Collecting full runs. 1 1

[ttfitz]

I like this idea - I've been slowly trying to pick up a copy of everything published during the month I was born, but this gives me something to shoot for if I ever finish my birth month set.

 

 

Not a bad set to look for. What month would that be? And you are going by cover dates?

 

Dec of 77. Decided to go by cover dates, even though I know those weren't necessarily the ones on the stands that month.

 

Yeah, I think cover dates is the only way to go. Just curious, if there is a title that was being published at that time - let's say Brave and the Bold - that wasn't monthly, and there was only Nov 77 and Jan 78 issues, do you skip that title, or decide that Nov 77 is the proper one?

[ttfitz]

I would like to poke another question into this conversation. As you collect your runs, will any copy do or does it need to be a certain grade?

 

 

When I was filling my run of MAD I took any copy if it was older than 1970 but the newer ones needed to be in real nice condition VF or better or dirt cheap in lower conditions.

 

Well, not ANY copy will do, but I shoot for books in the FN to G+ range, lower parts of that range still need to look nice. Once I buy a book, though, that's it, I mark it off the list and don't look for another. If it's not good enough to keep, it's not good enough to buy.

 

[mwande]

Yeah, I think cover dates is the only way to go. Just curious, if there is a title that was being published at that time - let's say Brave and the Bold - that wasn't monthly, and there was only Nov 77 and Jan 78 issues, do you skip that title, or decide that Nov 77 is the proper one?

 

I skip the ones that don't have December cover dates. Seemed like that would be simpler.

 

 

[OrangeNemesis]

I would like to poke another question into this conversation. As you collect your runs, will any copy do or does it need to be a certain grade?

 

 

When I was filling my run of MAD I took any copy if it was older than 1970 but the newer ones needed to be in real nice condition VF or better or dirt cheap in lower conditions.

 

for my Xmen run i go by what i consider "presentable" copies. My key issues i obviously want high grade as possible but i don't mind fine copies etc for fillers.

[Web Spinner]

I'll pretty much grab any condition 2.0 or better that's still complete and complete cover as long as the price is right.

 

Then I'll upgrade it soon as I find another copy and sell off the under copy.

 

I keep note of how much I pay for each so as long as I break even on under copies I'm happy.

 

It's kind of fun to sell off a bunch of low to mid grade books and then use the money to buy 1 or 2 other (higher grade) books I'm missing.

 

 

[grunter]

I am about 5-10 issues (per title) away from finishing runs of of most of the DC "legacy" titles -- runs that begin with the last 12 cent issue and end at the last issue before the New 52. I try to make sure all issues would grade at 8.5 of higher.

 

This includes:

 

Batman

Detective

Superman

Action

Superboy

Wonder Woman

Flash

Green Lantern

Justice League of America

Brave and the Bold

World's Finest

 

Let me interject: DC 100-pagers are a b-itch to collect in high grade.

 

I have "complete" runs of most Marvel books that I care about, including:

 

Uncanny X-men 94 through 544

Amazing Spider-man 150 through 545

Daredevil 158 through 381

 

And lots of shorter Marvel series, including every "X"/mutant spin-off from 1979 through to whatever preceded Marvel Now, the 70s Doctor Strange series, Moon Knight, Power Man & Iron Fist, Marvel "Star Wars," Alpha Flight, Werewolf by Night, Tomb of Dracula, etc. I have every John Byrne "Fantastic Four," every Berni Wrightson "Swamp Thing," every Geoff Johns book in his first 10 years in comics, nearly every Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Kurt Busiek, Garth Ennis and Grant Morrison book up through the modern age "breaks." For DC books, it's the same. Essentially any major series from about 1974 to the end of the era that preceded the New 52, I have complete runs. All incarnations of the Legion of Superheroes, New Teen Titans, every "Bat" spin-off from 1975-ish on, etc. Again, all in 8.5 grade or better, most being 9.0's and up.

 

Besides finishing up my DC "legacy" titles back to the last 12 center, I'm slowly closing in on a complete Vertigo set, and runs of "House of Secrets" and "House of Mystery" beginning with their horror re-launches, and "Phantom Stranger," "Ghosts," and "The Witching Hour." And I'm eye-ing a complete First Comics run as well, since I have most of the major titles already.

 

Yeah, I know. Brag, brag, brag.

[ORRGO THE UNCONQUERABLE]

What do people mean by “runs” like the Chris Claremont Byrne “run” on X-men or like 1-100 on titles or like actual full runs as in every issue.

currently I own fantastic four #3 and then #6 - #656. So for me the run is all FF annuals included. I’m only missing 1,2,4,5. 

Having read the Lee Kirby stuff I know have a whole decade of the 1970’s to read. From the 80’s I know everything till about 1998. So that means I will start picking up again in the Pacheco loeb era.

from what I can tell/have heard-  I won’t like mark waids run, JMS, or mark millar but I might like Jonathan Hickman’s run.

currently hate dan slots writing and the art and hoping someone good eventually replaces him and the myriad of bad pencilers.  

[oakman29]

26 minutes ago, ORRGO THE UNCONQUERABLE said:

What do people mean by “runs” like the Chris Claremont Byrne “run” on X-men or like 1-100 on titles or like actual full runs as in every issue.

currently I own fantastic four #3 and then #6 - #656. So for me the run is all FF annuals included. I’m only missing 1,2,4,5. 

Having read the Lee Kirby stuff I know have a whole decade of the 1970’s to read. From the 80’s I know everything till about 1998. So that means I will start picking up again in the Pacheco loeb era.

from what I can tell/have heard-  I won’t like mark waids run, JMS, or mark millar but I might like Jonathan Hickman’s run.

currently hate dan slots writing and the art and hoping someone good eventually replaces him and the myriad of bad pencilers.  

I collect runs as in full run of a title.

[SuperBird]

I only collect full golden age Action Comics runs.

https://comics.www.collectors-society.com/registry/comics/PeopleSetDetail.aspx?PeopleSetID=112935

[marvelmaniac]

For me that is what collecting is about, completing runs so I have the whole story to read but I must add that I am only interested in the era I grew up with in the 60's and after completing those runs to where I wanted to go I went backwards in time, newer books do not really interest me.

I also count reprints of Key/Expensive books as completing My run since the story is complete and I will never own the original such as AF 15, ASM 1, Avengers 1, F.F. 1, IH 1, JIM 83, TOS 39, X-Men 1, other than those listed all other books are original first prints.

My completed Super Hero runs include...

ASM 1 - 200 Annuals 1-5, Avengers 1 - 125 Annuals 1, 2, D.D 1 - 132, Annual 1, F.F. 1 - 200 Annuals 1 - 8. IH 1 - 6, 102 - 200 Annuals 1 -3, JIM 83 - 125 (83 is the GRR) Annual 1, ROM Spaceknight 1 -  75 Annuals 1 - 4, ST 101 - 134 Annual 2, TOS 39 - 99, TTA 35 - 101, X-Men 1 - 66.

I also have Pre-Hero runs that are complete...

Amazing Adventures/Adult Fantasy 1 - 15, TOS 1 - 38, TTA 1 - 34, Two Gun Kid 1 - 60 (10 cent covers only + #60)

Other runs that are not as yet complete are...

Journey Into Mystery (only need certain issues from 1 - 33), Kid Colt Outlaw (10 cent covers only, need 1, 2, 12, 24) Rawhide Kid (10 cent covers only, need 1, 15), ST (only need certain issues from 1 - 42), these books all became expensive to obtain, even for low grade readers and at my age I am no longer interested in spending money on these.

I also have completed runs of Sad Sack and Sad Sack related titles (10 cent covers, one shots and #1's) as well as Limited Series such as Beany and Cecil (including Four Color Comics appearances) and Tom Terrific.

Thanks for letting me share.

[theCapraAegagrus]

At some point, I intend on collecting every issue of DC's New 52 titles.

Outside of that, I only collect runs via collected editions...

Edit: Spawn, as well.

Edited July 8, 2019 by TwoPiece