How to sell comics on Ebay. How to grade the books, scan, describe them and figure out shipping costs.

I've been selling comics on Ebay  for 5 years now. Also I've seen all the mistake people make. First of all the image of the cover of the comic must be clear, cropped to the edges of the cover, no distracting table, chairs walls around the book. And please scan it! If you take a photo do your best to aviod glare and to get the book as square to the picture plane as possible. So it is much better to have it scanned. If you don't have a scanner go to Staples, Kinko's or any copy shop and let them do it for you. Also don't scan it with the bag over it. Carefully take it out of the bag if it's in one, and then scan and return it to the comic bag or mylar cover. Scans with the comic bag on them look awful and actually make the comic look worse than it is. Why try and sell a car with clear plastic all over it? Or anything for that matter. Exceptions are if the comic was purchased in a sealed bag, and you don't want to take it out destroying the sealed bag. Toys also are worth more if still in the original containers. The other exception of course is if the comic is graded by CGC or PGX companies like that. Of course you don't take them out to scan them. They are already graded so the images are not all that important in this case. If you don't know about scanning read up on it at the library! I don't make the files any larger than 500pixels tall and in Photoshop I use the "Save to Web" obtion under "file". Then make the quality as low as you can before you see the image degrade. Have the double view up so you can compare it to the original. You can go down below 40 for sure and it still looks good. For more on scanning email me.

Make sure the title of the auction has the name of the comic, and the number and maybe the year it came out. This is all very helpful as there are different volumes so a #5 could be from a different year, different volume. Read the fine print usually on the inside cover or bottom of the first page. The first thing there tells you the real title of the book, and issue number, and read along and you'll see the year. Also if this is a reprint you must state that in the auction description and prefurablly in the title as well. (I hate comic auctions that just say Spider-Man from 1990. What number is it for gosh sakes! And is it Web of, Spectacular, Amazing, etc...)

When describing the book don't hold back any flaws! If you see a crease, fold, area missing, loose from the staples, pages missing or torn, you should list them. Stains, fingerprints, you name it. Don't hold back anything. If you aim to try and grade the book yourself here's what I do:

GOOD: book is very worn out, lots of creases but it is mostly still held together and complete. Could have some tape on it or someone had some fun with a pen or pencil on it.

Very GOOD: Book is worn with some creases on the corners and folds but not horribly messed up. No tape but could have some date stamps or pen marks. (nothing major.) Usually still tight to the staples. If the book looks perfect but loose from a staple it's still not FINE its VG.

FINE: Mostly the book is perfect with maybe some bent corners and some light creasing on the spine. If you see more than the lightest creasing on the corners this book is not fine, it's VG. (A common mistake on EBay.)

Very FINE: This book has maybe one or two small problems but otherwise perfect! Look long and hard at all sides of the book before attempting to put this as your grade.

Near MINT: This book has maybe a microscopic problem. Look long and hard at all sides of the book before attempting to put this as your grade.

MINT: This book would hold up to the best eye! Look long and hard at all sides of the book before attempting to put this as your grade.

People are way more critical than in the 70's and 80's when I was collecting comics. Back then if the book was held firm by the staples and only had a few creases on the cover it was in FINE. Not now. And then if the book had just one tiny flaw it was still considered Mint or Near Mint, now it could be a VF. Times have changed and you have to be super critical of the defects. If you are you'll have more happy customers.

When it comes to shipping I tend to let lots of auctions go by that I would have bid on. I get a little angry when I see one comic has to ship for $5.00, and they are not talking Priorty Mail. To ship one book first class in the US is about $1.52. That's all. And to add two or three more to that will take it up to about $2.50 to $3.00. They want to add 75 cents to each book added, now they are getting $6.50 to ship 3 books. Look at the postage when you get the books. It's never that high. They are making money off of the shipping. It is a rip off. You can send 50 comics in a flat rate box for $8.10. Give me a break. And if they charge a handling fee I just delete it from my watch list. I have tons of extra cardboard and stuff to ship and don't have to buy anything. Plus if you save the cardboard from cereal boxes and stuff you buy, it costs you nothing to cut two slabs of cardboard and mail a comic. Save all the envelopes you get comics from if you buy stuff on EBay and reuse it. Just make sure everything is taped up really good. I use the clear wide tape generously. I tape all sides and accross the middle. It could survive a dip in the ocean!

---Allen Freeman - fanaticpress