Selling Comics

Mr Wallstreet · Post by **Mr Wallstreet** » Mon Nov 26, 2012 4:25 pm

Back in October when I was preparing my list of comics to have signed for NYCC, I also began pulling out comics I wanted to get rid of. The process wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. I thought I’d be a lot more attached to my books but it turns out I wasn’t. I pulled out a lot of books (many from the 90s), random one-shots, a few issues of a series here or there. When it was all done, I had a fair amount of books I was ready to part with; and I still have a bunch more I'd like to get rid of that I haven't gotten to yet.

Rather than just throw them out, I decided to sell them. Realistically, I doubt I’ll get more than $20 for the giant pile but I’m fine with that. I’d rather just make space and be a lot more choosy from here on out with what to buy.

Now I just need to figure where I can unload them. Midtown comics and maybe Jim Hanley’s are places I can go but both have annoying processes for selling comics. You have to e-mail them and negotiate before bringing them in. So as of now, my sell pile is just sitting in a separate pile from my regulars.

Anyone else have any similar stories or experiences?

Tragic Angelus · Post by **Tragic Angelus** » Mon Nov 26, 2012 5:18 pm

Yes, I'm in the same boat. After moving, I pulled out about 2 1/2 Long boxes worth of books I didn't want anymore. I realized they held no re-read factor or significance to me so I didn't need them taking up room just as I was expanding into newer titles. That was a year ago, and since then I've pulled out even more books I'm looking to get rid of. I'd say I have somewhere close to 5 long boxes worth of books, mostly from the 2000s that I want to sell. I've already talked to my LCS that I pseudo work at and he's turned me down. He knows what I have and knows that it just won't move fast enough, and I know that he's looking for books from the mid-70s and older so I wasn't upset by it.

He does, however, have occasions where customers can sell to each other on his property in mini-events, and one is this weekend. We call them "Geek Yard Sales" where you buy a space from him for about $10 and everyone sets up like it would be yard sale for comics, toys and any other collectible. I'm planning to take the books this weekend, along with a few DVDs and CDs and just sell them for anywhere from 25 cents a book to $1. I know I could get closer to cover price for most of them, but in doing that I just won't move the number of books I want to. I figure the $0.25-1 range will really move a lot more of them.

Now, I just have to spend evenings sorting through and arranging everything, which won't be that bad. So long as I can get it done before Saturday. I want to spend Friday evening trying to sell DVDs to some exchange shops around my town before the Yard Sale, so I can get a little bit more money out of them.

EDIT:

I also gave away about 70 comics to my nephew, who had just turned 13. He's trying to get into just about any hobby he can and he's really liking Superheros and comics so far so I handed him a few things I thought he'd be interested in. The random Avengers mini, Spider-Man one shot, freebies I'd collected, and anything else I was willing to part with that I knew would be still somewhat kid-friendly for him. I haven't heard what all he liked but he was really thrilled to get the books.

jedispyder · Post by **jedispyder** » Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:10 pm

I'm to the point where I'd be perfectly fine not collecting any physical comics anymore. I think I go more out of loyalty to my retailer (same one for the past 15 years) and to get variants. I wish I knew where to easily sell comics besides eBay. I could take them to Half Price Books (where Dan works) but I'd get really shitty prices for them likely.

I know a friend in Brooklyn says he sells his comics at Midtown in NYC and usually gets a good deal.

wolf_2099 · Post by **wolf_2099** » Tue Nov 27, 2012 1:27 am

If you just want to get rid of them for cheap, you can try kijiji or craigslist.

Also, I am told in the states you can donate comics to a hospital, and get a ax write off for the sticker price of the comics, which can also be a good idea.

XIII · Post by **XIII** » Tue Nov 27, 2012 3:37 am

Mr Wallstreet wrote:Back in October when I was preparing my list of comics to have signed for NYCC, I also began pulling out comics I wanted to get rid of. The process wasnâ€™t as difficult as I thought it would be. I thought Iâ€™d be a lot more attached to my books but it turns out I wasnâ€™t. I pulled out a lot of books (many from the 90s), random one-shots, a few issues of a series here or there. When it was all done, I had a fair amount of books I was ready to part with; and I still have a bunch more I'd like to get rid of that I haven't gotten to yet.

Rather than just throw them out, I decided to sell them. Realistically, I doubt Iâ€™ll get more than $20 for the giant pile but Iâ€™m fine with that. Iâ€™d rather just make space and be a lot more choosy from here on out with what to buy.

Now I just need to figure where I can unload them. Midtown comics and maybe Jim Hanleyâ€™s are places I can go but both have annoying processes for selling comics. You have to e-mail them and negotiate before bringing them in. So as of now, my sell pile is just sitting in a separate pile from my regulars.

Anyone else have any similar stories or experiences?

I think the process is pretty good. I'd rather only bring the comics I'm sure they'll buy rather than carry 200 comics in there and have to go back with 150 of them because they only bought 50 of them.