WHAT WOULD THE KID....

[THE_BEYONDER]

..you once were think of your approach to collecting comics today? Have you stayed true to your childhood passion? What would the 8-year-old version of yourself think of the collection he once started...today?

[towards2112]

That the stupid old cynical man I have become has put a family,

a house, a cat, a dog, and decent transportation above collecting

DC's from the '50's.

Not to mention being sidetracked by the raging hormonal onset

of puberty some 40 years ago, right about the time when I decided

that taking Debbie Reed to see a John Wayne flick was more

important that my latest haul of books from the 7-Eleven.

Damn the luck.

[joe_collector]

I think he'd be quite pleased, as I have never bought a comic for any other reason than I liked it and wanted the book for my collection. No stupid speculating, investing, following the fads, or being a sheep for me, so there are no skeletons in my collecting closet.

[THE_BEYONDER]

Are all his favourite books still right there waiting for him?

[joe_collector]

Are all his favourite books still right there waiting for him?

 

[THE_BEYONDER]

Are all his favourite books still right there waiting for him?

 

 

Mine too....

[ninanina]

Wanted to collect complete runs of the comics I sporadically read as a kid, although I concentrated mostly on Marvels 'cause the DC's for the most part were a tough read as an adult.

.

When I found almost a complete collection of Silver/Bronze Age runs of Marvels and DC's 4 years ago, I realized I'd be able to practically re-read the entire Marvel Universe from the early 60's to present day....and have enjoyed doing so since then. Currently reading the early 70's runs of the Marvel Horror genre.

 

As an 8 year old, I would be in awe of the collection I have now.

[Samurai-Bill]

Well in my case I was 13 before I bought my first Marvel not 8 .

 

If my thirteen year old self could time travel to the present I hope he would be delighted with the collection I have , still Marvel still the titles that broke the new ground from DC .

 

My love for these comics has not dimmed .

 

[THE_BEYONDER]

As an 8 year old, I would be in awe of the collection I have now.

 

[THE_BEYONDER]

My love for these comics has not dimmed

 

[BassGMan]

..you once were think of your approach to collecting comics today? Have you stayed true to your childhood passion? What would the 8-year-old version of yourself think of the collection he once started...today?

 

Good question. When I started collecting, at 10 or so I was really into monsters and scary comics. In my 20s I strayed away from that and really got into the superhero thing for a long time. Now I am back into monster comics again and focusing on Bronze comics, the same period I was buying new as a kid. So Sid the kid would be pleased. Besides, I'm able to drive myself to the comic shop now instead of having to convince mommy to drive me. My kid self would really be pleased with that.

[THE_BEYONDER]

If my thirteen year old self could time travel to the present

 

In the event that our rapidly advancing technology one day makes this possible, I've been sure to keep a reading copy of every slab I own. That little bugger would be smashing slabs left & right if I didn't.

[THE_BEYONDER]

Besides, I'm able to drive myself to the comic shop now instead of having to convince mommy to drive me. My kid self would really be pleased with that.

 

[jordanscott]

i think my younger self would be a mixture of disgusted but also relieved...

 

in the early 90s i got so disgusted with the state of comics i literally sold out....got rid of my entire collection....a collection that my younger self put a lot of time and money (and wheedling of my parents) into collecting...so he'd be pretty darn angry at that....

 

but...now that i've started collecting again...i think he'd be happy that my basic habits have not changed....i've never been a speculator and never will be. and i think he'd be pleased by the fact that i still only buy what i want to read...even if it turns out to suck and i drop it.

[Larryw7]

When I was a kid, I wanted a collection of GA Batman's. I don't have a huge collection, but I'm working on it. I know I would have been thrilled with the books I have, especially BATMAN #5 and #37(my favorite cover image as a kid).

[adamstrange]

When I was 8 or so, I read my older brothers Marvels from the 60s, only he had just scattered issues from each title leaving me with just crumbs of the continuing story lines.

 

I think this was actually instrumental in my collecting comics, which didn't really start until after I got out of college.

 

My 8 year self would probably be sad that I don't have all those missing Marvels (most were sold years back), but satisfied that I least had the Masterpiece editions and finally had a chance to read them. At the same time, the 8 year would think it pretty cool that I have all these early 10 cent comics and didn't just get SA books.

[ComicBookGuy]

I think mini-me would be very pleased to see complete mid-to-high-grade runs of all the books he read. He'd probably want to break open the slabs to read, but I would point out that I have at least mid-grade reading copies of all my slabbed books.

Joe

[skybolt]

I think my 8-year old or even 18-year old kid in me would be upset that I've become more of a collector than a reader. From the time I was 9 years old until I reached the age of 26 I read every single comic book of the thousands I purchased. This included even the crappy Image, Malibu and Defiant books that felt like torture while reading. However, these days I barely read 1% of the books I puchase.........which is sad in a way.

 

On the otherhand, it's always been a childhood dream of mine to own an ASM #1.......and I finally do. I still remember watching a "Different Strokes" episode in my early teens where Arnold steals an ASM #1 that valued at $400 at the time. I used to think wow, $400 for a comic book?!

 

All I can say is that no matter how many expensive books I purchase, and how many runs I complete, I still can't regain that same childhood passion I had for the hobby.

[tilleycs]

in the early 90s i got so disgusted with the state of comics i literally sold out....got rid of my entire collection....so he'd be pretty darn angry at that...

 

I did the same thing, except a year or two earlier ('89). But I've gotten back most of the comics I used to have, and many times more. I've almost completely filled most of the gaps between then and now, so I think he'd be thrilled at that. I think the younger me would want the same thing I want now - enough time to sit down and read them all.

 

I still collect and read them for escape and enjoyment, so not much has changed - only that I can afford them on my own now instead of bugging my mom to take me to 7-11 every week and see if any new comics had come in.

[BassGMan]

 

All I can say is that no matter how many expensive books I purchase, and how many runs I complete, I still can't regain that same childhood passion I had for the hobby.

 

I know what you are saying about childhood passion, but I think that the passion still exists for most of us, it just changes. I feel now that my passion for comics is even stronger than when I was a kid. Back then, I was thrilled to complete a run of Daredevil from #150-200, all for which I bought for about a buck each. Also walking to the drugstore and finding the newest issue of Werewolf By Night was the coolest thing. But I spend much more time now with this hobby than when I was a kid, so that passion still exists, just in a different way.