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When I was younger, I was fascinated by comic books and mangas. I would say my interest in reading and writing was developed through the comic books that were traded in my classroom or borrowed from friends.
How well do you recall your favorite comic characters? If you love patriotic stories (the good winning against the evil), I bet your favorites are Superman, Captain Marvel, or Wonder Woman.
Indeed, comics were serious business back then, or even today, among collectors and people who love art, episodic storylines, and reading.
But there’s no such thing as “forever.” The time will come when you might want to let go of things you once held dear. For instance, you might be interested in making money from your hobby of collecting comic books. Oops. Were you thinking of something else?
Jokes aside, selling comic books is a great way to make extra money. Heck, you can even make thousands or even millions of dollars if you’ve got rare comic books. Need proof? Batman #1, a comic book published in 1940, was sold for over $2.2 million!
The challenge now, though, is to find the most reliable places to sell comic books and get the best prices. Well, I’ve done all the work for you. So, fasten your seatbelt because I’m about to show you the best places that buy comic books.
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1. eBay
eBay should be your #1 option if you’re looking for places to sell your comic books. The reason? This is also one of the top choices of people looking for places to buy collector items.
Established in 1995, eBay has remained popular and has gained a large buyer base through the years. Most of their target market are collectors, thrifters, and bargain hunters. That said, if you want to sell books or rare comic books that can be considered collector’s items, listing them via eBay auctions can be very profitable.
For example, Jake, a collectible beanie baby, was sold for over $16,000 on eBay. If you’ve recently inherited the first published editions of X-Men, Captain America, or any superhero comic books from someone in your family, don’t hesitate to try to sell them on eBay.
Your first 50 listings on this platform are free but subsequent sales after that will require a small fee. It can be overwhelming to navigate the website as a newbie as the site is a large marketplace that requires a bit of a learning curve.
My tip? Use their mobile app because it’s user-friendly and easier to use, especially when the photos of the books you’re about to sell are stored on your phone. I also suggest listing more books (not only rare pieces) and other items to sell for more chances of earning more.
2. Facebook Marketplace
In 2016, Facebook launched its marketplace, a place to sell and buy pretty much anything legal. Whether you want to sell used books, new or pre-loved shoes, or even furniture, you would love how this feature is super convenient for dealing with face-to-face and local transactions.
The app works like Craigslist but is 98% better done than that because Facebook has made it easier to identify whether you’re dealing with a legit buyer by looking at their profile and FB marketplace rating.
FB has an algorithm that allows you to connect with people looking for the product you sell. So, if you’re having difficulty selling your superhero comic book collection on other platforms, try the app and watch local fanatics click on your profile in a heartbeat.
Of course, sales are not guaranteed, but with good photos, a complete description, and good prices, you can easily entice buyers nationwide or even worldwide.
Take note, though, that buyers on this platform tend to haggle prices. While you may be tempted to sell your comics to the first interested buyer, it is usually worth waiting for other offers, as some buyers may be willing to pay a higher price for your listings.
Facebook won’t charge you a single penny when you list your items. This is their biggest advantage over other marketplaces. The lower overhead costs make selling here a no-brainer tactic for new and experienced sellers.
3. Reddit (r/comicswap)
Social media these days is more than sharing memes or humble brags of people telling the whole world that they have their lives figured out. It now has legitimate sales channels (e.g., Facebook marketplace and Instagram). The online buying and selling trend has also extended to other platforms like Reddit, a popular website that connects people with similar interests.
With over 2.3 billion active monthly users, known as Redditors, the platform indeed has one of the largest online communities in the world. Speaking of communities, Reddit offers product-focused subreddits for people to join.
Want to sell gold for cash? Go to r/Pmsforsale. For shoes, feel free to visit r/sneaker market. As for selling comic books for cash, r/comicswap is your best bet.
For now, let’s focus on how you can sell through r/comicswap. You can start selling your comics by joining this subreddit. You need to make a thread indicating the photo of the book and product description (i.e., publishing date, price, book condition, location, etc.) and wait for potential sellers to comment on that thread.
4. OfferUp
OfferUp isn’t just a place to sell extra stuff you have at home. It’s also a side hustle app perfect for entrepreneurs, handmade artists, woodworkers, or eCommerce sellers – you get the picture.
OfferUp was initially founded as a competitor to Craigslist. But at the moment, the app is also a popular rival of other free online marketplaces like Facebook. Just like Craigslist and Facebook, OfferUp offers free listings and focuses on in-person and local-based transactions.
Your comic book collection will be a hit in the collectible section. It’s important that you list your items in the right group so it will be easier for you to reach people who may be interested in your products.
For instance, I flipped furniture as a side hustle in the past. I posted my items in the furniture section, and within a few hours of listing, I got PMs from potential buyers asking for my items. Selling on this platform is not hard because after you’ve made your listing, you only need to sit back, relax, and wait for your first sale. Mine didn’t take long, as I got my first customer within days.
To start, create your account, start your listing, and make a product description. The latter step is very important. If you’ve got a limited edition comic book, say the very first published X-Men comic book, write it in the description box. Having this information will help you reach the target market for your unique item.
Once you have your first customer, you have the option to ship them via courier or meet them in person. Whichever option you take, make sure to check their rating as a buyer. This will keep you safe from potential harm or scammers.
5. Heritage Auctions
An online visit to Heritage Auctions’ comic section will light your eyes up in dollar signs. You’d wish that if you had superpowers like the Flash to time travel, you would’ve hoarded Spiderman, Pokemon, Marvel Series, etc. Why? They are worth thousands of dollars if you will sell them now!
To those new to the site, Heritage Auctions is a Texas-based multi-national auction house that deals with comics (of course), fine art, luxury accessories, and other memorabilia from film, sports, and music. They have been existing since the 1970s, so they are an international heritage in the auction industry.
eBay may be popular in selling comic books by volume, but Heritage Auctions is the best place to sell those for top dollar.
Like other auction sites, this platform will require you to sign a form before selling your books. If you decide to sell them (on consignment), their team does all the legwork. They grade, take photos, list, and ship your items.
If your book is worth less than $5,000, they’ll charge a 10% commission or a flat fee of $25, whichever is higher. It is quite on the pricey side, but I think it’s pretty worth it because they take all the hassles out of selling your books on your own.
Besides having a large population of reliable and motivated buyers, Heritage Auctions deals with all issues that may arise during the transaction. For example, if an expensive comic book is lost during shipping, the responsibility falls on them, not the consignor (seller) as per the agreement.
6. MyComicShop
Also known as Lone Star Comics, MyComicShop was founded in 1961. Any comics fanatic knows this website. After all, it is the largest comic retailer with a large trading community worldwide.
People love to sell on this platform because of their high offers and reasonable fees. They also have a high rating of 4.7 on Trust Pilot and receive good feedback from the Certified Guarantee Company (CGC).
Every year, the company buys millions of comics from anywhere worldwide, and they don’t disappoint. Besides comic books, they also buy the following:
- Comic magazines
- Graphic novels
- Comic art
- Pulps
- Fanzines
- Digest magazines, including men’s interest magazines from before the 1980s
- Vintage paperback
I mentioned this so you could sell other items and save on the service fees. They charge a minimum fee of $7 for individual non-rare (ungraded) comic books and $12 for comic lots (up to 10 ungraded books and + $1 for any additional).
If you have rare comic books, I suggest you sell them individually. It’s true that you can save on service fees by selling comic books in bulk but only do it with common series. After all, this platform is willing to pay a premium for unique comic books.
You can input the book into their database to find out the price they can offer. If you are satisfied with the price, you can sell it to them. However, note that due to overstock, not all comic books can be accepted on this platform.
7. Yard Sale
This option is perfect for selling hundreds of non-unique comic books that you have outgrown and that are only gathering dust on your shelf. You could save a lot of money, time, and effort this way compared to listing them online.
After all, selling anything on marketplaces requires some cash to list and ship the items, as well as time and effort to take good photos of the product you want to sell.
With yard sales, you only need to put up a little booth outside your house or in the garage. Every item you need to put up a presentable yard sale is available in your home – tables, chairs, decorative plants, or even the extra balloons you’ve kept from the last birthday party of one of your family members.
While you will only make a few dollar bills through yard sales (unless you sell thousands of comic books for $1 to $2 each), the best thing about this option is the possibility of making instant money not only on books but on other things you want to dispose of.
To attract many buyers within the neighborhood, you can promote the event on Facebook or other social media groups with your neighbors. You can tell them everything you sell is at a bargain price, especially if they buy in bulk.
Note: Remember to clean your comic books and other items you want to sell at the yard sale unless you want to be the talk of the town after the event. This strategy will help you attract more buyers to pop into your garage.
8. Local Comic Book Store
If you ever need money now, yes, right now, as we speak, go to your local comic bookstore and sell your books. There’s no sugarcoating here, but out of all the options that I’ve listed on this post, this one is the fastest way to earn quick cash from your comic book collection.
Of course, it won’t guarantee you a higher payout. In fact, it will never be. This is because physical stores have higher overhead costs than social media apps and e-commerce sites.
Plus, online platforms have other means of earning money. Most of them earn money from advertisements and website traffic. Unlike local bookstores, their income is solely based on buying and selling comic books.
There’s always a “happy ending” when going to the local comic bookstore. Even if you don’t choose to sell your books this way, this is the perfect avenue to ask for a comics price guide. They can help you price your comic books should you want to sell them to a friend, stranger, or online.
But if you finally decide to go this route, here are some tips for locating the best and most convenient comic book stores near you.
Use Google and type in the search box “best local comic bookstores near me.” You will then see a map of the comic bookstore near your location.
Use a comic book locator (www.comicshoplocator.com). If you’re from North America, type in the Zip code; otherwise, you can search by country.
FAQs
1. Where can I find out how much my comic books are worth?
You don’t need to go to appraisers and pay a hefty fee to determine the value of your comic books. A simple browse on eBay’s comic book section, particularly looking at their sold prices, will give you an idea. You can do the same on other platforms you know where you can buy comic books.
Moreover, some online comic websites are generous enough to give you information about all things comics. For instance, GoCollect and Comics Price Guide both offer dedicated price guide sections to help you identify the potential price of your book. I say “potential” because there’s no way you’ll get the exact price of your comic book, especially if you’ll sell them online.
This is because the price may be reduced for several factors, like listing, commission, and shipping fees. Unless you sell them through an in-person transaction (i.e., yard sales, and local bookstores), online price guides are not 100% absolute in giving you an idea of the final amount you’ll get prior to selling your comic books.
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