What are my Comics Worth?

[Tnerb]

Or Shall we Delve into FMV?

 

On every invoice there's a spot you have to add what you think your comics are worth. This would add up,on the USPS return fees but I always placed in the area the maximum amount I thought they were worth, maybe even more than they were worth. I have seen invoices where people thought five dollars was the fair market value. On a book like that I wrote down at least a hundred.

 

My reasoning was I notated the FMV of what I thought the book was worth after it was encapsulated. If my New Mutants 99 disappeared after grading, the book itself is irreplaceable, even if I could get another copy. The grading costs as well, not to mention the shipping costs to get my possession back into my hands. Most of the books I turned over at the NYCC were submitted worth the belief the FMV was between $150 and $200.

 

But, how much are they truly worth? If signed, what signatures are worth more than others? Sal Buscema's are rare. Stan Lee's are readily available, but costly. Then there are those who charge fans for each scrawl like Neal Adams and now Chris Claremont. Shouldn't those additional costs add to the bottom line?

 

I am actually shocked at how many books I have out there, between these conventions and eBay I keep buying. Eventually the pendulum will swing the other way. With 150 days to go until my next convention I better hope the FMV is what I can sell these for, with what I hope will be a profit to get me to my next convention. Especially with less than five days between the end of one and the start of another. As far as what my collection is worth, I'll get back to you on that.

 

Thanks for Reading

 

Tnerb

 

See more journals by Tnerb

[seanfingh]

Getting books signed and graded purely for the flip is a risky game, especially if the book is not hot or readily sought after. Many times the hammer prices are not equal to the value of the blue label plus the additional costs.

[kaholo1256]

Lockness Monster said three fiddy...

 

I always wondered this myself especially with Stan getting more into those final years of Con hoping he does. I mean a few of the ones I have, a Gene Colan head sketch of Ironman for one, could NEVER be redone. So when I go for Neal to do his on the Jam piece what should I put on their? Its because of this I even with most Moderns go for $200 on almost everything for the minimum. If I lose them it's not just the comic itself, but the signatures, the time invested, the multiple gradings, and honestly the storied attachment of when, where, and how I gained them. Is that priceless, or can I truly put a number on them?

 

One of the hardest questions I ask myself every time I send in an invoice.

 

K

[SW3D]

I always quote the FMV based on the Raw Grade Value (as seen on Overstreet Price Guide) or what I may have purchased the comic for prior to grading. I rarely quote the "projected" value based on the "potential" CGC grade because one never knows what condition it will come back.

Also, currently, there is no official CGC or Third Party Graded price guide for value estimates. One could utilize GPA for recent sales as a reference, but sale prices often fluctuate.

 

A signature does add extra value, however, I do not take this into consideration when judging value on the CGC invoice only because it is not a given I will obtain said signature.

 

SW3D

[Silver Collector]

I'm with SW3D on this. Before I send in my books to be graded, I pull out the Overstreet Comicbook Price Guide and match the grades, at least what I think they are, to the prices in the guide. Even if the book is above a 9.2 in grade, the highest the guide goes to, I will usually just give it the 9.2 value. Is the 9.8 book worth more than the 9.2 grade? Sure it is. How much more is open to the market.

 

I have submitted books at the Chicago Wizard World for "same convention grading" in the past under a certain tier based on a 9.2 grade/price, only to have CGC come back and ask me for more money when the book came back a 9.8 (a Neal Adams Green Lantern book). I had to fork over more money or they wouldn't give me my book back. I didn't know they were using gpanalysis to get the FMV of the book. I subscribed to this site soon after finding out about it.

I have never had CGC do this when I send my books in by mail.

 

Tnerb wrote:

"I better hope the FMV is what I can sell these for,.. " That's exactly the definition of FMV. If you couldn't sell them for that price it would't be FMV.

 

To me, I think signatures are a more personal thing. If I got the signature myself it would hold more of a sentimental value. Some people will pay a lot extra for a CGC signature book (sdepending on the artist/writer). Others won't pay any more. In any event those FMV are available on gpanalysis too.

 

Just my 2 cents,

 

Mike

[newshane]

In short, comics are worth exactly what someone else is willing to pay.

 

I've paid multiples and multiples of "guide value" because I really wanted a particular book. I have quite a few comics that are unique in grade and they are "worth" exactly what it would cost someone to acquire them from me...if that makes any sense.

 

Sometimes I get good deals and sometimes I don't - but at least I end up with what I want.

 

Since I'm mainly collecting modern titles at the moment, I tend to "devalue" them when the time comes for submission. Oftentimes I will simply insure the books at cover price, even though they could be worth more. When dealing with slabbed books, however, I always insure them for what I think they are worth. Since the price guides are often pretty weak at valuing modern comics (they are nearly always grossly undervalued), I don't find them helpful when it comes time to assigning values. As a result, I often go by my own personal estimations based on what I paid or what I'm willing to pay. GPA data is often useful, but not always. I've dealt with many issues where a truly fair market value is impossible to calculate simply because there is no solid record of their sales history. This leaves an awful lot of wiggle room when the time comes for negotiations and that can be a good thing or a bad thing.

 

Simply put, I don't suppose I'm much of a value shopper because my intentions are never to sell but to collect.

[vader2001]

In short, comics are worth exactly what someone else is willing to pay.

 

I've paid multiples and multiples of "guide value" because I really wanted a particular book. I have quite a few comics that are unique in grade and they are "worth" exactly what it would cost someone to acquire them from me...if that makes any sense.

 

Sometimes I get good deals and sometimes I don't - but at least I end up with what I want.

 

Since I'm mainly collecting modern titles at the moment, I tend to "devalue" them when the time comes for submission. Oftentimes I will simply insure the books at cover price, even though they could be worth more. When dealing with slabbed books, however, I always insure them for what I think they are worth. Since the price guides are often pretty weak at valuing modern comics (they are nearly always grossly undervalued), I don't find them helpful when it comes time to assigning values. As a result, I often go by my own personal estimations based on what I paid or what I'm willing to pay. GPA data is often useful, but not always. I've dealt with many issues where a truly fair market value is impossible to calculate simply because there is no solid record of their sales history. This leaves an awful lot of wiggle room when the time comes for negotiations and that can be a good thing or a bad thing.

 

Simply put, I don't suppose I'm much of a value shopper because my intentions are never to sell but to collect.

 

 

That's it, nothing more to see here!

 

These aren't the comics your looking for, Move along!