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Did you happen to come across stacks of old comic books while going through the attic? Or, perhaps you stumbled across a comic book collection when you were browsing at a garage sale and suddenly got the idea of grabbing them and selling them for a profit. Wherever you've gotten them, and whether you have five comic books or five hundred, you need to know how to determine comic book value.

The methods for determining the value of a comic book are several. You need to know what kind of condition the comic book is in, first of all, based on specific guidelines. A comic book's desirability and rarity is another determining factor in what kind of price it will fetch.

There are two ways to determine comic book value, also called its grade. You can consult the CGC (Comics Guaranty Company) either by mail or at a comic book convention, or you can use information you find online to determine its grade. These are the grading terms you should be familiar with: Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, Fine, Very Fine, Near Mint, Mint. You can find books that guide you in determining the grade, but the information is readily available on the internet, too.

Once you have determined the grade, finding the comic book value is much easier. Visit eBay and check out the auctions for comic books, since this will give you a good idea of what they're selling for. Be aware, however, that the values will tend to vary from issue to issue. Price is often dependant on special things about the issue, such as printing errors or rarity.

You could also buy and consult a comic book pricing guide. There are lots of different ones. Some give one price for each comic, and some give a range of values based on condition. Finally, use a good search engine to explore and find information about a specific issue. Join online communities for collectors, where you can often find a wealth of information.