How to Find Comic Book Values

What Is My Comic Worth?

Comic books for sale

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It can be difficult to know the value of a comic book. Is that old comic you found in the attic worth something? Are you holding a rare gem in your collection that will bring top dollar? Have you been overvaluing a Spiderman issue that, in reality, has no value?

Knowing what your comics are worth can be a tricky business. There are many things to consider and many different ideas of the actual value of a particular comic book.

Here are the steps to take to determine which are the rare gems in your comic collection and which issues aren't high value. 

Finding Value: Grade Your Comic

The 'grade' of a comic is its condition. This is determined by many different factors.

First, what is the condition of the comic's cover? Is it creased or torn? 

The inside of the comic is also very important. Is the color faded or yellowed? Look for any random scribbling or other marks. Also, try to determine if any pages have been torn out. Missing pieces can significantly reduce the value of a comic. 

If your comic isn't in the greatest physical condition, don’t worry too much. Even if it's relatively worn, if it is rare, has the first appearance of a character, is very old, or is highly sought after, then it may still be worth a good deal of money.

Check Comic Price Guides

Once you know the condition of your comic, it may be time to check a price guide.

Price guides will list the comic book name and its value based on the condition. Some price guides will give a price range for the comic. Others will give just one price.

There are a few different price guides to choose from. The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, available on Amazon, has been published annually since 1970. There are also online guides such as ComicsPriceGuide.com.

While these guides are nice tools and will give you a general idea, their prices are just guidelines and are by no means set in stone. The ultimate test of a comic book's worth is how much someone is willing to pay for it.

Compare Comics Against Current Sales

Knowing the price guide's value for a book does no good if there's no one willing to pay that kind of cash for it. A more realistic test for valuing a comic book is to look for what a similar issue it has sold for in the past.

Auctions, such as eBay, are a great way to see how much people are willing to pay for a comic book. As with most collectibles, there are some auction websites that are better than others. You will even find a few auction sites dedicated to the comic book market.

Finding information about a comic book is a good way to get an idea of a comic's value, especially if you can’t find it in a price guide or on an auction site. You may have an unusual or rare item on your hands that is currently not on the market.

Simply use a search engine and type in the title of the comic book. You can also check and see what online retailers are selling their comics to get an idea of the competition.

Be Realistic About Pricing Comic Books

The last thing to keep in mind is that you need to be realistic about your comic book value. You might think your comic book is worth thousands of dollars, but that doesn’t mean someone will pay it.

Just because your comic book is old doesn’t mean it is worth anything. What truly makes a comic book worth something is its rarity, popularity, and condition.

A comic book store will not pay you top value for a comic book. They need to make a profit. Try to set up a consignment instead of selling it to them outright.

If you want to sell fast, set your sights lower. Trying to get top dollar for your comic is a great idea, but if it needs to go, then it needs to go.

If you keep these things in mind when trying to determine your comic book's value, then you will be on the right track. Be patient when you're ready to sell and you should eventually be able to get what it is worth.