Collection size and others

[Aaron C]

Hi all,

Just got some general queries I and others may be interested in.

1. What is the size of your collection?
2. Do you collect for reading or investment?
3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?
4. Have you read all books in your collection?
5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?
6. What is your motivation to keep everything?

Me. I have a small/medium collection of around 1500 floppies, and around 80 tpbs. My collection is 100% reading (there is not one comic I won't pull out and read), however I do hope my 2-300 silver age and key issues hold there value.

After a lot of buying over the past few years I'm finding that I now have a number of comics that I haven't gotten to, and I'm still buying more (95% trades, 5% back issues) and reading these rather than getting to my old stuff. Having a limited amount of disposable time, I find reading trades much easier. Other than the thought of handing my collection down to my 3 sons, I'm not really sure if there is any reason to keep such a large collection/and have started selling some of the ones I'm less likely to reread. Even passing them down, with the size of the collection, half of them may not be read.

Hmm...it would be interesting to hear some other thoughts.

Cheers.

[Sir Tim Drake]

1. What is the size of your collection?

About 8000.

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?

Reading.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?

Depends on the week. Three to six hours a week maybe.

4. Have you read all books in your collection?

No, I have about three short boxes full of stuff I haven't read. I also have a bunch of comics (mostly comics that I acquired for free) that I don't intend to read because they aren't worth my time.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?

I reread things occasionally, but not as often as I used to, because I don't have the time. I usually don't systematically reread stuff, unless I'm actively working on it.

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?

Well, since I'm a comics scholar, my collection is also my personal research library. At least that's how I rationalize it... really, I'm just a packrat at heart. :)

[Kirk G]

Given the fluctuating size of "floppies" single issues over the last 35 years, and the fact that I bought some of the issues at flea markets, school carnivals, yard sales, etc.... it becomes difficult to measure just how many actual issues I have.

However, I can point to the number of half size boxes that have been "filled" and full size boxes that remain from my youth... and based upon that, I suppose I coud ESTIMATE a size of my collection.

For the sake of fun, lets guess 6 full size and 20 half size boxes. (Ignoring a few trades, and all my Marvel Masterworks and all the annuals which are around) what does that equal?

How much do I intend on keeping? All of them.

The few comics I have for resale... would be less than half a half box at most, and form a smattering of extra excess comics that we given to me, came along with a lot, or fell into my lap. There aren't many.

[shaxper]

1. What is the size of your collection?

4,000 to 5,000 comics, by my estimation.

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?

Let me add nostalgia as an option, here. I consider myself a collector, but not for investment purposes. There are far more stable markets to invest in. I own my rare, "collectible" issues because they have a special meaning to me. Owning the first appearance of Hal Jordan or Uncle Scrooge...that holds a significance to me that I can't describe. It's this nostalgia that drives people to pay those high prices for key issues which, in turn, creates investment potential in the first place. So, a shorter answer to this question would be "reading and nostalgia".

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?

I can't really answer that. Sometimes, I go weeks without reading a single comic. Other times, I read 15 books in a single sitting. I don't really have a daily amount of time designated for comic reading.

4. Have you read all books in your collection?

Probably not even half of them. I'm not a bag/board it and forget it kind of guy. I'm more like the dude at the buffet who piles his plate with all the good looking stuff, but only gets around to eating a third of it. I genuinely plan to read all of my comics some day, but I find that I buy faster than I can read.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?

Anything in my collection is there because I intend to read it multiple times. If a comic or run has no re-readability factor, I resell it on ebay and make room for more worthwhile comics in the collection. Why waste limited space on a collection that's just going to sit there, untouched. That being said, I have comics that I've read 10 times, and comics that I've yet to read more than once. I have too many comics left on my "to read" list to spend too much time re-reading.

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?

Nostalgia and the desire to revisit favorite issues/runs when the time permits.


Nice thread, by the way.

[GreatLakesAvengers]

Tim Drake and I appear to be in the same boat.

1. What is the size of your collection?

My current collection consists of: 15,000 comics that I've read, 5,000 that I'm trying to complete series of, and 3,000 complete series that I have yet to read. Add in a few hundred prestige format comics and another hundred or so hardcover collections. 85% of these are Marvel

I also have an inventory of about 80,000 comics that I sell online. (75% of these are indies!)


2. Do you collect for reading or investment?

My collection is really for my enjoyment. It certainly is an investment, though. I'll go to cons and put together runs/series out of the quarter bin. Then I get to enjoy the whole thing and in the future (actually, I could do it now) I'll be able to sell it for more than I paid.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?

That really depends on the week but, easily 4-7 hours/week.


4. Have you read all books in your collection?

Nope. I've recently adopted a new method of reading only complete series. There are a ton of series I'm working on putting together and even more that I've put together that are just waiting to be read.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?

There are books that I've read that I probably won't ever read again (Blade vol. II & III spring to mind recently) but, as a self-proclaimed Marvel Historian there are comics that I like to revisit for the sake of learning character history. Other comics I like to revisit every few years - V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Inhumans (Jenkins/Lee), Moonshadow, the Maxx, Four Women, etc


6. What is your motivation to keep everything?

Like I mentioned earlier, I like to revisit certain issues to find out certain characters' histories. Other times I like to re-read favorite runs. There are runs I'd like to re-read but my 'unread pile' is so backlogged, it'll take me forever to get back to the stuff I've already read.

Also, I make webpages about characters sometimes, and these issues are great for references!

[Ryan K]

1. What is the size of your collection?

I'd say roughly 6000 individual issues and about 600 tpb's/graphic novels.

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?

Strictly reading.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?

I'd say at least and hour per day. More or less depending on work.

4. Have you read all books in your collection?

Dear lord no. I tend to buy a lot of something when I really get into it. I'll go on a Legion of Super Heroes kick and buy 40+ issues over the course of a couple weeks, then read about half of them before something new takes over my brain. I'll go back and read the LoSH stuff; it just may take awhile. Same with creators. I don't buy one book by a creator I've recently found out I love. I buy everything I can get my hands on.


5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?

Lately there's been so much stuff coming out I really haven't had the time to reread much. But the general idea behind me buying or keeping anything is that I ask myself will I reread this. If the answer is no I try to part with it (I stress try - I'm something of a nostalgic pack rat; see X-Men collection).

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?

It appears I've alread answered some of this. If I think I'll reread it, whether because I genuinely enjoyed it or I feel it deserves a place in my library for some reason (completeness' sake, literary or historical value, nostalgia, etc.), I'll keep it.

[Agentum]

1. What is the size of your collection?
Well it's about 5000 american comics and maybe 2000 Swedish ones, and of course about 300 books or trades and a couple of hundred Swedish Albums as we call them.

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?
Only for reading, i want the storys inside the books, so i can buy a cheap reprint instead of teh original and don't care about the value, just the story.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?
It depends, i read more in the wintertime, maybe like 20 books a week(meaning standard american comics then).

4. Have you read all books in your collection?
No, i have lots to read, thosands of floppies and books.
I buy more than a read.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?
So far not so often, and if i do only my absolute favorite storys.
In some comics you find new stuff the second time you read them.
But i intend to keep all the best stuff and sell the rest some day, and then just read those storys over and over again :-D

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?
Well, like i said, to get all the best comics out there some day and then just read them, probably impossible but i try my best.
And i'm always open to new comics, i'm is very 80s oriented in comic taste, but i have learned that a good story is a good story, no matter what age it has or what the publisher is.
Soem people restrict themself to much i think.

[Paradox]

Aaron C wants the factuals:

Hi all,

Just got some general queries I and others may be interested in.

Okeedokee.

1. What is the size of your collection?

Roughly (very) 15,000+

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?

Solely a fan/reader, and my comics have no value but their intrinsic one...stories.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?

Less, now that I've stopped buying new ones. Probably about 15 hours a week or so.

4. Have you read all books in your collection?

Absolutely.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?

No real pattern. I want something to read, and if it's comics, I go dig through my boxes pulling out stuff that looks interesting at the moment. Get a big pile and end up reading them all week. Sometimes I don't read any for weeks, and then go on two month jags of nothing but.

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?

I don't throw away reading material.

[Heraclevs]

1. What is the size of your collection? About 1400, including tpb's

2. Do you collect for reading or investment? Reading, although I did splurge in order to get original issues vice reprints. I do keep the reprints that I have around, though, in order to read them rather than damage the originals.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week? Maximum of 1 per day. Of late, more like 1 per week.

4. Have you read all books in your collection? No. Still trudging through my Batman collection (need to finish cover date 1978 through 1987), all of my Simonson Thor run save for the first sevral issues (Beta Ray Bill saga), and most of the Power Company run.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything? Maybe a couple more times, though with a run the length of my Batman collection (almost 900 issues), I'd probably skip over the ones that weren't so great, in my humble opinion.

6. What is your motivation to keep everything? With the Batman run, great memories growing up. With the Thor run, appreciation for Simonson's creativity. With Power Company, I haven't read it yet, so the jury's still out. With the remainde rof the 300+ comics from my childhood, memories.


- Romans 9

[Lone Ranger]

1. What is the size of your collection?

Probably 8,000 or so. I've sold a bunch in the past year

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?
Reading - although I have sold some at a tidy profit so I guess the investment angle is always there. 15 years ago, I would to focus on high grade. Now, I don't give a crap so long as it's a solid copy.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?
Maybe an hour if I'm lucky. Without my streetcar ride to work, I'd probably only have 5 minutes.

4. Have you read all books in your collection?
No - I've probably got 100 floppies I haven't read and a ton of reprint material (Essentials etc...)

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?
I'd say that any book I've had for more than 10 years has been read at least twice. I just read what I feel like on that particular day although there are some things I re-read on a fairly regular basis (Watchmen, Miller's DD)

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?
Well, I really enjoy just 'having' the darned things in the hourse - kind of like a warm blanket. I love to flip through comics, or just browse covers. I don't keep everything - as I sell more than I buy these days (money's tight).

[Cei-U!]

1. What is the size of your collection?

At last count, I have 3,386 comics (plus an additional 1,053 on CD), 100 fanzines and 294 books collecting or relating to comics.

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?

For reading, definitely.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?

Quite a lot, since I write professionally about comics.

4. Have you read all books in your collection?

All but my run of Magnus/Nexus. Gotta get to that one of these days.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?

If it's not worth re-reading, it isn't in my collection. I do tend to read my favorite stuff more than the others, though.

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?

Because I want to. What other motivation would I need?

Cei-U!
Answering on the fly!

[glue]

1. What is the size of your collection?
75 trades, give or take (100+ if you count manga)
2. Do you collect for reading or investment?
reading
3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?
It varies greatly. Sometimes I'll read a handful of trades in a week and other times I might read twenty pages.
4. Have you read all books in your collection?
no
5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?
I might re-read something every few months. When I re-read I tend to re-read entire runs.

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?
I don't keep everything. When we moved I dumped all my monthlies and some trades on my nephew. I'll probably do another purge in the coming months. I like to keep my collection right about two or three shelves worth.

[MWGallaher]

I don't have a count of my collection, but it's about 60 long boxes worth of comics, and around 10 bookshelves of TPBs and hardcover collections.

I collect for reading primarily, but also out of a sort of scholarship. I want to be familiar with the work of the acknowledged giants in the American branch of the industry, even if I don't especially enjoy reading those works.

Like many others here, my reading time per week fluctuates depending on the time available. There's a minimum of a couple of hours of reading per week, on average.

I've read all the single issues in my collection up to 1993 or so...after that, there were a lot of comics I bought in the 90's out of habit that I never got around to reading, which now look so awful to me that I don't really want to.

My re-reading patterns vary. I don't do a lot of it, but I'll sometimes open up a box and pull out whatever strikes my fancy. Recently, I pulled DC's Bronze Age "Hercules Unbound" to read, after learning that they were about to reprint it.

I always intended to keep everything, but now I realize that I won't get around to rereading a lot of what I have, so I've been slowly pruning, throwing some away outright (like YOUNG ALL-STARS and BLACK CANARY) and selling some that happened to be fetching good prices (like the 70's ALL-STAR COMICS)

[dupersuper]

1. What is the size of your collection?
Several thousand, possibly into 10's of thousands by now. single issues, tpb's, etc. , but no online comics, I like having the book in my hands

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?
reading; not a bag or board in site

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?
depends how good wednesday is. ;) Most would say too much, I'd say not enough, like the guy from the old Twilight Zone that broke his glasses after the nuclear blast...

4. Have you read all books in your collection?
I have a few DC Showcase books, the Supes/MM/Lobo Alan Grant novel and a couple others waiting, but I'll get to them before long. The only book I couldn't slog all the way through is a 100 page True Romance book I picked up in a quarter bin just to round my purchase off to an even $ amount.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?

I go back and read favourites often, or good stoylines/runs. Some of those are a pain to read through though; for example, if I read the Morisson run on JLA, I have to dig them out-I store them pretty much chronologically, so there are tonnes of books between some issues. Still, my faves are well read.

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?
I love books in general, and comics specifically. Maybe a lil' touch of acd to. ;)

[DDM]

1. What is the size of your collection?

I quit counting at 10,000 in 1991. I have acquired many more books since then.

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?

Reading.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?

3-4 hours in one week.

4. Have you read all books in your collection?

Yes.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?

I reread the Chris Claremont-Dave Cockrum-John Byrne Uncanny X-Men stories constantly. I just love those stories. I reread other stories as well, but not nearly as often.

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?

If I want to reread something, I can easily find it & read it again. Sometimes, I just like to read the letters pages.

[benday-dot]

1. What is the size of your collection?

I really don't know. Maybe 2500 at most.

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?

Reading. I'll sell doubles. But most of what I have is low grade. I suspect if I decided to sell my collection by lots of story arcs I would do okay, because it makes for an appealing way to jump into a title. And that's indeed how I tend to collect. I don't really collect by character, but hear about a good storyline, seek it out, then once that ends, perhaps never pick up a thing from the title ever again.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?

I tend to alternate. One day goes to comics, the next to an unrelated piece of literature... novel, short story, non-fiction. Right now I'm reading Richard Rhodes fascinating history of the making of the atom bomb, Los Alamos, the whole Manhattan Project and those pioneering titans of nuclear physics from the middle of the last century... Openheimer, Bohrs, Fermi, Teller and the rest. A huge challenging read that I'm loving. I'm also loving a rereading of the complete Tomb of Dracula (1-25 in Essentials... the rest in ye olde floppies)

4. Have you read all books in your collection?

No. maybe 60%.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?

Whatever, whenver it strikes my fancy.

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?

I can't bear to give up my babies! Who knows maybe someday I'll kick 'em out!

[Chris N]

1. What is the size of your collection?

About 30000. Some 8000 of which I got all in one go when my store closed.

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?

Reading.


3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?

Depends. I devote a fair amount of time to reading. Lets say 20-30 hours a week. Sometimes that will be spent entire time will be spent on comics. Sometimes all of it will be spent on graphicless novels. Sometimes a bit of both.

4. Have you read all books in your collection?

No, but that's the goal. One of these days I plan to separate out things I suspect I'll never read and sell them.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?

There are several (hundred or so) stories I've read over and over. When I had a smaller collection, I'd read the same thing hundreds of time (Infinity Gauntlet, Harras' Avengers and Knightfall read way too many times in my youth)

Now I don't reread nearly as much as I want to, but I own a lot I haven't read.

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?

The Marvel comics I plan to sit down one day and read together.

The graphic novels I like to reread and lend to people.

Plus any comics I really love. The rest, I dunno. Habit, lethargy, etc.

[Simon Garth]

1. What is the size of your collection? about 150 comics, maybe a dozen TPBs, all modern stuff. Was about 3500 before I sold up in the 90s. Current lot was about 250, before I gave ~100 away a couple of weeks ago. Will be about 75 once I give away the rest of the ones I'm not interested in. I'm basically limiting my collection to a stack about 1' high, that will fit in a particular cabinet.
2. Do you collect for reading or investment? Reading
3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?Couple of hours a month, tops
4. Have you read all books in your collection? Yes
5. How often would you re-read your collection? Sporadically re-read stuff, but generally as part of the same 1-2 hours per month. [B]Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything? Generally, am re-reading previous issues to catch up on what happened before the current issue, as my buying is so sporadic. Having said that, I've reread the Powers and Planetary TPBs several times
6. What is your motivation to keep everything? Opportunity to re-read, and vestiges of collector obsession. However, I really don't have space for a collection any more, and am very seriously contemplating giving up on physical issues and subscribing to Marvel's digital comics service.

[The Confessor]

1. What is the size of your collection?
almost 2000 comics (that total includes a handful of TPBs as well)

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?
Reading definitely

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?
Depends on how many comics I've got in my 'to read' queue but on average I'd say about 5 hours a week.

4. Have you read all books in your collection?
Mostly yes. There are two or three that spring to mind that I just haven't gotten around to yet though.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?
Hmmmm...this is a tricky one. There are many comics in my collection that I've only read once so far but the one's I tend to re-read are usually runs of my favourite characters or comics (Spider-Man, Astro City, Star Wars etc, etc)

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?
To have all these good comics on hand if I fancy reading them again. Plus, there's a bit of nostalgia associated with some of the older stuff I grew up reading as a kid.

[Babylon23]

1. What is the size of your collection?

Not sure, but it's at least 3,000 comics and over 100 trades. I stopped counting long ago.

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?

Purely for reading.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?

Probably 4-10 hours depending on the week. I'm mostly buying trades these days, so they take a little longer to read

4. Have you read all books in your collection?

Probably about 95%. There's a few Essentials and Showcase books that I havenn't gotten to yet.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?

It varies depending on what I'm in the mood for. some books have only been reread once of twice, others dozens of times. The most rereads would probably be Watchmen, Starman, Sandman, Kirby's 4th World, Drake/Premiani and Morrison/Case Doom Patrol, Claremont/Byrne X-Men, All-Star Squadron & JSA, Stern/Byrne Cap, Michelinie/Layton Iron Man, O'Neill/Cowan Question, Thomas/Buscema and Stern/Buscema Avengers and Moore/Davis Captain Britain

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?

Rereading. I odn't keep anything that I know I'm not going to read again.

[Slam_Bradley]

1. What is the size of your collection?

I dunno. I never counted them. 15 long boxes that are mostly full (mostly stuffed). And a 6 foot book case stuffed with trades and GN's.

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?

Reading. It would cost me more in time and effort to sell the majority of my books than they're worth. I started to put some on E-bay, but by the time I factored in the time it would take it wasn't close to worth it.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?

I usually read about three issues a day. Those are almost exclusively in trades at this point.

4. Have you read all books in your collection?

I've read 99.9% of the floppies I own. I've got a huge backlog of trades.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?

I re-read sporadically. Much more often with trades than with floppies. I'd gladly trade every floppy I have for a trade. They're so much easier to read and store.

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?

I'm too lazy to get rid of them.

[Kirk G]

:D It's not the size of your collection....it's how you use it.

I'd have thought that we guys would have learned that by now...:D

[Hintermann]

1. What is the size of your collection?
About 7500 comics

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?
Reading only. I'll never sell any of my comics. I hope to pass it on to my niece (also our godchild) after me.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?
Varies, but I usually read at least one every day.

4. Have you read all books in your collection?
Almost, but there are a few contemporary ones that are still on my TBR list.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?
I re-read some more than others, but generally I like doing that often.

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?
My genuine love for my sort of comics. I grew up with them and have cultivated them for over 40 years. They are now part of my personality.

[Aaron C]

Hey, thanks everyone for your replies. It's been an interesting read.

There are definitely some big collections out there! It's quite a wonder that most have been read - I find it hard to get to everything in my small one, and I don't even know if I'll get to everything. I'll be gioving it a good go though!

I'm in the same boat re keeping them all, however I can't imagine how some of you can store them all, as I have trouble with 15-20 short boxes.

[bolt98]

1. What is the size of your collection?
I have tried to keep a rough count, estimated around 15,000 singles. Close to 200 tpb's and hardcovers.

2. Do you collect for reading or investment?
I collect for the fun and enjoyment. Its a hobby.

3. How much time do you devote to reading comics per day/week?
Varies. Maybe 4-5 hours per week. I can't keep up with all the new stuff. I am about 5 months behind. (I just finished up 52...lol). I need a snowstorm, everything closes down, no work, and just sit and read for about 8 hours one day. That would put a dent in the new stuff.

4. Have you read all books in your collection?
No. Like I said, I am about 5 months behind on new stuff. Plus I have a couple of piles of old stuff I have bought at con's over the last couple years. Great stuff, just haven't read it yet.

5. How often would you re-read your collection? Is it the same ones or would you systematically reread everything?
As a kid, I would re-read all the time. Today, I don't have the time for it.

6. What is your motivation to keep everything?
I have done it since I was a kid. Probably 30 years of collecting. Can't stop now!

[Paradox]

Aaron C references time management:

Hey, thanks everyone for your replies. It's been an interesting read.

There are definitely some big collections out there! It's quite a wonder that most have been read - I find it hard to get to everything in my small one, and I don't even know if I'll get to everything. I'll be gioving it a good go though!

I may have over 15K comics, but that's over 40+ years of collecting. Plenty of time to read along the way. :)