What is your first expereince ?

In my early years as a collector I started out with one title, and one title only.  That title was Elf Quest Vol1, and I cant really say I was a collector then. At that time I found the series in my grandmothers upstairs room where my brother stored his things before he went off to the military. Now mind you this was some 25 years ago.

Like a kid in a candy store , I poured over the comics for hours. I eagerly lept from one book to another. Actually I dont even remember if I ate or slept that day. All i can remember is the way the pages crinkeld as I turned them, the feel of the rough paper on my finger tips, and the smell of baseball cards of the paper. At th end of the summer vacation at my grandmothers I collected up the comics carefully and stowed them away for safe keeping. I felt a bit of guilt taking the comics since I didnt ask so I convinced myself that I would keep them safe for my brother. That I did for 20 years before I told him I had them :)

So this was the start of my comic collecting. At first it started out as just finding the comics that were missing. The shear frustration of reading the series out of order was like missing chapters out of a good book.  My neighbor and then friend actually collected comics. So one day he and I went down to the local comic store and my eyes were overwhelmed. At that moment I picked up 3 back issues for 1.25 which almost ruined me, and started on Batman, Dective Comics, X force and ironman. That total was 7.34. I about cried. Thats a bit of money back "in the day." No deterent there. I quickly graduated from mowing yards to working at a fast food restaraunt for my money.

The usualy trouble young tenagers get into I didnt have time for. I was making a whopping 3.80 an hour and then in a few months 4.25.   The money I spent on comics was only offset by the cost of the maintenace of my old truck to get there, including gas. There was never enough money left over to buy anything else. Expecially I was determined to protect the "high priced" comics by boarding and backing every one.

I reflect back now as an "adult" to the early part of my life and how I perceived comics. There is a belief in my mind that comics were the "Gateway drug" that opened up the entire world of art, literature, fantasy, and the unlimitless of my potential. I lost that shortly after I stoppd collecting. After I relaized what it ment to "pay your own way." Now coming up on my 36th birthday I am in getting full tilt back into collecting. My kids are watching me and enjoy reading their comics with me. I can only hope they find it as exhilerating as I did. That reminds me .... i am missing some comics.. need to check my kids closet.