If you’re a graphic novel geek or a comics connoisseur, you might be wondering how you can start your own comics collection. After all, you might have seen some impressive hauls, like the University of South Carolina’s massive comics collection, and wondered if you could match it yourself. While you may not be able to reach the same level as that a venerable academic institution, there’s absolutely no reason you can’t start your own comics collection and enjoy some of the best stories ever committed to print. Here’s how to become a comics collector from scratch.

Amass some money

Being a comics collector can be extremely expensive. First editions of comic books or limited-run ranges can set you back thousands upon thousands of pounds depending on the issue, so you’re going to need some cash. If you’re serious about becoming a collector, you could dip into your savings, but if you’re starting off slow, there’s no reason not to hit up a provider like Loans2Go to give you some initial funds with which to invest. No matter what you do, you’re going to need money, so it’s best to start thinking about funding sooner rather than later.

Learn your grading systems

There are various different comic book grading systems that you might see while you’re building your collection, but first and foremost, there are two grading methods: a letter system and a number-based method. The letter system ranges from MT (“mint”) to PO (“poor”) and dictates the condition a comic is in. If you see numbers next to the grade, though, this indicates a more up-to-date comic book grading system that has more increments between each milestone, meaning you can more accurately grade a comic and understand the condition it’s in. Learning this system is vital to becoming a collector. Like with many toys from the 90s, and older, comic books hold value, so it is important to know what each is worth.

Look in other places, not just comic book shops

It stands to reason that since comic book shops are looking to turn a profit, they should be considered rival collectors. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check their stock to see if there’s anything you can get, but it does mean you’re more likely to hit on special finds if you look outside of the traditional comic book retail space. Car boot sales, curiosity shops, and friends’ houses are all great places to spot items for your collection, especially because people often don’t know how valuable the comics they have really are, meaning you can potentially get a better deal than if you were buying from a collector.

Build slowly

Don’t look to fill your collection as quickly as possible; instead, take care over each and every transaction you engage with. You might buy something that isn’t actually as valuable as you think it is, and conversely, you might end up passing on a comic that could be the key to your entire collection. By researching comics thoroughly and only making transactions when you’re certain that what you’re buying is worthwhile, you can minimise the risk of making a bad decision. You can also learn more about your collection, potentially reassessing items you’d previously thought were less valuable.

Talk to other collectors

Entering into any kind of enthusiast or hobbyist world is very difficult; there are a huge amount of gatekeepers and elitists just waiting to tell you why your approach is inferior to theirs. The trick is to find friendly fellow collectors that can help you learn the ropes and teach you valuable tips and tricks for improving your own horde. Building a network is important in all walks of life, but nowhere is this more true than when you’re amassing a collection; you can share opportunities with other collectors if you spot something they’re missing, and they can do the same for you.

Go to conventions

Comic-Con is about more than just people dressing up as their favourite characters. More often than not, you’ll find entire stalls at conventions dedicated to rare comic books, and while the markups can be eye-watering, you’ll often find that these stalls have items you don’t. Be sure to try and negotiate price with stall holders whenever you can; you’ll often find that there is a little room for manoeuvre on the price of an item you want. Do make sure not to tell people why you’re buying what you’re buying, though; you may find that they refuse to mark down the price if they know how badly you want the item.

Get to know important issues

Comics, like any other media, have important issues around which many of their stories are based. Specific issues of certain comics will fetch a far higher price than others, and you’ll need to know which issues those are if you want to become a collector. Issues include controversial storylines (such as the Spider-Man: One More Day storyline), as well as the first appearance of certain characters, narrative devices, or other important elements. You can also look for gimmick issues that weren’t printed in huge quantities, as these are almost guaranteed to reach a good price.

Set aside good storage space

Comics need to be stored properly. You should store all of your paper comic books in plastic sleeves if possible, and if you can’t do this, be sure to keep them in containers that will weather different temperatures. Whatever you do, don’t simply leave them out in an attic somewhere, as the paper may deteriorate and suddenly your collection will be worth pretty much nothing. Treat your comic book collection like the set of valuables it truly is; don’t just think of your comics as pieces of paper, but as investments that you need to look after."