Auction House or Ebay 0

[Silentbob]

Hello fellow comic book nerds,

I have been collecting comics for 40 years and have decided to let them go. I need to let go of the past to invest in the future. I noticed the values on eBay are quite high but it would be daunting to list large numbers of comics on it. Would an auction house be a better choice? Where would I retain most of their value? Thanks!

[comicquant]

I've heard from a few collectors who liquidated a large number of books that MCS (mycomicshop.com) is the best way to go.  Whether they handle selling through eBay or the books are sold via an MCS auction.  Most importantly they pay you right away and you don't have to deal with fraud on eBay.  You just ship the books to them, they process them then you can choose which venues they offer.  I've not personally used MCS to sell but I will if I have a large number of books I'd like to move.

[Black_Adam]

If you do go with MyComicShop they have consignment rates from 6 - 10% depending on the value of the individual comics listed with them. Or you can opt for the Full Service option where you ship them your entire collection and they do all the work (they determine whether the comics should be graded, listed raw or lumped together and sold at auction) - for this you pay 25%, I believe. Best of luck with the sale!

[Silentbob]

Thanks guys...has anyone sold with heritage that can share what percentage they charge?

[revat]

Honestly, it does depend on how many books you have and what type of books you have (and to some extent the grade and if they're graded or not), and what your goals are at least in terms of quick profit vs most profit.  The right answer might be that some go to an auction house, some go to mycomicshop, some you just have a yard sale, or some combination.

Additionally, as you noted, it depends how much work you want to put into it.  For auction houses, IF you have BIG enough keys, the auction fees might be negotiable to some extent.

I'd say to get the best best answer, you ask more specific questions here about your goals and what you have.  THEN if recommended, you check each of the most popular auction houses comiclink, heritage, comicconnect, mycomicshop, and maybe the other one that may or may not be owned by someone who may or may not be a criminal.  Some of these might also have consignment services to consider.

The more work you put into it, in terms of price and venue research, grading, possibly pressing and slabbing, timing, etc., the more money you will make.  But of course that might take time and more money spent up front too.  The answer is quite situational, and no one knows your situation better than you.  But I'd suggest providing as much info as possible (but reasonable) about your collection and goals, and that should get you some good suggestions where about where to start.

 

**It should also be noted that while 40 years SOUNDS like a long time, the vast vast majority of comics from the late 70's/early 80's (and forward) are essentially worthless unless they are ultra high grade or obvious 1st appearance keys.  To get an idea of the value, take a look at SOLD copies on EBAY, not what they're listed for.  And note that ebay has fees and shipping and taxes and stuff like that.  For selling in bulk, expect from 5 cents to a $1 per, probably on the lower side. 

Good luck.