Choose Your Price Guide!

Price Guides are a mixed lot. Which one do you choose? WIth Overstreet 36 due soon, better choose quick.

Comic Book price guides are a mystery. Their function is simple, list titles, conditions, and prices. An added bonus is background information, and photos. The extras are where the trouble comes in. The main contenders for 'Best' Comic book price guide are the Overstreet Guide, Comic Book Values, and the Comic Book Price Guide from Krause. Which one scores the best?

Let's talk about it.

Firstly, these books contain price 'guides', not price 'gospels'. The values represented are only approximate, and totally up to the market.

Secondly, the world of comic book academia is evolving, and creator credits are being added all the time. Space usually not permit full listings of all known contributors.

Thirdly, New issues are being released all the time, and reprints are now the rage. X Men #1, once available only as an original, can now be purchased in various formats.

Fourthly, Just how much information do we really need? That's why we have mags like Comic Book Artist, Comic Book Journal, Wizard, Comic Buyers Guide, Comic Book Marketplace and so-on.

Okay. The most simple one is Comic Book Values by Rob Molloy. Book, average price, publishing information, good starter book. Photos. Short essays on related topics.

The Krause Price Guide is a little more complex. It still contains publishing information, prices (in more than one grade) and CGC prices realized, and is organized in a checkmark system. It does list each issue separately and runs a massive 1500 plus pages because of it. It does benefit from more detailed issue/story information than Comic Book Values and Overstreet.

Overstreet has been the standard for 36 years now. With interesting cover galleries, interviews (Jim Lee this time), histories, and an a fanatical listing of all known titles, it was the first. Problem is, some of the listings do not reflect current creator credits. It does not use CGC pricing (that is the Comic Book Update). Full runs are represented in less than adequate detail for most titles.

So, which one do I like?

Depends on my mood....right now, it's Overstreet. But first, let me correct those Lone Ranger listings.

Tim Lasiuta