I'm UncannyDerek, a Canadian comic book collector with a focus on trying to complete the entire run of Uncanny X-Men (#1-#544, including annuals)!
I've been collecting comic books for over twenty years and my goal with the channel is to share the hobby of comic book collecting with you all! From revealing books in my collecting to teaching you tips and tricks for what to look for when buying - there's a little bit of everything for everyone.
Follow along to see cool comic books, get honest opinions, and watch someone enjoy sharing his comic collecting hobby with you!
Subscribe to the channel and let's have some fun collecting!
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You keep gabbing on about comics of the Marvel type genre. Give the monsters and superheros a break, they become boring over time. There are other comic worlds to explore. How about delving into the genius of Robert Crumb during the Hippie era? Mr Natural, Zap comix, Weirdo, Fritz the Cat and a whole host of other Crumb creations. Also, The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Fat Freddy's Cat created by Gilbert Shelton. Plus a multitude of Underground comics by various artists. Don't you think all these deserve recognition on your platform?
Thanks for the feedback and for watching! You're right: those Comix do deserve their respect. However, they're not books I collect for me to showcase them on my channel.
@@UncannyDerekComics Fair enough :) I do enjoy watching your videos, thanks and cheers to you.
Thanks for the tag Derek! I’ll have it out this week! 🤙
My eyes are peeled! Looking forward to it!
Awesome picks and explanations as to why you regard them as undervalued. I figured I had your backing on the pre hero monsters. I got a comment that there was no desire for them. I wish that were the case so I could get them cheaper but people obviously love them lol. Strong work my friend!
Thank you, muchly! Whoever said there's no value in those books could not be more incorrect! Case-in-point: Us!
@@UncannyDerekComics haha right! I also look at census numbers and most are low and never show up for sale so that’s one indicator 🤷🏻♂️
That is a pretty awesome story! I'm going to have to check out that subreddit now!
Thank you for the support! I thought the story was pretty neat, too! 😉
Nicely done! I love that Tales of Suspense, you listed like 20 things that make it a Key! I also love seeing the Silver X-Men books. Nice job, man. Loved it!
Thank YOU for tagging me to help keep this insanity going!
Bought the tick collection. I loved the tick for the cartoon so it took a bit to get into it. But by the end of the volume it was closer to the show. Maybe psa will note hulk 180 as wolverines first appearance! Cool books! Thanks for the mention!! I’ll see what I can come up with! I did start a new weekly short going over my value ranking of my collection , but I’ll think about undervalued. Be a lot of DC!! Lol
I'd love to see it (both your video and PSA messing with the "industry standard" of first appearances)!
Hmm... pretty suspect that all these "undervalued" comics are already in your collection. 😉
Listen here, Joe. . .
Great list! I do like the X-Men #11 being under-rated, such an unusual 'silent' cover as well as the first appearance of the Stranger.
Thank you kindly! X-Men #11 has always been a favourite of mine and I dislike how often it gets overlooked as an early issue!
I think there are a lot of prototype or pre-appearces in the Strange Tales days. For instance, Tales of Suspense #16 is the first appearance of an Iron Man-type character (Metallo). Tales of Suspense #31 is the first appearance of Dr. Doom in the same way. I bet you could do a whole video on just that theme!
@@Gnatman78 Once I get a hold of those books - the world will be my oyster!
@@UncannyDerekComics hold my beer....
Yeah definitely envious of the Toxie issue. Funny enough I did get one of the certified one and yet some of the "lower" comics actually interested me more lmao
That was definitely one of the most exciting things about the Mystery Boxes! Some of those "lower" books were just too darn cool!
@UncannyDerekComics yeah I hope they do another sale. Lol It really was great seeing all the posts and happy comments from everyone. Though I am sort of shocked they did not do a MASSIVE turn in and CGC make it another pedigree label as they following is already a good size and would have just gotten bigger lol
@@Robert-00768 No foolin'. I would love a follow up for all of the grading - but that's still a major undertaking for Nat and Vinny to take on!
The covers of vol 1 and 2 of Red Sonja are excellent. Hell even nowadays Red Sonja books are usually great. I just missed out on a 9.8 signed jenny frison one last night in an auction. It sold for 50 cents more than my bid. I was trying to get it for a steal but shouldve went a few dollars more to be sure. Damn.
I agree about the Red Sonja books! Always great artwork! Sorry about missing out on the auction. Fifty cents. Yeesh!
Wish I knew about this! Great books!
Thanks for watching! Here's hoping the Garage re-opens one day and you can partake!
This is such a cool story! Amazing job shining a light on this.
Thank you kindly, Joe!
I had those metal shelves he has in his garage and those shelves suck. They do not hold much weight and won’t hold for long
Fortunately Vinny had the shelves supported with other boxes of comic books! ;-)
That is sadly true
This was an awesome story, Derek! I didn't know anything about this. Super cool! Loved the books you got in the Mystery Boxes. If it started back up, I would definitely grab one if available.
Thank you kindly! If anything ever comes of it, I'll be sure to let you know!
I hope Vinny lets me so it more. Tons and tons of work but also very fun!
Man, that was great to see! I miss the sub and sorting through the boxes. Hopefully Vinny will get back in the swing soon.
Thank you again for helping me out in the making of this!
Great story and nice to have a comic book that has strong ties to a beloved family member. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the kind words and for watching!
Man, right in the feels. My grandmothers all passed away when I was very young so I don't have any memories of them. This was touching to hear, thank you for sharing Derek.
Thank you, Brandon.
People are in denial
You're preaching to the choir! (Now only to get CGC to agree...)
I love this video and the story of this book. Awesome book. A Christmas Carol is my favorite Christmas story of all time. You can't put a price on sentiment.
Thank you for watching! You definitely can't put a price on sentiment.
We both managed to skip reading Wuthering Heights lol.
I should also mention that my comics collection started thanks to my uncle Mike, who would always send comics for Christmas. Watchmen, Camelot 3000, reprinted collections of Spider-Man, Avengers and X-Men. He was the best.
That's really sweet of him, Joe! Watchmen is definitely one heckuva book to get someone started with!
Y'know, I remember the Wuthering Heights movie ending around chapter 8 of the book - which is what I had read up to! Boy, was I ever disappointed!
That's awesome. Love the classics illustrated story. I saw a ton of those when I was in Vinny's Garage. At the time, I had no idea that those things existed. Imagine my surprise when I saw the Count of Monte Cristo and The Tale of Two Cities. Lol Also, oldest comic I saw was Little Orphan Annie, 1934.
It's incredible how many adaptations exist in comic book form - even today!
I don't have anything before the silver age. My oldest comic would probably be either Avengers #8 or Uncanny X-Men #14 or maybe Brave and the Bold #34.
Regardless of age, those are still some awesome books to own!
Congratulations 🎉 Just like you im also after an X-Men run. I'm still missing a few. Unfortunately they are big keys : X-Men #1, GSXM and Hulk 181. Got most everything else. Im still hopeful 👍
Thank you kindly! I'm missing GXM and 94 for the "big ones" as well. You could arguably add 4 to that list too... But I'm trucking along alright! Thanks for watching!
Congrats on the run completion! 🎉🎉🎉
Thank you kindly!
Crime DOES pay as long as you don't get caught! 👍
I'll use the book to learn from their mistakes... 👀
Fellow comictuber 👋
*Tips hat*
@@UncannyDerekComics 🙏
Preach that truth!!! Before 180 wolverine didn't exist, afterward he did, nuff said.
Absolutely. Your idea keeps it simple. I love it!
In my first Overstreet (#11) IH 180 was worth $12 and 181 and 182 were worth the same at $5.25. That was never the case on the street with 181 always going for more and it did flip in Overstreet after that year but I think a lot of dealers didn't even know about that last page in 180. My friend and I were X-Men nuts and I remember he, out of curiosity, popped open a 180 (from the back issues bins) in our LCS just to see that last page and saw Wolverine there and had this look OMG look on his face. I was bummed out so I picked up three of them at the next convention at a couple bucks each.
Lucky you! It's wild how the dynamic has changed with those books. I have always wondered how much CGCs labelling system affected collector's opinions on what makes a "first appearance" or "cameo appearance."
@@UncannyDerekComics Even though Overstreet noted the 1st App, it seemed like the community just regarded 181 as the first appearance long ago and just seems to want to hold on to that maybe because of the established value of the books. This whole "full/cameo" first appearance cracks me up. It's a full body head-to-toe appearance in that last panel 180. I can see the argument if the last panel was something like an arm shot with the claws extended or something like that as not really being seen as a 1st app but a full body shot seems like a full appearance to me.
You're preaching to the choir here!
Great video. These aren't just for new collectors, they're things even us old guys need to keep in mind when shopping. Very well presented. Loved it!
Thank you so much! I definitely have to refresh myself with these rules every so often too!
I think it’s too far along for cgc or anyone to change their minds but there are so many examples of this type of thing and nothing in place to fix it.
100%. It's wild how the "market dictated" some of these things especially when they're outright incorrect. Such is this hobby!
I posted the "first" appearance of Boba Fett as Star Wars #42. A lunch mob showed up and (at great length) explained to me the great extent to which I was mistaken.
There are definitely too many "rules" to this hobby - and none of them mean anything!
Call me crazy, but I think the first appearance of the Fantastic Four is Fantastic Four #1.
Now you're just trolling.
That X-men with Ka-zar is on my wishlist. You know what? You should randomly give away a comic once a month to people who post comments on your videos. And you can start by giving me that X-men #10! LOL!
I mean, that's a great advertising idea! Best I can do is quote you that Billy Madison line near the end of the movie where Billy gets eviscerated by the presenter.
Nice books!
Thank you kindly!
Congrats on obtaining a grail for your collection, and an amazing one at that! It's great that it presents well.
Thank you kindly for watching (and commenting!)
So glad you got a grail!
Now all I need is the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch and I'll be all set!
I have no idea why but the Blob is one of my favorite X-men villains. I'd love to get his first appearance some day.
You and me both, Sadus! One day!
I sold my tomb 12 a few months ago. I gotta get another. I should work on the full run. I already have 12, 15, and 16
By the way, I bet that book is a 1.5. You can get up to a 1.5 with a fully split spine.
@@manaout7769 Congrats on the 12, 15, and 16! Great books to have! I've seen CGC give 3.0s to detached covers for some Golden Age books but never ones that are split. A 1.5 sounds reasonable enough! I appreciate the insight and good luck with finishing the run! With 15 and 16, I think you have most of the hard work out of the way now! ;-)
Thank you that helped alot
Glad it helped! Thank you for watching!
Tip 11. Understand that each and every comic dealer paid pennies on the dollar for the books they are asking current fair market value on. Make low ball offers and go from there but never pay fmv on a big key because no dealer has. Tip 12. Not just fomo but beware of nostalgia and the poor decisions it can make you make. Its a very powerful thing. GI Joe and Transformers 1st series always tempt me to pull the trigger before i search for better prices for example.
Great additional tips. I think your Tip 12 and my tip on FOMO are really intertwined - emotions can get really high when buying comics. It's really important to check oneself before taking the dive into the hobby. Thank you for sharing your additional thoughts! I couldn't agree more!
I love videos like this. So many other channels show the same tired expensive books that everyone has or are after. I don't need to see hulk 181 for the thousandth time thanks. I much rather hear about hulk 150 so thanks. My favorite Hulk books are the 2 books with Dr Doom on the cover. I forger the numbers but they are great and I own them.
Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm aware how "repetitive" this hobby can be when it comes to some books. Me collecting X-Men certainly isn't unique in any way - but I'm trying to make this channel differentiate itself with videos like this one. I appreciate the comment! Thanks again!
Getting comics graded comes down to me, so I guess everyone can contact me if they want to know if they should slab their books.
In Joseph We Trust.
Great video dude! Solid tips!
Thank you kindly for watching!
Also agreed on needing patience! Every collector of anything needs this. I bought a few big books during pandemic. Will likely never get what I paid out. But they are books I love so unlikely I’ll be selling them. I really am looking hard for a gsx 1. X-men is way too hot right now! Considering where the hobby will be is very interesting! I have three kids. None really interested in collecting. They love reading trades but I doubt they would buy individual issues. Like you I’m a huge X-men fan but I know I will likely never fill in issues 1-20 or my missing asm. Still love it though!
I think we *all* overpaid for a book or two during the pandemic, unfortunately. Once I realized "the bubble" I pumped the brakes and said I'd be more cautious and patient. The internet is both a blessing and a curse with this hobby. It easily can create a FOMO attitude and it's important to see through the trees before you dive in.
@@UncannyDerekComicsyeah! Especially true going into con this weekend. Any seller that is way out of whack of eBay sales I’ll be skipping
@@tensixtythreecomics It's so important (and kind of obnoxious) that one has to do their research before they go to conventions for things like this. Such a cut-throat industry.
@@UncannyDerekComicswhat’s worse is when they won’t come down. I’ve bought books high and I don’t expect to make money. That’s the risk. If you bought high and now have to sell low, at least you are selling
Great video! Especially leading into the con this weekend! I think a great tip is to download the free version of clz. Used to let you have 500 books. This way you can scan the code and know the variant. Grading is interesting. With all the trades and facsimile versions you can grade your original to preserve it or grade to sell. I would love to be able to have all my comic covers as my appletv screen saver! Hey that’s me! I find for the most part instagram life is separate from KZread life!
Some days I forget CLZ is actually free to use! I've been subbed since I first got it and haven't looked back! And 100%, I feel Insta and YT are two separate beasts. Absolutely amazing how great the community is in both! Save for scammers, I haven't found any bad apples yet.
@@UncannyDerekComicsyeah I have to get my feet wet in the selling game but it’s hard being in Canada. I always just refine eBay search to items located in Canada unless I’m willing to basically pay double shipping. Trying to sort that out on selling side as most people will be in USA and don’t get the customs thing!
Great video! I can relate to the try before you buy. I bought Batman #181 the first appearance of Poison Ivy. It was missing the centerfold poster. That was on ebay and a lesson learned. Buy the book and not the grade is my philosophy. I've gotten a number of silver age key issues in low grade for pretty good prices.
Glad to see I'm not alone in some of these! I find checking the books first and THEN finding something wrong also raises a red flag for the dealer as a whole. That's crazy about Batman #181!
That Avengers Annual was a big spec book when it came out but only because we knew the X-Men were in it and anything those characters were in were "keys". No one even cared about Rogue or it being a first appearance. I never had a problem with the cover. It's an Annual so they wanted to differentiate it from the monthlies and showcase the loaded number of storylines which would have been tough to figure out how to illustrate if it were one splash.
You're totally right about trying to show how many stories were within. Does that make it a good cover? Ah, the subjective opinion that defines what makes art "good!"
@@UncannyDerekComics Certainly right from that angle. I'm assuming it's the multiple windows that people might not like as opposed to the actual drawing? The windows do make it a good cover as far as communication goes which is what good cover illustration is. It has to compel and drive sales. With the more interior layout style, it did stand out when grouped with about 50 other current titles on the stand/wall. The, kind of, loaded clutter (lol) was also communicating that you're getting your money's worth as the annuals were more expensive so they had to justify that added expense. Standing alone, it's not effective as a bolder image which is like what movie poster art is about as those have to stand out from something like 20 yards away or whatever that formula was. But, on the rack, we're looking at the books from a few feet and, with this one, the thing that drove the sales were the X-Men so the more of the team they showed the better but you wouldn't dominate that small space with them because it wasn't their title. Now if you ask me about the actual drawing, I wasn't as impressed with that. Golden was a hot new(er) artist at the time and I loved his Micronauts work but thought the figures on this cover were kind of chunky and stiff looking but maybe that thick line work was for easier color separation/registration when printing or something like that.
I agree with all of your points. The drawing in of itself is fine - it's the windows: the busy looking cover is arguably the issue. But from a marketing perspective, your points are spot-on. It's definitely a unique book which would stand out on a spinner rack.
chill video
Thank you for watching!
Such a great interview! Matt is an incredible artist, and hearing about his trials and tribulations is super interesting.
They really are! It was definitely interesting to talk to him in a more professional manner than how we're used to.
All great books! Did not know about that Hulk story. May be worth tracking down. Do you collect Xenozoic Tales? It's the comic that Cadillacs and Dinosaurs evolved from before the name change. Both are from the underrated Marc Schultz. The 1st appearance is in Death Rattle #8 I believe from Kitchen Sink Comix.
Thanks for the comment! I do not collect Xenozoic Tales and unfortunately I've never seen it out in the wild. I know those books go for a pretty penny. And yes, Schultz is an underrated gem!
I got my Avengers 10 signed by Michael Golden and he was a jerk. Anyone can have a bad day but he was rude to fans, put down the industry, get off my lawn vibes. Real bummer
If you haven't seen my "Should you get your Comic Books Signed?" video, I sort of had a dismissive encounter with Claremont (complete with photo!). I've encountered many artists and writers who have bad things to say about the industry. It's unfortunate, but yeah, as fans we just have to deal with the hand we are dealt.