I still have my 12 issue series of "Marvel Secret Wars" comic books from the 80s. They are in a plastic bag and haven't been touched in 20 years. Anyone know what they are worth or where I would go to find out?
Thanks in advance.
Michael Scott: A boss's salary isn't just about money, it is about perks. It... for example, every year I get a $100 gas card... Can't put a price tag on that.
Actually, my comic shop guy was just talking to someone about this not too long ago. Secret Wars was published in huge numbers, so for the most part they're not worth too terribly much. The one possible exception to that is the first appearance of Spider-Man's black costume. Thanks to the movie there's a bit of consumer demand for that issue, and you might be able to get something decent for it.
Originally posted by Tenken347The one possible exception to that is the first appearance of Spider-Man's black costume. Thanks to the movie there's a bit of consumer demand for that issue, and you might be able to get something decent for it.
Demand for Secret Wars #8 has been high for decades now, although the movie may increase its value to collectors. It's not the first appearance of the black costume, but it is the story of how he got it.
In near-mint condition, Secret Wars #8 can fetch as much as $28; the others not so much, but I'm guessing if you sell the whole series as a set you'll get a better offer.
Michael Scott: A boss's salary isn't just about money, it is about perks. It... for example, every year I get a $100 gas card... Can't put a price tag on that.
I bought all 12 issues in mint condition on Ebay about 3-4 years ago for $10, if that tells you anything. The recent movie may drive #8 up a bit, though.
Dean! Have you been shooting dope into your scrotum? You can tell me! I'm hip!
This thread is great timing. My mother and I went to Florida to visit her father, who had a stroke several months ago. His house is full (and I do mean full) of various odds and ends. I found a box of comic books, and brought them home with me. None of his stuff is mint, or even close (the best anything would probably be classified is Good). Is it worth trying to sell? What's the best way to go about doing it?
Originally posted by Mr. BoffoThis thread is great timing. My mother and I went to Florida to visit her father, who had a stroke several months ago. His house is full (and I do mean full) of various odds and ends. I found a box of comic books, and brought them home with me. None of his stuff is mint, or even close (the best anything would probably be classified is Good). Is it worth trying to sell? What's the best way to go about doing it?
1. Are they more than 20 years old?
2. If not, donate them or give them to a kid.
3. If they are, you may be able to ebay them or try to unload them on a local comic store, but they will only likely give you 30-40% of retail for them.
odessa's right. But I would only recommend going to a local comic shop as an absolute last resort. I've been buying/selling comics for about 20 years now and I've never had a shop offer me more than 25 cents for anything.
eBay's probably the best outlet for selling a comic and determining its worth. Most collectors, nowadays, head there first to find back issues. Pick up a few of your old comics and search for them (with issue number) on eBay, with the "completed listings" box checked.
Quick rule of thumb: if you're not a comic nerd and YOU recognize the main character(s), it probably has some market value.
Originally posted by Jim SmithIt's not the first appearance of the black costume
I suppose a quick Wikipedia check would provide confirmation, but this is the first I've heard that the black costume predated the Secret Wars appearance ...
Originally posted by Jim SmithIt's not the first appearance of the black costume
I suppose a quick Wikipedia check would provide confirmation, but this is the first I've heard that the black costume predated the Secret Wars appearance ...
The black suit's first official appearance was in Amazing Spider-Man #252, which came out either the same month or a month before Secret Wars #1. 252 picked up from when Spider-Man got back from the Secret Wars, and we all had to wait 8 or 9 months to discover the origin of the suit.
And I think by the time the issue hit, we already knew it was an alien, so the origin was anti-climactic.
Originally posted by Jim SmithIt's not the first appearance of the black costume
I suppose a quick Wikipedia check would provide confirmation, but this is the first I've heard that the black costume predated the Secret Wars appearance ...
The whole idea behind Secret Wars was that a bunch of superheroes disappeared mysteriously in the comics dated April 1984, and then reappeared just as mysteriously in the May '84 issues a month later. They came back with all sorts of surprising unexplained changes (Spider-Man's suit is different! Colossus doesn't love Kitty Pryde anymore! She-Hulk replaced the Thing in the Fantastic Four!), the gimmick being that you then had to read Secret Wars (which ran from May '84 to April '85) to find out the "secret" of what the hell happened and why.
So it was sort of like the more recent case of DC having a year of unrevealed events occur between its April and May 2006 comics, and then using the 52 maxi-series to fill in the gap after the fact.
Well I've gone through all the comics. I've uploaded the list at http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=peNwYwDKh-IVoqrCRkfASVg&gid=0 if anyone's interested. The Good Column is what ComicsPriceGuide says it should be worth in good condition. None of it's worth enough that I'd be able to put it on consignment at a comic book store or anything. I could try to sell the more valuable ones on E-bay I suppose. Then maybe sell everything that's left in one big auction.
Originally posted by Jim SmithThey came back with all sorts of surprising unexplained changes (Spider-Man's suit is different! Colossus doesn't love Kitty Pryde anymore! She-Hulk replaced the Thing in the Fantastic Four!), the gimmick being that you then had to read Secret Wars (which ran from May '84 to April '85) to find out the "secret" of what the hell happened and why.
Huh, I completely missed that the first time around ... well, you learn something new everyday!
ASTONISHING X-MEN: Boy, this sucked, but at least it established Charles Xavier's theoretical "heel turn" (I'm betting he's also the one responsible for House of M).
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