Going for Perfection

[David Swan]

Modern vs Golden Age

 

I've noticed the battle going on for first place among two New Mutants collectors and it's interesting how collecting can differ depending on what you collect. For a modern era collector perfection could be all 9.8+ comics. Even that won't suffice with signature series comics commanding an even higher premium. For me it's a whole different world. As a golden age collector, signature series comics are almost out of the question given the fact that most of the creators are long since dead.

 

I'll allude to Western Comics but many golden age comics would have the same problems with going for perfection. Even if money were no object it would be near impossible to create a collection of the highest grade Western Comics issues. New Mutants #1 has two hundred forty six universal graded 9.8's, ten signature series 9.8, four 9.9's and two 10's. By contract Western Comics has 104 CGC graded comics TOTAL for the entire series. I own 8 which means I personally own over 7% of all CGC graded copies of Western Comics. Western Comics #1 has seven CGC graded comics, the highest grade being a 9.4. There are at least six New Mutants #1 CGC 9.8 on EBAY right now along with a 9.8 signature series issue. I will say that the highest graded copies of Western Comics #1 and #2 are currently available for sale online but they are out of my budget. But putting money aside after issue #2 it gets darn near impossible. Issue #3 has only one CGC copy, a 9.4, currently owned by the leading Western Comics collector on CGC. This same collector also has the highest grade copies of issue #4, 5, 6, 15 and 18. I have the highest grade copies of #14, 24 and 25. Most of the highest grade copies are unaccounted for and unavailable for sale currently as far as I can see. To be able to collect all the highest grades would mean one of us would have to sell to the other and then the other high grade issues would have to materialize on the market. If a collector like myself simply sits on a highest grade issue it just won't be available to anyone else rendering a full collection of the highest grades utterly impossible. Add to that the fact that 33 issues have 0 CGC graded copies and as best as I can tell high grade copies of many later issues simply do not exist.

 

For me I prefer the grab what you can style of golden age collecting rather than the quest for perfection but I can certainly admire the beauty of a seamless parade of 9.8's and 9.9's. I just like to have something no one else does and I would rather have my Western Comics #14 CGC 9.6 than a pile of modern age 9.8's owned by hundreds of other people. I also know myself and the perfection route would be much more likely to move me into obsession rather than collecting pleasure. Having a very limited selection keeps me grounded and saves me money.

 

See more journals by David Swan

[Tnerb]

I do marvel (no pun intended) at what you are trying to achieve. Speaking for myself I love this series so much because of nostalgia. It was the book that showed me comic books in a whole new light. As far as Golden age books are concerned I have no knowledge of them. There are a few I want to get because they do deal with a book that means something to me. That Book is Fear#8. I didn't know at the time it was a reprint book. I must have been eight when I got it. I am thinking about getting the original two issues that put that book together. At least i think it is two.

 

I do have pride with my New Mutants collection but I am even more proud of my own books getting graded, on of those being a graded New Mutants #1 in a 6.0, or better yet my issue 15 in a 4.5 SS.

 

And a 9.4 for issue #14 of your Western Comics is indeed impressive. I would love to see a scan. I would also be proud of what you have accomplished. If you have one or two that you are indeed looking for I will do my best to look around as well. There is something about searching and finding something, like issue #47 of the New Mutants of which there is only one of. Of course there is a better chance of that showing up then there is a high grade of any issue you are looking for but that is what makes this hobby great.

 

Tnerb

[David Swan]

For some reason I've never felt the same nostalgia for my first comics. I have some late 70's JLA and Superman but that was not a good era for those comics. It wasn't until I was in my early teens that DC really took off with Swamp Thing, Watchmen, Crisis on Infinite Earths, The Dark Knight, Legion of Superheroes etc.. I was also a monster fan of Judge Dredd and yes the New Mutants was one I enjoyed more so than the X-Men. I was more a fan of the Silver Age stuff from Marvel and bought the collected reprints (no way I could afford originals). I sold most of my comics (never my Judge Dredd or Swamp Thing) but I rebought them in trade paperback and that was fine with me. I've read each Judge Dredd at least a half dozen times but they're all reprints from the UK so they're nearly worthless monetarily.

[surfer99]

I'm a big fan of collecting rare high grade issues, so I guess I like the best of both worlds. Thankfully my passion is the Bronze Age so I won't go broke building my collection. One lesson I learned early on though is NOT to pay through the nose for the "highest graded" issue (e.g. my Amazing Adventures #16 CGC 9.6), because guaranteed another will pop up eventually that is graded higher. Patience is definitely the name of the collecting game.

 

 

[the420kid]

the later books in the Western Comics run are tough to find in 7.0+. (issues 30 and up)

 

I'm still trying to figure out who has all the Church copies. Edgar must have had a complete run. Only a few copies have shown up on Heritage and they are early books.

 

Maybe another pedigree filled with westerns will show up one day..at least i hope

[David Swan]

I ponder whether high grade copies of later issues even exist at all. Even above 6.0 seems darn near impossible to find and I've looked all over the place. I will admit you have several issues I'd love to own.