Comic Book Collecting

There is a misconception that if you have an old comic book lying around from your childhood, it's probably worth thousands of dollars. Chances are that is not the case (unless you're 103 years old). Are most comics valuable? No. Are there valuable comics out there? Most definitely. A good quality copy of Action Comics # 1 (the first apperance of Superman) may go for as much as $500,000 today. That's quite a return on your money given it's cover price of only 10 cents.

The potential value of a comic book depends on many factors such as age, scarcity, demand, and most importantly condition. The commonly accepted comic book grading system is as follows:

Mint -- no creases, no fading, no curves, staples not rusted, no tears or cuts, no discoloration, no fading, no stains, should appear as though it came fresh from the store.

Near Mint -- no creases, no fading, no curves, cover may be slightly off center, no fading, staples not rusted, very minor bindery tears, very minor fading, no stains, no cuts (most new books appear in this condition).

Very Fine -- cover should be mostly flat but may have some wear, colors of the cover may be slightly faded, corners may be slightly creased, spine may have slight wear, spine may have some visible lines, pages may have minor printing and binding defects, pages may be yellowish, no stains or major discoloration, the comic should still look good with only minor imperfections.

Fine -- minor cover wear, minor creasing, corners may be blunted, staples may have some discoloration, minor creases, spine may have slight roll to it, minor tears on the pages, minor discoloration (tan or brown), minor stains, above average in appearance.

Very Good -- large amount of wear including creases, fading, and discoloration, a better copy with a piece of the cover missing will fall into this category, cover may have a price sticker or date sticker, spine may be rolled, staples have rust, pages may be brown, a finer copy with a tear repaired with tape, minor printing defects, a very average used comic book.

Good -- detached cover is acceptable, creases, fading and major discoloration, minor tears and folds, coupons cut from the cover, staples discolored, rusted, or even absent, creases and minor tears permitted, tape repairs on pages, brown pages, pages should not be brittle, may be small bits of the comic missing, may be stains and other defects of the pages, below average comic book.

Fair -- cover may be detached from the comic, large amounts of wear including fading, discoloration, and stains, coupons may be cut from the cover, less than 1/12 of the cover missing is accepted, major wear on the spine, missing staples, pages are often faded, discolored, torn, or stained, but must still be readable, most of the pages should not be brittle, still readable, pages missing from the comic are not acceptable.

Poor -- cover will show major signs of wear, large cover stains, large amounts of cover fading, rips, tears, and pieces missing, spine will mostly likely be bent and torn, staples may be missing, large page stains and even mold damage, missing pages, marks, tears, and other things that may affect the story, pages may be brittle and break at the touch, one to avoid unless you absolutely need it to complete a collection or to hold you over until something better comes along.

It's worth pointing out that while comic books have the potential to become valuable with time, if you begin collecting with the intent of big pimping and spending cheese you will likely be sorely disappointed. Just because the current Overstreet Price Guide shows that issue of X-Men 193 to be worth $30 in NM/M condition doesn't mean somebody is going to give you 30 bucks for it.

A true comic book collector loves the medium. He appreciates the art and can distinguish one style over another. He will follow his favorite author from one title to the next. He gets giddy when he meets his favorite creator in person at a comic book convention. These are the traits that distinguish one as a comic collector. If you happen to make a little money in the process, that's just icing on the cake.

The act of reading has a magical, intangible quality about it that engages your imagination in such a way that cannot be duplicated in other mediums. According to author Scott McCloud, when reading comics we tend to fill in the gaps between panels with our mind. In a sense, the reader creates his or her own unique experience. All-age comic books are a great way to encourage our children to read. The act of reading engages and challenges our minds in a different way. Instead of asking "why read comic books?", ask "why not?"

There is an amazing sense of wonder and awe a child (and an adult's "inner child") can receive from reading comics. Comic books can spark your imagination unlike any other medium. Albert Einstein recognized that "imagination is more important than knowledge." Heck, he even had a closet full of the same outfits just like a superhero (true story).

To quote Stan "The Man" Lee, "Excelsior, true believers!"

As a lifelong comic book fan, this is both encouraging and discouraging to witness. There are some amazing comic-based movies that have been released in recent history such as Batman, X-Men, Spiderman and Iron Man, many to critical acclaim. It is great to see characters I've grown up with finally getting their due and being injected into the public consciousness. However, in order to appeal to the masses many of these beloved characters have been watered down, altered, or outright changed in some instances. Outside of the special effects (and Megan Fox), Transformers was terrible. G.I. Joe was shameful. Who will get butchered next? Stay away from He-Man and the Thundercats Hollywood...

With DC Comics being purchased by Warner Brothers and Marvel Comics being purchased by Disney, we can expect more crossover and more propulsion into the mainstream. Gaining additional exposure for this artform is a good thing but will we lose the true essence of these characters in the process? Only time will tell.

Comic books are simply a medium with which to tell a story, just like movies or music or books. It's difficult to quantify exactly who reads comics--that would be like asking what type of people watch television. While the common perception is that comics are about guys in tights, superheroes are merely one sub-genre of comics. There are comics on fantasy, sci-fi, history, drama, nonfiction and more. There are comics for grown ups, comics for kids, and comics for teens, tweens, men and women, boys and girls.