How much are my old comics worth? How to find out

Almost everyone has a box somewhere — old comics, weeklies or magazines saved from childhood — and the question is always the same: is any of this worth anything? The honest answer is that most comics are worth a modest amount each, a few are worth a lot, and the difference comes down to three things: title, printing and condition.

Title and printing set the ceiling. A first printing of a sought-after series, or an issue with a memorable first appearance, is where the real money sits. Most weeklies and later printings are worth less individually but add up quickly across a full run. A quick way to gauge it is to search completed sales — not asking prices — for the same issue in the same condition, so you are comparing against what people actually paid.

Condition sets the price within that range, and it is where people most often overestimate. That mint-looking copy may have a rolled spine or a faint colour break that knocks it down a grade. Handle copies by the edges, keep them flat, and look at the spine and corners in daylight. If you are storing them for later, bagged and boarded and kept out of sunlight is the golden rule.

If you would rather skip the research and the faff of listing, photographing and posting each one yourself, that is exactly what a trade-in is for. My Hiro buys pre-owned comics, magazines and books, grades them the same honest way we grade everything we sell, and pays a fair price against the real market rate — no auction anxiety, no listing fees, no waiting for a buyer. Bring us the box; we will tell you what it is worth.