selling off comics: cla$$ic or humiliating?

Were I ten years younger, I'd have roadtripped up to get 'em. As it is, I have comics of my own to get rid of.

Were I ten years younger, I'd finish my degree (any!), start socking away money, and own a house with ample storage within ten years. And also not waste time with shit mid-00s DC comics.

hear hear

what has two thumbs and will probably never read all these Gotham Central trades ever again?

Actually, GOTHAM CENTRAL and the early issues of CATWOMAN are back on my "to read sometime" list.

Oh, and I have ample storage, only I'm never going to read the comics I have in boxes again, and they're...basically worthless...

But they didn't seem that way at the time.

Argh, so my mother-in-law thinks I'm an expert on selling things. She's always trying to rope me into helping her sell her old stuff and I have to keep explaining to her that I'm honestly the wrong guy. This time she's dropped off an old shopping bag full of musty comics from the 50s and 60s. Some Classics Illustrated, some Twilight Zone, some old war and horror comics, and an old Superman or two. Some of these have covers, some of them don't. None of them are in perfect shape, but I also have zero knowledge about comic grading.

Before I haul these to my local shop and see if they have any use for them, do you guys have any pointers about getting rid of the must? Even if the shop has no use for them and I end up keeping them, I don't want to keep a musty bag of comics around.

Comics without a cover are worthless (unless we're talking Spider-Man #1 or something, and even then...) Anything complete and in reasonable shape should be put into a new, individual comic bag, which will definitely help with the musty smell. If the horror comics are 1950s, pre-Comics Code titles then they will almost certainly be worth something - again, depending on their condition obv (it's worth remembering that a grading of 'good' actually means the comic is in pretty poor shape.) Look out for comics partially detached from their cover, comics where the centre pages are loose or partly loose, or where panels have been clipped out or written on in some way - all things that will significantly lower the value of a comic.

Thanks Ward!

My aunt recently asked if I was interested in a handful of longboxes from her friend who was cleaning out a storage locker east of Portland (mostly '90s stuff, mix of DC/Marvel/other, that her son didn't have time/interest in claiming). After the initial collector/new reading urge passed, suggested she'd be better served donating them to a charity, like Ronald McDonald House or some sort of shelter for kids. Tax benefit plus good vibes. She ended up doing that, which is cool.

Yeah, it's pretty much the only advisable route re: getting rid of comics these days. Nothing is worth anything unless it's really old & rare.

I don't remember the exact figures but in conversation with a used book buyer, bookstores typically pay 10-20% of what the book will resell for, so if you can find an industrious ebay-er who is willing to sell everything for you for half the proceeds, it's still a good deal. If you have some gems, it might be worth taking to a store who is willing to send them out to CGC to be graded.

nothing is worth sending reading material to CGC to seal into tombs

I'd also be very careful about what '90s material I donated to children, but I'm a moralist prude iirc

I could probably trade my lifetime accumulation of tens of thousands of dollars worth of comics in for a pretty sweet home entertainment system or something. HD-ready, 5.1 audio, the works.

I'd also be very careful about what '90s material I donated to children

yeah for real

Please, for the love of god, let the children familiarize themselves with the normal parameters of human anatomy before exposing them to those twisted masses of overly-crosshatched flesh.

did you say that in a crypt keeper voice?

re: donations, prison book donation groups like superhero comics and graphic novels. I sent off 250 to one here in TX a couple of weeks ago.

they have content rules so I just left out anything rated mature or parental advisory just in case

Thanks for that additional idea!