I’ll be posting a list of gift books in the next few days, so I’m doing some research over on Books.com, sorting graphic novels by price, highest to lowest.
That’s when I discovered the following…
If you need some spending cash, you might want to dig through your bookshelves and storage boxes… it’s easier and less painful than selling blood or a vital organ!
Why so pricey? The books are out of print. The books are limited editions, signed and numbered. While many can probably be found at your local comics shop, people shopping online aren’t that savvy, or not willing to do the extra work to find a cheaper volume. Or maybe someone needs it for a business, or just really wants it.
Sometimes, it’s a bot running an algorithm, automatically pricing a book just a little bit higher than everyone else. Of course, when you have two bots doing this, hilarity ensues.
These are just the first ninety titles sorted by price, and I’m not exactly sure how that website orders the titles. If you click onto the second page, you’ll find a few titles more costly than some listed here. Please realize that some of these titles have multiple copies available, and that the price listed is the lowest price. Caveat lector.
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The Invincible Iron Man Omnibus, Volume 1 (5/7/2008)
- by Don Heck
Format Used/New from Hardcover $1,080.02 -
Miracleman: Olympus (1/28/1991)
- by Alan Moore
Format Used/New from Hardcover $1,400.00 -
Pandora: Love and War (4/1/2003)
Format Used/New from Paperback $1,504.48 -
Louis Riel (5/1/2003)
- by Brown
Format Used/New from Paperback $1,167.75 -
Basara, Volume 20 (10/10/2006)
- by Yumi Tamura
Format Used/New from Paperback $135.00 -
Asterix Omnibus 11: Includes Asterix and the Actress #31, Asterix and the Class Act #32, Asterix and the Falling Sky #33 (3/4/2008)
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- by Alan Moore
Format Used/New from Hardcover $950.18 -
Walter Simonson’s Thor: Artist’s Edition (7/31/2011)
Format Used/New from Hardcover $647.48 -
Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus, Volume 1 Variant (11/7/2007)
- by Steve Ditko
Format Used/New from Hardcover $539.99 -
Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle (5/28/1998)
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Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge McDuck (12/1/1981)
- by Carl Barks
Format Used/New from Hardcover $721.50 -
Bumperboy Loses His Marbles (7/20/2005)
- by Debbie Huey
Format Used/New from Paperback $266.13 -
Street Fighter: The Ultimate Edition, Volume 1 (9/13/2006)
- by Alvin Lee
Format Used/New from Paperback $671.66 -
Complete Transformers Ark (9/8/2009)
- by Don Figueroa
Format Used/New from Paperback $39.99 -
Fantastic Four Omnibus, Volume 2 (6/27/2007)
- by Jack Kirby
Format Used/New from Hardcover $522.68 -
Kurt Busiek’s Astro City: Life in the Big City (12/1/1997)
- by Kurt Busiek
Format Used/New from Hardcover $347.87 -
Punisher by Garth Ennis (12/10/2008)
- by Steve Dillon
Format Used/New from Hardcover $406.98 -
R. Crumb Handbook and CD (2/28/2005)
- by R. Crumb
Format Used/New from Hardcover $499.95 -
Sin City: The Frank Miller Library, Set II (4 Volume Set)(5/31/2006)
- by Frank Miller
Format Used/New from Hardcover $289.75 -
Batman’s Collector’s Set (5/1/1996)
Format Used/New from Paperback $314.33 -
The Incredible Hulk – Volume 1 (6/11/2008)
- by Jack Kirby
Format Used/New from Hardcover $94.49 -
Star Wars Art: Comics [Limited Edition] (10/1/2011)
List Price $400.00
Format BN.com Used/New from Hardcover $386.96 (Save 3%) $200.00 -
The X-Men – Volume 1 (5/6/2009)
- by Jack Kirby
Format Used/New from Hardcover $354.98 -
Little Nemo in Slumberland: So Many Splendid Sundays!(1/28/2005)
- by Winsor McCay
Format Used/New from Hardcover $313.66 -
Poison Elves, Volume 7: Salvation (6/28/2006)
- by Drew Hayes
Format Used/New from Paperback $99.95 -
Operation Saturn (11/28/2005)
Format Used/New from Hardcover $364.54 -
Fist of the North Star Master Edition, Volume 6 (11/11/2003)
- by Buronson
Format Used/New from Paperback $349.45 -
Prince Valiant – An American Epic (12/1/1982)
- by Hal Foster
Format Used/New from Hardcover $350.00 -
Underground (12/1/1985)
Format Used/New from Paperback $50.00 -
All You Need is Love, Volume 1 (Yaoi novel) (3/16/2010)
Format Used/New from Paperback $361.48 -
Marvel Encyclopedia: Limited Edition (10/16/2006)
Format Used/New from Hardcover $270.00 -
In Mad We Trust (6/1/1974)
Format Used/New from Paperback $104.95 -
Ranma 1 (5/28/1995)
Format Used/New from Hardcover $336.38 -
Usagi Yojimbo: Lone Goat and Kid (7/28/1992)
- by Stan Sakai
Format Used/New from Hardcover $333.46 -
The Invincible Iron Man Marvel Masterworks, Volume 1(6/28/2002)
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I Go Pogo (1/1/1977)
- by Walt Kelly
Format Used/New from Hardcover $316.67 -
The Complete Peanuts 1963-1966, Boxed Set (9/17/2007)
Format Used/New from Hardcover $198.97 -
Punisher Max – Volume 4 (3/12/2008)
Format Used/New from Hardcover $328.98 -
The Boys Definitive Edition, Volume 1 (10/17/2008)
- by Garth Ennis
Format Used/New from Hardcover $309.48 -
Moebius 9: Stel (5/28/1994)
- by Moebius
Format Used/New from Hardcover $315.00 -
Sin City:The Frank Miller Library, Set I (4 Volume Set)(12/7/2005)
- by Frank Miller
Format Used/New from Hardcover $279.76 -
Stray Bullets, Volume 3: Other People (8/1/2001)
- by David Lapham
Format Used/New from Hardcover $211.55 -
Wolverine/Nick Fury: Scorpio (11/1/2004)
Format Used/New from Paperback $114.04 -
Buddha, Volume 6: Ananda (7/25/2005)
- by Osamu Tezuka
Format Used/New from Hardcover $249.99 -
The Complete Crumb Comics Volume 9: “R. Crumb vs. the Sisterhood” (6/1/1992)
- by R. Crumb
Format Used/New from Hardcover $299.00 -
Stuck Rubber Baby (9/28/2011)
- by Howard Cruse
Format Used/New from Paperback $254.02 -
The Walking Dead Omnibus, Volume 3 (2/8/2011)
Format Used/New from Hardcover $300.00 -
The Collected Sam and Max (10/1/1995)
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Spirited Away Boxed Set (12/10/2003)
Format Used/New from Paperback $270.56 -
Las Aventures Africanas de Giuseppe Bergman – Volumen 2(10/28/2004)
- by Milo Manara
Format Used/New from Paperback $458.74 -
ElfQuest Archives, Volume 2 (4/1/2005)
- by Wendy Pini
Format Used/New from Hardcover $140.93 -
Alias (3/29/2006)
Format Used/New from Hardcover $211.97 -
Legion of Super-Heroes Archives, Volume 8 (2/28/1999)
Format Used/New from Hardcover $250.00 -
Aliens Tribes (Limited Edition) (8/1/1992)
Format Used/New from Hardcover $266.27 -
Hypnotic Tales (6/28/1992)
- by Richard Sala
Format Used/New from Paperback $31.93 -
Madman Gargantua (7/25/2007)
- by Mike Allred
Format Used/New from Hardcover $265.27 -
Asterix Omnibus 2: Includes Asterix the Gladiator #4, Asterix and the Banquet #5, Asterix and Cleopatra #6 (10/7/2008)
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- by Stan Sakai
Format Used/New from Hardcover $296.47 -
Daredevil by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson Omnibus(3/21/2007)
- by Frank Miller
Format Used/New from Hardcover $296.48 -
Underground Two (6/28/1986)
Format Used/New from Paperback $235.90 -
The X-Men Omnibus, Volume 1 Ross Variant (3/28/2009)
Format Used/New from Hardcover $259.74 -
Batman: The Greatest Stories Ever Told (1/1/2005)
Format Used/New from Hardcover $55.97 -
The Invincible Iron Man – Volume 1 (5/7/2008)
- by Don Heck
Format Used/New from Hardcover $293.23 -
Uncanny X-Men Omnibus, Volume 1 (Variant) (5/28/2006)
- by Dave Cockrum
Format Used/New from Hardcover $249.99 -
- by Alan Moore
Format Used/New from Hardcover $34.99 -
Usagi Yojimbo Volume 21: The Mother of Mountains(7/1/2007)
- by Stan Sakai
Format Used/New from Hardcover $159.98 -
Hedge Knight, Volume 1 Premiere (12/28/2006)
Format Used/New from Hardcover $245.20 -
Silver Surfer Omnibus, Volume 1 (6/6/2007)
- by John Buscema
Format Used/New from Hardcover $241.49 -
Legend of Lemnear, Volume 1 (1/28/1999)
Format Used/New from Paperback $125.78 -
Naruto 2008 Box Set, Volumes 1-27 (8/26/2008)
Format Used/New from Paperback $913.97 -
WildC. A. T. S.: A Gathering of Eagles (6/23/1999)
Format Used/New from Paperback $233.23 -
- by Warren Ellis
Format Used/New from Hardcover $224.97 -
Usagi Yojimbo: Brink of Life and Death,Ltd. Ed. (8/26/1998)
- by Stan Sakai
Format Used/New from Hardcover $229.41 -
- by Ashley Wood
Format Used/New from Hardcover $148.85 -
Powers, Volume 6: The Sellouts (2/28/2004)
Format Used/New from Paperback $225.95 -
Tintin: El templo del sol (Prisoners of the Sun) (5/25/2007)
- by Hergé
Format Used/New from Hardcover $76.28 -
My Troubles with Women (9/16/1999)
- by R. Crumb
Format Used/New from Paperback $75.00 -
Sin City 10th Anniversary Edition (12/19/2001)
- by Frank Miller
Format Used/New from Paperback $224.98 -
Stray Bullets, Volume 6 (4/10/2002)
- by David Lapham
Format Used/New from Paperback $168.42 -
Krazy and Ignatz: Shed a Soft Mongolian Tear (1/1/1991)
Format Used/New from Paperback $118.99 -
One Piece, Volume 1 (Limited Edition): Romance Dawn(2/9/2004)
- by Eiichiro Oda
Format Used/New from Paperback $185.26 -
Berserk, Volume 4 (6/30/2006)
Format Used/New from Paperback $221.12 -
Cages Collection (2/28/1998)
- by Dave McKean
Format Used/New from Hardcover $220.00 -
- by Kurt Busiek
Format Used/New from Hardcover $220.00 -
The Mighty Thor – Volume 1 Omnibus (1/26/2011)
- by Stan Lee
Format Used/New from Hardcover $215.88 -
Strange Embrace (5/15/2008)
- by David Hine
Format Used/New from Paperback $217.92
RT @Comixace: Coming Attractions: Interlude: Some pricey graphic novels at http://t.co/cfzuInwK http://t.co/WCZMPbHq
I can see the Omnibus volumes increasing in value over time, as presumably it would be a nuisance to reprint a 2000 page hardcover.
But on the other end of ‘nuisance’, it is surprisingly difficult to track down local copies of those black and white Essentials and Showcase Presents. Most comic stores seem to hate the things, (apparently) and don’t bring them in on spec anymore. So, hard to find. And therefore, price goes up on a smudgy black and white reprint volume.
Some of these prices looked suspicious to me. I didn’t do an extensive investigation but many of these books can be found for much cheaper (the Powers tpb sells used on Amazon for $1.64!).
That Flex Mentallo trade seems to be the one that DC cancelled because of the Charles Atlas threats…the one that never existed.
What a ridiculous article. You pick one website with the highest prices, but you can find most of these on sale at ebay or amazon for MUCH less. Just because that’s the price of something, doesn’t mean people are buying it for that much. A much better barometer for these books is ebay’s auctions.
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