Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor and more have become household names in recent years, thanks to the massive success of movies portraying these titular heroes. With the recent record-breaking release of Avengers: Endgame, it’s official: The superhero train can’t be stopped!
But before these heroes were up on the big screen, they were printed in the pages
of collectable comic books. Going as far back as the 1940s, some of these comic book heroes have decades of exposure and thousands of different issues. This is to say, if you’ve got a few old comics around, they could be worth no small amount of money!
Look at the date
The first way to tell if you’ve got a rare-issue comic is by looking at the date. Comics tend to fall into “ages” based on their artwork, storylines and characters:
Golden Age (1938 to 1955)
Silver Age (1956 to 1969)
Bronze Age (1970 to 1980)
Copper Age (1981 to 1991)
Modern Age (1992 – Present Day)
Golden Age comics are hit or miss. On one hand, they’re hands-down the most valuable! On the other, there are few copies still around in good condition.
Generally, Silver Age comics tend to be quite valuable, since this age is when the iconic heroes of today first became mainstream. Bronze Age comics are when they truly exploded onto the scene and comic collecting became a true hobby.
Less valuable are comics from the Copper Age and the Modern Age, since these are common and focus on less popular characters.
Consider the artist or variant
Some comics are valuable because of who drew them or how they were published. For example, you might have an issue done by a guest artist instead of the series’ usual artist. Or, you might have a cover variant different from the usual as part of a promotion. These are qualifiers that’ll raise the value of your comics.
Appearance or issue
If you’ve got the first edition in a series or have an issue signifying the first appearance of a beloved comic book character, it’s going to be worth some money. To figure this out, consult one of the many online comic archives or bring it to an appraiser. Finally, condition is always a factor. Bring your classic comics to Mister Money Bags and we’ll give you an accurate appraisal based on condition, as well as the other factors above. Call us today for a free consultation! Your comic won’t bring in the billions Avengers: Endgame did, but it might bring you more than you expect!
Posted in Blog, Comics, Rare Items and tagged comic books, Golden Age comics, old comic books, Silver Age comics
