How to sell comics?

July 4, 2010 6:37 AM

How do we sell comics easily, without knowing much about them?

My husband's roommate left behind a huge container of comics when he moved out five years ago, and never really had the time, money, or intense desire to reclaim them. Sadly, he committed suicide last year. He did not speak to his family so returning them to the family as an emotional token isn't an option.

We're cleaning in anticipation of our second child's arrival, and we'll need the space. We looked a bunch up individually and none seem to be worth too much, anywhere from $1-10. They're mostly late 80's early 90's, Wolverine, Spawn, X-Men kind of stuff, which seems to be when every kid collected comics. There's got to be at least 100-150, and they're all in absolute mint condition in sleeves, and some unopened. I'm not expecting much, if I could get $.25 on average for each that'd be cool. I'd probably donate half to a suicide-prevention program, not that it'd be a lot, but it's something, you know?

Is the best bet spending a ton of time and possibly money listing them on ebay individually? Will a comic book store just pick through and take ten of the most valuable, leaving me with a huge box to deal with? Neither my husband and I collect or know anything about comics.

posted by kpht to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (6 answers total)

Best answer: This exact question has been asked several times. The short version is that you should go ahead and donate them if you can find someplace willing to take them. it does not matter that they are mint, because (as you can see from those earlier threads) everybody and their brother has those same comics in mint condition and whatever small market existed dried up years ago. It is definitely not worth your time to list them individually on eBay. Depending on the comic dealer, yes, it is likely that he will pick through and take only ten of your 150. If you are honestly willing to take only a quarter for each, then it might be worth your while to give that a try. But probably not. Probably, you have more productive ways to spend your time and you should donate them or throw them out.

Congratulations on your second. Best of luck.
posted by cribcage at 6:47 AM on July 4, 2010

Response by poster: Oh ass, I'm an idiot. Sorry! I'll just drop by Harrison's in Salem next time I've got some time before my nearby evening class. Maybe they'll take a few so I can afford a McDouble, and hopefully I can just freecycle the rest. Although I'll probably put more quarters in the parking meters than I'll get back.

It just feels like throwing them out or having them end up somewhere they won't be appreciated is somehow disrespecting him, even though realistically I know he didn't come get them because hey, they're worth very very little and must've not meant much to him emotionally. I know realistically they're probably not going to end up being appreciated unless I can find some impressionable 7 year old boy or something who thinks they're ZOMGAWESOME.

Oh also, I have no job and my unemployment ran out, so making $5 would actually not be all that unproductive, sadly.
posted by kpht at 6:58 AM on July 4, 2010

unless I can find some impressionable 7 year old boy or something who thinks they're ZOMGAWESOME

Do you know anybody who can shove them in their attic for (peeking at yr other questions) five years or so? It'd be a neat box of treasure for your own tots.
posted by kmennie at 7:14 AM on July 4, 2010 [2 favorites]

If you've got a nearby science fiction convention that runs a charity auction, donate them there. I dumped off a bunch of comics from the same era at one several years ago, and they made $60 for a local child abuse advocacy center, plus the guy who bought them hunted me down and blubbered that there were $600 worth of Wolverine comics there and he was so happy that I'd donated them. ( I did check the prices of them before donating - they were worth nowhere near that amount, perhaps $75-100 total if I sold them individually.)

Mostly they'll be bought by dealers at the convention who will sell them separately for a little bit more than they paid for them, but by the nature of bundling them together at the auction, it ensures that you get rid of all of them at once.
posted by telophase at 9:37 AM on July 4, 2010

if you want a quarter a book, go to some place like half priced books. my ex boyfriend sold a huge collection there and that was about their price, no matter the book.
posted by nadawi at 11:18 AM on July 4, 2010

Besides Harrison's there is Red Lion as I am sure you know, plus Web Head in Wakefield near the commuter rail, this place in Reading and Cole's Comics on Boston St. in Lynn (although I've never seen them open). Too bad Boston Comic Con is in March or April of next year.
posted by mkb at 6:46 PM on July 8, 2010 [1 favorite]