I once had a collection of several hundred comic books—including a complete run of The Avengers—and had begun to think about what to do with them so my kids wouldn’t have to.
I touched base with a reputable comic-book broker who told me my collection had maybe a dozen “key” issues that were worth a lot of money and scores more that weren’t. Only another collector or expert would know the difference. Of course, even the unimportant issues retail for much more than he said he could offer me. Then they all burned.
My father-in-law collected coins. We urged him to compile an inventory of them, or even just show us his most valuable pieces. He replied that it would be our problem to figure out after he died. It was. While I think we found an ethical coin shop that gave us a fair price for his collection, we weren’t numismatists so we’ll never know. We did our best.
I have a decent little collection of original comic art, some from cartoonist friends and others by historically notable cartoonists. I’ve made a list of them all, documenting what I paid for them (if they weren’t a gift or trade), estimating what they're worth and, for the few really good ones, suggesting how my heirs could auction or donate them.
I believe that’s the very least a collector owes to those they leave behind. Or sell your collection yourself and give them the cash. They’d probably appreciate that.
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