Any other twenty-somethings mostly in awe of everyone's else's stuff?

[ninanina]

Scan-Master Flash!!! You got that one ready for eBay, I see!

 

I take monopoly money.

 

...never should have thrown that game out.

[Norrin_Radd]

 

What a fun thread.

[jbud73]

Why worry about it, they're just comic books. Collect what you like and have a good time.

 

Hey it was a nice little thread - and JC with the Obiwan wisdom to boot. A few of the younger guys had this conversation at WonderCon - though I thought it funny that what was considered younger guys consisted of late 20s / early to mid 30s (but thats another discussion).

 

Amongst us it seemed there was a trend of getting out around the early 90s, or around the time we entered college (I always found it telling that my First Cerdit Card and last comic purchase for 7 years were one in the same transaction when I was 19) only to come back after securing our first real / career oriented job (usually within the last 3-4 years).

 

This of course got the wheels turning into a little theory (damn philosophy classes) about comic collectors and their habits.

 

- Childhood: the venerable Golden Age of the comic collector - value is usually secondary, purchases are ruled by one factor "what's cool" this period lasts from discovery until mid-to late teens. Though it is my personal belief that the LAST true Golden Age rested with the Gen. Yers after that allowance and paper route money couldn't buy many comics.

 

- Mid-to late teens: the first real test of comic passion, very few come through this era with their childhood vigor. Comics will be challenged by: girls, cars and most importantly "No longer being cool" Many collectors stop collecting or seriously curtail there buying.

 

- College / serious entry into the workforce: All the challenges of the previous era, with the addition of monetary forces IE: Rent, tuition, mortgage, plus other bills. This is a dire time, most collectors will stop completey and, or sell off their collections for pennies. This is where the true economics of comics become apparent. The kids who bought everything off their local dealers because they didn't know any better are now faced with selling back to those dealers at a fraction of the price paid. I was lucky and only fell into the stopped buying mold, I didnt sell one book.

 

- Rediscovery: this can happen at any age, but I think it pops up when the collector has passed comfortably into adulthood, payed off first car, secure employment, mortgage isn't the daunting bill it used to be. IE they finally get some measure of childhood discretionary income back.

 

There are of course exceptions, some ppl never stop buying, some never come back, those that do come back do so at different leverage points and with different levels of interest, however most fall into some semblance of this little roller coaster.

[the blob]

there are a lot of neat GA and SA books that can be had at semi-affordable prices in VG or lower. maybe not "grail" books, but a lot of cool stuff.

 

I just sold some [extremely] low grade (but they had their covers!) 1940's books for $20-25 each that would otherwise be around $1K (in guide at least) in 9.2. I wasn't too upset given that I got a good % of the "fair" price and I doubt I had paid more than $5 each for them years ago.

 

If you're willing to go for beat up readers you can get some otherwise heavy books at low prices.

[Hobgoblin]

My collection has nothing on 99.5% of the board members here. Everyone has better stuff. But I'm still a student, and will be until I'm 30, so I'm not gonna have a great collection of silver age books anytime soon.

[Hobgoblin]

Everyone has their own place on the pecking order of life.

 

I think it has more to do with the fact that some collector's are compulsive and absolutely obsessive about going after certain books and will sell their children in order to get them.

[Silver Surfer]

Just because someone's collection is worth more $$$$, doesn't necessarily mean it's a nicer collection.

 

Let's use Byrne's X-MEN run as an example. Is the complete run in 9.8 necessarily better than a 9.4 run with PERFECT QP?

 

Anyone with enough money can buy the Highest Graded copies.....but it takes time and patience to find all those books with zero production defects .

 

And for the record:

 

I collect Bronze Age books because I like them.....not because I can't afford Silver Age.

 

Bah, punny bronze 9.4's.