Besides loving the comics themselves, comic collecting is about floating around cons looking for that one issue you’re missing, or entering into bidding wars on eBay. It’s great to have that feeling that you’ve got a great deal by hustling and clever negotiation and knowing the secrets that others don’t.

It seems that every other Tom, Dick and Harry is getting ripped off because they don’t know what they’re doing. Even when they’re not getting outright scammed, collectors in the know run rings around them by barely lifting a finger. Knowing how to sell for more and buy for less is key for serious comic collectors.

There is loads of lousy and conflicting advice online that supposedly helps out collectors. I get the impression that many of these people just invent this stuff on the spot and don’t have any actual experience collecting comics. If you love comics, you buy and sell comics, you dislike time-wasting and hassle, and you want quality information not fluff, then I’d recommend getting Comic Selling Secrets.

The author is an 11-year-veteran comic book collector, and in his eBook he spills loads of solid tips and tricks that I simply haven’t seen anywhere else. It’s well worth it just as an investment, completely ignoring the satisfaction you’ll have knowing you’re getting the best deal. Check it out here.

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The Golden Age of comics is said to have last from the 1930s to the late 1940s. During this time, comics became main stream and readers were introduced to superheroes such as Batman, Captain America, and Wonder Woman. Superman was the first known superhero and made his debut in 1938. After Superman, almost all comics featured a superhero, and the Golden Age is classified by their appearances. World War II had a big impact on the popularity of the superhero comic books during this era. What made them so popular was showcasing that good triumphs over evil. There were even some comic books that showed characters punching Adolf Hitler.

The Silver Age of comics was more about commercial success and artistic advancement. The Golden Age proved that comics were popular and readable, and the Silver Age maintained that success. This ere lasted from the mid 1950s to the early 1970s. During this time, comics were blamed for juvenile crimes occurring more frequently. As a result of this, comic sales went down and writers had to rethink their story plot. Comics started to represent authority. The characters went through a dynamic change and the stars of the comics started to appear as aliens and other science fiction characters. Also during this time, underground comics made for adults started to emerge.

The Bronze Age lasted from the 1970s to the mid 1980s. The look of the comic book didn’t change during this era, however, the story plot changed dramatically. Although the pages and pictures were bright and colorful, the story line was more dramatic, realistic, and dark. Real world issues were brought to attention in the comics of this era. Drug use was an issue addressed. The comics became more mature and life like.

The Modern Age of comic books started in the 1980s and continues on in to the present. In addition to the characters in comics, the writers are also more recognizable. There are more publishing houses that produce comics and there are independent comic books too. The larger publishing houses became more commercialized. The characters also change during this era. They are now more complex, show self doubt, and the villains are darker.

About the Author: Conan Saunders is Chief Technology Officer for mycomicshop.com, one of the largest retailers of comic books in the world. Mycomicshop is the online presence of Lone Star Comics, a leading retailer of comic books with seven stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. For more information please visit: http://www.mycomicshop.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Conan_Saunders

Classified Ads And Printed Ads
Many people who don’t know much about buying and selling comics try to sell their entire collection with a small advert. While this is quick and easy, people who search such ads for comics are probably looking for bargains. Many hope that the seller does not know the value of their comics, wishing to pick up treasure for chump change.

Dealers
Some dealers will buy comics outright to sell in their shop or on their website. The price you get will depend on the dealer in question, and obviously dealers will only buy at a price that will ensure they can sell your collection on at a profit. A better way to sell is to make a contract with your dealer, a “consignment”, where a dealer sells your comics for you in exchange for a percentage of the money made. If you’re looking for the quickest and easiest method to sell your entire collection in one go, this is probably a good option. However, in exchange for the time you save, you’ll lose money that you could have had.

Auction
While it is possible to sell your comics at proper auction houses, and perhaps that is appropriate for extremely rare and valuable comics, what I’m discussing here is online auctions, particularly those on eBay. For many comic collectors, eBay is the first place they search when buying comics. eBay does have a wide audience, but how much your comics sell for depends on how you listed it and how lucky you are. If you are going to sell on eBay, it’s important to take the time to list your comic properly, otherwise you’ll get a raw deal.

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The first Saturday in May is the official day for comic books. What is so great about this day is that comic books are given away for free. For the past seven years, participating stores have been giving out free comics; but only on this one Saturday a year. The purpose behind this day is to promote comics to kids. To keep the industry alive, we need the newest generations getting hooked on comics. Kids as young as two and three years old become interested in comics, even though they can’t read, because they are familiar with the action hero figures. More than likely, most kids have a Superman or Batman action figure and they can relate to the comics from looking at the pictures.

The comics given out are special issues. They are printed especially for Free Comic Book Day. They are printed differently than normal comics, and they don’t have a barcode on them. Also, most of the comic books handed out have Free Comic Book Day printed somewhere on the cover. At one store participating in the event, they have more than ten different comics to choose from that will be given out for free. This is made possible because each major comic publisher produces a free edition comic. For a comic book enthusiast, this once a year even is like Christmas for them. As many as twelve million comic books will be given out on Saturday.

William Shatner, one of the most memorable Star Trek actors, is taking part in the event. He has plans to announce the release of his own comic book series. He will be doing a comic book signing at a store in Los Angeles where they will be giving out free comics. William Shatner partnered with Bluewater Productions to create a 32 page comic to be given away for free in support of Free Comic Book Day. His series of science fiction comics is called Tek War, and the free comic given out is a prologue to the issue. Hugh Jackman, leading actor in the X-men series, is also promoting Free Comic Book Day. He is starring in the new release X-Men Origins: Wolverine. He believes that comics have the power to get kids to read. They are playing a large part in fighting illiteracy in our country.

Without comic book retailers, this world wide event wouldn’t be possible. They pay anywhere from 12 to 50 cents for each free edition comic book, and give them out to free for anyone who walks through their store.

Here is a rough guide on how to evaluate the grade of a comic yourself. You should note that this is a rough guide and you shouldn’t depend on the grade you arrive at. It’s easy to overestimate the grade of a comic. If in doubt, presume your comic is graded lower. This should, however, with the Overstreet Price Guide, give you some idea of your comic book values.

Mint (MT)
A Mint comic is perfect. An incey, wincey crease turns a comic from Mint to Near Mint. The comic should lie completely flat, and there should be no creases or wear on the spine or corners. The colors should be bright like it has just been printed. The staples shouldn’t be rusted. I cannot emphasise enough that the comic should be completely flawless. I’ve heard it said that a Mint comic is an imaginary comic, and perhaps they’re right. I mention this not because I want to insult your comic collection due to jealous and bitter tendencies, but because it’s a useful point of reference to compare other grades.

Near Mint (NM)
All that is needed to turn a comic from Mint to Near Mint is to open the comic. The only difference from a Mint comic is that there can be very minor imperfections at very close inspection. There may be the smallest of creases along the spine or around the staples, but everything else must be perfect.

Very Fine and Fine (VF and FN)
A Very Fine comic may have a small amount of wear, while still being clean and glossy. It may lie almost flat rather than completely flat. There may be some minor discoloration to the pages, but nothing major. There may be one or two small creases and tears along the spine, and some very minor corner creases. This is probably the best grade an old comic book can hope for. On top of the imperfections listed above, a Fine comic may have slightly blunted corners. The spine may bend up slightly. There may be very small tears and creases on some of the pages, along with small stains.

Very Good and Good (VG and GD)
A comic of these grades won’t have major defects, but they will have defects rather than just imperfections. Although a Good comic tend to be thorougly used, they will still be completely readable. The staples may be slightly discolored and the colors may be faded. The creases on the corners will be more noticable, rather than just tiny creases. The pages may have more noticable tears, and the spine may be more bent. There may be some writing or stickers on the comic.

Fair and Poor (FR and P)
This is where comic books go when they die. That said, even comics of these grades are readable. The cover may be detached. There may be big tears and folds. Parts of the comic may be ripped or cut out. Staples may be missing. It will have major wear, discoloration, and fading. The spine may be split and taped together. It may have large stains and be brittle. You will not pass go. You will not collect $200 — well, probably not, anyway.

I should mention that if a comic is restored or repaired in any way, its value will be affected. Grading a comic is as much an art as it is a science. Even professional graders can disagree whether a comic is a 9.8 grade or a 9.6 grade, for example. This is why I’ve kept broad catagories in my guide above, rather than try to define the minute factors that can change a grade by 0.2.

If you don’t want to pay for your comic to be graded by the CGC, and you don’t want to rely on the opinion of a comic book dealer, then grading your comics yourself is the safest route. Along with my short grading guide, you can search the web for other free guides. Happy hunting!

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Rarity
Action Comics #1 is a good example. According to Wikipedia, fewer than 100 copies are known to exist, and few of them are in good condition. In Feburary a copy in fine condition was sold for $317,200. I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the 200,000 copies of the original edition were destroyed by “loving” parents doing what they do best: throwing comics in the trash. I’m not bitter.

Age
Your comic book values aren’t necessarily high just because your comics are old, even though older comics, generally speaking, tend to be more valuable. You could perhaps argue that it isn’t so much the age of a comic that makes it expensive, as the fact that older comics are rarer. I thought I’d still add this anyway.

Edition
Obviously, the original edition of a comic is worth more than a reprint.

Series
Long-running series have loyal fanbases, so that even if the story in a particular issue is a little weak, they’ll still sell. Collectors of a series will buy new issues and fill the gaps in their collection regardless. Older issues of Superman, Spider-man, and Batman, for example, will probably always be sought after, if only because they’re Superman, Spider-man, and Batman.

Condition
Comic book grading is important. Everyone wants the comics in their collection to be in mint condition. A comic that is discolored and stained, that has a detached cover and is altogether battered and bruised isn’t that appealing.

Storylines
Great stories sell comics and make them valuable. This is so obvious I feel a little silly saying it. Notable stories can be about a character’s origins, or just general major events.

Writers and Artists
Just as some people collect a specific series, some people collect the works of their favorite writers. This is also related to storylines, as great writers write great stories. If the artwork was done by a famous artist, that can also affect the comic book’s price.

Characters
The characters that appear in an issue affect its value, particularly first appearances and guest apperances.

The Overstreet Price Guide is a great tool to work out your comic book values. It has a comprehensive list of comics, giving guide prices depending on their condition. It also lists things that affect a comics value, like the things I’ve listed above. There are also great articles, such as expert’s opinions on comic collecting, and pictures.

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