Where to buy and sell collectibles, trading cards and comic books on Long Island
Nick Testa, left, co-owner of The Comic Box in Massapequa, helps Hunter Marno, 12, of Seaford. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Pandemic living left us all holed up in our homes, revisiting our hobbies and childhood pastimes, and digging through our vast accumulation of stuff.
Maybe you found your parents’ boxes of comic books in the attic from when they were glued to the monthly adventures of Spider-Man or you dove into a crate of “Star Wars” action figures from your childhood battles between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.
And now that we’re free from those familiar confines, it's time to clear out the old. And there’s good news. This stuff can be worth money, and many comic stores on Long Island are eager to check out your collections.
HOW TO SELL
Before you just show up at your local comic store with 25 boxes of comics, it would help to do your homework and see what your stuff is worth, says Ozzie Rodis, manager of Best Comics International in New Hyde Park.
How much is my item worth?
If you have a "Detective Comics" No. 27, the first appearance of Batman from 1939, you could possibly land $1.74 million, like a copy that sold at Heritage Auctions on March 30. A modern first appearance, like "The Walking Dead" No. 1, could get you north of $3,000. But prices can vary greatly, with many key books being worth a more modest $10 to $200. But many comics that are common or in bad condition end up on sale in bins for a single dollar at your local comic shop. So do your research to see if you have a gem in your collection, but make sure you're being realistic as to what they're worth.
“Looking on the internet, eBay, there’s other sites such as gpanalysis.com that they can use,” he says. “The key is to see what they’re selling for, not what people are asking for, and keep in mind the condition."
Condition is key across the board, whether you’re selling a car or a comic. Yellowed pages and spine cracks can take the value of a copy of “Incredible Hulk 181,” the first appearance of Wolverine, down thousands of dollars.
The other thing to remember is that while you’re hoping to make some green, the stores need their cut too — unless you want to do all the work yourself.
“I like to tell them first that they’ll make more selling it on their own,” says Terence Fischette, owner of 4th World Comics in Smithtown. “It’s harder and takes more time, but you’ll get more out of it, whereas stores will give about half or a little less than that.”
Finally, before you bring your stuff in, make it look nice.
“No. 1, if you can clean your stuff up, A-plus,” says Jason Storer, a buyer at Next Generation Comics in Islip Terrace. “You don’t have to go out and buy new bags and boards for comics, but bringing it in a crusty old tote is going to reduce what we want to pay on it."
WHERE TO SELL
Comic books for sale at The Comic Box in Massapequa. Credit: Rick Kopstein
There are quite a few comic and vintage toy stores on Long Island. Here are a some that are buying:
Best Comics International
This jam-packed store with tons of back issues and a massive wall display of new books, prioritizes buying comics.
“Ever since COVID hit, the hottest thing is the books,” says Rodis, who is in charge of buying at the store. “Old books, new books. … That’s what we’ve really seen an uptick in the last couple years.”
INFO 1300 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park; 516-328-1900, bestcomics.com
The Comic Box
This shop is filled to the brim with boxes of comics, glass cabinets tempting you with vintage action figures and walls decked out with new toys.
And they’re always looking for more.
“We specifically are looking to buy comic book collections: Older stuff is fine; newer stuff is OK,” says owner Nick Testa. “We’re also looking to buy old collectibles, like action figures and toys. We’ll be interested in looking at anything related to superheroes or sci-fi.”
INFO 840B N. Broadway, Massapequa, 516-795-2528
4th World Comics
This family-friendly store is huge, with a vast selection of comics, toys, statues and more. While they’re buying those three items, the focus is really on Silver Age books from the 1950s through early 1970s with the 10-cent, 12-cent or 15-cent price on the cover.
“That’s kind of the good stuff that people are looking for,” Fischette says.
INFO 33 Route 111, Smithtown; 631-366-4440, fourthworldcomics.com
Golden Memories Comics & Toys
It’s right in the store name what owner Vinnie Viverito is looking to buy.
“We’re a comic and toy store, so ergo, it would be comics and toys,” he says, specifying they’re seeking “comics from the 1930s up to the present” but the toys have to be fairly recent, from the last 10 years or so.
INFO 235 Middle Country Rd., Selden; 631-696-6991, goldenmemoriescomics.com
Next Generation Comics
This is a paradise for people who like to dig through back issues, with bin after bin of books, not to mention loads of toys. And that’s a lot of what they buy.
“We buy everything, independent books, Marvel, DC, old stuff, new stuff, whatever,” Storer says.
Beyond comics, he adds that the store is “always interested in non-sports trading cards, Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Marvel movie cards, whatever. We also do statues, on- and off-card toys.”
INFO 77 Carleton Ave., Islip Terrace, 631-277-1938
