It's impressive that you're able to cater so perfectly to your own tastes.

There's only a few Omnibus volumes that, if given the chance to do over, I don't think I would have purchased.
Mainly, like you, I'm getting them as shelf candy (although I am sadly lacking in shelves) since I have most of
the original issues. Mostly I am just getting the Marvel Silver and Bronze Age hero stuff I had as a kid.

I wish the O'Neil/Cowan Question was available in trades instead of just Omnibus format. They are too big for comfortable reading (at least for me).

The completeness bug causes many fans to have a bunch of stuff even they don't genuinely love, and it reduces the "potency" of the shelf candy. My shelf is one that would make anyone go "ooh, interesting cavalcade of awesomeness, I wish to learn more about you and subscribe to your newsletter."

The potency of the shelf candy would be a great blurb.

I basically collect 95% of the comics I’ve collected because of the artwork. So a few years back, I decided to collect most of George Perez‘s first avengers run from the 70s. I’m also a massive Bronze Age John Byrne fan, so I decided to collect his issues along the way as well.

I finally got around to reading some of them a few weeks back, and then a funny thing happened. I started really getting into the stories. And, of course, there’s nothing more annoying than ending an issue, and not knowing how the plot would resolve.

So I decided to go ahead and collect the full run of stories from Avengers #140, an issue before George started, and #202, the last issue he did until he rebooted the book with Kurt Busiek. I did end up having to compromise on the two key issues in this run, the first appearance of Hellcat and the first appearance of the Taskmaster. Luckily, both have been re-printed as true believers, so I can still enjoy the full stories. Unfortunately, Avengers Annual #10 is the first appearance of rogue, so that one lies beyond my grasp — but I do have a copy of that True Believers on order, so it’s all good.

But man, just looking at these covers, what an amazing run. What a great era for the title!

I had all those comics!

Your run pretty much matches my collection of Avengers when I started actively collecting the series off the newsstand (I actually started around # 130, and jumped off around issue 200). I really love most of that run.
Also, Avengers Annual # 7 is one of my favorite comics of all time! Starlin's art and story are at a peak here.

Unfortunately, distribution being as spotty as it was in those days, it was about three years before I found a copy of Marvel Two-In-One Annual # 2, the conclusion to Starlin's epic. It's a more worn looking book than the stuff I bought off the rack (even then I tried to keep everything mint!) but I was so happy to finally get a copy!

IIRC, that bottom right Avengers annual is a rare Marvel art job by Don Newton.

Why didn’t you sell them to me and save me the time?

Yep. So many years I went without conclusions to certain issues back them.

I actually have #133 and debated starting with #130, but decided that I’d stay closer the Perez content that got this train rolling.

Originally, that was my plan — I looked at the holes in my run and figured I’d simulate the kid years of random issues missing. But then I got to the end of #143 and had to know how it resolved!

My first newsstand issue was #161. I eventually purchased everything back to #100.
There is a slight lull after #200, but picks up again once Roger gets involved.

It really was one of the best eras for stories. I think it was the perfect balance between not too hokey, but still with the childlike sense of adventure. Before that era, it feels a little more old-fashioned than optimal for me. After that era it feels a little darker or more infected by Fanboy continuity for my taste.

I think mine was 154 (Vison vs Attuma on the cover), but I'm not sure.

I know my first FF issue was this one, also drawn by Perez. I asked my grandmother for it when I was six years old because that Thing character looked so cool.

It was the suck.
Missed out on most of Miller Daredevil, and Simonson Thor, and there was a 6 month period where I think I saw 2 issues of Uncanny X-Men.

The first comic I ever bought 2 copies of was X-Men #137.
I bought it, read it, and immediately went back and bought another copy.
I still have it.

I don't think I even saw an issue of X-Men until Paul Smith was drawing it. The only new X-Men I saw before then was their cameo in Marvel Team-Up 53 (I remember not knowing who these characters were, but that Storm's cape was super cool.)

My first Miller Daredevil was the first Miller Daredevil (Deathstalker cover), but I missed out on both the first appearance and death of Elektra.

As I get older, the cornyness is a feature, not a bug.