Trades and Single Issues with Value

No big revelations this week. The great thing about collecting is no two collectors are chasing the same books. Sometimes we might be after a few similar books, but if you truly asked the guy hunting beside you at a show, “Besides KEYS what books are you looking for?” their answers would vary. They might be a DC collector or an Indie guy. For the longest time, I was an anything Spiderman guy. This means I used to have all those terrible Spiderman mini-series from the 90s. I was a completionist but as soon as I completed a series I no longer cared.

Currently, I don’t really have a set of books I am hunting. but I do have a few I want to find in back-issue bins. I just found the other day the hardcover of the Last Unicorn. It wasn’t a book I was hunting but it was one I was aware of. Turns out the individual issues from the series are hard to find too. Most of the issues are in the $15-$35 range. Like most IDW books there are 1:10 retailer incentives too. This is a series I would never pay up for, though I do have two first editions of the actual book, when digging around I want to remember to pull these out.

Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash

This is another series that I will randomly come across in back issue bins, but rarely do I find the complete set. Recently I did come across the TPB. This series has a couple of things going for it. Low print and two markets. Anytime you have a book that intrigues both the comic collectors and the horror fans there is going to be value. There are two short mini-series and both can command some money complete sets run close to $200 and the tpb is a hundred.

Uncharted

This is not a secret. Adam Hughes fans have talked about this book for years. It was low printed and based on a video game. They just released a movie based around the game which was better than I heard and has the potential to begin a franchise. There is a drastic difference in price between the Hughes incentive and the rest of the 6 issue mini-series. The TPB runs between $75 and $100. The issue 1 incentive when they become available is close to $1,000.

Wrap Up

Why are these books on my mind? I have sold all three TPBs and it made me wonder if the single issues have value too. TPBs are hard to know which ones are worth the hassle of trying to flip them. Even when you find one to flip they typically take a few months to sell. You are selling to a niche market and TPB collectors can wait till it comes out in an omnibus or read it online. Why are these particular TPB valuable,

1. Crossover appeal – each one appeals to avid fanbases. Comic collectors are stenchy sometimes, but if you have a nostalgic heart for your favorite 80s anime or horror flick then you must own the comic appearance too.
2. Low Printed – The single issues were low printed, but the TPB had even smaller print runs.
3. Cover Art – Especially with Uncharted but even Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash chose the best cover from the series to be on trade. If you can’t afford the original then the trade at least gives you the art.

I will probably regret selling the trades, but even though I have a nostalgic heart sometimes it is always exciting to take a used book store find and triple your money.

I am curious do any of you know of any other sets where all the individual issues and the TPB have value. The only other one I can think of is Adam the Blue Marvel.