Yeah, man. It's especially sad if they lost any books that were important to them for sentimental reasons. Like if my NM 98 got burned up, it would be no problem finding another one, but it wouldn't be *the one* that I picked up as a kid.
We were under mandatory evacuation and I was literally reviewing my coverage. We were fortunate to be able to return home and ended up being very lucky. I have additional coverage for personal belongings under a miscellaneous/collectibles category, but It's good advice to get additional coverage for sure. I would also recommend that if something happens to your comics, then immediately start an internet campaign to raise money for yourself so you can then turn around a couple weeks later and return to regularly scheduled live claim sales. The five books I would take with me are all Vampirella. Maybe a Red Sonja book to mix it up a little.
Man, I am so sorry that you had to go through all of that and am glad that you were able to return home safely. I can't imagine how stressful it would have been. I didn't realize you were *that* big of a Vampirella fan...nice! And, great advice about starting an internet campaign to minimize the impact of natural disasters on your claims sales haha
Five comics in a go bag? I think I'd take Showcase #11 with Kirby's Challengers of the Unknown. I bought if off the stands when I was like 9 years old and it remains one of my favorite comics. My original is beat to hell but I've replaced it. Then maybe Uncle Scrooge Four Color #386. It's the archetypal Scrooge story and 100% Carl Barks story and art. Then perhaps Fantastic Four #4, the first issue I ever saw. I thought it was one of those weird monster comics by that unnamed company until I got a closer look. The re-intro of Sub-mariner, the FF in costume, and Kirby at his early Marvel finest. Then maybe any random issue of Weird Science with a Wood cover, preferably later in the run. And last, Amazing Spider-man #2, which had some of Ditko's best artwork on the title.
What awesome books and what cool stories! Thanks so much for sharing. I love hearing the stories behind what makes certain books so special to other collectors!
Excellent topic... I do have my collectibles covered by insurance, but if I had to grab 5 books, it would be from the stack of raw books I had as a child. Those include a Tomb of Dracula, Detective comics, and a few others of sentimental value. 🤙
Cynical CC says yes, for a total or at the very least a majority loss - insurance would be a great investment. However, I’m thinking if you filed for lesser claims like lost during shipping/ the insurance company would jack up your rates if not drop you altogether. Yeah, I’ve had the same talk with my wife- you have to. I’m rescuing My shadow box of unopened vintage wax packs that includes a 1965 Gilligan’s island. Great shares/ have a lovely week my friend 👍❤️
That's a good point. You wouldn't want to claim on just any little thing for the reasons you mentioned. Glad you've had the same kind of talks with your wife. I'm actually thinking about doing another video on that idea alone. Your vintage wax pack collection is so impressive and certainly would deserve to be saved if possible!
Secret Agents + Spies usually have a "GO BAG" already and packed (passports, new idenity, money) you need a "Comic Go Box" packed with a number of your best comics ready to go just in case something happens.
I can tell you certainly there is one less Vampirella BW #1. Back in the 1970s I purchased the book in NM condition at a Comic Con for a whopping five bucks! I knew this character was a keeper and destined to become iconic. Sadly squirrels got into my crawl space and tore a bunch of comics to shreds including my entire Vampirella collection! 😝 I was devastated but fortunately I saved most of my other comics including GS X-men #1, Hulk #181, ASM #129, etc. There’s no doubt in my mind many collection of comics are destroyed due to floods, fires, eaten by bugs or animals, thrown out when the owner is deceased, and so on! Most comics, however, are mass produce especially from 1970s and up so I think there will never be a shortage of old comics. Need I say Image Comics? 😉
Dang man that hurts my heart and they're not even my books! I'm glad you were able to get a lot of your nice books to safety though. This gives me an idea that it would be fun to do a video sometime on our toughest losses, because I'm sure we all have some horror stories (some worse than others!). Also, I tend to agree with your thoughts...comics will continue to end up being destroyed, but not necessarily enough to significantly move the needle on their value because their supply is still so large.
The books are important to me because I am the original owner. All purchased at cover price. In descending order of importance (nostalgia and/or value): 5. Wolverine #145 (Nabisco variant) CGC 9.0 4. Amazing Spider-Man #252 CGC 9.6 3. Death of Captain Marvel (first ever graphic novel) 2. Amazing Spider-Man #300 CGC 9.8 1. Dark Knight Returns 1 (Signature Series Janson and Miller) CGC 9.8
Being the original owner of a book makes them so much more meaningful. It's awesome that you were able to keep yours in such great shape. Thanks so much for sharing your list! It's really fun to learn about what other collectors would save.
There doesn't need to be a disaster there's always going to be water leaks or your tree. Its definitely best if you never find out exactly what your insurance policy will or will not cover.
Thinking maybe a below ground waterproof & heatproof safe/chamber/box might be somewhat of an idea for keeping collectables - to throw them in should an emergency occur and there is time to do so.
Yeah it would be a great idea to look into something like that. Of course, you could potentially get one large enough to also throw in other things with sentimental value that could not be replaced like old photos. Maybe I'll make a video about that idea one day haha. Thanks for watching and commenting!
That goes forl ALL books, not just vintage. There are always less books of each issue every year. Not just natural disasters....human error is a huge one.
Those are some great points! I wish there was some way that we could know exactly how many books are destroyed each year through human error. I bet the number is larger than most collectors think! Maybe I'll make a follow up video sometime on the impact of human error. I'm sure we've all got stories where we damaged some books haha
@@wahoocomics I've damaged books using clear tape. I only use painter's tape now....and only a small piece to hold the bag closed. Marc Specter was in an auction online once where the auctioneer went nuts and destroyed a golden age Wonder Woman 10 cent'r because he didn't like the bid. It was all on video here on RUclips. Guy ripped the book into 4 parts.
@@speccollector9740 dang that's crazy to hear about that auction. What a shame for someone to intentionally destroy a book just because they're throwing a fit. And, I also switched to painter's tape for the exact same reason!
Storing comics in a lockbox or some other type of vault sounds like a great idea for people to protect their high value books. I'm gonna have to look into that. Thanks for sharing!
Comics I would grab are my amazing Spider-Man boxes number 2-300 which are in my room and easy to grab and go number 400-present asm and all my other titles are not as easy access
Nice! Sounds like you have put together an awesome ASM collection. I'm jealous! Do you plan to save up to eventually get issue #1, or are you content with what you already have?
@@wahoocomics I read that one guy lost 24 Andy Wahols plus some other stuff. I don't feel bad for the rich, they will get reimbursed by insurance but the art is gone forever.
@@davidmckinley5343 Man that's terrible to lose those things forever. I also feel bad for all the old family photos, etc. that people lost that are also irreplaceable but priceless to them.
@@blinky705 I'm an insurance agent and there are a lot of companies that just stopped writing business and a lot more that non-renewed policies and left the state.
How were your comics not bagged and boarded not with me my dad always made sure when I was growing up in the 90s he made sure to always stress to me make sure the comics are always bagged and boarded
I wish I had your dad to give me advice when I was a kid haha. Mine was not interested in the hobby at all and probably thought I was wasting my money just buying comics lol. I got $5 allowance each week which would allow me to buy 5 comics (they were a $1/each when I first started collecting) at my local bookstore. I didn't even know bags and boards were a thing until I had been collecting for a few years, because I was just a reader and we didn't have an actual lcs in my hometown. Obviously, I did the best I could to stack them nicely, which is why at least most of them are still in the 9's. But, if I had a time machine, I certainly would go back and preserve them better back then.
Two nights before New Year's Day in Dec 2020 I had just relocated to Colorado, and over 900 buildings in one night went up in flames and no one gave them half the attention that Los Angels has recently ! Your books are all timeless gems that are iconic buys with longevity as far as speculative "investments" go, so the fam should rest assured these are not just great personal stories attached with those keys. Soo glad LA is burning tho, its always been how they know better than everyone else in this fake country, and now we are "x" amount of collections lost so much the better off for it. Harsh to say, but remember, the people that run this fake country could care less about "the fly over states". ...the water in Flint, MI is still bad, hello...! They should pipe the water from Flint to Cali.... (they will actually, the next big travesty will be the mass exploitation of our 'fresh' water lakes...).
Thanks for showing appreciation for my books! Having books that have both sentimental and financial value is such a blessing. Also, I share your frustration in how the media/politicians/etc seem to care about certain areas/demographics of the country more than others...though I'd rather see the quality of care rise for the neglected than for it to it decline for others, but maybe that's just the naivety and softie in me speaking haha.
@@wahoocomics for the first time in decades the property value in L A has lowered lol! While for the rest of us we would never be allowed to improve how we live -or build back for that matter, like especially during the Winter, otherwise it would affect the real estate value of the venture capitalist majority that live on the coasts. The current economies of scale will simply not allow for "the flyover states" to improve livability, The former-USA should collapse, Trump even said he favors the H1B visas, so my decades of tech support experience are still a waste for the most part -while white straight men over the age of 40 are supposed to not be employed. Insane. But yeah, the winds were very strong in the Denver area that day, it was unreal the amount of just stuff being thrown in the air papers and leaves constantly while I didnt even know there was this wild file going on just half hour North of me consuming homes. If that powerline that dropped was by me then that raging conflagration would had been where I was staying at. L A was started by people's neglect but not with maintenance, with how they live being homeless on the streets and rich people that need the real estate insurance money -when I was in Seattle all of a sudden during the dot-com bomb in like one month there were five house boats and yachts that went up in flames on Lake Union downtown, just like now wee have a significant regime change with significant consequences for the hateful cruelty-based propaganda the past five years -Fauci just got pardoned fukn amazing h0ly sh!t -but people still pretend the U S A exists... We gonna need more than fire insurance for collectables lol! Hey what do I know... I rant like a mashugana...
I thought about that too I'm sorry to the collectors that lost everything 😢
Yeah, man. It's especially sad if they lost any books that were important to them for sentimental reasons. Like if my NM 98 got burned up, it would be no problem finding another one, but it wouldn't be *the one* that I picked up as a kid.
We were under mandatory evacuation and I was literally reviewing my coverage. We were fortunate to be able to return home and ended up being very lucky. I have additional coverage for personal belongings under a miscellaneous/collectibles category, but It's good advice to get additional coverage for sure. I would also recommend that if something happens to your comics, then immediately start an internet campaign to raise money for yourself so you can then turn around a couple weeks later and return to regularly scheduled live claim sales. The five books I would take with me are all Vampirella. Maybe a Red Sonja book to mix it up a little.
Man, I am so sorry that you had to go through all of that and am glad that you were able to return home safely. I can't imagine how stressful it would have been. I didn't realize you were *that* big of a Vampirella fan...nice! And, great advice about starting an internet campaign to minimize the impact of natural disasters on your claims sales haha
Five comics in a go bag? I think I'd take Showcase #11 with Kirby's Challengers of the Unknown. I bought if off the stands when I was like 9 years old and it remains one of my favorite comics. My original is beat to hell but I've replaced it. Then maybe Uncle Scrooge Four Color #386. It's the archetypal Scrooge story and 100% Carl Barks story and art. Then perhaps Fantastic Four #4, the first issue I ever saw. I thought it was one of those weird monster comics by that unnamed company until I got a closer look. The re-intro of Sub-mariner, the FF in costume, and Kirby at his early Marvel finest. Then maybe any random issue of Weird Science with a Wood cover, preferably later in the run. And last, Amazing Spider-man #2, which had some of Ditko's best artwork on the title.
What awesome books and what cool stories! Thanks so much for sharing. I love hearing the stories behind what makes certain books so special to other collectors!
Excellent topic... I do have my collectibles covered by insurance, but if I had to grab 5 books, it would be from the stack of raw books I had as a child. Those include a Tomb of Dracula, Detective comics, and a few others of sentimental value. 🤙
Thanks! And, that's cool that you have books from your childhood that you would rescue. Those are irreplaceable! Thanks for sharing.
Cynical CC says yes, for a total or at the very least a majority loss - insurance would be a great investment. However, I’m thinking if you filed for lesser claims like lost during shipping/ the insurance company would jack up your rates if not drop you altogether. Yeah, I’ve had the same talk with my wife- you have to. I’m rescuing My shadow box of unopened vintage wax packs that includes a 1965 Gilligan’s island. Great shares/ have a lovely week my friend 👍❤️
That's a good point. You wouldn't want to claim on just any little thing for the reasons you mentioned. Glad you've had the same kind of talks with your wife. I'm actually thinking about doing another video on that idea alone. Your vintage wax pack collection is so impressive and certainly would deserve to be saved if possible!
Secret Agents + Spies usually have a "GO BAG" already and packed (passports, new idenity, money) you need a "Comic Go Box" packed with a number of your best comics ready to go just in case something happens.
That's actually not a bad idea! Gotta keep that DD 1 safe!
Mel Gibson said he lost some valuable vintage books from the 19th century to the Palisades fire.
Brutal. Of course, he's not going to be hurting financially, but it's sad that those books are now gone forever.
I can tell you certainly there is one less Vampirella BW #1. Back in the 1970s I purchased the book in NM condition at a Comic Con for a whopping five bucks! I knew this character was a keeper and destined to become iconic. Sadly squirrels got into my crawl space and tore a bunch of comics to shreds including my entire Vampirella collection! 😝 I was devastated but fortunately I saved most of my other comics including GS X-men #1, Hulk #181, ASM #129, etc. There’s no doubt in my mind many collection of comics are destroyed due to floods, fires, eaten by bugs or animals, thrown out when the owner is deceased, and so on! Most comics, however, are mass produce especially from 1970s and up so I think there will never be a shortage of old comics. Need I say Image Comics? 😉
Dang man that hurts my heart and they're not even my books! I'm glad you were able to get a lot of your nice books to safety though. This gives me an idea that it would be fun to do a video sometime on our toughest losses, because I'm sure we all have some horror stories (some worse than others!). Also, I tend to agree with your thoughts...comics will continue to end up being destroyed, but not necessarily enough to significantly move the needle on their value because their supply is still so large.
The books are important to me because I am the original owner. All purchased at cover price.
In descending order of importance (nostalgia and/or value):
5. Wolverine #145 (Nabisco variant) CGC 9.0
4. Amazing Spider-Man #252 CGC 9.6
3. Death of Captain Marvel (first ever graphic novel)
2. Amazing Spider-Man #300 CGC 9.8
1. Dark Knight Returns 1 (Signature Series Janson and Miller) CGC 9.8
Being the original owner of a book makes them so much more meaningful. It's awesome that you were able to keep yours in such great shape. Thanks so much for sharing your list! It's really fun to learn about what other collectors would save.
There doesn't need to be a disaster there's always going to be water leaks or your tree.
Its definitely best if you never find out exactly what your insurance policy will or will not cover.
Great point. Maybe I'll do a follow up video sometime of some other common hazards to comic books beyond natural disasters (like mice!)
@@wahoocomics what about those little silver fish they love the glue on bound books!
@@Whalewraith so many threats coming after our comic books haha
Thinking maybe a below ground waterproof & heatproof safe/chamber/box might be somewhat of an idea for keeping collectables - to throw them in should an emergency occur and there is time to do so.
Yeah it would be a great idea to look into something like that. Of course, you could potentially get one large enough to also throw in other things with sentimental value that could not be replaced like old photos. Maybe I'll make a video about that idea one day haha. Thanks for watching and commenting!
That goes forl ALL books, not just vintage. There are always less books of each issue every year. Not just natural disasters....human error is a huge one.
Those are some great points! I wish there was some way that we could know exactly how many books are destroyed each year through human error. I bet the number is larger than most collectors think! Maybe I'll make a follow up video sometime on the impact of human error. I'm sure we've all got stories where we damaged some books haha
@@wahoocomics I've damaged books using clear tape. I only use painter's tape now....and only a small piece to hold the bag closed.
Marc Specter was in an auction online once where the auctioneer went nuts and destroyed a golden age Wonder Woman 10 cent'r because he didn't like the bid. It was all on video here on RUclips. Guy ripped the book into 4 parts.
@@speccollector9740 dang that's crazy to hear about that auction. What a shame for someone to intentionally destroy a book just because they're throwing a fit. And, I also switched to painter's tape for the exact same reason!
ruclips.net/video/hsCfnIRqmQA/видео.htmlsi=BniSBy_Yt-8sBb2S
That's the link Wahoo...looks like RUclips deleted it when I posted it about an hour ago
I have my books insured AND its in a lockbox at a local bank.
Storing comics in a lockbox or some other type of vault sounds like a great idea for people to protect their high value books. I'm gonna have to look into that. Thanks for sharing!
The great wahoo 😂😂
Thanks for the kind words from the Thunderdome! haha
Comics I would grab are my amazing Spider-Man boxes number 2-300 which are in my room and easy to grab and go number 400-present asm and all my other titles are not as easy access
Nice! Sounds like you have put together an awesome ASM collection. I'm jealous! Do you plan to save up to eventually get issue #1, or are you content with what you already have?
Awesome books...sentimental value is always the best.
Thanks man and I totally agree. As much as I enjoy comics themselves, the stories behind how I built my collection are just as valuable to me.
Crazy u still got a 9.2 is right.
I know, right?!?!?! As a kid I remember thinking bags and boards were a waste of money. Ugh...haha. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Big art collections were lost in the Palisades fire.
Yeah, man, plenty one of a kinds that are now just gone forever. So sad. I wonder how much money was lost in art alone.
@@wahoocomics I read that one guy lost 24 Andy Wahols plus some other stuff. I don't feel bad for the rich, they will get reimbursed by insurance but the art is gone forever.
@@davidmckinley5343 Man that's terrible to lose those things forever. I also feel bad for all the old family photos, etc. that people lost that are also irreplaceable but priceless to them.
@@davidmckinley5343 I've heard that some insurance companies have pulled out of California and are not renewing policies.
@@blinky705 I'm an insurance agent and there are a lot of companies that just stopped writing business and a lot more that non-renewed policies and left the state.
How were your comics not bagged and boarded not with me my dad always made sure when I was growing up in the 90s he made sure to always stress to me make sure the comics are always bagged and boarded
I wish I had your dad to give me advice when I was a kid haha. Mine was not interested in the hobby at all and probably thought I was wasting my money just buying comics lol. I got $5 allowance each week which would allow me to buy 5 comics (they were a $1/each when I first started collecting) at my local bookstore. I didn't even know bags and boards were a thing until I had been collecting for a few years, because I was just a reader and we didn't have an actual lcs in my hometown. Obviously, I did the best I could to stack them nicely, which is why at least most of them are still in the 9's. But, if I had a time machine, I certainly would go back and preserve them better back then.
Two nights before New Year's Day in Dec 2020 I had just relocated to Colorado, and over 900 buildings in one night went up in flames and no one gave them half the attention that Los Angels has recently !
Your books are all timeless gems that are iconic buys with longevity as far as speculative "investments" go, so the fam should rest assured these are not just great personal stories attached with those keys.
Soo glad LA is burning tho, its always been how they know better than everyone else in this fake country, and now we are "x" amount of collections lost so much the better off for it. Harsh to say, but remember, the people that run this fake country could care less about "the fly over states". ...the water in Flint, MI is still bad, hello...! They should pipe the water from Flint to Cali.... (they will actually, the next big travesty will be the mass exploitation of our 'fresh' water lakes...).
Thanks for showing appreciation for my books! Having books that have both sentimental and financial value is such a blessing. Also, I share your frustration in how the media/politicians/etc seem to care about certain areas/demographics of the country more than others...though I'd rather see the quality of care rise for the neglected than for it to it decline for others, but maybe that's just the naivety and softie in me speaking haha.
@@wahoocomics for the first time in decades the property value in L A has lowered lol! While for the rest of us we would never be allowed to improve how we live -or build back for that matter, like especially during the Winter, otherwise it would affect the real estate value of the venture capitalist majority that live on the coasts. The current economies of scale will simply not allow for "the flyover states" to improve livability, The former-USA should collapse, Trump even said he favors the H1B visas, so my decades of tech support experience are still a waste for the most part -while white straight men over the age of 40 are supposed to not be employed. Insane. But yeah, the winds were very strong in the Denver area that day, it was unreal the amount of just stuff being thrown in the air papers and leaves constantly while I didnt even know there was this wild file going on just half hour North of me consuming homes. If that powerline that dropped was by me then that raging conflagration would had been where I was staying at. L A was started by people's neglect but not with maintenance, with how they live being homeless on the streets and rich people that need the real estate insurance money -when I was in Seattle all of a sudden during the dot-com bomb in like one month there were five house boats and yachts that went up in flames on Lake Union downtown, just like now wee have a significant regime change with significant consequences for the hateful cruelty-based propaganda the past five years -Fauci just got pardoned fukn amazing h0ly sh!t -but people still pretend the U S A exists... We gonna need more than fire insurance for collectables lol! Hey what do I know... I rant like a mashugana...