How do you collect?

[OldGuy]

I am currently working on full runs of Alf, Care Bears, and any other gay title

 

Not that there's anything wrong with that.....

[aardvark88]

Agreed. Those mature sci-fi & shocking/gross horror EC comics were extreme taken in the context of the wholesome 1950s. Beats reading a campy Superman or Bat/Detect.

[DvdSkelton-migration]

Doiby;

 

AWESOME... it gladens my heart to see someone so near the end of their epic quest! ... Dangit... I'm collecting the same ECs and I'm very jealous that you're much further along than I am. The problem with ECs is that no one wants to sell them! I guess I don't blame them... I've offered a good home to them, but people are crazy about them and will not part with any books. I can't make them an offer they won't refuse, because my checkbook is very limited, but you've given me hope that patience will prevail !

 

Let me know if you have any doubles to sell! I agree with you that the originals are much more special to own. There is something about reading a 50 year old comic book. It's like holding a piece of history in your hands.

 

David Skelton

[seank]

I'm collecting the same ECs and I'm very jealous that you're much further along than I am. The problem with ECs is that no one wants to sell them!

 

If you want mid-grade ECs, there's a zillion on eBay every day. It seems that the high grade stuff is much harder to find, unless you want the Gaines file copies, which seem to pop up regularly on Heritage and elsewhere.

 

True VF to NM... those are difficult. FN copies seem to be a bargain though....

[PovertyRow]

American Comics Group

 

I've been keeping an eye out for these. I only have one in my "type set" - Adventures Into The Unknown (34 I THINK - the one with the woman on the spiderweb and a not too scary spider menacing her). Out Of The Night has some very cool covers, but Clutching Hand and Skeleton Hand are proving more difficult to find in Fine or even VG.

 

I am also considering having a sub-type for ACG - those "3-D covers". I really like the effect.

[Larryw7]

I've been keeping an eye out for these. I only have one in my "type set" - Adventures Into The Unknown (34 I THINK - the one with the woman on the spiderweb and a not too scary spider menacing her). Out Of The Night has some very cool covers, but Clutching Hand and Skeleton Hand are proving more difficult to find in Fine or even VG.

 

 

 

I've never seen a copy of SKELETON HAND offered for sale; I did just snag a VG CLUTCHING HAND from eBay for about fifty bucks. Also, got a G+ OUT OF THE NIGHT#1 from Metropolis; it has a gorgeous story by Al Williamson that is as beautifully drawn as anything he ever did for E.C.(the writing? Er, we won't go there .

[Larryw7]

The problem with ECs is that no one wants to sell them!

 

 

Very true. As I mentioned in another thread, even during the times that I lost interest in comics, I always held on to the E.C.'s I have. I think they just transcend regular comics-the stories are usually great(and even their lesser stuff is addictively readable), and the art is genius.

[nearmint]

I collect short runs of longer titles. Runs that have great covers, like Superman 10-20 and Action 53-63. I'm starting to think about Flash 10-20.

[Zonker]

For Golden comics, I started out like you indicated...

 

One copy of each of the DC/Fawcett/Quality books, so 1 Detective Comics, 1 Captain Marvel Adventures, 1 Plastic Man, etc. etc.

 

Then I evolved to 1 of various cover features, for example a Smash Comics featuring Midnight in addition to one featuring The Ray. And a Flash Comics featuring the Flash, plus another Flash Comics featuring Hawkman.

 

Now, I'm to the point where I'm looking for good "values" in DC/Fawcett/Quality Golden Age. I defined good values as

- not unusually high-priced in Overstreet

- good covers and/or better-than-average interior art for the Golden Age

- more iconic characters; fewer filler features (and G.A. books had lots of filler)

- stories not othewise available in Archives editions or DC reprints from the 1970s.

 

What are some examples of what I see as great Golden Age values right now?

 

1. Comic Cavalcade 3-29 (stories of WW, GL, Flash in every issue; later issues have Toth and/or Infantino art. High ratio of good stuff to filler for a G.A. comic)

 

2. Flash Comics 64-85 (Kubert Hawkman before the overpriced issues arrived with the Black Canary feature).

 

3. Star Spangled Comics 15-29 (Simon & Kirby Newsboy Legion. #7-14 were reprinted in Jimmy Olsen of the early 1970s)

 

4. Master Comics 30-41 (Raboy art; most have great WWII covers).

 

5. Worlds Finest 8-17 (Another high ratio of good stuff to filler; several Batman stories by Jerry Robinson--some now reprinted in Archives).

 

Cheers,

Z.

[Mr_Glass]

I basically collect Golden Age, Mile High, NM or above (now ones with white pages). I do this because A) My first golden age book and consequently the second book were both mile high's and I was taken back by the beauty in terms of gloss, structure etc. They looked truelly brand new in every sense of the word. I was also looking to change to use comics as something I could invest in and enjoy. So I was set on mile highs and I always try to get the highest graded copy.

 

White pages are a big thing with me now too. I mean if you think about it, the inside of the book takes up more presence volume wise than the front and back cover. Granted this is what you first see and are going to look at but page preservation seems to be under-appreciated in the market right now with the number grade craze. I think it will hold more prominence the older these books get.

 

Finally it gives me a kind of satisfaction to have a comic collection that came from the same source. Might sound silly but... Well that about sums it up.

[tb]

Do you only collect Church copies or other NM GA comics as well? Does

it matter to you if a Church is restored or not? I am curious why some

people feel it is worth it to pay 2-4x the price of an NM non-Church

book?

 

I have never owned a super-pedigree copy myself, but I am considering

buying a few to check them out. I just started a collection of what will

hopefully become complete VF-grade runs of "More Fun" and

"Adventure" and am tempted by some of the gorgeous EC copies offered

at Heritage (especially NM-range copies with slight restoration which are

selling for almost nothing). It is interesting to hear how you became

"hooked" - maybe I am in store for something similiar once I get hold

of my first copy?...

 

PS: The "M"-word really bothers me...

 

 

 

[Mr_Glass]

"DESIRABILITY-The one Famous aspect of the Mile High collection is its overall quality. Structurally, Mile Highs are beautiful NM to Mint copies, but what sets a Mile High apart from everything else is its aesthetic qualities. From a standpoint of page quality, gloss, colors, and suppleness, Mile Highs are unsurpassed. It's amazing that in nearly twenty years since the Mile High collection's discovery, no other collection has surfaced that was anywhere near comparable. " -Matt Nelson

 

"On a whole, no collection compares with the all-around high quality of its copies, particularly, the lightness of the interior pages, the paper suppleness, the strong color intensity of the cover, and the "feel" of being a newsstand fresh copy, even after 40 years! Certainly, there are individual copies of non-Church comic books that technically are of a better grade, perhaps because of fewer physical flaws....However, most experts in comic books agree that near-mint copies of "Church" copies are more desirable than mint copies of other origin......Collectors of the world want the best, and you have to pay for what you get. With the "Church" collection, you are getting the best" -Ernie Gerber 'Photo Journal Guide to Comics'

 

Well I thought I would put in the words of two industry experts before mine. For me its many things but it comes down to this. Is that random rockford NM a damn nice book. Of course it is. Could it pass on the shelf as brand new?

 

That I think is the key to it all. If this was say 1946. Could that 9.4 Big Apple Action #96 sitting on comiclink pass as new. Certainly not with a rusted staple (one of the asthestic defects yoiu won't find on a Mile High book). Could the 9.8 Mile High copy pass as new. Experience has shown me that it can. I have (using that book as an example) showed it and others to people and they often think the book is a reproduction, had it not have been for the graded case they were in. My advice is to just commit yourself at some point to making a point of buying one. If the book doesn't justify the price, then you can think I'm nuts but then again it may spoil things for you in not wanting other pedigrees as it did to me.

 

Just my 2 cents

[tb]

Thanks! For some time, I have been intrigued by what it is that has

made you and other expert collectors come to the conclusion that

Church copies are so much more desirable. I was hoping that one

of you would start posting. I understand what you said about your

first sight of one of the books changing your taste; I experienced

something like that when I first saw an outstanding piece of

original comic art (ie. my favorite area is Carl Barks originals from

the 40s and 50s)- changed my collecting interests instantly. Also

felt like that when I saw a Mickey Mouse Magazine file copy for

the first time - after that other high grade copies never had the

same appeal. I'll see if I can get a couple of Church copies in the

next Heritage auction and see if they can live up to the hype!

 

Just out of curiosity, what was the first copy you saw?

 

 

 

 

[Mr_Glass]

It was a book J Parrino has or had, I want to say More Fun #70-something, I know the cover just forget the number. I used to be big into disney art as well but for some reason strayed away from it . I still love it, especially the early mickey memorabelia. Makes me want to get back into it thinking about it now but I know my collecting bills would double overnight.

[tb]

I thought I was the only Disney-DC combo-collector . And, yes, framed $500 bills would cover more wall space than good Disney originals at the same price. They would probably take up as much space as a good Church collection, too.

 

 

[Larryw7]

Another classic

[esquirecomics]

While no doubt this is somewhat self-promotional, I really thought the Scoop profile of me that appeared this past Friday is best viewed by those within this section, especially given the pictures. If anyone would appreciate the books as I do, it would be my fellow forumites here in the GA section, and I know some of you do not stray over into the no-mans land called General Section! So please forgive me for posting this myself, though it did seem to fit nicely in this thread.

 

Scoop Article

 

Comics As History: Mark Zaid

The Main Event, Scoop, Friday, May 06, 2005

 

Mark S. Zaid was born in 1967, in Manhasset on New York's Long Island. He grew up first in Flushing, Queens in the shadow of Shea Stadium, and then in Jericho (also on Long Island), where he stayed until adulthood. Back in his first grade days, approximately 1974, he was bitten by the comic book bug. By sixth grade he was bringing backpacks full of comic books to school to sell and trade. He remained active in comics until he went away to college. After graduating and establishing a thriving legal practice in the nation's capital, his childhood passion re-emerged in a serious way, leading him to launch his company, EsquireComics.com online at www.EsquireComics.com. Scoop asked Zaid to talk about how he got started and how he collects today.

 

I was fortunate enough to have two local stationary stores within about ¾ mile in each direction, just close enough to be allowed to ride my bicycle to visit after school. From 1974-1983, I probably made weekly trips in search of new comics. I still remember those metal racks containing the comics. By the time I was eight years old, I was a collector of many different things including comics, stamps, coins, and baseball cards. I was even president of my second grade's "Stamp Club," which had weekly meetings at my house (but don't tell anyone that now).

 

The answer to the normal "What else did you collect?" question is the same for my childhood and adulthood - What didn't I collect! Many of my collecting interests from childhood remain actively, or at least passively, with me today. These include stamps, baseball cards, historical memorabilia (especially early 20th Century trans-Atlantic liners), postcards, animation art, books (particularly Americana and legal history). I started collecting at such an early age that my memories simply do not go back far enough.

 

My family was at least passively supportive, although from my mother's perspective that was conditioned on keeping my floor clear of comics. I fondly recall my parents taking me to stamp and comic shows throughout New York City and Long Island during the 1970s and 1980s. When I first started selling comics at shows on Long Island in 1985 with a high school classmate, my parents were quite eager that I had embarked upon an effort to minimize the number of long comic boxes stored around the house. Needless to say they were repeatedly disappointed each month when I arrived home from the show to find that I had spent all my profits on more comics!

 

My brother, four years my junior, like many younger siblings often engaged in the same hobbies I did, at least with respect to comics and baseball cards. However, he never developed the serious interest that I did. It was more something that allowed him to join in activities with me.

 

When I left to attend the University of Rochester in 1985, my collecting habits were essentially put on hold for the most part. I did miss it though. So much so that when I entered law school at Albany Law School in 1989, I embarked upon a second very brief foray into comic dealing.

 

After that stint, I again retreated from the world of comics, particularly to develop my law practice after moving to Washington, D.C. in 1993. I essentially was completely out of comics until my discovery of the Internet in 1996 and soon thereafter finding the most unbelievable site ever created - eBay! Those early days of eBay were so fantastic that for at least a year I would never mention the site to anyone else for fear they would start using it and compete with me. Back then very few, if any, dealers were using eBay. It was truly your average person with absolutely no comic book knowledge who were taking their books from their closets and attics and just posting them for sale without a clue as to what they had. This was in the days before pictures were widely available to post. There were some great deals to be had in those early years. But then, sigh, the other collectors and dealers found out about my secret site and, while it is still a buyer's world, eBay is not quite the same.

 

Anyway, throughout approximately 1996-2002, I sporadically engaged in buying comics. I rarely purchased new comics. Candidly, I have little interest in them. I still remain committed to Golden and Silver Age books.

 

I have been a practicing attorney since 1992, and primarily specialize in cases involving national security/intelligence, governmental openness and Constitutional challenges under the First and Fifth Amendments. I also serve as the Executive Director of The James Madison Project (www.JamesMadisonProject.org) which seeks to educate the public on issues relating to national security, intelligence and governmental openness.

 

Additionally, I spend a great of time writing articles and books. I often publish op-ed pieces in newspapers such as the Washington Post and Washington Times, or online at www.Findlaw.com. I had a book published last year entitled The GI's Rabbi: World War II Letters of David Max Eichhorn (University Press of Kansas), which is about my maternal grandfather.

 

I am currently working on two other non-fiction books on governmental secrecy and Robert Todd Lincoln, the only son of President Lincoln who survived to adulthood and who in his own right had a distinguished governmental and legal career.

 

Many of my clients are well-known, and a great number of my cases have been very high-profile. For example, I filed the first civil lawsuit against the Government of Libya for the 1988 terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. I helped author the legislation that allowed victims of terrorism to sue certain foreign countries and this led to the $2.7 billion dollar settlement between the Flight 103 families and Libya.

 

I am probably the only attorney who has ever litigated both the assassinations of President Lincoln (when I represented the relatives of John Wilkes Booth in an effort to exhume his alleged remains) and President Kennedy (not only did I represent several of his former Secret Service Agents, including one accused of "accidentally" killing him, but also JFK's mistress and many authors of assassination books).

 

Much of the excitement I derive currently comes from the historical value and significance of the Platinum through Atom Age comic books. For example, a recent discussion I had with other Golden Age collectors analyzed how the comic industry dealt with the horrors of Nazism and Japanese imperialism during the 1930s and pre-Pearl Harbor days. As superhero stories began to emerge, particularly with the issuance of Action #1 in 1938, the comic writers actually took us to war long before the U.S. Government was willing to do so.

 

As a general rule, comic books from certainly the early 1940s - and the time of World War II - through the late 1950s - when we were witnessing the true paranoia of the Cold War - really did serve as social gauges to the concerns and interests of the American people. When I read or look at a comic from those time periods so long ago, I feel like I am looking through a portal in time, and I find that fascinating. I honestly do not know how it is today, but I get the sense that aside from perhaps specific titles, typically less mainstream, that doesn't really exist anymore. But perhaps five decades from now those who read books from today will feel the same.

 

Because of my love of history, I really enjoy collecting the late Platinum, or pre-hero Golden Age books issued during 1935-1939. Owning a 70 year old comic book in high grade is just a great feeling, particularly knowing the enjoyment it must have given some small child decades earlier. But I am particularly a Golden Age fan, and focus primarily on the years 1938-1945. I have also developed a passion for collecting Anti-Communism/Cold War focused-books.

 

At the moment, I would have to say the prizes of my collection are my More Fun #52 5.5 (first appearance of the Spectre, Rockford pedigree), Batman #2 9.2 (highest graded copy), All-American #16 4.5 (first appearance of the Green Lantern and virtually impossible to find unrestored), Green Lantern #1 9.0 (highest graded), MAD #1 9.8 (Gaines file copy, highest graded), and Showcase #4 9.2 (first Silver Age Flash). I am also partial, due to the historical value, to my 9.0 copy of Famous Funnies: Carnival of Comics from 1933, and my 8.0 New Book of Comics from 1937.

 

My primary focus is on securing a complete run of New Fun/More Fun Comics. I am only about 12% of the way, but of those copies I own 2/3 are from the Lost Valley and Edgar Church (Mile High) pedigree collections. It ran for 127 issues from 1935 to 1947. It was the initial publication for what became DC Comics and revolutionized the comic industry. At a time when other "comic books" contained only newspaper reprints, this title included original stories about spies and superheroes.

 

The series witnessed a host of impressive firsts welcoming into existence Dr. Occult (issue #6), The Spectre (issue #52), Dr. Fate (#56), Johnny Quick (#71), Aquaman (#73) and Superboy (#101). Eight books from this title are listed in Overstreet's Top 100 Golden Age Books (though technically several are actually from the Platinum Age). The last two dozen or so issues featured animal stories as interest shifted from the WWII superhero craze. Many of the early books are virtually impossible to find in high grade, and even the low grade copies are scarce.

 

In addition to comics, I have several fascinating, at least to me, historical collections. I am particularly interested in the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln and Kennedy. I have hundreds of books on the subjects and many different items of memorabilia. Part of what makes a large number of these books very special is that I have personally known many of the authors, and I even find myself listed in the index or acknowledgments sometimes for legal work or research I have undertaken!

 

In addition to books, I have been collecting Carte de Vistes (CDVs) and other types of early photographs of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Lincoln. In fact, I seek out items relating to his entire family, which was hands-down the most famous family of American actors back in the 19th Century. I also collect every postcard ever issued concerning Ford's Theatre and the "House Where Lincoln Died."

 

In fact, postcards make up a significant part of my non-comic collection. I am in the process of collecting every postcard regarding the RMS Titanic (both pre and post sinking), and I am actually co-writing a book on the history of the University of Rochester, my alma mata, as portrayed through postcards. I have amassed a collection of more than 200 such cards dating from 1904 to the present.

 

I would be remiss not to mention some of my other RMS Titanic items. I have been fascinated with this ship since I was a small child, and spent several years in the 1990s as a board member of the Titanic International Society. The most prominent items in my collection would have to be the two medals that were originally presented to the crew of the RMS Carpathia for rescuing the survivors of ill-fated Titanic. Approximately 300 medals were issued but only a small handful of them are known to exist today. Additionally, I own some of the original Marconigrams that were transmitted between the Titanic and her sister ship the RMS Olympic, as well as the Carpathia, in the minutes and hours following the collision with the iceberg and the eventual sinking.

 

Finally, historical legal documents have become my latest passion, particularly those that have a relationship to famous attorneys or jurists. For example, I recently obtained an 1852 legal document authored by Abraham Lincoln, as well as legal filings drafted by Presidents William McKinley and William Howard Taft, but at a time when they were just another lawyer like me. As with my comics, the only way I can continue to truly enjoy this type of collectible is by buying and selling.

 

End of article.

 

Pictures included in the article include the following:

 

Mark holding his copies of Showcase #4 9.2 and Mad #1 9.8 (Gaines File Copy).

 

Mark in front of his Lincoln assassination collection of rare books.

 

Mark holding his copies of Famous Funnies 9.0 (1933) and New Book of Comics 8.0 (1937).

 

Mark holding an original Marconigram sent by the RMS Olympic to the RMS Titanic just 15 minutes after the Titanic hit an iceberg, and a rare medal given to a crew member of the RMS Carpathia for rescuing Titanic survivors.

 

Mark holding his copies of Green Lantern #1 9.0 and All-American #16 4.5.

 

Mark holding his copies of Batman #2 9.2, Batman #5 9.0 and Batman #6 9.2.

 

Mark in front of some of his more than 200 books on the JFK assassination.

 

Mark holding some examples from his More Fun Comics collection: #52 5.5 (Rockford copy), #54 8.0, #63 9.0 (Edgar Church/Mile High), and #66 9.0 (Edgar Church/Mile High).

 

Mark holding original Senate tickets to the Impeachment hearings of President Johnson (1869) and President Clinton (1998).

 

Mark holding two examples of his Anti-Communism/Cold War collection: the Bethlehem copies of Atomic War #3 9.0 and World War III 9.0.

[Silver Surfer]

After jumping back into comics and seeing books in slabbs for the first time I was intrigued and probably spent the first year impluse buying whatever came along that caught my attention, and of course its endless. So after selling some of those books that maybe had cream pages but I never paid any attention to at the time or unloading those books that were not super important for me to have (and of course losing money in the process) I decided to take a more focused approached. Some rules of thumb that have served me well.

 

Make a list of your top 20-30 books, scan all the titles you like and those that you never paid much attention to in the past because you will likely discover a few books. Go over that list in conjunction with your budget and decide which are your top 10 must have books and focus on obtaining them. Of course you will always stray because there are some books that you will have to grab as they come along. Since I started to use a list I have been very staified with how my colection has developed. I don't find myself saying well if I sell these books I can buy something I really have been after for some time. I have already set my sights months ago on the next 5 books I want to buy and hope to purchase them shortly. Once you have your core books you can sit back patiently and cherry pick the rest.

 

Also, try and decide on a certain grade(s) that you will be content with for the long term and understand what impact PQ and QP has on the resale value of a book.

[skybolt]

After jumping back into comics and seeing books in slabbs for the first time I was intrigued and probably spent the first year impluse buying whatever came along that caught my attention, and of course its endless. So after selling some of those books that maybe had cream pages but I never paid any attention to at the time or unloading those books that were not super important for me to have (and of course losing money in the process) I decided to take a more focused approached. Some rules of thumb that have served me well.

 

Make a list of your top 20-30 books, scan all the titles you like and those that you never paid much attention to in the past because you will likely discover a few books. Go over that list in conjunction with your budget and decide which are your top 10 must have books and focus on obtaining them. Of course you will always stray because there are some books that you will have to grab as they come along. Since I started to use a list I have been very staified with how my colection has developed. I don't find myself saying well if I sell these books I can buy something I really have been after for some time. I have already set my sights months ago on the next 5 books I want to buy and hope to purchase them shortly. Once you have your core books you can sit back patiently and cherry pick the rest.

 

Also, try and decide on a certain grade(s) that you will be content with for the long term and understand what impact PQ and QP has on the resale value of a book.

 

Good post. After a couple of years of collecting back issues I've come to the same conclusions you've reached. Initially, I started collecting raw mid grade SA's, HG BA's, and low grade GA's. I've since resold most of these books at a 30% loss due to overgrading or moving on to something different. It should be noted that I didn't lose any money on the low grade GA stuff. Those books were mostly graded accurately.

 

Once I made the transition into collecting mid and higher grade GA books, I've seldom purchased any more SA or BA books. I'm comfortable with this position since the GA books on my want list hardly ever show up. When I was collecting SA, I would constantly jump from one title to the next without any rhyme or reason. I'd see a nice set Iron Man's or Thor's and I'd purchase the books without any thought. Two weeks later, a better deal would come along. I don't have that remorse with GA books, since 90% of the books I purchase don't show up on a regular basis.

[Norrin_Radd]

Keeping with the Gold Comics theme...

I am attempting a full run of Golden Age Cap in F/VF 7.0 or better..which will be next to impossible b/c owning them all would cost as much as it does to own a two-story house.

 

Brian

 

Wow.

 

 

I was thinking of collecting Batman #1 thru #10. But I decided I couldn't afford them in the condition I would enjoy. Batman #1 even in Fair would be too expensive.

 

So now I'm trying to refocus on my favorite GA comics (covers/stories) and go after mid-grade copies. Most of them are Detective Comics.

 

Captain America #27 is the only Timely on my shortlist.