I realized after posting this video that I misspoke when I said Kitty Pryde was created by Stan Lee. This is not true as Chris Claremont and Johny Byrne are responsible for her creation. That’s not to say they couldn’t have pulled their idea for her power from the issue of Strange Tales discussed in this video. Thanks for watching!
AS much as I regard and respect Stan's Talents I think Kitty came off a much better character under Claremont/ Byrne...! Stan was a master at characterization, but he had his limits on women; most of his women felt like they'd walked out of OUR LOVE STORY! Of course they were beautiful (Comics are a visual medium!)but just a bit "thin"....!
When it comes to collecting timming is everything. This year I finished a complete run of Fantastic Four . All 719 issues as it sits right now. I srtarted after the last Fox movie and the book was canceled. The last year as I got closer I picked going coverless for 1 thru 13 and had repo covers made. 13 and 12 I got for free. 11, 10, 9, 8 and 7 each for under 100. But after that they get pricey 6 for 300, 5 for 400, 4 cost 355, 3 for 275, 2 for 675 and a coverless number 1 for 2650. It took me almost 9 years to do this. Since I wanted a raw collection that I could thumb thru and share with friends and other collectors solid coverless issues helped the bank account very much.
This story is inspirational and I appreciate you sharing it with me. Timing definitely has so much to do with it like you said. I congratulate you on one of the most incredible feats in comic collecting. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Seeing this was a sigh of relief that I wasn’t the only one! ASM run is so brutal I had to let go a big chunk. Thanks for reminding us to COLLECT WHAT YOU WANT!
It's definitely relieving to hear I'm not alone in this lol. ASM, that may be tougher than the Fantastic Four as there are HUGE villain first appearances within the first 20 issues even. You nailed it man, follow your heart and collect how you want!
I completely agree..goals are important but there not everything..collecting should be fun..that's why my goals are wide spread, no particular run is more important than the other, that way when I'm out hunting I can literally come across any number of my runs..love the channel ❤love the topics you pick to talk about
I think comic collecting is ever evolving and it is good to change it up. Selling what you have is part of collecting. Keep reading and collecting. #keepdiggin
The evolution of collecting. I think we all go down a rabbit hole. From just the keys or first appearances to completing the run. It's great that you can still keep some of the books while you are able to move the rest of the collection to other community members who will enjoy them. I can't wait for your next video. As our weather in upstate NY tries to kill us, stay safe, my friend.
I agree dude. The hobby is littered with "rabbit holes" lol. I was happy to keep the ones that were more important to me and still be able to move the remaining 55 or so books very quickly and in just two boxes lol. Not sure how it is up by you but the snow has stopped so now we just have to tackle the bitter cold lol. Stay safe, and warm, my friend!
@Moncomics looking at round two for a storm this weekend. Tug Hill got 65 inches last storm. I had 36 where I live. The greatest danger is the new to winter drivers from Fort Drum.
@ haha, I can imagine dude. It takes a lifetime to learn how to negotiate this crap and we still screw up. I’m just gonna stay inside this weekend and read some comics
Sometimes, it's just the right thing to do to let go of part of our collections. But welcome to the Daredevil adventure. It's a challenging run to get all of but it's fun! Great video, my dude!
Great video Brandon. It's natural as collectors to evolve and delve into new things and niches to collect. You should have a nice little nest egg to start acquiring some new books from your ff sale. Love the idea of the frank miller dd run. Im currently only missing about 10 issues myself. The biggest one is the 1st Electra but the others are pretty easy to find. Keep us posted on your journey after the holiday! Have a good one dude
Thanks Kris. I just didn't want to give up but I feel less stress on my collecting goals already lol. What issues are you missing for the Miller run? I definitely want to get the first appearance of electra next year. I'll talk to you soon my friend!
Totally understandable to put family first. I completely the candidness! That Joe Maneely cover is gorgeous. I remember hearing Stan talk fondly of Maneely back at a comic conversation in 2010. And that Daredevil is 🔥!
I love that people get into comics for different reasons. When I first started collecting Avengers I wanted more due to the stories. I just enjoyed them. I would like most people try to get the new books coming out monthly and then try to get the older ones. It was much more affordable in the 1970’s so finding the older issues except for keys or first appearances was easy. It was later on that we were labeled “collectors” which sounded appropriate. I’ve been one ever since. Great upload Brandon!
Feels. When it began to be a job instead of a hobby--monthly titles piling up and not taking the time to read them, bagging, boarding, boxing, and cataloging--I knew it was time to quit. Selling my collection as well as we speak. Great vid sir!
Man, you nailed my sentiments completely. It’s now been about a month and I have no regrets which tells me it was the right thing to do. Thanks for watching, commenting, and knowing how a collector can sometimes feel.
Man, good luck to you Matt. It seems the most fun and notable runs to complete can also be the most pricey and make us assess where our money and time should be placed. And thank you, I can't believe how nice the DHP 36 is. Like it is right off the rack!
@ well you are crushing it compared to me lol. I guess I had 2/3’s of FF but it’s that last one that would have been a nice vacation for my family and I lol
Oh man. Totally get ya with this. It’s an evolution as a collector. I’m currently working on FF Vol 1 #20-300. I made it easy on myself but not even thinking about #1-5 to start. My “reasonable” grail will be #48, then maaaybe #12. Anyway, on to your next adventure. Monster/Horror stuff if the best!
Ahhh, someone else who knows EXACTLY how I feel! I think you were smart at 20 and go up, although as you mentioned it’s no easy task with 48, 49, and 50. I also think 12 has one of the best covers of all time. Monsters and horror for the win! Thank you for watching!
Great video Brandon! I can understand the daunting task of finishing a run. In my quest to complete my Uncanny Xmen run (vol 1) I am at the point where I need to really focus on "saving" for the next book. I am still in the collecting mode, but I feel ya. You must do what makes you happy! The Strange Tales book is beautiful! IF I ever get him to sign a book, I'd probably get him to write; "I'm ... a really good lawyer" LOL Awesome DD though, Badass cover!!
Thanks Sal. I can imagine the X-men run produces the same feeling as there are big books scattered throughout that run as well. I should have had Charlie write that, oh well coulda, shoulda, woulda lol! Thanks again for the great book. I love it!
Sad that you had to let go of your FF run but I get it. It's tough to get a run like that with so many big keys. And you are right our collecting habits change over time. I don't set goals for myself because I never stick to them, lol. Another great video brotha. I'm also working on something (an actual video series, lol). Hopefully I can put it out soon. Gonna be a lot of work but hopefully it will be worth it. Have a great holiday brotha. 👊🏼
I think I'm done setting goals except to have fun. Then we can never be let down, right? I appreciate you and look forward to your video series my friend. Stay warm and safe where you are, bloody cold out today!
Glad you're keeping some of those FF issues, especially #51, a classic issue. Comic collecting habits will always been in flux, and it's all good to shift what you collect, especially when $$$ come to mind. Nice pick up on the Strange Tales - those are awesome books, and like yourself, I hope to get a #110 one of these days (and it's also perfectly fine if I don't!).
Don't forget the Mummy, Scarecrow, Man-Wolf, Frankenstein, and other lesser used supernatural heroes! They should be less expensive to collect as well. I Saw Bigby show your FF books, they were all very nice! As you get older, you are going to have your "favorite type" of comics to buy (like supernatural/monsters/etc.), but you will also revert back to the comics that were coming out in your youth. That is why I am leaning towards focusing on my favorites going forward that I loved as a kid (in the late 60's and early 70's), like ASM/FF/Hulk, etc. I will try to get them all slabbed, because I have read their stories several times. If I can ever afford an ASM #1 again (first time it was only $325), I would love to have a 3.5 if I can afford it, same thing with FF/Hulk/etc. Love your stories, and the FFF one you did recently influenced me a lot with a "Goal" (LOL) that I have always had. btw, I don't like 'goals' either, but I am guilty of throwing that term around. What I mean to say is; "BUY".... LOL The word "goal" sounds too much like my wife going shopping and looking at stuff for hours. For me, I am much more of a 'walk in the store, buy something quickly, and leave'. 🤣 Good luck in the upcoming "Comic Collector of the Year" tournament. I think my "GOAL" is to finish all the mini contests/bracket voting in the next couple weeks, and announce the winner on Christmas day! This should be fun!😁 I am planning on announcing all 32 contestants; "Seeding", and 1st head to head match up this Sunday!
I’ve recently been doing that same thing. Moving away from trying complete big runs and working on only notable keys that I personally enjoy and of course pre hero monster books and pre code horror. I actually just picked up an incredible small collection of 1950’s monster/horror pre and post code books. Great video brother!
Exactly. Notable keys we enjoy is a great way to put it. I gotta see the collection you picked up, is it in a recent video? And thank you as always my friend!
Great show. I totally understand the decision. I can't imagine trying to work out of a few short boxes. I'm working on more long boxes than I like to admit. As for the CGC book, great choice of cover and it looks great. I had a book signed in July and am still waiting. Brutal wait times. Wish I had a good DD quote but can't think of one at the moment so I know how you felt!
Nice to see you adding to your Predator Collection. Don't forget to grab DHP 34 for Aliens, DHP 35 for Predator then Dark Horse put them together in DHP 36 which you have the Chris Warner cover and now you have to add the Dave Dorman one as well.
Yes, those two are definitely on my radar more than before I owned this. I love all the work Chris Warner has done on Predator. thank you for watching and commenting!
😭no! But seriously sounds like good news. You definitely seem happiest when you obtain a spooky monster horror comic. When said this I thought of Rohan’s collecting method which even makes me consider purging something’s, including FF. Best to you and the family, and many more happy acquisitions to come. 🎉
I knew guy might feel a certain way and honestly, Rohan’s mindset is very logical and one I’m going to try and adapt. I am the happiest when I’m getting monsters, you know me! Best to you and yours during the holiday season!
It can be hard to let go of books, but you have your priorities in order. And I always tell people, collect what makes you happy. If it doesn’t bring you joy and it’s become more of a chore to complete the run, don’t force yourself to do it.
Everything you just said is truly how I felt, Dan. I saw some FF books for sale on a livestream last night and I was actually grateful I wasn’t collecting them anymore lol
@ I’m working on doing a complete run of Avengers Vol.1. Right now it’s fun, but if it ever gets to feel more like an obligation than like you I’ll stop and refocus.
@ Thank you. I’ve got some of the bigger 1st appearances from it already (Wonder Man, Vision, Taskmaster, Black Knight). One of my 2025 goals is gonna be filling in some big chunks for what I’m missing.
I have 4 shortboxes and the contents of 2 of them are going to go into my upcoming mystery boxes...I just want to collect books that I like...stay safe Brandon!
Chris Warner is my favourite Predator comic artist, but the back cover of Dark Horse Presents 36 is where the magic is. Take a look! There's a variant of this book with the back cover art on the front and Warner's art on this cover in the back of the variant. I love Warner but Dave Dorman's painting on the back of your book is another stratosphere of eye candy for me. I'm glad your keeping your Alien/Predator books 😊 I think you made a great choice to get Charlie to sign Daredevil 500. Its a personalized message which makes it extra special and it comes bundled with a great story. I've been collecting Spider-Man since the 90s and I've offloaded huge chunks of those runs over the years. I'm glad you're giving your Fantastic Four books to a new caretaker who will love them just as much as you do.
I agree with your sentiments on Warner. I love how he drew the Predator for any issue I've seen that he worked on. I looked at the back of DHP 36 and you're right, it's amazing and I totally forgot to feature it in the video. Maybe something for the future? I also read about and saw the variants so there's yet another rabbit hole to venture down lol. I appreciate all of your sentiments and feedback my friend!
Good Morning Brandon Evolution of the collectors mindset! It has be quite apparent the direction you have been travelling and yeah man no goals. It will be what it will be, go into next years Cons to embrace those books you didn't think you would want. I loved that strange Tales, I always read the Indicia of my comics as a kid and was amazed at the different publishing names used. I am sure Martin Goodman kept himself busy with the shell company game. And so Terrificon countdown again? Cheers Al TheGoldKeyfourcolorkidownunda
Thanks Alan. Not sure if I’ll get to go to a con next year as I want to take my family on a vacation. Luckily they keep having those fun cons! I appreciate you, mate!
@@Moncomics Good Evening Brandon The family is always first, those little girls will grow up fast, and I always came home from holidays with a tidy haul of reading matter. I get the impression fron everybody's video that spare time is hard come by! Cheers Al
Shame you let the FF go but understand why. Been collecting for 50 years, with a few breaks, and tastes do change as does the collecting. Ive sold a lot of books due to space but this money has just gone back into other books. The collection , for the most part, changes. I am lucky that I bought most of my big books pre internet it would be very difficult to complete my FF today. Good luck and looking forward to seeing where collecting takes you
Totally get you on selling the FF run, would have been cool but money could easily go to better things and smaller runs for space. I really want to start hunting for the Tomb of Dracula run!
I had a short box of uncanny x-men books from the Claremont run that I sold to help pay for an Avengers 1. You kept all the best FF books. I’m also mostly gravitating towards keys.
Sometimes it just feels good to consolidate and that's definitely a part of it (stay tuned for first book of the new year). Thanks as always my friend!
Working on my Silver Age X-Men run. I have 50/66. Of course the last one I will need is #1. I have the bigger issues like 2-12, 14, etc. Could I have gotten #1 by now? Yes, but it's been more fun buying key silver age books in the $100-$600 range.
I think you made a good decision. Fill up the college fund for your kids. You have many fine books in your collection which you can enjoy whenever you get the itch for a big book. Just look back at what you have. This hobby is fun, but when it comes down to it Family is better than all the books in the world. Books will fall into your hands from time to time. Modern comics are cool. Same skills of creativity go into today's comics as one created 50 years ago.
One of my goals for 2025 is to get a comic book published in January 1959 that is NOT western/cowboy, Disney or Romance....hopefully I'll find one that doesn't bankrupt me LOL.
You know I love Batman, and I would love to collect Batman 1 - 100. It won't happen, though. Like you said collect what you love. The best part about this hobby is that you can always go back and collect something whenever you want.
I've parsed my collection down a lot. Used to try to have full runs in many silver and bronze age Marvel comics. Of course there were some books beyond my price range, but I still tried to get as many as I could. Now my collection is a fraction of the size it once was, but I'm concentrating on higher grade keys, or books that I just really like. There are still many books that I want to ad back in high grade as I can. Anyway , all that to say that, there is no wrong way to Collect. And we all have to sacrifice at times, for other more important things in life, including comic book goals.
It’s gotten way too expensive. I sold my childhood collection when I was still in high school, back in 1985. I started collecting again in 99, when the hobby was at its low point. I was originally going for just FF, which was always my favorite comic, but, of course, I expanded my want list pretty quickly! I have somewhere around 15, 16000 comics, now, I think. Mostly Marvel, but I have a lot of DC, as well as Charlton, Dell and Gold key, and various other independent and underground comics. I do love comics,in general, and I read everything I buy, but I guess it’s gotten a little out of hand. I got most of the first hundred FFs from a friend who had them. Someone I had known for a couple of years but didn’t realize had comics. I got them for good prices, if I had to get them today, I’d probably be mostly out of luck. As it is, I realize I’ll probably never get a #1, or even the #2, 4 and 5 I need to complete the run. I may sell this stuff someday, but I’ll never give up my Fantastic Four, incomplete, or not. I love them too much. I was lucky I got back in when I did, and also that I have a very understanding wife! Collecting should be fun, so do it your way.
This is a fantastic comment and I respect how anyone feels when it comes to collecting. I like that you've come to grips that you may not own the big ones, but will never give up the ones you have. Totally respect that. Sounds like you have some space which I could really use at this point lol. I appreciate you watching and commenting!
it's understandable about having to sell things off, bro. trust me i know first hand right now, cause my plans for this month are all destroyed thanks to having to put out $899.00 for a brand new water heater. so, nothing for my birthday on dec. 15th and nothing for christmas either. can't even do my dec. giveaway now. life loves to kick you in the nuts when you least expect it.
It’s a shame about the giveaway but I’d rather have a working water heater than a giveaway! I truly hope things will get better for you my friend, and they will
Brandon really enjoyed your video! Sorry to hear that another FF collector is throwing in his cards, but believe me after reading and collecting FF since 1973 I can understand. Even the ff 48 got insanely expensive because the movie is taking so long...! I have a good chunk of the series but can't afford roughly the first four years ! Too $$$! Best of luck with the Marvel monsters and the pre-hero series...! You've gotta go with what you love! Best Wishes from another Ben Grimm fan...! (Still say that FF 38-40 was one of the finest FF stories. If you've never read it MARVEL"S GREATEST COMICS reprinted it...!
It is what it is and I've made peace with it but like you said, I kept some of the best stories and was always drawn to anything with Ben. He was so different than the others, not being able to hide his ability. I hope you stick around to see what monster books I can come up with!
I’m glad you kept the gift, but you can trade or sell it. If the comic I gave you or the comic you trade trade brings you happiness, I’m happy. I feel the same way, for a while, I wish I just targeted avengers 1-12 with some grails (57, 48, and few others) instead of going for 1-100.
I would never, I love it and it reminds me of when you first started watching my videos and revisited my ENTIRE catalog. Your friendship, support, kindness, and generosity with that book mean the world to me. I commend you on continuing another difficult run my friend!
I’m not trying to be one of “those” commenters but am I missing some history on how Stan Lee created Kitty Pryde? I didn’t know about the publishing shell companies, so maybe I didn’t know this either. I always thought Claremont and Byrne created her
Nope, you’re correct and I realized I misspoke after publishing the video and thinking about it. You can always be “that” commenter with me, I’m totally fine with being correct and especially when it comes to the point of a video. With that said, it is possible they used that issue of strange tales and the woman’s power to model Kitty’s. Thanks for commenting and catching that!
@ Thanks- I was just making sure. Like you said, I love learning about the history of comics too and I thought I had missed something. And most definitely, Chris & John could’ve been inspired by that issue- they would’ve been the right age to read it off the stand. Enjoyed the video!
@ of course man. Thanks for keeping me honest! My friend did say the Overstreet price guide listed it as a “Kitty Pryde prototype” so someone was thinking it lol
Well, I would have. kept the entire Kirby run, if I had it! They are only going to go up while the ""hot" books will often fluctuate. I'm not a "professional" collector but that's what I've seen.
If I had the entire run I definitely would have kept it but I was only 62 issues in and it just wasn't in me to try and finish. Like I said, I did keep the biggest keys that I've always loved so I'm still happy to have accomplished that. I appreciate you watching and commenting!
@Moncomics I would have been happy with the 62, but that's me! Cheers and well wishes on your collecting! BTW, did you ever get a copy of Evil Ernie #1? I think it also features the 1st appearance of Lady Death!
@ thank you! And I totally understand how some collectors would just wanna keep it. I have not gotten that yet but it could be on my radar, the cover is awesome for that book!
I fully understand your dilemma regarding the FF goals..I tried with Vampirella...it just got nuts. Also went down the rabbit hole for Gun Honey..now I am just collecting the variant covers I like. Doing the same with slabbed title and limiting myself to those characters I got back into in the 90s ... at least these are affordable...the missus wants a new kitchen lol. Congratulations on the signed Daredevil slab ... as usual, an informative video as I wasn't aware of the shell companies involved with the various Marvel publications.
Exactly. This doesn’t just happen with FF, there are many pricey runs out there that we must assess if it’s truly worth it. My missus wants a new kitchen as well, that’s a 3.0 FF1 lol. Thank you for the kind words as always!
I realized after posting this video that I misspoke when I said Kitty Pryde was created by Stan Lee. This is not true as Chris Claremont and Johny Byrne are responsible for her creation. That’s not to say they couldn’t have pulled their idea for her power from the issue of Strange Tales discussed in this video. Thanks for watching!
AS much as I regard and respect Stan's Talents I think Kitty came off a much better character under Claremont/ Byrne...! Stan was a master at characterization, but he had his limits on women; most of his women felt like they'd walked out of OUR LOVE STORY! Of course they were beautiful (Comics are a visual medium!)but just a bit "thin"....!
@ I think you are spot on. Claremont and Byrne fleshed out female characters more in my eyes as well.
When it comes to collecting timming is everything. This year I finished a complete run of Fantastic Four . All 719 issues as it sits right now. I srtarted after the last Fox movie and the book was canceled. The last year as I got closer I picked going coverless for 1 thru 13 and had repo covers made. 13 and 12 I got for free. 11, 10, 9, 8 and 7 each for under 100. But after that they get pricey 6 for 300, 5 for 400, 4 cost 355, 3 for 275, 2 for 675 and a coverless number 1 for 2650. It took me almost 9 years to do this. Since I wanted a raw collection that I could thumb thru and share with friends and other collectors solid coverless issues helped the bank account very much.
This story is inspirational and I appreciate you sharing it with me. Timing definitely has so much to do with it like you said. I congratulate you on one of the most incredible feats in comic collecting. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Seeing this was a sigh of relief that I wasn’t the only one! ASM run is so brutal I had to let go a big chunk. Thanks for reminding us to COLLECT WHAT YOU WANT!
It's definitely relieving to hear I'm not alone in this lol. ASM, that may be tougher than the Fantastic Four as there are HUGE villain first appearances within the first 20 issues even. You nailed it man, follow your heart and collect how you want!
I completely agree..goals are important but there not everything..collecting should be fun..that's why my goals are wide spread, no particular run is more important than the other, that way when I'm out hunting I can literally come across any number of my runs..love the channel ❤love the topics you pick to talk about
I think comic collecting is ever evolving and it is good to change it up. Selling what you have is part of collecting. Keep reading and collecting. #keepdiggin
You're right, collecting is a journey, not a destination.
Things change and we evolve in this hobby as we do in life. Love ya brother.
Thanks Scotty, I appreciate you! Much love my friend
The evolution of collecting. I think we all go down a rabbit hole. From just the keys or first appearances to completing the run. It's great that you can still keep some of the books while you are able to move the rest of the collection to other community members who will enjoy them. I can't wait for your next video. As our weather in upstate NY tries to kill us, stay safe, my friend.
I agree dude. The hobby is littered with "rabbit holes" lol. I was happy to keep the ones that were more important to me and still be able to move the remaining 55 or so books very quickly and in just two boxes lol. Not sure how it is up by you but the snow has stopped so now we just have to tackle the bitter cold lol. Stay safe, and warm, my friend!
@Moncomics looking at round two for a storm this weekend. Tug Hill got 65 inches last storm. I had 36 where I live. The greatest danger is the new to winter drivers from Fort Drum.
@ haha, I can imagine dude. It takes a lifetime to learn how to negotiate this crap and we still screw up. I’m just gonna stay inside this weekend and read some comics
Sometimes, it's just the right thing to do to let go of part of our collections. But welcome to the Daredevil adventure. It's a challenging run to get all of but it's fun! Great video, my dude!
It's definitely refreshing and Daredevil is a fun one to pursue! I appreciate you my friend!
Great video Brandon. It's natural as collectors to evolve and delve into new things and niches to collect. You should have a nice little nest egg to start acquiring some new books from your ff sale. Love the idea of the frank miller dd run. Im currently only missing about 10 issues myself. The biggest one is the 1st Electra but the others are pretty easy to find. Keep us posted on your journey after the holiday! Have a good one dude
Thanks Kris. I just didn't want to give up but I feel less stress on my collecting goals already lol. What issues are you missing for the Miller run? I definitely want to get the first appearance of electra next year. I'll talk to you soon my friend!
Totally understandable to put family first. I completely the candidness! That Joe Maneely cover is gorgeous. I remember hearing Stan talk fondly of Maneely back at a comic conversation in 2010. And that Daredevil is 🔥!
It’s tough to balance those two, but I'm glad I made the right choice! I'm also a big Maneely fan, he's one of the most underrated artists.
I love that people get into comics for different reasons. When I first started collecting Avengers I wanted more due to the stories. I just enjoyed them. I would like most people try to get the new books coming out monthly and then try to get the older ones. It was much more affordable in the 1970’s so finding the older issues except for keys or first appearances was easy. It was later on that we were labeled “collectors” which sounded appropriate. I’ve been one ever since. Great upload Brandon!
Totally get what you're saying, it was a different time back then. I appreciate you Jeff!
Always exciting to hone your collecting ! :) Great stuff. Love Joe Maneely
Joe doesn't get enough recognition he deserves so I really hope ti keep talking about him in the future!
Feels. When it began to be a job instead of a hobby--monthly titles piling up and not taking the time to read them, bagging, boarding, boxing, and cataloging--I knew it was time to quit. Selling my collection as well as we speak. Great vid sir!
Man, you nailed my sentiments completely. It’s now been about a month and I have no regrets which tells me it was the right thing to do. Thanks for watching, commenting, and knowing how a collector can sometimes feel.
As someone who wants to finish an Action run, I get it. I'm also trying to complete the first Conan run. DHP 36 is gorgeous
Man, good luck to you Matt. It seems the most fun and notable runs to complete can also be the most pricey and make us assess where our money and time should be placed. And thank you, I can't believe how nice the DHP 36 is. Like it is right off the rack!
@Moncomics Well my Action run is complete from 335...I do have more than two thirds
@ well you are crushing it compared to me lol. I guess I had 2/3’s of FF but it’s that last one that would have been a nice vacation for my family and I lol
Oh man. Totally get ya with this. It’s an evolution as a collector. I’m currently working on FF Vol 1 #20-300. I made it easy on myself but not even thinking about #1-5 to start. My “reasonable” grail will be #48, then maaaybe #12. Anyway, on to your next adventure. Monster/Horror stuff if the best!
Ahhh, someone else who knows EXACTLY how I feel! I think you were smart at 20 and go up, although as you mentioned it’s no easy task with 48, 49, and 50. I also think 12 has one of the best covers of all time. Monsters and horror for the win! Thank you for watching!
Great video Brandon! I can understand the daunting task of finishing a run. In my quest to complete my Uncanny Xmen run (vol 1) I am at the point where I need to really focus on "saving" for the next book. I am still in the collecting mode, but I feel ya. You must do what makes you happy! The Strange Tales book is beautiful! IF I ever get him to sign a book, I'd probably get him to write; "I'm ... a really good lawyer" LOL Awesome DD though, Badass cover!!
Thanks Sal. I can imagine the X-men run produces the same feeling as there are big books scattered throughout that run as well. I should have had Charlie write that, oh well coulda, shoulda, woulda lol! Thanks again for the great book. I love it!
Sad that you had to let go of your FF run but I get it. It's tough to get a run like that with so many big keys. And you are right our collecting habits change over time. I don't set goals for myself because I never stick to them, lol. Another great video brotha. I'm also working on something (an actual video series, lol). Hopefully I can put it out soon. Gonna be a lot of work but hopefully it will be worth it. Have a great holiday brotha. 👊🏼
I think I'm done setting goals except to have fun. Then we can never be let down, right? I appreciate you and look forward to your video series my friend. Stay warm and safe where you are, bloody cold out today!
Glad you're keeping some of those FF issues, especially #51, a classic issue. Comic collecting habits will always been in flux, and it's all good to shift what you collect, especially when $$$ come to mind. Nice pick up on the Strange Tales - those are awesome books, and like yourself, I hope to get a #110 one of these days (and it's also perfectly fine if I don't!).
It's always a race against time to get the books we want before they are out of reach haha. I truly appreciate you Raph!
Don't forget the Mummy, Scarecrow, Man-Wolf, Frankenstein, and other lesser used supernatural heroes! They should be less expensive to collect as well.
I Saw Bigby show your FF books, they were all very nice! As you get older, you are going to have your "favorite type" of comics to buy (like supernatural/monsters/etc.), but you will also revert back to the comics that were coming out in your youth. That is why I am leaning towards focusing on my favorites going forward that I loved as a kid (in the late 60's and early 70's), like ASM/FF/Hulk, etc. I will try to get them all slabbed, because I have read their stories several times. If I can ever afford an ASM #1 again (first time it was only $325), I would love to have a 3.5 if I can afford it, same thing with FF/Hulk/etc.
Love your stories, and the FFF one you did recently influenced me a lot with a "Goal" (LOL) that I have always had. btw, I don't like 'goals' either, but I am guilty of throwing that term around. What I mean to say is; "BUY".... LOL The word "goal" sounds too much like my wife going shopping and looking at stuff for hours. For me, I am much more of a 'walk in the store, buy something quickly, and leave'. 🤣 Good luck in the upcoming "Comic Collector of the Year" tournament. I think my "GOAL" is to finish all the mini contests/bracket voting in the next couple weeks, and announce the winner on Christmas day! This should be fun!😁 I am planning on announcing all 32 contestants; "Seeding", and 1st head to head match up this Sunday!
You’re right, the monster books are still a blast, and I can’t wait to get back into that! Thanks Bjorn!
I’ve recently been doing that same thing. Moving away from trying complete big runs and working on only notable keys that I personally enjoy and of course pre hero monster books and pre code horror.
I actually just picked up an incredible small collection of 1950’s monster/horror pre and post code books.
Great video brother!
Exactly. Notable keys we enjoy is a great way to put it. I gotta see the collection you picked up, is it in a recent video? And thank you as always my friend!
@ video coming soon on the pre code collection. It’s epic!! lol
@ oh damn, I can’t wait man!
Great show. I totally understand the decision. I can't imagine trying to work out of a few short boxes. I'm working on more long boxes than I like to admit.
As for the CGC book, great choice of cover and it looks great. I had a book signed in July and am still waiting. Brutal wait times. Wish I had a good DD quote but can't think of one at the moment so I know how you felt!
Haha. If I had the room I’d probably have more. And yeah, wait times are going back toward pandemic times. Thanks my friend!
Nice to see you adding to your Predator Collection. Don't forget to grab DHP 34 for Aliens, DHP 35 for Predator then Dark Horse put them together in DHP 36 which you have the Chris Warner cover and now you have to add the Dave Dorman one as well.
Yes, those two are definitely on my radar more than before I owned this. I love all the work Chris Warner has done on Predator. thank you for watching and commenting!
Great video thanks Brandon 👍
Thank you for watching and commenting, it is much appreciated!
😭no! But seriously sounds like good news. You definitely seem happiest when you obtain a spooky monster horror comic. When said this I thought of Rohan’s collecting method which even makes me consider purging something’s, including FF. Best to you and the family, and many more happy acquisitions to come. 🎉
I knew guy might feel a certain way and honestly, Rohan’s mindset is very logical and one I’m going to try and adapt. I am the happiest when I’m getting monsters, you know me! Best to you and yours during the holiday season!
It can be hard to let go of books, but you have your priorities in order. And I always tell people, collect what makes you happy. If it doesn’t bring you joy and it’s become more of a chore to complete the run, don’t force yourself to do it.
Everything you just said is truly how I felt, Dan. I saw some FF books for sale on a livestream last night and I was actually grateful I wasn’t collecting them anymore lol
@ I’m working on doing a complete run of Avengers Vol.1. Right now it’s fun, but if it ever gets to feel more like an obligation than like you I’ll stop and refocus.
@ I always thought that would be a fun run. Good luck on it brother!
@ Thank you. I’ve got some of the bigger 1st appearances from it already (Wonder Man, Vision, Taskmaster, Black Knight). One of my 2025 goals is gonna be filling in some big chunks for what I’m missing.
I feel the same with my goal to complete the ASM Vol. 1 run. I pick them up when I find them on the cheap.
I have faith in you my friend and I’ll love vicariously through you lol
I have 4 shortboxes and the contents of 2 of them are going to go into my upcoming mystery boxes...I just want to collect books that I like...stay safe Brandon!
Chris Warner is my favourite Predator comic artist, but the back cover of Dark Horse Presents 36 is where the magic is. Take a look! There's a variant of this book with the back cover art on the front and Warner's art on this cover in the back of the variant. I love Warner but Dave Dorman's painting on the back of your book is another stratosphere of eye candy for me. I'm glad your keeping your Alien/Predator books 😊
I think you made a great choice to get Charlie to sign Daredevil 500. Its a personalized message which makes it extra special and it comes bundled with a great story.
I've been collecting Spider-Man since the 90s and I've offloaded huge chunks of those runs over the years. I'm glad you're giving your Fantastic Four books to a new caretaker who will love them just as much as you do.
I agree with your sentiments on Warner. I love how he drew the Predator for any issue I've seen that he worked on. I looked at the back of DHP 36 and you're right, it's amazing and I totally forgot to feature it in the video. Maybe something for the future? I also read about and saw the variants so there's yet another rabbit hole to venture down lol. I appreciate all of your sentiments and feedback my friend!
@@Moncomics Its always a joy going down any Alien/Predator-related rabbit hole. Enjoy the journey!
Good Morning Brandon
Evolution of the collectors mindset! It has be quite apparent the direction you have been travelling and yeah man no goals. It will be what it will be, go into next years Cons to embrace those books you didn't think you would want. I loved that strange Tales, I always read the Indicia of my comics as a kid and was amazed at the different publishing names used. I am sure Martin Goodman kept himself busy with the shell company game.
And so Terrificon countdown again?
Cheers Al TheGoldKeyfourcolorkidownunda
Thanks Alan. Not sure if I’ll get to go to a con next year as I want to take my family on a vacation. Luckily they keep having those fun cons! I appreciate you, mate!
@@Moncomics Good Evening Brandon
The family is always first, those little girls will grow up fast, and I always came home from holidays with a tidy haul of reading matter. I get the impression fron everybody's video that spare time is hard come by!
Cheers Al
Good Stuff my Friend 🧡 - Overstreet used to list that Strange Tales as -Prototype Kitty Pryde.
I need to find that now!
Shame you let the FF go but understand why. Been collecting for 50 years, with a few breaks, and tastes do change as does the collecting. Ive sold a lot of books due to space but this money has just gone back into other books. The collection , for the most part, changes. I am lucky that I bought most of my big books pre internet it would be very difficult to complete my FF today. Good luck and looking forward to seeing where collecting takes you
Thank you my friend! Just wasn’t going to happen and I’m jealous of the folks that had time on their time but also happy for you!
Totally get you on selling the FF run, would have been cool but money could easily go to better things and smaller runs for space. I really want to start hunting for the Tomb of Dracula run!
Tomb of Dracula run might have to happen
@ I think it will be my next main one after I’ve done the Claremont xmen run
You got to do what makes the most sense for you and your family. Keep the truly emotionally books that mean the most to you.
I had a short box of uncanny x-men books from the Claremont run that I sold to help pay for an Avengers 1. You kept all the best FF books. I’m also mostly gravitating towards keys.
Sometimes it just feels good to consolidate and that's definitely a part of it (stay tuned for first book of the new year). Thanks as always my friend!
Working on my Silver Age X-Men run. I have 50/66. Of course the last one I will need is #1. I have the bigger issues like 2-12, 14, etc. Could I have gotten #1 by now? Yes, but it's been more fun buying key silver age books in the $100-$600 range.
I have a few friends working on the same run and are enjoying it. Good luck on your journey to the finish line and thanks for watching!
I did the same thing with my Conan run and sold it all off except #1.
Hey man, it happen!
I think you made a good decision. Fill up the college fund for your kids. You have many fine books in your collection which you can enjoy whenever you get the itch for a big book. Just look back at what you have. This hobby is fun, but when it comes down to it Family is better than all the books in the world. Books will fall into your hands from time to time. Modern comics are cool. Same skills of creativity go into today's comics as one created 50 years ago.
Family first, that’s a wise choice!
One of my goals for 2025 is to get a comic book published in January 1959 that is NOT western/cowboy, Disney or Romance....hopefully I'll find one that doesn't bankrupt me LOL.
I believe in your goal my friend, go get it!
You know I love Batman, and I would love to collect Batman 1 - 100. It won't happen, though. Like you said collect what you love. The best part about this hobby is that you can always go back and collect something whenever you want.
You said it my friend. Just enjoy it, you are wise beyond your years
I've parsed my collection down a lot. Used to try to have full runs in many silver and bronze age Marvel comics. Of course there were some books beyond my price range, but I still tried to get as many as I could.
Now my collection is a fraction of the size it once was, but I'm concentrating on higher grade keys, or books that I just really like.
There are still many books that I want to ad back in high grade as I can.
Anyway , all that to say that, there is no wrong way to Collect. And we all have to sacrifice at times, for other more important things in life, including comic book goals.
It sounds like you've reached a place where you have fun collecting and I totally get it. Thanks for watching and commenting!
It’s gotten way too expensive. I sold my childhood collection when I was still in high school, back in 1985. I started collecting again in 99, when the hobby was at its low point. I was originally going for just FF, which was always my favorite comic, but, of course, I expanded my want list pretty quickly! I have somewhere around 15, 16000 comics, now, I think. Mostly Marvel, but I have a lot of DC, as well as Charlton, Dell and Gold key, and various other independent and underground comics. I do love comics,in general, and I read everything I buy, but I guess it’s gotten a little out of hand. I got most of the first hundred FFs from a friend who had them. Someone I had known for a couple of years but didn’t realize had comics. I got them for good prices, if I had to get them today, I’d probably be mostly out of luck. As it is, I realize I’ll probably never get a #1, or even the #2, 4 and 5 I need to complete the run. I may sell this stuff someday, but I’ll never give up my Fantastic Four, incomplete, or not. I love them too much. I was lucky I got back in when I did, and also that I have a very understanding wife! Collecting should be fun, so do it your way.
This is a fantastic comment and I respect how anyone feels when it comes to collecting. I like that you've come to grips that you may not own the big ones, but will never give up the ones you have. Totally respect that. Sounds like you have some space which I could really use at this point lol. I appreciate you watching and commenting!
@ oh, I’m pretty much out of space! Like I said, out of hand!
I’ve become more of a “key collector” as well. That and funky covers and titles.
Haha, no doubt Wes. Space is always the enemy so grabbing the really important, or fun books, just makes sense. Thanks as always for watching my man
it's understandable about having to sell things off, bro. trust me i know first hand right now, cause my plans for this month are all destroyed thanks to having to put out $899.00 for a brand new water heater. so, nothing for my birthday on dec. 15th and nothing for christmas either. can't even do my dec. giveaway now. life loves to kick you in the nuts when you least expect it.
It’s a shame about the giveaway but I’d rather have a working water heater than a giveaway! I truly hope things will get better for you my friend, and they will
Brandon really enjoyed your video! Sorry to hear that another FF collector is throwing in his cards, but believe me after reading and collecting FF since 1973 I can understand. Even the ff 48 got insanely expensive because the movie is taking so long...! I have a good chunk of the series but can't afford roughly the first four years ! Too $$$! Best of luck with the Marvel monsters and the pre-hero series...! You've gotta go with what you love! Best Wishes from another Ben Grimm fan...! (Still say that FF 38-40 was one of the finest FF stories. If you've never read it MARVEL"S GREATEST COMICS reprinted it...!
It is what it is and I've made peace with it but like you said, I kept some of the best stories and was always drawn to anything with Ben. He was so different than the others, not being able to hide his ability. I hope you stick around to see what monster books I can come up with!
I’m glad you kept the gift, but you can trade or sell it. If the comic I gave you or the comic you trade trade brings you happiness, I’m happy. I feel the same way, for a while, I wish I just targeted avengers 1-12 with some grails (57, 48, and few others) instead of going for 1-100.
I would never, I love it and it reminds me of when you first started watching my videos and revisited my ENTIRE catalog. Your friendship, support, kindness, and generosity with that book mean the world to me. I commend you on continuing another difficult run my friend!
Get to shoveling suns up :)
Suns up, snow has stopped, now its 21 degrees but feels like 11. I don't wanna go outside, except to hunt maybe lol
@ hahaha I don’t blame you send me like 4 inches of snow for this weekends deer season here in Iowa would you? 🤣
@ en route, sending snow lol. Good luck my friend! Aim small miss small
I’m not trying to be one of “those” commenters but am I missing some history on how Stan Lee created Kitty Pryde? I didn’t know about the publishing shell companies, so maybe I didn’t know this either. I always thought Claremont and Byrne created her
Nope, you’re correct and I realized I misspoke after publishing the video and thinking about it. You can always be “that” commenter with me, I’m totally fine with being correct and especially when it comes to the point of a video. With that said, it is possible they used that issue of strange tales and the woman’s power to model Kitty’s. Thanks for commenting and catching that!
@ Thanks- I was just making sure. Like you said, I love learning about the history of comics too and I thought I had missed something. And most definitely, Chris & John could’ve been inspired by that issue- they would’ve been the right age to read it off the stand. Enjoyed the video!
@ of course man. Thanks for keeping me honest! My friend did say the Overstreet price guide listed it as a “Kitty Pryde prototype” so someone was thinking it lol
....MGC issues 30 and 31, I think...!
Well, I would have. kept the entire Kirby run, if I had it! They are only going to go up while the ""hot" books will often fluctuate. I'm not a "professional" collector but that's what I've seen.
If I had the entire run I definitely would have kept it but I was only 62 issues in and it just wasn't in me to try and finish. Like I said, I did keep the biggest keys that I've always loved so I'm still happy to have accomplished that. I appreciate you watching and commenting!
@Moncomics I would have been happy with the 62, but that's me! Cheers and well wishes on your collecting! BTW, did you ever get a copy of Evil Ernie #1? I think it also features the 1st appearance of Lady Death!
@ thank you! And I totally understand how some collectors would just wanna keep it. I have not gotten that yet but it could be on my radar, the cover is awesome for that book!
Just buy the omnibus 's
I meant to mention that is a great option. There’s just something about holding the original comics as you read them. Thank you!
👀
I fully understand your dilemma regarding the FF goals..I tried with Vampirella...it just got nuts. Also went down the rabbit hole for Gun Honey..now I am just collecting the variant covers I like.
Doing the same with slabbed title and limiting myself to those characters I got back into in the 90s ... at least these are affordable...the missus wants a new kitchen lol.
Congratulations on the signed Daredevil slab ... as usual, an informative video as I wasn't aware of the shell companies involved with the various Marvel publications.
Exactly. This doesn’t just happen with FF, there are many pricey runs out there that we must assess if it’s truly worth it. My missus wants a new kitchen as well, that’s a 3.0 FF1 lol. Thank you for the kind words as always!
I WILL NEVER give up my Fantastic Four run from the 70's - 90's but the modern DEI woke garbage, trash that stuff!
I admire folks who won’t give it up. Thanks for watching!