Reader or Collector? (Comic Collecting Habits)

[lupin]

Come on people... "What was that game that came out with the 360 with the red heard girl?". And lets not forget "Was it a golden or silver ticked in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory". Argh. Oddly enough, though my faith has been jarred, at the same time I feel encouraged. I feel encouraged that I am indeed ready to start that podcast I always wanted to do. Oh and yeah good show as always :cool:

[rabidbadger]

You have lost faith in drunkards not remembering ancient minutiae?

Still. Looking forward to your podcast. Post here when it's up. :)

[lupin]

Just finished hammering out a rough structure but by the time I get it out and hosted its probably gonna feel really dated. :P

Oh and idk I just felt myself wanting to smack them at that. Maybe its cause Im just a bigger loser with more free time on my hands and nothing else to remember. Who knows.

[rabidbadger]

Just finished hammering out a rough structure but by the time I get it out and hosted its probably gonna feel really dated. :P

Oh and idk I just felt myself wanting to smack them at that. Maybe its cause Im just a bigger loser with more free time on my hands and nothing else to remember. Who knows.

Nonsense. Crank one out. Learn from your mistakes, and crank out another. That's what I did.
'Tis gobs of fun

(yes, I said " 'tis" and I meant it.)

[lupin]

well my buddy is on Fall break this week so Im going to try and drag his ass down here and hammer one out. Quick question, what is the best way in your opinion to do a two person podcast? I have skype as an option. Could put him in another room of my house (he can't do it at his says his family would keep interrupting). But is there a way using 1 MAC or PC and two USB Headsets and Audacity for us to do it together without us coming in on each others MICs. Keep in mind we are each using a couple of cheap $50 Logitech headsets.

[weedhappy]

Song: (I've Got A) Golden Ticket Lyrics
Grandpa Joe:
I never thought my life could be
Anything but catastrophe
But suddenly I begin to see
A bit of good luck for me

'Cause I've got a golden ticket
I've got a golden twinkle in my eye

I never had a chance to shine
Never a happy song to sing
But suddenly half the world is mine
What an amazing thing

'Cause I've got a golden ticket

[Spoken]
It's ours, Charlie!

[Sung]
I've got a golden sun up in the sky

I never thought I'd see the day
When I would face the world and say
Good morning, look at the sun
I never thought that I would be
Slap in the lap of luxury
'Cause I'd have said:

Charlie:
It couldn't be done

Grandpa Joe:
But it can be done

I never dreamed that I would climb
Over the moon in ecstasy
But nevertheless, it's there that I'm
Shortly about to be

Grandpa Joe and Charlie:
'Cause I've got a golden ticket
I've got a golden chance to make my way
And with a golden ticket, it's a golden day

Grandpa Joe:
[Spoken]
Good morning, look at the sun!

Grandpa Joe and Charlie:
[Sung]
'Cause I'd have said,
It couldn't be done

Grandpa Joe:
But it can be done

I never dreamed that I would climb
Over the moon in ecstasy
But nevertheless, it's there that I'm
Shortly about to be

'Cause I've got a golden ticket

Grandpa Joe and Charlie:
'Cause I've got a golden ticket
I've got a golden chance to make my way
And with a golden ticket, it's a golden day

[lupin]

I wouldn't of known it by heart (if thats what you are trying to prove) but at lease I knew it was a "Golden" Ticket. Not silver.

[rabidbadger]

The latest version of garageband I believe supports multiple people/headsets/mics for podcasting.

But I do a vidcast, just turn on the camera and go, so I have yet to try it.

[klitzy]

Did anyone else start singing it when seeing those lyrics??

[lupin]

I did, and I'll try out garage band. I can pretty much pack up and take my mac mini anywhere in my house. When it gets done I will go ahead and drop a link here. then promptly expect you guys to rip me a new one on how bad it is hehe...

[jagtar]

I did, and I'll try out garage band. I can pretty much pack up and take my mac mini anywhere in my house. When it gets done I will go ahead and drop a link here. then promptly expect you guys to rip me a new one on how bad it is hehe...

fear not.....we will

[ctraider]

Did anyone else start singing it when seeing those lyrics??

I did and I sang it to a customer too.

[iSteve]

A few days after we attended a comic convention, my sixteen-year daughter asked me whether I was a comic book reader or collector. I was sort of taken aback at her question because I had never thought of myself that way before. The truth is that I am both. My boxed and bagged comics in the garage tell me that I am a collector, but I don't like to think of myself that way. I consider myself first and foremost a reader. I love the stories and the art.

What about you guys? Reader, collector, both?

[fred]

I used to collect but now I sell the majority of my back issues on ebay. I have trades off all the good stuff anyway. Don't want the clutter anymore.

[pv_2]

I was definitely more of a collector during my first phase of comics when I was a kid - I distinctly remember eyeing the Thor issue with the first appearance of Beta Ray Bill for a long time, and then getting it for my birthday. I don't think I ever took it out of a mylar.

Now I am a reader, not concerned with anything I don't think I'm going to enjoy for its story, regardless of its posterity. That being said, I still bag and board and box, and I'm not sure I'm ready to go as far as to eBay back issues (though it'd be a smart thing to do for many reasons). It's the same thing with my "regular' books - I just like keeping stuff I like for the most part.

[mister-s]

Both. I'm a reader first, so my comics - although bagged and boarded - are rarely in pristine condition. I like trades a lot, but there is just something about going to the shop on Wed. or Thurs. to pick up a stack of floppies.

[kwok_talk]

Foremost a reader. I used to bag and board individual issues back when I was younger. Now, I'd rather have the ability to easily access it for reading than be concerned with keeping it in mint condition. However, I pretty much solely read via trade paperback now, so I do like to collect them for display on a bookcase in my living room.

[the-dude-abides]

I'm certainly more of a reader. When the Ifanboys talk about the way conor treats his comics, I always feel like they're describing me and my pile of unbagged books.

[piscespaul]

Always been a reader but I have that completist bug that makes me collect any I can find

[jimski]

I don't know whether I could be best described as a closeted collector or a repressed collector.

Consciously, I live like a reader. I don't care at all about keeping "runs" complete and drop books like it's my job; I don't think I have ever hunted for a character's first appearance or anything like that; I have nine months of books piled like the Worst Jenga Ever on my desk at home; but while the clerk was ringing me up at the shop today I uncontrollably blurted, "And 100 bags and boards, please!"

Old habits die hard.

The truth is, I do try to keep them in pristine condition... but not for me. For eBay. Every week, I say, "This weekend! The shipping operation begins! Everything must go!" But of course it doesn't, and the boxes get fuller.

[jaflanagan]

I'm a reader. I used to collect. For most of my years in LA, my shops gave me free bags and boards, so I did that. But then I moved here, so I've got a stack like Conor. That isn't to say I don't have the instincts of my collector roots. If a cover gets creased or folded over, I cringe, but at the same time, I loathe being lumped in with the CGC crowd.

It's funny, because I have this comic book website, and this podcast, and this video show, and I, in no way, consider myself a hardcore comics fan. I love comics. Always have, always will, but like Jimski, these concept of complete runs mean nothing to me. I just want to be able to read the stories again should I ever have the chance. I don't read previews. I don't follow every bit of news. I just don't care that much. I only care about reading good comics, and talking about them.

I will say that I sold off about 3 longboxes of comics before I left LA, and it felt SO good. I wish I knew a way to get rid of more, but those were the only ones I felt like parting with. There was a lot of subpar Marvel and Garth Ennis comics in that stack...

[kwok_talk]

I wish I knew a way to get rid of more,

I had a friend who just gave his comics away to the kids at church. Let's just say some of the moms weren't thrilled with their kids reading the Jim Lee X-men issues (aka Psyloke & Jean Grey)

[luthor]

Definitely a reader.

I've never been a bag and boarder, so most of my older comics have that faded yellow page look(which frankly I like).

I've been debating going threw my boxes and finding some I don't want anymore and donating them to a sick kids hospital.

Bags and boards remind me of Toy Story 2.

[ekval]

Sounds like I'm the same as a lot of you all, a reader but with a minor in collecting.

I've always bagged and boarded and it makes me want to cry if one gets folded or whatever. Of course, with a two year old, keeping them safe is an entirely new task now.

As far as getting a complete run, I will admit, I like to have them. I've been trying to fill in gaps in my Uncanny and X-men runs for a while, and at some point plan on going back to get other stuff as well at some point.

Of course, if someone were to offer me even a tenth of what my collection was worth, I'd probably sell it pretty quickly, so I guess that makes me more of a reader than a collector.

[kal]

Definitely reader. I'm in the process of getting rid of a lot my comics, and I hope that soon, I can switch over to trades exclusively. It's nice having full runs and that pride of ownership in your longboxes... but then all the hassles of collecting come in, like storage and bags and boards and organizing books; not much fun after a while.

I do, however, have a pretty large collection of trades that I'll continue on with. It's nice having a decent bookshelf of complete stories.

[chrisuk]

Well, I consider myself a reader, although the size of my comic book collection might speak otherwise...

[jimski]

I had a friend who just gave his comics away to the kids at church. Let's just say some of the moms weren't thrilled with their kids reading the Jim Lee X-men issues (aka Psyloke & Jean Grey)

You know, one time in a fit of generosity I thought it would be cool to take a big bag of unwanted old comics and just leave it in the parking lot of my comic shop. I thought some comic lover would go, "Hey, what's this bag? Whoa, Christmas!" and have a random act of kindness paid forward on his @$$.

Unfortunately, whoever found it promptly turned it in to the shop. And one of the books was a title I'd subscribed to. So my name and address were right there on it.

I didn't want to cop to littering with comics in the dude's lot, so when I came back to the shop the next week and the manager handed them to me I had to stand there and totally pretend to be weirded out and have no idea how my books got there. "Umm... Wha?? My name right on it? How on earth? Yikes! Who the--??"

It was the one of the most Ricky Gervais/Larry David moments of my life to date. And I had to take the books back. I still have all of them.

[marcushill73]

Who admits their a collector these days? After the gluttonous 90's, collecting became a bad word.....

[acomicbookgirl]

Who admits their a collector these days? After the gluttonous 90's, collecting became a bad word.....


I do.. I admit it.. I can't help myself.. I shouldn't be but I am.. My 15 boxes prove it.. I didn't think I would have that many boxes. The reader part is gradually coming back.. I know I shouldn't be but I can't help it. I like the feel of a floppy. I like having individual issues.. I need to start something from the beginning.. If I can't find all the issues, I'll just get the trade paper back(is that one word or three). I can't help it.. I want to save the trades for older stuff or stuff I didn't get to start on from the beginning..:confused:

[marcushill73]

Don't worry - I still bag and board and have 30+ boxes stored in basement. Wouldn't have it any other way!

[jgg0610]

Like a lot of you, I consider myself a reader of comics first and a collector second. Having said, I still take about an hour out every Sunday afternoon to do the weekly filing where I'll bag, board and file all of the issues that I read that week. I think for a lot of the folks who are reading comics right now, that 90's instinct of collecting is very hard to get away from. That's not necessarily a bad thing if you don't take it to extremes.

[acomicbookgirl]

Like a lot of you, I consider myself a reader of comics first and a collector second. Having said, I still take about an hour out every Sunday afternoon to do the weekly filing where I'll bag, board and file all of the issues that I read that week. I think for a lot of the folks who are reading comics right now, that 90's instinct of collecting is very hard to get away from. That's not necessarily a bad thing if you don't take it to extremes.

Define Extremes?

[jadedhalo]

I read, then collect. My usual routine is after i read a book, I'll bag it, board it then store it.

[ekval]

I can understand the sentiment that makes collecting a bad word as it is for most around here. But on the other hand, I don't think that being a collector makes you a bad comic fan by any stretch. Has damage been done by speculation, sure, but I don't think that every "collector" is a speculator.

Most of us wouldn't really want to give up anything that we have valuable in our collection in any case. Or at least I wouldn't. I only buy stuff that I'm actually interested in reading. I may have a disproportionate amount of #1s in my collection, but for the most part that was because I wanted to try stuff out, see if it was worth reading.

Does anyone else have a little bit of the feeling that if there was no real collecting instinct, a lot of shops would close up?

[fred]

Does anyone else have a little bit of the feeling that if there was no real collecting instinct, a lot of shops would close up?

Some maybe but not all. The shop that I go to focuses on new stuff and trades. The back issues are there but they're cheap and they don't seem to ever get pushed over trades. Also there are very few 'high ticket' items for sale so I don't think this would be the end of the world for my shop.

[jaflanagan]

Does anyone else have a little bit of the feeling that if there was no real collecting instinct, a lot of shops would close up?

I think that it's smart of the comic companies to take advantage of the collectors out there to bring in some more revenue. Same with the shops.

But I think, for me, the dirty thing about "collecting" is that it lumps comic readers in with the old stereotypes. But I'll admit, some of them are true.

But as far as comics being valuable...it's a myth. Sure, silver and golden age comics have monetary value, but that's really it. They actually are rare comics. But anything from the 80's on isn't really worth anything. There might be a price guide somewhere that says a certain comic book is worth money, but in the real world, there are very few people who would pay for them. Because there are no shortages of them. Go out and try to find a copy of the first miller/claremont Wolverine series...you're not going to have a problem finding it, and you're not going to pay that much.

[davegraham]

I'd like to think of myself as a reader and not a collector. However I don't throw away my comics after I have read them. I toss magazines I buy when I have read them through, but comics I stack up in boxes. When I bought Wizard, I never even threw those away. In the sense that this hobby collects into piles in my home, I am a collector. I've never bought an issue of anything expecting it to pay my bills in the future. My goal is to be one of those crazy old guys in the neighborhood who has boxes of comics that kids can dive into to find something new. There are some characters I value more the others and some issues I want to be able to hang on to forever, but I don't stress over how much my X-Men number one is going to be worth when my kids are going into college. I am in this for the fun of it. I like superheroes more than I like money.

[fred]

But as far as comics being valuable...it's a myth.

Shhhhhhhhh! damn don't you know that I've often in lean times financed my comic buying by selling variants on ebay that I get really cheap because I buy so much stuff? don't rock the boat

there I'm out of the closet now

[ekval]

But as far as comics being valuable...it's a myth.

Value is of course not just a measure of rarity. Rarity is part of the equation, but not the only variable. Demand also plays a role, though of course that is hard to measure when you throw the speculators into the mix.

But there is value even to stuff from the 80s and 90s...not massive or anything, but I for one still have holes to fill, so they have at least some value to me...say a buck...=)

[jgg0610]

Comic book girl, in response to extremes, I would define extreme as someone who buys multiple copies of the same issue with the hope/intent that it will go up in value and they can then sell off one of the issues and still have more for later sale if the price continues to go up.

[emeraldcitymark]

Hello all,

No doubt many of us collect quite a few comics over time and store them away in our long boxes. Being somone who likes simplicity, I realize a "pack-rat" mentality can quickly lead to added expences, from storage products up to in extreme cases aditional rent or mortgage when it comes to the point of needing an extra room. Some end up renting a storage facility for such needs.

This all leads me to think of how much stuff do we really think we want to keep and for how long. I'm curious to hear some discussion on the matter. Here are some thought starters . . .

*Of the comics you keep, generally how many times do you ever get around to reading them again once stored in a long box?

*If you have a number of comics in your collection, years later,say in retirement, will you have the time to go back and read through them, if so, will you want to?

*Does anyone here read their comics and then trade them back in, with their shop or with other collecters?

Thanks for your input,

Dan

[unnamedfrenchguy]

The number of books I have bagged and borded says I'm a collector. Then again I've been considering taking a bookbinding class just so I can learn to take all those individual issues and turn them into my own personal hard-cover trades. My problem is that I almost never re-read issues but I'll grab a trade out of my bookcase at the drop of a hat. If I could figure out a handy way to put issues in a bookcase I'd be a happy camper.

[darron]

Straight reader. I keep some of my issues, but mostly just the stuff that hasn't been collected in trade. Once the trade of a book hits, I take those books to goodwill. I probablly have 200 floppies, most of which I'll end up giving away once the trades hit. That's how it works with me.

My shop gives me free bags and boards, and y'know what I do with them? See how high I can stack them in the corner of my room. Anyone want about 150 bags & boards? Seriously. I really don't want them.

[paper]

Reader.

It's fundamental, ya see?

[labor_days]

Reader. It took a while to accept those variant cover WildC.A.T.s and "limited edition" Newmen issues were worth less than I spent on them.

Yeah, I'm a comics reader.

[jurassicalien]

I'm just a reader, I pick up stuff I'd want to read and that's really about it.

But...I won't lie, owning every issue of Astonishing and New Avengers from #1, having them bagged and boarded is cool, I'd never cell them, but it's kind of cool to see that.

[xyzzy]

I'm 90% reader. I don't care about having complete runs. I don't bag and board. If I don't plan on re-reading a comic, I sell it or give it away.

That said, I do have something like 300 tpbs. So I don't think I can shed the collector label completely.

[shadowhelm]

Hello. I am just returning to comics after about a 10 year hiatus (got married, had a child, etc.) thanks in part to the iFanboy podcast. I was wondering how everyone stores their books because my wife is a little "concerned" about what I am going to do with the comics after I have read them. I currently have several thousand books (mostly DC) from the early to mid nineties stored in boxes in the master bedroom closet. As you can guess, this is a bit of an issue with the woman of the house. I have not opened most of these boxes in years and I keep having to shuffle them around as our family grows and we need more space. So I am really at a loss as to what to do with them at this point. Any thoughts?

Also, do you ever go back and read back issues? I read everything I own when I bought them, but I don't see every going back to read the books today. So, other than for sentimental and nostalgia reasons is there any reason to keep them?

[labor_days]

I keep the trades, Omnibi and Absolutes on a bookshelf with other books. The floppies in long boxes in a closet. Every so often I go through the long boxes and purge them of lesser titles or stuff collected in trade. The unwanted floppies are given to various local children. Has worked out quite well for me so far.

[jaflanagan]

No, there's no reason to keep most of them.

I say, go through them, and pull out the stuff you really like. The stuff that means anything to you, and take the rest to a local store and see what kind of credit you can get for them. Even if it's a nickel a book, you can get some trades or something.

If a shop doesn't want them, take them to a children's hospital or something, and get a tax write off.

[kahunablair]

HUGE reader. I hate the collector mentality. I had a friend in high school that was the exact opposite. He bagged and boarded everything.
When he would come over my house and see my "Crate O' Comics" he always needed CPR to be administered.

Now a days I'm one of the guys that can not wait for the digital revolution to happen. I want DC and Marvel to release their comics online so that I can buy them there. No mess, no need to worry about storage, easy to find an issue I'm looking for.. I could just go on and on.

[conorkilpatrick]

I was wondering how everyone stores their books because my wife is a little "concerned" about what I am going to do with the comics after I have read them... So I am really at a loss as to what to do with them at this point. Any thoughts?

All of my long boxes (save one) are in a storage unit along with a bunch of other crap that doesn't fit in my apartment. After the newest issues are read they are stacked on my dresser until the pile gets too big to hold and they go in a long box which then goes into the storage unit.

Also, do you ever go back and read back issues? I read everything I own when I bought them, but I don't see every going back to read the books today. So, other than for sentimental and nostalgia reasons is there any reason to keep them?

I don't reread sincgle issues because they are not accesible. I probably would if they were, but they are not and I don't foresee a time when they will be. I reread trades all the time.

[paper]

Comics are for reading.
Trades are for reading and collecting and displaying.
Souls are for collecting.

[cam-]

ANd Pogs, pogs are for collecting too.

[paper]

But there's a reason for that. They're coming back, and I'm going to be part of it.

Will you be ready? When the Slammers come?

[kahunablair]

But there's a reason for that. They're coming back, and I'm going to be part of it.

Will you be ready? When the Slammers come?

Not to side track this thread at all, but my brother got me to buy him this Marvel Comic's pog set and now he plays it all the time. I used to be the same way, now I don't get what the hell was ever fun about those things.

[shadowhelm]

Thanks for merging my thread with this one! I have pretty much thought about everything from giving my back issues away to selling them at the flea market/eBay to just keeping them for my daughter (not even 4 yet and she loves the Justice League).

What I really want one day is to have a nice big man cave in the basement of my house with a few walls covered with comic book display sheaths so I can show of some of the covers I really liked. Sure I won't be able to display ALL of my issues, but they could be rotated, etc. It would also be a nice way to be reminded of some of the really great stories I have enjoyed over the years and maybe prompt me to go back and read some of those issues that I have forgotten about.

[esophagus]

But there's a reason for that. They're coming back, and I'm going to be part of it.

Will you be ready? When the Slammers come?Pogs have come back. The Superstore around here threw a pog tournament this summer. I didn't enter, but I was stoked anyways. I still play.


As for comics? I read. You can open any drawer in my bedroom and find a pile of unbagged comics. They're like magazines for me. I try and keep all of my trades bagged though.

[diabhol]

Hello all,
*Of the comics you keep, generally how many times do you ever get around to reading them again once stored in a long box?


At least once. Sometimes it's to remind myself what happened in the previous issue, sometimes I just want to revisit the story. I re-read my old X-Men books a lot.


*If you have a number of comics in your collection, years later,say in retirement, will you have the time to go back and read through them, if so, will you want to?


Hell yes. If I live to be old and still have my comics, I'll do little things like re-read storylines or even entire sets. ("This month, I'm gonna read my entire collection of Excalibur...!") I freakin' love these stories.

I'd rather have trades, though...


--Marshall

[zcassel]

this topic seems to be one we come back to a lot. between Josh dumping old issues and Conor worried that his stacks are going to entomb him in an earthquake, to Ron taking over his parents basement.......i know its a big issue in my house. i recently relocated from La to Sweden and brought 40+ long boxes and god-only-knows-how-many trades (350+ at least). What a *****. And how the F*** am i supposed to FIND anything!

so the question becomes.....is it time to go digital? i am seriously considering purchasing a lenovo thinkpad tablet and scanning all of my old stuff before selling it/giving it away. because guess what? when i want to pull out that old Art Adams Monkeyman and O'Brien issue, im not going to move 25 longboxes to do it. Dont get me wrong, ill still keep my key trades.....Absolute Watchmen and FF Omnibus aren't going away. But do I need that Geoff Johns/Liam Sharpe The Possessed trade anymore? no, not really.

Sure, I wont get to go to the comics shop every Wed, but guess what.....i dont get that here in sweden anyway. thats why i listen to ifanboy and read these forums for hours at a time. will it be the same as reading a floppy? no....but at times its better. click, search wikipedia, oh THATS who that guy is! is better than flipping through the previous 15 issues of wolverine to remember who you saw in the background. and although its admittedly a little tougher on the eyes, my recent purchase of a sony reader has shown me that e-ink is amazing, and colored e-ink is coming.

now if the publishers would just get with the program and start selling this stuff online. til then ill be busy with my scanner and reading my 40 years of Spiderman Cd's.....

[mikegraham6]

the digital discussion is dangerous territory my friend, trust me on this.....;)

[conorkilpatrick]

the digital discussion is dangerous territory my friend, trust me on this.....;)

Only illegal downloading. Companies finally waking up to the digital age is a good discussion to have.

[zcassel]

lol i just realized my post is a little off topic. maybe its time to make a new topic on this?

but back to the qestion at hand, yes, i was a collector. i still have 4 copies of Darkhawk #1 to prove it! now, i am more of a reader, but i must admit it is tough to part with the old books....so much nostalgia. i can still remember when i bought the first issue of Weapon X in Marvel Comics Presents......it would be tough for me not to have that issue accessible, even if i only read it once a decade. *sigh*

[mikegraham6]

Only illegal downloading. Companies finally waking up to the digital age is a good discussion to have.

true, i personnally cannot wait for this to happen! the best idea anyone has mentioned on this board would be to buy each issue digitally then at the end of the arc have the option of buying the work in TPB form at a discounted price, i would be ALL over that!!!

[esophagus]

I bought a bunch of digital FF and Ghost Rider, but I just couldn't do it. I think there is serious potential there, but I didn't like the way they set them up as PDFs. I might by the new Doctor Strange DVD that comes with The Illuminati digital book, see if that one works out any better.

[zcassel]

the digital discussion is dangerous territory my friend, trust me on this.....;)

yeah, i understand that, what with torrents and the like. there have been many discussions on this topic, which i dont particularly want to get into (namely that the exposure is probably more beneficial to the publisher than the detriment of losing out on a sale that probably wouldnt have happened anyway...)

but my point was scanning the issues i already own. i seriously doubt i will ever go back and reread my run of Prime from Malibu Comics, but that doesnt mean I dont think about looking at it time and again for the Breyfogle art. although the "law" says i legally cant do this (does it? who even knows anymore :mad: ) i dont see an ethical issue in it. illegally torenting it.....well, not for me. (good luck finding it anyway)

i think a good percentage of people on this board, who are anguishing about the storage issue, would be open to legally paying for digital books. i know i would. Conor, feel free to open a new topic if you like (too "dangerous" for me lol)

zac

[jo11ypenguin]

I am a reader first. I do bag my books but i dont board them. i like to reread my books when i get a chance and i feel the bag helps with how much they go in and out of the box. I love trades as well, i caught up in New Avengers in trades but now that i am caught up i cant wait for the trades i need to know whats going on monthly. Wednesday is my day off from work and there is nothing more satisfying than coming home from the comic book store about noon and laying on the bed reading my weekly stack.

[briangilmore]

Reader. Collectors would vomit blood if they saw my room.

[kahunablair]

Only illegal downloading. Companies finally waking up to the digital age is a good discussion to have.

Has anyone tried legal comic sites? Say Pullbox online for example?

[smaktakula]

I'm strictly a reader these days. I still buy monthly books, but the majority of my comics $$$ goes to trades. Easy to read, easy to store.

[mister-s]

Welcome to the forums Smaktakula!

I'm a reader who just so happens to bag, board, and box his books.

[smaktakula]

Thank you.

Speaking of collecting, all my old stuff is bagged and boarded, but I understand that if I want to sell my books, having them professionally graded is the way to go. Has anyone done this? What is the process like? How much can I expect to spend?

[conorkilpatrick]

Has anyone done this?

I hope not.

[sullivan85]

I only buy trades now. Haven't bought a floppy in years. So I guess I collect trades?

I do worry there are series that never get a chance to get off the ground because of poor floppy sales (due to people like me!).

[paper]

I'm this close to switching to trades. I'd still collect floppies for things like New Avengers and JSA, but a lot of titles are getting cut soon.

[acomicbookgirl]

I'm this close to switching to trades. I'd still collect floppies for things like New Avengers and JSA, but a lot of titles are getting cut soon.

I'm so tempted to jump on the trade wagon as well...

[mister-s]

It seems like I'm pretty much half and half now anyway.

[esophagus]

I'm this close to switching to trades. I'd still collect floppies for things like New Avengers and JSA, but a lot of titles are getting cut soon.I suggest doing it a 75/25 split. I get sick of waiting for things like 52, and Countdown in trades, and things like Batman and Superman rarely do. Anything you notice is easy to find in trades though, go for it.

[cormano]

If a cover gets creased or folded over, I cringe, but at the same time, I loathe being lumped in with the CGC crowd.
Pretty much sums my feelings up. I'm definitely a reader, though.

[esophagus]

Pretty much sums my feelings up. I'm definitely a reader, though.
Heh. I'm the kid whos been folding them in his back packet for ten years.

[mikegraham6]

i really really want to switch to trades, it's just so.... hard
i just can't bring myself to do it, i don't know why, maybe i just like the feeling i get when i pick up my new books on wednesday too much

[iSteve]

I LOVE the feeling I get when I pick up my new floppies on Wednesdays. I can't wait for Wednesdays. My impatience for comic book gratification means that I will never make the transition to trades only. I read only trades when I first got back into comics after a several year absence. The trades helped me to catch up on some key story lines I missed. But once I felt caught up, it was back to floppies again - and no looking back. Now I buy a trade only every once and a while.

I also LOVE the feeling I get when I go to cons or comic stores and thumb through the long boxes of older issues. There's nothing quite like finding a special issue that's you've been looking for and couldn't find previously. I collect Captain America and the Avengers. I'm not a true completist, but I do keep a list of what I have and don't have. I'm always on the lookout for new issues and am delighted when I find one.

As I've said previously on this forum, I consider myself more of a reader than a collector - but I do enjoy collecting my floppies. Trades just can't take their place in my opinion.

[jimski]

Apropos of nothing: I was thinking about selling all my old Captain America comics and then buying the Complete Collection DVD-ROM, so I went to eBay only to discover that there are 229 items for sale in the Cap category, and they all have maybe five bids total between them. (http://collectibles.listings.ebay.com/Superhero_Captain-America_W0QQfclZ3QQfromZR11QQsacatZ32729QQsocmdZLi stingItemList) The rest are just... sort of... sitting out there.

[jimski]

And for what it's worth: as someone who's trying to sell his "collectible" comics on eBay right now for a vast fortune, I'd like to find everyone who ever sold me a mylar bag and kick his ass.

[conorkilpatrick]

Apropos of nothing: I was thinking about selling all my old Captain America comics and then buying the Complete Collection DVD-ROM, so I went to eBay only to discover that there are 229 items for sale in the Cap category, and they all have maybe five bids total between them. (http://collectibles.listings.ebay.com/Superhero_Captain-America_W0QQfclZ3QQfromZR11QQsacatZ32729QQsocmdZLi stingItemList) The rest are just... sort of... sitting out there.

The back issue market is truly dead.

[jimski]

Indeed. But it destroys me to treat a comic like a TV Guide and throw it out; "surely someone is looking for this...!"

But no.

They're not.

On a completely unrelated note, is anyone looking for the entire Mark Waid run of Fantastic Four? By any chance?

[paper]

You should make a collage. :)

[jo11ypenguin]

The back issue market is truly dead.

Back Issues may be dead but I love going through all the long boxes at my store when ever I go in, but then again I just got back into comics after a 8 year break so every thing is new to me all over again. And its the only way I could get New Avengers Annual since it is not in the trades. I am also getting Jonah Hex and more recent Detective issues.

[snooganshooligan]

I'd say I'm more of a reader then a collector. I never go out of my way to get certain back issues or anything like that. If their's a good story and I can get it in a trade I'll get it that way. Sure, I do have a a lot of comics, but a majority all from week to week reading, plus I love going back to read arcs over and over again. Conclusion: Reader

[will_lund]

There's something about that little book. The two staples, the flimsy paper, the way you can open it all the way without creasing the binding. There's something about a comic book in it's most simple form that's strangely comforting to me. I remember seeking them out like a piranha when I was a kid and a little of that excitement still exists when I pick one up.

I guess that makes me a collector.

Maybe it's just the staples.

[esophagus]

There's something about that little book. The two staples, the flimsy paper, the way you can open it all the way without creasing the binding. There's something about a comic book in it's most simple form that's strangely comforting to me. I remember seeking them out like a piranha when I was a kid and a little of that excitement still exists when I pick one up.

I guess that makes me a collector.

Maybe it's just the staples. The fact that you are willing to bend the paper / open the book any which way, and don't consider it creased, says to me you're a reader. =p


Also, today I noticed the cover to my copy of Freaks of the Heartland was ripped down the middle. At first I wanted to cry a little. Then I remembered that was a crap book.

[mikegraham6]

Indeed. But it destroys me to treat a comic like a TV Guide and throw it out; "surely someone is looking for this...!"

But no.

They're not.

On a completely unrelated note, is anyone looking for the entire Mark Waid run of Fantastic Four? By any chance?

i think this is a problem that 90% of us have. i don't want to throw out my back issues, but i don't want to store them either and really, investing in the trades of books i already own is a hard thing to do.... i love buying my weekly comics but i don't want the frickin' issues anymore!!! and no one else wants them! ARGH!

what's the solution people.......? im lost.......:(

[iSteve]

Apropos of nothing: I was thinking about selling all my old Captain America comics and then buying the Complete Collection DVD-ROM, so I went to eBay only to discover that there are 229 items for sale in the Cap category, and they all have maybe five bids total between them. (http://collectibles.listings.ebay.com/Superhero_Captain-America_W0QQfclZ3QQfromZR11QQsacatZ32729QQsocmdZLi stingItemList) The rest are just... sort of... sitting out there.

Jimski, this past weekend at the Richmond Comicon, I bought a Captain America #100 in nice condition for $20 (originally $36, but I got a good discount). Captain America is one of the titles that I am committed to collect in floppie form.

[smaktakula]

Captain America is one of the titles that I am committed to collect in floppie form.

How long have you been reading Cap? I love the character, but haven't read the book in years. I started reading it around the time of the original Baron Blood story (the Baron had appeared a few years before in the pages of Invaders, but had yet to make a "modern" appearance) and read through about issue #300. I really enjoyed the Mike Zeck-JM DeMatties (I think JDM was the author) run. That Deathlok cover is a classic.

[jimski]

Jimski, this past weekend at the Richmond Comicon, I bought a Captain America #100 in nice condition for $20 (originally $36, but I got a good discount). Captain America is one of the titles that I am committed to collect in floppie form.
Hmmm...! Well, I haven't pulled them out yet and can't vouch for their condition (I bagged them, but I was 13) but if you're looking for any from the era when Cap quit and was replaced by USAgent, I am your man.

[jo11ypenguin]

Apropos of nothing: I was thinking about selling all my old Captain America comics and then buying the Complete Collection DVD-ROM, so I went to eBay only to discover that there are 229 items for sale in the Cap category, and they all have maybe five bids total between them. (http://collectibles.listings.ebay.com/Superhero_Captain-America_W0QQfclZ3QQfromZR11QQsacatZ32729QQsocmdZLi stingItemList) The rest are just... sort of... sitting out there.

This may be off topic, but does anyone here have one of the dvd-roms with the complete run of something? If so how is it? Looking into the Avengers one myself.

[luv2reload]

What is the general consensous on what's the worth of comic books today. Are there any books that are being written now that are going to be worth lots of money later on and do you collect for the read, or for the cash.

To a certain point I care if my books are worth money or not, but not to the point that I wear gloves to read them. I generally read a book then board and bag it. Only recently I bought 2 issues of a book (Halo: Uprising) because it's one of my favorite subjects and i want to read and look at the art over and over.

[jimski]

I wish I were a collector, in the sense that I could clean up on eBay as the only person bidding on any books. I am trying with all my might to unload some of these runs from my youth, so I have become obsessed with checking on how the comics eBay categories are doing, and again and again I see the same thing: 400 items listed, 3 people bidding, top bid $.95 and a baloney sandwich.

The longer I read, the more I think I need to leave the bags and boards alone, hypothetical resale be damned. How many comics have I bagged, thinking they need to be pristine when I unload them? How many have I actually unloaded? 10%? The thing is, if you want to keep it nice for rereading yourself... you can still read it when it's bent in half.

Imagine if you recorded a disc of every TV show you watched and kept it in your house forever. What are the odds you're really going to dust off that episode of "What Not to Wear" again?

[jonathand-gordon]

I am so glad that comics are becoming worthless. It is making
comics just for the readers again. I think it stinks that so many
people were tricked into buying so many comics in the 90's under
the guys of collectability.

[kwok_talk]

The longer I read, the more I think I need to leave the bags and boards alone, hypothetical resale be damned. How many comics have I bagged, thinking they need to be pristine when I unload them? How many have I actually unloaded? 10%? The thing is, if you want to keep it nice for rereading yourself... you can still read it when it's bent in half.


For every issue of Death’s Head II and Motormouth #1 that I have, I have other comics that I do like and just want to keep in good condition. While I would unload a lot of comics if there was a market, I also wouldn’t mind keeping them in good shape to pass on down to my kids/grandkids, etc.

[pkbear]

I've been (slowly) going thru my collection and purging stuff that eitehr I didn't like or didn't like well enough to ever read again. I started with the trade paperbacks, and took a stack to my regular comic shop. I got a little less than a third of the total cover value. It's cool - I know he's taking on the risk of reselling. Now I'm looking at the single issues and figure he'll give me less than a third for those and just don't know if it's worth the effort.

Has anyone here been successful in selling back issues and where did you sell? I'm not looking to make a profit (tho that would be nice) but it would be nice to get what my comic shop would get for the same back issue.

[conorkilpatrick]

Are there any books that are being written now that are going to be worth lots of money later on

None. Zero.

[mikegraham6]

Comics??? worth money????? HA!!!!!!!!!!!

[esophagus]

Crisis On Infinite Earths (Hardcover)
by Marv Wolfman (Author)

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Availability: Available from these sellers.

7 used & new available from CDN$ 2.11
You know those crazy people who collect large quantities of dirt, to sell to people? They make plenty more money than comic collectors.

[mr-rockwell]

Some comics printed today could potentially make a lot of money, firstly one or all of the creators would need to suffer an untimely death, and secondly a rare signature or perhaps unique damage from an interesting turn of events like the 'shot through marilyns' would need to occur.

[esophagus]

Some comics printed today could potentially make a lot of money, firstly one or all of the creators would need to suffer an untimely death, and secondly a rare signature or perhaps unique damage from an interesting turn of events like the 'shot through marilyns' would need to occur."Item Description: This special issue of Ultimate Spider-Man was found in the pile of paper to be used in lining the president's parrot's cage. Fortunately, it was not used before George W. left office. Antiques Roadshow values it at cover price. This is twice what you could get for it any other copy!"

[jimski]

Remember the day Captain America died? That was the top story in every paper in the country, and the value skyrocketed... for, like, five whole hours. Take a look out there now.

[tad]

In general, the stuff of pop culture becomes valuable when the kids of the generation that enjoyed it hit their forties and amass disposable wealth. But comics today are bought by guys in their twenties and thirties and older. It's no longer nostalgia collecting.

I think there's more interest in good stories these days which partially explains the popularity of TPBs. People want the stories more than the actual issue.

[lupin]

wtf I think some sql databases got merged or something. I was looking at my public profile and it now says I am the creator of the thread with a year old post about idk I guess something I was pissed about. And apparently before Firefox did spell checking.

[jimski]

My wife recorded a History Channel show about comics for me yesterday, and in the middle of it I heard something that had never even occurred to me before:

Of course golden age comics are rare and valuable. Of course they are! WWII paper drives. Comics were being destroyed en masse by government mandate. There were ads in the comics themselves that said, essentially, "Defeat the Nazis; destroy all your comics."

I cannot believe I never realized this before.

So basically, here's how we all get rich: get Al Gore to take out an ad in every comic urging the reader to recycle it for the good of the planet.

[esophagus]

My wife recorded a History Channel show about comics for me yesterday, and in the middle of it I heard something that had never even occurred to me before:

Of course golden age comics are rare and valuable. Of course they are! WWII paper drives. Comics were being destroyed en masse by government mandate. There were ads in the comics themselves that said, essentially, "Defeat the Nazis; destroy all your comics."

I cannot believe I never realized this before.

So basically, here's how we all get rich: get Al Gore to take out an ad in every comic urging the reader to recycle it for the good of the planet."Are you going to let Al Qaeda produce your comics? Burn them today."

I'm all over it.