Your first run? 1 1

[Robot Man]

MAD Magazine for me. Started with #72, kept buying them while working back any way I could. Friends, garage sales, flea markets and used book stores as well as early mail order dealers. Long before the internet...

[Ken Aldred]

On 9/29/2019 at 3:34 PM, KirbyJack said:

Then I ran into the early issues of Conan dirt cheap. I loved Conan, so add that run

Conan 1 to 100, in the late 70s.

I only started buying Conan with issue 75 and I had a lot of back issues to find.  Difficult at first for me in the UK, with few dealer contacts or even much idea how to go about the task.

Getting the BWS issues was a fairly slow process, pricey, and a bit generally overgraded from the source I used.

Then, I discovered comic marts in Manchester, and I picked up all the issues from 25 to 50 at one show, NM, about 50p each, apart from the non-distributed, Adams-drawn issue 37.

The issues up to 75 were easy to fill in, but the title soon ceased being distributed to the UK, and I was concerned that this would once again impede my then eager progress.  However, a few months later there were several dealers at the mart that started selling imported cent copies, and I could continue easily.

I got to issue 100, and then stopped.  I can't recall why I suddenly lost interest.

In parallel with this, I also collected Savage Sword of Conan, managing to find issues 11 up either distributed on the UK newsstand or later as import copies, as with the main Conan title.

I ordered 1 to 10 from a mail order dealer here, and, when the family returned from a summer holiday in Germany that year, a parcel containing all the issues in superb NM condition was awaiting me, which was a nice surprise to come back to.

I continued to issue 50 with the magazine, and then, once again, suddenly stopped.

Definitely a fond collecting memory.

Edited October 2, 2019 by Ken Aldred

[KirbyJack]

Now I’m embarrassed about how easy it was here back then! 

I set up at a convention once; about 1996. I was offering the entire Conan comic run ( in pretty decent shape) for $100. No one even asked me about it. 

[herc2000]

First run I ever completed was Marvel Two in One, back in the early to mid 80's. Was a great read, and I really enjoyed them. 

At the time, I remember getting excited over elusive issues pre 25, was so exciting then, to fill the gaps, as opposed to now, where nearly everything is readily available on the internet.

[shiverbones]

2 hours ago, herc2000 said:

First run I ever completed was Marvel Two in One, back in the early to mid 80's. Was a great read, and I really enjoyed them. 

At the time, I remember getting excited over elusive issues pre 25, was so exciting then, to fill the gaps, as opposed to now, where nearly everything is readily available on the internet.

I can relate to that thrill. House of mystery was brutal to find before the internet. One of the last ones I needed was 236 with that killer Wrightson cover, I was floored when I saw what it looked like.

[Ken Aldred]

3 hours ago, shiverbones said:

One of the last ones I needed was 236 with that killer Wrightson cover, I was floored when I saw what it looked like.

One of his most Ingels-influenced pieces, and a fantastic cover.