What Is Your Biggest Regret or Worst Mistake in Collecting? 1 1

[mcribar]

Being an off and on collector of comics and magazines for over 40 years I've made my share of mistakes and have done things I regret.  But to keep it simple I will list the top in each category:

Regret:  Selling most of my top books back in 1982 when I though I matured out of collecting comic books.  I got back into it in 1991 and went through period of lamenting seeing all the books I used to have in comic stores and conventions.  My intention was to sell all of my comics but the shop owner cherry picked them.  He did however refuse my Iron Man #1 since he already had 6 or 7 in stock.  I bought my VF copy in 1979 for $12.00.  It's currently waiting to be slabbed here at CGC.

Mistake:  Buying large lots of various books thinking of the deal I was getting.  In retrospect I would have much rather used all of that money and purchased a few higher grade GA or SA keys.  That's a mistake I think a lot of us make.  For those COLLECTORS that are newer to the hobby, more isn't better.  Take quality over quantity.  You won't regret it.

[Namtak]

Being born way after the forties

[Mercury Man]

Accumulated a lot...sold it.  Missed it.  Accumulated a lot again...sold it.  Missed it.  Accumulated a lot again...sold it. Missed it.   Rinse and repeat.

[evilskip]

Starting.

[jjonahjameson11]

Made a purchase from Showcase Ne England once.  Book was sold to me as NM+.   Finally  decided to get it graded by CGC after owning the book for 20+ years.

book came back 7.5 with colour touch

[Dr Zen]

My LCS in the 80's. I was scanning the new releases looking for something good. The shop owner points out a book and says, "This just came in. Check it out." I thought it looked dumb and put it back on the shelf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was TMNT #1

[FoggyNelson]

I made so many mistakes financially , but am still doing ok so cannot dwell on it😷👍

[Kripsys99]

Mine is card related, instead of comic related. In 2014, just before my daughter was born, I sold most of my collection of graded NHL Rookie Cards from the 70s and 80s. I just didn't feel right hanging onto them heading into a year of the wife being on mat leave, followed by years of daycare fees, not to mention saving for the kid's university fund. I had everyone who was anyone in my collection, including three Wayne Gretzky rookies graded 8.5 by BGS and SGC. I sold all the cards for FMV, which at the time meant I got about $2500 a pop for the Gretzky rookies. Hard to let them go, but I figured I'd buy one again some day. Well, one of my former Gretzky rookies recently sold for over $75k - the others were in at least as good condition. Not only did I miss out on the value of the cards, I doubt I'll ever own a Gretzky rookie in similar condition ever again.

[pemart1966]

20 minutes ago, Dr Zen said:

My LCS in the 80's. I was scanning the new releases looking for something good. The shop owner points out a book and says, "This just came in. Check it out." I thought it looked dumb and put it back on the shelf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was TMNT #1

If it's any consolation, you were right IMO...on one side of the equation.

[Fisionbomb]

Before the movies and barely anyone cared about Deadpool... I sold a New Mutants #98 CGC graded 9.6 for $80.00.

😣

[mcribar]

24 minutes ago, Kripsys99 said:

Mine is card related, instead of comic related. In 2014, just before my daughter was born, I sold most of my collection of graded NHL Rookie Cards from the 70s and 80s. I just didn't feel right hanging onto them heading into a year of the wife being on mat leave, followed by years of daycare fees, not to mention saving for the kid's university fund. I had everyone who was anyone in my collection, including three Wayne Gretzky rookies graded 8.5 by BGS and SGC. I sold all the cards for FMV, which at the time meant I got about $2500 a pop for the Gretzky rookies. Hard to let them go, but I figured I'd buy one again some day. Well, one of my former Gretzky rookies recently sold for over $75k - the others were in at least as good condition. Not only did I miss out on the value of the cards, I doubt I'll ever own a Gretzky rookie in similar condition ever again.

Great story about being noble and responsible.  Can't look back negatively on this one my friend.  You still made a profit and netted some cash for your new daughter. Hard to regret that! 

[chrisco37]

Try not to regret the books I’ve sold/traded over the years as I mostly did alright compared to my cost in.  Some of the prices similar books are going for now sting for a second when I see them.  But, again, I did well at the time.  
 

One that “got away”, I suppose, was passing on a Walking Dead 1 on the LCS wall for $40 because I figured it was just the “hot modern book de jour”.  Series was probably 8-10 issues into the run by then.

[Dick Pontoon]

A funny thing about regret is that it's better to regret something you have done, than to regret something you haven't done. And by the way, if you see your mom this weekend, would you be sure and tell her…

[Lurker89]

Not getting back in 5 years earlier....

[Mercury Man]

13 minutes ago, Pontoon said:

A funny thing about regret is that it's better to regret something you have done, than to regret something you haven't done. And by the way, if you see your mom this weekend, would you be sure and tell her…

 

[Math Teacher]

I have two regrets.

First, I had a complete run of Brave and the Bold #25 - #200. I had to sell these to help my family get through a minor financial crisis.

Second, I had a complete run of X-Men #1 - #300. I had to sell these for the same reason as above.

You know, I don't know why I prattle on about my personal life. I'm sure no one finds it interesting.

Edited April 23, 2021 by Math Teacher

[Phicks]

Mailing a bankers box of comics to Robert Crestohl in the late 70s and receiving nothing back.  
 

 

[MisterX]

Buying high grade copies of run books for titles that nobody cares about.

[thunsicker]

Not selling my comics in 2007 and putting all the proceeds into AMZN.  Not selling all my comics in 2016 and putting the proceeds into Bitcoin.  Not selling all my comics last year and putting the proceeds into GME.

[William-James88]

Easy. I worked at a comic shop 10 years ago. I should have bought every single key that found its way there, especially since the owner would give me an employee discount. But that's not the main regret. The main one was that we had a whole stack of Ultimate Fallout 4 second print (where you see Miles removing his mask). Marvel had printed so many they were practically giving them away. We had them in our bins for a long time, and they were still there when I left and moved onto different interests. My regret is that I never cared to even buy a single copy. The reason I didn't is that not only did I not care much for a new Spider-man, but Marvel was shoving this character down our throats in the promotion and it seemed like it was a virtue signaling stunt. Instead of hiring more black writers and such, or doing something for the community, they just had a middle aged white man write a new spider-man who was half black and half latino. And people were buying the book not for the story or the character but for the hype Marvel was promoting (like they had with Cap's death and a ton of other stunts which lead nowhere). I found this whole situation  just too much and didn't care to get a copy when the second print came around.

 

Anyways, 10 years later, I now have gotten acquainted with the character and I like him. My kids like him too, as much as Peter if not more. And I wish I had that comic. Not to sell it, but just to have in my collection and show my kids I have his first appearance. I'm not willing to pay the crazy prices now, especially when I have it so clear in my head at how little i could have bought it then. So that's my main regret. And yeah, I could have bought a bunch of those at 2$ and sold them at 200$ a pop now, so that's a pretty big regret too.