What to do with an 80's collection?

[Dr. K]

About 20 years ago and for about 4 years I got back into comic collecting (I had been an avid collector in the early 60's). Then things changed and I stored them away bagged and boxed. Recently my wife and I bought a new house and we're moving so I came upon all those comic boxes again and started looking through them. Some great stuff but what to do with it? I picked up an Overstreet guide and except for a few titles - Miller Daredevil, some Batman and a few others they don't seem to be worth much. But it was such a good time for comics - Watchmen, Electra Assassin, Ronin, Mage, V for Vendetta, Akira. Anyway I need some advice from some old hands out there who know the scene. If I sell the collection, how should I do it? Or would it be better to just put them back in their boxes and let them mellow for another 10 years or so? Anyway I would be interested in getting as much feedback as you all have to offer.

[MedicAR]

Personally, I'd break out the good stuff like Watchmen, Romin, V, Elektra and the like and sell those as sets. The rest, I'd try to move in bulk.

 

If it's especially high grade, you might even have good luck moving the sets here.

[Transplant]

About 20 years ago and for about 4 years I got back into comic collecting (I had been an avid collector in the early 60's). Then things changed and I stored them away bagged and boxed. Recently my wife and I bought a new house and we're moving so I came upon all those comic boxes again and started looking through them. Some great stuff but what to do with it? I picked up an Overstreet guide and except for a few titles - Miller Daredevil, some Batman and a few others they don't seem to be worth much. But it was such a good time for comics - Watchmen, Electra Assassin, Ronin, Mage, V for Vendetta, Akira. Anyway I need some advice from some old hands out there who know the scene. If I sell the collection, how should I do it? Or would it be better to just put them back in their boxes and let them mellow for another 10 years or so? Anyway I would be interested in getting as much feedback as you all have to offer.

Depending on any semi-keys that you have and whether you want to sell at at once, you can figure on getting 10-15 cents an issue when sold in bulk. Selling by the piece will get you more but take longer. You may want to break them up into lots of runs by title.

[Mr. Zipper]

As a rule of thumb, 80s books must be in super high grade (9.8) to have any value. And even then, it's only a handful of notable issues.

 

Otherwise they are just too common to carry any value. You're best bet would be to try to sell them off in lots or runs on ebay.

[MutantKeys]

As a rule of thumb, 80s books must be in super high grade (9.8) to have any value. And even then, it's only a handful of notable issues.

 

Otherwise they are just too common to carry any value. You're best bet would be to try to sell them off in lots or runs on ebay.

 

A handful? I had 170 (-/+) 9.8s which converted to 10K

[gcstomp]

I had a collection I recently flipped to a dealer. I first removed the real keys, Wolverine mini 1-4, Wolvie 1, 10, Watchmen set, Valiant gold variants, GI joe 1, ASM 252, 300, Transformers 1, 80, etc. Out of 21 short boxes I removed 1 solid short box of real keys to keep and sell individually. The rest I flipped to dealer for all of $15 per short box. Sounds like I gave em away, but that really is about the going rate on 80's stuff less the keys.

[gcstomp]

MK, you did well converting your copper X-men. But out of that 10k, wasnt a good 50 percent eaten away from CGC fees and shipping costs?

 

Besides that, you must know your material is not even the same animal as a typical collection of moderns that would turn up. You were a master hunter in the field looking for the diamonds in the rough for years, to get that collection together and grade em out.

[Mr. Zipper]

As a rule of thumb, 80s books must be in super high grade (9.8) to have any value. And even then, it's only a handful of notable issues.

 

Otherwise they are just too common to carry any value. You're best bet would be to try to sell them off in lots or runs on ebay.

 

A handful? I had 170 (-/+) 9.8s which converted to 10K

 

 

That translates into about $40 a book after grading fees. Then further subtract the cost of aquisition from the $40.

 

And what are the odds that he has 170+ 9.8 books?

[MutantKeys]

I was just correcting Zipper when he said a handful of issues. I could give you over 1,000 issues of books from the 80s that can net you 50+ in 9.8 easy...

[MutantKeys]

As a rule of thumb, 80s books must be in super high grade (9.8) to have any value. And even then, it's only a handful of notable issues.

 

Otherwise they are just too common to carry any value. You're best bet would be to try to sell them off in lots or runs on ebay.

 

A handful? I had 170 (-/+) 9.8s which converted to 10K

 

 

That translates into about $40 a book after grading fees. Then further subtract the cost of aquisition from the $40.

 

And what are the odds that he has 170+ 9.8 books?

Its cold and I am bored

[Dr. K]

Actually almost everything in my collection was carefully chosen at the time of purchase, so while I'm not qualified to distinguish between say 9.5 and 9.8 all of my stuff (about six long boxes) is up there in the M zone. According to Overstreet I don't have anything like 10 K worth of stuff. I bought what I liked which was just about everything I could find by Miller (Batmam, DD, Ronin, Electra etc), Moore (Watchman, Halo Jones, Swamp Thing and tons of other weird odds and ends), Chaykin (who I can't for the life of me understand why no one wants his stuff) plus a whole lot of #1's that were mostly junk. (I also have a whole bunch of late 60's Marvel and DC left over from my original collection but that's another story.)

[FlyingDonut]

1. Pull all the keys - and there aren't many - and sell them on eBay.

 

2. Get an inventory list including cover price on the remaining books.

 

3. Donate the books to your local library.

 

4. Take a tax writeoff.

[Scheradon]

(I also have a whole bunch of late 60's Marvel and DC left over from my original collection but that's another story.)

 

And with that, the story everyone will now be wooing you about.

 

[sckao]

Actually almost everything in my collection was carefully chosen at the time of purchase, so while I'm not qualified to distinguish between say 9.5 and 9.8 all of my stuff (about six long boxes) is up there in the M zone. According to Overstreet I don't have anything like 10 K worth of stuff. I bought what I liked which was just about everything I could find by Miller (Batmam, DD, Ronin, Electra etc), Moore (Watchman, Halo Jones, Swamp Thing and tons of other weird odds and ends), Chaykin (who I can't for the life of me understand why no one wants his stuff) plus a whole lot of #1's that were mostly junk. (I also have a whole bunch of late 60's Marvel and DC left over from my original collection but that's another story.)

 

It really depends on HOW you purchased your comics. If you purchased them through a mail order service, I'd say your chances for 9.8s are MUCH higher than if you bought them off the rack. (Unless you were cherry picking from your LCS and your LCS didn't use wire racks or shelves that went halfway up the comic.)

 

 

[divad]

. . . Burning Man

[Dr. K]

Well I bought them from a dealer, you know, a store that sold only comic books.

[Zonker]

I'm been surprised how well Watchmen issues have sold for me to oversees buyers on eBay in the last month. Nothing special VF/NM copies seem to sell very well in the run-up to the movie. Ride the hype, I guess

[Mr. Zipper]

I pulled a longbox of 80s and 90s stuff and am putting it in my uncle's garage sale this weekend at 50 cents / 12 for $5.

 

What doesn't sell is getting dropped off at Salvation Army on way home Sunday.

[Anfield Fox]

You should draw up a list and post it in the marketplace on these very boards. If their as nice as you say they should sell quickly. I know i would buy a few of them!

 

Have large scans of the keys and sell those separately, the rest in small runs. Since you have been out of the loop on current standards, maybe have a look in the grading forum to get a better idea. Good luck.

[stashman]

Sell 'em here on the boards. I'm always looking for nice 80's stuff...