Super Collectors

[stanley1883]

How did the Super Collector get to where they are? Was collecting put on hold while they climbed the ranks at their employers. Did you inherit money? I mean saving for a low grade ASM 1 or Hulk is one thing, but I'm talking about those who spend 6 figures on their books. High Grade Hulk 1's and early Tec's. Those guys that are on the next level of collecting. That consider a 5.0 Amazing Fantasy 15 a reader's copy.Just curious, I mean you have to be pulling in serious bank for 500k books. Like several 10's of millions right? I can't imagine spending over 50% of your income on one book.....

[1904 Comics]

I think its easier for those that started in the 60s and 70s. From there, selling a 9.0 book for six figures means being able to buy 100s of 5.0 books and doubling their money twice over on those who can afford those copies. Don and Maggie Thompson are perfect examples for what a "super collector" is but I imagine those who have high volume high value collections started from the beginning.

 

Later super collectors include those who are self entrepreneurs, or just have the means (perfect example: Nicolas Cage).

 

I still personally want to know from anyone who can attest for buying a ~500k book..... how is it kept stored? I know for me I'd want to see it every moment, but the safer side of me knows that all it takes is one theft to turn into the Hulk and go crazy ending up on the 8oclock news.

[incoflip]

How did the Super Collector get to where they are? Was collecting put on hold while they climbed the ranks at their employers. Did you inherit money? I mean saving for a low grade ASM 1 or Hulk is one thing, but I'm talking about those who spend 6 figures on their books. High Grade Hulk 1's and early Tec's. Those guys that are on the next level of collecting. That consider a 5.0 Amazing Fantasy 15 a reader's copy.Just curious, I mean you have to be pulling in serious bank for 500k books. Like several 10's of millions right? I can't imagine spending over 50% of your income on one book.....

 

Great Question

 

I've often wondered about the upper echelon of collectors. I'm amazed at the extent of their collections.

 

I'm not 100% sure but it seems to me that I've read somewhere of a collector that has either the entire or nearly the entire DC run. Imagine, EVERY comic DC had ever produced....How do you do that??

 

[Conan_Aficionado]

how is it kept stored?.

 

In a room with temperature and humidity control.

 

I worked at a firm that commissioned some artwork and they were stored at Iron Mountains storage facility in a special vault that was temperature and humidity controlled. I went there to take inventory of the artwork.

[chrisco37]

 

I'm not 100% sure but it seems to me that I've read somewhere of a collector that has either the entire or nearly the entire DC run. Imagine, EVERY comic DC had ever produced....How do you do that??

 

The great Ian Levine!

[Transplant]

1. People who acquired with patience over many years, through a combination of affordable prices and spending what they could.

 

2. People who simply, through whatever track of their life, have the $$ to collect basically what they want. For these people, supply is the biggest issue, not price.

[Darkowl]

"Oh, I'm just one of those nerds who grew up... to make billions."

[The-Collector]

An interesting article, I really enjoyed reading, about super collectors of contemporary art who "never earned more than $23,000 a year."

 

http://mentalfloss.com/article/48844/how-working-class-couple-amassed-priceless-art-collection

 

I have doubts that this type of thing is replicable, as you would need to be prescient to pick the thing that would appreciate wildly in value.

 

So say you have an immense passion for bottle caps. And you spend the fifty years of your working life collecting them. At the end of those fifty years you are most likely not going to be wealthy.

[etanick]

it is easy I have never had a car payment..not one. I bought used reliable cars and owned 5 cars in my lifetime and I am almost 47 years old. I bet the average person my age spent enough money on car payments that they could buy a lot of mega keys.

 

Add to the fact that I work at home for the past 14 years so my gasoline bill is about $50 a buck each month and I have no cell phone...the saving adds up over the past many years.

 

yes, not everyone can work at home and not have a cell phone but if you cut out spendings that you don't need, you will be shock at what and how much you can spend on comic books..

[Conan_Aficionado]

An interesting article, I really enjoyed reading, about super collectors of contemporary art who "never earned more than $23,000 a year."

 

http://mentalfloss.com/article/48844/how-working-class-couple-amassed-priceless-art-collection

 

I have doubts that this type of thing is replicable, as you would need to be prescient to pick the thing that would appreciate wildly in value.

 

So say you have an immense passion for bottle caps. And you spend the fifty years of your working life collecting them. At the end of those fifty years you are most likely not going to be wealthy.

 

Passion

[Darkowl]

it is easy I have never had a car payment..not one. I bought used reliable cars and owned 5 cars in my lifetime and I am almost 47 years old. I bet the average person my age spent enough money on car payments that they could buy a lot of mega keys.

 

Add to the fact that I work at home for the past 14 years so my gasoline bill is about $50 a buck each month and I have no cell phone...the saving adds up over the past many years.

 

yes, not everyone can work at home and not have a cell phone but if you cut out spendings that you don't need, you will be shock at what and how much you can spend on comic books..

 

Cutting out excessive spending can definitely lead to a bit of extra money, but I'm not really sure how cutting out those costs can turn into 500k spending cash for a comic book.

[Jeffro.]

An interesting article, I really enjoyed reading, about super collectors of contemporary art who "never earned more than $23,000 a year."

 

http://mentalfloss.com/article/48844/how-working-class-couple-amassed-priceless-art-collection

 

I have doubts that this type of thing is replicable, as you would need to be prescient to pick the thing that would appreciate wildly in value.

 

So say you have an immense passion for bottle caps. And you spend the fifty years of your working life collecting them. At the end of those fifty years you are most likely not going to be wealthy.

 

I'm pretty sure there are collectors of original comic art that got in very early and have amassed what are now extremely valuable collections. I'm not sure you need to be uber wealthy to be designated a "super" (whatever that means) collector

[Darkowl]

An interesting article, I really enjoyed reading, about super collectors of contemporary art who "never earned more than $23,000 a year."

 

http://mentalfloss.com/article/48844/how-working-class-couple-amassed-priceless-art-collection

 

I have doubts that this type of thing is replicable, as you would need to be prescient to pick the thing that would appreciate wildly in value.

 

So say you have an immense passion for bottle caps. And you spend the fifty years of your working life collecting them. At the end of those fifty years you are most likely not going to be wealthy.

 

I'm pretty sure there are collectors of original comic art that got in very early and have amassed what are now extremely valuable collections. I'm not sure you need to be uber wealthy to be designated a "super" (whatever that means) collector

 

I'm gonna go with this.

[COI]

Obviously, some just have incomes that support their pursuit of whatever they want. But if you were an enthusiastic and discerning collector of high grade books going back as recently as the '90s, then you could have easily accumulated a high-end collection for pennies on the dollar.

[Ares]

I am by no means a super Collector but I have managed to get some dam good books at a high price.

 

Lots of it comes down to saving, saving and a little of buying the right book at the right time.

 

 

You just have to have the discipline to save and the guts to sell to finance a bigger book.

 

That's how I got my Showcase 22

[Darkowl]

I am by no means a super Collector but I have managed to get some dam good books at a high price.

 

Lots of it comes down to saving, saving and a little of buying the right book at the right time.

 

 

You just have to have the discipline to save and the guts to sell to finance a bigger book.

 

That's how I got my Showcase 22

 

I think you're on the right track. I'm not a super collector either, but I've had my fair share of luck in this game. I was fortunate enough to have purchased the WD 1 when it first hit the shelves. It turned out to be a 9.8, and I sold It just at it's peak, which allowed me to buy some nice grails (SS1, GSXM1, Hulk 181, X-Men 1). I've also had success with flipping books, allowing me to save for other grails. Still, I'm light years away from being a super collector.

[Gem_Mint]

I am by no means a super Collector but I have managed to get some dam good books at a high price.

 

Lots of it comes down to saving, saving and a little of buying the right book at the right time.

 

 

You just have to have the discipline to save and the guts to sell to finance a bigger book.

 

That's how I got my Showcase 22

 

I have dropped on so many BS books on ebay.

 

When I look back, I'm like, damn... could have bought hulk 181.

[Shadow Images]

An interesting article, I really enjoyed reading, about super collectors of contemporary art who "never earned more than $23,000 a year."

 

http://mentalfloss.com/article/48844/how-working-class-couple-amassed-priceless-art-collection

 

I have doubts that this type of thing is replicable, as you would need to be prescient to pick the thing that would appreciate wildly in value.

 

So say you have an immense passion for bottle caps. And you spend the fifty years of your working life collecting them. At the end of those fifty years you are most likely not going to be wealthy.

 

There is a documentary on that couple on Netflix. Its was a little slow but worth the view.

 

I had better luck collecting before the mass internet/ebay days. Everyone on now thinks there stuff is gold, i.e. a 1.0 early TEC they think is worth the same as the 8.0 they saw on Epay

[Ares]

An interesting article, I really enjoyed reading, about super collectors of contemporary art who "never earned more than $23,000 a year."

 

http://mentalfloss.com/article/48844/how-working-class-couple-amassed-priceless-art-collection

 

I have doubts that this type of thing is replicable, as you would need to be prescient to pick the thing that would appreciate wildly in value.

 

So say you have an immense passion for bottle caps. And you spend the fifty years of your working life collecting them. At the end of those fifty years you are most likely not going to be wealthy.

 

There is a documentary on that couple on Netflix. Its was a little slow but worth the view.

 

I had better luck collecting before the mass internet/ebay days. Everyone on now thinks there stuff is gold, i.e. a 1.0 early TEC they think is worth the same as the 8.0 they saw on Epay

Whats the name of the DOC

[Sqeggs]

 

I'm not 100% sure but it seems to me that I've read somewhere of a collector that has either the entire or nearly the entire DC run. Imagine, EVERY comic DC had ever produced....How do you do that??

 

The great Ian Levine!

 

Used to post on the boards. I think he stopped buying new DCs a few years ago, though. So I guess even he doesn't have the entire DC run.