Comic Nerds - Do You Have Issues?
6
So as some here know, @jaremelz and I collect comics. We are nerdy like that. I have been collecting for years out of love, and yes, investment. Comics are not baseball cards or beenie babies - they have always held their value over time. But like stocks they fluctuate.
I am no way an expert - I am more of an intermediate collector, I have knowledge of grading and collect across the ages (Golden, Silver, Bronze and Modern) I collect loose as well as a decent library of slabbed - CGC or CBCS graded books - basically, books that have been professionally graded and then enshrined in plastic tombs.
So the question is - is there anyone else here on meh willing to say they collect comics, and are willing to share? Perhaps you have a few, or inherited some from a relative (just remember to bag and board them). We are the ultimate geeks.
I have a feeling I will be getting crickets on this one. But that is ok. I hope a few nerds will come out of the shadows.
- 19 comments, 57 replies
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I will share one of my latest I love. And is new to me - having comic art created. I purchased a blank sketch comic of Harley Quinn #0 (the new 52 - doubly signed) from Ebay and sent it to Mexican artist Marco Carillo and had a custom piece made.
Here is the front cover.
The back cover.
And here is a great step by step on the back cover the artist posted later (and what exactly goes into it).
p.s. this one is more love than investment.
@mfladd That gif of the back still makes me shed a tear. Every time I look at that back, I become convinced I love it even more than the front. (Don’t roast me for that)
@jaremelz I will roast you with Batman Adventures #28 (2nd appearance of HQ)
let us consult the mehcronomicon.
“For the adult man or woman that would collect graphic novels, whatever dude. If it floats your boat, sail the shit out of it. So say we all.”
/image margot robbie harley quinn
@carl669 Yes, say’s the ferryman.
and that was almost exactly the same pic I sent the artist except I found a full body one.
The back page art I also found online. Comes from a video game I think.
@carl669 I do love my girls crazy with a side of weapon.
@jaremelz there is something about women with weapons. and women in scrubs. and in baseball hats. and with hair. hell, just women in general i suppose.
@carl669 Can you tell why I bought this one for @mfladd??
@jaremelz she looks kind’ve bulgey down there. Is it a trap?
@jbartus Angles my friend. She’s alllll woman.
@jaremelz how can you be sure?
@jaremelz Because you luv me and I wanted it.
@jaremelz i’m guessing it’s because @mfladd also wears long, black gloves?
@carl669 based on photographic evidence they appear to be columbia blue.
@jaremelz Have you played Bayonetta or Lollipop Chainsaw? (both on 360 at least)- they seem like games you’d like.
@dashcloud I have not, but I’ll need to look them up!
I do a bit of collecting, but know very little about things. I have a few stores in my area that help me a lot. Nothing I have is too valuable. I do have every variant of “The Walking Dead” issue 100. I recently purchased “The Killing Joke”, and have some cool “Teen Titans.”
@conandlibrarian Yes. The killing joke is a classic, and valuable based on condition, year, and reprint # - based on what you paid. Also there have been many reprints over the years. The original is 1988.
Walking Dead 100 (as most covers now) have variants. These variants have also have distinct cost differences. But it is a great collector item. I am a little jelly on that one as I don’t own it.
For a great price guide I would steer you here.
http://comicspriceguide.com/
It is free to sign up.
But it doesn’t tell you everything. Sometimes comics will be hot and go way beyond the stated comic guide prices on ebay…so check both.
Also, with young kids anything teen titans is cool!
But love you are nerdy!
@conandlibrarian Yay, Killing Joke buddies!!
@mfladd Thanks for all of the info. “The Killing Joke” is first printing, graded 9.4. It was hard parting with that much money, but I think I got a fair deal
@jaremelz Yay! I have a cheap trade bound version that I read all the time. I just love this comic!
@conandlibrarian So did you buy a CGC slabbed version if it graded? 9.4 grade is still a great grade. I will show you another 9.4 I had graded you might like.
I bought this one (Adam Hughes - HQ) on a chance at ebay based on conversations with the seller. I got a great price and he agreed to have it slabbed for me for $45 (good price). It came out at 9.4 and is worth a lot more right now.
(@jarelmelz hates me for this one
@mfladd
What is “slabbed”?
@f00l they send books off to professional grading companies who determine the condition of the comic ‘officially’ and certify this condition, as a means of ensuring it remains such they put it into a hard shell plastic case with some anti-acid material inside the pages to prevent deterioration.
@jbartus thanks for the explanation, that took me a minute myself.
@mfladd Yes, it was slabbed. Pretty cool “Harley Quinn”, and a great price too. I have to admit, I know nothing of “The New 52” series other than what I see in the “Injustice” game.
@f00l Yes. And she is a dream - comic wise.
I don’t collect comics…
…but I enjoy comic book movies, does that count for anything?
@jbartus Hell yes. I actually don’t read any comics anymore (just as a kid), but I collect them. Because, I love ALL things superhero/villain - This is one of my loves - so you are good! (plus Patriots)
@mfladd I think comics are neat from a cultural and artistic perspective I just don’t have money to invest in collecting anything.
I do love me some Harley. In all her incarnations.
And Bedlam!!!
@jaremelz now you are pulling the obscure, but loved. Because you are tainted,
The comic book nerds, the fantasy nerds the Star Wars and the Star Trek fans are the reason I don’t want to be called a geek or a nerd, despite my interests in science, old science fiction books, bad (and good) movies (& MST3k), music, art and generally freaky stuff (and past interest in video games, through I don’t have time for that these days). We have arguments about it with my wife all the time - she says I am a nerd, I say you have to like superhero crap to be one - I really don’t want to be grouped with those people. I do however collect music - CDs, tapes and LP records. Different editions, collector’s editions and that kind of stuff.
@serpent
@serpent there is nothing in the definition of the term nerd (or geek) that mandates it relate to the topics you specified. Just because you do not desire to be termed a nerd it does not give you license to redefine a word for the rest of the world.
I collected from age eight until about 1988, then dropped it due to lack of time and other things to spend money on. Plus the newest age of excessive angst was blooming in most of the series then. I had 16 boxes of comics in storage (all nicely bagged and boarded).
A few years ago I bought the current Overstreet price guide and price checked all my books.
I have one remaining box, mostly the oddball stuff and a few that had more than cover value. I talked to every comic book shop in the area about selling or consigning them, then spoke to Half Price Books who were selling every book for $1 at the time. No takers. Half Price was willing to offer at most 5 cents apiece (but you sell them for a dollar!.. yes but we buy them for a nickel) and the stores said they were awash in 1980s books. EVERYONE saved them because early '80s is when there were news stories about astonishing values of early comics.
I sent one box to my brother for his kids, and sent 14 boxes to charity and took a modest deduction on taxes.
I still have my partial collection of Fantagraphics Prince Valiants though
And that one box of specials.
Yech, no good giphys…
P.S. for nerdy, does having most of the issues of Newtype USA with the DVDs count?
@duodec Ahhhhhhh…Nooooooo (I am crying for the possible gems). Sorry, my friend. You are right though. 98% of most comics have little value. It is the gems you can find at a great price that do well. But you would be surprised what those gems are. Buying an overstreet guide for comics is like buying a Fantasy football magazine 4 months in advance - it won’t tell you much. Even the online guides can be very wrong based on online selling trends.
@mfladd I also searched eBay at the same time, and didn’t actually dump the books for about 6 months while following prices. I didn’t wan’t to miss out on anything actually valuable. Maybe I just didn’t buy the ones that gained value (or maybe some finally did after I let them go).
I did keep some that showed better than face value (the Wolverine 4-issue special, The Dark Knight first prints, and a few others) plus a few that were just old favorites. Tigers of Terra and the like. Also some that had value went to my brother (and they were marked so if the kids took note and were careful, and if his wife hasn’t since donated them to charity or dumped them, who knows, maybe they’re still around and in passable condition).
I read Mad magazine when I was young, that’s about it
Loved it also. What Me Worry?
One thing I must convey here. I don’t recommend that anyone play the comic/collectible game here - ever! Unless you love comics and the analysis. Not ever. I do it because I love it. It is super risky. Beware!
@mfladd not talking comic books but card collections. I had a whole ton of cards from the 80’s got destroyed in a move. But. Now talking about ccg. I played and dumped thousands of dollars into Star Trek ccg. Yeah whole collection is worth maybe $5 now.
Magic the gathering collection however. I have quite a collection. And it is keeping most of its value. I’m starting to hit the it’s going to get reprinted better think of dumping it time now. (Reprints usually hit the value with about a 20% loss, given I don’t have any massively expensive cards it’s a big hit) I think I have a few $100 cards.
@sohmageek Ouch…sorry for the loss. And for anyone reading. CGC is different than CCG. CGC only does comics.
https://www.cgccomics.com/
@mfladd shit happens. They ran into extra licensing and made the game work for the new scope but it made the rules way too complicated. Games could last hours. It really wasn’t very scalable. But in the end the company folded on Star Trek (probably lost licensing)
Never collected, but used to walk down to the 7-11 with my friends, sit on the floor, and read Mad and the comix. The manager let us, as long as we bought a few, and left the rest in nice shape. That store only carried DC, so I never learned the Marvel universe.
I’ve heard Howard Stern talk about collecting comix, he had a bunch of early year Supermans and others. While he was living elsewhere, in college, or early career, his Mom, not knowing anything about them, threw them out, according to the story. He works the material about his parents for effect, so i dunno. If that’s true, it must hurt. Even if you’re a gazillionaire and can afford to buy whatever you want, it wouldnt be the same as having the ones you got when you were a kid.
@f00l So True. That is why the early ones - CERTAIN ONES - do so well. They were all thrown away or in shitty condition. I can talk condition all day - sorry. But there are ones that look like shit and command amazing prices because they don’t exist anymore. Others can be pristine, but there are so many they almost worthless.
Here is my earliest superman that does well:
@f00l My Mom didn’t pitch ours as long as they were put away, but the ones we had as kids were rags, shredded and falling apart from use and too much reading (and no concern for condition or collectibility back then).
I enjoy comics as media/art. Not really much into the collecting/investment part. Most of what I read now is in digital form, either from something like marvel unlimited, or other downloads. I do have a full shelf of comics in print but it is almost all trade paperbacks.
@metaphore The fact that you have a love - awesome!
To expand on my answer now that I’m no longer in the middle of making dinner:
Back in high school, when I first got into comics, there was absolutely no way I could afford to have it as a hobby.
Luckily, I had a handful of friends that were pretty into comics, the people that got me into comics. Out of the group of us that liked comics, 3 or 4 people would regularly pick up and issue or 2 of lots of different stuff. Those issues would get passed around a dozen or so people, sometimes multiple rounds, occasionally until they started to fall apart.
This let me read a whole lot of stuff, with very little investment (fries were a really good way to become the next person a comic was passed to).
When there was something I enjoyed a lot I would then some times go buy some of the older stuff to get caught up, mostly again, in trade paperbacks, since it was cheaper and easier.
Back from those days I have JTHM, a couple X-men, a few Sandman, Sin City, and a few more I can think of at the moment.
@LazyZombie came with a much larger collection, but again in mostly trade paperbacks. He has a lot of X-men and Avengers, the full collection of Cable and Deadpool, some more Sandman, and The Walking Dead, pretty much all of them up to around when the show started. He also tends to follow artists, so things like Joss Whedon’s Runaways And Frank Miller’s Batman.
If we had the money and space, our collection would probably expand, but for now we will continue to enjoy comics mostly digitally.
I have a few long boxes out in the garage, mostly from Image and Vertigo.
I’ve recently stopped buying single issues though because my shop moved and I can no longer hit it on my lunch break. I think I was kind of looking for an excuse to stop buying any way as I have way too much still unread.
If you are new to comics or not I recommend anything by Jeff Lemire (Essex County, Sweat Tooth, The Underwater Welder, Lost Dogs, Trillium, Descender, Plutonia, and a ton more)
Another fantastic book (if you’re into big space opera type stuff) out right now is Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples.
@Ignorant Are they bagged and boarded? Have you ever checked online to see if you have anything? Sometime a series as you describe in whole can do well. But if it is the love that drives you - the more power to you.
@mfladd yep all bagged and boarded. No desire to sell any of them at this point so haven’t looked at the worth of any of them.
@Ignorant Go ahead…take a look. You might be surprised.
@Ignorant hey asshole nice typo Sweet Tooth
I have all the X-Files comics, does that count for anything?
@brhfl I like that you love them - it counts for everything. But for individual prices check here.
http://comicspriceguide.com/
Sets can be worth money.
I still read comics in collected book form, but don’t collect them… I think they’re a pretty bad investment, actually. They are fun to read, but like most things a vast majority are crap. Here’s some that aren’t though:
Ambush Bug - Deadpool-esque silly comedy with plenty of 4th-wall-breaking fun. Memorable moments include a battle against a sentient sock and a Godzilla-esque giant koala that escaped from a cuteness lab.
Doom Patrol [Grant Morrison version] - in the 90s, DC brought back a bunch of old characters in new adult-oriented stories for its Vertigo line. Most people remember Sandman, but Doom Patrol was better and certainly a lot more fun. Surreal without falling into the trap of being weird for weird’s sake, the Doom Patrol was a bunch of misfits who fought even odder foes like a painting that consumed the entire city of Paris, and a sentient transvestite street.
Sandman Mystery Theater - Another Vertigo re-imagining of an old character, this wasn’t the gothic Neil Gaiman Sandman but a 30s-set mystery anthology featuring a Shadow-ish amateur detective. Very adult and sometimes unpleasant, definitely not one for kids.
Rare Bit Fiends - Not a narrative story but a visual dream diary for the author (Rick Veitch) in comic format. One of the strangest comics ever made, it’s also beautiful and fascinating. I can honestly say this one changed my life as it was where I’d first heard about lucid dreaming.
Yotsuba & ! - If you’ve ever wanted to try reading a manga but didn’t know where to start, this is ideal. Slice of life comedy with a little girl and her adoptive dad moving to a new town and meeting their slightly eccentric neighbours. Gorgeous artwork that sometimes veers as close to photorealism as is possible in an ink line drawing, and endearing yet realistic characters make Yotsuba impossible not to love.
@Starblind Nice! I am not surprised you are a fan
Not a collector at all, but I do have a few.
I have some freebies from Wizard World/Comic Con, an anthology or two, and a couple volumes of Lenore, the cute dead girl.
@dashcloud Still have them? I figured a goat would have eaten them all long since…
I collected all thru my teens but only collected one character…Lobo! He was my absolute favorite. The ultra violence and humor when perfect for my teenage years. I recently went back and finished my collection and bought Lobo’s 1st appearance, Omega Men 3. Sadly, DC has rebooted Lobo and the series has been awful. I still love the character and hope one day they bring him back the way he should be.
I got started when I was kid, mainly Superman in the early 90’s before the Death. Kept up with it through high school or early college. It helped I had a good friend whose dad owns our local store so they would pull them and hang on to them forever until I made some money on school breaks and could go in and pick them up. Started back into them when DC rebooted everything with the New 52. Digging the Rebirth stuff.
Seeing your guys post made me go dig out some old boxes of random non Superman stuff and found two issues of the Batman Adventures #12, the first appearance of Harley Quinn. Sadly out of 4 or 5 long boxes probably the only ones worth much, but still cool!
@dnh127 OMG…Those are the Holy Grail’s of HQ!
I only have #2
@dnh127 want to sell one to fellow mehtizen?
@mfladd I was really surprised. I had seen an article about it a while back, and thought that cover sorta looked familiar. Glad this thread made me get off my butt and go looking for the box. Was definitely surprised to have two. Will probably end up parting ways with at least one of them.
Kinda makes me want to go through and inventory all my old stuff and see if anything else is worth anything.
@dnh127 let me know what you are thinking. If it is fair I would love to add it to to my collection. You can reach me at @mehgoat@yahoo.com. Just let me know you sent something as I never really check it.
@mfladd Cool. I need to do some research to see what they are actually going for, not just the ZOMG its the first appearance so its worth $1,000,000 (in a Dr. Evil voice). But will let you know if I decide to pull the trigger on parting ways with one of them.
@mfladd I know exactly how you look right now.
@dnh127 Yea, I would go with the I think I will give this guy a deal price
I just noticed my email was wrong - mehgoat@yahoo.com
I dabble. I buy mostly stuff I enjoy rather than going out of my way to collect.
I have a few Harley things mostly because Palmiotti lives down the road from me so I’m always running into him plus I mean, Harley is a pretty cool character.
I loved the 100 Bullets series and have all the trade paperbacks.
Way back when I was a kid I got into the Dreadstar comics and I think I still have all of those.
Constantine was great. Basically I guess I’m a Vertigo fan really, lol.
I do also have all the Red Son comics which are really cool.
Some of the darker Batman graphic novels were really great as well.
@Bingo I have been wanting to get my hands on 100 Bullets. I read that they are looking at Tom Hardy to play the lead in a movie. And that Joseph Gordon Levitt is trying to make Sandman. As much as I get excited for the bigger name movies like Suicide Squad and Captain America,etc, I love the idea of these getting produced. Although without the larger budgets (as I’m sure will be the case),I’m also concerned about how much proper attention they’ll get.
@KittySprinkles Agreed on all those counts. Also, totally get some 100 Bullets. It’s a seriously exceptional series. Start with ‘First Shot, Last Call’ which has issues 1-5 collected into one graphic novel.