Zap Comix Advice

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 10:34 am

I need advice about selling a valuable item, where to ask, who to talk to, and such. Okay, this is a commerce related grey area, but my brother needs help. He is thinking of selling his Zap Comix, including this one:

charles plymel printing of robert crumb's zap one under ground comic?

and he asked me to ask here.

I am looking for advice, NOT SELLING IT HERE. Who would I contact? Who's an expert? Obviously, craigslist and the common outlets won't do. We know this is valuable, and would go a long way to helping with the bills/family. Read the fuck thread or my blog for the gory details of his cancer.

PM me. And thank you.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 12:39 pm

Comic Buyers Guide is where I sold a lot of comics.
I don't know if it's still the best approach.
It may pay to do some specialty research in this case.
I think there is a forum too.
Overstreet is a general guide, but not always accurate.
Prices tend to vary by area too.
Grading is crucial.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics_Buyer%27s_Guide

http://www.cbgxtra.com/

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 12:52 pm

These not being ordinary comics, but comix, this is very specialized indeed.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 1:04 pm

I have the large size Fritz the Cat on heavy paper.
Fritz the Spy, Fritz Bugs Out (his best ever) and one other.
I have never even seen one for sale secondhand.
They were short printed for some reason.

I have the Zap series starting with #0.
Is this a special printing?

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 1:18 pm

AntiM wrote:These not being ordinary comics, but comix, this is very specialized indeed.

This is the first time I've ever heard comix used as a specialized term.
I've heard it used as slang for comics my entire life.
I would think there are much more rare areas of comics these days since mainstream and underground kind of blended.
I had a friend that loved funny animal from barks to funny animal porn. (how's that for an exotic area?)

Ever read Harold Hedd?

If he has a set of Trashman in pulp, I'm interested.

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 1:24 pm

Comix was used for underground comics before it became a slang word in general.

Check your Zaps for the printing issue, all mine are reprints, my brother has originals. A world of difference.

Trashman? I doubt it, but Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Cheech Wizard, Doper Dan ... that's the ones I recall. Leather Nun too I think.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 1:33 pm

News to me and I still have a big stack of them.
If they are rare enough, the high value 60s/70s nostalgia sales may be the place.
I wouldn't think anything in those quantities would be considered rare, but prices on some things go up regardless.
It is getting close to the peak of the nostalgia arc, in theory anyway.
I'm trying to predict the peak for my posters.
They were doubling every year for a while there.

How many thousands are these pulling on ebay, if you found any?

ygmir · Post by **ygmir** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 2:40 pm

is there a site to go look up values?
I think I still have about the first 5 years including specials and all inserts, of 'Mad Magazine" and a lot of marvel and such comics from late '60's to mid '70s.......

betrdanevr · Post by **betrdanevr** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 3:06 pm

You might find something interesting here, AntiM. It does give some values for some Zap Comix.

http://www.artcomic.com/cat/underground ... zap1p.html

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 3:11 pm

When I was collecting I used Overstreet for comic values. I don't recall if they covered Crumbs works in there or not. Personally I would try to contact the official Crumb site here and see what they are willing to pay for it. See if one is for sale on ebay since they are the largest auction site out there.

http://www.crumbproducts.com/

Fax every friggin comic dealer in the US with notice of availability, especially the big cities.

Some comic aution sites...
http://comics.heritageauctions.com/
http://www.comiclink.com/
http://www.hakes.com/
http://www.pcei.com/

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 3:49 pm

betrdanevr wrote:You might find something interesting here, AntiM. It does give some values for some Zap Comix.

http://www.artcomic.com/cat/underground ... zap1p.html

Yes, I found that one. One hopes the market will hold up.

Good ideas Toolmaker, thanks.

This is just horrible ... I was shocked when he sold his antique toys years back, and then some of his marble collection, and now the comix. The Zaps were always the last things I'd thought would go.

Crap.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:03 pm

At least he can get later copies of most of them.

Are you guys up on grading?
If it's mint, you might be able to add it to Sotheby's or Christie's.
Does Wolfgang's Vault does this sort of thing?

Post by **AntiM** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:17 pm

We have a good grading tutorial.

They're not mint, but I know they've been stored carefully for decades.

Toolmaker · Post by **Toolmaker** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 7:30 pm

AntiM wrote:We have a good grading tutorial.

They're not mint, but I know they've been stored carefully for decades.

One of those sites I posted does the grading for ya as part of the consignment sale process.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 12:53 am

If I can help, let me know.
I got pretty good at it after thousands.
You need to know what you have before you give it to an agent.
I did better selling mine myself.
Ten times better.
Tried to wholesale them cheap, had no takers.
Got more for that stupid wolverine book than all my rarer stuff put together.

Apollonaris Zeus · Post by **Apollonaris Zeus** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 3:42 pm

AntiM wrote: Yes, I found that one. One hopes the market will hold up.

Collectibles and antiques are doing very well now that the Stocks are tanking.

You can try putting them up on Ebay

AIIZ

RingO'Fire · Post by **RingO'Fire** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 5:35 pm

AntiM,

This guy Gary Sohmers appraises the rock & roll and other pop culture collectibles for Antiques Roadshow. They list his contact info on the following page:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/apprai ... _gary.html

Post by **AntiM** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 8:58 am

Thank you.