So, a fanboy walks into a comic store...

[chris-partin]

Comic fanboys all have their means to getting comic books, but there are levels of fanboys that are casual fanboys (which may be an oxymoron) all the way to clinical OCD fanboys. Which are you?

While I have a pull list at my local shop, I really don't have a lot of titles on there. I usually list books that I know I'm always going to pick up, so there's a list of about 10 books or so. I go into the store each week with a list (I've created mine in Excel and I have used ComicList.com to create my list, too) where I check off the books so I make sure I get them all.

Anyone else do this? Or am I the only nutcase in the bunch?

I've seen people (and I'm not this bad - I once was, but not now) come in with a list, pull the books out of their pull boxes and then inspect their books for the smallest bit of damage. They will then take a stack of books (I mean take 20 copies of Ultimate Spider-Man #105) and look through them all to find the "perfect" copy. These guys (because I've seen more than one) spend an hour - at least - doing this.

Anyone here care to admit they do this? Or do something remotely like it?

[ekval]

Back in the day I didn't really check every book for the perfect copy, but I'd certainly notice if there was a crease or something on mine.

The only remnant of that for me is that I still never take the top copy of the book off of the shelf, even if it is bagged and boarded. I go 2 or 3 down to get one that hasn't been handled as much.

I occasionally take a list with me, but usually only if I've missed a week or two so I can find the stuff that isn't labeled as "new this week" on the shelves.

[conorkilpatrick]

Originally Posted by Chris Partin

I've seen people (and I'm not this bad - I once was, but not now) come in with a list, pull the books out of their pull boxes and then inspect their books for the smallest bit of damage. They will then take a stack of books (I mean take 20 copies of Ultimate Spider-Man #105) and look through them all to find the "perfect" copy. These guys (because I've seen more than one) spend an hour - at least - doing this.

Anyone here care to admit they do this? Or do something remotely like it?

I take great pleasure in grabbing the top copy of the book from the stack while the OCD guy is obsessively checking the spines of the same books for missing flecks of paper and/or creases.

I am pretty casual for a guy who goes to the store every Wednesday with a list in hand and has two weekly podcasts about comics books and a website about comics books. And will spend hundreds of dollars on oversized trades at the drop of a hat.

Um... yeah.

[k33k3r]

I take a list with me just so I don't feel dumb once I get home and see that I forgot to grab half the shit I wanted to.

I make a list now because if I miss something I get made fun of on a podcast in front of many many people.

I'm like Conor says, but much more casual. Sometimes, when I run across those people OCDing over the new books, I actually feel the need to crease the book they're holding. That would be mean though.

I'll be clear...I LOVE comics, but they're not my whole life. Actually, I find that the more I divest myself from the habits of comic book life, the more I enjoy just reading the stuff.

[drwally]

I know the titles, but don't follow the "latest continutiy develpments," which I can always check up on using Wikipedia. I buy trades, but will flip through the pages of monthlies, but only to get a sense of what's developing and coming up where. I don't care a whit about "spotless condition" of the book itself, just so long as it doesn't interfere with the art of the book. I try to put the book back on the shelf like I found it if not interested, but I'm probably the bane of the people pretty picky about a book's condition.

My big thing is just to pick up a book, and then just flip through quickly, and by looking at the art (a big deal with me) I can get a sense of that rapidly, and by reading a couple of pages I can get a sense of the writing too pretty fast. I always read the back cover story synopsis, if there is one, and if all that clicks with me, I pick it up. I never end up with big stack as I'm pretty picky. This process has helped me to pick up some pretty wonderful books, but with the trades and being in Japan, Amazon customer reviews are key. I like it when there is both a 4-5 star review and a 1-2 star review, because then I can get a good sense of the reviewers particular biases, and I'm better able to match mine to theirs.

Story type, writer and artist, character (not necessarily in that order) is how I decide what to pick off the shelf. Listenig to iFanboy has made a big impact on what titles I pick off the shelf first...

I started on comics when a kid when the cover and story were completely different ALL the time, always dissapointing, so I have no faith in the cover as an accurate representation of what's inside--flipping through the pags inside is my big thing.

[fred]

I usually make a list Monday night when the list is finalized and use it for both my What's on your pull list? post and my trip to the lcs

[pv_2]

Even when buying a newspaper, I am unable to take the first one off the stack, and the same with comics, but it's not really a mint condition thing, more just a nutty compulsion. I do bring a list of "things to check out" in addition to my pull list, so I don't forget.

[paper]

Originally Posted by PV_2

Even when buying a newspaper, I am unable to take the first one off the stack, and the same with comics, but it's not really a mint condition thing, more just a nutty compulsion. I do bring a list of "things to check out" in addition to my pull list, so I don't forget.

I have the same compulsion. For everything. Make trips to the vending machine kind of expensive...

As a guy who reads trades and has only recently started going in for single issues, I have a short list and then move to random spots of the store just touching things. If the guy at the desk nods, I pick up the thing. If he shakes his head, I put it back. If it's a person, the person will usually let me know that they aren't for sale.

I have a good relationship with my LCS owner. I update my pull list regularly by e-mail. So when I go in, all the books I know for certain I want will already be in my box - bagged and at 10% off the cover price. They are always in impeccable condition. Then I usually browse the racks for anything that looks interesting that's not on my pull list. No need for list this way.

I never obsess over my books because they are always in good shape. Like Josh said, I'm basically in it for the reading of a good story. But on the other hand, I wouldn't want a comic that's not in good condition.