Within 24 hours of my first contacting Comic Buying Center, owner Peter Przysiezny appraised my collection of over a thousand silver, gold and bronze age DC comics and subsequently bought the entire collection for $21,000. It was the single most lucrative transaction of my life — except for selling my home — as well as the swiftest, the most pleasant, the most instructive, and the most satisfying.
I cannot speak too highly of Pete, who kindly traveled to where I was staying to view and appraise my collection — within two hours after I called (despite it being early evening and having to miss dinner with his wife and baby daughter) — and who stayed for hours, late into the night, carefully going through each issue, answering my many questions, and giving me the benefit of his expertise and insight.
I was struck by Pete’s professionalism, his thoroughness, his patience, and his love of comic books, as well as his keen understanding of the comic book market and its collectors. He was candid in his assessments, honest and fair in our negotiations, and extremely ethical and transparent in his dealings. Over the course of our interactions Pete completely earned my trust — and I’m not a person who trusts easily — and my gratitude.
To anyone who is interested in selling their comic books, and wants a fair, smooth, and mutually beneficial transaction, I would strongly advise you start by calling Comic Buying Center. I can’t guarantee you’ll sell your collection for what I did (and in as short a period of time) — that depends on what books you have and their condition — but you can rest assured that Pete will treat you fairly, honestly, respectfully, and help you understand the value of your comic books so your choice to sell, and for how much, is an informed one.
(If you have any questions about this reference and/or want to know more about my experience, please read my full story below. And if you have further questions, you can email me at russellsommers@hotmail.com, putting “Questions about Comic Buying Center” into the subject box.)
THE FULL STORY OF HOW I SOLD MY ENTIRE COMIC BOOK COLLECTION TO COMIC BUYING CENTER WITHIN 24 HOURS FOR $21,000
by Russell Sommers
I had just arrived in Chicago (where I grew up) from Boston (where I live now), and was staying for only a few days in Vernon Hills, at the home of my sister, who had kindly stored my comic book collection in her garage for the previous five years, during which time I hadn’t visited or seen my collection. I was intimidated,
and more than a bit nervous, by what confronted me.
After vacuuming off the dozen cardboard comic boxes in which I’d kept my books — they were filthy, with a thick sediment of dust and cobwebs on the outside — I hauled them inside, opened the boxes, and was amazed (and extremely relieved) to see that my comic books, all of which were backed by cardboard and in plastic sleeves, had survived the temperature extremes of five Chicago winters and summers better than I could have possibly expected.
The big question, though, was “What should I do with them?” They had been a HUGE part of my childhood, when I started reading comic books as a kid and collecting into adulthood. But I was now 65 years old, and was no longer so emotionally attached to them that I couldn’t let them go. My sister (not unreasonably) wanted me to remove my things from her garage, but it would have been too expensive and time-consuming to ship my comic books to Boston, where I’d have had to pay for storage (I live in a studio apartment).
The ideal solution would be to sell the entire collection in Chicago. But as I was only in town for a few days, I doubted the feasibility of such an enterprise, since I had over a thousand comic books. Inventorying and grading each book, and then researching individual values — all of which I felt was necessary if I was to get the best possible price— seemed impossible within my available time frame. What to do?
I felt I needed help from a professional. I opened my iPad, Googled “companies buying comic book collections near Mount Vernon, IL,” and was pleased to see more than a few hits. After a few more hours of further online research, I’d narrowed my list to about five companies, but by then it was 4:30 PM in the afternoon, just before most places would be closing.
I started — fortuitously as it turned out — with Comic Buying Center, partly because of their proximity to where I was staying, and partly because I liked the simplicity and directness of their website which trumpeted “free appraisals,” “top prices paid,” “always open for you,” and “we can visit you” (vital, as I didn’t have access to a car).
“Call us now,” the site said, and so I dialed 1-888-88-COMIC. My call was immediately answered by a guy who introduced himself as Mike, an employee of owner Pete Przysiezny. I introduced myself, explained I was in town for a very short time and that I had a large collection of golden, silver and Bronze Age DC books that I was thinking of selling. After mentioning some of the titles and dates of my books, Mike said “We’d definitely be interested in coming by and seeing your collection. When would be a good time to do that?” I replied — with little hope of it actually happening — “How about an hour from now?” To which Mike, to my amazement and delight, said: “Great. Give me your address.”
While waiting for Mike to come by, I removed a number of my most desirable and representative comic books from their boxes and spread them out on all available surfaces, to make access to their contents easier and to put my best foot (and comics) forward.
Mike arrived EXACTLY one hour after I’d spoken to him — I always equate punctuality with professionalism — and was immediately intrigued and increasingly excited by what he saw laid out before him.
Mike said “I’d like to take some videos of these and text them to the owner,” and I said “Terrific! Be my guest.” Mike texted the video to Pete, who said he was definitely interested and could come by in half an hour. Exactly half an hour later — again, high marks for punctuality — Pete arrived.
For the next several hours, Pete and Mike looked through each box, taking notes and photos, asking pertinent questions about where and how I acquired my books, and looking up the current estimates of individual issues in the Comics Buyer’s Guide. I was amazed by their speed and efficiency, and gratified by their respectful handling of each book, and I marveled at their concentration and thoroughness. I peppered Pete with lots of questions — a lot had changed since I had stopped actively collecting, not least due to the advent of the internet — and his answers showed a depth and breadth of knowledge that demonstrated his considerable expertise.
Eventually Mike had to go home, but Pete stayed for a few more hours. When he finished, Pete gave me an appraisal for the entire collection, explaining how he’d arrived at his figures, and made an offer that sounded fair and reasonable. I explained I’d like to sleep on it — I try never to make big decisions without at least 24 hours for introspection and reflection — and asked him to come back the next morning.
He did. I made a counter offer, Pete made a counter-counter offer, with both of us explaining our reasoning for our respective figures, and within a short time — it helped that we were both reasonable people seeking common ground and a mutually satisfactory outcome — we got to “Yes.”
After first proving to my satisfaction that he had a bank account with sufficient money to cover the transaction, Pete wrote me a check for $21,000, which immediately cleared when I deposited it.
I helped Pete re-box the books and bring them outside to his car, which was large enough to contain the big boxes. We thanked each other, shook hands, both of us smiling at the outcome, and I watched as he drove off with a large chunk of my childhood in the back seats, which I was strangely at peace with, knowing other collectors would now reap enjoyment from what I’d let go.
I had arrived in Chicago only one day earlier, and was amazed, gratified, and delighted that I had — within 24 hours! — sold my entire comic book collection, something I would not have thought possible. The transaction had (and still has) the aura of a happy dream, but the check in my pocket — and the money in my account after I deposited it — was real.
Things simply could not have gone better and faster, and I shall always be grateful to Pete, Mike, and Comic Buying Center for making possible the happiest of happy endings.
