If you could start your collection all over again...

[snowman28]

This is basically where I'm at. HUGE Marvel fan. I've grown up in the mid 90's

and amassed many $1 bin comics when I was young. 15 years later I have the funds available to purchase comics I once dreampt of like X-Men 1 and other Silver Age key books. With eBay I have a lot at my fingertips, I feel like a kid in a candy store.

 

I do have a good knowledge on using completed sales, and will probably subscribe to GPA soon. I have a lot of ideas going on in my head...

 

Look for one huge lot and get the best bang for your buck?

 

Focus ONLY on purchasing low end "grail" books (ie AF15, FF1, HULK1, etc) slowly, from most expensive on down?

 

Focus on whatever the best deals currently on eBay is?

 

 

So the question is, if YOU could start over, how would you do it?

 

 

[joe_collector]

I would leave all my comics at home when going on that fateful camping trip.

[HeroX]

I would only have slabbed key issues of comics that I care about. Everything else would be in nice collected editions on my bookshelf and/or digital.

[Rip]

Would of bought a lot less junk during the 90's.

[shadroch]

I'd have payed more attention to which way the herd is running, and go the opposite.

[thunsicker]

Three years ago I was where you are now. After a 13 year hiatus (called marriage) I was just getting back into picking up some of those comics that had eluded me when I was younger and tighter with the cash. The only thing I would do differently from what I ended up doing is to not buy anything for the first 6 months. Just get a feel for what I wanted to collect and what realistic prices for those things are. The only mistake I made was to buy too much that I thought was a good deal that turned out to be only a so-so deal (mostly off eBay). After a while you get a feel for how much stuff is out there and you can let something go by without having to grab it because it's a good deal and when will you see it again. Watch a few comicconnect, comiclink, heritage, mycomicshop, etc auctions and don't bid. Then when you know what you want and what a reasonable price to pay is look for the deals. Don't jump at the first one you see.

[KingOfRulers]

If I started over, for the generic Marvel or DC, Silver Age - current, I'd only buy the complete run at once. I would not purchase issues here and there, and eventually complete the run.

[romanheart]

Buy less junk in the late 80s and early 90s because of the gimmicks and only buy things in the grade that I intend to keep.

[RCheli]

If I started over, for the generic Marvel or DC, Silver Age - current, I'd only buy the complete run at once. I would not purchase issues here and there, and eventually complete the run.

 

But... but... that's the fun part of collecting!

[Shootydog]

I would never have gotten into single issues.

 

I would stick to trades and graphic novels.

[jools&jim]

 

I would have kept more of the comics I had as a kid, rather than selling them off to buy "better" stuff.

 

I find that the only books which really matter to me now are ones which are linked to specific memories, times, and places. I've replaced many of them over the years, but having all of my OO books, ca. 1972 - 1980, would have been pretty cool...

[The Madness]

I'd only focus on Golden Age DC & Silver age Marvel. No bronze, copper, or modern books, except for maybe some covers I couldn't resist

[FrankCastle]

Wow, a re-do, now that would be something.

 

I think a few of this have this problem, and that would be instead of buying more comics, I was buying cards at the same time. Being Canadian, I had to have ALL the baseball cards AND ALL the hockey cards, as well as new monthly comics and back issues (in the 86-92 range). I don't think I'd change anything as far as comics went, I grew up on some incredible stuff. But I wish I'd bought a lot, I mean A LOT (like 90%), less cards and used even half of that money for comics. The stuff I passed on because of my card addiction...

 

Jay

[valiantman]

So the question is, if YOU could start over, how would you do it?

Figure out what books are your absolute favorite and get several of them.

 

If you can afford it, there's no downside to having two to five copies of the same key.

 

You already like the book, you can get in a tough situation and sell the book, but you'll still have the book.

 

I have two AF #15... I can get into a financial need and sell one... but I will still own AF #15.

If I had known "then" what I know now... I would have five by now.

 

Not just one book... a short list of favorites... then go deep on that short list. (thumbs u

[DrWatson]

I would never buy a third party or Signature Series graded book.

[FunnyBooks1969]

i would have purchased more than one copy of each.

[slym2none]

I wouldn't do anything differently.

 

 

 

 

-slym

[Jeffro.]

 

 

So the question is, if YOU could start over, how would you do it?

 

 

Quality instead of quantity.

I would have concentrated on high grade silver age. At the time much of that stuff was cheap compared to today. I'd also seek out every bronze first appearance I could find as well as every copy I could find of Our Army at War 81, 82, 83 and GI Combat 87.

I would also stop buying new comics in the early 90s and put that money into back issues

[Headless Horseman]

Buy the Mister Mystery 6 I passed on years ago

[Mr.Diggler]

I would never buy a third party or Signature Series graded book.

Good advice.