Adventures in Comics: Getting Rid of Comics!?

Redartz:  For most of us, our years of comics fandom involved the accumulation of stacks and stacks of those four color wonders. And rightfully so; for much of that time reprints were only sporadically available, the books were less expensive, and in our collective youth we had more disposable funds. But nowadays, as many comments from many of you can attest, the tide has turned. Quite a few of us are dispensing with our collections, or at least 'trimming down'. And before we go any further, I know we've dealt with this topic previously from time to time. The difference: today, as is often the case in "Adventures in Comics", I'd like to get personal. Personal, as in 'what books were the most difficult for you to actually part with?'. Personal, as in 'how did you come to make this decision?'. Personal, as in 'if there was one book you could go back and keep, what would it be, and why?'. 

And we don't want to shut out the continuing collectors among us (after all, I'm one of that group- certainly reducing the collection, but not eliminating it; I still hunt down back issues and pick up some new books too). If you're still collecting, what keeps you going? Have you made any particular adjustments to accommodate our, ahem, increasing birthday tallies? 

In short, let's share our outlook on 'staying in vs. getting out'. If you have any specific stories of 'getting rid of some comics',by all means relate. To start off, here's a few of my own thoughts and experiences...

I'll start by repeating something I've said before: I love comics. That is, the medium of comics- the art, the stories, the diversity of content and approach, the element of nostalgia in a special back issue, the novelty of something new and unexpected. So, although the size of my collection is dwindling, it likely will not disappear until I do as well.

The first time I 'got rid of comics' was shortly after I started collecting Marvels. I'd been buying Archies for the preceding couple of years, and at that point lost interest in them totally. I actually threw all those Archie books away, thinking them worthless and unwanted (I was 13, and thought them 'kid stuff') . Fool that I was; little did I know then that I'd spend later years buying them back up again...

In more recent years, I've passed many books on to sons and grandkids, nephews and friends. It's good to see those books find new homes with someone to enjoy them. Especially if it's a specific item for someone; for example a good friend of mine got a vintage Flintstones comic from my collection- it was dated from his birth month, so it had a special significance.  One grandson likes Spidey, so he got several issues, old and newer...

 




Many others have been sold on ebay or at yard sales. And of course, most went years ago  as part of young parenthood. And that's okay; nowadays one doesn't need a bunch of  'stuff' accumulating around the house. And at the time, pressing financial issues made it a fairly easy decision. But to answer one of the questions from above, if I could have just one book back: it would be Daredevil  #7 (the classic Sub-Mariner battle by Wally Wood). I had more valuable books, scarcer books, older books. Yet that one was a special favorite: for the story, the art, the cover. Maybe I'll pick up another copy someday. 









 


Incidentally, for the flip side of that question: one book I didn't sell and am glad I kept: the Gold Key Jonny Quest one-shot. Very hard book to find, in any condition. Mine isn't great, but it's a classic.













As for today and the days to come, I plan to continue reducing the size of my collection. Many books have already been replaced by tpb's. Eventually, a modest collection of a few hundred favorite books would be ideal (down from about 2000 today). Kind of like I did a few years back with a bunch of vintage Hot Wheels cars (I had about a hundred, sold all but 6 favorites- kept for sentimental reasons). You understand, no doubt- just a few to hold, leaf through and enjoy...

Adventures in Comics: "What Was I Thinking When I Bought This?"

Redartz:  Good day, everyone! Here at BitBA we have often talked about our favorite finds and cherished purchases. But what about those that didn't pan out? Have you ever taken a chance on a comic, or a lot of comics, taking that 'leap of faith'; only to find yourself wishing for that money back? Perhaps you tried an issue of a new title to 'give it a chance', and regretted it eternally. Maybe you have picked up a box lot off ebay, hoping for some gems, and getting only junk. 

Well, this Bronze Ager has done so. Not on ebay, but I've tried a 'grab bag' of comics from time to time at flea markets. No luck at all; there's obviously a reason those books get sold in a plain wrapper. 

And speaking of plain wrappers, one of my worst purchases should have come in one. Back in college, I was inclined to give almost anything a try (comic-wise, that is). At one local convention, a dealer had a display of a new comic entitled Cherry Pop Tart. From the cover, it looked like a parody of Archie comics, right down to analogues of Betty and Veronica. I gave it a shot, without looking into it. I should have been warned by the "Adults Only" label, but by that time I'd picked up some undergrounds by the likes of Robert Crumb and Howard Cruse. Figured I was sophisticated enough. Turned out to be some pretty cheesy porn; rather embarrassing to look at or even possess. And it wasn't even particularly clever or satirical porn, just tacky. I got rid of it quickly. Oddly, that book seems to have developed some kind of cult following in the intervening years. At any rate, ever since that fiasco I try to look through any 'new experience in reading' I'm contemplating. Which, actually, is a good practice anyway: like the time I bought a copy of Silver Surfer #1 at a rather inflated price, very early in my collecting career. Opened it later to find four pages missing and a detached cover. It just goes to show you, caveat emptor!

What about you fine folks? Have you ever wasted your fifty cents (or fifty dollars) on some four color failure? Open up and we'll share our miseries together...