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What got you into Golden Age Comics?

Started by mr.schomburg,

90 posts in this topic

mr.schomburg

mr.schomburg

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I had a real interesting discussion with Zeeman the other night, and he asked me how I got into collecting GA. I told him and he shared his story, I find peoples why and how they collect interesting. So I thought I might ask and see what makes my fellow GA junkiies tick.

Is it the vivid color, the risque cover that helped sell books from this era, what drew you in? A child hood memory of comic seen or wished for, or just the thrill of the hunt. The ultimate satisfaction of finding an issue no one has, or very few do anyway.

For me its a mixture of the covers, color and nostalgia of things past. Of course the thrill of the hunt never lets one down. Deep down inside its much more for me, I think its a way for me to conect with an earlier time, to a place where although its fantasy, it seams with in reach. I love the way it entrenched our society to deepths which shook a nation, with senate hearings, and comic burnings, and wild spectulation of the damage to American youth. I also love the fact, that is 100% American Art Form, at least Comic books as we know them are. What a wonderful and at this time prevailing ideology to be a part of. I also love the smell of old newsprint, the slight acidic order of something old which is still around, and wasn't ment to be.

Anyway, love to hear some stories.

paul

 

Oh and for me collecting GA started when I started collecting comics in the late 70's and early eighties. I remember picking up my first overstreet..a schomburg all select redu..I think overstreet #10, and I was hooked. I bought a few GA in the 80's, but vowed to own a full Cap run and Marvel Mystery, but I had to wait untill I had money. So at this point somewhere in about 86 I got my lisence to drive and discovered girls and comics got stored away. Only to be pulled out and many issues sold for cash while in college, I wish I hadn't done that, but hey I started over. Of course the majority of my collection was Marvel and DC modern and silver age back issues, I could afford these in mid-grade, but GA books not a chance. I saved for months to buy an Avengers #1 in G for 50.00, so at 20-30 bucks a piece GA, not gonna happen unless 6 books a year would satify my app.

So flash ahead to 2002, I dig my collection out of my parents home, and discover my love for comics is still there. I then begin to fill all my silverage marvels and complete the runs, which other than coin, I find not challanging at all. I am still not complete, only about 95% complete with a few keys and run issues needed. This is because I decided to bid on a timely and got hooked. So the last year has been GA, GA, GA, and I am hooked. I love the challange and nostalgia, and by far the covers amaze me everyday. Its funny, I always wanted a Cap 74, and now I have one.....I really can't imagine finding a better hobby with more satisfaction and enjoyment. I have to say, that it has been fun getting to know my fellow board members and enjoy the info I learn everyday. Thanks for letting me join your little club, looking forward to meeting some of you in the future.

Paul

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Point Five

Point Five

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For me its a mixture of the covers, color and nostalgia of things past. Of course the thrill of the hunt never lets one down. Deep down inside its much more for me, I think its a way for me to contect with an earlier time, to a place where although its fantasy, it seams with in reach. I love the way it entrenched our society to deepths which shook a nation, with senate hearings, and comic burnings, and wild spectulation of the damage to American youth. I also love the fact, that is 100% American Art Form, at least Comic books as we know them are. What a wonderful and at this time prevailing ideology to be a part of. I also love the smell of old newsprint, the slight acidic order of something old which is still around, and wasn't ment to be.

 

Nice writing! I'm enjoying this thread already. thumbsup2.gif

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FFB

FFB

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I would really like to read responses from some of the bigger GA collectors here, such as Jon Berk, RHG, CentaurMan, sacentaur, ciorac, Buttock, Timely, and the list goes on and on.

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Point Five

Point Five

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I think my first encounter with GA comics was going into a comic shop in Pittsburgh circa 1990-1991 and seeing a copy of Psychoanalysis #2 on the wall. The comic just looked so bizarre, I knew I had to have it!...and the store also carried reprints of the main EC horror & sci-fi titles, which I started picking up as well. My first exposure to the diversity of genres that existed before the silver age.

 

I'd also have to credit discovering ebay in the late '90s. It finally gave me access to some of the cool GA books I'd seen in the price guides in previous years, but never been able to find.

 

When I was a little kid, I used to take my meager allowance, go to Forbidden Planet (comic store here in NYC), and pick out the oldest Batman or Superman comic I could afford (usually a beat-up Silver Age book). I just thought it was incredibly neat to own something so old. In a way, I think collecting GA books has helped me recapture that "little kid" feeling. In recent years, I've gotten fixated on the 1938-1940 period in particular...I just love collecting some of the earliest superhero comics, and seeing how it all started. cloud9.gif

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Silver Surfer

Silver Surfer

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Since I first starting collecting as a kid in the late 70's there was so much SA and BA stuff that dazzled me and golden age books were just not in the fore front like they are today. Sure you saw the odd picture of Marvel Comics #1 but Stan and his gang were at their peak so GA stuff really took a back seat then (or at least from what I can remember). Either too expensive or to rare to find in most cases (the internet sure did change that) I recall seeing many if any GA books on sale back when the local LCS were thriving.

 

These boards sure did help because I always wanted to own certain GA books and as I started to spend more and more time in the GA section it really hit home with me how awesome they were. I started to unload my SA slabbs and used the proceeds to for GA purchases and haven't looked back since. cloud9.gif

 

Something about owning a rare piece of original comic history that is 60-70 years old and hard to find that appeals to me. Once I realized that I could find just about any SA issue I want on any given day it really took away a lot of the thrill out of collecting them. Still love SA and hihg grade BA books but GA in any grade is the bomb.

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JiveTurkeyMoFo

JiveTurkeyMoFo

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My foray back into GA has been relatively recent. I've been mostly a high grade Silver and Bronze guy for the better part of 15 years. However, last October, I had a chance to purchase the following two books from the Comiclink GA & SA auction:

 

Subby25cgc85.jpg

 

Subby26cgc90.jpg

 

Doing some research before and after the auction, I found out these two books with similar "ND' pencil markings on the cover actually both belonged to the same OO collection known as the Cape Cod collection. They sat in a closet from the time of purchase in 1947 to the time they were brought into the market in 1997. Since then, they've changed hands at least a half dozen times, but always as a matched set.

 

As someone with a love of history, it seemed like an absolute shame for them to be split up at auction after traveling the same road for nearly 60 years. So I bought them both, and have been gradually adding HG GA Submariners to my collection as the opportunity allows. Yeah, I spent $2,700 on two books because of an overactive sense of romance for the past. Sue me.

 

Of course, since then, I've also bought high grade Schomburg covers, high grade GA Wonder Woman, and a couple of others books that have screamed "buy me".

 

Sadly, I have the bug now. There is no cure. sorry.gif

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ciorac

ciorac

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I would really like to read responses from some of the bigger GA collectors here, such as Jon Berk, RHG, CentaurMan, sacentaur, ciorac, Buttock, Timely, and the list goes on and on.

 

While I appreciate the sentiment, I am not in the same league with the gentlemen you listed me with. But thanks Scott!

 

For me, 'twas Silver that led me to Gold.

 

As a youngster, my brother and I collected comics off the newsstand, starting in the mid 60's (with help from a wonderful Mother). My Mom always supported our love for the books, and she still enjoys the fact that her sons still love them. She read them as a little girl in the 40's and her recounting the tales of her favorite heroes to my brother and I got us started reading and collecting them.

 

We never dreamed that books from her time still could be found. In fact, the concept of old back issues was foreign to us until 1972 or 1973. Not exactly sure. But, my math teacher (Mrs. Ferguson) caught me reading a comic book tucked inside my text and asked to see me after class. I thought I was doomed. To my utter amazement she told me to come by her house and bring some help, because she had a box of old comics to give me!!

 

They were all Silver Age, early Marvels mostly. But most of the big keys were in the box, doubles on some! Long story short, a year or so later a comic/sci-fi convention came to town and we brought some of the books with us. It was our first ever convention and we were just ablaze with excitement.

 

We sold some of the books and were looking for things to buy, when I happened upon a dealer who had a box of comics that were completely unfamiliar in size and style from what we collected or anything we had seen for that matter. He told me they were from the 40's. I could scarcely believe it. I bought a small stack of them, nothing too memorable, other than a Fighting Yank #1. When I got home that evening and read those books, smelled them, and admired them, I became intoxicated with them. And to this day, the smell and feel of a golden age book gets the hairs on the back of my neck standing up like no other comics.

 

I showed the books to my Mom and I could see her face light up when one of them was a Shadow Comic. She shared with me that the Shadow was her all-time favorite. Seeing her enjoy those books with me, reinforced it all the more. There was no turning back.

 

Wouldn't trade the memories for anything in the world. Each time I get a new golden age book, I smell it, and I am transported back to that moment in time...I'm 10 years old all over again. cloud9.gif

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comicdonna

comicdonna

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For me, It's the idea of owning something from the past, and the fact, that I have always been fascinated with GA covers. The dollar value is also a factor. I get to enjoy these books, and When I retire, who knows, I may sell them.

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Sid

Sid

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not a full blown GA collector yet but I've been picking up covers I enjoy. I guess to be blame would be the nice threads here from skybolt and Apothesis and also the numerous hours I spent reading threads on here going back a few years. The overall dedication to the actual hobby only seems to come out in the GA era, in my opinion. My girlfriend also enjoys the books and her grandmother enjoys talking about the old romance books, which I guess helps make my case to her. I am hoping eventually we'll both be able to enjoy this together and be 'our thing' since we're at odds in everything else. smile.gif

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