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as a percentage-- how much of your collection have you read?
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85 posts in this topic

as a kid growing up I read 95% of all the comics I had as I know there are a couple in those value pack bags of multiple comics that I didn't even bother opening up. 

as a adult collecting more valuable ones in slabs I read them digitally but still have a lot of catching up to do I would say maybe 60% 

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Thirty years ago, I would have said 100%.  About twenty years ago, that dropped down to about 75%, between quarter-box hauls from conventions and a ridiculous 10-cent haul from a local store that went out of business.  (I, uh, bought a few comics...)  About that time, I also bought a sizable Bronze Age collection from a guy at work, and I've still barely made a dent in that.

Eight years ago, I had my first kid, so my free time for reading is... greatly reduced.  I've continued to buy new comics weekly, so my collection has continued to grow much faster than I can read it.  I'm probably sitting at about 60% read, and I'll probably never catch up, at least until I retire.  :preach:

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I used to read or at least skim everything, but it's about 50/50 with the raw books, and I've gotten out of the habit of cracking slabs, which I used to do as a rule for my keepers. That's for 1940s and 50s stuff. Anything I buy new (which is not much), I buy to read.

Edited by rjpb
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I gave this a little more thought today. Comparing the time when I was kid collecting (mid 1970s) and modern times--- there is just so much more going on and to do. The explosion of decent TV shows is unreal. Back then we had 3 channels and it was mostly corny as hell. Between cell phones and laptops--- the entire world is our oyster. One can literally screw around the entire day or week on the internet and get nothing done other than feeding our minds with whatever we can think to ask. As a kid-- i had homework to worry about that required trips to the library and encyclopedias -- but always made time to read my comics, at the very least my favorite ones. I also tended to go out and play a lot or play inside with various toys etc-- slot cars being my favorite.

So I don't beat myself up that many of the recent purchases/acquisitions to my collection are basically collecting dust (not really-- they are bagged and protected better than anything I own). But I really think I should try to take a longer look at my books-- read them, appreciate them, and maybe try to sell the ones that don't matter to me any more. Do I really need that Gunhawks #1? Probably not.

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28 minutes ago, rjpb said:

I used to read or at least skim everything, but it's about 50/50 with the raw books, and I've gotten out of the habit of cracking slabs, which I used to do as a rule for my keepers. That's for 1940s and 50s stuff. Anything I buy new (which is not much), I buy to read.

I wish I could do this-- seems like all I bought recently was not so much to read but to fill the holes in my favorite runs on the premise that I would read them eventually. I think I am coming to terms with my own hoarding behavior on some level.

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It’s probably in the 30-40% range.  I have a lot of books that I acquired by buying a few collections in the late 80s/early 90s.  I never read a lot of those books.  Lately I’ve started reading books from Marvel Unlimited on my iPad.  It’s just less work than digging books out and I don’t have to deal with missing issues.  

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I’ve read everything I own, with one exception. I have a slabbed Gaines Picture Stories From The Bible that I’ve not read in any form. All my other slabs are of books that I’ve read at least once.

 I recently sold off a hunk of my hoard, and one major criterion for keeping something was “will I read this again”. If the answer was no, off it went.

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1 hour ago, KirbyJack said:

 I recently sold off a hunk of my hoard, and one major criterion for keeping something was “will I read this again”. If the answer was no, off it went.

I'm really trying to get myself back to this mindset.  I sold off a lot of good stuff in past years (which later became "movie hot," of course) because I figured I'd never read it again, so now I'm a little gun-shy.

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6 hours ago, KirbyJack said:

 I recently sold off a hunk of my hoard, and one major criterion for keeping something was “will I read this again”. If the answer was no, off it went.

I've reached a similar conclusion about the keys that I didn't manage to acquire before the recent price rises.

I read digitally now and have encountered some of these books along the way.  I discovered that the stories and / or art didn't match up to my fondly-recalled 'memories' of them, didn't then view the issues as anything special or sacrosanct and feel any drive to acquire them, any sense of loss or that there would be significant gaps in the collection by not having physical copies, especially at the punitive, nosebleed prices being demanded.

Another process of moving on, letting go.

Edited by Ken Aldred
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This is a great question. 

When I was a kid in the 90s, I read everything.  I don't have any of those books today and didn't consider myself a collector. 

When I was in high school and started collecting SA more seriously, I never read any of them. Kept them bagged and boarder. 

Recently, I've started reading more and more books in my collection. Anything I've bought in the last year, I've opened and read.  For slabbed books, I've even bought reprints to read with my son.  

I've probably read 10% of what I own. 

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