LOCKED - OP request - My Ocd's finally won against me, maybe I'm end up with comics... 2 2

[Coverdeath]

So few weeks ago, after months and months of deals with my ocd's, to be concerned by the shape of my books which never had a perfect cover condition as i wanted, I took the path of REMOVING THE COVERS! Now few times after started this process and with already 75% of the books of my collection which have now the cover detached I realize it's an eternal mess... I m now concerned by corner and details like this... its a never ending madness... so now what I have to do? I guess nobody will buy books with detached cover... so what I do? Just sell the stuff which survived and throw out all the rest for recycling? 

 It's here a sad story and probably the death of another collector...

What are your advise guys? 

I'm still in balance between give up or not... 

Could i simply totally avoid the condition a day or is it an eternal headache?

[Coverdeath]

I probably already made as much damage in this hobby to continue right?

[Coverdeath]

I should make a survey...

Want you to have me again trough these forums?

[troydivision1]

This thread seems the perfect balance between -
1) Please speak with a specialist / therapist.
and
2) Hope at least one other board member who deals with OCD to this extreme can speak to their lived experience with OCD and comics.

[Ken Aldred]

Sounds like removing the covers from your comics was a spur of the moment decision, providing a bit of catharsis at the time, but now that you’re in a different frame of mind you’re anxious again, no other (collecting-related) stress release option available, and deeply regret it. A lesson in not making rash decisions.

I transferred over to reading digitally, which eliminated the crushing anxiety about condition and presentation, but I was ready to let go and move on. Part of the problem is that you aren’t, and you’re still looking for a process which works consistently with physical copy comics, while having obsessive tendencies and, by inference from your posts, a degree of mood fluctuation, in which your focus on particular defects is see-sawing around.

And that’s it. More agony aunt advice than anyone ever gave me in this hobby.

 

Edited July 21 by Ken Aldred

[Get Marwood & I]

On 7/21/2024 at 2:49 PM, Ken Aldred said:

Part of the problem is that you aren’t, and you’re still looking for a process which works consistently with physical copy comics, while having obsessive tendencies and, by inference from your posts, a degree of mood fluctuation, in which your focus on particular defects is see-sawing around.

Nicely put, Paul.

@BA773

BA, it seems to me that your OCD is preventing you from enjoying the hobby, and a hobby should always be enjoyable - what's the point, otherwise? Only you know whether you can overcome this and find peace with what you collect. To enjoy comics I think you need to either love the medium, or love making money from it. Some manage both. You won't find many collectors who will understand or sympathise with removing covers from comics though, just because they may exhibit handling wear. That's a fairly alien concept, I think. If you can bring yourself to remove a cover from a comic, then I would humbly suggest that you don't love it or the medium.

Work out what you like, is my advice. Stop asking other people what you should like, and go and find it for yourself. Find the thing that, when you hold it in your hand, a warm glow of happiness (often nostalgia driven) comes over you. And then ask yourself, why are you here, on this forum? Is it because it is full of comic enthusiasts, and you are one? If so, stay, and continue to post about the things in the hobby which make you happy, once you've decided what they are. But if all your posts and threads are about deciding each week that you're doing it wrong, changing course and being generally dissatisfied, then that won't endear you to many here and you in turn will enjoy being here less and less as people inevitably start to give your posts a miss. 

Good luck. 

[Ken Aldred]

On 7/21/2024 at 3:26 PM, Get Marwood & I said:

Nicely put, Paul.

@BA773

 

Work out what you like, is my advice. Stop asking other people what you should like, and go and find it for yourself….

 

….But if all your posts and threads are about deciding each week that you're doing it wrong, changing course and being generally dissatisfied, then that won't endear you to many here. 

Good luck. 

 

That’s one reason why, looking back, the tone in the last sentence of my post sounded a little frustrated.

The older boardies here lived in more isolated times, when meeting other fans and finding good sources for comics and information was much more difficult. Carving out the right path for yourself required much more hard work, myriad real world social learning experiences, both good and bad, gains and losses.

I don’t mind advising a bit from my reservoir of four decades’ worth of accumulated knowledge and experience, but when the interaction devolves into repetitive spoon-feeding and allowing an online newbie to safely navigate that minefield, then it’s progressing a little too much into one-way, informational exploitation.

Edited July 21 by Ken Aldred

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 7/21/2024 at 9:59 AM, Ken Aldred said:

 

That’s one reason why, looking back, the tone in the last sentence of my post sounded a little frustrated.

The older boardies here lived in more isolated times, when meeting other fans and finding good sources for comics and information was much more difficult. Carving out the right path for yourself required much more hard work, myriad real world social learning experiences, both good and bad, gains and losses.

I don’t mind advising a bit from my reservoir of four decades’ worth of accumulated knowledge and experience, but when the interaction evolves into repetitive spoon-feeding and allowing an online newbie to safely navigate that familiar, historical minefield, then it’s progressing a little too much into one-way, informational exploitation.

Well, it was a quiet "I told you so", speaking of frustration for those who offered up thoughts, as when he started the thread that said, "I'm going to tear off covers?" It was said that he would regret it, told him to sleep on it, in other words perhaps no he should not. One can easily be sympathetic when there is no context, longsuffering takes a spirit, and I believe you tried to empathize that though thoughts can seem convoluted it is better to shake yourself and set it aside that what besets us.

It is the reason I liked your post, basically if it isn't causing peace don't do it, but as you stated, there is more in this world that we "can't control" and we only voice about who rubs off the most irritation.  

Now your post that it didn't need to be "stated" as your last sentence, and yet sometimes tough love is all the sympathy and empathy to offer..... prayers for 1st world problems are hard!

but completely human  

Edited July 21 by ADAMANTIUM

[ADAMANTIUM]

In short, eyes can be opened in experience, and sometimes it can only take that route, regardless of the frame of reference it takes the frame of mind to come to "a conclusion" to then decide.  

This too shall pass  

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 7/21/2024 at 10:10 AM, ADAMANTIUM said:

In short, eyes can be opened in experience, and sometimes it can only take that route, regardless of the frame of reference it takes the frame of mind to come to "a conclusion" to then decide.  

This too shall pass  

Cheers @BA773 Take a breather, take a rest, it is all we need sometimes; the edge taken off  

Edited July 21 by ADAMANTIUM

[Get Marwood & I]

On 7/21/2024 at 12:53 PM, BA773 said:

Want you to have me again trough these forums?

Yes, by the way. Find the thing you love, BA, and come back and tell us all about it 

[zzutak]

On 7/21/2024 at 4:50 AM, BA773 said:

So few weeks ago ...... I took the path of REMOVING THE COVERS!  I'm now concerned by corner and details like this... its a never ending madness.

Just call me Son of Nostradamus:

On 6/8/2024 at 1:37 PM, BA773 said:

Maybe coverless could be my release

On 6/9/2024 at 7:20 AM, zzutak said:

Nope.  You'll only replace obsessing about cover blemishes with obsessing about page quality, shadows, spine splits, staple tears, etc.   

In all honesty, it was a no-brainer, given what I've seen during your short time on the Boards. 

[shadroch]

A hobby should be fun and bring joy to your life.  I've seen little evidence that that is the case for the OP.

[thehumantorch]

As others have said ripping the covers off comics won't help.  Reading digitally makes a lot of sense.

[Coverdeath]

What the people who recommand the digital seems to not understand is that I already read plenty of comics online... but collecting and reading is 2 really different things... I collect some series and books because I want to have the original material, simple as that 

[Ken Aldred]

What I was actually recommending was some way, any way, which allows you to get the most out of it without tearing yourself up with extreme anxiety, whether that involves a physical or a digital focus.

Home is a place where you should be able to relax and appreciate the comics to the fullest, not stress out this much. 

Edited July 21 by Ken Aldred

[MAY1979]

Vienna waits for the OP

[JollyComics]

This reminds me of Metropolis Comics put GA covers only (all stories were long gone) on the auction in about ten years ago.

[Ken Aldred]

I originally misread the first post in a previous thread and thought that he was just switching to buying cheaper coverless comics, and missed the carnage aspect completely.

Edited July 21 by Ken Aldred

[Chip Cataldo]

On 7/21/2024 at 3:19 PM, MAR1979 said:

Vienna waits for the OP

One of my favorite songs, and fun to play as well.