Ethan Kaye’s Discount Discoveries!

January 27, 2009 on 11:38 am | In Comics, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Hi, Wizard blog readers. This is Ethan Kaye from over at Feed Me A Kitten, one of Wizard’s other popular blogs. At least I think it’s popular. Please read it, won’t you? Anyway, I want to weigh in on one of my favorite aspects of comic book conventions, be it Wizard World, Comic Con, or even the little con in the local Holiday Inn where large men argue over which Wolverine issue was better inked (and they will argue about this for hours and then ruin their friendship over it): discount comics.

See, originally, the cons were about the books. Dealers would set up with some boxes full of old stuff and if you normally couldn’t find a copy of Spectacular Spider-Man #18, well, now you could. Now a lot of those books are being sold in pretty good condition for next to nothing at cons all over the world, and you can get in on the action! All you need is money, a list of books you want, and something to carry them all in (bookbags = awesome, suitcases = not as awesome, tote bags = ha ha ha).

I go to cons with a good idea of what I’m looking for and willing to accept in not so great condition. For example, I’m not going to spend my time and money tracking down a VF condition Moon Knight vol. 1 #9, because honestly? Who cares? I’m not a perfectionist, I’m a completionist, and having that issue finishes the run for me. So I’m willing to flip through a box of back issues, keep my eye out for an issue number, and then determine if it’s worth my 50 cents. For instance, if the cover looks like someone used it to roll cigars, I won’t get that one. But a ding in the spine? Sure, it fills the hole in my collection.

I’ll admit, I keep a book. It’s a little pocket thing that lets me know what issues I still need of a certain title. It’s helped me out more times than I can count, and it’s helped me get complete runs of some dynamite stuff. You don’t have to have a list, but then you run the risk of getting doubles of something, which means you just blew your dollar.

I was able to get the entire 1980’s Manhunter series for a dollar an issue at cons. I’ve put together entire runs of Mister Miracle (the 80’s relaunch), the first run of Moon Knight (minus issue #1, that’s a little more than a dollar, I think I paid $5 for mine), the 1991 Ragman series, The Dreaming, Books of Magic, and the entire 252-issue run of the Flash (the Wally West series). A dollar each, sometimes less, occasionally more depending on the issue. They’re just sitting there, waiting to be liquidated by dealers who don’t want the stock taking up shelf space.

Currently my want list is small, although I scored big time at the Big Apple Comic Con by finding a box full of Bronze Age Detective Comics for $1 each. And you can too! My advice is pick a series that is good but doesn’t get a ton of revivals or press (for instance, you won’t find every issue of Watchmen or Flex Mentallo in a quarter bin unless the condition is low), and see what prices are. A lot of 1980’s and 1990’s DC and Marvel books end up in the graveyard of discount bins, but you also have to realize that a lot of that stuff isn’t good. There were a lot of mediocre comics back in the day, as everyone will admit to now.

So go out and find some treasures! For discount prices I’m sure you can get the majority of Justice League International/Europe, 90’s X-Force, Checkmate, Suicide Squad, any Venom miniseries, House of Secrets, Action Comics, Morbius (hell, any of the “Midnight Sons” books), or 80’s/90’s Punisher! Go ahead! Spend a few bucks!