We’ve all been there. Sometimes money is tight and you try to figure out what steps you can take to make some extra cash. In some cases, your solution might be right in front of you. You might have a closet full of comics or collectibles that you can sell online (or offline) to make some extra spending money. If you have a small or large collection of comics, then it can generally be tough to figure out what steps to take next when trying to sell them. Here we will provide some tips and tricks that will make life much easier when selling your collection.
Should you organize your comic collection?
You might be thinking that organizing your comic book collection will be the first logical step to take, but think this through first. You might not need to organize the comics if you’re selling the collection in bulk. If you’re calling a reliable local comic book buyer, then most experienced buyers will already know what to look for and can tell you the value of the collection without having everything completely organized (especially if the collection is on the smaller side).
If you’re thinking of selling the comic collection yourself, then organizing will depend on how you want to sell them. If you want to sell them individually online, then you might just need to take out a few of the more expensive books and sell the rest in bulk lots, which will require some organization. If you’re planning on selling everything in sets (ex: Infinity Gauntlet 1-6), then being organized is key to maximizing your profit.
Should you learn how to grade comics?
This part depends on what you have. If you have any comics of value, then it would be best to learn how to grade them. This will give you an edge when selling them, whether it’s in bulk or individually. Sending comics to CGC usually isn’t recommended though, unless you have something in very high grade that’s of significance (ex: a comic worth $400-500). Just getting a general idea of what grade to put on comics would go a long way. There are plenty of useful guides that go over the basics of comic grading.
Should you sell your comics online or at conventions?
This one depends on your financial situation and how much time you want to take selling the comics. If you need money fast and don’t have time to spend organizing and pricing/grading books, then you’ll want to go with the local comic buyer route. Try to find someone who has a good rep who can make a fair offer on the collection.
If you have time and can spare some effort, then you’ll want to sell the more expensive comics online and the rest can be sold at conventions for $1-5 each. This would allow you to maximize your profit. Note that a collection that is in runs and sets (ex: Spider-Man issues 1-50) might be easier to sell in lots on eBay. This would allow you to get rid of a large number of books in one go. That brings us to our next point.
How should you sell your comics online?
This one we somewhat went over previously, but it is recommended that you sell expensive books individually, and even consider sending some to CGC for grading if they’re very pricey (ex: over $400-500). If you have books that are in runs or lots and are worth between $1-10 each individually, then we recommend just putting them in lots, which would make life much easier. You can buy shipping supplies from your local supply stores. Try not to buy any cheap boxes, because it might lead to books being damaged. Also, research shipping rates and eBay fees when selling online.
Should you use Craigslist to sell your comics?
This one is easy. No. Don’t ever use Craigslist to sell anything. There is way too much risk selling anything on a venue like that and most of the time you’ll get random people who want to scam or trick you into selling your comics for little to nothing. You almost always need to exercise caution when selling anything these days as scammers are all over the place.
Conclusion/Final Thoughts
Generally speaking, it can be tough to sell a full collection of comic books, but if you have a strategy in mind, then things can go a lot smoother. Just be wary of some of the pitfalls that come with selling online (also offline). You might experience some issues such as returns or lost packages when selling online regardless of how cautious you are, but that will usually be few and far between. If you just want to cut out the hassle that comes with selling everything online, then we just recommend finding a local comic buyer to sell your books.
