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How much is a complete collection worth these days?

Started by Richard, 25 June, 2016, 11:50:58 PM

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Richard

I recently moved house, and now that things have settled down a bit I've got round to thinking about adding my comics collection to my insurance policy as a valuable item. I'd sincerely appreciate any thoughts or advice anyone may have about what they might be worth. (I'm not selling them, sorry.)

I think I have every comic that Tharg has published, except for Tornado and Revolver. Specifically:
Every 2000 AD (free gifts generally missing up to around prog 900, and generally present after that).
Every Judge Dredd Megazine.
Every 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special, and the 1977 summer special.
Every Winter Special.
Every Judge Dredd Mega-Special.
All the Free Comic Book issues to have new material in them (but not the first one, which I understand to have been reprint only).
Every 2000 AD annual and yearbook.
Every Judge Dredd annual and yearbook.
The two Dan Dare annuals.
The Rogue Trooper Annual 1991.
The Dan Dare Poster Prog from 1977, and those poster progs from the mid-1990s.
2000 AD presents Diceman (5 issues).
The 2000 AD Action Special.
Starlord: every issue, a holiday special, and three annuals.
Every issue of Crisis, and two "Xpresso specials."

The condition of the issues is quite variable, as some were second hand, and they were all bought for reading, not for collecting or investing. Issues 900 to 999 were all stored vertically and unbagged for a few years and so they've sagged quite badly. Some have a newsagent's scrawlings on the front cover. But there are no missing pages or missing covers.

I haven't counted them all up but this must be around 2,600 items or so.

I'd be grateful for your views.



ZenArcade

Ed is dead, baby Ed is...Ed is dead

Richard


sheridan

What I'm interested is, is how many similar collections are there out there?  I've very nearly got the same (except I have the Starlords and Tornados, and a few JDMs went missing during a house move a while ago - never house-share again).  Shall need to fill in the gaps as my prog slog continues (there's nothing rare missing, I just have to get everything organised so I know what to replace).

ZenArcade

Richard, that is an estimate, depending upon quality, it could be worth more or for that matter less. Z
Ed is dead, baby Ed is...Ed is dead

ZenArcade

Sheridan, quite a few of the guys on the forum have complete collections, I nearly have (bar 2 missing Megazines).  Others like Commando Forces have partial collections.  ;) :-\ Z
Ed is dead, baby Ed is...Ed is dead

Tjm86

I think the other thing to consider is buying or selling.  For insurance / replacement purposes then the 2 - 3k valuation is probably accurate.  For selling then it seems, judging by eBay, to be 1 - 2k.

On the one hand it is nice having a complete collection but it takes some of the pleasure out of the old days trolling shops and marts looking for that elusive issue. 

Then you get sucked into original art work ....

ZenArcade

I would (nearly) give my collection away, to again indulge in the sheer pleasure of hunting down those elusive progs. What joy. Z
Ed is dead, baby Ed is...Ed is dead

Krakajac

"What I'm interested is, is how many similar collections are there out there?"

That's a great question.  I'm considering down-sizing my Tooth collection at some point - but still want to retain a no-frills 'complete' collection.  I guess on the simplest level - a complete collection of just the weekly progs would suffice?

Note that I have very little in the way of reprint material in my 'complete' collection.  If I own the original prog - reprints generally don't interest me (although there are one or two exceptions, see below).  Note also that my collection is based almost entirely on the UK-2000AD product.  But again, there are exceptions.

This is what I have in my collection at present and consider essential...whether it's 'complete' or not...that's another question!  Nothing's set in concrete!

2000AD Progs 1 to present (that's a given)*
Judge Dredd Megazines 1 to present (also a given)


That obviously accounts for about 90% of any collection.  :D

*Living in NZ/Australia, I wasn't able to get a lot of the free gifts that came with the weekly prog over the years - but I've been able to acquire the gifts from Progs 1,2 and 3 - with various other free gifts here and there.

The rest of the essentials in my view...

2000AD H/B Annuals 78-91
Dredd H/B Annuals 81-91
Rogue Trooper H/B Annual 1991
Dan Dare H/B Annuals 79,80

2000AD Yearbooks 92-95
Dredd Yearbooks 92-95

End-of-year 'special' progs (16 at present)


21 x Sci-Fi Specials (at present)
9 x Winter Specials (including 'Alternity' winter special)
2000AD Summer Special 1977
9 x Dredd Mega-Specials
9 x 'modern' Poster Progs
1 x Placebo Poster Prog
Dan Dare Poster Prog 1977
5 x Diceman
1 x Action Special
1 x Rogue Trooper Action Special

6 x FCBD issues*


*Some might argue that the first FCBD from 2011 (all reprint?) isn't essential...but I'll throw it in for the purposes of completion!  That first FCBD issue is still eluding me.

Daily Mail Dredd*

*This is a bit of a grey area - I have the 5 vintage S/B volumes of The Judge Dredd Daily Mail Collection.  I haven't made a start on the new H/B volumes of the Daily Dredd - postage is rather expensive from the UK - but at some point, I'll probably upgrade the old ones with the new!  Certainly the Daily Mail Dredd's (in whatever form) are considered essential in my book.

2000AD Space Quiz Book 1980

9 x Virgin Novels*

38 x Black Flame Novels*

Current Novels**


*Some might argue that these novels aren't essential.  Hey, it's must my opinion.

**This is an area I'm behind on.  I have the Fiefdom H/B - but the rest in my collection are digital.  I need to determine which ones have been published in paper-form and acquire.  Harder than it looks.

DC-issued Dredd Graphic Novels*
(Judgement On Gotham, Vendetta In Gotham, Die Laughing, The Ultimate Riddle, Lobo/Dredd)

*I've included these as, er...essentially...essentials - they were written and drawn by the old UK gang - and from memory some of the action within has been referenced in the weekly progs.

Tornado 22 issues
Tornado Summer Special 1979
Tornado H/B Annuals 80,81

Starlord 22 issues
Starlord Summer Special 1979
Starlord H/B Annuals 80-82


Okay...some collectors might not consider 'Tornado' and 'Starlord' to be essential.  But I do.  Hell, Tharg even appears in the first issue of Tornado.  And so many of the characters switched over to Tooth in the end it's almost required reading to see where they originated.

Non-Essential stuff...

There's a ton of it available obviously...mugs, reference books, Titan Reprint H/B's and S/B's, 3A figures, signed prints, replica Lawgivers, Dredd Mega-collections, vintage computer games, audiobooks, Future Shock DVD...the list goes on - all great stuff (a lot of which has a place in my collection).  But does it rank as essential?  Hard to say - it all comes down to personal preference I guess?

Grey-area stuff that I don't have...

Now we get into murky waters.  Crisis?  It's a 2000AD product to be sure - but I'm not convinced it's essential in a Tooth collection.  Same goes for Revolver.  Saying that, it gives me something to collect down the track if I change my mind!

I'd be keen to hear from other collectors who think I might have missed anything in the ESSENTIAL list.  I'm sure I've overlooked something?  It'll give me something else to collect!  :)

"I would (nearly) give my collection away, to again indulge in the sheer pleasure of hunting down those elusive progs. What joy. Z"

As would I.  I still remember the dog-eared list of 'wanted' progs in my pocket.  Hunting through piles of old 2000AD in dodgy second-hand shops.  The internet has its uses...but collecting in the 'real world' was hugely enjoyable.

Krakajac

#9
Apologies...I meant to say 'Daily Star' above!  :-[

Being from Australia, I've never actually read the Daily Dredd direct from a real newspaper.  :)

Speaking of the Daily Dredd, I just ordered the first H/B volume.  Looking forward to that arriving!

Krakajac

Dang it...I also forgot all of the Big Finish CD's.  Do they make the essential list?  I'm in two minds.

ZenArcade

I would consider the Weekly and Megs to be a reasonable complete collection.  I would also include annuals, specials and StarLord.  The rest is argument.  Z
Ed is dead, baby Ed is...Ed is dead


Max Headroom

Krakajac - If you're reading this, you might want to hunt down a copy of the 'Funeral For A Friend' Poster Mag to accompany your 'Placebo' one. I think it came with Megazine 219 (1st June 2004).

Krakajac

"Krakajac - If you're reading this, you might want to hunt down a copy of the 'Funeral For A Friend' Poster Mag to accompany your 'Placebo' one. I think it came with Megazine 219 (1st June 2004)."

Thanks for the heads-up!  After seeing the image below - I have some recollection of it - but it isn't in my collection - so it's now on the 'wants' list.  :)