Former collector looking for info on original 'Killing Joke' comics, value & CGC

[TESTKNIGHT]

Back in late 80s to early 90s, I was a bit of a collector and accumulated thousands of comics. During 2005-2012 I donated most of them and left myself with my best 150 or so comics (donations more because I could write them off for more than I could sell them for, to be honest).

At any rate, this whole CGC thing was not around, really, when I collected. I've figured out that a book really needs to be a 9.8 or better to go through the process. I can't however figure out what to do with what I think may be, possibly, the more valuable comics in my set. Back in late 80s, I bought four 1st edition 'Killing Jokes'. I read one carefully and the bagged and boarded all of them and have since never touched them.

I have a daughter about to start college and am looking at these as a way to help fund a 529 education account (provides 20% tax credit). I'm wanting to see if those of you who have been doing this now for a long time have an idea:

- could I expect a 9.9 or 10 on books that have never been read or is it really dependent on the grader having a good day or being in a good mood? I've read comments that the same book can get different grades...true?

- Should I hold out until I can get all four signed, then graded? Would a signed copy be worth that much more?

- So I've done a couple hours of research on this book and cannot find any recent example of a 9.9 or 10 Killing Joke for sale or being sold (aside from someone on Ebay shooting for the moon). Any idea what something like a graded (signed or unsigned) 1st edition 9.9 or better Killing Joke would go for? 9.8s seem to hover in the hundreds, which isn't going to give me a lot towards daughter's college and I'd just keep them. I just can't tell if these would be worth just a little more, a lot more or what.

- where are more expensive books sold these days if I were to sell these or others off...Ebay? I've run into few sites where you can but they seem to be with very little traffic.

At any rate, I appreciate any feedback. I've dug a bit on this and my search techniques or keywords may be outdated or ignorant.

[Twice-named]

Best place to find out how much graded comics are selling for is Go Collect. Here’s the link to their Killing Joke sales data:

https://comics.gocollect.com/guide/s...Killing+joke+1

[FBarnhill]

Heath Ledger and Joaquin Phoenix owe Alan Moore a lot.

[LordMikel]

Signed copies are higher priced (Not necessarily worth more), but for different reasons. I would not get it signed. It would be much more trouble than it is worth

My personal opinion, I doubt you will see much of a difference between a 9.8 grade and a 9.9 grade value wise.

[wonder39]

The actual graded first print 9.8s on there sold for about $108 to $185, with most selling around $140 to $150-ish. One sold for about $230. One.

So I don't know what it costs to have it graded, but it's the way to get the most $. You won't really know the actual grade until it's been done, so there might be unforseen condition issues that would cause them to not be 10s or 9.9. It may not make sense cost wise to pay to have them graded at this level of pricing.

Personally, I don't think this book has as much demand as it once did. I think part of that is the era in which it was published, and because of e Bay. And of course later printings get less... there are a boat load of them.

I don't know if you just looked under "sold" on eBay, but I choose " completed". Just looking at sold items gives a false sense of value. Knowing what something didn't sell for is as important as knowing what it did sell for.