What Do You Collect?

Another aspect of the comics industry is not just the entertainment value of reading great stories, but the collecting side of things that many of us delve into. Comics, like many other hobbies, offers a HUGE range of product offering different styles, types, stories, categories, publishers, etc.

So what do you actually collect? Not just what you read. But what do you search for? What do you try to achieve with your collection? It's impossible for any of us to get every comic, so how do you determine what's "worthy" to ultimately make it into your long box?

I know some folks base their actual collection on things like "DC" or "Super Heroes" or "Horror."

I, while I currently read a lot of what's released each Wednesday, have decided for now to try and focus on big DC back issues for my collection. Batman is my first priority, with Superman and Green Lantern titles being right behind. I know that I will never have a "complete" run of Superman or Batman or Detective or Action, but it's fun for me to see how far I can get.

Don't get me wrong, either. While I try to "focus" on those DC titles, I often come home from a comic con or comic shop with an arm full of anything and everything that catches my eye. If I get bored going after the big DC titles, I'm surely able to find some Captain America, Punisher, or Hulk back issues that I fancy.

Everything I buy on Wednesday gets bagged and boarded as well, so right now new titles are the main additions to my collection. But I religiously check my local comic shop for Bat issues I'm missing, and the owner knows to let me know if and when he's able to buy any Bat titles for the back issue boxes.

Another reason I like buying back issues, is simply for the nostalgia aspect. The incredibly simple line drawing. The four colors. The smell of newsprint. Hell even the old ads for x-ray glasses or hovercrafts are just so darn cool to me. I love a yellowing old comic. Grant it, all things considered I would rather have a minty one at the same price, but that little bit of wear on a silver or bronze age comic reminds me that these silly little periodicals have brought so much happiness to me, along with millions like me.

So what do you collect and why?

I collect comics. DUH!!

Good question Tad. It comes as no surprise to most of you I'm sure, that Hulk comics is my big focus. And in the last couple months I've taken a huge chunk out of the back issues I need. But now I'm taking a little break from Hulk and looking for other titles. Just so I don't burn myself out on the Jade Giant. I'm into a bit of a Captain America phase right now. I picked a good number os issues from the 80s and 90s recently. And picked up the first 5 issues of the new series of Cap that started last year. Ed Brubaker is doing a good job with the title. See I'm learning the names of the writers dudes and stuff .

The Flash has also worked his way into my search for older books. And new too. I've picked up a good chunk of the Wally West 2nd series of Flash. I bought Flash shoes at Journeys, so I must like him.

Other titles I make a point to search for back issue wise are Wonder Woman and Thor.

It's been like a rediscovery for me since last August. I'm reading anything I can buy and enjoying almost everything I pick up. I find comics collecting so much more relaxing than my other collecting pursuits.

Like Tad said I love older comics for the nostalga of them. He mentioned the smell of the old newsprint. Funny story there. Back a few months ago when I got back into comics. I was reading a bnch of my old Hulks in the bedroom. So when bedtime rolled around I just put the comics in the shelf on the headboard of the bed and went to sleep. My wife Sari always comes to bed much later than I do most nights. I always wake up when she does. She laid downa and said "Are there comics in here tonight??" To which I said "Yes. Why??" "Because I can smell them. The old newsprint. I LOVE the smell of old books." She's a keeper.

My main focus is any of the X tiles, X-Men, X-Factor, New Mutants, Uncanny X-Men, etc. Still got a long way to go for the X-Men/Uncanny X-Men run since the 60's-early80's stuff is up there in prices, but I do pick some up when I can find a good deal. The reason why I picked them was because they remind me of me. Misfits and outcasts. Thats the way I was in school, so I kinda took to them easy. Other than that, I'm trying to get every comic from the 60's up to now. I want to try and accumulate a huge collection of everything out there, going back to the 20's and 30's. I know it will be a long road, but its going to be fun doing it. Not only am I going to be able to hold a piece of history in my hands, but to me they are mini art pieces and I get to read them as I look at the art from by-gone eras.

Other than my normal weekly pull list, I'm collecting Uncanny X-men and just started a set of Tiny titans for my six year old daughter.
As well as seeing comic books as works of art like a lot of you I find that the adverts are like a history lesson on society.
Also as some of you know or may have guessed I love all the old Sci-fi and B movies so the same goes with comics some of the ones form the golden age look so cool (The ones I used to own I sold but wish I had not) and will be coming back into my collection soon.