Post by CHANCE BOND on May 5, 2015 22:18:52 GMT
By Elwood R. Thompson
What hooked you? Was it something about the colors, the characters or a storyline that got your attention? Were you sitting around bored? Did you run out of reading material? Whatever the reason, somehow, you picked up a comic book and you were fascinated. You became a reader, then a collector.
Over the years, your tastes in reading material may have changed: Your favorite comic was canceled; a new artist or writer took over your favorite title; you didn't like the new look of the book; etcetera. Other interests arose. You may even stop collecting.
But you still love comics. You are drawn back to them. You want to fill in the gaps in your collection, but you don't know how or where to start. Here's a little information that may prove helpful.
Buying: this is probably the easiest part, because you should buy what you like. First, select the time period that interests you and is most affordable from the following eras:
Victorian Age: circa 1820s to late 1890s; and Platinum Age: circa late 1890s to late 1930s: Most comics of these eras consisted of collections of newspaper strips such as the Yellow Kid.
Golden Age: circa 1938 to 1961: The Golden Age of comics gave us the introduction of superheroes, such as Superman, Batman, Captain America, Wonder Women, the original Human Torch and Sub-Mariner. This period ended with the 1954 publication of Seduction of the Innocent by Dr. Frederic Wertham; the book was an anti-comic book propaganda piece that almost destroyed the comic book industry. Remember, the early 1950s was the era of Senator Joe McCarthy, and Seduction of the Innocent took advantage of the climate of the time.
Silver Age - circa 1952 to 1968: The Silver Age of comics has at least three arguable starting points: 1952's premiere of Mad #1; 1956's re-introduction and re-vamping of DC Comics superheroes, beginning with the Flash in showcase #4; and, 1961's introduction of modern, literate, reality-based superheroes in Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Other new Marvel Characters such as Spider-Man, the X-Men, Daredevil, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, the Silver Surfer, to name a few, became wildly popular on college campuses and with soldiers serving in the U.S. military. Marvel's Fantastic Four #52 brought us the Black Panther, arguably the first African-American superhero. Superheroes were featured on live-action television shows, such as Batman and the Green Hornet, as well as in several animated series. The Sliver Age lasted until 1968, when comic prices rose from 12 cents to 15 cents.
Bronze Age - circa 1968 to 1982: The Bronze Age of comics saw the birth of Wolverine in the pages of the Incredible Hulk and the re-introduction of the X-Men, as well as unsuccessful attempts by smaller companies (notably Atlas) to challenge industry leaders Marvel and DC. Comics icon Jack Kirby left Marvel for DC at the beginning of this period, returning to Marvel in the mid-1970's. Marvel's Hero for Hire introduced Luke Cage, the first successful mainstream Black superhero. comics were represented in the movies by the highly successful Superman films, while the Incredible Hulk and Wonder Woman stood out on television.
Modern Age - circa 1982 to 1996: The Modern Age of comics began with the advent of the direct sales market in the late 1970s - early 1980s, which afforded better, more reliable distribution for the Big Two and allowed smaller companies to effectively compete and survive in the comics market. These so-called "independents" gave us notable works such as Elfquest and Spawn. The motion picture adaptations of Batman began in 1989. Computer games featuring many Marvel and DC characters were released during this period.
Currnet Era - circa 1996 to present: As the computer age grows, so does the number of computer games and animated television series based on established characters, such as the X-Men, Wolverine, Spider-Man and the Justice League. Movie series featuring Spider-Man, Blade, Batman, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four are huge box office successes.
Grading: Comics are usually graded on a scale much like the following:
10.0 Mint
9.9 Mint
9.8 Near Mint/Mint
9.6 Near Mint +
9.4 Near Mint
9.2 Near Mint -
9.0 Very Fine/Near Mint
8.5 Very Fine +
8.0 Very Fine
7.5 Very Fine -
7.0 Fine/Very Fine
6.5 Fine +
6.0 Fine
5.5 Fine -
5.0 Very Good/Fine
4.5 Very Good +
4.0 Very Good
3.5 Very Good -
3.0 Good/Very Good
2.5 Good +
2.0 Good
1.8 Good -
1.5 Fair/Good
1.0 Fair
.5 Poor
Newer comics (Bronze Age and up) will tend to be in far better condition than older ones. Few comics are in the Mint-range; some argue that Mint is an unattainable standard.
Storage: While Mint and Near-Mint condition comics are often hard to come by, you can keep your own collection in pristine condition through proper handling and storage. keep issues flat while reading them; never fold or bend pages. Invest in a box of powder-free, latex-free gloves and use them when reading and handling your comics. Store you issues in acid-free bags and boxes, flat, upright and in a dry, climate-controlled location; Not in a damp basement or in a hot, stuffy attic.
Have fun and good hunting!
What hooked you? Was it something about the colors, the characters or a storyline that got your attention? Were you sitting around bored? Did you run out of reading material? Whatever the reason, somehow, you picked up a comic book and you were fascinated. You became a reader, then a collector.
Over the years, your tastes in reading material may have changed: Your favorite comic was canceled; a new artist or writer took over your favorite title; you didn't like the new look of the book; etcetera. Other interests arose. You may even stop collecting.
But you still love comics. You are drawn back to them. You want to fill in the gaps in your collection, but you don't know how or where to start. Here's a little information that may prove helpful.
Buying: this is probably the easiest part, because you should buy what you like. First, select the time period that interests you and is most affordable from the following eras:
Victorian Age: circa 1820s to late 1890s; and Platinum Age: circa late 1890s to late 1930s: Most comics of these eras consisted of collections of newspaper strips such as the Yellow Kid.
Golden Age: circa 1938 to 1961: The Golden Age of comics gave us the introduction of superheroes, such as Superman, Batman, Captain America, Wonder Women, the original Human Torch and Sub-Mariner. This period ended with the 1954 publication of Seduction of the Innocent by Dr. Frederic Wertham; the book was an anti-comic book propaganda piece that almost destroyed the comic book industry. Remember, the early 1950s was the era of Senator Joe McCarthy, and Seduction of the Innocent took advantage of the climate of the time.
Silver Age - circa 1952 to 1968: The Silver Age of comics has at least three arguable starting points: 1952's premiere of Mad #1; 1956's re-introduction and re-vamping of DC Comics superheroes, beginning with the Flash in showcase #4; and, 1961's introduction of modern, literate, reality-based superheroes in Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four #1 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Other new Marvel Characters such as Spider-Man, the X-Men, Daredevil, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, the Silver Surfer, to name a few, became wildly popular on college campuses and with soldiers serving in the U.S. military. Marvel's Fantastic Four #52 brought us the Black Panther, arguably the first African-American superhero. Superheroes were featured on live-action television shows, such as Batman and the Green Hornet, as well as in several animated series. The Sliver Age lasted until 1968, when comic prices rose from 12 cents to 15 cents.
Bronze Age - circa 1968 to 1982: The Bronze Age of comics saw the birth of Wolverine in the pages of the Incredible Hulk and the re-introduction of the X-Men, as well as unsuccessful attempts by smaller companies (notably Atlas) to challenge industry leaders Marvel and DC. Comics icon Jack Kirby left Marvel for DC at the beginning of this period, returning to Marvel in the mid-1970's. Marvel's Hero for Hire introduced Luke Cage, the first successful mainstream Black superhero. comics were represented in the movies by the highly successful Superman films, while the Incredible Hulk and Wonder Woman stood out on television.
Modern Age - circa 1982 to 1996: The Modern Age of comics began with the advent of the direct sales market in the late 1970s - early 1980s, which afforded better, more reliable distribution for the Big Two and allowed smaller companies to effectively compete and survive in the comics market. These so-called "independents" gave us notable works such as Elfquest and Spawn. The motion picture adaptations of Batman began in 1989. Computer games featuring many Marvel and DC characters were released during this period.
Currnet Era - circa 1996 to present: As the computer age grows, so does the number of computer games and animated television series based on established characters, such as the X-Men, Wolverine, Spider-Man and the Justice League. Movie series featuring Spider-Man, Blade, Batman, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four are huge box office successes.
Grading: Comics are usually graded on a scale much like the following:
10.0 Mint
9.9 Mint
9.8 Near Mint/Mint
9.6 Near Mint +
9.4 Near Mint
9.2 Near Mint -
9.0 Very Fine/Near Mint
8.5 Very Fine +
8.0 Very Fine
7.5 Very Fine -
7.0 Fine/Very Fine
6.5 Fine +
6.0 Fine
5.5 Fine -
5.0 Very Good/Fine
4.5 Very Good +
4.0 Very Good
3.5 Very Good -
3.0 Good/Very Good
2.5 Good +
2.0 Good
1.8 Good -
1.5 Fair/Good
1.0 Fair
.5 Poor
Newer comics (Bronze Age and up) will tend to be in far better condition than older ones. Few comics are in the Mint-range; some argue that Mint is an unattainable standard.
Storage: While Mint and Near-Mint condition comics are often hard to come by, you can keep your own collection in pristine condition through proper handling and storage. keep issues flat while reading them; never fold or bend pages. Invest in a box of powder-free, latex-free gloves and use them when reading and handling your comics. Store you issues in acid-free bags and boxes, flat, upright and in a dry, climate-controlled location; Not in a damp basement or in a hot, stuffy attic.
Have fun and good hunting!