COMIC BOOK VALUES
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Grading
Price Guide and
Research
When
determining the value of any comic book, what needs to be
performed first is the most talked about and the most mis-interpreted
in the hobby and that is to grade the condition of a comic
book.
This needs to be done before using any of the reference
materials and research to find the current market value on
any book.
Without accurately grading any book, there is no way to
properly place a value even with all of the pricing
information and current sales data in front of you.
You cannot accurately say that a Very Fine+ (VF+) 8.5
condition book is worth XX.XX amount, unless you know that
your book is in VF+ condition.
Grading
In the
Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide which is the standard in
the comic book collecting hobby/industry since 1970, there
are detailed descriptions on the grading definitions that
all collectors and sellers/dealers use to assign a grade to
any comic.
It continues to evolve as more and more people come into the
hobby and the standards are tweaked sometimes to meet the
different demands.
You don’t need to be a professional in order to grade a
comic book. There are only two organizations that are
listed as professionals since people pay to have these
companies grade their books and then certify them with their
official grade.
Indirectly
a collector or buyer is already paying the owner of a book
they are buying from to grade that book.
Sellers don’t put a price on their books for sale without
grading the book first and then using sources like the
Overstreet guide and other online sources.
We all need to grade a book accurately so we can know where
the issue’s price range falls under.
Learning
the grading standards that are set forth in the Overstreet
guide is an absolute requirement of anyone collecting.
I observe and experience too many people claiming no
knowledge of grading and yet they somehow set a price on the
book(s) and attempt to market them.
Trying to compare the book they own with that of say CGC or
PGX makes no sense since these organizations have their own
grading methods and standards. They do not disclose them
publicly and since the books are encased we do not know what
it is they see besides the covers to make their evaluation.
Even if we were to open the cases up and examine the issue
we have nothing to reference from them to figure out how it
is they assigned a given grade.
The only acceptable and public grading descriptions are what
is contained in the Overstreet guide and all non-CGC and PGX
staff members who grade books need to read and become
familiar with the descriptions in order to learn how to
grade.
Grading descriptions in the Overstreet guide have been
around a lot longer than when CGC came on the scene in 2000
and when PGX came on later than that.
I’ve gone ahead and extracted the descriptions right out of
the guide for anyone who is visiting my site so they can
review them and learn them and become an expert.
It will help you in assessing your own books or books you
may be interested in purchasing and or selling in the
future.
Some of the definitions may be touched up from year to year
as eluded earlier to meet the demands of the many new
collectors entering the hobby, but the overall summary has
not changed to the point that you cannot read the below
descriptions and use them.
I will suggest that you check out the latest Overstreet
Guide to see the most up to date summaries. I will try and
keep my page here as current with any updated revisions.
Here are
the grading descriptions:
10.0 Gem Mint (GM)
This is an exceptional example of
a given book - the best ever seen. The slightest bindery
defects and/or printing flaws may be seen only upon very
close inspection. The overall look is “as if it has never
handled or released for purchase”. Only the slightest
bindery or printing defects are allowed and these would be
imperceptible on first viewing. No bindery tears. Cover is
flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high
reflectivity. Well-centered and firmly secured to interior
pages. Corners are cut-square and sharp. No creases. No
dates or stamped markings allowed. No soiling, staining or
other discoloration. Spine is tight and flat. No spine
roll or split allowed. Staples must be original, centered
and clean with no rust. No staple tears or stress lines.
Paper is white, supple and fresh. No hint of acidity in the
odor of the newsprint. No interior autographs or owner
signatures. Centerfold is firmly secure. No interior
tears.
9.9 Mint (MT)
Near perfect in every way. Only subtle bindery or
printing defects are allowed. No bindery tears. Cover is
flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high
reflectivity. Generally well centered and firmly secured to
interior pages. Corners are cut square and sharp. No
creases. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or
inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an
unobtrusive location. No soiling, staining or other
discoloration. Spine is tight and flat. No spine roll or
split allowed. Staples must be original, generally centered
and clean with no rust. No staple tars or stress lines.
Paper is white, supple and fresh. No hint to acidity in the
odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is firmly secure. No
interior tears.
9.8 Near Mint/Mint (NM/MT)
Nearly perfect in every way with only minor
imperfections that keep it from the next higher grade. Only
subtle bindery or printing defects are allowed. No bindery
tears. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright
with high reflectivity. Generally well centered and firmly
secured to interior pages. Corners are cut square and
sharp. No creases. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled,
stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as
they are in a unobtrusive location. No soiling, staining or
other discoloration. Spine is tight and flat. No spine
roll or split allowed. Staples must be original, generally
centered and clean with no rust. No staple tears or stress
lines. Paper is off-white to white, supple and fresh. No
hint or acidity in the odor of the the newsprint.
Centerfold is firmly secure. Only the slightest tears are
allowed.
9.6 Near Mint+ (NM+)
Nearly perfect with a minor additional virtue or virtues
that raise it from Near Mint. The overall look is “as if it
was just purchased and read once or twice.” Only subtle
bindery or printing defects are allowed. No bindery tears
are allowed, although on Golden Age books bindery tears of
up to 1/8” have been noted. Cover is flat with no surface
wear. Inks are bright with high reflectivity. Well
centered and firmly secured to interior pages. One corner
may be almost imperceptibly blunted, but still almost sharp
and cut square. Almost imperceptible indentations are
permissible, but no creases, bends, or color break. Small,
inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival
dates are acceptable as long as they are in a n unobtrusive
locations. No soiling, staining or discoloration. Spine is
tight and flat. No spine roll or split allowed. Staples
must be original, generally centered, with only the
slightest discoloration. No staple tears, stress lines, or
rust migration. Paper is off-white, supple and fresh. No
hint of acidity in the odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is
firmly secure. Only the slightest interior tears are
allowed.
9.4 Near Mint (NM)
Nearly perfect with only minor
imperfections that keep it from the next higher grade. The
overall look is “as if it was just purchased and read once
or twice.” Subtle bindery defects are allowed. Bindery
tears must be less than 1/16” on Silver Age and later books,
although on Golden Age books bindery tears of up to 1/4”
have been noted. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks
are bright with high reflectivity. Generally well centered
and secured to interior pages. Corners are cut square and
sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. A 1/16” bend
is permitted with no color creak. No creases. Small,
inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival
dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive
location. No soiling, staining, or other discoloration
apart from slight foxing. Spine is tight and flat. No
spine roll or split allowed. Staples are generally
centered; may have slight discoloration. No staple tears
are allowed; almost no stress lines. No rust migration. In
rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the bindery and
therefore has a missing staple; this is not considered a
defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to fine, but
only vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to
Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. Paper is
cream to off-white, supple and fresh. No hint of acidity in
the odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is secure. Slight
interior tears are allowed.
9.2 Near Mint (NM-)
Nearly perfect with only a minor additional defect or
defects that keep it from Near Mint. A limited number of
minor bindery/printing defects are allowed. Cover is flat
with no surface wear. Inks are bright with only the
slightest dimming of reflectivity. Generally well centered
and secure to interior pages. Corners are cut square and
sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. A 1/16-1/8”
bend is permitted with no color break. No creases. Small,
inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival
dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive
location. No soiling, staining or other discoloration apart
from slight foxing. Spine is tight and flat. No spine roll
or split allowed. Staples may show some discoloration. No
staple tears are allowed; almost no stress lines. No rust
migration. In rare cases, a comic was stapled at the
bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not
considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up
to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from
Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original
staples. Paper is cream to off-white, supple and fresh. No
hint of acidity in the odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is
secure. Slight interior tears are allowed.
9.0 Very Fine/Near Mint (VF/NM)
Nearly perfect with outstanding
eye appeal. A limited number of bindery/printing defects
are allowed. Almost flat cover with almost imperceptible
wear. Inks are bright with slightly diminished
reflectivity. An 1/8” bend is allowed if color is not
broken. Corners are cut square and sharp with
ever-so-slight blunting permitted but not creases. Several
lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are
acceptable. No obvious soiling, staining or other
discoloration, except for very minor foxing. Spine is tight
and flat. No spine roll or split allowed. Staples may show
some discoloration. Only the slightest staple tears are
allowed. A very minor accumulation of stress lines may be
present if they are nearly imperceptible. No rust
migration. In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the
bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not
considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up
to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from
Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original
staples. Paper is cream to off-white and supple. No hint
of acidity in the odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is
secure. Very minor interior tears may be present.
8.5 Very
Fine+ (VF+)
Fits the criteria for Very Fine but with an additional
virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the
book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.
8.0 Very
Fine (VF)
An excellent copy with outstanding eye appeal. Sharp,
bright and clean with supple pages. A comic book in this
grade has the appearance of having been carefully handled.
A limited accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is
allowed. Cover is relatively flat with minimal surface wear
beginning to show, possibly including some minute wear at
corners. Inks are generally bright with moderate to high
reflectivity. A 1/4” crease is acceptable if color is not
broken. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. No
obvious soiling, staining or other discoloration, except for
minor foxing. Spine is almost completely flat with no
roll. Possible minor color break allowed. Staples may show
some discoloration. Very slight staple tears and a few
almost insignificant stress lines may be present. No rust
migration. In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the
bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not
considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up
to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from
Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original
staples. Paper is tan to cream and supple. Centerfold is
mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be
present.
7.5 Very
Fine- (VF-)
Fits the criteria for Very Fine but with an additional
defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from
the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.
7.0
Fine/Very Fine (FN/VF)
An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still
relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A
small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is
allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show with interior
yellowing or tanning allowed, possibly including minor
creases. Corners may be blunted or abraded. Inks are
generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity.
Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. No obvious
soiling, staining or other discoloration, except for minor
foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as
a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some
discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation
of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust
migration. In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the
bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not
considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up
to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from
Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original
staples. Paper is tan to cream, but not brown. No hint of
acidity in the odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is mostly
secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.
6.5
Fine+ (FN+)
Fits the criteria for Fine but with an additional virtue or
small accumulation of virtues that improves the book’s
appearance by a perceptible amount.
6.0 Fine
An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still
relatively flat and clean with no significant creasing or
other serious defects. Eye appeal is somewhat reduced
because of slight surface wear and the accumulation of small
defects, especially on the spine and edges. A FINE
condition comic book appears to have been read a few times
and has been handled with moderate care. Some accumulation
of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover
wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases. Inks show a
significant reduction in reflectivity. Blunted corners are
more common, as is minor staining, soiling, discoloration,
and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be
present. A minor spine roll is allowed. There can also be
a 1/4” spine split or severe color break. Staples may show
minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and an accumulation
of stress lines may be present, as well as minor rust
migration. In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the
bindery and there has a missing staple; this is not
considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up
to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from
Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original
staples. Paper is brown to tan and fairly supple with no
signs of brittleness. No hint of acidity in the odor of the
newsprint. Minor interior tears at the margin may be
present. Centerfold may be loose, but not detached.
5.5
Fine- (FN-)
Fits the criteria for Fine, but with an additional defect or
small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book’s
appearance by a perceptible amount.
5.0 Very
Good/Fine (VG/FN)
An above-average but well-used comic book. A comic in this
grade shows some moderate wear; eye appeal is somewhat
reduced because of the accumulation of defects. Still a
desirable copy that has been handled with some care. An
accumulation of bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor
to moderate cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate
creases and/or dimples. Inks have moderate to low
reflectivity. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as
is minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or
foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A
minor to moderate spine roll is allowed. A spine split of
up to 1/2” may be present. Staples may show minor
discoloration. A slight a accumulation of minor staple
tears and an accumulation of minor stress lines may also be
present, as well as minor rust migration. In rare cases, a
comic was not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a
missing staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple
can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only vintage
staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near Mint.
Mint books must have original staples. Paper is brown to
tan with no signs of brittleness. May have the faintest
trace of an acidic odor. Centerfold may be loose, but not
detached. Minor interior tears may also be present.
4.5 Very
Good+ (VG+)
Fits the criteria for Very Good but with an additional
virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the
book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.
4.0 Very
Good (VG)
The average used comic book. A comic in this grade shows
some significant moderate wear, but still has not
accumulated enough total defects to reduce eye appeal to the
point that it is not a desirable copy. Cover shows moderate
to significant wear, and may be loose but not completely
detached. Moderate to extreme reduction in reflectivity.
Can have an accumulation of creases or dimples. Corners may
be blunted or abraded. Store stamps, name stamps, arrival
dates, initials, etc. have no effect on this grade. Some
discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor soiling is
allowed. As much as a 1/4” triangle can be missing out of
the corner or edge; a missing 1/8” square is also
acceptable. Only minor unobtrusive tape and other amateur
repair allowed on otherwise high grade copies. Moderate
spine roll may be present and/or a 1” spine split. Staples
may be discolored. Minor to moderate staple tears and
stress less may be present, as well as some rust migration.
Paper is brown but not brittle. A minor acidic odor can be
detectable. Minor to moderate interior tears may be
present. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one staple.
3.5 Very
Good- (VG-)
Fits the criteria for Very Good but with an additional
defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from
the book’s appearance by a perceptible amount.
3.0
Good/Very Good (GD/VG)
A used comic book showing some substantial wear. Cover
shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at
one staple. Cover reflectivity is very low. Can have a
book-length crease and/or dimples. Corners may be blunted
or even rounded. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even
minor to moderate soiling is allowed. A triangle from 1/4”
to 1/2” can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing
1/8” to 1/4” square is also acceptable. Tape and other
amateur repair may be present. Moderate spine roll likely.
May have a spine split or anywhere 1” to 1-1/2”. Staples
may be rusted or replaced. Minor to moderate staple tears
and moderate stress lines may be present, as well as some
rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Centerfold
may be loose or detached at one staple. Minor to moderate
interior tears may be present.
2.5
Good+ (GD+)
Fits the criteria for Good but with an additional virtue or
small accumulation of virtues that improves the book’s
appearance by a perceptible amount.
2.0 Good
(GD)
Shows substantial wear; often considered a “reading copy.”
Cover shows significant wear and may even be detached.
Cover reflectivity is low and in some cases completely
absent. Book-length creases and dimples may be present.
Rounded corners are more common. Moderate soiling,
staining, discoloration and foxing may be present. The
largest piece allowed missing from the front or back cover
is usually 1/2” triangle or a 1/4” square, although some
Silver Age books such as 1960s Marvels have had the price
corner box clipped from the top left front cover and may be
considered Good if they would otherwise have graded higher.
Tape and other forms of amateur repair are common in Silver
Age and older books. Spine roll is likely. May have up to
a 2” spine split. Staples may be degraded, replaced or
missing. Moderate staple tears and stress lines may be
present, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown but not
brittle. Centerfold may be loose or detached. Moderate
interior tears may be present.
1.8
Good- (GD-)
Fits the criteria for Good but with an additional virtue or
small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book’s
appearance by a perceptible amount.
1.5 Fair/Good (FR/GD)
A comic showing substantial to
heavy wear. A copy in this grade still has all pages and
covers, although there may be pieces missing. Books in this
grade are commonly creased, scuffed, abraded, soiled, and
possibly unattractive, but still generally readable. Cover
shows considerable wear and may be detached. Nearly no
reflectivity to no reflectivity remaining. Store stamp,
name stamp, arrival date and initials are permitted.
Book-length creases, tears and folds may be present.
Rounded corners are increasingly common. Soiling, staining,
discoloration and foxing is generally present. Up to 1/10
of the back cover may be missing. Tape and other forms of
amateur repair are increasingly common in Silver Age and
older books. Spine roll is common. May have a spine split
between 2” and 2/3 the length of the book. Staples may be
degraded, replaced or missing. Staple tears and stress
lines are common, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown
and may show brittleness around the edges. Acidic odor may
be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached. Interior
tears are common.
1.0 Fair
(FR)
A copy in this grade shows heavy wear. Some collectors
consider this the lowest collectible grade because comic
books in lesser condition are usually incomplete and/or
brittle. Cover in this grade are usually soiled, faded,
ragged and possibly unattractive. This is the last grade in
which a comic remains generally readable. Cover may be
detached, and inks have lost all reflectivity. Creases,
tears and/or folds are prevalent. Corners are commonly
rounded or absent. Soiling and staining is present. Books
in this conditional generally have all pages and most of the
covers, although there may be up to 1/4 of the front cover
missing or no back cover, but not both. Tape and other
forms of amateur repair are more common. Spine roll is more
common; spine split can extend up to 2/3 the length of the
book. Staples may be missing or show rust and
discoloration. An accumulation of staple tears and stress
lines may be present, as well as rust migration. Paper is
brown and may show brittleness around the edges but not in
the central portion of the pages. Acidic odor may be
present. Accumulation of interior tears. Chunks may be
missing. The centerfold may be missing if readability is
generally preserved (although there may be difficulty).
Coupons may be cut.
0.5 Poor (PR)
Most comic books in this grade
have been sufficiently degraded to the point where there is
little or no collector value; they are easily identified by
a complete absence of eye appeal. Comics in this grade are
brittle almost to the point of turning to dust with a touch,
and are usually incomplete. Extreme cover fading may render
the cover almost indiscernible. May have extremely severe
stains, mildew or heavy cover abrasion to the point that
some cover inks are indistinct/absent. Covers may be
detached with large chunks missing. Can have extremely
ragged edges and extensive creasing. Corners are rounded or
virtually absent. Covers may have been defaced with paints,
varnishes, glues, oil, indelible markers or dyes, and may
have suffered heavy water damage. Can also have extensive
amateur repairs such as laminated covers. Extreme spine
roll present; can have extremely ragged spines or a
complete, book-length split. Staples can be missing or show
extreme rust and discoloration. Extensive staple tears and
stress lines may be present, as well as extreme rust
migration. Paper exhibits moderate to severe brittleness
(where the comic book literally falls apart when examined).
Extreme acidic odor may be present. Extensive interior
tears. Multiple pages, including the centerfold, may be
missing that affect readability. Coupons may be cut.
Price Guide and Research
Now that
you’ve spent time reviewing the grading descriptions and
feel comfortable with how to grade books, you can start
examining the price guide and other sources to learn what
the true value of your comic books are or ones that you are
interested in.
As noted before the standard price guide in comic book
collecting is the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide which
was first published in 1970 and has continued every year
since.
They are a
great collector's items and each and every volume are highly
sought-after especially with the alternate covers that have
been published in the last several years offering buyers a
couple of versions each year. They are available in
hardcover format and collectors love to purchase both the
soft-cover and hardcover versions.
There have
been other writers/publishers who have come out with their
own price guide, but there are really no serious collectors or
sellers/dealers who do not use the Overstreet guide.
This is not the say that other publishers price guides
aren't worth looking at and using, but the Overstreet guides
are typically the ones most collectors use.
If you’re
new to collecting comic books, then you need to pick this
book up as your first addition to your collection and every
year after. If you’re an experienced collector, you know
how valuable this book is.
The guide can be found at your local comic book store or
national book store and on the internet.
Since the guide is published once a year, it does not
necessarily reflect the current market on most books.
You are seeing sales data averaged out that has been
collected from many, many reputable sellers/dealers and some
collectors throughout the year. The guide staff takes that
all of the data from those sources and creates a moving
average and documents those prices in the guide.
By the time the guide is published, it is probably 9-10
months behind what is truly happening in the marketplace
especially on the more significant books.
Using the guide as a reference tool however will help you
see the most complete listing up to the printing date of
almost every comic book issue published with notations on
key issues (1st appearances of key characters, origin
issues, historical issues, significant artists’ issues,
etc.).
This information will help you know which issue is which and
what to look for when searching for books to add to your
collection
The guide’s highest grade covered is the Near Mint- (NM-)
9.2 condition. This is because after years and years of
collected data, the guide staff found this to be the highest
grade that it could effectively keep track of for the
rolling averages. The higher grades tended to be harder to
quantify since prices varied so much for books in 9.4, 9.6
and higher.
This is even truer for CGC graded books although up to 9.2
is still factored into their prices you see in the guide.
Most sellers/dealers locally will normally price their books
at guide prices. Unless the issue has some high
significance or perceived scarcity to that seller/dealer and
higher conditions than Near Mint- will then be marked up by
a certain percentage to what they believe their buying
market will pay.
Some sellers/dealers online will mark up from the guide on
all issues they sell based on what they believe their buying
market will pay.
It won’t be consistent across the board so don’t be
frustrated if you find one seller asking one price on a book
and another seller asking a different price on the same
conditioned book.
If you have
an account with Ebay, you can look up any issue that has
sold or not sold within the last 15 days. You will see the
prices asked for and the final price. This is very valuable
information to compare both the guide and on a national
scale prices sold there to see where current prices are.
Sometimes Ebay can be a little erratic, but almost all of
the major sellers/dealers sell on Ebay in addition to their
normal venues so this is really a great source to use for
information gathering and comparison.
You will see if an issue does not sell at a given price as
well. This could be for various reasons. Not everyone is
online and able to buy at all times so listings of issues
get missed, but it could be a sign that people aren’t
interested in the book and or its prices. The book could be
significantly below the price guide and be passed up.
If you’re into key books, then doing comparisons as noted
above will help you see how much a book has progressed from
the guide to its current market price. This will help you
know where exactly the market is on these books.
Key issues like Action Comics #1 (1st Superman from 1938) or
Amazing Fantasy #15 (1st Spider-Man from 1962) are ones that
will always be treated differently than what is listed in
the guide.
They don’t come around too often and when they do, the
prices can be significant.
There is a service that you will need to subscribe to if
you’re really serious about collecting older and more
expensive books. GPA Analysis tracks recorded sales of CGC
books from multiple online sources such as Ebay, Heritage
Auctions, Pedigree Comics among others. Their service will
list out actual sale prices in all grades of these books.
Almost all of the recorded sales are different than what is
found in the Overstreet Price Guide because these are
current sales which is not 9-10 months old and certified
books from CGC will almost always come with a premium. This
is due to the costs involved in having the book submitted to
them for grading and the added integrity and assurance that
a lot of collectors and sellers/dealers get from
professionally graded books.
Using Ebay and GPA together with the guide can really help
you see where things are at with the more important and
expensive issues.
There are other online auction-like companies such as
ComicLink where you can do further additional research.
They primarily cater to CGC books and their information is
not extracted by GPA.
If you’re into books that aren’t key issues or expensive
issues, then use the guide as your primary tool. I will say
that there will be issues from say the late 1960s through
the early mid-1980s that due to obscurity do not come up for
sale very often. These will require the research on Ebay to
get a feel on the current market value. There are simply
too many examples of books from this era that due to lack of
sales the guide cannot rise in price to reflect what they
are truly worth to most collectors.
A $3 DC or
Marvel comic from that period like Superboy or Captain
Marvel has to be worth more than the price of a new comic.
In summary by using some of the guidance I’ve provided here
on this page, you will be able to properly assess the value
of any book. It will take some effort on your part, but it
will be worth it.
Happy
Collecting!!!
Johnson's Collectibles
