KEY ISSUES Comics

6 hours ago, AndyFish said:

I can get behind no variants and no 2nd printings, but no digital and no TPB plus a limit of 1 per customer in a base of 20 stores cuts a huge % of your potential customers out.  The math above sums it up too, you’ve got a loss leader strategy in place and unless you have deep pockets it’s not sustainable.  Still, impressive creator list and Valiant did some good titles back in the day.  I wish them well but I think they’re making some big mistakes.

Perhaps there's more to the story than we all know at this point. But if not, yeah, I don't really get it and I'm pretty certain we'll some insane sales prices on Ebay as some of those issues hit the secondary market.

7 hours ago, GeeksAreMyPeeps said:

They've released a single image and you've concluded already that they're ripping off two specific things?

I made an observation. You'd think the first title for such a limited release project would be something fresh and unique to set itself apart. Perhaps it is, but that image sure looks a lot like the previous works I pointed out. Then again, what the heck is original nowadays? Rare is the truly unique creation.

On 2/6/2020 at 4:35 PM, Deadpoolica said:

Seems like they got the name of the company right   

Yep. Sounds like a....Bad Idea! But, you don't know unless you try. Who knows, it might be a monumental success.

Boy, that Megalith title looks like a rip-off A Ellis' Trees (And of Geiger aesthetics).

Plan on being in or near Montreal in 2020? If so, contact us to book an appointment at our warehouse. We're liquidating most of our inventory between now and 2021. Up to 40% off on a wide range of popular titles ranging from the Bronze Age to today. The more you buy, the less it costs.

Click here for full details.

SF 41-38

MVP: Deebo Samuel, 165 all purpose yards

Sell, sell, sell neighbor!!!!!

2 minutes ago, blazingbob said:

"Encapsulated copies will almost always fetch more online"

Huh?  I would not agree with this statement.  I will pretty much get the same price whether I'm at a show or the book is bought online.  

More than a raw copy in the same grade sold online. I'm not saying that graded copies sell for more online than at a show.

Corrected. Thanks!

1 hour ago, LordRahl said:

It should make a difference to you. Leave out the potential grading discrepancy that what you grade a 9.0 might come back from CGC as an 8/8.5. This is of course a potential problem but I'm going to ignore this just to make the argument simpler. Take a bronze book that sells for $100 in CGC 9.2, let's say ASM 103 for example. You charge $100 for it slabbed and you charge $100 for it raw as a 9.2. You are ignoring that the slab itself costs money. As a buyer, if I bought your raw 9.2 and then wanted to get it slabbed, I would have to pay around $30 to get it graded. But I can buy it already graded for $100. Why in the world would I pay an extra $30 for your raw copy just to have to do the work myself, and take the risk of a lower grade to boot? You can look at it as the book itself is only worth $70 and the slab literally adds $30 in value.

Simple. Because there's a market for raw copies, as in there's an entire segment of the collector base that dislikes encapsulated books. Plus they don't need a 3rd party to grade for them if they have half a clue how to grade. And once again, people pay more for raw in person than they would for the same book online and only applies to certain books. It's a combination of experience and instinct where and when I apply this approach to raw books.

Remember, we're talking about buying at conventions (in person), and not online. Encapsulated copies will almost always fetch more online than a raw copy. That's one of the main purposes of graded comics: to remove doubt and uncertainty from online transactions.

However, I remember a time when certain raw keys were fetching more on Ebay than their CGC counterpart. Some people just wanted a raw copy and were willing to pay more for them!

5 minutes ago, 1Cool said:

Give me an example?  The New Mutants 100 in CGC 8.5 and the Uncanny X-Men #348 CGC 2.0 are extremes but what kind of book are you using CGC prices for raw books?

Any lower end Bronze/Copper/Silver Age book that's in the $30-100CAD range in the 3.0-8.0 range to give a rough idea. There are exceptions of course. The price spread is so low on these types of books that raw or graded makes no difference to me.

But, I'm different that way I guess. 

I think we can agree that the market is all over the place though.

1 minute ago, 1Cool said:

The slab has value to it.  The security, ease of selling and a defined grade is part of what you are paying for in my opinion and should be factored into the price.  Now if you are that confident in your grading that you are willing to guarantee a grade and charge more then I think you should knock off the $20 it cost to get the book graded since the book is only that price because its in the case and CGC says its a 9.2 copy (even in lower price books).  There does come a threshold where I would agree with you because some books shouldn't be in a case and I'm not paying $30 for a New Mutants 100 in a CGC 8.5 case - you shouldn't have graded it if it was a 8.5 contender.

I agree in an online environment, but I'm not going to sell my raw for less in person where the person can inspect it themselves. Plus, how many times do we hear folks complain that they do not agree with a slabbed book's grade? It's not the end all be all, especially not for the type of books I'm referring to.

12 minutes ago, Deadpoolica said:

...because the slab has already been paid to be graded. 

I understand, but I don't add the cost of the certification to a comic. I wouldn't charge at least $20USD for UNCANNY X-MEN #348 CGC 2.0 because someone paid to have it graded. It should be in the recycling bin.

8 minutes ago, ADAMANTIUM said:

I always bring cash, some years I've broke even, last year I ate crow.....

This thread starts every year, I read, hoping to gleam the mistakes I'm making as if it's all my fault  

Most dealers at the con, from what I notice, will have raws priced at what a slab in the grade they have marked will go for.....

CGC 7.5 $80? then the raw marked at 7.5 is $80

I don't know how to negotiate that  

I'm not ashamed to say that I'm one of those dealers, at least with relatively inexpensive books, such as the example quoted above. I strongly believe the raw vs graded price discrepancies should be reserved for high grade copies and expensive books, say four figure and higher. I really don't see why a slab should fetch significantly more than it's raw counterpart in such a grade and price point. 

41 minutes ago, manetteska said:

This is what I mean when I say dealers are overpriced at conventions. 

I wouldn't say this is a blanket statement, because plenty of dealers have more than fair prices at shows.

4 hours ago, 1Cool said:

I've not heard the usual counter argument from buyers where they compare the price they paid to get in and the gas to drive there which is why they only pay GPA or lowest e-bay prices.  Why should they eat all those expenses and still pay over E-Bay prices when they could stay at home and get books delivered to them.  

One could then say that their computer, internet, electricity, etc. have an inherent cost too.

However, I do agree with the argument from a buyer's perspective when attending large, expensive cons, but the exhibitor is paying a fortune to set up as well, so they kinda cancel each other out as arguments for paying less or selling for more.

Well, for lower end books, say under $100, I do add the partial cost of shipping to my sticker prices, especially for slabs, as that's what people are willing to pay online. Also, the convenience of being able to obtain a book in person has a certain value. No wait, no risk of loss/damage in transit, no customs fees, etc. That's how I approach it and no one gives me a hard time.

Well, I for one think comics look much nicer without a case, so I'm more likely to "like" a photo of just the cover. The case with it's reflectivity and big number on top are quite the visual distraction. I've always said comics look best in a Mylite. 

All I can say to the OP is:

ENJOY!!!!!!!

I'm almost envious that he hasn't read anything since the early 90's because there has been soooooooo much amazing material published since. A real smorgasbord to dive into! 

1 minute ago, kimik said:

Then maybe we have hit a plateau/consolidation phase after the run up the past two years. Even a small correction will be fine and good for the market. 

Definitely. It just cannot keep climbing like it has been.

Or can it?!?!?!?! 

2 minutes ago, ygogolak said:

I thought it looked decent, maybe just a little low budget. Obviously it has Umbrella Academy potential.

It's not so bad if you accept it for what it is. Low budget? Definitely! As bad a the current ratings on IMDB? No. 

I acknowledge that it's not as 'good' as Umbrella Academy, but I prefer October Faction because it feels like a B-movie. 

12 hours ago, kimik said:

Not all SA keys are dropping. There are still a couple of titles with room to run............

That being said, it seems like we have one or two of these threads every new year. The pattern has been the same for the past 20 years online and at auctions - sell in March through October, and buy in November through February. It is not a difficult play to follow. 

 

It's more than the seasonal fluctuation. 

Great thread topic. I started one months ago about the same thing, but as it applied to AF #15 specifically. I was lambasted by many when I pointed out that AF #15 was dropping, but now it seems to be happening to plenty of books. I think most, if not all, of the reasons listed above are valid and in play. Plus the reality is, only so many people can afford these prices...

13 hours ago, tth2 said:

Ding ding ding!

If prices and supply keep going up, particularly when high grade copies are being manufactured as fast as the presses can work, at some point supply outstrips demand at those price points, and prices fall until a new supply-demand equilibrium is reached.  It's simple economics.

What'll be even more interesting is if/when the new supply-demand equilibrium turns out to be at a much lower price level than people had expected.    

I remember telling people years ago when pressing starting gaining momentum that it's going to kill the value of high end copies long-term. But I guess many current buyers/sellers are not thinking the long game.

Deadpool (I don't think he's funny at all)

Harley Quinn (Annoying)

Batman (My reasons would offend most fans)

Those are are only the popular ones I can think of.

I am curious. Why all the hate for Leto? What is it about him and/or his acting that makes people react so strongly? Lots of people I know tell me they "hate him."

11 hours ago, fastballspecial said:

One of my LCS owners told me he survived on $1 books for over 20 years.. Keys and high dollar books are great and would come in from time to time, but $1 books he bought for pennies are his bread and butter.

 

Yep. $1-2 books sell like crazy for me as well, but getting them at price that allows me to profit from them is tough.