pst. hey you. Here it is. My story of incredible luck.
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- adammikael
- My posts can all fit in a short box
- Posts: 179
- Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:26:32 pm
- Location: Omaha, Nebraska
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pst. hey you. Here it is. My story of incredible luck.
Hey everyone. I figured post #2 should be a pretty great one to help "introduce" myself to this great community!
I started collecting VALIANT post-UNITY, when I was a sophomore in High School. I remember walking into our local Comic Shops and seeing a copy of HARBINGER #1 hanging on the wall with a 200$ price tag. A book that was barely a year old and already it was banking. I thought I'd never get to add these rare pre-UNITY books to my collection. MRF #21 was the first Valiant book I purchased and I collected nearly every issue I could get my hands on. I remember being so jealous of my friends who could afford to buy EVERY Valiant issue that came out, where as I could only afford 1/2 of the titles and knew I'd never got the full run of UNITY issues. I blame the downfall on DEATHMATE RED and Rob L at Image.
I stopped just after Chaos Effect. Harbinger #41 was the last Valiant book I bought on the news stand. I steered clear of the V2 series', figuring that nothing could compare to the stories Valiant put out in the early ninties.
My collection sat in a single long box for almost 10 years before I dusted it off to change the bags and boards. In the process of rebagging, I started flipping through them again. The memories came flooding back. I'd heard the market value had dropped on the issues, and I was shocked to find so many sitting in the quarter boxes when i went looking for them again. I found copies of Solar #1-11 at a shop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for a buck a piece. Magnus #1-11 in a quarter box in Iowa city. And severalHarbinger #1's for a dollar, and Harbinger issues all with their coupons in Omaha, Nebraska. I completed my UNITY collection 3 times over thanks to a now closed shop in Waterloo, Iowa and finally got to read the last issue of The Second Life of Dr Mirage.
It was at the time that UNITY V2 came out and I put my Valiant Hunt into high gear. I would haggle with the shops in Des Moines, Iowa and walk out with a short box full of pre-unity issues for a little less than a dime a piece. They were, after all, just taking up space in the shops. I would beg the store managers to go through their "back room storage" for books I needed. Along with the VVSS and GOLD variant covers, there were 3 issues that always seemed eluded me. RAI #3 and #4 and Magnus #12. I had honestly lost hope I'd ever see them in my collection.
Then, in 2005, I met one of my personal Valiant goals. J Calafiore and Walter Simonson were at Wizard World Chicago and I got them to sign several UNITY, X-O, RAI and MAGNUS issues. They both seemed honestly shocked that people still valued these books enough to go to all the trouble of getting them signed. This was also the time I found TIMEWALKER and OUTCAST and finished the PSI-LORDS' run and GEOMANCER.
When I moved all the way back in 2005 I found a binder full of Valiant trading cards and several of the promo post cards. Anyone remember the cool NINJAK and HARBINGER post cards? Or the VALIANT SERIES 1 and 2 series' and UNITY??? And I found my first VVSS and GOLD Variant issues. A Bloodshot #0 VVSS for a buck and DEATHMATE PROLOUGE GOLD for a quarter!!!
I left the collection alone during all of 2006 and 2007.
It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I had heard Valiant "might be making a come back." I was intrigued, to say the least. I scoured Omaha for Valiant books. Nearly completed full runs for NINJAK and HARD C.O.R.P.S. and BLOODSHOT just by going back through the quarter boxes. 5$ for a RAI #1 and 6$ for an X-O #1 but still no RAI #3 or #4 or my much sought after Magnus #12. I found more pre-UNITY issues, dozens of copies of Harbinger #1-6, all with coupons. But I didn't care if these issues of MRF and Harbinger had coupons or not. I wanted them all. Solar #10 (2nd print) soon found a home in my collection, as well as X-O issues I had never seen before. And why did no one tell me that Pete was The Visitor??? BLOODSHOT #51 for cover price and another full run of the UNITY issues.
And this is when the story gets sad. A very well-known gentleman in the Omaha, Nebraska comic collectors comminity had recently passed away and his entire Comic Book legacy (nearly 40 years worth of issues) was being sold for a quarter a piece. Yesterday was the 4th weekend in a row that his nephew had had the sale, but how many people in Omaha, other than me, really collect Valiant? Apparently Not many.
I felt like a vulture picking on a zebra carcass as I was going through his collection. Full runs of every title. he was carefull and bought two issues if they had coupon redemptions in them. 3, 4 or 5 copies of the first issues and 2 or 3 of the final. Each was treated like gold. Not skrapes or staple creases in any issues. But still not a single RAI #3 or #4 or MRF #12.
I took my short box full of issues upstairs to pay the gentleman. "Hold on," he told me, "You're looking for Valiant Books, right? I found this box hiding upstairs, it's got some Valiant in it." The first bundle of issues I grabbed was MFR #1-#4, 2 copies of each. One w/ coupon and one w/o. Then It was HARBINGER #1-#4. Also had books w/ and w/o coupns. Then MRF #5-#8. Then another complete UNITY cross over run. Harbinger, RAI and X-O TPBs and another MRF lot, this one was #9-#12. I finally found a MFR #12 and it cost me a quarter. I almost peed myself. Honest. I was so excited. Here I am, 30 years old, still excited about Valiant books that make me feel like I'm 14 again. This man who's name I never knew and may have never met had nearly made me cry. For 15 years I'd been looking for several of the issues I found in his collection and I felt so honored to have these issues, but so guilty about how I came to possess them. Thank name-less-guy. You've really put things into perspective for me.
So ... here I am today. Writing this post when I should be working but I'm so excited that Valiant is FINALLY back! But I'm still looking for a RAI #3 and #4
I started collecting VALIANT post-UNITY, when I was a sophomore in High School. I remember walking into our local Comic Shops and seeing a copy of HARBINGER #1 hanging on the wall with a 200$ price tag. A book that was barely a year old and already it was banking. I thought I'd never get to add these rare pre-UNITY books to my collection. MRF #21 was the first Valiant book I purchased and I collected nearly every issue I could get my hands on. I remember being so jealous of my friends who could afford to buy EVERY Valiant issue that came out, where as I could only afford 1/2 of the titles and knew I'd never got the full run of UNITY issues. I blame the downfall on DEATHMATE RED and Rob L at Image.
I stopped just after Chaos Effect. Harbinger #41 was the last Valiant book I bought on the news stand. I steered clear of the V2 series', figuring that nothing could compare to the stories Valiant put out in the early ninties.
My collection sat in a single long box for almost 10 years before I dusted it off to change the bags and boards. In the process of rebagging, I started flipping through them again. The memories came flooding back. I'd heard the market value had dropped on the issues, and I was shocked to find so many sitting in the quarter boxes when i went looking for them again. I found copies of Solar #1-11 at a shop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for a buck a piece. Magnus #1-11 in a quarter box in Iowa city. And severalHarbinger #1's for a dollar, and Harbinger issues all with their coupons in Omaha, Nebraska. I completed my UNITY collection 3 times over thanks to a now closed shop in Waterloo, Iowa and finally got to read the last issue of The Second Life of Dr Mirage.
It was at the time that UNITY V2 came out and I put my Valiant Hunt into high gear. I would haggle with the shops in Des Moines, Iowa and walk out with a short box full of pre-unity issues for a little less than a dime a piece. They were, after all, just taking up space in the shops. I would beg the store managers to go through their "back room storage" for books I needed. Along with the VVSS and GOLD variant covers, there were 3 issues that always seemed eluded me. RAI #3 and #4 and Magnus #12. I had honestly lost hope I'd ever see them in my collection.
Then, in 2005, I met one of my personal Valiant goals. J Calafiore and Walter Simonson were at Wizard World Chicago and I got them to sign several UNITY, X-O, RAI and MAGNUS issues. They both seemed honestly shocked that people still valued these books enough to go to all the trouble of getting them signed. This was also the time I found TIMEWALKER and OUTCAST and finished the PSI-LORDS' run and GEOMANCER.
When I moved all the way back in 2005 I found a binder full of Valiant trading cards and several of the promo post cards. Anyone remember the cool NINJAK and HARBINGER post cards? Or the VALIANT SERIES 1 and 2 series' and UNITY??? And I found my first VVSS and GOLD Variant issues. A Bloodshot #0 VVSS for a buck and DEATHMATE PROLOUGE GOLD for a quarter!!!
I left the collection alone during all of 2006 and 2007.
It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I had heard Valiant "might be making a come back." I was intrigued, to say the least. I scoured Omaha for Valiant books. Nearly completed full runs for NINJAK and HARD C.O.R.P.S. and BLOODSHOT just by going back through the quarter boxes. 5$ for a RAI #1 and 6$ for an X-O #1 but still no RAI #3 or #4 or my much sought after Magnus #12. I found more pre-UNITY issues, dozens of copies of Harbinger #1-6, all with coupons. But I didn't care if these issues of MRF and Harbinger had coupons or not. I wanted them all. Solar #10 (2nd print) soon found a home in my collection, as well as X-O issues I had never seen before. And why did no one tell me that Pete was The Visitor??? BLOODSHOT #51 for cover price and another full run of the UNITY issues.
And this is when the story gets sad. A very well-known gentleman in the Omaha, Nebraska comic collectors comminity had recently passed away and his entire Comic Book legacy (nearly 40 years worth of issues) was being sold for a quarter a piece. Yesterday was the 4th weekend in a row that his nephew had had the sale, but how many people in Omaha, other than me, really collect Valiant? Apparently Not many.
I felt like a vulture picking on a zebra carcass as I was going through his collection. Full runs of every title. he was carefull and bought two issues if they had coupon redemptions in them. 3, 4 or 5 copies of the first issues and 2 or 3 of the final. Each was treated like gold. Not skrapes or staple creases in any issues. But still not a single RAI #3 or #4 or MRF #12.
I took my short box full of issues upstairs to pay the gentleman. "Hold on," he told me, "You're looking for Valiant Books, right? I found this box hiding upstairs, it's got some Valiant in it." The first bundle of issues I grabbed was MFR #1-#4, 2 copies of each. One w/ coupon and one w/o. Then It was HARBINGER #1-#4. Also had books w/ and w/o coupns. Then MRF #5-#8. Then another complete UNITY cross over run. Harbinger, RAI and X-O TPBs and another MRF lot, this one was #9-#12. I finally found a MFR #12 and it cost me a quarter. I almost peed myself. Honest. I was so excited. Here I am, 30 years old, still excited about Valiant books that make me feel like I'm 14 again. This man who's name I never knew and may have never met had nearly made me cry. For 15 years I'd been looking for several of the issues I found in his collection and I felt so honored to have these issues, but so guilty about how I came to possess them. Thank name-less-guy. You've really put things into perspective for me.
So ... here I am today. Writing this post when I should be working but I'm so excited that Valiant is FINALLY back! But I'm still looking for a RAI #3 and #4
- adammikael
- My posts can all fit in a short box
- Posts: 179
- Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:26:32 pm
- Location: Omaha, Nebraska
- Contact:
sad
it still makes me feel sad about exactly how those books made it too my collection. Makes me wonder what's going to happen to my collection when I'm gone.
- depluto
- [custom level vored]
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Re: sad
It sounds like the guy was a serious collector who cared about the books. Since nobody in his family wanted them, I think you did right. Just look at Rozanski with the Mile High find ... those people were ready to throw the stuff away because they only wanted the house. Chuck made a big profit, but those books are in collections all over the world now.adammikael wrote:it still makes me feel sad about exactly how those books made it too my collection. Makes me wonder what's going to happen to my collection when I'm gone.
Can't take it with you.
- adammikael
- My posts can all fit in a short box
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- JustCallMeAric
- ...remember that they are just paper.
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- greg
- The admin around here must be getting old and soft.
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- Draco
- Well I think I talked enough poop...
- Posts: 10178
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- Elveen
- I sell comics, I collect Valiant.
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MoonChild wrote:Welcome, great story.
You can find Both Rai's on ebay no problem. I had 3 extra copies of #4 but they all sold quick for over 20 each. I had 1 extra of #3 same thing. I just got my first CGC slab Guess what it was: Rai #3 [well centered!]. Bite down & hit the ebay bro
Yeah, you'll have to pay for them.
- adammikael
- My posts can all fit in a short box
- Posts: 179
- Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:26:32 pm
- Location: Omaha, Nebraska
- Contact:
- adammikael
- My posts can all fit in a short box
- Posts: 179
- Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:26:32 pm
- Location: Omaha, Nebraska
- Contact:
I think it was all due to dumb luck. I won't have found a complete MRF run if I hadn't been in the right place at the right time.Elveen wrote:Great post. I would love to see the deals that you have.
Same with most of the issues in my collection.
I guess it pays to be patient and just wait it out.
I feel like a proud father knowing that I'm not missing only a few dozen issues to complete a total run of V1 and I've got 3 or 4 copies of the "HOT" issues. Maybe I'll ebay some so I can get those RAI #3 and #4
- adammikael
- My posts can all fit in a short box
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- Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:26:32 pm
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by the way
Iowa and Nebraska are the BEST places to find V1 issues in mint condition.
and it's usually at the "Mom and Pop" shoppes.
and it's usually at the "Mom and Pop" shoppes.
- adammikael
- My posts can all fit in a short box
- Posts: 179
- Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:26:32 pm
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- Daniel Jackson
- A toast to the return of Valiant!
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- adammikael
- My posts can all fit in a short box
- Posts: 179
- Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:26:32 pm
- Location: Omaha, Nebraska
- Contact:
- adammikael
- My posts can all fit in a short box
- Posts: 179
- Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 1:26:32 pm
- Location: Omaha, Nebraska
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I can't believe it took me 13 years to finally find out about the Visitor!
Last edited by adammikael on Mon May 05, 2008 2:33:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Rufusharley
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- adammikael
- My posts can all fit in a short box
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