<p>Just don’t ask me when I stopped buying comics. Er…</p>
<p>Selling old comics is a pain. I ended up donating many of my comics to a public library thrift shop and taking a pretty small (at least per issue) tax deduction.</p>
<p>I did notice that the value of comics drops quickly with the early issues worth a lot more as Lake Washington wrote.</p>
<p>Hunt, where did you try and sell your comics? </p>
<p>I didn’t really try to sell them, but I investigated. I don’t have the patience to sell them one at a time on eBay, which is probably the best way to actually get the value out of them. I talked to the comic book store guy (who I trust), and he said that it’s hard to sell large numbers of comics for any reasonable amount of money. He wasn’t interested at all–he has pretty much gotten out of the back-issue business, except for really old comics.</p>
<p>The last time I was at the library thrift store, I noticed that somebody else had donated a collection that was very similar to mine.</p>
<p>Good morning, folks!</p>
<p>My experience at trying to sell comics was similar to Hunt’s. Lake Jr. and I compared the prices on Ebay for my favorite issues and then headed down to a neighborhood comics shop. The shopkeeper was a friendly sort, but offered me pretty much the low-ball price. He was candid about his desired profit margin. I declined and the next day visited the shop of my youth, which is no longer a mom and pop operation. I was told by the owner’s staff that he really has no interest in any comics unless they are the Golden Age variety, as in pre-1950. I called the local corporate outfit in New York and they essentially said the same thing, but I would have to send an email to their buyer. Sheesh! So today those 30 1970s comics (1st appearance of the Wolverine and Thanos), the classic Herb Trimpe Hulk, Gil Kane’s Adam Warlock, Jim Steranko’s Nick Fury, Boris Valejo’s Conan (black and white magazine edition) etc. sit in my closet once again sealed in trash liners. I am determined to sell them by Xmas, probably to the small shopkeeper back home near mom’s house.</p>
<p>The business has changed so much in recent years, one reason being that both DC and Marvel discovered much value in issuing reprints, specifically in bound editions through bookstores like B&N. I was told by another shopkeeper this is why today’s major story arcs are exactly 4 (or was it 5?) issues long, so they can be efficiently re-packaged in bound editions at a higher price. I bought my first hardbound edition about 4 years ago; DC’s ‘The Return of Supergirl.’ Not a bad story, by the way. Have you noticed that Kal-El is no longer marketed as sole survivor of Krypton? Man, DC has revised Superman’s origins so many times in the past 10 that I can’t keep track.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, it will always be…the Sub-MARINE-er to me. Imperious Rex!!!</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I agree. The reissues hurt the comic book collector. </p>
<p>I was never into the Superman comic. I liked the Superman tv show with George Reeves. We used to watch the reruns.</p>
<p>I think Superman was killed or thought to be killed in one of the episodes by a distant relative of mine which was very cool. Obviously…Superman recovered. :)</p>
<p>Looking at ebay, I can see why people in the business want to buy pre 50’s comic books. There are so many comic books for sale, the later comic books just don’t seem rare. </p>
<p>Those 70’s comic books are 40 years old. That is amazing. When I started buying comic books, the first Superman comic book was only 30 years old. 30 years seemed like forever.</p>
<p>If I were only selling 30 comics, and they were relatively high-value ones, I think I’d try eBay. If by the first appearance of Wolverine you mean Hulk 181, take a look at what’s being bid for that right now. I’m keeping mine.</p>
<p>Yes, the issue of Hulk Comics where the unnamed Logan makes his first Marvel Universe appearance. The eyes of the shopkeeper in my hometown got big when I told him I had it in MINT condition. Still low-balled me a bit, compared to the asking price on Ebay. Now if I could only find those four issues of Spider-Man (#97-100) that did not have the Comics Code Authority Stamp because of the illicit drug plot line. What dopes those CCA Inquisitors must have been. The story was clearly anti-drug. Poor Harry Osborne.</p>
<p>In the immortal words of Stan Lee, “Excelsior and 'Nuff said!”</p>
<p>Forgot those Spiderman issues. I have those too.</p>
<p>I think my favorite comic book of all time was the issue, I think it was Spiderman, where an old guy discovers the fountain of youth and he becomes younger and younger until he becomes so young he is kaput.</p>
<p>I guess Brad Pitt made a movie with a similar theme. </p>
<p>If your Hulk 181 is really mint, you might want to have it graded and “slabbed” by (I think it’s called) the Comics Grading Service. It might be worth the cost.</p>
<p>Hunt, while checking Ebay last Xmas I noticed that some new appraisal system has been created. That must be the one you speak of. Being the curmudgeon that I am, the word that came to mind was politburo; 12 guys setting around a table rating comics’ condition by number. Heh heh. What ever happed to grades such as mint, good, poor, etc?</p>
<p>I have several favorite stories, but here are a few;</p>
<p>Hulk discovers Counter-Earth
Cap battles the insane Captain America and Bucky of the 1950s
The Rhino and the Leader Crash Bruce Banner’s Wedding (Betty Ross)
Sub-Mariner Battles and Nearly Kills the Thing, who is saved by Betty Dean
The Return of the Original Human Torch, whom Attacks the Namor and is revealed to actually be Toro.
The High Evolutionary meets Adam Warlock and creates Counter-Earth</p>
<p>Favorite DC issues:
Return of the Red Tornado to the Justice Society
Superboy and the Legion v. the Time Trapper (Death of Superboy)
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Almost any issue featuring The Spectre</p>
<p>Sub-Mariner vs Thing, is that issue number 8? </p>
<p>Lake Washington, I don’t know any of those other issues. :)</p>
<p>Yes, the Sub-Mariner vs Thing is one of the early issues of S-B, Volume 1. It has a fantastic black background cover drawn by John Buscema. The finale is great, having the revelation of Betty Dean, Namor’s romantic interest from the war years. If you are familiar with the story, you can feel the tinges in both their hearts as Betty is now 25 years older and elderly, while Namor is essentially un-aged because of his mutant DNA. It was a very well written story. Not to mention the action.</p>
<p>You have got to find the Cap vs. the 1950s Cap storyline. Talk about great! Brilliantly written. The “imitation” Cap and Bucky emerge from their 20 years sleep in suspended animation tubes, former heroes now driven insane by the replicated but flawed super soldier serum. They emerge as fascist bigots in modern NYC, thinking everyone around them is a communist sympathizer. Beating up ordinary citizens with the taunt “flatter than a Russkie’s pocketbook.” They are cold war heroes out of place and out of their time. They are on a mission to destroy the true Cap, believing him to be the fraud and traitor to American ideals.</p>
<p>I do remember the Sub-Mariner story now that you reminded me. That story was fantastic. I loved that story.</p>
<p>The Cap America story sounds very familiar. Late 60’s early 70’s?
Actually, I don’t remember that story. :)</p>
<p>
I remember and like almost all of these as well–especially the High Evolutionary creating Counter-Earth–great Gil Kane art (if I remember correctly). I also liked a lot of what Jim Starlin did with Adam Warlock later.</p>
<p>Here’s something that may impress you–I once won a No-Prize, in the letter column in the Defenders.</p>
<p>That impresses me! Awesome!</p>
<p>Oh my…no one can forget the great Gil Kane. Never got as much praise as Jack Kirby, but the guy was an iconic artist. Can’t begin to enumerate the characters he drew. What a style! On a humorous note, I remember reading a fan letter where the “fan” wrote “Gil, do we have to look into everyone’s nostrils in your art?” That was one of the signature features in his art. You got used to it after a while, and it made his style instantly recognizable. He wasn’t my favorite but seeing his name on a book never stopped me from buying it. I get the impression that he was a ‘regular fill in’ artist because he never seemed to be assigned to any one title for long at Marvel.</p>
<p>Starlin was also great as well and created Thanos, if I remember correctly. He also wrote stories, too. I think my favorite writer was Steve Englehart, who had long runs on the Avengers and Captain America. It was good to see Englehart on the TV special last week, except that it bummed me to see that he looks younger than me. LOL.</p>
<p>You got a ‘No Prize?’ You’re in a very select club. Excelsior!</p>
<p>The Counter-Earth storyline really had fantastic potential. A world with no super-heroes, but full of the doppelgangers of Reed Richards, Bruce Banner etc. What intrigued me was the “Jesus Crist, Super-Hero” alleged analogy; i.e. the High Evolutionary as The Father who sent his son to save the world from evil. Plus the great art. Problem was, the evil Man-Beast was the H.E.'s allegorical son. When Starlin picked up the storyline it became even more interesting.</p>
<p>Hey speaking of the H.E. and the offspring of Wundagore Mountain, how do you fellows think the whole Quicksliver and Scarlet Witch situation is going to be presented in the Avengers movie “Age of Ultron?” I ask because, as you might know, the license that Marvel sold to 20th Century Fox years ago includes the restriction that no other film studio can use the word “mutant” in a film based on Marvel characters. Similar situation with Spider Man movies produced by Sony Pictures. Marvel Studios legally can’t produce their own Spider Man movie.</p>
<p>Pietro Maximoff/ Quicksilver had a bit scene in X-men Days of Future past (with the teaser that Quicksilver is the son of Magneto). And now the same character will appear in Age of Ultron. How does Marvel pull this off without acknowledging that Pietro and sister Wanda are mutants?</p>
<p>It appears that there are two Quicksilvers–the one that stole the last X-Men movie, and the one shown in a cameo at the end of the last Captain America movie.</p>