Nine Tips for Collecting Comics in a Recession

Times are tough and with the economy circling the drain, it's hard to keep feeding your addictions. With cover prices of monthly comics now reaching up to the $3.99 price range, comics have become an expensive commodity to keep collecting week after week.

However, if there's one thing I learned in college, it's how to be cheap. The first time I ever had a pull box at a comic book store was also the same time I was taking back change and bottle returns just to be able to eat. But that didn't stop my enthusiasm to find and read new comic stories.

So when experiencing lean times, consider these tips to cut back on how much you spend without sacrificing the entertainment you enjoy.

Trim the Fat - With prices being what they are it's completely ridiculous to keep buying a book that just isn't doing anything for you. If you find your pull box is full of ho-hum comics that used to be great, do a little spring cleaning. You can always pick a title back up when it's entertaining once more. I love X-Factor, but when Larry Stroman's art made the book barely readable, I dropped it for a few months (I'm back now, of course.) When you keep buying a book that's no good, there's no reason for the people making it to up the quality. Let your wallet be the critic.

Drop Monthlies for Trades - Everybody says they'll do it, but nobody ever owns up to it. Comic book culture is all about picking books up on Wednesday and scurrying off to converse about the stories with other geeks. Thus, it's a little hard to get into the habit of waiting for the more cost-friendly trade paperbacks to hit the shelves when everyone else is getting the story month-to-month. However, you pay for that convenience. Pick your battles. Some stories are so incredibly delayed or hard to get back into each month that you may have better luck just waiting it out for a cheaper collection to come out that you can read in one go. And if you're going to go the trade paperback route...

Amazon Deals A-Go-Go - ... check out Amazon.com or any other online retailer. I started buying trade paperbacks used from dealers on Amazon for incredibly cheap. In some cases, I paid only a little over the cost of ONE single monthly issue and the books have always been in perfect condition. You could go to a big chain bookstore and pay nearly twenty bucks for one volume, or you could go online and get a few volumes for the same price. It's economical and a great way to fill up a bookshelf.

Love the One You're With - Been meaning to re-read Watchmen after the movie hit the theaters? Is that complete collection of Bone staring you down? What's the point of owning a comic if you're only going to read it once? Pick up some of those old gems and remind yourself why you loved them in the first place. You'll be justifying your previous investment and staying away from any new impulse buys.

Swap - If you've got friends who are into comics, organize a swap night. Have everyone bring their collection and spend the evening swapping and borrowing from one another's stash. Your buddy is always trying to make you read that one book anyway, so now is the time to get your hands on it.

Look to the Library - If you have a local library that's anywhere near decent, chances are it has a graphic novel section. When I was in college I was blessed with not one, but two different libraries that I belonged to which carried comic books; the one at school and the one at home. I read all the classics as well as a few gems I would have never discovered because, hey, unless you bring it back late it's completely free. If your library doesn't carry comics, convince them that they should. Most libraries are very open to hearing suggestions from the community as to what they should order, so don't be afraid to speak up.

Online = Free - Webcomics have really come a long way in the past few years. There is no limit to the amount of quality stories being told for free on the internet. Whether you're looking for some daily humor or an epic story told in weekly installments, you can find it. And with big talents like Warren Ellis getting into the game, the transition from print to web is easier than you think.

Sneak Peeks Make for Savvy Shoppers - One thing I love about sites like Newsarama are the excluse previews for upcoming comic books. Getting a chance to read the first few pages of a book can go a far way towards deciding to pick it up or not. Take advantage of these previews when you can so you can be a smarter shopper.

Bargain Bins are your Friend - If you need to make your money stretch, spend an afternoon looking through the bargain bins at your local comic book shop. Sure the stories are older and there's a lot of crap thrown into the mix, but you can often go home with a bag full of great reading for under a few bucks.