Comics or Trades

[Zippo]

Hi all
In an effort to help trim back on excess's, I started looking at my TF comic collection that I have accumlated from the days of Dreamweave till present and thinking that I should probably stop getting them seeing as I don't actually read them that often - every second to third month I pay up, get a bunch of comics with every standard cover varient and store them.

Stopping works for me, though my next thought was to sell the comics I have and either leave it as it - seeing as I don't read - and/or purchase the TPB's when available or cheap..

I used to be 100% against trades, perfering the comics, though I really have no reason to be. Having the trade version of the first club comic was also a bonus as it ment that I didn't have to hunt for the comics contained in the magazine.

Thoughts?
Prods to one way or the other?
Comics I should keep or should sell for more than a fixed amount?

Cheers

[Paulbot]

For most comics I buy trades only because it's better value, easier to read, and easier to store. However when it comes to Transformers comics I buy each issue because I feel I need to support the series to keep them going (partly because I wished for years for new TF comics and it finally came true :o ).

For comics from the big companies one of the bonuses of the trades is that there's not ads every second page, but IDW/DW comics do keep most/all of their ads at the back so that's not a big deal. The trades may have corrections to mistakes in the original comics (like the BW Sourcebooks) but sometimes not (Spotlight Vol 3)

You'd probably find sellers for your comics but I don't know the secondary market prices. You might get back what you paid for them, and a little more for some rarer Dreamwave ones or special covers. I wouldn't recommend selling to a store though, you're not likely to get much for them there.

If storage is not an issue you could keep them for next July and try selling em on Ebay when the second movie comes out.

[jacksplatt11]

I'm more of a TPB fan simply because it's the whole arc/series in one book, which I find much easier for reading and storing purposes... Plus most of the time you get all the covers included, and also extras sometimes..

Plus it's much easier to pick up one TPB instead of several individual issues, but that's just me...

When it comes to selling them, I'd say you would get back what you paid for them on eBay, and possibly more for rarer covers.. I haven't sold any of mine because I'm not running out of space or anything so don't feel the need, and even if I was running out of space I'd sell other stuff before my comics..

[TheDirtyDigger]

Trades by far.
I loathe ads all through my comics and also I finish a single issue in under 60 seconds these days and feel really ripped off.

TPB FTW!

[i_amtrunks]

Trades are the way to go for storage, and the extras that are included (Cover galleries and concept art for example) make them much more worthwhile.

However if we do not continue to support the issue releases then we wont get the trades.

So I get both for comics I like, the IDW comics in particular. However since you are not re-reading and referring to these comics over and over again, I'd say the trade is certainly the way to go.

[GoktimusPrime]

thinking that I should probably stop getting them seeing as I don't actually read them that often - every second to third month I pay up, get a bunch of comics with every standard cover varient and store them.
No offence, but isn't that sorta like what you do with your TF toys? (replace "read" with "play"). :)

[Zippo]

No offence, but isn't that sorta like what you do with your TF toys? (replace "read" with "play"). :)

True, but I do open and fiddle with toys more than I read the comics..

[loophole]

One reason why i stopped getting TF comics was because of all the different variant covers too f@#$*&% many of them so know i just get them in trades a whole lot easier :D

[Firecracker]

Trades are the way to go for storage...

No other option for storage? :p

[GoktimusPrime]

When it comes to TFs I'm too impatient to wait for trades. :p But I agree that they are better value - I collect non-TF comics in trade format.

I've never bothered collecting variant covers... I collect comics, not covers and one copy of each issue is enough for me.

[loophole]

I've never bothered collecting variant covers... I collect comics, not covers and one copy of each issue is enough for me.

+1 although i almost have everyone of the Dreamwave variant covers, but have since learnt my lesson :)

[Golden Phoenix]

I usually wait for the Trade. I like having it as a whole book and you get all the covers and extra bits in the trades that you don't get in the comics. They also usually fix most of the errors made in the single issues.

[Tropisetron]

TPB for me.....

Anyone of you own any Omnibus? I've got one on the way from UK for the GI Joe vs Transformers...

[Gutsman Heavy]

TPB FTW

[STL]

I'm with paulbot there are distinct benefits of both. I am a collector of both. I like the covers. A lot. And I hope to display them all in my toy room one day on the walls like a montage. But even if I don't I enjoy looking at the covers, they're really good. They were far better in the DW days on a consistent basis. The trades are good, I buy them too. They are cheaper but they're are pros and cons.

In favour of TF trades
- Storage
- One go to read, no need to wait through months of delays
- Lower cost

Against TF trades
- You don't get all the covers
- You lose parts of pages where the images go to the border and it makes it harder to read

In favour of TF comics
- Cover
- Supporting the comic: face it, a lot of that money is made back by selling the issue and the ads in it though IDW obviously find it hard to get many sponsors. If these crash and burn, you won't get your trade.
- Don't have the images caught in the middle
- Suspense factor: you can be kept on edge and excited if the story reads well. In IDWs case, not really.

Against TF comics
- Wait period
- Combine "wait period" with slow pacing and you want to really convert to trade
- Storage
- Damage: you need to store them more carefully and get pockets for each one

As to the resale of TF comics. The variants might get you some money but the individual issues themselves are not worth very much unless your talking DW's very first Pat Lee series or Furman's end of US Marvel stuff.

At the end of the day support the comics if you can. They are the lifeblood of the publishers and satisfy their income stream in the immediate term to pay out for work done on the title. Trades are profitable to a degree b/c they're publishing already printed stuff but remember, the already published stuff comes from somewhere and that's usualy the comic.

[griffin]

I really hate waiting for the trade to come out (because it is way past the time most have already read and discussed each issue), but just can't afford to be buying all the different issues and cover varients any more. Most trades have a cover gallery, which is the only reason I want the varients - to have the artwork, not to 'invest' in something limited.
I do realise that if everyone held off the issues to buy the trade, the trades (and the comic) would be cancelled due to perceived lack of interest. Unfortunately, I just can't afford to support the publisher by buying the individual issues.

[Zippo]

Well, Just just fired away an email to my comic supplier, so once the current issues I am collecting end, thats it..

[GoktimusPrime]

+1 although i almost have everyone of the Dreamwave variant covers, but have since learnt my lesson
Man... I used to get annoyed during G1 whenever I doubled up on US issues that were reprinted in the UK comics! Now of course, from a UK fan's POV it's understandable, but in Australia both US and UK comics were sold so it was pretty irritating getting double-ups... and Action Force irked me too because my brother collected the US G.I. Joe comics, so again, I'd be doubling them up in my UK TF comics! Bah! It doesn't bother me at all now because as I got older I understood why this was the case... but yeah... I'd say that I learned my lesson about collecting variant comics back in the 80s (although during G1 it was kinda unavoidable)! :D

[Paulbot]

Man... I used to get annoyed during G1 whenever I doubled up on US issues that were reprinted in the UK comics! Now of course, from a UK fan's POV it's understandable, but in Australia both US and UK comics were sold so it was pretty irritating getting double-ups...

I remember getting to the point where I was buying many TF UK comics for the letters page, Action Force/GIJOE, and Combat Colin :)

I bought all the covers of Dreamwave's first series but since then I've just got one of each, whichever I liked most.

I should have noted that although I buy all the IDW TF comics monthly, I also end up getting some of the trades because that's how I prefer rereading them. :o

[liegeprime]

Before I was buying per issue, but with the more modern stories (TF wise) I find that I can surely get a trade in the end which ends up more cheaper, and you dont get to miss out on the story coz its already all in there. So for the current TFs wise comics - its TRADES for me. As well some non TF comics I tend to collect (especially Fables- seriously this storyline is wicked, hooked the first time I read Trade #1!!) I prefer to have it in TPB coz I dont wanna wait how the story will end I just want to read it fully on. BUT, I do still have some comics that I get per issue - JLA, Shadowpact ( although now ended:() and some short ones like the current limited Reign in Hell series by DC, yep me loves mystical/mythological type stories hehehe.

[i_amtrunks]

I started out buying multiple copies of IDW issues, but have cut that right back, although I will on occasion get retailer incentive covers or multiple covers if I really like the art on both covers.

I also get both the issues, and then the trade, the trades stay on the bookcase for ease of accessibility while the comics get stored away since they can be a right royal pain to keep in good condition otherwise.