The Philosophy of Paring Down a Collection

[Cosmic Boy]

Thanks for all the thoughtful responses! I guess I shouldn't be beating myself up so bad over this decision. I just don't want to feel like I've betrayed all the good, collectible stuff DC has put out over the last 75 years. I love it. I'm a fan. I'm just not sure I want to (or even can) collect both publishers anymore.

 

It doesn't help matters that my collection is about 70/30 Marvel to DC right now, either. Like I said before, if I make a move, dumping DC is the more logical approach... as tough as that might be.

 

Is it all slabbed?

 

I'm going to start "pairing" down my collection, but it is going to be stuff that I'll never read again. Most of it will be drek, but I'm fine with that in all honesty.

 

Yeah, most of my collection is slabs. Which makes things difficult. There is no readability to anything. Just pretty things. But once I got into the slab game, I couldn't stop.

[Korvac Saga]

Collecting is an outward reflection of your internal enjoyment.

 

Selling your entire collection wouldn't change what you're a fan of anymore than selling every mirror in your house would change who you are. Right?

 

With the internet you can immerse yourself in any aspect of comic books, except maybe the smell. But that's what memories are for.

 

Holy deep, Batman! (thumbs u

 

You make an excellent point.

Thanks. I really struggled with it when collecting started 'leaving me behind' with all the focus on nano-defects, pressing, and unpublished criteria. I finally arrived at my lifelong love of comics being just that. And on a very long list of everything about comics that has brought me joy, flawless paper would'nt even be on it.

 

There's really nothing to lose by letting go.

One of the best posts I've seen on these boards, great perspective.

[Mayor006]

This past week I have pared down a huge amount of my collection to chase after one particular (and expensive) book. I've been thinking about this book non-stop for over a year, and I knew that I wanted it.

 

You've got to tell us what book

 

AF15

 

Wha? I thought for sure you were talking about Barbie #1 signed by Romita Sr.

[Mayor006]

I love to see other perspectives when it comes to collecting. I can't spend a lot of money on books so I have a lot of "turnover" in my collection. I've only been collecting CGC for a couple of years now and I only have about 85 books in hand at the moment with about 30 more at CGC in various submissions. In order to keep from spending the kids inheritance or keeping us from getting food on the table I basically trim my collection down anytime I hit 100 books. This sounds totally crazy to most I'm sure but honestly each time I hit 100 I take a look and make sure that I really want to keep them. Typically I can find about 10 or so to throw into a sales thread and send in a new order of raw books and start the process all over again. I haven't pursued a big book like AF15 yet but when and if I ever do I will simply just let the number of books build up and then sell them back down to 100 books again. Granted at some point (probably next year) I will change this number to 125 and then again in a couple more years to 150 just to allow me some growth.

 

I wouldn't recommend this process to anyone but it works so far for me.

[Sal]

I actually have a lot in common with dgarthwaite in that I would love to dump most of what I have but I really can't find the energy or the time to do so. And I find collecting high grade copies of books that are readily available uninteresting.

 

Unfortunately, it's hard to justify the expense I'd incur acquiring most of the stuff I want. So at the end of the day, I'm buying maybe two, three books a year and deriving most of my enjoyment of the hobby either via proxy or nostalgia

[thehumantorch]

Dump all your DC books to chase after Marvel? Perhaps your thinking is too linear. Consider keeping the DC and Marvel titles and characters that are important to you and selling off those that aren't. Do you really love Hawkman or Luke Cage or are they just part of the gang?

[Dr. Balls]

This past week I have pared down a huge amount of my collection to chase after one particular (and expensive) book. I've been thinking about this book non-stop for over a year, and I knew that I wanted it.

 

You've got to tell us what book

 

AF15

 

Wha? I thought for sure you were talking about Barbie #1 signed by Romita Sr.

 

That's my second grail.

[Artboy99]

In the past I was a marvel only completionist. I had to have them all and solid runs as my goal was to re-collect what I used to own.

I have since flipped my collecting focus to golden aged books specifically horror/ sci-fi and off titles. This started in dec 2009 when I bought my first ever golden aged book in an Ebetter Comiclink auction. I picjked up Tomb of Terror #1. I was instantly hooked, as an artist I love the cover art on many of these older books. I still collect Marvels but really only for resale. It is weird though, in that I used to cringe at having to spend 1-2 grand for a silver age marvel book and just wouldn't. I could not bring myself ot spend that much for a silver age Marvel book. Now I find I am buying some golden aged books for that routinely. It might be that I find the Golden age books are somewhat harder to come by?

For new books I started to buy the DC 52 and thoroughly enjoyed them and I have found I buy more DC than Marvel as far as new books. New independent publishers and Image are the books I buy the most for new / moderns.

[MK Ultra]

I think if you're at 70/30 now, you should dump the DC and go all Marvel. Maybe keeping one or two, but the better books you sell will allow you to buy better books. I would start slow with stuff you don't really want and see how it goes.

[*Bronze age fan*]

I read your first post....I felt the way you did like 20 years ago. DC always seemed soooooo huge to go back and fill in back issues and complete runs, which I always found really fun to do. I made the choice years ago to only collect Marvel comics because I enjoyed those comics so much. Which led me to buy every comic that they published from 1960 to 1980. I would never have done that if I also collected DC just do to the cost and space of collecting both major publishers. Good luck on whatever you decide to collect.

[Buzzetta]

Do it... and then the money to do something cool...

 

I sold off my lower grade and mid grade Batman books and other junk I had accumulated. I raised the money and bought this in 2010. You will feel much better when you trade in the useless stuff to get the one cool thing. BTW - I purchased this from Filter at 2010 NYC Comic Con.

 

[slym2none]

All I know is that it can be painful, selling off what can be childhood memories.

 

Also, I have a few issues with a different attachment to them, as I didn't buy them but had them given to me by someone that is no longer with us.

 

Good luck, however your decision comes down.

 

 

 

-slym

[Buzzetta]

All I know is that it can be painful, selling off what can be childhood memories.

 

Also, I have a few issues with a different attachment to them, as I didn't buy them but had them given to me by someone that is no longer with us.

 

Good luck, however your decision comes down.

 

 

 

-slym

 

I dunno... there was only one thing that I regretted selling off and I will eventually go back and purchase it again. To tell the truth, I do not remember exactly what I got rid of.

[slym2none]

I just have to keep reminding myself they are only things, and even the ones that Bob gave me won't be too bad when I sell them. It isn't the comics themselves that make the memories I have of him, but the giving of the gift itself when he handed them to me.

 

 

 

-slym

[Cosmic Boy]

Thanks for all the great opinions and responses, folks! I greatly appreciate the community insight as I ponder where my collection goes next. (thumbs u

[Buzzetta]

Think of it this way.

 

When we are all dead... it won't matter.

 

 

--This has been another happy thought brought to you by Buzzetta

[Davenport]

Collecting is an outward reflection of your internal enjoyment.

 

Selling your entire collection wouldn't change what you're a fan of anymore than selling every mirror in your house would change who you are. Right?

 

With the internet you can immerse yourself in any aspect of comic books, except maybe the smell. But that's what memories are for.

 

Holy deep, Batman! (thumbs u

 

You make an excellent point.

Thanks. I really struggled with it when collecting started 'leaving me behind' with all the focus on nano-defects, pressing, and unpublished criteria. I finally arrived at my lifelong love of comics being just that. And on a very long list of everything about comics that has brought me joy, flawless paper would'nt even be on it.

 

There's really nothing to lose by letting go.

 

I think you're spot on. And it makes me feel a little better about the potential of letting go of my DCs or anything else I may decide to part with in the process. Like you said, we're a much bigger part of the industry these days...especially with the comic book movie genre. It might be awesome expensive old paper, but it's still expensive old paper.

It really helps to take a cold hard look at what collecting actually is.

 

The first part is acquiring something you're connected to, the treasure hunt and self-gifting. That's quickly followed by being a curator of the item for the next owner.

 

So... selling can be just cutting to the bonus of collecting. When you connect an item you loved with someone who loves it as much or more than you do, it's an additive experience. You're spreading the joy, which increases yours.

 

Sure, it shortens the length of time the item sits undisturbed in the dark at your place. But making people as happy as you are were when you got it is the trade-off.

 

Selfish on both ends of the collecting experience and letting the other guy tend to that sitting in the dark phase. Nothing wrong with that. (thumbs u

 

[Ryan.]

I go through cycles of reducing my collection in order to buy a grail-ish book, which seems like a worthy pursuit. Except there always seems to be another grail I need once I've acquired the last one. It's a death cycle, I tells ya.

[rodan57]

In very general terms, my rule of thumb when selling-off/down-sizing my "permanent" collection is this: would I have thought that this or that book was cool when I was 12 years-old?

 

If the answer is "yes", it stays...if not, it goes.

 

I really like this answer.

[Psithyrus]

Dump all your DC books to chase after Marvel? Perhaps your thinking is too linear. Consider keeping the DC and Marvel titles and characters that are important to you and selling off those that aren't. Do you really love Hawkman or Luke Cage or are they just part of the gang?

 

I'm in the process of reducing my collection now. The thought process you suggested is the one that I'm taking. I figured, if the "keys" are interesting to me, and I have a few characters that I like, then maybe I should be focused on those.