When you decide to collect a run, do you...?

[Rabidcamel]

I'm going after keys and whatever is availble. Not in any order...but I stopped currently for a key issue to buy.

[Limited66]

This has all been very helpful. Thanks peoples.

 

For my part I guess I agree with the keys first approach. I've definitely been burned by waiting around to start buying up something and then watching in misery as the "keys" get hotter and start to recede out of reach.

 

Do you completionists go for around the same grade for every issue or do you sacrifice the filler issues to keep more money for getter graded keys?

 

[Scrooge]

Do you completionists go for around the same grade for every issue or do you sacrifice the filler issues to keep more money for getter graded keys?

 

I wouldn't say better graded keys per se but I like to pick up better graded issues of covers I like.

 

I don't care to get a crappy copy of Timmy but want my Mavericks to be decent looking.

[Paratrooper]

I buy what the beer tells me to. And it's telling me to pull the trigger on that Rockford Red Ryder #5 right now.

[dwip99]

I start out the run strong buying everything I can get my hands on in any grade. I then get to within a handfull of books and change my mind and post what I have for sale on ebay. Then I start to regret doing that and hope I priced it to high so no one will bid.

 

While I watch it sit there and not sale I go over in my head how the money will help with getting the house sold and me onto some land instead of living in a subdivision with neighbors 3 feet away from me on each side. That makes me feel better and the cycle starts over again.

 

Danny

 

[Shark]

When I started collecting comics again a little over 7 years ago, I decided to go after the early and key issues first. My thought process was this:

 

"Buy the $100 to $1,000 books now (in 2002 money) and buy the $1.00 to $5.00 books later. Assuming say, a 25% increase over a 5-year period, those $100 to $1,000 books would then cost $125 to $1,250 those 5 years later. Those $1.00 to $5.00 books would have only increased to $1.25 to $6.25."

 

I'm a big Marvel collector and there are still a number of keys that I don't have now (FF #1, TOS #39, JIM #83, AF #15) that I wish I had bought 5 to 7 years ago instead of spending that money on the other thousands of comics that I have purchased. But I still like the position that I'm in and hopefully can now sell a bunch of those duplicate comics to help fund the purchase of some of those keys.

[Aces]

Do you go after the most expensive books in the run first (the keys) because they might get more expensive over time?

 

Best way.

Say you decided to collect ASM 1 - 100.

Start with 1 - 20 and work your way up.

[Sekowskyfan10]

I collect haphazardly, followed by what I can afford.

 

For example, I decided to go for a run of post-monster-scifi Tales of Suspense recently. I started haphazardly, getting mid-grade issues. Having finished this, I now have the early Iron Man appearances and # 63 to get.

 

Likewise for DC titles. I have complete Silver Age runs of Flash, Green Lantern, Justice League and Lois Lane except for the earliest issues (generally # 1-5) but I tell myself I'll get them someday.

[Limited66]

When I started collecting comics again a little over 7 years ago, I decided to go after the early and key issues first. My thought process was this:

 

"Buy the $100 to $1,000 books now (in 2002 money) and buy the $1.00 to $5.00 books later. Assuming say, a 25% increase over a 5-year period, those $100 to $1,000 books would then cost $125 to $1,250 those 5 years later. Those $1.00 to $5.00 books would have only increased to $1.25 to $6.25."

 

I'm a big Marvel collector and there are still a number of keys that I don't have now (FF #1, TOS #39, JIM #83, AF #15) that I wish I had bought 5 to 7 years ago instead of spending that money on the other thousands of comics that I have purchased. But I still like the position that I'm in and hopefully can now sell a bunch of those duplicate comics to help fund the purchase of some of those keys.

 

I like this train of thought, but what if the big burst that JC and other warn about comes? Then I'll kick myself in the for buying when the price was so high.

[40sJohn]

I mostly go for the keys first, but do make exceptions for good deals on "filler" issues as they become available.

 

 

[Boozad]

I'm as haphazard as anything. If a key presents itself in a month where I've promised myself I will only buy cheap filler, I'll go ahead for the key anyway. My Bat collection is really filling out in the 200s, 4-5 and 600s yet nothing in the 300s.

 

Sometimes I wish I could have a method, but this way is much more interesting as I have no idea what books I'm going to own come next month.

[Paratrooper]

I buy what the beer tells me to. And it's telling me to pull the trigger on that Rockford Red Ryder #5 right now.

 

Woke up this morning to find out that the seller did accept my best offer. Woot drunk ebaying + drunk best offers=

 

[Count]

I go after what I can afford at the time.

+1

[Limited66]

I buy what the beer tells me to. And it's telling me to pull the trigger on that Rockford Red Ryder #5 right now.

 

Woke up this morning to find out that the seller did accept my best offer. Woot drunk ebaying + drunk best offers=

 

 

 

You'll shoot your eye out!

[SilverRich]

I always try to nail the keys or the toughest issues first, and then fill in around as i find

 

 

Ditto

 

 

 

[hockey&comicsguy]

Last week I decided I would just venture out of the GA for a dip and start an Avengers 12 cent run in 9.0 or better (exceptions for the first couple of issues) with good PQ. I had a 4 already (only a 6.5) and figured I would focus on 20-65 as they're usually $90-$120 bucks a pop (many of them anyway). So far I have only picked up 1 issue but they are out there. I guess you could say I am haphazardly putting it together even though I did limit my focus to the latter half of the run. I figure I will go for some of the bigger issues later. Likely not all in 9.0 as I can't see affording a 9.0 #1 anytime soon.

[david20009]

I think it depends on what you are collecting. If it is a run of a title where all issues are reasonably easy to acquire in the grade you want like ASM 1 - 100 then one should go for the keys first.

 

If it is a run where books are very difficult to acquire in the grade you want like JIM 1 - 100 then you buy which ever books become available when they do.

 

The caveat to that is if the book is massively overpriced, even if it is rare, you let it pass you by.

[nmtg9]

i get what i can when i can. non keys are easier to pick up in bulk of course.

 

just completing Marvel Two in One and i just bought what i could find when it came up. (the whole run averaged out at about 40p (56c) a copy. What a steal!