Oh No! Not again.

I know I wouldn?t be spending what I am spending on comic books if it wasn?t for the internet. Then again if it wasn?t for the internet I wouldn?t be collecting CGC graded books. I would probably have the same five I got more on a lark than as a collectible. I also would not be rejuvenated in my collecting as I have been. I am trying to cut down on collecting what I read because I think that I would rather have them collected and bound on a book shelf. I might even save some space this way. I wrote about my storage situation months ago thinking I would have a bit more time before the thoughts in my head crashed with the reality I am out of space.

With the internet I have been purchasing encapsulated books a lot quicker than if I could only get them at a convention. I need to start wondering how I want to start collecting. I can continue doing what I am doing. Buy my books, read my books, and then purchase 9.8?s of the same book. I could stop collecting all but the four main series I really enjoy and then collect 9.8?s 4 the modern books I skipped on and read them when they are released in hardcover trade. The other is to make a list of how and what to trade and stick with it. (How many of you out there are succeeding with this).

This last Wizard World I decided to start collecting a little bit more. I decided to attempt to collect ?Tales to Astonish? starting with #70. I looked at that particular issue along with 95 and 98. I wanted to read them but settled with purchasing #95 in a 9.0 (in a recent auction) and wondering if I decide to collect them this way and give up the chance to read them should I not splurge and spend the extra money (in this case a few hundred) on a 9.8 rather than settle for a 9.0, which brings me back to the storage issue. If I collect from 70- 100, that is one complete CGC box (which is equivalent to one third of allotted shelf space).

My first love is reading the books, my second is collecting them, and the third is getting the best possible condition (that I can afford). I just have not decided how I am going to go about it. I do not wish to be back in the situation where I have to dump my books just for room. I don?t want to move to a larger place just to be able to store them (I have a very cheap rent at the moment). I don?t want to stop reading them or collecting. OK the truth is I know what I have to do, I just don?t know if I want to (or if I am able).

Thanks for Reading

Tnerb