october Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Hey, why do you get to have all the fun! Because I am just that good! Living 6 blocks away from Centaurman helps too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CentaurMan Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Can't wait! Hopefully we can get it done this weekend. Hey, why do you get to have all the fun! Because october lives 6 blocks away and was personally vouched for by PedigreeMan, a giant among men. If you live nearby, come on over! I've got a lot of slabs that need cracking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrooge Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Can't wait! Hopefully we can get it done this weekend. Hey, why do you get to have all the fun! Because october lives 6 blocks away and was personally vouched for by PedigreeMan, a giant among men. If you live nearby, come on over! I've got a lot of slabs that need cracking... Nah, I was just kidding, even though I could drive down. That's if I wasn't going to go see OA by Eisner, Kirby, Caniff and others this weekend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timulty Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Early Whiz? Flessel DC's? Man, when you get those group shots together, it will make your collection already more "Impossible" than it already is!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PUNYHUMAN Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Centaurman , your collection is truly Astounding!! & what you said about colecting those books over Silver in the highest grade , I couldn't agree more!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PUNYHUMAN Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Ryan , you have awonderful collection. It might not be big , but what you have is rare and or scarce & truly nice books. Then again I'm Biased because I collect Centaurs & love 'em also. ] I am looking forward to seeing some samples from those books.... i read your comments in another thread about SPACE SMITH i think... same artist?? I gots Just to keep on track, here is the second half of my collection... pretty sad, i can fit all my comics in two photos!! Oh well, gotta start somewhere. I've got a few on the way. My pulp collection is way bigger (they are also generally WAY cheaper than G.A. comics!!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CentaurMan Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 (edited) Honestly, while I certainly acknowledge that those books weren't cheap, compared to high grade silver age Marvel, these books are generally steals. To each his own, or course, but I'd take a 'Tec 1 for under $10,000 a hundred times out of a hundred before I spent that much on a more common book from the 60's whose value is highly dependent on the absence of imperceptible (to me) flaws. couldn't have said it better myself, I also agree with this way of thinking. One of the primary drivers for us collectors is Scarcity. If something is plentiful and easy to obtain, we generally don't want to collect it (unless driven by Nostalgia, another primary driver that I'm not discussing here). We're drawn to Scarcity. But in the case of silver age superhero comics, the books just aren't scarce. There are thousands of available copies of any mainstream title you're looking for. So, as silver/bronze collectors we create Artificial Scarcity by restricting our collection to a certain grade. Unfortunately, by creating Artificial Scarcity via grade focus, we set ourselves up for a zillion pitfalls (trimming, pressing, undisclosed resto, resubs, etc) that serve to add more supply to a market that we thought was Scarce. So we have to rachet our grade threshhold even higher to feel like we've truly got a rare item. Plus, one tiny ding or tear causes the book to lose a vast amount of its value, so the comics shouldn't be handled/read/enjoyed except in rare cases. Personally, I suck at grading and resto detection. Just not good at it. Tried to learn, but I'm still inconsistent. So it's much better for me to focus on comics where the actual discovery of a single issue, any issue, is a rare event. Scarcity in early Golden Age isn't driven by grade, it's driven by a true lack of copies. Low grade? Restored? Who cares! I'm just happy to find an actual copy. My tiny little group shot picture a few pages back doesn't allow you to see the grades of the books, but does it matter? My 3 Wonder Comics are 1.8, 2.0, and 2.5, with amateur resto on the first two copies. Does it matter? If I told you I had a copy of New Comics #2, would your first question be "What grade?" No, it would be "Where the hell did you find one of those??" In recent years I sold my All-Star Comics #3 and my Flash Comics #1 because even though they're keys, they aren't Scarce enough for me (more common than an Adventure #40 or All-American #16, although certainly Scarcer than a Batman #1 or Captain America #1). That All-Star #3 sold for more than my 3 Wonder Comics #1 are worth combined, but I'm much happier with the Wonder Comics. That's how I like to collect. Edited June 14, 2006 by CentaurMan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Point Five Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 We're drawn to Scarcity. But in the case of silver age superhero comics, the books just aren't scarce. There are thousands of available copies of any mainstream title you're looking for. So, as silver/bronze collectors we create Artificial Scarcity by restricting our collection to a certain grade. Unfortunately, by creating Artificial Scarcity via grade focus, we set ourselves up for a zillion pitfalls (trimming, pressing, undisclosed resto, resubs, etc) that serve to add more supply to a market that we thought was Scarce. So we have to rachet our grade threshhold even higher to feel like we've truly got a rare item. Plus, one tiny ding or tear causes the book to lose a vast amount of its value, so the comics shouldn't be handled/read/enjoyed except in rare cases. Personally, I suck at grading and resto detection. Just not good at it. Tried to learn, but I'm still inconsistent. So it's much better for me to focus on comics where the actual discovery of a single issue, any issue, is a rare event. Scarcity in early Golden Age isn't driven by grade, it's driven by a true lack of copies. Low grade? Restored? Who cares! I'm just happy to find an actual copy. My tiny little group shot picture a few pages back doesn't allow you to see the grades of the books, but does it matter? My 3 Wonder Comics are 1.8, 2.0, and 2.5, with amateur resto on the first two copies. Does it matter? If I told you I had a copy of New Comics #2, would your first question be "What grade?" No, it would be "Where the hell did you find one of those??" That's how I like to collect. In recent years I sold my All-Star Comics #3 and my Flash Comics #1 because even though they're keys, they aren't Scarce enough for me. That All-Star #3 sold for more than my 3 Wonder Comics #1 are worth combined, but I'm much happier with the Wonder Comics. That's how I like to collect. Um, me too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PUNYHUMAN Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 I feel the same way . couldn't said it better. Don't get me wrong I love my near complete Silver Age Marvel & I have alot of silver DC , but in the last 12 years I've really love collecting Golden Age more because of the History, Rare & or Scarcity of the books. The thrill of the hunt can't be beat,& when you finally aquire one of those grails.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CentaurMan Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 (edited) You're totally right on that last paragraph. I should edit it out. I sound like a #$&%. It's more that despite what it may seem like, I have a limited amount of available funds for collecting. That Flash 1 and All Star 3 represented a significant amount of my potential buying power tied up in two books that, if I sold, I had a reasonable chance of replacing one day if I ever came into funds. The Adventure 40 I wouldn't sell because I don't know if I could get a comparable copy. Edited June 14, 2006 by CentaurMan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Point Five Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Just kidding around, no worries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
143ksk Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 I agree completely on the scarcity issue. It's one of the (many) things I like about collecting Archies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Honestly, while I certainly acknowledge that those books weren't cheap, compared to high grade silver age Marvel, these books are generally steals. To each his own, or course, but I'd take a 'Tec 1 for under $10,000 a hundred times out of a hundred before I spent that much on a more common book from the 60's whose value is highly dependent on the absence of imperceptible (to me) flaws. couldn't have said it better myself, I also agree with this way of thinking. One of the primary drivers for us collectors is Scarcity. If something is plentiful and easy to obtain, we generally don't want to collect it (unless driven by Nostalgia, another primary driver that I'm not discussing here). We're drawn to Scarcity. But in the case of silver age superhero comics, the books just aren't scarce. There are thousands of available copies of any mainstream title you're looking for. So, as silver/bronze collectors we create Artificial Scarcity by restricting our collection to a certain grade. Unfortunately, by creating Artificial Scarcity via grade focus, we set ourselves up for a zillion pitfalls (trimming, pressing, undisclosed resto, resubs, etc) that serve to add more supply to a market that we thought was Scarce. So we have to rachet our grade threshhold even higher to feel like we've truly got a rare item. Plus, one tiny ding or tear causes the book to lose a vast amount of its value, so the comics shouldn't be handled/read/enjoyed except in rare cases. Personally, I suck at grading and resto detection. Just not good at it. Tried to learn, but I'm still inconsistent. So it's much better for me to focus on comics where the actual discovery of a single issue, any issue, is a rare event. Scarcity in early Golden Age isn't driven by grade, it's driven by a true lack of copies. Low grade? Restored? Who cares! I'm just happy to find an actual copy. My tiny little group shot picture a few pages back doesn't allow you to see the grades of the books, but does it matter? My 3 Wonder Comics are 1.8, 2.0, and 2.5, with amateur resto on the first two copies. Does it matter? If I told you I had a copy of New Comics #2, would your first question be "What grade?" No, it would be "Where the hell did you find one of those??" In recent years I sold my All-Star Comics #3 and my Flash Comics #1 because even though they're keys, they aren't Scarce enough for me (more common than an Adventure #40 or All-American #16, although certainly Scarcer than a Batman #1 or Captain America #1). That All-Star #3 sold for more than my 3 Wonder Comics #1 are worth combined, but I'm much happier with the Wonder Comics. That's how I like to collect. It's sounds like you've found a way to have the fun of collecting expensive books without the stress. Oh, and I am definitly for those group shots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperBird Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Centaurman, an excellent POV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ft88 Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 I agree completely on the scarcity issue. It's one of the (many) things I like about collecting Archies. Throw in a dollap of nostalgia, and a teaspoon of minimum grade (cost dependent) and there's my Bugs Bunny approach. I do understand the motivation to focus on scarcity. Its one of the reasons I get down on Silver Age on up that have been graded. In almost any grade, its not as if another one won't be available shortly. Value vs Scarcity I don't use that as much. The obvious here - that value is subjective to yourself. I value the Cartoon books much higher than the market but when I see an All Star 3 vs a Wonder #1 the All Star is easily the more impressive book to me even at the higher cost. The other reason I don't focus on scarcity is an issue with "one of a kind" items. These are tough to value and to me (an others I think) it loses some excitement because its a loner type collecitble with little sharing appreciation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CentaurMan Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 when I see an All Star 3 vs a Wonder #1 the All Star is easily the more impressive book to me even at the higher cost. The other reason I don't focus on scarcity is an issue with "one of a kind" items. These are tough to value and to me (an others I think) it loses some excitement because its a loner type collecitble with little sharing appreciation. Excellent, excellent points. One thing I worry about with my collection is that I'm not setting up for easy resale if I ever had to dump books. I think if I put a poll up on whether people are more impressed by an All Star 3 or a Wonder Comics 1, the AS would win by a large margin. I also agree on the "one of a kind" point. A lot of the promotional books that esquire and others have been posting are tough to properly appreciate almost because of their uniqueness. That's why I focus on books that in their day were considered relatively mainstream with national distribution that are part of numbered runs (collectors are drawn to numbered runs like moths to a flame). While I don't collect Catman, the popularity of that series to collectors is very understandable, despite the extreme difficulty in finding some of those books. I think the lack of "sharing appreciation" (as you put it) keeps unique promotional, regional, or low print run foreign books from capturing some of our imaginations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PovertyRow Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Centaurman, an excellent POV. Why thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shiverbones Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 howdy Pov! I agree with the sentiment. I am currently collecting 40's & 50's Funny animal, and there are tons of books you NEVER see. No one really cares, and I can't really resell the collection for vast rewards, but I have a bunch of hard to find books that I find fun to hunt down & appreciate. Its been FUN for me, and that the main thing, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Point Five Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted June 15, 2006 Share Posted June 15, 2006 I agree completely on the scarcity issue. It's one of the (many) things I like about collecting Archies. Throw in a dollap of nostalgia, and a teaspoon of minimum grade (cost dependent) and there's my Bugs Bunny approach. I do understand the motivation to focus on scarcity. Its one of the reasons I get down on Silver Age on up that have been graded. In almost any grade, its not as if another one won't be available shortly. Value vs Scarcity I don't use that as much. The obvious here - that value is subjective to yourself. I value the Cartoon books much higher than the market but when I see an All Star 3 vs a Wonder #1 the All Star is easily the more impressive book to me even at the higher cost. The other reason I don't focus on scarcity is an issue with "one of a kind" items. These are tough to value and to me (an others I think) it loses some excitement because its a loner type collecitble with little sharing appreciation. I'm not a loner. I'm just waiting for everyone else to catch up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
