Expert: Justin Case - 11/4/2009

Question
I have 2 packs of 3 comics in each of Batman never been opened I believe they are from about 1970's, 8 packs of the same of superman and 12 packs of the same of Wonder Woman, all I believe from the 70's. I found these while cleaning the attic of the store I owned about 14 years ago. I was wondering if this was a special series they did when they packed the comics in 3 packs, and if they are worth more this way and if there is any value at all. They are DC comics.  Thanks

Answer
Hi Wanda -

Actually they are probably not worth too much but its hard to tell.
In the 1970s Marvel and DC would pack reprints of their comics into packets that were generally sold through 'second tier' retail outlets like roadside stands and 'tourist traps.'

The idea was to get people taking long road trips (popular in the 70s) to buy the packets for their kids, and get the kids interested in the comics that way.  

Typically the packets would feature three comics, each from a different series, and the issue numbers were fairly random.  

The best way to see if you have a packet of the reprints is to look in the lower right corner of the cover and see if the small square there (generally around an inch long) has a UPC bar code, or if it is just a white square.  This method isn't always foolproof (sometimes you have to look inside the issue at the indicia on the bottom of the first page) but more often than not will let you know if you have a reprint or not.

I'd be surprised if the packs you have are not of this variety but have listed a website below that a lot of us 'experts' use to try and determine values on certain issues.  

One other option you might try is looking up a local comic retailer in your area and showing them the collection and seeing what they say, but be careful, sometimes they will try and rip you off.  If you'd like, the AllExperts website has the capability to send photo attachments and if you can get pictures of what you have there I'd be happy to take a look and see if I can find a more definitive answer for you.

Here is that site:

http://www.comicspriceguide.com/

Thanks for the question and please feel free to shoot me back a message if I can be of any further assistance!

Deran