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What is your monthly budget for comics?
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Hey guys just wondering what you usually set aside in your monthly budget for comics?  How much do you spend on back issues vs new comics? Do you buy them through ebay? Do you get subscriptions or buy from a shop? I am trying to get back into collecting but i feel so lost about storage solutions and what i really want to collect I am just feeling a little overwhelmed but in a good way. I would be thankful for any advice.

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If you’re not about storage, the just get marvel unlimited (or the dc equivalents) and read online.  

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For the last two - three years my budget has been $0.00.

I am retired and on a very tight budget right now and the books I need to complete my runs (Early JIM and ST issues 1 - 30) have gotten out of hand even for low grade readers.

I have not purchased a "New" comic since the 90's, Marvel vs DC and the Onslaught Storyline, when everybody "died" and then they started over with Hero's Reborn I was done with new issues.

I did however spend at least a hundred a month on eBay/MyComicShop.com and at local cons for back issues to complete my runs from about 2005 - 2010.

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"Hey guys just wondering what you usually set aside in your monthly budget for comics?" About $2k give/take $500.

"How much do you spend on back issues vs new comics?" Back issues easily outweigh new comics. Outside of DC titles, Marvel's reboots kinda suck other than ASM and X-Men. Getting into current stories (or art) is pretty difficult. Edit: Captain America is not bad right now.

"Do you buy them through ebay? Do you get subscriptions or buy from a shop?" I buy a lot off of eBay. Mainly full runs or TPBs. I have a couple of shops for single issues. All CGC books I get from here or eBay.

Edited by TwoPiece
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This month I blew right past the "for the love of God stop!"sign with slabbed books. Part of them were my Xmas presents.

I stopped buying monthly comics early this year. Wasn't spending more than $50 on those at the time.

Pick up tpbs and get everything else from MCS with trade credit, ebay and whenever an online retailer has a major sale of stuff I want.

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Haven't bought a new comic since the cover price went from 50 cents to 60 cents-think that was around '81-'82.

So 100% of the monthly budget is on back issues typically purchased from ComicLink, ComicConnect, the Sales fourms here or one of the many reputable dealer sites affiliated with this board. feeBay is the least preferred option. I also frequent several local conventions every year.

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I've honestly never set a budget for anything in my life. If I want something, and I can afford it without credit or a loan, I buy it. With comics, I let the books come to me, passing if I can't currently afford it.  I stopped buying new Moderns so I have more money if I see a vintage book offered. It's much more satisfying to buy one cool vintage book than hundreds of Modern drek. 

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On 12/18/2018 at 6:54 AM, Mercury Man said:

Human Trafficking is illegal.   (In all seriousness, sorry for your loss.  Cherish those memories). 

Thanks...I edited it...

 

and I will...My world has just completely changed since he passed, I lived with him My entire life, He was fully disabled in 2006, but really became critical in 2016.

but we had some truly special times ....and My experiences with comics ranks right up at the top....I am so incredibly thankful that I got into comics while he was here and we could share these experiences together...because If he would have been gone, and then I got into comics, It just wouldnt have been the same...

He tried so many times to get me interested when I was kid and I just never did...But man when it finally HIT ME...Him and I again had some special times talking comcs...

 

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The last new comic I purchased was Amazing Spider-Man #700. Back when I was buying new comics and TPBs, I was buying my new issues from a discount service (G-Mart Comics in Illinois). When i was collecting hot and heavy, I allocated approximately $75 per month.

Since I have no interest in new comics, that $75/month is put to better use.

 

Joe Ankenbauer

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On 12/17/2018 at 5:24 PM, Lord_Knikon said:

Hey guys just wondering what you usually set aside in your monthly budget for comics?  How much do you spend on back issues vs new comics? Do you buy them through ebay? Do you get subscriptions or buy from a shop? I am trying to get back into collecting but i feel so lost about storage solutions and what i really want to collect I am just feeling a little overwhelmed but in a good way. I would be thankful for any advice.

I probably spend $80 a month at my LCS, but I keep thinking about whittling that amount down to $40-$50.  Nearly $1k a year towards comics that are largely worthless outside of the short term enjoyment from some of the stories.  And even then, it's a crapshoot.  I probably can't recall half of the stories i've read the last few years simply because they weren't memorable.

I do like to pilfer through the $0.25, $0.50, $1 bins at my LCS and will occasionally pick up 10-20 comics if I see a run has been dropped in there.  But the times i've seen runs is more like every few months and not every month.

The rest of the money I spend is simply because I feel like I "want" something badly at that given moment.  Like, JSC books look all pretty now, but in 20 years if the content on the inside isn't anything special, then I probably could have just looked up an image online for free instead of spending $30 on a book just for cover art.

I guess TL;DR, I don't set money aside, but probably need to be more focused on what I'm spending my money on.

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I'd say I spend around $150 a month on new comics. My weekly is about  $40-50. I used to spend a lot more, but I cut DC out completey. I just wasn't enjoying them. Currently I read any Spider title, Hulk, Venom, Daredevil, Thor, Avengers & FF. If Cates is writing something I'll read it too. He's quickly becoming one of the best ever. Out of these, I'll only keep the Spidey & Venom stuff. I'll sell off the rest on eBay. There's usually a hot book or two in each run that makes my $ back or even come out ahead. I also hated having so many boxes, so now I have my max amount figured out. If I need a new box for Spidey stuff I know it's time to unload something else lol. 

Back issues really varies. I've cut back on these until I really want something and it has to be in the grade I want. I've also been spending more on getting stuff slabbed. For whatever reason, I usually find that I have more to spend on back issues during the summer (or maybe it's just that I have more time during the summer:nyah:). 

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On 12/18/2018 at 9:53 AM, TwoPiece said:

"Hey guys just wondering what you usually set aside in your monthly budget for comics?" About $2k give/take $500.

"How much do you spend on back issues vs new comics?" Back issues easily outweigh new comics. Outside of DC titles, Marvel's reboots kinda suck other than ASM and X-Men. Getting into current stories (or art) is pretty difficult. Edit: Captain America is not bad right now.

"Do you buy them through ebay? Do you get subscriptions or buy from a shop?" I buy a lot off of eBay. Mainly full runs or TPBs. I have a couple of shops for single issues. All CGC books I get from here or eBay.

After Secret Wars, Marvel really did drop the ball on a lot of stuff, but since Cebulski took over they have really started to turn it around. They have some really great stuff out right now. Spencer's ASM has been really good, Soule's Daredevil run was really good, Al Ewing's current Hulk run is great if you enjoy a monster vibe. Cate's Venom run is absolutely outstanding along with everything else he has written. I just finished his Thanos arc (#13-18) and it was great. If you have Unlimited I'd check it out. Avengers has really picked up the pace recently also and I'm starting to like it a lot now. I'll check out the new Cap series. I didn't read that writers Black Panther so I wasn't sure about him. One common theme with the really good titles is they are "fun" again. 

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On 12/18/2018 at 5:14 AM, billbrown7080 said:

I'm currently 6 years behind on story lines, I left off directly when The Avengers Vs X-Men event ended...

I'm planning on trying to get caught up on the last 6 years of stories using one of these sites....

Then I might start buying comics again weekly...or maybe I'll just use one of these sites...

I'd definitely get Marvel Unlimited to catch up. It's great! It's updated weekly with a big batch of old stuff plus everything that came out the week from 6 months earlier. So everything up through June 2018 is on there right now. 

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9 hours ago, Not A Clone said:

After Secret Wars, Marvel really did drop the ball on a lot of stuff, but since Cebulski took over they have really started to turn it around. They have some really great stuff out right now. Spencer's ASM has been really good, Soule's Daredevil run was really good, Al Ewing's current Hulk run is great if you enjoy a monster vibe. Cate's Venom run is absolutely outstanding along with everything else he has written. I just finished his Thanos arc (#13-18) and it was great. If you have Unlimited I'd check it out. Avengers has really picked up the pace recently also and I'm starting to like it a lot now. I'll check out the new Cap series. I didn't read that writers Black Panther so I wasn't sure about him. One common theme with the really good titles is they are "fun" again. 

I haven't taken a stab at Daredevil. I'll take a look next Wednesday. I also haven't had a chance to grab (Immortal?) Hulk #1. Venom just doesn't interest me.

Iron Man and Thor both being duds really bothers me. The Iron Man writing is so bad and the Thor artwork doesn't look good at all IMO. Those turned me off to giving ASM a chance for a whole month. ASM and X-Men have given me more hope to continue looking at Marvel titles, though.

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I had a LCS that was nearby and I loyally bought books, mostly new issues,  from there for close to 20 years. Unfortunately, the owner had a stroke and with the loss of his memory could not run the store any longer. Having a shop so close, I would go there and buy way more then I intended to. The convenience of having a shop within walking distance was like an oasis in the desert. After he closed I started to watch my savings and was amazed at how much I actually spent there. I`ve learned my lesson a few years back, and now since I don`t have that luxury anymore, I`ve found other ways to get my fix. Online reading is one, and shows are probably my top way to get great deals. Dollar bins and big sales at these shows will save you some cash. An occasional online order is there if I really want something or I`ll drive to a shop just to see what they have. I bought many of the keys over the years and on occasion I`ll grab an upgrade or something nice for the collection. I`ve learned that not buying the new titles will let you save for the really nice older stuff. The big thing that will hook you is speculation. Don`t get sucked in buying multiple titles and think you`ll get rich flipping them at a high profit. You have to know what you`re doing or you`ll get burned big time. Take it from a guy that spent nearly 43 years collecting comics, read what you enjoy, watch what you spend, start with the key books within your budget, try to get others interested in the hobby, ask questions and most importantly have fun. 

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