Lost in the World of Comics. 0

[Thornflower]

I am the widow of a comic book collector.  My husband loved his comics and took extremely good care of them.  Watched me like a hawk when I had one in my hands!  I estimate his little collection is between five and six thousand comics all boarded, bagged and in their special storage boxes.  They're beautiful!  I don't want to just leave them in the basement when I go--you know?--so I've decided to try to sell them.  My questions:  Is it necessary to have them graded by a professional?  Will the comic be devalued (hope that's a word) if I don't?  Will a picture serve as well as a grade?  I'll have to rip tape off a lot of bags to do it myself and $50 per book . . .  well.  I have been learning about grading.  The earliest comic I saw was a Batman, 1983, in near mint condition.  Staples are in place, magazine is flat, still glossy, nothing missing and only a tiny fold on the right bottom edge with no loss of color.  I think I understand, but is that good enough?  Is the investment of this much work, time and studying worth the return I could get considering the age of the comics?  One last question:  I feel I should have a list of everything in those boxes, which I have been compiling.  My local comic consignment shop says that's unnecessary, they'll do it for me if I hire them.  But I'd still need my own list even if I hired them, wouldn't I?  Please help me.  I need advice and direction.   

[theCapraAegagrus]

On 10/7/2018 at 1:29 AM, Thornflower said:

I am the widow of a comic book collector.  My husband loved his comics and took extremely good care of them.  Watched me like a hawk when I had one in my hands!  I estimate his little collection is between five and six thousand comics all boarded, bagged and in their special storage boxes.  They're beautiful!  I don't want to just leave them in the basement when I go--you know?--so I've decided to try to sell them.  My questions:  Is it necessary to have them graded by a professional?  Will the comic be devalued (hope that's a word) if I don't?  Will a picture serve as well as a grade?  I'll have to rip tape off a lot of bags to do it myself and $50 per book . . .  well.  I have been learning about grading.  The earliest comic I saw was a Batman, 1983, in near mint condition.  Staples are in place, magazine is flat, still glossy, nothing missing and only a tiny fold on the right bottom edge with no loss of color.  I think I understand, but is that good enough?  Is the investment of this much work, time and studying worth the return I could get considering the age of the comics?  One last question:  I feel I should have a list of everything in those boxes, which I have been compiling.  My local comic consignment shop says that's unnecessary, they'll do it for me if I hire them.  But I'd still need my own list even if I hired them, wouldn't I?  Please help me.  I need advice and direction.   

1. It is not necessary to have them graded by a professional. Typically, having a comic graded depends on how significant and in-demand the book is. Grading costs can be significant, so slabbing a comic worth <$100 often wouldn't "make sense". Anything worth $500+ I would certainly put a lot of thought into getting it graded, because it validates a comic's condition, among other things.

2. I highly suggest getting any truly valuable comics graded by CGC, because of the professionals, CGC-graded books demand the most cash. They are the most respected brand in the business.

3. For comics not being graded (aka "raw" comics), typically some photos of both sides of the cover suffice. Maybe a couple of inside pages to verify the color/quality. If you aren't good at grading, then this will give customers an idea of "Very Good"/"Fine"/etc. Just state that you do not know how to grade a comic, and that the buyer must assume the condition based on the photos.

4. I just read the part of 1983 being probably the earliest in this collection, which means that there aren't likely many in this collection worth being graded. I could be wrong. Unsigned Modern books don't often have a ton of individual value from my experience.

5. I would definitely catalog your entire collection. Trust no one; help no one. If you don't do this, and a shop worker spots a big $$$$$ book, many people would think more than twice about ripping off some lady. Money motivates the world, and the world is full of insufficiently_thoughtful_persons and losers, even in this great hobby.

[Bomber-Bob]

If 1983 is the earliest, in general, these don't sound like books worth grading. Just consider grading the valuable comics. Use E-Bay Sold prices to gather information as to value. 

[The Lions Den]

First, please let me offer my sincere condolences. I'm very sorry for your loss.  

As stated above, if the earliest book in this collection is from 1983, you're dealing with all modern comics. Unless they're extremely high grade (basically perfect) having them certified would probably be a waste of time and money.

There still may be a gem or two in the group, so I would think about checking sold prices on eBay for the numbers and titles you have. Or you could offer to sell them all to a local comic shop for a set price and be done with it. 

Again, I'm sorry this has happened to you, and I wish you the best of luck...  

[SearchForSpidey]

Do you have a comic book shop in the area or someone you trust to help you navigate thru the collection to see if there is anything of value? We had some lovely neighbors who where in a similar situation, not as large as a collection. I was able to look thru his collection and help her take the next steps in moving them on to their next owners. 

[Krismusic]

I would definitely at least catalog the collection, create a list of the comics and then go from there for the few hours you might have to spend going through the titles and issues it might be worth it to post the list here and see what comics stand out to the community here and then that can at least give you and idea of what to research and have checked out and/or take pics of. Also the list will help prevent you from getting ripped off if you use a comic shop or sell the entire collection etc..

Sorry for your loss as well. all the best!