How are UK comics quoted values determined?

[Nagorama]

I would like to ask a general question: I searched the forum but couldn't find anything so I am taking the liberty to ask here. This is regarding comics prices and how they are determined, in particular for vintage/out-of-print ones.

For example, there is the website Bédéthèque for franco-belgian comics which lists the quoted value of comics, in order to give collectors an idea of their prices, even though the quotes listed there should be taken with a tiny weenie pinch of salt...

So my question is: is there an equivalent of Bédéthèque for the British market, an official website or physical publication, that pretty much does the same job and can be used as a reference to determine the actual value of a comic?

Thanks.

[Phoenix]

So my question is: is there an equivalent of Bédéthèque for the British market, an official website or physical publication, that pretty much does the same job and can be used as a reference to determine the actual value of a comic?

Just as a guide, Nagorama, you could check the asking prices on 30th Century Comics' website. I'm not aware of any actual publication that will give you a clear indication of today's values as The Comic Book Price Guide by Duncan McAlpine used to do, unless that is still being produced. There was also the official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide but I think that only concerned itself with American Comics. As we are well aware, eBay is useless because many sellers have a habit of simply thinking of a number, doubling it and adding ten.

[colcool007]

There is nothing to declare the prices of UK comics as X pounds for Y comic. While McAlpine's book used to work, it was more for dealers to have an idea what comics were roughly worth rather than a value for use by an insurance valuator.

Your best bet is to either ask the less grumpy members of the forum, check out sites such as Compal comics for the latest prices paid for any of your comics or phone your Local Comic Shop (LCS) that is known to deal in British comics.

Most LCS staff won't have a clue about British comics nor will most care.

As to how prices are determined, it is usually the law of supply and demand. How much is a collector willing to pay for that mint issue of Skipper? And then taking it from there.

There are very few hard and fast rules on UK comic prices, but unless you have a rarity such as issue 2 of 2000AD with free gift (circa £500 in very good plus condition) or issue 1 of Commando (circa £500 in good condition plus) then you are rarely looking at more than £2-3 per issue.

Hope this helps a wee bit Nagorama

[Nagorama]

There is nothing to declare the prices of UK comics as X pounds for Y comic. While McAlpine's book used to work, it was more for dealers to have an idea what comics were roughly worth rather than a value for use by an insurance valuator.

Your best bet is to either ask the less grumpy members of the forum, check out sites such as Compal comics for the latest prices paid for any of your comics or phone your Local Comic Shop (LCS) that is known to deal in British comics.

Most LCS staff won't have a clue about British comics nor will most care.

As to how prices are determined, it is usually the law of supply and demand. How much is a collector willing to pay for that mint issue of Skipper? And then taking it from there.

There are very few hard and fast rules on UK comic prices, but unless you have a rarity such as issue 2 of 2000AD with free gift (circa £500 in very good plus condition) or issue 1 of Commando (circa £500 in good condition plus) then you are rarely looking at more than £2-3 per issue.

Hope this helps a wee bit Nagorama

Thank you, I will check out the sites you mentionned. I was just curious. I would think maybe the market is smaller here as there is considerably less interest in comics than on the Continent?! The law of supply and demand also applies in the franco-belgian field too (or in any country for that matter). I know there is a UK publication (of which I forgot the name) for records and CDs, that is constantly updated for example and wondered if the same existed for comics.

[Adam Eterno]

A question I have sought an answer to for many years.

I buy and sell on Ebay a lot and have done for 14 years so I'm forever trying to work out if a comic is worth x amount or y for both buying and selling. I basically fund my extensive comic buying and collecting by trading on ebay......ish.

I use Compal as well, particularly for older comics. I use the advanced feature on Ebay that goes back 3 months and also Phil Shrimpton's site which shows his sales over the years although I tend to use his site as an indicator of maximum price. Because of the importance to me of the possible value of the thousands of comics I buy and sell, I also started keeping records of prices attained on ebay for UK comics about 3 years ago so if you need to have an idea of what a particular issue has sold for over the past 3 years, I may have the info, just PM me. It's not complete in any way but I have thousands of records.

[Nagorama]

Thank you Adam Eterno. By Phil Shrimpton, do you mean this site? http://www.phil-comics.com/ (which I didn't know of). I tend to align prices for franco-belgian comics on Bedetheque listings but it isn't as straightforward for UK or US comics. Thank you all for all the information

[Shiner]

Duncan's comicpriceguide.co.uk fits the bill, whether for British or American titles. There's a sub to pay but it's a good read.

[Adam Eterno]

Thank you Adam Eterno. By Phil Shrimpton, do you mean this site? http://www.phil-comics.com/ (which I didn't know of). I tend to align prices for franco-belgian comics on Bedetheque listings but it isn't as straightforward for UK or US comics. Thank you all for all the information

Yes, sorry, I meant to provide a link. Just go to the auction results section

[geoff42]

Prices on comics is subjective. A man/woman who is flush will be prepared to pay more for a collection or an individual issue, which doesn't necessarily inflate the price of the aforementioned. From personal experience, I've seen a Fury UK comic issue 1 with free gift go for £125. A few months later, I bought one for less than £15. I've seen it go for less. So, no publication could really evaluate a whole comic industry with great accuracy. There are always the usual suspects that will garner a certain price or more i.e. early issues with free gifts. As for issues in general... it's basically up to you on how much its worth. The problem is that someone will deem it more valuable

[big bad bri]

i think that is why ebay sellers live in cloud cuckoo land with prices of certain comics say £9.99 for individual issues of wow etc as they see what one over enthusiastic person has paid ie £125 for fury 1 and they set silly prices hoping to get the same and they are prob stuck with them for years.

[Nagorama]

Duncan's comicpriceguide.co.uk fits the bill, whether for British or American titles. There's a sub to pay but it's a good read.

And another one I didn't know of Thank you.

[big bad bri]

i didn't know about that site as well that's why i said ages ago we should have a links page for this sort of thing for all these comic sites as i didn't know about half of those posted in various topics and i'm sure there's a load more i and other members don't have a clue about.

[Lew Stringer]

Prices on comics is subjective. A man/woman who is flush will be prepared to pay more for a collection or an individual issue, which doesn't necessarily inflate the price of the aforementioned. From personal experience, I've seen a Fury UK comic issue 1 with free gift go for £125. A few months later, I bought one for less than £15. I've seen it go for less. So, no publication could really evaluate a whole comic industry with great accuracy. There are always the usual suspects that will garner a certain price or more i.e. early issues with free gifts. As for issues in general... it's basically up to you on how much its worth. The problem is that someone will deem it more valuable

Exactly. A guide is just that: a guide. It's not set in stone. Prices vary too much for such guides to be taken seriously. As you said, the amount someone is prepared to pay is what it's worth to them, based on what the individual can afford, not an indication of its value to anyone else.

[Nagorama]

So my question is: is there an equivalent of Bédéthèque for the British market, an official website or physical publication, that pretty much does the same job and can be used as a reference to determine the actual value of a comic?

Just as a guide, Nagorama, you could check the asking prices on 30th Century Comics' website. I'm not aware of any actual publication that will give you a clear indication of today's values as The Comic Book Price Guide by Duncan McAlpine used to do, unless that is still being produced. There was also the official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide but I think that only concerned itself with American Comics. As we are well aware, eBay is useless because many sellers have a habit of simply thinking of a number, doubling it and adding ten.

Thank you Phoenix.
The overstreet Comic Book price Guide is here http://www.gemstonepub.com/comic-book-price-guide but they seem to offer it as a physical book when it's the type of publication you would expect to get as an e-book nowadays, for easier and immediate updating. Plus it wouldn't sell out.

[Adam Eterno]

Prices on comics is subjective. A man/woman who is flush will be prepared to pay more for a collection or an individual issue, which doesn't necessarily inflate the price of the aforementioned. From personal experience, I've seen a Fury UK comic issue 1 with free gift go for £125. A few months later, I bought one for less than £15. I've seen it go for less. So, no publication could really evaluate a whole comic industry with great accuracy. There are always the usual suspects that will garner a certain price or more i.e. early issues with free gifts. As for issues in general... it's basically up to you on how much its worth. The problem is that someone will deem it more valuable

I believe that a history of what things have sold for in the past is the best guide for me personally as it shows obvious hikes in price or indeed bargains that were had. Checking my ebay records regarding Fury #1 with free gift and I have:

Fury #1 with free gift

£137 05/14
£23 01/14
£19 04/15
£19 11/14
£18 03/15
£13 08/14

This shows me that I shouldn't pay over £20ish for the comic and that less than £13 would be a bargain!

I only have two records of #2 with gift at £25 and £30. I'm still looking to buy that myself!

Patience is the answer for a collector.