Parting with your collection

[eastriver]

 

You did the right thing. It's an expensive hobby but I've justified many purchases by telling myself I would sell immediately if I needed the money. No book is truly irreplaceable. Everything eventually comes up. You just have to have patience. There are more copies out there than we think. Best of luck to you, and again you did the right hing.

[ciorac]

And then get an even better job keep doing that till you're CEO

 

[oldbsturgeon]

The only thing I own I would not want to sell would be my yamaha maple drum set. Everything else including comics I will likely sell at some point. I don't need to keep things as long as I can say I had it. That is good enough for me.

It's only things but your memories can go well beyond the things. That is the truly special part

[Dr. Love]

So I was looking for some words of wisdom from boardies who have had to sell the majority of their collections. I was recently in such a position and I'm kind of depressed. Yes it was necessary, yes it was the right thing to do based upon our circumstances, but none of that makes it any easier.

 

I'm almost certain some of you have been in similar situation's. Any words of advice or encouragement?

The comics are nothing. Discipline, the mastery of self-control, is critical to your development, young Jedi. The Force is stronger with you now.

 

Sacrifice for your family is the greatest good a man can know.

 

 

[Michelangelo]

sorry to hear you're selling your collection. I agree with many of the above posts; try to keep a few really special books. Start with the bottom-feeders in your collection and move up. I've had to sell off quite a few books this year and that's exactly what I did. I started picking books off from the bottom; books I knew I wouldn't miss (as much).

 

Whatever we have now isn't coming to the grave with us; plus, you can always build your collection up at a later date when things improve.

[Bill1]

I am 54, and much of my collection is books I bought when I was a kid. If I had to sell, I would sell it all and never buy another book. I could never recreate what I have now, and would not want to try and then spend the next 25 years talking about what I used to have and that I wished I had not sold them. All or nothing!

 

[toro]

I would just say maybe hold onto one or two key books, whether they were hard to acquire or have sort of sentimental value. All of the others can be replaced when circumstances change.

[FineCollector]

I am 54, and much of my collection is books I bought when I was a kid. If I had to sell, I would sell it all and never buy another book. I could never recreate what I have now, and would not want to try and then spend the next 25 years talking about what I used to have and that I wished I had not sold them. All or nothing!

 

I'm with you. If someone's a key collector, it's easy to quantify which one is better than another, and holding a couple of the "best" ones is easy. When you're a run collector, every issue has value as part of the run. I could trim titles from my collection here and there, but if I had to sell most of my collection, all of it would go.

[zuulioso]

Try to take a positive spin on it that the funds that you received for the books were used for something you wanted or needed more in life.

 

As others have stated, they are things and can be re-obtained. For me at least, most of the fun of collecting is the hunt.

[MintyMint]

I've built and sold my Daredevil (1964) and Amazing Spider-Man collections 3 times each through 30 years of collecting. I've sold due to job loss, trying to take advantage of seemingly high market prices, and due to my changing collecting interests. The only things I regret selling are a handful of Timely comics that I may never get back due to demand and scarcity (USA Comics #7 and #8). Concentrate on what you can currently afford, even reprints, and don't sweat what you've had to sell. The comic hobby has enough material where you can find something you like at any price point!

 

 

I've bought and sold either big chunks of my collection or complete runs many times over the past 15+ years and yet somehow keep coming back. Someone else mentioned setting a future goal for an eventual return and I think that's good advice. You don't have to spend a lot to get a quality run that will give you a lot of joy. Very recently I sold my early Spideys and Avengers so I feel your pain but that won't stop me from filling in other runs. Good luck and enjoy!

[slym2none]

Most of my stuff is , so I'm more going to be giving it away than selling it - and by that, I mean I will be taking pennies on the dollar, most likely.

 

Oh well. I just want them gone at this point. Not just comics, either - I don't want much of anything anymore. I don't want to own stuff. I am getting rid of all my books, spare clothes, "toys" & "knickknacks", etc... bad part is, I've listed a lot of stuff here, on eBay, and craigslist, and no one wants my stuff, either. Looks like my Noble Collection replica of Sting from the LOTR movies will be thrown out at some point. I'd rather throw it away than take $20 for a $300 (retail) sword (wall-hanger).

 

 

 

-slym

[Vexsus]

Most of my stuff is , so I'm more going to be giving it away than selling it - and by that, I mean I will be taking pennies on the dollar, most likely.

 

Oh well. I just want them gone at this point. Not just comics, either - I don't want much of anything anymore. I don't want to own stuff. I am getting rid of all my books, spare clothes, "toys" & "knickknacks", etc... bad part is, I've listed a lot of stuff here, on eBay, and craigslist, and no one wants my stuff, either. Looks like my Noble Collection replica of Sting from the LOTR movies will be thrown out at some point. I'd rather throw it away than take $20 for a $300 (retail) sword (wall-hanger).

 

 

 

-slym

 

 

You'd rather throw something out then let someone else genuinely appreciate an item they might not otherwise be able to afford? That is surprisingly selfish for someone trying to lead a simple minimalist life. I adore LotR, probably even more than comic, I would love to that have that Sting, but I also know I cant afford to spend 300 on it right now.

[slym2none]

I have been trying to sell it for $150. That's half of what you can still buy them for. Not even a sniff.

 

And it looks like I might (!) be dumping a lot of stuff. I will try and sell what I have and at the end of that time period, whatever is left goes into the trash. I am not picking & choosing. If it's still here at that point, I am not bothering with it any longer.

 

:shrug:

 

 

 

-slym

[Vikingreed]

I always regret selling. And it is almost always undercopies and dupes. I'm an OCD pack rat .

[MatterEaterLad]

It's just stuff. Sentimental, yes, but ultimately just stuff.

 

I sold my X-Men collection years ago to pay for a vacation with my kids when they were younger. I missed the books, but it was worth it. Recollected the books about 10 years later and enjoyed doing it all over again.

[Aweandlorder]

So I was looking for some words of wisdom from boardies

 

I stopped reading right after that

[Aweandlorder]

And then get an even better job keep doing that till you're CEO