The Comic Book Lot

      So here's a question that often comes up from people looking to buy comics. You see comic book lots on Ebay for a variety of prices but should you buy them? It all depends on you really and what you're looking for. It would seem like they're a bad idea because you're getting a bunch of comics you can't see and the seller could be lying about the condition of the books. Nothing worse than getting a bunch of comics that look terrible and do nothing for your collection. What kind of comic person are you? Are you one of those who are looking at these lots and thinking there's a hidden gem in there or are you like me and just looking for something new to read? I collect but not for the same reasons others do. I read all of my comics and have even bought some X-men Gold that were former library copies. The bar code on the cover alone shows me that these are never going to be worth anything but that's not a problem. I picked up an entire run for a buck a piece which isn't bad at all. The point is, I bought them because I had wanted to read them and the money I paid wasn't terrible. If you're thinking there might be gold in that lot you're probably going to be dissapointed with what you purchased because most of these comics are nineties castoffs that no one wanted and you're not getting just DC or Marvel. 

       When I bought my first lot I wasn't looking to spend a lot. Just wanted to see what I could find and I wanted something cheap. Here's the best advice I can give. If you want to dip your toe into the comic book lot purchase find something simple. You don't want to spend forty bucks on a bunch of books you'll probably end up hating. My first lot was just ten comics for seven bucks and some change and best of all? Free shipping. What I ended up with was exactly what I expected. Some early Image stuff and a few books I'd never heard of. One book was worth about eight dollars which isn't terrible but I just wanted to check out the lot to see what I would get. The books were in pretty good shape but most weren't bagged or boarded which wasn't an issue because I have tons of bags and boards. Not everyone takes care of their books and most f these probably came from an auction anyway and were just shipped off to anyone who wanted a bunch of comics to read. Would I buy buy another lot? I did. Bought two more from the same seller and got a bunch of interesting stuff that I had never heard of and some stuff I had. In this lot were some sealed X-men comics from the ninties which everyone thought would be worth a lot of money, but aren't. When you have a sealed X-men comic with the trading cards still inside it's a cool thing to have, but it's not worth anything. 

       I have a few comics that are sealed and came with trading cards. They were so cheap I bought two just so I could have one to read. There was a sealed Daredevil annual in there too that I would kill to open but until I can track down another copy I'll hold off. At most, it'll set me back six dollars and some change. Yeah, I spent 7 on a lot and found a comic worth six. That's what will dissapoint most people buying these things. The thrill of just getting a box with random comics isn't enough. There should be some value, but to be fair, it's a rarity. Once you decide you want to take the risk have fun with it. At best you're going to add to your collection and what's cool is that you're probably going to get titles you already read. 

                                 

    I did buy a horror lot and got a nice surprise. One comic I got was called Scare Tactics. It was issue ten which isn't bad, but it was a comic I'd never heard of and as expected isn't worth anything. I use the CLZ app to keep track of my collection and the cover came up as B which I didn't understand. Why were there two covers and why did they look the same? Turns out, the issue I have is a missprint and worth a hundred bucks. The lot was 8 and I got a hundred dollar comic out of it. It's a rarity but it does happen. I was surprised that it was worth that much and even bought the entire series just to have them in my collection. I now have all twelve issues of the comic and the seller who sold me the set was kind enough to send me two copies of issue ten. One of which was the misprinted cover. All that's different is the tag line which was used on issue nine. It took me a while to track down any information on it and what I found told me that no one is really sure which is the rare cover. The normal cover is worth about two dollars while the missprint is the one that pulls in the most money, but is anyone really looking for it? Probably not. I'm okay with that and like the fact that I have something interesting to show people. 

                                                   

       Here we are back at the question of should you invest in one of these lots. If you're just getting into comics it's a great way to find something you'll like. If you're buying them to read I would say start cheap just to add to your collection. You're probably going to get some titles you've never heard of but if you like it, odds are you'll head down to your local comic book store and buy more of them. It's happened to me and I'm sure it's happened to a lot of people. I like the lots because it's fun and it's kind of like Christmas everytime I open the package. For new collectors these lots add more to your collection so it's a win for you. If you're going to do it make sure you have a price in mind and stick to it. There's a lot of lots to chose from so figure out what you want to spend and go from there. I've gotten five lots so far and the most I spent was seventeen on fifty comics. That was a great box and added more to my Batman and Fantastic Four collection. It also gave me five comics I'll trade off because I already have the issues and I'm not a fan of Magic The Gathering. Two comics were something called Fantastic Force and they were awful awful books but even though they weren't what I was into, someone else is. You may get some clunkers but why not take the risk? 

         Newer readers should check out these lots because of the amount of stuff you're getting. For me, the lots are are interesting in that I never know what I'll get and I always end up with something new that I wouldn't have found on my own. You can also cater your lot to what you're into. Mycomicshop.com has lots that feature individual characters and there's a lot to choose from. I like that you can get 30 comics for a set price and get exactly what you want, but it's the mystery lots that are way more fun. My answer to the big question is yes, you should check out those lots on Ebay simply because it's a great way to buy in bulk and you get some pretty decent stuff. There are probably others who got burned or received some bad book who will tell you no, that's not a good idea. The risk is too great. There's a huge what if factor but so what? You know what you spent and the return is exactly what you want it to be. You're the only one who can for sure if a lot is a good idea, but you should at least buy one just to say you did it. Odds are, you'll buy more and that's where the problem lies. Place limits, but most importantly? Have fun. Read your comics and take care of them.