A newcomer's entry into the world of graded and slabbed books; a trip that started 30+ years ago

A quick origin story. Like so many other kids, the GI Joe Hasbro cartoons and toys fascinated me as a child in the early to mid 80s. A trip to the grocery store yielded the familiar results: GI JOE issue 5, 1982.

Then a few issues that were bagged with two super hero comics. And it begins. From there to discovering places like Now & Then Books in Kitchener. The early 90s ushered in the dual threat of a downswing in quality in the industry and the start of college and a career and I was out until I started playing Heroclix in 2004, which re-ignited my love of comics.

That transitioned into original art around 2010. I feel happy with that collection and needed a new fix recently this year. I've got more books than I have time to read, more games than I have time to play, and more art than I have walls to display it on.

I hadn't been a fan of slabbed books before but suddenly they made sense to me...I had long since sold off longbox after longbox of my singles, preferring Essentials and trades. But the idea of having some higher quality treasures back, in a preserved and highly displayable format, well, here I am!

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