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advice for new collectors
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186 posts in this topic

U can diversify your collection by buying movie poster 1 sheets or lobby cards related to what u enjoy: Spidey, X-men 2, DD, King Kong, Tarzan, Planet Apes, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Terminator 2, laugh.gif etc.

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Hey Alan,

 

I'll PM you about the FF1. Maybe we can work something out sometime (don't know if I can swing it right now, I'm pretty tapped out!!).

 

And as for your trade offer, lol is right! There's no way I'd give you that many Kickers, Inc.! Try again!!

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

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For those just starting in comics collecting, might I suggest a "primer" on the history of comics? There are several superb books, but for superhero books I'd suggest Jim Steranko's two-volume "History of Comics". It is occasionally found in the "oversize" bins at comic shops, and is almost always available on eBay for less than $25.

Marvel and DC have both published compilations of early titles, and Marvel has printed inexpensive (albeit frustratingly bulky) black and white compilations as well. Gladstone and Russ Cochran, as well as the sainted Alan Light, have published great reprint books of Disney and EC titles.

Don Thompson and Lupoff's "All in Color for a Dime" has just come out in a new edition, but either the hardback or paperback original edition can be found in used bookstores and/or online.

For the Mad comic/magazine collector, or the EC collector, Maria Reidelbach's book, "Completely Mad" is a great resource. Bud Plant has probably the best comics-related website. For a ridiculously expensive history, consider Grant Geissman's "Collectibly Mad" at http://www.budplant.com/prod.itml/icOid/6579

 

Well, it's midnight and I've geeked out again.

 

By the way, for anyone who cares, I bought nearly five thousand dollars of comics from "Comic-Keys" (aka Richard Koos, MD; aka Danny Dupcak) about 2 years ago in one fell swoop. I transacted the deal privately, so I don't have the ability to have posted negative feedback on eBay. I would have done so if that option were available. What I can now say publicly is this: All the comics had been worked on in some fashion. I emailed my concerns to "Comic-Keys", sent the books back registered and insured by US Mail, and got nearly all my money back. Some of the "restoration" was well done, some of it was poorly done, but all of it was "done". If anyone truly cares about the details, you can email me at comicparadox@aol.com. There is a huge string elsewhere on the CGC comics posting site about "Dr." Koos. He's not a medical doctor as he purports, though he claims to be a surgeon. (At least that was his claim to me). He must have an unusual sense of morality, because I later saw most of these books up on eBay - a couple he even admitted had "minor restoration". If the degree of restoration on those books is "minor", then I have a 1964 Ford Falcon Futura chassis with Shelby Cobra 500 sheetmetal that has only "'minor" restoration.

 

But I digress. It's deceitful individuals like this who have made CGC such a success. Even though many have and will argue with the subjectivity of any grading system, at least CGC is fairly consistent. I'm not saying that CGC grading is ideal, but it is at least 3rd party opinion.

 

If anyone has actually read this far, raise your hand if you've ever resubmitted a CGC Universal 8.5 book and had it come back either Universal 9.0 or Universal 9.2. Wow, a surprising number of hands went up in the back of the cyberroom. Makes you wonder a bit about the actual census numbers, doesn't it...

 

To anyone who reads this missive, I can only ask that you be careful in purchasing books from "Comic-Keys". To this individual's credit, I must reiterate that he DID refund the vast majority of the money I spent on the Frankenbooks. There, I've had my say. Know your comics history, and all hail Jerry Bails.

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Allan was not too impressed with the Cerebus #1. He was shaking in disbelief. Who cares, I have a "sucker" lined up. Damn, the CGC got damaged in the box when I shipped it up. Should not have put in on the bottom. doh!!

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Lots of good tips above, but here's my favorite (next to buy what you love):

 

BUY THEM WHERE THEY AINT--don't follow the herd. It's way too expensive to follow trends. I remember back in the early to mid 90's, a lot of people swore the way to make money was buy low-mid grade Golden Age, pay for restoration, and sell at a profit. I bought solid mid grade GA and kept it the way it was.

 

Back in the early 80's, people were hoarding and dealing New Teen Titans, Barks and Seduction of the Innocent books. I grabbed high grade DC bronze horror that featured Adams and Wrightson for pocket change.

 

Now, everyone is going after slabbed Marvel and, to a lesser degree DC. Me, I'm going after any unslabbed high grade Harvey, Archie, March of Comics, comic toys, Spirit sections, EC's, etc. that I can find at bargain prices.

 

There's so much out there that people forget about that you can always find something you love that isn't hot. I'd like to claim that I'm smarter than others, but I really learned to do this out of necessity. If I happen to get lucky and some of this stuff increases in value, so be it.

 

Paul

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Well I posted this the first day I got here but I think I did not get how to make it stick.

 

Anyway, advice to a new collector. First and foremost, look at as many comic books as you can and try to relate the "defects" you see to the grading guide. I suggest using Overstreets grading guide for most books.

 

Snag some copies of the Overstreet Grading Guide. Read read read. Read about first appearances, about grades, about the various ages (Platinum, Gold, Atom, Silver, Bronze etc.) Read the market reports. Rad about anything that grabs your interest. Look to book stores or the internet to further search for books that may interest you. Keep in mind the prices and reports you may see are usually out of date due to publishing schedules. But that is ok because it is what we all have to contend with.

 

If there are comic book stores in your area, seek them out. Start chatting with the clerks and, if possible, the owners (sometimes one and the same!). Discuss what has drawn you into comics. If it is for investment don't fudge - just say so. If it is for a certain genre or time period, just say so. You will find a dealer who know you, knows your interests and proclivities, is one of the best things you can find. As you get to know them (at leats in my experience) you may actually get phone calls saying "Hey so and so! I got in some xyz books - I set them aside for you until xxx day" (they will usually say what day that xxx day is) if you are interested. A tip - if you are not interested, call them right back so they can put them up for sale.

 

Probably the best tip? Don't buy for speculation until you really know what is going on. If you see a book you "think:" is uncommon, but have only been looking at books a short time, just assume it is more common than you think. The most common and the most true thing about speculation is that "if you have heard about it, it is probabluy too late!"

 

 

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Stop collecting comics, put all your money into THQi stocks. If you aren't interested in making large amounts of cash, just pick up titles as they grab you. otherwise it is a monopolized money pit. If you want to make money, save all your cash, read a few years worth of overstreet's comic book price guides market reports, and then contact Harley Yee and buy only books graded VF or better from his catalog. you'll see investment returns of at least 25% per year.

 

GOOD LUCK!

 

Ps date real people who won't make you do things on a whim........

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Associate with people who either share your interest in collecting / reading comics or that can appreciate it for what it is. For those with significant others try to get them involved and interested in what you are spending your hard earned cash on. After all, what you spend on comics you are not spending on them. The time you spend reading, grading, bagging and boarding, and looking at eBay postings you are not spending with them.

 

An example of this would be my wife. The first six years of marriage she paid little to no attention to my pile of comic boxes. One day she discovers some old Wonder Womans that I was moving from poly bags to new mylars. She reads them (under my supervision of course) and takes a trip down memory lane, most of it had to do with the television show. Now she is hooked on silver and bronze W.W. and the "hilarious" advertisments found in the Gold and Silver age comics. And that means that we now share the hobby of comic collecting.

 

 

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am i the first to post since June?

 

Keep your comics in a treated class cube in a 20x20 m room, make sure it is 20m high and heep the cube 9m off the ground by hanging from cieling with glass chains. Keep room dark. Line room with treated glass. Enter room only with protective clothing and oxygen tank. Make sure room is disinfected and very air tight. When not using room, create a vacuum. Keep room in complete darkness and use infrared lights and censors. shoot all people that come within 100m of area.

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