The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
01-29-23, 01:58 PM
#1
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The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
Stealing this idea from the Classics Comics Forum:
I’m your dad. I’m giving you an allowance of 50 cents to spend on comics. You can’t go over, or save any amount for next month. These are for your personal pleasure and not for selling/investment. Below is a link to everything on the newsstand; it’s August 1961.
What do you buy this month? I’ll try to remember to update this every month if the idea gets multiple responses.
Mike's Amazing World of Comics - August 1961
I’m your dad. I’m giving you an allowance of 50 cents to spend on comics. You can’t go over, or save any amount for next month. These are for your personal pleasure and not for selling/investment. Below is a link to everything on the newsstand; it’s August 1961.
What do you buy this month? I’ll try to remember to update this every month if the idea gets multiple responses.
Mike's Amazing World of Comics - August 1961
01-29-23, 02:51 PM
#2
DVD Talk Hero
Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
Superboy #92
Superman #148
House of Mystery #115
Action Comics #281
Justice League of America #7
I wanted Tom & Jerry or Woody Woodpecker but they were a whole 15 cents, busting my allowance. I see that new book from Timely called Fantastic Four, but it's not on my radar yet. Maybe if I hear good buzz about it, I'll get it next month.
Superman #148
House of Mystery #115
Action Comics #281
Justice League of America #7
I wanted Tom & Jerry or Woody Woodpecker but they were a whole 15 cents, busting my allowance. I see that new book from Timely called Fantastic Four, but it's not on my radar yet. Maybe if I hear good buzz about it, I'll get it next month.
01-29-23, 03:04 PM
#3
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Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
Amazing Adventures #6
Fantastic Four #1
Journey Into Mystery #73
Sad Sack #123
Strange Tales #90
Love Kirby, love monsters, always loved Sad Sack.
Will probably shoplift several other titles, too.
Fantastic Four #1
Journey Into Mystery #73
Sad Sack #123
Strange Tales #90
Love Kirby, love monsters, always loved Sad Sack.
Will probably shoplift several other titles, too.
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John Pannozzi (01-30-23)
01-30-23, 02:04 PM
#4
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Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
Guess there are a lot of ways to answer this question.
Picking the most valuable ones currently seems pointless since it’d be pretty much the same answer for everyone.
A few of us were alive then, and could answer with what we actually or probably bought.
We could set ourselves as 5 or 20 or whatever and pick what books we would have wanted then.
What I thought would be fun is to build a library together, what books do you want in your reading library right now, as if you’re starting your collection from scratch.
But I know it’s silly to try to impose a specific way to answer on others. Just seems like a fun ongoing thread where I found it, and might be fun here too.
Picking the most valuable ones currently seems pointless since it’d be pretty much the same answer for everyone.
A few of us were alive then, and could answer with what we actually or probably bought.
We could set ourselves as 5 or 20 or whatever and pick what books we would have wanted then.
What I thought would be fun is to build a library together, what books do you want in your reading library right now, as if you’re starting your collection from scratch.
But I know it’s silly to try to impose a specific way to answer on others. Just seems like a fun ongoing thread where I found it, and might be fun here too.
01-30-23, 02:50 PM
#5
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Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
Originally Posted by Trevor
Guess there are a lot of ways to answer this question.
Picking the most valuable ones currently seems pointless since it’d be pretty much the same answer for everyone.
A few of us were alive then, and could answer with what we actually or probably bought.
We could set ourselves as 5 or 20 or whatever and pick what books we would have wanted then.
What I thought would be fun is to build a library together, what books do you want in your reading library right now, as if you’re starting your collection from scratch.
But I know it’s silly to try to impose a specific way to answer on others. Just seems like a fun ongoing thread where I found it, and might be fun here too.
Picking the most valuable ones currently seems pointless since it’d be pretty much the same answer for everyone.
A few of us were alive then, and could answer with what we actually or probably bought.
We could set ourselves as 5 or 20 or whatever and pick what books we would have wanted then.
What I thought would be fun is to build a library together, what books do you want in your reading library right now, as if you’re starting your collection from scratch.
But I know it’s silly to try to impose a specific way to answer on others. Just seems like a fun ongoing thread where I found it, and might be fun here too.
If I were getting allowance from a parent to buy some comics, no way would I be thinking about building a library with a bunch of weird old dudes on the internet! 
01-30-23, 02:55 PM
#6
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Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
Originally Posted by Kurt D
I took the 'allowance from dad' suggestion to heart. If I were getting allowance from a parent to buy some comics, no way would I be thinking about building a library with a bunch of weird old dudes on the internet!
If I were getting allowance from a parent to buy some comics, no way would I be thinking about building a library with a bunch of weird old dudes on the internet! Except for Jan back in 1972, and we don’t talk about that comic stealing jerk.
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L. Ron zyzzle (01-30-23)
01-30-23, 02:55 PM
#7
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
Kinda depends on how old I am at that point.
When I was younger I bought stuff like Daffy Duck and Donald Duck, and also Archie stuff, so probably those. Into my teens I'd shift towards the Superman/Batman stuff.
When I was younger I bought stuff like Daffy Duck and Donald Duck, and also Archie stuff, so probably those. Into my teens I'd shift towards the Superman/Batman stuff.
01-30-23, 03:05 PM
#8
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Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
Originally Posted by Trevor
True. But I didn’t mean together together. Like, completely separate libraries but listing the additions here. Sadly, I’ve never really had a local comic book friend to share books with.
Except for Jan back in 1972, and we don’t talk about that comic stealing jerk.
Except for Jan back in 1972, and we don’t talk about that comic stealing jerk.
FWIW my selections work both as a kid and currently ...
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Trevor (01-30-23)
01-31-23, 10:20 AM
#10
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Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
I’m buying:
Sugar & Spike #37 - beginning my holiday issue collection with this Halloween issue
Fantastic Four #1 - not a huge FF fan, but it’s fun
Brave and the Bold #38 - that cover brings me in, plus I like anthology/try-out books
Harvey Hits #50 - starting my anniversary issue collection here
My Greatest Adventure #60 - very tough choice amongst all the anthology titles
Sugar & Spike #37 - beginning my holiday issue collection with this Halloween issue
Fantastic Four #1 - not a huge FF fan, but it’s fun
Brave and the Bold #38 - that cover brings me in, plus I like anthology/try-out books
Harvey Hits #50 - starting my anniversary issue collection here
My Greatest Adventure #60 - very tough choice amongst all the anthology titles
01-31-23, 01:29 PM
#11
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
Oh this is a great thread idea. Unfortunately this is before the Marvel age so there isn't much for me.
Fantastic Four #1
Strange Tales #90
Brave and The Bold $38 (Suicide Squad!)
Patsy Walker #97 (Maybe)
The Flintstones #2 (that cover would've grabbed me)
Fantastic Four #1
Strange Tales #90
Brave and The Bold $38 (Suicide Squad!)
Patsy Walker #97 (Maybe)
The Flintstones #2 (that cover would've grabbed me)
01-31-23, 05:10 PM
#12
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Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
From the August 61 selections I'd have gotten Famous Monsters and Tales of the Unexpected. That's .45 cents plus tax
When I started as a kid in 1965 I was influenced by cover art. Slowly I developed favorites that would take priority. Fantastic Four always came first.
My very first batch in fall of 1965, chosen with complete ignorance at age 7.
Fantastic Four #45
Journey Into Mystery(Thor) #121
Tales To Astonish (Hulk/Sub-Mariner) #73
Mystery in Space (Adam Strange) #102
50 cents even with tax.
When I started as a kid in 1965 I was influenced by cover art. Slowly I developed favorites that would take priority. Fantastic Four always came first.
My very first batch in fall of 1965, chosen with complete ignorance at age 7.
Fantastic Four #45
Journey Into Mystery(Thor) #121
Tales To Astonish (Hulk/Sub-Mariner) #73
Mystery in Space (Adam Strange) #102
50 cents even with tax.
Last edited by rw2516; 01-31-23 at 05:19 PM.
02-01-23, 07:48 AM
#13
DVD Talk Hero
Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
Originally Posted by Trevor
A few of us were alive then, and could answer with what we actually or probably bought.
We could set ourselves as 5 or 20 or whatever and pick what books we would have wanted then.
What I thought would be fun is to build a library together, what books do you want in your reading library right now, as if you’re starting your collection from scratch.
By the way, Mike's Amazing World of Comics is an interesting site. Does Mike have the comics grouped by actual on-sale date, or just by the dates on the covers? Because I remember in the 1980s when I started buying comics that the dates on the cover were off by about six months.
But I know it’s silly to try to impose a specific way to answer on others. Just seems like a fun ongoing thread where I found it, and might be fun here too.
We could set ourselves as 5 or 20 or whatever and pick what books we would have wanted then.
What I thought would be fun is to build a library together, what books do you want in your reading library right now, as if you’re starting your collection from scratch.
By the way, Mike's Amazing World of Comics is an interesting site. Does Mike have the comics grouped by actual on-sale date, or just by the dates on the covers? Because I remember in the 1980s when I started buying comics that the dates on the cover were off by about six months.
But I know it’s silly to try to impose a specific way to answer on others. Just seems like a fun ongoing thread where I found it, and might be fun here too.
If it's going to be run for years, then it's going to become really difficult to narrow down the choices to fifty cents by the time the "Marvel Age" kicks in and there's going to be a lot of picking and choosing. And also, if this is done as a childhood exercise, interests and tastes will evolve rapidly.
Looking at that list, of course now everyone is going to grab Fantastic Four #1, knowing what we know. But back in 1961 it was just another title on the newsstand, and something new unfamiliar, to boot. And nobody knew who Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were, so that would probably have been overlooked by a lot of kids in 1961.
02-01-23, 10:13 AM
#14
Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
Originally Posted by rw2516
From the August 61 selections I'd have gotten Famous Monsters and Tales of the Unexpected.
Then again, depending on my age I might've blown half the money on the 80 page Betty and Veronica at the Beach book (hoping for lots of swimsuit drawings).
Even when adjusting for inflation ($0.50 in 1961 is about $5 today), it's sad how much more you could get for your money with comics then. 5 "regular" books then ... 1 today
And that's been a trend for some time now.
02-01-23, 06:17 PM
#15
DVD Talk Hero
Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
Originally Posted by brainee
As a big fan of old-school horror movies (and Vincent Price was/is one of my all-time favorites), that Famous Monsters issues would've been pretty irresistible to me too. And I subscribed to a few sci-fi/fantasy magazines as a kid so one of those anthologies books would've been it for me too (hard to say which one).
Then again, depending on my age I might've blown half the money on the 80 page Betty and Veronica at the Beach book (hoping for lots of swimsuit drawings).
Even when adjusting for inflation ($0.50 in 1961 is about $5 today), it's sad how much more you could get for your money with comics then. 5 "regular" books then ... 1 today And that's been a trend for some time now.
Then again, depending on my age I might've blown half the money on the 80 page Betty and Veronica at the Beach book (hoping for lots of swimsuit drawings).
Even when adjusting for inflation ($0.50 in 1961 is about $5 today), it's sad how much more you could get for your money with comics then. 5 "regular" books then ... 1 today
And that's been a trend for some time now.
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The Spectre (02-03-23)
02-03-23, 04:02 PM
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Re: The “Spend Your Allowance” Game
Based on my tastes at around 10 years old, and those covers, it would probably be:
FF #1 (even not knowing then what I do now, that cover definitely would have intrigued me, plus it was a #1 so I wouldn't have to worry about being dropped in the middle of a multi-issue story)
Batman #143 (Bats fighting a giant insect creature? Yes please!)
Journey into Mystery #73 (love that spider creature!)
Reptilicus #2 (not exactly Godzilla, but cool enough!)
WDC&S #243 (need my Carl Barks Donald Duck fix! Even as a kid, without knowing who he was, I always thought the Barks duck stories were far superior to other funny animal comics)
I would have spent the whole 50 cents on a Playboy if I could have gotten away with it.
FF #1 (even not knowing then what I do now, that cover definitely would have intrigued me, plus it was a #1 so I wouldn't have to worry about being dropped in the middle of a multi-issue story)
Batman #143 (Bats fighting a giant insect creature? Yes please!)
Journey into Mystery #73 (love that spider creature!)
Reptilicus #2 (not exactly Godzilla, but cool enough!)
WDC&S #243 (need my Carl Barks Donald Duck fix! Even as a kid, without knowing who he was, I always thought the Barks duck stories were far superior to other funny animal comics)
I would have spent the whole 50 cents on a Playboy if I could have gotten away with it.
