Andahaion

Good discussion here.  I know jack about variants, but I recall when Silver Surfer was rebooted Francavilla did a variant cover I fell in love with.  My LCS actually got it in and when I called they said it was $100.  I believe that was either the day it was first available or maybe a day or so after.  That was my first "oh spoon" moment with regard to variants.  I follow the conversation around the variant market more than the actual books.  Just not my cup o' tea, nor do I really have an opinion otherwise.  Seems like a lot of hustle though, and I'm not getting any younger

13 hours ago, Samoyed Sabaka said:

Have you ever tried stacking these?  Just wondering how much weight they might safely support.  As far as pricing goes, are these really only $1.50 each?  That's pretty good - how much is shipping?  Just wondering what the average price per box would work out to.  I'm paying around $4.00 each for my ugly long boxes now.

 

They are not $1.50.  They are made of real wood and I paid about $20/box.  They can be stacked.  I have them in stacks of three boxes. 

I use these.  If you buy in bulk (I believe five or more) the seller will give you a discount.  

https://www.etsy.com/listing/400960861/comic-book-storage-and-display-box?ref=shop_home_feat_3

Can't stand long and short boxes.  I've run across a few websites with comic furniture that look really nice too.  I bet most here wouldn't pay for said furniture, but it looks worlds better than most alternative (ie, cheap) ideas.  

Oakman, your setup is righteous.

I usually attend that Shoff show like clockwork.  I was surprised when I saw a Facebook post from the promoter that Mr. Adams was there!  Very cool, sad I missed this one.

Just updated my goals for 2017 and have a very short list of six books I want to be sure to procure this year.  In short they are (in my preferred priority order):

Thor #165
Fantastic Four #67
Fantastic Four #52
Fantastic Four #66
Marvel Premiere #1
Strange Tales #178

It's a very cosmic-y year, but I need to buckle down and get these Warlock books before too much more time passes and something causes a spike in prices.  And a dash of Black Panther!  Now to stay focused...

Book is on hold.

Selling my copy of Amazing Fantasy #15, CGC 2.5 Off-white to White pages.  The certification number is 1290362001.  If it’s unclear the label notes read: “Tape on interior cover and last page”.  Additional pictures upon request.  Here are the rules (please read):

1. Payment by Paypal.  If you are local to the DC area, we can talk about a check as payment if that is your preference. 
2. No time payments.
3. Payment is expected within 24 hours.  Book will be shipped as soon as payment is verified and cleared.
4. You have five days from date of delivery to decide if you want to return the book.  You are responsible for return shipping.  Book must be returned in same condition as it was sent.
5. USA buyers only.
6. First “take it” in thread wins.  If there is a simultaneous PM that results in a “take it”, time stamp will determine the winner.
7. Not open to trades.  However, if you have about $8K and a nice Daredevil #1 to make up the difference we can talk.

I have been a member of this board for a few years now and have purchased books from members better known than I (though not books of this caliber).  That said, if you wish to contact folks I’ve purchased from please just ask and I am happy to supply names.

Please keep in mind that I have a full time job and it’s not in comics.  I will respond to PMs as I am able, but it may not be until late in the afternoon or possibly in the evenings.

Price: $10,500 includes shipping and insurance.  Price is fairly firm, a little room.  I will leave this up through the weekend and hopefully we can have coffee Monday morning because "coffee is for closers."

.

As a few others have shared, I too utilize the Google Drive app on my phone to access the lists I keep.  Works for me when out and about.  At larger shows, I will usually print out a few sheets of paper.  

I like that pictures are no longer blocked by my company's filter.

You have to remember some dealers kinda hope there is a market crash so they are able to buy key books for cheap then hold on to them till they go back up in value to turn a huge profit. This is also true for some collectors hoping to one day be able to buy a book they no longer can afford.

I don't know of a single dealer that ever hopes the comic market crashes...keep in mind, virtually every dealer purchases inventory at what they hope is their desired profit margin below what they feel is FMV/they can sell for... if a market crashes, it would devalue said inventory to such an extent that probably no amount of books they could buy in the crash, would offset those losses...and, in the case of comics, if we enter into a really bad crash, we probably go the way of the stamp or pulp market and don't ever fully come back...so I have to whole heartedly disagree with that sentiment...

 

I also don't know of any book collector that cares of about the value of their collection, that wants the market to crash...sure, they might get to buy a desired book cheaper, but same principle, the rest of their collection is likely devalued to the point that it is not a desirable "hope"...

 

now, bargain only collectors, or collectors that truly don't care about monetary value, might delight in a market crash, but unlikely anyone else would (or should)...

 

just my 40 years in this hobby opinion, both as a reader/collector and reseller of comics... I truly hope that the market only continues to go up, but my basic understanding of markets and economics preclude me from that kind of hope, given the way our market has exponentially, and many times artificially, increased in value over too short of a period of time (ie "bubble")...

 

and a comment about "all those millionaires and billionaires"... they've always been part of our market...and for every Ayman Hariri that enters, there's a Marc Lasry that exits...so, I don't think we can look at the outliers as indicators of market strength, as by very definition that data shouldn't be included in assessment of the strength or weakness of a cyclical market...

Yes, that is an interesting assertion to make. I don't agree with it either. I do not want the hobby I enjoy to crash for any reason. I'm just pixels on the web and do not believe I know anyone personally on this board, so take my input for what it is, however, I think the growth we've seen is generally viewed as positive; especially if your income (supplemental or not) is based on said industry. For context, I'd classify myself as a casual collector. I own a few "expensive" books, but maintain a small, concentrated collection.

The REAL threat is when you edit your pull list and the comic shop does not adjust their orders from Diamond.

 

Why aren't you picking up this book?

 

I edited my pull list and told you that in three months I would stop picking up that book. Three months have passed. I was serious.

100%

 

I've heard stories from friends who stopped their subscriptions with shops because they continually messed up their pull lists. It's frustrating as a consumer and sounds like it happens more than it should.

 

My old shop was great (Victory Comics in Falls Church, VA). Very responsive and organized. They made suggestions of stuff I liked, but never added anything after I told them not too. If I hadn't moved far enough away to the point where it wasn't convenient, I'd still go there.

 

 

I second all these emotions. I attempted to set up a pull list with a shop (not Victory) in the DC area a few years ago, but when they pulled out a legal pad of paper and a pencil I politely told the clerk I changed my mind as I could foresee all kinds of issues stemming from their record keeping. The shop I eventually went with used Comixology and I really appreciated how I could manage my lists from my computer. Never had any issues, and they even mailed my comics to me!

 

I no longer subscribe because I don't have the time and I wanted to pare down my collection. I was taking in way too many books that I honestly never read.

Was it Fantom? I used to have a pull list when they were in Union Station. Using Comixology to manage my pull list was great.

It was Fantom. They were always great to me to the point where I felt bad for stopping my subs. Since it sounds like you lived here, you likely can appreciate how much time and effort they saved me by shipping my books to me so I didn't have to go into the city from the 'burbs. I probably should have joined at Victory, but I had been with Fantom for a few years at that point as I used to live on the Hill when I was a swinging bachelor. I have yet to visit their Dupont Circle location though.

The REAL threat is when you edit your pull list and the comic shop does not adjust their orders from Diamond.

 

Why aren't you picking up this book?

 

I edited my pull list and told you that in three months I would stop picking up that book. Three months have passed. I was serious.

100%

 

I've heard stories from friends who stopped their subscriptions with shops because they continually messed up their pull lists. It's frustrating as a consumer and sounds like it happens more than it should.

 

My old shop was great (Victory Comics in Falls Church, VA). Very responsive and organized. They made suggestions of stuff I liked, but never added anything after I told them not too. If I hadn't moved far enough away to the point where it wasn't convenient, I'd still go there.

 

I second all these emotions. I attempted to set up a pull list with a shop (not Victory) in the DC area a few years ago, but when they pulled out a legal pad of paper and a pencil I politely told the clerk I changed my mind as I could foresee all kinds of issues stemming from their record keeping. The shop I eventually went with used Comixology and I really appreciated how I could manage my lists from my computer. Never had any issues, and they even mailed my comics to me!

I no longer subscribe because I don't have the time and I wanted to pare down my collection. I was taking in way too many books that I honestly never read.

Saw it last night, loved it despite the annoying middle schoolers in the audience. I both understand and also do not understand critical statements of its slow start. I might be able to relate, but my perspective is that is what is called plot development. I really soaked up learning about the new characters, but again that's just my opinion. Plus the last half of the movie more than makes up for it. And that ending! Wow. I was dizzy for about an hour afterward.

Overall, I agree with a few here that it was a better film than Force Awakens (for several reasons). Though, I really enjoyed that flick too. It's just great to see these movies come along with more regularity, such a treat to be a fan today. It feels good to be excited about all these amazing films.

Picked up this little guy at a shop in Occoquan, VA last night. I loved that series, as I'm sure a lot of you did as well. Such good memories watching that show. Bats will look great on my shelf.

Nov-04-2016 $115

Aug-28-2016 $79

Aug-28-2016 $113

 

 

last 90 days........

 

 

 

 

I did pay 115 it's the shipping that was 24.50

 

Why is 25% of your cost, shipping? You can't make money at those kind of rates. You can't buy $100 books to flip, where the shipping is 25% percent of your cost. Go to a show, by that kind of book where there is no shipping costs.

 

It just doesn't make sense.

 

Jim

 

Yeah I asked about that and he says because it's going to Canada he can't really help me there.

Why didn't you have it shipped to the address in the United States of America?

I assume for many of you in your mid/late 30s that Venom has a pretty special place in the memory of your youthful collecting days. I know he sure does for me. This weekend I was out in a part of Maryland I don't ever get to and decided to visit some shops. One in particular (Barbarian Comics) delivered. Such a great place, slightly disorganized and just the right amount of dust on the back issue bins. I've had this book on my "to buy" list for a while now and decided to treat myself. Happy to have this now proudly displayed in my home.

We are Venom!

I'm going to ask the mods to rename this thread after a soap opera, because its non ending.

 

" The Days of Our Lives " has a nice ring to it.

"The Brave and the Bold and the Beautiful"...??

This video may have been shared previously, but I enjoyed Chuck's explanation when a collector asked him about his raw NM 98 priced at $2,600.

 

 

 

Fast forward to about 21:20. Interesting perspective.

 

And if you've never heard of Comic Trips I highly recommend them. Great YouTubers.

 

Appreciate the heads up on that channel, I had not run across them before. Also really appreciate Chuck's explanation. Interesting take and I found myself actually nodding to myself "yeah that makes sense". I'd like to go and visit.

Gosh I want to quit this thread so badly, but cannot. I also want to shout so many negative and positive things at the OP that I'm just so confused. I don't know what I'm rooting for...success or failure.

Nearly every day I log on here hoping for some breakthrough, but it's just the same crud over and over again. I cannot fathom living like this...hustling every day, never succeeding. And now we're breaking our own rules that were set to help us succeed! Ugh.

How do you expect to get anywhere in life doing this?? Don't you want something better for yourself? It's madness. But also, good for you for believing in something. Go get 'em tiger. ARGH!!

Also, just as a side note...I'm not sure the emotions excuse flies with me. I've considered it ever since coming into this thread some odd year or so ago and we all face temptations and deal with hype in this hobby. I could be wrong though, maybe it is an actual disorder...but mainly I just think it's a lack of discipline and maturity. But again, I certainly don't know the OP or truly understand how he lives. I do know that I'd never purchase anything from him though. This journal has sealed that deal.

Good luck to you, I think.

Inventory Update

 

Total Comics Bought $11,048.55

Total Comics sold $10,424.16

Inventory $1448

Loss $624.39

Not yet sold: 27

Comics Lost on: 28

 

 

 

 

Big Comics VS Little Comics Comparison

 

 

Little Books

Bought $2455.12+247.01+699.53=$3401.68

Sold $4007.43+1679.24=$5686.67

Losses $1079.43+637.19= $1716.62

Profit $568.37

 

Big Books

Bought $5329.03

Sold $2340

Losses $2989.03

 

 

Dear God - your basic book keeping skills are heart breaking. Please explain your math on the little books section. $3,401.68 bought and $5,686.67 sold but you had $1,716.62 in loss but $568.37 in profits???

 

This is what really matters:

 

Total Comics Bought $11,048.55

Total Comics sold $10,424.16

Inventory $1448

 

If your numbers are correct then it looks like you will be up $823.61 when you sell the rest of your inventory. This is assuming your sold number has subtracted fees and all cost to sell the books.

 

I'm assuming the inventory number is what he paid for it...who knows what it'll actually sell for.

 

I think most reasonable people would come to the conclusion that after 3 years and being in the red, that it might not be the best business for them.

 

 

 

But even if he gets half he will still be up compared the loss he keeps talking about. But I do agree being up a couple hundred dollars after 3 years and $11,000 in sold books is so low I'd have not thought possible.

 

I forgot to agree that his book keeping is odd to say the least. If everything works out for him ( and it's safe to say it won't ) he'll have invested 11K to make around $800, not to mention the time invested. I'm no investment guru, but that doesn't seem awesome to me.

 

No it's no and I've made a lot of mistakes but I am moving forward that's what matters.

 

I think your definition of moving forward and mine are slightly different.

 

Yes and no. I'm looking this from a physiological standpoint while you're focusing on time, money and energy spent, maybe it's because you're not me and I know much if affects what I've been doing but trust me there will be a difference when I get a handle on emotions and impulses.

 

Wouldn't it make more sense to get a handle on emotions, impulses, and other life situations FIRST? So you don't lose money at the same time? And if that does not make sense to you, do you think you're exhibiting symptoms of an addict? And if you are exhibiting symptoms of an addict, shouldn't you seek treatment for that?

 

Its like those football players (NFL) who keep getting busted for weed use. Yes, plenty of people use marijuana frequently for fun and therapy, and have no problems with it. Many don't get addicted, they function normally, no big deal. But when YOU KNOW you'll lose money and your job if it don't stop and it starts costing you $$ (them millions, you much less) and you STILL won't stop, you're addicted (or insane).

 

And for someone who already has mental, learning, and emotional problems, with few financial prospects for the future, little education, no financial resources, ANY type of addiction can CRIPPLE you, especially one that can cost you money that you cannot afford to lose. And yes I get that you want to believe that you can control it, that you just need a few big scores to break even, maybe that you can stop whenever you want, you just choose not to. But those are all common things an addict says. Or maybe you think that it's not THAT harmful, nobody else gets hurt but you. Which might be true. And if you accept that, than fine. But if you truly want to improve your lot in life AND get better at dealing comics, you'd be better served improving literally (not figuratively) EVERY OTHER PART OF YOUR LIFE FIRST. Nothing else will change your station, not a few lucky comics scores, not an American election, not your boss offering you 5 more hours a week of work, not meeting the woman (or man) of your dreams, nothing.

You have to want a better life and a you must work five times more than the next guy, which may or may not be fair. But while you're pondering the fairness of the situation or using your limited skills and money to 'gamble' on comics, the guy next to you is studying, doing pushups, and working hard.

 

How many successful dealers have you talked to find out how they started? Does that even matter to you? Should it? Why or why not?

 

What work have you done on yourself to make yourself more hirable for a comic book store or dealer? Gotten in better shape? Practiced your sorting speed and skill? Become knowledgeable about comics that might be popular? Can you make and defend recommendations of things to buy or read? Practiced your data entry skills? Studied the price guide? Learned about the key issues for all the major characters? Are you very comfortable with customer service? If someone came in with a short box of bronze or copper comics, how long would it take you to assign a value to the box, what steps would you take?

 

Howabout running a small business in general? Have you improved your math, business, or excel skills? Can you do profit/loss analysis in your head? Have you improved your memory? Organization skills? Are you detail oriented?

 

NOTE that not everyone does any or all of these things, but they also don't want what you want (or at least claim to want, sounds like you just want to win lottery after lottery after lottery without putting in the work).

 

I'll answer this later

 

let your actions answer it. You don't owe any of us anything, not answers, not improvement, not updates, and certainly not excuses. You have to want it for yourself and do it for yourself.

 

This feels like a bizarro Good Will Hunting. Nobody here comes back hoping to read that you've bought and sold a million dollar comic, or even a $5K or $1K comic. We hope that one day you post that you're going back to school or have some type of professional apprenticeship, and you start posting less and less over time, to where you don't post at all for a long time. And you come back a year or two later and post that you're about to graduate whatever vocational school you attended, you've got a part time job at a comic store, and you've gotta real entry level job lined up post-graduation that at the very least gives you a chance at a future.

 

Comics should be fun, they shouldn't be your downfall. And if there's any chance of that (as there is with you), you gotta get out man.

 

But as stated before, it doesn't matter what everyone else wants for you, only what you truly deep down want for yourself.

Long time listener, first time caller here. Just wanted to acknowledge this excellent post (and apropos movie reference).

i do it manual, sometimes I want to double check exactly what i'm buying

 

the best thing to remember is that there is always another one around the corner

 

except my auctions, those are unique and you should bid to the max

Another good point. I'm a casual collector and participant on this forum, but I have seen several books sold here or online come up again days or weeks later. In fact, just this week I saw a book sell for $40 less than what the reseller purchased it for, which was interesting. Anyway, hopefully whoever purchased this book will sell in the future and set an auction end time that's friendlier to new parents.

Cheers.

Random question...do most of you use some kind of sniping program for Ebay auctions? Does it work well for you? I got hamstrung this week on a lot I really wanted. I looked up the winner's bidding history and saw he/she had 26 bids on 26 different lots...so I'm assuming that's a sniper's profile.

 

I fully admit I should have set my bid higher, but for whatever reason I tend to not bid that way on Ebay. Weird, I think. Doesn't help that the auction ended at 11pm my time and I have a six month old...so, you parents may know how some of those nights go.

 

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a lot of incentive to publicly share one's 'snipe technique' on a forum with people who are likely to be bidding on similar type things. Even moreso when some of those snipers actually make a living (or a decent percentage thereof) buying and selling comics they (hopefully) get for cheap. Though I do hope someone pm's you with some info. I actually would, I just don't have any, I just set a reminder on my phone like 3 minutes before the auction ends then try to 'take care of it' manually.

Good point. My inquiry was from the perspective of an average collector so I certainly respect (and wouldn't want anyone to divulge) trade secrets for those who live and work this stuff. I did google for some sniping programs, but not sure I want to get into that and wondered how it worked for folks on this forum. No harm intended on my part.

Random question...do most of you use some kind of sniping program for Ebay auctions? Does it work well for you? I got hamstrung this week on a lot I really wanted. I looked up the winner's bidding history and saw he/she had 26 bids on 26 different lots...so I'm assuming that's a sniper's profile.

I fully admit I should have set my bid higher, but for whatever reason I tend to not bid that way on Ebay. Weird, I think. Doesn't help that the auction ended at 11pm my time and I have a six month old...so, you parents may know how some of those nights go.

How do you post a damn photo? haha I don't have a website that it comes from like the instructions say. Why can't you just post like an image from your desktop.

You can attach a picture. When you're drafting your post or reply in a thread, look below and you'll see a link called "File Manager". Click that and you can attach pictures. I think they have to be a certain size, and I believe you have to be in "full reply" and not "quick reply".

Hey guys, been lurking the site for a while, made my account a few months ago, but this is my first post on the site - I apologize if this is being posted in the wrong place.

 

A little about myself. I'm a 27 year old graduate student, been collecting ASM for about the past 15 years (although in a more serious mode for the past 10 years). Started off by picking up basically any issue, then started to move onto the more valuable stuff, and as the years went by I began to focus more and more on the lower number issues. Currently, my 'top' issue would be a 6.0 ASM 5, though I am proud to own a nearly complete issue 12-450 run.

 

The reason I am posting in this thread, is to seek advice from the members of the club I hope to someday be a part of. For about the past 5 years, AF15 has become more and more an obsession for me - while at the same time appearing further and further out of grasp. Between soon to be kicking in student loans, a wedding in the next year, and moving onto my PhD, the day that I have a spare $7,000-10,000 to pick up a copy is looking far away.

 

As of late, I have been contemplating if it would be wise to cash out a majority of my collection (or trade), for an AF15. While it would be hard to part with certain issues, I feel that financially it might be the best option. Any suggestions if this would be a wise move on my part?

 

The other, more crazy idea, that I have been contemplating is attempting to take out a personal investment loan, attempting to grab a copy for a good price, and flip for a small markup (then repeat the process, until I am able to repay the loan + purchase a book). Has anyone gone about getting into high end books like this?

 

Ending my long post, I am just looking for suggestions on what might be some reasonable ways to obtain this Holy Grail, given my situation.

 

Thanks for any suggestions,

Joseph

I can't really speak to any debt you should take on, primarily because I don't know anything about you and your financial habits/history. I also think that should be more a discussion between you and your fiancee than random members of this community. At any rate, I'd guess that most here would recommend you not take on debt, which can be good advice, but again not knowing your financial background prohibits me from making any real comment in that regard.

What I can do is tell you that finding a copy for a "good price" (for flipping purposes) may be difficult given the seemingly relentless rise in price the book commands. However, I also don't know what your "must haves" are for the book. For example, what grade are you looking for (I'm assuming something in the 1.5-2.5 range given the dollar amount you quote), would you buy a copy that has restoration, tape, chipping, detached cover, etc? These all factor into a good answer to your questions.

When I began my quest I looked back at auction results from about 2002-2014 and found that copies in the grade I eventually bought (CGC 2.5) had risen from roughly $1,500 in 2002 to roughly $5,500 in 2014 (disclaimer: these numbers were primarily from one auction house). I ended up paying $7,500, so your flipping plan might not work as you lay out.

So, to make my long winded non-answer have some semblance of advice...you may want to contact some of the sellers on this board who offer time payments. If you've lurked you likely know who some of those folks are. Selling your collection to offset the cost of the AF15 is also difficult to answer...I suppose it all boils down to how badly you want the AF15 and what kinds of sacrifices you are willing to make. In your shoes, I'd likely sell what I could to help offset because those books would generally be easy to replace. And AF15 prices continue to climb.

For what it's worth, I totally relate to you when you say that the book is more and more out of grasp. That's why I bit the bullet and bought, but again I'm just about to enter into my prime earning years and have a pretty lucrative job, so everyone's situation is different. It certainly sounds like you have a lot on your plate, so maybe waiting until you're financially stable is prudent.

Hope some of that makes sense and is of at least some value to you.

Cheers and best of luck. It's a great book to own and is certainly the jewel in my collection.