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A Return to Comic Book Collecting Part 3

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Continued from part 2...

My decision had been made: I was going to start collecting comics again. The process of looking up and cataloging my old books reignited my passion for it. But where to start? I had been out of the loop for 25 years!

The first chance I got (which was a couple days later, real life you know), I made a trip to my local comics shop. Seemed to be the most logical first step. I walked through the door and was met immeadiatly with a friendly “Hello, can I help you find anything today?” HA! I didn’t have a clue what I was looking for! “Nah, I’ll just look around for a bit” was my answer.

i think I stared at the wall for a half hour before I even picked anything up. Soooo much to process! I finally started to gravitate towards a couple. My first selection was Weapon H #3. You mean he’s both Hulk AND Wolverine?? Yes please! Next I grabbed Weapon X #18. Not exactly sure why. Sounded similar enough to Weapon H maybe? I remember Wolverine being referred to as Weapon X in one of the X-Men movies, so maybe that’s it. And my last selection for that day was Black Panther #1. How lucky was I to be at the comic shop when there was a new number 1 on the shelf! It didn’t take too long to find out what Marvel had been up to with their renumbering, and my Black Panther #1 didn’t feel quite as special anymore. But that came later. That day, I had a new #1!

I’d done it. I had bought my first comics in 25 years, and it felt great! That night, I took to reading what I had bought. I only skimmed Weapon X, assuming I should start at the beginning when the chance presents itself. Black Panther I read, and was unimpressed. Weapon H, I read twice. I knew I was really going to like this one!

I Had some left over current sized bags, and silver sized boards from back in the day. Had to trim down the boards, but made it work. So I bagged them up, put them in the box, and added them to my pile on the realm. That was fun, but the bug had bit me, and I couldn’t wait another week to add some more books.

Before I knew it, I was in full accumulation mode. It didn’t matter where they came from, titles, eras, condition, it didn’t matter! If I could find a deal, they would be mine. Craigslist, eBay, yard sales, Facebook, auctions, etc., etc. I needed more! What was wrong with me? If I didn’t slow down, I would end up in the same spot I was as a kid, selling off valuable books to support my “habit”.

Fortunately, 25 years gives a person some perspective. I no longer have to just rely on grass cutting money to buy comics, and more importantly, I can self recognize when I’m going overboard. Having a wife that will happily point it out doesn’t hurt either!

So as I write this, I’m sitting in a hotel room 3 hours from home, in the middle of a 3 day pilgrimage around the state, on the hunt for back issues. This is my last big accumulation for quite a while. After this, it’ll be back to Wednesday trips to the local shop. See? I have it all under control!

I’m glad I jumped back in, maybe a little too deep, but hey, that’s how you learn to swim. I’ve learned a ton about comics again over the last couple months, and am having a blast (thanks to the Realm, and a couple other sites).

It’s good to be back!

  • Aug 27, '18 by mekdinosaur's avatar mekdinosaur
  • Good to see you back on the saddle, bro. As you must have noticed: a lot has gone on over the years you missed and there's tons of books out there for all types of fans anymore. You pick one up that doesn't light your fire? No worries. I bet there are plenty more that will scratch your particular itch. I recommend you check out some sites like cbr.com or aintitcool.com to get back immersed into fandom and go to a convention sometime if you can. It's a whole new world, brother. Some really great stuff out there and some really bad stuff too. I personally hate all the new numbering business at Marvel and DC but maybe you won't mind it. Grab some trade paperbacks of some of the key events like Rebirth at DC or sample some from the newer companies like IDW, Boom or Aftershock. Check out what Image and Valiant are up to (amazing stuff I have found there). At the very least, go to comicbookroundup.com for some nice reviews....and enjoy. It's good to have you back in the fold.
    • Sep 4, '18 by Hulk Collector's avatar Hulk Collector
    • Thanks for the recommendations mekdinosaur. I haven't gotten to many of the other websites yet, but I do subscribe to a few YouTube channels that are keeping me in the loop. My pull list is growing rapidly! lol
  • Aug 30, '18 by Spector's avatar Spector
  • Enjoyed the telling of your journey. I feel you on going overboard and the self check too...it happens. Nice to have a wife that is supportive too. Mine is now totally on board, seeing the passion that I have. I actually just bought her a few books recently to start off her own personal collection. If you are looking for other online places to scour some deals, try Etsy and Bonanza (if you haven't already). Obviously ebay is gong to have the market, but every now and then I will find some killer deals on those sites.
    • Sep 4, '18 by Hulk Collector's avatar Hulk Collector
    • Good recommendations Spector, thanks. I'll have to check those out. Don't think I'll ever get to the point of having my wife enjoy the hobby with me, lol. She "understands", but it's definitely not her thing. Opposites attract I guess. Smile
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