What are your 2022 collecting goals? 8 8

[Drummy]

Hi everyone --

It's great to read everyone's 'take' on what 2022 collecting will be like for them, from the cautious to the enthusiastic to the realistic to the wild.

I've spent the past 20 years or so moving back and forth from putting together a collection of Marvel SA keys and some Marvel BA original artwork.  It's hard to do both given the costs involved, so here are my realistic goals for 2022:

1.  Get 2 of the 4 missing books on my Marvel SA key list (I have 16 out of 20 right now).  FF 4, Avengers 1, TTA 27, and FF 52 -- all with white pages and excellent eye appeal -- remain on the list.

2.  Get at least 1 great piece of Bronze Age OA, whether it be a cover, a splash, a DPS, or a panel page.  There's a couple in the January Heritage auction I'd LOVE to own, but I'm expecting prices to go way beyond my means.

Happy hunting, everyone!

Dan (drummy)

[letsgrumble]

Replenish my depleted E Gerber supplies that have dwindled down during COVID times.

[speedcake]

I am down to eight issues needed to complete X-Men #1 to 143.

This should finally be the year!

Apart from that, I have no idea really. I'll likely pick a new run to start on, but which one is up in the air.

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 12/27/2021 at 9:45 PM, speedcake said:

I am down to eight issues needed to complete X-Men #1 to 143.

This should finally be the year!

Apart from that, I have no idea really. I'll likely pick a new run to start on, but which one is up in the air.

Impressive!

[Pat Thomas]

On 12/27/2021 at 9:45 PM, speedcake said:

I am down to eight issues needed to complete X-Men #1 to 143.

This should finally be the year!

Apart from that, I have no idea really. I'll likely pick a new run to start on, but which one is up in the air.

Need any from 119 forward?

[Buzzetta]

On 12/22/2021 at 1:26 PM, BlowUpTheMoon said:

It's an annual tradition, so let's hear them.  

It is an annual tradition.  First, let's look at what I wrote last year:

Quote

So what do I want for 2021?

Sell more stuff. 

I think the Superman 14 is passing me by especially as I put more money into the house. 

I would like:

Human Torch 9, 23

Captain America 48

Superman 24 (Since 14 is at a point that is more than I want to spend right now)

Other DC or Timely War covers

Maybe a 1st Deadpool... I've never owned a copy. 

Page of Strange Adventures Sci Fi Art

There is a particular cover out there I had my eye on... but... roof... 

Mego Spider-man... never owned one. 

Upgrade an ASM issue in my slabbed AF15-100 run. 

What did I accomplish?  

• I did buy a Cap 48
• I did buy another War Cover (Walt Disney Comics and Stories 22)
• Maybe a 1st Deadpool because I never owned a copy?  I bought three. 
• I upgraded an issue in my slabbed AF15-ASM 100 run by upgrading ASM 58 from a CGC 8.0 to a CGC 9.2.
• Sell more stuff... 

Sell more stuff? 

I wound up selling off eight 25 gallon rubbermaid containers of stuff.  That's 200 gallons.  There were containers that fit under beds that I got rid of.  I seriously reduced the amount of plastic crack.  I have been planning this since the beginning of 2020.  For example, at that point I had over 500 GI Joe figures.  At this point I have less than 30.   I seriously cut into the Lego.  I was able to get rid of three short boxes of comics. I went for things that take up space and not so much value.  I cleared out cabinets, drawers and bookshelves.  I was able to get rid of a couple of bookshelves.  The idea was to severely reduce the footprint of 'stuff' in this house.  

Ever since the pandemic started and I was working from home I realized that the house was just a place to sleep, entertain, and store my stuff and that had to change.   So it was time to make it a home. 

Now, I have been selling stuff to buy more stuff since I was a teenager.  As I mentioned, I remember selling death of Superman issues to my teachers.  It's been a long time coming but after staying the course,  I am going to take a break this year.   I even discontinued my CGC membership, mostly because of quality control issues, but to stay away from that routine as well.

I might sell a few things locally that were too big to ship.  For example, I still have not committed myself to selling the giant Star Wars Sail Barge but if I do that is going to be sold locally.   Also the more I sold the more I discovered I had packed away in the storage room.  Shortly before Christmas I found all the Brio wooden railway toys from the 80's that my brother and I had.  That's too heavy to ship and has to go locally. 

The real thing is, and it is something that I have mentioned privately to a few people here, I have most everything I could ever reasonably get.  So at where is the line between buying what I want versus chasing a never ending list of things I do not have? 

So my want list? 

• Superman 24
• 50's / 60's Sci Fi page of Art, (Strange Adventures or something like that)
• War Cover
• Upgrade an ASM from my run.
• Sell more stuff locally.
• This year's Lego modular house.  I will pick it up at one point as it was released on Saturday. 

We shall see... 

 

 

[MattTheDuck]

I had a pretty ridiculous 2021, frankly.  Prior to last May, I hadn't purchased a comic book since 1992 and had a mostly Silver/Bronze collection of about 1200 books, almost 100 percent Marvel.  Fast forward to today, after a bender that would put any high-functioning alcoholic to shame, and I have 4300 books ranging from the early 1940s to last month.

A few months ago, I realized I needed what Ryan noted: discipline.  So, I decided a "mission statement" might be in order.  I decided I was going to focus on high-grade (8.5/VF+ and above), Silver Age Marvels, with special emphasis on filling in spots in my major runs (ASM, Avengers, FF, JIM/Thor) or upgrading books that needed it.  I'd give myself about a C+ since mid-October on sticking to this.

The other collection I started in 2021 was Planet Comics and expect to pursue it further this year.  I didn't have a single Golden Age book 6 months ago, and chose that title to focus on.

I can't promise to stick to these two areas precisely - I have some upgrading of Bronze Age books to do that I received as subscriptions, but those are all in the "target of opportunity" space.  I intend to spend a lot less overall, but probably more per book on average in 2022.

The good news for everyone on the thread that's downsizing is that now that I'm piling into these expensive books, prices are likely to plummet once I get everything I want.

[WilliamG.Staggers]

As always I'll add on to my Bone, Simpsons, and Futurama runs. I'd really like to collect some traveling experiences this year as well. 

[KCOComics]

This thread has been allot of fun to read! 

I feel like I have a ton of goals I work on at once.  

My big goals would be to continue the slow, methodic and expensive task of upgrading my Marvel SA keys. 

I'm always looking to add some GA books (PCH, WWII, Atomic Age) 

And my less expensive goal is to continue progress on a complete House of Secrets run, with 81 - 154 being a 9.0 or higher.  This goal has stretched out over years and isn't a priority. I just add a few books when I have an opportunity to. 

[theCapraAegagrus]

Well, I already bought a new bookshelf, and completed my DC/PCH/Spawn setup. As far as collected editions go, I am just waiting for Dark Horse to print the rest of their EC Archives in TPB format.

I guess that these will be my 'focus':

• Chamber of Chills #23 in CGC 3.5
• Black Cat Mystery #50 in CGC 3.5
• Tomb of Terror #16 in CGC 3.5

The first 2 issues will be quite expensive.

[Math Teacher]

On 12/24/2021 at 12:22 AM, grendelbo said:

4. Formulate a plan in reducing the inventory in my collection. 10 years back I went from 5K+ to 1500 or so. I'd like it to be 1000 or less within a few years. The ultimate goal is 500 books.

8. Continue to appreciate what I've managed to put together over 35 years in the hobby.

I reduced my collection down from 2500 comics and TPBs down to less than a thousand and no TPBs during mid-2020 to the end of 2021. I can now fit my entire collection onto one bookshelf, which was my goal. I have been able to remove two bookcases from my room, along with a broken-down desk. I should have done this years ago.

I agree with comment #8. Too often, I am often looking to add a few CGC books to my collection. I should spend more time thinking of how lucky I am to have my current collection.

[KCOComics]

On 1/4/2022 at 11:16 AM, Math Teacher said:

 

I agree with comment #8. Too often, I am often looking to add a few CGC books to my collection. I should spend more time thinking of how lucky I am to have my current collection.

Totally agree. When I started collecting I was @Terry JSA's age. Books like JIM83 and AF15 we're already expensive, even if not by today's standards. $500 for a low grade JIM83 mine as well have been $30k when I was 17 and working at Kmart. 

I think a byproduct of being active on the boards is, you always want a higher grade book or some big GA book. But, sometimes you need to step back and appreciate what you've accomplished over the years. 

[lizards2]

On 1/4/2022 at 10:43 AM, KCOComics said:

On 1/4/2022 at 8:16 AM, Math Teacher said:

I agree with comment #8. Too often, I am often looking to add a few CGC books to my collection. I should spend more time thinking of how lucky I am to have my current collection.

Totally agree. When I started collecting I was @Terry JSA's age. Books like JIM83 and AF15 we're already expensive, even if not by today's standards. $500 for a low grade JIM83 mine as well have been $30k when I was 17 and working at Kmart. 

I think a byproduct of being active on the boards is, you always want a higher grade book or some big GA book. But, sometimes you need to step back and appreciate what you've accomplished over the years. 

Good perspectives. I've been actively collecting back issues since about 1972.  I beat myself up sometimes for not having all those early Marvels by now. I have always been condition conscious, so was always holding out for a high grade copy. Sadly for me, that means I passed over all those low/mid grade copies along the way. I will never complete my collection of titles like ASM or FF - still need about 10 of each, but the prices are now prohibitive. I'm one short on ST, one short on TTA , two short on TOS, one short on JIM, three short on X-Men, and you can probably guess which issues I am missing on all those - the most expensive ones.

But not to lose sight. I do have what I have, and probably 95% of it all is in pretty high grade. I need to appreciate what I have accomplished. 
I did convince the wifey-poo to allow me the purchase of an Avengers #1 a couple years ago, so that I could at least complete one of those Marvel titles. So I do have all the Avengers that I care about. And Daredevil, which was always my favorite hero (Gene Colon art ) - I completed that title ages ago (even hung on through the poopy Miller run ).

Funny, I still exchange Christmas cards from my dealer in Boise circa 1988-1990, and I kept a subscription service with him for about 10 years after that. I remember him having an Avengers #1 for $500 back in 1990, and kick myself for not buying that copy..., but, but it was only around a 7.0, so I passed. We kind of had a laugh about that in the card exchange this year. This is the same dealer that got me interested in Silver Age DC, which I have been collecting since then - he would get in collections with HG copies, and I've always been a sucker for HG over focus.  

 

[Terry JSA]

On 1/4/2022 at 1:43 PM, KCOComics said:

Totally agree. When I started collecting I was @Terry JSA's age. Books like JIM83 and AF15 we're already expensive, even if not by today's standards. $500 for a low grade JIM83 mine as well have been $30k when I was 17 and working at Kmart. 

I think a byproduct of being active on the boards is, you always want a higher grade book or some big GA book. But, sometimes you need to step back and appreciate what you've accomplished over the years. 

I was 16 when I started collecting and that was 2017. JIM #83 and AF #15 were expensive books, but they were NOT what they are now. Especially X-Men #1, you could’ve gotten a 1.0 for at least $5000 or less depending on who was selling it. 

But I have to agree that taking a step back and appreciating the accomplishments and goals you set for yourself in this hobby is important. The books that I have, I don’t take for granted whatsoever since it’s tough to find them for a reasonable price in today’s market.

I mean.. hell, sometimes I think it’s crazy I own some of the books I have now, especially at my age. 

[Math Teacher]

On 1/4/2022 at 1:04 PM, lizards2 said:

I have always been condition conscious, so was always holding out for a high grade copy. I've always been a sucker for HG over focus.  

 

My collection is more based on quantity rather than quality. However, now that there are very few books that I <really> want, I'm starting to move into the upgrade portion of my collecting.

[PKJ]

I do these each year and they normally adjust due to outside influences. This can have me shift to finishing on  other runs that I do not list each year since I am always looking for those. Tales To Astonish, TOD, Conan,  etc are runs that are pretty close to complete but can always be upgraded. Some of the books in the Big key column have been on there for multiple years, some due to market availability or market pricing. 

2022 Acquisition goals

Focus                                    Standard Buys                                             Big Key Stretch

Incredible Hulk 2                 GRR FF1 Record                                           Showcase 4

Incredible Hulk 3                 GRR ASM 1 Set                                             Tales To Astonish 27

Incredible Hulk 4                 GRR JIM 83 Set                                             Fantastic Four 1 (Upgrade)

Incredible Hulk 6                 Wonder Woman 200                                      Hulk 181 (Upgrade)

Flash 123                             Flash 106                                                      Tales Of Suspense 39

Vampirella 1                         Spawn 174                                                    Strange Tales 89

Primer 2                                Conan 1                                                        Albedo 2

Brave Bold 28                       Chuck Norris 1

Showcase 6                           Ewoks 1

                                               Transformers 8

                                               Transformers 80

                                               Nick Fury 6 Hi Grade

                                               Air Pirates Funny 1&2

                                               Amazing Spiderman 121 (upgrade to 9+)

                                               Amazing Spiderman 122 (upgrade to 9+)

 

 

Edited January 4, 2022 by PKJ

[KCOComics]

On 1/4/2022 at 2:39 PM, Terry JSA said:

I was 16 when I started collecting and that was 2017. JIM #83 and AF #15 were expensive books, but they were NOT what they are now. Especially X-Men #1, you could’ve gotten a 1.0 for at least $5000 or less depending on who was selling it. 

But I have to agree that taking a step back and appreciating the accomplishments and goals you set for yourself in this hobby is important. The books that I have, I don’t take for granted whatsoever since it’s tough to find them for a reasonable price in today’s market.

I mean.. hell, sometimes I think it’s crazy I own some of the books I have now, especially at my age. 

In 2017, $5k could have bought you a pretty nice X1. 

I'm sure I said this to you before, but you are focused on the right things. I wish I was buying bigger books when I was 18 rather than trying to complete my Punisher War Journal run!! 

[speedcake]

On 12/28/2021 at 12:47 PM, Pat Thomas said:

Need any from 119 forward?

nope, bronze run is complete apart from GSX #1

I need:

18, 20, 35, 52, 55, 58, 65, 81

Edited January 5, 2022 by speedcake

[Ltpink2002]

On 1/4/2022 at 7:47 PM, KCOComics said:

In 2017, $5k could have bought you a pretty nice X1. 

I'm sure I said this to you before, but you are focused on the right things. I wish I was buying bigger books when I was 18 rather than trying to complete my Punisher War Journal run!! 

In 2017, $5,000 could get you a X-men 1 in 5.0 to 6.0  or AF 15 in 1.0 to 1.5 condition.

[Terry JSA]

On 1/4/2022 at 8:47 PM, KCOComics said:

In 2017, $5k could have bought you a pretty nice X1. 

I'm sure I said this to you before, but you are focused on the right things. I wish I was buying bigger books when I was 18 rather than trying to complete my Punisher War Journal run!! 

You’ve said that to me before, and so have a lot of other people.

I remember watching a video from LeeKirbyDitkoComics and thinking “if he can get those kinds of books, so can I” and that’s where it all kinda started in terms of going after big books and key issues. 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Terry JSA