How the Value of a Comic Book is Determined
The Factors Affecting a Comic's Appraisal and Selling Price
Nov 4, 2009
Comic book collectors are invariably interested in what comics are worth. If a back issue's value is very high, a collector might keep it sealed without even reading it; if it's too low, he might not buy the comic book in the first place.
But the monetary value of a particular comic is not always easy to ascertain. There are a number of variables which influence listings in comic book price guides – and even then, a comic book's final selling price after an auction, or just haggling, may be quite different.
Landmark Comics Issues are Worth More
The first main factor affecting comic book value is historical significance. Issues that are first in a long-running series, or feature the debut of a popular hero or villain, often have greater intrinsic value.
One of the most valuable comic books is Batman #1 (1940) for this very reason. Not only is it the first issue in a series that has continued for nearly seventy years, starring one of the most popular superheroes of all time, but it also features the first appearance of three major Batman villains: the Joker, Catwoman, and Hugo Strange.
However, collectors should be wary of landmark issues whose importance is over-rated. Publishers will often hype new "number ones" as collector's items, but unless the series is a huge success, they may not be worth much more than other issues.
Rare and Hard-to-Find Comics Have Value
The second factor affecting the value of comic books is their rarity – how many copies of a given comic are known to exist.
Generally, older comics are worth more because as time passes more and more are lost, damaged, or simply fall apart. For much of their history comic books were printed on cheap, acidic paper, and treated as throwaway items, accelerating this process of attrition.
Modern comics (from about the 1980s on) are less rare not only because they are newer, but because they are made of higher-quality materials. Also, the higher demand for collector comics in recent decades means that many more modern comics have been handled carefully from the beginning, kept pristine by specialized comic book supplies.
High-Grade Comics Sell for More
Finally, the condition of a comic book issue helps determine its value. The closer a comic book is to perfect, hot-off-the-press condition, the more it is worth when compared to otherwise identical issues. A comic's condition is expressed as a grade on a ten-point or Poor-to-Mint scale.
But even in comic book grading, one collector's estimation of value may differ from another. For instance, some feel that autographed comics are worth more, while others do not. Also, restoration (such as replacing old staples or pressing creases) is controversial. Some collectors feel they add value to damaged comics, while others see such techniques as "cheating."
Putting a Price on Comics
These three factors – significance, rarity, and condition – come into play whenever a comic book is appraised. But often comics which score well in one factor fall short in another. Condition and scarcity often have an inverse relationship. Comics issues that are rare, landmark issues, but that are still in high-grade condition are therefore the most prized.
Like any commodity, comic books are ultimately worth whatever a seller can get for them. Intangible factors, such as a collector's sentiment or whimsy, can make some comics more valuable to certain people than a comic book price guide would imply.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
