Jolldan Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 The three main comics I would like to collect are Batman, Spider-Man and The Flash. Of course there are plenty of others but those are the main 3. With Spider-Man personally I would love to collect all the first appearances of the fantastic rogues that I first got introduced to as a kid in the 90's animated show such as Sandman Vulture Rhino Doctor Octopus Scorpion Electro Shocker Hobgoblin Carnage Black Cat Chameleon Kraven Morbius Mysterio Venom The Lizard Green Goblin Hydroman Was just to see if anyone would have any advice on what would be a good way to get started. From what I have seen from my own very limited research Rhino & Shocker seem to be the best bets in terms of the late 1960's cheaper books to get started? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kon_Jelly Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 Hydro-man (issue 212) and Black Cat (194) are probably the cheapest of the lot. The later issues, like Carnage (360/361), Venom (300), and Hobgoblin (238) will be easier to find in good condition, but they are somewhat expensive. You could also go for 136, which is the first appearance of Harry Osborne as the Green Goblin. It doesn't go for nearly as much as the first appearance of the original Green Goblin. But definitely be prepared to lay out some cash. Most of those are very pricey. Jolldan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvelmaniac Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 And while you are saving to get original copies of these first appearances you can read all of them in Marvel Tales for a couple of $ each. Start with issue 137 which reprints Amazing Fantasy 15 and issue 138 which reprints amazing Spider-Man 1 with original covers. Issues 139-149 reprint ASM 2-10, 150 Reprints ASM Annual 1 and so on... You can see them all right here. https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?tid=85061&pgi=101 Jolldan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turnando Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 4 hours ago, marvelmaniac said: And while you are saving to get original copies of these first appearances you can read all of them in Marvel Tales for a couple of $ each. This is what I'd do. I've been reading through the list of the top 100 most actively traded comic books from each epoch that someone recently posted in the General forum. There are some good Spider-Man books along with some bad Spider-Man books on the lists (IMO). I'd start with a list of the ones I want and re-read them with an adult eye. Then go for the ones that stand out from the others. Jolldan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvelmaniac Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 Just a little side note from a seasoned collector to a new collector... When I was attempting to complete my runs I always started with the higher numbered books and worked my way down. IE: If I was attempting to collect ASM 1-100 I would start by attempting to complete books 90 -100 first so I had some semblance of order in what I was looking for and not jumping all over the place and having no idea what I had. The exceptions to this would be if you really like a certain character/book go for it or if you find a more expensive lower numbered book or key at a really good price. Depending on what you are looking for as far as grade will determine how quickly you can afford to complete these runs, me personally, I have no problem with "Well Loved Copies" (FR 1.0, FR/GD 1.5, GD 2.0) of the lower numbered, more expensive books. If you do purchase lower grade books you can always upgrade the copy at a later date. Again, this all depends on your grade/condition preferences and budget. The MAIN thing to remember is HAVE FUN and ENJOY!!! Jolldan, The Lions Den and Dan82 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comicginger1789 Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 I will second the "start high and work down" Everything on that list is more expensive now than ever. If you are looking for mid to high grade, the cheapest would be Black Cat or Hydro Man. I would wait until after the upcoming Spider-Man movie though, as I am betting that Hydro-Man is not in it (at least, not the actual Hydro-Man) and it is a conjuring of Mysterio as part of some act he is using to win over the public. This issues was previously a $10 book in nice higher grade and now has been getting $50-70. From there, I would pick which villains YOU love most. For me, I had to have first Scorpion before Rhino or Shocker so that was my focus. That made is most enjoyable for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NP_Gresham Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 On 3/1/2019 at 3:20 AM, Jolldan said: The three main comics I would like to collect are Batman, Spider-Man and The Flash. Of course there are plenty of others but those are the main 3. With Spider-Man personally I would love to collect all the first appearances of the fantastic rogues that I first got introduced to as a kid in the 90's animated show such as Sandman Vulture Rhino Doctor Octopus Scorpion Electro Shocker Hobgoblin Carnage Black Cat Chameleon Kraven Morbius Mysterio Venom The Lizard Green Goblin Hydroman Was just to see if anyone would have any advice on what would be a good way to get started. From what I have seen from my own very limited research Rhino & Shocker seem to be the best bets in terms of the late 1960's cheaper books to get started? I would add the first appearance of the 'burgler'. In contrast to a previous poster I would reccomend the toughest early issues first. Those will take a lot of savings, the others can wait. Jordysnordy and Get Marwood & I 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisco37 Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 7 hours ago, NP_Gresham said: I would add the first appearance of the 'burgler'. In contrast to a previous poster I would reccomend the toughest early issues first. Those will take a lot of savings, the others can wait. I agree. Try and knock out the bigger keys first and work from there. They aren't going to get any cheaper. Jordysnordy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Pontoon Posted March 8, 2019 Share Posted March 8, 2019 Big keys first for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noble52 Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 I agree with others in this forum, start by reading some of the classic stories either in reprints or trades. It may help you identify issue runs or key books to prioritize. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimik Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 Start with the best copy of the 1st Chameleon that you can find and work down from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwomancomics Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 1 minute ago, kimik said: Start with the best copy of the 1st Chameleon that you can find and work down from there. @kimik In numerical order? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwomancomics Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 I would work on the books that have a better chance to increase in value when a movie is announced. Get those now before the boom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimik Posted March 12, 2019 Share Posted March 12, 2019 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Catwomancomics said: @kimik In numerical order? Based on value. You can play the movie spec game and save a small bit, but a copy of #1 will appreciate more in all likelihood. Edited March 12, 2019 by kimik Catwomancomics 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macho Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 Cool that you are getting into ASM collecting! I started about 6 years ago to get serious about it and am down to issue 35. Fortunately, I stumbled onto a bunch of these keys about 5-6 years ago. But if you are not looking for the best of the best grades, you can get key books at a fair price. I got a 41 (1st Rhino) in 5.5 grade for $106 off ebay last month. I got my 129 (Punisher) in 4.0 for $135 before the Netflix DD serious. ASM 50 (Kingpin) for $65 in 6.0. ASM 101 (Morbius) was $87 on 6.0 ASM 238 (Hobogoblin) was a steal at Half Priced book sale in 7.0 for $1. I also picked up a ASM 300 at HPB for $55 in 6.0 (Another steal, a employee knew I collected and gave me a great deal on ASM 300-325, they didn't go on the floor yet, the lot for 301-325 for $45 too) ASM 361 I bought on the shelf at my comic store. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlextherobot Posted May 28, 2019 Share Posted May 28, 2019 Keep a close eye on the Golden/Silver sales forum here on the board. Over the last week a ton of classic mid-grade ASM issues have been posted at very reasonable (and in some cases excellent) prices. Keys will still cost you, but you're almost guaranteed to get a better deal here on the boards than on eBay or via a dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SECollector Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 This is the coolest and most fun run to collect, if you ask me and many other collectors out there, so yes, you have a good taste Sir My humble opinion: Take your time and do some serious research about what all of these issues go for. Build a well structured word or Excel document, with grades and prices for each issue. Yes, it will take time - but if you are serious about a task like this, it will both need a lot of time and money. Set your longtime budget and based on that choose a pretty tight grade range that balances your funding and what you like condition-wise. Then try to stay consistent when you start picking books, and stay within that grade range. A consistent through out collection is both more challenging and fun to build, but also so much rewarding. Start with the bigger books. Those are the ones that they will most probably go up fast and you will regret it later on if you keep the biggest ones for the end. Consider going for a #1 as well. If you get all these, you WILL need a #1 as well. Check out the "Amazing Spider-Man Collecting thread" in the Silver Age section here on the boards. It's a great source of knowledge and mostly inspiration. Good luck with your quest! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
