I have several boxes of (Marvel) comics from the 70’s that a friend urged me to put in plastic bags. He was a collector as an adult, while I stopped reading comics once I left 8th grade.
I still have the comics, and they’re still just in boxes, getting worn down. I take them out once every five years or so and enjoy them as what they are, nostalgic mementos. Then I put them back in the boxes and that’s it for another five years.
I’ve been told I’m ruining a fortune. I don’t care. I don’t want to turn them into investments, and now they’re too far gone to be of interest to anyone else.
My only real ‘collection’ is of film music, first albums, now CDs. Some are selling for hundreds online. I listen to the music while writing.
I guess I’ve just never been into turning my hobbies into financial games.
Speaking of comics, I always thought it was funny how people buy things labelled “Special Collector’s Issue!” One person proudly told me he’d bought copies of the comic book in which Superman was killed, and I then informed him it was one of the best-selling comic books ever, and why would that be worth lots of money? It wasn’t rare.
I think you have the right take on collectibles.
I had a friend like you who collected comics from grade school through college and had visions of selling them off for lots of money (for his favorites he even bought a storage copy and a reading copy). I don’t think he even got the cover price when he finally sold them. Unless you have some really rare comics (#1 of a new comic, not just a renumbering of an old one) which became popular later then you might have something. If you just have a stack of 1980’s Spiderman comics then just enjoy them.
On the other hand; just TRY to find a copy of Steampunk Sarah Palin #1 on eBay...I saw one a few weeks ago for $35.
The difference? Marvel printed BOATLOADS of the Spider-Man book...Palin's had a very conservative print run. Which one is the TRUE collectible? That should be obvious.