buying question

[HRCostigan]

I am curious to hear how ya'll figure out which books to chase. Do you decide in advance and maybe wait years for a copy to appear? Do you scan the auction sites and just see what strikes your fancy and budget? Do you just look for deals or random things you've never seen before?

 

I sometimes try to plan for what's next, but my focus is so narrow that it's been a bit of a struggle to identify something I know I will want to collect. It's not a race, yet I sometimes feel my want list is too short and I don't look forward to long stretches of nothing arriving in the mailbox.

 

Thoughts?

[MrBedrock]

Think of it like a draft. Some teams pick for need. Some pick the best available talent.

 

[Primetime]

Think of it like a draft. Some teams pick for need. Some pick the best available talent.

and you can always trade up/down and hoard picks

[Cat-Man_America]

I am curious to hear how ya'll figure out which books to chase. Do you decide in advance and maybe wait years for a copy to appear? Do you scan the auction sites and just see what strikes your fancy and budget? Do you just look for deals or random things you've never seen before?

 

I sometimes try to plan for what's next, but my focus is so narrow that it's been a bit of a struggle to identify something I know I will want to collect. It's not a race, yet I sometimes feel my want list is too short and I don't look forward to long stretches of nothing arriving in the mailbox.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

[font:Times New Roman]The Cat-Man secret agenda...[/font]

 

 

Seriously, I don't have a game plan. If I like a book and want it enough I'll go after it. While chasing runs is a major goal for some folks, I rarely get absorbed in that aspect of the hobby because there are just too many nice books I want. From my perspective, it's better to have multiple targets than to lock-in on a particular book or run of books only to get frustrated time and again. Although the one thing that's been in my comic collecting DNA since childhood is a finely tuned focus on high grade.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[comicjack]

Some by pure impulse and some for rarity,but at this point anything with a eye catching cover or a great story.I'm not defined in my addiction as i once was just me i guess.Some books are rarely seen anymore and years can go by so enjoy what we

have because some may never show up.My rant for the day

[gino2paulus2]

Some by pure impulse and some for rarity,but at this point anything with a eye catching cover or a great story.I'm not defined in my addiction as i once was just me i guess.Some books are rarely seen anymore and years can go by so enjoy what we

have because some may never show up.My rant for the day

 

That is a great question Damian. I have only been focusing on GA for a few years now and I have created quite the want list...even though it seems pretty short. I decided this year I would try something fun and create a 2015 GA rarities list and knock off as many as I could picking up some odds and ends while I waited for books to pop up and I have done rather well IMO. In the meantime I have scoured the auction sites and just tried to learn more about this special part of the hobby. My focus has been just like J's in that I like the classic covers or stories of a given run as far as what I actually want to sink my money into. I have been trying to focus on more obscure publishers such as Ace, Harvey, MLJ, and Fox. I still LOVE the big 2 and will pick up books from those publishers as I go as well but they do seem to come up more often so with those you can more or less wait for the, "right" copy. For example, I NEED a Human Torch #5 in my collection and have wanted one for quite some time. There have been multiple copies for sale here and there I just haven't found the right one yet but when I do I will go after it like there is no tomorrow. Other books I have purchased this year I KNOW I don't have a good shot at ever recovering my initial investment but I just wanted them so badly it didn't matter to me. I am so grateful to just own A copy and love it for what it is and I have no regrets on these as I know opportunities are few and far between. There is always another book. My favorite years for all publishers seem to fall between 1940-1944 with a lot of issues landing around the 1941-42' range. Tons of great stuff to explore. Don't worry brother my list seems short to me too and I have though to myself if I knock em all off then what? The answer is enjoy em' something will come along that catches your fancy and whether your collection or want list is 3 or 10K comics as long as they bring a smile to your face that is all that really matters.

 

The only stipulation is that if you do pick up something cool, rare, or whatever, you MUST share pics with us!! (thumbs u

[lpsunburst]

As you and I have somewhat similar collecting tastes I can relate to the anguish of long dry spells. I try to keep my focus on the missing book for the 5 titles I am actively pursuing but I do tend to look at everything in an auction to see what looks like it might be a great one to have (don't skip right to the W section ).

 

 

[HRCostigan]

Thanks for the insight guys. There is just so much out there. I've already done some Fox GGA and some Fox pre-war. Maybe I'll go a completely different direction into Fox romance, or Fox crime. Then there's always Fox funny animal (which I'll likely pass on), Fox western, Fox teen humor, Fox whatever-genre-the-bouncer-is...

[Robot Man]

I buy a lot of books on impulse. Great covers or stories. There are a few characters I enjoy and like to read. I'm a sucker for horror books too. I have a lot of books so there isn't a whole lot I still have to have. I like what Gino collects but seldom see any for sale and when I do they go way over what I want to pay for them. I occasionaly "man-up" for a good book when I get the chance. I am very happy finding rare or obscure stuff that is still very affordable and fun.

 

Since I have most of what I want, I'll offer a "Mitch" like tip. Pre-Code Crime. Lots of cool stuff out there still at bargain prices compared to the horror stuff. I have always felt that these are due for a bump... I have horded some of the better issues with this in mind.

[FineCollector]

What's on your list so far?

 

Unless you're rich, or flip your books every few weeks, there are too many pretty books to go in without a plan. Buy what you like, but be honest about why you like what you like. Don't buy based on what other people want, or you'll spend a pile of money on something you don't care about.

 

The only GA book I actively collect is Captain Marvel Adventures. Cheap and plentiful, so I can make a good effort at completing most of the run. Coming home from a con emptyhanded sucks.

[adamstrange]

Thanks for the insight guys. There is just so much out there. I've already done some Fox GGA and some Fox pre-war. Maybe I'll go a completely different direction into Fox romance, or Fox crime. Then there's always Fox funny animal (which I'll likely pass on), Fox western, Fox teen humor, Fox whatever-genre-the-bouncer-is...

Sounds like someone told you to go Fox yourself. And you took it literally.

[Cat-Man_America]

Thanks for the insight guys. There is just so much out there. I've already done some Fox GGA and some Fox pre-war. Maybe I'll go a completely different direction into Fox romance, or Fox crime. Then there's always Fox funny animal (which I'll likely pass on), Fox western, Fox teen humor, Fox whatever-genre-the-bouncer-is...

Sounds like someone told you to go Fox yourself. And you took it literally.

 

I feel a pun coming on about Foxing issues.

[ft88]

I look for 1st appearance cartoon books in high grade and have for the past 10 years or so. Extend that to Early Bug Bunny appearances as well. I'm averaging about 1 book a year. I've got a want list but will adjust as the books become available. That's what helped me land the Peanuts 1 last year and a Scooby Doo 1 a few years back. They were actually board sales. The Fox GGA and books like that are likely more of a dealer want list nd the auction houses. Lost of patience unless you have unlimited funds.

[PKJ]

I keep a want list and an eye on cool covers hoping to land even if not on my immediate list. With as seldom as some come up I have had to lower my condition to acquire some and hope I am not the only one with a must have title in an auction as my win % against those guys is not very high.

[Robot Man]

Thanks for the insight guys. There is just so much out there. I've already done some Fox GGA and some Fox pre-war. Maybe I'll go a completely different direction into Fox romance, or Fox crime. Then there's always Fox funny animal (which I'll likely pass on), Fox western, Fox teen humor, Fox whatever-genre-the-bouncer-is...

 

I like Foxs too but mostly only the later ones. JoJo, Phantom Lady, Blue Beetle ect. My favorite is Sunny and Junior. I am mostly complete except for 2 Phantom Ladys and one Blue Beetle I think. I don't have too many early ones. There are a few I really like and would pick up if I could but have no need to have them all like the later ones.

[comicjack]

I also think precode crime is worth looking into cool covers with twisted stories.The early Chesler books are part crime and bloody stories mixed with superheros and bizarre covers.The Fox books with the hot cheating girls are pretty darn tough to come by.in good shape.Many go for bargain prices because they haven't caught on but many have great art and good stories.And then romance books have caught my

eye of late Baker art for one along with many others..I never collected mainstream and

bought with the art and eye in mind.Always had a thing for skull covers because that image has been around from the beginning of time and used so often

[fifties]

I picked up most of my collection about 12-15 years ago, and then pretty well stopped for some years, before jumping back in a few years back. I pretty much focused on PCH, along with some crime and SciFi, and a few of the parody Mad types, as well.

 

Starting last year, my focus has been on pre code crime books; cheap compared to PCH, but the main reason is that I've simply found them entertaining to read.

 

I scan eBay horror and crime sections every night, and also bid at the MyComicShop auctions, looking for whatever I don't have that might be of interest. Since I discovered the Comic Book + website, I can go there and read the stories in most of the books I am contemplating a bid on (unfortunately though they can't display the copyrighted contents of DC's or Atlas's).

 

Since I buy to read, I really don't have a lot of use for the Comic Connect or Heritage Auction sites, given my penchant for being a tightwad, eh eh.

 

But to distill my long-winded answer, I have but few books on my want list, and simply go after what I don't have that picque's my attention in my genre's of interest.

[Randall Ries]

I can't afford too many GA books because of the prices. I bought a Batman #9 8.0 CGC ow/w pages in 2000. Love that book. It never or rarely comes up for sale in higher grades and yet it isn't really worth more than what I paid for it. ($3200) Even after 15 years. I had a raw copy in 1983 that my ex-wife considerately tore through the spine in the heat of an argument and I always wanted to replace it. The reason I bought it was because A.) it was a single digit issue, B.) it sports a black cover and C.) I think it was one of the last covers to represent the classic badass Batman until the bronze age. The cover has been reproduced and used in advertising and other covers as a fine example of the golden age Batman and yet remains static in value. It should have been designated a classic cover by now but has not.

 

I only have that book, a Superman 23 and an All Star No7 for GA books.

 

That's a great point about the Capt. Marvel books, the Whiz run and Master Comics as well. They seem to be plentiful, mostly in good shape and relatively inexpensive. I'm sure that will change at some point.