Overwhelmed 1 1

[spreads]

9 hours ago, MargoTheMeek said:

We got a 50 pack of 8 inch 2 Mil Golden Mylites and 7 5/8 inch Golden fullbacks. It was 39 dollars and should be enough to cover the "key" issues as Martin called them. My father also decided to get that DC Comic book on the Silver Age. He used to read Superman back in the 40's and said he was given a box of random 8 cent comics but can't remember the titles, so he got nostalgic when he saw the Superman ones. There was one where one the cover Lois Lane and Superman were kissing and he saw it and said, "Kissin! Back when I read them, there was no kissin going on. It's all changed." I replied that perhaps Superman grew up and he just shook his head. I mentioned that book that was recommended to me that explains the history of it, so he wanted to buy it to find out what happened to his beloved, innocent Superman. 

 

I copy and pasted a list of the issue numbers and the value that I found on ComicBookRealm to highlight the issues I had. The stacks were all random so as I picked one off the stack to sort by series, I highlighted the issue number in my list. I haven't gone through to note which ones were in good or poor shape yet. I just wanted a list to do a head count of what had. Then I went back and deleted the issues from the list I didn't mark that I had. Now am going though the list again I made and am trying to choose which are the 50 more valuable ones so I know which ones not to pack away and to save for the bags when they get here. The issue I have now is to bag the older ones that are in generally worse shape (but would be worth more they were in good condition) or bag the newer key issue ones that look better but are not worth as much as the older ones. Again, I haven't noted down which were good or bad condition yet, I was just stacking them according to their series and noting the issue numbers. Some are missing not just the cover but the first couple of pages too, so I can't identify the numbers. I went through the list highlighted the ones one that ComicBookRealm said were 650 dollars and up and that totaled 37 books. I know a lot of those are the older ones are missing covers so I don't know if they are worth bagging at this time. I haven't had time to look up which ones are considered key ones. The only clue I have been going on is the listed value that one site has. Like for Action Comics there's a string of them from the 360's-370's that are valued at 80 dollars. But issue 373 is valued at $140, so I know it's a "key" one but haven't learned why yet. So I need to identify and mark 50 good ones to get the good bags. Then later I will do what you suggest and get the cheaper bags for some of the others. It's just too much to deal with right now with the move going on. I will probably post more later and ask more questions when I have time to evaluate each one.

You might want to do a quick ebay search on completed sales when you find what you considered a 'key'; that book you referenced in lower grade is not selling for anywhere near $140.  I've never used a price guide in determining a comic's value. 

[Hudson]

Margo,

Thanks for sharing your story here.  It was a fun read and exciting to learn that undiscovered collections are still out there.

As for the value of the books,  as I believe you know, "condition is key".  Regrettably many of the books you showed are in lower condition.  Fortunately, however, when it comes to some books (especially "keys" lie Detective 359), collectors will buy them in any condition (provided the price reflects the condition).

At this point, however, I know you are not looking to sell your books, but are just looking for how to best store them until you decide what to do.  You were wise to come to the boards.  There are a lot of good people here that will help answer all your questions, without seeking personal gain.

Welcome to the boards.

[shadroch]

Spring for $20 and protect all the books with some sort of bag and board. 

This is one of the best sites to find a books value - www.mycomicshop.com

Edited March 9, 2018 by shadroch

[MargoTheMeek]

Thank you all for your advice. Sorry for the delay in responding as I am still trying to move my dad out of the house. Good news is we found a second small stash in the den under a stack of old books in a desk. Not many, about 20-30 but among them is the only Green Lantern in the bunch. It's number 7 from 1961. It's a bit frayed along the edges and one corner is torn and hanging. Another thing my father pulled out of that desk is a box of trading cards of horse jockeys dated 1992. He asked if I wanted them and I said sure, you never know if there's a collector out there.

 

Martin - Thanks for all the great suggestions! Thank you, Thank you!!! After painting the house we do have some painter's tape leftovers. Great idea! And I will tell my father about the book about the gold era since that's what he read when he was a kid. When I can I will be posting scans of them for grading and care suggestions to get a feel for the grading process. Oh dad just said (again because he tells me every time I mention comics) that he had .08 cent ones and he still misses them and wished he had them. He doesn't remember which ones they were, but he likes the crime fighting ones. Mostly a Batman and Superman fan. If fact, he's watching the old Dragnet series right now on YouTube.

 

Spreads - I was looking for an index list of sorts where I can just copy and paste the list in a word file so I can highlight the ones I had easily. The site I happened to find was ComicBookRealm which also had a price listed next to the issue number. I was using that to help determine which are the key issues. I think they list the value if they were all in mint condition. I recently signed up for that page and they have their own checklist when you can enter what you paid for it and what grade it is. I entered some and since they are all different and I don't know the grades, I listed them as all 0.5 (poor). It adjusted the prices to reflect the grade I gave them. Some worth 50 cents, others 3 bucks depending on the issue. I'm not expecting my comics to come anywhere close to the prices listed, but was using it to know that "this" certain issue is worth more than the one one before and after it, meaning it's probably a key issue and should be bagged until I can take some scans and ask more questions.     

 

Thank you again everyone for helping me get off to a good start in preserving them.

[spreads]

13 hours ago, MargoTheMeek said:

Spreads - I was looking for an index list of sorts where I can just copy and paste the list in a word file so I can highlight the ones I had easily. The site I happened to find was ComicBookRealm which also had a price listed next to the issue number. I was using that to help determine which are the key issues. I think they list the value if they were all in mint condition. I recently signed up for that page and they have their own checklist when you can enter what you paid for it and what grade it is. I entered some and since they are all different and I don't know the grades, I listed them as all 0.5 (poor). It adjusted the prices to reflect the grade I gave them. Some worth 50 cents, others 3 bucks depending on the issue. I'm not expecting my comics to come anywhere close to the prices listed, but was using it to know that "this" certain issue is worth more than the one one before and after it, meaning it's probably a key issue and should be bagged until I can take some scans and ask more questions.     

 

 

Right, that's one way to do it and there isn't a perfect science.  There's other sites out there (atomic avenue) that have the 'guide-like' features of using overstreet but is also a marketplace where books are sold.  The marketplace is important, because if you see a book that has a small guide value, but there are no copies available despite many other issues of that run being available you might find a book that is in more demand (despite not being identified as a key).  These sites are also valuable in help identifying price variants; there are many price variants across all publishers and eras.  Some price variants could be the difference between a book being worth a few bucks or $100...definitely something to watch out for.

[Martin Sinescu]

Great to hear back from you, Margo! I know the process of everything you're going through is exhausting and seemingly endless, so thanks for dropping by to update us. Here's a quick guide in regards to grading as well as helpful terminology of flaws such as spine roll, foxing, etc: MyComicShop Grading One thing I'll point out is the description for "Fair":

Fair (FR) condition

Fair/Good	FR/GD	1.5
Fair	FR	1.0

A FR is the lowest grade a comic book can receive as long as the story and art are complete

....so take that into account when assigning grades. You'll want to reserve the "Poor" designation for your coverless books. Now, grading standards do differ among dealers, collectors, the Overstreet Price Guide and CGC, so there isn't necessarily a universal application of principles. However, you can go on eBay and just search for "CGC 2.0", "CGC 1.5" or "CGC 1.0" to get an idea of how these books present visually. Then compare those with some 3.0's or 4.0's to see stuff in the Good or Very Good range (a deceptively optimistic name for those grades). That should give you at least a quick idea of what is still acceptable in those areas. You'll definitely see water stains and tears and all sorts of other horrors, but, again, it will help you steer you in the right direction for just a basic evaluation of the books' ranges. Obviously you won't be grading/pricing/selling immediately, but wouldn't be a bad idea to give your already semi-trained eyes a little more experience as you're bagging and boarding. 

Looking forward to the scans and you're absolutely welcome for the help! Glad you found the boards for your research and so good to know this collection has been passed on to someone who cares about preserving it!