Old Marvel cards could be worth a mint, or just pennies.
As you're cleaning out the closet, you stumble across a 1990 Marvel comic trading card. You imagine that it may be worth a mint, but you don't know properly value it. Several factors go into properly assessing the value of collectibles, and non-sports trading cards are no different.
Instructions
1. Examine every inch of the card with a magnifying glass, checking for scratches, marks, dents or any other imperfections that may affect the overall value. Collectors generally favor cards with sharp corners, smooth edges, perfect centering (both side-to-side and top-to-bottom) and clean surfaces. If any of these features have been compromised, the card loses value.
2. Clean the surface of the card with a felt cloth. This is especially critical if the card had been kept in a dusty place. Place the card on a flat surface and run the cloth gently over the front, being careful not to ding the corners or edges. Once the card is wiped clean, place it in a plastic sleeve and a card holder to preserve its condition. These supplies can be purchased cheaply at any sports card store.
3. Take the card to a shop that deals in non-sports memorabilia to have an expert tell you what he thinks the card might fetch. Some sports card shops carry non-sports products, so that's a good place to start. If you don't have any luck there, try a comic book store. While the employees there deal primarily with the value of comics, they may still be able to shed some light on the worth of your card. If you live in a larger city with multiple options, try them all. The more consultations you have, the more accurate estimate you will have of the value of your card.
4. Check eBay for current listings or recently ended auctions involving your card, or ones like it. Seeing what people have paid recently, as well as watching ongoing auctions, are the best ways to establish an item's current market value. Use "1990 Marvel card", plus the character featured on the front, in eBay's search bar. Scan the results to see if any match the card you own, and click "Watch This Item" to monitor the auction until it ends.
5. Set a value that takes everything you've learned into consideration. One way is to take the values you've been given, and use a calculator to work out an average.
