I was like you when it came to flipping though. Profit is profit. I look at ROI and percentages, not if I made $100 or big moneyā¦ itās about % when you break it down.
I had no problems walking into a shop, buy a book for $4 and itās selling on eBay for $20 or $30. Thatās when I bought two books or maybe 3, to keep one and sell others. When it comes to collecting and reading comics, it paid for itself and eventually got to the point where my actual income was not used to pay for most if not all my current collection.
Itās nice to think the books I kept were essentially free (or better yet, I got paid to obtain the book)ā¦ Thatās key over the wads of cash falling out of your pocket cause last I checked, most comic book speculators and flippers arenāt becoming millionaires by flipping comicsā¦ Do it for fun, do it to pay for your hobby and maybe make a little extra in the process.
I treat this as a game. Can selling help me pay for the books I like to read and collect? Iām a stats guy, so I love to keep track of all of this.
For example, I have a formula rigged up in an excel doc that shows me the average cost of each book that I keep. Not purchased or sold (although I do that, too). If I keep a book, what does that cost me with all things considered (buying, selling, supplies)? In 2024, it cost me $0.58 to keep an book on average. In 2026, with me selling more intelligently (THANKS CHU!), Iām at -$5.37. That means for each book I keep, Iām making a profit of over $5. Itās just an interesting way to track all of this. Iāve sold FAR more than Iāve spent in 2026, but Iāve gained 572 books that I wanted in my collection.
That nerdy shit is fun for me. Plus thereās a little adrenaline boost when selling that maybe fills a need that otherwise might be gambling for me. Replace that vice with something positive.
For myself, it has always been about the hunt for me. At the stores I frequent, the owners know that I like to look through boxes looking for hidden treasure. That could be a book that I want for the PC or it could be a book that hasnāt seen the light of day for a long time and can be appreciated by someone else (and I make a few bucks on it also).
In terms of spec selling, get in and take a profit and move on. If itās not something I collect, take the money and use it for something else. I learned early on not to hold out for the highest profit because demand can evaporate in minutes and you are left with nothing. If it is something āhotā and I miss out or canāt get it and want it later, no big deal. Most of these hot books can be bought for cheap just a few weeks after the spec dies. I also believe that having new inventory in each week helps keep eyes on your account(s).
If I took all the books Iāve bought over the years, and all the money Iāve pocketed selling themā¦Iām quite sure Iām in the red. But not crazily so. And in a pinch could get into the black if I had to move all give kept.
But even in the red, Iāve had fun along the journey. So there is value in that too that should factor in.
I could have invested all that money into stocks, eventually dying before taking advantage of profits.ā¦never having enjoyed something tangible. What fun is that?
Are you reading every book you buy though? That was my one rule when buying, read everything I buyā¦ so you are at least getting that entertainment from the purchase. If youāre just buying to tuck away in the long box for it to rarely ever be seen again until after you die when family is sorting through all your crapā¦ no difference in stocks if you never cash out to spend in retirementā¦
I think thereās value in the hunt. Completing runs, finding that one odd, worthless book that you love for whatever reason. Reading is part of it, and I read a ton, but I surely donāt read all. Iām a big art fan (30 years in a design career), so that part has a value too.
Enjoy the hobby how you want. Personally, the only red flag is when I hear the term investment with comics. If anyone is hoping that this is going to pay off big one day, well, maybe. The fatalist in me thinks these will probably all be worthless in the future as priorities will probably radically change.
I am 100% in it for the hunt. I love tracking down the new hottest book and old keys. I love going to comic shows and beating the dealers. I did that this past weekend at an all $1 show. My big thing right now is going through dollar bins and finding things to flip while filling in the gaps of runs (and focusing on dumb stuff like 90ās bad girl shit). My goal in buying dollar bin things is getting 4x my money back on the total purchase (sale books and keeper books). I spent $45 at an all $1 show this weekend. Keeping 33 of the 45 books. That gives me 12 books to quadruple my money. Sold three books and already broke even. It makes the hunt fun. And I have 33 books in my collection (including a low grade DC first appearance) to sell off later.
I like to find stuff for cheap that goes for a bit or a lot more and flip that. It helps pay for my weekly purchases that are generally not flips. Sometimes Iāll be able to grab that weekās hot book and move it fast, but thatās a rarer occurrence. I like to get anything I want to keep for retail or less too; I hate paying a premium even if I want to keep something. Iām the one who upcharges, I donāt pay upcharges!
That said, I love that Venom Ito cover the more I see it. Iāll make a note to check prices on it in a few months, as I just want one to admire.
I totally understand the value of the ads here to minimize costs. But, I have to dismiss a minimum of 3 different ads every time I load the CHU forum. Is what it is, so again, I get it.
I Tuesday night warrior and Wednesday warrior. Grab my weekly books for my pull box Tuesday night. This way I ensure I get the books that I need or want
