Achieving the moment of 'contentment' with your collection? 5 5

[Math Teacher]

My want list currently has 23 books on it, and 6 of them are upgrades.

I'm getting to the "I would like to upgrade some of my lower grade copies" phase of my comic book collecting.

[The lips]

Good question and something I struggle with. 
As a newly ‘reborn’ collector I’ll never be fully content as I’ll never own the big keys or complete the run of ASM 1-375 I’m working on. 
My contentment comes buying from shelf and owning lower level keys ie ASM  300 and 361 and picking up likes of ASM 50, 238 etc. 

[MR SigS]

The high dollar books I still need are FF 2, 4-6, and J.I.M. 83 & 85. At today's prices, I'm as content as I'll get.

[Bluemedgroup]

On 8/18/2021 at 9:46 AM, Jeffro. said:

My contentment was achieved around 10 years ago when I made the decision to stop chasing high grade superhero books and focus on reader runs and the stuff I read as a kid, primarily Richie Rich, and some other Harvey, DC War comics, and Uncle Scrooge. 

I'm about 50-60 Richie Rich comics away from every RR titled comic produced between RR1 and when Harvey stopped publishing in the 1990s. Some of the later digests are a real bear to find. I'm two comics away from all the original Barks Uncle Scrooge run and more DC war comics are always on the list. I still would like to get a Four Color 178 (possible) and a Little Dot 1 (yeah right  )

Let me know when you start feeling spicy.  I got a Little Dot 1 CGC 2.5 waiting for a new owner.  

[Chicago Boy]

On 8/20/2021 at 12:50 PM, Bluemedgroup said:

Let me know when you start feeling spicy.  I got a Little Dot 1 CGC 2.5 waiting for a new owner.  

I love Little Dot 1 !  The poor man's Pep 22 !!

[Larryw7]

I won't be content until I have a complete run of ASM, #1 in particular. I've even been considering selling my GA stuff so I can get the Spidey, but I'd probably regret it. 

[piper]

On 8/21/2021 at 3:57 AM, Larryw7 said:

I won't be content until I have a complete run of ASM, #1 in particular. I've even been considering selling my GA stuff so I can get the Spidey, but I'd probably regret it. 

You would regret it, but the way prices have exploded, one has to trim the collection to pay for books like an ASM 1.

[piper]

I’m content for the moment but that’s because I’m busy doing summery things. Once the days get shorter, I’ll be back scouring the inter web for books.

Top of the list right now is Avengers 1.

[MattTheDuck]

Well, I'm not sure what that's going to look like.  As noted before, I had about 1200 Silver and Bronze books purchased in the 70s, but I didn't buy a comic book between 1978 and 1992, or between 1993 and 2020.  In fact, aside from a brief review with my kids when "The Avengers" came out, I hadn't opened the long boxes in almost 30 years.  Going through them made me feel like Rip Van Winkle.  So I'm in a process of filling in all the expensive stuff I should have bought in the 70s, and upgrading all the low grade stuff I should never have bought in the 70s.  I don't rule out that I'll go back to sleep, but this is a burst of uncontentment that could last a while.

[atomised]

Was just going through some long boxes today to see which books I should sell.  An hour later, didn't want to sell any of my books.  I repeat this ritual every couple months.

[KCOComics]

On 8/21/2021 at 7:36 PM, piper said:

You would regret it, but the way prices have exploded, one has to trim the collection to pay for books like an ASM 1.

Yup! I'm grappling with these same things. Debating selling books I never thought I would. Its the big downside of rising prices. It forces collectors to make harder decisions. 

[chrisco37]

I became much more content with my collection when I downsized from 3000+ books to just over 60 earlier this year.

I need 9 books to complete my ASM 1-40 run.  But started off the year needing 15 or so.  Happy with what I’ve accomplished this year already.  No strong itch/urge to buy anything else at the moment.

Edited August 23, 2021 by chrisco37

[Robot Man]

On 8/16/2021 at 9:16 AM, profholt82 said:

Yes, this! Missed this post before. The thrill of the hunt is probably the driving force for most collectors. As good as it feels to finally track down a certain treasure you've been after, eventually that wears off and you're after the next one. It never ends. Ha!

Yep, the best find you ever make is always the next one. The thrill of the hunt is usually the best part...

[Robot Man]

On 8/21/2021 at 2:57 AM, Larryw7 said:

I won't be content until I have a complete run of ASM, #1 in particular. I've even been considering selling my GA stuff so I can get the Spidey, but I'd probably regret it. 

Yes, you would. A lot easier to get SA than GA...

[Pantodude]

On 8/23/2021 at 12:16 PM, Robot Man said:

Yes, you would. A lot easier to get SA than GA...

Not necessarily?  The OP is talking about financial difficulty mostly, making clearly he's a Spidey guy at heart too, all of which suggests that, ultimately, he wouldn't regret unloading any books (GA included) that gets him closer to his grail books.  In fact, I would assume he has a number of Spidey keys that he would prioritize ahead of his GA books.  To me, that was implicit, FWIW.   My solution:  sell ANYTHING else (including your car, rolex, whatever) before your PC books.  Problem solved.  

Edited August 23, 2021 by Pantodude

[Robot Man]

I’m real content. I have bought comics off the stands since 6 months before FF #1. I have seriously collected since the early ‘60’s. I long ago completed what I wanted SA wise and graduated to the more challenging world of GA. I have also amassed a large collection of toys, premiums and advertising pieces. 

Other than brief periods, have collected for probably 50 years. I have sold off most of my mega keys to buy a house, put my kids through college and other reasons. But I have never been a “catch and release” guy. I only have a few books from my childhood collection but have stuff I bought in the dawn of my collecting adventure. 

Other than a few ECs, a few PCH and some GA WWII books, I am as complete as I need to be. I occasionally upgrade and impulse buy cheaper cool books I discover in the hunt. 

Collecting is a wonderful disease. I am always out on the hunt for that Ark of the Covenant. I have worked hard at it and have been blessed. 

[Pantodude]

On 8/23/2021 at 1:27 PM, Robot Man said:

I have also amassed a large collection of toys, premiums and advertising pieces.

Old toys?  I would really enjoy watching vintage movies (even more than I already do) just to spot any toy that I owned.  I don't own any old toys [sigh], but I appreciate the possibilities nevertheless.  

[Robot Man]

On 8/23/2021 at 10:24 AM, Pantodude said:

Not necessarily.  The OP is talking about financial difficulty mostly, making clearly he's a Spidey guy at heart too, all of which suggests that, ultimately, he wouldn't regret unloading any books (GA included) that gets him closer to his grail books.  In fact, I would assume he has a number of Spidey keys that he would prioritize ahead of his GA books.  To me, that was implicit.  

I get what he was implying. There are very few of us that have the sensible financial means to aquire many of the big books we want at this point. It is also relative to our age and financial situation.

It always makes sense to sell books to aquire books we want more. My point is some books are always available (Spidey #1), but a lot of GA rarely comes around no matter how much money you have...

[Pantodude]

On 8/23/2021 at 1:37 PM, Robot Man said:

I get what he was implying. There are very few of us that have the sensible financial means to aquire many of the big books we want at this point. It is also relative to our age and financial situation.

It always makes sense to sell books to aquire books we want more. My point is some books are always available (Spidey #1), but a lot of GA rarely comes around no matter how much money you have...

Yeah, i figured that was what you meant so edited my post to say sell something otherth an a book in your PC, but too late!   I hear you, good point.  

Edited August 23, 2021 by Pantodude
typo

[Robot Man]

On 8/23/2021 at 10:33 AM, Pantodude said:

Old toys?  I would really enjoy watching vintage movies (even more than I already do) just to spot any toy that I owned.  I don't own any old toys [sigh], but I appreciate the possibilities nevertheless.  

Toys are fun. Especially early toys from before my youth. 

I discovered them while looking for comics at flea markets, garage sales and antique shops. Picked up my first battery operated robot and off I went. 

About the only ones I still seek out now are old motorcycle toys. But anything space or character is still game on. Especially tin and wind-up or battery toys.