Collecting goals.......is there an end in sight?

[COI]

I know on some level, every serious collector makes a list of the stuff they want to get, and the collection they want to put together.

 

And like many things in life, it's usually the hunt or the chase that makes something interesting, even more so then the actual achievement. Very often, strive to achieve, but once we get there, we simply set the bar higher. I think this inability to be content is something that is built into our nature inorder to keep our race moving foreward with achievement, whether on a personal or global level.

 

That being said, does this translate into our collecting affliction as well? For those of you who have set collection goals, what happens when you achieve them? Will you stop? Or will you start upgrading, or moving onto different books entirely? Can anyone see an end in sight for themselves(besides death)? Does anyone want to?

[awe4one]

I branched out......

 

My first goal was collecting mostly Marvel superheroes titles late Silver Age and Bronze. When that was accomplished (and a short run on Gold Key Sci-Fi TV and Atlas/Seaboard comics), I almost quit. I then realized that I really liked DC and Marvel horror titles and that's where the bulk of my buying went. I've since moved to upgrading my Marvel superhero titles, Marvel romance (they can't get cheesy enough) and slowing gravitating towards DC (early 70s Batman and 100 Page Super Spectaculars).

 

So it's like a sickness...once you achieve your goal, there's always something else to take it's place.

 

 

Jim

[joe_collector]

So it's like a sickness...once you achieve your goal, there's always something else to take it's place.

 

Then I'm recovering, since I have toned down my collecting quite radically, with only 70's Byrne, ASM 121-150 and select 1972-75 Marvel's being looked at right now.

 

And yes, once I clean up the old office a bit, and get me some room for a longbox or two, I WILL be blowing off a large portion of my collection.

[fantastic_four]

Once all my comics are 10.0s, I'll start going after 10.2s! Forget all that diversity and branching out stuff; I like buying multiple copies of the same issues. Obsession is my goal!!

 

Actually I am branching out, but not as a collector, only as a reader. I'd like to start going after some of the best science fiction titles out there like 100 Bullets, all the EC titles, and the best issues of other titles like Planet Comics or Strange Adventures, but I highly doubt I'll go for ultra-high-grade like I do for my Marvel runs. It kinda looks like "the thrill of the hunt" I get from those will last for a long, long time to come.

[greggy]

My goal when I decided to concentrate on collecting DCs was to get all the issues for every title from the 15 cents issues to the end of the 20 cent issues. However, as I was getting closer to my goal, I decided to collect the 25 cent issues so not to get bored with not buying any books. As my goal may never be finished as some of the titles such as the romance and the humour issues are too scarce, I have diverted my attention to upgrading certain key issues or issues with nice covers.

 

It's hard to say what I would do once my goal is met. I still collect Marvel monster reprint issues and to a lesser extent, humour and romance titles, I should be busy for quite awhile!

[ninanina]

Nope, no end. I've got 13,000 plus copies in my collection, and it's not enough.

 

When I started collecting 28 years ago, I wanted complete runs of every comic I ever read as a kid, although mostly revolving around Marvel. And when I get them all, I'll look at getting better copies. (Don't like anything VG+ or lower in my collection.)

 

And I can certainly see getting involved in other sets like Wonder Woman or Adventure (Legion of Super Heroe appearances) 'cause I used to read them too. So, once I've got it all I'm sure I'll find other stuff to collect.

 

 

 

[fantastic_four]

It's hard to say what I would do once my goal is met.

I hear once you finish a run, either Stan Lee or Bob Kane come to your house to shake your hand and sign whatever you want them to sign. When I finished X-Men, he didn't show up...same with Daredevil...so I'm hoping it kicks in once I finish ALL the Marvel runs. And if that doesn't work then maybe the gig was every copy of every issue of every run...I forget now.

[joe_collector]

I hear once you finish a run, either Stan Lee or Bob Kane come to your house to shake your hand and sign whatever you want them to sign.

 

Let me tell you, if Bob Kane ever came to my door I'd either run, or call the National Enquirer.

[jonnydouble]

Being the masocist that I am i like to collect runs that are not so common...it would be too easy to complete a run of fantastic four or batman....I'm thinking next either science fiction or horror titles...either EC or early DC...I think they are very undervalued and the hunt for a full run would be excructiatingly hard....I get a buzz out of driving eight hours to a convention and walking away with only one find...makes it more like a treasure hunt.

 

Jonny D.

[fantastic_four]

I hear once you finish a run, either Stan Lee or Bob Kane come to your house to shake your hand and sign whatever you want them to sign.

 

Let me tell you, if Bob Kane ever came to my door I'd either run, or call the National Enquirer.

 

Bob Kane only comes if you collect DC...and that's why I collect MARVEL!!! The thought of Bob Kane showing up at my door these days didn't sound too appealling to me either.

[murph0]

Once I finish ASM 1-441 in.. 1-20 in CGC 9.2/9.4, 21-100 in CGC 9.4, and the rest in 9.6/9.8. I'll be walking away. Unfortunately I keep hitting road blocks along the way, namely other comics..

 

Brian

[dam60]

FYI - Bob Kane passed away so if he came to your door that would be really spooky!

 

DAM

[dam60]

This year I defintiely set some collecting goals for myself. I wanted to accomplish the following:

1 - Batman 200-current complete

2 - Hulk 163-474 complete

3 - Ghosts 1-112 complete

 

I've actually been able to do okay for myself.

1 - right now I am only 8 away from 176-current complete, plus have a good start on 150-175

2 - complete!

3 - missing only issue 50. There is a real POS on ebay right now, I'm seriously thinking about it just to fill the run (I'm more of a completionist than a perfectionist). . .

 

These all correspond to some bigger goals like a full run of Batman and a run of Hulk from 102-474 complete.

 

It's been tough though, as I have a lot of "distractions". This year I have made my first purchases into original art and I very much like it. I can see an increasing percent of my comic budget going towards nice pieces that I like.

 

I also just bought the gemstone reprints of Tales of the Crypt - I can see myeslf maybe going after a few Gaines file copies one day too

 

DAM

[Bonds25]

It's never over! Everytime I think I'm done, something else comes up for auction that is cool looking, or a higher grade copy surfaces that I want so I can upgrade my existing copy.

 

Plus, I'm a "cover collector", and there are too many sweet covers for me to own!

 

[comicmankev]

The chase is always best. The hardest collection for me has been trying to get the full Sub-mariner run in 9.6 or higher. I'm almost there now and trying hard to think of what to move onto next. I know tha when I do it I'll be extatic(?) for a couple of weeks andprobably have a brag on this board. But after that I'll end up flippin the lot and moving on. Definately the chase.

 

 

And there can be no end, just new beginings

[aardvark88]

There is no end. It took me 16 years (pre-eBay) to get 8 Marvelmania 2 x 3 foot posters: Steranko Capt, Kirby FF, Dr Doom, Trimpe Hulk, Black Knight, Romita ASM, Kirby Surfer/Galactus, Thor. Now u can find almost anything on eBay, as long as u don't run out of US greenbacks. Comics to posters to orig. comic art.

[Mutantcollector]

I have my major goal of collecting all of the X-Men related books from X-Men #94 through the 1990's. I am just collecting reading copies of these books. I actually think of it more as builing a reference library of all of these books.

 

I also would like to build high grade runs of my favorite titles all CGC graded. I have small starts on some, but don't have a lot of any yet. For these runs my goal is to get the best I can find and afford.

 

For my first collecting goal, I don't know If I'll ever complete it, but if I do, I'd expand to find the pre x-men #94 comics and maybe try to collect some of the newer stuff and possibly some non-x-men related titles.

 

For my CGC runs, the search for better and better comics will never be complete. If I can't find enough upgrades to keep me busy, I'll just add an additional run to collect.

 

Right now I'm not really adding to my collection for a variety of reasons. The main one being is that I don't have space in my apartment for comics, and the majority of my collection is presently far away from me at my parents house.

 

 

[ninanina]

For my first collecting goal, I don't know If I'll ever complete it, but if I do, I'd expand to find the pre x-men #94 comics and maybe try to collect some of the newer stuff and possibly some non-x-men related titles.

 

Wondering if your planning on collecting All the pre 94 issues, as #67-93 are re-prints. And it's nice to know that you know X-Men existed pre: #94. I've never bothered with the re-prints myself.

 

Apparantly, many modern age collectors aren't aware of that.

[Mushroom]

I agree that it is never over. Somehow this year I made a decision to get all the Perez and non mainstream adam's that I could get to keep life interesting while I finish off a few goals.

 

Now I am also into GGA's as a result of this forum..................

[mr_highgrade]

There is no end. It took me 16 years (pre-eBay) to get 8 Marvelmania 2 x 3 foot posters: Steranko Capt, Kirby FF, Dr Doom, Trimpe Hulk, Black Knight, Romita ASM, Kirby Surfer/Galactus, Thor. Now u can find almost anything on eBay, as long as u don't run out of US greenbacks. Comics to posters to orig. comic art.

 

 

Hey Allan, I think I might have does posters.

Are they worth much?