Comic Book Collecting

The history of comic books and comic collecting can be divided into four distinct eras: the era before the creation of superheroes, known as the Platinum Age (pre-1938); the Golden Age of superheroes (1938 to the mid-1950s); the Silver Age (1959 through the late 1960s); and the Modern Age (1970s to the present).

Originally, comic books were anthologies of comic strips that had appeared in newspapers. Typical comic characters of this early period include comedic characters (such as the Yellow Kid) and adventure characters (Tarzan of the Apes, Flash Gordon). After the first appearance of Superman in 1938, artists and illustrators scrambled to create new superheroes and stories to fill the pages of the increasingly popular 10-cent magazines known as comic books.

Over the next few years, a wealth of new characters sprang up in the pages of comic books published by DC Comics (Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern), Timely Comics, which later became Marvel Comics (the Sub-Mariner, Captain America, Wonder Woman, the Human Torch), EC Comics and others. Other popular features during the Golden Age were detective stories, horror and supernatural tales, science fiction, romances, and comedic characters.

Although many children and some adults (such as soldiers fighting overseas) purchased these titles, very few lasted in any condition for more than a few years; those that were discovered years later languishing in attics and underneath beds are worth many times their original price and are coveted by collectors.

The comics industry suffered a downturn in the early 1950s when it was alleged that comic books were connected to juvenile delinquency because of their violent content and mature themes. After a short period of decline (and the institution of a comic book code), comic books became enormously popular again with the introduction of Silver Age superheroes (beginning with a modernized Flash in DC Comics' "Showcase" #4).

Many of the characters from the 1930s and 1940s were given a new life with fresh approaches, while other new and exciting characters were created that appealed to a new readership: Marvel's Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, X-Men, and the Hulk, as well as DC's Justice League.

So-called underground comics gained popularity toward the end of the 1960s. These were the offbeat children of the racy horror and supernatural tales of the 1950s whose artists, such as R. Crumb and Art Spiegelman, became heroes of the counterculture. These artists brought a very different sensibility to the comic arts, and ensured that comic books would thereafter contain a different degree of artistry than their predecessors. Comics from this era, though easier to come by, can still fetch upwards of $20 to $30 for an ordinary issue, while historically important issues such as the first appearance of the X-Men can sell for as much as ten or twenty times that amount.

Prior to the 1980s, comic books were sold at newsstands and bookstores almost exclusively, and fans would occasionally travel to comic book conventions to meet other collectors and seek out hard-to-find issues of their favorite titles. However, by the end of that decade, comic book stores had become a flourishing business. This period lasted for over a decade until a dearth of special editions, alternate covers, and other gimmicks wore down the industry's customer base.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the comic book collecting market is a specialized industry with a steady supply of back issues available for nostalgia-seekers and hardcore completists alike, as well as a host of fresh titles and ideas from young artists and writers for each successive wave of new readers.

Things to Look For

Comics have traditionally been valued for their scarcity and condition. Regarding scarcity, the basic rule is that the older a title is, the harder it is to find. Thankfully, we no longer live in an age when mothers throw out entire boxes of their grown children's comic books because they need more room in the attic, collections that could have paid for an entire college education had they just been kept a few years longer. With the advent of Internet comics dealers, older Golden Age titles have become slightly easier to find, although prices have not diminished.

When evaluating condition, dealers and collectors alike have come to rely on independent experts to grade comic books. A numbering system (1 to 10) is used to determine several factors, including tightness of binding, color integrity, cut, sharpness of corners and many other factors. A comic's grade can make a large difference in its price: a Marvel comic from 1964 that is graded 5.0 is much less expensive than one graded at 9.6.

Trends

Common trends in comic book collecting include the institution of grading by independent comics grading agencies, like Comics Guaranty, LLC (CGC); through this agency, both dealer and collector are assured that a proper standard is being met for a certain item, rather than being reliant on the judgment of possibly unscrupulous merchants. Another trend is the use of auction websites, such as eBay, as a place to buy and sell individual comic books or entire collections.

A longer-term trend that has transformed the comic book industry over the last few of decades is the increased cultural acceptance of comic books as a major force in American arts and letters. Collectors seeking out exciting, new artists should be willing to search through the independent titles and "adult-themed" works for the next big thing. Several early copies of these titles have seen large increases in value since their original publication.

Collecting Comic Books for Fun vs. Profit

There is a large difference between collecting for fun and collecting for profit. For-fun collectors can simply enjoy the thrill of the chase, going to garage sales and used bookstores just to see what treasures can be found, regardless of value. For-profit collectors, on the other hand, must learn to identify rare or high-graded items that can be turned into money quickly. Collecting for profit also means learning about the comics market.

Many collectors learned their lesson about the volatile comic book market when they were duped into purchasing several copies of the "Death of Superman" issue of "Superman" (DC Comics, January 1993) and similar "event" comics and promotional stunts in the hopes that they would soon become collector's items; instead, they lost a few hard-earned dollars at the expense of marketing.

Learning More

Organizations

Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum <https://cartoons.osu.edu/>

Cartoon Art Museum <https://www.cartoonart.org/>

Grand Comics Database (GCD) <https://www.comics.org/>

National Cartoonists Society <http://www.reuben.org/>

Books

Overstreet, Robert M. Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. 45th ed. New York: House of Collectibles, 2016.

Goulart, Ron. Comic Book Encyclopedia: The Ultimate Guide to Characters, Graphic Novels, Writers, and Artists in the Comic Book Universe. New York: HarperEntertainment, 2004.

Wright, Bradford W. Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001.