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Weaving the Web: Completing AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Run
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220 posts in this topic

1 hour ago, Wall-Crawler said:

Well, it has been awhile since I have posted anything...Reason being, I haven't purchased anything.  

I'm feeling a bit of "collector paralysis" lately.  I have seen books that I would like but are either a) higher grade and thereby higher price than what I want to pay for a particular copy (even though some have been very fairly priced ) and b) the typical over priced stuff you see on eBay.  I randomly check out dealer sites but either too high a grade, too low or "not the books I am looking for".

My current  personal "Top 5" are ASM #1, #3, #6, #9 and #15.  The only "plus" about being "gun shy" of late is that the comic fund continues to (slowly) grow. While there are plenty of other books in my price range and run that I could buy, I just feel anything, even say if it is $200 for a nice graded copy of #38 (or whatever) that it is taking $200 away from one of the "bigger books", so I am reluctant to even buy "commons".

I am still committed to the goal of finishing the run, just I sometimes wonder if I am being "too picky" or maybe I'm just being cheap lol 

Sigh.

If you're gun shy about a purchase, maybe it's a good time to start saving up for the "big purchase" (No. 1)?  I personally like your top five and also think that the cover for No. 2 and 4 are lame.  The first Vulture was the last book I purchased to complete my 1-700 run.

Anyone else note that No. 15 seems hot right now?  I sold my ratty copy last year to help fund another purchase and have been gun shy about picking up another copy.  Prices for 6.0 copies seem crazy to me...

Edited by piper
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5 hours ago, Wall-Crawler said:

Well, it has been awhile since I have posted anything...Reason being, I haven't purchased anything.  

I'm feeling a bit of "collector paralysis" lately.  I have seen books that I would like but are either a) higher grade and thereby higher price than what I want to pay for a particular copy (even though some have been very fairly priced ) and b) the typical over priced stuff you see on eBay.  I randomly check out dealer sites but either too high a grade, too low or "not the books I am looking for".

My current  personal "Top 5" are ASM #1, #3, #6, #9 and #15.  The only "plus" about being "gun shy" of late is that the comic fund continues to (slowly) grow. While there are plenty of other books in my price range and run that I could buy, I just feel anything, even say if it is $200 for a nice graded copy of #38 (or whatever) that it is taking $200 away from one of the "bigger books", so I am reluctant to even buy "commons".

I am still committed to the goal of finishing the run, just I sometimes wonder if I am being "too picky" or maybe I'm just being cheap lol 

Sigh.

Stay focused and save up for those big keys, the filler stuff will always be there at the same price. Get the biggest book off your list first.

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4 hours ago, oakman29 said:

Stay focused and save up for those big keys, the filler stuff will always be there at the same price. Get the biggest book off your list first.

 Thanks Oak.  Also, when I say I have not bought anything, I have not bought anything outside my collecting focus either, despite some temptations.  The only comics I have bought a few collections for resale for my hobby fun business (which helps funds my personal collection).

I would say, outside of AF #`15, my personal top two remaining are ASM #1 and ASM #3.   I wouldn't be surprised if I chased a ASM #3 before a ASM #1 - I don't know, I just "like it" more...But ASM #1 is the bigger fish...

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2 hours ago, Wall-Crawler said:

 Thanks Oak.  Also, when I say I have not bought anything, I have not bought anything outside my collecting focus either, despite some temptations.  The only comics I have bought a few collections for resale for my hobby fun business (which helps funds my personal collection).

I would say, outside of AF #`15, my personal top two remaining are ASM #1 and ASM #3.   I wouldn't be surprised if I chased a ASM #3 before a ASM #1 - I don't know, I just "like it" more...But ASM #1 is the bigger fish...

ASM 3 you say??

asm3.jpg.d768f9d3afcff9923962b6abf500e759.jpg

Edited by W16227
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That is a sweet book!

(worship)(worship)(worship)

While I have not "landed" on a grade point, seeing prices, I am probably going to be more of a 6.0 - 7.0 player on an ASM #3.  I noticed that Sparkle City has a 6.0 for auction...The  colours are totally over saturated or something on the scan...But damn that is a nice ASM #3 CGC 8.0...

One thing I would like to say is that I really hope people don't think the sole purpose of the journal is just one big "fishing expedition".

Of course, I don't mind (at all) if people send me pics or advise of books they have, I just don't want folks to get annoyed if I don't pull the trigger.  I really do mean for this journal to 'chronicle' the journey towards building the run and ups and downs along the way and get feedback from fellow collectors and their own experiences/thoughts about collecting in general. :foryou:

If I am to have any hope of completing the run, I have to strike a balance...If I didn't care about eye appeal, condition, etc, I could probably complete this rather quickly, but if I buy the most expensive book I can afford at the time (and I know there is the line of thought to "buy the most expensive book you can afford, especially with keys"), completing the run would take me a very, very long time.  I am striving to achieve a balance of between eye appeal, grade and price.  If/when I complete the run, I just want to have a nice solid, well built ASM collection.

 

 

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3 hours ago, Wall-Crawler said:

That is a sweet book!

(worship)(worship)(worship)

While I have not "landed" on a grade point, seeing prices, I am probably going to be more of a 6.0 - 7.0 player on an ASM #3.  I noticed that Sparkle City has a 6.0 for auction...The  colours are totally over saturated or something on the scan...But damn that is a nice ASM #3 CGC 8.0...

One thing I would like to say is that I really hope people don't think the sole purpose of the journal is just one big "fishing expedition".

Of course, I don't mind (at all) if people send me pics or advise of books they have, I just don't want folks to get annoyed if I don't pull the trigger.  I really do mean for this journal to 'chronicle' the journey towards building the run and ups and downs along the way and get feedback from fellow collectors and their own experiences/thoughts about collecting in general. :foryou:

If I am to have any hope of completing the run, I have to strike a balance...If I didn't care about eye appeal, condition, etc, I could probably complete this rather quickly, but if I buy the most expensive book I can afford at the time (and I know there is the line of thought to "buy the most expensive book you can afford, especially with keys"), completing the run would take me a very, very long time.  I am striving to achieve a balance of between eye appeal, grade and price.  If/when I complete the run, I just want to have a nice solid, well built ASM collection.

 

 

:frustrated: We just want to see some progress buddy so, we can celebrate your accomplishment! :tink:

(I personally agree with your approach)

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7 hours ago, piper said:

:frustrated: We just want to see some progress buddy so, we can celebrate your accomplishment! :tink:

(I personally agree with your approach)

I agree too!  Please check out my thread " oakmans Creepys" in the magazine threads.

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Thanks guys!

I think I am just going to keep saving for now.  

The one thing I should say is that all of my comic purchases for the past few years have been completely funded through my "part & small time wheeling and dealing" profits (see my other journal).  I have  a small local show in April and I need to get my butt in gear selling more online. No funds come out of the household budget for my buying comics for personal books. Nothing on credit card (unless I have all the funds to pay right away).  Now, I don't have to 100% do it this way but I am choosing to do it this way.  I like to maintain a small "float" if a collection comes my way too. I also have other interests and my spouse and I have lots of other thing we like to do...So yes, I could maybe be a bit further along but this is just the way I decided to proceed. For now. lol

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.......I do not think it is a fishing expedition at all!!!!!!! - love reading about how people build these dedicated collections 

 

any excuse to show off that book, lol - is all I need .........  

 

i still have an ASM 2 from that collection as well (purple label 6) - 

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On 3/11/2017 at 1:28 PM, W16227 said:

.......I do not think it is a fishing expedition at all!!!!!!! - love reading about how people build these dedicated collections 

 

any excuse to show off that book, lol - is all I need .........  

 

i still have an ASM 2 from that collection as well (purple label 6) - 

Ok, glad to hear that! :)

 

IF I had that book, I would want to show it off too! Gorgeous ASM #3!

 

Still nothing new to report in terms of purchases :(

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14 hours ago, piper said:

:taptaptap:

lol

I still have not purchased a single ASM book for my collection this year.  Actually, I have not bought any other comics other than for resale purposes and my ongoing ASM file at my LCS, so I have not 'strayed' from my goal.  

I think I have not purchased anything yet due to the issues talked about earlier ("collector paralysis") and being just generally being busy - In the New Year I started to get active again and I have been sticking with that during the week.  On weekends, I still enjoy the outdoors, even in winter. Summer is coming! I still list on eBay and I just finished a local show and I have my first more 'comic-centric' local con coming up in June.  Plus all the regular "life stuff".  

However, I have been "squirreling" away funds so I think it is just a matter of time before I snag the right book with nice eye appeal at the right price.

I would say I think, Top 3, would be ASM #1 (before those get crazy expensive like the current AF #15 boom), #3 and #15.

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20 minutes ago, Wall-Crawler said:

I would say I think, Top 3, would be ASM #1 (before those get crazy expensive like the current AF #15 boom), #3 and #15.

All great choices!

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Not a new purchase update (sadly) but just a comment...But I have a confession...I have fallen WAY behind on my ASM reading.

I think the last ASM book I read was ASM #4 (Vol. 3 2014) - First appearance of Silk.  I have the remainder of Volume 3 (Which I should probably re-read the entire run, which, excluding variants/.1's, etc, is about 20 issues.  I have ALL of ASM Vol. 5 to read. Now sitting at #26, so yeah, 46 issues to catch up on.

I don't have a single strong reason why I stopped.  One More Day certainly didn't help and Brand New Day didn't quite get me back either...I felt like I was reading a lot of those "out of habit"...I guess bottom line, while Superior was a fun detour overall, I just never fully jumped back on board.   I am now at the point where I have zero idea what has or is currently going on with Spidey.  The last time I had this big of a break from Spidey was right around the Clone debacle and I went off to university.

Don't get me wrong, I still love the character. I still want to complete those back issues but at what point should I say "enough"? For the "completionists" out there, where do we draw the line? 

Any other Spidey collectors draw a definitive "end" issue to their runs?

I will likely keep plodding along but just interested to hear others takes, if not just to spur some collecting discussion and thoughts on ASM in general (no spoilers please :) )

 

 

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I'm so far behind in reading modern floppies, I sometimes wonder why I still purchase them. It's not like I'm buying 20 titles per month, (perhaps 6 books per month).

As for ASM, I've read the first 5 issues or so post Superior Spider-Man. It's not bad.

With respect to where to stop? I stopped at 700. I've since sold anything post issue 50 with the exception of 59, 96-98, 100, and 121. That money helped fund other cool books.

I can always read them in trades. I'm frankly glad to be free of the stacks of long boxes.

I'm slowly upgrading many books in my 1-50 run.

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All a matter of taste and enjoyment... - for your 'run" - I would really say that 700 is a (way) more than reasonable stopping point. Once they decide to go off number ( to me) - the "run " really stops. 

 

For reading the new "floppies" ,,,, - myself ,  I do not really purchase new books except for my kids. They get more enjoyment from having the book in hand.

I read either trades or "marvel unlimited" ( wish DC had a similar offering).   More due to the fact that I have way too many boxes of comics lying around anyway. If I bring in stacks to read - I will easily lose them with the other stuff - or create a bigger mess......

 

 

 

 

 

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13 hours ago, piper said:

I'm so far behind in reading modern floppies, I sometimes wonder why I still purchase them. It's not like I'm buying 20 titles per month, (perhaps 6 books per month).

As for ASM, I've read the first 5 issues or so post Superior Spider-Man. It's not bad.

With respect to where to stop? I stopped at 700. I've since sold anything post issue 50 with the exception of 59, 96-98, 100, and 121. That money helped fund other cool books.

I can always read them in trades. I'm frankly glad to be free of the stacks of long boxes.

I'm slowly upgrading many books in my 1-50 run.

You even moved ASM #300?

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1 hour ago, W16227 said:

All a matter of taste and enjoyment... - for your 'run" - I would really say that 700 is a (way) more than reasonable stopping point. Once they decide to go off number ( to me) - the "run " really stops. 

 

For reading the new "floppies" ,,,, - myself ,  I do not really purchase new books except for my kids. They get more enjoyment from having the book in hand.

I read either trades or "marvel unlimited" ( wish DC had a similar offering).   More due to the fact that I have way too many boxes of comics lying around anyway. If I bring in stacks to read - I will easily lose them with the other stuff - or create a bigger mess......

 

 

 

 

 

I'm thinking I will hold out until #800 as they will likely bring back that legacy number.

I have tried digital...I just can't get into the format but been awhile since I checked comics out in that format.

The only monthly I get is ASM and the odd other one or two so my month to month expense is pretty low.

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