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This is an easy one: if the stuff collected is rare and/or now worth more than 10-ish times the original/newsstand value of a 60's-80's era book i'll consider grabbing a collected edition.
The other deciding factor is if I just really really love a particular character and/or series whose appearances are being collected. Getting to see a full story arc or all of a character's appearances in one place/context can be a really awesome experience.
50's stuff and golden age comics are things i'll always get in collected editions just cuz that stuff usually is extra expensive in its orginal form
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I almost exclusively buy collected editions these days, mostly of pre-2000's material with the occasional modern collection.
I'll read online if I think there's a low chance of a series ever being collected
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I make tiers
1. If I love it I will buy TPBs and then rebuy them in either omni or OHC (depending on what actually comes out)
2. If it is a title that is ancillary to the books that fall under #1, I wait until OHC comes out (if nothing does then I get the TPB later)
3. If it is a one shot that is ancillary to #1 but is either collected in a bloated TPB or OHC with material I don't care for I will buy only the floppy
4. Never re-buy reprinted books already owned just because they have some extra material (that only leads to OCD and an empty pocket)
Having this method keeps my collection in check
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[QUOTE=charliehustle415;5717760]I make tiers
1. If I love it I will buy TPBs and then rebuy them in either omni or OHC (depending on what actually comes out)
2. If it is a title that is ancillary to the books that fall under #1, I wait until OHC comes out (if nothing does then I get the TPB later)
3. If it is a one shot that is ancillary to #1 but is either collected in a bloated TPB or OHC with material I don't care for I will buy only keep the floppy
[B]4. Never re-buy reprinted books already owned just because they have some extra material (that only leads to OCD and an empty pocket)[/B]
Having this method keeps my collection in check[/QUOTE]
It took me a loooong time to realize this. "Gotta catch 'em all" mentality is what led me to a storage unit that's so jam packed I couldn't even tell you what's in there. I do know there's a ton of older printings of books I've double and triple dipped on just for "bonus material"...
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Me, I have 2.5 "billy" shelves filled with hard-cover collections.
Well, they're [I]mostly [/I]full. Got room for 4 or 5 more books.
I think going forward, after the 3 or so books I have on pre-order, I must get rid of/sell something before I buy something new.
It's not that I can't make more room, it's that I think this is enough, and I want to enjoy what I have, rather than obsess about collecting.
As far as what I buy... it's not so much about the characters, but the creators - I buy books from writers and artists I enjoy (mostly artists, which is what keeps me going back to the books - to me, most of the Omnibus/Absolutes that I have are more like art-books than anything else).
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[QUOTE=SJNeal;5720188]It took me a loooong time to realize this. "Gotta catch 'em all" mentality is what led me to a storage unit that's so jam packed I couldn't even tell you what's in there. I do know there's a ton of older printings of books I've double and triple dipped on just for "bonus material"...[/QUOTE]
SJ!
I was you too!
I had to do a real audit on what the hell I had in my collection.
I quickly realized I am never [B]EVER[/B] going to look at all of this back matter let alone re-read some of my "meh" books; I knew I had to cull my collection.
So this is when I made my tiered system, and I keep a running excel of writers, story arcs, and currently owned books so I can track everything.
I don't care if JRJR is offering me his personal collection, if it is on that excel I [B]CANNOT[/B] have it
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^ ^ ^
Reading this and fathoming the idea of getting rid of so much unread material gives me anxiety! Lol :D But it's going to have to happen eventually.
There aren't enough hours in the day (or days in the year!) to possibly read all the sh!t I've accumulated, and I've been craving re-reads of many of my classic favorites lately, which just reinforces this fact.
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[QUOTE=SJNeal;5731949]^ ^ ^
Reading this and fathoming the idea of getting rid of so much unread material gives me anxiety! Lol :D But it's going to have to happen eventually.
There aren't enough hours in the day (or days in the year!) to possibly read all the sh!t I've accumulated, and I've been craving re-reads of many of my classic favorites lately, which just reinforces this fact.[/QUOTE]
Oh, I was the same way; but when you start you'd be surprised how easily it is to get rid of books.
It's like dominoes my friend, just need a little push
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I've literally stared at piles of books and imagined what would win out - the anxiety from getting rid of them, or the relief at having the extra space!
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[QUOTE=SJNeal;5732650]I've literally stared at piles of books and imagined what would win out - the anxiety from getting rid of them, or the relief at having the extra space![/QUOTE]
LOL, I know your pain and then my wife slaps the back of the head.
That gives me the push I need.
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I'm starting to feel that already, a few years I gave away many of my single issues as I was switching over to TPB collections but at the same time now I'm being swarmed with short boxes full of Tpb's.
As much as it pains me I'm planning on one of these days to purge my collection again and do away with what is no longer necessary, so yeah I'm gonna have to ditch my Youngblood #1.
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[QUOTE=SJNeal;5732650]I've literally stared at piles of books and imagined what would win out - the anxiety from getting rid of them, or the relief at having the extra space![/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=charliehustle415;5732728]LOL, I know your pain and then my wife slaps the back of the head.
That gives me the push I need.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Mace Dolex;5734158]I'm starting to feel that already, a few years I gave away many of my single issues as I was switching over to TPB collections but at the same time now I'm being swarmed with short boxes full of Tpb's.
As much as it pains me I'm planning on one of these days to purge my collection again and do away with what is no longer necessary, so yeah I'm gonna have to ditch my Youngblood #1.[/QUOTE]
My philosophy for what/when to purge stuff is... have I read this book even once in the last 10 years? If no, then out it goes, because I clearly didn't miss that story that much. In those cases, if I still happened to have liked the stories somewhat, then when there's a sale I buy them as digital versions so I at least own them in some capacity.
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[QUOTE=newparisian;5734331]My philosophy for what/when to purge stuff is... [B]have I read this book even once in the last 10 years[/B]? If no, then out it goes, because I clearly didn't miss that story that much. In those cases, if I still happened to have liked the stories somewhat, then when there's a sale I buy them as digital versions so I at least own them in some capacity.[/QUOTE]
That's a good rule of thumb.
My wife has a system for her clothes, she puts a piece of tape on them and when she wears one she removes the tape and after a year whatever clothes still has tape has to go.
If my collection gets too big, I'll end up doing the same thing
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I have a list for different characters. Having severely gutted my 83 longboxes of comics, I have decided to give up on current monthlies, as I’m behind almost 4 years in my reading, other than GI Joe, Thor, Immortal Hulk, and the Joker book, (titles which I have kept up with,) I have decided that rather than rebuy the floppies, it’s collections and Omnibuses, like I did with Brave and the Bold, and Iron Man. Cap and the Avengers are coming along. I asked for the Roger Stern ASM omnibus from my GF for Christmas. I will pick and choose from there.
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In response to the original post, I don't read digital comics.....Although Substack has me curious, as I'd like to read Hickman's work on there. They'll eventually be sold in physical form, but I might check out the original digital releases.
I still buy floppies, but not many titles. Probably 5-6 titles per month, it's random and depends on particular writers I follow.
As for collected editions, if I like a book/storyline enough, I'll buy the omnibus/absolute, regardless of whether I already have the content in single issues. I want these books to be on a bookshelf and regard them with the level of prestige they're meant to exude.
I sometimes buy TPBs, thinking they won't be reprinted in omnibus (or deluxe hardcover) form, and end up upgrading. Last time I did this was with Whedon's Astonishing X-Men & Remender's Uncanny X-Force. I remember doing this with Watchmen & V For Vendetta, as I bought the TPBs back when I had never owned an omnibus nor absolute before, then when I got into these higher grade book formats I had to upgrade those two titles.
Although I recently bought the TPBs of Gail Simone's early Birds of Prey run and the Pfeifer/Alvarez run of Catwoman, if either of those two ever get released in omnibus form, I'll buy them. Same with Bryan Q Miller's Batgirl.