How to Collect Comics

While the majority of comic book titles are superhero books, you also can collect comedy, drama, adaptations, children's, horror, fantasy, science fiction, educational, mystery, adult, foreign language and international comic books.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Overstreet Price Guides
• Comic Books
• Back Comic Book Issues
• Clear Page Protectors

Preserve Comics

1. Put comics in a mylar sleeve that covers the book like a clear envelope and has a pressed-board backing to keep it straight.

2. Slide the backing into the mylar sleeve with the treated side facing front. (Backing boards are white on one side and gray on the untreated side.)

3. Slide the comic book into the sleeve, cover facing out.

4. Store comics in short or long comic boxes with the comics standing up.

Buy Comics

5. Locate your local comic and specialty stores.

6. Browse the store of choice. Look for comics with strong story lines and exceptional illustrations.

7. Pick up the titles you like and pay for them.

8. Collect what interests you or what you think will increase in market value. If you're lucky, you'll do both at once.

Tips & Warnings

• Most comic specialty shops have saver programs or subscriptions that allow you to have the books set aside for you as they are shipped to the store.
• Marvel Comics, D.C. Comics and Image Comics make up over 90% of the industry, with independent titles making up the rest.

[TdJackson]

on 3/15/2008 I heard a rumor that Terry Dwight Coleman. The man who sang hymns for a world record, book titled Don’t Give Up, Don’t Give In will be worth a lot of money, as a collector’s item in the future. The reason being, because it is the first memoir in history, published with a Ripley’s Believe It or Not cartoon in it. Does anyone know the truth to this rumor?

[ChrisMassena]

on 3/23/2007 I have always been told not to seal the mylar bags. I don't know if this is true or not, but I heard that sealing them traps moisture.

on 6/30/2006 When buying your comic books, most shops will let you carefully open the comic sleeve and look at the comic book itself. When doing this, you may want to look in the front cover to see if it is a 1st print comic, 2nd print, etc. Also make sure to check the condition of the comic. Make sure the corners are sharp, their are no rips or tears of any sort, the cover is clear and glossy, and the pages are white. This will insure you are buying a high quality comic or as the professionals say "in mint condition".

on 11/22/2005 The comic/specialty book shops will usually also carry card board storage boxes which are a near neccessity since collected comics build up pretty quickly. It's also wise to include inside each box a list of the comics stored within according the title, date of release, and issue number and have them listed in order from first to last, this helps one to find a specific issue quickly without having to search through each box.

on 11/22/2005 Maybe your uncle or granddad has comics stored away that he used to like. He'll probably be happy to share them with you. When you get some old ones, take good care of them and store them right.