Expert: J. Spyder Isaacson - 4/8/2008

Question
I have a comic book collection and wish to know what part the condition plays in its appraisal
And what the different categories are: poor good very good and how they are defined etc
And since there are so many (over 500) whets the best way of appraising and selling them
Is it better to do it piecemeal or all at once?
And in which venue?
And how do I narrow down the number and type of collectors or individual potential customers or appraisers?
What price range can I expect?
And how much work is involved in the various methods of selling and appraising them
What info and details do I need to have at hand?
How do I streamline the approach?
Can I assume that the brown and dusty ones will not command any price at all, and that it’s not worth it to sell me at all?
How much of a % of what a very good comic gets does a good one get? Assuming they are identical
Or the very same one
How much of depreciations are there when a VG one turns into a Good one?
How are the different categories determined?
What impact and effect does the way a comic is stored have on the category it will be in?
Can we make assumptions based on the storage method?
so if i ahve a lot fo comicx (588) of varying   conditions and years and issues and  volumes and  editions  etc and appeal  how should i go about , and what r the different methods of  turning them into cash?  

Answer
Wow.  You certainly believe in detail.

My best advice to answer all of these questions is The Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.  It is generally considered the most reliable value guide and also provides a comprehensive process for determining the condition of the comics.  While there are a few other price guides (such as Wizard Magazine publishes, for instance), the Overstreet is the grandfather of all price guides and is the only one to have established a standardized grading process.

Unfortunately, there is no fast and easy way to appraise an entire collection - this is what, for a prolonged period, made it virtually impossible to insure a collection, as insurance companies would require two matching (!) appraisals.  Obviously, you want the best possible appraisal, but also be realistic - if you call a good condition issue as mint and sell it as mint, your buyer will NOT be pleased.

On some of your particulars:

* The brown and dusty comics may *still* have some value, depending upon the rarity and the *overall* condition (especially if the binding is still tight and there are few wrinkles).  Even a fair or poor condition copy of Marvel Comics #1 (the rarest comic in the world) will fetch a decent price.

* What price you can actually get depends a LOT on the purchaser.  Right now, unfortunately, it's a buyer's market, so even if you have a mint condition issue you may not wind up getting a mint condition price.  Your best bet here is to try to sell to other collectors - a dealer will *NEVER* give you the full value (they're businesspeople, after all).  Consider the advantages (and disadvantages) of e-Bay or another on-line auction/sale site (there are a few that specifically cater to comics fans and collectors).

* When it comes time to sell the comics, you can try selling some individually and others in long batches, especially if you have a string of a particular title (I, for instance, have Justice League of America [first volume] issues 74-200).

There is a LOT of work ahead, so be sure you have the time to do it right.  It'll be worth it.

Good luck, and let me know how you do.

-- Spyder