RCheli

An Amazing Spider-Man #1 appeared in Facebook Marketplace today: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2397596110511005 The original listing was for $50k (now since dropped to $10k). Our conversation went something like this: Me: If you're going to steal an image, at least get rid of the watermark. Him: Wow everyone is tough on Facebook if you didn’t want if then you could just @#$%@ off [he used a proper potty mouth word] Me: It's a $7k book that you're asking $50k and it's not even yours. I'm just saying if you're trying to rip someone off, you need to do a better job. I mean, really. He's doing it all wrong! You're supposed to offer the book for LESS than it's worth -- like $4k. Then, when some unsuspecting bozo sends you the money thinking they're getting a deal, you pocket the cash and they're left with nothing. And did he not notice the mycomicshop.com on the side?

Looks like Perez just canceled.

I used to order 50-cent comics from Chuck out of his ads in Marvel books in the 80s, and I was never disappointed. He would obviously rather sell fewer comics at a higher price than a lot of comics at a lower price. Which is fine.

Strange. The WalMart and the first print are the same cover, but the Walmart has a code 00140 and the standard cover has 00111. So the only way to tell them apart is that? (Here's an eBay listing for the original: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Symbiote-Spider-Man-Marvel-1A-2019-Land-Variant-NM-Stock-Image/362678453640)

This quote is apocryphal and if it was true, Jimmy Olsen was far from DC's lowest selling comic at the time. In Jimmy Olsen #136, reported sales in the statement of ownership was 333k (this was likely for an issue or two before Kirby came onto the title). The next issue with a statement of ownership was #147 had sales just under 300k (this was likely one of the first Kirby issues). I did a quick search and found that Green Lantern had a statement of ownership around the same time as JO #136, and their reported sales were 133k. Superman family titles were dropping in sales, yes. But they were still some of the highest selling titles that DC had.

I suspect this is the ideal. But if you're a big shop and have hundreds of subscribers, it can get tricky. It seems here there was some communication issues for sure, but I don't see this being malicious.

Right -- but when things change, it can be a problem. And most shops try and make sure the people who ordered the book first get it, but it isn't always that easy. I don't know how this shop is run, but a challenge to make sure everyone gets a hot book.

No shop is ordering 10 extra copies any more of a book that's up to #193. A book like Walking Dead, which likely had a pretty consistent sales record for the past couple of years might have 1 or 2 copies on the stand at most.

I never shop at Walmart, but I had to pick up something for the kid on Saturday and saw these at checkout. I picked up two of the Black Cats, one Thanos, and one Symbiote Spider-Man. My question for those in the know is -- the Black Cat and Thanos were new covers, but the Symbiote was not. It does have a different number in the UPC box (a 4 instead of a 1). I haven't had time to open them yet, but is the Symbiote a second print vs a variant cover?

I think, just to be safe, you should tell me where this pile of money is. And also, I think you should invite me over to dinner some time. How does after Hasbrouck Heights sound?

I would also try and figure out a business plan. If this is just a part-time job, it's a lot easier. But here are things to think about: 1) What types of comics do you like and want to sell? Like modern variants? Then sell modern variants. 2) Figure out where you're going to sell. Is it eBay, Facebook, Instagram, conventions, flea markets... 3) Start asking questions from other dealers. Some will be cagey -- but others will tell you how the find books. 4) Do you have the capital available to float books going to CGC? Remember, if you buy a book raw for $200 and you send that to get graded, you don't have that money to play around with. You buy five $200 books, that's a lot of money going to grading, shipping, cost of books, etc. 5) Learn how to grade. I'm not sure anyone can guarantee a 9.8 vs a 9.6, but you had better know the difference between a 3.0 and a 4.5. 6) Don't rip people off. If there's a small pile of books that are worth $200, don't offer $20. Your reputation follows you. 7) Learn that the vast majority of comics published in the past 30 years sell for around 50 cents each. I bought a long box of miscellaneous Batman comics yesterday and I pulled about 5 comics out of it that I won't put in my 50-cent bin.

I'll take the Atoman.

Yup. Here are the comic creators for the Seattle show this weekend: https://www.acecomiccon.com/events/seattle/creator-spotlight.html/ The Shamus brothers are trying to sell the Ace shows as different than Wizard, but I'm not so sure about that.

I've read this whole thread, and the one point that really gets to me is that the OP thought the books were overpriced. Where did he get that? From Overstreet? Ebay? PCH prices are going through the roof, and the price that was listed may very well be what current FMV is, but that could've escalated significantly even in the past year. At a show a couple of months ago, a guy set up who hadn't done anything in a couple of years and all his PCH was snatched up by a dealer at close to current guide prices because these books can sell consistently well at multiples of Overstreet. I am always more than happy to deal at shows, but there are a ton of factors. These include how much I paid for the book(s), how long I've had it for sale, whether it's hot or not, how the person is paying, how much they're buying, if they've bought from me in the past, and how much the offer from the buyer is.

How can you forget the pinup in Boris the Bear #5? It's pure magic!

This may be great for reducing the price of a booth, but it doesn't change who is actually attending customer-wise. I think there were 4 comic dealers at this year's WW Philly. (I didn't attend; a friend did, however, because he got a free pass.) And just as there weren't many dealers, there weren't that many people who went to the show who were looking for comics. So next year, they charge less for booths. That's all well and good, but who's going to this show? Who's spending their money? Are comic fans that knowledgeable that they'll come back in droves? There are countless cons within an hour of the city every month where there is a great range of dealers, from the hottest of the hot to key GA and SA. Heck, there's a show at the airport nearly every month that had three times as many dealers as WW Philly. Why would I spend $50 to get into a show where I probably won't see much more than I could in a regular show where I'm paying $5 and getting free parking? I'm not sure how different this is in different areas of the country -- I mean, are there quarterly shows in Tulsa? -- but the return of the comic customer is questionable, the booth cost be damned.

Yeah, but there are print run disparities for all of theses. There are significantly more GS X-Men #1s than FOOM #10, and there are about 20% more Walking Dead #1 over Capes #1 (according to Diamond).

While I agree with most that previews aren't first appearances, the thing that amazes me about this specific Marvel Age/Darkhawk issue is that for most of these situations, the preview is always significantly less expensive that the true comics. FOOM #10 is much less valuable than GS X-Men #1, Capes #1 is much less valuable than Walking Dead #1, and so on. But Marvel Age -- which had a decent sized print run, so nobody should ever say it's rare -- is about twice as valuable as Darkhawk #1. And this coming from a third-tier character!

This seems like more of an ad for you than for Terrificon. Where is it? When is it? Who are these great guests? Is there a website?

I don't give as good of a deal if someone is paying with CC because I have to pay extra for processing. It's not because of sales tax.

I've seen these books before plenty of times, but never polybagged. They all have old price stickers on them that say Elson's too, which is cool. A couple are even discounted. Does anyone remember Elson's as a business? I'm 46 and don't.

WizardWorld Philly was this past weekend, too. While obviously this show has fallen drastically since in the last few years, it may have pulled some people in the Baltimore/DC area who may have gone down the Charlotte. There are just so many big shows now -- it's hit or miss, I think. A dealer friend told me that at the end of Amazing Con, one of the dealers left about 75 long boxes of books there instead of taking them back with them. LEFT THEM. For anyone to take. Now Amazing Con was only about 1/4 comics anyway...

Now $350!

Or take all three for $100!