blazingbob

"Dealers just want your money. Period"

Listen,  everybody in the room, the dealers,  the promoter running it and the concession stands selling food at a show want your money.

The only reason I'm there is to make a living,  I'm not paying to setup and chit chat all day.  

What I'm not there to do is lie to get your money or bury you so deep you never buy from me again.

But rest assured I am there to make sales.  

Listen,  this is the new version of reporting.  No interaction,  come up with an opinion, throw a title that is always one to create controversary and basically say whatever you want.   

If I came up to his booth at a show he sets up at I'm sure I could "paint him with broad strokes" as he responded to Foolkillers post in the video thread. 

I am also not sure how Dealers could be your friend if we have never met before or done business and frankly this isn't a guy that rings a bell.  

Usually friendship builds over time.  

Friends usually don't throw you under the bus either.  

There are so many issues with the Dealers are not your friend video that I wouldn't know where to begin.

First,  Define the term "Deal".  To this video reporter that could mean Dealer Eats A Loss.  Could mean 12 month GPA,  90 day,  last sale GPA or the Overstreet price guide.  I need to be that guy that you can show off the "haul to" where you the viewer can see how many Deals I got from sellers. 

Second,  the main aisle to the side aisle commentary.  Well,  I was a side aisle dealer with main aisle books.  I guess I fall into the "Don't buy from anybody with big ticket books".  

Third,  I'm not exactly sure how teared up I would get if people didn't recognize me from my you tube video's.  I guess in the South it isn't enough to get Is there anything I can help you with?  I've got to tell you that I love watching your video's?

Fourth,  Conflict of interest.  First off I'm not sure I can make a video stating "Dealers are not your friends" when you openly admit that you setup as a dealer.  Your example that both buyers and sellers are "tense" is created by the promoter by the way.  I didn't realize it was my job to soothe that tension by making you some money that covers the promoters cost of you getting in.  My responsibility as a seller is to have the inventory buyers want to buy,  prices that they may want to pay and the ability to get them the books that they need.  The idea that I want to take every dollar out of your pocket is your "perception".  If you operate that way you won't have many customers long term. 

Looking to sell that one big book versus a bunch of small ones?  Huh?  Big book sales normally don't take place at shows but there are buyers who come to see the book and then do the deal in private.  Most big buyers prefer what they buy be private versus showcasing to whoever is at the booth what they have and what they spend.  If you don't treat big buyers with respect they don't buy from you.  Being known as a UNDERTAKER is not a good reputation to have.    

CGC books in Mylar are not a way to make the product look better.  CGC books in mylar or any bag for that matter are because those "tense" buyers don't want scratches on the holder.  God forbid that holder has a rub,  if the book is a 9.8 that outer well that means nothing to the grade better be perfect to.  As others have stated a good dealer should take the book out of any bag it is in.  

And yes I do consider Lou to be a very good friend who I have known for years.  There are a lot of people in this hobby/business that I am friends with.    

On 8/11/2023 at 4:31 AM, Domo Arigato said:

He talked to Bob Storms at Heroes Comic Con (video queued up below).....and apparently Bob could tell immediately. 

Also....where is this guys video for dealers letting them know that customers aren't their friends?

At the 13:17 mark in this same video.....he pulls a Saga #1 in CGC 9.8 and says it's a $500 book all day long. 

The dealer has it priced at $350.  So, what does he do?  He offers the dealer even less ($300), and ends up buying it for that.

 

 

Update: I have now watched this video through its entirety.  I do remember this encounter. 

He asked me to see the first appearance of the Haunted Tank GI combat issue which is the planes dive bombing.  I told him that I didn't have the first appearance issue.

I believe he asks to see the first cover appearance issue of G.I. combat Haunted tank which is issue #91,  I do not and did have that issue either.  

Whether he made a mistake or not what else am I supposed to say? 

I have spent years behind the table to know that if people are asking for specific books that is their "quest for the show". 

If somebody is asking me to see a FF #48 and I don't have one I'm sorry but I don't show them every other Galactus issue I have. 

Doing that very very rarely results in a sale.    

And no I wasn't judging him an insufficiently_thoughtful_person.

On 7/25/2023 at 11:01 AM, CCEC said:

 

I was there on Sunday.  The Exhibit Hall was packed; even 1 hour before closing it was hard getting thru the aisles.  People were saying because of the strike and panel cancellations, everyone went to the Exhibit Hall.  For the 4 panels I went to,  the lines seemed smaller and there were fewer people in the rooms and in  the hallways above the Exhibit Hall.  

There was tons of people in the aisles at the Gold and Silver area; a mass of humanity.  But,  thinking back, there really wasn’t a lot of people  searching the booths.  Many of the dealers had no customers.  It was almost like driving on a major street at rush hour, but hardly anyone stopping along the way.  My experience may not reflect the rest of the week, since I was only there for Sunday.  But, does anyone else see what I saw?

At a panel, one expert collector said he saw many $100 deals going on in the booth, but no real big deals on the floor ($50-100k).  He said those deals were between dealers themselves, quietly done.

All in all, I did thoroughly enjoy the one day I spent there.  I hope to get tickets for next year!

 

First off "At a panel, one expert collector said he saw many $100 deals going on in the booth, but no real big deals on the floor ($50-100k).  He said those deals were between dealers themselves, quietly done."

THIS IS NOT TRUE and I would love to speak with the "EXPERT COLLECTOR".  There were multiple deals in this price range that were not between dealers but between dealers and collectors.  I was part of a very large one and it was not a dealer to dealer transaction.  I also sold a few books in this price range.  

This type of comment is frankly one that annoys me quite a bit because of how it was said and to what audience.  

Secondly Sunday is generally the slowest day of the show and frankly your comment is way off on how the show went.  

You don't need a ton of customers to make good sales.  Richard from Bedrock made a couple of nice sales on Sunday.  My Sunday was what I expected since a majority of my sales take place earlier in the week.  

San Diego was a very good show,  there was a very good attendance that frankly makes it a little easier to get around then the year before covid hit.  It isn't a sea of bodies anymore.  For those who say they can't get tickets ask a dealer you are friends with.  We do get allotments of exhibitor and attendee badges that you can buy.  If you aren't friendly with one maybe you should be.    

On a side note if San Diego is not your "thing" or is out of your price range I strongly suggest attending the Torpedo show in Glendale, CA the weekend before.  Most of the national and some regional dealers set up with the same inventory.  Glendale is a very nice city,  the Hilton is a very nice hotel,  the room is very comfortable.  Please don't use "I can't get into San Diego" as an excuse not to see the same inventory or dealer you do business with.  

Highgradecomics.com will be at the show.

On 4/19/2023 at 5:03 PM, joeypost said:

You have to factor in the signings. CGC now gets a few bucks more per book for every signing they promote. The amount of moderns they receive through their SS program would surprise all of us. How many SS facilitators have their wagon hitched to CGC’s horse? They can’t stop submitting. Their livelihoods are built around a very fragile and fluid model. 

Ah you are referring to the "STUD" program.  Sign Them Until Death,  submitted under the CORPSE tier (Cgc Organized Recognized Profit Secured Exclusive)

Look,  I will say this as I've said before.

All you guys that pay fast track fees are doing is showing CGC that if they slow down you will pay more to get books graded faster.

There is no financial incentive to improve turnaround times and will NEVER be so long as submitters pay fast track fees.  

On 4/18/2023 at 4:00 PM, october said:

Hypothetical $750 raw purchase of a $1500 FMV (post-grading) comic that is sent into CGC, then to Heritage.  

Shipping to/from CGC (FedEx Ground): $40

Grading fee: $150 

Shipping to Heritage: $20

Heritage vig on a $1500 total sale (assuming consignor gets 100% of hammer, 0% of BP): $300

Gross after all fees: $990

Profit after all fees: $240 

Tax on profit: $89 - $24 (37% to 10% tax brackets, short term cap gains)

Total net profit post fees and tax: $151 - $216.

 

Pretty sad when it's (arguably) not worth buying something for half FMV, after accounting for inherent risk (damage, resto, mail loss, harsh grading, low auction results) and with fees/taxes taking the lion's share in the most likely scenario. 

CGC has achieved the goal of NOT having to doing any of the work of finding the material to make as much money as the seller who submits it on $1000+ books.

As I've posted before,  everybody is making money except the person who buys the books.  

How CGC feels about its customer base - BendOverBob

No more express tiers,  Walkthroughs up to 4% no limit on how much they charge/hose you.