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Posted by newbie (?) mask on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
Question: I stole--er, found... BOUGHT a stack of comic books. I wanna put 'em up on eBay but don't know much about 'em. Should I put 'em up individually or as a group/set? An' what should I start the bids at...? I wants ta get PAID!
Posted by stupidman (???) star about me on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
Answer: Comic book pricing and grading are very subjective, and current market value can be tough to determine. As a general rule, the older the comic, the more it is worth. This may seem obvious but it is not always true, depending on the comic's condition, subject matter, history, etc. Comics from the last 15 - 20 years have large print runs and are easier to obtain and therefore worth much less [NOTE: This is somewhat misleading... Even the best-selling books don't reach 100,000 copies these days, although many modern books that are hard to find still aren't worth that much. This site lists the print runs for current comics.] Of course, there are books from the past 20 years worth $ 50 or more, but those are the exceptions. These "modern" comics usually sell better when grouped in lots of 5 or more, by title run ( # 1 - 5), by subject matter (horror, heroes, humor, etc.), and priced at 50 cents apiece or less. Buyers are less likely to buy a single 50 cent comic, especially when the shipping is $ 3.95. But if you have something valuable and spell the title correctly in the listing, eBay bidders usually find it and bid based on its "true" value. If you don't want to put up your auctions blindly, thinking they're worth more, then you'll need to check a comic book price guide.
Posted by newbie (?) mask on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
Q: You ain't gettin' off THAT easy. Is there an online price guide where I can look up my comics' value?
Posted by stupidman (???) star about me on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
A: Unfortunately there is no thorough on-line price guide, although one can be found at www.comicspriceguide.com (you can also check out www.wizardworld.com, although they tend to overvalue new and "hot" titles). Price guides cost money to produce, and to give that information away for free on the web would be counterproductive for these companies. Plus it would be a huge undertaking to list all of those titles and prices. The easiest way to find the value of comics on-line is to do a current and/or completed auction search on eBay of the titles you have.
Posted by newbie (?) mask on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
Q: Okay... then where CAN I find a price guide for my comics?
Posted by stupidman (???) star about me on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
A: A comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, so please consider this when pricing your comics. There are basically 2 price guides available: The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide (aka OPG) and Wizard: The Guide to Comics. The OPG is an annual publication (usually available in early April) costing around $20 (softcover). It gives detailed listings for comics from 1897 to the present, except for most Underground comics (those "head" comics from the 60s and 70s). Wizard is a monthly magazine which costs $4.95. Although most of the mag is news and interviews, it does contain a monthly updated price guide. Wizard focuses more on post-1956 comics and can be more up-to-date on "hot" modern comics, but these prices can also be artificially inflated. Both guides are available at books stores such as Barnes + Noble or your local comic shop.
Posted by newbie (?) mask on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
Q: Dude, I'm lookin' at one a them OPGs right now, an' I see that there are prices listed for three different grades of a comic. How do I grade my freakin' comics?
Posted by stupidman (???) star about me on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
A: Both the OPG and Wizard contain a brief description of the 9 basic grades [Mint (best), Near Mint, Very Fine, Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor, Coverless (worst)] to get you started, but on-line, your best bet is our Basic Grade Guide. If you are still unsure of the grade, put up a medium sized scan with your auction and list any defects in your auction description, especially ones that may not be obvious from the scan. You must grade the entire comic, not just the front cover. Any stains or creases on the back cover? Any coupons cut out from the interior or pages missing? As a general rule, most post-1956 comics have a total of 32 story/ad pages, not counting the covers (80 page and 100 page comics are pretty obvious). So if you count the actual pages, not counting the covers, you should have 16 pages total. A complete comic is the most important aspect of collecting, although rare comics can be sold coverless or without their centerfolds.
Posted by newbie (?) mask on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
Q: What's this CGC "slabbing" I keep hearing about? Is it worth the greenies to submit my comics for certified grading (and how do I do it)? Sounds like a sucker's market...
Posted by stupidman (???) star about me on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
A: The latest buzz in the Comic Book industry in the new company, The Comics Guaranty Corp., or CGC, that for a fee will professionally grade and encapsulate your comic in a sturdy plastic case (commonly known as "slabbing"). You can open the case if you wish to read the comic, but by doing so, the grading is considered null and void. Also, the way in which the slab is manufactured/opened precludes an attempt to re-slab it yourself, as it cannot be resealed.

The header for the case will contain a numerical grade from .5 (Poor) to 10 (Mint) (ex: 9.6, 8.2) and a letter grade (ex: Very Fine +, Very Good -) as well as the good and bad aspects of the comic (ex: "off-white pages," "first appearance of Batman," "Neal Adams art.").There are 5 types of slabs offered by the CGC:

  1. Modern grade (red header): book published in the last 20 years.
  2. Restored grade (purple header): denotes that comic has had some (amateur or professional) restoration done, i.e., color touch, tear seal, spine rebuilt, etc.
  3. Qualified grade (green header): denotes the fact that the comic has one major flaw keeping it from a higher grade. A common example is a Near Mint Marvel book with the Value Stamp cut out. NOTE: The grade given on the Qualified slab is NOT the actual grade of the comic! It is the grade "if the book did not have this problem."
  4. Universal grade (blue header): your average pre-1980 comic, containing no restoration. This is the most common CGC slab.
  5. Signature Series (yellow header): authenticated signed books sent directly from the Publisher to CGC to slab.

It does cost $$$ to use this service (please refer to their website for current pricing), so the seller will usually try to recoup this expense by adding it to the price of the book... and some sellers actually lose money by having modern or cheaper comics slabbed. Please also bear in mind that the CGC has yet to publicly release their grading standards, and do not in fact guarantee their grading. For more info on the CGC (including a 10% discount for eBay users) please visit their website. For more info on the pros and cons of "slabbing", see Know-It-Alls

Posted by newbie (?) mask on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
Q: Whoa, back up. What's this about restoration? And that other thing... What's it called? Oh, yeah! Pedigree.
Posted by stupidman (???) star about me on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
A: Again, for detailed information on pedigrees and restoration, see Know-It-Alls.
Posted by newbie (?) mask on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
Q: Thanks for nuthin. What section should I list my books in on eBay? And you live in your mother's basement, don't you?
Posted by stupidman (???) star about me on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
A: The comic book categories on eBay used to be far more generalized, but have tightened up somewhat thanks in large part to input from eBay's Comics Board regulars. Older comics generally fit into these eBay categories (check individual listings for appropriate sub-categories):

  1. Platinum Age: comics from 1897 - 1933 ('37), also known as the Pre-Golden Age.
  2. Golden Age: comics from 1933 ('37) - 1956.
  3. Silver Age: 1956 - 1970.
  4. Bronze Age: 1970 - 1979-80.
  5. Modern Age: 1980 - Now.
Before listing, take a look at the opening page for the comics section. TBPs, Full Runs, Collections, and other comics-related categories have their own sections, regardless of the subject matter or when they were printed. The publisher categories were also recently done away with... they were redundant at best and incomplete at worst.
Posted by newbie (?) mask on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
Q: So say some college-bound fanboy cashes in his student loan check an' wins a bunch of my auctions. How do I ship these books to his dorm room with the least amount of damage?
Posted by stupidman (???) star about me on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
A: For information on the shipping and proper storage of comics currently in your possesion (as well as any you may pick up in the future), see Going Postal.
Posted by newbie (?) mask on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
Q: Okay, I'll bite. Say I were to buy some comics on eBay (yeah, right... like that'll happen) and the seller's even more stupid than you are. How can I make sure I don't get ripped off?
Posted by stupidman (???) star about me on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
A: Here's a list of questions I send to sellers when in doubt (as when no scan has been provided):
  1. Is the book complete (all 16 pages--not counting covers--and no coupons cut out)?
  2. Is the cover and centerfold attached at both staples? One staple? Detached?
  3. Is there more than 2 staples in the book?
  4. Any foxing (moldy spots)?
  5. Any rips or folds in the cover or inside pages?
  6. Are the staples rusty?
  7. Is there any insect damage anywhere?
  8. Any restoration at all? (i.e. color touch, re-stapling, etc)
  9. Did you grade the entire book including the back cover?
  10. Are there creases on the cover?
  11. Any tape on the book?
  12. Any stains/water damage to the book?
  13. Any pieces/chunks missing from the covers?
  14. Any 3 ring binder punch holes in the book?
  15. Any writing or "invisible" tracing on the cover?
  16. Is the spine split at all? Is the spine rough? Is spine rolled?
  17. Is the cover still glossy or is the finish dull?
  18. Are the pages (and cover) white? Off-white/tan? Brown? Brittle?
  19. Does the book smell unusual in any way? (i.e., like mothballs, an attic, moldy, etc.)
  20. Do you use Overstreet grading standards, and what grade do you assign to this book? (i.e., Fair, Fine, etc.)
  21. Do you offer a money back guarantee, or do you sell "as is"?
  22. What will the total shipping charge be? Do you offer Bookrate as well as Priority Mail?
Remember that purchasing comics on-line is very different from buying them in a shop. You don't have the opportunity to examine them in person, so the more you know before you bid the better. It's your hard-earned money, so don't be afraid to ask questions! For more buyer tips, see Dos and Don'ts under Know-It-Alls.
Posted by newbie (?) mask on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
Q: How can I find a comic shop near me (prefer'bly one that ISN'T run by some pimply-faced fat guy)?
Posted by stupidman (???) star about me on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
A: The easiest way, besides your local Yellow Pages, is the Comic Shop Locator phone number. Simply dial 1-888-COMIC BOOK. It will ask for your zip code, and then tell you the 3 closest stores to your area along with their addresses and phone numbers.
Posted by newbie (?) mask on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
Q: What if I still have more questions that this FAQ doesn't answer, Mr. Font-o-Useless-Info?
Posted by stupidman (???) star about me on Aug-21-00 at 00:00:00 PDTAuctions
A: Then click on over to the eBay Comics Board. There are a lot of regular comic collectors there that would be happy to help you out, just post a question (sans the funky attitude) and patiently wait for a response.
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