When one thinks of terms such as old rare comics, valuable comics or collectible comics, you're usually thinking of the Golden Age of Comics. Starting with Action Comics #1 in 1938 and continuing through the end of World War II, the Golden Age of Comics sets the standard for comic book collecting.

Being a Golden Age comic book collector takes patience, money and a willingness to compromise. Due to the age of these old comics, they are much more difficult to find than comics within the past 50 years. Finding high grade copies of these comics is near impossible, causing the comic book values to skyrocket.

Strategy

As stated, your strategy to finding these comics should be: willingness to compromise. 1. Compromise: if you can't find the specific issue, is an issue in the title enough? 2. Compromise: be willing to accept a lesser grade, high-grade is thought to find 3. Compromise: price, the Golden Age comic prices are not cheap.

Title or Issue?

Finding Golden Age comics takes a much more disciplined approach to collecting than newer comics. It can take months or years to find the specific issue you are looking for at the price you are willing to pay. If you are willing to compromise, focus on a particular title instead of the specific title and issue. For example, if you want the first appearance of Batman in Detective Comics #27 because you are a fan of Batman, you may want to focus instead on collecting titles in which he appears. Detective Comics #27 is not for sale too often. Consider these other book titles with appearances from Batman: Detective Comics, Batman and World's Finest Comics.

Grade

Grade should also be part of your search strategy. Finding a Near Mint (NM, 9.2) comic from the Golden Age would be difficult and expensive. If you find a comic you are searching for, but the condition is Very Good (VG), you may want to buy that comic since a higher grade copy may not become available for a long time. A smart collector will grab the issue they're looking for when it is available. Then, when the higher grade is available you're looking for (next month or next year), you can then trade up.
Suggested Search Titles

Here are some suggested popular Golden Age titles by DC, Marvel/Timely and a few others:

• Action Comics
• Adventure Comics
• All-American Comics
• All Flash
• All Star Comics
• All Winners Comics
• Amazing Man Comics
• Archie Comics
• Batman
• Blue Beetle
• Blue Bolt
• Captain America Comics
• Captain Marvel Adventures
• Classics Illustrated
• Daring Mystery Comics
• Detective Comics
• Famous Funnies
• Flash Comics
• Four Color
• Green Lantern
• Human Torch
• Marvel Comics
• Marvel Mystery Comics
• More Fun Comics
• New Fun Comics
• Pep Comics
• Sensation Comics
• Sub-Mariner Comics
• Superman
• Walt Disney Comics & Stories
• Whiz Comics
• Wonder Woman
• World's Finest Comics
• Young Allies Comics

If your favorite golden age comic book dealer is not part of our search, bookmark the site and come back regularly. We want to make sure your collectible needs are satisfied when you are looking for comics for sale.