How Comic Book Price Guides
Can Help Booksellers

Comic book price guides are essential whether you're selling old comic books or just trying to determine the value of some you may be interested in purchasing.

The first price guide was published in the 1960's for a specific comic book shop.

Since then they have become indispensable tools for the comic book collector, dealer, and casual enthusiast who collects things for fun, like old comic books.

Price guides are not only used by dealers who sell comic books, but also to determine their value for insurance purposes. You see, depending on the artist, the comic itself, the rarity of the book, and its condition, comic books can be extremely valuable.

The Art of Grading Comic Books

One of the most important factors comic book price guides can help you with is how to grade comics as accurately as possible.

Quite frankly, grading comic books is highly subjective, and can range from a numerical scale to the more commonly used verbal scale, encompassing poor condition to mint condition.

Obviously, comic books being stored in their original wrapping are pretty much guaranteed to be in mint condition.

On the other hand, if you have to decide the difference between good and very good, that can be a much tougher call.

Getting an Appraisal

Although comic book price guides can help both you and the comic book seller to determine it's a condition within general guidelines, if you're talking about a very valuable (or potentially very valuable) comic book, it's probably in your best interest to take it to a third party representative.

A third party who can determine the value of old comic books who is also not financially motivated to favor either the buyer or sell can grade the item fairly.

Rather than using comic book price guides you can take the comic book to a third party for a comic book appraisal.

This type of professional will be knowledgeable not only on grading the condition of the comic book, but also about the value based on author, artist, edition, and publication dates of titles you can find selling online.

An appraiser will also judge the comic books' desirability, its relative scarcity, and determine if it has any historical significance.

To find a comic book appraiser try doing a Google search on "comic book appraisers" and you'll get plenty of choices. A lot of them specialize in making money on e-bay, but a local appraiser is best.

Just make sure you investigate the appraisers' credentials before trusting your merchandise with him or her.

Pitfalls to Avoid

It's important to thoroughly research not only the condition of the comic book, but also how rare it is, because how widely it was circulated will determine the value as well.

You can discover the most profitable niches online by thoroughly research the comic genre in which you're interested.

Again, comic book price guides can give you a general idea of how rare the comic book might be, but for specifics you may want to take the comic book to a third party individual.

Watch out for books that have been restored to any extent because that can have a huge negative affect on the price.

However, even comic books in relatively poor shape can have sentimental value to some collectors. Trading damaged but still desirable comics is a way for making money for teens.

Sometimes local flea markets can yield some exceptional bargains. But when shopping at flea markets, always try to work with a reputable comic book dealer.

Conversely, if you're interested in a comic book owned by a private party, you should bring in an unbiased professional to keep the transaction fair.

Return To Top: How Comic Book Price Guides Can Help Booksellers

Return to Home Page: Making Money Online Selling Used Books