STORY REPORTED BY NICHOLAS FAULKNER CINCINATTI ENQUIRER CONTRIBUTOR
Paul Mullins not only knows that Superman is faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound - but also that he can help you make some major cash.
Mullins, owner of Comic Book World, which has stores in Florence, Cheviot and Louisville, has been in the business of selling comic books for more than 30 years. He says investing in comic books is less volatile than investing in the stock market. If you invest in the right comics, "your return can be a lot greater," he said.
A high-grade comic, in Mullins' opinion, is like gold these days.
Not everyone agrees. The American Association of Individual Investors cautions that comics don't pay dividends like some stocks.
More important, the non-profit association believes comic books are a high-maintenance investment because of hidden costs, including insurance against damage and theft and the need for protective storage. The effort that goes into collecting comics takes more time and money for the average investor than researching Wall Street firms, it warns.
Mullins notes, as with any investment, homework must be done.
Before you buy a first-edition comic book, consider that its condition is one of the main factors in its value. Comics in mint condition sell for much higher prices - at times up to 250 percent higher.
At http://www.cgccomics.com/ you can go online to see where your comic book stands on a grading scale from 0.5 to 10, with 10 being a mint copy. If you want to preserve your comics, you can pay the Web site operator, Comics Guaranty LLC of Sarasota, Fla., to have the book air-sealed in plastic and officially graded.
The charge for this service generally ranges from $16 to more than $100. The downside of this option is that you can't open your books and read them.
Mullins recently sold an Amazing Fantasy No.15, which included the first appearance of Spiderman, at a graded value of 9.6 for more than $7,000. Paying for the grading is worth the extra money, he says.
Along with age and condition being an important factor, you should also look for reputation, says Mark Craddock, a comic book investor and store manager of Comic Book World in Florence, who has been collecting for 20-plus years.
The Spiderman, X-Man, Batman and Hulk comics are usually a safe buy as an investment, he says.
Comics that Craddock believes might return a higher profit is the Ultimate Spiderman series, which can be bought for $300.
NOSTALGIA IN ACTION
What kind of money can you expect to get out of high-grade, aged and reputable comic books?
A few years ago, Action No. 1, which is valuable because it includes the first appearance of Superman from DC Comics, was purchased for more than $100,000. "Everyone thought the buyer was crazy. But a year later he turned around and sold it for over $300,000," Craddock said.
He bought comic books at an issue price of $2 and sold them when they reached $20.
ON THE WEB
Traditionally, comic book sales were driven by trade shows or auctions. The Internet has changed that. The Internet is the "next-generation comic book store," says Don Parker, who owns Parker's Records and Comics in Milford. He has been in the comic book business nearly 30 years. His online revenues have skyrocketed, but he acknowledges his in-store revenues have gone down by 60 percent. That's why he has focused his attention on his Web site.
The Internet hosts thousands of comic book sales on eBay weekly. Parker says he sells around $3,000 worth of material on eBay alone each week.
Yet while the Internet can be useful, it can also be a place for rip-offs. Mullins cautions that it's "important to be extra careful before making a purchase on the internet. Check the source."
Michelangelo Testa, a local auctioneer who has auctioned single comic books valued in the thousands, says the Internet can be good and bad for investments.
"You can never be too careful when it comes to the Internet," he said.
Some comic book investors would rather buy comics at auctions because they can actually see the pages and touch what they are buying, he said.
Matt Parmentor of Queen City Comic & Card Co. in Pleasant Ridge notes that if you're buying on eBay, be sure to check the feedback to know other experiences people have had from a particular seller.
Parmentor is not a believer in buying comics as an investment; he thinks people should buy them for the enjoyment of reading them.
The Associated Press contributed. E-mail nrfaul@wm.edu
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