Set building advice for a newb

[StuporMan]

General questions about how others go about building their sets.

 

Being new to the CGC community I was wondering how the more seasoned set builders approach their collecting. I just started with a few sets with only a couple issues, knowing that I have more to add when my books arrive graded from CGC.

 

When you collect, do you pay attention to completing a set or to points? Or do you just collect what you want and if you build a nice set, more power to it...

 

Also, since page quality doesn't appear to be calculated into the set scoring from what I can tell... do you concern yourself with getting the best possible page quality? I've noticed that higher page quality can fetch a 10% to 50% premium - worth it? The same can be said for pedigrees as well.

 

Also wondering if anyone out there lets the point value of the book influence what price they'll pay for a book. Take for example a Captain Marvel 9.8 offered for $350, but only scores 120 pts - would you still pay that price?

 

I'm new to this, so any advice from seasoned set builders would be appreciated - thanks for reading!

 

See more journals by leed0g

[Clouded9]

Buy what you love and you'll never go wrong.

 

Registry points are a fun idea, but I don't think you should let them dictate how or what you collect. I have bought a book for $240 that was worth 2600 registry points, but have also paid $600 for a book worth 250 points. In fact, I know of a few folks here who have spent several thousand dollars on a single book worth only a few hundred registry points and they are amazing books that are worth every penny. The registry is not a price guide and is merely an awesome organizational tool that just so happens to include an algorithm that assigns points to books based on many, undisclosed, variables.

 

I'm not really in to completing sets except for the Marvel 1968 Silver Age Series Starters set as it is made up of only key issues, but this is just my personal preference. I try to focus on minor and major key issues and SIlver Age appearances of the Silver Surfer. Choosing your collecting focus is best done on your own in my opinion as you should have a personal reason/attachment to your focus. I find that this makes collecting more enjoyable, at least for me.

 

As far as the page quality debate? This differs for every person and you will have to decide on your own how you look at it. I am happy with Off-White Pages or better on my Silver and Bronze age books, Cream to Off White or better on my Golden Age, but no tan, brown, or brittle pages ever for me. Page quality like the numerical grade is subjective, I have cracked open enough SA/BA slabs to see that what their graders deem as white pages can really be all over the map at times. However, some people live and die for the White Pages designation on their CGC label and more power to them if they feel it is worth paying a premium for as that is part of their collecting focus, it's just not for me. Hopefully these same folks are around when I decide to sell some of my high grade silver age books with White Pages. Page quality is something to consider when buying a book for sure, but the things I value more than white pages are the centering of the book, quality of the wrap, cover gloss, staple placement, color strike, etc.

 

Welcome aboard!

[comicdonna]

I paid $4600 for my Action #12. It's worth 281 registry points.

[surfer99]

I agree with everything Clouded9 said. Right on point. Nice Bronze Age Captain Marvel by the way, although I like your issue #33 even better!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mzhammer]

Clouded9 said it best!

 

As a Newb myself, The beginning has been a hit and miss - I started some collections only to find it's not really what I wanted, so i sold them off and changed directions. Took me a while, but I finally figured out what I do want to collect. You've got to buy what you like!

 

White Pages are nice in the resale market - you can get extra cash for them, but if you don't plan to sell it and you don't much care - then it might not be worth it to pay more for the page quality.

 

The collection points are fun when you start to move up the ranks in a set. I've ended up collecting a set simply because of that - though I've yet to complete one, but once you get close.... you start to really want it!

 

Enjoy!

 

[Clouded9]

I agree with everything Clouded9 said. Right on point.

 

Clouded9 said it best!

 

[StuporMan]

Buy what you love and you'll never go wrong.

 

Registry points are a fun idea, but I don't think you should let them dictate how or what you collect. I have bought a book for $240 that was worth 2600 registry points, but have also paid $600 for a book worth 250 points. In fact, I know of a few folks here who have spent several thousand dollars on a single book worth only a few hundred registry points and they are amazing books that are worth every penny. The registry is not a price guide and is merely an awesome organizational tool that just so happens to include an algorithm that assigns points to books based on many, undisclosed, variables.

 

I'm not really in to completing sets except for the Marvel 1968 Silver Age Series Starters set as it is made up of only key issues, but this is just my personal preference. I try to focus on minor and major key issues and SIlver Age appearances of the Silver Surfer. Choosing your collecting focus is best done on your own in my opinion as you should have a personal reason/attachment to your focus. I find that this makes collecting more enjoyable, at least for me.

 

As far as the page quality debate? This differs for every person and you will have to decide on your own how you look at it. I am happy with Off-White Pages or better on my Silver and Bronze age books, Cream to Off White or better on my Golden Age, but no tan, brown, or brittle pages ever for me. Page quality like the numerical grade is subjective, I have cracked open enough SA/BA slabs to see that what their graders deem as white pages can really be all over the map at times. However, some people live and die for the White Pages designation on their CGC label and more power to them if they feel it is worth paying a premium for as that is part of their collecting focus, it's just not for me. Hopefully these same folks are around when I decide to sell some of my high grade silver age books with White Pages. Page quality is something to consider when buying a book for sure, but the things I value more than white pages are the centering of the book, quality of the wrap, cover gloss, staple placement, color strike, etc.

 

Welcome aboard!

 

Excellent advice, thanks!

 

I feel the same way about page quality - there are many more features that I prefer. I'd rather have a perfectly centered book with OW or OWW pages than an off-center wrap with white pages.

[StuporMan]

I paid $4600 for my Action #12. It's worth 281 registry points.

 

Good point, that's an excellent book where if I had the same opportunity I wouldn't care about point value. An excellent early Action cover too - nice!

[StuporMan]

I agree with everything Clouded9 said. Right on point. Nice Bronze Age Captain Marvel by the way, although I like your issue #33 even better!

 

Thanks! #33 is one of my favorite covers of the run

 

[StuporMan]

Clouded9 said it best!

 

As a Newb myself, The beginning has been a hit and miss - I started some collections only to find it's not really what I wanted, so i sold them off and changed directions. Took me a while, but I finally figured out what I do want to collect. You've got to buy what you like!

 

White Pages are nice in the resale market - you can get extra cash for them, but if you don't plan to sell it and you don't much care - then it might not be worth it to pay more for the page quality.

 

The collection points are fun when you start to move up the ranks in a set. I've ended up collecting a set simply because of that - though I've yet to complete one, but once you get close.... you start to really want it!

 

Enjoy!

 

Thanks! I think I'm at that early stage where I'm pretty low in rank so I haven't become very aggressive in my set building yet. I have a lot of sets with just a few issues, but I can see how getting close to the #1 spot can get exciting...

[thehumantorch]

Buy what you love and you'll never go wrong.

 

Registry points are a fun idea, but I don't think you should let them dictate how or what you collect. I have bought a book for $240 that was worth 2600 registry points, but have also paid $600 for a book worth 250 points. In fact, I know of a few folks here who have spent several thousand dollars on a single book worth only a few hundred registry points and they are amazing books that are worth every penny. The registry is not a price guide and is merely an awesome organizational tool that just so happens to include an algorithm that assigns points to books based on many, undisclosed, variables.

 

I'm not really in to completing sets except for the Marvel 1968 Silver Age Series Starters set as it is made up of only key issues, but this is just my personal preference. I try to focus on minor and major key issues and SIlver Age appearances of the Silver Surfer. Choosing your collecting focus is best done on your own in my opinion as you should have a personal reason/attachment to your focus. I find that this makes collecting more enjoyable, at least for me.

 

As far as the page quality debate? This differs for every person and you will have to decide on your own how you look at it. I am happy with Off-White Pages or better on my Silver and Bronze age books, Cream to Off White or better on my Golden Age, but no tan, brown, or brittle pages ever for me. Page quality like the numerical grade is subjective, I have cracked open enough SA/BA slabs to see that what their graders deem as white pages can really be all over the map at times. However, some people live and die for the White Pages designation on their CGC label and more power to them if they feel it is worth paying a premium for as that is part of their collecting focus, it's just not for me. Hopefully these same folks are around when I decide to sell some of my high grade silver age books with White Pages. Page quality is something to consider when buying a book for sure, but the things I value more than white pages are the centering of the book, quality of the wrap, cover gloss, staple placement, color strike, etc.

 

Welcome aboard!

 

Excellent advice, thanks!

 

I feel the same way about page quality - there are many more features that I prefer. I'd rather have a perfectly centered book with OW or OWW pages than an off-center wrap with white pages.

 

Nicely centered books are definitely superior but white pages are also important as they indicate just how well the paper has aged. There is nothing like flipping through an old book with white pages.

 

Tough to tell you what to collect. Some build runs, some collect a certain artist or character, some collect classic covers, and some collect certain publishers or themes.

 

If you ever get a chance have a gander at Paratrooper's paratroop theme collection, it is a beautiful collection that runs from the golden age to modern day and it runs through virtually every publisher and genre.

 

Or a there thread started yesterday devoted to covers with rain.

[Clouded9]

 

If you ever get a chance have a gander at Paratrooper's paratroop theme collection, it is a beautiful collection that runs from the golden age to modern day and it runs through virtually every publisher and genre.

 

Or a there thread started yesterday devoted to covers with rain.

 

+1

 

I followed the updates of his paratrooper collection on the boards for a good while and enjoyed seeing new additions. Very neat little story why he chose that focus.

 

I advise anyone reading this, who hasn't done so, to check it out.

 

There was another cool thread about someones underwater cover collection that spans all eras and publishers of comics as well.

[Buzzetta]

I totally agree...

 

I WANTED this book... I paid $1100 in a fierce bidding war against someone back in November. Comiclink said that it had an Overstreet value of $864. However it fit the criteria for what I was looking for: higher mid grade, NO date stamps, writing or cover marks.

 

It is only "worth" 544 points.

 

The registry is a game not to be played too seriously.

 

[miraclemet]

Well considering Im the guy that played THIS GAME while simultaneously putting together a registry points obvlious collection of Lady in White Gothic horror (journaled about HERE .) I'll agree with what everyone else has voiced. For your collection, collect what you love, and be oblivious to points.

 

Plenty of books registry points have not tracked with market changes, so you see books worth disproportionately more points than surrounding books because they were scarce or more valuable at the time points were set, and the opposite is true (hot books worth no more than there surrounding counterparts despite market upswing).

 

Ignore the points, focus on GPA in determining what you are willing to pay.

 

Points to me only help speak to possible relative scarcity, and thats only a maybe....