Trimming The Fat

[Comicdey]

sell the easy to replace

 

Sell the 9.6 and higher unless ped's you really like

 

Keep the books you can't replace

 

Keep the cool covers, stories and keys

 

Read a few raw to remind yourself why you collect

 

Don't sell based on value , think how many high dollar bronze books were sold in the past for pennies

 

You never know what the next wave will bring

 

I sell to buy and realistically need to cull my collection more than most

 

Say 30k to 10k in the next 10-20 years

 

Once I sell 100 books I tend to rebuy 1-10 ga

[Ze-man]

Like Nik is going to do anything but what he wants to do after all is said and done.

 

 

Been an interesting read while I eat lunch though.

 

And my , don't put quantifiers on what stays and goes based on value,or grade but more on personal appeal and rarity of the book.

 

If you need to thin the herd, its not hard to start a pile of books that make you go "meh" why did I buy this. And even easier to make a pile of books you know you would have a hard time replacing or simply dont want to let go. Only problem is one pile might grow is size much quicker depending on the quality of your collection.

 

And in Niks case I would guess the latter to be true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Wally's Comics]

Hey Nik,

 

If you have any of these you are planning on flippin' out

 

LMK!

 

 

ASM 40, 15, 13, 12, 11, 5 (CGC 8.0 - up)

 

 

(thumbs u

[nik]

Hey Nik,

 

If you have any of these you are planning on flippin' out

 

LMK!

 

 

ASM 40, 15, 13, 12, 11, 5 (CGC 8.0 - up)

 

 

(thumbs u

 

 

 

 

 

But its a keeper

 

 

 

[Guardian Comics]

Nik: As someone whos' collection consists of just under a hundred books or so, I am a quality over quantity guy. I'd still like to think of myself as a true collector though. A collector who likes to collect only the most special things. I still read about 5 moderns a month and when I'm done with them do I keep them? No...I'll either give them to a hospital or my local library, I don't ever want to be overrun with boxes and boxes of books, to me that is not a collection. All of my books can be seen as soon as you enter my comic room, they are either hanging on the wall, in glass cabinets, or on my comic rack. To see any book in my collection not one single box lid need ever be opened. To me buying books and putting them in their place in a box doesn't make one a collector, it makes one an acquirer.

 

BTW the Sub Mariner Oakland is more the keeper, than the Conan #1, every day of the week.

 

Jim

 

 

[cd4ever]

My whole collection is fat. Therefore I am unqualified to have an opinion.

 

 

[MutantKeys]

Quality > Quantity

[MutantKeys]

Hey Nik,

 

If you have any of these you are planning on flippin' out

 

LMK!

 

 

ASM 40, 15, 13, 12, 11, 5 (CGC 8.0 - up)

 

 

(thumbs u

 

 

 

 

 

But its a keeper

 

 

You shouldve sent me that one instead

[nik]

I hear you Jim. That comment made about if you only have 10 books does not make you a true collector left me scratching my head.

 

I have books that are worth less then a $100 but enjoy them just as much as my $500 dollar books.

[worldsbestcomics]

I am wrestling with this same issue myself in a different way right Nik. I have really nice incomplete runs of bronze-age Thors, silver Uncle Scrooges and Amazing Spider-Man 100-200. My comic collecting budget has decreased to the point that I have to sell stuff if I want to buy stuff. So, I can nibble away at these three runs for the next five years or perhaps sell two of them to really work on the one I keep. I am considering several questions like;

"Can they be easily replaced in the future?"

"What is the current demand for these books versus future demand?"

"Which books give me the most satisfaction as a collector?"

 

In your example, I would keep the 9.8 pedigree "common" over the 9.4 semi-key. But, are you going to work on either a Subby run or a Conan run? If not, then maybe sell them both.

[nik]

Steve, if it was basing my collection on trying to complete a run, I would not have a collection

 

I have never had a desire to complete any run. For instance on the Conan series. I am trying to collect from issue 1 - 24.

 

So its easy for to me to pick and choose certain issues or covers I really like and not worry about completing a series. I am what you call an all over the place collector

[DrWatson]

And that's why you are in the mess you are now.

[nik]

Messy collectors rule

[DrWatson]

No, they just let it all hang out.

[rodan57]

Would you rather sell the 1900 and purchase the more expensive book, or sell the hundred expensive ones and buy more of the inexpensive book.

 

If it was an option, I would sell all 2000 and buy a real nice AF15 or low grade Action 1. Having a collection of just 1 book is fine with me.....if it's the right book

 

I have to take a bite at this one. Do you really feel that way or is this hyperbole?

 

 

 

[oakman29]

I don't know what I would do.I have never sold a comic ever

I have way too much

[Shadow]

I'd want a balance of both. Big books, no matter how expensive they are cannot fill the void of having a collection in my opinion.

 

A lot of time collectors who only have a few really big books have other collecting interests so they don't necessarily have to turn to comics to get their fix.

 

R.

 

I agree. And Roy's key word was "collection" for me. For example, Wrightson's Swamp Thing issues from the early 70's are worth a decent amount but all are affordable. Yet I love them and enjoy having them as part of my "collection".

 

I am going to try ang thin down a bit but the list I made is made up of books from the last 10 years I tried out and didn't move me. And the "completionist" in me drove me to buy the entire series even if I stopped reading them. I don't do that as much now fortunetly. I gave the list to my local LCS (where I bought them all) and asked what I could get in trade for them. I don't expect much but I'd love to convert these couple hundred books to just a few SA or BA books.

[joe_collector]

I came in late, but let me guess... we're currently engaged in a heated debate where everyone is promoting their own brand of comic collecting as better or somehow more refined than anyone else's.

 

Close?

[DrWatson]

Not even...

[Timmay]

Messy collectors rule

 

I like the pretty pictures, and that is how I buy the bulk of my books...