Golden Age Horror Comics Worth Money

Surprisingly Valuable Golden Age Horror Comics

When you're looking through a stack of old horror comics, how can you tell which ones are worth decent money?

First rule: earlier horror comics are worth more than later ones.

The reason is not their age, but the publisher's ability to shock and gross out readers was removed in the mid-1950s.

If you see the "Comics Code Authority" stamp on the cover (see example at right), then the comic you're looking at is not a so-called pre-Code horror comic.

The Code banned the use of certain words, images and concepts.

After the Code was introduced, for example, not only could comics not use the word "Zombie", but they couldn't show images of undead, explicit violence or sexual innuendo.

So comics WITHOUT this stamp were allowed to do more with their creative writing and art.

Second rule: if the cover makes you go "Ewww GROSS!" then the comic is worth far more.

Examples:

• UNDEAD: a skeleton is biting the tongue of a girl he is making out with;
• HEADLIGHTS, BONDAGE: a beautiful woman (ideally with very perky breasts sticking out through her dress, aka "headlights") is tied up, while a mad scientist prepares to slice her into segments;
• GRAPHIC VIOLENCE: a madman is disposing of a dismembered corpse, is carrying body parts, or plunging a weapon into a victim;
• OUTRAGEOUS DETAIL: a decapitated head used in a bell, a shaman shrinking heads, an eye being injured, a human blowing up or being subjected to extreme radiation.

All these bizarre and gross-out concepts indicate that the comic you have found is worth SERIOUS money. These are the cream of Golden Age horror comics.

Of course, you might be totally lost and confused about what you have.

Never fear! We will confront the monsters under your bed or in your closet for you with a FREE comic book appraisal.

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1) Average Post-Code Golden Age Horror Comics

These are examples of the average comics that most often show up in horror comic collections.

They are worth between $20 and $200 depending on condition.

2) Better Pre-Code Golden Age Horror Comics

These are definitely not the most valuable pre-Code horror comics, but they are better than average.

Most comics in this category do NOT have the Comics Code Authority stamp on their cover. They often feature skeletons, zombies, mummies, werewolves and other walking dead.

You can expect between $50 and $1,000 for this kind of comic, depending on what shape they are in.

3) Best Golden Age Horror Comics

We didn't want to turn this into a list of the top 30 horror comics of the 1950s (click to see that list) or most valuable pre Code horror comics (the next 25 most valuable). You can look up the best of the best at those two pages.

The aim of this section is to demonstrate what the best in breed generally look like.

The more gruesome the cover the better. Injuries, stabbings, pieces of a person cut off, horrific interaction with the undead, torture, bondage, animal or insect attacks...

The prices vary so much for these. Typically they are worth AT LEAST $100 each, and the sky is the limit for the really good ones in great condition.

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