Entertainment Visual Arts The Top 9 Places to Get Free or Cheap Comics Print Visual Arts Comic Books Collecting Marvel Comics DC Comics Anime & Manga By Aaron Albert Aaron Albert Aaron Albert, a collector of and an expert on comic books, has studied, taught, and written about the comic book genre for more than 20 years. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 03/01/19 Everyone loves free or cheap comics. The thrill of finding that special item and getting it for a steal is a great rush. In the right places, you can really make your dollar go further when adding to your comic collection. There are also great places to get free comic books if you're looking to save money! Here are the top ten places where you can find free or cheap comics. 01 of 09 Library Ernesto r. Ageitos/Getty Images You may not know this, but your public library is a great place to read comic books. Libraries all over carry graphic novels, manga, and comic book-related material. If your library doesn't have a dedicated comic section, try looking in the science fiction, fantasy, or young adult sections. Another cool thing is that you can even request that the library buy certain comics for you. 02 of 09 Free Comic Book Day The Community Pop Culture Geek/Wikimedia Commons/CC by 2.0 "Free Comic Book Day" happens once a year when many publishers offer free comic books through your local comic book store. There are many titles to choose from and the best thing is that they are free. Different stores will have different offerings and events so be sure to check them all out. Free Comic Book Day is a great way to get free comics, check out new stories, and help support your local comic book store. 03 of 09 Online Forums/Classifieds tattywelshie/Getty Images Forums of comic book fan sites often have people that are looking to get rid of some of their comic books. Forum sites such as Craigslist provide places for people to post free classifieds. Be careful about dealing long distance, as you may get scammed. It's also a good idea to meet someone you are buying from in a public place, if possible. 04 of 09 Comic Book Store Steven Lek/Wikimedia Commons/CC by 4.0 Your local comic book store is a great place to find cheap comics. They will often have sales to clear out back issues, and these can be a great way to score that comic you have been eying for some time. They may also have a cheap comics bin, for those, “less desirable,” comics. Comic book stores will also sometimes offer discounts if you open a “box,” or "pull list" with them. This is where you commit to buying a certain amount of comics or specific comics and the store sets aside what you want. 05 of 09 Conventions Luigi Novi/Wikimedia Commons/CC by 3.0 A convention like Comic-Con is a great place to find cheap comics. There are many vendors there and with the competition high, the pricing will reflect this. Take a walk around and see who is offering the greatest deal. If a retailer doesn’t have a certain comic, but another one does, ask if they will meet or beat the competitor’s price. Another trick is to wait until the end of the convention. Many dealers won’t want to drag their items home and may offer steeper discounts. This trick works better at smaller local conventions. 06 of 09 Ebay Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Ebay can be a great place to find cheap comic books. Due to the nature of the auction format, many sellers put their comics up at a low starting amount to avoid high insertion fees. This gives the buyer a great chance at scoring a comic book, series, or even collection. Be careful, the temptation to overbid and win the prize may be great, but it won’t get you that comic for cheap. Let it go and check later you will often find multiple listings of the same comic. 07 of 09 Flea Market/Garage Sales Richard I'Anson/Getty Images The classic place to find used items is the flea market or garage sale. Garage sales are seasonal and will mostly be found on the weekends. Many flea markets are inside and can be found year round. The great thing about flea markets and garage sale is the chance to get a bargain. Always offer a lower amount than what is advertised. Do your research on what you buy though and it might be a good idea to bring along a price guide as well. Your local paper will have more information. 08 of 09 Internet Retailers/Sites Clare McBride/Flickr/CC by SA 2.0 Comic book sites such as Mile High Comics offer steep discounts on current comics and back issues. If you check around and keep an eye on the site, you can get the best discount when items go on sale. 09 of 09 Thrift Store Stephen Ehlers/Getty Images Your local thrift stores such as Goodwill, Value Village, and the Salvation Army often have cheap comic books. You just have to look around and may even have to ask one of the workers, as they are often behind the front counter. You may also check the book section. Be careful, as they are often not in good condition, but you just may luck out and find something valuable, or at least a good read.