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How to Determine the Value of Your Comic Books
Welcome to an all-you-need-to-know guide on understanding the value of your comic books. In this article, we discover how to determine the value of your comic books, how to maintain them, and how to sell them, when the time comes.
First invented back in 1897, comic books have been around for some time, but never have they been as popular as they are today. The popularity of comics today can be attributed to many things from a growing pop culture presence to the explosion of super-popular superhero films from the likes of Marvel Studios and DC Comics.
It's thanks to the growing popularity of comics and comic-based narratives that the industry has thrived over the last 30 years, pumping out millions of new comic books for a devoted audience to enjoy. What this all means is that the sheer quantity of comics, especially rare and valuable ones, in circulation is simply staggering. However, as you might expect, finding those rarer comics, those hidden gems, has become somewhat more difficult.
But not all hope is lost for we are about to give you all the tools you need to be able to dig out the valuable comics in your collection and squeeze as much value out of them as possible.
How to Identify the Value of Your Comic Books
When it comes to identifying the value of your comic books, there are lots of things to consider, so, to simplify the process we have broken it down into bitesize segments. What you need to do is read through each segment with your comic books to hand so you can check them as you go.
So, take this opportunity to gather your comic book collection and grab a cuppa.
Ready? Let's begin.
Title and Issue Number of Your Comic Books
At the top of your list of priorities should be understanding exactly which comic books you have in your collection. Using the titles, the issue number, the date of printing, and the edition of your comics, you can search them in one of the various databases like the Grand Comics Database or League of Comic Geeks to get all the information you need.
A good idea would be to create a list, with all the information you gather which you can use to reference in the future steps.
Once you have gathered every scrap of information you can about your comics, it's time to figure out how any of that data can affect the value of your comics. Every comic book will have unique details that set it apart from the others, these details can vary from plot specifics, like character appearances, to the physical features of a comic. We will go into the specific features that will help or hurt the value of your comics in more detail later, so stick with us.
Take a look at some of the details to look out for, and don't forget to make a note:
Plot Features
- Character first appearances
- Character deaths
- Iconic match-ups
- Landmark events
- Significant moments
Physical Traits
- Limited Edition comics
- Printing Faults
- Signed Copies
- Limited edition artwork
- Event special releases
Age and Era of Your Comic Books
Next, you should consider the age of your comic books, which means you should figure out which 'comic books era' your comics are from.
Comic books are categorised into the following 'Ages' depending on when they were released:
The Golden Age of Comic Books (released between 1938 and 1956): The Golden Age of comics comprises some of the rarest and most valuable comics around, often referred to as 'Golden Comics'. The Golden Age of comics was the birth of the modern comic book and introduced many of today's iconic superheroes.
The Silver Age of Comic Books (released between 1956 and 1970): The Silver Age of comics saw the first appearances of the modern versions of many of today’s favourite superheroes. Comics from the Silver Age (otherwise known as Silver Comics) are still highly sought after and command a high price.
The Bronze Age of Comic Books (released between 1970 and 1985): The Bronze Age of comics saw an uplift in culturally relevant plots and characters; and often showcased fresh new art styles. Bronze Age comics (Bronze Comics) remain highly collectible.
The Modern Age of Comic Books (released between 1985 and the present day): Finally, there is the modern era of comics. Comic books from this era tend to hold the least value, primarily because of how common they are. That’s not to say that all Modern Era comics are worthless, there are still plenty of high-value comics from the Modern Age (if you can find them).
You can figure out which era your comics are from by looking at the printing date.
Condition and Grade of Your Comic Books
The value of any given comic book often relies heavily on its condition, so it's crucial not to skip this step.
How to Evaluate the Condition of Your Comic Books
A surefire way of assessing the condition of your comic books is by getting them graded. To grade a comic book, it needs to be inspected by an expert who will then give it a score. The evaluation process that goes into assigning a comic book a score is extremely thorough and is designed to pick up on even the smallest blemishes, so make sure you keep yours in tip-top condition. The grade of any given comic will be based on condition and quality, taking into consideration all of the following:
- Manufacturing defects
- Handling defects
- General wear & tear
- Water or sun damage
- Missing elements
- Damp or mould
- Tears and rips
- Stains
- Misprints
- Odour
- Marks made after printing
- Signs of counterfeiting
The presence of any or all of the above blemishes can result in a lower score and hurt the overall secondhand value of your comics.
Where Can You Get Your Comic Books Graded?
There are several grading services to choose from, but it’s important to choose one that's officially recognised and respected in the comic book industry.
One of the most popular, and safest comic book grading services available for you to use is CGC Comics. CGC Comics use a grading system that ranges from 0.5 to 10. A score of 0.5 (otherwise known as ‘poor’) is given to comic books in extremely poor condition, with heavy damage and pieces missing. A score of 10 (otherwise known as ‘gem mint’), however, is awarded to comics that are in pristine condition with no evidence of any manufacturing or handling defects.
As you might imagine, maintaining a comic with a condition grade of 10 is extremely difficult, so every step should be taken to look after it from the moment it comes into your possession.
Printing and Edition of Your Comic Books
Next on your to-do list is to check the edition of your comic books. Much like other books, the edition of your comic books can have a big impact on their value, so it’s worth checking it out.
How to Identify the Edition of a Comic Book
To identify which edition of a comic book, all you need to do is look for the barcode on the front or back cover of your comic, then find the 5-digit number next to it and look at the last number. If the number ends in a 1 then your comic is most likely a first edition. As a general rule, the earlier the edition of a comic book, the rarer it is likely to be.
Popularity and Demand of Your Comic Books
Much like most collectibles, comics are subject to a fluctuating market, in which demand consistently increases and decreases, so it’s worth keeping an eye on the secondhand comic book market. Essentially, demand will depend on popularity, and the popularity of the comic books in your collection can depend on a variety of factors. Take a look at the list of factors below that could impact the popularity of any given comic book:
- Upcoming movies or TV series
- Sale of recent related comics
- Trending comic book characters
- Social media trends
- Pop culture trends
By observing market trends, you will eventually learn when the best time to sell is and when you can make the most money selling your comics. It’s also a great idea to stay on top of popular trends and upcoming movies using social media and news outlets to give yourself the edge when selling.
Rarity of Your Comic Books
Rarity means a lot in the secondhand comic market, the rarer a comic book, the more valuable it tends to be. The rarity of any given comic depends on several things, some we have already mentioned like which era your comics are from and which edition it is. However, there are a couple of other reasons your comic books could be considered rarer:
- Unpopular on Release: Comics that weren’t particularly popular at the time of their release could have been subject to reduced printing numbers resulting in fewer copies reaching circulation.
- General Attrition: All comic book releases will undergo some level of attrition, meaning that any number of copies will go missing or get destroyed over the years. The exact number of comics lost to attrition is nearly impossible to predict as publishers tend not to release complete sales records but losses are inevitable.
Tracing the history of your comic books will provide a better understanding of their rarity. Here are some details you should look for:
- Number of recent sales of the same comics on places like eBay and other secondhand comic book marketplaces.
- How the secondhand price of your comics has changed over time: You can find this information by checking the sales history on eBay and other comic book marketplaces over an extended period.
- By cross-referencing any spikes in value that you find within your data with any relevant events (film releases, TV shows, game launches, etc.) that happened around the same time, you can identify trends.
Special Features
Special features are additional factors that make your comics one-of-a-kind and can have a huge impact on their value. These can include any of the following:
- Signatures: Signed comic books are a rarity indeed, after all, having someone famous, whether that’s an actor who played one of the comic's characters in a film, or an artist who worked on the comic itself, sign your comic will not only make that comic rarer, but it will make it one of a kind.
- Errors or Misprints: Even the big printing companies can make mistakes sometimes, it doesn’t happen very often, and when it does it's fixed quickly. Sometimes faulty print runs or grammatical errors are missed leading to incorrect copies of comic books entering circulation, and it's these anomalies that can become especially sought after due to their unique rarity.
- Event Specials: Occasionally, special edition comic books are released and sold at specific events only. These events tend to be things like comic cons, festivals, and special shop events, and the comics released at them tend to be very few in number.
- Special Artwork: On occasion, unique comic books will be released with limited edition artwork. These comics tend only to be released to celebrate special occasions or as commemorations, and they also tend to have limited print runs.
How to Sell Your Comic Books
By this point, you will know everything there is to know about your comics. So, what's next? If you decide to go down the route of selling your secondhand comics, you have a few options:
Sell Comics Through an Online Marketplace
Online marketplaces are a great way to offload your comics in bulk. It’s worth noting that some online marketplaces may not be able to offer the best value for your comics, but they do provide a quick and easy way to sell your comics.
- WeBuyBooks - WeBuyBooks offers a quick and easy way to sell your comic books, simply by scanning the barcodes and getting an instant price.
- eBay - Sell comic books individually or in bulk by listing them on eBay. This option may require some time to photograph and create listings.
- Facebook Marketplace - A quick and easy way to sell comic books, just be prepared for some low-ball offers.
Sell Comics Through Specialist Comic Books Sites
Specialist comic book sites cater specifically to people interested in comics, so the selling process is often more refined to help you list your comics easily and get the most money from their sales.
Comic Connect - Here you can sell your comic books to a refined audience that knows what they are looking for.
Sell Comics Locally
Local gaming/comic shops can be an option for selling your comics, however, not all stores buy comics so it's worth reaching out and asking first. Car boot sales can also present a quick and easy way to offload comic books.
Sell Comics at an Event
Comic book conventions are another possible route for you to sell your comics, after all, a room filled with like-minded comic fans is the place to be if you are looking for the right audience.
WeBuyBooks offers a quick and easy way to turn all your comics into cash. Use the app to scan the barcodes on the back of your comics for an instant offer or email us directly with some photos of your collection to get a bespoke offer.
That brings our guide on how to understand the value of your comics to an end. We hope you were able to pick up some tips and tricks to help you make the most out of your old comic books.
If you are struggling to get started valuing your comics, download the WeBuyBooks app and get an instant valuation to get you started.
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