Comic Collector FAQ

What do I need to run Comic Collector?

• WordPress 6.2 or newer and PHP 7.4 or newer.
• WooCommerce is optional — only needed if you want to sell comics from your site.
• Comic Collector Pro (the paid add-on bundle) requires the free Comic Collector plugin v2.5.0 or newer to be installed and active.

It works fine on local installs too (LocalWP, XAMPP, MAMP). API-dependent features like eBay pricing need an internet connection, but collection management, importing, and manual entry work fully offline.

How do I install the free plugin?

1. In your WordPress admin, go to Plugins → Add New.
2. Search for "Comic Collector", click Install Now, then Activate.
3. A new Comics menu appears in your admin sidebar — that's home base for everything.

What does the setup wizard cover?

On first activation, Comic Collector launches a guided onboarding wizard with six steps:

1. Welcome — a quick tour of what the plugin does.
2. API Configuration — enter your eBay and Comic Vine keys (you can skip and add them later).
3. Collection Settings — choose your basic collection preferences.
4. Import Your Collection — bring in comics from CLZ or CSV right away.
5. Supercharge Your Collection — an overview of the Pro extensions.
6. You're All Set! — done.

Everything in the wizard can also be changed later under Comics → ⚙️ Settings, so it's safe to skip steps.

Where do I find everything? (Menu tour)

Pro tip: With Comic Collector Pro active, an Offers page and extension menu items (Analytics, Pull List, etc.) appear as well.

How do I add a comic manually?

Go to Comics → Add Comic. Fill in the title, issue number, publisher, and condition grade — plus any extras like variant info, purchase price, and notes. Save, and it appears in your Collection immediately.

How do I add a graded (slabbed) comic?

Use Comics → Add Graded and enter the certification number printed on the slab label. Comic Collector looks up the cert with CGC, CBCS, or PGX and pre-fills the comic's details and exact grade. Slabbed comics use the certified grade for pricing instead of condition multipliers.

Can I scan barcodes with my phone?

Yes. Open your frontend collection view on your phone and use the barcode scanner — it uses your phone camera, no app required. If you have a Comic Vine API key configured (see the API Keys section), barcode scans automatically populate the comic's title, issue, publisher, and cover art.

Pro tip: The Inventory Scanner Pro extension adds batch scanning, cover-image identification, and a Scan button right in the dashboard toolbar.

How do I import from CLZ Comics?

1. In CLZ, export your collection as an XML file.
2. Go to Comics → Import & Sync, select your CLZ XML export, and click Import.

The importer processes comics in batches of 50 to avoid server timeouts, downloads cover images automatically, and uses the CLZ hash field for duplicate detection — so re-running an import won't create duplicates.

How do I import from a CSV file?

Go to Comics → Import & Sync and switch to the CSV tab. Upload your file and map your columns to Comic Collector fields. The importer supports alias mapping — for example, "Title" and "Comic Title" both map to the title field automatically — so most spreadsheets import with little or no manual mapping.

How do condition grades work?

Comics are graded on the standard CGC/CBCS 0.5–10.0 scale. Common reference points:

Condition directly affects a comic's estimated value through built-in condition multipliers (see Pricing & Valuation). Slabbed comics use the exact certified grade.

What do the comic statuses mean?

Which services should I set up first?

The recommended minimum is two free keys:

• Comic Vine — powers barcode auto-fill, series search, pull list, and reading list metadata.
• eBay — powers real-world sold-price valuation.

PriceCharting works out of the box with no key at all (about 100 requests/day on the free tier), so basic pricing works from day one. Everything else is optional enrichment.

How do I get eBay API keys? (Step-by-step)

1. Create a free developer account. Visit developer.ebay.com and sign up — you'll need an existing eBay account. Verify your email afterward.
2. Create an application. In the eBay Developer Portal, go to My Account → Application Keys and click Create a keyset for the Production environment. Choose Individual as the account type. Note your App ID (Client ID) and Cert ID (Client Secret).
3. Enter the keys in Comic Collector. Go to Settings → API Keys, paste the App ID and Cert ID, save, then click 🔍 Test eBay to verify the connection.

Once connected, Comic Collector automatically fetches recent sold prices from eBay when you refresh pricing.

Free tier limits: eBay's free developer tier allows 5,000 API calls per day. Comic Collector caches results and batches requests to stay well within this limit — price refreshes run on demand rather than constantly, to conserve your quota.

How do I get a Comic Vine API key?

Register for a free key at comicvine.gamespot.com/api (a free Comic Vine account is required). Paste the key into Settings → API Keys → Comic Vine API Key and click 🔍 Test Comic Vine.

Comic Vine unlocks: barcode-scan auto-fill, series lookups for the Pull List, cover art fetching, and Reading List recommendations.

What is PriceCharting and do I need a key?

PriceCharting is the primary pricing source — it provides pre-averaged graded and ungraded comic values. The free tier works without any key (about 100 requests/day). If you have a large collection and want higher limits, get a Pro key at pricecharting.com/pricecharting-pro and enter it under Settings → API Keys.

What about GoCollect?

Optional. GoCollect provides enhanced pricing data for graded (slabbed) comics. The free tier allows 50 API calls per day, so it's used selectively. Enter your key under Settings → API Keys → GoCollect API Key and verify with 🔍 Test GoCollect.

What is Metron and how do I connect it?

Metron is a free, community-run comic metadata database. Register for a free account at metron.cloud, then enter your username and password under Settings → API Keys → Additional Data Sources. It supplements cover images and bibliographic data automatically.

Which services work with no setup at all?

The Grand Comics Database (GCD) and Open Library require no API keys and are used automatically for enhanced metadata and trade-paperback barcode lookups. PriceCharting's free tier also works keyless.

How do I know my keys are working?

Every service has its own test button at the bottom of Settings → API Keys: Test eBay, Test Comic Vine, Test GoCollect, Test PriceCharting, and Test Metron. Each shows a clear success or failure message — if a test fails, re-check the key for stray spaces and confirm the account is active on the provider's site.

How does Comic Collector calculate estimated values?

It uses a fallback chain, taking the best available source for each comic:

1. PriceCharting — pre-averaged graded and ungraded market values (primary source).
2. eBay recent sold prices — real completed-sale comps via the eBay API.
3. GoCollect — graded-comic values (if you've added a key).
4. Cover price × condition multiplier — when no market data is available.
5. Purchase price with markup — last resort.

What are condition multipliers?

Raw (ungraded) comics estimate value by applying a multiplier to the base near-mint value:

Slabbed comics skip multipliers entirely and fetch grade-specific pricing automatically.

How often do prices update? How do I refresh them?

• A background job updates prices automatically twice daily.
• Prices are cached for 7 days by default to conserve API quota.
• Click the refresh button on any comic for an on-demand update, or use the bulk Refresh Prices action on the Collection page.
• Hold Shift while clicking refresh to bypass the cache and force a fresh lookup.

Does it track price history?

Yes — every price update is recorded, so each comic builds a value history over time. The Analytics Pro extension turns this history into trend charts, ROI breakdowns, and gainers/losers reports.

Can I use a different currency?

Yes. Comic Collector supports multi-currency formatting and conversion — values can display in your local currency. You can also choose your local eBay marketplace (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain) in settings so buy/search links and wishlist monitoring use your regional eBay site. Valuation comps stay pinned to eBay US / USD for consistency.

Do I need WooCommerce?

No. Comic Collector works as a standalone collection manager without it. WooCommerce is only required for selling features: listings, the storefront, Make-an-Offer, and Lot Sales.

How do I set up WooCommerce for selling comics?

1. Install and activate WooCommerce from Plugins → Add New.
2. Complete WooCommerce's own setup wizard (store address, currency, payment methods like Stripe or PayPal, and shipping rates).
3. That's it — Comic Collector detects WooCommerce automatically. No extra connection step is needed.

How do I list a comic for sale?

Change the comic's status to "Listed" (from the Collection page or the comic's edit screen). A WooCommerce product is created automatically — the listed price, cover image, condition grade, and details all sync to the product. Your comic instantly appears in your shop.

What happens when a comic sells?

When the WooCommerce order completes, the comic's status updates to "Sold" and it moves to your Sold Archive automatically — keeping your collection list clean while preserving the full sale record (price, date, buyer order).

What is round-up pricing?

Enable round-up pricing in Settings → Pricing to automatically round listed prices to the nearest $0.99 (for example, $47.50 becomes $47.99) — a standard practice in comic sales.

Pro tip: The Pro bundle adds Make-an-Offer (buyers negotiate on your listings) and Lot Sales (bundle comics into discounted lots) on top of WooCommerce. See their sections below.

How do I show my collection on a public page?

Create a page and add the [comic_collection] shortcode. Visitors get a browsable, searchable gallery of your collection. In Settings → General you control whether the public collection is enabled and whether estimated values are shown publicly.

What shortcodes are available?

The full, always-current list lives at Comics → 📋 Shortcodes in your admin.

Does it work with the Block Editor and Elementor?

Yes. Comic Collector ships Gutenberg blocks and Elementor widgets for the collection grid, single comics, and collection stats — search for "Comic" in either editor's element picker.

What are community annotations?

Visitors to your public collection can submit annotations (notes, trivia, corrections) on individual comics. Submissions are held for moderation — review and approve them under Comics → Annotations. Enable or disable the feature in Settings → General.

Can visitors install my collection as an app?

Yes — Comic Collector includes PWA (Progressive Web App) support with a web app manifest and service worker, so visitors on mobile can add your collection to their home screen and browse it like a native app. An optional install prompt can be toggled in settings.

Can I change how it looks?

Two settings tabs control appearance: Theme (a CSS-variable theming system for colors, radius, and style — with dark mode support) and Seller Branding (your store name, logo, and seller details shown on public pages). Custom Fields lets you add your own per-comic fields, such as "Storage Box".

What is Comic Collector Pro and what does it cost?

Pro is one plugin containing every premium extension: Analytics, Pull List, Wishlist & Alerts, Grading Prep, Make-an-Offer, Lot Sales, Convention Mode, Inventory Scanner, Print Run Estimator, Reading List, Backup & Restore, and PDF Export.

Purchase at dustinlincoln.com/comic-collector-pro, or from the Go Pro ⭐ tab in Settings. Each license key is valid on a single WordPress site.

How do I install and activate Pro?

1. Make sure the free Comic Collector plugin (v2.5.0+) is installed and active.
2. Download the comic-collector-pro ZIP from your purchase confirmation, then upload it via Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin and activate it.
3. Go to Comics → ⚙️ Settings → License, paste your license key (it's in your purchase confirmation email or invoice), and click Activate License.

All extensions are enabled by default once the license is active.

How do I turn individual extensions on and off?

Go to Settings → License and scroll to the Extension Manager. Toggle any extension on or off, then click Save Extension Settings. Changes take effect on the next page load. Disabled extensions don't load at all, which reduces resource usage — so feel free to switch off anything you don't use.

How do Pro updates work?

Exactly like normal plugin updates: when a new Pro version is available, it appears on your Plugins page and in Dashboard → Updates. Click update and you're done. An active license is required to receive updates.

Can I move my license to a different site?

Yes. On the old site, go to Settings → License and click Deactivate. Then activate the same key on the new site. Each key covers one active site at a time; licenses are non-transferable between owners. If the license status ever looks wrong, use Re-check License to force a fresh validation.

What happens if my annual license expires?

The plugin and your data keep working — nothing is locked or deleted. You stop receiving updates and support until you renew. (Brief license-server outages won't affect you either: a valid local activation keeps Pro features running.)

What does "Lifetime" mean exactly?

"Lifetime" refers to the lifespan of the software product, not an individual's lifetime — you receive updates and support for as long as Comic Collector Pro is actively maintained and available, with nothing more to pay.

What does Analytics show me?

• Collection value over time — trend charts built from automatic value snapshots.
• ROI by title and publisher — see where your money performed best, with cover thumbnails and publisher logos.
• Top Holdings, Market Movers, Hot Issues, and Gainers/Losers — what's moving in your collection and on your wishlist.
• Value alerts and email digests — get notified when notable value changes happen.

What are AI Insights?

An AI-generated analysis of your actual collection data, presented as scannable cards: 💰 sell opportunities, 💎 hidden gems, ⚠️ portfolio risk and concentration, 🏆 grading candidates, and 📉 declining values. Insights analyze individual comic-level data — top movers, key issues, publisher ROI — not just totals.

Can I show analytics publicly?

Yes — add the [cc_analytics] shortcode to any page for a public version with gainers/losers, top holdings, ROI tables, and alerts. Rows link to the public view of each comic where one exists.

How do I subscribe to a series?

Open the Pull List page under the Comics menu and add a series by name (Comic Vine search auto-completes titles). New issues are detected automatically by a background check, and items already in your collection are marked Owned.

What is the Releases Feed?

A browsable feed of each week's new comics (from League of Comic Geeks), with cover art, variant grouping, a detail modal, a date-range picker, and a publisher filter. You can add any release straight to a pull list — series detection is automatic.

Tip: Select a specific publisher in the filter to see that publisher's complete weekly slate, including one-shots, trades, annuals, and second printings. The "All Publishers" view shows the week's most-pulled highlights.

Can I have more than one pull list?

Yes — create multiple named lists (e.g., one per family member or store customer), switch between them with the list selector, and move items between lists.

Does it support import/export and notifications?

• CSV import and export, plus direct import of a League of Comic Geeks pull list.
• Release-day email notifications — sent at the hour you choose with the Notification Time setting (default 6:00 AM, in your site's timezone).

Can visitors see new releases on my site?

Yes — the [cc_releases] shortcode renders a public weekly releases grid with covers, variants, and a detail modal. Logged-in users can add releases to their list right from the grid.

How does wishlist monitoring work?

Add comics to your wishlist (status: Wishlist) with an optional target price. The extension monitors eBay, Whatnot, and Shortboxed for matching listings and alerts you when one appears at or below your target. eBay monitoring uses your selected marketplace — US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, or Spain — with non-US prices converted to USD so target matching stays accurate.

What alert channels are available?

Browser push notifications, email, and SMS. Configure them in the extension's settings. For push: your site must use HTTPS, and each browser/device subscribes individually by accepting the notification permission prompt.

Push notifications aren't arriving — what do I check?

1. Confirm your site is served over HTTPS.
2. Check the browser's notification permission for your site (must be "Allow").
3. Re-subscribe from the wishlist page on that device.
4. Update to the latest Pro version — older versions had a service-worker registration issue on certain permalink setups that has been fixed.

Can I share my want list publicly?

Yes — the [comic_wishlist] shortcode publishes your want list with covers and a contact the owner button, so sellers who have your grails can reach out directly. The contact form is rate-limited and spam-protected.

What does Grading Prep track?

• Submissions — group comics into a grading submission with the service (CGC/CBCS/PGX) and tier.
• Turnaround estimates — expected completion windows per service and tier.
• Cost analysis — grading fees vs. expected value bump, so you know whether slabbing makes financial sense.
• Transit tracking — follow your books to the grader and back.
• Grade sync — when results come in, the certified grades flow back into your collection records.

Can I sell freshly graded books right away?

Yes — Grading Prep integrates with WooCommerce, so a returned slab can go straight from "received back" to a listed product with its new certified grade.

Which comics should I submit?

The Analytics extension's AI Insights flag grading candidates — raw books in your collection whose value would likely justify grading costs. Pair the two extensions for a data-driven submission pipeline.

How do buyers make an offer?

On your public collection page, each comic gets a Make an Offer button. The visitor enters their offer and contact email — no account needed. Submissions are nonce-protected and rate-limited to keep spam out.

How do I manage incoming offers?

An Offers page appears in the Comics menu with a badge showing pending offers. From there you can accept, decline, or counter each offer; buyers can respond to counters. Email notifications keep both sides in the loop, and accepted offers flow into WooCommerce checkout.

Can offers be handled automatically?

Yes — set auto-accept and auto-decline thresholds (e.g., automatically accept anything at 90%+ of asking, decline anything under 50%) so only borderline offers need your attention.

How do I create a lot?

Open the Lot Sales page, select the comics to include, set the lot price, and publish. One WooCommerce product is created for the whole bundle, listing the included issues.

What do the shipping calculator and AI descriptions do?

The shipping calculator estimates the lot's shipping weight and cost from the number of books, so you don't underprice postage on a 50-issue lot. AI descriptions generate a ready-to-edit product description from the lot's contents (uses WordPress AI features when available).

What happens when a lot sells?

When the order completes, every comic in the lot is marked sold and archived to your Sold Archive — the same flow as single-comic sales.

How do I set it up?

Create a (private or public) page with the [comic_convention] shortcode and open it on your phone or tablet at the show. The interface is optimized for one-handed use on spotty convention Wi-Fi.

What can I do at the table?

• Look up your stock instantly — letter navigation and search across your collection, with prices.
• Scan barcodes to pull up a book or check whether you already own it before buying a dupe.
• Quick-add purchases — log new acquisitions in seconds and price them later at home.
• Mark books sold as cash sales right from the interface.

How do I launch the scanner?

Two ways: click the Scan button in the Comic Collector dashboard header toolbar, or put the [comic_scanner] shortcode on any page to scan from your phone's browser.

What can it identify?

Barcodes (UPC/ISBN — including trade paperbacks via Open Library lookups) and cover scans — point the camera at a cover and AI identification suggests the issue. A Comic Vine API key gives the best metadata fill-in.

What is batch add?

Scan a stack of books one after another — each scan queues up with its identified details — then review the batch and add them all to your collection at once. Ideal for processing long boxes.

How are rarity scores calculated?

The estimator combines Comichron ordering/sales figures (how many copies were printed and distributed) with CGC census population data (how many graded copies exist and at what grades) to produce a rarity score per comic, plus an estimated print run.

What do I see in the dashboard?

A rankings table of your collection by rarity, detail panels per comic with score breakdowns, and a dashboard widget showing your three rarest books with covers and estimated print runs.

Does rarity affect my estimated values?

It can — the extension applies value adjustments for genuinely scarce books, nudging estimated values up where census and print-run data show real scarcity.

How do I build a reading list?

Open the Reading List page, add issues (from your collection or via Comic Vine search), and drag to set your reading order. Mark issues read as you go and watch your progress and reading streaks build.

What are story arc and gap detection?

Story arc detection groups issues into their arcs automatically using Comic Vine data, so you read complete stories in order. Gap detection finds missing issues in your series runs — with eBay search links to fill the holes (using your local eBay marketplace).

Does it recommend what to read next?

Yes — recommendations based on what you've read and what's in your collection, powered by Comic Vine metadata. You can also publish your list with the [cc_reading_list] shortcode.

What does a backup include?

A full snapshot of your Comic Collector data: the collection, sold archive, price history, pull lists, custom field values, and settings — everything needed to rebuild your collection on a fresh install.

Can backups run automatically?

Yes — schedule recurring exports so a current backup always exists without you thinking about it. You can also trigger a manual backup before risky changes (host migrations, big imports).

How is this different from the free Export feature?

The core Export (Comics → Import & Sync) downloads your comics as CSV or JSON — great for spreadsheets. Backup & Restore captures everything (settings, histories, lists) and can restore it in one step. For full protection, also back up your WordPress database with your host's tools.

Prices aren't updating — what do I check?

1. Run the API test buttons under Settings → API Keys to confirm your connections work.
2. Remember prices are cached for 7 days — hold Shift while clicking refresh to force a fresh lookup.
3. Check daily quota limits: PriceCharting free tier ~100/day, GoCollect 50/day, eBay 5,000/day. Large collections may spread updates across days.

Barcode scans aren't filling in comic details

Auto-fill requires a Comic Vine API key (free). Add it under Settings → API Keys and test the connection. For trade paperbacks, Open Library handles ISBN lookups automatically.

The releases feed seems to be missing books

Select a specific publisher in the filter — that fetches the publisher's complete weekly slate including one-shots, trades, annuals, and reprints. The "All Publishers" view shows the week's most-pulled highlights only.

A page looks broken or outdated after an update

That's almost always a caching plugin (LiteSpeed Cache, WP Rocket, etc.) serving old CSS/JS. Purge your site cache — including the CSS/JS minify cache if your plugin has one — and hard-refresh the page (Ctrl+Shift+R).

How do I back up or export my collection?

Use Comics → Import & Sync → Export to download CSV or JSON (all comic data, grades, prices, notes). Pro users should also enable scheduled backups in Backup & Restore. For belt-and-suspenders, back up your WordPress database too.

How do I delete my collection or all plugin data?

• Delete the collection: Settings → General has a Delete Collection tool — type ERASE to confirm, with an option to also clear the sold archive. This cannot be undone, so export first.
• On uninstall: by default, uninstalling the plugin keeps your data. Enable "delete data on uninstall" in settings first if you want a complete wipe.

Is visitor data handled privately (GDPR)?

Yes. Public submissions (offers, annotations, counter-offers) store only a one-way hash of the visitor's IP — never the raw address. Raw IPs are used solely for short-lived rate limiting. Push notification endpoints are validated against known browser push providers before any server contact.

Where do I get support?

Visit dustinlincoln.com for support and your account, or use the free plugin's support forum on WordPress.org. Pro customers get priority support — include your license key email when writing in. The in-admin 📖 Guide (Comics → Guide) is always available offline.