If you are any type of comic book collector you are always hunting, searching, looking for the next hot spot to find comic books.  No matter if it's dollar comic books or just back issues, you want the opportunity to dig.   It’s what we do right?  But have you ever looked for comic books at a flea market?  I haven’t, until this year.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve been to flea markets in the past but I have never seen someone selling comic books.  Instead, I see a lot of dealers selling used clothes, kitchen items, artwork, framed pictures, or a house plant or something; not comic books.  I am glad I went to the flea market this particular weekend because I did see a lot of dealers but most importantly, I found a pretty cool comic book.  This article will highlight a recent find I had when I visited a local flea market and highlight a comic you should be on the lookout for.  Welcome to the life of a Comic Book Collector!

Flea Market 101 

So, as I said earlier, I hardly go to the flea market let alone go to a flea market looking for comic books.  The reason being, I never see comic book dealers there.  But this particular flea market had a few comic book dealers.  Keep in mind, when I say comic book dealers, I say that term very loosely here.  You have the comic book dealers that you see at every comic con and maybe even own a comic book shop or two.  Then you have the comic book dealers that just do this stuff on the weekends, your next-door neighbor or best friend type of comic book dealers; your part-time dealer.  You hardly see them in the comic book scene, only on the weekends at the flea market.  Nevertheless, you never really know what you might find from any dealer.

The thing for most collectors is it’s always about the thrill of the hunt.  That’s why we try to find a variety of different locations to look for comic books, not just one place.   Think of it as having multiple sources of comic book producers; the more the merrier.  Flea markets are that alternative.  Scrolling through FB or IG you will always find a collector posting their weekend finds from the flea market.  I always notice these types of posts and I’ve also seen some incredible finds.  Unbelievable finds for that matter.  I was a nonbeliever, until now.  You just never know what you will find.  Definitely worth going to one if you have one local to you.

The Key Find   

So back to the Flea Market.  I’m not sure why I left the house this particular day because I had no plans of digging but I’m sure it had something to do with a Craigslist ad posted by a dealer stating he was bringing comics to the show.  There were only four comic book dealers at the flea market, two of the dealers were primarily selling other items like plants or children's clothes, and the other two dealers only had comics.  So expect the same when you go.   So after going from dealer tent to dealer tent there was this one seller (not sure if I should call her a dealer) who had no more than 20 comic books, unbagged and boarded, at her table.  I didn’t expect much but I took a look anyway.  Wow, I am glad I did.  I found a few of these same comics in the dollar bin back in the day but nothing as of late; until today.  I sorted through the first stack of comics, all modern, and nothing.  I sorted through the second stack of modern comics and found All-New Marvel Now Point One #1 (2014) – 1st full appearance of Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel.

I guess you can say anything Ms. Marvel is hot right now as several different characters call themselves Ms. Marvel in the comic books.  But Marvel Point OneKamala Khan – seems to be the hottest version of Ms. Marvel right about now.  Raw copies are going for $100+ depending on condition and graded CGC 9.8 copies are going for $700+ range.  So maybe now you can understand my surprise when I saw this comic book for a dollar at the flea market.  I had to take a double-look and confirm it was what I thought it was and immediately paid my dollar.

Marvel is all about female characters now.  Kamala Khan is one of those characters that already have a strong fan base and with the recent Ms. Marvel speculation going around the character, Kamala Khan is approaching nuclear status.  Definitely a character to keep an eye on.  According to various sources, Matt Lintz will play Carrelli in the Ms. Marvel TV series who also has a 1st appearance in this comic book.  Now, as far as collecting the 2nd print or the McNiven ratio variant of this comic I will leave that discussion for another day.  Collect them all.  As far as this 1st print is concerned, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  Yesssss!  

Recap

There you have it.  You just never know what you will find at a flea market.  It can be just one comic book or it can be many comic books, it doesn't matter.  If you do go to one don’t be surprised to find a comic book dealer there.  It may be worth a visit.  Overall it was a good experience.  I met some new dealers and I am very good friends with one of them.  That is what this hobby is all about.  Meeting new friends in the hobby and connecting with like-minded individuals that share the same interest as you.  As you can see there can be some amazing finds at the flea market.  If anything, you will find something nice to bring back to the house.  Good luck to everybody out there in your comic book searches just don’t forget about those flea markets.  Until next time you comic book junkies…………..!!

Please share your thoughts and comments you have about Flea Markets.  Is there a flea market you go to every weekend in your neighborhood?  What comic books have you found at the flea market lately?  Which comic books are you always looking for?  Please share your experience about flea markets and what are some of your favorite comic books to go on the hunt for.

 

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