IOLA, Wis. – Picker’s Pocket Guide – Comic Books: How to Pick Antiques like a Pro (Krause Publications, 2015), fills 208 full-color pages with tips and strategy on how to collect and sell comic books.
With the value of certain old comic books currently soaring, including several that have recently sold for over a million dollars, the need to know what’s what is greater than ever. Illustrated with more than 150 color photos and rich in comics history, the handy pocket-size guide offers professional and practical advice on where to look for comic books, how to determine condition and value, and ways to sell comics for the best money possible.
“This book is the culmination of all my years of working at Heritage,” said author David Tosh, “especially all the calls I’ve answered from people who inherited a stack of old comics, or found some in a storage unit or yard sale, and wanted to know what they were worth. In the book, I talk about all the big key issues, as well as the many facsimile and reprint editions of these famous comic books that have confused people for years.
“Each decade from the 1930s on is covered, with listings of the most popular comics from each time period,” Tosh said. “I mention what to look for and what to avoid when going through stacks of old comic books, and the best ways to sell what you find. The book is loaded with full-color photos of comics in a variety of grades, with descriptions and prices realized, gleaned from the vast Heritage Auction archives.”
The book is designed mainly as a guide to those who search garage sales and flea markets and such, and happen to come across a few old comics that may or may not be of value. It also will serve as a primer for those interested in collecting but are new to the hobby. Picker’s Pocket Guide – Comic Books contains a tremendous amount of comic book knowledge in a slender, handy guide.
Picker’s Pocket Guide – Comic Books is the latest in a new line of collectible pocket reference guides by Krause Publications, a division of F+W, a Content + eCommerce Co. Additional volumes include topics on advertising signs, baseball memorabilia, bottles and toys. Future releases include topics on Hot Wheels and Star Wars toys.
Picker’s Pocket Guide – Comic Books is available in editions for both the Amazon Kindle, eBook, and a 208-page, pocket-sized collector’s guide. It retails for $14.99 and is available at booksellers nationwide, select retail shops, and directly from the publisher online at www.KrauseBooks.com or by calling 855-864-2579 (M-F 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.).
Tosh has been a comics fan since the early 1960s, and a serious collector since 1972. For several years he owned and operated a small collectibles shop, Mr. Nostalgia, in Batesville Arkansas, and has appeared as a dealer or guest at a number of large comic conventions. Tosh has been with Dallas, Texas-based Heritage Auctions since 2003, working as a comics auction cataloger and consignment director.