ComicConnoisseur

Call this a rant, if you like. Crom and Mitra, but I'm seeing stupid prices on things and it's dam irritating!  Books a little nicer than normal...books I turned my nose up on a couple of decades ago...cost as much as I'm willing to spend on a used car for my soon to be college student daughter.  I just don't know that I can enjoy tying that much money up into something that isn't really the very best and/or that I don't find captivating.  Kudos to you guys who got in early and avoided the temptation to sell over the years.   I really do love books with a vintage look to them.  But I can't afford vintage anymore...especially in light of other things I can buy with that money.
I'm having a hard time with the fact that spending $100 can buy me something absolutely beautiful and interesting in other collecting genres, such as vintage video games, but $100 might get me a first appearance of Spidey's black costume in an acceptable grade. Puleez!  I just can't get excited about that...it doesn't move me and it's not rare.  I want rare, beautiful, interesting things.  There comes a point where I refuse to pay big dollars, not even to buy the gems, but (to extend an analogy) not even to buy the agates or the slightly prettier stones.  I feel bad about all of the nice books I sold in the past, and the rising prices continually remind me of those mistakes...this stuff is supposed to be fun, right?  (not jog bad feelings)
I'm just saying I can have fun going to flea markets and actually finding other kinds of collectibles.  But if I want something remotely interesting in the comic book genre, I have to buy it from a wall at a show.  There's nothing in the wild of interest unless I have the luck of a lottery winner.  Tired of that.
On the bright side, I'm still here. I do love my Conans, and I have a head start on a nicer set of those (I have the keys), so I guess that's what I'll pursue moving forward.  I know that the money I spend on them won't be wasted because people collect Conan for the love of the series, not because he's going to be in a movie soon, so maybe if a crash ever comes, they won't take a hit.  Holographic covers, anyone?  And that Barry Smith Artwork looks so freakin' good!  Yeah, that'll be my fix for comics, other than reading low grade good bronze stuff.  And best of all, I won't look at my collection, constantly wondering if I should sell, or not enjoying them because I have so much money tied up on them when I have kids needing school books.
So I'll buy Conans and retro video games.  Because they are cool and still cheap.  I'll be an early adopter in that genre, I guess...
 

My journey into this wonderful hobby began in early 1994, when I found The Death of Superman graphic novel at Kroger, I was 11 years old then. The graphic novel collected the seven issue storyline "Doomsday!", the comic book colors inside hooked me. I had heard of this “event” but I was so late to the party that it was over. The Death and Return of Superman story arc was a trilogy of storylines; "Doomsday!", "Funeral for a Friend" and "Reign of the Supermen!", all ancient history by '94. After I got The Death of Superman graphic novel I searched out issues for  "Funeral for a Friend" and "Reign of the Superman!," not an easy task for a kid with no job (or allowance 'cause I never did chores), who's only transportation were his parents or the school bus. I was able to catch up thanks to few Toys-R-Us trips, where late comers like myself were able to pick up various two packs and packaged sets of comics, with a lot of Superman books. I found most of the issues I needed for "Funeral for a Friend" this way. As I got more into collecting I decided I wanted to have the individual "Doomsday!" issues, even thou I had them nicely collected in TPB form, after another Toy R Us trip, I got all those issues from a box set. 
As I started accumulating price guides, poly bags and backing boards a monster began to gestate, who became concerned about condition and value. I then discovered there were actually multiple printings for many of these issues, and the first printings were more valuable! Each printing after the first edition was notated by a roman numeral, next to the issue number and price on the top left corner of each cover. The cover art remained the same with each subsequent printing but the title logo color scheme changed for each issue’s printing. After realizing this the 2nd, 3rd and so on printings I had were tarnished in my eye. All of my "Doomsday!" issues were later printings, and not worth the paper they were printed on, and most of my 'Funeral' issues were the same. As the years went on, and the prices went down, I replaced many of my later printings with first prints, recycling the paper rags I had before.
Then CGC came along....
Around 2007 I decided to start CGC Registry set for this storyline, all 9.8, first prints only, yet by the early 2010's I re-discovered the later printings, becoming enticed by the thrill and challenge of trying to find these books in high grade. I love how unexpected all of this was, I know I never thought the later printings would ever be collectible, and I think it's safe to say I wasn't the only one. 
Here are my CGC examples thus far, keeping the thrill of the hunt alive. 



Updated 11/01/2019
Some of my childhood books also survived, thankfully.