The dollars and cents of collecting-Your opinions.

[highlite23]

First let me thank everyone for a ton of great advice and guidence, got the Overstreet grading guide and i'm studying it diligentlly, more so i don't get ripped, than what to do with my books.

 

Anyway, floating around the boards i am astonished at the prices some of you are paying for comics, you are true collectors. I just can't bring myself to spend those figures on books, so I find myself picking up current issues and some Bronze books that i find in "Good" or better condition for next to nothing.

 

I just picked up an Amazing Spiderman #30 & #56 in GOOD or better condition, (again thats my assesment) for $20.00. I'm a big Spiderman Fan so i feel it was a great deal.

 

I was just wondering how you all felt about picking up "Good" condition books, I think you have refered to them as "Reader" copies, but if it's something that appeals to you and it looks descent (To my currentlly untrained eye) Is it a waste of money, should i hold out for VF as a bare minimum. I'm not looking to make money on the "Hobby" but is it a smarter choice to collect higher grade books.

[g-man]

i think it depends on what makes you happy. if trying to make a complete run of books is your thing and the condition doesn't really matter, go for it. If you want VF or better for said run then it will cost u. I used to be quite happy going to the boston shows, talking to Ted from Superworld , making a few deals around the room and coming home with 5-20 books in VF or better condition. I at one time had a nice run of Spideys from 14-20 & 70-300 but most are gone now. Now I see a VF book in a box and usually pass it by...the interest is no longer there. What is fun for me now is buying high grade raw books, slabbin em and makin a few bucks. I keep a few that I like and the rest are back up for sale. Since my $ for this "hobby" comes from the sales, I have to keep in the game somehow. Just do what makes u happy and that usually works the best.

 

Add I am frequently astonished what people pay as well......

[chromium]

A lot more people than you think collect GOOD or lower comics, although I don't think any are on the list...

 

There is a very active Silver Age-Golden Age yahoo group that mainly consists of people who just want to pick up comics to read, a lot of them don't even care if the comics have a cover or not. They affectionately call their copies BTH (or beat-to-hell)

 

Most people on the boards here are from the other side of the spectrum and only want the very best and are willing to pay for it.

 

I'm one of the few midgrade collectors here... I think there are about 5 of us

I tend not to pick up comics lower than VERY GOOD, it's kind of a personal barrier which I won't cross. My favourite buys are F to F+,generally good eye appeal with affordable prices.I buy about 150 backissues a month to complete collections and I rarely sell, so high-dollar books are out of my league.

I don't mind a few spine creases, or some colour breaking folds, or even date-stamps. But I hate writing on the cover or pieces missing.

 

Having said that there are a few books that I would like to own in high grade, but high grade for me is 9.0 - 9.4, for a lot of people high grade starts at 9.6.

 

The good thing about this board that everyone is welcome and everybody loves to talk 'comic'. Even if you have no interest in high grade slabbed books, you will learn more about the hobby in a few weeks here than you ever imagined possible.

 

You will also encounter a user named 'Bugaboo', but don't be alarmed, he's a computer generated gremlin, a sprite as it were, created by the sysops for our comic relief

[Zonker]

on the Secret Origin of Bugaboo! I've always wondered!

 

I'm also a low-to-mid-grade collector, especially since I started buying Golden Age issues. One thing that has troubled me is the creeping acceptability of taped comics all the way up to Very Good condition in the recent Overstreets. Shades of 1970s mail order guy Howard Rogofsky's notation that "tape is not considered a defect."

 

So, against my will, I'm being pushed towards being a higher-grade collector than I would like. The upshot is I may well stop collecting the expensive Golden Age books...

 

Cheers,

Z.

[chromium]

I agree with Zonker..no tape on my VG-VF books...ever (yuck)

[Rob]

Another mid-grade collector here. I keep promising to start a website for us. I have registered www.silveragecollecting.com, but haven't started it yet. I'll get it up and running in the next few months. It'll be somewhere for us mid-graders to enjoy, without high-grade elitests or BTH readers.

 

I mainly collect F or better books, but I don't have a low threshold I won't cross. I generally don't like books with creases on the cover, just general wear. But if the deal is right, I'll buy a lower grade book. For example, I saw a VG Justice League of America 22 on eBay with a Buy It Now for $9.99. I couldn't pass that up.

 

If I do buy low grade books, I'll buy ones that have good eye appeal, but are low grade because of a hidden flaw. I love detached covers. A detached cover is an automatic G, assuming the condition of the cover doesn't make it worse. I have a Batman 155 that appears to be VF, but the staples have pulled through the cover. You can't tell by looking at the comic. Sure, I feel a need to fill the void by getting a "whole" comic, but until that time, I like having the nice looking book for $15.

 

My advice would be to collect what you like. Everyone has different tastes, different budgets, etc. And the #1 thing that will diminish your passion for the hobby is asking others for their opinions. Most of the people on this board will tell you that if you can't afford to collect high grade CGC, it might not be the hobby for you, which is BS! There is enough room in this hobby for every type of collector. The ones who will be collecting years from now are those who collect for the love of it, not the profit.

 

If you're worried about reselling value, should you ever decide to leave comics, don't worry about it. More than likely you will be able to get your money back. A $20 G comic today will fetch $20 tomorrow.

[seank]

Put me in with the mid-grade guys. I'd like high grade books, but my budget and tastes prevent it, I like gold and ECs. My general rule nowadays is to try to stick with VG/F or better. But for late silver and up, I try for VF or better. I bought a pair of G books recently--a gold and an early EC-- and now I'm regretting the purchase. I'd rather have one better quality book. That's life. Maybe one day I'll sell them and recoup my money...

[sborock]

"There is enough room in this hobby for every type of collector."

 

That's the best thing said on this board in days!

[dam60]

Chromium - I am going to stand up and be counted with you. I have no problem having a G or a VG in my collection.

 

For Batman books I usually try to get the nicest comic I can afford (usually in the 7.0 or better range) but for any of my numerous other runs, I don't mind a G. In fact, I would sometimes prefer it. Picking up issues of a pre 400 Action or Detective can be quite pricey - even for a G!! I too like VGs more and would focus on them, but when the completionist and realist sides of me get together you can get a lot of bang for your buck.

 

Also, if reading comics is your thing, I am amazed at the number of books available as trades. Both Marvel (Essentials) and DC (Archives) have many of the Silver / Golden age treasures for a song and a dance. Essentials might be your best bet as you usually get about 20 copies for $15.

 

Welcome to the forums HighLite!!

 

DAM

[NewtSamson]

Wait.......so a comic with a detached cover can be rated good?

I thought that makes it a poor.

What's a good way to get that cover back on there?

If I were to get graded a comic with a detached cover, would that get less a grade, than the same comic having the cover reattached with CGC giving it one of those restoration labels?

[ArnoldTBlumberg]

I concur. This should be engraved on a plaque and printed on banners displayed at every convention and publisher. The behavior of too many collectors reflects an attitude that is entirely opposed to this sentiment.

[Rob]

"Wait.......so a comic with a detached cover can be rated good? I thought that makes it a poor."

 

Yep, Overstreet's grading guidelines have always stated that a comic with a detached cover can be no better than Good. Obviously, if a Poor comic also has a detached cover, it is Poor. But if the cover would normally grade at at least Good, it can also be detached. A cover that is detached at one staple can be VG.

 

"What's a good way to get that cover back on there?"

 

That's tricky. If a cover is detached, that means the staples have ripped through the cover. So new staples wouldn't hold either. You could always create new staple holes, but I don't think that would increase grade. I would just keep it detached. Inside a bag, you can't tell it's detached.

 

"If I were to get graded a comic with a detached cover, would that get less a grade, than the same comic having the cover reattached with CGC giving it one of those restoration labels?"

 

Again, a tricky situation. I believe Overstreet says that VG books and lower can have replaced staples. Fine or better has to have original staples. So replacing staples doesn't necessarily mean restored. If you can attach the cover with new staples, I would say you have a chance of getting a VG. But like I said above, it's difficult to do.

 

One time, I bought a VF Iron Man #1, except that it had coupons cut out and writing inside. I was able to buy a Good copy, and transfer covers. The staple holes didn't line up perfectly, but I was able to attach the new cover, and sell it for a profit.

[AlexH]

I have to agree with most sentiments in this post. Most of the older ones I have, I have had for ages and enjoyed reading them, regardless of the condition. I have a run of X-Men from 94-up but I don't think there is more than a few in "mint" condition until about issue 150. I just got what I could find or what I could afford.

 

I think what some people tend to get away from is the concept of what a comic book was originally intended for...to be read!

 

If you have no purpose other than you want to read the book, and/or have a "collection", then it shouldn't matter what condition they are in, as long as YOU enjoy them.

[joe_collector]

>>That's the best thing said on this board in days!

 

I concur and collecting Good or NM comics has its own appeal, and to each his own.

 

It's those dang speculators that usually do the most long-term damage to any hobby, not the collectors.

[OldGuy]

I collect from Good to NM. For something like my almost completed X-Men run I want high grade for the most part, but I lower my standards as the price goes up on some of the key books.

 

I recently completed a "reading run" (Good to VF) of the Neal Adams Green Lantern/Green Arrow run. I don't care to spend the money to get these books in high grade, I just want to read them and after I do I'll probably sell the run. I just sold a run of TOS 40-99 (minus about 8 books) all in G to F condition. I put the run together, read it then sold it.

 

For me it's a question of "Why am I buying this comic?". If I plan on keeping it then I want the highest grade I can afford. Sometimes the highest grade I can afford is only Fine, sometimes NM, depends on the book. If I only want to read the story then sell the book then there's no reason for me to pay for more then just a low grade copy.

[Rob]

"...I want the highest grade I can afford. Sometimes the highest grade I can afford is only Fine, sometimes NM, depends on the book."

 

That is my approach to collecting. I collect Batman. If I'm buying a copy of Batman #250, I want a NM. No reason to buy less, and I wouldn't waste my money on a Good. However, I bid on a Fair copy of Batman #6 last week, but lost by one bid. I would be more proud of owning a Batman #6 in Fair that cost me $150, than a #232 in CGC 9.6 that would cost me $300. But that's just my taste.

 

Man, I'm really motivated to get my site up now. I want it to be a place where real collectors can share and appreciate eachothers collecting perspectives. Some people may want a run of Batman 1-50 in GOOD. Someone may only collect 1980's X-Men in 9.4 or better. Someone may collect Neal Adams work. I can respect it all, as we all share a love of comics. What I can't get into are people who only talk about CGC Hulk 181's, ASM #1, AF #15, X-Men #1, Avengers #4, etc. Cherry picking speculators.

[OldGuy]

I'll support your site when you get it going. I have a wide range of comic interests and they can (and sometimes do) change on a weekly basis. I also love "the hunt" as much as "the find".

[Rob]

Cool! I don't have many ideas for content, other than a comprehensive grading guide, with close-up pics. I'm open for suggestions, and may even accept article submission from collectors who have sometihng to share. I'd like to have a section with people's stories about their "hunt" and "finds". I'm mainly excited about a message board with more posts like this one. I get discouraged in my collecting when I hear people on here calling a VF- a POS. I've mentioned before that I'm a member of the Silver Age - Golden Age board on Yahoo, but many of them claim to never spend more than $25 for a book. So I can't relate to them either.

 

I'm like the Goldielocks of comics. "This board is too rich. This board is too cheap." So I have to create my own site that is "just right".

[garthgantu]

A couple of years ago, upon getting back into "active" collecting (as opposed to just storing my collection as I had for ~17 years), I made the decision to limit my purchases to VF- or better SA, and FN or better GA.

 

This has worked fairly well in terms of keeping my expenditures reasonable while getting what I consider to be quality books with a long-term upside. (Short term, no, but long-term, yes.)

 

On the side, I'm experimenting with purchasing higher grade Golden Age books (VF- or better), slabbing them and selling them more or less immediately. I'm in the early stages of this effort; have purchased (through a separate eBay account, and via conventions) a couple dozen books, and will be listing some of those in the next few months.

 

Personally, if I ever buy a slabbed comic for my collection, I will unhesitatingly crack the case and toss it. I wouldn't do this with a NM 9.6 ASM #19 for instance, but then I don't expect to spend that kind of money on a single Silver Age comic any time soon.

 

I'm very happy to hear that there are collectors out there who view books in the FN - VF range as being more than adequate, collectible copies... that grade range reflects the bulk of my collection...

 

Garthgantu

[PovertyRow]

I try for the F- range and anyting higher is a bonus. But also have some Vg and even a G of a real precode horror key. To my eye, in the precode books, a Fine can be a very pretty looking book. Perhpas because of the lack of association. One sees lots of high grade titles like ASM etc so seeinf them in Fine - well - they just don;t look as good. But because one often sees a ton of Good and below pre-code horror, a simple FINE really stands out.