Complete runs vs. cherrypicking?

February 22, 2008 12:15 PM

Selling a complete run of comics: advice?

I'm purging my collection and selling a variety of contemporary lots. Some are complete runs containing valuable single issues (signed, or famous artists, etc). I've sold comics on eBay in the past and am familiar w/ most of the advice given in this previous AskMeFi post, (especially that of not making a profit but minimizing your loss).

But, strictly speaking, what is best: selling the complete runs, or cherry picking the valuable stuff and then selling the runs w/ gaps?

Thanks for your help-
cgs

posted by cgs to grab bag (16 comments total)

Some people may be looking for particularly rare or otherwise notable single issues, but just about no one is looking for a run complete except for #14, #22, #36-44, #56, and #102. Plus, if these are relatively recent comics, the "famous artist" or "signed" issues are probably worth less on their own than you think.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 12:20 PM on February 22 [1 favorite]

I agree. It's more like: cherry picking the valuable stuff and throwing the rest out.
posted by smackfu at 12:24 PM on February 22

I hear you... I have them in all these piles, and I guess the one set I'm most concerned w/ is Hellblazer 1-140ish. Should I separate the Garth Ennis and Gaiman stuff from the rest of the dreck?
posted by cgs at 12:26 PM on February 22

smackfu- i detect some real comic-collecting rage on your part ;-) (from the other thread... and i think i'm almost there w/ you)
posted by cgs at 12:28 PM on February 22

Not much harm in trying to sell them off as complete runs. Personally, I love to buy complete when I can.
posted by crickets at 12:30 PM on February 22

As far as the Ennis/Gaiman Hellblazer issues in particular, they've been TPBed (I think), so there's no particular draw in having those ones offered as separate issues; it would inevitably cheaper to buy the runs as TPBs unless you wind up selling them for a dismally low amount.

I'd go whole-run; you can punch up the Ennis and Gaiman runs in the product description and listing to ensure they remain draws.
posted by Shepherd at 12:34 PM on February 22

Shepherd's right -- if anything, the other Hellblazer stuff is probably worth more, because it either hasn't been collected, has been collected in books that may be hard to find, or has been collected in just flat-out weird (i.e., out of publishing sequence) ways.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 12:36 PM on February 22

I'm with @crickets; there are very few titles/characters that I love, but when I get to feeling nostalgic I'll wander around eBay and look for a complete run (if they aren't available in graphic novel form).

I still kick myself for selling my complete run of Iron Man, chock full of Layton/Romita Jr/Michelinie goodness. Oh, and my Miller/Jansen Daredevils. Oh, and my Byrne/Claremont X-Men.

Wow. Lot of regret going on here.

But yes, for ease of use, sell them lock stock.
posted by willmize at 12:39 PM on February 22

I use http://www.comiccollectorlive.com/ to buy at least. It has a free program to download and fairly easily catalog your comics. Basically, you mark the ones you own being sold, along with a price and condition.

Anyone else who uses the service is able to catalog their own collections and mark missing issues as being on a wishlist. If one of your for sale items matches one of their wishlist items they'll get a notice that an issue is available.

If multiple copies from multiple vendors exist for an issue, they can pick based on price, condition, seller rating, etc.

I'm not sure how much the program takes off the top of sales (they charge either for eitger "single issue insertions" or a "flat fee allowing for unlimited listings), but there are plenty of other online database/collecting/trading sites and software out there.

Currently more than a million items are on wishlists and about a quarter million are for sale, so you might stand a good chance of offloading them fairly easily. You also get paid instantly and don't have to auction anything, as well as having the chance to sell individual comics or as lots.

But, like I said, there are plenty of similar services out there.
posted by JeremiahBritt at 12:42 PM on February 22

Please ignore the multiple typos above.
posted by JeremiahBritt at 12:43 PM on February 22

For the hellblazer, sell the complete run on ebay.

I recently tried to sell a nearly complete run of Iron Man volume 3. The final realized price? 5 dollars. Most modern dreck is not going to be worth anything. If you just wanted to get it out of your house but don't want to throw it away, list the complete run of whatever you have that is valuable and force someone to buy the set and take your crap with them. If, however, you want to maximize your return, consider donating your dreck to a library or an organization such as Comics For Kids. You can write the comics as a donation at their FULL COVER PRICE. So your complete run of dreck turns from 5 dollars cash into a 300 dollar write off.

Runs with gaps won't really sell. Runs that are complete dreck won't sell. Runs containing valuable things will sell. Or, if you have time, go to a local comic con, rent a table, list all your books at "50 cents" and see what goes.
posted by Stynxno at 12:59 PM on February 22

Another consideration is that comics are heavy when you start talking about complete runs. Put them on a scale and see. That means:

1) The shipping will be more than people want to pay, even if you charge USPS Media Mail rate.
2) Packing gets annoying, and/or expensive.

(Similar problems with selling magazines, although those are worse since any given issue is thicker.)
posted by smackfu at 1:19 PM on February 22

Picking which is best also requires deciding what your time is worth. I sold my complete runs (I'm on of the posters in the older thread you linked) in part because I (a) had better things to do than try to figure out and handle individual issues and (2) that wouldn't have solved my core problem of not wanting to throw them in the trash if all I did was sell 10% of the comics.

I really did not have a problem with cost in shipping, though I did use media mail as smackfu mentions. Since I was getting rid of my collection anyway I shipped in shortboxes. If the collection was much smaller than a shortbox I cut it down.
posted by phearlez at 3:29 PM on February 22

FWIW, a year or two ago, when I was shopping for whole runs of titles on ebay, Hellblazer sets almost always went over my budget.
posted by Bigfoot Mandala at 3:49 PM on February 22

This auction for Hellblazer 1-240 recently went for $350 and 22 bids.
posted by Bigfoot Mandala at 3:56 PM on February 22

thanks everyone! i'm going to do the complete runs, and will post my auctions when i get them up. you can watch to see how it plays out ;-)
posted by cgs at 12:26 PM on February 23