I’ve been reading comics since I was a small child. I’m pretty sure, without exaggeration, that I learned how to read largely because of comics.

Like anyone in the hobby, I’d fallen in and out of it through the years. These days, I’m fully back in it, though I’m not terribly concerned with new titles. I’m more interested in back issues, mainly from the formative years of my youth- the so-called “Bronze Age “ between 1970-1985.

I’ve been building up my collection with lots of “reader copies” - books that are good for the home library but won’t exactly be paying for any college tuition bills. As I’ve been jumping back in, it’s clear that since I started collecting many years ago, the hobby of collecting has changed a lot, to no one’s surprise. 

“Slabbed,” or professionally graded and encased comics are very much a factor in modern collecting, making even amateur collectors think of comics less as pieces of a narrative and more as numbers on a 10 scale. I used to - still do - chase missing books and key issues. The chase for books that are only graded above certain numbers is relatively new and kinda gross  to me, though I realize that may make me sound like an old man.

It’s an interesting time for the aftermarket, and that’s the focus of this episode. Don’t be scared: this one’s not a nerdy deep dive into comic book lore. Instead, it’s about the art and science of collecting, speculation, and the buying and selling of used comics. You don’t need to read comics to listen or watch this episode.

Two of my Facebook friends seem to have figured a lot of this puzzle out, and I’ve wanted to pick their brains for a while. Joining me are two guys who never met before recording.

First, it’s Jon Belonio.  Find him at cstyledog on Instagram, cstyledog_comics on ebay

And here’s Dave Zortea. He’s at Zortea.us, Tiki Comics on Facebook Marketplace, and Tikicomicsandmore on ebay.

For this episode,we met outside the Half Price Books in Schaumburg - I’m not convinced there are deals to find at Half Price Books, but it made geographic sense to meet there.

Discussed on this episode:

-Is there money to be made in flipping comics?

-Where do you source comics?

-What platforms are best for selling?
-Should we all pool resources and do a video claim sale together?

-Raw vs. slabbed.

-The simple joy of having a good “reader copy”

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