I Feel Young Again!

When I walked away from the collectibles business twelve years ago, I thought I never wanted to have anything to do with old comics again. However, as I entered my fifties, I decided that I missed the smell of aging pulp. In particular, I missed looking at the Steve Ditko Spider-Man comics that had so fascinated me as a kid.

So, a short time back, I started seeking out medium-grade copies of The Amazing Spider-Man. I didn't want high grade books. What I was searching for were copies in good to very good condition (or better if the price was right) that I could read without having to worry about hurting their "investment" value. Because they really aren't an investment--at least not in monetary terms. They're for me on a strictly personal and selfish basis. I just want the originals to read and touch...to bring back a few pleasant childhood memories as I enter old age.

I'm well along the way of putting a set together. There will be, I figure, 42 books to complete the set. I'll need Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #s1-38, Amazing Spider-Man Annual #s1 and 2, and Strange Tales Annual #2 which featured Spider-Man but was penciled by Kirby and inked by Ditko. I could live without the Strange Tales Annual, but I may seek it out.

Now that I can afford to buy these books, I guess I'll have a complete set. Not in high grade, of course, but there they will be. I reckon I'm a kid again. If ever I stopped being one.