One of my brother’s favorite hobbies is the collection of used and new comic books. Here is his story.
My brother possess over fifteen hundred and fifty comic books that include first printings, autographed copies and graphic novels. Almost all of his collection is super heroes.
The question he gets asked most is: “Why do people collect comic books?”
As with most young boys, comic books fascinated him. Adventures to strange planets, odd beings bent on destroying earth just because they can, and the super heroes who must stop the perpetrators. If you take all the elements needed to draft a story, shake and toss the ideas around, brainstorm and throw in a little drama, then you got a good story.
He had comic books growing up but never realized the potential market for it. On occasion he finds a comic book that he specifically remembers reading as a child and looks at how much it is worth today. He’s amazed and a little mad that he did not keep them.
His current comic book collection commenced in the mid-1980’s when comic books were only seventy-five cents. He was living at home and paid little rent. He happened to notice a comic book store not far from where he had worked. He walked in and entered another world. The best part was the comics that were reduced in price. He would get bags full and read with delight into the wee hours of the morning. Other times he found autographed copies from the artists or writers and would buy those. When Batman and The Dark Knight series came out he managed to get all four first printings. Unfortunately they were stolen, along with some other valuable merchandise.
My brother’s comic book collection contains a great deal of graphic novels. He enjoys both the comic book and the graphic novel. Oftentimes he comes across people who collect comic books and they try to explain to him that they do not read them; they retain it for the potential value. While he does not engage in that practice, if you believe the comic books you buy will be worth something, then by all means do it. He knows some of his comic books are worth money but that is not a consideration when he buys them. If he wants to read a particular comic book, and it is worth money, he will read it anyway. It may deflate the price, but to reiterate, that is not why he buys them.
A great many people buy covers for their comic books. That is a very good idea. However, you want to make sure the bags are acid free or it will affect the look of your comic books. Storing them in a dry, cool place is preferred. Boxes that are equal in size to the comic book are a good idea since they bend very easily.
People collect comic books for various reasons and it is good to know how to take care of them. The possibility of comic books rising in value is hard to predict, yet it can be done. It takes a bit of research and some luck but the risk is worth it to many people. My brother collects comic books because he loves to read them and determine how the hero will eventually catch the criminal. Whatever the reason, comic books are a staple in our society.