Education on Comic Collecting: Topics

[sterlingcomics]

Just because this can get unwieldy very quickly....change of plans. Let's define MAJOR items (now pasted it into opening post) and make this thread's goal of defining those discussion topics. I'll start another thread for each discussion point/topic once we are done.

[tth2]

Let's make this thread's goal of defining topics. I'll start another thread for each discussion point/topic once we are done.

 

Possible Topics

• The Collecting Community
  
• Comic Collecting Overview
  
• Collecting Skills: Grading and Pricing
  
• Auction Site Buying and Selling
  
• Conservation vs Restoration
  
• The Pressing Debate
  
• Purchasing raw vs certified books
  
• Tools to assist collectors
  

Best places to buy and sell comics (by genre)

[tth2]

I don't know which category this would go under, but at one point I started a thread that was supposed to form a repository for all the bits and pieces of guidance that CGC had provided regarding its policies on restoration. I think it would be a good link to provide once you've started a thread on the appropriate category. It was a short thread.

[sterlingcomics]

I don't know which category this would go under, but at one point I started a thread that was supposed to form a repository for all the bits and pieces of guidance that CGC had provided regarding its policies on restoration. I think it would be a good link to provide once you've started a thread on the appropriate category. It was a short thread.

 

I'm making a chapter just on Certified Comic books, where I can compare and contrast the decision of purchasing over raw counterparts, as well as a look into the perceived benefits and possible opportunities/costs to consider.

[Davenport]

Recommendation: Read (or re-read) "Why Is Grading So Important?" in the 1992 Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide. A very well written realistic and historical look at what comic books are. (it offers some much needed perspective to freakishly pristine condition expectations. Much of that evolved out of the coinee influences/CGC criteria/OGG 2002 revisions.)

 

A quote: "Comic books are fundamentally a mechanical device. That is, comic books ,as with all books, are intended to move."

(hmm. unlike, say,...coins?)

[Timulty]

That's a good one. I like the one about the importance of cultivating a good relationship with dealers. Manners are golden folks. As the Golden Age was Golden.

[sterlingcomics]

Davenport: Can you provide scans of the article that I can use in my research?

[sterlingcomics]

OK folks...again I'm asking for some topics that you say the majority of collectors don't know or don't have all of the available information....

 

Time for your .02. Don't say I didn't ask.

[Davenport]

Davenport: Can you provide scans of the article that I can use in my research?

A "teaser" highlight from the 2nd page...

 

1st page

2nd page

3rd page

[alecholland]

Collecting Prowess: Grading, Pricing, and Hunting

 

I think it would be helpful if scans could be provided to show differences in paper quality and other issues with grading like the difference between a color breaking and non-color breaking crease or spine stress. I know most (if not all) board members already know all this, but it may be helpful to newbies.

 

I also think a glossary of definitions for terms and acronyms used would be very helpful including all the acronyms used for the comic titles themselves. I don't know how many times when I first began collecting again I would read a description of something either on the boards or especially on Ebay that looked like:

 

JIM #93 4.5 OW/C has 1" C URC that breaks color with SCT FC above Journey OSP $30.00 No Reserve!

 

and said, huh?

 

In addition, this may be a bit outside the scope of your project but a list of books that are tough to find in grade may be helpful as well. I know a lot of the DC war books I like are somewhat difficult to find in higher grades.

 

Anyway that's my .02 worth.

[Davenport]

 

I think it would be helpful if scans could be provided to show differences in paper quality and other issues with grading like the difference between a color breaking and non-color breaking crease or spine stress. I know most (if not all) board members already know all this, but it may be helpful to newbies.

 

Big Lion's "Examples-Based Internet Grading System" is an outstanding visual defect reference and evaluation tool.

http://www.e-bigs.net/freetool.php

 

Amazing work.

[sterlingcomics]

Thanks for the tidbits on the major areas...again....let this thread define MAJOR topics of interest. I want to "wrap this up" sometime today. I will then create follow up threads for each of the major areas where we can discuss to our hearts content.

 

TOPICS...TOPICS...TOPICS...any others?

[Timulty]

Well, probably one on determining value and guidelines for resale. Hate to suggest it but if someone HAS to sell a book the person should be familiar with the realities of the selling.

[Rodey]

What Makes a Comic a Key Issue?

[sterlingcomics]

ARCH:

 

Can you give me domain for editing the first post of the thread that is tacked to the top of the page? I'm still adding topics, and want to cross reference those threads in that thread. Worst case, I can give you the link to edit if required.

[Khumbu]

To really teach them how to grade a comic. Dealers should stock Grading Guides, because 90% of all collectors, and even some dealers cannot grade a book very well. If they plan to keep collecting, it would be nice to know the difference between a VG and a VF.

[bigfiver69]

One topic that could use some press.... Collecting comics when you don't live in a major market.

 

Something that - since I moved from Toronto to St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada - I have some expertise in.

 

Best source for books? Without question, it remains ebay. Be patient. Be wily. Identify good sellers and establish great relationships with them. Ask what they have in their inventory that hasn't made it market. Make off-price but not insulting offers on books.

 

Second best source for books? Your network. Find other collectors who like what you like. This forum is a great way to meet these kinds of folks. Aside from the great vibes, you are bound to discover books you want this way. Look at who is bidding on ebay on the same books as you, and fire them some e-mail... it's a great way to meet birds of a feather.

 

Get to know the good mail order dealers. Send in your wantlists. Have personal rapport with them. They are the ones hitting all the cons, not you. Make sure they know what you want, and they will hunt it down for you.

 

I returned to collecting after (and largely because of) the rise of the internet. I cannot IMAGINE collecting from a small market before the web. It's the biggest comic shop/convention that was ever created!

 

Shep

[Paratrooper]

I was wondering if DC Grey tone war covers were harder to find in high grade than non-grey tone covers. Is this true? For some reason finding any Grey tone G.I. Combat in VF and up is impossible to locate.

[tth2]

I was wondering if DC Grey tone war covers were harder to find in high grade than non-grey tone covers. Is this true? For some reason finding any Grey tone G.I. Combat in VF and up is impossible to locate.

You should post this question again in the SA forum, because a lot of people might not see this question because of the nature of this thread.

[Jamie Coville]

Hi there,

 

I'm not a collector or a major buyer of old books, but for fun/education I sometimes read this board.

 

I think another good topic for newbies would be "Scarce" comics. I hear Overstreet lists some books as scarce that really aren't that hard to find.

 

Are there any comics that are truly scarce? Any chance of a listing?

 

Also: what tricks to some shady dealers try to pull? An old one is selling a modern reprint of Action Comics #1 and claiming it's the real thing.

 

And one more thing, a catalogue of counterfiet comics and how to detect them. Thanks to a scan on my old comic history site, I discovered I was using a counterfiet scan of Cerebus #1 and a dealer was using it to convince people his counterfiets were the real deal. Oops! I made the correction when notified and told the dealer, but he didn't want to accept his counterfiets were counterfiets.