Wavering passion for collecting 5 5

[FoggyNelson]

Nice collections are built up over a lifetime👍🏆😷

[comicginger1789]

I just feel like you need to get inspired by different things. I used to be a Spidey only guy. Then I got into more Marvel. Then Batman. Then artists like Neal Adams and Lb Cole. Then golden age books. Then books with inserts. Then price variant covers. 
 

Every month I feel like I acquire something I’m genuinely excited for and while it may be a slow pace compared to those who can drop $1000 a month on books (or more), I like the challenge of spending as little as possible and selling some stuff to fund the hobby. Perhaps that is a challenge you could entertain yourself with? 
 

But hey if you have what you have and are not interested in other stuff (and are losing the love for what you have)well maybe it is time to move on and start finding good homes for those books, be it within your own family or selling off to fund some new joy.

[Get Marwood & I]

On 11/12/2021 at 9:15 PM, UncleAnwar said:

Anyway, anyone faced a similar situation?  Anyone sold and regretted? Anyone kept going and found the passion again?

I've posted my thoughts on this subject in quite a few threads now down the years, so it is clearly something that many collectors come to ponder - what to do when you have a wobble, what to do when you have reached your goals, what to do as you edge nearer to the exit door.

Have a read of this post here UncleA, and the links with it:

https://boards.cgccomics.com/topic/471133-a-brief-review-of-the-first-official-uk-distribution-of-us-published-comics-in-19591960/?do=findComment&comment=12053514

They may help guide your thoughts.

I think we are all different, but in no particular order, these are some of the things I would consider:

• Even the most rabid collector can one day feel jaded enough to sell. But it doesn't automatically mean that selling is the right thing to do, as the collecting bug can, and usually does, return. Put some space between the point you decide you are wobbling and any decision making. You may feel differently after a break and there is no regret greater than selling something you later come to regret selling
• Selling can be as enjoyable as collecting. Money allows you to do other things
• Owning an expensive collection - certainly one that has exploded in value - can be a huge pressure:
  • Is it insured?
  • What if I'm burgled?
  • What if the house floods, or is burnt down?
  • Who has the burden of selling it when I'm gone? 
  • Notwithstanding any instructions that I leave, what if they sell it to a dealer I despise for tuppence? Or they die too, and it all goes to landfill
  • If it's to be sold, at least let me have the pleasure of seeing it - they are my damn comics, after all
• You need time, space and energy to collect. And money:
  • What do you do when you run out of space?
  • What if you can no longer afford what you want to buy?
  • What if illness strikes, making it difficult for you to collect?
  • What if you are tired of spending hours searching for things that never materialise? Is there more to life than sitting in front of a computer screen?
• Are you collecting for the right reasons:
  • Do you buy things because you like them, or out of habit?
  • I may put a run of a title together, but I don't actually like half of them
  • That variant cover is how much?
  • There are how many variants of that one?
  • Do you love comics, or characters? Can a Spidey completist sell everything and then collect Charlton romance?
  • Do you ever look at them? Read them? Show them off? What purpose do locked away books that you are afraid to touch serve? Is it possible to have one thing that represents the thing you loved? I sold a full Andru run of comics. One page of framed original art is my reminder of what I did, my discussion point
• What actually are the options available:
  • Stop collecting, sell everything
  • Stop collecting, keep everything
  • Sell the majority, keep the best, use the sale proceeds to supplement the best
  • Some other combination. Does it have to be all or nothing?
• Investment - when is the best time to sell?
  • If your collection is worth £100K today, and you sell it, £100K goes into the Bank. If prices double in a few years, you've lost £100K and probably won't have recovered anywhere near that through investing the cash
  • If you don't need the money, why sell if everything is going up?
  • If you do need the cash, accept that there is never a good time to sell books that look like they will go up in value forever. If you hold off selling for fear of picking the wrong point in the market, you eventually die without selling. There isn't a collector or dealer alive who hasn't kicked the chair after selling on Monday what then doubled in value on Tuesday, usually because of some tenuous event like a film coming out or some pillock spending $4M on a related book

Only you can decide what works for you. Everyone is different, everyone has different priorities. I sold one of the best Spider-Man collections on the planet. Not best in the sense of grades, but the most complete. I regret selling some of it, but not all. I wish I had keep certain runs, certain types. But I didn't. I sold because I was uncomfortable having so much money tied up in a few fragile things. I sold because, at the time, I was confident that I had extracted all the pleasure out of it. I loved putting it together, I loved selling it. And I sold because I had no more space. And I had no friends interested in them. I hadn't found this place at that point. I would have loved to show some of it off here, among the like minded. 

I also sold because I was jaded. 

Did any of that help? Probably not, being a bit of a brain dump. Sorry. 

 

 

[badback83]

On 11/13/2021 at 7:22 AM, Motor City Rob said:

I really like this topic. The best idea I've seen is to "sleep on it". Whether that's a day, a week, or six months....take a little break before doing anything. Then, go with what your heart tells you. There is no right or wrong here.

I couldn’t agree more.  I’ve done this from time to time when trying to decide on a large purchase or selling.  Usually takes me a couple days, but I always come to the right decision.  

[David-Lance Roten]

I get it. Been there sportscard wise w/ burnout years ago.  These days I balance it out better. Comics, cards, action/wrestling figures. Some auto racing and movie collectibles.  King of no runs, King of no collections. Just having fun.  

[MetalPSI]

On 11/13/2021 at 5:12 AM, Ken Aldred said:

Two important but conflicting driving forces for me as well; books I care about vs limitations on physical space.

I've been fortunate to have space

[oakman29]

I have been collecting as long as I can remember.  I collect comics, toys,and records. I dont really count my guitars, because I look at them as tools of playing music. But I digress. Once I get tired of one thing I rotate my collecting interests to the next . I'm never completely out, just kind of paused for the moment.

[Duffman_Comics]

On 11/14/2021 at 2:09 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

• • What if the house floods, or is burnt down?

 

 

Almost exactly 2 years ago, the bushfires (you may have heard of them) here resulted in a very close shave for casa Duffman.

Fire stopped at my back fence.

That's when I questioned my commitment to collecting anything at all.

I reflected a lot, sought wiser counsel and did not do anything rash. The uneasiness passed and I would not say I resumed with as great enthusiasm (I am a little more selective these days) but the "thrill of the hunt" is back.

Oh, and with regard to the originally posted question, I was in a similar position a few years ago. What I found worked was going after oddball titles. Harvey Thrillers, ACG  Magicman and Nemesis, Herbie, Archie superhero titles, you get the drift. Some wonderful "so bad they're good" comics

[jimjum12]

On 11/12/2021 at 4:15 PM, UncleAnwar said:

So I've been a comic collector since the mid 90s, and have amassed a pretty sizeable collection over the decades.

I'm hoping the feeling will pass, but I've been feeling kind of burned out/over with the whole thing for a little while now.

I still love comics, but now that I've locked down all of my collecting goals I'm faced with the inevitable question of "what's next"?  

Ive only collected Marvel, and over the years I've managed to get to complete runs of Fantastic Four 1-300, X-men 1-300, Amazing Spiderman 1-400, daredevil 1-200, Strange Tales 101-160, Cap 100-300, and bunches of smaller titles like complete Web of, Spectacular,  Nova, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night, Tomb of Dracula etc.

Just curious to hear from other collectors to see if you've faced burnout and what you've done about it. I've thought of maybe selling them all off but I still feel like I'd probably regret it someday. 

But on the other hand they just sit in storage now and don't so much for me anymore. Sure I read them here and there but I've realized that the joy for me over the years was the collecting aspect.  Traveling around to different city's for comic shops and conventions with my brother was what made the whole thing fun. The process of getting all those books was awesome and I'll always have those memories regardless. 

One thing that has put a damper on continuing is the ridiculous prices that even minor keys command these days. I can't imagine just getting into collecting now, it's so freaking expensive. I remember buying low issue ASM's for $50 each back in the day. Now those same issues would be several thousand dollars.  Nuts.

Anyway, anyone faced a similar situation?  Anyone sold and regretted? Anyone kept going and found the passion again?

You don't have to sell everything. Pull out a short box of your favorites and sell the rest, Take the proceeds and buy some property that perks on the outskirts of town. Deed it to your kids when you pass. I have regretted many of my sales.... especially my FF 1. GOD BLESS...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[NP_Gresham]

I consigned my collection of almost $200k.

Never regretted it, but have since dipped my toe in the collecting waters again.

A large collection can be a financial boost for other endeavors and it can even rekindle the collecting spirit.

Selling was rejuvenating! 

[Dr. Love]

On 11/12/2021 at 8:42 PM, jsilverjanet said:

One of the reasons I enjoy collecting independent books now is that I missed out on so many of them when I was so focused on Marvel and DC years back

The landscape is so great that I am aways surprised at books that were printed that I had no clue existed 

same with Romance books 

 

when the love is gone

time to mix it up!

amaze and amuse your friends  

 

 

 

[Get Marwood & I]

On 11/14/2021 at 4:06 AM, Duffman_Comics said:

Almost exactly 2 years ago, the bushfires (you may have heard of them) here resulted in a very close shave for casa Duffman.

Fire stopped at my back fence.

That's when I questioned my commitment to collecting anything at all.

I reflected a lot, sought wiser counsel and did not do anything rash. The uneasiness passed and I would not say I resumed with as great enthusiasm (I am a little more selective these days) but the "thrill of the hunt" is back.

Oh, and with regard to the originally posted question, I was in a similar position a few years ago. What I found worked was going after oddball titles. Harvey Thrillers, ACG  Magicman and Nemesis, Herbie, Archie superhero titles, you get the drift. Some wonderful "so bad they're good" comics

Comics aside, that must have been terrifying full stop Duff. Glad you escaped.

I think you're either a comic person or not. If it's in your DNA, you can't give it up, really. Whilst I used to collect mainly Spidey, I realise I'm in love with the medium. I'm never happier, never calmer than when I'm immersed in comic related activity. I spent an hour or so slowly prising a price sticker off an old sixties romance comic yesterday, just to prove - and preserve - what was underneath. Then it was added to the spreadsheet, ticked off the list, scanned and filed and then I made a nice custom sticker for it and put him with his mates.

And then I found an old Tales of Suspense online with, at last, the final UK indicia image that I needed to conclude some research. Documents were updated, images were captured, lists were ticked off. I can't really afford those books anymore, but I can still gather and document information about them.

The good thing is that I was happy and I didn't think about anything else while I was doing it. 

[oakman29]

On 11/13/2021 at 11:40 PM, Dr. Love said:

when the love is gone

time to mix it up!

amaze and amuse your friends  

 

 

 

Now there is a man who is comfortable with his sexuality in his pink swim suit. I dont know if I could rock those as easily. 

Edited November 14, 2021 by oakman29

[fett]

On 11/12/2021 at 3:15 PM, UncleAnwar said:

So I've been a comic collector since the mid 90s, and have amassed a pretty sizeable collection over the decades.

I'm hoping the feeling will pass, but I've been feeling kind of burned out/over with the whole thing for a little while now.

I still love comics, but now that I've locked down all of my collecting goals I'm faced with the inevitable question of "what's next"?  

Ive only collected Marvel, and over the years I've managed to get to complete runs of Fantastic Four 1-300, X-men 1-300, Amazing Spiderman 1-400, daredevil 1-200, Strange Tales 101-160, Cap 100-300, and bunches of smaller titles like complete Web of, Spectacular,  Nova, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night, Tomb of Dracula etc.

Just curious to hear from other collectors to see if you've faced burnout and what you've done about it. I've thought of maybe selling them all off but I still feel like I'd probably regret it someday. 

But on the other hand they just sit in storage now and don't so much for me anymore. Sure I read them here and there but I've realized that the joy for me over the years was the collecting aspect.  Traveling around to different city's for comic shops and conventions with my brother was what made the whole thing fun. The process of getting all those books was awesome and I'll always have those memories regardless. 

One thing that has put a damper on continuing is the ridiculous prices that even minor keys command these days. I can't imagine just getting into collecting now, it's so freaking expensive. I remember buying low issue ASM's for $50 each back in the day. Now those same issues would be several thousand dollars.  Nuts.

Anyway, anyone faced a similar situation?  Anyone sold and regretted? Anyone kept going and found the passion again?

try golden age comics-especially none you've ever seen the covers of-might recharge you  and boy oh boy are some of them impossible to find 

[MetalPSI]

On 11/14/2021 at 3:26 AM, oakman29 said:

Now there is a man who is comfortable with his sexuality in his pink swim suit. I dont know if I could rock those as easily. 

It's salmon

[Namtak]

Honestly,putting that much effort to it ,one day you will regret it for selling them.on the other hand donnating them to struggling boardies here would be awesome and in time for the hollydays   

Edited November 14, 2021 by Namtak

[Namtak]

On 11/13/2021 at 10:09 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

I've posted my thoughts on this subject in quite a few threads now down the years, so it is clearly something that many collectors come to ponder - what to do when you have a wobble, what to do when you have reached your goals, what to do as you edge nearer to the exit door.

Have a read of this post here UncleA, and the links with it:

https://boards.cgccomics.com/topic/471133-a-brief-review-of-the-first-official-uk-distribution-of-us-published-comics-in-19591960/?do=findComment&comment=12053514

They may help guide your thoughts.

I think we are all different, but in no particular order, these are some of the things I would consider:

• Even the most rabid collector can one day feel jaded enough to sell. But it doesn't automatically mean that selling is the right thing to do, as the collecting bug can, and usually does, return. Put some space between the point you decide you are wobbling and any decision making. You may feel differently after a break and there is no regret greater than selling something you later come to regret selling
• Selling can be as enjoyable as collecting. Money allows you to do other things
• Owning an expensive collection - certainly one that has exploded in value - can be a huge pressure:
  • Is it insured?
  • What if I'm burgled?
  • What if the house floods, or is burnt down?
  • Who has the burden of selling it when I'm gone? 
  • Notwithstanding any instructions that I leave, what if they sell it to a dealer I despise for tuppence? Or they die too, and it all goes to landfill
  • If it's to be sold, at least let me have the pleasure of seeing it - they are my damn comics, after all
• You need time, space and energy to collect. And money:
  • What do you do when you run out of space?
  • What if you can no longer afford what you want to buy?
  • What if illness strikes, making it difficult for you to collect?
  • What if you are tired of spending hours searching for things that never materialise? Is there more to life than sitting in front of a computer screen?
• Are you collecting for the right reasons:
  • Do you buy things because you like them, or out of habit?
  • I may put a run of a title together, but I don't actually like half of them
  • That variant cover is how much?
  • There are how many variants of that one?
  • Do you love comics, or characters? Can a Spidey completist sell everything and then collect Charlton romance?
  • Do you ever look at them? Read them? Show them off? What purpose do locked away books that you are afraid to touch serve? Is it possible to have one thing that represents the thing you loved? I sold a full Andru run of comics. One page of framed original art is my reminder of what I did, my discussion point
• What actually are the options available:
  • Stop collecting, sell everything
  • Stop collecting, keep everything
  • Sell the majority, keep the best, use the sale proceeds to supplement the best
  • Some other combination. Does it have to be all or nothing?
• Investment - when is the best time to sell?
  • If your collection is worth £100K today, and you sell it, £100K goes into the Bank. If prices double in a few years, you've lost £100K and probably won't have recovered anywhere near that through investing the cash
  • If you don't need the money, why sell if everything is going up?
  • If you do need the cash, accept that there is never a good time to sell books that look like they will go up in value forever. If you hold off selling for fear of picking the wrong point in the market, you eventually die without selling. There isn't a collector or dealer alive who hasn't kicked the chair after selling on Monday what then doubled in value on Tuesday, usually because of some tenuous event like a film coming out or some pillock spending $4M on a related book

Only you can decide what works for you. Everyone is different, everyone has different priorities. I sold one of the best Spider-Man collections on the planet. Not best in the sense of grades, but the most complete. I regret selling some of it, but not all. I wish I had keep certain runs, certain types. But I didn't. I sold because I was uncomfortable having so much money tied up in a few fragile things. I sold because, at the time, I was confident that I had extracted all the pleasure out of it. I loved putting it together, I loved selling it. And I sold because I had no more space. And I had no friends interested in them. I hadn't found this place at that point. I would have loved to show some of it off here, among the like minded. 

I also sold because I was jaded. 

Did any of that help? Probably not, being a bit of a brain dump. Sorry. 

 

 

That was depressing.....all those worries questions.....think im burned out just reading that.......never thought about selling before now

[oakman29]

On 11/14/2021 at 5:14 AM, Namtak said:

Honestly,putting that much effort to it ,one day you will regret it for selling them.on the other hand donnating them to struggling boardies here would be awesome and in time for the hollydays   

I agree. Giving will make your heart feel much better about your decision. 🤗

[Get Marwood & I]

On 11/14/2021 at 1:32 PM, Namtak said:

That was depressing.....all those worries questions.....think im burned out just reading that.......never thought about selling before now

That's the spirit Namtak. 

 

 

Spoiler

https://boards.cgccomics.com/topic/499405-wavering-passion-for-collecting/?do=findComment&comment=12054831

 

 

[Namtak]

On 11/14/2021 at 8:45 AM, Get Marwood & I said:

That's the spirit Namtak.