they want, and they are always publicizing the high dollar amounts they give people they deal with. It's worth a look:

Comic Books - We Buy Comics

 

[TravisR]

To see what they're going for, I'd say to look up each issue on eBay and it'll give you an idea of how much they're going for. Needless to say, the condition will matter (especially since guys buying that era of comics will probably be OCD about it).

The easiest thing would be to sell them as a lot to a dealer but if you want to maximize your profit, I'd sell them individually on eBay. Set the price low (like a buck) and take what you can get. It'll make you more money than it would sitting in a box. Of course, the same could be said about selling them as a lot to a dealer and saving yourself the headache of eBay.

And if you've got a copy of Amazing Fantasy 15, it's not worth anything but I'll give you $5 for it.

 

[Doro]

The act of selling comic books is much like selling vinyl....a tedious process. I'd bulk them out if they were under 50. I just rebagged all 6000 of mine in mylar for the long haul. I sure hope I live that long.

Mark

 

[JonZ]

And theyre just not worth what they used to be before ebay.

 

[Jason L.]

I have a few boxes of comics as well. I wish I had a nephew to give them to - but I don't. I don't want to throw them away, yet selling them would be a pain in the ass. So they continue to sit in my closet.

 

[Bryan^H]

Try selling a comic grouping as a lot on EBAY(maybe 25 using some good pics) and see what it does for you. It's probably your best bet considering you would get much, much less from a comic book dealer.

 

[Stephen Orr]

I'm in the same boat. Tons of 80's and 90's Xmen and related titles. Just sitting in bags and boxes high in my closet. Well, my son is getting married in a few weeks. Maybe I'll just foist them on him...

 

[Mike Frezon]

I guess it makes a lot of sense that while it might be EASIER to take them to a dealer and be done with it, maximum return dictates trying to find a collector to get top dollar.

 

[Raasean Asaad]

I'm open to purchasing lots from any of you. Make me a deal!

 

[Ruz-El]

meh, I tried ebaying some, they all sold for good prices, I just never got the money sent to me, and since I refused to ship them without seeing the payment, I got a bunch of slander negative review posting. so I pretty much dump them at used book stores / donate them to the library if none of my friends want them.

 

[Andy Sheets]

How were you charging the people? I ask because I've been ebaying off my collection since last summer and I've yet to have a bad transaction. I require paypal payments only, no exceptions, and maybe it's just been luck so far but every single buyer has paid within a few days of winning an auction, and often within a single day.

 

[Ruz-El]

it was a few years ago, before I had paypall. I was selling them in story arcs (mostly mini-series and such). I then asked them where they were so I could get an accurate shipping quote (I would give them the option of normal or rush, and packed the books in a sturdy envelope with cardboard so they wouldn't get bent, and the books them selves in bags & boards), and then email them the total to send me a cheque or money order. They would say "Awesome! It's in the mail!", and I would never see it.

Bastards

 

[Steve Berger]

I'd reiterate Joseph J.D's comment. Try a comic book convention.
Comic Book Conventions | Convention News, Comic-Con, Comic Book Show, Wizard World, and more

If nothing else, attend one and see what priicing is on the type that you have. Go armed with a list and see if one of the venders might buy the lot unless you think getting your own table would be a better deal. I have a friend who makes his living buying and selling comics and hosting conventions in the midwest. He prays for bad weather.

 

[Cassy_w]

My husband sold off 2/3 of his collection last year over a 9 month period using eBay. He was huge into them in the 80's and early 90's and when he stopped buying the market was through the roof. We needed to downsize (moving from a house in the burbs to an apartment in the city) and so he said, "OK, its time."

of course, he found that the market had completely collapsed. Most he sold in bulk lots, at a loss. Some he sent in to CGC for grading if he was confident they would get more than NM and therefore a good price, but that's a crapshoot and takes heavy knowledge of the market.

He spent a dozen hours on this a week, every week, for nine full months. It was a huge job and it drove him insane, but he pulled in around 3 or 4 grand.

It's funny because as he sold them off I started reading a few title and then went to a local comic book shop and now I read four or five titles religiously! I am hooked and was going to start a topic on that very subject.