Hi Gang. My name is Robot Man and I am obsessed with junk! I have lurked on these boards for a while now and thought I'd sign up for the fun.
I have been collecting since the early '60's. I first bought Batman and DC war comics off the stands in the late '50's. When Marvel comics first came out I started buying them as well. I wouldn't say I "collected" them at this time but searched out and bought them every month as they came out.
I remember my Grandpa buying me MAD #72. I read it to bits and when #73 came out I bought it as well. This has continued until this day. I would trade with kids in the neighborhood for any earlier issues I didn't have. What turned me into a "collector" was the day my dad took me to Cherokee books in Hollywood. There, thumbtacked to the wall in a bag was MAD #9. It looked so different but I had to have it. I gave Bert Blum $2.00 for it. This was the only time I ever paid more than cover price for a comic. I was hooked and made many trips with my dad to Cherokee, Collector's Book Store and Bond Street Books around the corner adding to my ever growing stash.
I hit all the used book stores I could ride my bike to. When I could drive, I started hitting a bigger area as well as garage sales and flea markets like the Rose Bowl grabbing all the old comics I could find. I especially loved the EC line and old pre-code horror comics. One day at the Rose Bowl I spotted a big tin battery opperated robot. The price was right and I just couldn't put down that cool blank stared face. So in addition to comics I found myself looking for old space and comic character toys, pinback buttons and premiums. The rest as they say is history... So now I live in a house full of comics, toys, premiums, advertising stuff rock 'n roll items and other symbols of "Americana".
As you can see my collection is very diverse and my interests are wide. I see many of what you have collected and share your love for this stuff. Hopefully, I can use this thread to share some my stuff and experience in the hobby. I enjoy the "thrill of the hunt" the most in collecting. I am not really a condition freak although over the years I've found my share of high grade stuff. A lot of my stuff might be in lower grade than what I see here, but I get what I can get and love to find unusual or scarce items. I will happily take a lower grade book than not have it all.
I might be a newbie to the boards, but am a veteran collector. Please be patient with me as I get started and hopefully we can all have a little fun!
I'm going to try and post my first photo of a few of my favorite comics. If it goes OK, I'll post more later
Here some of my collection of Comic Book and pulp premiums. There are some time way rarer than the books themselves. (It pays to look inside your books to find all the cool clubs that you might not knew existed).
Some of my MAD Magazine/Alfred E. Neuman stuff. How many of you knew Alfred was around long before MAD adopted him? The earliest item I have is an 1896 dental callendar and glass paperweight (only one I've ever seen).
A very pair of items that I thought would display well.
One of my favorite pieces that I traded for many moons ago. And yes, the autographs are real. I schlepped this to a couple early San Diego Cons at the El Cortez to get these two gentlemen to sign it. They were both pretty blown away when I walked up with it!
More old comic character, advertising, sports and political pinback buttons. These are way cool and usually pretty hard to find. You can have tons of them in a very small amount of space.
And finally another cool flea market score. A 1950's wooden Dell comics store rack. One of several old comic racks I've turned up over the years. I switch it up all the time. I just had it full of Christmas comics. My non-collection friends always find it fun.
Bob
