I've been an off and on collector since the early nineties and I've always (and still do) collect for myself. I'm not a speculator by any means, but I have been thinking about upgrading some of my issues and I'm wondering if I shouldn't be buying higher grade copies up front for situations where I want to e.g. sell 2 lesser books to buy some dream book of mine.
I ask because I've noticed that, at least sometimes, higher grade copies appreciate at a greater rate then mid-low grade copies. Technically I could afford e.g. a IH181 @ 9.8, but it would be a silly thing for me to spend that much money on. However, when faced with the decision to buy a 6.5 or an 8.0, or a 9.0... well I'm not sure. If the 6.5 presents well I'm more than happy as a collector, but am I missing out on value 5+ years down the road? I guess the answer is "it depends", but I'm wondering if other collectors have thought about this more than I have.