Joel0109 Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 (edited) So, going back to probably 2005 or so I was getting back into comics after giving up on the hobby in the mid 90's. I found a really nice copy of Hulk #181 on eBay. I decided to bid on it and won it for $1,200. I sent it in to CGC to be graded and it came back as an 8.0. About a year later in 2006 or so I once again gave up on the hobby. I put my CGC 8.0 Hulk 181 up for auction on eBay. It sold for around $500.00. I got back into comics about a year and a half ago and have bought back nearly my entire collection and then some (10 long boxes of raw comics and 6 short boxes of graded books) but I'm quickly losing hope of ever being able to buy another high grade copy of Hulk #181. Oh well. Still kicking myself. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1809448056083976&type=3 Edited April 10 by Joel0109 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MattTheDuck Posted April 10 Popular Post Share Posted April 10 I'm kicking myself for not buying another 25 copies when I got this one off the rack. If only we could see the future, eh? It's easy to have more regrets than joy from this hobby if you focus on lost financial opportunity. Coverdeath , KirbyJack, Off Panel and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spider-Variant Posted April 12 Share Posted April 12 On 4/10/2024 at 9:11 AM, MattTheDuck said: I'm kicking myself for not buying another 25 copies when I got this one off the rack. If only we could see the future, eh? It's easy to have more regrets than joy from this hobby if you focus on lost financial opportunity. Well said Matt. Off Panel and Coverdeath 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Off Panel Posted May 5 Popular Post Share Posted May 5 (edited) [Werewolf By Night 31 stock photo. Not my copy. I don't own this book anymore.] If we're sharing regrets stories... I was eight years old when Werewolf by Night 31 came out, but I was already buying and reading comic books. I picked this book off the spinner rack at the drug store and read the violent tale of a werewolf hunting a kid my age who was named -- and I kid you not -- "Buttons". In the end, Buttons survived, but Jack Russell's friend was horribly mauled and killed while protecting her. This issue made a big impression on me. So much so that I brought it up at dinnertime that evening, relaying the blow-by-blow of the story to my minister father and kindergarten teacher mother. Instead of saying, "that sounds like a heck of a yarn, kid!", they both immediately went into Seduction of the Innocent mode, and there was a three-day family conversation over whether I would be allowed to read comic books ever again. When the smoke cleared, my parents agreed that more reading was generally good for me, and we brokered a treaty whereby I could continue to read comics, but only superheroes and humor books. No more Bronze Age monsters, and if I were caught with one going forward, that was it for comic books. And that is the story of how my eight-year-old, big fat mouth prevented me from buying WWBN 32 the next month, which I absolutely, positively, unquestionably would have done otherwise. (Insult to injury: my parents were horrified that Buck Cowan was killed by the werewolf in the story. Years later I learned that Buck shook off the werewolf mauling like a summer cold and survived in Marvel fashion.) Edited May 5 by Off Panel comma placement workingdog, Sandflea, jcjames and 5 others 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post workingdog Posted May 5 Popular Post Share Posted May 5 On 5/5/2024 at 9:31 AM, Off Panel said: [Werewolf By Night 31 stock photo. Not my copy. I don't own this book anymore.] If we're sharing regrets stories... I was eight years old when Werewolf by Night 31 came out, but I was already buying and reading comic books. I picked this book off the spinner rack at the drug store and read the violent tale of a werewolf hunting a kid my age who was named -- and I kid you not -- "Buttons". In the end, Buttons survived, but Jack Russell's friend was horribly mauled and killed while protecting her. This issue made a big impression on me. So much so that I brought it up at dinnertime that evening, relaying the blow-by-blow of the story to my minister father and kindergarten teacher mother. Instead of saying, "that sounds like a heck of a yarn, kid!", they both immediately went into Seduction of the Innocent mode, and there was a three-day family conversation over whether I would be allowed to read comic books ever again. When the smoke cleared, my parents agreed that more reading was generally good for me, and we brokered a treaty whereby I could continue to read comics, but only superheroes and humor books. No more Bronze Age monsters, and if I were caught with one going forward, that was it for comic books. And that is the story of how my eight-year-old, big fat mouth prevented me from buying WWBN 32 the next month, which I absolutely, positively, unquestionably would have done otherwise. (Insult to injury: my parents were horrified that Buck Cowan was killed by the werewolf in the story. Years later I learned that Buck shook off the werewolf mauling like a summer cold and survived in Marvel fashion.) Can you imagine how your parents would have reacted if you brought home a Marvel comic titled "The Son of Satan?" bc, gunsmokin, Off Panel and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off Panel Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 On 5/5/2024 at 11:12 AM, workingdog said: Can you imagine how your parents would have reacted if you brought home a Marvel comic titled "The Son of Satan?" I think even stupid eight-year-old me knew that one was a non-starter... Sandflea, namisgr and workingdog 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post bc Posted May 5 Popular Post Share Posted May 5 On 5/5/2024 at 11:12 AM, workingdog said: Can you imagine how your parents would have reacted if you brought home a Marvel comic titled "The Son of Satan?" Funny you should mention that title I got popped in my Catholic Elementary school with a copy of Son of Satan #5 in 4th grade. Was showing it to a friend and a Nun saw it. Scolded in front of classmates - check! Dragged to the office - check! Parents called - check! Comic book confiscated - check! Further parental punishment - check! Later in Junior High, had a copy of Crazy magazine confiscated by a study hall teacher. -bc KirbyJack, mysterymachine, Sandflea and 5 others 2 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadroch Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 Never look back with regret. Off Panel, Sandflea and vheflin 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirbyJack Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 On 5/5/2024 at 2:24 PM, bc said: Later in Junior High, had a copy of Crazy magazine confiscated by a study hall teacher. -bc You just don’t learn, do you? I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that you still have monster comics laying around. Off Panel, bc and OtherEric 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semicentennial Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 This was in the early to mid 1990's at a small show at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland. A seller, whom I had seen there on a previous show, had a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 for $100. The book was in horrible shape. I just remember the cover look to have a massive amount of some type of restoration/destruction work done on it. The cover was horrible. I didn't even want to look pass the cover since it just looked disgusting. I tried to talk to down to like $15 or so and he actually did get close to my asking price, but I passed on it. I regretted not buying it afterwards. Some time had passed and I visited a shop in Alameda and in one of their boxes was the same AF#15. I think they had it priced at a couple 100 to $300. I still couldn't get myself to put up any money for the book because honestly it looked like someone just puked a bunch of paint onto the cover and then let it dry. There were chunks on the cover which was how bad it was. Thinking back I should have just bought it for the $20 or so he offered. jimjum12 and KirbyJack 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
namisgr Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 (edited) Not any major regrets over the Bronze Age, but I regret not pulling the trigger and buying a lot more of this original owner collection when it came to market in the spring of 1999. It was the Pacific Coast pedigree collection, and while the listing below shows part of the FF and JIM SA runs, over the span of a couple months nearly the entire group of SA Marvel comics in ultra-high grade published from 1962 to 1969 was put on the market by Robert Roter and his Pacific Comic Exchange. I bought a dozen FFs and JIMs/Thors in May and early June, but by July nearly all of the Marvels from every running SA title were gone. Edited May 10 by namisgr jimjum12, KirbyJack, drbanner and 1 other 1 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbanner Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 (edited) Not quite Bob's level, but I'm still kicking myself for not buying all these sweet, sweet DC horror books from Bob/Vinny in 1998 when they returned from Wondercon with the Oakland collection. I bought a few, but not enough. Years later I was able to snag the HoS 81 which graded at 9.4, still the highest graded (7 copies in 9.4, none higher). House of Mystery 174 NM- $100.00 House of Mystery 176 NM $65.00 House of Mystery 177 NM $65.00 House of Mystery 178 NM+ $75.00 House of Mystery 180 NM $49.00 House of Mystery 181 NM+ $49.00 House of Mystery 182 NM+ $65.00 House of Mystery 183 NM $50.00 House of Mystery 184 NM $35.00 House of Mystery 185 NM $35.00 House of Mystery 186 NM+ $35.00 House of Mystery 187 NM+ $35.00 House of Mystery 188 NM+ $35.00 House of Mystery 189 NM+ $40.00 House of Mystery 190 NM+ $30.00 House of Mystery 191 NM+ $40.00 House of Mystery 192 NM+ $39.00 House of Mystery 193 NM+ $36.00 House of Mystery 194 NM+ $40.00 House of Mystery 196 NM+ $30.00 House of Mystery 197 NM $39.00 House of Mystery 198 NM $30.00 House of Mystery 199 NM+ $36.00 House of Mystery 201 NM+ $36.00 House of Mystery 203 NM+ $36.00 House of Secrets 79 VF+ $60.00 House of Secrets 80 VF/NM+ $75.00 House of Secrets 82 NM $65.00 House of Secrets 83 NM+ $70.00 House of Secrets 84 NM $65.00 House of Secrets 85 NM $95.00 House of Secrets 86 NM $65.00 House of Secrets 89 NM+ $70.00 House of Secrets 90 NM $100.00 House of Secrets 92 VF/NM $600.00 House of Secrets 95 NM+/MT $60.00 House of Secrets 96 NM $55.00 House of Secrets 98 MT- $60.00 Edited May 10 by drbanner namisgr and Mike Murdock 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
namisgr Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 Love those list prices, Mike. Those were great times to be a comics fan and collector. drbanner, Mike Murdock and thehumantorch 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Murdock Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 I remember seeing some of Oakland collection bronze age horror books at San Diego con around that time and thinking that they were awesome books but I could not afford them back then. drbanner 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post thehumantorch Posted May 10 Popular Post Share Posted May 10 A new LCS opened up. This was maybe 1981. On their walls were about 50 pages of Kirby Forever People and New Gods Original Art. $50 each which was a lot of money to me at the time. The good news is I bought one, the bad news is I bought one. That's easily my biggest BA regret, not putting on my big bronze boy pants and buying them all. I still have the page and love it. Kirby's artwork for DC at that time was beautiful and I would suggest as beautiful as his work for Marvel in the 1960s Larryw7, ADAMANTIUM, drbanner and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimik Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 On 5/10/2024 at 1:00 PM, thehumantorch said: A new LCS opened up. This was maybe 1981. On their walls were about 50 pages of Kirby Forever People and New Gods Original Art. $50 each which was a lot of money to me at the time. The good news is I bought one, the bad news is I bought one. That's easily my biggest BA regret, not putting on my big bronze boy pants and buying them all. I still have the page and love it. Kirby's artwork for DC at that time was beautiful and I would suggest as beautiful as his work for Marvel in the 1960s Great piece, Dave. Unfortunately, his Fourth World artwork tailed off fast. I can remember the first time I got one of these in a collection, decided to read it, and wondered if I missed something in the story as everyone appeared to be melting in the panels. KirbyJack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehumantorch Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 On 5/10/2024 at 1:58 PM, kimik said: Great piece, Dave. Unfortunately, his Fourth World artwork tailed off fast. I can remember the first time I got one of these in a collection, decided to read it, and wondered if I missed something in the story as everyone appeared to be melting in the panels. Hell, I couldn't read the stuff. But I love the art. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbo_7071 Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 On 5/5/2024 at 3:24 PM, bc said: Funny you should mention that title I got popped in my Catholic Elementary school with a copy of Son of Satan #5 in 4th grade. Was showing it to a friend and a Nun saw it. Scolded in front of classmates - check! Dragged to the office - check! Parents called - check! Comic book confiscated - check! Further parental punishment - check! Later in Junior High, had a copy of Crazy magazine confiscated by a study hall teacher. -bc I had a subscription to Crazy in 2nd grade, and my mother's boyfriend tore up a bunch of my issues because I got in trouble at school (for calling one of my teachers a D***, I think). KirbyJack and bc 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADAMANTIUM Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 (edited) "Let no one despise your youth!" 1 Timothy 4:12 king james version , I think is in the Bible. The parents I lived with were firm believers but lived loose, as a child I thought ok what do I do with that info? I was more strict on myself for straying. I'd visit other parent who was always looking to the Bible for every decision before making it. I was caught in the middle. My books as a kid concerned mostly copper, so I cant contribute, but to say I trashed a Marvel Spotlight #5 because I bought it raw and read it. I was raised well enough, which is no excuses for my own mistakes, of the two trains of thought I do prefer the straight and narrow now! Sometimes we think it fun or novelty to read fiction, but some facts are out there that are equally disturbing Edited May 10 by ADAMANTIUM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...