Expert: Chris Brown - 12/25/2003

Question
where can I find info. on the value of Mad Comics from the 50's? My husband saved a number of the first ones issued and is interested in selling them. Thanks

Answer
Hi B Kellie

Mad started out as a standard comic in 1952 and then changed to a magazine format in 1955.  Are you talking about the standard comic issues?  They are pretty valuable.

You may know that comic value is highly dependent on condition.  I will give you a list from the current comic book price guide of values for the Mad comic issues in three conditions: Good, Fine, and Near Mint.  Good is your standard used and read comic with creases, minor tears, tanning pages, etc. but still complete and pretty solid.  Fine is for a comic with only one or two minor flaws, like a couple inch cover crease or a 1/2" tear.  Near Mint is a comic that looks like it just came off the newsstand with no noticeable flaws.

#1: 520/1560/7000
#2: 140/420/1900
#3,4: 85/255/1150
#5: 148/444/2000
#6-11: 61/183/825
#12-15: 48/144/650
#16-23: 38/115/525

Of course comics could be graded in between these values (or below Good if the comic is pretty beat up).  These are also retail prices.  If you seek to sell comics to a dealer, you will probably only get 30 to 50% of these amounts.  Selling on eBay could get you into the 40 to 70% range with good scans and descriptions.

eBay is also a good place to go to see how well these comics are selling.  Old issues of Mad show up pretty regularly under Collectibles/Comics/Golden Age.  You can do searches of completed auctions and watch current auctions to see how they are doing.

If you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask!  Enjoy.    Chris