20 Ways Sneakerheads Are Like Comic Book Collectors

Image via Complex Original

Like most collectors, when we buy something, we want it to be as close to new as possible. For a sneakerhead, that means its needs to be deadstock or as some people put it, VVVVNDS. For a comic book collector, that first issue needs to be "mint condition" or we don't want it.

We seem to all get to the point when we decide that we will not be buying any more. We have enough. However, we know it is just a front. A month, a week, sometimes even a day later, we are back at the store picking up "the last one" all over again. We should probably just be honest with ourselves.

You hear it all the time. "Those are beautiful," or "those are gorgeous." Either way, sneakerheads and comic book collectors treat their collections less like mass-produced products and more like precious works of art. I can't tell you how many times people have called the Air Jordan 11 a piece of art.

OK, so maybe we don't have to go to feel "normal," but there is something about getting together with the other "weirdos" that share our passion. Whether it's Dunkxchange, Sneakercon or Comic Con, both sneakerheads and comic book collectors are known to travel many miles to get together with fellow collectors.

We call it "doubling up". We buy two just so we can use one and keep the other in "mint condition". Only problem is that even with so many re-issues and retros, we don't need to worry about it anymore.

"So these I copped at a small spot over on Wilshire. No one even knows about it. They are the fifth generation of the LeBron signature series. " "That's awesome. Can I install your cable now?"

Whats that? You don't do that? What about that pair of LeBron 10 Elites with Nike+? Exactly. You haven't touched a basketball court since you were in PE. Same goes for you, mister I need another bust of Spawn.

We may turn our noses up at a guy in an Iron Man Cos-Play outfit, but if we are honest, we look just as bad when we hit the court with that No. 23 Jordan jersey and those Air Jordan 11s. #realtalk

When you have to pay money to pay money, that is generally a bad sign. Let me explain. Your collection has grown so big that you have to go out and rent a storage unit in order to keep it out of the house. Now you are paying money every month - in addition to the shoes you are buying - in order to keep the collection growing. Yeah...you might want to sell some of those.

Most people approach the process of camping out for a release from an economic standpoint, but they usually fail to account for the social value. After spending a day or so waiting in line, we often come across other like-minded individuals who turn out to be really cool people in real life. That doesn't even account for the people we meet via Twitter and Instagram.

There is always that one comic or that one shoe that you have not been able to find. You've spent late nights on eBay, Craigslist, and in the Nike Talk forums trying to find a pair. I wasn't going to say anything, but you even took Mandarin so that you could search Sina Weibo with better efficiency.

The thing with collectors is that we easily get attached to our collections and it often clouds our judgement. Yes, I know that is the pair of shoes you wore when Kobe scored 81 points, but that means absolutely nothing to the guy that wants to buy them for you for more than they are worth. Let go. Besides, you were watching the game at home on TV like most of us anyway.

While some take to the stock market or to real estate, we take to shoes and comic books. So it is no wonder that keeping things in tip-top shape in order to maximize resale value is high on the list of things we do on the weekend. And excess humidity is always the enemy. More silica gel packets, please.

The fact that we know Tinker Hatfield's name is one thing, but the fact that we know his inspiration for every Air Jordan model he designed is another thing entirely. For us, the back story of how something we appreciate so much was created gives us greater insight into the design of the product and justifies our obsession with the details.

The appreciation we have for our respective fields is unparalleled. With that being said, it is often hard for those around us to fully understand the stories, themes, design behind our collections. Thats okay. As long as they keep giving me gift cards for the holidays I am all good. They don't have to understand.

As a collector, we feel a certain amount of urgency when a new release is upon us. Whether we actually need the shoe/issue or not, both comic book collectors and sneakerheads are there bright and early to get our hands on those new releases.

Shoes may not be as fragile as comic books, but doesn't stop us from keeping them both stacked neatly in specially made boxes that keep them safe from the elements. And if we are going to be really honest, it usually looks better than having them in their original boxes, and it makes finding the shoes we want to wear a lot easier.

Whether it's Tinker Hatfield or Todd McFarlane, there is something special about having something they created with their signature attached. Makes it more authentic if that makes any sense at all.

It starts off as a "quick look" for something that released last week. It ends up a four hour "work break" searching and pricing all the sneakers you wish you had in your collection and adding them to your watch list.

Despite all the perceived negativity around what we do, it is no different than a person who collects movies, or stamps, or baseball cards. We love what we do and take pride in the culture around it. So hats off to you comic book collectors, we do the same thing.