• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
2 2
  • entries
    2
  • comments
    224
  • views
    4,109

Weaving the Web: Building a Complete AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Run

2 2
Wall-Crawler

Entry posted by Wall-Crawler ·

3,615 views

A noble quest to build an Amazing Spider-Man collection

Hello!

As my board name suggests, I am a Spider-Man fan. I have been since I was a youngster. I started actually collecting at around age 14. Pushing 40 now - Where does the time go? I basically took 7-8 years off from the hobby though, from right after high school all the way through university and didn't start really again until about 2004/05.

Once I got back into the hobby, I checked out a bit of everything but I also decided to start to collect the ASM's that I "missed"...Later, I also "discovered" CGC and this message board and wow, mind blown! I learned that I knew nothing but I think I have learned a lot since my time here and continue to do so. I learned about so many other cool books and I started to dabble in a bit of everything, mostly super heroes still, but I was a bit "scattershot" for awhile.

I have discussed "collection focus" many times with fellow boardie and friend, dontfeedthemonkeys. One of the things I recently decided, was that I would like to "return to my roots" and try to build and complete a run of Amazing Spider-Man. I like to think that I have a pretty decent ASM collection, but I know it pales in comparison to the top registry sets. Most of my collection is raw though.

To complete the run, as of this writing, I need:

#1 - #38

#40

#43 - #45

#47 - #49

#55

By my count, a total of 46 ASM issues and obviously some of the most expensive ones. To accomplish this goal of getting the whole run, I will not be looking for uber grades, particularly with regards to non-keys. In the past, I have been too hung up on the grade. I have to get over this a bit for financial reasons if I want to have any hope of completing the run.

My main criteria will be that they be complete (unrestored) and present nicely for the grade. For first appearances, I will likely be looking for slabbed copies and unslabbed for non-keys.

This journal will detail my pick ups, set backs, purchases other than ASM that will 'take funds away' from accomplishing this goal (and I know there will be some) and general discussion concerning completing the series.

If anyone cares, that is ;)

To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.

2 2

31 Comments

Recommended Comments



Wall-Crawler

I think my resolve has been renewed and I am NOT going to unload any of my ASM collection to help me get my grail. There is simply too much work, time, and still love in those books to "give up" now. I am going to keep plodding away and wheeling and dealing but spare my ASM collection. Other keys may continue to circle in and out of the PC vs For Sale categories.

I "buckled down" I just set up a huge auction (well, huge for me, 91 books) to finally try to just offload all the Zenescope books I acquired previously. Those books have brought me good returns but now I am "blowing out" pretty much everything I have left. 

It took some time to set up but I think that is the way...I know I will feel a heck of a lot better making bank towards a grail selling stuff I don't care about than the quicker route.

Tortoise and the hare...

Link to comment
Wall-Crawler

Successful auctions had me itching to buy something and get on with the ASM collecting goal.

I picked up this sweet book for the run and didn't kill my budget for the "big two".

Now need 20 books to complete the run.

Thanks to @AlphaOmega for the great book, stellar packaging and fast shipping.

received_2979955988954608.jpeg

Edited by Wall-Crawler
Link to comment
AlphaOmega
31 minutes ago, Wall-Crawler said:

Successful auctions had me itching to buy something and get on with the ASM collecting goal.

I picked up this stellar book for the run and didn't kill my budget for the "big two".

Now need 20 books to complete the run.

Thanks to @AlphaOmega for the great book, stellar packaging and fast shipping.

received_2979955988954608.jpeg

I have the other 20 books if you need them :-D

Link to comment
Wall-Crawler

Nothing major to report...I have picked up a few modern collections of late and I have significantly upped my eBay store (and subsequently sales) and now I am trying to continually just keep adding to it when I can.

The good news is that incoming funds are inching me along closer and closer without having to unload a big key or keys for my collecting goals. For now, I'm ok to continue to scratch and fight my way to an AF #15 (I could get a decent low grade ASM #1 now). Getting some books back from CGC that will be slated for sales will help too, but likely not until early 2022 when I get that 25 book batch back.

However, if the right opportunity presented itself and/or it seems it is not feasible in terms of the rise in value of an AF #15, I could potentially unload some bigger non-ASM keys that are part of my personal collection to reach the goal before I am totally priced out...But like I said, if I don't have to, I'd rather not.

Edited by Wall-Crawler
Link to comment
Arkham

Totally get what you mean mate. While some of the drek I collect seems to be calming down, big books still seem bonkers. 

I hope you can land that big fish without letting any of your PC go! 

Link to comment
Wall-Crawler

Been a long time since I have posted here...I am still very much engaged in saving for an AF #15 and progress has been/is being made and I have been pretty disciplined in achieving that goal.

However, I still get a collectors itch to scratch from time to time so decided to upgrade some raw ASM copies I was not happy with and had a few books from my PC graded added as well. Any upgrades were also of convenience, seller was in Canada (or even same province) and price was right. Undercopies will be or have been sold to help offset costs,

These have all been from over past year and a bit and majority are raw books that were already in my PC and when I have been doing a CGC "flip" sub add one of my PC books every now and then. 

...The MZ book was in my PC, I collected the original series when it came out.

20220309085242211_0001.jpg

20220830121210034_0001.jpg

Resized_20220819092738483_0001.jpeg

20220830121231848_0001.jpg

20220309091222286_0001.jpg

20220309085351922_0001.jpg

20220811142508415_0001.jpg

20220527084937496_0001.jpg

ASM ANNUAL 16 9.8.jpg

20211005161103404_0001.jpg

20220623115413641_0001.jpg

Edited by Wall-Crawler
Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now