Comic Book Shack
Superman Comic Books
In a world where there isn’t exactly enough time for all the things people have to do, almost everybody still finds themselves hooked to a certain hobby. Collecting baseball cards or stamps, buttons even, knitting, wood crafting, landscaping, what have you. And in this long list, comic book collection seems to place itself amongst the top.
The popularity of comic books gained momentum during the 1960′s. However, comic book enthusiasts would remember the story of the Yellow Kid in Hogans Alley published in two leading newspapers in 1895, now considered as the first ever comic strip in history. From then on, comic characters have risen from the creative minds of writers and illustrators such as Stan Lee and the others.
The idea of comic book collection came out naturally as fanatics developed. While people started out collecting comic books for fun, others collected for profitable interests. This occurred after newspapers featured certain comic books that prove to be of economic value.
However, many a consumer would often than not be misguided on what comic book to collect and how to appropriately collect.
Whether you collect for the hang of it or for profit, here are some pointers that are sure to perk up your collection.
1. Pick a comic book title that interests you and start your collection from there.
Picking the comic book to collect is crucial. Good comic book titles are continually associated to popularity. For novices, titles fromDC Comics and Marvel Comics -the two largest comic book publishers- are good to start with.
A collector may also view magazine lists such as the Wizard Magazine for the 100 best-selling comic books.
2. Do not stick to one comic book title. Related titles also become hot pursuits for collectors.
To cite, Spiderman related titles will also do well in the market especially if they were featured as lead characters in the original Spiderman issues.
3. Look for titles that are not popularly known to the public but are considered valuable to collectors.
Famous illustrators have more than one featured work. Their other comic works will also offer good profit for their names, although they may not be famous for many readers.
4. Remember to buy different covers of one comic book issue.
Some publishers release more than one cover for a comic book issue to increase market sales.
5. First issues and first appearances are sure to increase in value over time.
Certain comic book titles such as the Amazing Spiderman offer first appearances of other characters such as the Punisher. The worth of these titles is significantly higher than that of others.
6. Look for comic books worth purchasing in different places and events.
Certain conventions have been held around the globe for comic book collectors. These events offer good deals for certain comic book titles. The most famous of which is the San Diego Comic Convention held in the United States.
Online purchasing may seem less expensive. Collectors on the other hand would have to deal with additional charges such as shipping.
7. Trading is also a good means of expanding your collection, especially when you have more than one copy of a certain issue.
When trading, always check the value of the comic book you are pursuing. The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide is a good source for old comic book titles.
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8. Preserve your comic books very well. The condition of the comic book will also dictate its value.
Comic book conditions will range from Very Poor to New/Mint. Be sure to assess the condition of the comic books very keenly.
Collectors may purchase mylar sleeves or display books to individually preserve their comic books. Comic book boxes are also available in the market for stacking your comic books all-together.
The comic book industry, however, experienced its decline during the 1990s. Collectors since then have become more careful. Reprints of coveted titles such as the original issues of Superman and Captain America have been released in the market, still bearing labels as first editions.
Despite the difficulties in comic book collection, the fun and thrill collectors get from doing it still attracts a considerable number of people. Most still do it not for the money anymore. Most do it to meet people and to have a break from a day of work, just as how a hobby should be. Well, just imagine kids running across their dad’s old comic book collection.
Make Money With Comic Books
Spiderman Comic Books
In someway or another, we all try to find super hero characters in ourselves. Children love them, and even grown ups go to theaters to watch movies like Spiderman and Fantastic Four.
Fantastic stories are described in comic books, which are just soft cover magazines with pictures and words. The cover is made of glossy paper and the inside is a high quality paper, with its spine held together by staples. Comic books cover everything from horror to sci-fi, from crime to adventure and mystery. Usually there are evil doers and a person or a group to stop them, who become our superheroes.
History
Comic books were first introduced in the USA in 1896. The idea was to collect all the comic strips from the newspapers and produce and publish a book with them, and the result was the birth of comic books. People loved it, and it got popular rapidly. Because of this, they wanted to produce and reproduce more and more comic books. People wanted new stories, new adventures. This is one version of how comic books were born, although some people believe that comic books existed in some form in the earlier days, such as the Egyptian wall art and prehistoric cavemen paintings.
In the year of 1938, Superman was first introduced, and he became so popular and successful that people wanted to see more of him, and more characters with super powers. That was how characters like Spiderman were born.
The first comic books began as humorous books for children and that is why till now the word comic is used for humor in English. Characters like Popeye the sailor man and Krazy Kat are still loved by all. After that there were characters like Sabrina the teenage witch and Archie, which were introduced for the teenage group, so that they could relate to them. Archie and his group got so popular that they had fan clubs for the readers. There are currently leading stores which sell t-shirts, mugs, diaries and stickers of these comic book characters.
Comic book collectors
The fans of comic books love to collect them, and this becomes their hobby. They want to have all the editions, so they keep buying them more and more. The new ones are usually easy to find, these you can pick up from your local comic book store or toy stores and also some corner markets. The most difficult ones to find are the older issues, but if you are lucky enough, you can find them in comic stores as most of them keep some type of back issues.
Sometimes, people who have collected comic books for a long while decide to sell their personal collection, and you can also do that, in case you make up your mind. First you have to decide where to sell them, if in a comic store or even on auction sites. But you have to be aware that you take full responsibility of the condition and you must know how to protect your comic books during shipment if you want a good price.
Besides selling personal collections, there are other ways of making money with comic books and their characters. The might and mightiest of Hollywood want to make movies on these comic superheroes or want to be a part of it. So, now you know how big comic books can get!
