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It's time to purge.

Started by PBK78,

47 posts in this topic

PBK78

PBK78

Posted
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With two kids closet space is at a premium it's time to purge. My collection is close to 7K books. I've done well storing close to 25 long boxes and not sure how many short boxes and 70+ graded books but it's time to purge.

 

Here is my problem.

(1) Separation Anxiety, I really don't want to sell or stop collecting. So I need to at least be a little bit more selective as to what I'm buying.

(2) If I were to start selling could I do so in bulks or runs? Like X-Factor 1 - 100 or 20 - 30 or whatever. Does that system work?

(3) How do I even begin to price that? I'm saving my valuables, graded and books that I enjoy. So Amazing and Uncanny and Batman are untouchable. But should I just bag and board a 10 book run and offer it for like $1 or so per book?

 

I realized today, will I ever really read some of these books again? Or would I prefer to sell 6K books and create space for all sorts of Silver Age or Graded Grails?

 

Thoughts, guidance any ideas are really welcome.

 

Pete

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botolo

botolo

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Don't sell them. I have been selling my comics on and off and I always regretted it! Maybe start limiting the number of incoming comics and find a safe place to store part of your collection, some sort of time capsule where you can store the comics you don't think you'll read soon. Or you could use this service:

 

https://www.makespace.com

 

Edit: Their Air Service is even better. https://www.makespace.com/air/ For $6.25 a month, they store in a secured facility a box of any size and shipping of the box to them is free.

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Bill1

Bill1

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Don't sell them, you will regret it. Make Comic Book beds- a Queen size bed will hold about 28 long boxes under it- no frame, two layers of boxes, matress on top, and a higher than normal bed. Or just do one layer of boxes, 14, and put a dust ruffle over them- no one will know the difference!

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PBK78

PBK78

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Don't sell them, you will regret it. Make Comic Book beds- a Queen size bed will hold about 28 long boxes under it- no frame, two layers of boxes, matress on top, and a higher than normal bed. Or just do one layer of boxes, 14, and put a dust ruffle over them- no one will know the difference!

 

Will do, have a number to a decent divorce attorney? lol post of the day.

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botolo

botolo

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Don't sell them, you will regret it. Make Comic Book beds- a Queen size bed will hold about 28 long boxes under it- no frame, two layers of boxes, matress on top, and a higher than normal bed. Or just do one layer of boxes, 14, and put a dust ruffle over them- no one will know the difference!

 

Is this for real? Aren't you going to destroy all the comics with your weight?

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Bill1

Bill1

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Don't sell them, you will regret it. Make Comic Book beds- a Queen size bed will hold about 28 long boxes under it- no frame, two layers of boxes, matress on top, and a higher than normal bed. Or just do one layer of boxes, 14, and put a dust ruffle over them- no one will know the difference!

 

Is this for real? Aren't you going to destroy all the comics with your weight?

 

Very real- the weight is spread out very nicely, especially with the mattress on top. I stored about 70 boxes this way for years.

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AGGIEZ

AGGIEZ

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PBK78, ignore the 2 newbs...

 

I'm in the same boat, although my collection isn't quite as vast as yours. I have 3 long boxes, about 10 short boxes and about 100 slabs. I also have 20 long boxes of my brother-in-laws collection that I need to sell.

 

I am keeping my finger on the pulse of the movie speculation and selling lots that get hot when movies or characters are announced. I've been able to sell lots/runs like X-Force and X-Factor for a premium by being patient and waiting for the speculators to start salivating over some of this 90's drek. I've also listed quite a few books on E-bay for decent Buy-It-Now prices (some agressive) and have had success widdling down the slabbed books this way. I plan on offering up lots and runs of my and my brother-in-laws collection to the board for 'I want to move these' prices soon...just need to take inventory, pictures and price.

 

It's a time consuming process but I'm focused now and have 2 keeper boxes of slabs that I'd like to ultimately get down to...and maybe 1 short box of keys.

 

Good luck to you!!

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vaillant

vaillant

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It all depends on why you bought them in the first place: if you care about having the characters runs (as you seem to, as you bought them), to browse and occasionally read them, for whatever reason, keep the characters you care about and sell the others (keys included).

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PBK78

PBK78

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Went through my online database for example and realized just on DC I could downsize by 1,500 books. The vast majority of my collection is Marvel. That's a lot of space right there and if I got $1,000 - $3,000 for it I'd be ok.

 

I'm also now putting 4 books to bag / board. Which save some space. Obviously these are the books I read and will never amount to any sort of money.

 

Going to keep digging for the best way to do this. Thanks for the tips, hopefully I keep my OCD in control when I'm packing and shipping or I will be losing money at the post office lol.

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vaillant

vaillant

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I myself wonder how many books could be fit within a bag, boarded, to have them protected and handy to read. For example, in my New Mutants collection I would like to put the few nicer or more costly issues (like #98) in single Mylite bags, but some sequences which are not the best of the run… I would like to bag them in small batches.

Currently they are (mostly) just bagged, as I put them in bags when they came out and they had been there since the early 1990s.

 

How many books, then? Three, four, ten? hm Same goes for other titles…

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PBK78

PBK78

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I myself wonder how many books could be fit within a bag, boarded, to have them protected and handy to read. For example, in my New Mutants collection I would like to put the few nicer or more costly issues (like #98) in single Mylite bags, but some sequences which are not the best of the run… I would like to bag them in small batches.

Currently they are (mostly) just bagged, as I put them in bags when they came out and they had been there since the early 1990s.

 

How many books, then? Three, four, ten? hm Same goes for other titles…

 

All depends on the bag you use. If I buy Current Peel & Stick from Midtown I could fit 5 comfortable but stick to four. So if you're currently using one bag one board just look at the thickness of a pack of 100 of each and you'll be able to judge space saved.

 

The 80's and 90's that we all have loads of easily can go 4 per bag board. I go single for the Amazing, Uncanny, Batman and anything of value ($10 or more). Anything of real value like Amazing 121 is CGC'd.

 

 

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jsilverjanet

jsilverjanet

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Don't sell them, you will regret it. Make Comic Book beds- a Queen size bed will hold about 28 long boxes under it- no frame, two layers of boxes, matress on top, and a higher than normal bed. Or just do one layer of boxes, 14, and put a dust ruffle over them- no one will know the difference!

 

Will do, have a number to a decent divorce attorney? lol post of the day.

 

Do you have the dimensions for twin beds or a california king?

 

 

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