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Interest fading?
jkkeller914
Posts: 58
So I have been a relatively die hard comic collector since I was about 8 years old (1977). Stopped buying sometime in the 90's, as I was starting out on my own and could not really afford the hobby. I remember one of the last comics I purchased being an Image/Valiant crossover that wasn't very good...
Picked through the comic display at a Books A Million in 1995 and found Age of Apocalypse Alpha, and I was immediately hooked again... briefly. I dropped comics altogether again in 1999 when my job took me on the road for almost two years.
A detour into a comic shop in 2004 brought me back into the hobby, stronger than ever before. Infinite Crisis was the culprit this time. Then, shortly afterwards I discovered CGS, DCBS, and comic binding. I felt there was NO WAY I would lose the excitement for the hobby again...
But, I kind of have. The New 52 hasn't grabbed my attention. Convergence doesn't seem to be much of anything. Marvel books that I have picked up have been hit or miss. And with all the line reboots, I find my passion dwindling. Newsarama released solicitations for May, and there were zero books from the big two that I felt I should buy. Never has that happened. I went to the local comic shop yesterday and picked up a few random issues, but it just felt as if I was reading the same old, same old...
I still plan on sticking with trades for Invincible and Walking Dead for the time being. I wonder if there will be something down the road that will bring me back again...
Any other long time fans feeling the same?
Picked through the comic display at a Books A Million in 1995 and found Age of Apocalypse Alpha, and I was immediately hooked again... briefly. I dropped comics altogether again in 1999 when my job took me on the road for almost two years.
A detour into a comic shop in 2004 brought me back into the hobby, stronger than ever before. Infinite Crisis was the culprit this time. Then, shortly afterwards I discovered CGS, DCBS, and comic binding. I felt there was NO WAY I would lose the excitement for the hobby again...
But, I kind of have. The New 52 hasn't grabbed my attention. Convergence doesn't seem to be much of anything. Marvel books that I have picked up have been hit or miss. And with all the line reboots, I find my passion dwindling. Newsarama released solicitations for May, and there were zero books from the big two that I felt I should buy. Never has that happened. I went to the local comic shop yesterday and picked up a few random issues, but it just felt as if I was reading the same old, same old...
I still plan on sticking with trades for Invincible and Walking Dead for the time being. I wonder if there will be something down the road that will bring me back again...
Any other long time fans feeling the same?
Comments
If you don't already get PREVIEWS, I recommend getting it each month if you want to maintain your comics hobby outside of the big publishers. Marvel/DC/Image/Dark Horse/IDW get the online articles for upcoming solicitations of comics. Not the smaller indy publishers.
I just find my excitement for comics fading. I do monthly purchases from DCBS. I also regularly order board games. And vinyl records for my music collection. Two of those three deliveries, I will stalk my UPS driver online to see where my delivery is. The comic box doesn't get that passion any more. And I dont know how I feel about that... comics have been a part of me for 35+ years!
Limited space (I do not want to go digital) and reading time is also playing a factor. I started tracking my reading last October. I have read 39 trades since then and have not made a dent. I estimate I have many years to go before I finish going through my collection so I am slowing down on the amount of new stuff I get so I can get through what I already have.
I can see myself stopping collecting as a whole in a year or two.
They have tons of comics from Valiant, IDW, Boom, Marvel, Top Shelf, and others.
Definitely worth giving it a shot for the free month trial.
I am trying Secret Wars because it got me on nostalgia, but I'm looking forward to going back to the $12 DCBS orders again. My interest has faded a little since CGS, but mostly due to available free time. If I was regularly spending $30 a month on comics, I'd probably go on a sabbatical. Truthfully, since I stopped reading my two favorite characters (Batman in the fall of 2006 & Spider-man starting at BND), I haven't seen/heard anything that made me want to jump back into it. Those are each my anchors into the Big Two. If I don't read my anchors, I basically don't read any of title from the company.
Plus, I have become somewhat jaded. I see events & shake ups for what they really are now.
M
it was only a matter of time before someone caught on
God bless the Jews
God bless Israel
And then I let that pile build up again, and then my interest grows.......
Star exploring! Read some ECs! Dig into the Warren Stuff! Go for the Image books by creators you've liked, their creator owned stuff is incredible! Dig into Marvel reprinting their off-type work like Weirdworld! When the mainstream doesn't work for you, it's time to explore!
With manga, classic reprints, the Big Two, the Entire Rest of the Previews Catalog, and numerous webcomics, I'm all set for the rest of my life.
I would feel the way that you do if it were not for pushing myself out of my comfort zone and taking a chance. Breaking out of the rut allowed me to enjoy reading my usual titles. Listed below are some of the things I did.
1) I got a Marvel Unlimited annual membership (for like $90 during a special) and started reading characters or events that I had not previously. Yes you will start reading a series and decide its a dud but that's 'ok' because you can just move on to the next thing. Since you are paying a flat fee, there are no commitment/investment/guilt strings.
2) I started reading the new Valiant titles. I resisted reading them for fear of 90s PTSD but I can honestly say they are great. See if you can track down "The Valiant" (4 issues) or "Divinity" (4 issues) or "Bloodshot: Reborn" (1 issue so far). All have been very good.
3) Dark Circle Archie titles are awesome and totally buck the norm. Get a TPB of "Afterlife with Archie", read the "Chilling Adventures Sabrina" (only 2 issues in), or, stay with me, "The Black Hood" (3 issues in) for a change in pace.
4) Image titles with great non-superhero stories are a plenty. My current recommendations are "The Dying and The Dead" (2 issues in), "Invisible Republic" (2 issues in), and "Descender" (2 issues in).
TL;DR - Find something out of your zone. Get a Marvel Unlimited pass and read select Valiant, Dark Circle, and Image titles.
Btw, any suggestions on where I can sell my unwanted books for store credit...ie: mycomicshop .com or something comparable? How about swap and trade sites? Thanks
I'd like to move the lot of them and be done with it; less profit but less hassle and time.
See, time really is money
If it were me, I would go to usps.com and order a bunch of medium or large flat rate boxes (boxes are free). I believe a medium box will hold about 75 bagged and boarded comics. A large will hold something like 100+. Break your collection of 1k into bulk lots of like comics and list with a low starting price. You should be able to sell them off without too much hassle - 10 or 12 listings and done.
Hope that helps.
I'm aware of the media mail/comic book debate.
My coment was meant to be a joke . (Picture a funny version of 1k comics in a single box via media mail) .
Remember kids, its not funny if you need to explain it