What Are Your Little Pleasures of Comic Collecting... 2 2

[PopKulture]

Well, like many here, re-bagging books is cathartic. I’ve still got boxes of books in the old polyethylene bags that I’ve tried upgrading to at least polypropylene bags (and boards). These can be anything from old Harveys or Charltons to lower grade Atlas and Dells. I’m in no hurry, so I flip through a lot of books looking for interesting house ads and read a few stories. 

I'm just glad you can actually BUY bags and especially backer boards again! Those were frustrating days during the lockdowns when you couldn’t find them anywhere but the Bay at extravagant a la carte prices. It’s a disconcerting feeling being down to your last few bags or boards…. 

[PopKulture]

Since we have handy little devices that make it so easy now, I’ve taken to occasionally spreading out and photographing my stuff as I acquire it, usually from comic shows or flea markets, but also from the Bay and MCS. I haven’t been doing it that long, but I already enjoy looking at the pictures from just a few years ago. And as the last few pics show, it bleeds into other areas as well.

Edited March 3, 2023 by PopKulture

[bc]

I get into the analytic minutia like documenting the Atlas Job Coding during the '50s & '60s 

-bc

[silverseeker]

Cracking a book out of its slab and not finding tears or stains that were missed in the graders' notes...there's a few minutes of anxiety as I initially page through the book, followed by pure enjoyment if all is good...

I no longer crack out books over a certain price point, but still crack out most of the slabbed books I purchase...

[universal soldier]

Love that newsprint smell, rivals grandma's cooking . I'm rebagging my x-men collection right now and in many cases, saved the original price sticker.  I picked up a lot of these for an absolute song. 

[The lips]

I like to pick a villain, pull out covers they’ve been on and lay out on floor so I can just look at them throughout different decades !!

more importantly, and this is a big pleasure. 
me and my 7 year old son now play comic shops with my collection !! he’s basically the store keeper, I come in and ask for books he knows I’ve got and I buy off him. He absolutely loves it and he loves flicking through boxes until he finds it. 
he’s named it the ‘Super hero planet’ !!

 

 

[Krydel4]

On 3/2/2023 at 9:33 AM, PopKulture said:

Since we have handy little devices that make it so easy now, I’ve taken to occasionally spreading out and photographing my stuff as I acquire it, usually from comic shows or flea markets, but also from the Bay and MCS. I haven’t been doing it that long, but I already enjoy looking at the pictures from just a few years ago. And as the last few pics show, it bleeds into other areas as well.

Excellent! It reminds of little pleasure of doing a comic Poker hand. Here's one of my Bronze age ones.

[MR SigS]

I like finding double covers and other errors naturally in the wild, before a premium price is attached to them. So far I've found 4 double covers (Longshot #1, Giant-Size Superstars #1, Strange Tales #180, and Kamandi #2), and I found a Giant-Size Chillers #1 with 32 extra pages. The moment of discovery is a great feeling 

[MisterX]

I get a nostalgic kick out of the old advertisements in my BA books and Warren magazines. 

BTW, sea monkeys do not look as cool in real life as they do in the ads! They're like, hideous tiny little shrimp!

[valiantman]

When I finally understood that oddball comics like UK variants (pence cover price) on Marvel and D.C. books weren't later reprints (as I had been lead to believe), but printed at the exact same time as the U.S. versions, and they were cheaper than the U.S. version because people thought they were reprints.

You're telling me those piles of silver that people treat like aluminum are actually platinum, but priced like aluminum? Sign me up! 

Edited March 3, 2023 by valiantman

[D2]

I used to get really excited standing in line for a signature or a sketch

Man I miss those days...

[Stefan_W]

I love finding cool things that I have never owned before. For instance, I bought a collection with a Sensational Spider-Man 1 that still had a cassette of the Ramones singing the Spider-Man theme song. Is it really valuable? Nope. Is it really cool? Abso-freaking-lutely. Little treasures like this keep me going. 

[Robot Man]

On 3/2/2023 at 8:37 AM, BitterOldMan said:

Meeting cool collectors like @Robot Man!  Finding my grail Doc Savage pin from Robot Man!

Likewise buddy! Ain’t nothing bitter about this old man! 

[Robot Man]

On 3/2/2023 at 9:24 AM, PopKulture said:

Well, like many here, re-bagging books is cathartic. I’ve still got boxes of books in the old polyethylene bags that I’ve tried upgrading to at least polypropylene bags (and boards). These can be anything from old Harveys or Charltons to lower grade Atlas and Dells. I’m in no hurry, so I flip through a lot of books looking for interesting house ads and read a few stories. 

I'm just glad you can actually BUY bags and especially backer boards again! Those were frustrating days during the lockdowns when you couldn’t find them anywhere but the Bay at extravagant a la carte prices. It’s a disconcerting feeling being down to your last few bags or boards…. 

I’m done re bagging comics. Many years ago I went mylar and full backs. Done.

I have a couple of times regraded my collection due to the on going trend of super tight grading. I don’t think I will live long enough to do it again…

[Robot Man]

On 3/3/2023 at 6:45 AM, D2 said:

I used to get really excited standing in line for a signature or a sketch

Man I miss those days...

I used to as well. Not to many left I would care enough to stand in line or pay for though. Luckily I got to meet most of the icons.

Here is about the only picture I still have. 

[Robot Man]

On 3/2/2023 at 9:33 AM, PopKulture said:

Since we have handy little devices that make it so easy now, I’ve taken to occasionally spreading out and photographing my stuff as I acquire it, usually from comic shows or flea markets, but also from the Bay and MCS. I haven’t been doing it that long, but I already enjoy looking at the pictures from just a few years ago. And as the last few pics show, it bleeds into other areas as well.

Great photos Pop! I do and have always done the same thing. Fun to spread out your finds at shows and collections I have bought over the years and go back and enjoy them all over again. I have tons of photos like this. 

[LowGradeBronze]

I love that I'm still finding out about single issues or runs by favourite artists that I didn't even know about until now! (Thanks to MCS and the internet in general.) Then tracking them down and buying them, if they are still affordable! 

(And by happy chance, this is my 1000th post!)

Edited March 3, 2023 by LowGradeBronze

[Robot Man]

I love waiting for a package in the mail. Gives you something to look forward to. Always nice to get something positive in the mail. I joke with my wife that she will probably get to unwrap my last package. 

[Lazyboy]

On 3/2/2023 at 2:19 AM, Gaard said:

I like making new boxes. I like to set it in the middle of the floor, stand back, and gaze upon my accomplishment.

What, you think I'd have my mom do it?

Just in case anybody doesn't get the reference: Here's the classic thread.

[Lazyboy]

I always enjoy getting a new (back)issue that contains a Statement of Ownership that I didn't have. I have found them interesting since the first one I saw, many years ago.