DAE get into a huge debate about collecting at a con?

I was at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle last year and got into a real argument with a guy at a booth. He said true fans only buy first printings and graded books, calling my collection of reading copies 'junk'. I've always thought the story matters more than the plastic slab. But after that, I started noticing how many people at cons just care about value, not the actual comics. It made me question if I'm even part of the same hobby anymore. Has anyone else felt this split between readers and investors?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_johnson221mo ago

I had a CGC 9.8 copy of Ultimate Fallout 4 that I bought as an investment. Sold it last year and used the money to buy a full run of old, beat up Claremont X-Men issues I could actually read. That plastic case felt like a museum display, not a comic book. The guy at your con is missing the point completely. My shelves are full of reader copies with creased covers and I enjoy them way more.

thomas_young1mo ago

Man, I don't know. @spencer_johnson22, you do you, but it's just stuff. Some people get a real kick out of having that perfect slab. It's like a trophy. Other people want to beat up an old book on the couch. Neither one is the "point" of comics, it's just different ways to like them. The guy at the con is having his own fun with his investment, same as you're having fun with your readers.