Getting Rich with Comic Books: Forget It!

As a comic book collector and a former comics shop owner, I have witnessed behavior that I find rather amusing, almost appalling, from quite a number of people over the years.

But before I begin dispelling the "get rich" myth associated with accumulating (notice I didn't say "collecting"; there IS a difference) comic books, allow me to give a bit of background concerning my own fascination with this hobby. I've been reading and collecting comics since I was 8 years old. As I got older, I sadly discovered the snickers and guffaws given behind my back (and sometimes right to my face) whenever I mentioned my love for comics to the other kids in the neighborhood, kids at school, and even some visiting relatives. "You're too old to be readin' dem funny books" was the general consensus of my peers. But I just kept doing what I loved in spite of it; I wasn't harming anyone and I knew better than any of them the appeal they held for me. I wasn't alone in this, as I gradually found out.

But I felt I had only a couple of options to avoid the ridicule that came with my participation in such a hobby; one, I could keep my mouth shut about the whole thing and just go along the best I can throughout my high school years, pining for the day my sentence in that hellhole would end with diploma in hand, or two, if it was discovered by someone not already in the know about my "funny book" obssession, I would attempt to disarm them by appealing to their potentially greedy side, suggesting that comics are worth a lot of money. Sometimes it actually worked, not to the point that they would become interested, but enough where they would leave me alone and adopt more of a "live and let live" attitude with me.

College was much more pleasant for me. There, I was able to connect with other like-minded students who shared my love for comics, even going so far as to start an informal (i.e. - not officially recognized by the university) comic collectors club. Some of the members were interested in making some money off the hobby, but it was more of a secondary thing, an added bonus if you will. But one of the members who actually worked in a used bookstore that had a rather extensive comics section told me stories about people who would come in with the intent of purchasing a large number of comics (mostly new ones off the rack, not so much any from the back-issue section) and socking them away in a dry, dark corner of the house in hopes of making lots of money off of them in a minimum of a year's time, never to be read or enjoyed. He just shook his head at the kookiness of it all.

Fast forward a couple of years after college; I decided to open my own comics shop after not having much success in the job market. With a loan from my mother, I managed to do just that (had to close it a year later, but that's another story for another time). Despite it being such a large undertaking and an inducerr of headaches, I did enjoy the experience overall. But I would get some types in the store who would pull a brand-new comic off the rack, take it up to the counter, and ask "Is this going to be worth a lot of money?" I had to tell them honestly that I didn't know. Then I would get the ones in who would insist that I help make selections that would be worth hundreds of dollars in the not-too-distant future. Huh? Are they kidding??? First of all, there's no way I could be sure of that 100 percent. Secondly, if I knew for sure, I certainly wouldn't have them all out on the rack selling them brand-new for cover price; I'd hoard them in the back room until the market showed a significant increase and then I alone would sell them for hundreds of dollars. Honestly, when some people show their greed, their common sense takes leave of them as well.

So is it possible to get rich from selling comic books? I suppose it is. But the chances that anyone can find a near mint copy of Detective Comics #27 or Action Comics #1 stashed away in Grandpa's attic is slim to none. It has happened, but those cases are extremely rare, not unlike the Edgar Church (a.k.a. Mile High) collection discovered in Colorado in the mid-70s by Chuck Rosanzki, who is now founder and president of Mile High Comics in the Denver area. Any other effort to make substantial money from comics would be in vain. And if this article doesn't convince you, try selling some of your X-Men or Spider-Man comics to the local dealer; he'll either tell you directly he doesn't need them due to oversupply or he'll give you an offer so low you'll run out of the shop screaming. Want to sell them yourself? Hope you have a lot of patience! You'll need to find people interested in your comics. eBay, you say? Sure, you can post them on eBay. But fair warning; people looking for comics on eBay are also looking for bargains as well, so you may only sell them for a fraction of market value, depending on what price guide you're looking at. Unless you have some really sought-after key issues for sale, expect to take what you can get.

Comics are meant to be read and enjoyed; any monetary gain should be low on the list. So do you still believe you can get rich with comic books? I wouldn't be writing this article if it was possible. That should be proof enough...