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Culling My Collection
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Started by Math Teacher,

28 posts in this topic

Math Teacher

Math Teacher

Posted
Posted (edited)

As I have mentioned elsewhere, I am trying to erase the huge footprint of my current collection. I've already started, as I have sold a large number of TPBs over the last twelve months. Now, I am starting to remove the peripheral of my collection by selling off runs of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man, Web of Spider-Man, and Sensational Spider-Man, just to name a few. I am now thinking about selling off additional parts of my collection. I have a full run of Amazing Spider-Man #1 - #700.5, a full run of Fantastic Four #1 - #611, and a full run of Daredevil #1 - #13, #13 being #554 (I think) in legacy numbering.

I will never, and I mean NEVER, read any of these issues again. If you could see my "to read" pile, you would understand. I have several alternatives to reading books that I currently own: Marvel Unlimited, Omnibuses, Masterworks, Epic Collections, what have you. I also have some DVDs that contain long runs of the Silver Age heroes, such as Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man, etc. When I want to read FF #1 - #50, I get this DVD, and I copy these files to my Kindle.

So, what I am trying to determine is, after what issue should I get rid of extra issues? For example, I thought it might be appropriate to keep ASM #1 - #400, and sell the rest of the issues. But honestly, I'm not sure where I should stop my runs of FF and DD. For FF, I would like to keep all issues up to and including the John Byrne run, which ended at issue #293. For DD, I think I should keep all the issues up to and including the Frank Miller run, which ended at issue #191.

Would you care to comment on a good stopping point for each series? Are there ASM issues above #400 that are important (read valuable)? I would probably keep FF #1 - #300 because I like nice round numbers, but are there important (aka valuable) issues after FF #300? I would probably keep DD #1 - #200 for the same reason, but are there important issues (aka valuable) after DD #200?

I truly don't remember much about these issues that were published after the Silver/Bronze age. I believe that I could tell you about AMS #1 - #50, at least the villain if not the plot. I could probably do the same with FF #1 - #50, and probably the same with DD #1 - #40. After that, many of these issues just become a blur. I know that I wouldn't get much for ASM #401 - #700.5, FF #301 - #610, or DD #201 - #554, but I would least get something. And I would get much needed room in my comic cave.

I could use this money to get some issues that I really like in high grade, such as FF #25 - #26 and #57 - #60, DD #18, just to name a few.

So, I could really use some sage advice. If you had full runs of these series, and you wanted to eliminate some of them, what would be your cut-off issue?

Edited by Math Teacher
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Randall Dowling

Randall Dowling

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Posted

If it were me, I would keep the following:

ASM 1-200 and various keys after (238, 239, 298-328, etc.)

Fantastic Four 1-300

Daredevil 1-201 (I like the cover to 201)

Pretty close to what you're thinking.  I just can't think of any Amazings after 300 that I care about (and yes, that includes 361 and the rest).  If I was really pressed, I'd take it down to FF1-123 + the Byrne run and 211, ASM 1-150, and Daredevil 1-40 + the Miller run.  Deep cut, though.  The problem is that most of the money is in the earlier issues and the later issues are a lot of work per dollar of transaction.  2c

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KirbyJack

KirbyJack

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9 hours ago, Albert Thurgood said:

??? Please explain. Isn't Marvel still going?

Yeah. For a while, Marvel wasn't publishing Fantastic Four. They started it up again, but I don't buy the new FFs.

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the blob

the blob

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Seems just as likely later issues in any run will pop vs stuff from the 80s. I am torn on whether to even try doing these runs. I have 100 - 500 or 600 or more of ASM... Minus most of the expensive keys, which were sold off, so is there even a point? 

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Albert Thurgood

Albert Thurgood

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11 hours ago, KirbyJack said:

Yeah. For a while, Marvel wasn't publishing Fantastic Four. They started it up again, but I don't buy the new FFs.

Thanks, I did not know that. Wow. Stopping the "world's greatest comic magazine" title that built the company. That would be unimaginable to anyone reading the book in the great Kirby years of the '60s.

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Sweet Lou 14

Sweet Lou 14

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I think #400 is a great place to cut off the Spidey run.  That's how far I got my collection graded -- I kept #401-700 raw.  For me the FF drops off in interest level big time once you get into the 20-cent issues, though of course I enjoyed the Byrne run a lot so if you want those books then I would go with the nice round number and cut it off at #300.  Similarly with DD, cutting off at #200 lets you keep the Miller run.  Those would all be great choices.

If you decided to cut back even harder then I would say ASM through #328 (or, more drastically, through #252 plus #298-300); FF through #120 or so, or perhaps only to #102; and DD through #132 or even #100.  All depends on how much you are looking to let go.

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nmtg9

nmtg9

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Officially I only collect up to the end of volume one, so up to 1996.

Which for Spidey was 441, DD 380, FF 416. Same for the others that stopped then. 

Having said that, I have loads of the later volumes too. 

Having culled 40% of my collection recently and felt OK about doing so it is a consideration to cut these out too, but not just yet. 

 

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rexinnih

rexinnih

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Posted (edited)
15 hours ago, Mucheee1 said:

My current rule of thumb for the titles I collect, to include ASM, Thor, FF, is if it has a 12 cent cover price, I get it. Once I have all the 12 cent issues I might expand into the 15 cent cover prices. Helps to keep me more focused.

This is me also. I have an affinity for 12c Marvel issues and tried to get as many as I could. That's tapered off now due to price increases but while not as large as some, I have runs of X-Men 1 - 143 (minus #4), Daredevil 2 - 54, Iron Man 1 - 15, Hulk 102 - 117 and a few other minors such as Nick Fury and bits and pieces of Fantastic Four, Avengers and Spider-man. 

Culling will be something I'll do in my retirement years. 

Edited by rexinnih
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piper

piper

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Posted

I pared down to ASM 1 - 50, 96-98, 100, 121, 122, 129, and 300.  That said, I've been picking up the odd high grade Romita book post No. 50.

I like the idea of 1-150.

 

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piper

piper

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14 minutes ago, Sweet Lou 14 said:

I hung on until #700 and then I had to walk.

1-700 took up too much room.

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