Most Wanted Comic Books

Apart from the actual comic books, it's a good idea to have some supplies on hand to make sure your books are protected and will thusly maintain their value and hopefully increase in value!

First, you want to make sure you have an acceptable environment for your collection. What this means is you want to choose a room that is not too hot, not too cold and that doesn't have too much moisture. A good example would be the closet in an upstairs bedroom. A bad example would be a basement. You want your books to be high and dry, literally.

Be sure to pick up some boxes, backing boards and plastic comic books bags at your local comic book shop/a. It's not a good idea to use tape on your comic book bags to hold them closed- try resealable bags instead so you don't need to worry about catching your comic books getting stuck on the tape when handling them and potentially damaging them and therefor decreasing their value.

Comic books can be profitable if you have the drive and know what you're doing. But there's a whole different side to comic books that involves the enthusiasm for a particular genre, character or aspect of collecting.

Some people like to have at least a "starter" or "reader" copy of a popular comic book. For example, you might want to have the first appearance of The Punisher but copies of that book can be prohibitively expensive. If you can find a copy in a less desirable "grade" then you might be able to own that book after all. You might be a big fan of Captain America and want his first appearance, but that book is quite expensive. You could consider investing in a copy of Avengers #4 which is his Silver Age reintroduction to Marvel Comics, which is considerably less expensive.

You can also collect merchandise like action figures, posters and statues. I happen to like the statues from Sideshowcollectibles.com. Some are on the expensive side and some are reasonable, but if you buy from Sideshow it's not a "you get what you pay for" situation, as all the merchandise I've purchased from Sideshow on all price points is top knotch.

There are so many different comic book characters that have been beloved for over 40 years that it's relatively easy to find an investment grade book of their first appearances if you have the money to invest. As mentioned above, the first appearance of Spiderman is highly collectible. I've had copies of that book that are worth upwards of $125,000 and copies worth $3000. Both ends of the spectrum earned me money and, brought me pleasure as they were both copies of the same very cool book. Solid investment.

Let's say you like Superman. His first appearance was in 1938's Action Comics #1 and goes for over $350,000 in exceptional condition (Be sure to beware of reprints, which are modern reproductions and worth much less money). Batman came along in 1939 with Detective Comics #27 and also sells in the low to mid six figures.

Why would books like these be worth so much? Well, when they were published these books were read then thrown away or ruined. People did not have a notion to preserve them for future generations, they bought them for entertainment and frequently discarded them after reading them. As a result, there are only a certain amount of these books left and they are hot stuff. Just think about Superman, Spiderman and Batman and how they're part of our culture now. Beloved characters, who have stood the test of time. A little research will guide you toward the book that's right for you as an investment.

In the sixties, comic book companies began reprinting earlier comic books to introduce them to a generation that may not have seen them due to the originals begin rare. This is not a rare occurrence, and it's where comic books got their name. Originally, comic books were reprints of newspaper "funny strips".

Reprints mean well, but as with just about everything else there's a chance for people to scam one another. Reprints will often pop up in online auctions and misrepresented as originals. Again, do your research and you won't get taken for a ride.

37 years, precisely (so far). I've had some very rare books, public and private auction houses as well as online auctions have proven to me just how profitable this hobby can be. I'm mostly in this for the pleasure myself. Sure I've made money. But I really love the characters and what they mean to people.

Comic books have come a long way since the days of lining bird cages with them. Sometimes those involved in creating comics find a chance to make a few dollars just like us civilians. The stories of how people acquire a dream book are dear to those telling the story and are frequently interesting.

The really nice thing about comic books? Liquidity. If you buy something that is a solid investment, as outlined above, you will have little trouble making your investment plus some back should the need to get cash arise. Many people will put a rare book on eBay and let a bidding war ensue. If you have good pictures and an accurate description and are good about answering questions quickly you will stand to promote that book to an easy 15-20% above market value.