Thoughts on collecting comics

[abacus]

It's good to read the amount of time spent by forum members completing sets of various UK comics preserving comic history and in the end possibly profiting by it.
Collecting sets I would find too expensive and therefore just pick up pieces here and there across the array of comics and annuals.

Many years ago I took a bag of books [not comics] to sell to a secondhand dealer .I only managed to sell half of them but from that meeting I gained insight into what sells and what doesn't and that as influenced my buying ever since.
I tend to look for comics that have a unique selling point i.e.different from the general trend whether no1's anniversary or collectors editions,great covers or different genre from what's popular at the time.comics that are noticeable in fact and should attract buyers.
The new Eagle comic for instance many covers look similar but the DAN DARE IS BACK cover that I would rate as more interesting.
As stated earlier not finding complete sets affordable I am used to collecting at the lower end of the scale.
I do have some rare signed annuals however.one for instance signed by aunty MABEL and uncle GEORGE

[Adam Eterno]

[quote="abacus"]It's good to read the amount of time spent by forum members completing sets of various UK comics preserving comic history and in the end possibly profiting by it.
Collecting sets I would find too expensive and therefore just pick up pieces here and there across the array of comics and annuals.

Uncle George signed one of my annuals too!

I agree with the fact that collecting sets is expensive but about 10 years ago, personal circumstances left me with very little in the way of "pocket money" to spend on luxuries for quite some time but I did have a few additional hours at home to surf the web. I found that there were all kinds of opportunities to make a few quid whilst still collecting so firstly I started buying big lots of comics and breaking them up to sell individually (best example was after doing this for a while I splurged £200+ twice on two complete sets of Action comics. I then sorted them out to keep the best conditioned set for myself and sold the remaining comics individually for just over £400 meaning that I collected a set for nothing!). I also bought comics and free gifts separately and put them together to sell. ie Space spinner from 2000ad #1 for less that £100, comic on it's own for less than £50. I would then sell them for £200+. I did this on 4 or 5 occasions. All of this meant that I generated spending money to buy the comics I really wanted!

I have a little more cash to invest in my comic collecting addiction now but I still try to generate a healthy income to cover some of my occasional extravagances!

I haven't done it, but I have a friend who buys comics at bootsales and fleamarts and then sells them on Ebay and he reckons he generates 4 figure profits each year which he spends on comics therefore not upsetting his wife!

I do get a little jealous sometimes when people mention the amazing gems they have collected over the years though!

[starscape]

I used my own collection plus buying'n'selling to run an online/convention comic shop to help finance my PhD in the early 2000s.

About a decade back, I sold most of my possessions to move abroad, keeping only a few collections. Since coming back, I buy to read mainly (not overly fussed about condition) and collections that mean something special to me. So, for instance, I remember enjoying issues of Bullet, so want to follow that as a read. If it's cheap enough, I'll buy the collection someday, as I did with The Crunch, Buddy etc. For the something special, comics like Ghost Rider and Star*Lord dazzled me, so I need those collected.

Previously, I had loads that I struggled to get to as I had so many. A lot that I'd read a number of times and didn't need to read again. Others that I'd buy but didn't really care about. Odds'n'sods that didn't go anywhere, e.g. the odd issue of Nth Man or something. Nothing wrong with the odd Film Fun, for instance, for curiosity but why have more when I don't find the stories actually enjoyable.

So, my advice: sell everything, then buy back stuff you're only actually interested in. It's great fun and much more satisfying than buying a load of mediocre material.

[Phoenix]

sell everything, then buy back stuff you're only actually interested in.

I really can't see the point of that.

[starscape]

The hunt is a lot of the fun.

[Phoenix]

I will admit that in the past I have bought in copies of story papers in better condition than the ones in my collections. However, when I caught myself being extremely finicky (slight nick, small stain etc.) I gave up the searches because I realised that the chances of acquiring full sets of mint condition copies of my thousands of DCTs were about as realistic as being signed on as a striker by Real Madrid.

[Adam Eterno]

The hunt is a lot of the fun.

I agree. The hunt is half the fun of collecting. I've just had a massive clearout over the last 2-3 months of stuff I've acquired and am both not interested in reading again and aren't important to me as a collector and it's left me with a healthy warchest for the things I really want. Maybe not enough for a Beano #1 but I just missed out on a complete set of Bullet last week so am keeping a close watch out for the same, as well as a few individual copies to complete sets or runs. There are years of Valiants that I'd be keen on as well.............

[abacus]

A lot that I'd read a number of times and didn't need to read again. Others that I'd buy but didn't really care about. Odds'n'sods that didn't go anywhere, e.g. the odd issue of Nth Man or something. Nothing wrong with the odd Film Fun, for instance, for curiosity but why have more when I don't find the stories actually enjoyable.

There is a conflict between buying what you enjoy reading now and items that have a collectable value but not nescessary good reading material.I try to buy what I like regardless of the current trend or fad, for instance I would rather collect US Disney Uncle Scrooge comics than the latest Spiderman comic or old detective or western comics than new super hero comics
I don't normally take note of the artist when reading a US comics but recently I was reading a weird stories comic and was struck by the difference in the artwork and looking at the first page it was by ALEX TOTH talent shines through.
I can now also recognise some UK comic artists of the past by their work.

For me another thing I try to take into account when collecting is the number that may be in circulation of a particular comic or annual.Thomsons material must be quite numerous so I am usually only interested in their older stuff.

[stevezodiac]

Perhaps someone can help with my personal pecadillo. If i go to an ephemera fair or a flea market and see a pile of comics I will invariably buy them. However if I am at a comic fair or at 30th Century Comics where almost every comic on earth is there to be had I will usually buy nothing. When i was at Covent Garden antique market a couple of weeks back i bought about twenty issues of Shoot from a dealer. She then told me she had two large bags of them back at home but I just wasn't interested. It seems i prefer opportunist purchases rather than an embarrassment of riches. Is there some psychology that can explain this?

[paw broon]

I can identify with that pecadillo, although when I pitch up at 30th Century Comics, I tend to spend too much. The temptations of their stock are almost too much to bear. That shop is an exception but usually, if some titles are too easy to find, I'm not as interested. The more difficult to track down, the more I'm tempted. Perhaps that is part of the reason I go after pocket picture libraries and Swan titles and other smaller publishers' publications.
Nowadays I don't buy for investment. Only comics that tickle my fancy. Apart from reading the things, the warm sense of pleasure at actually having them is satisfying. That could just be me getting older, fast.
abacus mentions Toth and he is so right. The man was a genius, a towering giant of the comics world and it's so good that other fans know of and appreciate his work. You can all find out more about him here:-
http://tothfans.com/
As for Starscape's contention that the hunt is a lot of the fun, he couldn't be more right. Sometimes, unfortunately, the delight of expectation exceeds the joy of getting your hands on that elusive title. But I still love going to a new town and finding a mart, back issue shop, fair, whatever, with boxes of old comics.

[colcool007]

For me it has always been a mix of the thrill of the hunt and the best bargain ever.

I like hunting down comics to complete collections, but as we need to move, my/our comic buying has slowed down significantly and I will only buy the almost giveaway deals such as the pile of eight 1960s Picture Libraries that I got for 75 pence each. Or the 200 plus Wizard and Rover comics that I bought for less than £40. The comic has to be something else for me to buy it if it is more expensive than that such as a free sketch from the artist for my sketchbook or I am getting a review copy so that I can see if I can do a decent review on the comic for Down The Tubes. Or I am keeping a collection complete such as UniVerse when I bought Anthology Six.

I will carry out more opportunistic buys when at car boot sales when I see a comic that I would not normally buy and that can lead to another wonderful adventure through comics.

A good example is that Paw Broon has been talking about the publishers of some comics and until recently I felt that I did not have much to add. However, by sheer luck, I have come into the possession of several picture libraries that are not D C Thomson nor Fleetway. And now I have a little to add to the discussion and I have chatted to Paw on the phone about these. But when I get a quiet moment, I will add to the online discussion.

[Phoenix]

Were you sure that you didn't already have those issues of Shoot, Steve?

[George Shiers]

Perhaps someone can help with my personal pecadillo. If i go to an ephemera fair or a flea market and see a pile of comics I will invariably buy them. However if I am at a comic fair or at 30th Century Comics where almost every comic on earth is there to be had I will usually buy nothing. When i was at Covent Garden antique market a couple of weeks back i bought about twenty issues of Shoot from a dealer. She then told me she had two large bags of them back at home but I just wasn't interested. It seems i prefer opportunist purchases rather than an embarrassment of riches. Is there some psychology that can explain this?

There is a psychology to this. The harder something is to find, or the rarer it is, the more desirable it becomes. Sometimes even to the point that people only buy something because it's rare, not because they actually want it. This is often used as an advertising technique. When a company releases, for example, a new perfume, instead of advertising it on billboards and t.v. they start "whisper advertising". This is where they only tell a few people about the product, and naturally word will be passed around. This would lead to people buying it on sight because they've heard that it's very hard to come across.

[Phoenix]

When a company releases, for example, a new perfume, instead of advertising it on billboards and t.v. they start "whisper advertising". This is where they only tell a few people about the product, and naturally word will be passed around. This would lead to people buying it on sight because they've heard that it's very hard to come across.

Can you give us some concrete examples please, George. To me it sounds more like a rumour than a fact.

[George Shiers]

When a company releases, for example, a new perfume, instead of advertising it on billboards and t.v. they start "whisper advertising". This is where they only tell a few people about the product, and naturally word will be passed around. This would lead to people buying it on sight because they've heard that it's very hard to come across.

Can you give us some concrete examples please, George. To me it sounds more like a rumour than a fact.

Here's a quote from the wikipedia page on whisper campaigning:

"Alcohol and tobacco companies have used whisper campaigns to promote their products since the early 20th century. Liquor companies have, and in some areas still do, send attractive people into bars to order specific drinks in voices that can be overheard. Other tactics include "buying" drinks, or giving away cigarettes to patrons, without making known that the benefactor is a representative of the company. More recently, companies are also paying bloggers to mention products or causes. Also, companies can hire employees to post comments on blogs, forums, online encyclopedias, etc. that steer online conversations in desired directions, as a form of astroturfing."

This is just stuff I've learnt in psychology. Here's a link to an article I found:

https://thornleyfallis.com/whisper_campaigns/

I suppose it's like product placement. For example, House of Cards (excellent show by the way) has Diet Coke cans everywhere. People will subconsciously see them and want a Diet Coke, or the can might stand out next time in a store.