Ways of collecting? 2 2

[2Sunny]

So, if you haven't seen my few posts let me state quickly that I'm new to this hobby, but only because I just pulled out my box of 200 comics after 40+ years.  My question now is HOW or What do people collect?  I'm thinking I will pick a half dozen Bronze Age series and focus on collecting CGC 9.8's for the 1-5.  I'm looking at Nova, Omega, Return of the New Gods, and Ms. Marvel.  Mostly because I already have some of each category and that was the age when I started collecting. So what do others focus on?  How do you display your collections? What's the best way to display?  I know . . . I know . . . I have much yet to learn, but I am very open to any ideas!

I started today by buying a Nova 1 CGC 9.8 and now I'm looking for 2 and 3.  I already own 4 and 5 and think they are 9.0+.

I think next I want to go for Ms. Marvel.  What say you?

Edited October 18, 2021 by Joe Peck

[MattTheDuck]

Like you, I came back to this hobby more than 40 years removed from my initial comic collecting run.  Aside from one brief buying surge in the early 90s, I hadn't bought a comic since 1978 until I made a purchase earlier this year.  My collection at that time was hit and miss in the Silver and Bronze Ages, with a smattering of Copper picked up in 1992, all Marvel Comics.  The single biggest question I had/have was/is "what am I trying to accomplish?"  I already accidently have a decent number of "key" issues, but most of my pre-2021 collection is not of particularly high quality although the Bronze/Copper Age stuff is in good shape, having been read once (at most) and then bagged and boarded and living in long boxes since.  Six months ago, I didn't own a single "slabbed" comic but have picked up a few here on the Boards and in ComicLink auctions.  I have no plans to send any raw comics for grading - but I might change my mind.  I have come to the decision that I am going to focus on raw, high grade Silver Age Marvel comics, along with a couple of cool Golden Age titles I like.  I'm hitting targets of opportunity elsewise.

I applaud your focus on the series you mention and I'd encourage you to stick with it until you either complete these goals and find new ones, or they lose importance to you and are replaced with something else.  Do what makes you happy.

[kav]

On 10/17/2021 at 7:12 PM, Joe Peck said:

So, if you haven't seen my few posts let me state quickly that I'm new to this hobby, but only because I just pulled out my box of 200 comics after 40+ years.  My question now is HOW or What do people collect?  I'm thinking I will pick a half dozen Bronze Age series and focus on collecting CGC 9.8's for the 1-5.  I'm looking at Nova, Omega, Return of the New Gods, and Ms. Marvel.  Mostly because I already have some of each category and that was the age when I started collecting. So what do others focus on?  How do you display your collections? What's the best way to display?  I know . . . I know . . . I have much yet to learn, but I am very open to any ideas!

I started today by buying a Nova 1 CGC 9.8 and now I'm looking for 2 and 3.  I already own 4 and 5 and think they are 9.0+.

I think next I want to go for Ms. Marvel.  What say you?

Mostly i collect by artist and era.  like kirby SA and BA, curt swan SA, barry smith, steranko, then I collect good series like nexus and strange adventures and undergrounds and stuff.

[KCOComics]

 

I have about a dozen "projects" I've started.  For example, I wanted to get Cole's entire Blue Bolt run. I got half way there and I wouldn't say I lost interest, but I kind of put that project on the back burner. I'm working on a high grade House of Secrets run and pick up copies where I can, but I consider that a meandering multi decade goal. 

I tried to get key issues of many of the big SA books and I try to upgrade those where I can... And right now I'm focused on the unique. I want to own some really cool things important to the hobby, even if not particularly desirable and valuable to others. 

I've have near complete runs of Moon Knight and Dr strange that go into the 90s and I also have complete runs of Atlas titles.  A WWII cover collection and a growing PCH collection. So I guess I pretty much collect and enjoy everything.  It drives my wife crazy! 

 

[BigLeagueCHEW]

On 10/17/2021 at 7:43 PM, kav said:

Mostly i collect by artist and era.  like kirby SA and BA, curt swan SA, barry smith, steranko, then I collect good series like nexus and strange adventures and undergrounds and stuff.

I collect only Liefeld Comics and OA. I have the OA to this, baby arm and sideways chest Captain America

 

Edited October 18, 2021 by BigLeagueCHEW

[kav]

On 10/17/2021 at 9:19 PM, BigLeagueCHEW said:

I collect only Liefeld Comics and OA. I have the OA to this, baby arm and sideways chest Captain America

 

[Vixom]

What you collect sounds awful to me. I would pick out the nova 1, maybe ms marvel 1 and the mystics and the rest would go to the barn. That's the great thing though. You can collect whatever you want. Only person who needs to enjoy it is you.

I like artwork. I want to be the only person in the universe that has this item. I love comics as well. Hulk181 AF15 ASM300 etc what iconic characters and covers. But when it makes sense to sell a book I sell it. I enjoyed it for a period and I can always buy it again if I miss it. I will sell art if it makes sense. Can't buy it back again but can buy something else. I love horror, sci fi, painted covers, headlight covers, pinups. I like anything that has a good story or a cover. 

Easier to name things I don't like. Not a superman batman aquaman wonder woman guy. Love JSA legion titans redhood. Can care less about silver age 1st appearances except lantern and flash who to me are improved for the better. But 1st cap in 8 years or whatever yawn. Not a fan of 1st appearances in a comic book. Sorry Ahsoka and Harley. Huge fan of you girls but not interested in your comic book, rather have the thousand bucks. Knock offs. Black cat is just marvels cat woman. Hulk is grey with a few panels of green by mistake and known for being green. Any other color I don't care about as far as 1st appearance. Spiderman is Peter Parker AF15. Don't care about the rest. So now spiderwoman. You can try to get me excited about a girl who got bit the same day as Parker or put her in hoody but I don't care. Not that I don't like the characters. Silk introduction was a solid read. X-23 is cool. At the time of x-23 peak I know people who would rather have a 9.8 of her than mid grade hulk181 or high grade incomplete one. Now they complain the price on 181 is crazy, should have bought one when they were cheaper. Get both if yiu want. Might as well pick up the other how many dozen of wolverines offspring. 181 would be enough for me hey collect whatever you want.

 

[Terry JSA]

On 10/18/2021 at 12:19 AM, BigLeagueCHEW said:

I collect only Liefeld Comics and OA. I have the OA to this, baby arm and sideways chest Captain America

 

Do you actually have the OA to that? 

[Terry JSA]

I mainly collect key issues and original comic art. 

[thehumantorch]

On 10/17/2021 at 8:54 PM, KCOComics said:

 

I have about a dozen "projects" I've started.  For example, I wanted to get Cole's entire Blue Bolt run. I got half way there and I wouldn't say I lost interest, but I kind of put that project on the back burner. I'm working on a high grade House of Secrets run and pick up copies where I can, but I consider that a meandering multi decade goal. 

I tried to get key issues of many of the big SA books and I try to upgrade those where I can... And right now I'm focused on the unique. I want to own some really cool things important to the hobby, even if not particularly desirable and valuable to others. 

I've have near complete runs of Moon Knight and Dr strange that go into the 90s and I also have complete runs of Atlas titles.  A WWII cover collection and a growing PCH collection. So I guess I pretty much collect and enjoy everything.  It drives my wife crazy! 

 

 

I'm similar.  I buy anything that catches my eye from any era or genre.

Recently purchased a TTA 27, high grade copies of FF35 and 41, Spider-man 13, 4 50s war books, Batmania 9 - fanzine from 1966, Suspense Comics 7 and 9, and a First Romance 17 9.6 file copy.

 

[RonS2112]

Long runs of books for me.  I have every Fantastic Four from #8 to present.  Almost Every ASM from #11 to present.  Almost every Hulk from #5 to present.  Focusing on filling out my Thor, Avengers and Captain America collections now.  Also upgrading the SA books in the aforementioned runs, as there is a lot of 4.0-6.0 material in there at present.

[BigLeagueCHEW]

On 10/17/2021 at 11:10 PM, Terry JSA said:

Do you actually have the OA to that? 

No way, LOL, would never accept it, not even for free, with free shipping.

[Bird]

start a collection and not just an accumulation

 

[2Sunny]

On 10/18/2021 at 9:10 AM, Bird said:

start a collection and not just an accumulation

 

I hope that's what I'm doing.  Just filled out my Nova collection with #2,3, and 7 so now I own 1-10 all raw plus the CGC 9.8 #1 and I also bought an other company's slabbed 9.8 Black Lightning #1, but I already own from buying as a kid 1-5 and they are all 9+.  I think that should hold me for a while.  Now I just need to decide where I can start a display area in my house

 

 

 

Edited October 18, 2021 by Joe Peck

[Ken Aldred]

Always been an unfocused, bit of this-and-that collector, buying nicely-presenting high grade copies of specific issues that mean the most to me. That criterion ended up being fairly broad spectrum, running from relatively obscure undergrounds to mainstream keys.  I’ve pretty much stopped now, though, as the back issue market, and comics nostalgia, has become far too pricey for me.

Edited October 18, 2021 by Ken Aldred

[Tghutcn]

On 10/18/2021 at 2:49 PM, Joe Peck said:

I hope that's what I'm doing.  Just filled out my Nova collection with #2,3, and 7 so now I own 1-10 all raw plus the CGC 9.8 #1 and I also bought a CBCS 9.8 Black Lightning #1, but I already own from buying as a kid 1-5 and they are all 9+.  I think that should hold me for a while.  Now I just need to decide where I can start a display area in my house

 

 

You need to crop out the label for the black lightning they don’t allow you show any other slab labels apart from there’s 

[adampasz]

If you're collecting runs, focus on shorter ones. 30 issues is about right for me. When I got back into collecting 5 years ago, I was quickly able to put together runs of BWS Conan  and Silver Age Teen Titans. I struggled much more with Flash and Doctor Strange. If you're collecting long-running series, I recommend focusing on a particular creator or period -- maybe a 3 to 5-year stretch of time. Marshall Rogers Detective Comics is an example of a great, short run to pick up.

Remember, run-collecting is only one approach. A lot of the fun in the hobby is discovery, and looking for opportunities that are out there instead of forcing your expectations on the market. I never was the biggest Batman fan, but I picked up a nice set of 100 Bronze Batman comics for $3 each, and now I have a significant run.

For some kinds of books -- especially those without serialized stories -- I don't worry about runs at all. I just look for neat covers. I will buy multiple copies to try to find the "perfect" one. I use this approach with SA Spider-Man and FF as well. I don't really have a hope of putting together runs on those. But if I see a good deal, I jump on it. I don't even bother to check if I already have the issue anymore. I know it is easy to sell "under-copies" for those. 

Regarding Nova #1 specifically, I would proceed with caution. That comic has hit all time highs this year. Perhaps it will continue trending up, but it seems a lot of the value of this comic will depend on if and when there is a movie, and whether it is good. I'm not saying, don't buy it. But be aware that prices could be volatile compared to more established, "blue chip" series like Spider-Man and X-Men.

Edited October 18, 2021 by adampasz

[Terry JSA]

On 10/18/2021 at 9:06 AM, BigLeagueCHEW said:

No way, LOL, would never accept it, not even for free, with free shipping.

I would happily own it if I was given that opportunity. It’s so bad and easily recognizable. 

[2Sunny]

On 10/18/2021 at 10:09 AM, Tghutcn said:

You need to crop out the label for the black lightning they don’t allow you show any other slab labels apart from there’s 

Thanks for that.  Made the corrections   Newbie learning more every hour!

[2Sunny]

On 10/18/2021 at 10:52 AM, adampasz said:

If you're collecting runs, focus on shorter ones. 30 issues is about right for me. When I got back into collecting 5 years ago, I was quickly able to put together runs of BWS Conan  and Silver Age Teen Titans. I struggled much more with Flash and Doctor Strange. If you're collecting long-running series, I recommend focusing on a particular creator or period -- maybe a 3 to 5-year stretch of time. Marshall Rogers Detective Comics is an example of a great, short run to pick up.

Remember, run-collecting is only one approach. A lot of the fun in the hobby is discovery, and looking for opportunities that are out there instead of forcing your expectations on the market. I never was the biggest Batman fan, but I picked up a nice set of 100 Bronze Batman comics for $3 each, and now I have a significant run.

For some kinds of books -- especially those without serialized stories -- I don't worry about runs at all. I just look for neat covers. I will buy multiple copies to try to find the "perfect" one. I use this approach with SA Spider-Man and FF as well. I don't really have a hope of putting together runs on those. But if I see a good deal, I jump on it. I don't even bother to check if I already have the issue anymore. I know it is easy to sell "under-copies" for those. 

Regarding Nova #1 specifically, I would proceed with caution. That comic has hit all time highs this year. Perhaps it will continue trending up, but it seems a lot of the value of this comic will depend on if and when there is a movie, and whether it is good. I'm not saying, don't buy it. But be aware that prices could be volatile compared to more established, "blue chip" series like Spider-Man and X-Men.

More great input, thanks!  I've decided to step back in and I am super lucky that plus or minus a couple grand in a hobby really isn't a big deal for me (I race Porsches as well and that costs a little more), so I'm just buying books a) I already own in lower condition b) are part of a run I'm missing, and c) (most importantly) comics I truly liked in '76 '77 and still really like. If Nova 1 drops value by half I won't be jumping for joy, but I certainly won't feel bad or at least I hope not - we shall see when or if it actually happens Meanwhile I revised my focus already  10 times in 2 days now I'm thinking I'll buy #1 Nova, Ms. Marvel, Black Panther, and Black Lightning.  I actually have most all of these in number 1s, but they're 7 or 8s at best.  The plan is to put the 9.8's on the wall and then have a table below with 1-5 for reading.  Any thoughts on that idea?  Anybody have something like that with a picture?  How do other folks put their collections on display?

 

Anyways, thanks again for all the great advice.