A Guide to Buying Comics on Ebay

Ebay is a great place to buy comics, but it can be tough to know which comics to buy, and which ones to pass on. When buying comics on ebay: What sellers should you trust? When should you back away from a deal? How much should you bid for the book?

Well fear not. I have done the research for you. I have years of experience buying comics on ebay and I took a few polls within a few different comic communities to come up with what to look out for.

Which Sellers Should You Buy From?

One thing about Ebay, is that anyone could be on there selling comics. It could be a huge comic shop like My Comic Shop, or it could be some guy who found a comic in the wall of his 100 year old house and knows nothing about them. So how do you know which sellers to buy from.

Check their feedback score

One of the top ways to trust a seller is to check their feedback score. This will tell you whether the seller has been on Ebay a while, or if they just opened their account. If the seller has too many negative reviews, don’t buy. If the seller doesn’t have enough reviews, be cautious. I wouldn’t recommend buying an expensive book ($50+) from a seller with out much feedback. It’s too big of a risk. I wouldn’t mind, however, purchasing a $5 book from a seller with low feedback. This is a low risk, and it may help the seller establish themselves.

Check the other things they have sold

Sometimes, even if a seller has great feedback, they may have gained their score by selling things other than comics. Comics have to be packaged very carefully and everyone knows that the USPS isn’t always careful with packages. So check the sellers sold listings, or the other items in their store. You can see what they sold by looking through their reviews. If they haven’t sold many comics, don’t be afraid to ask them about their packaging method, or recommend one for them. Make sure they know that a bubble mailer and a thin piece of cardboard is not going to protect your investment.

Know the Condition of the Book

One of the most important things about buying a comic, especially a high value key, is knowing the condition. First off, you want to READ THE ENTIRE DESCRIPTION. You would be surprised how many people don’t read these days.
As far as knowing the condition, there is a big difference in buying a slabbed book vs a raw book on Ebay. When purchasing a higher value book, I recommend going for a slabbed book so thatyou can make sure that you know exactly what you’re getting. Slabbed books are comics which are graded and encased in a plastic protective case by a professional grading company. So, if a book is slabbed, and it says that it is a 9.8, then 99% of the time, it will be exactly what it says. (As with anything, you have to watch out for fraudulent sellers, but this goes back to their feedback).

Even though the comic is graded, you still want to examine all pictures to make sure that the plastic case is in good condition, and doesn’t appear to be tampered with. If the seller doesn’t provide enough pictures, ask to see more.

Know the Condition of a “Raw” Comic

Raw books can be a littler trickier to buy on ebay. A Raw book is a book that has not been professionally encased. Usually a raw book will bagged and boarded.

When buying a raw book you take the risk of the book not being in the condition stated by the seller. Most sellers on Ebay aren’t expert graders, so they don’t know the exact condition of their comics. Many sellers who know nothing about comics will say that a comic is in “Mint Condition” when actually the comic is a very low grade book. They most likely aren’t doing this on purpose, but they probably just don’t understand what exactly the word “mint” means.

When buying a raw book you want to examine all of the images as closely as possible. Look for any defects that may be in the comic. If the seller doesn’t provide enough information, don’t be afraid to ask questions and ask for more pictures. Be sure to ask for images of the inside pages as well as the front and back cover. If comic contains a “Marvel value stamp” then make sure it is still in the book.

If you don’t get enough satisfactory answers to your questions, or if the seller doesn’t send more pictures upon request, then don’t be afraid to pass on the sale. Is your gut telling you it’s a bad idea? Then go with your instinct.

Know the Value of the Comic

Don’t over pay when buying comics on Ebay. Just because a book is listed on Ebay for $500, doesn’t mean it’s actually worth $500. The value of a book is solely based on how much someone is willing to pay. So, what’s the best way to find that out? Through ebays “sold listing.”

You can search ebay for sold listings just like you can for new listings. Sold listings will let you know what the going price for a book is. There will be a few deviations from the average, but over all, this will give you a good insight as to what you should pay.

When searching the sold listings, be sure to search for the exact comic you are about to buy. Make sure you include the grade, whether or not it’s slabbed, the grading company that slabbed it, and whether or not it has any signatures. All of this can effect the value of the book.

Make an Offer

Sometimes an item on Ebay will have the options to either Buy it Now, or to Make an Offer. I usually go for the “Make an Offer” option. This could save you some money. The seller might not always take the offer, but they may counter your offer with a new offer. Then you can either take their new offer, or make another counter offer. The only risk you run with this is if someone makes a better offer or if someone uses the “buy it now” option.

Know What You Want to Spend

If you start off with a budget for your comic, then stick to it. If it is reasonable, you will probably find a comic for your price. Don’t go over your budget. This is really hard when you get caught up in a bidding war. But know the max that you are prepared to spend, and don’t go over.

Shipping

I’ve heard many horror stories when it comes to shipping comics. Everyone knows that shipping companies can mishandle mail. This isn’t new news. Postal workers have a ton of work to do, and they don’t know the value of your book. If they can bend something to fit it in your mailbox, they probably will.

Sellers should know this. Comics should never be shipped in just an envelope… even if it’s a bubble mailer. Those don’t protect from bends. Comics should be shipped in a rigged cardboard mailer with protection against bends and drops (corner dings). Anything less is unacceptable.

Your comic should arrive in the same condition as described in your sale. If it doesn’t contact the seller and ask for a resolution. Either a refund or a percentage off. (Writing “DO NOT BEND” on an envelope is not an excuse to not package a comic correctly.) If a seller does not work with you to justify the situation, don’t be afraid to warn future customers by leaving appropriate feedback.

Media Mail

Some sellers state how items will ship. If they don’t ask. If they don’t ship according to your standards, ask if they will add extra protection. MEDIA MAIL: Media mail is a much cheaper way to ship books. However keep in mind that USPS does NOT allow for any book with ads to be shipped using Media Mail. This includes comic books. Typical comic books, with ads, are not allowed through Media Mail, and therefore any insurance included will not cover the value of the book. Some sellers will still ship their books using media mail. 99% of the time, the USPS delivers the package with no problem, however keep in mind, that the buyer can be charged extra for the package if the USPS decides to take action. Some sellers will state in their description that they ship media mail, and some do not.

To Sum it up…

• Check the Seller’s Feedback Score
• Make sure the seller knows how to ship comics
• Read the ENTIRE description of the book
• Examine all pictures closely, and ask for more pictures if needed
• Know the value of the book you are buying (check sold items)
• Know your budget and don’t go over
• Make an offer if available
• As them to ship it correctly
• If problems arise, ask for a resolution

Click HERE to start shopping on Ebay