Why Sell Comics

There are a number of reasons to sell comics. Firstly, buying and selling comics can be a way to fund your personal collection of collectables. 

It is a common practice for comic book collectors to seek out and buy collections that have books the comic book collector isn’t interested in but have some they are.

The collector will keep what they want for the personal collection and resell the rest to other collectors who will enjoy them or repeat the cycle.

Secondly, some make a living buying and selling comic books along with trading cards, warhammer, D&D sets and more. They open brick and mortar stores or online stores and can be called your LOCAL COMIC SHOP!

How to determine if Your Comics are Worth Selling

How to assess comic book value

There are a few resources to determine the value of the comics you are listing for sale. Most of the tools to determine value are online but there are physical tools as well. The condition of the comic is also key in determining value.

Tools and Resources for Comic Valuation

There are few resources to help you determine the value and a guide for listing price for your items.

Most tools are online including Go Collect, COVR Price, Price Charting and Key Collector just to name a few. Most crawl the internet for public sales of comics and aggregate sales to come to a fair market value of the comic.

There is also a printed price guide called Overstreet Price Guide that values comic books for reference.

How to grade your comics for sale?

There are few resources to help you determine the condition of your comic and what grade to estimate when listing the item for sale.

CBCS Grading Scale is a detailed resource for estimating the grade of your item.

Where to Sell Your Comics?

Online Platforms for Selling Comics

There are a number of ways to sell comics online. There are 3rd party marketplaces like Ebay, Hip Comic and Yousellcomics!

3rd party marketplaces take a percentage or a fee or commission for selling or listing your item. Fees can range from 5 percent on Yousellcomics and 15 percent on Ebay.

You can list your items for sale on social media through posts on Instagram or Twitter. These do not come with fees but specific issues are harder to find if you aren’t following the seller and keeping track of their daily and weekly posts.

There are also apps like What Not which started out as a live shopping network for collectables and has branched out to electronics as well.

Local Options for Selling Comics

When listing on social networks like Facebook Marketplace it is usually listed for local sale only. Some do offer shipping. There are also dedicated Facebook Groups that list items for sale locally but will also ship out to buyers.

Kijiji is a place for selling local as well as some local apps that are starting to pop up like Next Door and Offer Up.

One of the best ways to sell locally which buyers love is garage sales. Buyers can find hidden gems sometimes by going to garage sales as typically those who put out comics at a garage sale are not always aware of their value.

Another way to sell comics locally is to inquire at your local comic shop about consignment deals or if they buy collections for resale.

Selling Comics Through Auction Houses

You can find Auction Houses in your area or online to list your comics with. Typically there is a review process to be allowed to list your items with. Most houses require you to ship your items to them first before being shipped out to a customer when sold. They also usually take a higher percentage but also have a large user base built in.

Step-By-Step Guide to Selling your Comics

Step 1) Organize Your Comics

When deciding what to list for sale, you should go through what Eras of comics you have to list. Go through each comic for condition and make sure they are bagged and boarded. You can also organize by publisher and alphabetical for quick access.

Step 2) Determine Their Value

Previously covered in this article and in another blog, it is important to use available resources online to determine fair market value of the comics you want to list. These resources include COVR, Go Collect, Key Collector and Overstreet etc.

Step 3) Choose Your Selling Platform

Depending on how many items you have for sale and how much time you want to dedicate to selling can be part of the decision making process of where to list your comics.

Most smaller sellers start on Ebay or Facebook Marketplace. Both of these sites have massive user bases so you will have an opportunity to get a lot of eyes on your listings. However, given the massive user that also means your items can be lost in the millions of listings.

Sellers with larger inventories will sell on multiple marketplaces at once. They will use Ebay or Amazon but will also use niche marketplaces like Yousellcomics. This can be more time consuming as you are managing inventory on multiple sites while also being aware that an item could be sold on two sites at once.

Step 4) Set Competitive Prices

Most sellers who want to move their inventory will set it as close to or below fair market value. This can help you continue to move inventory while also funding your personal collection annually.

Setting above fair market value can lead to bigger gains but you will be waiting awhile for that item to move. One of the reasons to list above fair market value is to speculate this book will go up in price at some point and there is less need to monitor the price on a monthly basis.

You can also list above fair market price if the book you are listing has few listings or is rarely listed.

Step 5) List Your Comics Properly

Listing your comics properly starts with a good, descriptive title. You’ll want the title of the comic, the issue number and the estimated grade. It can also be important to add the era or volume number if it’s a common title like The Avengers.

It is also important to have a short description of the book or key information about the title.

If you are posting older books it’s important to have good pictures of the book. You will want a picture of both front and back covers. A picture of the spine and a page inside the book to show the color. It is also important to show any defects in the listing so the buyer can make an informed decision.

Step 6) Ship your comics safely

When making a sale and completing the transaction it is vital to ship the comic safely. This ensures a happy customer and adds to a good reputation.

Most sellers use gemini mailers or something similar. It is a cardboard mailer that allows you to send up to 9 or so comics in a protected manner while also keeping costs down on shipping.

Another option to consider when shipping is adding insurance to the shipment. Even when shipping lower priced books it can save you time and money and a giant headache if something happens in transit. I personally have learned this lesson early on. It is worth it to add insurance.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Comics

Over or Underestimating Value

This is a tricky one to explain. You will get a feel for it over time of what you can over and underestimate and when it makes sense and when it doesn’t. Most comic books from the past eras of Bronze and Silver Age are dollar books. Overcharging on books that most buyers estimate are dollar books will put people off from browsing your online store.

However a dollar book can rise in value over time or overnight. In the age of super hero movies and television shows, a rumor can sky rocket the value of a book. This is the balance beam a seller must walk.

You can use your own knowledge and speculation to build in a price of a possible bump in value or you can undervalue it to help it sell quickly as buyers will think it’s a good deal.

Failing to adequately protect books when shipping

Poorly shipped books can be a death blow to a seller’s store. One of the worst feelings a buyer can get is receiving a poorly packed book and finding it damaged. Even if the book is insured. Buyers want the book more than the money that is why they bought the book.

A buyer scorned will also make sure to leave a bad review wherever they can to let others know if they feel they’ve been treated unfairly.

Not researching the Selling Platform 

When looking for a platform to sell on. It’s important to understand a few things before deciding to list. What are the fees the platform charges for selling. Some platforms charge a flat fee or commission. Others charge a monthly fee plus a commission. Some charge a listing fee plus a commission fee. You don’t want to be hit with an unexpected bill at the end of the month or after a sale.

It is also important to understand what their dispute resolution mechanism is. Does the platform intervene in the event of a dispute? Do they stay out of it and it’s up to the credit card company and the two people involved in the transaction.

You will also want to know what payment processing options are available. Some use Paypal, some use Stripe, some accept crypto currency.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know my comic is rare?

There are a few ways to determine rarity. You can check FMV resources like COVR Price, Go Collect etc. You can check eBay and other platforms for similar listings and their listed price. If it is a graded comic you can look for it on the CGC census and view how many have been graded.

• Related: How To Get Comic Books Graded (Beginner’s Guide)

Can I Sell Damaged Comics?

Yes, as long as the damage is disclosed you can absolutely sell damaged comics. Some comics without covers still go for thousands of dollars. Those are rare exceptions but it does happen.

Is it better to sell comics individually or in Bulk?

It depends on your objective. You can make more room for inventory by selling in bulk but the price is going to be lower per issue than selling individually in order to move the lot. If you want to maximize the return on the books you will want to sell individually but that will take a lot longer in most cases.

Conclusion: Final Tips on Selling Comics Successfully

I hope all this information is helpful in the selling of comics. It’s also helpful to remember that while the comic book industry is huge, it’s also very niche. You may have books that sit for sale for a long time. It takes a certain buyer to come across the right listing for a niche title and that can take time. Always get insurance and set expectations appropriately for processing and shipping time.