AboutBrian G. Philbin Expertise I`ve been collecting comics for over 40 years and am able to answer most questions regarding comics, creators, fandom and the industry from the Golden Age through to today`s comics, with an emphasis on super and action heroes and most of my expertise ranges in the Silver to Modern Ages. My expertise lies in DC Comics/National Periodical Publications, although my general knowledge extends well into Marvel, Tower, Archie, Charlton & many of the "Independent" companies that began in the late 70`s & 80`s. I do have some knowledge of the Western, Funny Animals, Romance and other genres, but to a lesser degree, so please don't grade me on specific knowledge of these areas if you choose to ask me questions on those topics.
For questions related to or similar to "How much are my comics worth?", please see my website, which will provide quick answers and tools for you to obtain those answers at:
Experience I have been a comics reader/fan for over 42 years now and have followed industry trends from distribution to creation to fandom to retail and back again. I have had articles and letters published in Comic Buyers Guide, Comic Book Marketplace, Comic Effect, have appeared on several comic book podcasts and have several websites dedicated to comics at:
If there's a question I don't know the answer to, I usually know who to ask and have been providing online information to a wealth of inquirers for over 10 years now. I'll do my utmost to answer your question, whether it is simple or in-depth, as long as it isn't: "How much are my comics worth?" - that question can be answered by visiting my page at:
Publications Comic Buyers Guide, Comic Book Marketplace, Comic Effect and opinions & writings mentioned or featured on several podcasts.
Education/Credentials Baccalaureate of Science, Eastern Michigan University
Panelology Studies w/ Robert Beerbohm, Mark Evanier, Scott Shaw, Ron Goulart, Jim Steranko, Roy Thomas and Q & As with Bob Rozakis, Elliot S. Maggin and John Byrne.
Question I have Ms. Marvel comics 1-23. which includes the 1st issue and the first appearance of Mystique. They are in mint condition. I got them at a comic book convention for $400. Was this a good deal? How much would they sell for now.
Answer Hi, Amber - thanks for your question.
To answer it, it depends on whether you really, really like Ms. Marvel or not and whether these are all CGC graded comic books. CGC graded, or "slabbed" books, are in a plastic case, so they're pretty obvious. If they're CGC graded and 9.4 or above, you might have paid about the right price and perhaps made a good deal, depending on how long ago you purchased them (hopefully, it was recent) and whether you have the 35 cent variants of issues 6 through 10. If they say 30 cents, you have the regular issues.
Otherwise, you overpaid for the books. The most generously wild estimate from comicbookpriceguide.com indicates that the unslabbed books might be worth a total of $268.
That, however, is not the keenest estimate out there, as I find their estimates to be a little overzealous. The most accurate determiner of values is the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, which has been the "bible" of the industry for over 35 years. For a collection with the 35 cent variants, the best likely total for these books would be around $250. Otherwise, with a regular, mint condition set, you're looking at around $160-$200.
I hope that I'm not the bearer of bad news and I do hope that you really enjoy the comics, because - in the end - that's the true determiner of value: how much you like what you purchased.
If you would like, I have some suggestions for determining value and selling comics on my site:
