Most Collectors Don't Need It

When I was a teen, there was one thing I always looked forward to every May: the release of the annual Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. And what collector of comics wouldn’t appreciate this hefty tome, often called the very bible of comic book collecting, and absolutely brimming with more information than you can shake a back issue of Spider-Man at? No, this was a must have book for any self respecting panelologist.

That said, I have to admit that the Overstreet Price Guide’s halcyon days are long past. Not that the book isn’t as good as it used to be-it’s actually better, having been improved and updated over the years to include more information than ever. However, there are other resources available to the collector today that in many ways render the Guide obsolete.

The Good
Basically, the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide is a listing of just about every comic book ever published. It’s a veritable plethora of information, with the main attraction being the pricing data through multiple condition grades. The new 2004 33rd edition has been expanded to include more grades than ever before. Mid-grades have been added that weren’t previously listed, though in my experience these don’t often apply.

In addition, key issues will have a short description about why they’re special (a Punisher appearance, for example, or a drug abuse related story). Artists and/or writers might be mentioned, and publication dates and volumes are also included.

Besides the comic listings, the Guide will also include a handy grading reference that will help you in evaluating the condition of your collection or a prospective purchase. There are other tips, such as how to store and preserve your collection. A gallery of photos of old books is always a highlight of every edition, and there are numerous ads for comic shops and through-the-mail dealers.

All this makes the Guide a very handy one volume reference that’s perfect for toting to the comic book store or a convention, where you never know what you might come across. It can keep you from overpaying for a book, and can help you pick up on a bargain, too. The gallery of covers makes the guide a great coffee table book, too.

The Bad
There are some downsides to the Guide, however, that bear enumerating. First of all, it’s important to keep in mind that some of the prices, especially on hot selling books, are obsolete the day you buy even the latest edition. Imagine a price guide for stocks and you’ll get the idea.

Another factor to consider is that the books in your collection are probably not worth the price listed in the Guide. Why? Because any commodity is only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. The Guide is more of a barometer of what you can expect to pay for a given back issue than what you’ll get if you decide to sell your copy. Dealers will pay you much less than the price you see listed in the Guide, after all.

Today, most of the information listed in the Overstreet Guide is available for free online at sites like mycomicshop.com, wizard-comics.com, and milehighcomics.com. Those sites also have grading guidelines and a vast database of comic cover images. They also tend to update their information frequently to reflect market activity.

Final Analysis
Taken as what it’s meant to be, the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide is a fantastic portable edition. It would be deserving of five stars, I think, but for the online resources available today. Sadly, I think they render it obsolete. For that reason, I don’t recommend spending $20 a year or so on this book.