Pleasant Surprise ROI : Bought Off The Rack And Still in Collection 3 3

[Krydel4]

When I first started collecting as a kid (around 6 years old) I wasn't looking to speculate, get investment grade books that had movie potential, or thumb through the rack looking for that flawless sharp edged copy to immediately get entombed for its "protection". I collected what I was interested in. But as the years fly by, all of a sudden those books that I bought become keys to this character appearance or first whatever and elevate in price. What are some of your best or favorite books you still have in your collection that you bought for the love of comics? Here's one of mine... Who knew?

Edited November 20, 2022 by Krydel4
Clarity

[MattTheDuck]

I've said before that I had a kid's "someday these will be worth a million dollars!" attitude but that had nothing to do with what I bought.  I bought what I liked to read.  Any monetary value of these books is a happy accident, and they were all bought for cover price either at a grocery store near where I grew up or at an LCS.  They - along with about 1000 of their close friends - were stacked in first one, then two dresser drawers in my bedroom for a couple of decades or more until I discovered bags and boards.  It's amazing to me they're in the shape they're in.

 

[csaag]

.for the most part, I just read these once and then bagged them where the sat for 30+ some years.

 

 

[Phicks]

I guess I would not say they are “still in my collection”, because I have re purchased NM a copies of any of these comics that I really liked.   But I did indeed keep the comics I bought as a child in the mid 70s.   I loved them to death, and read them so many times the covers fell off.   But I still have them.

[WolverineX]

Everything I bought as a kid was an unpleasant  surprise.    All 90's image drek. Maybe Spawn 1 is worth 15 bucks or something.

[Krydel4]

On 11/20/2022 at 4:43 PM, WolverineX said:

Everything I bought as a kid was an unpleasant  surprise.    All 90's image drek. Maybe Spawn 1 is worth 15 bucks or something.

The Spawn 1 I bought is at minimum a 9.2. So if yours is the same it's $70 according to the OSP. Not a bad return on a buck 95. 

[Flanders82]

On 11/20/2022 at 4:43 PM, WolverineX said:

Everything I bought as a kid was an unpleasant  surprise.    All 90's image drek. Maybe Spawn 1 is worth 15 bucks or something.

Pretty much the same here. Although I don't have any photos to share at the moment, this post has given me the idea to have a short box dedicated to books I picked up as a kid. It's still cool that I've held onto these for almost 30 years. 

[WolverineX]

On 11/20/2022 at 8:03 PM, Krydel4 said:

The Spawn 1 I bought is at minimum a 9.2. So if yours is the same it's $70 according to the OSP. Not a bad return on a buck 95. 

Mine is a 8.0 and raw.

[grendelbo]

In a year I would be a collector, but when my Dad bought me this issue I was in to toys and cartoons and leisurely reading.

My copy and the one that used to be my brother's.

 

[1950's war comics]

i didn't buy ASM 129 off the rack but did pick it up from my LCS in the early 80's when it was only $2

[alexgross.com]

On 11/20/2022 at 10:50 AM, csaag said:

.for the most part, I just read these once and then bagged them where the sat for 30+ some years.

 

 

we are about the same age based on these books. DKR was so popular at my local store that i couldn't get a first printing. by the time i could get a copy it was like a third printing or something. 

[csaag]

On 11/23/2022 at 8:33 AM, alexgross.com said:

we are about the same age based on these books. DKR was so popular at my local store that i couldn't get a first printing. by the time i could get a copy it was like a third printing or something. 

I started in the late 70's thru about 1990. Would ride my bike up to the shop once or twice a week.   Always had a decent crowd but never swamped to the point where I was worried about them being out of stock.  Back then I had no clue about 1st or 2nd printings.  Just picked up the front ones in each pile and rode the bike back home with them bouncing in the plastic bag.   

A few more:

 

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by csaag
typo

[Cushing Fan]

I had a large collection of comics that I bought off the rack as a kid in the late 1970s but sold all of them off in yard sales when I was a teenager for fast cash. The only book I kept was my much loved Incredible Hulk #250 - always loved the cover and story and read the book many times.

Fast forward to current day and I met artist Al Milgrom at All Star Comics and Collectibles.  I never met Milgrom before in person so it was a real honor to meet him - I brought along my beat up copy of Hulk 250 (my equivalent of Silver Surfer 4 when I was a kid) that I originally bought off the rack new. Had Milgrom sign my Hulk 324 (heading off for the CGC Signature Series) and asked him to hold my other graded Hulk 250 which he and Sal Buscema previously signed for me years ago. My original copy of Hulk 250 is on the table in the photo.

[THE_BEYONDER]

I still have all my childhood books.   I’m working my way through upgrading my fave 50 

These 2 are my most recent...

[rexinnih]

Always fondly look at the first comic I can remember buying

[AJD]

I have bought very few Marvel comics ever. But for some reason back in 1988 I picked up a few for no particular reason. This was one of them.

[bentbryan]

On 11/23/2022 at 1:22 PM, Cushing Fan said:

I had a large collection of comics that I bought off the rack as a kid in the late 1970s but sold all of them off in yard sales when I was a teenager for fast cash. The only book I kept was my much loved Incredible Hulk #250 - always loved the cover and story and read the book many times.

Fast forward to current day and I met artist Al Milgrom at All Star Comics and Collectibles.  I never met Milgrom before in person so it was a real honor to meet him - I brought along my beat up copy of Hulk 250 (my equivalent of Silver Surfer 4 when I was a kid) that I originally bought off the rack new. Had Milgrom sign my Hulk 324 (heading off for the CGC Signature Series) and asked him to hold my other graded Hulk 250 which he and Sal Buscema previously signed for me years ago. My original copy of Hulk 250 is on the table in the photo.

Al is such great dude! I’ve been fortunate to get to know him a bit over the last few years and one of the coolest things about him is that he is a fan as well! He legit is one of us. 

[namisgr]

Being old has its privileges.  I bought new comics off the rack in two periods, first from 1972 to '76 and again from 1981 to '85.  I was already 17 when first becoming a regular reader and collector, and so was able to take good care of the books to preserve them.  I paid cover price for these comics, which along with 99% of my original collection have been sold in recent times:

      

Edited November 24, 2022 by namisgr

[lou_fine]

On 11/24/2022 at 5:06 AM, namisgr said:

 I paid cover price for these comics, which along with 99% of my original collection have been sold in recent times:

      

Big congrats to you on being able to pick up some great books and then having the smarts to keep them in tip top fantastic condition all these years until it came time for you to cash in on your little nest egg here.  

The only problem being that it's actually hard to justify having them certified when your cost of acquiring the underlying books themselves is only a tiny fraction of 1% of the total cost to have them "prepped" and then graded for certification.  Hence, the reason why the old school long term collectors usually simply leave them raw sitting in their private collections until it comes time to actually sell them.      

[namisgr]

On 11/25/2022 at 1:48 AM, lou_fine said:

The only problem being that it's actually hard to justify having them certified when your cost of acquiring the underlying books themselves is only a tiny fraction of 1% of the total cost to have them "prepped" and then graded for certification.  Hence, the reason why the old school long term collectors usually simply leave them raw sitting in their private collections until it comes time to actually sell them.      

Owned them for >35 years, then had them encapsulated.  Sold soon thereafter.