There’s a general rule in collecting: older is better. Age and value don’t perfectly correlate, but older items have a higher likelihood of being sought after. Mainly because the oldest items predate a robust collector’s market and high-quality specimens are rare. In terms of comic books, the “Modern Age” (around 1986 to Present, depending on who you ask) happened after the birth of the collector’s market. That means those books have, by and large, not grown in value the way ones from even a few years earlier did. But that doesn’t mean they’re worthless! Here are some factors that enhance the value of a modern comics collection.
Key Issues
This one’s true of collections from any era, but it’s of paramount importance in a modern collection. Some of the highest valued key issues of the Modern Age of Comics are:
- Amazing Spider-Man #300 (1988), the 1st appearance of Venom.
- New Mutants #98 (1990), the 1st appearance of Deadpool.
- Batman Adventures #12 (1993), the 1st comic book appearance of Harley Quinn.
- Ultimate Fallout #4 (2011), the 1st appearance of Miles “Spider-Man” Morales.
You’ll notice that, in addition to general popularity, there’s a second factor in what key issues are highly valued. All those characters have had prominent spots in blockbuster film franchises in recent years, meaning that even casual comic fans have now heard of them. That’s a big factor in driving value to modern key issues – people looking to invest in comics must know who a character is before they’ll put their money into them.
Full Runs
OK, so you’ve scoured your collection and the biggest key you’ve got goes for $15. Is that your cue to drag your longboxes to the curb? Not at all! The difficulty in collecting comics is finding the issues you need, and not everyone likes that hunt. Complete runs of a series can, therefore, do better with than piecing it out. This is especially true if you’re selling online. Those buyers are already looking for convenience over “the hunt”, that’s why they’re online rather than at the local comic convention. If you offer that person Suicide Squad (2001) #1-12 in one go, they’ll likely go for it.
There are, of course, concessions you need to make for that approach. You’re unlikely to get the maximum per issue price, as people expect a bit of deal on the complete set. However, you sell everything, you sell it now, and your time is worth money! The question becomes “when is it worth breaking up a run?” Our rule of thumb is that keys should stand alone when valued at $50 or more. Lower than that and they’re best for upping the price on the rest of the run.
Buzzworthy Books
This is the hardest type of valuable book to profit from, as it requires moving wicked fast. Take Batman: Damned #1 for example. When first released in 2018, the series’ depiction of Batman in an uncensored, full-frontal nude scene caused quite a stir. Subsequent printings would be censored, which DC announced almost immediately. That led to first printing copies selling for thousands of dollars on the secondary market within weeks.
Today, CGC 9.8 specimens can sell for north of a hundred bucks. Which is definitely a good ROI for people that bought it off the rack, but not for those that had paid thousands. The controversy has died down, and it now exists as a minor historical curiosity. That’s a common feature of comics that break containment and make mainstream news: speculators swarm in the first few months after release and drive the resale price up. Then, they lose interest and things level out – or, if you’re unlucky, crater. We don’t necessarily recommend trying to day trade comics like this, but it is one way to make some solid profit on modern comics.
When In Doubt, Call The Experts
The best way to know if tour collection has value to it is to consult experts. Luckily, your pals at Back to the Past are experts in comics, coins, toys, and collectibles of all kinds. When you are ready to sell your collection, drop us a line and let us help. Even when we’re not the right folks to handle it for you, we can point in the right direction.
If you’re still growing that collection of yours, we can still help you. Follow us on social media @b2pcollect to keep up with everything we’ve got coming in and register with GoBackToThePast.HiBid.com to participate in our regularly scheduled auctions.