It a common theme.
I used to get replies to my 'wanted to buy' ads on a weekly basis that led to solid collections of comics. 3 or 4 times a year to some seriously good buys.
The last 12 months are a completely different beast.
This is my hobby - I buy books out of $$ I make from selling bulk collections - not a single cent comes out of my salary.
So to carry on I'm having to adapt.
Leads that I would have normally replied - "Thanks for reaching out, but I'm okay for those books at the moment, I'm sure you will sell them soon" are now having to be followed up out of necessity.
So I'm buying either:
Lots of Trade Paperbacks and Graphic Novels
Collections of stuff that sell, but very very slowly - High Number Phantoms, Pulps etc
Really high $$$ stuff, that a lot of people in these unsettled times don't have access to ready cash - and I can only play that game if I have sold a lot of stuff and saved up a 'warchest'
Now those $$$ level collections aren't being offered up anymore - I passed on an $18K collection of slabs about 16 months ago as I thought it was too high a price - now I'd bite his hand off.
So I'm left, just like most of you, with having to turn over stuff that has the same profit margin, but much lesser value.
I can't see it changing in the near future as people just won't sell.