Attempting to collect DC Showcase 1-104 in 9.0 or better! 7 7

[Chiparus]

On 8/7/2024 at 3:26 PM, Silver said:

I mistakenly called it a 3-pak, they were four for .47 cents.  

Thanks. I assume it was Sea Devils #5 in the pac. One I need!!!

[trmoore54]

On 8/19/2023 at 12:22 PM, COI said:

That's a nice set of books, and the quest is a cool idea.

20 years ago, at the age of 20, I started a high grade ASM run. I bought a couple of the bigger books first,  ASM 14 in 9.4 probably being the biggest, but I focused a lot of my attention and money on the mid-run stuff. The reason was simply that I only had so much cash, and buying one or two books a year just wasn't as fun as buying a few books a month.

You can probably see where this is going. ASMs are common and the only barrier to entry is money. I have more money now than I did 20 years ago, but my view of money and my desire for NM ASMs has not kept pace with the prices of those major keys in the run. It's simply too hard for me to stomach paying $10K for a book today that I was passing on at $1200 20 years ago.

You can take all of that with a grain of salt because maybe you and I are totally different and I have no idea what your situation is, but had I focused on the big boys first, I might've actually finished the run by now.

Good luck. 

Firstly, let me say how thoroughly I am enjoying the thread, discussion, information and the books.   And let there be no mistake, I am a (pretty solely) diehard Marvel SA guy/collector.  But believe me I read 100s and 100s of DCs (along with every other comic in sight) as a kid and did very much enjoy them.  Remember, we only had like 5 channels on the TV.

As COI opines, collecting in reverse (cheapest to most expensive books) has its pluses and minuses.  If investing and value increase is ALL or primarily what you are after, it makes only sense to buy ALL keys first, and then get around to the cheaper books.  But if the fun of collecting is your primary goal, enjoy the ride and find and purchase the books as they come.  There are different levels of joy also in how you are attaining them, whether in person at an LCS (rarer and rarer these days) or Con, whether raw or slabbed, or through bid, negotiation or straight purchase with a stranger or someone you know through the boards for example.  The best friends I’ve made on the boards have typically come about through buying and selling to each other (and thus getting to know each other).

For me, after getting back into collecting and the hobby in 2001, I had about 700-800 books, all Marvel runs/sets to work with (that I had saved since purchasing as a kid…stopped buying off the rack in 1971 my sophomore year in HS).  (And it was pretty funny how many of the books I had graded as Minty Fresh range were actually FN/FN+ books.)   I was also a run/set guy, and even after selling off many of my books, I put together sets just for fun/all raw, for example of Unusual Tales (Ditko) 1-49 I think, TOS 1-38 and a long ST run.  Ultimately, my focus and paring down of my collection was for ASM and FF (JIM/Thor dropping off before that) in 9.0 or better.

At one point, I put together ASM 1-200, goal being 1-50 in 9.0 and  51-200 in 9.4 or better.  And FF 1-102 in 9.0 or better.  Got to the point where I had to start selling off the higher number books to focus on the lower number/more expensive books.  I bought in reverse, cheaper to higher cost.  This was largely due to the fact my budget was limited to only using cash generated from comic sales…with a little wiggle room (something I had worked out with my wife, our 4 kids, and our overall budget and priorities).  Still I could’ve done the latter, but was more interesting in filling holes and seeing the runs/sets come closer to completion.  For me.

So ASM goal eventually went to 1-50 and then finally 1-20.  I had long resigned myself to the fact that I would be more than happy with ASM1 and AF15 in 9.0 restored for budget limitations.  I got down to needing only the AF15 and 2 and 3 about 7-8 years ago.  I had opportunities to pick up a beautiful restored raw AF15 for $2500 which was easily 9.0+ around 2010 but passed.   That was a mistake…even if necessary, should’ve taken out a Credit Union loan if it came to that.  Also a chance to pick up a 9.0 slabbed for about $10K (as a friend had done with G.A.tor here on the boards) about 10 years ago but failed to do so.  That ship has sailed.  So finally I had to start selling off the FFs and got a decent package deal for ASM 2 and 3 9.0 from a boardie for a little below market and also less the 10% auction/dealer fees. (An added tip to you that worked for me for MANY MANY books is working out time payments with other boardies which otherwise I would not have been able to purchase.) 

Got down to the FF “keepers” (7, 11, 16, 18 Twin Cities, 39, 45, 48-50 and 52 all in 9.0).  Sold most of these to fund the ASM 2 and 3 purchase. Now this became a regret…mostly because I could easily buy the 2 and 3 now along with probably an AF15 blue 6.0 (and upside-down 9.0) with the current value and have cash left over.  Ugh.   But the regrets for me always subside…hell, they better because if you’re going to collect comics for 60 years you’re going to have a few if not a lot of regrets.

Apologies for the novel-length post.  So, again, enjoy your journey and the pursuits, and of course the books.  I will be rooting for you and following this thread, which I hope will be for a long time.   Tom

[trmoore54]

Meant to add enjoying all the other fans and collector's (in addition to the OP) especially Chiparus' quest as well.  And I echo tth2's comment that the whole manipulation of comics to squeeze every last dollar of profit out of the books is, to say the least, off-putting.    In the SA Spidey Appreciation Thread we are posting successive books and are currently on issue 75.  I am posting scans (the ones I still have) of former books between 21 - 100 and remembering how about a third to half were HG old labels.  And wondering how many of those are still in the same holder. 

And to expand a little further on tth2's comment and book manipulation, I think that CGC should have a rule that (a) they will not press a Pedigree book and (b) perhaps refuse to regrade Pedigree books which would seemingly deter the practice.  Sometimes it's all about the idea.  The idea being someone consciously brought a lot of effort and intent to collect and maintain books in the safest and most lasting way to preserve them for the future over many years (whether to ultimately sell for a profit or enjoying that whenever they parted with the books they would be appreciated by another collector.  Again, that's the whole point to behold the book or own the book and experience the amazement of the condition and preservation (and the love that made the attempt to have it remain in the condition they acquired it in).

Once the book has been altered, it's technically not that book anymore...which is a bummer.  Maybe it's too late for CGC to establish this position.  Boo/hiss.  

I now return you to the Showcase collecting discussion... 

Edited August 28 by trmoore54

[Chiparus]

After numerous failed attempts over the last few years, I have finally managed to pick up a high grade issue 41. This addition to the set creates an unbroken run from 23-104. That feels very good. Will post a pic when it arrives. 

 

 

Edited September 3 by Chiparus

[FloridianDemon]

On 9/3/2024 at 3:03 AM, Chiparus said:

After numerous failed attempts over the last few years, I have finally managed to pick up a high grade issue 41. This addition to the set creates an unbroken run from 23-104. That feels very good. Will post a pic when it arrives. 

 

 

Nice work! thats a tough one! Im bidding on some stuff currently

[Chiparus]

[trmoore54]

On 9/7/2024 at 2:34 AM, Chiparus said:

Pretty book!  

[trmoore54]

FD or anyone...pickycollector/Patrick has a #33 CGC 8.5 that might upgrade to a 9.0 in his sales thread presently if interested...