Comics in the past have been thought of as quite a niche area of collecting but now the market is very buoyant and many early comics can fetch hundreds if not thousands of pounds at auction. 

Captain America, Batman, Spider-Man, Superman, The Fantastic Four, Wonder Woman and many other superheroes are characters in which most people recognise and have heard about. They have been involved in some of the highest grossing and viewed Hollywood movies in the world, with the Avengers: End Game, Deadpool & Wolverine, Spider-Man No Way Home, Batman The Dark Knight Rises amongst those at the top. 

Here at Sheffield Auction Gallery we hold regular Comic and Toy auctions and have had some strong sale results in the past few years, with an Amazing Spider-Man #1 realised at £7,000 in 2023 and a Fantastic Four #5 selling for £1,100 earlier this year. 

There are six main comic “ages” when it comes to collecting which are as follows; Platinum Age (1897-1937), Golden Age (1938-1956), Silver Age (1957-1969), Bronze Age (1970-1983), Copper Age (1984-1991) and the Modern Age (1992-present). Generally speaking the older the comic the higher the value, with Golden age and Silver age DC and Marvel comics particularly sought after amongst collectors. However, the key things most collectors look for are comics which have first character appearances and origins, which tend to attract higher prices. Some enthusiasts collect artists and writers, with artists and writers like Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Robert Kane, Frank Bellamy and Neal Adams attracting plenty of interest.

Although generally speaking British comics aren’t as sought after than their American counterparts, early British comics like the Beano and Dandy can still fetch a high price at auction, and many earlier issues of British comics with free gifts can also arouse plenty of interest, with 2000AD Prog 2 with free stickers regularly fetching hundreds of pounds at auctions. Modern comics too can be popular  and attract a high price. For example the hugely popular Amazon TV show Invincible has led to a soar in demand and price for the comics, especially the First Prints. Recently there has been a surge in interest in Japanese Manga comics and Anime, along with Franco-Belgian Comics. We recently sold a small collection of English first edition TinTin books for £600!

Like most collectables condition is paramount to the value of any comic. Completeness of the comic is the main thing, with story pages or covers missing hugely affecting the price of any comic. Other things like tears, pen marking, tape marking, staining can also affect the price and it’s desirability. 

So if you have a collection of comics hidden away, gathering dust somewhere or discover any in the house or garage, then it’s always worth getting them checked out. We are holding a free comics valuation day here at the gallery on 10th September from 10am-4pm so do come along and meet our Specialist Valuer William Fox.