Thinking before buying.....or good-bye Incredible Hulk 181.

I sold my Incredible Hulk #181. I know that it is a little known comic but it is sold. I have already taken the comic off my registry allowing my points to drop, and I am ok with that. I am trying to be careful with what I am collecting especially now since getting a certified book is so much more expensive than one that is not (an example is any New Mutants from numbers 1-86 could probably be purchased for no more than $3.00 a book, where as encapsulated and graded by CGC would cost an average of $50, compare this to older silver age books and the price compounds exponentially). I know I cannot get the best out there (not yet anyway) but I can get the best I can afford. I was hesitant about selling on E-bay but have found it to be easier than I expected, although not easier than buying.

Since collecting CGC books I have really enjoyed the hobby again. Being able to convey my thoughts, feelings, and memories have made the experience multiply. At times I have collected by the money in my pocket. If I had it I bought it. Other times I could not collect because I had to choose between food and comics. Food won. As time passed I had to set rules, with paper thin boundaries. As with my raw books I have a good core collection and that is what I am hoping for with my encapsulated books. I want to finish my three major sets, knowing that two of them will be easier than the third. The extra sets surrounding them will primarily be from the series I already collect with one exception.

This exception will be my first attempt in collecting them encapsulated and not Raw with Tales to Astonish. The covers are great, especially #95. I love picking up new books to read and I love collecting them in a 9.8. With limited funds I truly have to pick and choose what I wish to collect. Should I collect by artist alone, or colorist, by writer, or inker, or do I even collect by my memories. How can I choose? I know I am going to go outside my boundaries, but how conscience of this decision will I be? I have recently begun adding what I spend on encapsulated books to my budget. I hope this will allow me to think twice before I choose to buy something off the internet with the slightest whim. Only time will tell as shelf space diminishes and more books are being released in trades and for digital devices.

Thanks for reading

Tnerb

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