How to find out how much your comic book is worth: Fan Expo

With Fan Expo 2019 less than two weeks away, comic book fans and collectors are bursting at the seams, eager for the wide selection of comics that they’ll be able to find.

It’s one of the best parts of Fan Expo Vancouver, in fact. The three-day event creates a hub for buyers, sellers, and collectors to meet, giving attendees a chance to find exclusive, hard-to-find pieces.

But for someone who’s just starting to collect or has a stack of comics left in their childhood room, how do you tell if your comic books are worth anything?

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Some of the first factors to consider include the condition, rarity, and popularity, and a lot of the time, you’ll need to do your own research.

Condition (Grade)

Think of your comic book’s grade like a report card in school — the higher the better.

The idea is to have a comic book that’s as close to mint condition as possible but damage like tears, discolouration, bends, creases, and marks will lower the comic’s grade.

There’s plenty of self-evaluation that you can do as well. If you want to make it official, however, you can have your comics graded by the Comics Guaranty Company (CGC). They’ll grade your comic book for a fee and buyers are much more likely to trust a third party rating than your own.

If you don’t want to go that far, you can also use online guides or even check out your local stores.

Rarity and Popularity

Here’s another big factor in how much your comic books can be worth.

What issue do you have? What artists are involved? Tiny pieces of information like these all contribute to the value of your item.

Books that introduce key characters or include major plot points will have a higher value. And, naturally, the number of issues that were released will play an effect — aka supply and demand.

Other factors like trends and nostalgia can also cause the market price of your comic book to fluctuate. Sometimes, it’s also about finding the right market as well.

“I’ve paid way too much for an item just because it was the one thing missing from my collection,” explains Kandrix Foong, who works at the Fan Expo Headquarters. “I’ve also let go of stuff that was worth more than I sold it for just because I had duplicates.”

“It’s not an exact science because everyone’s perception of value is different when you’re dealing with fandom.”

Fan Expo Vancouver, one of British Columbia’s largest pop-culture events, makes its annual return from March 1 to 3, 2019.

Fan Expo Vancouver 2019

When: March 1 to 3, 2019

Where:  Vancouver Convention Centre – 999 Canada Place

Tickets: Available online, $25 to $30

Daily Hive is a proud media sponsor of Fan Expo 2019