Interview Series with Regie of Regie Collects!

     There's an expansive array of content creators when it comes to the hobby of comic book collecting.  And if you ever did a search on comic books, Regie Collects will definitely rise to the top of results.  It was a great honor to do this interview with him and also pick up a copy of his book to show our support.

What got you into comics?

• I’ve always enjoyed the escapism that comes with reading comics. It doesn’t matter what happened earlier in the day or what may happen next, because in that moment, you are immersed in that fictional world. Your mind is unencumbered and free to just imagine. This freedom was important to me as a young adult growing up in Detroit, Michigan and again later in life when I returned to the hobby after decades away.

You were one of the first to start creating comic-based content on YouTube.  Tell us about the origins of that.

• I do not think I was one of the first—I wish. I started creating comic book content late in 2017/early 2018. I started with nothing more than a desire to connect with comic books fans that were passionate about the hobby. Growing up I didn’t have a ton of friends that were into comics and certainly that number had dropped to zero as an adult. YouTube was my way to connect with others that had a similar passion and interest.

Biggest mistake you made when you started creating content.

• My biggest mistake was not starting soon enough. LOL I have a similar regret about the hobby in general. I know a lot of people that never left the hobby from childhood to adulthood and they have amazing collections due to that dedication and focus. Similarly, there are content creators that started creating comic content long before I had even considered this as an option.  The comic book community is amazing and being a content creator is a really fun and rewarding aspect of that community. 

What’s your favorite character or title to collect?

• Spider-Man has been and continues to be my favorite character. I actually have a full run of Amazing Spider-Man from issue 1 in 1963 to the present day. I am also a huge fan of the X-men.                                                      

Next big thing for your personal collection?  Your grail?

• Over the last ~3 years I have been very focused on achieving my goal of assembling a respectable Silver Age collection. This includes books like Fantastic Four 1, Amazing Fantasy 1, X-Men 1, Fantastic Four 48-49, Amazing Spider-Man 1, and Hulk 1. Incredible Hulk 1 was the most recent acquisition that allowed me to put a cap on this objective. Now that I’ve achieved this goal, I plan to take some time to reflect upon my collection and to consider my next steps. I have several options to consider including upgrading books in the collection, moving into the Golden age, and purchasing original art just to name a few. I’m still noodling what comes next for me.                                                                                       

Most unique or favorite thing in your collection?

• My comics weigh ~30,000 pounds. I would say that’s pretty unique. I had an opportunity a few years ago to purchase a collection of 100,000 comics. I had to hire a driver to move and transport the collection for me from the Pacific Northwest to my home in San Francisco. Earlier this year, I had to hire a moving company to transport the collection and my household possessions from CA to North Carolina where I currently reside. 
• You have not truly lived until you’ve had to get quotes from moving companies to transport a collection that weighs more than double all of your household possessions. 

Raw or Graded? Why? 

• Yes. This question creates a false dilemma that it has to be either raw or grade. I reject that notion. A collection can be both and that’s okay. 
•  The vast majority of my collection is raw. Many of my major keys are graded because that provides me with a sense of protection and a way to value those books in a non-subjective way using a pricing service.

Best find or score?

• I’ve purchased a lot of books over the last 4 years and I’ve had some wins and losses. With that said, given the performance of the market over the last 18-24 months just about any loss has been erased with the surge in values. The collection overall has more than quadrupled in value. 

 Advice to new collectors or content creators.

• New collectors should take time to research the hobby. They have to think about what they are trying to accomplish and make decisions that support that objective. It’s easy to spend money but it’s much harder to make money. With that in mind, careful consideration should be given to where and how that hard-earned money is being spent. 
•  These collectors may also want to consider purchasing a copy of my Guide to SMART Comic Collecting from RegieCollects.com. My 90-page guide distills 4 years of video content into a helpful book full of practical tips, pointers and advice. 

A huge thank you to Regie for doing the interview!!!  Check out his site and his book here.  As for the book, I highly recommend it!  I'm not just saying that because of this interview.  Regie and Doug have done an awesome job putting together a thorough book that helps anyone getting into or back into the hobby.  There's so many changes in the past few years and there's so much great knowledge within the pages.  Even I, as a veteran collector, learned about some new things and sites to check out.  Thanks Regie, we appreciate your hardwork and the great content and look forward to watching more good stuff in the future!

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