How I purchase my big key books.

Hello everyone! In this video I wanted to talk a bit about how I purchase a lot of my big key books, without stretching myself too thin.
#minthuntercomics #threesixtycomics #strictlycomix #futurepastvintagecollectables #comicbooks #comics #debt #paypal

[@Johnthecomicguy]

Good to meet you man. I’m glad I saw your channel and posting. I definitely like your demeanor so much more than a majority of the KZbin channel collectors. You keep it real! Thanks for the great topic!

[@ConlinsComics]

Thank you very much for the kind words and I'm happy you've came across my channel! I try to keep it about the books and passion, and less about the investment/spec side of things. I hope you enjoy the future content just as much!

[@Rambo_Lips]

Great timing with this video! I'm currently revaulating my collecting habits and the books I own as I feel like I may've gone too far with certain purchases...again, haha. You gave great advice on how to balance wanting to stay in the hobby while not digging yourself into a hole you can't get out of so thank you!!! These are definitely great takeaways for me when I go to buy another book.

[@ConlinsComics]

We have allll been there. I was buying up way more than I needed and one day I had a room full of books that didn't mean that much to me, in worse condition than I otherwise would have gotten, taking up space, and didn't fit in with my overall collection. I honestly didn't think this video would really get any views and it makes me happy to see it resonate with so many people. Thank you for the kind words and I'm happy you found the video helpful!

[@NextGenCollector]

Great video! Appreciate your transparency on everything.

[@ConlinsComics]

And thank you for checking it out! I've made a lot of mistakes along the way and thought this video might be helpful to anyone still having a rough go of it, or at the very least know they aren't alone!

[@jon6309]

lol I am 33 years old and having no kids is a huge financial relief. I also live below my means and a pretty disciplined saver. Most of my comic collections are from $1 bins but lately I’ve been upping my budget if there is a big sale for graded or more expensive back issues.

[@Sj60-zj4bs]

To quote the Stranger of the Big Lebowski , “I like your style Dude “

[@BrokeBoyComics]

Man I feel like you specifically made this video to make me make good decisions😂. I believe you know I’m one of those claim sale goers that will get into the buying spree mood every once in awhile. I have definitely brought myself back and try not to go to as many claim sales but to go in person more. Trading definitely helps and creating a list of things to collect and sticking to it also helps me shy away from buying anything I think is cool lmao. Great video!👍

[@ConlinsComics]

You and me BOTH lol it's so easy to go on those sprees unfocused and then you get that high of always having some books on their way to you. Recently I really looked around at my collection and realized I had a lot that didn't mean a whole lot to me, lower grade than I'd like, or just didn't fit my overall collection. It's good every now and then to rebalance, refocus, and give that wallet a break. Thanks for chiming in and as always, thank you for the support!

[@BrokeBoyComics]

@@ConlinsComics I had that same look around my collection as well. There are always books I’m upgrading as well as ones that I don’t mind leaving my collection. I’ve been having a rotation of some books but other runs and characters I can’t part with just yet.

[@ConlinsComics]

@BrokeBoyComics I completely understand that. I have books I regret buying, books that'll never leave the collection, and then what's called "catch and release" books. Books that I'm happy I owned and enjoyed for a bit, but really don't fit my overall collecting goals and now it's time to rotate them out. And while you may be Brokeboycomics, as long as you don't go COMPLETELY broke, and are happy, you are already winning lol can't ever let it stop being fun

[@BrokeBoyComics]

@@ConlinsComics Yes! I have “catch and release” books too lol without even using the term. The plan iS not to go completely broke lol but just enough to keep on collecting!

[@okitomagic]

Wish I was starting out collecting and watching your videos . Great advice 😊

[@ConlinsComics]

Thank you! I made a lot of mistakes when starting out, and still do, but thought this video might help a few people

[@KimNguyen-zm7gi]

Good data. Thank you for sharing. It is really nice to single. You have done well since the Great Depression. Thank you for your content.

[@ConlinsComics]

Thank you! I've made a lot of mistakes along the way, but hopefully people will find this video helpful to avoid some of the traps I've fallen into

[@michaelsaritelli]

I am glad I found you in my feed today. Cool post - I smashed the Like button.

[@ConlinsComics]

For a video I didn't think many would be interested in, I'm shocked at how many people it's reaching and resonating with. Thank you very much for the support!

[@Sj60-zj4bs]

I usually just pay for the damn things in full (some how I’m still surviving) …I’m older and been in debt a few times …but I find your approach to be legit…

[@BrianLCS]

Wants vs needs the old age battle for our money. It's all about discipline. There are so many people that over leverage credit, paying interest fees, and more for things in the long run. Debt is a four letter word for a reason.

[@ConlinsComics]

100% facts. I was in that same boat more than once. I'm hoping this video might help a few people who are still trying to get that balance and discipline

[@johncribbs9472]

A monastic existence is a good way to make more room in one's life for great comics! I definitely did the PayPal Credit thing all wrong and had to chip away at my balance - won't make that mistake again.

[@ConlinsComics]

It's addicting when you're given that power to make bigger purchases now and not worry about it until later. I was in the same boat a couple times when starting out. Thanks for checking out the video Cribbs!

[@JungleGreen429]

Love the content. Great financial advice in the comic market

[@ConlinsComics]

Thank you very much!

[@300baud]

I pay my credit card weekly and use it for everything. The annual cashback is sweet. I also use PayPal payments to spread out payments on "luxury" purchases as well.

[@ConlinsComics]

And that is exactly how it should be done. I only wish I had learned all this myself sooner than I did. Thanks for chiming in and checking out the video!

[@johnmoran6418]

Great video mate, here in UK we only get a 3 installment option from PayPal, obvs they like you lot more 😂

[@ConlinsComics]

I always find it interesting how they adjust things like that for different areas. But at least that's less payments to worry about from the go lol thank you for checking out this video!

[@comicbooknarcissist]

That was a very good discussion: the video title could have been more specific to the subject, which was actually very "key" to most collectors. I'm a 59-year-old divorced father, and you're not having kids is a huge difference. Wives aren't cheap, so choose carefully if you're not already set in that department. Nice wall books, keep it up!

[@ConlinsComics]

If marriage ever is in the cards for me, I'll definitely have my bases covered. But that was one point that I wanted to recognize, that I probably have a lot less expenses than the average person out there. Thank you very much for your feedback and support!

[@davidallen4026]

I can't stand buying books online. I cultivate relationships with dealers and just buy my bigger books directly from people I know on layaway. Just bought x-men #2 in three cash payments over 2 months, no interest, no impact to credit. Of course, this method is all dependent on finding trustworthy dealers - I will admit that is the hard part.

[@ConlinsComics]

I agree that that's the best way to go about it. Where I live it's pretty rural and hard to build those relationships. I have a great standing with my lcs but he mostly just gets in the new books, not as much back issues. Luckily I have still been able to build that with a few fellow youtubers in the community, but still have to resort to online sources for a lot of the books I need in a specific grade. Thank you very much for your feedback and checking this video out!

[@ConlinsComics]

And also, congrats on that Xmen 2, that is an amazing book!

[@Kennyaton]

I just paid off my CC debt last week 10k. Lesson learned.

[@ConlinsComics]

Oof, that one sounds like a whopper, but I get it. Early on, I put myself in a lot of tight situations, which is why I wanted to make this video. Thank you for checking in and reaching out!

[@bottomtiercollector]

99% of my PayPal credit is used for purchases less than $100. It sounds petty, but I'd rather have the item now and quickly pay it off interest free than wait forever while saving... I did splurge and saddle up $500 on PayPal credit one year, but I was in between homes and debt free and paid the amount off in 6 months. I feel $500 is the max I'm willing to put on credit. Anything more would feel burdensome for where I'm at in life... I also have a separate account/separate card that has a regular direct deposit sent to it from my regular income and all my fun money is spent from that account.

[@ConlinsComics]

That's a great way to go about it. I find it useful for when I have a book I've been hunting for come along for a deal, and I don't necessarily want to drop the unexpected money that week. But again, paying it off in full by months end or sooner. And the direct deposit into an account is great for saving with minimal effort to ensure there's always something being tucked away. Thank you very much for dropping a comment and checking out this video!

[@ThingComics]

First: This was a great video and nice info! 😊 Second: I try to buy comics in the same way,mostly...My problem is that I have to buy 70-80 % of my US/UK books online and I have to buy, usually, 5-10 books because it stays under 2 kilos(no idea what it is in lbs) , and if it goes over the shipping goes to 60-90 euros, almost the same in dollars..Under 2 kilos is 25-30 euros/dollars in shipping, so I have to spend at least 50 euros/dollars that the order is worth it...And the VAT or the customs on top of that, luckily when I buy from IG etc. most of the sellers are willing to mark the books as a gift and mark the value under 45 euros... And I don't have children and I recently cut my other costs so I am able to spend more money on hobbies (comics,movies) and I do the same, I wear clothes and shoes to the last 😅😅 much to disappointment of my spouse 🤣😅 But there should always be a little space for those unexpected curves that life throws at you, as you said! And as I said it first great video and nice to hear about this stuff also 😊

[@ConlinsComics]

I feel you on that one! I know a few people that also frequent claimsales that live overseas and I've heard horror stories about the shipping. You end up spending more on shipping than the books! I am also extremely fortunate that I live in New Hamshire here in the states, and we do not have a state sales tax. I just pay the book price and shipping and that's it. And thank you! I honestly didn't think anybody would watch this kind of video but I guess I was wrong. Makes me happy to see it resonated with so many people. And I'm still looking forward to seeing what you put out next!

[@ThingComics]

@@ConlinsComics yeah, it is a fine line of buying enough but not too much...With bigger books I can give myself a breather because the value is already higher but those fillers or small keys I have to pick and choose, and after UK left Europian Unian their shipping+ Vat went up... That is the reason big chunk of my books are collected and the singles are coming slowly...But nonetheless, this is fun 😊 And I have an video coming if only the Postal office woul bring my packages...I think that there will be 2 or 3 videos...Slowly but surely 😅

[@ConlinsComics]

@ThingComics As with all things, balance is key. That, and not forgetting its supposed to be fun lol I love collected editions and omniscient for reading. Is Fantastic Four the main run you're looking to complete?

[@ThingComics]

@@ConlinsComics it is but I have put it in the backburner because I need to get Silver Surfer #3 and Invincible sorted out... As I said, have to pick and been also trying figure out how get those Brave and the Bold issues...

[@ConlinsComics]

@ThingComics One of the other money pits I fell into with claimsales is buying books in lower grade than I really wanted them. People claim soo fast in some sales that you have to be faster, which means you can't really look into condition as much as I'd like. Because of this, I used to be constantly buying duplicates thinking I was upgrading, when I wasn't. This is a long way of saying I often end up with a lot of silver age DC books I end up looking to get rid of, and next time it happens I would happily donate and ship them to you. I wouldn't be looking for any money. It would be plenty just knowing I was clearing space and sending them to a good home. If that is something you might be interested in I'll message you more on IG sometime in the future so you don't have to keep coming back to this video!

[@blackswampcomics5098]

That why I build my collection strictly from mystery boxes so I don’t have to worry about all this stuff

[@ConlinsComics]

Always a surprise inside!

[@nickelliott1174]

My method was really cheap, but I don't think it's going to help now. Buy all these keys and Golden Age books in the 70s and 80s...

[@ConlinsComics]

Something I wish I could've done!

[@sinchman1]

I purchased some off my key issues for cover price back in 1975

[@ConlinsComics]

Now that's awesome!

[@markleneker9923]

Do you like those black plastic BCW boxes? I have one and wouldn't get another personally...does it ever feel like its going to fly apart on you?

[@ConlinsComics]

I personally like them. I've had to move a couple times in the last few years and I just like the sturdiness when moving my books around more than I'd like. I know what you mean though about that fear of it flying apart. I use allll my strength when snapping these things together and I load them to the max. To this day I have yet to have an issue, knock on wood. If even one ever fails on me, I'm scrapping them all though lol

[@twatson8709]

I’m curious how old you are if you don’t mind saying. These are lessons that unfortunately most people don’t learn until they age in their 30 or it’s too late. Or both.

[@ConlinsComics]

I am currently 30 and I would say in my late teens/early twenty's once I had a solid job, I was spending my money as fast as I was making it. Then I had a couple years of the opposite problem, where I was too afraid to spend anything and live little and thought I had to save every penny. Now at 30 I would say I am the happiest and most comfortable I've ever been in terms of enjoying life/living but also being smart with my finances and achieving a great balance.

[@relickeep]

So you're saying you use PayPal credit? 😅

[@ConlinsComics]

Long winded way of saying it, but yes lol As long as you don't abuse it and damage your credit score. As well as building relationships with dealers/sellers that'll let you make payments on larger books without affecting your credit