2020 Vision: Collecting through a past and future lens.10856
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Jabberwookie private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by earthshaker01 Are you near the DFW area, at all? If you are or can get here, he's appearing at the Texas Frightmare on May 1-3. I know there's the autographs and a photo session. I'm going to get mine autographed, but not decided on the photo, yet. If you can't get here, depending on your level of comfort and trust, you could always send to me, cover the autograph fee ($60, I think) and I will get it signed and sent back to you. But, you don't know me, so I can see why that would be a last resort. |
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Jabberwookie private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by CatmanAmerica Catman, those are absolutely beautiful. You are on a whole different level of collecting. Great year! |
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 You think I'm joking, I'm not.
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earthshaker01 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| One thing I picked up was a pulp that focused on a movie and publisher I love. Never thought I would find it in such great shape as most pulps are pretty tattered bt this day and age. I also got a near perfect original store advertisement poster to go with it. Outside of that this last year I have picked up numerous extremely high grade GA and SA oddities, many with only a dozen or less known to exist and even fewer in NM shape. It's been a good year. Cheers.   |
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doog private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by earthshaker01 Did not know those were gradeable, one of the best movies of all time. Appreciate learning that, Happy New Year |
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 Collector
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00slim private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by doog Same. I wasn’t sure Pulps fit in a slab. I have one with the original story that was the basis for the John Carpenter movie ‘They Live’. I might have to get it graded. |
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 I'm a #2.
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BigRedOne1944 private msg quote post Address this user | |
I plan to make nothing but more random impulse buys of cool books I just like   |
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| Post 31 • IP flag post | ||
 Have I told you about the time I dropped off 3,000 comics at SDCC?
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Scifinator private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by xkonk And what would those X-Men big boys be? |
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| Post 32 • IP flag post | ||
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Have I told you about the time I dropped off 3,000 comics at SDCC?
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Scifinator private msg quote post Address this user | |
| This was one of my personal grail pickups in 19. Took advantage of the Holiday20 so if it comes back Verified and 9.0 or grater I will be ecstatic. Also picked up 2 9.8 Savage Sword of Conan #1s (which I will strange inheritance to my twin sons) as it was one of my first comics from when I was a yute. For 2020 I want to get NM's of Captain Marvel 1, Capt. America 100(Though Chris Evans politics have really soured me on the character), Sub-Mariner 1, and then there is FF 48, 49, & 50. Yes, Norin Radd is my favorite character. Some day, a 9.8 SS 1 which is my ultimate grail. I still remember looking across the count at a pristine example every time I went to my local comic shop in the late 70's until someone broke in and stole it and some other comics. I was crushed.  |
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 Leftover Sundae Gnus
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CatmanAmerica private msg quote post Address this user | |
| My goal in 2020 is acquiring more GA comics that appeal to my interest in art, including some reprints or archive/omnibus editions for interior stories. Collecting comics is still a heckuva lot of fun after all these years, but my general advice to collectors interested in hearing it is to weigh discretionary expenditures carefully, in balance with family considerations. Never let momentary ambitions override common sense. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? But in the era of auctions and "bid" buttons, ...you get the idea. The cautionary viewpoint I'd offer collectors contemplating what to collect for investment is that no one retires on long boxes filled with comics socked away in storage lockers. Also, if lines of collectors are having books autographed, witnessed and graded for investment purposes, the premium placed on acquiring those signatures becomes irrelevant over time. Collecting is supposed to be pure enjoyment, but when serious money enters the picture it's impossible not to look at comics without thoughts of profit. Unfortunately, aspirational fantasy is not a real world investment plan. With thousands of hopeful fans buying, slabbing and carefully storing comics in a similar fashion collecting becomes more of a sport of grade bumps, market speculation and auction flipping. Census numbers provide sobering insight into market speculation. My inclination is to recommend the path less taken (diversified collecting) as some areas of the market like GA are less volatile due to scarcity. Nevertheless, it's fun to focus on acquiring what you enjoy most, keeping a clear-eye on cost and a pragmatic view of the long game if investment is even part of the consideration. Predicting trends is fraught with uncertainty because media tie-ins (movies & TV) are unpredictable and public interest in popular culture is fickle. Savvy comic collectors usually manage to find a sweet spot between Chicken Little angst and becoming a designated fryer in the seller's market crock-pot. So, having set down a little of my own criteria for collecting ...and perhaps given a few collectors something to think about in the New Year... where will your interests take you next in this remarkable hobby? BTW, key 2020 in caps and your vision should improve, ...I promise you'll like it too!   . |
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 Collector
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poka private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I am hoping for either ASM1 or FF1 | ||
| Post 35 • IP flag post | ||
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Leftover Sundae Gnus
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CatmanAmerica private msg quote post Address this user | |
Fantasy art acquired through HA last summer, painting by Margaret Brundage...  . |
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Leftover Sundae Gnus
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CatmanAmerica private msg quote post Address this user | |
Science Fiction cover for Heinlein PB also acquired through HA last summer...  . |
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| Post 37 • IP flag post | ||
 If the viagra is working you should be well over a 9.8.
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xkonk private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Scifinator I need 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 14, and 16. I'm sure I'll also be tempted to upgrade some I already have when I see nice copies, which makes getting the new ones tougher. But my New Year's resolution is to focus a little better. | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| My goal for 2020 is to read more comics and buy less. I am on the verge of maxing out my office storage space and I don’t want to sell any of my reading copies, so I need to be more sensible about how many comics I am bringing in. As far as expensive acquisitions in 2020, I still would like to acquire Little Dot 1 and Dell Looney Tunes 1, if I can find them at a reasonable price, and also more pick up some more Harvey and Dell bound office volumes. | ||
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Leftover Sundae Gnus
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CatmanAmerica private msg quote post Address this user | |
MLJ acquisitions from Wondercon in 2019 that may influence other 2020 pursuits...    . |
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You think I'm joking, I'm not.
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earthshaker01 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @michaelekrupp which Dell bound volumes do you have? | ||
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Darkseid_of_town private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by CatmanAmericaI admit I know next to nothing about golden age books so I seldom comment or even rate your posts Catman,but even a fourth rate quarter bin collector from Totoland knows a great collection when he sees it....amazing books you own. I dont comment because I have nothing intelligent to offer, I know so little about your specialized area of the hobby . If I could or had one question to ask you, how do you view the modern day characterization and how she is portrayed of wonder woman vs the golden age books with their 30 spankings, bondage panels and so forth per issue....sorry of that distracts from the thread and quite understand if you select not to respond |
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
@earthshaker01 The only Dell volume I have so far is this one: it collects all the Bugs Bunny issues cover dated 1955 and 1956. Definitely would like to acquire more Bugs and Looney Tunes volumes if they come up for sale.    |
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doog private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I have to say I know quite a few folks living very well off long boxes in storage lockers, and have done so for decades, but they also never stop buying with some of the proceeds. maybe that is rare, and my crowd is an outlier. I remain jealous of them, however. Investment potential in comics is where I started in the hobby 10 years ago, so near and dear to my heart I grew up around serious comic collectors from the 60’s to now. If they were willing to sell they would all be quite wealthy, they all sell enough to be comfortable. I chose a different route but thought comics could be part of a diversified portfolio, what’s great with them is the cash nature as well as the return. Plus they are cool, and addictive. Those I know who did relatively poorly in the hobby kept little, just sold for quick gain over the years. It seems some here do it for income, curious about their story. I know a few who expect a crash, but those are always with us. |
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| Post 44 • IP flag post | ||
 Please continue to ignore anything I post.
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southerncross private msg quote post Address this user | |
| 2020. I'll try to complete my run of tales to Astonish 70-101 in certified pedigrees. Started this back in 2007. I have one raw book to get graded and just need 3 more to complete. Not interested in a specific grade just a pedigree. The other challenge is a copy of every comic book published the month and year of my birth. Still need over 60 books to complete this. Both collecting goals are seriously tough. Hard to find early 70s romance books and the weird Charlton titles are next to impossible which makes it all more fun when I come across them. |
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Please continue to ignore anything I post.
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southerncross private msg quote post Address this user | |
| If anyone is after Alex Schomburg covers especially ww2 ones. A cheaper alternative to the pricey timelies are the other publishers. Example a book I bought years ago. I'm an Australian so I just had to have this book and it's cheap as chips. Interior is not the best but I bought it solely for the cover anyway.  |
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| Post 46 • IP flag post | ||
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You think I'm joking, I'm not.
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earthshaker01 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @michaelekrupp odd I replied and posted, but now gone. Anyhow, there are Dell bound volumes out there but the early ones are HTF pretty much anything pre four color 150 starts to get scarce. I have 4 different bound volumes which are likely the only ones around. Anyhow happy hunting. | ||
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Leftover Sundae Gnus
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CatmanAmerica private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Darkseid_of_town Don’t collect GA Wonder Woman, but maybe I should start! Does that answer your question? . |
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Darkseid_of_town private msg quote post Address this user | |
| well if you dont collect it, hard for you to give an honest answer I guess.....back when Charles Moulton was writing wonder woman in the forties, he would go into the DC offices, and they would have the normal meeting...telling him he needed to reduce the amount of bondage, sexual innuennodo, spankings, ...to dress wonder woman more appropriately, etc. Apparently it was a constant and dreaded thing, and each time he was warned he would double down with even more the following issue. I had always thought those were stories meant to add some allure to the myth, but as I began looking through those old books and reading reprints, I began to see that no...that is precisely how it was...end to end bondage, spankings and so forth throughout.....virtually any excuse to tie someone up and spank them.Moulton refused to budge on the issue....after his death and once Joye Hummel resigned, the title was assigned to Kanigher, who promptly went about removing all questionable content, reducing wonder woman eventually to a savant who owned a boutigue, had no powers, no robot plane , no special costume...etc. Contrasted with todays character the modern version is much more innocent, less worldly, and more of what you might expect from an Amazon princess. Each version has its allure, but the older type had its amusment. There were also some pretty questionable racist overtones in a few issues, in particular when wonder woman goes to Africa and battles a native tribe allied with the Nazis...etc. |
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 Masculinity takes a holiday.
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EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Darkseid_of_town I had no idea it was that blatant. However, I always found it interesting that insders would mock the "puritan" concerns of innuendo and hidden images being inserted into the comic books that kids were reading. They said these people had sick minds, they were only finding these things because they insisted on finding them against all reasonable explanations. And then years later we find out, yep, the creators were doing it all the time and they took great pride in doing it. |
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Darkseid_of_town private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Moulton was a psychologist, and was the man who invented the lie detector...hence wonder woman's truth forcing lasso. He was obsessed with bondage, dominance and the psychology behind it all. Since Mpulton wrote the stories, along with joye, his student from psychology class, there was nothing remotely innuendo or hidden about the imagery and ideals presented, it was right in your face, one after another …. His inspiration for wonder woman was Olive Byrne, his live in lover, that he and his wife were in a three way relationship with...Olive wore the jangly bracelets, that became the model for wonder woman's own, that deflected bullets....there was another woman also involved but history doesn't tell us much about her role. As Marston lost his health, Joye began writing the stories herself, or mostly by herself, from about issue 12 through about issue 30...during that time Marston eventually lost his life to polio and cancer. Once he was gone, joye resigned, Kanigher was assigned the character by DC editorial decision and that was the end of the golden age of Diana price. |
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JustABitEvil private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Im hoping that 2020 is a better year for me financially so I can do some serious work on my X-Men run. My goal is to end 2020 needing only issues 1-5 which means I have 135 issues to grab this year. I'm also hoping that my GA purchases this year arent limited to no-bid beaters on eBay... | ||
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Leftover Sundae Gnus
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CatmanAmerica private msg quote post Address this user | |
Two more collected Marvel Mysteries observed from the 2019 rear view...   . |
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| Post 53 • IP flag post | ||
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Leftover Sundae Gnus
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CatmanAmerica private msg quote post Address this user | |
| More or less sage thoughts from a tumbleweed collector (note: my edited and reposted views from a thread initiated on another third party grading forum). One thing I overlooked in my earlier rumination on the state of the current market is if you’re determined to put together a run ...as many collectors are prone to do... targeting tougher books early can actually make achieving that goal easier. Locking down tough issues should be the first priority for the run collector, not the last. Before blowing this idea off, allow me to explain my rationale on this. Buying keys while still relatively affordable ...emphasis on the word relatively... is likely to get you much closer to your target goal at less overall cost than snapping up cheaper books in the run first. Price fluctuations notwithstanding, most common books increase incrementally. Conversely, tougher keys (such as origin stories, first issues, classic covers and scarce books with low census numbers) tend to climb in price disproportionately. From my perspective, be that as it may, trying to build a GA run should involve more strategizing than acquisition based on specific covers, themes or artists. This seems like an obvious no-brainer approach, although collectors seem easily lulled into convincing themselves that acquiring the low hanging fruit first will eventually get them a shot at the brass ring. But given the way the markets generate prices on high interest books, will it? I’m left pondering how many run minded collectors within striking distance of their goal have been priced out of the market due to missing the window on a key book. This process should be intuitive, but it isn't and given the stakes it should be food for thought. My observations ...as a collector who invariably tries to avoid focusing on runs... are mainly directed to those moving into GA from other areas of comic collecting. Experienced collectors focusing on runs have probably confronted this dilemma and figured out how to successfully navigate it. |
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Masculinity takes a holiday.
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EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by CatmanAmerica Great Point! Reminds me of this story: A teacher put several large rocks in a bucket and asked the class "is the bucket full" They said yes. The teacher then added many pebbles and asked again, the class said yes. The teacher then added sand and asked again is the bucket full? The class said yes. Finally the teacher added water and asked the class what the lesson was. They responded that "there is always room for more". The teacher said "no, the lesson is that if you prioritize the big things first you will still have room for the smaller things." I always remember that when packing a suitcase or car trunk. |
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