Different types of comic book price guides cater to different needs, such as collectors of older books or speculators of rare or new issues. Examples include The Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, Wizard Magazine, Comics Buyer’s Guide, and online options. It is important to analyze the collection for an accurate estimate of its value.
When choosing the best comic book price guide, it is important to determine what needs an individual may have regarding their comics. There are a variety of markets within the comics industry, ranging from people who collect older books to speculators who purchase rare or new issues, such as variant covers, in an effort to turn a profit. Different types of comic book price guides offer different services.
The first thing to consider is how far back the collection dates. Some collectors have comics dating back to the Golden Age of Comics, during the 1930s and 1940s, while others have more recent collections. Comic book specialty shops became popular during the 1980s, allowing many new collectors to be exposed to titles and issues they might not otherwise have been able to purchase. This also provided publishing houses with a place to sell more specialized issues. As a result, the amount of individual titles has grown exponentially during this time period. It has also spurred a rise in more independent companies publishing books. Different types of comic book price guides specialize in each of these new fields.
The Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide is one of the oldest price guides in the industry, published annually since 1970. It was established by Bob Overstreet as a method for collectors to maintain accurate annual changes in their holdings. The Overstreet Guide has the advantage of containing detailed price information for American comics back to the 1930s. Many consider it the most influential and decisive pricing tool in the industry.
Wizard Magazine is also a valuable source for the latest publications. It is a monthly publication and comic book price guide covering the major comic book releases of the last few decades. This is a great option for those collectors who focus primarily on modern releases and the different aspects of such publications. Many companies currently release small runs of their issues with alternate covers. These issues are generally sought after by avid fans and are usually worth more than regular issues. The wizard offers a collector a good source for prices on these issues. It also contains many articles on emerging issues and various artists and writers working in the field.
Comics Buyer’s Guide is a catalog published monthly, always with articles. This publication has the advantage of listing most of the issues that will be released in the next month. It is beneficial to both collectors and dealers in determining which issues will be highly sought after. Comics Buyer’s Guide also features many smaller companies that other publications generally ignore. The company also issues an annual comic book price guide that includes prices and figures for delivery, including those from the United States Postal Service.
There are also online options for collectors and dealers. A variety of websites have been created offering up-to-date pricing details. Since eBay’s inclusion as a primary source for comic book resale, entire collections are cataloged and sold. Most of these websites have started tracking these sales. These sites, such as comicbookrealm.com and comicspriceguide.com work with a variety of retailers and resellers to track the daily sales data that changes a book’s value. This essentially made the comic book market work similar to the stock market.
Each of these examples offers different solutions for different investors. When determining which comic book price guide is the best option, make sure the collection is analyzed. A fair assessment of each book’s condition and original publication date will allow for the most accurate estimate of the value of your comic book collection.
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