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

[Happy Noodle Boy]

I have OCD. Real OCD, not the kind that people joke about when they wish they weren't so indecisive. I deal with intrusive thoughts daily. They are not fun. I also go back and forth on comic collecting--I started a thread here awhile back asking if anyone actually preferred lower grade books for aesthetic reasons rather than just because they're cheaper to acquire, because my OCD around condition was really aggravating me. Eventually I sorted that out and decided what I want.

So my advice, first, is, to decide exactly what you want out of your comics. What, specifically, makes you happy? Do you like collecting runs? Do you like collecting keys? In a perfect world, what would your collection consist of? Silver? Bronze? Marvel? DC? What grades? High grade only? How high? Decide exactly what you want. Find a collecting focus. Then look at your collection with that in mind. Any book that doesn't make you happy, for any reason, get rid of it. Ruthlessly whittle your collection down to only those books that truly make you happy. Whatever your condition threshold is, any book that doesn't meet it has to go. Maybe that means getting rid of nearly everything. That's fine. Don't worry about if you'll ever be able to find a certain issue within your budget again. If the copy you own doesn't make you happy, get rid of it. 

The purpose of your comic collection is to make you happy. Any book that doesn't fulfill that purpose has to go. To do this, like I said, you will have to decide exactly what you want. Condition sounds like your problem, as it was mine. I decided that every book I own has to "look good" to me and I would not ever compromise that for a "low grade is better than no grade" mentality. For me, no grade is preferable to low grade. Because there a million books out there to collect, and if a certain book isn't available in the condition I want, I'll just look for a different book. I collect bronze age, so that usually means 8.5 - 9.6 (9.8 isn't a real grade, don't buy them.) But I have some books that fall below that grade range due to availability--Archies for example, just aren't easy to find in higher grades. But I still only buy Archies that look good to me. That's the rule. For me that means for starters, no corner damage, no stains, no tanning, and no miswraps. I miss out on a ton of books I want this way. I have been looking for Archie Giants 13 and 23 forever but the copies on ebay just aren't good-looking enough. And that's a shame. But every book in my collection makes me happy. Remember, with comics, no two books in the same grade are alike. A 9.6 can have a miswrap that makes it look like lousy, while an 8.0 of that same book can look beautiful. So yes, condition definitely matters, but judge every book individually, don't just lump them together by numerical grade. I have a bronze age House of Secrets that MCS graded at a 7.0 that looks great to me, and I'm happy to have it in my collection.

Always remember: The purpose of your comic collection is to make you happy. Hope this helps.

 

Edited July 21 by Happy Noodle Boy

[Ken Aldred]

On 7/21/2024 at 11:09 PM, Happy Noodle Boy said:

I have OCD. Real OCD, not the kind that people joke about when they wish they weren't so indecisive. I deal with intrusive thoughts daily. They are not fun. I also go back and forth on comic collecting--I started a thread here awhile back asking if anyone actually preferred lower grade books for aesthetic reasons rather than just because they're cheaper to acquire, because my OCD around condition was really aggravating me. Eventually I sorted that out and decided what I want.

So my advice, first, is, to decide exactly what you want out of your comics. What, specifically, makes you happy? Do you like collecting runs? Do you like collecting keys? In a perfect world, what would your collection consist of? Silver? Bronze? Marvel? DC? What grades? High grade only? How high? Decide exactly what you want. Find a collecting focus. Then look at your collection with that in mind. Any book that doesn't make you happy, for any reason, get rid of it. Ruthlessly whittle your collection down to only those books that truly make you happy. Whatever your condition threshold is, any book that doesn't meet it has to go. Maybe that means getting rid of nearly everything. That's fine. Don't worry about if you'll ever be able to find a certain issue within your budget again. If the copy you own doesn't make you happy, get rid of it. 

The purpose of your comic collection is to make you happy. Any book that doesn't fulfill that purpose has to go. To do this, like I said, you will have to decide exactly what you want. Condition sounds like your problem, as it was mine. I decided that every book I own has to "look good" to me and I would not ever compromise that for a "low grade is better than no grade" mentality. For me, no grade is preferable to low grade. Because there a million books out there to collect, and if a certain book isn't available in the condition I want, I'll just look for a different book. I collect bronze age, so that usually means 8.5 - 9.6 (9.8 isn't a real grade, don't buy them.) But I have some books that fall below that grade range due to availability--Archies for example, just aren't easy to find in higher grades. But I still only buy Archies that look good to me. That's the rule. For me that means for starters, no corner damage, no stains, no tanning, and no miswraps. I miss out on a ton of books I want this way. I have been looking for Archie Giants 13 and 23 forever but the copies on ebay just aren't good-looking enough. And that's a shame. But every book in my collection makes me happy. Remember, with comics, no two books in the same grade are alike. A 9.6 can have a miswrap that makes it look like , while an 8.0 of that same book can look beautiful. So yes, condition definitely matters, but judge every book individually, don't just lump them together by numerical grade. I have a bronze age House of Secrets that MCS graded at a 7.0 that looks great to me, and I'm happy to have it in my collection.

Always remember: The purpose of your comic collection is to make you happy. Hope this helps.

 

At no point have I been mocking OCD, as I’m on the autism spectrum and get absolutely crushed by those intrusions. Every day.

IIRC, the OP is also on the spectrum. I empathise with his hyperanxiety, and really hope he finds a happier, calmer direction to go in, and doesn’t waste as much time as I did in pointless torment.

And, that’s really why I’ve posted so much here.

[Buzzetta]

Out of curiosity, can you take and post a picture of the piles of comics with their covers detached please.   I have questions. 

[grendel013]

@BA773 Do you still have all the covers?