Have a bunch of old comic books just lying around in your house? Or just love reading them nonstop? I’m sure you already know, but comic books are one of the most popular collectibles around, for a number of reasons.
Yes, they help you in making profits. Yes, they can fill you with joy and happiness.
Gone are the days when comic books were just read and shared among friends. Now, the act of buying and selling comic books is at its peak. Fun AND investments? Yup! To know why these comic books are a perfect collectible, read on.
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Rationale to Investing in Comic Books
Comic Books are turning into one of the greatest investments and a viable option for people who are searching to invest in something tangible. Here are some reasons why comic books might be the perfect collectible for you.
- The worth of a comic book varies with its age. As it gets older, it becomes “a classic”. For example, Action Comics #1 of 1938, is worth up to half a million dollars in value.
- Comic books are a great collectible for kids
- They are “the people’s investment”, as they’re poor, and you don’t need any super investing skills to enjoy the investment.
- They are resistant to recession since they can work well when the economy is booming.
- Researching on the characters of the comic book is interesting and joyful.
- Prediction is easier in comic books than it is in the stock exchange.
- Comic books have more liquidity unlike other hard assets like real estate
Determining Value of Comic Books
There are two common ways to determine the value of a comic book. Firstly, you need to look up what comparables have been selling for. Secondly, if there are any events in the future that could help or hurt the value of your collectible.
Price Guides
Price guides are a quick reference to know about the estimated value of the comic book. These guides are generated by industry experts who have inspected multiple factors such as demand and current selling price. The price guide namely, ‘Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide’ from 1970, is considered to be one of the most reliable sources to determine the value of a comic book.
The value of a comic book is always varying, thus price guides may become outdated. Additionally, price guides do not guarantee the selling price of a book. However, the actual worth is determined by how much someone is willing to pay for it. Consequently, the need for auctions and online listings arises.
Auctions
The comic books available online such as those on eBay determine the ultimate value of existing demand. They determine better and more accurate values of the comic books. For example, a comic book may be listed at $500 on an updated price guide but the same book is sold at $600 on eBay. Then, the prices of eBay will be more accurate in terms of value and selling.
Furthermore, since auctions are influenced by bidding competition, the book may sell at different prices. Therefore, it is always better to check multiple sales books to know the accurate value of the comic book. Popular comic books will sell at a higher price.
Things You Should Seek in a Comic for Profits
Indeed comic books are a perfect collectible, but you should look into a few things before taking the plunge for investment. There are certain things which all investors should seek in order to be lucrative.
Age of the Comic Book
Old comic books are classic and unique in nature. Therefore their value is higher than the new ones in the market. You should go for comics from the Platinum and Golden Ages as they are more valuable. However, comic books at less than 20 years of age have more intrinsic features, and therefore do not offer good monetary value.
First Appearances of Characters
The most valuable comic books are the ones that had a major impact on the genre with the first appearance of the characters. There are certain examples of such comic books including Torch and the Sub Mariner, Detective Comics #1, Action Comics #1, Marvel Comics #1 , Fantastic Four #1, to name a few.
Good Condition
While it may be quite challenging to look for old comics with a good condition but as long as they can be sold to another collector at a good price, you should keep an eye on them. The condition of the comic depends upon the mint and numeric grades from poor to very good, 1 being poor to 10 being very good, respectively. Good condition comic books may cost more but will get you good returns.
Bottom Line
Your stocked comic books maybe the perfect collectibles to generate profits. But in the end, comic books are a source of entertainment, so rule number one is to always enjoy your investment!
