Would you all stop with the fecking eBay whining?

[Flaming_Telepath]

I'm going to hate myself in the morning, but...I agree with you. (thumbs u

 

[Comicopolis]

If dealers would tell potential sellers the actual work it takes to sell comics, they might not be so willing to "go the eBay route." Maximize their dollars? Yeah...but at what cost in terms of time?

 

I'm going to hate myself in the morning, but...I agree with you. (thumbs u

 

The fact is that dealers simply cannot offer top dollar on anything other than high quality books that will fly out of their doors in hours.

 

I'm currently processing these 40,000+ books and the amount of work that goes into it is staggering. Firstly, you try getting 40,000+ books into alphabetical and then issue order. Then you've got to grade, bag and board them, enter the details into a database, scan them, price them and label them.

 

If you're then selling them yourself via eBay, also factor in all the time involved in listing the auctions, dealing with all the questions/approaches whilst the auctions are running, closing the auctions and requesting payment, chasing payment, mailing stuff out and then waiting for any fall-out.

 

That time has a value, no matter how the books are being sold.

 

Additionally, other things that cost if you're running a bricks-and-mortar include...

 

Your property rental

Your staffing costs

Your business taxes

Your utilities

Your advertising

 

And then you have to take the following into consideration...

 

How much shelf-space will the books take up and what could you be displaying in their stead?

How many of these books will sell through quickly and how many will sit and gather dust, thus tieing up working capital?

How much capital is the deal going to cost and where else could that money be spent, on goods that might turn quicker?

How much of the collection do you already have?

 

Neither the LCS, or the eBay seller, will be able to shift this sort of stuff without a lot of time, a lot of pain, and a decent amount of 'hidden' cost.

 

Sure, there are some dealers who are arseholes, and will be arseholes no matter what you're selling to them.

 

However, if a dealer doesn't immediately offer you 50% of Guide on your treasures, this alone doesn't qualify him as one.

 

Try shifting a load of bulk junk like this anywhere and then tell me it's easy. (thumbs u

 

Better than a real job though

[Flaming_Telepath]

If dealers would tell potential sellers the actual work it takes to sell comics, they might not be so willing to "go the eBay route." Maximize their dollars? Yeah...but at what cost in terms of time?

 

I'm going to hate myself in the morning, but...I agree with you. (thumbs u

 

The fact is that dealers simply cannot offer top dollar on anything other than high quality books that will fly out of their doors in hours.

 

I'm currently processing these 40,000+ books and the amount of work that goes into it is staggering. Firstly, you try getting 40,000+ books into alphabetical and then issue order. Then you've got to grade, bag and board them, enter the details into a database, scan them, price them and label them.

 

If you're then selling them yourself via eBay, also factor in all the time involved in listing the auctions, dealing with all the questions/approaches whilst the auctions are running, closing the auctions and requesting payment, chasing payment, mailing stuff out and then waiting for any fall-out.

 

That time has a value, no matter how the books are being sold.

 

Additionally, other things that cost if you're running a bricks-and-mortar include...

 

Your property rental

Your staffing costs

Your business taxes

Your utilities

Your advertising

 

And then you have to take the following into consideration...

 

How much shelf-space will the books take up and what could you be displaying in their stead?

How many of these books will sell through quickly and how many will sit and gather dust, thus tieing up working capital?

How much capital is the deal going to cost and where else could that money be spent, on goods that might turn quicker?

How much of the collection do you already have?

 

Neither the LCS, or the eBay seller, will be able to shift this sort of stuff without a lot of time, a lot of pain, and a decent amount of 'hidden' cost.

 

Sure, there are some dealers who are arseholes, and will be arseholes no matter what you're selling to them.

 

However, if a dealer doesn't immediately offer you 50% of Guide on your treasures, this alone doesn't qualify him as one.

 

Try shifting a load of bulk junk like this anywhere and then tell me it's easy. (thumbs u

 

Better than a real job though

 

It's a lot harder than a real job...you certainly don't have to work all through the night at a real job...but the compensation is that you're dealing with something that you love.

[MrBedrock]

If dealers would tell potential sellers the actual work it takes to sell comics, they might not be so willing to "go the eBay route." Maximize their dollars? Yeah...but at what cost in terms of time?

 

I'm going to hate myself in the morning, but...I agree with you. (thumbs u

 

The fact is that dealers simply cannot offer top dollar on anything other than high quality books that will fly out of their doors in hours.

 

I'm currently processing these 40,000+ books and the amount of work that goes into it is staggering. Firstly, you try getting 40,000+ books into alphabetical and then issue order. Then you've got to grade, bag and board them, enter the details into a database, scan them, price them and label them.

 

If you're then selling them yourself via eBay, also factor in all the time involved in listing the auctions, dealing with all the questions/approaches whilst the auctions are running, closing the auctions and requesting payment, chasing payment, mailing stuff out and then waiting for any fall-out.

 

That time has a value, no matter how the books are being sold.

 

Additionally, other things that cost if you're running a bricks-and-mortar include...

 

Your property rental

Your staffing costs

Your business taxes

Your utilities

Your advertising

 

And then you have to take the following into consideration...

 

How much shelf-space will the books take up and what could you be displaying in their stead?

How many of these books will sell through quickly and how many will sit and gather dust, thus tieing up working capital?

How much capital is the deal going to cost and where else could that money be spent, on goods that might turn quicker?

How much of the collection do you already have?

 

Neither the LCS, or the eBay seller, will be able to shift this sort of stuff without a lot of time, a lot of pain, and a decent amount of 'hidden' cost.

 

Sure, there are some dealers who are arseholes, and will be arseholes no matter what you're selling to them.

 

However, if a dealer doesn't immediately offer you 50% of Guide on your treasures, this alone doesn't qualify him as one.

 

Try shifting a load of bulk junk like this anywhere and then tell me it's easy. (thumbs u

This is great info, Nick. And spot on (thumbs u

I only wish it were so easy to explain this to someone who walks in with a batch of comics for sale, has no idea of their value, and has convinced themselves (before they even walk in the door) that 1) no matter what I offer it isn't enough, and 2) no matter what advice I give them couldn't possibly be in their best interest.

[october]

 

And, as I stated before, that would require the seller to do a lot of work. Selling a lot like the Simpsons #1-100+ requires quite a bit of work, and that's provided the seller does a cursory glance at each book to make sure it's not shredded.

 

Properly listed, it could take well over 3 hours to list, picture, describe, process payment, pack properly, ship, and deal with potential issues for such a lot.

 

So you make $100. $15 of that is eaten up in fees. You're down to $85. Materials could cost $5 (or more.) Fine, let's take that in S&H (provided you did!) You're still at $85.

 

What did you pay for the lot? If you paid what the buyer wnated, you paid over $100 for the lot. You're in the hole already.

 

If you paid, say, my offer, you piad roughly $30-$40 for it. So, that leaves you with $45-$55 after all is said and done. If there are no problems, you're making $10-$12/hour...for one lot. My time is worth a lot more than that (at least according to my last employer.)

 

If there are issues....the lot gets lost/damaged...that just adds time.

 

Everyone's time is worth SOMETHING. Lots of people seem to forget the time spent doing the eBay process. A LOT of people find out it's no walk in the park when they try to do it themselves.

 

And are you going to make $1/issue on the rest of the lot?

 

No way.

 

So...when your LCS offers you 5 cents/copy, that's probably what the books are actually worth.

 

And that doesn't even take into account the cover price for all these books, at an average of $2.50 each....someone paid at least $1 each for those books, and probably a lot more.

 

 

Like Nick, I will likely hate myself in the morning, but this is spot on 100% correct.

[Flaming_Telepath]

If dealers would tell potential sellers the actual work it takes to sell comics, they might not be so willing to "go the eBay route." Maximize their dollars? Yeah...but at what cost in terms of time?

 

I'm going to hate myself in the morning, but...I agree with you. (thumbs u

 

The fact is that dealers simply cannot offer top dollar on anything other than high quality books that will fly out of their doors in hours.

 

I'm currently processing these 40,000+ books and the amount of work that goes into it is staggering. Firstly, you try getting 40,000+ books into alphabetical and then issue order. Then you've got to grade, bag and board them, enter the details into a database, scan them, price them and label them.

 

If you're then selling them yourself via eBay, also factor in all the time involved in listing the auctions, dealing with all the questions/approaches whilst the auctions are running, closing the auctions and requesting payment, chasing payment, mailing stuff out and then waiting for any fall-out.

 

That time has a value, no matter how the books are being sold.

 

Additionally, other things that cost if you're running a bricks-and-mortar include...

 

Your property rental

Your staffing costs

Your business taxes

Your utilities

Your advertising

 

And then you have to take the following into consideration...

 

How much shelf-space will the books take up and what could you be displaying in their stead?

How many of these books will sell through quickly and how many will sit and gather dust, thus tieing up working capital?

How much capital is the deal going to cost and where else could that money be spent, on goods that might turn quicker?

How much of the collection do you already have?

 

Neither the LCS, or the eBay seller, will be able to shift this sort of stuff without a lot of time, a lot of pain, and a decent amount of 'hidden' cost.

 

Sure, there are some dealers who are arseholes, and will be arseholes no matter what you're selling to them.

 

However, if a dealer doesn't immediately offer you 50% of Guide on your treasures, this alone doesn't qualify him as one.

 

Try shifting a load of bulk junk like this anywhere and then tell me it's easy. (thumbs u

This is great info, Nick. And spot on (thumbs u

I only wish it were so easy to explain this to someone who walks in with a batch of comics for sale, has no idea of their value, and has convinced themselves (before they even walk in the door) that 1) no matter what I offer it isn't enough, and 2) no matter what advice I give them couldn't possibly be in their best interest.

 

Couldn't agree more, Richie. (thumbs u

 

Part of the problem is the 'I'll sell it myself' mentality, which in certain cases can actually work for the owner. But in a lot of cases, it doesn't. However, that 'well it might' attitude can win the day, and with this sort of stuff...you'll be bloody lucky.

 

Additionally, I don't think the Overstreet ads, with handfuls of dollars being shown, and 'we'll pay more than anyone else' help matters. They do give the impression that everything's worth millions, and there are dealers out there happy to pay those sort of figures.

[october]

How many of these books will sell through quickly and how many will sit and gather dust, thus tieing up working capital?

How much capital is the deal going to cost and where else could that money be spent, on goods that might turn quicker?

 

I am conviced that cash flow problems sink most local comic shops. In fact, I know a lot of otherwise savy guys in the hobby who completely fail to grasp the importance of it. Every time I hear "I refuse to sell something for a loss" I wonder how long it will take to hear "I didn't have enough money to buy this sweet collection". Putting your money to work is important, and having it tied up in stock that you can't move at current prices is just boneheaded if you don't have a ton of working capital.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

How many of these books will sell through quickly and how many will sit and gather dust, thus tieing up working capital?

How much capital is the deal going to cost and where else could that money be spent, on goods that might turn quicker?

 

I am conviced that cash flow problems sink most local comic shops. In fact, I know a lot of otherwise savy guys in the hobby who completely fail to grasp the importance of it. Every time I hear "I refuse to sell something for a loss" I wonder how long it will take to hear "I didn't have enough money to buy this sweet collection". Putting your money to work is important, and having it tied up in stock that you can't move at current prices is just boneheaded if you don't have a ton of working capital.

Agree 100% sometimes you take the loss to get the sweet deal that can turn a better profit.

 

I have a rule. After 1 year the book needs to go, very few cases that I do not follow this model. Hence my constant fire sales. But everytime I sell all those books I often end up with something far sweeter, and much more liquid.

 

Not booze Nick

[Flaming_Telepath]

How many of these books will sell through quickly and how many will sit and gather dust, thus tieing up working capital?

How much capital is the deal going to cost and where else could that money be spent, on goods that might turn quicker?

 

I am conviced that cash flow problems sink most local comic shops. In fact, I know a lot of otherwise savy guys in the hobby who completely fail to grasp the importance of it. Every time I hear "I refuse to sell something for a loss" I wonder how long it will take to hear "I didn't have enough money to buy this sweet collection". Putting your money to work is important, and having it tied up in stock that you can't move at current prices is just boneheaded if you don't have a ton of working capital.

 

Christonabike, this is turning into a love-in, but...nail on head, Andy. (thumbs u

 

Cash-flow sinks most businesses, never mind just LCSs. I think the thing that makes it worse with LCSs is that the owners are simply too wrapped up in the 'value' of the item(s) to take the necessary steps to save their business.

 

This is one of the main reasons why so many LCSs don't carry back issues any longer...the management of a back stock. Selling dead stock, making hard decisions, working on replenishment, releasing capital...it's just so much harder than sending in your Diamond order and stacking the shelves four yards high with variants and 'sensational 1st issue!'s.

[Flaming_Telepath]

How many of these books will sell through quickly and how many will sit and gather dust, thus tieing up working capital?

How much capital is the deal going to cost and where else could that money be spent, on goods that might turn quicker?

 

I am conviced that cash flow problems sink most local comic shops. In fact, I know a lot of otherwise savy guys in the hobby who completely fail to grasp the importance of it. Every time I hear "I refuse to sell something for a loss" I wonder how long it will take to hear "I didn't have enough money to buy this sweet collection". Putting your money to work is important, and having it tied up in stock that you can't move at current prices is just boneheaded if you don't have a ton of working capital.

Agree 100% sometimes you take the loss to get the sweet deal that can turn a better profit.

 

I have a rule. After 1 year the book needs to go, very few cases that I do not follow this model. Hence my constant fire sales. But everytime I sell all those books I often end up with something far sweeter, and much more liquid.

 

Not booze Nick

 

Moi?

 

Got the wrong guy, mate.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

I really need a graemlin that holds up a sign that just has BS written on it.

[whisp]

I really need a graemlin that holds up a sign that just has BS written on it.

 

[october]

How many of these books will sell through quickly and how many will sit and gather dust, thus tieing up working capital?

How much capital is the deal going to cost and where else could that money be spent, on goods that might turn quicker?

 

I am conviced that cash flow problems sink most local comic shops. In fact, I know a lot of otherwise savy guys in the hobby who completely fail to grasp the importance of it. Every time I hear "I refuse to sell something for a loss" I wonder how long it will take to hear "I didn't have enough money to buy this sweet collection". Putting your money to work is important, and having it tied up in stock that you can't move at current prices is just boneheaded if you don't have a ton of working capital.

 

Christonabike, this is turning into a love-in, but...nail on head, Andy. (thumbs u

 

Cash-flow sinks most businesses, never mind just LCSs. I think the thing that makes it worse with LCSs is that the owners are simply too wrapped up in the 'value' of the item(s) to take the necessary steps to save their business.

 

This is one of the main reasons why so many LCSs don't carry back issues any longer...the management of a back stock. Selling dead stock, making hard decisions, working on replenishment, releasing capital...it's just so much harder than sending in your Diamond order and stacking the shelves four yards high with variants and 'sensational 1st issue!'s.

 

I lived near a comic shop back in Chicago. One day about two years ago I went it and saw that he had a Venom gold on the wall. It had been there since 1993 when it first came out. 15 years on that wall. I asked him to take it down, because I knew a buddy of mine was after it. The sticker said $18. I called my friend, descibed the grade, and he offered $12. The store owner would not budge on the price. Not a dollar. I left empty handed, shaking my head. They went out of business about a year later. Didn't make sense to me then, doesn't make sense to me now.

[thehumantorch]

How many of these books will sell through quickly and how many will sit and gather dust, thus tieing up working capital?

How much capital is the deal going to cost and where else could that money be spent, on goods that might turn quicker?

 

I am conviced that cash flow problems sink most local comic shops. In fact, I know a lot of otherwise savy guys in the hobby who completely fail to grasp the importance of it. Every time I hear "I refuse to sell something for a loss" I wonder how long it will take to hear "I didn't have enough money to buy this sweet collection". Putting your money to work is important, and having it tied up in stock that you can't move at current prices is just boneheaded if you don't have a ton of working capital.

 

Christonabike, this is turning into a love-in, but...nail on head, Andy. (thumbs u

 

Cash-flow sinks most businesses, never mind just LCSs. I think the thing that makes it worse with LCSs is that the owners are simply too wrapped up in the 'value' of the item(s) to take the necessary steps to save their business.

 

This is one of the main reasons why so many LCSs don't carry back issues any longer...the management of a back stock. Selling dead stock, making hard decisions, working on replenishment, releasing capital...it's just so much harder than sending in your Diamond order and stacking the shelves four yards high with variants and 'sensational 1st issue!'s.

 

I lived near a comic shop back in Chicago. One day about two years ago I went it and saw that he had a Venom gold on the wall. It had been there since 1993 when it first came out. 15 years on that wall. I asked him to take it down, because I knew a buddy of mine was after it. The sticker said $18. I called my friend, descibed the grade, and he offered $12. The store owner would not budge on the price. Not a dollar. I left empty handed, shaking my head. They went out of business about a year later. Didn't make sense to me then, doesn't make sense to me now.

 

You didn't even offer $1 per year storage. How could he take that deal?

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

And, as I stated before, that would require the seller to do a lot of work. Selling a lot like the Simpsons #1-100+ requires quite a bit of work, and that's provided the seller does a cursory glance at each book to make sure it's not shredded.

 

Properly listed, it could take well over 3 hours to list, picture, describe, process payment, pack properly, ship, and deal with potential issues for such a lot.

 

So you make $100. $15 of that is eaten up in fees. You're down to $85. Materials could cost $5 (or more.) Fine, let's take that in S&H (provided you did!) You're still at $85.

 

What did you pay for the lot? If you paid what the buyer wnated, you paid over $100 for the lot. You're in the hole already.

 

If you paid, say, my offer, you piad roughly $30-$40 for it. So, that leaves you with $45-$55 after all is said and done. If there are no problems, you're making $10-$12/hour...for one lot. My time is worth a lot more than that (at least according to my last employer.)

 

If there are issues....the lot gets lost/damaged...that just adds time.

 

Everyone's time is worth SOMETHING. Lots of people seem to forget the time spent doing the eBay process. A LOT of people find out it's no walk in the park when they try to do it themselves.

 

And are you going to make $1/issue on the rest of the lot?

 

No way.

 

So...when your LCS offers you 5 cents/copy, that's probably what the books are actually worth.

 

And that doesn't even take into account the cover price for all these books, at an average of $2.50 each....someone paid at least $1 each for those books, and probably a lot more.

 

 

Like Nick, I will likely hate myself in the morning, but this is spot on 100% correct.

 

Oy. Buncha women.

 

You'll find, if you get to know me, that you'll agree with quite a bit of what I have to say....if you're a sane, rational human being, that is.

 

I may be tenacious, occasionally pedantic, often opinionated, and I may not be able to say what I have to say in less than 10,000 words (usually to cover every base, to make sure nothing is "misunderstood"), but I'm not stupid.

 

[Flaming_Telepath]

Oy. Buncha women.

 

You'll find, if you get to know me, that you'll agree with quite a bit of what I have to say....if you're a sane, rational human being, that is.

 

I may be tenacious, occasionally pedantic, often opinionated, and I may not be able to say what I have to say in less than 10,000 words (usually to cover every base, to make sure nothing is "misunderstood"), but I'm not stupid.

 

 

OK, so that's one good quality. (thumbs u

[RockMyAmadeus]

The worst....and I mean the very worst thing that could ever have happened to comics....is the idea that "comics = $$$$."

 

One of the most repugnant ads I ever saw in comics is the back cover of the 2006 OPG. It's an ad for Carbonaro's "Beatstuff Collectibles"...it shows a mostly black and white picture of an old time news guy who is thinking "FINALLY..someone who understands the value of my comics and loves them as much as I do...Now Mike will tell me what they're WORTH $$$"

 

That ad has repulsed me for years now. Does the guy love the comics simply for what they are? No! He loves them for how much they're worth. He doesn't love comics...he simply loves money, and has chosen comics as his vehicle to make it.

 

Now, we have generations of people who casually think that every comic ever published is "worth money."

 

Are comics worth SOMETHING?

 

YES! The enjoyment, if any, you obtain by reading the story, and admiring the art! That should be, first and foremost, how people think of comics, but that's just not the case. Now, "every mother knows to seal comics in mylar so they can never be enjoyed" as Marge Simpson would say.

 

The truth is, if comic store owners stopped thinking of themselves as fanboys, and thought of themselves as businessmen, they would educate themselves and their clientele on what things are actually worth. A 9.6 Amazing Spiderman #1? Genuine collector's item, and worth many thousands of dollars in a market that has gained legitimacy in the world of collectibles.

 

A 7.5 copy of Adventures of Superman #500? 1 cent, 2 cents, maybe. And that's what it has to be sold at. If it's not worth the time to handle items like this (and it's frequently not), don't stock this type of merchandise, or better yet, get creative. Hand them out for free at charity event, with your store advert glued to the back. Or donate them. Or...God forbid...recycle them.

 

"Cover price" only has value when the issue is NEW. Once it becomes a back issue, it's not worth cover price anymore. I laugh at these sellers who stick back issues in a bag and board, add 50 cents to the cover price, and then sit on it.

 

Consider the case of the Action #1 that just sold that was bought in 1950 for 35 cents. Sure, we all say "I would have paid that in a heartbeat!"...but, armed only with the knowledge of 1950, would you have? After all, it was 3.5 times cover price, it was 12 years old, and you could buy three brand NEW comics and have enough left over for a Coke.

 

Remember, in 1950, "old" was just "junk"...Western culture, and especially American culture, was focused on "NEW AND EXCITING!!!"

 

35 cents was quite possibly over market....whatever infant market may have existed....at the time. That comic was taking up space in that book store that quite possibly may have been used for something that would have sold faster.

 

There's a market for EVERYTHING at a certain price point. There's not, however, infinite space. If you're a retailer...don't overpay. If you're lucky enough to have space, and you're savvy enough to be able to obtain lots of issues real cheap, you could very well do a lot of business selling reams of comics for 10 cents each. And if you might get more on eBay, remember to figure in your time and effort and really consider it...and if your customers happen to make some money on eBay themselves a time or two, don't begrudge them that...those customers will be back for more, and few comic buyers can resist the lure of cheap comics.

 

And for God's sake, it's NOT A MUSEUM! If you have something that's sat for even SIX months, get rid of it! You'll only be helping YOU.

[the blob]

well, actually, and I'm not saying this isn't a 5-10 cent a book bulk purchase, but having decent runs of titles actually makes that particular offering a lot easier to sell on ebay.

 

for example, i would not spend 3 hours on that simpson lot. I'd spend about 10 minutes, a couple of scans, a quick zip through, etc. and stick it up on ebay for a $49.99 opening bid

 

I'd probably do the same with the Hellblazer run, the Preacher run, etc. Some of the other broken up krap is another story. Of course, with those two runs sitting in front of me I might commit the cardinal sin (just kidding!) of actually sitting down to read them and then it would be another 6-12 months before I sold them. Well, actually, the way I sell things it would be another 6-12 years.

 

I have no problem with a shop paying that little for this sort of group. Heck, one of my LCS does grab bags that work out to 20 cents a comic. You usually get 2-4 books in there you might consider buying out of the dollar box and a bunch of filler drek (some of which is readable, true), from which I sometimes salavage backing boards (and maybe bags). How could they pay more than 5 cents for random junk?

[the blob]

had a pile of Marvel John Carters that my lcs didn`t want or he would be kind enough to take them off my hands for a nickel a piece,I declined his offer then I sold them on Ebay for over $200

------------------------

 

 

Seriously, did you have like 1000 copies? Someone paid money for those? Criminey, I had better go dig mine up, maybe I can get my 25 cents back.

[the blob]

Ebay has its uses. We've all picked up great deals there, and most of us have gotten burned. We just do the big ugly posts about getting burned. I suspect we've gotten the deals more often.

 

 

As for selling, it's hit or miss, but for the stuff that doesn't (or isn't likely to) sell here, it works for me. I once posted close to 100 individual BA and SA books here only to sell 2 of them. That was a lot of work. But I'd guess that 80-90% of them sold over time on ebay, generally for more than I was asking for here (dunno about net of fees though). I have been very lucky (1000+++ feedback) to have avoided the psychos and scammers, which is pretty amazing because I am not exactly the fastest shipper (though I do pack well and give out freebies, which makes people happy after they've waited an extra couple of days for their books).