blazingbob

Lower grade/Higher grade? Using Ebay to determine Raw value for me is a waste of time since I take the assumption that I'm holding the book and most ebay sellers can't grade. OSPG is a good place to start but it also depends on the title being looked at. It is possible that the seller is pricing over guide which you can ask him/her. Not directed at you but assuming I'm stupid and your the smartest/slickest buyer going is not recommended. Being fair so that both parties are happy goes a long way. You may "Win" in the short term but lose in the long run.

Define a "little high" CGC books or raw? What reference are you using to determine "value"?

If a dealer cannot tie up capital to get books graded then they are UNDER capitalized.

Not sure how many of those "doesn't know how to use the internet customers" exist. And do you really want to rip somebody off when you are a brick and motar? Clearly word of mouth means something or threads like these wouldn't start. You think some of these businesses want the type of publicity they are getting in this thread?

Not sure I understand this since I would question who taught that particular store owner how to grade. That is a question I'm surprised more buyers don't ask their sellers since there has never been a formal grading college to graduate from. Learning from a grading book that contradicts itself keeps the "grading is subjective" comment alive and well. No formal training and no 3rd party grading standards keeps most buyers guessing as to what the "third party grading company" will grade it.

You mean you missed the Com-exit notification? Boris and Nigel have been making announcements all over the BBC about it

I'll take the plastic man

In the day of the internet and smartphones if customers don't want to engage or waste my time they can always search my website for the books that are on the wall to quickly gauge prices. I understand Metro's binders from a "show inventory" management but killing trees to keep my showlist current would not exactly work for me.

LOL. Wow, now that is a typical 80's hair band metal formula used by many. Peroxide, drum stick spinning, shirts off, girls on motorcycles. I think Gene pretty much covered everything with that video.

They save the best for last there buddy. Without a foundation the whole thing comes crumbling down.

Again, not picking on you on this but should I post all the times I'm taking books off the wall for the following "Can I just hold it" "Can I take a picture with it" "OMG, is it real, can I touch it" "I bet its $20K, OMG it's 50K" "Honey, buy me this for my birthday" "When I win the lottery I'll be back for this" "Does somebody really buy these" Yup, the glamour life I live.

Just an fyi but most buyers that aren't serious start with "I'm just curious".

Not a criticism but a question. Besides a post it note what other price sticker can be read from 4-6 feet away? How big? Post it notes bring up posts that prices are different then the website. Frankly post it notes don't look professional. I'm sorry but my prices are on the back since most customers want to see the book and not my price when handling it. bob

Who or what were you hoping to see at the show? Maybe my term "expectations" should be changed to "hope" when I post in Convention threads. My HONEST hope is that I find high grade priced where I can make money, Or keys that I need for customers, or books that are hard to find. If I'm honest with myself sometimes that hope doesn't translate into what the convention can deliver. MCM will NEVER be a true comic convention but that doesn't mean you can't find what you are looking for if you are looking for stuff that dealers can bring to the show. However as I stated earlier sometimes I HOPE that I can find a dealer at a show that doesn't know what stuff is worth, or is willing to discount a lot to meet my "budget". Then I can post in the thread my "haul" and get some attaboys. There are plenty of comic cons in the US that don't deliver on My or collector's hope either.

I'm actually glad that there are posters who post their expectations. I've never been to the London Monthly fair so I don't know what to measure the London supercon I used to do and now Reed MCM against. My experience with the London Supercon dealer pool was the reluctance to support John's show when he started. Other promoters also didn't like the competition and frankly what I know about how promoters behave would make you ill. Business is just as cuthroat in the UK as it is in the US as well as Canada as far as conventions go. Pence variants is not something I would have. I have two magazine boxes of pre-hero Marvels as well as a large collection of Westerns that I would never bring over to the UK. That would have to be requested by a customer. Money is always the number one priority when it comes to shows. Underneath all the "love for the hobby" posturing are people who are there to make a living. We just so happen to be selling collectibles/art/toyes/sketches/information etc to make that living or pick up some "side money". How you approach your business really depends on who taught you. Sometimes I look at the dealer/customer relationship as some sort of good versus evil battle and depending on what side you are on determines who goes on what side.

If you have an issue with Heritage not being at the booth that is not the promoters issue. What is your definition of "reasonable". I have had this term used throughout convention threads for years. Depending on your expectations that could equate to 5, 10, 15 or 20. If it is a certain type of material does that dealer base exist in the UK or would US dealers do well enough to come over? Multiply your budget by the number of customers looking for that type of material will determine if that "dealer class" would setup at the show. As with a lot of the dealer base a convention requires work from the dealers as well as the promoters. If the dealers in the UK don't see the benefit of large shows or making enough sales then they won't come. I hate to say it but I see a lot of guys who don't want to invest in their businesses. In the US and international. They expect the doors to open and magically the customers come. I'm guessing my stock was atrocious? Was there material on my website that you were looking for or do I not have what you are looking for? As far as Reed website information goes I will be speaking to my US Sales rep about trying to expand the Comic presence at the MCM shows. I cannot guarantee that they will listen or do what would meet your expectations. Hopefully the staff at Reed UK will follow up with the Twitter media storm. I would say it may take a little while but I seem to feel that in the US Reed does a very good job with the website and getting information out. But don't think that "nobody" cares. If comic dealers were scattered about that was because some of them chose cheaper tables. Cheap seems to be a resounding theme with many dealers that I talk to, both in the US and the UK. Either they don't have the stock to setup at shows or they don't want to pay to expand their customer base. Being under capitalized seems to be a common theme as well as the ability to want to work together where both parties come away feeling that they got a good deal. I can't help a buyer if they have champagne taste with a beer wallet. Here is some feedback to dealers whether in the US or abroad. If you can't find it how can you expect the customer to? Telling customers to dig through the boxes may be some big smart ploy on your part to think they will buy something else but to me it is a big "No, No". Not everybody has the time or desire to surf through your boxes especially if the bags and boards haven't been changed in awhile. Not everybody is into dumpster diving. Stuffing two booths into one is not exactly a welcome mat. Again, I'm not sure what business economics course some of my competitors took but I know what 20 pounds of potato's looks like in a 10 pound bag.

Yes, because of one dealer selling undergrounds and who wouldn't cover them up plus some of the "stripper guests" the church did get tired of the shows. In addition the basement did not have A/C which limited dates on when shows could be done. which is why the show moved eventually to the Hotel Pit, I mean Hotel Pennsylvania.

Just a short comment on the usual negative comments when change comes to a comic show. Reed and CGC are both well aware that MCM was not a comic book show. But lets not put all the blame on the promoters. If the UK wants big three day show events the UK dealers need to come to the shows. I have offered all of my UK customers the ability to order ALL year long from my website and pick up the orders at the Reed MCM shows to save on shipping. They are also welcome to ask or order anything from my website and have it brought to the show so long as it is way in advance of when I ship my orders off. Last minute requests are usually not done because I only have so much room in my suitcases. My show dates are 1 year in advance, if you can't think a year in advance then please don't be angry if I don't have what you are looking for at the show. I'm open to international dealers coming in from other countries to buy from me. If you want "deals" then I STRONGLY suggest you do that before I get there. I am just as respectful of your cost of getting there as mine. Ken, you would not have a good time at a MCM show. Lets just leave it at that. Everybody wants the cozy/lazy one day comic show where basically you get in for free, buy your books and are home in a few hours. I have to say when I was a collector I drove for hours to go to shows. Inconvenience was not a word I used. It seems unless the date is just exactly right, the price is right, the ambience, the mood or god knows what else collectors all over the world will find an excuse for not showing up. Well if you want US dealers to come over the pond I don't think it will be to do a one day show. The last time London supercon ran a show all I heard was that the show was during the "Vacation season". Go to the beach or go to a show? Hmmm, when pressed the comic collector went on vacation. Show hours weren't right, how come there are not enough comic dealers? Let me guess, when a show doesn't have enough comic dealers it is because there aren't enough Comic book buyers. I had lots of money to spend at the show for books. Unfortunately it seems that the UK dealer is more interested in holding onto every last dollar versus creating long term customer relationships where both of us can make some money. I was paying CASH and didn't spend a cent at this show. Even with CGC at the show did the collector come and submit books, No. I get very little sense of urgency to get books graded or maybe they just don't see the cost justification in getting stuff slabbed. That being said I will see my UK customers at the October show. .

Thank you to some of the posters for the Zatanna Hughes covers. I bought a 30K collection that had long boxes of moderns but didn't know about the Zatanna Hughes covers.

I am kind of surprised by the "moral compass" that gets applied to the grading of comics, Pressing, restoration and removal. When boiled down it always comes down to financial. Pressing is very profitable to the grading company and the person having it done if the book upgrades. Restoration if done in a good conscious comes down to is it good for the book or bad conscious, deceive the buyer into thinking the book is better then it really is. Disclosure is only as good as the person selling the book. Put the book into the wrong hands and the restoration magically disappears until discovered again. Restoration removal is a financial decision since the book is worth more if it is blue versus purple. Doesn't matter how bad it looks the goal is a blue label. Nothing like having a person bragging in front of a customer how he took a purple down to blue by scrapping away. And then they wonder why the customer doesn't buy from them. The idea of "minimizing" the type of restoration is just another attempt at financial gain by those who need another revenue stream. Sorry, I'm black and white, Restoration is restoration. Yeah I get it, Slight to Extensive but to those looking to change the financial landscape slight means a better shot at blue then extensive. Could CGC have done a better job in the beginning? Sure, but if some remember the big obstacle was would the marketplace accept encapsulated comics? You think the dealer pool could come to a consensus on how restoration could be addressed? Why do you think that the comic market continues to deal in a "reactive" mode? Because no industry group exists, those Overstreet advisors last met when? CGC has met with it largest customers to discuss changes when? It would be amazing to me if CGC worked with its biggest customers to discuss and make changes BEFORE they did something. They grade em, WE sell them.

Having made the mistake of buying a Restored CBCS "blue" label (RESTORED is too small on the label) I'm sorry but I'm not a big fan of the one color. When you train buyers with color coding it is very hard to un-learn something especially when you are tired. I see blue, I assume unrestored. If I have to read the label on every book I'm looking at and I look at a lot of books I miss something. And frankly that mistake cost me $500.

The policy has changed when CGC modified the portal to have uniform status's across the companies. I requested that CGC put a estimated grading date since they know when the book comes in, they know the current turnaround times and could easily put a estimated grading date in the system that would limit calls into customer service from customers who used to call in for grades. And it appears you are not on the list.

For me A shows are San Diego, New York Comic Con, Baltimore, C2E2. I've had A type shows at other conventions but not consistently.

If I may ask what two runs are you looking for and do you take the time to email the dealers you shop with to bring what you need to a show? No matter how far in advance I post my show schedule there is always somebody that asks for books that are on my website. I cannot bring 35K books to the show If you ask to see them at a show then I can pull them or put them in a show box so that they are there.

Other Cons have taken over as the better buyer/seller shows, C2E2, Baltimore come to mind. Wizard Chicago has not been "The show" for awhile. Buying books at conventions hasn't been a strong business model for awhile so if you are depending on shows for your inventory maybe you need to rethink that business model. How long do you think that sellers are going to continue to leave money on the table? More and more sellers press their inventory. Do you really think that dealers love watching upgraders make thousands more on a book then they do? Onsite grading was due to Reed making CGC a better offer. That's sometimes how business works.