Expert: Mark Harmon - 11/4/2004

Question
Mark,

    Hello. I have been into comic books since I was a child, and collected some up until I sold most of my comics in the U.S. Navy.

    I wanted to ask of you if you would give me some topics to research for collecting comic books and things you think a person *should*
know before they venture off and collect.

    The reason I'm asking is that I am searching writing an ebook on comic book collecting/investing/selling. This book will eventually be sold through a web site (not built yet) and will have an affiliate program
associated with it giving a 50% commission. You can be one of the first to promote this ebook if you like.

    Any other information on comic books collecting will be much appreciated. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Patrick Whitson

Answer
Hi Patrick,

Well, there's alot of areas that could be covered, but I guess I will stick to the basics for now.  If you need help on getting up to speed on what's currently hot in the market, I would recommend buying copies of one of the trade mags such as Wizard or the Comics Buyers Guide.  Likewise, the Overstreet Price Guide has some valuable information on market trends.

Since I am involved in collecting, investing, and selling, I can speak to each of those.  For collectors, now is the best time to be involved in the hobby.  With eBay as well as the numerous other web sites available to collectors, it is now a buyer's market.  With the exception of CGC graded comics, most buyers can fill in their collection at prices that are below the guide values.  Long gone are the days when collectors had to pay the high prices for back issues charged by the local comic store or by mail order dealers.

As far as investing goes, my feeling is that you go with the big guns as far as publishers and titles go.  That means sticking to DC and Marvel comics.  And, investing in the titles that have stood the test of time such as Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, X-Men, etc.  These titles have a history of price increases and will probably always be sought after by collectors. Key issues such as 1st appearances of a character like Wolverine or the Punisher are also safe investments for those seeking specific issues to invest in.

For investment purposes, I will typically only purchase Fine grade or better comics.  There is a nice market for selling lower grade comics, but it is much easier to sell a high grade comic and your return on investment will be much better.  

I mentioned eBay before and I would say they are the main site for sellers on the internet.  But there are a number of sites out there that cater to comic book sellers which I use as well as selling off my own web site.  I sell what I have invested in as well as for other collectors who are looking to downsize their collections.  Aside from selling comics that I picked up at conventions, most of my inventory comes from buying bulk lots and then selling the comics off individually.  There are occasions that I can pick up a single issue cheaply and then sell it for a profit, but this can take some time.

So, for collectors, I would say buy what you like to read and be sure to comparison shop.  There are lots of good deals to be had and some really good series can be picked up at great prices.  For investors, invest in high grade and stick with the popular characters and publishers.  For selling, stay current with what's currently hot and learn to anticipate when there will be increased demand for a title - upcoming movies featuring comic characters are a good indicator.  In addition, check out all the sites that are out there.  eBay is the most popular, but there are a number of other excellent sites available to sellers.

I don't know if I've given you enough detail to start with, but if you have further questions, feel free to email me at comix2go@aol.com.  Having done a similar type of effort in the past, I'd be interested in seeing your ebook when it's completed.

Best of luck,

Mark