Cornering the Market!

[SW3D]

AKA... I own 0.0057273768613974799541809851088202% of the total CGC graded population for Swamp Thing Volume 1, Number 1.

 

Back in late 2005, I bought my first graded CGC comic. I regard it as one of my favorites in my collection. I probably will never give it up. It will remain with me until my dying days. Only God and the great Universe will ever separate me from it. It is Swamp Thing Volume 1, Number 1, graded 9.2. I still marvel at it, and in my opinion looks better than the 9.4's and 9.6's I have in my collection. I bought it for $220, my first eBay purchase ever, and I remember Overstreet had it listed at a value of $150 ungraded.

 

After receiving that first CGC purchase, I got it into my head that I wanted to own every single graded ST#1. Can you imagine? I had this crazy notion and obsession to corner a market... a niche market on a one time forgotten character. F*cking nuts! Since that wild and ludicrous impulse, I have bought four more ST #1's. I now own a total of five, which equates to exactly 0.0057273768613974799541809851088202% of the total CGC graded population (873)... or about ½ percent.

 

Why Swamp Thing Volume 1, No. 1? I believe ST#1 is the pinnacle issue of all the Swamp Thing volumes (not including House of Secrets 92). And let me clarify further by stating... Volume 1, issues 1 through 10... are sheer classics that deserve similar praise bestowed upon the Silver Surfer's first volume collection. The rest of that volume's run, lamentably, falls far short of expectation.

 

Many Swamp Thing fans will argue and sling mud and throw moss at me and tell me I'm obviously nuts (but my "sanity" has already been established). Yes, I believe Alan Moore's run is pure genius deserving of the high praise, awards, and accolades it has garnered, and he's done what very few have done... breathed new life into a character that seemingly died with those God awful movies from the 80's. And I like what DC is doing with the current volume... the whole Rot World saga is very cool. But I can't help but to love the original classic, brought to you by the masters: Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson. They are timeless, they are vintage, they are hallmarks of comicdom!

 

The funny thing is, back in the late 70's and 80's, I never read any Swamp Thing comics. I knew of him, but I was more into his rival, Marvel's Man-Thing, and maybe a bit curious about Hillman's The Heap. In those days, every time I opened up a comic... right smack in the middle was Mile High Comics double-page spread catalogue. I would religiously scan every comic they had on sale, especially the Frank Miller Daredevil's and the Claremont and Byrne X-Men's... observing how they priced them... in essence, it became my monthly price guide. I would always look at what other titles were listed, and Swamp Thing always caught my attention. The first volume always seemed to carry a premium and it was always listed with "Wrightson" like he was a superstar along the lines of Kirby, Steranko, Adams, Miller and Byrne. However, when I caught the Wes Craven movie, as well as the follow-up featuring Heather Locklear... I told myself... you're not missing anything.

 

Sometime in the early 90's, when I grew cynical and disillusioned with the whole commercialism and oversaturation of the hobby, I found myself wandering aimlessly in search of a new direction. I was still in college, hooked on science fiction books, especially Harry Harrison's The Stainless Steel Rat serial novels. But that fan-boy in me, who still loved comics, wanted to remain connected to the hobby and sought solace in the "innocence" of the past. One day, I walked into Little Nemo's... a great little comic shop on Austin Street in Forest Hills, Queens, named after Winsor McKay's main character from the classic comic strip Little Nemo in Sumberland. In this claustrophobic storefront, thousands upon thousands of vintage comics, posters, and original art from the Golden Age, Silver Age, and the Bronze Age graced its four walls... walls majestically decorated with the heroes of yesteryear. My eyes would always widen with delight, joy, and awe like a kid in a candy store. I would literally spend hours in that store, having an amazingly difficult time choosing what to buy. I wanted it all, but my miserable part-time income wouldn't allow for it. So I had to be very picky. I remember buying my first Lee and Kirby Fantastic Four's, issues 68 and 70, at Nemo's. I also bought Warren's Creepy, issues 3 and 4, featuring Frank Frazetta covers. And I also bought a near complete run of DC's The Shadow from the 70's, featuring Mike Kaluta's beautiful covers. And I am sure I bought lots more. But my most proud purchase was the first volume of Swamp Thing's... numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9. I bought them all for ten bucks a piece back then, and even bought doubles of issue 7... when Swamp Thing crosses paths with Batman. Sadly, issues 1 and 10 were not part of that package. But when I got home, I carefully read them, and I finally understood why Mile High priced them at a premium. These books represent some of the finest storytelling and art every to grace a four-color page. Although Wein and Wrightson gave us an all-too-brief ten issue run, they are undeniable classics.

 

Sadly, Little Nemo's closed its doors nearly two decades ago. A raw copy of ST#1 eluded me until the early 00's, when I finally bought it at Midtown Comics Grand Central. With that purchase, I re-read that run I owned. Since then, Swamp Thing has become my favorite DC character. In my book, he's up there in the majestic pantheon of Super Heroes, holding court with the other greats.

 

As time has passed, I have given up that silly notion of trying to corner the market on ST's #1, in favor of pursing other beloved heroes of my childhood. However, I do intend to buy just one more ST #1... an immortal CGC 9.8. And when that's done... sometime in the far future... I hope to collect all ten issues of that classic Wein and Wrightson run... one day, God Willing!

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Happy Collecting!

 

SW3D

 

See more journals by screenwriter3d

[GamingEtc-migration]

These are the ravings of a legitimate lunatic. I seriously think you might need some help. You sir are crazy, but it's my kind of crazy and I totally dig it! Buy more Swamp Thing #1s, don't give up on your dream, you're only 5 copies from 1% and then all you have to do is the same thing you've already done 99 more times! Go for it!!!!

 

I really do like when someone is overly passionate about something like this. BUY MORE SWAMP THING #1s!!! (and write journals about them)

[SW3D]

It takes one Mad Genius to recognize another! You Dear Sir, are my new Best Friend! I say, you corner one market, I corner the other, and together we shall take over the CGC world!!! Muh Ha Ha Ha!

 

But seriously... I would need to rob a f*ckng bank to buy all those ST #1's... and very few collectors will give up their 9.8's... but who knows... stranger things have happened.

 

Wish me luck!

 

SW3D

[kaholo1256]

Wow it never stops to astound me the length's that we as collectors go through for our passions. This is a a great post and an awesome perspective viewing photo. About a year ago I met both Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson at the Dallas Comic Con and completely understand why there runs are what you covet.

 

For Mr. Wein I found a better perspective in collecting comics and the want to own two of some issues because as he put it "Once a comic goes into a slab my art dies." I had never truly appreciated the writers work into comics until his words were spoken to me in that way. From that point on whenever I want an issue signed for me by him I will always ask for two seperate signatures for the keep and encase and plan to get a few things from my personal childhood signed by him.

 

For Mr. Wrightson I was never a fan of his until I attended a comic con and had it explained to me why he was a man to appreciate. I was never a DC fan which was the bulk of his work minus a Cover for Incredible Hulk and a Heroes for Hope Witched featured the X-Men in it and a few others. I had him sign a copy of the Incredible Hulk issue and the X-Men which I was able to acquire at the Con but didn't think about getting it CGC'd. No that DC has released blank covers I do now plan to get a CGC sketch of a swamp thing though. The big thing was that he spoke elliquently and at length about why he appreciated us the fans. He was a genuinely nice guy and can't wait to see him again.

 

Again awesome covers and hope you can get a few more to add.

 

K

[Tnerb]

I felt like doing the same thing with New Mutants #1 but with a slight variable. First off,it's cheaper so i have that going for me, but I was thinking once I find that second Gem Mint #10 out there I was going to try to have an issue #1 in every single grade even if I have to spill coffee and lucky charms all over an issue to get it ll the way down to a .5. Currently I have a 9.9, 9.4ss, and 6.0.

 

Now onto your precious Swamp Thing. The cover is amazing. Although Never a book I wanted for myself i do like to gaze on them every time I see them displayed at conventions. Maybe one day I will jump into the depths of DC but not yet, and not with that book. There are others that have captured the heartstrings of my memoirs.

 

Tnerb

[Foxtrot70]

It takes one Mad Genius to recognize another! You Dear Sir, are my new Best Friend! I say, you corner one market, I corner the other, and together we shall take over the CGC world!!! Muh Ha Ha Ha!

 

But seriously... I would need to rob a f*ckng bank to buy all those ST #1's... and very few collectors will give up their 9.8's... but who knows... stranger things have happened.

 

Wish me luck!

 

SW3D

 

You need more swamp thing #1's like you need more cow bell.... and we all need more cowbell... On a serious note, your missing a copy of #1 w a Berni sig on the cover

[SW3D]

I have a fever... and the only prescription is more Swamp Thing!!!

 

Yes... a signed copy is definitely on my radar, but not a must have for me.

I truly desire a 9.8... and if it happens to be signed by both creators, I would

leap into the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

And, after reading the support and urgings of my fellow collectors, I think I may

pursue the impossible.

 

"Swamp Thing... you wonderful amalgam of Science and Nature... of Man's selfish desire to harness the wisdom of our Creator, through the instruments of Science, only to be tempered and born anew by the mighty hand of Nature, to become Earth's true Champion, a messianic symbol of what Men should all aspire to be, take your rightful place among your brethren, The Silver Surfer and Adam Warlock, and walk aloft in the immortal heavens above all us!

 

I thus declare... the great collection shall march on! Call me Keeper of The Light, and Guardian of the Sacred Keys... I bow my head in servitude to thy infinite wisdom, and pledge to protect your esoteric secrets with my life!"

 

SW3D

[SW3D]

"Go and pursue your hearts desire... and let it spring free to dance and twirl with delight and childlike glee... as you build the Next Children of the Atom... from the High to the Low... and proudly display thy brilliant collection for all the world to see!"

 

"Oh Poet... Oh Storyteller!... Tell us what motivates thee? What inspires those sacred journals and memoirs of time passed? Thy stories astound! Thy stories fulfill! Thy stories inspire! Do not stop! Keep us forever enthralled! Never forget... we are your humble readers!"

 

Keep writing my friend... the fire lives within you... always!

 

SW3D

[SW3D]

K-man... you are one lucky dude to have met both Wein and Wrightson! Perhaps one day, fate will bestow upon me such a wonderful blessing!

 

Tell me more stories... I love your journals!

 

SW3D

[Norrin_Radd]

I can dig it. (thumbs u You should go for an SS copy next.