Curious about the world of comic books? Thinking of starting a collection? The following is a rough guide to help get you started.
First off, before spending lots of money on piles of comic books, spend a little time, and money on finding out more about the hobby. There are several things you need to know;
•
How to “Grade” or be able to define the condition of a comic.
•How to determine how much a comic book is worth
•What you should collect
•Where to buy the comics you will collect
•How to properly store and handle comic books
This short article will deal with those topics listed above…
How To Grade a Comic Book
Determining the condition of anything is part science, and part art. Over the last 30 years or so in this hobby there have been wide debates on exactly how the condition of a comic is calculated. At Carsleys we take comic grading very seriously, as the value of all collectables are dependent on condition. In the “Old Days” (5 years ago+) we used only a descriptive word to define the condition. This ranged from “Mint” for an absolutely flawless copy, to “Poor” for something that is pretty close to trash. Now we also use a numbering system from 0 to 10 to help define condition, as this has become the industry norm. 10 coresponds to Mint, 0 to Poor, and of course there are a myriad of conditions in between.
Here are what we consider to be “standard guidelines” for each category of condition…
Mint, MT, (10.0) – This is the highest possible condition for a comic book. Comics are almost never in this condition, as they are handled several times during the printing and distribution process before the make it to the consumer. The only “10’s” out there are usually comics from the last decade where a supreme effort has been made to create a perfect comic, and encapsulate it right away to protect it from damage.
Near Mint / Mint, NM/MT (9.6 to 9.8) – This is really the highest condition it is possible to buy for most comic books. They are newsstand fresh, with no damage or wear whatsoever. The defects (and only very, very small ones) will be due to the production process. For example a comic may not have perfect centering, a small blunted corner, etc.
Near Mint, NM, (9.2 to 9.4) – This is the condition most comics will be in when you purchase them brand new from a comic shop. Fresh, new feeling books, with only very minor flaws due to production, distribution, and very light handling (shelf wear).
Very Fine, VF, (8.0) – On first glance, from arms length this comic will appear practically new, and when held will still have a “fresh” feeling to it. Upon closer inspection, there may be some light wear on the edges, and or a few light lines on the right edge (spine) of the comic. Still, a very well preserved copy.
Fine, FN, (6.0) – This would still be an above average copy (for an old book, pre-1970), that is still in solid condition but has some general wear, a bit of cover gloss gone, and possibly some light crease at the spine. It may also have some folds in the cover, but usually only a few. There should be no major defects, just light wear.
Very Good, VG, (4.0) – For older comics, this would be the average condition they are usually be found in. Will have evidence of use and wear, but have no major defects (like chunks missing, or big tears, etc). Multiple folds and creases are common, as well as fading of the cover. Often comic in this grade may also have a small “split” in the bottom or top of the spine.
Good, GD, (2.0) – A well worn comic. Often will have multiple defects including small pieces missing, tears, creases and folds, stains, etc. Used, but still complete and readable copy. Usually referred by collectors as a “reading copy”
Fair, FR, (1.0) – Comics in this category are usually really beat up, have pieces, or parts missing, or some other defect that makes them only collectable as a filler until a better copy becomes available. Usually, collectors will only buy very rare, or very expensive issues in this condition.
Poor (0-0.5) – Usually a significant portion of the comic is missing (pages, cover, back cover, etc). Unacceptable to collectors, with the exception of extremely rare issues.
Want to find out more on how to grade your comics? Here are some ideas…
•Buy the Overstreet Comic Grading Guide, which is a 300+ page book just on how to grade comics. It has lots of pics, and will really help you with those in between grades (also, always available in our store).
•Check out CGC. They are a service that will professionally grade your comics, and seal them in a rigid holder for protection. We are CGC registered dealers…which means you can submit comics to CGC by going through our store. If you want more info about CGC visit them @ www.cgccomics.com
•Drop by our store! Any of our associates will be happy to help answer your questions.
How To Determine How Much a Comic is Worth
The answer to this will depend on what you mean by worth. For example, I own a copy of Elementals #1, that I got when it came out (1984 or 1985), and was lucky to have met the artist at a show, spoke with him, and got my comic autographed. I think I read this comic dozens of times, and love it. What is it worth? To me if I was offered $50 I probably would not sell it, but to someone without that sentimental attachment maybe $8 to $10. This is why placing values on things is quite complicated.
Generally however, if we remove any sentimental value from comics there are generally two types of value comics will have. We will discuss both here…
Retail Value – This is the price you would have to pay to buy the comic in a store, whether online or a real comic shop. Usually, because of the costs involved in sorting, bagging, pricing, and displaying comics, they usually do not sell for under the cover price ($2 & up these days). The most recognized references for looking up the retail price of comic books are…
•Wizard Comic Magazine. This is a great monthly, and has a price guide for more recent comics. The prices here are usually a bit higher than Overstreet, but it also has more information on "hot" comics, variants, and other "in" subjects.
•The Standard Catalog of Comic Books. More like a phone book, with over 1,500 pages, is really the competitor of the Overstreet guide. It has some benefits like listing the size of known print runs (how many were made), and some other neat features.
•Comic-Base. This is the best software ever made for keeping track of your comic collection. Virtually every comic ever made is in the database, and of course retail pricing in many grades is there as well.
Liquidation Value – This is the price you would actually get if you wanted to sell your comics. Often, the retail price and the liquidation value (we’ll call it LV to save space) have little to do with each other. Here I attempted to put a few guidelines to help you, based on the age of the comics in question;
•Comics made after 1985. Since comics were well saved in the last 2 decades, there are lots of these around. In fact, many comic stores, and distributors actually went out of business in the early 1990’s leaving lots, and lots of comics on the market. As a rule, most (yes there are exceptions of course!) comics from this period will only be saleable when in large lots, and in new condition. Typically you should expect from 5 to 50 cents a piece depending on the quality, and popularity of what you have.
•1970-1984. Recently, this time period has become more popular to collectors. Most easy to sell are comics in NM condition from popular titles. Average condition copies are tough to sell and would fall into the 1985 to date pricing rule. We will buy all NM or better copies of popular titles at anywhere between 20% and 100% of Overstreet guide.
•1956-1969. This is known as the Silver-Age. Comics from this period, especially super-hero related titles are popular in well preserved condition (FN or better). We purchase all comics from this period and will pay between 30% and 125% of Overstreet guide.
•1938-1955. Known as the Golden-Age. Comics from this period are tough to get in nice condition (VF or better). Super-hero titles are usually the best sellers. We are always interested in VG or better copies all almost all titles. Our typical buying price is between 40% and 150% of Overstreet.
Important in any calculation is condition. A 50 year old comic in new condition is going to be worth many, many times more than the same issue with some wear. Please read our grading section. In recent years exceptional condition comics (usually NM 9.4 or better), have begun to command retail prices in excess of the generally used price guides.
So to sum things up…how much is a comic book worth…well it depends on how you look at it. Your best bet if you are starting a collection is to buy things you really like. This way regardless of what others think, at least your have something with added sentimental value (like my Elementals #1).
What You Should Collect
Take a bit of time to look at what is out there before starting. As mentioned above, look at some of the guides, and buy a magazine or two about the hobby (all available at our store). Also, why not ask our staff about what they would recommend for good reading. We are always happy to help out a new collector. After you get your feet wet, and have a bit more information, feel free to peruse our large selection of new comics, as well as some older treasures.
We also carry all sorts of magazines "about" the hobby. These range from Previews which is a monthly publication (usually 500+ pages) for new comics, to other publications dealing with older comics like "BackIssue"
Only you can decide what is worth collecting. Regardless of which direction you choose we will do our best to support your efforts.
Where To Buy Comics You Will Collect
Here is our really biased answer…AT OUR STORE & OUR ONLINE STORE!
Seriously now, we do have a great selection of comic and comic related items, and we have a very customer focused attitude…we want to be your source for all your comic book collecting needs. That be said, we are realistic and know you way want to also buy things in other places. So here is a list of places you may want to go…
•Other comic stores (ouch!). Check your yellow pages for stores in your area.
•Conventions. There are lots of local and national conventions just for comic collectors. Ask us at the store about ones going on in Montreal. The best comic convention of all is the San Diego comic con. This is an annual event in July.
•The Internet (well you knew that if you are reading this!). eBay, and other popular sites can be a good source for hard to find issues.
•Family & Friends. You never know, they may be a great comic collection out there to be had right under your nose. Let others know you collect!
How to Properly Store & Handle Comic Books
Comic books are among the most fragile collectables. They are pieces of newsprint with a couple staples holding them together. Obviously, a lot of care needs to be taken for proper storage, and handling.
Most collectors keep their comic books in special bags. They also use a stiff backing board to prevent the comic from bending, and getting damaged. All older comics we sell are put in bags and boards. There are several different types of bags on the market. Here are the most popular ones…
•Polyethylene – These are the worst, as the chemicals in the bags will damage your comics. You can tell this type because they are “cloudy” when you look through them, and sometimes have a greasy feel. If you need to use this bag, make sure it is only for very short term use. We do not sell this type of bag because we love comics!
•Polypropylene – These are “clear” when looked through. They are great for medium term storage (2 to 10 years), as the plastic will leach out less chemicals that can react with your comics. We carry a full line of sizes in our store.
•Mylar – Clearly the best bet for long term storage and for very valuable comics. This is what the Library of Congress uses on it’s valuable documents (so you can figure it ok for you too). Mylar is inert, and is the safest way to store comics. The problem is the price. They are 10 times the price of regular bags. We carry a full line of Mylar bags in our store.
When you have many comics, a special comic box will come in handy. These are usually available in half length (fits about 100-125 comics), and full length (200-250). The boxes are stackable, so they can be a real space saver if you do not have much storage room.
Handling comics…always very carefully. If you would like more information about the best way to put a comic in a bag, remove it, read it, or anything else please ask one of our associates, and we will be happy to show you our tricks of the trade.
Some last words….
Comic collecting is one of the most fun hobbies on the planet! Wherever you go with this please make sure you have fun!
.
