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I Don't Want Old Grails
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135 posts in this topic

I'm sure this is going to stir up some buzz, as I understand there is a definitive line between old collectors, that focus on Golden and Silver Age books, and Modern Age readers/collectors.... let's leave the speculators out of this, if at all possible...

 

Because this is a topic I'm curious about, which is based on the essential collecting, not the speculation market. 

 

I say this ahead of time, because I know, from a 'collecting', 'financial' perspective, these books are going up in value...  BUT

 

I don't like old grails. I don't want them. I'm 40 and clearly, doing the math, did not grow up reading books from the 70s and earlier. I got into reading books in the 90s... and yes, books that I read back then hold a special place in my heart. I appreciate and understand nostalgia very well.

I guess my point is, specifically to, Hulk 181 let's say... I've read that issue, it's awful. The art is awful, the story is awful, the book is awful. I have absolutely zero interest in having it in my collection. Bragging rights, as it were, doesn't entice me as much as it does the price tag it demands just to own it. To say I own the '1st appearance of...' does not hold value to me anymore. That is my speculator talking.

 

From a reader and true collector point of view... I struggle with old books, because reading them now is very difficult. This holds true for almost all books I grew up with as well. I own zero books from my old reading days, the 90s. I've reread them. They are awful. Now this isn't true for all old books. I believe that DKR is still a masterpiece for instance. I still thoroughly enjoy reading Days of Future Past. I'm not saying all old books are garbage, but I have a hard time appreciating anything now that doesn't hold the test of time.

Just to be clear, I also think most new books are garbage too lol. Just leveling the playing field.

Anyway, am I really the only one that feels this way? It seems so... but I don't know... just curious really.

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I don't read comics anymore. I started collecting in the 1970's, and loved the stories. Now though, panel by panel storytelling doesn't do anything for me. I still appreciate the cover art, the nostalgia factor, and the value of my books, but I'm no longer a comic reader, and prefer novels.

Edited by nonquixote
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comic book guy GIF

COmic book guy...Is this you posting this??

41 minutes ago, D2 said:

I'm sure this is going to stir up some buzz, as I understand there is a definitive line between old collectors, that focus on Golden and Silver Age books, and Modern Age readers/collectors.... let's leave the speculators out of this, if at all possible...

 

Because this is a topic I'm curious about, which is based on the essential collecting, not the speculation market. 

 

I say this ahead of time, because I know, from a 'collecting', 'financial' perspective, these books are going up in value...  BUT

 

I don't like old grails. I don't want them. I'm 40 and clearly, doing the math, did not grow up reading books from the 70s and earlier. I got into reading books in the 90s... and yes, books that I read back then hold a special place in my heart. I appreciate and understand nostalgia very well.

I guess my point is, specifically to, Hulk 181 let's say... I've read that issue, it's awful. The art is awful, the story is awful, the book is awful. I have absolutely zero interest in having it in my collection. Bragging rights, as it were, doesn't entice me as much as it does the price tag it demands just to own it. To say I own the '1st appearance of...' does not hold value to me anymore. That is my speculator talking.

 

From a reader and true collector point of view... I struggle with old books, because reading them now is very difficult. This holds true for almost all books I grew up with as well. I own zero books from my old reading days, the 90s. I've reread them. They are awful. Now this isn't true for all old books. I believe that DKR is still a masterpiece for instance. I still thoroughly enjoy reading Days of Future Past. I'm not saying all old books are garbage, but I have a hard time appreciating anything now that doesn't hold the test of time.

Just to be clear, I also think most new books are garbage too lol. Just leveling the playing field.

Anyway, am I really the only one that feels this way? It seems so... but I don't know... just curious really.

 

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3 hours ago, D2 said:

Thank you.

And I was hooked on Spawn...

:facepalm:

It's okay. I liked McFarlane back then too. I have many not so good memories about 90s books. There's an awful lot of drekky drek from Marvel and DC in that decade. It's like when that group of guys bolted and formed Image, Marvel and DC replaced them with even worse artists. 

Of course you can say that every decade has its crappy art and that's very true but somehow it feels like the 90s took crappy to a new level. And that's without even talking about the gimmick cover nonsense

Edited by Jeffro.
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1 minute ago, Jeffro. said:

It's okay. I liked McFarlane back then too. I have many not so good memories about 90s books. There's an awful of drekky drek from Marvel and DC in that decade. It's like when that group of guys bolted and formed Image, Marvel and DC replaced them with even worse artists. 

Of course you can say that every decade has its crappy art and that's very true but somehow it feels like the 90s took crappy to a new level. And that's without even talking about the gimmick cover nonsense

 

Quote

What do you mean?

- Rob Liefeld

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21 minutes ago, Jeffro. said:

It's okay. I liked McFarlane back then too. I have many not so good memories about 90s books. There's an awful of drekky drek from Marvel and DC in that decade. It's like when that group of guys bolted and formed Image, Marvel and DC replaced them with even worse artists. 

Of course you can say that every decade has its crappy art and that's very true but somehow it feels like the 90s took crappy to a new level. And that's without even talking about the gimmick cover nonsense

the 90's was not all bad

 

Edited by engelhard
oops
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1 hour ago, D2 said:

I'm sure this is going to stir up some buzz, as I understand there is a definitive line between old collectors, that focus on Golden and Silver Age books, and Modern Age readers/collectors.... let's leave the speculators out of this, if at all possible...

 

Because this is a topic I'm curious about, which is based on the essential collecting, not the speculation market. 

 

I say this ahead of time, because I know, from a 'collecting', 'financial' perspective, these books are going up in value...  BUT

 

I don't like old grails. I don't want them. I'm 40 and clearly, doing the math, did not grow up reading books from the 70s and earlier. I got into reading books in the 90s... and yes, books that I read back then hold a special place in my heart. I appreciate and understand nostalgia very well.

I guess my point is, specifically to, Hulk 181 let's say... I've read that issue, it's awful. The art is awful, the story is awful, the book is awful. I have absolutely zero interest in having it in my collection. Bragging rights, as it were, doesn't entice me as much as it does the price tag it demands just to own it. To say I own the '1st appearance of...' does not hold value to me anymore. That is my speculator talking.

 

From a reader and true collector point of view... I struggle with old books, because reading them now is very difficult. This holds true for almost all books I grew up with as well. I own zero books from my old reading days, the 90s. I've reread them. They are awful. Now this isn't true for all old books. I believe that DKR is still a masterpiece for instance. I still thoroughly enjoy reading Days of Future Past. I'm not saying all old books are garbage, but I have a hard time appreciating anything now that doesn't hold the test of time.

Just to be clear, I also think most new books are garbage too lol. Just leveling the playing field.

Anyway, am I really the only one that feels this way? It seems so... but I don't know... just curious really.

You are not alone! There are a lot of "key" books that, if I do acquire them when buying collections or lots or whatever, I am only happy to sell them to those who really want them.

Take Hulk #180 for example, of which I have owned 2 in the past couple years. I have zero interest in Hulk from that era (and a lot of Hulk in general) and rather than have that "key", I sold it and put the money towards books I do like...with either characters I like, or stories or art or both.

Now, there are a handful of books in my collection that I have that really, I wonder why I keep them. They are "keys" but really are uninteresting to me. Batman #635, Avengers Annual #10, Hulk #340 to name a few. I have these in high grade and could sell and put towards others but I have not done so. I think reason being these kinda of fell into my lap and were acquired so cheaply (couple bucks each). The same goes with a healthy chunk of X-Men issues from the Byrne/Claremont days. Call shame on me, but I am not a huge X-Men guy and really, I should probably sell these however the covers on many are very nice, even if I don't love the characters.

For me, the only way a Hulk #180 or #181 or some other big key that I am not actively hunting (like New Mutanst #98 or Batman Adventures #12) makes its way into my PC is if I have crossed off several other more important books. Until then, having these would be fine but having single digit ASM issues or ASM #50 or Golden Age Cole stuff or insert a large range of this I prefer is much more important to me and my collecting. 

Edited by comicginger1789
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