Ex-SALE-sior.
January 14, 2011 5:12 PM Subscribe
What's the easiest way to get rid of a bunch of comic book trade paperbacks?
I have a small stack of comic books I'd like to get rid of in the interest of clearing some space on my bookshelf. There's nothing particularly valuable, but they're all in good shape—various softcover trade paperbacks. I was hoping to sell them to somebody but I'd like to do it as painlessly as possible. I don't want to have to deal with a bunch of individual sales, or shipping or anything like that. What's likely to be my best option? A local used bookstore says that they'll buy trade paperbacks, but would I better off going to a comic book store? I'm not expecting to make much money on the sale, but I would like to get as much as I can between the two.
I have a small stack of comic books I'd like to get rid of in the interest of clearing some space on my bookshelf. There's nothing particularly valuable, but they're all in good shape—various softcover trade paperbacks. I was hoping to sell them to somebody but I'd like to do it as painlessly as possible. I don't want to have to deal with a bunch of individual sales, or shipping or anything like that. What's likely to be my best option? A local used bookstore says that they'll buy trade paperbacks, but would I better off going to a comic book store? I'm not expecting to make much money on the sale, but I would like to get as much as I can between the two.
Drop me a MeMail. I might be interested in a few. Especially cosmic Marvel pre-Annihilation War.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:49 PM on January 14, 2011
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:49 PM on January 14, 2011
Libraries will take them! In the US, at least, you can get write library donations off on your taxes.
And you give the joy of comics to countless kids.
posted by yeloson at 7:34 PM on January 14, 2011
And you give the joy of comics to countless kids.
posted by yeloson at 7:34 PM on January 14, 2011
...if you have any Cerebus in there, I'll be glad to take those off your hands.
posted by griphus at 8:20 PM on January 14, 2011
posted by griphus at 8:20 PM on January 14, 2011
A local used bookstore says that they'll buy trade paperbacks, but would I better off going to a comic book store?
Definitely take them to both places (or 3 places) and compare offers; I co-manage a used book and music store, fwiw, and our rates for TPBs are comparable to both the used bookstore up the street and a pal's comicbook store a half-mile away. Still, store offers can be idiosyncratic so you should do at least a little comparison shopping, especially if you can find two stores near each other. Going to at least two stores will give you a better idea of what the TPBs are worth.
But honestly, your best bet for the most cash is selling them as a lot on Craigslist or eBay. A store can only pay a percentage (in our case, usually 1/5 to 1/3) of what it thinks the books are worth on the market. Most used TPBs sell for half the original price, so a $15 TPB that we'll sell for $7.50 will get you around $1.50-$2.00*, depending on how fast we think it'll move.
*more if you take it in store credit, of course
posted by mediareport at 8:47 PM on January 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Definitely take them to both places (or 3 places) and compare offers; I co-manage a used book and music store, fwiw, and our rates for TPBs are comparable to both the used bookstore up the street and a pal's comicbook store a half-mile away. Still, store offers can be idiosyncratic so you should do at least a little comparison shopping, especially if you can find two stores near each other. Going to at least two stores will give you a better idea of what the TPBs are worth.
But honestly, your best bet for the most cash is selling them as a lot on Craigslist or eBay. A store can only pay a percentage (in our case, usually 1/5 to 1/3) of what it thinks the books are worth on the market. Most used TPBs sell for half the original price, so a $15 TPB that we'll sell for $7.50 will get you around $1.50-$2.00*, depending on how fast we think it'll move.
*more if you take it in store credit, of course
posted by mediareport at 8:47 PM on January 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
Count me as number 3 who'd like to see the list, but arranging sales with multiple MeFites probably doesn't count as "painless" ... I agree with the suggestions to check your local comic store(s) for simplicity or selling on Craigslist/eBay if you're willing to take a bit of extra hassle to maximize your cash.
posted by bettafish at 11:16 PM on January 14, 2011
posted by bettafish at 11:16 PM on January 14, 2011
If you're a member of any forums online large enough to have a buy & sell section, I would try there. People appreciate not dealing with eBay and will often pay a slight premium for it. Also, you're likely to get a better price selling to an individual or two than a store who has to then resell them.
The downside is that you'd have to ship them if it's not local.
posted by ODiV at 11:43 PM on January 14, 2011
The downside is that you'd have to ship them if it's not local.
posted by ODiV at 11:43 PM on January 14, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone. As much as I'd love to share these with mefites, I'd really rather avoid having to ship things out to multiple people. Besides, there's no Cerebus or Marvel stuff. It's an odd selection—a couple of DC Showcase books, a couple of random Preacher trades, and a few other odds and ends. If you're still REALLY interested you can memail me but as I said my preference is to unload it all in one go.
posted by synecdoche at 6:58 AM on January 15, 2011
posted by synecdoche at 6:58 AM on January 15, 2011
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posted by converge at 5:18 PM on January 14, 2011