Top Five Tips For Collecting Silver Age Comic Books (1955-Early 1970s).
The Silver Age of Comic Books ran From 1955 to 1970.
It was a time period when superhero books became popular. There are several tips and techniques for collecting this period. But to understand these tips, you first need to know about the history of this imaginative art form.
Comic Books in the United States first Started Appearing in the Early 1930s.
These early comic books were just a collection of newspaper strips. Then, in the late 1930s, comic books started creating their own characters most notably Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. By World War 2 (1939-1945) there were hundreds and hundreds of superhero comics. (Most of them forgotten to today's audience ). This time period was considered the Golden Age.
Superhero Comics Disappeared After the War.
The public was more interested in crime, romance, and horror. For a variety of reasons, however, Superhero comics came back in the late 1950s. In 1956, DC brought back an old character the Flash but reinvented him. He was no longer the same person (or the same looking character) as the Golden Age Flash.
Showcase #4 - the first appearance of the Silver Age Flash spawned a new generation of superhero comics. DC reinvented most of their popular characters. Marvel followed suit. And other publishers did the same. The Silver Age of Comic Books had begun!
If you are Interested in Collecting Comic Books from the Silver Age, Here Are My Top 5 Tips.
Tip #1 - Make sure that you have the proper size bag and board to protect your investment. Not all bags and boards are created equal. Basically, comic books have been shrinking since the 1930s. Golden Age books are the widest; Modern books are the skinniest. And Silver Age Comic Books are right in between. So make sure you buy the right bags and boards or you'll ruin your comics. (They should be labelled "silver age" bags and boards).
Tip #2 - A quick way to determine whether a comic book is from the Silver Age is to look at the original cover price. If the price is 12 to 15 cents, it is probably from the silver age. Ten cent comic books were generally from the Golden Age (pre-1950s) and 25 cent comics were from the Bronze Age (the 1970s).
Tip #3 - Quality is extremely important! If you look at a price guide for a specific comic - you might see that the price ranges from $6.00 to $600.00. The spread is a result of the condition. If the book looks pretty beat up as if 10 or 20 people have already read it then it is probably going to be worth the $6.00. (And you might be able to find it at a convention or store for $1.00 or $2.00). If instead, the book is mint as if nobody has ever touched it before or read it then the comic might be worth the $600. The condition is one of the main drivers of value. (The other two drivers are scarcity and popularity).
Tip #4 - The best place to get silver age comic books is usually at a convention or through the internet. There are fewer and fewer stores that sell books from this time period. Most stores make their money on new stuff and don't want to take up floor space with older items. So if you want to find the best deals on the internet, use a search engine to search for "silver age comic books" and see what you can find. Or look for comic book conventions in your area to buy your comics.