One of the things I like to do at Comic-con (largely because it drives TBH to distraction) is to visit the comic book dealers (you know, the people for whom the convention’s dealer’s room was originally envisioned) and point out which of the back issues they have on display that I have at home. TBH knows that as soon as we find a dealer, I will be standing back, pointing: “I’ve got that one, and that one, and both of those…”
And then she points out, in all correctness, that if I had all of those issues in the same condition as those that are on display, we’d be retired and spending our weekends in Saint Lucia instead of San Diego. Because it’s not a matter of what issues you have (or in some tragic cases had), but a matter of whether they’re still fresh enough that anyone will pay for them.* Which brings me to the question:
Where do these dealers get these issues that are in such great shape? And I’m talking some old comics here; over the weekend I saw a copy of Action #1 that looked better than most of my Spider-Man comics from the 1970s. I bought comic books when I was a kid to read them–repeatedly. And I kept them in a drawer in my bedroom. Who keeps their comics in such great condition for 70 years?
I guess that’s the same issue with any collectible; so few of them survive, and rarely in good condition. I find it interesting that Hot Wheels cars from my childhood are so valuable now; there were so many, and unlike comic books, Hot Wheels never tear, or stain, or crease. (You want to talk about how I could have funded my retirement…?) But those little metal speedsters are lost to time, and I guess that’s true for just about everyone’s, or they wouldn’t be collectible now.
The trouble is, you can’t keep everything you’ve ever bought in pristine condition on the chance it might someday be valuable (oh G.I. Joe, had I only known), because most things won’t. I guess if you’re going to collect something, you should make it something you appreciate for itself, not for its investment potential; at least then you can enjoy having it.
As long as it’s NM (near mint). Oh, what the hell, I took them out and I read them. And if the only investment return I receive is the memories I made, then I guess that’s good enough for me.
*When I talk about “issues” I have, I’m talking strictly about comic books. At least for now.
#SFWApro
Yep. None of my Silver Age stuff is in good shape.