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

[serling1978]

My regrets are all flip related on books/lots I bought purely for a fast flip that I could have held onto. One was a JIM lot from #83-#150 or so for around $1800 about 5 years ago. I foolishly return the entire lot because a handful of books had non disclosed problems like detached staples.  Still hurts. 

[batman_fan]

On 4/22/2021 at 4:32 PM, jjonahjameson11 said:

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

I bought a Batman 18 from them that was trimmed on three side.  Returned it and they got pissed at me for returning it.

[Brian48]

On 4/22/2021 at 4:52 PM, mcribar said:

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.  

Same here only it was back in ‘83 for me.  Hung onto my sports cards a little longer, but sold them off as well in the early’’90s. 
 

Wish I held onto both.  

[mcribar]

On 4/22/2021 at 8:19 PM, chrisco37 said:

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.  

Yeah...I don't regret anything that made total sense at the time and worked out as planned.  Can't look back and say "what if" on those events.  But in the context of this thread, "Regret" would be something that you were not sure about at the time but took a chance and ended up losing.

[mcribar]

On 4/22/2021 at 8:27 PM, 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…

Well said. Too bad most of us learn this the hard way.  And when you try and share this wisdom with less experienced people they tend to humor you with a fake acknowledgement and proceed to laugh it off.  But I suppose most of us were like that in our arrogant and ignorant days....hahaha. 

[Randall Ries]

On 4/22/2021 at 8:27 PM, 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…

"SATAN!"

[mcribar]

On 4/22/2021 at 9:35 PM, thunsicker said:

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.

Well....You still have dogecoin.  But I haven't checked the price in 5 minutes.  Could have easily have went to 1,000,000 or to .01 in that time frame.

Edited April 24, 2021 by mcribar
Wrong decimal place

[mcribar]

23 hours ago, MatterEaterLad said:

 Got a great deal on a Hulk 1 years ago

Congrats!  That book is probably tops on my want list.  Actually 1-3 are.  But I'll never get them unless I hit the lottery.  What shape is your Hulk #1 in?  So hard to find higher grade copies.

[Randall Ries]

On 4/23/2021 at 12:39 AM, Kripsys99 said:

That’s why I don’t quite understand some of the “keys” which are going for crazy valuations currently - the pop reports for these books are simply too large, and there are too many out there to keep the books from trading hands on a semi-regular basis - I don’t think the values can be sustained. Meanwhile, some definitive keys (particularly DC keys) with relatively low populations (particularly in high grade) are still trading hands at reasonable prices - I used Superman 233 (which I obviously have a fondness for) as an example in another thread of a book with a strong pedigree (most recognizable superhero on the planet, ultra-famous Neal Adams cover - even for non-collectors, definitive Superman BA book even without the cover) and a relatively low population (despite being a 50-year-old definitive key, there are only 900 in the registry, 150 above 9.0, and 3 at 9.8) that seems to be going for pennies on the dollar compared to what it should cost relative to some of the more dubious (and more widely available) Marvel “keys” (even factoring in Marvel’s higher popularity). Mark my words, given the low number of some of these comics available in high-grade condition, the prices for these books will sky-rocket once these new collectors get their hands on them, and refuse to move them over the long-term. I think they’ll eventually become almost as unattainable as my treasured rookie cards.  I, for one, have learned my lesson - I’m holding onto my Superman 233, and never letting go!

A lot of THIS.^

What has remained consistent through the 40+ years I have been dabbling in this hobby is that the keys that are REALLY keys (HOS 92, Superman 233, Batman 232, GL/GA 76 etc) have always been on the radar and been sought after. Others come and go. My bigger regrets is trading off or selling keys without having another copy for myself. There needs to be that. For example, I wouldn't keep 10 copies of Bat 227. I'd keep one. They are too hard to replace because I am not a dealer or ebay seller etc so my income doesn't support multiple issues of one given key. Just a simple collector.

The keys that are and have been keys will remain so. Then, the problem becomes speculative. Will THIS book be a key? Will THAT one? Who knows? There are far more "Flash in the pan" keys than there are actual keys that will remain sought after. Everyone thought Concrete was going to be a hot item. Not so much, right?

That was always the beauty of the OPG. I could go through a list of Batman issues and watch the values fall for several lines of books then a blip. Usually a key book. That was year after year.

When I began collecting again, it wasn't like before where I'd come home every week with $150 worth of books under my arm. I began collecting books I couldn't afford before. Mainly key DC books. Sure I paid more. Made the mistake of trading a Bat 227 in 9.4 a while ago. Instant regret. Won't do that again w/o a back up for my own collection.

[spracknetch23]

My biggest regret is probably all the time wasted on EBay looking for deals when I was single. I found some really good deals occasionally, but many times came up with nothing. I could have used all the time more productively (focus on growing my career, get more sleep) and now, with much less free time, I realize that. 

[MatterEaterLad]

51 minutes ago, mcribar said:

Congrats!  That book is probably tops on my want list.  Actually 1-3 are.  But I'll never get them unless I hit the lottery.  What shape is your Hulk #1 in?  So hard to find higher grade copies.

Thanks! It's a 4.5. I'm downsizing my collection right now, but that's one I'll hang onto for a long time. 

[mcribar]

43 minutes ago, MatterEaterLad said:

Thanks! It's a 4.5. I'm downsizing my collection right now, but that's one I'll hang onto for a long time. 

4.5 is great!  I always liked the original Kirby Hulk more than any other.  But I'm sure to younger collectors that's the equivalent of a B&W silent movie....lol.  I too am downsizing.  Now is certainly the time. 

[csaag]

I started collecting back in the latter half of the 70's while prop a freshman in High School  A friend got me started.  He was big into DC so that first time I met him at the local pharmacy I spent my paper route money on DC's and stayed mostly there for a few years, I wish I had given a few Marvel titles a chance initially, particularly Spider-Man & X-Men.

Shorty afterwards a LCS finally opened up in the area where I had bought the vast majority of my keys over the next 10 years.  In the beginning I was buying decent copies off the wall in the $10-$20. I wish I spread out the buys and instead pick even even better looking copies that were in the $20-$50 range.  But back then, with no idea about an Internet, I always wondered how I would sell them one day so I just bought what I liked and didn't give too much consideration to condition.

The other regret was years later when I moved my really nice IH 181 from a bag to a mylar and nicked the ULC of the back cover & almost totally cutting off a tiny piece.  Prob turned my eventual 8.5 into a 9.2

 

 

[KirbyJack]

In 1988, I passed on a Fantastic Four #1 for $900. I had that much, but I didn’t want to spend it on what was at the time, a hobby with zero monetary consideration. I figured I’d find a nice enough copy for a couple hundo. It turned out, my first FF1 was a $240 reader that I would later upgrade to a g/vg.

The 1988 copy was a very fine at least.

[mcribar]

1 minute ago, KirbyJack said:

In 1988, I passed on a Fantastic Four #1 for $900. I had that much, but I didn’t want to spend it on what was at the time, a hobby with zero monetary consideration. I figured I’d find a nice enough copy for a couple hundo. It turned out, my first FF1 was a $240 reader that I would later upgrade to a g/vg.

The 1988 copy was a very fine at least.

I can TOTALLY relate.  I was at the first and only comic shop around here at the time (1979) and he had a FF #1 in the showcase with a sign that said "Buy Me! $125.00."  I would say it was a 7.5 if memory serves me.  The owner was 30 years older than me.  Since I knew him pretty well he kept telling me I'm a fool for not buying this.  He said I will be able to buy a house with it when I'm older.  I just didn't have that kind of money at that age.  It sat there from about  6 months and somebody finally bought it.  He probably got it for $100 or so I would guess.

[badback83]

Selling Hulk 1 and Showcase 4 10 years ago.  I’ve been able to right those wrongs over the past several years thankfully.
 

[Hollywood1892]

7 minutes ago, DocHoppus182 said:

Selling Hulk 1 and Showcase 4 10 years ago.  I’ve been able to right those wrongs over the past several years thankfully.
 

You better have 

How dare you!

[jjonahjameson11]

11 hours ago, batman_fan said:

I bought a Batman 18 from them that was trimmed on three side.  Returned it and they got pissed at me for returning it.

After reading about more horror story dealings with Showcase New England, I wonder who's the bigger crook: Daniel G from Showcase or Gerry Ross?

[BlowUpTheMoon]

I think it was the Steel City show in Monroeville, PA in 2011.  Maybe 2010

I was at this show and found a dealer I had never seen before.  A local guy that hardly ever sets up.

He had four wall books I was interested in; I estimated all four to be 2.5s.  

• FF #1
• FF #1
• TTA #1
• X-Men #1 

The Fantastic Fours were $1200 each.  I forget the prices of the TTA and X-Men.  I had about a grand on me.  Since this dealer didn't know me, he wouldn't take a check and couldn't take a credit card. 

I ended up with the X-Men #1 and TTA #1 for $800.  What I could have done was go to a dealer friend that was setup there and grabbed the cash for one or two of the FF #1s and gave him a check.  He would have been OK with that. 

I don't know if this post is more about regret or greed. 

 

[jsilverjanet]

3 minutes ago, BlowUpTheMoon said:

I don't know if this post is more about regret or greed. 

 

maybe a little of both