Collecting and reading comics, like any other hobby, requires a fair bit of a monetary investment. However, the great thing about comics is that you can spend as much as you’re willing to, and there isn’t really an initial start up cost, like there is with something like video games (cost for system, TV, games, etc.) It can add up quickly, though. Here are some tips to help get more bang (and pow! and thud!) for your buck.
One of the easiest ways do save money is to not mind a little use on your comics. Are you looking to collect comics in mint condition? Then you’ll pay new price. But if you’re looking for comics to just read, you can save a great deal by buying used. Something you’ll need to decide when you first start collecting.
In-Stores
I will always first and foremost be in favor of supporting your local comic book store (LCS). Without them, the hobby wouldn’t exist. They provide the media, a community to be part of, and someone to help guide you through your comic experience and make recommendations. That said, a comic store should be worthy of your time and money. They should have a good stock of comics, and get most of the new releases each week. Also, any store worth it’s salt will have a subscription service, where you can tell them what titles you want, and they will automatically hold a copy of each issue in that comic for you, and usually give you a discount. My LCS, Galactic Greg’s, give a 10% discount on any subscription comics, and the discount goes up the more you subscribe to. Ten percent may not seem like much, but when you’re going every Wednesday like I do, it adds up fast. Remember, more money equals more comics.
Sales. Watch for sales. Subscribe to your LCS’s newsletter, facebook, twitter, etc. Find out when the sales are and take advantage of ‘em. Seems like common knowledge, but this is one people forget. If there’s something specific you’re looking for, go early. You can get a great deal of fantastic one dollar and twenty-five cent comics that way. Case in point: I’ve been looking to build up my stock of X-Men monthlies, but had a bunch of gaps in the 300 range. I knew Greg’s was having a sale, so I wrote down the ones I was looking for and got most of them for a dollar a piece. The store made money, and I got a great deal and a fuller collection.
Talk to people. Talk to the clerk, or the store owner. Talk to the other people there. See if you can work out a deal. Maybe buy in bulk. Get to know ‘em. Get creative. Also, friends. I’ve gotten quite a few good deals from friends who were looking to liquidate their collections. Used book stores are also great. You never know what you’ll find, or the condition it’ll be in, but the price will be fantastic. I’m a fan of Half Priced Books (located in Indianapolis, and other places). Like their name suggests, all books are (at least) half off the cover price. If you don’t mind things not being new, used book stores are fantastic. Also, conventions. Amazing sales to be found at conventions. Some merchants only deal in cash, though. So come prepared.
Like these guys. Talk to them, if you see ‘em.
Online
If you can’t find what you’re looking for at your local comic book store, then it’s time to head online. The first place I suggest should be fairly obvious: Amazon. A lot of my collection has come from Amazon. Between the store itself and the other people selling stuff, you will find a bargain nine times out of ten, and because everything is sorted by ISBN, you can be assured that the book you’re looking at is the one you’ll receive. Amazon support is fantastic. In the rare case something doesn’t arrive, they will do what it takes to retain you as a customer. In my years of ordering, it has happened once to me. I contacted Amazon support, and within two days I had a full refund for my item, (and this was a book sold from another seller, not Amazon itself). Couple things worth noting: Amazon usually has new hardcovers at about half price. Super saver shipping can be a great deal if you don’t need your books tomorrow. Watch out for Library Copies, they’ll usually be cheap but covered in stickers. Try to stay with ‘good’ or higher. ‘Acceptable’ can be alright if you’re desperate, but not recommended.
A few other sites: My Comic Shop, Midtown Comics, In Stock Trades. All great sites with great prices, and some fantastic deals. Shop around. Do some comparisons. Google Shopping is also useful. And lastly, there’s ebay. Between these sites, you should be able to find what you’re looking for at a price you want. Just don’t forget that it all adds up, and there is shipping.
This is what I’m trying to help you save
So now you have it, my friends. A few ways to save money, all while reading all the comics you want. Now you tell me, what are your tips for saving money while buying comics?
This game could have been so much better.
Should I go back to playing World of Warcraft, I quit the game some time ago to play Warhammer Online (Before Wrath of the Lich King released) but the endgame ended up being boring in Warhammer so I quit that as well after reaching max level and not enjoying the end game.
I haven’t been playing any mmo’s for a while now, though I of course still spend just as much time playing games as I did in mmo’s I’ve been an avid mmo gamer since txt based muds, played UO, EQ, EQ2, DAoC, DDO, EvE, AC, AoC, Vanguard, CoH/CoV, the list goes on and on and it seems a bit odd not having one to play nowadays. I have a few friends that I had lost touch with after graduating from university that still play WoW and I would be able to communicate / share an experiences with them more easily if I were playing.
I read a lot of people saying that World of Warcraft killed their social life..etc.. this is interesting however not very applicable to myself, as I would spend just as much time playing Left 4 Dead, and Team Fortress 2 as I would WoW. There really isn’t much of a “social life” to be lost as I’ve been single for around seven years with no interest in finding a new girl since the last one. This is fairly common amongst members of my generation as we’re more accustomed to interfacing with technology than actual people it would seem (hence yahoo answers). The biggest concern is that I’m moving from the United States to Japan in four months. My PC is coming with me so I could still play there but I don’t know how much the experience of living in a “foreign” environment will alter my gaming habits.
In addition to being a gamer I’m also an artist / musician, and a fan of horror movies and novels / comics. None of these areas of my life have “suffered” due to gaming ever before, so I’m not looking for advice on whether I should be a gamer or not, but whether I should specifically play WoW or wait for another mmo, such as Jumpgate Evolution, Star Wars the old Republic, Star Trek Online, or DC Universe online..etc.. some of those seem a bit far off though. I’ve also considered the prospect of playing a more Japanese mmo since i’m moving there, I tried Final Fantasy 11 but it more or less made me want to vomit razor blades not possessing functionality that much older games have had for years.
Also don’t give me the “you’ll save lots of money by not playing these games blah blah blah” routine. I make money so that I can play games that’s what a gamer does just like anybody with any other hobby. If you were to frequent bars, play tabletop war games, collect model trains..etc. you would spend far more than 15 dollars per month, so the cash is of no concern to me realistically.
eer i meant have been not haven’t been.
So back in April 2011, I bought a HTC Freestyle on AT&T from Amazon Wireless. One of the things I agreed to when I bought the phone is that I would use it for a certain number of months. I can’t remember how many months it said and I can’t find it anywhere on the Amazon Wireless site. Does anyone know anything about this or know where I can find it?
Why do adults look down on children who express many adult-like qualities.
Examples:
-Multi-talented
-Speaks in intelligent conversation and uses big words
-Speaks different languages.
-Collects/ cleans their toys and rarely plays with them
-Gets along better with adults and has good and intelligent conversations.
-Painfully organized and keeps their areas clean.
They are trim and neat and never get any of their clothes dirtied. Their room is never messy.
-They are leaders and know what they want and how to get it. They know how to use others to get what they want in a clever, almost professional way.
They bend other children and even some adults to their whims.
-While kids their age are watching cartoons, they are in a library or watching the HIstory Chanel.
-
-Does things without being told.
-They are very observant of others and their habits.
-Is worried about money and saves their allowances and doesn’t spend it
-Very responsible. Often reminds adults what they have to do to parent them.
-They iron, clean and on occassion cook their own food.
-They know a lot about the adult world soley through reading. (AKA, they know thing they shoudn’t for a youngster, but it was all through reading.)
-Plans everything out
-Recives very high marks in school and even outsmarts teachers.
-Is a perfectionist and has many hobbies. They are obsessed with winning.
-They already know what college they want to go to.
-They heard about the Gerber Life plan and nag their parents to get them on the plan before the get too old.
-The child looks after themselves before anyone. They know it is money that makes the world go round and they will stop at nothing to obtain it. Their parents coax them to spend their allowances on candy or comic books, but the child wants nothing to do with those things. They are obsessed with saving the money, as they see it as a powerful tool.
If a child expresses ANY of the above traits, wouldn’t that hint that this is a GOOD thing… and that they may be geniuses? Yet, adults see it as creepy and not right… like the kid may have a disorder.
And I KNOW, this may be a little on the “long” side and I know that the Y!A community is allergic to reading. >>
But please, I need some answers.
Oh, and to the “Vinager” person, I thumbed-down you to non-existence
if you order anything from amazon do you have to use a creit card or can you just pay with money were if not were are some sites that do…??
Is everyone that sells items on amazon just regular people or do some companies sell there items through amazon? On amazon are people able to give back feedback scores and rate the overall experience from buying something off someone through amazon? whats better amazon or ebay?
I applied on Amazon’s website for a position in customer service working from home. I start training at their facility in Seattle on Friday. I have a recommendation from a doctor for medical marijuana, and am curious, if I can be denied the job because of this?
Additionally, what kind of drug test is it? Urine, blood or saliva? I am only on site for one day, Friday, but the rest of training will be at home.
Why do adults look down on children who express many adult-like qualities.
Examples:
-Multi-talented
-Speaks in intelligent conversation and uses big words
-Speaks different languages.
-Collects/ cleans their toys and rarely plays with them
-Gets along better with adults and has good and intelligent conversations.
-Painfully organized and keeps their areas clean.
They are trim and neat and never get any of their clothes dirtied. Their room is never messy.
-They are leaders and know what they want and how to get it. They know how to use others to get what they want in a clever, almost professional way.
They bend other children and even some adults to their whims.
-While kids their age are watching cartoons, they are in a library or watching the HIstory Chanel.
-
-Does things without being told.
-They are very observant of others and their habits.
-Is worried about money and saves their allowances and doesn’t spend it
-Very responsible. Often reminds adults what they have to do to parent them.
-They iron, clean and on occassion cook their own food.
-They know a lot about the adult world soley through reading. (AKA, they know thing they shoudn’t for a youngster, but it was all through reading.)
-Plans everything out
-Recives very high marks in school and even outsmarts teachers.
-Is a perfectionist and has many hobbies. They are obsessed with winning.
-They already know what college they want to go to.
-They heard about the Gerber Life plan and nag their parents to get them on the plan before the get too old.
-The child looks after themselves before anyone. They know it is money that makes the world go round and they will stop at nothing to obtain it. Their parents coax them to spend their allowances on candy or comic books, but the child wants nothing to do with those things. They are obsessed with saving the money, as they see it as a powerful tool.
If a child expresses ANY of the above traits, wouldn’t that hint that this is a GOOD thing… and that they may be geniuses? Yet, adults see it as creepy and not right… like the kid may have a disorder.
And I KNOW, this may be a little on the “long” side and I know that the Y!A community is allergic to reading. >>
But please, I need some answers.
Oh, and to the “Vinager” person, I thumbed-down you to non-existence
Why do adults look down on children who express many adult-like qualities.
Examples:
-Multi-talented
-Speaks in intelligent conversation and uses big words
-Speaks different languages.
-Collects/ cleans their toys and rarely plays with them
-Gets along better with adults and has good and intelligent conversations.
-Painfully organized and keeps their areas clean.
They are trim and neat and never get any of their clothes dirtied. Their room is never messy.
-They are leaders and know what they want and how to get it. They know how to use others to get what they want in a clever, almost professional way.
They bend other children and even some adults to their whims.
-While kids their age are watching cartoons, they are in a library or watching the HIstory Chanel.
-
-Does things without being told.
-They are very observant of others and their habits.
-Is worried about money and saves their allowances and doesn’t spend it
-Very responsible. Often reminds adults what they have to do to parent them.
-They iron, clean and on occassion cook their own food.
-They know a lot about the adult world soley through reading. (AKA, they know thing they shoudn’t for a youngster, but it was all through reading.)
-Plans everything out
-Recives very high marks in school and even outsmarts teachers.
-Is a perfectionist and has many hobbies. They are obsessed with winning.
-They already know what college they want to go to.
-They heard about the Gerber Life plan and nag their parents to get them on the plan before the get too old.
-The child looks after themselves before anyone. They know it is money that makes the world go round and they will stop at nothing to obtain it. Their parents coax them to spend their allowances on candy or comic books, but the child wants nothing to do with those things. They are obsessed with saving the money, as they see it as a powerful tool.
If a child expresses ANY of the above traits, wouldn’t that hint that this is a GOOD thing… and that they may be geniuses? Yet, adults see it as creepy and not right… like the kid may have a disorder.
And I KNOW, this may be a little on the “long” side and I know that the Y!A community is allergic to reading. >>
But please, I need some answers.
Oh, and to the “Vinager” person, I thumbed-down you to non-existence
Should I go back to playing World of Warcraft, I quit the game some time ago to play Warhammer Online (Before Wrath of the Lich King released) but the endgame ended up being boring in Warhammer so I quit that as well after reaching max level and not enjoying the end game.
I haven’t been playing any mmo’s for a while now, though I of course still spend just as much time playing games as I did in mmo’s I’ve been an avid mmo gamer since txt based muds, played UO, EQ, EQ2, DAoC, DDO, EvE, AC, AoC, Vanguard, CoH/CoV, the list goes on and on and it seems a bit odd not having one to play nowadays. I have a few friends that I had lost touch with after graduating from university that still play WoW and I would be able to communicate / share an experiences with them more easily if I were playing.
I read a lot of people saying that World of Warcraft killed their social life..etc.. this is interesting however not very applicable to myself, as I would spend just as much time playing Left 4 Dead, and Team Fortress 2 as I would WoW. There really isn’t much of a “social life” to be lost as I’ve been single for around seven years with no interest in finding a new girl since the last one. This is fairly common amongst members of my generation as we’re more accustomed to interfacing with technology than actual people it would seem (hence yahoo answers). The biggest concern is that I’m moving from the United States to Japan in four months. My PC is coming with me so I could still play there but I don’t know how much the experience of living in a “foreign” environment will alter my gaming habits.
In addition to being a gamer I’m also an artist / musician, and a fan of horror movies and novels / comics. None of these areas of my life have “suffered” due to gaming ever before, so I’m not looking for advice on whether I should be a gamer or not, but whether I should specifically play WoW or wait for another mmo, such as Jumpgate Evolution, Star Wars the old Republic, Star Trek Online, or DC Universe online..etc.. some of those seem a bit far off though. I’ve also considered the prospect of playing a more Japanese mmo since i’m moving there, I tried Final Fantasy 11 but it more or less made me want to vomit razor blades not possessing functionality that much older games have had for years.
Also don’t give me the “you’ll save lots of money by not playing these games blah blah blah” routine. I make money so that I can play games that’s what a gamer does just like anybody with any other hobby. If you were to frequent bars, play tabletop war games, collect model trains..etc. you would spend far more than 15 dollars per month, so the cash is of no concern to me realistically.
eer i meant have been not haven’t been.
My sister wants to buy an Amazon gift card on Amazon, but she doesn’t have a bank account or credit card or anything. Will they let her make an account on Amazon and use a gift card to purchase something or does she need a bank account attached to her Amazon account? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
I want to start selling on amazon, what are the requirements to be a seller?
what is the payment process like? whats good about selling on amazon?
Im an old ebay seller, Frankly im fed up with them.
Also what type of fees are associated with selling on amazon?
thanks
Why do adults look down on children who express many adult-like qualities.
Examples:
-Multi-talented
-Speaks in intelligent conversation and uses big words
-Speaks different languages.
-Collects/ cleans their toys and rarely plays with them
-Gets along better with adults and has good and intelligent conversations.
-Painfully organized and keeps their areas clean.
They are trim and neat and never get any of their clothes dirtied. Their room is never messy.
-They are leaders and know what they want and how to get it. They know how to use others to get what they want in a clever, almost professional way.
They bend other children and even some adults to their whims.
-While kids their age are watching cartoons, they are in a library or watching the HIstory Chanel.
-
-Does things without being told.
-They are very observant of others and their habits.
-Is worried about money and saves their allowances and doesn’t spend it
-Very responsible. Often reminds adults what they have to do to parent them.
-They iron, clean and on occassion cook their own food.
-They know a lot about the adult world soley through reading. (AKA, they know thing they shoudn’t for a youngster, but it was all through reading.)
-Plans everything out
-Recives very high marks in school and even outsmarts teachers.
-Is a perfectionist and has many hobbies. They are obsessed with winning.
-They already know what college they want to go to.
-They heard about the Gerber Life plan and nag their parents to get them on the plan before the get too old.
-The child looks after themselves before anyone. They know it is money that makes the world go round and they will stop at nothing to obtain it. Their parents coax them to spend their allowances on candy or comic books, but the child wants nothing to do with those things. They are obsessed with saving the money, as they see it as a powerful tool.
If a child expresses ANY of the above traits, wouldn’t that hint that this is a GOOD thing… and that they may be geniuses? Yet, adults see it as creepy and not right… like the kid may have a disorder.
And I KNOW, this may be a little on the “long” side and I know that the Y!A community is allergic to reading. >>
But please, I need some answers.
Oh, and to the “Vinager” person, I thumbed-down you to non-existence
Hi, I was wondering if there is a website that states how many comic books are sold each year?
It would particularly help I could find out the numbers for both the UK and the USA if possible.
Any help is appreciated.
Thank you.
I have ALOT of comic books, but most of them didn’t come with the typical protective plastic comic book bags (with the white cardboard inside) to preserve them. Where online can I buy plastic comic book bags (with the white cardboard inside) for my comic books?
I’m an aspiring comic book artist who is hoping to create and get a new comic book published sometimes in the future, and was wondering what books should I get to help me? The theme of mine will be about an indian girl wanting to be like a hero of legend, even after finding out he was a fake. There will be allot of kick butting.
Anyways any good art book suggestions ?
Okay…I have some old Archie Comic books. I want to make some extra cash, so I want to sell them on ebay or something. How much can I make? I have a lot of recent ones, and a few OLLD ones…? Anyone a comic book expert?
I haven’t read comic books since I was a kid and recently wanted to get back into. I was wondering what would be a good book to start reading? I wanted something that is somewhat new so I could pick it up at my local store. I always preferred a comic with a nice amount of action and a little bit of dark comedy (deadpool is a perfect example) So any comics that are like that would be awesome. Any help is would be great.
I need a reliable source for a presentation on the history of comic books. It’s a group presentation called Revenge of the Nerds and we’re covering all the cliche nerd activities.
Thank you so much. Those really helped.
I have 4 large boxes of comic books from the 1990s that I want to sell. How can I get the most value out of them? Should I sell them on eBay, to a comic store, or post an ad online or in the paper? Should I sell them individually, or in groups? Are the values listed in those comic book value guides accurate?
I have an amazon account and recently I have sold things on it. How do you transfer your money from amazon to your bank account?
I have been to many conventions located in different areas, and one of my favorite parts of the conventions is to get comic books signed. From Todd Nauck to Stan Lee, I have collected a many of autographed comic books. If I do decide to sell these comic books, do the autographs add or take away from the comic book value and by how much?
I have been out of the comic book world for 15 years and a friend recommended Josh Whedon’s Astonishing X-men vol 1 – 4. I loved it and looking for more comic books that are just a fun read with great art. What do you recommend?
i am looking to subscribe to one of the marvel comic books. i am a fan of batman and i collect batman comic books but ever since i started playing marvel ultimate alliance 2 i have become interested in marvel. i have been thinking about thor, spider man, captain america or new avengers but the thing is that i don’t know much about marvel. what comic book would should i get? and will the new avengers cover all the super heroes i mentioned?
I’ve been reading alot about investing in gold, silver, business ventures, and shares of stock. I know that comic books, like baseball cards, can change (usually increase) in monetary value. I have over 2,000 comic books from my childhood and most are in mint or close to mint condition. Are these comic books a worthy investment?
Like many people, the new Marvel movies (especially the Avengers) have really gotten me excited about the whole Marvel superhero series. I’m particularly a fan of Thor, since I love Norse mythology. I would love to start reading the comic books, but being completely new to the world of comic books, I have no idea where to start. Which books do I read and where do I get them? I’m enthusiastic but very clueless, and I would appreciate some direction!
I am a young adult who has not read comic books since I was a little kid, but I am going to the comic book convention in Chicago tomorrow and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about titles I should look for that would help me get interested in reading comics again.
I’m totally new to comic books, but I’m really interested in them, especially superhero ones. Since it’s such a vast world, can any fan tell me what i should do and where i should start?
I have several comic books that were sold in their original factory sealed polybag. Saying how the plastic bag is bad for the long term quality of the comic, should i remove the comic from the bag? Is it worth saving the bag separately from the comic? Thanks.
When you have questions about comic books, where’s the first place you go?
I have a collection of basketball, baseball and football cards and a bunch of comic books that would like to find out the value for. I’ve heard of Beckett for cards but I’m not sure if that’s the best way. I have no idea about comic books. Any help would be appreciated!
I guess I liked Archie to see what Veronica and Betty were wearing. I liked to draw clothes for them as paper dolls too. Did you ever get the classic comic books too?