Chase Complete

October 8, 2014 monthly haul 27 Comments

If you’re going to set out on a journey, you need to know where your destination is going to be. Even if you’re not 100 percent sure how you’re going to get there, how long it’s going to take, and how many stops along the way you’re going to make. You need to have a point of terminus; otherwise, you’re just wandering aimlessly – your achievements destined to be unfulfilled.

I’m pretty sure I was 13 or 14 when I first had the inkling of an idea to collect every single issue of Amazing Spider-Man. I had been buying Spider-Man comics off and on for about 7 years at that point, and I had just purchased some of my very first Silver Age back issues. I probably owned somewhere between 50 and 100 Spider-Man comics back then, which meant I still had close to 300 more to pick up – including some of the very most important and expensive Spider-Man comics that were out there. I would think about some of these issues – Amazing Spider-Man #1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 11, 14 … you get the point – and tell myself that I was absolutely mental to even give such an objective a passing thought.

It wasn’t just about the money – though that undoubtedly was a factor, especially as a young teenager. But also a question of drive, desire and perseverance. Not only did I need to have the money to buy all of these comics, but I needed to hunt every one down in the condition I wanted and for a price I was willing (and able) to spend on them. I was going to have to do this more than 300 times over if I wanted to complete my collection (and let’s not forget about buying all the new comics as they came out). And for every comic I purchased – every inch closer I got towards completing my quest – this journey would inevitably become more treacherous since I would have to combat a host of conflicting feelings about the silliness of my Quixotian quest and my passion/stubbornness to keep at it.

But I kept my eye on the destination – every issue of Amazing Spider-Man, from #1 to wherever the series was ending off (for arguments sake, let’s say #700).

Last week, nearly 27 years after I picked up my first ever issue of Amazing Spider-Man, ASM #296, a comic I purchased for 75 cents off the spinner rack at a corner candy store in my small Long Island hometown, I finally reached my destination. My chase – my journey – ended.

And now … all I can really do … is muster some reflections on that journey.

Not to suck the drama and exhilaration out of this moment, but there was something almost inevitable about how I got here. Not because I necessarily knew that in late September, 2014, I would stumble upon a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #3, in the condition I like, for a price I was willing to pay for it. But with only one more comic left to purchase to complete my collection, I think even the biggest cynic would understand that it was not a question of IF I ever picked up that last comic, but WHEN.

The completion of my chase became inevitable a little more than a year ago when, while shooting footage for a reality show that sadly will never see the light of day, I finally acquired my copy of Amazing Spider-Man #1. Prior to that moment, I had convinced myself that ASM #1 would be the very last Spider-Man (back issue) comic I ever purchased – just because I could never justify spending that kind of money on myself unless it was the very last piece to the puzzle. Or, the only way to end my journey.

But as I referred to earlier, the journey doesn’t always go as planned. In fact, it usually doesn’t. I was a proud owner of ASM #1 – news I unfortunately had to sit on and be silent about for months rather than shouting it from the digital rooftops as I wanted to do hours after I first made that purchase.

The thing is, while I was biding my time in making that post, I came to the realization that with ASM #1 in my possession, it would be absolutely silly for me to not grab those remaining few issues. That’s like catching the big fish, cleaning and fileting it, firing up the grill, and then leaving it outside in the sun to spoil. You don’t desire a complete collection of a comic book series, buy the most expensive issue in the run, and then decide that you’re going to stop there.

So did my unexpected purchase of ASM #1 last summer cheapen the ultimate completion of my quest last week?

I had this very weird, almost inauthentic moment while I opened up the mailing envelope containing my brand new copy of ASM #3 last week. Demonstrating the absolute inevitability of the moment, I signed up for e-mail updates on the progress of my parcel from the postal service, so I knew when my chase-ender was dropped in the mail, received by the postal service, shipped to a nearby distribution center, went out for mail in my Brooklyn neighborhood, and delivered and signed for last Friday. So, when I got home, I wasn’t remotely surprised to see my package. I carefully opened the envelope and at that moment my wife whipped out her phone and started recording. When I pulled the comic out, I was temporarily frustrated by the fact that the seller had put a protective backing board on both sides of the comic, thereby obscuring the cover from my immediate view.

My wife was still rolling the camera phone through this fit and start routine. After I finally got one of the backing boards out of the comic, I was able to look at this very monumental purchase. I released a slow, steady breath from my nostrils – more of a sigh of a relief than anything else. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw my wife’s phone so I turned towards it, displayed the comic like I’m Vanna White turning letters, and smiled like a goofball.

I thought she was taking my picture.

A few minutes later, I ask my wife if she could take another picture of me with the comic – one that’s not capturing the immediate seconds after I first laid eyes on it. She then proceeded to tell me that she didn’t take a picture; that she was rolling video because she wanted to capture this very important moment in our lives for posterity. “It’s not every day you get to see somebody’s dream come true,” she said.

Let me just interrupt my train of thought here to point out, for the umpteenth time, how awesome my wife has been for a very good portion of this journey (we first started dating in college 14 years ago this month. We will be married 7 years in November).

More tangentially – my wife almost gave me a heart attack in the build up to this purchase. Last Monday, I received a Facebook message from none other than my Amazing Spider-Talk co-host Dan Gvozden, who had just made a significant purchase on his own end the weekend before. In this Facebook message, Dan mentioned that in one of the groups he belongs too, someone was selling a copy of ASM #3 in my price range. Dan had tried to include scans and a link to the seller’s profile, but the message wasn’t coming through. So he told me the guy’s name and I found him the good old-fashioned way, e-mailed him and starting the negotiation (if you even call it that – his price was good and fair, and the copy looked great. There was hardly any give or take). When the seller found out I was just another collector, he told me he wanted to make this purchase happen for me, but he also warned me that he was getting a lot of prospective buyers for this comic – if I wanted to complete my collection, I was going to have to give him my final answer quickly. When I asked if I could have 24 hours, he didn’t say “no,” but he definitely gave me the idea that 24 hours might be too much time for me to wait on this comic.

So I shot my wife a text message. And then another. And another. I wanted to do the right thing and let her know that this comic I had long talked about had been made available to me, for a price I don’t think I was ever going to beat considering the condition it was in. But if I lost out on this comic because she wasn’t checking her cell phone, I was going to be unbelievably upset.

I finally called her and was like, “did you check your text messages?” Of course she didn’t – she was busy. Anyway, I barely got the words out about ASM #3 and she told me “do it.” Not in a dismissive, why did I marry this guy way. But in an “oh my god, I can’t believe this thing you’ve been doing for the past 27 years is finally coming to an end,” kind of way.

Back to the original point I was making in regards to my reaction to receiving/opening ASM #3. When I found out that my wife was actually video recording me, I asked her a very bizarre question: “was my reaction good enough?”

What does that even mean?

My wife, more or less, called me out for my insipidness. “Your reaction is your reaction,” she said.

And that’s right. But in this moment of elation, confusion and disbelief, I guess I was a little disappointed in myself for not having a more over the top reaction. I wasn’t that kid from the YouTube video getting an N64. I didn’t have that rapid heartbeat/sea sickness that followed me a good 24 hours after I purchased ASM #1 (with HD cameras in my face to boot). I wish I could tell all of you something fun like that about this experience. But my reaction is my reaction. It was a heavy exhalation of breathe through my nostrils, and then a goofy smile because I thought someone was taking a still photo of me. Awkward to the last drop – I am a comic book fan after all.

In the aftermath/afterglow of this acquisition, another question keeps popping into my head – what’s next. It’s honestly something that’s still quite difficult for me to answer. I guess it’s like reaching your destination and already planning your next trip. You do realize it took me 27 years to get here, right?

Yeah, yeah, ask me about the annual issues or Amazing Fantasy #15. I down’t own all of the annuals and I’ll probably never have the stomach to spend that kind of money on Amazing Fantasy #15 (another funny married life story. This past weekend I was talking to my wife about AF #15 and I joked about how maybe someone will want me to write a book about my chase and how I could use my advance money to buy Amazing Fantasy #15. “Or you could put aside money so our son could go to college,” my wife said. Always the pragmatist). The thing is, the completion of my actual quest – the thing I set out to do so long ago – just ended and it’s too soon for me to think of what my next big purchase is going to be. And honestly, it’s all immaterial anyway. Just like my reaction is my reaction, my collection is my collection. Nobody can ever take that away from me.

But to address another element of the “what’s next” dilemma – the subhead at the top of my blog is, “one person’s quest to collect every issue of Amazing Spider-Man.” As I’ve already said 900 times already, that quest is over. Does that mean that Chasing Amazing is “no more?”

I started this site more than three years ago as a way to get my thoughts on collecting Spider-Man comics down on a virtual page. I thought it would be a fun exercise since it combined two things I loved with all my heart and soul – writing and Spider-Man comic books. The first few posts on Chasing Amazing were very heavily tilted towards my attitudes and philosophies about colleting, whether it was little tidbits about my standards, or just stupid minutia about what happened one time I tried to buy a back issue. My idea to start writing little anecdotal bits about individual issues in my collection was inspired heavily by the memoir, Cardboard Gods by Josh Wilker – a great book about someone who tells their life story through their childhood baseball card collection.

Obviously, my site mission has grown exponentially and tangentially since 2011. I write far more straight-up reviews of comics, both new and old, than I ever imagined I would. And while I love talking about my thoughts and opinions on these comics, there is a part of me that feels a little putoff by the fact that the personal touch on this site has seemingly dissipated as I stopped buying tons of old comics every month and had to focus on different kinds of posts in order to continue building an audience and fill out my site.

The truth is, I think I write best when I keep it personal. I can’t say with any certainty that any of you want to read my personal rants about comics and life (and sometimes both), but it’s what I’m happiest doing. Without any more comics to be hunting for my quest, it’s going to be very difficult to personally connect with my material. However, I also just can’t pull the plug on everything I’ve built up for more than three years either. So that’s why, as of right now, Chasing Amazing will continue. It’s just that the “chasing” element is now a moot point.

There might come a day where I reconsider, and decide that it’s time to retire this blog. Or maybe I find a new way to tell my story which will take my time and energy away from writing about the newest issue of ASM. Either way, let’s just leave my answer in a “for now” state of mind.

Given the nature of this blog post, I want this article to function as a biography of sorts for my collection. So I’m going to include the links to all of my “monthly haul” posts which document when I made new purchases, as well as those little anecdotal “Remembrance of Comics Past” articles. I also plan to eventually post a copy of this article as a new page on this site where “The Remaining Chase” currently is – since, well, there’s no more chase remaining!

I’ve said this more than a few times over the past year – especially as I’ve moved closer and closer to completing this chase – but I really would have never reached the end of my journey without all of you out there who have followed me since day one, month one, year one, or just last week. You have transformed this little writing exercise of mine into something – well, it’s honestly not that big, but it’s certainly bigger than it has any right to be. And it’s allowed me to meet a lot of great people I would have otherwise never come into contact with.

So, here we are. The end of the line. The destination. As the title of the blog indicates, my chase to collect every issue of Amazing Spider-Man has been an amazing experience, that has taught me a ton about myself and the people around me. In many ways, this chase has defined me in a person, much like being a son, a brother, a husband and a father have defined me.

I’m kinda embarassed to say that my “dreams came true” as my wife put it, but I guess when you boil it down, that’s what happened. If I wanted to state what happened with far less bombast, I would say, I achieved a lifetime goal and crossed off a bucket list item more than 27 years in the making.

I’ve had people ask me over the years why do I chase? What compels me to do? Is there a collector’s gene that drives me to do it? I wish I could offer some kind of profound answer, but I do think doing what I do takes a high level of commitment, and more importantly, passion to see something through. As wonderful as this chase has been, I have also had many moments of frustration, heartbreak, defeat and despair. I’ve felt ripped off by a few purchases, and ashamed of myself for how I acted towards some of the people who mean the very most to me in my life, all over my almost-lust for collecting an entire run of ASM comics. I can’t speak about the joy and elation I’m feeling right now without, at least acknowledging that there’s a seedy underbelly to doing what I did. Unless you’re the kind of person who just doesn’t care about anyone around you. If that’s the case, more power to you (and happy chasing).

But that’s all part of my story, a story I’ve conveniently cataloged for all of you to check out on this page, now until the end of time (or when the internet is inevitably replaced with something far more sophisticated and far more concerned about eliminating all nonsensical ramblings like personal blogs). The good news about this story, is it had a happy ending. The good news about this story is it had an ending, period. And it’s an ending I’m going to cherish for a very long time.

The Story of My Chase:

Remembrance of Comics Past:

Tags:Amazing Spider-Man 3, The end of the chase

Written by markginocchio

Mark Ginocchio is a professional writer and editor living in Brooklyn, NY. He's been collecting Amazing Spider-Man comic books since the late-1980s and launched Chasing Amazing in 2011 as a way to tell his story about Spider-Man, comics, collecting and everything else in-between. You also find Mark's writing at Comics Should Be Good at Comic Book Resources, WhatCulture.com and Longbox Graveyard. Follow him on Twitter for comic book chat @ChasingASMBlog.

View all posts by: Mark Ginocchio

Latest Comments

Vince

October 8, 2014

Sincere congratulations, Mark! Your blog, and your chase at large, helped reignite my own passion for comics, and your personal reflections are always sincere and interesting.

And hats off to your supportive partner too – she sounds like a saint.

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Dennis Mercier

October 8, 2014

Really happy for you that your chase is complete Mark. Must feel great to finally have every issue of Amazing. Congratulations!

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Carly

October 8, 2014

Congrats Mark!! What an exciting accomplishment, and so cool that you’ve made it happen after 27 years of work. And congrats to your lovely wifey as well, for being the supportive rock that she is. Love you and miss you both so much!

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Nelson

October 8, 2014

Congrats Mark! Happy to see you reach your goal!
Your blog -and your quest- was an influence that got me reading & collecting comics again after 20 years away, and starting my own ASM back issue collection.
Thanks for a great job, looking forward to many more years of Spidey comics with you!

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Warren

October 8, 2014

A complete collection of ASM and a supportive wife! Your a lucky bastard. Congratulations…time to start on Spectacular Spider-Man..

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Dan Gvozden

October 8, 2014

I’m so glad you were able to finish this huge chapter in your life. I’m even more tickled that I could have been a part of it. I have been reading your blog for almost as long as it existed and never imagined what would result of it. All the things we do were certainly inspired by your writing and quest that mirrored my own. I know I say this a lot, but gaining a friend out of this process, one who has taught me as much as you have, has been the best experience out of all the searching I’ve done over the years. Congratulations! You did it! Now I’m going to bug you about those annuals.

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Doug

October 8, 2014

Mark —

This is wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing. Congratulations — what an accomplishment! And to your wife — what a terrific partner she must be to have given you this support over the course of your quest.

This is just great. Enjoy!

Doug

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pmpknface

October 8, 2014

Congrats Mark! Believe me, I know the feeling. Enjoy it and keep up the good work on the blog…. … and maybe think about chasing down those annuals! 😉

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JP

October 8, 2014

Congrats Mark!

I stumbled upon you blog while browsing for other comic fans like myself. I was excited to see that you were documenting your chase while I am going through my own. It’s been great reading all of your material on the blog, spidey related and just comics related as well. I was never a regular commenter but there were a few times on here as well as twitter where we spoke about Spider-Man. I am excited for you and also excited to continue my own chase. I can only imagine the feeling of holding the final issue in my hands one day.

I look forward to reading your articles in the future and hope to see you chase another run someday. Your personal spin and experiences on collecting and everything that it comes with have hit home for me and I’m sure many others.

Congrats again!

-JP

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Tyler Barlass

October 8, 2014

Congrats, Mark! It’s been great fun following your chase all this time. Now you just need to chase down all those “blind spots.”

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Karen Williams

October 8, 2014

Congratulations, Mark. I’m happy that you were finally able to complete your AMAZING 🙂 collection after 27 years! I cannot imagine owning a complete run of any of the classic marvel comics.

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Yourself

October 8, 2014

Really nice to read this. Congratulations!

This blog has always made you seem like a person who was “Chasing Amazing” because it meant something to you; you *wanted* every issue of Amazing Spider-Man. I think that’s a lot more commendable than people who collect for the sake of it. Moving on to Annuals or AF#15 just because they’re there only seems like it would devalue how far you’ve come.

Hopefully you keep going with the coverage of current issues. It’s nice having you read the crap books so we can all keep up with Spidey. Plus your reviews have a more personal and distinctive voice than you give them credit for.

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Longbox Graveyard

October 8, 2014

Life is such a crooked line sometimes. You wind up places with no way of predicting how you got there. When you and I first started corresponding a couple years ago, I remember thinking how blogging was going to get you to the end of your quest, in a way you could never anticipate … and here we are (and I guarantee no one had “unaired reality TV show episode” in the “How will Mark score ASM #1” pool).

Congrats, friend.

And my crass advice for the next phase — Selling Amazing … One Man’s Quest To Sell Every Issue of Amazing Spider-Man (for more than he paid for them!)

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Ray Sumser

October 8, 2014

Way to go! I’ve dreamed of someday owning AF15. You had a grander dream than I and you completed it!

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J.A. Morris

October 8, 2014

Congratulations, this is a great day in Spidey history!

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MBAqu@

October 8, 2014

I couln’t not post something about this, even if probably everyone else before me have already said everything there was to say.
Really, really congratulations! This is one of those achievements in life that may seem void for some, but bring a sense of completeness (more than happiness) to the ones who reach them. And that’s what’s important afterall: satisfaction for finally achieving a so-longed-for goal and memories, a lot of sweet, wonderful (and maybe sad yet educational) memories.
I hope this will not stop you from sharing your thoughts about anything Spiderman-related new that comes out, because you’re really good at that and I always enjoy your writings!

Cheers!

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ALB

October 8, 2014

Saw your tweet yesterday and I immediately knew. Congratulations. Proud and happy for you.

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Osvaldo Oyola

October 8, 2014

Fantastic Post!

And congrats on the achievement. I am fascinated by collecting (and part of my scholarly work is shaped by various notions of collecting with comics being a big part of that because. . .well, because of a lot of reasons I won’t go into here, but leave it at because of the way narratives overlap between industry, artifact and collector) and plan to go back and read some of your early posts that you put down because they sound interesting to me. I love that minutiae, even if my own relation to collecting is very different (I have small projects I undertake).

Anyway, I think despite having all these issues you are in a way continuing to “chase Amazing” because it has moved far beyond the literal meaning.

All best!

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Tom

October 8, 2014

Many congrats, my friend. I know how much this has meant to you. I can’t wait to see what CA becomes.

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Osvaldo Oyola

October 8, 2014

Did my post disappear?

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Mark Ginocchio

October 9, 2014

I can still see it…

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Chris W.

October 8, 2014

Congrats! I remember having similar feelings when I completed my run of Amazing. After the initial euphoria wore off, I was kind of lost for a while, not sure what to pursue next. I eventually would up picking up the various annuals I was missing and lately have focused on collecting early Silver/Bronze age Spidey appearances in other titles. Once that’s done I might think about working on a run of Spectacular Spider-Man. Only 263 of those to pick up!

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Danbbqman

October 8, 2014

Wow-Way to go! I discovered this site a little over a year ago. Thanks for the entertaining articles and the fun of following the end of your chase.
i hope this does not mean the end of “Chasing Amazing” or your wonderful Podcast with the unusually long name

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Mark Ginocchio

October 9, 2014

Since so many of you came on here to offer your congrats, let me just give a blanket thank you to all of you for cheering me and the site on. This has been a blast, and yes, despite the ominous tone at the end of the post, I’ll still be writing this blog, certainly for the foreseeable future.

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Jamie

October 11, 2014

I definitely know that feeling. I was the same way when I finally finished my Uncanny x-men run a few years ago.

I wonder if you will look for higher grade issues now or just stop? I am looking at higher grades and sell my lower grades to offset the costs. As well as finish other series runs.

Iron man 1-55 Daredevil 1-20 Fantastic Four 1-50

It’s an amazing time to be a buyer right now, prices are very reasonable and thanks to grading the guess work is taken out of it.

Congrats on finishing such an important run.

Now begs the question, Are you going to track down Amazing Fantasy 15?

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Austin Gorton

October 13, 2014

Congrats Mark! It’s a hell of an accomplishment, and though I’ve only recently discovered your site, I’ve enjoyed reading along with your chase. I’m on a similar quest to complete a run of X-Men, and hope to someday know your feeling of accomplishment.

Good to hear that even though your chase is over your writing isn’t. Keep up the good work!

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snowkatt

October 13, 2014

congratulations

its amazing to think that you managed to get all of them all 700
its one amazing ( pun not intented ) achievement

i do hope you will read all of them ( in order )

and that in due time you will snap a few pictures show casing all 700

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