What ever happened with just reading and enjoying comic
books and collecting them for fun?
I’m noticing a disturbing trend when it comes to
collecting comic books.
I do a lot of searching on the internet: reading articles
and watching videos about modern day comic book collectors.
The vast majority of which collect comic books based on
their condition and/or what they are worth.
I’ve always said, “Buy the comic books you enjoy
reading. If they go up in value, that’s
a bonus. If they don’t, no big deal, you
still got to read a great story and look at neat artwork."
I got into collecting comic books because their stories
and visuals sparked my imagination
I could travel to distant planets, fight crime, save the
world and do a whole range of good deeds along with my superhero friends.
I could watch some funny animals in some pretty ridiculous
situations, hang around with my kid friends, be a super spy, ride the range in
the Old West, get scared out of my wits by ghosts, ghouls and goblins and travel
through time.
Comic books were pure escapism. Today they are chock full of social
commentaries. They’ve become super realistic:
filled with sex, violence, social injustice, foul language, questionable ethics
and morals, cynicism and a lack of respect for the family, the law and
government.
I stopped buying new comic books over three years
ago. Occasionally I may find a title that
interests me, but they seem to becoming more and more rare.
The comic book ‘fan’ has changed-for the most part.
On YouTube I watch ‘comic book collectors’ get all
excited because they obtained a mint copy of a ‘hot’ comic book and immediately
quote how much the issue is worth. Do
they even read the books?
What’s the point of having comic books if you never read
them?
Now, I agree, like anything you own, you should take care
of your comic books. But it’s getting to
the point that the ‘grading system’ standards are absolutely ridiculous.
Beside, who decides what a book is worth or its condition
for that matter? The grading companies?
Who set them up as ‘experts’? I don’t remember being asked to cast my vote.
And just how much money do they make for grading comic
books? You should check into it-it will
shock you.
Here’s another question.
If I were to buy, say a near-mint copy of a ‘hot’ comic book from the
last five years and I open the plastic protective case it is in, why would the
value of the comic book drop?
Is it the comic book that is worth the money or the
container it comes in?
For all I know if I owned a Superman #1 it could be the cover
only and the inside could be an Archie comic book. Unless I opened the case there is no way of
knowing. Am I supposed to take a comic
book 'graders’ word on it?
I don’t care how many certifications a comic book
has. Unless I see it and watch it being
graded and sealed up I will not take its value or condition at face value. Sorry, I’m too much of a tire kicker.
I will NEVER have my old comic books graded and sealed. I’m sure someday, should I decide to sell my collection;
I will familiarize myself with comic book values. I’m not stupid.
More than likely I’ll leave them for my kids. They can deal with them.
In the meantime I will occasionally sit down, crack open my
‘hot’ and ‘valuable’ comic books, read them and enjoy them. Isn’t that the point?