About Us

Most of the comic book cover pages you see on our site are not the actual comic book cover page that are scanned from our personal inventory. If you would like to see the actual cover page of the item you wish to order, you can ask us to scan the copy for prior to finalizing your order.

 

There are eight (8) categories of assessment:

 

Poor - This condition is just as it sounds, poor.

Fair - It is near the bottom of the barrel. Comic is still readable.

Good - This is a below average comic book.

Very Good - A very average used comic book.

Fine - This comic book is above average in appearance.

Very Fine - The comic still looks good with only minor imperfections.

Near Mint - The comic looks new as if you picked it new from the store.

Mint - This grade is the most misused of all the comic book grades.

 

 

2.0	5.0	6.5	8.0	9.4
$  0.40	$  1.20	$  2.00	$  5.00	$ 10.00

 

This is what you would find on a price guide, however what if your grade is lower then 2.0, or higher then 9.4?

 

So here is another break down in case you have a Mint (near mint) and you know it is worth more then $10.00.

 

0.5	1.0	1.5	1.8	2.0	2.5	3.0	3.5	4.0	4.5	5.0	5.5	6.0	6.5	7.0	7.5	8.0	8.5	9.0	9.2	9.4	9.6	9.8
$.05	$.10	$.20	$.30	$.40	$.50	$.60	$.70	$.80	$1.00	$1.20	$1.40	$1.80	$2	$3	$4	$5	$6	$7	$8	$10	$15	$20

 

So now, do you see how price can be different?

 

IMPORTANT: The Standard Price you find in a Price Guild ends with Near Mint not Mint. A mint would be a 10.0 + in a point system.

 

Here are more details on “Very Fine” to “Mint” with the point system.

 

MINT: This is a perfect comic book. Its cover page has full luster, the edges are sharp, and its pages are like new. There are no signs of wear or aging. It is not imperfectly printed nor markedly off-center. “Mint” means just what it says. This comic can be worth ten (10-X) times or more the value it is marked on a price guide on a 10.0 point system.

 

The Price Guide’s highest ranking shows the title is valued at $10.00. But since it is a true “Mint,” it would now be worth $100.00 or more.

 

NEAR MINT: This is a nearly perfect comic book. Its cover shows barely perceptible signs of wear. Its spine is tight, and its cover has only minor loss of luster and only minor printing defects. Some discoloration is acceptable in older comics – as are signs of aging. A “Near Mint” comic book is the standard on which all price guides are based. (9.4 – 9.9 points)

 

The Price Guide’s highest ranking shows the title is valued at $10.00. Since it is a true “Near Mint,” however, the points are higher than the standard 9.4. It would now be worth between $15.00 to $100.00.

 

VERY FINE: This is a comic book beginning shows signs of wear. There can be slight creases and wrinkles at the staples, but it is a flat, clean issue with definite signs of being read a few times. There is some loss of the original gloss, but it is, in general, an attractive comic book. (8.0 – 9.3 points)

 

The Price Guide shows the title is valued at $5.00. Because it is a “Very Fine,” comic, however, the points are higher than the standard 8.0. It would now be worth up to $ 9.00.

 

The point of being a collector is not about investing but about enjoying the product you bought. You want to look through it. You can even buy a special protector that opens like a book, have the comic in this protector, and look through the comic without even touching the comic with your hands.

 

Now let’s say you are in search to find a mint copy of “Batman the Killing Joke” 1^st print? In the price guide, it says a “Mint” is valued at $20 top. Yet the store that has it is selling it for $80. You may feel the store owner is not fairly pricing his books. A real collector will not think this way but will ask question about the price differences between the price guide, compare it to other stores, and internet prices.

 

What you must understand is that at $20 it is a 9.4 “Near Mint” condition in the price guide, “not” Mint.  

 

However, at this store they “feel” it is a 9.6, which raises the price. Nevertheless, you notice that they also have another on their wall priced at $200 and on the plastic protection, it says it is a 9.9 “Near Mint.” Yet again on the same wall, you see another one that is $398, however it is a CGC sealed guaranteed version. All of them are 1^st print.

 

Now, how do you choose? You can go on the internet and order a copy that you will get for $20 however will be getting a 9.4 or less. On the other hand, you can buy it from a store for $20. But again, are you truly getting a 9.4 or higher or is it a lower grade?

 

The only Problem I have with CGC is that you will never be able to take it out and look inside. You have put your trust in the condition of the book in a third party. With the “Independent Store” owner’s copies, you can debate the condition of the copy you want to purchase, since you have the choice to examine it from cover to back.

 

1 CGC Seal 1st Print 9.9 $398	Independent Store 1 Print 9.9 $200	Independent Store 1 Print 9.6 $ 80

 

You will pay more for a CGC copy; however, you will not enjoy the benefit of going through it. You may as well just buy an original copy of just the cover without the inside pages.

 

Thank You