Mid Year Assesment

[David Swan]

Starting this year I have decided to devote my entire monthly comic budget to Captain Marvel Adventures at the expense of my other sets. Since January I've added four new issues and continue to slowly work my way towards the top position held by Starman221, the 2009 Golden Age Set of the Year winner. I am trying to set a pace to take over on registry points in another 8.5 years although I'm actually moving up faster than that. This year I finally passed the half way mark in registry points in my quest to take the top spot.

 

Two years ago at this point I had purchased 11 CGC comics and bought 27 total throughout the year. Last year I had purchased 7 CGC comics by this date and ended the year at 13. This year I have bought just 4 and will likely buy just 1 or 2 for the remainder of the year. The reduction in volume is offset by an increase in quality and I've added some comics that previously I might have blanched at because of price. Having a budget has really helped me keep my expenses in line but I confess that it's a challenge to go 3 and 4 months between purchases. My ultimate goal remains to have the top golden age set. It may take a decade or so but so be it. The fun is in the journey.

 

I now have 28% of the set with every single comic having an image and description. My collection has 24 highest grades with 12 being alone at the top. Compare that to the top collection which has only 9 highest grade issues and just 1 that sits alone at the top spot. Almost all the rest of my collection are second highest grade. My lowest grade is a 7.5 and I have seven 9.4's and my first 9.6 this year. The top collection has 23 issues graded BELOW 7.5, only three 9.4's and nothing above 9.4. Starman221 has an impressive 37 pedigree issues which beats my 25 although my percentage of pedigrees is much higher. Despite being well behind the top Captain Marvel Adventure set in volume and registry points I have a much higher average grade, a higher registry point average per issue and far more top grades.

 

There are a few more areas my set lags behind. Starman221 has issues 1 through 26 while I have nothing earlier than issue 30. Starman221 is tied for the highest grade of issue 1 which although only a 5.0 is still the best CGC grade in existence. He also has a 7.5 grade of the hard to get issue 150. These are the alpha and omega of the sert and I confess that I wish I owned them. However if I were collector with unlimited funds and I wanted to create the greatest Captain Marvel Adventure set ever I'd be looking at my set not the top registry point set because I doubt there is another CMA set in the world with this many highest grade issues.

 

See more journals by David Swan

[SW3D]

Collectors like you, Bag O'Fleas, Tnerb and dozen others, have inspired me to complete a set and become more competitive.

 

Collecting is so addicting, but your disciplined, sound, patient and methodical approach is a blueprint for a design I must follow.

 

Thank you for sharing your passion for CMA... Although it may take a decade to do it, I hope you claim the top spot! And I will continue to read your chronicles as you share them.

 

SW3D

 

 

[David Swan]

Becoming more disciplined has been challenging but rewarding. I would rather have one great set than a bunch of good sets. Believe me there are a lot of other sets I would love to be collecting but I think I can do much better with one awesome presentation.

 

I have actually scheduled my purchasing for the next 2.5 years figuring out the cost and registry point gains. Believe if or not I only have about 7 comics scheduled for purchasing in that time but they are some good ones. Of course things can and will change as comics get but and other ones become available.

 

To get all 150 issues would likely take the rest of my life particularly since some high ticket items could take years to save for given my budget. If I do find myself with nothing available I may branch out or possibly just buy nothing.

[Triskelion]

David I know the feeling. When I first started out years ago I also fell prey to the CGC collecting bug and early temptations around creating multiple sets and striving to complete and hit #1 for all. Took me a while to figure out that this was practically impossible (given finances) as well as ill-advised. So I ended up concentrating time, effort and resources on completing a core Turok set, and for me it has proven to be an exhilaratingly satisfying journey!

 

Focus and discipline as you and SW3D have rightfully pointed out are indeed the names of the game, and I can see that you have a great plan in place which will only heighten the sense of fulfillment you will certainly get a few years from now when you've accomplished your core set goals, as well as the sense of enjoyment during the years in between as you seek out the elusive issues.

 

Best of luck on your journey, and let us know 8.5 years from now how it turns out!

[David Swan]

"So I ended up concentrating time, effort and resources on completing a core Turok set, and for me it has proven to be an exhilaratingly satisfying journey! "

 

Here is the biggest challenge for me. In order to avoid missing opportunities I need to keep scanning for new stuff. That means Ebay, Comic Connect, Heritage, Worldwide and Comic Link. Great deals go fast so I need to be on the ball. But this means Captain Marvel Adventure is constantly on my mind even as I don't purchase anything.

 

My next big purchase is slated to be a big one which means I'll need most of the year to save up even as I'm constantly looking to see if something else better comes up.I'm like a kid in a candy shop that's not allowed to buy.I look forward to the day I've run out of available opportunities and just wait for new ones. That will be a long way away but at least I'm grabbing up some of the better opportunities over time.