W16227

No - not at all from what gabe has said.

I'm game - this is a COOL idea! Dave

to add -- some dealers may not go through this level of math - but successful ones - can use their own experience to evaluate deals.... this is what revat is describing - total investment is what you paid - plus all pressing fees Left side - is the estimate as to what will happen when regraded - I think I am being generous since 80% of the pressers you spoke with do not want to touch the book for fear of damage. sales price is based on GPA - the good thing about this book is that there are enough data points that I can snag 30 day average and year high/low and have a reasonable expectation of accuracy. The percentages in this area are the calculation values - 90% of the time the book will sell for average. 5% high. 5% low. The weighted profit or loss - takes into account the % you will see this book at that grade after CPR. The final number - is a sum of these and represents the average profit or loss from this transaction. So - not taking into account fees (ebay, paypal, HA - whatever) - OR OUTBOUND SHIPPING - trying to CPR this book will cost you an extra $100. Take the project sale price of 8 - remove the extra 110 for CPR --- and you are $100 better trying to sell raw. not including seller fees not including shipping of the sale Awesome chart but how did you get the occurrence percentage and how much I should get value wise? I don't get that complex with my decisions in buying. Bare estimate on what the CPR will yield. Based on my experience with identifying pressable books and seeing the outcome first hand. This is a skill that has to be developed over time and HUNDREDS of books ( or more). One that is constantly tested - and refined ( and one that MANY other boardies are better than me at)........ That staple tear - is a huge risk so it is very doubtful that you get any bump - so the low "improvement" numbers. I believe I was kind with the drop numbers - as 4/5 pressers did not want to touch the book for fear of the tear. Seriously - keep the book - hand onto it for a year. Think of it as a keeper not any form of investment. Hopefully the book will continue to increase in value and you can sell in 12 months for a slight loss or gain.

you think it will grade 8.5 - but the staple tear will most likely prevent that at 8.5 - you are most likely making $10 on the transaction without including any credit card fees. see analysis above - and you have LOW % probability for that to happen........

to add -- some dealers may not go through this level of math - but successful ones - can use their own experience to evaluate deals.... this is what revat is describing - total investment is what you paid - plus all pressing fees Left side - is the estimate as to what will happen when regraded - I think I am being generous since 80% of the pressers you spoke with do not want to touch the book for fear of damage. sales price is based on GPA - the good thing about this book is that there are enough data points that I can snag 30 day average and year high/low and have a reasonable expectation of accuracy. The percentages in this area are the calculation values - 90% of the time the book will sell for average. 5% high. 5% low. The weighted profit or loss - takes into account the % you will see this book at that grade after CPR. The final number - is a sum of these and represents the average profit or loss from this transaction. So - not taking into account fees (ebay, paypal, HA - whatever) - OR OUTBOUND SHIPPING - trying to CPR this book will cost you an extra $100. Take the project sale price of 8 - remove the extra 110 for CPR --- and you are $100 better trying to sell raw. not including seller fees not including shipping of the sale

I only overpaid 30 dollars for it currently but with the graders notes I'd be able to get a 8.5 max that means that my margin will be razor thin but I'd be able to do it. What are you talking about?!?! You paid $956 for an 8.0. 90 day average on an 8.0 is $863. You overpaid by almost $93. Your purchase would be bad if you were buying it to keep in your collection. Your purchase is horrible as a book to flip. There is zero profit to be made. Sell it for $900 and take your loss like an adult. But you won't because you know far more about this then all of the people giving you advice. You'd rather spend $100+ on pressing and grading and hold the book for months and then take a $200 or $300 loss. And that's assuming you don't get a popped staple during the press or the book just happens to grade out as a 7.5. Do what you want, but don't kid yourself into thinking you are doing this correctly. and paid over ANY recent GPA sale....... and paid for graders notes...... Has the comic store owner specifically told you what we will pay for the 8.0? or for an 8.5? note that they do NOT work off of razor thin margins......... that is almost impossible to do for any business...... Seriously - this latest "mistake" admitted to - is a PATTERN. It shows that you lack the experience to do this now - and also that you potentially will never have the potential to do this in the future. Your computer crashed - you have a decent windfall - a lower end laptop would have been a GOOD use of that money. Putting that $$ into a high value book that will need luck and more $$$ to possibly break even? - poor decision making for someone who is not independent...... At times I get the impression that the boards should be egging you on instead of trying to save you from yourself. That will accelerate the inevitable crash.

Even somewhat hard to say weather or not the $1100 is really the full tale. We (lots of different boardies) - have written up basics of how you account for a small business - earlier - Gabe looked at it from a money spent vs money collected standpoint not considering purchased items as inventory. I believe he has that fixed in his latest number - but the lack of understanding of the accounting concepts leads me to believe that the 1100 might be larger than he is stating. The ASM..... have to add another one of these out there,,,,, This illustrates exactly why you need to back off comics for a while. Once you have the REST of your life in order - go back and start small. Seriously. If the book was an 8.5 - you paid pretty much FMV for it. Trying to flip for a profit? - not a lot of potential. But as an 8? --- ZERO GPA sales of this book over 1000. How exactly will you convince people to pay 10% to 20% over FMV? My numbers for what I have I debt is exactly as you see it how much I bought- how much I sold = my profit or debt number How I would convince people to pay 10-20% over gpa? After I check the graders notes I'll decide what to do but even then it's very simple I will offer it as time payments with a 20% non-refundable deposit to make sure people are serious about buying it and not wasting my time. You have to sell at 10-20% over GPA to BREAK EVEN. Not including any fees that have to be paid.... Didn't you have a local comic shop owner interested? - What did they offer? Once you hit that 8.0 with a key book ( and in many cases lower grades for keys as well) - EVERY grade bump matters. Every one. You are insisting on working with single high value books - and since you cannot spread purchase price over a collection and work with averages - you HAVE to focus on every single cent. You state that paying the same price for a book that is a lower grade us what you would have done anyway - this just confirms that you are NOT EXPERIENCED ENOUGH to be playing with $1000 on a single book. With patience - you could have found a better initial deal for the comic. Heck - you think you will sell the 8.0 for 1200? - without even sweating - I found a 8.5 for 1200 and 2 others for 1250, This is without any offer or back and forth with the sellers. Why would anyone pay 1200 for an 8.0 --- when it is perfectly reasonable to think that there are three chances at an 8.5 for 1100 to 1150. - maybe less..... You need to track a LOT more as far as profit and/or loss goes...... Paid 100 for a comic - sold for 200 - does not necessarily mean that you are up 100. (or down 100 if you reverse the values) . Did you pay for packaging? Did you pay ebay fees? Did you need a laptop, scanner or other electronics? Shipping fees.... Paypal/credit fees? ALL of this (and more) - go into a profit/loss calculation. Most likely you are at least 20% more in the hole than you think. quick edit - you also stated you get graders notes on books - this is part of the expense column as well..... When I calculate that I already add that to what I buy and sell because it wouldn't make sense to add it like that and I have yet to bring the comic to the comic shop owner but he was interested in it. um - no idea how you have to report taxes on home based businesses in Canada - but that is basically how we have to track items in the states. For a smaller business (cash based accounting) - you track expenses and cost of goods sold separately than individual inventory costs. You do this so at the end of the year - you can calculate your yearly profit/loss. You do this separately as there are MANY expenses that you incur that are not set per individual book - but part of the entire business. Like - say - a COMPUTER which is pretty much a requirement for any business these days. And - well - ANY LCS would say they are interested in an ASM 129. A very high percentage would not be interested in paying retail price for one. Even lower percentage paying well over FMV for it.

Even somewhat hard to say weather or not the $1100 is really the full tale. We (lots of different boardies) - have written up basics of how you account for a small business - earlier - Gabe looked at it from a money spent vs money collected standpoint not considering purchased items as inventory. I believe he has that fixed in his latest number - but the lack of understanding of the accounting concepts leads me to believe that the 1100 might be larger than he is stating. The ASM..... have to add another one of these out there,,,,, This illustrates exactly why you need to back off comics for a while. Once you have the REST of your life in order - go back and start small. Seriously. If the book was an 8.5 - you paid pretty much FMV for it. Trying to flip for a profit? - not a lot of potential. But as an 8? --- ZERO GPA sales of this book over 1000. How exactly will you convince people to pay 10% to 20% over FMV? My numbers for what I have I debt is exactly as you see it how much I bought- how much I sold = my profit or debt number How I would convince people to pay 10-20% over gpa? After I check the graders notes I'll decide what to do but even then it's very simple I will offer it as time payments with a 20% non-refundable deposit to make sure people are serious about buying it and not wasting my time. You have to sell at 10-20% over GPA to BREAK EVEN. Not including any fees that have to be paid.... Didn't you have a local comic shop owner interested? - What did they offer? Once you hit that 8.0 with a key book ( and in many cases lower grades for keys as well) - EVERY grade bump matters. Every one. You are insisting on working with single high value books - and since you cannot spread purchase price over a collection and work with averages - you HAVE to focus on every single cent. You state that paying the same price for a book that is a lower grade us what you would have done anyway - this just confirms that you are NOT EXPERIENCED ENOUGH to be playing with $1000 on a single book. With patience - you could have found a better initial deal for the comic. Heck - you think you will sell the 8.0 for 1200? - without even sweating - I found a 8.5 for 1200 and 2 others for 1250, This is without any offer or back and forth with the sellers. Why would anyone pay 1200 for an 8.0 --- when it is perfectly reasonable to think that there are three chances at an 8.5 for 1100 to 1150. - maybe less..... You need to track a LOT more as far as profit and/or loss goes...... Paid 100 for a comic - sold for 200 - does not necessarily mean that you are up 100. (or down 100 if you reverse the values) . Did you pay for packaging? Did you pay ebay fees? Did you need a laptop, scanner or other electronics? Shipping fees.... Paypal/credit fees? ALL of this (and more) - go into a profit/loss calculation. Most likely you are at least 20% more in the hole than you think. quick edit - you also stated you get graders notes on books - this is part of the expense column as well.....

Even somewhat hard to say weather or not the $1100 is really the full tale. We (lots of different boardies) - have written up basics of how you account for a small business - earlier - Gabe looked at it from a money spent vs money collected standpoint not considering purchased items as inventory. I believe he has that fixed in his latest number - but the lack of understanding of the accounting concepts leads me to believe that the 1100 might be larger than he is stating. The ASM..... have to add another one of these out there,,,,, This illustrates exactly why you need to back off comics for a while. Once you have the REST of your life in order - go back and start small. Seriously. If the book was an 8.5 - you paid pretty much FMV for it. Trying to flip for a profit? - not a lot of potential. But as an 8? --- ZERO GPA sales of this book over 1000. How exactly will you convince people to pay 10% to 20% over FMV?

Are you saying that you're currently in debt $1,100 from buying comics, and on top of that, you've now bought these? [/quote/] That would be correct but the reason why I'm in debt isn't because I bought comics it's because I've been scammed 3 times. ASM 129 will be a quick seller so I'm not worried and already have two people interested. the fact that you cannot see the connection here is probably the source of a lot of the boards frustrations - You were scammed because you made bad choices trying to deal in comic books. Unless you change - you will get scammed again. EDIT BELOW ( cuz Logan makes a great point) Until you are working at least 30 hours a week at a job, have a plan in place for a full time career, have moved out, and have 6 months of "living expense" savings (not used for comics) -you should not be buying anything. Once you have real life sorted out - then and only then should you think about getting back into comics - then start small by working on collection deals and with $10-$20 dollar comics. This actually has a decent return if you work hard - and you also learn a lot of the details needed - and also you limit how much risk you take.

quick sort continues - through ~ 12 of the boxes - lots of decent low end filler - but some cool ones. not high value - but entertaining some ok bronze in there - Nothing special since the NM 98 - but lots of small $2-10 books.

Are those Sandmans up for grabs? I need a bunch of later issues to complete my set... well - pretty much --- but I will have to see after next weekend - they are packed into t he show inventory at the moment -

last update - going to the wizard world dinner - need some relaxation time ---- anyone know about these cover posters? - got three with this lot - cant figure out the right ebay search terms so see anything.... the ASM - has a 2" crease you cannot see - but still cool. NM98 = awesome shape. With a press - should be at least a 9 if not higher........ not holdingout hope - but random ASM are in there around the 300 zone....... and also some random hulks like 200,,,176,,,,

Thanks for sharing! Looks like a good haul - hope there are enough gems in there to make it worth your while! If you don't mind me asking - how did you find the seller, and what kind of offer does somebody make on over 1000 comics? Once I have all the books in hand ( and in the end this is going to be WAY too many comics - like 10K).... I will give more details. We have the handshake agreement that I am the buyer - but until I have all of the books in hand - I do not want to jinx it....... As for a price - that all depends on what spread the collection has.... bulk longboxes of random 90s drek - usually has the $20-40 a longbox rule of thumb. Look at FT88 journal on a one man comic biz-- he has a lot of great info on pricing as well as some others chiming in. Depending on the spread of the collection (how many keys, how many older books are in there, etc....) - the pricing can go way up.... Collections of this size---- really go to more of the dealers ( or flippers) than an individual - the volume alone is crazy. At least I know now that the truck can fit at least 17 longboxes on its own if needed.... another thing in the FT journal that he describes - is what you do get in for with something of this size. You need to have a plan to store and move it. I am both lucky - and stupid - I have storage and a show coming up next weekend. If everything works out perfectly - once I do show setup I will run the trailer over and get the rest of the books - then drop off at the storage locker--- then collapse in exhaustion. They gave me a huge booth to fill -so I will have loads of display space and I will be processing the first 20 boxes up until the day of the show.

cool finds guys!!! made 2nd trip over today - 12 more longboxes - probably have 1/2 the collection in hand now the digging continues - the collection is crazy big - somewhat disorganized - but enough sorting in it so I can bulk price a lot. Condition is great for the most pat.. most are decent $1 and $2 books - with some neat finds - Note the rarest of the Whitmat books - but still alright. Given that I have probably 17 more boxes to go - finding a few already is a good sign..... a ton of sandman ( none of the early books though)... the civil war ones are not big value ---- but are still cool.....

- you might recognize the BATB I will have on display --- with the "I am really not trying to sell this" price........ not loads of big stuff yet in the collection .. but the books are in good shape and lots of $2 and $5 ones - pics - photobucket was being difficult earlier - some images might be rotated ( the smaller ones are thumbnails you can click

Are you setting up on Friday or not until Saturday? I am one of the ones set up for Friday night....... which is why I am going nuts sorting and pricing....... anything you see here - is obviously going in ( I am pricing as I go) - make sure to introduce yourself - boardies will get a discount....... (Funky Catz Comics) ---- just ask for dave (or the owner) -

all over the place - lots of different items - my $1 and $2 books are going to be crazy for the show - lots of bronze and copper - - some neat stuff too ----

exactly what you need with a show less than a week away - more books to process..... about 9 longboxes total... and i need to at least run through them quick tonight - seller has more (including a NM98) - that I am going to see about tomorrow..... more pics coming......

fanny

be careful what you ask for..... on the more serious side - Gabriel - If you need a secondary income - get that second REAL part time job. Mix it up - and try to get at least one of them in an area that can turn into full time. Honestly - food service is actually a great area. I believe you have a job as a dishwasher, right? - are you the BEST dishwasher they have? if not - what will it take to get there AND ATTITUDE IS INCLUDED in that aspect. If you are ( or become) one of their better performers and have a working relationship with your boss - you can ask for more hours. If they say no - ask them what needs improvement in order for you to get more hours. If more hours at that position are not available - you can then ask if there are other areas where you can help out. If you make yourself a VALUABLE employee - there will be opportunities - or at least you will be able to jump in to a different restaurant with skills and experience. as for comics.... You have repeatedly ignored sound advice from those with a LOT of knowledge. You keep trying to make the big scores - without understanding the nuances of the business. Buying collections and breaking them up --- HELPS YOU LEARN. The model you keep chasing will burn you and probably already has. In one of the posts - you had a bank account of 20K+ - now in the 3K range. Was this the same timeline as your comic book speculations? - look at what the accounts were when you started and now - if you do not have real overall profit - then you have to realize what you are doing is NOT working. recommendations - I would steer clear from comics until AFTER you have a stable working situation that can support you. Comics - should NOT be something you depend on for income. If it is not providing a significant % of your income now (from PROFIT - not just sales) - then it is hurting you - not helping. when you RETURN to comics 1. Do not do third party deals. The description of the BATB deal - really seems to be a recipe for disaster. 2. If you cannot afford to make a purchase 100% on your own - do not do it. 3. Never put more than 20% of your working cash into a single deal ( one book or a collection - does not matter). 4. LEARN TO GRADE. Seriously - your TEC in ebay - still has up to 4 grades associated with it ( 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 4.0) ...... pick one and price appropriately. This is a skill you need to buy and sell comics. You do not have to be the best - but the better you get - the bigger margins you will be able to maintain. 5. START SMALL SO YOU CAN LEARN.... mistakes on a $10 book hurt a lot less than a $1000 book. If you buy collections - the inventory costs are spread out. If you cannot figure out how to turn a profit hunting down groups of $5 - $10 books that you will not be able to do so with the big ones. I will probably copy and past that last one many more times as you continue to progress. Buying collections and breaking them apart - is one of the very best ways to start. Yes - profits are small in the beginning - but you learn how to evaluate purchases. How to identify the better books. How to process all of it for sale. How and where are the best locations to sell the various tiers of books. When you get the routine and process down to what works for you - the profits go up as you can increase your buy/sell rate with confidence and experience. Right now - it seems more like you are guessing at what to do with $1000+ at a time........

and this- been almost a week since WC asked...... FAR more important than the book - this brings stability which is what you need BEFORE you work on the comic front..... Things on the job front suck and yet, still have the time and money to risk on $1K+ comic 'investments', despite being on gov't support less than a year ago. And yes I get that it's a great 'deal' on the comic. But a better 'deal' might be paying for some classes or vocational training to generate future income streams I keep my paypal money and living money separate. I agree that a better "deal" would be classes but I have no idea what I want to do anymore so I'll will stick with a min wage job for now. I know you're going to say "You have a min wage job you shouldn't complain that it sucks" but I had two jobs that I enjoyed working at and my only complaints were two coworkers there but other then that great. Also I view classes as a bad investment because that would also be wasted money should it not turn out for me. Yes when I see a deal I'll go after it. A bad investment (seriously) - is comic books - the market is extremely volatile - and you keep trying to work in the higher end books instead of learning from the ground up. Unless you have 20K bank for your business - you should not be dropping 1.5K on a single book. Having too much of your capital wrapped up in single entities - is a recipe for investment disaster. Before hunting down new books - you need to fix your old ones. I gave you advice on the TEC you have listed - and the problems are still there. You need a real front cover image. You need to give it a real grade. You need to price to grade. A good investment - would be interview lessons. Technical writing lessons. Something that is useful across multiple disciplines or job hunting.

and this- been almost a week since WC asked...... FAR more important than the book - this brings stability which is what you need BEFORE you work on the comic front.....

In a large flat-rate box there's plenty of room to protect three slabs, and they can also be double-boxed with that setup. as the OP says a "flat rate box for $15" which would not be a large flat rate box that would be a medium flat rate box. ya - I was definitely thinking medium --- for a large - $19 to ship all three - plus packing materials - plus insurance ( depending on book value) -and it is not outrageous. Remember that ebay takes a cut of that shipping - so the 27 is more like 24 already....