Need Some Advice

[arcticbear-migration]

After several moves over the last 25 years, I was going through some old boxes in the garage I found a couple boxes of Marvel Comic Books that I collected from my childhood. I always took great care with them and stored them in plastic boxes, and had forgotten about them. So on a lark after seeing them I took a look at the comic section on ebay and was somewhat shocked about some of the prices that many of them were brining, especially after dad told me I was wasting my money and they'd never be worth anything.

 

So I went to the local Barnes & Noble got the Overstreet Guides on pricing and one on grading and took a look, not really expecting much. But to my untrained eye, it appears that the vast majority of these 850 comics may go at least in the low 9's if not higher on some. Not to mention I have a Hulk 180-181-182, X-Men Giant Size 1, & 94, plus many many lessor but still good comics of most of the series of that time frame.

 

Here's my question. What do I do now? I'm not really a collector and don't really know much. I looked at the CGC site, but I'm not really sure I understand how they determine fee's, and of course some comics wouldn't justify being rated. I took the 181 to a local dealer that basically gave me a tyraid about how bad CGC was for dealers and that he didn't agree with how high they rated books. But said he'd rate the Hulk at a 9.2 or 9.4 in his opinion. But in the long run I don't know whether to rate them, have some comic dealer listed in the overstreet make an offer on the collection or what. Anybody got some suggestions? I'd be happy to entertain them. Thank you in advance.

 

oh, btw, yes as soon as I found out they might be worth something I got them in plastic sleeves (well in the process anyway)

 

GJ

[aardvark88]

Slab any key issuess u have that may be 9.0 or better. Cgc fees just went up last month but if u subscribe to www.heritagecomics.com u can get 20% off the fees. Your books will be more liquid after slabbing if u wish to eBay them.

[jordanabigail]

All depends on what you want to do with your books. If you want to make some money, by all means cherrypick the best looking books you own that are worth more than a nickel, send them in to CGC, and sell em.

If you have any questions about your books (there are many many many books that are worth a ton more to a collector than what Overstreet lists them at), list them on the forums here and we'll tell you what's what.

 

Enjoy your newfound collection!!!!!

[arcticbear-migration]

Thank you. It's an awful long list. Hey I do have one more question. Shortly after Marvel Tomb of Dracula started I collected not only from the news stand but from a subscription directly from marvel. None of those have ever been out of the mailer however the mailer doubles them over on the vertical axis folding them in half. Some have told me this doesn't matter others say it hurts the value. What do I do when these?

[arcticbear-migration]

you wrote:

 

Slab any key issuess u have that may be 9.0 or better. Cgc fees just went up last month but if u subscribe to www.heritagecomics.com u can get 20% off the fees. Your books will be more liquid after slabbing if u wish to eBay them.

 

Will membership to heritagecomics give me the ability to submit to CGC? Or do I still have to join that other collectors group they have listed on their website?

[clarkkentdds]

Membership to Heritage will allow you the 20% discount...With the new fee hikes, it is the only way to go... Regarding the TOD books: If the vertical crease is at all visible it does lower the condition/ value of the book... Unfortunately that's how they mailed 'em...

[arcticbear-migration]

Thank you. Pardon my stupidity here, but would taking them out and say put them underneath a heavy dictionary do any good?

[ninanina]

Dictionary won't help. The crease is too permanent. Generally speaking, if the crease breaks the color on the FRONT cover, probably grades a VG or maybe a VG+. If the crease does not break color, you probably have a Fine. If the rest of the comic is free of defects, or maybe 1 or 2 minor ones, maybe you can squeeze a Fine/Very out of it, but that's a big maybe. From what I've seen on Heritage, the color breaking ink on the back cover wouldn't effect the grade a whole lot.

 

Interesting you still have the actual mailers, wouldn't throw those out. There's a local guy here that feels paraphernalia like that could be worth something. Why? Well I just don't think there's a lot of mailers out there and some collectors may be interested in something unusual like that. Particularly if you sold the mailer with the comic? Interesting.

 

What do the rest of you guys think?

[arcticbear-migration]

Thank you. I'm pretty sure the color isn't broken on any of them. And it's just Tomb of Dracula I think starting around issue 6 or so. Maybe I'll just leave them as is.

[jordanabigail]

Well..TOD is a perfect example of "it's just Tomb of Dracula".

If you own issue 10..do you know that's the first app of Blade? Some may argue with me, but that is one key Bronze book that has remained in high demand for a couple of years now thanks to the two successful Blade films (with a 3rd coming up!)...

 

Good night

[greggy]

What do the rest of you guys think?

 

I've seen some DC Silver Age subcriptions copies with the original mailers sold through eBay and they didn quite well considering the actual technical grade.

[arcticbear-migration]

Thanks all of you. I've gotten more good information on this tonight than since we discovered them a few weeks ago. I'm really skeptical about the local dealers. They seem to hold to the old addage "well they're only worth what someone will pay you" and of course they are only willing to pay a fraction of the book value.

[FlyingDonut]

if you're going to slab your books, go through our board member Monumental Comics and get the 20% discount from them - and you don't have to PAY anything. I've used Monumental a bunch of times for slabbing purposes and its very easy.

 

Also, does this collection have VERY high grade FFs 160-180? Looking for those for ME!

[ELBRUJO]

I just drove about 50 or so comics to CGC and I used Monumental for my submissions they give you 20% discount and all you have to do is fiil out the online form , very easy to do.

 

Good Luck

[seank]

Some general thoughts and advice:

 

Every dealer in the world is going to give you a fraction of guide because they have to turn around and make money on the book. That's how they pay their rent. What fraction, and what story the dealer tells you is based on how reputable the dealer is.

 

CGCing the better books will get you the best rate of return, but consider that slabbing lots of books can get expensive. Slabbed key and HG books will generally get more on ebay than raw books.

 

For the best return, consider ebay. Sell the key stuff separately, like the 181 and the Xmen GS 1. Pile other stuff into lots, i.e. 5-10 issues sold as one unit. That will save you time and money. People will buy ten comics to get six or eight they want if the price is right.

 

Also consider selling to the folk on this message board. They're more honest that many ebayers and the community is so small that a bad reputation spreads fast. You also get to haggle instead of being left to the mercies of bidders.

 

That said, what Daredevils do you have? PM with numbers and conditions.

[arcticbear-migration]

To FlyingDonut, No I don't have any from 160-180. Mine are 121-156 with a 116 in there too.

 

To SeanK, I do have some Daredevils. As I recall there was a time when we only got them sporatically where I lived. Here's the issues I have. 85,88,90, 94-108, 111-119.

 

I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive me but what is PM?

 

Keep in mind they haven't been graded, but they look pretty good to my untrained eye.

 

Thanks again everyone.

[FlyingDonut]

well, I'd be interested in the 121-156 FFs if they're in grade...let me know. you can email at dcusimano@usa.net

[arcticbear-migration]

I've had several people inquiring about this collection so I have put a list of what's in it at the following link:

 

http://www.cwmc.org/Marvellist.htm

 

Thanks again for all your help and interest.

[cd4ever]

Tell you what, even if their condition averages around 8.0, you're sitting on a nice phat load of cash. Anything over 40 bucks or so, get CGC'd if you think you can get a 9.0 or better. Sell the rest thru ebay with big, beefy scans and sell in consecutive lots of 10 or so. Or just send them to me and I'll hold them for you!!!

 

Any way you can post a couple high quality scans of an average book so we can get a sense of a grade?

[ninanina]

Which city do you live in?

 

Maybe, just maybe one of us live a couple blocks away from you. I know I'd like to have a look at these. Wish I found a box of old comics I didn't know I had.