Getting tired of the bulk

[BrianR]

I've been sitting in my comic room and realizing that I am just running out of room and with having as many books as I have I can no longer simply go through my books and enjoy them. While my collection isn't as large as others (about 12000-15000 books, I've lost count) Its getting or has gotten over whelming. I am thinking about dumping all books from the mid 80's to present and no longer buying any new books. This should cut my collection down by at least half. Problem is as with most books from this era they would be dollar fodder for dealers. I've asked one dealer/ collector about it to gauge interest and there was none. These are not worth shipping and taking the time to break them up.

 

Has anyone had success trading a bulk collection like this for 1 or 2 comics? I am thinking that might be my next option to try.

 

The books themselves are 95% in nm or better condition and Marvel.

[solm4st3r]

My suggestion is to cherry pick the keys for individual sale on ebay and try to sell the remaining amount in bulk on craigslist for cheap, or donate them.

[CDaBruce]

I'm in the same situation. The problem is that I don't want to give them away but the time it would take to sell and/or ship them doesn't seem to be worth it. I'm thinking of trying three things:

 

1. Selling runs of books on Ebay.

 

2. Getting a couple tables at a local con and selling my dollar books for less than a dollar (and look to unload my carded Star Wars figures too).

 

3. Donating to kids.

 

 

[DiceX]

mycomicshop.com

Sell any half decent titles that are left on the boards.

Donate the rest to children's hospitals, Goodwill, whatever.

 

 

[The Troll King]

I'm in a similar situation. I don't have near that volume of books but I think I'm hitting that pre-mid life crisis where I'm tired of having so much stuff.

 

The only thing I would keep are a few of my golden age books and my magazines. The rest, I don't know. Something inside me tells me I should save them for my kids because they may like them but even then, I don't know.

[kimik]

I was in the same boat a couple of years ago but found a small time dealer that was able to consign all of my 80s through 90s drek for a surprisingly good price.

[genrlzod]

Last year to reduce some of my collection I passed them out for Halloween. These were books that were basically worthless. Ripped covers, coverless, reprints, etc.

This will not reduce your collect to the level you want, but it does help, Also the kids love it.

 

 

 

 

[gcstomp]

I put a little work into it, but traded away 12 boxes of bulk through mycomicshop.com for a little under a box of material that I am jazzed about.

[davidpg]

I actually did the exact thing the OP said, right down to the numbers.

 

When my son was on the way, we needed some space. I literally traded half the sheer bulk of my collection (8000 books) of 1990-2002 stuff for vg+ copies of Action Comics 86 and Superman 43 to my LCS.

 

Felt great to do, and I don't miss them at all

[Junkdrawer]

mycomicshop.com would actually offer to buy particular drek and it should add up when all is said and done. I personally have delt with them and can assure the process was somewhat smooth and I would use them again.

[etanick]

It is liberating to get rid of most of my books in the past 2 years. I slabbed the best conditioned 600 and sold them all, gave away thousands to kids and sell the remaining 2000 or so here. It is a lot of work to sell books individually or even in runs of 10 to 20. Between last year and today, I sold about 1000 and there is about that many left I like to sell. Spending time grading and scanning them are not fun at all but it is a must so I keep plugging away at it and sooner or later, the task will be done.

 

Hopefully this process will be done by Christmas and all I will have left is about 300 to 400 slabs/raw stuff I plan to keep for next few decades. There isn't a need to have 10k plus books piling up in my office/storages any longer.

[mystrymachine]

I just realised that if Batman was hit by gamma rays, then he would turn into the Bulk.

just sayin'

 

Back on topic though. Maybe you need to think outside the circle for a minute.

You want to unload your trashy 80's books for some cash. see thats the problem.

You need to drop cash from your equation to shrinken the size of your collection.

Lets think win/win for a minute. you could give someone your books for free (maybe pass them out on halloween or donate them to a childrens hospital)

You have more space in your room and you made other people happy in the process.

[Flash105]

Times have changed. In the 80s I would have never thought about getting rid of one book and I feel the same today. Anything worth less than 100.00 is clutter.

[BrianR]

These aren't total trash,

 

I'm looking at itms such as near complete runs of Excalibur, X-factor, Wolverine, Web of Spiderman, Ghost Rider, Westcoast Avengers, Solo Avengers, Darkhawk, Namor, Quasar, Large runs of Thor, X-men, Hulk, Spectacular Spiderman. Many of the Mini Series up into Marvel Zombies. Misc Marvel Titles from the era. All the keys still intact. There's probably a ton of titles I forgot about. I would say quite a bit of this stuff is CGC quality grade wise. They have been bagged and boarded and left unpoened since new.

 

While the stuff is near worthless drek it hasn't been bounced around in dollar bids and is in HG.

[lizards2]

People ask me how many comic books I have all the time - I have no clue - I've been collecting too long for that to be something that I'm interested in tracking. I think I figured at one time there was at least 200 short boxes rattling around in the comic room. That was about 10 years ago....,

[piper]

I was in the same boat a couple of years ago but found a small time dealer that was able to consign all of my 80s through 90s drek for a surprisingly good price.

 

(thumbs u

[Whizzer]

I have the same problem, i.e. unable to properly enjoy my collection because of it's sheer size.

 

So earlier this year I went through it and took out approx 5 boxes of copper/moderns and some older low grade dupes. I took them to a couple of Sunday car boot sales and blew them out at between 40 p and £1, they sold surprisingly well, to the point where I am now ready to go back to the collection to thin it out some more.

 

I intend to keep doing this gradually until I have cleared out all the stuff that I can live without.

 

I thought I would regret doing it, but have to say it has been quite cathartic. I've made a couple of hundred in cash for stuff that I honestly thought no one would want. But if you look at it from the buyers pov, they are getting books for at least half what an lcs would charge so everybody wins.

[shadroch]

I've sold over 5,000 books here in bulk lots. Price them right and they will fly. $20 shipped for 100 copper/modern books and you'll find a new home for your books in no time.

[Radj4ck]

What I did with my modern collection was sold everything dirt cheap, bought a couple runs in hard-cover and went out to a nice restaurant with the rest of the money.

I'm a reader, I don't need hundreds and thousands of comics.

 

What I really want to have in comic format I keep it in two short boxes (of course I'm only know starting to buy BA and SA stuff).

 

I would also consider binding some of your runs, it looks really classy and it's a nice way to read your collection.

[youfoundjake]

I try to buy bulk lots, last one was 4000 issues for $500..

I use what I can to fill in my runs, or upgrade existing issues, and then sell the image/valiant stuff to mycomicshop and post the other stuff on ebay.

Also started a GSB thread and copper/modern thread that I throw stuff up on when I have the time..

 

I myself would pay 20 for 100 modern/copper books, if I could pick and choose...

just count on repeat business if given that option