Help Noob Decide What/How To Collect 0

[rosegirl87]

I collected comics as a teen in the early 90s, lost/sold/threw away all but two small boxes that I pared down my favorites into and have been reluctantly carting them from apartment to apartment over the last 25 years. I recently got into collecting marvel legends and now am trying to figure out what to do with comics.

I love the marvel legends because I can display them and get daily enjoyment. A box of slabbed comics kept in the closet to avoid sun damage or a 9.8 Hulk 181 stored in a safe deposit box doesn’t really appeal to me since I’d feel like a hoarder.

Over the last few years I picked up some slabbed Wolverine series comics with the intention of putting them on display in custom wooden frames designed for slabbed comics. I did that and it looks cool in my bedroom but (and I realize I’m on the CGC forum), I don’t think I like looking at the CGC slab on display. I think I’d prefer a custom framer taking a raw book behind Museum quality glass. I have a local framer I’ve used for art and it’s expensive, would be about $250 per comic for a high end wooden frame, nice matting, and museum glass. That’s all within my budget to do for 3 to 10 books to put on display.

The collector in me likes to collect, but as I get older, I feel silly lugging stuff cross-country to different apartments only to take it out of the box every few years to prepare it for moving again. I do enjoy reading comics on my iPad using the marvel unlimited app.

What I like about marvel legends is I can own 100 of them in a Rubbermaid In the closet, and once every week or two, spread them all out, pick 10 to 15 of them to put on display on a small shelf in my bedroom. I don’t like cluttered shoulder-to-shoulder ”at attention” collections of 1000 figures I see some people have. It’s not wrong, it’s just not for me.

I’m trying to figure out how to focus my comic collecting efforts. I definitely want some non-zero number of comics in my life, but I don’t want a closet-full I never see. So here’s some ideas I came up with:

1) Have more custom wooden frames made for CGC slabs and get a small collection of low to medium end comics I don’t care about sun damage to, and I rotate through which are on the wall every week or two, by sliding the slabs in and out. Downside is the cost of slabbed books, the unnecessary-ness of spending extra for high graded books if the purpose is display and not eventual re-sale, and looking at the CGC top strip. The hologram looks cool but I’m an early 40s adult and seems a bit juvenile for a display. Also, I have OCD and seeing different numbers will distract me.

2) Same as option 1, but I have custom frames made that cover the top of the slab so the frame edge conceals the entire CGC top strip (is there a Technical name for this?). Benefits here is my OCD isn’t triggered by numbers, no distracting hologram, and maybe I can find deals on low graded slabbed books no one else wants like 7.5 graded books from the 90s. I’ve read 90s books need to be 9.6 for anyone to care and 2000+ era books need 9.8. So maybe someone paid the money to get a book graded like X-men 90s - Jim lee issue 1, and it pulled a 8.0 and is worth less than the slab it’s in and I can get a 100 different comics like this with grades decent enough for a display but low enough the sale value is dirt cheap. Main downside is the Custom frame might look stupid with the CGC top covered, I may have to Have then framer widen the entire frame on all 4 sides and it may look weird. To be clear, if I have the top part and grades visible, I’d feel compelled to buy high graded books, but if the frame covered the grade, I’d feel fine with lower graded books. The number is like putting my report card or bank statement on display for the world to see. I’m not trying to impress anyone but it would make me feel bad like “why didn’t I just buy the 9.8”)

3) Raw books behind museum glass in frames with matting. Looks most professional, clean, and appropriate for display, but is by far most expensive since good museum glass that doesn’t reflect light is expensive and swapping out comics is really hard. I’d have to take the entire frame apart and carefully insert the comic in the matting and may wind up 1 degree off and drive me crazy. I don’t foresee myself swapping comics often, if ever, this way, so I’d just get 3 to 10 comics I permanently want on display for this. So most expensive and least flexible option. Of course, I can buy medium-grade raw books for cheaper than slabbed and even a 7.5 90’s comic is probably fine. It may actually look cooler with some small imperfections because a 9.8 behind museum glass will look so perfect that it looks fake, like a print.

What ideas do you have for me, other than “comic collecting clearly isn’t for you” because I do want some small amount of comics in my life.

Edited June 1, 2020 by rosegirl87

[Keys_Collector]

Comic collecting can be for everyone.  How about using products like comicmounts to either put on the wall or use as stands?  Do a google search and you'll find them.  I use them for 30+ on the walls and have some as stands.  Not a bad choice for 5-6 bucks a piece and you can display them raw or slabbed.

We can give you advice but only you can determine what you really want to collect.  I have a combination of raw/graded and it usually depends how I am going to display it or not that determines if I want it raw or slabbed.  That also goes for how important the book is to me and its value.

Find out what you truly want to collect and what brings you the most joy especially if choosing for display purposes.

As you can see, I love them all from raw to graded and Marvel Legends so I try to find what themes are present and run with that....displays can be ever changing to so you can switch books ever so often.  It also is easier when you own your own home and don't need to worry about moving.

[rosegirl87]

Great ideas on what I really want to display and collect. I think it's books from the late 80s, early 90s that I grew up with. Uncanny XMen around 270 to 330, Wolverine 1 to 75, some valiant comics like Harbinger and XO Manowar.

 

[Jeffro.]

6 hours ago, rosegirl87 said:

I think it's books from the late 80s, early 90s that I grew up with.

This is always a great way to collect. I've pretty much given up on the high grade hunt merry-go-round and slabbing BS and am now focussed on collecting, in reading grade, comic and characters that I enjoyed as a kid.

Welcome to the boards

Edited June 6, 2020 by Jeffro.

[Karl Liebl]

Do not display valuable books in the sunlight.  I learned the hard way.  They fade kind of fast (5 years lol).  Marvel legends are just reprints so do what you want with them!  I was looking at a Frazetta site and saw they have canvas prints available cheap... best of both worlds.

[Keys_Collector]

44 minutes ago, Karl Liebl said:

Do not display valuable books in the sunlight.  I learned the hard way.  They fade kind of fast (5 years lol).  Marvel legends are just reprints so do what you want with them!  I was looking at a Frazetta site and saw they have canvas prints available cheap... best of both worlds.

Blackout curtains and keeping any artificial light off most of the time in the room do the trick.

[Jeffro.]

5 hours ago, Keys_Collector said:

6 hours ago, Karl Liebl said:

Do not display valuable books in the sunlight.  I learned the hard way.  They fade kind of fast (5 years lol).  Marvel legends are just reprints so do what you want with them!  I was looking at a Frazetta site and saw they have canvas prints available cheap... best of both worlds.

Blackout curtains and keeping any artificial light off most of the time in the room do the trick.

And then wear night vision glasses to view your comics 

[Keys_Collector]

2 hours ago, Jeffro. said:

And then wear night vision glasses to view your comics 

It's a spare room so the lights are only on when I spend time in there.