ParamagicFF

"It's not for sale... unless the price is right" Just wondering how you all approach these situations. It seems almost every time I ask if an owner is willing to part with a piece, I am met with some variation of this response: "I wasn't planning on selling, but I suppose I would if I was offered the right amount". This seems like a really tough way to start a negotiation. I think it goes without saying that just about anyone would sell any piece if offered an exorbitant amount, so why even mention it in a response? Do you all feel this is a way to open up real talks of a sale? Or is it more likely just fishing for what offers could be out there? Do any of you ever respond like this? I should mention I'm speaking about pieces with a FMV in the low-mid hundreds, nothing exceedingly rare or high profile. Just art that meets my tastes and I happen to have missed on the open market previously.

Had a customer like this when I was in retail. He would cut books and add them from month to month, and ask to sell back somewhat new comics and collectibles, or his old collection. He was always talking about money troubles. I ended up cutting him off from buying for a while. I pointed out that his hobby was adding to his stress and that he could always pick books back up later when he figured out his financial problems. I just couldn't sell someone $100 a month of comics when they couldn't afford to get their car fixed.

When I was buying for my LCS I usually said "Unfortunately most comics don't have the monetary value they once had, so there's nothing I can do with these". The education path is fruitless and only serves to make most folks in this category more angry. It can easily come off as you condescending them when they truly have no interest in being educated and just want to cash in the comics like a lottery ticket. Even though I'm out of comics retail, when people find out I read comics I'm often asked to appraise "their old collections". Usually the same line works.

I can see doing that if you keep your shop closed one day a week. I feel like keeping a good work life balance is important to keeping yourself energized about your career. Going 7 days a week inside of a retail store where you serve every function is a recipe for burnout. Not to mention what it would do to someone with an established family.

I personally go without a matte and use spacers to keep the art off the glazing. I like to minimize anything that distracts from the art itself.

You can be closed a day, but your hours must be consistent and easy to understand. You never want to be closed when you should be open. A comic shop is a destination for most customers, so if they get there and you're closed, it's a wasted trip. Why would anyone frequent a store that may or may not be open? Something that hasn't been mentioned is staff. If you can not, or don't expect to be able to pay for part time help, that's a recipe for madness. You're human and need time off. If you don't have someone who can run the shop when you need a day off, you're setting yourself up for failure.

Do you happen to know about his Fear Agent art?

I believe the numbered sets deserve their own distinction. They come from books set aside by Matt Kindt himself. They are also signed/sketched by Matt. I think that deserves a numbering. At the end of the day, you could always submit your run to a bindery requesting it be bound to the same exact specifications. I suppose the added pages wouldn't be there, but I believe there is enough to justify and differentiate the numbered sets while also allowing for submission of your own runs. This scenario leaves the most room to please multiple types of fans, and doesn't take away anyone's fun. While these sets are amazing, and I would LOVE to own one, the price tag is no small issue. I think this is an amazing item that would cater really well to fans who actually read. The problem is, most of them probably already have a run.

Has he sold any of his previous work on books with Remender? I've never seen any of it for sale, but then again I had never seen your site as his rep in my google searching.

It really is a shame to see what Marvel has become. I feel like they've been chasing the original Civil War for almost a decade now. As a modern reader I think the era of the Civil War, The Initiative, and even Secret Invasion was the best Marvel had been in a LONG time. Each individual title was able to do it's own thing, but there were great overarching themes. It all seemed somewhat natural. Now I feel like everything is shoehorned into trying to be something it's not.

I absolutely agree that in the long run, higher numbers are excited for interested readers. I love finding a series with plenty to catch up on, or one that is completed, so that I may binge! My concern is that they only made it to issue 17 prior to this break, and even those issues had delays. Unless something has changed, which I hope it has, this title may not make it to the long run. I am absolutely the fan that believes creators should be given latitude to take the needed time to create a series. I would always prefer the same creative team, rather than fill ins. If that means the series needs seasonal breaks like Saga or many of the Remender books, I'm on board with that. Those books ship when expected. But I think that is the most absence a series can withstand in a serialized medium like comics. The big key is communication and regularity. All this being said, I'm hoping the best for this book, and if they can keep it going regularly for a year or so, I will be in for the trades

I'm simply saying it has been too long since the book was released to simply continue. IMO would be more successful if they started their new commitment with a new volume, and an explanation. It's not about being averse to picking up a trade or catching up. It's about looking at this as something other than a seriously inconsistent book. I get that creators have to do what they have to do, and sometimes have to think immediate future when making decisions. But not ensuring you can ship regularly in a serialized medium is a recipe for failure. Many series have tried to make similar returns, and the ones that don't reestablish themselves usually fall into the same patterns.

I absolutely loved this book, particularly for the art. At this point though I'm completely off it. There's no reason for a book with reasonable sales numbers and a major publisher backing it not to ship with any regularity. It's a shame.

I would expect this to hurt the sales of this book tremendously. As someone who had interest in this book, but never picked it up due to the shipping problems, this would almost assure I don't give it a shot this time around. People who may have given up on it in the past and not read any comic news will see the #18 on the shelves and shake their heads at the serious shipping delay. Starting with a new volume after such a long break, and coming out and speaking to both creators commitment and plan to ensure the book stays on track would bring people like me in. And previous fans will most likely buy it regardless. I LOVE the artist, and I have read some of Frank's writing that I also enjoy, but don't want to jump on for a bumpy road.

I absolutely LOVED this first issue. I loved the introduction, really set the tone for the rest of the book, and what I imagine we can expect to come down the road. And the mystery element towards the end has me hooked.

I was a really big Kirkman fan 5-6 years ago. Even kept reading Invincible and TWD up until about a year or so ago. Unfortunately I think he fell into the same comic writer trap that he so often criticized Marvel and DC for. His books, particularly TWD became very decompressed and event driven. The pacing became very stale and predictable for both of these books IMO. I definitely agree the Invincible peaked at V war.

Serious buyers will make themselves known, and you won't lose them by offering help.

#26 was AMAZING. Definitely thought there was some potential for at least part of that surprise to go down, but I think it was pulled off masterfully. Didn't feel forced or like a "gotcha" cheap moment. I can not wait to see what has been going on with those two!

I think that is very reasonable. I spent some time in comics retail, but never did conventions as a seller. I like to try to make deals where both sides are happy, and I suppose more times than not I am surprised to find that the sticker price is non-negotiable.

Ebay prices are certainly a factor for both parties, as are all sales venues. All of the factors discussed previously are reasons it is advantageous to both parties to try to close a deal at a con, rather than use online transactions. For some reason both buyers and sellers get butthurt when either side quotes "I can get a better deal on ebay". It almost instantly sours the transaction. Both sides should have a price range in mind, and when those ranges overlap, we have a deal! I have found in the past 2 years that "hot moderns" are priced very aggressively at cons. It's almost like the dealer is more afraid of not totally maximizing profit than of not selling the books at all. These books also tend to have real condition problems.

I had a very different experience as a retailer from what you describe here. The money in magic isn't in the boxes, it is in the single packs. I would sell boxes for MSRP honestly, maybe a tiny discount. You aren't going to make money off selling boxes, and those who are chasing prices will ALWAYS beat your price online. But the casual gamer will buy packs from you. You can also sell packs through booster draft events. This is where the real money is in magic. I wouldn't suggest cracking packs for singles to sell, I would definitely buy singles that are good for the eternal formats and resell them. These are evergreens, like key comics. Being a gaming retailer is not completely the same as a comic retailer.

I think I may have some relevant advice for you, as I ran a comic/gaming store similar to what you describe for a while before changing careers. I'll keep it simple and provide what I think are important steps. - Are there other gaming stores around where people play card games and other table top games (Warhammer, etc.)? If these are plentiful, or there is one place with a hardcore fanbase, this could be a hurdle for you. Gaming has a MUCH higher margin when you factor in labor and shelf space as compared to comics. If you can offer warhammer and magic events, you can have great repeat business. - You MUST buy new comics. This is difficult when you first open, as you don't want to be stuck with a ton of inventory. But you must have something to sell. You will never get new comic customers, if you don't have new comic to sell. Would you become a customer of a store that will "eventually" have new books? - In gaming, casual players are where you will make your money, not the overtly competitive types. Foster an environment that emphasizes fun competition so as not to scare off those that see it as a softer hobby. Believe me, those are the guys who will be buying boxes and cases on release day instead of online. - Have set gaming time, and don't encourage gamers lingering all day. They will require your constant attention, distract you from operational work, or else you risk alienating a core customer. - Get the numbers for some distributors and see what it is going to cost you to have their product lines on your shelves day 1, and their next line of seasonal product. If you can't afford to pay for those shipments, you don't have enough reserve cash. This post went a little long, but this can be done, and I encourage you to chase your dream. I've been out of this for about 6 years now, but I ran a contemporary store that sold things to people who buy things, not variant chasing collectors. Those people don't keep your doors open. If you have questions I'll be happy to help how I can.

Thanks for looking The search by text is for book description such as first superman, Campbell cover etc.. perhaps I need to clarify this a bit better to users, or change it to straight forward search by text. CGC is not the only company covered in the sales. I must admit I don't quite understand what you mean by Voldermort books, the Harry Potter character? So I assume all of the graded book sales are slabbed books and not "raw graded" correct? Do these include CGC, PGX and CBCS? I think it would be worth distinguishing each into their own category. Each company can have substantial different market prices, especially PGX. This would make this an even better resource for people who may use multiple grading companies, or the single company buyers to not have their prices influenced by others. EDIT: I just discovered on the computer version where I can use the graph feature to separate between grading companies to see individual sales. GREAT feature. Still think it would be worth it to have the summary chart list the sales by companies. I can't imagine the work this has been to put this together, thanks for sharing. If there are specific features you think need testing, please let us know!

My first impression of the site is very good. I didn't have much look with searching by typing in the name of the title, but the drop down menus were great, so I wouldn't even miss a lack of search. Is it safe to say the graded price points are only from CGC? Any thought to also displaying sales of Voldemort books? I don't think anyone is doing both yet. Great start, I'll be in to provide feedback.

Speculating on a related title or a crossover issue is a good idea if the shop knows what you're into; it's easier to drop an extra in your bin, than having to reorder later if the book sells out. There should be no obligation to buy what you didn't ask for, though. I am not "speculating" on anything, and NO it is NOT a good idea. It is ludicrous. When I give my list in writing and some person decides they know better than me, that is NOT a service. It is a hard sell tactic that cost them a return customer. He meant the shop was speculating. At times where I have overlooked new titles coming out I have appreciated a heads up from my LCS. Why not put it in the box so long as they point it out? If you're not interested, couldn't you tell them? Seems like you took this very hard when a conversation would have solved it.