If you were going to take the next 4 years off from SS....

[Mayor006]

If you were going to take the next 4 years off from collecting SS books, getting comics graded, or even buying comics, what would you focus on getting before you took a break?

 

This last year has been unparalleled with the number of movie announcements that will happen over the next 4 - 5 years for speculators so a lot of books previously hibernating are now hot as fire.

 

During that same time period we have also lost several of what we considered legends that won't be signing anymore SS books. True, it happens every year.

 

How much longer until we see another collapse of the comic industry because of "over-saturation", this time due to the movie universe?

 

So my basic question for you is this: with all of what is going on right now, what is your focus and if you suddenly HAD to stop collecting what would you make sure you picked up before that time comes.

[seanfingh]

 

Bite your tongue.

[Mayor006]

::

 

I'm serious! Who are the so called power players that won't be available if I didn't get them now?

 

One that comes to mind that if I didn't already have two SS of I would be securing - Stan Lee. I don't think Stan will be around (at least not like he is now) 4 years from now.

 

Another is probably Frank Miller. After his latest appearance at SDCC everyone has been talking about how bad he looked "healthwise".

 

I already feel like some of the movie books that are out there are out of reach, even though I would like to secure one or two more before they go nuclear. What puts them in crazyland in 4 years? New Mutants 98 CGC 9.8 - prime example.

 

For me personally I have no "great white whale" out there right now, when it comes to comic legends. Celebrity I really want a Lynda Carter SS. Somebody get on that please :thumbsup:.

 

 

 

 

[philsbackpack]

Thats a great question. I've thought about that very same thing, as I'm sure many here have as well. Especaily since the economy hasn't completley bounced back. And Fortune magazine just released another article stating the case for another global level recession (European economic challenges affecting U.S. at some point). Something has to give, I'd imagine.

 

I'm trying to focus my attention largely on silver/bronze keys (that I can afford).

Theory being;

1. I really them

2. I'm ascertaining that something has to give in the market place

3. If anything will survive another minor or major market shift it would be silver and bronze keys, with exceptions of course.

 

Case in point just picked up a ASM39 here on the boards to get it signed by Romita and Lee, not really a key, but a key to me.

Its interesting that I've had some of the same/similar feelings you've had on this issue.

 

[Mayor006]

At lunch I went and picked up what I think is a 4.0 1st Black Bolt because I think in four years I won't be able to afford even a 4.0.

 

I've got a few more books on my radar and then I am going to sit back and just sub stuff that I already have. I went through my raw books a while back and discovered I have at least two long boxes of stuff I would like to slab. Yes, there's plenty of stuff in there that needs an SS on it so probably the biggest reason a lot of them haven't already been sent.

 

Good luck on the Romita Lee SS. One of my favorite books is a Romita/Lee/Steranko SS

[Triston Pence]

I'd become Howard Hughes.

[seanfingh]

::

 

I'm serious! Who are the so called power players that won't be available if I didn't get them now?

 

I don't know the answer to this. I can only tell you that we lose guys (and gals) at an ever-increasing pace. And there are lots of people for whom, I do not feel I have a good enough representation of their work to feel satisfied with. Ernie Chan, Tony DeZuniga, Murphy Anderson, BWS, Byrne, Frank Miller. I will not be able to get any more of these guys, except through secondary market opportunities.

 

There are folks that are still with us: Ramona Fradon, Jim Craig, Dan Adkins, Kerry Gammill etc. that either have no representation in my collection or very little. I feel a strong compulsion to obtain sigs from any and all creators that have produced "significant" work in the comics field for the last 50 years, with a strong focus on 70s and 80s books.

 

So if I were getting out for a couple years, I would do a WTB thread for all of the obscure stuff that I don't have. And I do that anyway and it never works out for me, so i would be SOL for a couple years.

[troydivision1]

So...this year has been bittersweet.

I acquired a grail which has me contemplating what else there is to go after.

Soon I will have another SS book in my possession that had eluded me for two years.

 

This thread helped me realize the next book and pushed me to create a WTB thread.

[MedicAR]

Jack Katz and Robert Crumb are pretty high on my list. I want a First Kingdom by Katz but will take anything. I would really like to track down my old Funny Aminals signed by Crumb, but again, will take anything. I would like some different Millers but since I have a couple right now, it's not a priority.

[Mayor006]

::

 

I'm serious! Who are the so called power players that won't be available if I didn't get them now?

 

I don't know the answer to this. I can only tell you that we lose guys (and gals) at an ever-increasing pace. And there are lots of people for whom, I do not feel I have a good enough representation of their work to feel satisfied with. Ernie Chan, Tony DeZuniga, Murphy Anderson, BWS, Byrne, Frank Miller. I will not be able to get any more of these guys, except through secondary market opportunities.

 

There are folks that are still with us: Ramona Fradon, Jim Craig, Dan Adkins, Kerry Gammill etc. that either have no representation in my collection or very little. I feel a strong compulsion to obtain sigs from any and all creators that have produced "significant" work in the comics field for the last 50 years, with a strong focus on 70s and 80s books.

 

So if I were getting out for a couple years, I would do a WTB thread for all of the obscure stuff that I don't have. And I do that anyway and it never works out for me, so i would be SOL for a couple years.

 

THIS is what I'm looking for. Fradon is one I would like to add that I sometimes forget. Chan and Anderson as well. Both of whom I had books ready to go and simply missed my opportunity. I have a raw Byrne that I could see possibly getting "verified" by he who must not be named, and although I recognize BWS contribution and like his work, I don't see me shelling out that kind of dough. For you to have them represented at all in your collection is exceptional. I tend to only keep one book per person with a few legends such as Romita and Lee, but even them I only have two.

[Mayor006]

Jack Katz and Robert Crumb are pretty high on my list. I want a First Kingdom by Katz but will take anything. I would really like to track down my old Funny Aminals signed by Crumb, but again, will take anything. I would like some different Millers but since I have a couple right now, it's not a priority.

 

Katz and Crumb both would be major "gets" but I don't even think of them as attainable for some reason so I don't think much about them. Welz was probably the closest to an underground artist I ever got, and I had to get someone to get that for me.

[Mayor006]

So I took this train of thought 1 step further and applied it to raw books. I just dropped a nice bit of money but I picked up

 

2 copies of DC Presents 26 in NM or better

1 Teen Titans #1

1 Tales of Suspense 75 probably F/VF-

1 Swamp Thing 49 (somebody already grabbed the 50)

1 Wonder Woman 197 in NM (nothing speculative about this one, it was just pretty)

 

I really need to start eating lunch at my desk

[JollyComics]

Thats a great question. I've thought about that very same thing, as I'm sure many here have as well. Especaily since the economy hasn't completley bounced back. And Fortune magazine just released another article stating the case for another global level recession (European economic challenges affecting U.S. at some point). Something has to give, I'd imagine.

 

I'm trying to focus my attention largely on silver/bronze keys (that I can afford).

Theory being;

1. I really them

2. I'm ascertaining that something has to give in the market place

3. If anything will survive another minor or major market shift it would be silver and bronze keys, with exceptions of course.

 

Case in point just picked up a ASM39 here on the boards to get it signed by Romita and Lee, not really a key, but a key to me.

Its interesting that I've had some of the same/similar feelings you've had on this issue.

 

You are right about ASM #39 that is not a key but it is a BIG GREAT STUNNED story like non-key issue of ASM #121 caused a great controversy among the Spidey fans. I remembered this book when I was 11 years old and I finally learned about the death before my grandfather was passed away. Now Norman Olsen revealed his secret identity to Peter Parker. Great story. I will own the book soon anyways.

[Doc McCoy]

I really need to start eating lunch at my desk

 

It doesn't help. I've tried and I just spend my lunch hour online looking for comics!

[Mayor006]

I really need to start eating lunch at my desk

 

It doesn't help. I've tried and I just spend my lunch hour online looking for comics!

 

[esamuel]

My big focus is Stan Lee since I don't see him here in 4 years...I got my Action Comics CGC 5.0 signed by Al Plastino and he passed away a month later. I passed up on getting books signed and graded by Joe Kubert and Carmine Infantino and they both passed away as well...

 

I can get a Jim Lee signature 15 years from now...

[devilsrain]

You're like the harbinger of death

[seanfingh]

No doubt. When I self-publish my first book, esamuel is banned from SS.

[devilsrain]

[comix4fun]

My big focus is Stan Lee since I don't see him here in 4 years...I got my Action Comics CGC 5.0 signed by Al Plastino and he passed away a month later. I passed up on getting books signed and graded by Joe Kubert and Carmine Infantino and they both passed away as well...