What's My Collection Worth?

[Racer-X]

Hi - I've been reading a lot of posts on how to accurately price comic books. I am a semi-avid collector: I've been collecting since the '70's, but have gone in and out of collecting. And while I'm not nearly as involved or knowledgeable as most of you on these boards, in my mind I have a pretty nice collection: golds and key silvers, mostly valued between $500 & $3500 in the OSPG. I also have a few hundred mid-run 1960's key titles in the F to NM- range. I used to think the OSPG was the be-all and end-all of comic pricing...until I started reading here. Can someone here educate me on how to best determine what I might be able to my comics for if I decided to sell them now? Thanks!

 

 

[faster friends]

I would start with a GPA subscription and then start checking completed auctions from ebay and other suction sites.

 

In the end, they are worth what someone is willing to pay.

[Secret Son]

 

In the end, they are worth what someone is willing to pay.

 

That say's it all.

[kdoginohio]

 

In the end, they are worth what someone is willing to pay.

 

That say's it all.

(thumbs u

[Flaming_Telepath]

If the books are slabbed, subscribe to GPA.

 

If the books are raw, OS isn't too bad a place to start, but then there will be a million other factors to take into account. (thumbs u

[rodan57]

If they're slabbed than GPA will give you market values. If they're nice books from the '60s (especially early 60s), then Overstreet prices are not far off for most comics if you are selling the books directly. These forums are not a bad place to get a feel for how comics of different publishers, genres and eras are selling.

[Racer-X]

 

In the end, they are worth what someone is willing to pay.

 

That say's it all.

(thumbs u

 

Yes, I get this - but OSPG used to be the basis for how to buy/sell books. So while I appreciate this mantra, I'm sure there's a current basis for establishing what one might get for a certain book in a certain grade...

[Mac Man]

You can always check eBay and ComicLink to get a ballpark idea of what your key issues are selling for in relation to the OSPG--that'll be a good way to get started for raw issues. Not gospel but again, it's about getting a ballpark.

[Flaming_Telepath]

 

In the end, they are worth what someone is willing to pay.

 

That say's it all.

(thumbs u

 

Yes, I get this - but OSPG used to be the basis for how to buy/sell books. So while I appreciate this mantra, I'm sure there's a current basis for establishing what one might get for a certain book in a certain grade...

 

Actually, there isn't. The market has evolved greatly and rapidly since the glory days of OS. There are so many different ways to sell these days...methods, venues, raw or slabbed, etc...that hard and fast rules no longer apply.

 

You'll hear people tell you that you can't sell mid-grade Silver for anywhere close to Guide. You'll hear other people tell you that pretty much anything after 1980 will go for pennies on the dollar.

 

And then you will have other people show examples of why both of those claims are untrue.

 

In the absence of any true guidelines, 'a book is only worth what somebody is prepared to pay for it' is not a bad fall-back position...if utterly useless in answering your question.

[comicdonna]

 

In the end, they are worth what someone is willing to pay.

 

That say's it all.

(thumbs u

 

Yes, I get this - but OSPG used to be the basis for how to buy/sell books. So while I appreciate this mantra, I'm sure there's a current basis for establishing what one might get for a certain book in a certain grade...

There is, it's called studying the market very close. I collect GA Actions. The OSPG is virtually useless to me as far as determining a price for a particular book. Some issues are more rare than others. Other issues, such as the war covers, and early Superman covers are in big demand.

[topofthetotem]

Buying raw books I look to pay 30-50% below GPA.

 

Buying raw key/hot books 60-75% the price of GPA.

 

Selling raw books I will price it 10-25% below GPA value so the buyer has room to make a profit if so desired.

 

Of course these are just my guidelines.

[Boozad]

 

In the end, they are worth what someone is willing to pay.

 

That say's it all.

(thumbs u

 

Yes, I get this - but OSPG used to be the basis for how to buy/sell books. So while I appreciate this mantra, I'm sure there's a current basis for establishing what one might get for a certain book in a certain grade...

 

So the question is not what your books will sell for, but what to price them at. That will take a lot of study through the avenues that people have already listed.

 

And be prepared to fetch less than you originally thought.

[topofthetotem]

 

In the end, they are worth what someone is willing to pay.

 

That say's it all.

(thumbs u

 

Yes, I get this - but OSPG used to be the basis for how to buy/sell books. So while I appreciate this mantra, I'm sure there's a current basis for establishing what one might get for a certain book in a certain grade...

 

Actually, there isn't. The market has evolved greatly and rapidly since the glory days of OS. There are so many different ways to sell these days...methods, venues, raw or slabbed, etc...that hard and fast rules no longer apply.

 

You'll hear people tell you that you can't sell mid-grade Silver for anywhere close to Guide. You'll hear other people tell you that pretty much anything after 1980 will go for pennies on the dollar.

 

And then you will have other people show examples of why both of those claims are untrue.

 

In the absence of any true guidelines, 'a book is only worth what somebody is prepared to pay for it' is not a bad fall-back position...if utterly useless in answering your question.

Dang Nick, you English sure do use your mouth in a purty way.

[Dick Pontoon]

Is that a Canadian variation on saying he has a purty mouth?

[Boozad]

[Flaming_Telepath]

 

In the end, they are worth what someone is willing to pay.

 

That say's it all.

(thumbs u

 

Yes, I get this - but OSPG used to be the basis for how to buy/sell books. So while I appreciate this mantra, I'm sure there's a current basis for establishing what one might get for a certain book in a certain grade...

 

Actually, there isn't. The market has evolved greatly and rapidly since the glory days of OS. There are so many different ways to sell these days...methods, venues, raw or slabbed, etc...that hard and fast rules no longer apply.

 

You'll hear people tell you that you can't sell mid-grade Silver for anywhere close to Guide. You'll hear other people tell you that pretty much anything after 1980 will go for pennies on the dollar.

 

And then you will have other people show examples of why both of those claims are untrue.

 

In the absence of any true guidelines, 'a book is only worth what somebody is prepared to pay for it' is not a bad fall-back position...if utterly useless in answering your question.

Dang Nick, you English sure do use your mouth in a purty way.

 

That's what I'd like to be able to tell Kelly.

[Boozad]

 

In the end, they are worth what someone is willing to pay.

 

That say's it all.

(thumbs u

 

Yes, I get this - but OSPG used to be the basis for how to buy/sell books. So while I appreciate this mantra, I'm sure there's a current basis for establishing what one might get for a certain book in a certain grade...

 

Actually, there isn't. The market has evolved greatly and rapidly since the glory days of OS. There are so many different ways to sell these days...methods, venues, raw or slabbed, etc...that hard and fast rules no longer apply.

 

You'll hear people tell you that you can't sell mid-grade Silver for anywhere close to Guide. You'll hear other people tell you that pretty much anything after 1980 will go for pennies on the dollar.

 

And then you will have other people show examples of why both of those claims are untrue.

 

In the absence of any true guidelines, 'a book is only worth what somebody is prepared to pay for it' is not a bad fall-back position...if utterly useless in answering your question.

Dang Nick, you English sure do use your mouth in a purty way.

 

That's what I'd like to be able to tell Kelly.

 

Matthew Kelly?

[Flaming_Telepath]

 

In the end, they are worth what someone is willing to pay.

 

That say's it all.

(thumbs u

 

Yes, I get this - but OSPG used to be the basis for how to buy/sell books. So while I appreciate this mantra, I'm sure there's a current basis for establishing what one might get for a certain book in a certain grade...

 

Actually, there isn't. The market has evolved greatly and rapidly since the glory days of OS. There are so many different ways to sell these days...methods, venues, raw or slabbed, etc...that hard and fast rules no longer apply.

 

You'll hear people tell you that you can't sell mid-grade Silver for anywhere close to Guide. You'll hear other people tell you that pretty much anything after 1980 will go for pennies on the dollar.

 

And then you will have other people show examples of why both of those claims are untrue.

 

In the absence of any true guidelines, 'a book is only worth what somebody is prepared to pay for it' is not a bad fall-back position...if utterly useless in answering your question.

Dang Nick, you English sure do use your mouth in a purty way.

 

That's what I'd like to be able to tell Kelly.

 

Matthew Kelly?

 

Well, only if you're done with him.

[Comicdey]

For Most books I buy at prices that allow me to sell the books higher and leave some profit for the next person. If it's a book for my permanent collection, I try to stick at gpa when slabbed, but with GA price data is slim, so you have to just buy what you like and hold.

 

Overstreet is a data point, gpa, comiclink too. Board sales and eBay give a daily heads up.

 

But what really matters is knowing your market like comicdonna with Actions.

 

Good luck

[Boozad]

 

In the end, they are worth what someone is willing to pay.

 

That say's it all.

(thumbs u

 

Yes, I get this - but OSPG used to be the basis for how to buy/sell books. So while I appreciate this mantra, I'm sure there's a current basis for establishing what one might get for a certain book in a certain grade...

 

Actually, there isn't. The market has evolved greatly and rapidly since the glory days of OS. There are so many different ways to sell these days...methods, venues, raw or slabbed, etc...that hard and fast rules no longer apply.

 

You'll hear people tell you that you can't sell mid-grade Silver for anywhere close to Guide. You'll hear other people tell you that pretty much anything after 1980 will go for pennies on the dollar.

 

And then you will have other people show examples of why both of those claims are untrue.

 

In the absence of any true guidelines, 'a book is only worth what somebody is prepared to pay for it' is not a bad fall-back position...if utterly useless in answering your question.

Dang Nick, you English sure do use your mouth in a purty way.

 

That's what I'd like to be able to tell Kelly.

 

Matthew Kelly?

 

Well, only if you're done with him.

 

I couldn't touch him, I never thought I'd find a hairier man than me. I was too put out to get 'friendly'.