I believe everyone has a passion and when it comes to a hobby and what you do in your free time, I think its important for everyone to have one. Whether its playing a guitar, making model trains or collecting comic books. I love collecting and building my collection. I love going into comic shops and looking at all the long boxes and looking through them and seeing what I can find and add to my collection or going out to conventions and watching fellow collectors seeking out the best deals. I also love seeing books that are way out of my price range, but are immensely sought after, and just gawking at them in amazement. I remember when I first got into collecting and went to my first convention in my hometown, and saw an Avengers #4, the first appearance of Captain America in the Silver Age. It was incredible seeing that book and looking at a piece of comic book history.
I also believe everybody has knowledge. What I mean by that, is everyone is smart when it comes to something. I know facts and trivial things about Spider-Man, while on the flip side of that some one may be knowledgeable about hockey, and I have no clue. No one is stupid and can be a wealth of knowledge.
I'm often times asked why I love collecting or why I collect? Its hard to settle on one answer. I love the characters and being able to get a first appearance is exhilarating! Falling in love with a character and it becoming apart of your life is, I think the goal of every writer and artist who create. I love the stories and reading what happens. It like no other medium. You read an issue and are left on cliffhangers for the next month or just have single issues that are just wonderful.
It's said that hobbies helps to relieve stress by keeping you engaged in something you enjoy, they also give you a way to take your mind off the stresses of everyday life, and help you become more patient. From personal experience, I can attest to that. Hobbies are great and I'm glad I found comic book collecting. I've met great people and made new friends because of it and have gotten some fantastic books. So go pick up a hobby, no matter what it is, you won't be disappointed!
