If you read my about me section you know I described myself as a 3 time Reformed Comic Collector. If you made your way to this Blog then obviously you read it and want to know more ... because honestly if not why are you here? There is WAY more fun things to read in this site it's fabulous. Anyway, back to me ...

When I think about my collecting life I have 3 distinct periods (hence 3 times ... we'll get to the reformed part in period 3):

1) My First Period, or the "Golden Age." I'd say ran from 1980 to 1993. My formative Collecting years. I was into to just about everything. Marvel, DC, even a few independents. The Collection included great series such as the New Teen Titans (my favorite), Uncanny X-men, Cerebus, and Boris the Bear. All the comics of my youth. I started collecting long ago (far too long really). I can't honest say what the first comic book I ever read was, but I do remember the first comic book I read and kept ... Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #244 back in 1978. I still have it, but it has of course seen much better days. I loved that book! The Black Circle vs the LSH. It was great. Sure looking back the Art was only ok, and I was a bit lost with the story ... but it was enough to hook me for good. I loved and would buy comics with fun money whenever I could.

You'll notice that I started the range of this period at 1980 not 1978. Well that's because while I loved and bought comics. I wouldn't say truly started collecting till 1980. In November 1980, New Teen Titans #1 came out. That was the Book, that would change me from a causal reader to a collector. Once I bought NTT #1, I not only had to buy #2 the next month. But I wanted to keep my books in good condition to read again and again. This was when I actual started to get boxes to put them in and bags and boards. I cared about what happened to my books. This is when I started to really read books each week. Fortunately since I was a kid, comics were pretty cheap back them. My allowance and Lawn mowing could pay for my Habit. In the next year I discovered actual comic shops, and a few years later even comic shows. A passion was born. I collected rest of my childhood, High School, College, and into Young Adulthood. There were so many great things that came out. I was always primarily a DC collector, but I would collect all sorts of titles and mini-series. My Top 10 favorites from the period would be (not in any particular order): New Teen Titans, Legion of Super-Heroes, Batman, Green Lantern, Infinity Inc, Uncanny X-men, Wolverine, New Mutants, Cerebus, and Boris the Bear.

But in 1993, I'd been married a few years. I wasn't reading and collecting as much (hardly at all). Work and the rest of life was just in the way. And Moving and Lugging around 18 or so long boxes was a drag. The first wife didn't like my comics (and that should have been a sign). One thing lead to another and like an idiot I sold them. Sure I got what I felt like was a good price at the time. It was several thousand. We paid off quite a few bills, opened up a lot of free space in the apartment, and even went on a great vacation. But in retrospect it was a Mistake. BIG TRAGIC MISTAKE ... Note to all the young people out there. DON'T EVER Let anyone talk you into getting rid of your books. Now to be fair, I suppose no one MADE me ... but still.

Also I did keep one Long Box (though not completely full) of titles i just couldn't part with. Key issues of LSH (including my Superboy and the LSH #244), First year and faovite issues of New Teen Titans, Favorite Green Lantern Issues, Batman, X-men, New Mutant Issues, and Wolverine issues. Finally, a few mini-series I just couldn't part with Watchmen, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Aquaman (from '84), and the Wolverine (from '82). I'm crazy but not stupid, lol ;P

End of Part 1 ... more later! Thanks for reading! Tom