Comic Book Collecting — How To Start Comic Book Collecting Today For Fun & Profit
A comic book is like no other form of entertainment or medium in the world. it’s a combination of art and literature that can be appreciated by both the very young and the very sophisticated. It’s a ticket to a rich world of imagination and fantasy, a passport to other realities, and an invitation to live and relive your favorite adventures over and over.
No wonder people collect comic books.
Collecting comics is different from all other collecting activities. A collection of coins or stamps or rare glassware gives its owner some pleasure from acquiring, organizing, and displaying the items. But once you have a rare stamp or a valuable coin or an antique punch bowl, there is little more that you can do with it, other than show it off.
A comic book collection, however, is a source of far greater pleasure and interest. Not only can you have fun by simply collecting comics, you can get hours and hours of satisfaction from reading, studying, researching, and talking about them. You don’t just display a comic book collection; you read it and you develop an appreciation for the different artists and writers who create the comics.
Collecting comics can not only provide you with years of pleasure, but may even pay you well for the time you spend. Collectors are often pleasantly surprised to find out that all the comics they have collected and enjoyed are now worth much more than they paid for them.
Maybe you read comic books only for the love of it, or perhaps you only want to sell them for money. Either way, you can achieve your goals…no matter who your are….whether you are a comic reader, collector, or investor.
For most people, the inspiration to collect comics isn’t so startling, and the collecting instinct isn’t so sharp. If you’re like most people, you slowly realize over the years that these multicolored pamphlets of daring adventures and light amusement seem to pile up around you. You read and reread them (sometimes to pieces), and you pore over the artwork. You never consciously set out to collect comic books, but it just sort of happens.
And keeps happening, because comic books are part of our childhood history. Right now, somewhere, another new collector is discovering comic books for the first time, because comics are everywhere and they appeal to just about everyone. They’re a clever and artful combination of words and pictures, writing and drawing, literary and graphic arts.
Sales of comics in the United States during this past year topped $1 billion. Over 100 million new comics were sold nationwide. More than 3,000 special comics retail store currently serve millions of customers daily. And nearly every comic ever printed is available today to you through the side network of collectors and dealers.
Clearly, comic books are all around us. You can buy them at bookstores in a mall, or at your neighborhood comic-book shop. On or the internet. You can get them directly in the mail from the publisher or you can subscribe to one of many high-volume discount services.
The first thing a collector needs to establish is what comics he wants to collect is it particular genre, character, title or perhaps publisher that interests him? Who knows how your taste will alter and how your collection will change and grow? It is important, however, to start small, it could be that you already have some comics. If not, buy some new ones ___ it is the best way to start! With more than a thousand titles published each month you will need to be selective. If you are at all unsure, ask for advice at your local comic store, or from a mail-order service. They’ll be pleased to give you details of currents titles.
For reasons of nostalgia, many collectors coming back to comics try to find the issues they remember from their childhood. Depending on when your childhood was, there is a chance that these back issues could be expensive.
Buy a price guide which will enable you to ascertain roughly the cost of collecting, for example, a complete run of Spider-Man from 1963 to date, or all of the issues of Superman from 1960 to date.
Decide what your minimum requirement regarding condition is, and then set about tracking them down. A good way to start is to visit your nearest specialist store and browse through their back issues, or call a mail-order service and ask them for a catalogue.
Check the listings of conventions or shows in The Comic Buyers Guide or Comics International, and go along to see what’s on offer. Do not be too eager to spend your money, it’s worth checking all the dealers before making a purchase.
It’s also worth asking dealers who stock the type of material you’re collecting if they run a ‘wants list’ service. If they do, give them a list of what you are looking for, detailing titles, issue numbers and a range of acceptable conditions. If they find a match from your list, they will contact you and offer the item. Whether you buy it or not is up to you – there is no obligation involved in giving a dealer, mail-order service or store such a list. All they require is that you keep them updated on any changes to your ‘wants’.
Be sensible when compiling a wants list. Even if you ultimately want to collect every issue of Batman, only list those you feel you will be able to buy immediately. You can always add to the list as time goes by.
Some of the bigger dealers use bespoke computer software, which can take some of the pain out of compiling a list. For example, you may want to collect every
appearance of a particular character (like Spider-Man), or all of the work of a creator. Just tell the company; there is a good chance that they will have this information and can compile the list for you, sending you a copy for your records.
When buying back issues you will find variations in prices for what seem to be different examples of the same comic. Check a current price guide or update, buy keep in mind that all guides are retrospective and their contents are only an indication as to what you might pay, not the definitive price for a comic. Having said that, and allowing for market movements, they do give you a very good idea of price, unless you are dealing with a pedigree or particularly high-grade copy, which one would expect to pay over the guide price for.
Another thing to bear in mind is that one dealer’s Very Fine is another dealer’s Near Mint. It is most important to establish how a dealer grades his comics or you may find you have paid what you thought was one dealer’s lower price for his Near Mint copy only to discover that you have actually overpaid for what in reality is only a Very Fine copy. Beware of dealers at shows or conventions who do not price their books, and also beware of dealers who refuse to grade their comics, asking you what grade you think it is. This is very dangerous, especially for the novice grader.
Most dealers are honest, but there are some who deal in stolen comics. If you buy a stolen comic, knowingly or unknowingly, and the original owner can prove it is his, you will be forced by law to give it back, despite the fact that you have paid for it. Always ask for a receipt; reputable dealers will have no problem with this and many issue them as a matter of course.
When you are buying back issues, check to see if the company offers an unconditional money-back guarantee. This is particularly important when buying through the mail or online, where you have not seen the comic. Most reputable online stores and mail-order services will offer this facility. When responding to advertisement, try to establish whether the advertiser is a collector or a dealer, and be careful when sending money to advertisers. There have been cases where the sender has received nothing in return.
Do not accept long delivery dates for back issues-7-14 days is acceptable, anything more than that, for whatever reason, is not.
There are a few disreputable dealers who specialize in selling the same comic a number of times. You could find that all you get for your money is a credit note. These credit notes are find if you intend to do further business with that company, but ensure that the credit note is redeemable, at any time, for your money back. Ask this question at the outset, if the answer is no, find another dealer.
Paying by credit card could give you some additional protection. At least if the company takes credit cards it is an indication, but not proof, that they are fairly well established.
Alternatives are bad news in most cases. Some mail-order services will ask you to list alternatives in event of your selection not being available. I would suggest you avoid those companies that insist on this. Tell others that merely request it that, in the event of your selection not being available, they should either send you a credit note or your money back. This should be less of a problem when paying by credit card, as the company should not take any money until they are dispatching your order. Be careful though – some companies take the money immediately they receive the order. Tell them not to.
Check with dealers what their policy is on upgrading. It could be that you will settle for a lower grade now in order to have the comic in your collection, and want to buy a higher grade when finances allow or it becomes available. Reputable dealers, if selling you an upgrade, should be prepare to offer you very close to what you originally paid them for the first comic. If a lot of time has elapsed, you may even show a profit, although by the same toke your upgrade will also cost you more.
Find out from mail-order services how they will mail your order to you. The comics should at least be packed in comic bags, with more expensive items being packed in a Mylar or equivalent. some services have custom-made mailing-boxes, which usually offer good protection to the comics. Expensive comics should be sent either by a service like Federal Express or the United Parcel Service, where a signature is required on delivery. The alternative is a type of mailing which also requires a signature.
Ordinary U.S. postal service is generally acceptable for lower valued comics, although it is worth asking about postal insurance, as once the package is mailed the responsibility becomes yours.
To maintain a collection of new comics, the best thing to do is to set up a standing order for the titles at a comic store or, if this is inconvenient, take out a subscription with a mail-order service.
The difference between the two is that , in most cases you will pay for the standing order on collection, whereas a subscription is normally paid for in advance.
Good subscription services will supply you with a monthly order from detailing the titles on offer, for publication two to three months in advance. They will also supply a useful free newsletter giving more detailed information about advance products. Some services offer regular subscribers discounts or bonuses for regular business, and there are also various discount clubs that can save you money and ensure the company of your loyal patronage.
One such club in the UK offers rising discounts off back issues and new comics, as well as other bonuses such as free price guides, a free copy of Previews, Comics International and other publications. They also give club members priority on their computerized wants list service, and mail out all club members’ back issues in comic bags with protective backing boards.
Discount clubs are useful and worth investigation. There is normally an initial charge as well as an annual fee. Take into account the bonuses and calculate whether or not the discounts will cover the cost of membership.
On-line auctions like eBay are another source of back issues. If you are considering buying from an on-line auction, it is important to keep a level head. It is easy to be caught up in the fervor of the bidding going on around you. Set a maximum price that you are prepare to pay for an item and go no further, bearing in mind that, in addition to your successful bid price, you will also have to pay shipping costs.
Auctions by mail, which are run by dealers, are another matter entirely. There are some auction-by-mail dealers who are entirely honest. However, there are an increasing number who prey on unsuspecting collectors through various deceptive means. Use only those that come recommended to you either by a reputable store, non-auction-by-mail dealer, or fellow collector.
First and foremost, comics are for enjoying and reading. Do not be afraid to handle and read new comics. They will, of course, need careful storage after you have read them. As your collection grows, it will be necessary to develop a cataloguing system. This will allow you easily to find a particular comic, and also ensure that you do not buy the same comic twice (this is easily done). Your catalogue, which is best sorted on a computer database, but can be hand-written, should include the title, the issue number, the grade, and the location of each comic.
Collectors store their comics alphabetically, by publisher, artist, date, character, or a combination of these. There is no right or wrong way and you will soon find a system that suits you best.
Hopefully, these suggestions will help you in your pursuit to start and maintain your comic collection for fun and profit.
Onward!
3 Responses to “Comic Book Collecting — How To Start Comic Book Collecting Today For Fun & Profit”
Comments
« CGC Comic Books — Buying Graded CGC Comic Books Successfully | Home | Aquaman Comics For Sale — All Hot, Rare, CGC Graded »
October 5th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
[...] How To Start Comic Book Collecting Today — For Fun & Profit! [...]
March 23rd, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Please tell me what world your living on? Here is a quote from you “Check with dealers what their policy is on upgrading. It could be that you will settle for a lower grade now in order to have the comic in your collection, and want to buy a higher grade when finances allow or it becomes available. Reputable dealers, if selling you an upgrade, should be prepare to offer you very close to what you originally paid them for the first comic”
I have been in the comic industry for decades, and dealers WILL NEVER give you anywhere near what you paid for their comic, even if you upgrade to a nicer book from the same dealer. If some one bought a Spider Man 56 in VF for $100 from me, and a few months later wanted me to give them $100 back for it, so they could buy the NM 56 for $200, what dealer would do that? Once you buy a book, & try to resell it to the same dealer, your going to be offered nowhere near what you spent on the book, even for an upgrade, unless the dealer in question is a close friend or relative. I wish somebody would do that to me, I would laugh in their face. When someone buys a book, generally it’s a done deal with no warrantys implied. Most dealers never allow returns or exchanges, except perhaps a 7-10 day return policy on internet/online sales. I don’t think that makes us irreputable dealers if we don’t want to give you back all the money you spent on a book from us because you now want to upgrade.
March 23rd, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Joe, thank you for your feedback and detailed information.
I don’t agree. Unfortunately, what you described just doesn’t square with what I’ve experienced. Granted, it’s hard to do, but not impossible.
Best,
Alan