Futon Heaven

Did you unearth a whole stash of comic books while cleaning the attic? Or, perhaps you stumbled across a comic book collection when you were browsing at a garage sale and suddenly got the idea of grabbing them and selling them for a profit. No matter how you obtained them, and regardless of whether you have a few or several dozen comic books, you need to learn the comic book value.

There are several things that determine the value of a comic book. First of all, based on accepted guidelines, you need to know what kind of condition it’s in. A comic book’s desirability and rarity is another determining factor in what kind of price it will fetch.

There are two ways to determine comic book value, also called its grade. You browse online to find resources that will help you determine its grade. Alternatively, you can consult the CGC (Comics Guaranty Company) by mail or by going to a comic book convention. These are the grading terms you should be familiar with: Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, Fine, Very Fine, Near Mint, Mint. There are books and guides out there that can help you determine the grade, but the same information can easily be found online too.

Once you have determined the grade, finding the comic book value is much easier. Visit eBay and check out the auctions for comic books, since this will give you a good idea of what they’re selling for. Be aware, however, that the values will tend to vary from issue to issue. Price is often dependant on special things about the issue, such as printing errors or rarity.

Another thing you can do is buy a price guide on comic books; there are different ones to choose from. Some give one price for each comic, and some give a range of values based on condition. Finally, use a good search engine to explore and find information about a specific issue. Join online communities for collectors, where you can often find a wealth of information.

Have a lot of comic books laying around? Visit Comic Book Prices and check out our sections on Comic Book Value and Comic Book Grading to find out what your collection is worth!

- Candace Right