How to Build a Complete Comic Book Collection

Comics, still a popular medium, are collected by many, and each fan has his own opinion. Many of the basics in comic collecting are common sense. Here is a unique strategy of comic collecting, with a few obvious notes and others that will make you think.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Buy Complete Sets
   
   This is the most important part of comic collecting. Comic books are notorious for cliffhangers. Why spend $3-$4 on a comic when it ends with a cliffhanger? Why buy only the first couple issues of a major story arc? A good strategy is to expand your collecting net to websites and local shops. You want to be sure to get the complete story. Often, sites like eBay will have complete sets of series, whether they are X-Men or Batman comics, and this is crucial for the comic reader. These can be pricier, but you will have a complete story.

2. Choosing Collected Works or Single Issues
   
   Do you want to make money collecting comics? Or do you just want a good read? These are important points in the collecting world. A single issue comic will be more valued than a TPB (trade paperback) or graphic novel. However, usually the trade will be cheaper, unless the series is relatively new. It is important to decide whether you are interested in an investment or in a quality read.

3. Selling What You Don’t Want
   
   Comics can be expensive to buy. Every few years the prices for titles goes up. To combat this, you can sell some of the comics you didn’t enjoy --there are many fans of different comic genres on websites like eBay. Perhaps you have some old horror comics that don’t work for you, but will be loved by someone else. Sometimes you will be surprised how much people will pay for them.

4. Internet Buying and Selling
   
   There are many websites other than Ebay to buy and sell comic books, graphic novels, and TPBs. Amazon has thousands of titles available, and you can also become a seller via their site. A new phenomenon is the regular comic collector starting their own site or posting on forums and groups. Many Yahoo! groups are devoted to comic book buying and selling. Do a simple search for comic books on Yahoo! Groups and you can find many. Often, these comic titles will be had for even cheaper prices than Amazon and Ebay offer.

5. Trade with Local Shops
   
   Small comic shops are still prevalent in the US. With the rise of multiple online comic sellers, these businesses occasionally have a hard time. However, most are willing to trade titles with you. If there is an old X-Men or Spider-Man TPB you want that a nearby shop has, consider trading one of those titles you didn’t like. Most comic shops are willing to do this.

6. Read Reviews
   
   Look to review sites when deciding what to buy. Amazon’s reviews system is one of the best, but sites like SilverBulletComicBooks.com, IGN.com, and PaperbackReader.com offer quality reviews for free as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Complete sets are worth the high prices you will pay for them. They are the hallmarks of a good collection.
• If you are going to invest in comics, choose old titles. Spider-Man in the 1960s is far better than that limited edition from a few years ago.

[purrfect1969]

on 1/11/2008 Sounds like an interesting hobby and possibly a good investment.