Hey all, today Walt and Chris talk about their own collections. Walt grills Chris about his collections this week. Next week Chris will get back at Walt for all the questions. What are you collecting these days? Do you have any insight into what will be hot in the next while? Let us know in the comments!
Those variant covers are like potato chips that cost $10 apiece. I indulge but I have to stop myself. I paid $40 for one in Baltimore because I couldn’t resist. I also bought four graded & signed ones recently by Stanley Lau and Adam Hughes. These are purely for the collection – if they ever sell for a good price, that will be gravy.
I don’t get J. Scott Campbell. He goes in the cartoony bin with Skottie Young and Peach Momoko. I like either hyper-realism or crazy-busy covers – that stuff leaves me cold.
Archies – fuggedaboudit. You can find some golden age stuff in terrible grades, or offshoots (e.g. Josie), but Archie, Archie’s Girls? Nada. I bought a low grade of the pearl necklace cover in Baltimore, because it is very funny and I don’t see it losing value for a very long time.
(As innuendo goes, my picks are #100 and #101, lecherous Archie at his finest.)
Disagree on Cap being undervalued. There just isn’t the mainstream into the current Marvel Universe focus, and the covers really are ho-hum. I would much rather put my money into the wacky Blackhawk of ten years prior.
Silver and bronze DC horror are hot _in high grade_. Plenty of beater copies to be had. There are only a handful of issues that are really worth something below 8.0, and I doubt many issues are scarce in total. But the cool covers of that handful of issues (including the hockey cover) are hard to locate in good shape and at a fair price. If I find any of these I buy them.
Very interesting and look forward to hearing from Walt next time.
After listening to the podcast I dug out a copy I have of Flying Nurses v2_49. I don’t think I even read it since I got it in 2007.
Flyin’ Jenny would probably be a more exciting gal to hangout with but I really should stay home and look up in some of those DC horror titles mentioned in OSPG that I’ve never valuated.
Happy 27th Anniversary to BigB
Great job Chris…and nice to hear you boys got your HoS#114s! (great cover)
Chris, I agree with you about re-bagging – I’m slowly going through the collection as I’ve trained myself to clean and press – and anything I’ve overgraded gets put on the ‘upgrade list’, it’s funny how a bit of love for your books can end up being so damn expensive!
Every year I write down my goals, it keeps me focused, otherwise you just get all over the place!
Bought Green Lantern #76 yesterday – which means I’m one issue short of completing the legendary Adams/O’Neil run!
I’m also one issue away of finishing another goal: #110 to #118 of Cap America – as you both alluded to it’s hefty money in the higher grades but what a great mix of artists: Kirby, John Buscema with a Marie Severin cover, Gene and Steranko. Walt’s comments regarding the beautiful 20c covers is very accurate – gorgeous and fantastic to work on as the higher quality paper stock holds it’s gloss and a press so much better than the 25c issues. Closing the gaps between #119 and #145 could be good idea for next year – Romita and Colan, rarely disappoint.
This year I completed: Astonishing Tales (Deathlok) run, the Jungle Action Black Panther run, Hero for Hire (#1 was a great read, highly recommended) and the perplexing but alluring Omega the Unknown. Also did Steve Englehart’s Captain America run of #153-#186 in high grades. My Frank Brunner collection has exploded this year! Lots of highlights with 3 months left to go!
Next year:
Haven’t really started a list, but Defenders #8 to finish my Avengers/Defenders will be on the list, perhaps continue the Brave and the Bold Neal Adam’s books of which I’ve acquired a couple lately. I’ll keep going on ASM #50-100, I probably only need a dozen issues at this stage…but keeping standards high is tough in this run and it’ll be something to upgrade for years to come.
Well done again, a great episode! here’s to another great year of BigB
Chris, variant covers are sometimes amazing. They are getting a little out of hand though. I’m on mailing lists for a few online stores and I get emails almost daily. Artgerm and Hughes are on my top lists, along with Cho. Campbell is a little hit and miss for me and Skottie Young… I just don’t get it. Those Archie’s are classic! I have been looking for those at a decent price. I could never get into Blackhawk, but yes those bronze horror are hard to get!
Active Jim, I think Flyin’ Jenny and Sue and Sally Smiith should have a team up book!
Spider, great idea to set goals and stick with it. When you re-bag and board and see how yellow your old bags were it’s pretty satisfying. You have some amazing books there! Good luck on the ASMs.
Thanks everyone for the feedback!
There are other innuendo GGA covers available for peanuts i.e. Betty and Veronica: Annual Digest #70 1994
All I know is the 1st podcast Chris actually posted to the site, usually doe by me, ends up with a bottle of booze as the lead pic, after all that money I spend on that cool logo…