Comic book fans come in all shapes and sizes. Many tend to binge their books digitally, as physical editions can be very expensive or hard to find, but of course, some love to read or collect physical editions of their favorite stories.
Comics have gained a reputation for being collector’s pieces, with many going out of their way to buy them. Some do this for the sake of reading, like one would do any normal book, but there are many instances where people will buy them for the sake of it— not to fanatically read, but more just to display or sell.
10 Your Comics Are Still Sealed
Sometimes, one can buy so many comics that they forget to remove their sealing
There’s nothing like that feeling when one grabs a deluxe hardcover off the shelf or an Omnibus finally arrives in the mail. Most fans just can’t help but tear apart the plastic wrap and crack into it. This experience is universal, not just for comics, as taking off the plastic cover of a phone screen is just as satisfying.
Although, some leave the plastic on until they read them, indefinitely keeping their books trapped in its wrapping. There’s no real issue with this—save for making one’s shelves look a little tacky—but depending on the collector, an Omnibus could sit and sit for ages, still in the plastic, waiting to be read, a problem that could most definitely be exacerbated by a growing collection.
9 You Have A Ton Of Omnibuses
Omnibuses or oversized editions are sometimes purchased for their aesthetics more than anything else
When it comes to comics, there are tons of formats out there to collect them in. One of the more sought-after formats Marvel and DC follow is the Omnibus format, a type of collection featuring dozens of issues in an oversized hardcover. While an Omnibus is undeniably a pretty cool collector’s piece, sometimes those who collect them do it for the wrong reasons.
To many, Omnibuses are shelf warmers. Solid, 2-inch thick hunks of paper made to collect dust on a shelf—sometimes with the plastic wrap still protecting them—and look pretty. A lot of collectors don’t even read every Omnibus they own; they just buy them for the thrill of it and to have something to fully pack their shelves. While it’s common one will hear defenses of “I just haven’t read it yet,” it’s evident that to some readers and some collectors care less about the book and more about the conversation piece and bragging rights of a well-furnished bookcase.
8 Key Issue Collecting Is More For Bragging Than Reading
Key issues can be nice to have, but sometimes it’s for strange reasons
In comics, there are a lot of random issues out there that don’t really stand out. However, the ones that do stand out? They often have a major reason to. Coined as “key issues”, there are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of comic book issues that have drawn attention for the things they contain: first appearances or deaths of characters, the formations of grand super-teams, the execution of a major plot point, or the debut of an iconic costume.
For many comic collectors, owning a key issue feels like a status symbol, with your collection being less valuable monetarily if you don’t have at least one major story in it. Oftentimes, diehard fans of some characters will track down their favorite hero or villain’s first appearance as a proud achievement—but a lot of the time, collecting key issues is just to own something worth a lot of money.
7 You Separate Unread Comics From Read Comics
Collections can be incredibly overwhelming, so readers try to stay up-to-date
Lots of comic readers have packed bookshelves full of comics they proudly display, lining the shelves left to right with brightly colored spines of dozens of books. However, these collectors might not have read everything they own and try their best to avoid their comics from catching dust—even coming up with clever workarounds to avoid the issue.
Some readers place their unread comics on a separate shelf, later integrating these books back into the rest once they’ve read them. Others mark their comics with a sticker or Post-It note of some sort as a visual reminder. Some reverse the positioning of a comic on their shelf, having the pages face forward instead of the spine as a reminder the book ought to be read. Either way, the practice of having a visual cue that something is unread is a very practical way of keeping your collection in use.
6 You Have Special Issues Graded And Slabbed
The practice of “slabbing” issues tends to preserve value
Single-issue collecting is a common hobby amongst comic fans, with the average comic collector having at least one short or long box filled with various magazine-style issues. However, when one is scouring eBay listings or raiding the back issues at their local comic store, they might encounter an issue that they think deserves better than a cardboard box. A common practice among collectors of many things, grading is a system in which one sends in their rare or collectible memorabilia and gets it “graded” on a scale of 1-10 in terms of the condition it’s in.
Oftentimes, the item in question is put into a hard plastic “slab» after the grading to protect its perceived value, as the grading system can vary from company to company. A 9.8 from the CGC is a lot more valuable than a 9.8 from CBCS or EGS. There are many reasons to do this, but ultimately, it comes down to having a specific monetary value placed on one of your comic issues, whether for resale or bragging rights. Of course, like any other value-based facet of collecting, the grading market has been overtaken in recent years by people who couldn’t care less about the comics in question, only looking to make a buck off resale.
5 Variant Covers Are Prominent In Your Collection
Variants are a neat way of getting new art on a comic cover
A trend within the comic industry that has blown up in the past couple of decades, variant covers are an attempt to cash in on the collector/speculator market as best as possible while providing opportunities to new artists who want to try and find their way in the comic business. In short, a variant is an alternate version of a normal issue. Nothing within its pages changes, except for what’s printed on the cover, a piece of art provided by a creator otherwise unaffiliated with the book.
Sometimes, there are several variant covers for an issue, with some easier— and cheaper— to purchase than others. Like many other things, variants can be enjoyed by all, but many of them end up valued highly by the collector and speculator markets. Those with large collections tend to buy several variants for the same issue or hunt for ones more valuable than others as they can make for nice artworks or collector’s pieces.
4 Your Omnibuses Have Un-Cracked Spines
A specific problem, but one can always spot if a deluxe edition has been read or not
As any book lover knows, there’s nothing like the sound of a hardcover cracking as you open it. This is true of comics as well, with the collected edition of omnibuses—and other hardback formats like Absolutes and deluxes—having the same satisfying feeling. However, someone who doesn’t read their books wouldn’t know that—and anyone with a good enough eye can see that.
With many Omnibuses, you can actually see the effect reading has had on the spine, with many ending up concave. The clearest effect, though, is the gap between the spine and the pages. The gap is typically unnoticeable when you first get an Omnibus, but, after a procedure many readers do in which you purposefully break in the spine, a much wider gap called “the eye” forms. If you spot one of these on an Omnibus, you can guarantee it’s been well-loved and used.
3 They Always Know Where To Spot A Discount
As comics can get rather expensive, collectors always know where to look for discounts when applicable
Comics are a rather expensive hobby, unfortunately. Single issues from both the Big Two and independent publishers can run readers a pretty penny, especially if they’re longer than usual, and this goes double for many collected editions—trade paperbacks, hardcovers, compendiums, omnibuses, and more can often be quite expensive investments even if they’re worth the price.
However, those with large collections often purchase a bulk of them for cheaper than their retail price. They pride themselves on snagging new finds from the discount section of their local comic or book store, perusing the shelves of bargain outlets like Ollie’s or thrift shops, or finding the books for discounted prices online through legitimate websites like InStockTrades or CheapGraphicNovels. The heap of discounts that collectors can come across can accidentally expand a collection tenfold.
2 You Can Name Every Format
Comic collectors tend to have knowledge of different formats that make up their collections
At a glance, a lot of books just feel the same. The main distinguishing factor between them is whether they’re softcover or hardcover, as well as their print size and length. But the average consumer isn’t expected to know anything about them beyond the aforementioned softcover/hardcover difference or maybe if something is a special edition or not. But when it comes to comics? Those who physically collect are more than likely going to be familiar with the ins and outs of different comic formats.
Those with packed shelves have to be familiar with the differences between a standard trade or a deluxe, a compendium or an omnibus, the companies that produce absolute editions versus gallery editions, if an issue is a variant or not, and so on. Because in comics, there are so many ridiculously different formats printed in the business that it can be hard to keep track, and these different formats can sometimes demand wild price tags. Diehard collectors will often be familiar with every sort of format, down to the most minute differences between them.
1 You Think Buying Something Makes You A Bigger Fan
There can be a sense of elitism around those who buy lots of memorabilia compared to those who don't
There is an odd mentality in fandom that just because someone owns a lot of merchandise for a property, it makes them a more valid fan of it than someone who maybe doesn’t own all that much, if anything at all. Sure, it takes dedication to shell out a pretty penny on memorabilia that doesn’t mean all that much in the long run, but it isn’t something that’s a true indicator of passion or anything along those lines.
As mentioned earlier, omnibuses are a sort of status symbol in collector circles, oftentimes, ones that aren’t even used. Having shelves fully stocked with comics does not make someone more of a fan than anyone else, especially if one does not actually read those comics. All being a fan takes is a bit of passion and interest, not a heftier wallet.
