Author Topic: Comic Book Collecting  (Read 50714 times)

horrorhunter

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Comic Book Collecting
« on: April 24, 2020, 11:13:26 PM »
Here's a thread to discuss comic book collecting and post pics of your books from any genre. Let us know what comics you collect, your collecting style, old collecting stories from childhood and beyond, or anything else related to collecting comics.

And, by all means, post pics of your comic books and comic book related items
!



My copy of Gorgo #1 from Charlton:



I tried logging in with Internet Explorer instead of Chrome and apparently I can again post pics on UMA. Chrome flagged UMA as "Not Secure" but IE doesn't worry about it evidently. IE probably isn't as safe as Chrome but in UMA's case it isn't that concerning.

« Last Edit: April 26, 2020, 08:03:54 PM by Mike Scott »
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Hepcat

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #1 on: April 24, 2020, 11:19:49 PM »
Hey, that's a nice copy! Where did you buy it? How long have you had it?

 ???
« Last Edit: April 26, 2020, 07:59:06 PM by Mike Scott »
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horrorhunter

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #2 on: April 24, 2020, 11:31:45 PM »
Hey, that's a nice copy! Where did you buy it? How long have you had it?

 ???
I won an eBay auction for it around 5 or 6 years ago. As I remember I scored it pretty cheaply, less than $30 as I recall. It's in FN by Overstreet standards but with the loose grading running rampant with most sellers they would probably call it VF. CGC would probably grade it anywhere from 6.0 to 7.0 and PGX would call it gods-know-what...maybe 8.0 or even higher.  :laugh:

I hit the Gorgos and Kongas hard back around that time and finished both runs using eBay auctions. Got pretty lucky and got some good deals on 'em. I loved those two series as a kid and they became a priority for me as a collector, but for years at cons I only ever found a few low grade issues. eBay auctions really paid off after a few years of saved searches.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2020, 07:58:52 PM by Mike Scott »
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Hepcat

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2020, 09:27:03 AM »
I hit the Gorgos and Kongas hard back around that time and finished both runs using eBay auctions. Got pretty lucky and got some good deals on 'em. I loved those two series as a kid and they became a priority for me as a collector, but for years at cons I only ever found a few low grade issues. eBay auctions really paid off after a few years of saved searches.

Gorgos, Kongas, in fact any Charlton comics in high grade from before 1970 are extremely difficult to find, partially because Charltons were so cheaply printed. I stumbled across basically no nice Charltons in comic shops and comicons prior to 1990's - just the usual plethora of Marvel comics plus what I regarded as recent Bronze Age comics.

 :(

Which issues of your Gorgo and Konga comics are in the best grade?

 ???
« Last Edit: April 26, 2020, 07:58:36 PM by Mike Scott »
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horrorhunter

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2020, 10:48:55 AM »
Which issues of your Gorgo and Konga comics are in the best grade?

 ???
None are in high grade by strict Overstreet standards. Most are in mid-grade with a couple of the earlier issues being in the GOOD range. Some of the later ones are in the FN range or better. I upgraded all of the real beaters some time ago and I'm pleased with the runs as they stand. That said, if I pick up some lots in future I'll upgrade as opportunity presents itself, I'm just not paying high prices to take a G up to a FN.

I'm not a herd-runner concerning the current comic book collecting community. I don't spend an arm and a leg for comics and I don't mind having mid-grade issues. I won't pay extra for a book just because it's slabbed (I usually crack them out anyway). I don't pay the ridiculous price spreads for high grade books- for me a strictly graded VF is very close to being as desirable as a NM (or the mythical 10.0). I don't collect Modern comics, or many from pretty much the last 30 years. I just want to complete runs from the Bronze and earlier with complete mid-grade copies or better (FN-VF is the sweet spot). I don't get books slabbed to keep. I think giving big prices for slabbed Modern variants borders on the ridiculous. Also, I think this mania for pressing and cleaning to resubmit for a "grade bump" is folly. To me a 9.4 is just a desirable as a 9.8 and I think the price differences in the marketplace between the nit-picky upper grades are insanity. It just depends on the 3rd party grader's state of mind that day whether a comic gets assigned a 9.6 or 9.8 (and sometimes a 9.4), or if he actually damages the book by handling it and rifling through the pages to move on to the next book and soak the customer for the next 20 bucks or whatever.

I didn't mean to rant. I'm just on a different page than most current collectors. I watch You Tube comic book auctions for entertainment and find myself eye-rolling frequently. They do their thing and I do mine.

Hep, only the first paragraph is in response to your question. The rest is really just to make conversation about comic book collecting. It isn't intended to inflame an argument or dismiss other people's collecting styles. What's best for some just isn't for others.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2020, 07:58:18 PM by Mike Scott »
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Hepcat

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #5 on: April 26, 2020, 12:09:27 AM »
I'm not a herd-runner concerning the current comic book collecting community. I don't spend an arm and a leg for comics and I don't mind having mid-grade issues. I won't pay extra for a book just because it's slabbed (I usually crack them out anyway). I don't pay the ridiculous price spreads for high grade books- for me a strictly graded VF is very close to being as desirable as a NM (or the mythical 10.0). I don't collect Modern comics, or many from pretty much the last 30 years. I just want to complete runs from the Bronze and earlier with complete mid-grade copies or better (FN-VF is the sweet spot). I don't get books slabbed to keep. I think giving big prices for slabbed Modern variants borders on the ridiculous. Also, I think this mania for pressing and cleaning to resubmit for a "grade bump" is folly. To me a 9.4 is just a desirable as a 9.8 and I think the price differences in the marketplace between the nit-picky upper grades are insanity. It just depends on the 3rd party grader's state of mind that day whether a comic gets assigned a 9.6 or 9.8 (and sometimes a 9.4), or if he actually damages the book by handling it and rifling through the pages to move on to the next book and soak the customer for the next 20 bucks or whatever.

I didn't mean to rant. I'm just on a different page than most current collectors. I watch You Tube comic book auctions for entertainment and find myself eye-rolling frequently. They do their thing and I do mine.


I'm with you. What got me into collecting was simple nostalgia. I've always tended to go after the items that prompted the strongest feelings of nostalgia within my psyche, meaning those that I remember either having or wanting badly as a kid.

I buy what I really want when I can afford it. Then I put it on display or file it properly in a binder and just keep it indefinitely. I pay no attention to the "value" of what I've bought. My stuff isn't for sale. Collecting to me is not about prices/values. It's about the psychic benefit I get from my items. Call it a compulsion if you will, but I'd rather spend any spare time and money I might have accumulating more items than navel gazing, i.e. analyzing my motives.

Nor do I have any use or empathy with the current craze for slabbing comics, magazines and cards. I want them all raw the way I had them as a kid. Granted, I do want my comics and cards to be "new" looking, but my grading and aesthetic standards often differ from those of the grading companies. And I think it's insane to pay ten times the price for a 9.6 because it's the "best known" copy when a 9.2 looks just as good to an arms-length disinterested observer. I guess the comics in my collection range in condition from Fine/VF to NM.

Charltons though are particularly tough to find in nice grade. Taking into consideration scarcity, condition and the aesthetics of the cover, here in alphabetical order are the half dozen Charltons from my collection that I like the best:

2



2



14



15



38



77



 8)

« Last Edit: April 26, 2020, 07:57:55 PM by Mike Scott »
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horrorhunter

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #6 on: April 26, 2020, 12:25:46 PM »
Beautiful copies of those issues, Hep! Yes, Charltons are very difficult to find in high grade. Most of mine are in mid with a few in low and a handful in high.

Regarding grading, I've become very tolerant of mid-grade books in the last few years. When I was a kid I had a couple of pretty good stacks of comics that I read to death and enjoyed immensely. Some of my fondest memories of comics were those old stacks I would dive into for years and lose myself in the wonder of it all. Then, in 1975 I became a collector and started hunting back issues at conventions, flea markets, and used book stores, as well as buying new issues off-the-rack. Sadly, many of my older beat-up copies from childhood (many coverless) were gotten rid of. I've replaced many of the issues I had as a kid over the years, in addition to completing favorite titles. Most of the comics in my collection are actually in high grade because I bought so many new off-the-rack and sought out the best copies when buying from dealers back when everything was cheap. But, since back issue prices have gotten so ridiculously expensive I'm satisfied with mid-grade copies to fill runs. Flaws give comics character, they speak to the history of that copy and the enjoyment it's given people through it's life. And some flaws speak to the history of comics in general like subscription creases, arrival dates, distributors' paint over-spray, and store stamps. These days I value all of that.

I still strive for the best condition I can find, but I had rather spend $25 on a VF copy than $100 on a NM, and then use the $75 saved to buy 3 more VF issues (or 10 more VG/FN, or whatever). And I'm certainly not going to pay money for slabbing that could be used to buy more comics or other collectibles. That's just my choice. Most other current collectors have different ideas and that's okay for them.

With so few people actually posting on UMA anymore it's really difficult to stir up some conversation these days. I know a few other members collect comics. Maybe someone else will chime in with their style of collecting. If this topic draws much interest it could warrant a thread of it's own I guess, unless there's already a comic book collecting thread hidden in UMA somewhere.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2020, 07:57:38 PM by Mike Scott »
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John Pertwee

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #7 on: April 26, 2020, 03:21:28 PM »
I have collected comics since I was a kid. I grew up reading old Silver Age DC comics like Batman, Superman, Action Comics, Detective Comics, Justice League and Worlds Finest. Only a few had covers, and years later I found upgraded copies to collect. I had Neal Adams sign my favorite Batman and Superman issues from that time, along with a Tomb of Dracula #1 that I had as a spare. I started buying Tomb of Dracula in the early 80s so I was able to put together a great set cheaply, before #1 and #10 went up to $400 each.

Grade matters mainly for my favorite books AND if I can upgrade cheaply.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2020, 07:57:20 PM by Mike Scott »

horrorhunter

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #8 on: April 26, 2020, 04:45:40 PM »
Looks like we have some comic book collecting conversation here. If Mike Scott would do the honors maybe we could persuade him to move the previous posts up to the Gorgo #1 post to a new thread I'm starting in General Discussion called Comic Book Collecting. That way we could discuss comic collecting in general as well as post comics of any genre from our collections. Hepcat would have a place to post his comic scans that were lost in "The Great Purge" (of which the less said the better  ;)).

Mike moved the posts for us to get things rolling with this new thread. Thanks, Mike!

Anyone interested in comic collecting please contribute as you wish. I look forward to some good discussion and cool pics.  8)
« Last Edit: April 26, 2020, 08:32:46 PM by horrorhunter »
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Hepcat

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #9 on: April 26, 2020, 09:01:15 PM »
And some flaws speak to the history of comics in general like subscription creases, arrival dates, distributors' paint over-spray, and store stamps. These days I value all of that.

I looked over my Charlton Konga, Gorgo, Captain Atom and Blue Beetle comics this evening and the only one that I could find with a date stamp was this one:

17



 :)
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John Pertwee

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2020, 09:50:52 PM »
Awesome news. I'll take some pics of some of my Tomb of Dracula issues and scan my Neal Adams signed #1. I got to meet Marv Wolfman, the man behind the Dracula issues #7 through 70 and got to get some signed stuff from him as well. He was an interesting fellow that had a fresh take on Dracula so I'm glad I got to tell him it was my favorite comic book series ever. Then, I put my foot in it telling him how I hated the way DC and Marvel would restart the continuity. I forgot that he wrote Crisis on Infinite Earths, the first DC reboot. Don't worry, he reminded me pretty quickly.

I also collected the Monster of Frankenstein but it didn't last long enough to really get going. My opinion is they ruined it when they brought him into the present day.

Rex fury

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #11 on: April 27, 2020, 09:32:44 AM »
I’m very pleased to see a thread devoted to collecting! Since I’m not a fan of slabbed comics I haven’t participated in other internet discussion groups which seem to be focused on those books. I started collecting in 1965 and have bought and sold  a great number of comics and original art over the years. I have large collections of Marvel, DC , ME, Fiction House and Charlton.  My favorite character is the western Ghost Rider  and am fortunate to own complete runs of Tim Holt, ME Ghost Rider , Best of the West,  and the pertinent issues of B-Bar-B Riders and Black Phantom.

Another niche I’m fascinated by are the comic books featuring underwater scenes or issues devoted to diving. I have complete runs of Sea Hunt, Frogmen, Frogman, Undersea Fighting Commandos, and a long box full horror, war and superhero books with related covers or stories.

The holy grails on my want list are Captain America Comics 26, and Exciting Comics 28, two books with Schomburg diving covers. A copy of the Cap book is listed on eBay right now but the cost is prohibitive. Another “impossible dream” is to find the original art ( or stats at least) of the unpublished ME Ghost Rider stories. Dick Ayers confirmed they were completed, but were never published as the Comics Code killed the book in the 50’s. In speaking with Bill Black (AC Comics) on the subject he believes the art was destroyed years ago.

Two questions for fellow collectors: 1) How do you handle storage? I have a room full of comics and am running out of places to store new purchases. 2) Is there a comic convention devoted to comics? I gave up on San Deigo after 1993 when it was clear the convention had become a celebration of culture rather than just comics (anybody else remember the good ol days at the Cortez?) I’d really like to attend a convention where there are just rows and rows of long boxes awaiting!

Other things on my mind at the moment are the necessity of slabbed books due to unidentified restoration ( like Hulk 181 with a variety of “creative” additions of the  missing MVS) and the current rise of photocopied books produced because their content has fallen into public domain. Is that practice really a good thing ?

I’ve rambled long enough for one post,  but I was very happy to see this thread and am always eager to talk comics with other collectors.

RF

Hepcat

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #12 on: April 27, 2020, 11:31:16 AM »
1) How do you handle storage? I have a room full of comics and am running out of places to store new purchases.


My "really good" comics are all in Bill Cole Arklites backed by Thin X-Tender boards or else Gerber Mylites backed by Half-Backs. I've not yet bagged and boarded my magazine collection in the same way though but that's my intention.

Here from a few years ago are pictures of me in front of my comic cabinet and the magazine cabinet beside it:























I've not yet Mylited my magazine collection though. I've run out of Mylites and Halfbacks and need to put in an order for several hundred comic ones and probably a thousand magazine ones. Hopefully that will be sufficient for at least another ten years.

The two lateral filing cabinets within which I keep my comics and magazine collection are made by Global. They're five high 42" wide cabinets that will hold more than 2750 comics at full capacity. The cost of each was over $1000 and I had to pay about $100 extra to get a flip top instead of a regular drawer at the bottom.

 8)
« Last Edit: November 12, 2020, 11:14:01 AM by Hepcat »
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horrorhunter

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #13 on: April 27, 2020, 11:36:42 AM »
I looked over my Charlton Konga, Gorgo, Captain Atom and Blue Beetle comics this evening and the only one that I could find with a date stamp was this one:

17



 :)
I love date stamps. For me they even add value to a book. Also, I appreciate arrival dates in ink, pencil, and grease pencil. But the stamp, when clearly present, is the best.

I thought of another printing error that is really cool- multiple covers. I have 5 or 6 double covers in my collection. I've heard of extra covers beyond just the double cover but I've never seen one. Also, I've never seen or heard of multiple covers on magazine size. One of my double covers is on a square-bound comic- Marvel's Fear #6. The extra cover isn't even attached to the book but fits so snugly it stays in place.

On a You Tube auction I saw the other day a double cover copy of a relatively inexpensive comic sold for around $160! They are scarce, but that price seems excessive to me. Of course the current values of most key issues seem excessive to me as well, but that's the market these days.
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Mike Scott

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Re: Comic Book Collecting
« Reply #14 on: April 27, 2020, 12:20:29 PM »
What are those magazine cabinets called, or where can you get them?
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