As for the part of my collection I treasure the most, it would be the Kirby 1970-1976 DC work, that were the first titles I sought out as a serious comics collector when I turned 16 and purchased my first car.
I actually pre-meditated the comic shop I wanted to go to and seek out the back issues, before I even purchased a car, a place called STARSHIP ENTERPRISES in Fort Lauderdale, owned by Kurt Goldzung and another guy named Vince, that used to sponsor re-runs of Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits on Channel 51, hosted by a likeable heavy-set guy with long dark hair and glasses named Dave Dixon.
After 1984, Kurt Goldzung closed his shop and moved to Chicago to be the sales director for First Comics. I didn't see him again until I ran into him at the 1987 San Diego Comic Con.

As soon as I had a car, I immediately tracked their comic store down, and bought complete runs of KAMANDI, THE DEMON, OMAC, and also WARLORD (I was big into Grell at the time, Kirby was a revived favorite from years past).
Very soon after, the Kirby fever continued, and I sought out JIMMY OLSEN, FOREVER PEOPLE, NEW GODS, MISTER MIRACLE, and WEIRD MYSTERY 1, 2 and 3. I already had his FIRST ISSUE SPECIAL and SANDMAN issues.

I guess because these were the issues I first completed my runs of, series that I hungered for years from 1972-1979 to eventually have a complete run of, they'll always be the ones I treasure the most.

Soon after, I expanded into a complete run of Neal Adams' DC books, and then expanded into HOUSE OF MYSTERY and other DC mystery titles.

An unexpected treat when I got the Neal Adams STRANGE ADVENTURES/ Deadman issues, issue 213 is signed by Neal Adams on the centerfold.



It was a Good/VG copy when I got it at Miamicon, and it was only when years later I got a mint copy, I saw that it didn't have the same signature on the centerfold, and I first realized the rare signed issue I had! Probably signed many years before at one of the earliest conventions. And passed through multiple owners and manhandling after that. I purchased it in 1979.

When I got it, it was still only 10 years after Adams' rise to fame with Deadman. Hard to believe it's now 50 years ago in comics history.