1up Collectibles

Before you set out to sell your comic books, know the value and grade of each comic. Collectibles and classic comics are very popular. First, the grade: When it comes to knowing the grade for your classic comics, you just simply need to have a good understanding of the condition your comic books are in.

Comic books are graded on a 10-point scale from Mint Grades (high 9’s and 10) to No Grade or Poor Grade (0 to 0.5).

When it comes to the value of your comic books, you need to take many different factors into consideration; rarity and age in particular. Be sure to take the appearance of the book into consideration as well when determining value. Nowadays most of us settle for selling our collectibles on auction sites such as eBay or on listing sites like Craigslist — and these could be a good option, but it’s always preferable to sell to a reputable comic book store, many of which are now online (follow the previous link for my personal favorite, 1Up Collectibles). 

The problem with selling on eBay or Craigslist is that you may be off on the price and you may a) get ripped off if you price it too low or b) not sell if you priced it too high. It’s important that you do your homework and research the value of your comic books thoroughly — especially if you sell to directly to a collector. Again, that’s why I’d rather deal with professionals whose reputation lies in being fair and honest about the value of the comic books they buy and sell.

Below is a Comic Book Grade Guide courtesy of 1UpCollectibles.com. Use it wisely.

Gem: 10.0, Mint: 9.9

Gem and Mint comic books are in pristine condition: practically perfect, meaning the cover is flat and without wear, there are no autographs or writing, ink is bright and clear, and the corners and edges are perfect. In other words, Gem and Mint comic books are practically new, despite possibly being decades old. Gems and Mints are very rare, especially in comic books dating back before 1990; Gems and Mints published before 1980 are practically impossible to find.

Near Mint/Mint: 9.8, Near Mint+ : 9.6

Near Mint+ or Near Mint/Mint comic books are close to mint with some minor defect such as: A slight stress line by the staples, the staples themselves are generally centered clean with no rust, color has chipped or flaked off the cover, and again, the cover is flat with no surface wear; inks are bright with high reflective and very little fading. And those tricky corners are cut square and sharp with ever so slight blunting permitted. You can tell that this comic has been stored properly and looks as new as the day it was printed. All stress marks should be almost invisible and bindery tears must be less than 1/16 inch. Only the most subtle binding and/or printing defects allowed. Cover is fairly well centered and firmly secured to interior pages. Paper is supple and like new. Spine is tight and flat. Unobtrusive date stamps or arrival dates in pencil or ink are acceptable. Many pedigree collection comics have a notation on the cover or the interior of the comic and are considered a bonus to collectors as they help prove the provenance of the comic.

Near Mint: 9.4, Near Mint-: 9.2, Very Fine/Near Mint: 9.0

These comic books are in excellent condition and display the following characteristics: It is vibrant and clean with supple pages. The spine may have a couple of very small stress lines at the most 1/4 inch the surface color around the line must not be noticeably broken. The spine is almost completely flat. The cover is relatively flat with almost no surface wear and the cover inks are generally bright with medium to high reflectivity. The staples may show some discoloration, but it’s not too noticeable on first glance. The inside pages and covers usually will be off-white to white, but can be creamy or slightly yellowish.

Very Fine +: 8.5, Very Fine: 8.0, Very Fine-: 7.5

Very Fine comic books show signs of being read a few times but also that they have been handled with care. A few more defects are present with Very Fine grades of comic books may display a small fold or a crease in the cover but very few stress marks or chips. These comics may have some slight surface wear but still has its original gloss and there is nothing major wrong with it. Overall these are exceptionally collectible comic books.

Fine/Very Fine: 7.0, Fine+: 6.5, Fine: 6.0 Fine-: 5.5

Comic books of Fine/Very Fine, Fine+, Fine or Fine- grades are considered those that look often-read. These show a maximum of one major defect like a larger piece out of the cover no bigger than 1/4 inch but usually no smaller than 1/8 inch. Comic books in the Fine grades can have stress lines around the staples and creases from opening and closing. The white pages may have aged to an off-white or yellowish color. These could creases from heavy reading or a rolled spine, but are not damaged enough to drastically reduce appeal. Some discoloration and fading, minor soiling is acceptable. The cover and some of the inside pages often have minor tears and folds. The cover of Fine grade comics can be loose due to a missing or lose staple, but the cover must not be completely detached from the whole of the comic book. The interior pages and inside covers may be brown but should not be brittle.

Very Good/Fine: 5.0, Very Good+: 4.5, Very Good: 4.0, Very Good-:3.5

Comic books in the Very Good grades are in complete (no missing pages or covers), but display major creases or spine roll. Cover gloss is mostly faded, inside page quality is yellowing and small pieces may be missing. Piece missing from the cover should be no bigger than a 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch. Comic books in Very Good grade are almost always creased, scuffed, abraded and soiled, but are still readable on every page. Tape on the comic book, on the cover or inside, is considered to be a defect.

Good/Very Good: 3.0, Good+: 2.5, Good: 2.0, Good-: 1.8

Comic books in Good grades are generally readable, though with several defects. Cover gloss completely gone while inside page quality is not good (yellow) with small pieces missing. Missing pieces should be no larger than a 1/2 inch to 1/4 inch. Comic ooks in this grade are almost always creased, scuffed, abraded and soiled, but still completely readable. Comic books in Good grades are complete with no missing pages. Good grades are still considered “collectible” grade.

Fair/Good: 1.5, Fair: 1.0

Comic books in Fair grades show signs of heavy wear. These comics are “tattered” and often frayed. Comic books in Fair grades have all their pages and most of their covers but may be in a ragged and unattractive state. These often show heavy creases and folds. The paper quality of Fair grade comics can be very low, the spines may be split and the covers may be torn with staples missing. Corners are rounded and bent and oftentimes, coupons have been cut out from cover and inside pages. Panels may be cut out and parts of the front cover may be missing. Soiling, stains, tears, markings and missing pieces that hinder reading are present. The comic book may show brittleness. Pieces of tape are often found on multiple locations on comic books of Fair grades.

Poor : 0.5

Poor grade comic books have major defects and are almost always not collectible or hold no collector value. Poor grade comic books often have multiple pages and 1/3 or more of the cover missing. Poor grade comic books may have severe creases, stains, mildew and heavy cover ink fading as well as defects related to paints, varnishes, glues, oil, indelible markers or dyes, among other. Inside pages are often extremely brittle.

No Grade

Comic books of No Grade are usually cover-less, or consist of only the cover, one or a few pages, or the single wrap. These comic books are not collectible and are only assigned this grade for the purpose of authentication.

(Source: nerdyculturist.com)

The All-Star Game of modern superhero extravaganzas, The Avengers is humongous — the film Marvel and its legions of fans have been waiting for. It’s hard to imagine that anyone with an appetite for the trademark’s patented brand of fantasy, effects, mayhem and strangely dressed he-men will be disappointed; not only does this eye-popping 3D display of visual effects fireworks feature an enormously high proportion of action scenes, but director Joss Whedon has adroitly balanced the celebrity circus to give every single one of the superstar characters his or her due. Worldwide box-office returns will be, in a word, Marvelous.

THE STORY

Joss Whedon, known to many geeks and nerds for the birth of great series’ such as: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Angel, and DollHouse, has delivered onto us a movie unlike any that have come before it. Some speculate that Whedon has outdone himself. I say however, that Whedon has delivered exactly what I would expect from him: a phenomenal piece of work that evidently shows passion for the project. Whedon’s stint when writing Marvel’s Astonishing X-men is perhaps to be considered one of the best runs in comic history next to Grant Morrison’s New X-men.

In The Avengers, the planet’s premiere spy network S.H.I.E.L.D. and it’s monocled leader Nick Fury realize that a new enemy has come to Earth and our current defenses are negligible at best. Without spoiling too much, an artifact goes missing, an old enemy returns, and a call is put out to all heroes to step up to the plate and help out.

Nick Fury’s Avengers Initiative, which was put on ice by The World Council, enlisted the help of many individual heroes such as: Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye.

In the film, these heroes must come together, put aside their alpha male tendencies, and suit up to save the day.

THE INVINCIBLE ROBERT DOWNEY JR.

Yes, yes, Robert Downey Jr. is undoubtedly the man (when Samuel L. Jackson isn’t listening). He is so much so considering that if he so desired, The Avengers could have very well been titled Iron Man and the Assemble Friends. If you enjoyed RDJ’s portrayal of the Iron Avenger in movies past, he ramps up the performance and the laughs in a true rockstar fashion. Being thrown into the mix of other heroes really brings out Tony Stark’s inner child as he tries to claim he is the unabashed King of the Hill. This attitude of playing fast and loose with the rules and responsibilities is in “stark” (I’m ashamed of that pun…sorry) contrast to that of the very ordered and serious Captain America.

Bosom Buddies Tony Stark and Steve Rogers after a job well-done.

HULK SMASH PUNY BOX OFFICE!

When The Avengers was announced at San Diego Comic Con we were told that Edward Norton would not continue his journey with Marvel into Avengers territory. Instead we were given news that the not-so-jolly green giant would now be portrayed by actor Mark Ruffalo. To Mark’s surprise he was met with resounding resistance and even hints of hostility as the room echoed the fans’ dissidence to the Hulk being recast yet again.

However, with grace and dignity, Mark took those booing fans and had it fuel his rage to give us one of the most honest portrayals of Dr. Bruce Banner to date. Joss wrote a character who had dealt with his past and with quiet acceptance of his fate, allowed Dr. Banner to be vulnerable and true.

Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner

Additionally, to Mark Ruffalo’s credit, he was able to deliver a performance that matched the honest quality and nature of the character. His soft tone and half-joking nature belied someone who was in deep and serious pain. And that pain when channeled and directed at the “big bad” led to some of the greatest action sequences in superhero movie history. The Hulk is not to be taken lightly any longer. 

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE’S A TIME LIMIT?!

Obviously for the fair-weather fan or high school girl that wants to seem nerdy, The Avengers shouldn’t have been too long. And it really wasn’t. The pacing for the film was perfect. The film’s run time was 143 minutes which times out at about 2.5 hours including previews, credits, etc. The Avengers moved at a comfortable pace where it didn’t feel like it dragged on forever (unlike this review) nor did it feel like it flew by in a haze of explosions and fancy capes. As such, the core of the story remained intact and benefitted from a solid foundation. If you had seen the previous films (Iron Man 1-2, Thor, Captain America, Incredible Hulk), you knew the backstory of these characters and not much was needed in the way of explanation…except for Thor.

L’Oreal Asgard as promoted by Thor Odinson

When we last left the God of Thunder, he was trapped in the realm of Asgard with no way back to Earth and 4-day love of his life Jane Foster. However, in The Avengers Thor just plops himself down on a quinjet and calls it a day. It is briefly discussed when his brother Loki asks how much dark matter it took for Thor to get to Earth but it would have been nice to have a 5 minute segment just for sanity’s sake.

Aside from the cursory explanation of Thor’s arrival, Hawkeye gets the raw end of the deal with little to no backstory of his character. He and Scarlet Johansson’s character, Black Widow, are the only two Avengers who have not benefitted from a previous, single title movie. 

AND THERE CAME A DAY UNLIKE ANY OTHER

In closing, you must go see this movie. It does all the things a superhero movie is expected to do and then some. It is exciting, it is tense, it is hilarious. The humor in this movie shines just as brightly as the story and its characters. The interaction of the characters with their traits and differences allows the humor to feel very natural and thrive. Each moment is lived fully and completely without any pretense of being fake or scripted. Bar none, the best moment is when Hulk and Thor are sharing a moment of victory when out of the blue, Hulk just punches Thor out of frame and smirks about it like an older brother.

The Avengers is a culmination all the things we have come to expect from Joss Whedon, 9 Executive Producers from Iron Man, a stellar cast from the previous films, and the vision and foresight of Marvel for the past five years.

FINAL RATING: MUST SEE IT!

It probably comes as no big secret that Marvel Comics are typically the last comics that I read on a weekly basis. I have to commend Marvel for their recent decision to include a Digital Code in select titles. Starting in June, Marvel will be giving you a little something extra for that $3.99. All $3.99 titles will now include codes for free digital copies of those same issues on the Marvel Comics app for iOS and Android devices at no extra cost.

David Gabriel, SVP of Sales, Marvel Entertainment, had this to say:

We’re committed to bringing fans the best value in comics. By including codes for free digital copies in all our $3.99 super hero comics, we’re doing just that. We’ve seen a tremendous response to the digital codes in Avenging Spider-Man, our Season One graphic novels and the Ultimate Comics line. The positive reactions from both retailers and fans make it clear that including these codes with our books drives customers into comic stores on a repeated basis.

You’re still getting the same amount of content. Now you’re getting a free digital copy which is cool. We know that DC is charging an extra dollar for the same idea (so JUSTICE LEAGUE costs $3.99 for the physical copy and $4.99 if you want both. It’s a step in the right direction. Maybe someday we’ll see other content being offered digitally along with the extra copy for the same pric

This past Wednesday was light week for comics in general for all comic book companies as this was leap year. That being noted our comic extraordinaire, Chris Weiherer reviews TWO titles for the week of February 29. That’s right I said two comic books. Let us know your thoughts on his points.

Justice League #6

  The first Justice League storyline comes to an end in this issue, and Geoff Johns and Jim Lee gave the readers a lot of action along with some nice character development with this final installment.  Lee drew a great battle between the League and Darkseid. There are multiple splash pages to highlight both his talent and the intensity of the fight.  Superman, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman all shine during the brawl, but it’s Cyborg who sends Darkseid back through the boom tube to Apokolips. We also get an answer as to why Darkseid is on Earth, and it’s not just to conquer the world.  His daughter is on Earth, and before he’s forced through the boom tube, he exclaims that he’ll return for her.
  The back-up feature gave us a glimpse of Pandora, the woman at the end of Flashpoint and in all of New 52 #1’s, and the Phantom Stranger talking about Pandora’s recent actions and what her current intentions are.  It seems to be setting up a big storyline or event in DC’s near future. 
  Overall, I liked the issue, but it is by no means the best Justice League story out there. That’s not really meant to be a criticism, I’ve just enjoyed others far more, such as JLA Tower of Babel Vol 7 Trade Paperback. This is definitely a story that is new reader friendly, and, along with Actions Comics, starts at the beginning so the readers don’t have to worry about what came before.  The art was fantastic, and we got some great moments between characters, but I think I’ll like the series even more now that the initial origin of the team has been established.  Again, you should pick this up, and the previous five, if you’ve been looking for a jumping on point with the Justice League or DC in general.

The Shade #5

  James Robinson continues the extension of his Starman related work with the newest issue of the Shade, and I sadly did not enjoy this issue as much as the previous four.  The readers are given a new character who calls Shade her father, but who was actually just saved by vampire pirates by the Shade when she was a baby.  The issue focuses more on her and her archenemy The Inquisitor than it does on the the Shade, and that is precisely what I didn’t like about it.
  The Shade is one of my favorite characters from Robinson’s Starman, and I thought the previous issues did of better job of keeping him as the main focus of the book. Hopefully the next issue will shift the spotlight back on the title character, or we’ve given more of a reason for her appearance here.
  The art by Javier Pulido in this issue was fantastic and reminded me a little of Marcos Martin, who’s worked on Daredevil, the Amazing Spider-Man, Dr. Strange: The Oath, and other titles.  It fits well with the previous issues’ artists Cully Hamner and Darwyn Cooke.  The best way to describe it is that it looks like a contemporary take on Silver Age artwork, much like Cooke and Martin.  Outside of this amazing art, I don’t have a lot of positive things to say about the issue, but I’m going to give the next one a try because I’m hoping it gets better.