Many people have cash lying around the house, in the attic or stored away in boxes in the garage. Has nostalgia had you holding on to hot comic books and collectibles? Learning how to sell comic books online is a great way to make some money! Here are some tips to get started selling and turn your comic book collection into cash.
Just like sports cards and other memorabilia, knowing what you have in your collection will determine your sales potential. You’ll want to organise your comics, note all titles, issue dates and conditions.
Considering both the title of your comic and its condition will ultimately help you price your comic. This is where grading your comic book comes into play and why it’s essential information for your listing.
The grade on comics refers to the condition that it’s in. While this can be a subjective aspect there are resources you can use to determine the grade of your comic and support you conquering this step properly.
eBay forums will be your best friend when it comes to familiarising yourself with comic book grading. The Overstreet Grading Guide is also widely used in the industry, and is considered the standard.
If you have a particular covetable comic book in excellent condition in your collection you might want to consider taking it a step further and using the Certified Guaranty Company. This will give your comic a definitive grade and your listing some extra weight in credibility.
Some comic books will be a hit while others will not. This is why researching and timing your listing strategically around news in this category will play an important part in getting top dollar. For example, the desirability and demand for Marvel or DC characters when a new movie is being advertised or released increases and thus affects pricing and profit for online resellers.
It’s easy to be savvy here with a quick google search of movies or other current events. Note what characters will be featured and then scan your collection to see if any comic books align.
A comic book run with 10 or more issues tends to sell faster for a higher price than one with fewer issues. Consider selling these full sets together rather than selling them separately if you have one.
Having your comic book listing sell the first time is one of the keys to success on eBay. You avoid having to re-list items and pay a second round of fees. With this in mind, use your research to help guide you on what comic books in your collection are worth listing and ones you should avoid spending time on altogether.
Cheque out websites like CBR or icv2 to see top-selling comics by month, identify trends and get the latest news.
eBay allows sellers to set a starting bid and a reserve price. When it comes to comic books and ultimately selling for an optimal price, encouraging more bids is the way to go. Review other eBay comps and what’s on the market currently to find a sweet starting bid so you don’t discourage potential buyers starting off too high. Before you know it you could have a bidding war on your hands!
A reserve price helps protect you as a seller from the low starting bid and guarantees you a certain sales price.
If you’re still not quite confident on how to price your item consider using websites like Sell My Comic Books for a free appraisal.
Pictures are everything, regardless of what you’re selling. A great product description will only take you so far so you’ll want to make your listing visually appealing. Even with professional grading, take pictures of any type of wear the comic book may have. For example, creasing, marks, tears, fading, etc. and highlight the cover, back of the comic book, issue date and how you’ve stored the item. Is it in a protective sleeve? All these factors contribute to making a sale.
eBay is the OG go-to platform for comic books, but don’t count out others such as the hottest new marketplace on the scene, WhatNot, or specialty comic platforms like HipComic and My Comic Shop. Let's take a deeper look at a few more places that bode well for comic book sellers.
We recommend calling a local comic book shop and discussing the details over the phone with someone before visiting a shop in person and here’s why. Most stores recognise that if you’re hauling your collection into their shop you really don’t want to leave with it so they won’t offer optimal pricing for the comics because they have a captive audience that wants to get merchandise off their hands. Speaking with someone on the phone first is a good first step to safeguarding your profits. You can also find local comic book buyers elsewhere such as Online Forums or Facebook Marketplace, both of which can be great, viable options.
There are many great apps for selling available. With the exponential rise in popularity due to its live sales format, Whatnot is one of the best apps available right now for selling your comic book collection. The app is showing momentum not only with comic book sellers but many other collectibles as well such as Funko Pops, video games, etc.
Unlike typical sales platforms like Poshmark or Mercari, Whatnot doesn’t allow just anyone to sign up to become a seller and hop on a live show that same day. In fact, you have to fill out a pretty detailed application to be considered. Your application will not only verify your identity but will ask you questions about your social media accounts, where and how often you source inventory, and will even require photos or videos of your inventory. You’ll also need to upload a photo of your driver’s licence to complete the application.
Note that it also takes time to build up an audience, customer base and solid reputation on the platform so patience is key.
For collectors, by collectors. If you’re using eBay you’ll definitely want to use HipComic. The platform is relatively new but offers a great hands-off approach system which allows sellers to link their eBay account to their account with them. This means whatever you list on eBay will automatically get listed on your HipComic storefront as well. It's a great way to crosslist your items for this niche category. Sellers also have an auction feature available to them.
MySlabs is another relatively new selling venue, but they are working hard at expanding their customer base. With minimal fees of only 1% for selling graded comic books it’s worth a try! There is no auction feature available and sellers must set a definitive price for their comic. MySlabs is also great for trading cards and can be a lucrative platform for card sellers.
Cheque these details off one by one to make sure your comic book listings offer the best detail for buyers and increase your chances of making a sale.
With total comics and graphic novel sales to consumers in 2021 in the U.S. and Canada being approximately $2.07 billion, there’s no denying that comic book culture is making serious headway and selling comic books can be a lucrative business. This poses a major opportunity for secondary markets and the reseller community.
What comic books are you looking to sell right now? Let us know in the comments!
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