Like most other hobbies which include the collecting of this or that class of items, value often becomes a subject of discussion when dealing with comic books. Prices for things like first appearances of certain characters or pivotal events often drive up the prices of issues. The passage of time is another factor when determining worth. But, what is worth? Worth is completely relative.
Let's look back at the early 90s when the comic book collecting bubble effectively burst. Everyone knew that Superman was dying. Thus, they all fanned out in hopes of getting one, if not a bunch of issues. Many people who did so, didn't even previously collect comics or even have any real interest in the medium itself. They were merely speculating on the future value that might it might bring.
So, once again, I'm brought to the question of what is worth. Well, really it means something different to each and every person individually. Some do want to speculate on monetary value. I guess that works when you do market research and buy smartly to a certain degree. Some people feel so very attached to certain characters that collecting each and every issue associated with that character is a form of both hero worship and Obsessive Compulsive behaviour. For some it’s even a pissing contest amongst their friends to see who has the more massive and impressive collection.
For me, it is something different altogether. If the average person were to peruse my collection, they would probably be quite surprised by it. There are very few pivotal events in there. There are far more trade paperbacks and collected editions. The volumes are also very assorted as well. The story behind how it got this way is even stranger.
About a year ago, I started buying again. It was a wonderful treat to be back in the hobby I’d so missed. I saw so many back issues that I had not been present for that I didn't know where to begin. I couldn't possibly decide. Really, I just missed turning the pages and reading the stories. And, then, the solution stared me in the face. Literally it did.
My eyes happened to scan over the dollar bin of comics. The dollar bin, you ask? Yes, almost every comic store has one. It’s a depository for back issues that aren't deemed of much value, most just a quick sale here or there for those times a person might happen to scan the first one peeking out of a box. Not much to think about, right?
Wrong! These boxes are hidden gems in the rough. So what if they aren't worth much monetarily or worthy of much admiration within your collection. They are full of worth to me. There are some well written stories within most of them; even if they aren't deemed monetarily worthy. I also like looking back on the old advertisements. Many of them take me back to my youth. The other day I saw one for the old Hi-C flavour Ecto Cooler and I instantly reminisced upon how much I used to drink that stuff.
I've spent I don't know how many dollars over the last year buying these issues. Even found a guy in Tallahassee that allows me to haggle with him. Last trip netted me 45 issues for $30. That’s a pretty good deal.
So, just because it's not monetarily valuable, that doesn't mean there isn't value there. There is plenty of value. You just have to look a little closer for it. Mostly it provides me good reading while I'm popping a squat in the toilet. What? It's not like there are many other things to be done in there.
In closing, I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. And, a very special thank you to Sarah Wagner and the rest of the staff at I'm With Geek for the opportunity to further my writing and get to know some awesome people to be a part of it with!