Ever Think of Selling Your Entire Collection for One Big Book? 5 5

[adamstrange]

On 3/12/2022 at 1:18 PM, MrBedrock said:

I sold all of these...

...when I bought this...

I forgive you for everything but the FF #2. 

That Curator! 

[MrBedrock]

On 3/12/2022 at 4:58 PM, adamstrange said:

I forgive you for everything but the FF #2. 

That Curator! 

[woowoo]

On 3/12/2022 at 1:02 PM, MrBedrock said:

That is the original cover art. At present it is the earliest known existing original Superman cover art. At the time (2013) I didn't have much wiggle room between the FF run and the price of the art, which anyone can find in the Heritage auction archives -$286,000. Now, even though the FFs have gone up quite a bit (probably somewhere in the $1,200,000 - $1,500,000 range), I would still much rather have the art and personally value it much higher.

[october]

On 3/12/2022 at 4:58 PM, adamstrange said:

I forgive you for everything but the FF #2. 

That Curator! 

It looks neon. 

[adamstrange]

Would I trade away a set of carefully curated comics reflecting my personal vision this art forms history, the result of a lifetime of study and steady acquisition, each with it's own story and connection to people and incidents important to me, for a single comic, mostly indistinguishable from that owned by a 100 or 1000 other collectors?

No.

[KCOComics]

On 3/12/2022 at 1:25 PM, Robot Man said:

A perfect example of selling something that could be replaced for something that couldn’t. 

This is probably where my mind goes in this conversation. 

I wouldn't trade everything I own for one book.... But if I had an opportunity to buy something really special, I would gladly move on from BA and SA keys that have sky rocketed recently. 

It's just a matter of having the right stars align and going for it. 

 

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

On 3/12/2022 at 12:22 PM, Chicago Boy said:

I've finally come to the realization that Tec 38 will NEVER be the book I thought it would or should be,  I am a product of my time and the watering down of the number of Robin's didn't help the cause. 

Now I feel bad. For what it’s worth, I think Robin is an important character  that allows the Bat to convey his thoughts to the reader. When the Bat talks back and forth w Robin,  it simplifies the -script for the writer and gives the reader a window into the story. 
 

the Bat couldn’t stay dark and mysterious forever

[PopKulture]

I think of all the times I came back from a show with a small stack of books like the spread pictured below, hand-picked, and usually from a broad range of genres, and what it must've meant to some kid a half century ago to sneak away perhaps to a tree fort with a grape Nehi and a baloney sandwich and blissfully lose themselves for an afternoon of escapism...

So, to trade all reminders of where we've been, of those random and ephemeral tendrils reaching back in history, for just one book, likely entombed in rather clinical plastic - that, for me, is at the crux of the question posed.

For me, the answer is resoundingly "no."

 

Edited March 13, 2022 by PopKulture

[Tri-Color Brian]

On 3/12/2022 at 9:20 PM, PopKulture said:

I think of all the times I came back from a show with a small stack of books like the spread pictured below, hand-picked, and usually from a broad range of genres, and what it must've meant to some kid a half century ago to sneak away perhaps to a tree fort with a grape Nehi and a baloney sandwich and blissfully lose themselves for an afternoon of escapism...

So, to trade all reminders of where we've been, of those random and ephemeral tendrils reaching back in history, for just one book, likely entombed in rather clinical plastic - that, for me, is at the crux of the question posed.

For me, the answer is resoundingly "no."

 

Those look too nice to have been read in a tree fort while eating a baloney sandwich...

[Professor K]

On 3/12/2022 at 4:02 PM, MrBedrock said:

That is the original cover art. At present it is the earliest known existing original Superman cover art. At the time (2013) I didn't have much wiggle room between the FF run and the price of the art, which anyone can find in the Heritage auction archives -$286,000. Now, even though the FFs have gone up quite a bit (probably somewhere in the $1,200,000 - $1,500,000 range), I would still much rather have the art and personally value it much higher.

Thanks for sharing that. It really is a beautiful thing. The oldest known original Superman cover art, wow, think about that (I'm sure you have). It could be in the NY Museum of Modern Art. And I think you got a good price on it at the time. 

[october]

Thought I've considered it as a thought experiment, I would never trade my collection for one expensive comic. I flip through my collection pretty often and I'm still making fun discoveries, reading through them, and putting together mini-runs and small sub collections.

A few days ago I pulled out my All New 4 and discovered a sci-fi anti-Hitler story I didn't know was in there. I've owned the book for a year or two, but only now sat down to flip through it. Yesterday I sat down and read an extra copy of Marvel Super Heroes 20 I was maybe going to sell. I like those options.

I can't have that sort of fun with just one thing. As much as I would love something like a Marvel 1 or Detective 1, there is only so much staring at a single comic that a guy can do. Especially, as someone above pointed out, it would probably be slabbed.

[Turnando]

I think that downsizing by turning a bunch of books into a few is a nice way to stay in collecting while preparing for passing your collection to your heirs.  A nice thing to do towards the end of your collecting career.

I can't imagine many heirs who would enjoy inheriting thousands of books.  But inheriting half a dozen significant books would be a different thing. 

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

On 3/13/2022 at 11:11 AM, Turnando said:

I think that downsizing by turning a bunch of books into a few is a nice way to stay in collecting while preparing for passing your collection to your heirs.  A nice thing to do towards the end of your collecting career.

I can't imagine many heirs who would enjoy inheriting thousands of books.  But inheriting half a dozen significant books would be a different thing. 

Exactly my thinking. My entire collection fits in one shortbox. My wife loves me more, my kid loves me more. Heck, my dog loves me more

[fast eddie]

I couldn't do it,,,,,,,, I love the scope and variety of my books,,,, from the GA all the way to today,,,,,, being able to sit down with a younger person and showing them the artwork and history,,,,,,,, I live for those moments,,,,,,,, maybe when I am closer to the end of my collecting I would consider "consolidating" my collection into just one or two books,,,,,but not yet.

[jimbo_7071]

On 3/12/2022 at 9:10 PM, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

Now I feel bad. For what it’s worth, I think Robin is an important character  that allows the Bat to convey his thoughts to the reader. When the Bat talks back and forth w Robin,  it simplifies the --script for the writer and gives the reader a window into the story. 
 

the Bat couldn’t stay dark and mysterious forever

Well, he could have gone darker. He could have severed the head of one of the criminals that he captured and carried that head around with him and talked to it the way he talked to Robin—like the way the Tom Hanks character talked to the volleyball named Wilson in Cast Away. Now that would have been dark.

I guess Batman's pillow talk with Robin added a layer to the comics, but Robin still gets on my nerves. And Tec 38 is the worst cover of the run; it's almost as bad as the issue of Batman that has Alfred twerking on stage.

[Scrooge]

I would never consider converting my collection into a single or a couple of big books. Simplest reason why? I would miss my multiple checklists the most

[Chicago Boy]

On 3/13/2022 at 1:10 PM, jimbo_7071 said:

Well, he could have gone darker. He could have severed the head of one of the criminals that he captured and carried that head around with him and talked to it the way he talked to Robin—like the way the Tom Hanks character talked to the volleyball named Wilson in Cast Away. Now that would have been dark.

I guess Batman's pillow talk with Robin added a layer to the comics, but Robin still gets on my nerves. And Tec 38 is the worst cover of the run; it's almost as bad as the issue of Batman that has Alfred twerking on stage.

Without Robin there is no The Batman movie in 2022.  I believe that.

[jimbo_7071]

On 3/13/2022 at 3:04 PM, Chicago Boy said:

Without Robin there is no The Batman movie in 2022.  I believe that.

I haven't seen it yet. I haven't been to a movie theater since 2012 or 2013. I stopped going because people were ruining every movie by turning on their smart phones. If I ever go to a movie theater again, I'm going to buy a large pop just so I can "accidentally" spill it all over the first person whose phone screen lights up during the movie. I'll say, "Your phone screen distracted me and made me spill my drink. You owe me a new drink."

PS—You may be the only person in the GA segment of the hobby who doesn't hate Robin.

Edited March 13, 2022 by jimbo_7071

[jimbo_7071]

On 3/13/2022 at 12:11 PM, Turnando said:

I think that downsizing by turning a bunch of books into a few is a nice way to stay in collecting while preparing for passing your collection to your heirs.  A nice thing to do towards the end of your collecting career.

I can't imagine many heirs who would enjoy inheriting thousands of books.  But inheriting half a dozen significant books would be a different thing. 

I guess that makes sense. I'm sure I would feel differently if I had a wife and kids. Actually, I'd feel irresponsible about collecting "niche" books if I had a family to worry about. I'd probably feel obligated to stick to books that were a little less volatile—which I guess would mean Timely and DC superhero books. Being single means it doesn't really matter what I spend/waste money on; no one is dependent upon me financially.

If I were to die today, I guess my books would go to my mother. My father is still alive, but I have been estranged from him since I was a small child; I hope that he wouldn't have any claim on my estate just because of the biological relationship (not that he would need it; he's better off financially than I am).

Edited March 13, 2022 by jimbo_7071

[Flex Mentallo]

On 3/13/2022 at 4:35 PM, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

Exactly my thinking. My entire collection fits in one shortbox. My wife loves me more, my kid loves me more. Heck, my dog loves me more

So you're saying, if I only had one shortbox instead of two, I'd me married, with a kid and a dog?!