photo credit: Michael Heilemann

In this series of posts I will give a broad overview of comic book collecting, including conditions of comics and how to appraise them, protection and care, and finally a look at the market – where to buy/sell.

In this first post we will talk about appraising a book’s overall condition and what you should be looking for. For this we will use a couple of fictional examples to illustrate scenarios you may run into. We’ll also give you the basics in the comic book industry condition rating.

Where to begin?

To start off, let’s say you bought your first comic from a gas station. You have really enjoyed this comic and have read it several times. You may have even lent it to a friend or two so they could enjoy it as well. So now years later you discover that the comic, when in mint condition, is worth a small fortune and you are interested in selling yours.

At this point, it’s not about how great you thought the story was, or what fantastic artist did the work. Here we are talking about the actual comic book shape. Those who say you can’t judge a book by it’s cover aren’t collectors of comic books!

Assess the Condition of Your Book

Beginning with the cover, look closely for wear. Is the comic still flat? Are there any drink or spill stains? Is the cover still intact? Are the staples discolored or rusted? Are they there at all? Check the spine of the book for wear marks, those tiny white cracks you get from simply opening and closing the comic to read it. Check the corners of the cover to see if they are soft and rounded or still sharp crisp angles.

Now on to the rest of the book. Are there folds in the pages, small tears in the cover or discoloration and fading from sun exposure? Marks of any kind either on or in the comic itself (careful with this one, some book stores may write a price on either the cover or just inside)? Was there a sticker or spilled coffee or was it just plain crumpled up? Are the blacks still black? The whites still crisp white or are they grey and yellowed with age? All these things come into play.

photo credit: Liz Henry

Rating System

This is the standard rating system used by the comic book industry.

1. Mint = This comic is in such pristine condition it could have just come off the printer’s press and fallen into your hands. Hate to burst your bubble, but this is one of the most rare and hard to find books. Anyone telling you their book is in mint condition bears scrutiny. It’s not impossible, but its not very likely either.
2. Near Mint = This comic may have some minor page curl from shipping, but all the colors and pages are in top condition and the book could have just come off the comic book store shelf. Not as rare as mint, but still a hard find on many of the older comics still in circulation.
3. Very Fine = A comic that has been read, but not abused. It may have minor crease breaks at the spine, but the book is otherwise in great shape. This is where you will find most books owned by serious collectors. Right after reading, these books were probably placed in protective seals of some kind.
4. Fine = Slightly better than average condition. Minor discoloration/fading and wear throughout the book. The corners of the comic may be softer or have some minor blunting. There could be some small amount of tarnish stain close to the staple in the spine.
5. Very Good = Here’s where the horizon is. This is where the bad condition books meet their betters. Any book in otherwise top condition but with a small piece of the cover missing or torn will fall into this category. Books with obvious curling or discolorations fall here immediately.
6. Good = the book is still readable, but can have some mid level issues. Discoloration is obvious, tears in the cover are acceptable, the staples can be rusted or in some cases missing. Books in this condition are not in any way shape or form display-worthy unless the comic itself was very rare.
7. Fair = Still readable, but major wear is very obvious. The fold at the spine may be split, parts of the cover may be missing or beyond readable damage. Fading and discoloration are expected of books in this category. Coupons may have been cut from the cover or insides of the book as well. The cover may be loose from the spine but are still present.
8. Poor = Very major wear, stains and tears, books in this condition are usually only good for reading. Bends, splits, and serious discoloration.

The Golden Rule

photo credit: UncivilSociety.org

Remember one thing when you are appraising comics: the more honest you are with yourself and your prospective buyers, the better your reputation will be as a collector. When people learn they can trust your word, you will be in a better buying and selling position.

Back when I was a hardcore collector, I would buy multiple copies of the books I thought might be worth something later. I would immediately bag and board the extras and then read one with gentle care. Once the book had been handled, regardless of how it started before I bought it, I put it in the ‘VF’ or Very Fine category. It’s very rare, if not unheard of, to find older books in Mint condition. In my opinion, any comic that has sat on a shelf, or been handled by more than one or two people, is ‘NM’ (Near Mint) at best.

What next?

Ok, so now that you know about comic book conditions and how to appraise them, watch for the next post in this series, where we’ll go over taking care of your comic collection and what the standards are for that. Hope to see you back here soon.

Discussion

Do you collect as an investment or purely for reading enjoyment? Do you have any Near Mint or Mint books in your collection? Do you buy used books or only brand new off the shelf?

Please comment below!