Post Your Top 3 Personal Comic Book/Original Art Acquisitions of 2023! 8 8

[Illustrious]

Nothing major this year for me, looking at my records I only bought 6 CGC-graded books for all of 2023. Here's the best 3 out of 6:

[Microchip]

@Sweet Lou 14 still completely overwhelmed with which 3 books in the hoard to choose?  

[Sweet Lou 14]

On 12/19/2023 at 6:00 PM, Microchip said:

@Sweet Lou 14 still completely overwhelmed with which 3 books in the hoard to choose?  

Very hard to pick just three, but let's go with these.

Looking back, 2022 had some much bigger fish, but I'm definitely proud of these!

[piper]

I’m amazed at how little I bought this year… 

@Artboy99 did I buy Savage Tales 1 in 2023?

[Brandon Shepherd]

My Top 3 in ‘23 were ‘90s DC multiple printings from ‘93 in 9.8 grade. No one wanted them back then and now they are HTF in high grade. 

1) Adventures of Superman #498 (1/93), Second Printing

On 5 January 2023, I got an early morning text, from friend Iconic1s, with an eBay link. I was floored to see a second printing of this book, graded 9.8. The asking price of $250 was reasonable but I put in a best offer, just cause, about twenty minutes later the seller accepted. This book was a great way to start the new year. The first 9.8 for this second printing was graded on 08/09/2012 (part of Iconic1s’ collection), my copy is only this second copy to be graded Universal 9.8 by CGC - ten years is a long time. 
 

2) Batman #490 (3/93), Second Printing

 

This piece is the first Universal 9.8 graded by CGC. I tried searching on and off for raw copies online previously but I never found any suitable candidates for grading. I was also the only bidder in the eBay auction for this book, most likely due to opening bid of $99.99. When factoring in the costs of pressing, grading, shipping and time spent searching, paying $99.99 plus tax and shipping was only about $30 more than if I had found a raw example and paid to have it pressed and graded.

3) Justice League America #70 (1/93), Third Printing

When I saw this piece on eBay, the price was too good to pass up, I bought it right away. The eBay seller was YouTuber Mint-Hunter Comics, a channel I follow. Mint-Hunter Comics put out a video not long after I purchased this book, where he showed this book along with everything else from his latest CGC submission, he also mentioned the Justice League America #70 third printing had only been listed for about four minutes before I bought it. The internet makes the world a small place. 

[Namtak]

I did slow down from buying comics quite a bit,yet those 3 comes to mind instantly:tmnt 2,tmnt raphael.and superboy 68.notable mention is my christopher reeve autograph, it was the bigest acquisition for my autograph collection this year.

[Artboy99]

On 12/19/2023 at 6:19 PM, piper said:

I’m amazed at how little I bought this year… 

@Artboy99 did I buy Savage Tales 1 in 2023?

Yes, it was in the summer.

[F For Fake]

Always love this thread, and am in danger of using up all of my "likes"! Great stuff!

We had an expensive year (refinished the floors, new HVAC system, roof repairs, new appliances) so there wasn't a ton of comic money, but I did pick up a couple of things I liked. Upgraded my AV4, finally got a Walt Kelly Pogo strip that I liked (though I still want one with Pogo and Albert), and the Godzilla book is one of the best covers of the modern age, IMO. Onward to better things in 2024. Happy holidays, all!

 

 

[Norrin_Radd]

My favorite comic acquisitions this year.

Three very good old Batman comics. 

One Penguin, one Joker, and one Riddler.  I enjoy reading them.

[johnenock]

Always love seeing the great books everyone purchased. Here are my 3 favorites:

 

[pemart1966]

On 12/18/2023 at 5:41 PM, badback83 said:

I was very fortunate this year and I am very appreciative of that.  I got the opportunity to purchase some wonderful books.  Here are my top 3: 

3.  All Select Comics 1.  
A classic golden age cover.  The Big 3 kicking rear-end and taking names.  Cap with a machine gun mowing down hate mongers is always a good thing.  Torch flaming through structures and setting those scumbags ablaze.  But my favorite part, Sub-Mariner tipping the bridge and sending Nazis to a watery grave.  Brilliant!

 

2.  Captain America Comics 5. 
Jack Kirby, Joe Simon and Stan Lee.  Sheesh.  What a book.  Wheel of Death, Nazi mongrels and a clown with a hatchet?!  What more do you need?!  Now, I’m not usually one for signed books.  For this one however, I quickly made an exception.  Signed Joe Simon and Stan Lee.  Perfect signatures, perfect placement.  The green was a wonderful choice for Mr. Simon’s signature.

 

1.  THE number one book by far, without question for me this year.  THE number one book I’ve ever owned and THE undisputed champion of my collection: 

Captain America Comics 46

So much has already been said about this issue.  The significance, the history.  This book represents so much more to me than just a comic.  It’s difficult to put into words but it really hits me in a different way than any other book has.  I’m incredibly thankful, grateful and lucky to have this issue be the pinnacle of my collection: 

Gotta disagree with your comment on the All Select cover - judging by the look of it, there'll be nobody left whose name can be taken.   

Nice books btw.

[pemart1966]

On 12/19/2023 at 7:54 PM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

Very hard to pick just three, but let's go with these.

Looking back, 2022 had some much bigger fish, but I'm definitely proud of these!

Gorgeous Cap 3!  Not only is this a "Classic Red Skull Cover" but it's also the first Red Skull cover and should have been noted as such...

Edited December 21, 2023 by pemart1966

[Dick Pontoon]

I'll be the person_too_unaware_of_social_graces who can't limit himself to 3 books, which is a surprise because I haven't been buying a whole lot. But when I looked over my 2023 purchases I realized I picked up some books I really liked. Nothing is super high-grade or rare, but as a run collector it can be tough to find decent mid-grade copies of certain books.

I still need a few more to finish off my TTA run, but #44 is the last "big" one and #42 is a nice copy of an early Ant-Man. Mystery Tales #6 isn't a classic PCH cover, but I've always been outbid. The cover story stuck with me since reading the Tomb of Darkness reprint as a kid. Finally, a lower grade Four Color #596, AKA Turok #1, completing my Dell portion of the run.

[BigDaddy1]

My top 3 comics/sketches I’ve gotten this year:

1) Harley Quinn commission by Greg Land. This was something I always wanted him to draw for me so I was very excited when I got this book back! 

2) X-Men #101. This was a flea market find and a fun project for me. It was roughly a 3.0 before any pressing and cleaning, so I cleaned the back cover really well and did some of the front cover (at least what I could without rubbing the color off). Had a friend press the book, and came back better than I thought it would! 

3) Batman #189. Again, another flea market find for $10, I had to do a double take on that book bc I couldn’t believe no one had bought it yet! So what if it has a lot of tape pull it is what it is!

Very happy with this year and looking forward to many more years! Merry Christmas to all!

Edited December 22, 2023 by BigDaddy1

[walclark]

Mainly a Golden Age guy, but I have a soft spot for Kurt Busiek's Astro City. Here are two GA pick ups and a piece of OA.

[jdw1991]

[Azkaban]

my top three

[cabinboy]

My top 3 -

Al Jaffee's copy of the Ridiculously Expensive Mad

 

This beauty that I picked up at an estate sale on the cheap

And my favorite pickup - purchased at NYCC - its a handbound compilation of 31 Spectre stories from More Fun, ranging from issues 54 - 96, with a cutout of #54 on the front cover, issue 66 on the interior - love it!

 

[sagii]

Golden age 

[sagii]

Bronze