So you want to start a comic book collection, huh?
When I began my journey in collecting comics, I honestly had no idea what I was doing! With all the crazy terms and collectors, I felt overwhelmed and decided to learn all I could from the internet. I just wanted some comics and to say I was a collector. Like I mention on my Instagram, that’s one of the main reasons I wanted to start this blog. I wanted a safe space where people interested in collecting would be built up as they do what they love.
Since I started this journey, I’ve amassed a small, yet enjoyable collection that I continue to add to every day.
Here are a few tips if you are looking to start your collection:
1. Find your niche
That might sound super silly and simple, but find the type of comics you like. Don’t just go collecting everything just for the sake of collecting. Me, for example, I collect Batman comics. I mostly focus on Detective Comics and the main Batman series. Don’t just get everything you possibly can just for the sake of “one day this might be a lot of money.” Collect what you enjoy reading because as you will see in the next tip, that’s important.
Collecting shouldn’t be just about making money, it should be about a hobby that makes you happy and enjoy doing. If you start focusing so much on “I can get a lot of money for this one day”, you are going to stop treating it like a hobby and act as if you are in an investment firm.
2. Make sure you read
You’d be surprised at the number of people who just collect books and never read them! Don’t be like that, enjoy the medium! Like it or not, comic books are part of the fabric of American culture.
Take Watchmen for example, the graphic novel is in Time‘s 2005 “All-Time 100 Greatest Novels” list. A feat like that by a comic book just proves how comic books are indeed a legit form of reading. Don’t let people bully you into thinking that comics are for children and a waste of time. The combination of art and story is better than many of the so-called books out there today
3. Be Patient, Rome wasn’t built in a day
When you are just starting out, be patient and take your time learning about popular superheroes and their key issues. When you start purchasing comic books it’s best to buy the ones you really like because then you’ll always be happy about your purchase, but more on that later.
Don’t get frustrated if you don’t get the type of books you are looking for right from the start. Getting a collection going is more about getting books first, then narrowing them. When I began, I had someone hand me over 200 books! I thought I had a gold mine, but as I began to learn more about collecting and grew in the hobby, I realized that yes, there was a lot of great books in there, but there was also a lot of not great ones.
It takes time for you to understand and weed out the books you are not interested in, you need to cut yourself some slack when you start, Rome wasn’t built in a day!
4. Silver age comics are your friend
Don’t go into collecting thinking that you will find Detective Comics #27, Action Comics #1, or Amazing Fantasy #15.
Odds are you will not find any Golden Age books (books that were published between 1938 to 1956) out there in the wild for a reasonable price range. I recently saw a Batman #12 on sale for $999, and the cover was detached!
That’s why I highly suggest going for Silver Age comics instead. Silver Age books are books that were published between 1956 til 1970. Some of these books are very sought after, but you can still find some great ones for a decent price.
Truth be told, there are ALOT of Silver Age comic books out there. Some are expensive, but some are reasonable and worth the long-term investment.
5. Set a budget (and stick to it)
Trust me, of all the tips I’ve been giving you so far, this has to be the hardest one. Set a monthly budget for your comics and stick to it.
Me for example, I have a $40 budget monthly to spend on comic books and that’s it. With that money, I pay for my pull list (more on that in a future post), and with the leftover money, I try and add to my collection by finding issues I’m looking for, in my price range.
A budget is key in life and in the world of collecting comic books, or else you’d be runing out of money and space to store your books very early on in your journey.
I hope these five tips will help you get on your way when it comes to starting your comic book collection! I know that I wish I had something like this when I started my collection so I could just get my questions answered.
Make sure to follow me on Instagram, @TheComicMisfit for tips, and information on collecting! Also, don’t be afraid to talk with me! I would love to answer as many questions as you may have! Just leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram!
Until next time, don’t forget… Life is lived in between the panels!
Pedro, The Comic Misfit
