Batman Stuff You'd Hate To Part With...

[AndyFish]

Some more stuff;
The 18" Neca figure which thanks to a great boardie here now sports a cloth costume;



The also 18" Tonner Batman Adam West, there's a toy charm to this one;



1966 Lego Japan Batman Ceramic Bank-- really dig this;



All right, this is why I have so much stuff!

[dodgr31]

The Pin is a lot of fun. I wanted to get a new set of duds for my Neca batman,but couldnt remember the guy who was making them. That was a while back

[SteveA]

I would have to say I would get rid of nothing in my collection unless I had up graded. I would sell off any duplicates. I love all my collectibles, my Captain Action mint Batman costume in a duplicate box, My comics, photos, I have many original negatives and transparencies and posters and lobby cards. I have many games , toys, and action figures.
And probably my most prized collectible my screen used Batarang I bought from Burt Ward when
I did a show with him in '97. It seems to be the one well used by Both Adam and Burt in publicity photos.
I do think it was used at least once in an episode also.
That's my friend Randy posing with Burt and the Batarang.

[John Mack]

May you guys never get hungry enough to have to sell your stuff. I unfortunately found out that my Batstuff didn't taste very good with ketchup on it.

[AndyFish]

I feel your pain, John. A lot of us have been there. In the end, they are all just things. I photographed a lot of what I got rid of (all vintage stuff) during my lowest point-- having great photos made letting the stuff go much easier. Then Chip Kidd's book came along and that took care of a lot of things I'd wanted.

Anyone remember GDog? He was a fixture here for many many years, and a great guy to boot. He up and decided to get rid of his collection one day and never looked back. I still miss having him around.

[John Mack]

I, of course remember GDog. You couldn't find a nicer guy in a day's walk. Joe Deseris (sp) I believe had to sell due to his father's health, or so the story goes. Anyway, cool stuff. Had it all (except the newer stuff) love seeing the stuff and the enjoyment it brings. And I agree with you Andy. Pictures of the things helps an awful lot.

[SteveA]

I've heard so many stories of great collections having to be sold, I thank the good Lord that so far it has not happened to me. It might someday. The thought of letting go of the things you worked, saved and sacrificed so much for, gone. The friends you've made while collecting, and the people/ celebrities you have met. So many memories tied in to those wonderful items. I agree in some ways photos do help. I've made posters of some of my favorite comics and just looking at them eases a bad day and calms me. Many a time I've just gone to my collectible room and sat among them and loose myself in nostalgia and memories.
Here's Hopping we never have to face It.

[AndyFish]

Many many years ago I was going through a pretty dark period financially and had to sell some things I thought I'd never sell. One of them was extremely hard to come by-- a virtual one of a kind item. I'd sold it to a collector in another country for a very good price. We kept in touch for a while talking vintage Batman and then we lost track of each other.

The years pass and I get a note from his wife saying that the collector had passed away but had left instructions that this item (which they family didn't want or care about it's value) was to be willed back to me, on the condition that I never sell it.

To say I was touched is a vast understatement. The item arrived the other day and it's proudly back in my studio. There will never be a temptation to resell it because I already did that once, and this is a gift. That makes all the difference.

An extremely nice gesture and my thoughts are with him and his family.

[AndyFish]

The Pin is a lot of fun. I wanted to get a new set of duds for my Neca batman,but couldnt remember the guy who was making them. That was a while back

Hopefully if the board member see's your note they will chime in. It was a lot of work for them, and I don't know if they're still doing it, but here's hoping-- it really made a huge difference in the figure.

With the Hot Toys I thought Wally and company were crazy talking about replacing that suit with a Tony Mei suit but they were completely right-- the figure is even better, although everyone who knows I did it thinks I'm crazy.

[zarm106]

Batman stuff that I would never part with...
1. Hot Toys Batman and Robin 66
2. My picture with Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar taken at Denver Comic con 2014
3. Robin Funko pop signed by Burt Ward
4. My copy of Batman and Robin meet Green Hornet #1 signed by West and Ward
5. A copy of The Misadventures of Adam west signed by Adam West ordered via his website before he died.
6. A signed block of wood by Burt Ward with supporting picture
7. Book authored and signed by Julie Newmar
8. 1/18 scale Hot Wheels 66 Batmobile purchased from Toys r' Us

[John Mack]

Many many years ago I was going through a pretty dark period financially and had to sell some things I thought I'd never sell. One of them was extremely hard to come by-- a virtual one of a kind item. I'd sold it to a collector in another country for a very good price. We kept in touch for a while talking vintage Batman and then we lost track of each other.

The years pass and I get a note from his wife saying that the collector had passed away but had left instructions that this item (which they family didn't want or care about it's value) was to be willed back to me, on the condition that I never sell it.

To say I was touched is a vast understatement. The item arrived the other day and it's proudly back in my studio. There will never be a temptation to resell it because I already did that once, and this is a gift. That makes all the difference.

An extremely nice gesture and my thoughts are with him and his family.

I am extremely moved by this story! There may be hope for me yet.

[Lou Szabo]

If you are looking for more ideas, try this website - Chip Kidds book
https://read-comic.com/batman-collected-tpb-part-1/
https://read-comic.com/batman-collected-tpb-part-2/
https://read-comic.com/batman-collected-tpb-part-3/

[Therin of Andor]

Batman Tshirts by Ian McLean, on Flickr

These T-shirts, from 1983 and 1984, are teeny-tiny (was I ever a size “Medium”?). "Yes, Commissioner" and "Sure Thing, Batman". They are unlicensed, as so much “Batman ‘66” merchandise of that decade, bought from Paddy’s Markets, Sydney, Australia. I just whitened them up again with Napisan Vanish. Contemplating turning them into scatter cushions because I cannot throw them out or pass them on.

[SprangFan]

The years pass and I get a note from his wife saying that the collector had passed away but had left instructions that this item (which they family didn't want or care about it's value) was to be willed back to me, on the condition that I never sell it.

That is a beautiful story.

For a while, I was really into old pulp magazines -- The Spider, Doc Savage, Operator 5 and the like -- and I learned that the pulp collecting community is very tight, and fraternal. A lot of collectors view themselves more or less as archivists, custodians of these rare and crumbling old treasures, and they've written wills that include instructions for how to distribute their books among fellow collectors they've met and befriended along the way, people they know will cherish -- and care for -- the books as they would have themselves. I thought that was awesome, and frankly the opposite of a lot of "whoever dies with the most valuable collection wins" attitude I often get from comic collectors.

On the darker side, years ago an elderly lady called to say she wanted to donate some of her late husband's possessions to our church, and I went over to collect them. The late gentleman had an impressive set of movie-making gear -- Super 8 and 16mm -- and a collection of films he'd made over his lifetime. The cameras, title kits, lights, etc went in a box, but when the widow got to the films, she said, "Well, you could re-use the reels, but you wouldn't care about these old films." So for each reel, she put a pencil through the center hole and spun the film off into a wastebasket. I'm still horrified just thinking about it. She may have been right and the subject matter wouldn't have interested anyone else, but who knows. Anyway, I pictured all the countless hours the guy had put into shooting and editing those films, even creating hand-made title slates with that cool kit, all with hopes of preserving memories of his life, and there they were all piling up in that wastebasket.

I learned from that to cherish the things that make me happy but to value people and experiences over possessions. Because someday we'll all be gone, and what was treasure to us will be disposable clutter to somebody else. And that if you really, truly, value something and know there's someone, anyone else out there in the world who it'll make as happy as it did you, put it in your will, even if you do feel silly including toys and comics in a legal document. Bad enough to have to kick off, without having your best stuff hauled off to a landfill.

[Lounge lizard]

This is one of several items produced in Hanley, UK by a company called Washington in 1966.
Quite how it has survived in one piece over the ensuing 53 years..?