Today we’re joined by Vincent Zurzolo, as he share his journey in investing in comic books. Vincent shares his lifelong passion for comics, which he turned into a successful business that has sold some of the most expensive comic books in history, including multiple million-dollar issues. We discuss how comic books have evolved from casual childhood reads to serious investments, and how third-party grading and online auctions have expanded the market. He emphasizes that comics—whether for fun, art, or investment—are still thriving. Today we discuss...
- Vincent Zurzolo is the president and co-owner of Metropolis Collectibles and ComicConnect.com, leading companies in the vintage comic book market.
- He began collecting and selling comics at 15 and turned his passion into a multimillion-dollar business.
- His companies have sold some of the most expensive comics in history, including several copies of Action Comics #1 and Amazing Fantasy #15.
- Third-party grading, pioneered by his team, has made comics more accessible and investable for collectors worldwide.
- ComicConnect hosts regular online auctions featuring vintage comics, original comic art, and rare collectibles.
- Digital platforms like VeVe are changing how comics are collected, using NFT-like tokens to sell limited digital editions.
- The global comic market is expanding, with increasing interest in foreign editions and international collectors.
- Manga has become the most popular comic format globally, embraced by fans across cultures and countries.
- Original comic art—drawings used to create comic book pages—is a growing collectible category with high demand.
- People collect comics and art in creative ways, from themes like holidays and sports to specific characters or artists.
- Graphic novels, while popular and accessible, generally don’t carry the same investment value as vintage comics.
- The comic book market offers entry points for all budgets, from dollar-bin finds to million-dollar grails.
- Zurzolo sees comic books as a major American art form that teaches vocabulary, inspires careers, and sparks imagination.
- He believes comic book movies will continue to thrive, despite variability in quality like any genre.
- He encourages people to read comics not just for collecting, but for joy, creativity, and escapism.
Investing in comic books
By Vincent Zurzolo
CEO/ComicConnect and Metropolis Collectibles
Thanks to Kirk Chisolm for having me on the podcast recently. If you listened to the episode, you learned that I love talking about comic books, and I could do it all day every day.
I started buying comics as a kid from Queens, literally mining the family couch cushions for spare change. By high school, I had become “the comic book guy.” As I was getting ready to graduate from St. John’s University with a degree in marketing, I was selling comics in the Financial District. I thought: “Do I want to work for someone else in Manhattan—commuting 1½ hours each way in a suit—or work in my basement in my shorts and make more money?” I turned my passion into a career.
In 1999, I joined my friend and competitor Stephen Fishler, the one guy I couldn’t beat, as partner in Metropolis Collectibles. Stephen and I founded ComicConnect, now the nation’s leading online auction house for comics, collectibles and other popular culture artifacts, in 2007. In 2010, we sold the first million-dollar comic book, and have had several more such sales since.
That’s enough about me. We’re here to talk about why comic books can be a solid investment, while also being fun.
Why invest in comic books
These days, when it seems every news cycle clouds the economic picture, there’s one investment sector that seems to hold its own year after year: vintage comic books and related ephemera.
A lot of collectibles lose value as remnants of some other era. In contrast, comic books have a proven and enduring appeal. We've seen how characters from many genres continue to be revisited in movies, television and video games. Just look at this summer’s box office hits, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” and “Superman.” If you happen to be sitting on a Fantastic Four #1 from 1961, even in not great condition, it could be worth tens of thousands of dollars. There are decades of comic books that can become the cornerstone of a new collection.
Who invests in comic books?
Most comic book investors are also comic book lovers, and, as for me, it usually started when they were kids. One of the great things about collecting comic books is that you can almost relive your childhood.
Smart collecting transforms a guilty pleasure into an investment. Values of comic books soared during the pandemic and have been softening since 2021. Now they seem to be recovering, but there are still a lot of affordable opportunities out there. If you’re interested in collecting valuable comics, now is a good time to get into the market.
There’s something for every budget. You don’t have to be the guy who drops $3 million on a copy of Action Comics #1 (1938), which introduced Superman and started the superhero genre. (But if you are that guy, I’d love to meet you!)
Know what you want
Decide what you like. Do your homework. See what’s growing in value. Keep an eye on future movie and TV releases. Set up a list of what you want, figure out your budget, and leave 10% for discretionary purchases in case something exciting catches your eye. We’re getting ready to auction a collection of 200 first appearances and #1 issues, which the collector went about gathering very deliberately.
A question I get a lot is: Does it have to be superheroes? Absolutely not. There are many genres of comic books, from cartoon characters (Mickey Mouse, Richie Rich, Archie, Bugs Bunny) to war sagas to romance to horror to grim dystopian stories with flawed heroes. There are comic books with female central characters, too, such as Little Lulu and Millie the Model.
Books can also be collected on the basis of specific artists, first appearances and milestones such as death or first kiss. I have worked people who collect genres of covers, too. If a cover features a lamppost, a sport or Christmas, for example, there’s a collector who wants it.
Condition matters – a lot!
Comics are classified in four eras: Golden (1938-1956), Silver (1956-1970), Bronze (1970-1985), and Modern (1985-present). Comics from any of these eras are potentially solid investments.
What matters most is their condition, followed by their rarity. Comics are graded on a 10-point scale, which was devised by my partner, Stephen Fishler. You can enter the market as a novice with an expert’s understanding of what “condition” means.
The grading is done by a third-party, company, CGC, which evaluates books on a variety of criteria. The grades go from .5 (poor) to 10 (gem/mint). Books graded as 8, 9 and 10s tend to hold their value better, but a book from 1940 with a grade of 4 may still be very valuable.
CGC sends graded books back to their owners in hard plastic cases, which we call “slabs.” You can’t take it out and read it at that point, but there are reprints and digital editions that will allow you to enjoy the stories. You can also collect “raw” books that are not preserved; these should be kept in acid-free bags with an acid-free backing board to maintain their quality.
What else besides comic books?
Original comic art – the actual drawings by the artists themselves – is seeing an increase in demand. It was art created to tell a story, and then discarded after publication. But much was not thrown out. And when collectors discovered it wasn’t thrown out, they wanted to possess and collect it.
VHS tapes and video games can also be valuable. A VHS of the first “Star Wars” movie can be worth hundreds or even thousands. We also sell movie props, cards, posters and toys. For example, an unopened action figure from “Return of the Jedi” might fetch several hundred dollars.
Comic books provide escapism, entertainment and inspiration. I’ve met first-responders and doctors who have said, “I read comic books as a kid. I knew I’d never have super powers, but I wanted to help people.”
It’s a uniquely American art form – I would even say it’s the greatest American art form, right up there with jazz. Whether you become a collector or an investor, you are doing something important: Preserving artifacts of pop culture for future generations.
I would be happy to answer any of your questions. Contact me at VincentZ@metropoliscomics.com
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Today's Guest: Vincent Zurzolo
Vincent Zurzolo is an internationally-recognized authority on vintage comic books, comic art, and pop-culture memorabilia. He is co-owner and president of ComicConnect.com, the premier online collectibles auction house, and its sister firm, Metropolis Collectibles, the world’s largest dealership for vintage comic books. The company holds multiple Guinness World Records for collectibles bought and sold.
Zurzolo and his business partner, Stephen Fishler, were the first to break the industry’s million-dollar threshold in 2010 (for an Action Comics #1, the first Superman comic). To date, they’ve facilitated fifteen $1,000,000+ deals—the highest and most recent for $3,250,000.
Zurzolo is founder and curator of Metropolis Gallery, the only NYC gallery dedicated to comic and fantasy art. The gallery is attached to his Manhattan office/showroom, which is home to a revolving inventory of more than 150,000 items.
An industry insider since his teens, Zurzolo has rubbed elbows with icons like Stan Lee and Frank Frazetta. He has a fascinating repertoire of comic book lore and hosted the Comic Zone Radio podcast for 5 years, where he interviews industry luminaries.
One of the first to view comics as financial investments, he’s appeared on Fox News, Bloomberg News, Hollywood Treasures, Buried Treasures, BBC and Russia Today. He’s been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Time magazine, among numerous publications.
Zurzolo, started selling comics at 15—and, after graduating from St. John’s University in 1993—launched a full-time street dealership on Broadway in New York, selling to stockbrokers exiting the Exchange.
In what proved to be a visionary move, he co-founded Manhattan’s Big Apple Comic Con in 1995, nearly a decade before New York Comic Con. In 1999, he joined his friend/competitor Stephen Fishler as partner in Metropolis Collectibles—citing Fishler as “the one guy I couldn’t beat.”
Over the years, Zurzolo’s field of expertise has expanded to include pop-culture collectibles, including pulps, video games, posters, movie props, trading cards and toys—all which continue to grow in demand and value.
He recently released the first comic book he has personally created, The Addiction.
Vincent's Online Presence:
Today's Panelists
Phil Weiss | Apprise Wealth Management
Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Advisory Group