Wizard and OS are not the real price guides... Ebay is!

[Comiclover1973-migration]

Wizard and OS are BS. Ebay prices are a true reflection on the actual value of comics.

 

Wizard and OS get their prices by polling comic book stores. They ask for no poof that books sell at any given price. This is rediculous. It's like setting the stock price of a publicly traded company by asking the CEO what it's worth. Every year Wizard and OS raise the prices of MOST of their comics.

 

Is this some attempt to increase sales? Much of Wiz's revenues come from

advertisers and many of those advertisers are dealers. Comic store owners and dealers love Wiz because then they can say... "Well it costs 30.00 in Wizard but I can let you have it for 20.00, what a great deal for you".

 

I do hear the voices of critics on Ebay. "Ebay is just a 7 day window" and "you can't inspect the book".

 

There are many good reasons why Ebay prices should be equal or higher than store prices. First of all, Ebay taps into a worldwide market. Anyone from anywhere in the world can buy the comic. A local store only sells to local customers. Second, Ebay comics are shipped right to your door. No wasting a Saturday afternoon looking for parking and paying for gas and grabbing a bite to eat. Weather conditions don't matter. Third most Ebay sellers do not charge sales tax.

 

Ebay may just be a 7 day window. However, this is more realistic than a comic store posting up a comic and letting it sit for 2 years. I know of comic stores in my home town, where every month I make a visit, the exact same comics are just sitting there.

 

You can not inspect the condition first hand. However, there are many way a smart buyer can get around this problem. Only buy from sellers with a high positive feedback, a moneyback guarantee and large scans. These sellers will get hgih prices.. just not as high as what is shown in the guides. Top Ebay sellers (non-cgc) will usually get 50% of OS.

 

Ok, some may think, "well I don't want some new guide to come along and tell me my inventory isn't worth what I thought". I believe that in the long run comic stores would be much more successful. a)Their turnover of older books would be higher. This would free up cash flow to buy more new comics and reduce maintenace costs. b)They may uncover some books that sell much better than what they thought. The original Sqaudron Supreme had a vey nice run on Ebay. c) They will increase the rate collectors visit their stores and buy peripherals such as cards, RPG equipment, Food, etc.

 

We need someone to publish a new guide using Ebay as the primary source for pricing. We need cheaper books to renew interest and make back issues accessible for younger collectors and readers. We need comic buyers with confidence in their ability to resell comics at a future time. We don't need Wizard, OS or any other smoke&mirrors.

 

 

 

 

[valiantman]

While I gave up on Wizard years ago...

 

I'm willing to give Overstreet a couple more years to incorporate EBay prices

into the annual guide.

 

It truly is a serious shift for the hobby to have a very large number of public sales

of books from every age, value, and condition, all the time throughout the year.

Overstreet has not had the resources to follow every EBay sale,

or even to compile and average multiple sales for the same books.

 

However, I think it's very hard to argue that the average price for the same book

over many auctions and many weeks would have to be the "market price".

 

A dealer who regularly sells a book for less than EBay prices is not very smart,

and a dealer who regularly sells a book for more than EBay prices doesn't

have very smart customers.

[sfilosa]

O/S will become the standard regarding CGC books. Right now, GPanalysis is the standard (but doesn't include dealer sales).

 

Regardless of which guide or service you use, they will never be but so accurate.

 

Using your stock market analysis, you do know what you can sell a stock for on any given day. But you NEVER know what the stock of that company is really worth, or no what it will be worth in the future.

 

And yes, 99.9999% of "raw" books sell for less than any guide price. I have always said, take your "raw" books and cut the guide price value in half (at least) to get a more accurate value of your collection.

 

 

 

 

[blazingbob]

God help me, true genius at work.

 

"Ebay is the market", God help me when the local flea market for dumping books becomes the price standard for comics.

 

Top ebay sellers (Non-CGC) will get 50% of overstreet. Yup, this makes sense. All those collectors who don't want to list their books on Ebay will now get offered 25% of whatever guide is out there. But this is a hobby of love, not about making money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Zanarkand]

The only thing Wizard was ever good for, price-wise, was getting me great deals on mislabeled books. Wizard almost always gave higher values than Overstreet, but also called Batmans with the Penguin on the cover "Joker app." and the like.

 

I once knew are store that religiously and blindly followed Wizard. They gave up a lot of nice books to me way too cheap because of Wizard errors.

 

They also used a price gun on their back issues, so I didn't feel sorry for them.

 

- Zan

 

click WHAP click WHAP...

[joe_collector]

But this is a hobby of love, not about making money.

 

Exactly, and I can't remember ever consulting an OS guide when buying books on EBay. I like that freedom to determine my own price, whether it's overpaying for Byrne books, or tossing a few low bids arounds to fill some generic runs.

[blazingbob]

"A dealer who regularly sells a book for less than EBay prices is not very smart,

and a dealer who regularly sells a book for more than EBay prices doesn't

have very smart customers"

 

Boy, aren't we making friends with this statement.

 

[blazingbob]

And I have no problem with that, the price guide is a "reference". Can we look up in the dictionary on the work "guide". I don't believe you will see the work "cast in stone" as a meaning.

 

 

[valiantman]

"A dealer who regularly sells a book for less than EBay prices is not very smart,

and a dealer who regularly sells a book for more than EBay prices doesn't

have very smart customers"

 

Boy, aren't we making friends with this statement.

 

I've been accused of being "too good" around here... (hence the 4 stars with 100+ votes).

I'm trying to "mix it up" a bit, right?

[blazingbob]

A dealer who sells for over ebay prices doesn't have very smart customers

 

 

[valiantman]

A dealer who sells for over ebay prices doesn't have very smart customers

All things equal, why pay $50 locally for the same book at $20 online?

(I know, I know... you can't see and hold the $20 book...)

But you get the point... especially for CGC graded books.

[chromium]

I've always held a firm believe that a price guide is just that a 'guide' and that dealers are there to make a 'deal with you.

 

But then again I've always been to literal as well...so maybe it's just me

 

[blazingbob]

All things equal, why pay $50 locally for the same book at $20 online?

(I know, I know... you can't see and hold the $20 book...)

But you get the point... especially for CGC graded books

 

Let's see, Is it really $20 online and is the difference really $30?

 

1). Online seller - Postage costs

 

Online seller - Is he a business or private seller. Business have expenses, sellers or "collectors" which I think doesn't exist anymore don't.

 

Risk of Online vs Local seller - Is he real or not

 

Risk of Online vs Local seller - Risk of postal damage

 

Reality of this Online seller - $20 for a CGC book? Modern is my thought on this, bronze and up the "seller" would be losing $5 on this sale considering it cost $25 to get graded. I won't try to overwhelm you by adding the sellers postage cost both ways. Ebay listing and sales fee, wouldn't this seller qualify as a Not to smart seller?

 

 

 

[valiantman]

All things equal, why pay $50 locally for the same book at $20 online?

(I know, I know... you can't see and hold the $20 book...)

But you get the point... especially for CGC graded books

 

Let's see, Is it really $20 online and is the difference really $30?

 

1). Online seller - Postage costs

 

Online seller - Is he a business or private seller. Business have expenses, sellers or "collectors" which I think doesn't exist anymore don't.

 

Risk of Online vs Local seller - Is he real or not

 

Risk of Online vs Local seller - Risk of postal damage

 

Reality of this Online seller - $20 for a CGC book? Modern is my thought on this, bronze and up the "seller" would be losing $5 on this sale considering it cost $25 to get graded. I won't try to overwhelm you by adding the sellers postage cost both ways. Ebay listing and sales fee, wouldn't this seller qualify as a Not to smart seller?

Obviously the $20 / $50 example doesn't apply to CGC books...

but the idea that the SAME book is cheaper online, even after shipping costs... does.

 

So, would you rather pay $200 for a CGC 9.4 online, or $350 for the same book from a dealer?

It's entirely possible that dealers themselves are using EBay to build their own stock.

 

Case in point: I don't care how long I could look at this book in person by visiting the store...

http://www.milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=direct&issue=89596326109%201%20HOLOCGC9.9

 

When this identical one is sitting out there waiting for me:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2192563743

 

(And no, I don't really want to own either of them.)

[Bronty]

Well, bob, in all fairness, I think he was just using 20 vs 50 as an example. I could just as easily be 200 vs 500. Or 2,000 vs 5,000 for that matter.

 

Certainly, there are advantages to buying in person. I prefer to do so and will pay more in person than online. However, there are parameters. Will I pay 10% more in person than online for say, a cgc 9.0 FF 52? Sure, I want to buy the book as opposed to the label, and I get a better chance to do that in person. However, I sure as hell won't pay 50% more than eBay price for that same FF 52 9.0 in person, no matter how nice a 9.0 it is when I know I can pick one up on eBay cheaper, even after postage, etc.

[valiantman]

A dealer who regularly sells a book for less than EBay prices is not very smart,

and a dealer who regularly sells a book for more than EBay prices doesn't

have very smart customers.

 

How about a slight modification...?

 

A dealer who regularly sells a book for significantly less than EBay prices is not very smart,

and a dealer who regularly sells a book for significantly more than EBay prices

doesn't have very smart customers.

 

 

[sfilosa]

Guide is just that "a Guide".

 

Comic Books are not like other items which are Commodities. Each comic book is "unique" and therefore there will never have completely "set prices".

 

That said, there is nothing wrong with a buyer trying to get as much information (from guides, from eBay, from GPanalysis, etc.) to TRY (I said TRY) to get a true market value for the book.

 

If a SELLER wants to SELL a book for ANY AMOUNT, that's their prerogative

If a BUYER wants to BUY a book for ANY AMOUNT, that's their prerogative. (God I hate quoting Bobby Brown).

 

If they can agree on a price, Great, if not, Move on and don't take it personally.

 

 

 

It bothers me when other

[blazingbob]

This can also be said in reverse

 

A collector who regularly buys a book for significantly more than my prices isn't very smart either. I have seen collectors pay some very stupid prices on ebay auctions that were much cheaper on my site.

 

 

 

 

 

[valiantman]

This can also be said in reverse

 

A collector who regularly buys a book for significantly more than my prices isn't very smart either. I have seen collectors pay some very stupid prices on ebay auctions that were much cheaper on my site.

 

I'll grant you that one, no doubt.

 

In fact, I seriously doubt that you're the "dealer" mentioned in the original quote.

[joe_collector]

Hey Bob, do you deal in non-Key Bronze NM (ie. inexpensive ) issues? I know you spoke of the hassle in going through some collections and cataloguing/pricing some comics, but I just thought I'd check.