Whether you love the artwork or appreciate the storylines, you enjoy collecting comic books. As you know, a comic book collection can be tremendously valuable. If you acquired much of your collection during your marriage and are now heading for divorce, though, you need to know how much your collection is worth.
In Kentucky, judges follow an equitable distribution approach when dividing marital property. As such, they decide what is fair and equitable, which may or may not be a 50-50 split. Before you can argue for your fair share, you need to know the value of your possessions. As you may suspect, valuing a comic book collection presents some unique challenges.
Evaluate the condition
With most collectibles, condition matters. This is particularly true with comic books. Even a minor crease or tear can decrease the value of a comic book considerably. Therefore, when trying to determine the value of your books, you need to make a realistic grading of the condition of each one.
Determine individual and total value
Some comic books have standalone value, while others have greater worth as part of a collection. As such, you may need to work with an expert to determine the value of both individual pieces and the overall collection.
Browse a price guide
Comic books are some of the most collectible items anyone can own. While working with a knowledgeable appraiser may give you a realistic picture of your collection’s worth, you can likely get a ballpark estimate by investing in a reputable price guide.
Find a buyer
When dissolving your marriage, you likely have a couple of options for dealing with your comic book collection. First, you can sell the collection and split the proceeds with your soon-to-be ex-spouse. If you go this route, though, you may have to wait a considerable amount of time to find a buyer willing to pay a fair price for your books. Alternatively, you may keep the collection and buy out your partner’s ownership interest.
If you have rare or otherwise valuable comic books in your collection, you may be sitting on a goldmine. By understanding how to value your collection, you can better plan for receiving your fair share during your divorce.
