How to sell old comics in Boston?

August 28, 2006 6:09 PM

I want to sell my old comics in the Boston area. Does someone know the best place to do it?

I have a bunch (~100) of well preserved comic books from right around 1990-1992. I would like get rid of them. Is their a place in the boston area that would buy the lot of them from me for a fair price?

Selling them on ebay is a little more ambicious then I am interested in. I am looking for a good place to show up with a box of them. They are all in fine - near mint condition according to the definitions at ComicPriceGuide.com. They have been in plastic on boards for the last 15 years.

posted by crhanson to grab bag (12 comments total)

Is The Million Year Picnic in Hahvahd Squaaah still open? A good place to start looking, and the wave of comic book ink smell will make you swoon.
posted by Scoo at 6:22 PM on August 28, 2006

Million Year Picnic is still open [and their collection of new and used and obscure stuff may convince you that you need to buy more comics.] There are other comics stores nearby, but I'd consider them the best place to start.
posted by ubersturm at 6:32 PM on August 28, 2006

What do you consider a fair price?

I don't mean to pee on your birthday cake, and I'm sorry to be so blunt, but good luck selling them. Collectors don't really consider those books old, in spite of them being released 15 years ago. You have a pile of back issues from some of the biggest glut years in the history of comics publishing. I can virtually guarantee you won't be able to sell them to a comic shop unless they're looking to restock their quarter bins at a nickel or a dime a piece. Everyone is trying to unload comics from those years, especially if they are Valiant, Image, Malibu or special collectors editions with chromioholofoil multi-covers.

You might be better off having a yard sale, giving them out as Halloween treats or donating them somewhere, because when you walk into a comic book shop with 100 "old" comic books from the early 1990s and expect them to pay a fair price, I'd bet they probably won't offer you enough to cover the gas it took to drive your car there if they make you an offer at all.
posted by MegoSteve at 7:10 PM on August 28, 2006

the 1990-92 is smack dab in the era of speculation/over production/right before Marvel went into bankruptcy, etc. lots of people, stores, etc. have tons and tons of copies of comics from this era and, depending on what you have, you're not going to get more than a quarter for them. heck, you might get less than that.

you have a better chance selling them to a collector than a store, etc. there are exceptions though. the marvel issues right before the reboot can command twice cover. Some valiants, a few image comics, can commands their cover price or a little more. but if you bought, say, all 6 covers of the X-Men #1...don't expect to get that high of a price for them from a dealer. you'll get more from a collector so selling them on ebay or at a flea market is your best bet.
posted by Stynxno at 7:13 PM on August 28, 2006

heh. i type too slow.
posted by Stynxno at 7:15 PM on August 28, 2006

That's okay. You were nicer than I was.
posted by MegoSteve at 7:18 PM on August 28, 2006

FYI the most interesting, to my eye 15 years later, are TMNT from Mirage.

Thanks for the practical advice. I think perhaps I'll sell them as a lot on ebay.
posted by crhanson at 7:22 PM on August 28, 2006

What I'd do if you're headed the eBay route is do completed item searches for some of the titles you have and see if you have anything that might actually sell for a decent price. Rather than sell them all in one big lump, sell them in groups by character or title.
posted by MegoSteve at 7:26 PM on August 28, 2006

If you don't mind a bit of a field trip, I've had luck selling old comics at these places:

That's Entertainment in Worcester

Harrison's Comics in Salem

Not sure what kind of price you will get ... my goal in selling comics was "get these comics out of my house", so price was not an issue. I recommend calling ahead of time to find out what they might offer and also what days they purchase comics.

Plus, if you're looking to purchase new comics (or trade in for store credit), both of those shops have an excellent selection.
posted by cadge at 7:43 PM on August 28, 2006

I second Harrison's in Salem. I've been told by the manager that they will buy modern comics (ie. your 1990-92 comics) because the owner feels that those comics are what people want to buy. Plus it's a great store. They recently opened up a store in the Meadowglen Mall in Medford. You'd probably have to take them up to Salem to sell them in the end, but the Medford store might be able to at least quote a price for you for them, if not buy them there.
posted by JonahBlack at 8:03 PM on August 28, 2006

Previously. And previously.

Save yourself some time and trouble. Find a dumpster.
posted by cribcage at 8:08 PM on August 28, 2006

I'm in the same boat, but have several boxes. I have started selling them on ebay, having cherry-picked the premo titles - Wolverine, first appearance of Spiderman's black costume, etc. The ones I sold were in Overstreet 2005 at $30-45, and they went for $3 or $5. I'll keep trying, hoping for better results, but when I'm done with the big ticket items, the remainder will be donated - probably to a children's hopsital.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:25 AM on August 29, 2006