Bought a $200 'golden age' comic lot on eBay and half were reprints

I thought I scored big with a lot of old Superman and Batman issues from the 40s. Turns out the seller hid small reprint stamps on the inside covers that I missed in the photos. I mean, maybe it's just me but I feel like that should be in the title or description. Has anyone else gotten burned by reprint lots on eBay?

2 comments

2 Comments

jones.grace21d ago

Oh man, that stinks. I've definitely been there. Best thing to do is check seller feedback before you buy - look for anyone mentioning "reprint" or "facsimile" in the reviews. Also try messaging sellers directly asking if all issues are original, since eBay's photo rules don't always catch hidden stamps like that.

kellymurphy20d ago

I remember getting burned on a complete run of Astonishing X-Men that turned out to be bootlegs the seller had photocopied the covers and everything. What worked for me was asking for a photo of the inside front cover right where the indicia sits, that little block of tiny text on the first page. Real books have that specific publisher info and print run number, but reprints either skip it or have it looking all fuzzy and wrong. Also I started sticking to sellers who post actual photos of the books they're selling instead of just stock images from the internet. Nine times out of ten if they only use stock photos, they're hiding something.