If you’re a comic book collector looking to keep track of your collection, one of the tools that often comes up is CBR’s comic book price crawler. On the surface, it looks like just another online price guide, but it actually has a lot of features that can be useful for both casual collectors and serious sellers.
One standout feature is the ability to create an account and add your own collection. Once you do this, CBR tracks the total value of your collection over time. For collectors with large Silver Age, Bronze Age, or Modern Age runs, this can save hours of manual tracking. You get a visual snapshot of your collection’s worth and how it changes with the market. It’s a fantastic free tool for monitoring trends, spotting which issues are increasing in value, and understanding your collection as a whole.
That said, there are important caveats. While the collection tracker gives a general overview, the values are often very inaccurate for the UK comic book market. If your goal is to sell comics in the UK, don’t rely on the collection value as a serious estimate — the numbers can be wildly off. It’s perfect for casual tracking and comparison, but not a substitute for getting a professional appraisal from a UK-based comic book buyer.
Valuing Individual Comics
Where CBR really shines is when you want to check individual comic book values. Each listing contains a wealth of information: past sales, recent trends, high/low prices, and detailed visuals. You can see multiple covers, printings, and sometimes even variant editions. While some of this can feel overwhelming or cluttered, the depth of information is useful if you’re trying to understand market trends or identify key issues in your collection.
One feature that is especially handy for collectors is the ability to search by CGC certification number. This allows you to look up specific graded comics and see exactly what they’re selling for in the secondary market. For anyone who owns CGC-slabbed comics, this is an incredibly useful feature, saving you the time of searching multiple marketplaces.
Pros & Benefits
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Easy to use – the interface is intuitive for beginners and experienced collectors alike.
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Visual data – charts and images help you quickly understand trends.
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Free to use – no subscription required, which is great for casual collectors.
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CGC certificate search – now you can find exact values for specific graded comics.
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Good for tracking collections over time – you can see how your collection grows or shrinks in value.
Cons & Limitations
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Inaccurate UK market values – the figures are largely based on US sales data, so they’re not reliable if you’re selling in the UK.
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Collection values are often misleading – take the “total value” numbers with a grain of salt.
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Cluttered interface – lots of ads, visuals, and extra charts that aren’t always necessary.
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Can be overwhelming for newcomers – the sheer amount of data can confuse first-time users.
How to Use CBR Effectively
Despite the drawbacks, there are ways to get the most out of this tool:
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Track trends, not absolute values – use the collection tracker to see which comics are trending up or down, but don’t rely on the total value for pricing.
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Use CGC search for graded comics – if you have key issues with CGC slabs, this feature is a quick way to check their market performance.
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Compare multiple sources – cross-check values with UK-based comic book buyers or eBay UK listings to get a realistic selling price.
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Use for reference – great for general knowledge, spotting rare issues, or planning future purchases.
Conclusion
CBR’s comic book price crawler is a useful free tool for any collector who wants to monitor their collection and understand the comic book market. Its standout features, like the collection tracker and CGC certificate search, are excellent for reference.
However, if your main goal is to sell comic books in the UK for the best price, CBR should not be your only guide. The collection values can be wildly inaccurate, and the numbers don’t reflect UK demand or pricing trends. For serious sellers, it’s better to combine tools like CBR with trusted UK comic book buyers who can provide realistic valuations and free collection services.
TL;DR: Who Should Use It?
✅ Great for:
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Casual collectors tracking collection growth
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Anyone wanting a free comic price guide
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Checking specific CGC-slabbed comics
❌ Not ideal for:
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