The Joys of Collecting

This week I want to go with a ‘collecting’ theme to celebrate this great hobby we all enjoy. I’ll first poke at the very famous but perhaps overlooked Two Issue Introduction sets, those quick two story arcs are the ones that give us the first and second appearance of the character, often saving the origin of the new character until the 2nd issue. I’m talking about our Captain America #117, 118 (Falcon), Avengers #57, 58 (Vision), Amazing Spider-Man #238, 239 (Hobgoblin), Fantastic Four #52, 53 (Black Panther) and so on. Throughout my collecting and dealing career, the second appearance in these issues have at times suffered from near abandonment to perhaps tolerance and even favour every now and then. How can we ignore these key issues when they are so vital to the issue before it. I’m not exactly sure as to how they as a group (the second issues) are doing right now but I’d venture a guess that they are close to their historic peaks vis a vis the keys one issue before. When you collect these do you collect both or is the first key issue more than enough?

My idea for this week’s theme came from the page that introduces us to the Collector from Avengers #28. Now that the Collector has the Wasp he just has to have the whole set of the Avengers – “I must have the complete set”! Too bad none of us have the Beetle in our employ to go hunt down those tough-to-find books.

The ad of the weeks comes from Action Comics #97 and it features the joys of Stamp Collecting. I don’t think I know anyone who collects stamps, do you? Maybe a portion of comic collectors collect stamps, I don’t know, but I do know that nobody ever talks to me about it. Stamp collecting is something that I see one day making a comeback.

Out of the very same Action Comics #197 we get a story of a guy collecting shirts with the S logo on them and Superman’s shirt is the one he really needs to add to the collection. I’m not sure what to think of this story, I think it’s great and silly for a Superman story all at the same time. Of course, we all know t-shirt collecting is a thing as I’ve posted some old Marvel t-shirt ads on this post in the past, I’ve also mentioned before the popularity of the 1980s rock and roll concert tour t-shirts, I wonder what the oldest pop culture t-shirt is?

I’m going to pretend I collect original art and every week point out a page I’d like to own. I won’t base my pick on value though I’m sure most of the pages I’d want would fetch hefty prices if they ever came to market. This week I’m all over that great John Buscema full-page splash of the Vision shedding a tear, from Avengers #58. Actually, Avengers #58 serves to bolster my argument of collecting the second of those one/two punches the hobby is full of, if you don’t pick up an Avengers #58 you don’t own this terrific splash page.

Some collector is very happy that he or she jumped on our internationalcollectiblesexchange weekly auction that closed on eBay last night. The lucky winner snagged six, count them, six first issues. Now to build those runs!!