how much should I bid on these (1st edition) comics?

[sahands]

So I plan on bidding on this as a birthday gift for my son (who loves comics), but I have no idea what they are worth.
http://i.imgur.com/AtzHYkY.jpg

[Sans Simian]

Welcome to the boards!

Assuming those are authentic first editions, and not later re-prints... you're looking at a net value somewhere in the vicinity of $15-20,000 for all of them together.

Assuming you have that much money to spend, I would think you would have to bid north of that in a sealed bid auction (because that value I quoted is what you can expect to pay for all of the issues just by themselves. For a grouping like that, people will most likely be okay going a little more that that).

Hope that helps.

[Sans Simian]

Forgot to add: that value above is for the comics being in mint condition. For issues that are not quite pristine, but still readable, that total value of that group may be closer to say $2500-5000. I would have to look at the auction in more detail, like if the issues are graded or not (meaning an issue has had its condition and value professionally determined) or what the history of the group is to be able to say with more confidence what the true value is.

[victorxd1999]

Holy crap that's insane! Are they really selling all those key issues? I don't know if you are extremely rich or you underestimated the value a lot but I don't think I'd ever buy that for my son haha. You're looking at $5000 per issue at least. I'd probably just give him a Masterworks vol 1 and claim they're the originals

[Hellboydce]

just don't let him take them out of the case to read, or colour in

[Pat Thomas]

So I plan on bidding on this as a birthday gift for my son (who loves comics), but I have no idea what they are worth.
http://i.imgur.com/AtzHYkY.jpg

If you're really in a position to spend the money for those books, I'd like to know how it turns out. If the books are really in nice shape, I think people here
have under-estimated how much they could cost. The Incredible Hulk #1 could go for anywhere between $5,000 to over 50,000 by itself. The cheapest one
up there is Iron Man #1, and it will probably go for $1,000 minimum. I have terrible condition issues of Amazing Spider-Man 1 & Avengers 1 that I could probably
sell on Ebay today for around $4,000, and they are really rough, but complete. Nicer books get higher quickly.

[Sans Simian]

If you're really in a position to spend the money for those books, I'd like to know how it turns out. If the books are really in nice shape, I think people here
have under-estimated how much they could cost. The Incredible Hulk #1 could go for anywhere between $5,000 to over 50,000 by itself. The cheapest one
up there is Iron Man #1, and it will probably go for $1,000 minimum. I have terrible condition issues of Amazing Spider-Man 1 & Avengers 1 that I could probably
sell on Ebay today for around $4,000, and they are really rough, but complete. Nicer books get higher quickly.

It's hard to figure out how much they could be worth without knowing more about their condition. I did a quick search on my favorite online store to see what mint condition issues were selling for to make up the $20,000 value, but I agree with you, I could see someone paying that much just for one of those issues. And the entire package makes them arguably more valuable than selling them off one by one. And it would be insane from a collectible standpoint to open up that frame to actually read any of those issues.

I mean, an iPad and a subscription to Marvel Unlimited would be about the best birthday gift I'd have ever received, and you're talking about less money that just Iron Man #1 is worth on a bad day then.

[sahands]

I'll be placing my bid this week, should I go for $5000?

[Sans Simian]

I'll be placing my bid this week, should I go for $5000?

Not knowing the condition of the issues, I think that's a fair bid. I don't know if it'll be a winning bid, but it's probably as much as I'd be willing to bid myself.

Good luck!

[sahands]

I sent them an email asking for the condition, I'll keep you guys posted.

[Pat Thomas]

It's hard to figure out how much they could be worth without knowing more about their condition. I did a quick search on my favorite online store to see what mint condition issues were selling for to make up the $20,000 value, but I agree with you, I could see someone paying that much just for one of those issues. And the entire package makes them arguably more valuable than selling them off one by one. And it would be insane from a collectible standpoint to open up that frame to actually read any of those issues.

I mean, an iPad and a subscription to Marvel Unlimited would be about the best birthday gift I'd have ever received, and you're talking about less money that just Iron Man #1 is worth on a bad day then.

The sad truth of it is that I plan on eventually owning decent copies of all of those, along with Amazing Fantasy 15. And I'll never read them either, just stare in admiration.

[Sans Simian]

The sad truth of it is that I plan on eventually owning decent copies of all of those, along with Amazing Fantasy 15. And I'll never read them either, just stare in admiration.

I don't think there's anything sad about that. I've thought about getting certain issues just to put on the walls because the covers are so good. Hell, I was/am still thinking about doing that with the entire Future's End run, because those were some pretty pretty covers (the ending, not so much).

[Hellboydce]

I don't think there's anything sad about that. I've thought about getting certain issues just to put on the walls because the covers are so good. Hell, I was/am still thinking about doing that with the entire Future's End run, because those were some pretty pretty covers (the ending, not so much).

I was considering doing that with the Moore swamp thing run, but my very understanding wife finally put her foot down and said no

[sahands]

I think these can be a good investment, I'm just thinking about the future value of the comics, my plan is than my son can use these in the future to pay off his university debts.

[JackDaw]

I'm surprised nobody has suggested a wee bit of caution might be the path of wisdom.

Put it this way..without knowing a lot more about these comics (e.g. Their provenance, their grading, who graded them, safeguards to prevent switches after grading, who is selling, what is arrangement if subsequently scrutiny establishes forgery,etc, etc)..I wouldn't be bidding on them at all...much less putting in a "low" bid of 5,000 dollars.

Yes..it's possible to bid "blind", get lucky, and snag a bargain. But equally possible to end up buying a pup. Happy to leave buying ungraded classic comics to experts.