Confessions (and Advice) of a Comic Book Junkie

by Mark Waid

It isn't all nouns and verbs and sound effects. As a comic book writer, I spend my weekdays penning tales of Superman, Archie, the X-Men and others, but I spend more weekends than not attending professional and fan "conventions" worldwide in order to promote my work.

Or at least that's my cover story. Keep this under your hat, but, to be honest, I go primarily to shop. I've been reading and collecting comic books for over thirty years with a fanatical passion, and while these conventions certainly serve as a place for fans to meet their favorite artists and writers, to listen to panel discussions, bond with fellow fans, and to test the limits of spandex during costume contests, they're invariably built around rooms full to the square inch of old comics for sale. I probably spend more time each year ferreting through the boxes and yellowing stacks in those rooms than I devote to my beloved television.

And I'm here to tell you that I routinely find comics for sale on eBay that I never see anywhere else.

That's not a commercial; it's just the truth. All sorts of forgotten treasures turn up in people's attics or garages, and I can only imagine how awe-inspiring it must feel to be new to this hobby and encounter such a seemingly unlimited supply of riches. Awe-inspiring--and maybe a little daunting, too. What are you looking for in a comic book? What determines fair prices? What should you do with rare comics once you have them?

There've been entire books written answering these questions; let's take a quick survey course.

First off, know that seventy years of comic book history have seen nearly every genre you can imagine. Superhero comics are the most common, but horror comics, westerns, romance comics, funny animal books and many more each have their devoted following. Decide what appeals to you. Do you get a charge out of watching caped figures leap tall buildings in a single bound? Are you an armchair sleuth who likes to match wits with hard-boiled detectives? Is there nothing that will bring a smile to your face quite like Uncle Scrooge? Very little will better remind you what you loved as a kid than browsing the eBay listings.

Determining value
Once you've found some comic books that interest you, know that the most important factor in determining their "collectibility" is their condition. A comic in "mint" (like-new) condition always brings several times the price of that same comic in "poor," (folded-in-half, run-over-it-with-my-bike and smelling-like-my-grandma's-basement) condition. Because a comic has so much more to it than a stamp or a coin, grading one isn't an exact science, but as a rule, "fine" describes an above-average copy with no creasing or serious defects and valued at roughly 35-45% of mint, while "good" copies are complete but well-read, creased or dusty but perfectly readable and worth about 15-25% of the mint value. The closer to mint a comic is, the more collectors squabble over it like hens over seed.

Beyond condition, age and contents also play an important role in determining value; generally speaking, first issues and earlier numbers in a series are more valuable than those more recent, though "key" issues containing a new character's first appearance or origin can often spike the graph. For example, Marvel Comics' Amazing Fantasy ran for fifteen issues in the early 1960s, but the first fourteen combined are worth barely one-fourth as much as the final issue—which showcased the very first Spider Man story and, in mint condition, sells for nearly $30,000!

How do we get a number like that? Easy. We can consult several sources. Every year, Comics Buyer's Guide and the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide release new pricing handbooks to the bookstores, while the hobby magazine Wizard keeps atop the trends by updating its comics value listings each month. Any one of these—or a study of eBay's own listings--will give you a rough idea of the fair market value of a particular comic book, though as with all collectibles, its only true worth is what you're willing to pay for it.

Caring for your comics
So once you've mailed out a money order or three for vintage comics, how best to care for them in order to maintain their value? Archivists would have you treat each issue like an expensive bottle of wine, kept away from heat and light and moisture. Don't make the mistake of simply sealing them in cling wrap or freezer bags, though; most plastics contain chemicals and acids that will, over time, damage the fragile paper of comic books. Custom bags made of Mylar and acid-free storage boxes can be purchased at any comics store you're able to find in your local yellow pages. But before you seal them forever away from soda spills and peanut-buttered fingers...READ THEM. SAVOR them. Comics are far more than an investment.

They're full of chills, thrills, laughs and adventure, and if you're not willing to touch them with human hands, you might as well be collecting stamps or coins. As I said before, I've been at this for over thirty years, and I'm here to tell you that a comic read brings far more enjoyment than a comic bagged.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go run a search on Superman #87.
Can't find it at conventions, but it pops up on eBay fairly regularly, and someday...someday, it will be mine...

Happy shopping!

Mark Waid has been reading comics all his life, writing a few award-winning ones for the last half of it, has published five books on the subject, has had his expertise tapped more than once by no less than Time Magazine and the Library of Congress, and knows more about Krypton than he does about his own home state.That last part, he's not particularly proud of.
These are the opinions of the author, not the opinions of eBay, and therefore eBay does not validate the accuracy of or endorse these opinions.