This week Chris turns the tables on Walt and starts grilling him about what he is collecting. What DOES go on in the brain that is Walt…? Scary stuff. As always let us know what you think about the show. And what are YOU collecting?
Return of Whatcha Collecting
First of all I want to say to Chris and Walt: Great Show.
You are speaking to your audience and you know them well with a wealth of knowledge by collecting/selling or hunting the same books they do which makes a healthy dialog about the hobby in all corners or the collecting community.
I have so many books I’ve bought in bulk and let languish in my collection without seeing the value in them to others who are focused on them.
I’ve learned a lot today and I’m adjusting my view of what I collect now and hold, and what I pass onto others.
Good show. You of course have to have patience for Walt to get to the point.
I see the ASM thing from the outside, as Spider-Man continues to do very little for me. A high grade #1-150 collection is impressive to me in the Daredevil #1 sense – big money and a good investment decision. I think for many, collecting ASM is just like assembling one big key, rather than having a real feeling for the characters, art, story, etc. This especially the case for younger collectors who didn’t first buy these on the newsstand.
To keep on the Daredevil #1 point, I get this point, but I think you have to say that there isn’t a comic that you don’t have _some_ feeling for. It’s just the depth of feeling that determines if it is really in “the collection”. I have a Hulk #181 – it’s not in the collection – but it’s still a lot cooler than $X in cash. So maybe every comic has its price, but for the ones in the collection, it is way above current market value.
On Skippy etc.- I think your regret is misplaced from the collection standpoint. These books are duds, sort of like George III’s wig – historically meaningful but intrinsically boring. I used to think about pursuing them for the same reasons you give, but at this point I am only pursuing books that I really dig.
I still like the tattoos (not Tattooz) best that I got as a kid: my biggest one by far is Neal Adams – loved him as an eight-year-old, love him now. So my only completist run is GL/GA #76-89. I was too young for it when this run first came out, which made it even more special to me when I discovered the reprints a few years later. John Byrne is the big tattoo that I don’t regret but don’t feel so strongly about now. Lots of new tattoos over the past ten years as I got back into the hobby and with availability on the internets. Along the lines of Skippy, but actually interesting to me, are “first romance comic” etc. I have a pretty big Fiction House tattoo.
You got me into romance comics and as you pointed out, those are great for collecting because you a) have to consider whether it’s a “good one”, and b) they are so hard to find in decent grade. I disagree about Jackie Kennedy- there are a lot of good ones (mainly DC) from that period.
I really liked your point about there always being something new to get interested in and collect. That is what makes this hobby great and I look forward another tattoo.
Hey crew, Walt’s 25c and then 15c and 20c bubbles…I got another one…yellow price boxes…anyone every worked out why there are a few iisues with yellow price boxes in the Marvels?
Hulk #175, Spectacular #18, Marvel team-Up #2…I can’t link em!
Thanks activejim, a community discussion is really the only way, its like a therapy session we all need and can learn from.
Meli ! I don’t want to ask where you still have room for tattoos but I’m glad you do and I’m glad you have the attitude that one day some ink is going to go there!
Spider!! I know about those yellow price squares, but come on, I’m not a psycho to go that deep in… Though its worth knowing if there was a reason for those yellows.
Meli ! I also loved your take on the Spidey collection as basically one big key! Great perspective.
Damn, also a correction, the price increase from 15 cents to 20 cents was actually a 33.3% increase in cover prices. I think I said from 20 cent to 25 cent in error at the beginning of the discussion.