Younger Silver Age Collectors

[Spiderphill]

Some hobbyists can be elitiist or snobbish towards youth, and it's a shame because that's our future right there.

 

I was helping behind a booth at a convention and gave a cheap low-grade SA book I just bought to a kid who had stopped by with this Dad, and he lit up like a Christmas tree. One never knows, but it was worth it to me just to see the happy expression on their faces.

 

I've also bascially blown-out early Star Wars comics to a Boardie's young nephew, and again it was worth it to help him fill in his runs.

 

For as young as many of you are, there are some really nice books and collections being presented here. It should be interesting over time to revisit this thread and see how many gravitate towards GA or just stick with SA.

 

...when I was helping a friend do shows in the early 90's...I gave a lowgrade FF 28 to a young fellow who was obviously blown away by it. His Mom brought him back later to make sure he didn't heist the book. It's good to see younger collectors appreciate the things I love. To any of you younger guys.....and I'm not trying to sound like "the wise old toothless one" here....my advise is TIME PAYMENTS ARE YOUR FRIEND. If it's something really nice and you've always wanted it....don't settle for a stack of stuff you "kinda" like just to get your fix. After a decade....what starts as 1 time payment book will quickly turn into a nice portfolio. Remember ....books that are already expensive are that way because they're proven. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

Can someone explain to me how this works? Seems incredibly risky on big books. Why not just deposit money into a bank or brokerage account with the same regularity and then use that money for comics?

 

I think you are misunderstanding what buying with 'time payments' is. Most dealers across most collecting fields offer this. It is a way to purchase a book in set payments. The dealer holds the item for you at an agreed upon price, while the buyer makes set payments towards the book. This is actually beneficial to the buyer, because even if you ha e the cash; why 'tie up' your money? It is an interest free loan from a dealer.

 

I buy a lot of antiques and collectibles this way; and I also offer the option to my buyers as well (I.e. on antiques over a certain dollar amount).

 

Respectfully,

 

'mint'

My last few transactions have all been time payments. It's the best way to buy. You get some really nice books that way. I stopped buying those straggler 50-100$ books throughout the months that are impulse buys and just focus on one big book/purchase over a few months.

[roulette44]

Some hobbyists can be elitiist or snobbish towards youth, and it's a shame because that's our future right there.

 

I was helping behind a booth at a convention and gave a cheap low-grade SA book I just bought to a kid who had stopped by with this Dad, and he lit up like a Christmas tree. One never knows, but it was worth it to me just to see the happy expression on their faces.

 

I've also bascially blown-out early Star Wars comics to a Boardie's young nephew, and again it was worth it to help him fill in his runs.

 

For as young as many of you are, there are some really nice books and collections being presented here. It should be interesting over time to revisit this thread and see how many gravitate towards GA or just stick with SA.

 

...when I was helping a friend do shows in the early 90's...I gave a lowgrade FF 28 to a young fellow who was obviously blown away by it. His Mom brought him back later to make sure he didn't heist the book. It's good to see younger collectors appreciate the things I love. To any of you younger guys.....and I'm not trying to sound like "the wise old toothless one" here....my advise is TIME PAYMENTS ARE YOUR FRIEND. If it's something really nice and you've always wanted it....don't settle for a stack of stuff you "kinda" like just to get your fix. After a decade....what starts as 1 time payment book will quickly turn into a nice portfolio. Remember ....books that are already expensive are that way because they're proven. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

Can someone explain to me how this works? Seems incredibly risky on big books. Why not just deposit money into a bank or brokerage account with the same regularity and then use that money for comics?

 

I think you are misunderstanding what buying with 'time payments' is. Most dealers across most collecting fields offer this. It is a way to purchase a book in set payments. The dealer holds the item for you at an agreed upon price, while the buyer makes set payments towards the book. This is actually beneficial to the buyer, because even if you ha e the cash; why 'tie up' your money? It is an interest free loan from a dealer.

 

I buy a lot of antiques and collectibles this way; and I also offer the option to my buyers as well (I.e. on antiques over a certain dollar amount).

 

Respectfully,

 

'mint'

My last few transactions have all been time payments. It's the best way to buy. You get some really nice books that way. I stopped buying those straggler 50-100$ books throughout the months that are impulse buys and just focus on one big book/purchase over a few months.

 

smart on so many levels (thumbs u

[ThoseBackPages]

as far as "paying over time" and PayPal, you have 45 days, and then you are SOL as far as coverage goes

[Spiderphill]

as far as "paying over time" and PayPal, you have 45 days, and then you are SOL as far as coverage goes

Just make sure you;re dealing with a very reputable person. You will be safe. (thumbs u

[thehumantorch]

as far as "paying over time" and PayPal, you have 45 days, and then you are SOL as far as coverage goes

Just make sure you;re dealing with a very reputable person. You will be safe. (thumbs u

 

Agreed. I've purchased some expensive books on time payments here.

 

I only do it with sellers I trust.

I like to spell out the exact terms of time payments-down payment, how long it will take etc-so there is no misunderstandings.

I like to overestimate how long it will take for me to complete the time payments just in case I have a financial setback. Any time payment deal I've agreed to I've completed payment well before the agreed time.

 

And most sellers here expect time payment deals on big books. There aren't that many buyers with thousands burning a hole in their pocket.

[Spiderphill]

as far as "paying over time" and PayPal, you have 45 days, and then you are SOL as far as coverage goes

Just make sure you;re dealing with a very reputable person. You will be safe. (thumbs u

 

Agreed. I've purchased some expensive books on time payments here.

 

I only do it with sellers I trust.

I like to spell out the exact terms of time payments-down payment, how long it will take etc-so there is no misunderstandings.

I like to overestimate how long it will take for me to complete the time payments just in case I have a financial setback. Any time payment deal I've agreed to I've completed payment well before the agreed time.

 

And most sellers here expect time payment deals on big books. There aren't that many buyers with thousands burning a hole in their pocket.

Just need to make the guidelines clear with an overestimated finishing date and everyone is happy.

[mintcollector]

as far as "paying over time" and PayPal, you have 45 days, and then you are SOL as far as coverage goes

Just make sure you;re dealing with a very reputable person. You will be safe. (thumbs u

 

Agreed. I've purchased some expensive books on time payments here.

 

I only do it with sellers I trust.

I like to spell out the exact terms of time payments-down payment, how long it will take etc-so there is no misunderstandings.

I like to overestimate how long it will take for me to complete the time payments just in case I have a financial setback. Any time payment deal I've agreed to I've completed payment well before the agreed time.

 

And most sellers here expect time payment deals on big books. There aren't that many buyers with thousands burning a hole in their pocket.

 

 

Exactly. It is also an interest free loan that allows the buyer to take possession of the book at a time that is convenient for them. This is quite common in other collecting hobbies; from coins and currency to high end antiques.

 

In fact, if you happen to have a lot of references in the coin collecting fields; they will send you the coin on 'preview' before you even buy. While not every dealer does this, it is quite common among collectors with good references who do a lot of business from well known dealers.

 

Therefore, one can argue that some coin and currency dealers take just as much 'risk' as the buyers; who buy from them, if not more.

 

Respectfully,

 

'mint'

[dscott]

as far as "paying over time" and PayPal, you have 45 days, and then you are SOL as far as coverage goes

Just make sure you;re dealing with a very reputable person. You will be safe. (thumbs u

 

Agreed. I've purchased some expensive books on time payments here.

 

I only do it with sellers I trust.

I like to spell out the exact terms of time payments-down payment, how long it will take etc-so there is no misunderstandings.

I like to overestimate how long it will take for me to complete the time payments just in case I have a financial setback. Any time payment deal I've agreed to I've completed payment well before the agreed time.

 

And most sellers here expect time payment deals on big books. There aren't that many buyers with thousands burning a hole in their pocket.

 

 

Exactly. It is also an interest free loan that allows the buyer to take possession of the book at a time that is convenient for them. This is quite common in other collecting hobbies; from coins and currency to high end antiques.

 

In fact, if you happen to have a lot of references in the coin collecting fields; they will send you the coin on 'preview' before you even buy. While not every dealer does this, it is quite common among collectors with good references who do a lot of business from well known dealers.

 

Therefore, one can argue that some coin and currency dealers take just as much 'risk' as the buyers; who buy from them, if not more.

 

Respectfully,

 

'mint'

 

Yep, time payments rock. While I try to pay for everything with cash in hand sometimes that is not an option. I recently spoke with a member on here about time payments and was very impressed with the customer service that Roulette offered me.

 

I ended up coming up with the cash but the fact that he offered me the preview option sold me the book in my mind. I was going to buy from him before any other dealer just off that option. So far I have bought 2 nice keys from him and that was the deciding factor.

 

I have even offered time payments to a couple members on here for keys that I have sold. Not everyone has a few 1000$ laying around for a comic but most can work a few hundred a month/week into a budget. If I do not need the money right away I have no problem offer time to guys. Making sure people can afford the books they want without going into debt for them is a great thing. If Walmart offers layaway least we can do is help each other out

[bheezy19]

29 here, and at this point I pretty much only collect Silver Age Marvel. And yes, time payments rock (wouldnt own my AF15 otherwise....thanks to SpiderTurtle)

[excelsior1986]

25. I've collected silver for about 3 years now and have been venturing into gold for about the past year. Up until then I just read moderns and the occasional silver/ bronze when I found one at a yard sale or a cheapie at the LCS. But I've always loved the older comics, even as a kid. My first comic was a man thing 4. I loved looking through all the old ads and especially the way they smelled. I would've never thought 20 years later and I'd still be sniffing comics like they were rails of coke. I think the only reason I read moderns is because they were bloody, gory, and had boobs in them. I think age does have a big factor in what you collect, because I'm sure the older folks love collecting stuff they read as a kid, but one of the greatest things about this hobby is that a 25 year old such as myself and an 80 year old can have a passion for the same exact book.

[JesterSB]

I am 33, and I've been collecting SA since I was 25. I bought A LOT of $10-$100 books in a short period of time a few years ago. I realized that was hurting my ability to get what I really wanted, as although I loved the stories and art, the first appearances were my real interest. I sold everything except the keys and now buy only a few books a year. Once I finish with my want list, I might go back and build some of the runs I really like, but I'm years away from that.

[comickid84]

I am 27 now but I think I bought my first Silver book when I was 12 or so, a beat up copy of X-Men 34 (which i still own). I have since migrated into the GA which is my main collecting focus, but still am trying to piece together a nice run of Silver/Bronze Bats. From the ages of 12-17 I more or less spent every extra dollar I had on Silver books. I remember my relatives thought I was insane, getting a small box of 10 or so nice comics for Christmas. I love my collection now and couldn't be happier with all the memories I have collecting over the years.

[sassemble]

 

I'm 48 and obviously was alive during the SA but my first book cost 15 cents in 1969. My focus is exclusively on SA. I have a friend who is around 60 now who told me once that people usually collect books from the era they were born or slightly earlier (His main focus at the time was GA). I know a lot of you weren't born during the SA but the theory does have some merit IMHO.

[sacentaur]

I'm over 50 but wasn't exposed to any comics at all until Star Wars came out. Later on I stumbled across a comic shop, and they sold me reprints as originals.

 

Next came a huge batch of EC's that I brokered a deal for between two parties who weren't getting along. I had never seen an EC before, but the buyer gave me the beater copies of some titles as freebies, and I still have some of them. Love at first sight, it was.

 

Then came Collectors Book Store, Bond Street Books, and Cherokee Bookstore all in Hollywood, followed by Redbeard's amazing vault, and the Golden Age rage was on for the next 30 years.

 

So I never really had much interest or exposure to Silver Age, but that sure has changed of late - I'm having the most fun in the hobby than I've had in years.

[jimjum12]

I'm over 50 but wasn't exposed to any comics at all until Star Wars came out. Later on I stumbled across a comic shop, and they sold me reprints as originals.

 

Next came a huge batch of EC's that I brokered a deal for between two parties who weren't getting along. I had never seen an EC before, but the buyer gave me the beater copies of some titles as freebies, and I still have some of them. Love at first sight, it was.

 

Then came Collectors Book Store, Bond Street Books, and Cherokee Bookstore all in Hollywood, followed by Redbeard's amazing vault, and the Golden Age rage was on for the next 30 years.

 

So I never really had much interest or exposure to Silver Age, but that sure has changed of late - I'm having the most fun in the hobby than I've had in years.

....it's cool having you here.....I've gone through all kind of phases since I started collecting.....I now collect a little bit of everything....more artist driven than anything. My collection is small, but it's mostly all favorites ...Everett, Frazetta, Boring, Kirby Ditkp, Adams, Kane, ...you get the drift. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[KirbyJack]

I'm 48 and obviously was alive during the SA but my first book cost 15 cents in 1969. My focus is exclusively on SA. I have a friend who is around 60 now who told me once that people usually collect books from the era they were born or slightly earlier (His main focus at the time was GA). I know a lot of you weren't born during the SA but the theory does have some merit IMHO.

 

That applies to me. Marvel had the good sense to be re-printing the SA stuff when I started buying. I wasn't aware that Marvel's Greatest Comics were old stories, I just knew I liked them better than the current Buckler-drawn Fantastic Four, which I loved. Still do.

[sacentaur]

I'm over 50 but wasn't exposed to any comics at all until Star Wars came out. Later on I stumbled across a comic shop, and they sold me reprints as originals.

 

Next came a huge batch of EC's that I brokered a deal for between two parties who weren't getting along. I had never seen an EC before, but the buyer gave me the beater copies of some titles as freebies, and I still have some of them. Love at first sight, it was.

 

Then came Collectors Book Store, Bond Street Books, and Cherokee Bookstore all in Hollywood, followed by Redbeard's amazing vault, and the Golden Age rage was on for the next 30 years.

 

So I never really had much interest or exposure to Silver Age, but that sure has changed of late - I'm having the most fun in the hobby than I've had in years.

....it's cool having you here.....I've gone through all kind of phases since I started collecting.....I now collect a little bit of everything....more artist driven than anything. My collection is small, but it's mostly all favorites ...Everett, Frazetta, Boring, Kirby Ditkp, Adams, Kane, ...you get the drift. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

Thanks jimbo, likewise.

[DeadpoolJr.]

I'm only 18 years old and started collecting when I was around 14. I started out with silver age comics in the beginning, but know buy things all the way from golden to modern. I first got into comics even before I started collecting when I was around 5 or 6 years old and my dad showed me his old ASMs( his earlist is 9 with missing 14,17,and 39 )that he bought off the rack back when they came out, I remember thinking this is how comic books should be a cool looking cover with the hero vs. the villian on it. My dad told me he use to have even more comics that he bought like D.D, F.F, Avengers, Iron Man and more, but they got stolen by his cousins he thinks when they were helping him move. He only had his spideys and two avengers left because those were his favorites and he wanted to personally deliver them to his new place himself. A few years later after seeing a Superhero movie we decided to go to a local comic shop that was't that far away from us and when he started going through back issues of spideys and other heros he was hooked and we both decided that we would rebuilt his collection and thats how it started for me.

[jimjum12]

I'm only 18 years old and started collecting when I was around 14. I started out with silver age comics in the beginning, but know buy things all the way from golden to modern. I first got into comics even before I started collecting when I was around 5 or 6 years old and my dad showed me his old ASMs( his earlist is 9 with missing 14,17,and 39 )that he bought off the rack back when they came out, I remember thinking this is how comic books should be a cool looking cover with the hero vs. the villian on it. My dad told me he use to have even more comics that he bought like D.D, F.F, Avengers, Iron Man and more, but they got stolen by his cousins he thinks when they were helping him move. He only had his spideys and two avengers left because those were his favorites and he wanted to personally deliver them to his new place himself. A few years later after seeing a Superhero movie we decided to go to a local comic shop that was't that far away from us and when he started going through back issues of spideys and other heros he was hooked and we both decided that we would rebuilt his collection and thats how it started for me.

 

I so love to hear stuff like this....except the part about the cousins. It's a cool hobby. GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[comick1]

Just turned 42 yesterday and have collected stuff that's older than me since I was about 16 years old. I was buying Miller DDs off the stands in the late 70s/early 80s as a kid, but was totally captivated by this idea that the DDs were preceded by earlier issues as illustrated in the OPG that my dad bought back in 1976 (the one with the Spirit cover). I read through that thing before I knew how to alphabetize. In fact, I remember having an alphabetizing epiphany moment at about 7 years of age because I kept having to thumb through from the very beginning of the book page by page until I landed on the page with the picture of The Three Stooges comic. I couldn't believe there was a Three Stooges comic (totally crazy about them and would run home after school to catch the afternoon stooge show on TV). Eventually, I figured out that the Stooges were on page X hundred because "three" starts with a "T," so it had to be in the "T" section! Eureka!!!! That same year, my 2nd grade teacher was scratching her head about me knowing how to find words in the dictionary before she formally taught us how to use them.

Then I started taking a closer look at the comics advertised in the old ads placed by John Snyder, Doug Sulipa, Robert Bell, Bruce Hamilton, American Comic Book Company, etc. These comics had characters I was familiar with because I was reading them on the stands, but the comics themselves looked different. THe ones I was buying were about 25¢-35¢ off the stands, but the ones advertised in these ads were all 10¢ cover prices. Holy frijole!!! These were OLD comics. I showed this stuff to my mom and dad and they said that they grew up reading those OLD comics and no, they didn't keep any because they were all recycled in paper drives for the war effort! Curses! Anyway, I hit the geographical jackpot by being born and raised in San Diego. . .so I attended the convention because I also hit the parent lottery with a mom and dad who noticed this thing called a comic book convention that was being held at El Cortez (circa 1975).

I remember my mom handing me a dollar and directing me over to the 10-for-a-dollar bins. But my eye was already on the Tarzan Treasury Sized edition. . .the green-covered one with him locked in mortal combat with a lion. She calmly explained that I could buy that ONE issue, but it'd cost the whole dollar and if I bought stuff out of the 10¢ each bin, I could get 10 of 'em. I would have nothing of it and insisted on blowing my only dollar on the Tarzan.

 

Best fükkin thing I ever did!

 

The art was so moody and just masterful that I couldn't believe that comics could be this good. I was used to reading 70s Superman, Archies, and Bugs Bunny and that stuff just didn't compare to this incredible Tarzan. Another epiphany I had as a little kid was that this different art must have meant that a different artist was drawing Tarzan than Superman (until then, I guess it never occurred to me that different people were drawing different comics).

 

After beginning Miller DD back issue collecting as an extension of completing what I'd purchased off the stands, it took me until about 1986 to save up $$ from odd jobs get the full run. By that time, Miller's Dark Knight came out and I began exploring earlier Batman by Adams and Rogers. Then even further back in to 12¢ and even 10¢ era stuff. Once I bought my first silver-age books, I was hooked. It was always the art that drove me, though. Loved the Ditko Spideys in addition to an occasional Flash or Green Lantern but then I picked up my first Enemy Ace Star Spangled War Stories when I was a high school senior. Stop the presses!!!!! It was the same guy that drew the Tarzan with that same incredible line work and bad@ss look about the characters!!! Why hadn't I looked more closely at the Kubert-drawn stuff earlier?? I was spending too much time reading the superhero stuff. It was a matter of time before I picked up my first GI Combats and Our Army at Wars with not just Kubert, but also some other unbelievable artist named Heath. Mlle Marie was drawn by Mort Drucker (already familiar with his style because of his MAD magazine work). That was a major revelation. Then there was just no turning back. I spent EVERY ounce of my $$ and wheeled and dealed at every turn to focus on DC war. . .and I've been collecting Big-5 war books ever since. I DO remember the days when DC war books got no respect and dealers really WOULD laugh at me dismissively when I'd ask for high grade DC war. Like who would ever collect THAT stuff?