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Amazing Spider-Man Collecting Thread!
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Started by Point Five,

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Point Five

Point Five

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I'd leave a new issue behind for one of those square bound wonders.....but, then, that stuff, to me, was "new" also

 

I bought a bunch of Marvel Tales before I had any conception of what a 'reprint' was, so I felt that too. I did notice a difference between the ASMs and Spectaculars I was buying, and the Marvel Tales, and I actually preferred the older stuff. I'm not sure exactly why, I guess there was just something about Romita Sr's art and the accessibility of the stories that drew me in.

That's funny -- I never gave it much thought, but I too was buying Marvel Tales off the newsstands, only it was in the mid-80s, when they were reprinting the early Lee/Ditko stories. As Jimjum notes, they were "done in one" stories, and highly engaging... I got hooked right away, and started frantically tracking down the original issues. (As I recall, the #1-20 issues were hopelessly out of reach on my kid-sized budget, but I could still afford VG-to-midgrade copies of #21-on when I could find them.) Those reprints, maybe even more than the then-current books, are what started me collecting silver ASMs.

 

 

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chrisco37

chrisco37

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I'd leave a new issue behind for one of those square bound wonders.....but, then, that stuff, to me, was "new" also

 

I bought a bunch of Marvel Tales before I had any conception of what a 'reprint' was, so I felt that too. I did notice a difference between the ASMs and Spectaculars I was buying, and the Marvel Tales, and I actually preferred the older stuff. I'm not sure exactly why, I guess there was just something about Romita Sr's art and the accessibility of the stories that drew me in.

That's funny -- I never gave it much thought, but I too was buying Marvel Tales off the newsstands, only it was in the mid-80s, when they were reprinting the early Lee/Ditko stories. As Jimjum notes, they were "done in one" stories, and highly engaging... I got hooked right away, and started frantically tracking down the original issues. (As I recall, the #1-20 issues were hopelessly out of reach on my kid-sized budget, but I could still afford VG-to-midgrade copies of #21-on when I could find them.) Those reprints, maybe even more than the then-current books, are what started me collecting silver ASMs.

 

 

I didn't do the Marvel Tales, but the Masterworks were my gateway into older Spidey books.

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jimjum12

jimjum12

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I'd leave a new issue behind for one of those square bound wonders.....but, then, that stuff, to me, was "new" also

 

I bought a bunch of Marvel Tales before I had any conception of what a 'reprint' was, so I felt that too. I did notice a difference between the ASMs and Spectaculars I was buying, and the Marvel Tales, and I actually preferred the older stuff. I'm not sure exactly why, I guess there was just something about Romita Sr's art and the accessibility of the stories that drew me in.

That's funny -- I never gave it much thought, but I too was buying Marvel Tales off the newsstands, only it was in the mid-80s, when they were reprinting the early Lee/Ditko stories. As Jimjum notes, they were "done in one" stories, and highly engaging... I got hooked right away, and started frantically tracking down the original issues. (As I recall, the #1-20 issues were hopelessly out of reach on my kid-sized budget, but I could still afford VG-to-midgrade copies of #21-on when I could find them.) Those reprints, maybe even more than the then-current books, are what started me collecting silver ASMs.

 

 

I didn't do the Marvel Tales, but the Masterworks were my gateway into older Spidey books.

 

....and what a gateway it is :cloud9: GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

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Ghost Town

Ghost Town

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I'd leave a new issue behind for one of those square bound wonders.....but, then, that stuff, to me, was "new" also

 

I bought a bunch of Marvel Tales before I had any conception of what a 'reprint' was, so I felt that too. I did notice a difference between the ASMs and Spectaculars I was buying, and the Marvel Tales, and I actually preferred the older stuff. I'm not sure exactly why, I guess there was just something about Romita Sr's art and the accessibility of the stories that drew me in.

My earliest exposure to Spider-Man was in the Ross Andru interiors/Romita/Kane covers days. When I went back and found the Ditko stuff, it was pretty alien to me. It seemed so primitive in comparison. I definitely have more of an appreciation for the Ditko stuff now, but it'll never be the Spider-Man for me. Kind of ironic, I know.

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fantastic_four

fantastic_four

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I collected Marvel Tales as a young teenager as well. Also Spectacular Spider-Man. Switched to Amazing Spider-Man around 2000 because I was better able to afford them as an adult. :cloud9:

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mysterio

mysterio

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I started seriously collecting in the late 1980s and pretty much started immediately on Silver Age stuff. My first "wall" book was an ASM #40 in about F/F+ that I paid maybe $12 for (I think it was marked at $15 but anyone who had a pull list got 20% off back issues at my LCS at the time). Shortly thereafter I picked up a low grade #1 (came back a 3.0 OW-W) for $80 and a #5 that recently came back a 5.0 CR-OW. I can't remember what the #5 cost. Anyway, my LCS would let me put money down and then pay books off over time, and I would use my lunch money to do it. I was in high school (graduated in 1990) and would get $3 a day for lunch. I would then either make a lunch to bring after my Mom left for work, or I would eat as cheaply as possible and take whatever was left over to the LCS. I built a pretty decent collection that way. Many issues aren't super high grade, but I would say I got to about 80% complete that way. Of course, in the late 80s many back issues were only $1-2, at least at my LCS, so it wasn't hard to pick up a book or two each day or pay down a more expensive one.

 

I've got a huge soft spot for the late 80s through about #400 stories as well. I bought all that stuff off the rack and really looked forward to those books. I remember getting goose bumps when I saw the first full Venom image on the last page of #299 because of how cool he looked (back before they made him all slobbery with a ridiculous mouth). I quit ASM when they went off the rails with that clone redux, as I couldn't stomach the retcon (I won't put the spoiler in in case anyone doesn't know it and would actually want to).

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Point Five

Point Five

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I was in high school (graduated in 1990) and would get $3 a day for lunch. I would then either make a lunch to bring after my Mom left for work, or I would eat as cheaply as possible and take whatever was left over to the LCS.

lol Great story. And it does stir a few memories... hm

 

 

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COI

COI

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Posted
I'd leave a new issue behind for one of those square bound wonders.....but, then, that stuff, to me, was "new" also

 

I bought a bunch of Marvel Tales before I had any conception of what a 'reprint' was, so I felt that too. I did notice a difference between the ASMs and Spectaculars I was buying, and the Marvel Tales, and I actually preferred the older stuff. I'm not sure exactly why, I guess there was just something about Romita Sr's art and the accessibility of the stories that drew me in.

My earliest exposure to Spider-Man was in the Ross Andru interiors/Romita/Kane covers days. When I went back and found the Ditko stuff, it was pretty alien to me. It seemed so primitive in comparison. I definitely have more of an appreciation for the Ditko stuff now, but it'll never be the Spider-Man for me. Kind of ironic, I know.

 

Funny, that's exactly how I felt after getting the Masterworks reprints of 1-10 and reading them for the first time. I eventually got into them, and for whatever reason really took a liking to issues 6 and 8, but Ditko was never the Spider-Man artist for me either.

 

If I ever start collecting high grade again, I think I'd be ok with sticking to 39-150. My bank account would be ok with that too.

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COI

COI

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I started seriously collecting in the late 1980s and pretty much started immediately on Silver Age stuff. My first "wall" book was an ASM #40 in about F/F+ that I paid maybe $12 for

 

That's funny, my first SA Spidey was an ASM 40 that I won in an Ebay auction in 1998 for about $12 (I think it was $11.80), but it was a VG+. Still a good deal, and amazingly enough I still have it. I say amazingly because that first low grade run I put together was sold once I started getting into slabs, but that issue somehow slipped behind my desk and avoided getting sold off with the rest. I found it years later when moving furniture around.

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mysterio

mysterio

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I started seriously collecting in the late 1980s and pretty much started immediately on Silver Age stuff. My first "wall" book was an ASM #40 in about F/F+ that I paid maybe $12 for

 

That's funny, my first SA Spidey was an ASM 40 that I won in an Ebay auction in 1998 for about $12 (I think it was $11.80), but it was a VG+. Still a good deal, and amazingly enough I still have it. I say amazingly because that first low grade run I put together was sold once I started getting into slabs, but that issue somehow slipped behind my desk and avoided getting sold off with the rest. I found it years later when moving furniture around.

 

Glad you still have the book, I still have mine too. It was a great issue as an introduction to "old" Spidey stories back when I picked it up, and is still one of my favorites.

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jimjum12

jimjum12

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....it's no wonder you guys love old ASMs.....starting with #40. The first one I bought off the stands was #58....I still get a weird feeling whenever I see one. My next one was 64....and I didn't miss another for a long time. Gwen Stacy was my first girlfriend. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

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jimjum12

jimjum12

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that 12 has some sharp edges

I should hope so, I trimmed 'em myself!

 

....that's the best way to get them just right......why settle for reality, reality is for sheep :sumo: GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

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