There are a handful of products that I think all comic collectors need. All of these supplies may be purchased at your local comic book shop or online. I will share online sources below.
- Overstreet Price Guide - The “Bible” of comic book collecting. These are released every year so it’s important to stay current. In this price guide you will find values for practically every comic ever made and it’s value at each condition. It is a great starting point for evaluating the value of your collection and will help you know what to spend on the books you are searching for. They also contain useful articles about trending books and the top books of every period. This is a must have. Buy one here.
- Ultra Pro Acid Free Comic Bags – If you are going to collect comics, you have to protect them. Plastic bags are relatively inexpensive and will help you preserve your collection. You can purchase them on Amazon. Keep in mind there are bags for each era of comics so you will want to buy modern size for modern books and golden for golden era books etc.
- Ultra Pro Comic Boards – Bags and boards go hand in hand. You will want to purchase boards to help keep your books nice and flat. Just like with the bags, be mindful of the size of the boards you are purchasing. Get them here.
- Cardboard Boxes – You will also need boxes to store your bagged and board comics. You can purchase small or long boxes. I don’t prefer one brand or another here; just go with what’s available at your local shop.
- Here are some services/forums/sites that I would recommend to collectors
- CGC – CGC are the most respected professional comic book graders in the business. Having a book graded is pricey but can be well worth it if your book is a high grade. CGC certified books always go for more than similar books graded by other services. If you are going to spend the money to get your books graded go to CGC.
- Comic Book DB - Is a free site for you to catalog your collection. It’s not perfect but it’s free and does the job. You can search for books in your collection and add them to your collection, when you add it a book you can input it’s condition and if it is sellable or for trade. Other users can look at your collection and you can send offers for books that people have marked as tradable. You can also add new comics to the database so other people can add them to their collection, kind of like Wikipedia. Check it out here.
- Marvel Unlimited – Is an online subscription service that allows you to read digital back issues of Marvel Comics. It’s great if you have some sort of tablet. It doesn’t have the most recent issues but is only a handful of months behind. With books being $4 and $5 these days, this is a great service to catch up on issues you may have missed. It is relatively inexpensive at 9.99 a month. If you subscribe for the year you can save money and get an exclusive Rocket Raccoon Marvel legend…talk about incentive!
- Hasbro toy shop – If you collect Marvel Legends you should opt in for hasbro’s e-mail promotions. I frequently get promos for 20% off with free shipping. This is the way to go if you are trying to order a whole wave of legends.
- Marvel Legends Toyline FacebookGroup – This is my number #1 place to find out about Marvel Legends, they always have the scoop.
- MarvelousNews Marvel Legends Forum – This is one of my go to spots for everything Marvel Legends. It’s a good place to connect with other collectors and discuss the latest news regarding Legends.
- Instagram – You are probably familiar with Instagram but you may not have known that people buy and trade comics and toys on there. If you search hashtags comics for sale, toys for sale, or for trade you will find people selling and trading comics and toys. I have gotten some good deals on here. Just be careful because it doesn’t have quite the same buyer protection as eBay. I have bought and sold on here and never had a problem though, just use caution.
- eBay – This is probably an obvious one if you already collect but just in case. Ebay is a great resource to determine the current value of books and to find books. Even though there are fees for selling on ebay it is still probably your best option because you will be reaching your widest audience.
- Craigslist –Craigslist is another online service that you can use to find books. You may or may not have a lot of luck with Craigslist but I have gotten some deals on here.
- Public Library – This is a huge one for me. Many people may not realize this but often times public libraries have large graphic novel sections and you can have books sent from one library to another for free. With books being so expensive these days, this is one of the ways I keep up. I have gotten Walking Dead, Batman books, Watchman and all kinds of recent Marvel books from the library; I have Edge of Spider-Verse in my bag right now. The library is a great resource, use it!
Recommended Readings
- Bleeding Cool – Fun read about happenings in current comic book storylines. Have news about comic book related tv and film. It’s a great site for comic reviews, rumors, etc.
- Chasing Amazing – Blog about one man’s journey to collect every issue of Amazing Spider-Man, you have to appreciate it if you are serious about collecting. Great blog if you are a big Spidey fan like me.
- Comic Book Resources – Great side filled with reviews, previews, and columns. Always have latest info on your favorite comics and anything else comic related.
- Early Retirement Diary - Check out the comic investment side of his blog for good tips on comic speculation. This is a good place to get an idea as to what books you may want to start investing in.
- Invest Comics – This is another good site for comic book speculation. It is updated pretty regularly so keep an eye out there for good tips.
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