How to Get a Free Appraisal for Your Comic Book Collection

Selling a comic book collection can be daunting. Many people are always confused on how to begin when they want to sell their extensive collection of comics. One of the ways to make the process as smooth as possible is to get an appraisal.

An appraisal is a way to determine the value of your collection. It will help you know how much money it would cost to sell the items in your group on eBay or at auction houses. It also can help determine whether or not it makes sense for you to sell them individually or as part of a larger collection—or even keep them all together! But not to worry, this guide will walk you through several things you should do to get a free and accurate appraisal of your comic collection.

Get Expert Opinions

If you’re unsure about your comic collection, reach out to experts to ask for a few opinions. Try and get in touch with someone with a strong knowledge of comic books. Do not talk to antique shops or pawn shops, as comic books are not their specialty. Try to look up their website or social media accounts to determine if they sell a wide selection of comics.

It would help if you tried avid stores that aggressively try to buy your comics. These stores will try and buy your comics for a low price without actually giving an accurate appraisal. If you’re uncomfortable dealing with someone, then move on.

Ask a few nearby merchants about your collection and see if they believe it would be worthwhile for you to compile a list. To make the process easier, categorize your comic collection before creating the list. Sorting the problems alphabetically will make the compilation process considerably simpler. It just depends on what’s simpler for you and is optional. The comic book’s title, issue number, and estimated condition should all be included on the comic book list. 

Take Group Pictures

There are other options if you find curating the list too challenging or tedious. Taking photos is one option. I advise taking images of the collection if it contains less than two hundred comics. Make use of your phone or a camera to take a picture of 20 to 30 comics on a table or the ground. Then, repeat the process once more. Make sure you do not show complete comic book cover need not be shown.

However, most comic book dealers or professionals should be able to see more than enough of the body in the image. So then, when they examine someone’s collection, they know what they are searching for.

When looking for an evaluation, taking images is typically the simplest action for smaller comic book collections. The comic book dealer gets the most information from it in a short amount of time.

Lower Your Expectations

Keeping your expectations low is one of the key things to keep in mind when looking to sell a collection of comic books. If you want to get an appraisal of your older comic books, you must realize that the chances are that most of the comics are going to be worth little to nothing.

If you think you have something that is a bit expensive in your collection, do some research and reach out to several dealers to verify its authenticity.

Appraisals Aren’t Always Free

People enjoy offering free comic book collection assessments, but you should remember that many other places do not. Some comic book dealers may visit your home and value your collection for you, but they won’t do it for anything. There is typically some hourly rate in addition to costs. If you discover someone prepared to provide you with an in-person appraisal, be sure it is free of charge or that a price has been agreed upon in advance.

Be Respectful

You must understand that comic book sellers have hectic schedules just like you, but many of them will offer free counsel if you ask. Remember to respect their time and that free appraisal are provided for your benefit. If you disagree with a comic book dealer’s assessment, don’t claim that they gave you misleading information.

You must realize that these experts give you free advice without any obligations and have nothing to gain by deceiving you.

In the end, your comic books or collectibles are yours, and you are free to sell them for whatever price you choose if you have a set price in mind for your collection. You can only get unbiased advice from an appraiser based on the current comic book market.