All pictures are from the Instagram user comics_I_gatheredMany of us collectors love certain teams or characters. So much so that we collect everything about them. Take me for example, I LOVE Red Hood. So I have pretty much every key book of his after the retconned story. Sorry I didn’t like how he had a similar background to Dick Grayson. But now that I have all of the keys, am I done? Seems like I am not! After speaking to another collector on Instagram who goes by the name Comics_I_gathered, I have come to find out about a whole new way of collecting. To find out more, let us take a trip to some foreign lands.
Foreign Editions
This collector is a huge fan of Amazing Spider-Man #252. To the point that he even has an extensive collection of every edition he could grab. Prior to talking to him, I knew of Foreign “prints”, but he corrected me. Foreign books are called editions not prints. They are the exact book as the ones sold here in the U.S. but just obviously in another language. Of course, this is a more niche way of collecting, but when you are a fan you are a fan. Fun Fact, besides the regular terms we use such as rare, and scarce, foreign collectors use some other ones. Two that he explained are “Ghost” for those that are almost impossible to find, and “Monster” for the ones that are very rare.
How to Find Foreign Editions
This is a little difficult. According to the collector, books from Italy and Spain are easy to find. Not only are there many printed copies of them, but it is easy to get ahold of other collectors who are willing to sell them to others. However, this is not the case with every country. For example, a Slovakian Edition is nearly impossible to find, making it a Ghost. He states that including himself, there are only 3 collectors known to own a copy. Slovakia does not have websites that allow others to search and purchase these rare books. In addition, many people from various countries, states, or provinces (depending on where you are from) do not wish to see their editions leaving the place of origin. One such example is Quebec, where he is from, also citing Poland to be the same.
Here are some of the countries where it is rare to find the editions of (in no particular order): Africa, Iceland, Slovakia, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Philippines, and Croatia. It also depends on the book that you are searching for as well. If the book is already rare, to begin with, finding one in a foreign edition will be even rarer.
Values of Other Countries' Editions
I know many will be wondering this: what are foreign editions worth or what is the cost to own one? Well, simply put, it depends on what you are willing to pay for them. Obviously, the ones that are harder to find will cost you a little extra. He states that the rarest one he has for Spiderman #252 is the Slovakian one. Prices for it could range around $400-$500. That’s just for a regular copy. The American Edition at a 9.8 still supersedes it with an FMV of $800 currently. However, he states that he has been seeing a spike in the values every year.
Bottom Line on Collecting in Foreign Lands
Personally, I think it would be cool to have a set of books that span the world. Even the collector, Comics_I_gathered, states that collecting foreign editions is an addictive niche. It is like falling down a rabbit hole in which one never comes out. Plus you have the chance of owning an edition of a book that no other collector may ever own. Although it takes a certain type of collector to jump into this field, it is one that has sparked my interest. What do you think about this? Think it is worth a shot? Let me know below what you think and feel free to ask any questions. If I can’t answer it, I will be sure to find the answer for you.
Till Next Time, Happy Hunting!
Hasta la próxima, feliz caza!
Tot die volgende keer, gelukkige jag!
Do budúceho š?astného lovu!
(Translated through the help of Google Translate)
