Deep Dive in a Bargain Bin

 

What fishing grinders do

 

The longer I collect the more I realize where the best Rate of Increase (RoI) for my books can be found. Digging through the bargain boxes at your local comic shop can lead to a treasure trove of bronze age gems and misunderstood comics. The key is being one of the first people to go through the boxes. The longer it sits in a box the better the odds are it gets damaged.

At a couple of stores I have learned their cycles for putting out new books. I know what day and how to quickly scan the price tag for a date. This past Saturday, I found six long boxes stashed under the other fifty cent boxes. These boxes had been put out over the past month and I think they were untouched, because only a grinder will get on the floor to dig through a box.

 

 

The way I fish, is I keep all the little comics/minnows I see in a stack/bucket. The first box had a lot of Batman which told me these boxes were new, because Batman doesn't last very long in the bargain boxes. Then I ran into a run of Marvel Super Heroes. I usually don't grab these since they are reprints, but these were 20 cent to 35 cent issues. I know of a different store that will give me a couple of dollars in store credit for the 20 cent issues if they are bagged and boarded. So a RoI of 100% to 200% is not bad. I picked out any books that were 20 or 25 cent copies. Most were in very good to fine condition.

I found a lot of great books, but these were my favorites. Exiles has the prototype Weapon H. Marvel Team Up 14 is Invincible in paired with Spider-man. This was a grail of mine for awhile, but especially with the Amazon Prime show news. The Amazing Spider-man Annual 26 is a first solo Venom story. The prize of the finds was Kung-Fu Fighter 5 with first appearance of Lady Shiva.

 

Mini-Keys for $3

 

Avengers 226 is a classic cover, but hard to find not beat to hell. The Marvel Two-in-Ones were second Spider-Woman cameo and second full appearance. I rarely find Champions in decent shape.

 

Spider-man vs. Vampire!!

 

Early Spectacular Spider-man with Morbius in decent shape, speculating on the movie. I always pick up What If issues involving Spider-man. Early Thor reprint to flip into trade.

 

Zombies, Middleton, and Dark Avengers

 

I am determined to collect the first appearances of Marvel Zombies on the cheap, still need the first issue. I always grab the Middleton covers of New Mutants.

 

Some Sexy Covers and Some Fun for only Fifty Cent a Piece

 

First appearance of one of X-23's bad guys, Deadpool and Shang-Chi, need I say more, Psylocke covers always have value, Adam Hughes Tomb Raider, and Uncanny X-force 1, part of one my favorite runs by Remender.

 

Spawn on the Cheap

 

I am trying to complete a Spawn run on the cheap. All of the issues are in solid condition. I especially like the Black and White issue 193 (small print run).

So I felt pretty good about this fishing trip, it wasn't a big sale or con, but the waters were untouched. I threw back more comic minnows than I kept, but I still left with sixty books for $30. I am a bulk bargain buyer, much to wife's frustration. She is okay with only spending $30, but she would prefer not taking up the space of sixty books. For me, the juice is worth the squeeze, if I leave with a book worth sharing on this site.

 

Till Next Trip,

A Fisherman