Rare comic books – what makes them so rare

by Pete on November 15, 2011 · Comic Books

ACTION COMICS #1When people hear of super rare comics that are bought and sold at extremely high prices, they are convinced that these books are worth so much more because of their age.  A reasonable assumption considering that there is a significant correlation between scarcity and age.  Old age has a way of eating away at tangible assets that are not well-protected during their lifespan. A number of copies of a particular comic book printed several years back are likely to have been destroyed or lost, thus making a particular issue scarce. Pretty much any comic that is about twenty years old or more is actually worth a lot more than what it was bought for, solely due to the effect of age.

In determining how valuable a particular comic book copy is, more important factors than age are at play – “appearances” and “content”.  For example, DC’s detective comic issue 27, May 1939 marks Batman’s first appearance.  In addition to a character’s first appearance, an equally significant event is when a character makes an appearance in another character’s comic space. These issues, called “crossovers” are unusual occurrences that are very collectible since a character from the same universe makes a guest appearance to another character’s issue.  A third collectible feature is sometimes the printing of a comic cover that is distinctively different from the bulk of the issue’s publication. These unique artwork covers are referred to as “variants” and again they are very rare.  The variants are occasionally included in a reseller’s batch and offered to resellers as an incentive to push more volume. Even though they are offered at the same price they quickly get more pricy as they are less common.

Condition as with any rare book publication is critical as well. With comics condition is rated by degrees ranging from “mint” to “used”. These ratings are very important in determining the price at which a particular copy is sold. Even if an old copy, with crossover appearance,  or variation is determined to be extremely rare, it will not reach its potential value if pages are falling off or torn or stained.

Publishers are also using special events as an excuse to bring out a limited edition that is scarce by limiting its availability.  For example, Spiderman released on September 2001 during the World Trade Center tragedy attack was limited to US distribution only. That issue’s front cover was colored in black and it is considered today, just a few years after the event, very rare.

Oftentimes comic book series or miniseries with good content that are discontinued end up having continued interest and do eventually become very rare due to the demand vs. supply imbalance. Such series are Spawn: Godslayer and Batman Gates of Gotham.  Equally scarce are certain numbered issues in a running series that are considered a “hallmark” release. For example, Superman #666 which features the unique story of an evil Superman, or a comic book celebrating its 100th release,  or a 200th issue, or even years such as Iron Man’s 75 year of publication and so on.

Finally, comic books that have unintentional flaws such an issue with a misprint or a page that was not printed properly may often be considered rare by some collectors. Signed by artists copies are naturally very desirable and quite expensive to acquire as well.

So next time you see a comic book shop, stop in and chat with the friendly stuff and learn which comic books may become rare in the future. Buy a few potential candidates; you never know how valuable they turn out to be down the road. You may very well end up with the next generation of Mile High/Edgar Church Ed. Action Comics #1.

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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

nick jordan September 15, 2018 at 3:08 pm

I have a 1975 mmarvel two in one the thing and black widow is that worth anything?

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nick jordan September 15, 2018 at 3:09 pm

It is in great condition and nothing wrong with it

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Monique October 15, 2016 at 3:20 am

I have a star wars big comic book that has the cover cut wrong and placed on the book wrong. Has never been opened so the binding is still solid. Would it be worth anything? Thank you for any information you can help me with.

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LOU August 16, 2014 at 4:52 pm

I have a 1968 action comic #358, it’s kept in great condition. Would this be worth anything?

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Marc Foucher November 10, 2012 at 5:28 pm

The Walking Dead #1, #2. Had I had the vision the buy multiple copies of these in 2003 I would be a rich man. I believe this comic is the fastest appreciating comic book in the history of comic book. Mind boggling that these are going for thousands of dollars only 9 years out.

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yvonne beggs October 20, 2013 at 10:43 pm

I have a 1996 conan vs the living dead vol 1 no 6. The second page is not placed properly done during printing. What is the value. I heard they also stopped printing to chang the name to walking dead??

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