Have You Ever Considered Becoming a Part-Time Dealer?

[Mac Man]

I'm just curious how many of you collectors have considered taking a small chunk of change and investing it into some small collections to use for selling? Sometimes I wonder if it'd be any fun to buy a collection or two, reserve a table at the local show, and see what the heck happens. Obviously, most collections listed in the want ads are modern drek in mid grade condition at best, but it's just something I like to toy around with in the back of my head.

 

How about the rest of you? Ever think of giving it a whirl on the other side of the fence?

[A-DONIS]

Yes I have, but my wife shut that idea down

[thehumantorch]

Took out tables at a local Edmonton show and a nearby show in Calgary. I did pretty well but the tables aren't cheap. Hotels, meals, beer and travel expenses add up fast and it is tough to watch people that don't know how to hold a baby OR a comic handle your books.

 

I started giving away some of my $1 books to dangerous customers just to keep them away from my better books.

 

I would recommend taking a table at a local show just to see the hobby from the other side of the fence. It's tough to sell comics for a living.

[Shootydog]

My LCS owner gets collections thrown at him left and right. I have been planting the seed that I would like to do the same on a smaller scale. Hopefully he will refer one to me someday that he doesnt want to deal with.

 

I would love to do it just for fun but its nice to make a little profit to funnel back into your own collection.

[FlyingDonut]

Nope. Can't say that I have.

[jacks2start-migration]

thats what I do now, its great fun and I wanted to grow it slow. So between shows and a ebay store things are becoming busy. Its more work than I gave it credit for. There are alot of so called part time dealers on these boards that may be willing to share there point of view. Once it gets in your blood it a hard thing to get out.

[Topnotchman]

Its a labor of love, because its a lot of work.

 

Just like the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Guess what, its not, because that guy works hard at keeping it green and weed free.

 

I love comics, so I feel blessed that I can do something enjoyable that pays the bills. I try not to let them turn into widgets, but at times it happens.

 

 

[piper]

Took out tables at a local Edmonton show and a nearby show in Calgary. I did pretty well but the tables aren't cheap. Hotels, meals, beer and travel expenses add up fast and it is tough to watch people that don't know how to hold a baby OR a comic handle your books.

 

I started giving away some of my $1 books to dangerous customers just to keep them away from my better books.

 

I would recommend taking a table at a local show just to see the hobby from the other side of the fence. It's tough to sell comics for a living.

 

+1 That's solid advice Dave!

[Not*Sure*]

I love shows but it helps to have help! Keep in mind you'll have heaps of comics on a table and may have to go to the restroom or get a break and if you are alone, your chances are slim. I had a friend who was working Mid Ohio and I noticed he had those nicotine patches up and down his arm. I asked if he was trying to quit. He said "No, but I can't just leave my stuff unattended and I can't get a break at all to smoke or eat without worrying about someone stepping behind the table and grabbing shelved books." My husband and I took turns running his booth with him throughout the day. We got free con passes. He actually not only got breaks but was able to go enjoy the con. Also, help setting up and packing up is invaluable.

Try it Try it you'll like it!!!! It's fun and you can make a little cash.

[Not*Sure*]

Oh yeah I totally agree about people handling comics too. Watch them like a hawk comic book people can be notorious for pizza grease and cheeto fingers. Then there is the guy that always catches the tape on the cover as he pulls the book out of the bag..I hate that guy!!! I'm not to fond of "My bad I just dropped your $200 book on it's corner no harm done then walks away guy" either.

Getting to meet other dealers and artists and fun people is just great though.

[thehumantorch]

I love shows but it helps to have help! Keep in mind you'll have heaps of comics on a table and may have to go to the restroom or get a break and if you are alone, your chances are slim. I had a friend who was working Mid Ohio and I noticed he had those nicotine patches up and down his arm. I asked if he was trying to quit. He said "No, but I can't just leave my stuff unattended and I can't get a break at all to smoke or eat without worrying about someone stepping behind the table and grabbing shelved books." My husband and I took turns running his booth with him throughout the day. We got free con passes. He actually not only got breaks but was able to go enjoy the con. Also, help setting up and packing up is invaluable.

Try it Try it you'll like it!!!! It's fun and you can make a little cash.

 

I would certainly enjoy working for one of the back issue dealers at SDCC. I would work for comics .

 

You are right about watching your books. We've seen too many threads about comics that have disappeared at comic cons.

[COI]

Comic dealing, particularly in terms of buying collections and schleping to cons, seems like a lot of work with very little reward to me. I wouldn't enjoy it, nor do I think I could make enough to make it worthwhile.

 

Traveling to buy a collection, sorting through thousands of books, shipping them, storing them, sorting them, bagging and boarding them, pricing them, and selling them; none of that sounds even remotely appealing to me.

 

 

[comicnut]

Nah, never thought of it, !!!

 

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z235/comic_nut/Picture014.jpg

[nmtg9]

I would like to think i had the time to do such a thing but i dont, also i hate to haggle.

 

If i priced a book and someone offered me less i would tell them to go away shouting "are you blind? it says 10 pence and thats its price, not 9p"

[dekeuk]

 

Traveling to buy a collection, sorting through thousands of books, shipping them, storing them, sorting them, bagging and boarding them, pricing them, and selling them; none of that sounds even remotely appealing to me.

 

 

 

Pick up a full long box and then carry it up and down a full flight of stairs 100 times.

 

Do it twice a week for 52 weeks.

 

That will give you some idea of the physical labor you can expect in moving long boxes of comics around from your house, to the van, into the show, out of the show, back into the van, back into your house, back out to the van ........ etc.

 

 

[COI]

That will give you some idea of the physical labor you can expect in moving long boxes of comics around from your house, to the van, into the show, out of the show, back into the van, back into your house, back out to the van ........ etc.

 

Makes you wonder how so many dealers can be so horribly out of shape. Is it a marketing gimmick to make them more approachable to fanboys?

[rjpb]

When I was a kid I supplemented my habit doing the quarterly cons in Columbus Ohio back in the 70s - when all was said and done I probably made about minimum wage - my friend - also in high school at the time - had a shrewder eye for deals and did a little better. It was fun, but the effort to reward ratio probably isn't worth it unless you really enjoy the process, or have the business instincts of Stephen Fishler.

 

The press, resub and flip crowd does alright I imagine. If i was going to do it now, I'd take some capital and try and find books I could make at least $100 apiece on, selling on the internet, without having to set up at cons.

[lizards2]

No - the threat of jail time keeps me on the straight and narrow

[comicnut]

The problem with buying books that you can make at least $100 on is that it ties up a lot of capital. I'm shying more and more away from the top keys these days.

It becomes a matter of time versus money.

Do you want to spend a couple of hours dealing 10 books that you paid $1000 each to make $100 each? It's still 10% profit.

Or do you want to spend 100 hours dealing 1000 books you paid $1 each to make $1 each? Where the profit is 100%?

Either way it's $1000 profit. But do you have the capital to tie-up? Or do you have the time to tie-up?

 

Things to consider grasshoppers!!! Why do you think so many dealers have $1 to $5 bins!

 

Of course taking the second method typically leads to divorce if this isn't your full time business!!!

 

For me the old way gave way to the 2nd choice by fate. I am no longer married and thus have lots of time on my hands. Due to same divorce I no longer have as much capital to tie up which now leads me down the 2nd path.

 

What can I say at this point...? Well I'm really tired of sorting comics after work!

But it's a labor of love...or as my family puts it I'm a little kooky in the head!!!

[Foolkiller]

The problem with buying books that you can make at least $100 on is that it ties up a lot of capital. I'm shying more and more away from the top keys these days.

It becomes a matter of time versus money.

Do you want to spend a couple of hours dealing 10 books that you paid $1000 each to make $100 each? It's still 10% profit.

Or do you want to spend 100 hours dealing 1000 books you paid $1 each to make $1 each? Where the profit is 100%?

Either way it's $1000 profit. But do you have the capital to tie-up? Or do you have the time to tie-up?

 

Things to consider grasshoppers!!! Why do you think so many dealers have $1 to $5 bins!

 

Of course taking the second method typically leads to divorce if this isn't your full time business!!!

 

For me the old way gave way to the 2nd choice by fate. I am no longer married and thus have lots of time on my hands. Due to same divorce I no longer have as much capital to tie up which now leads me down the 2nd path.

 

What can I say at this point...? Well I'm really tired of sorting comics after work!

But it's a labor of love...or as my family puts it I'm a little kooky in the head!!!

 

No offense dude, there's a problem with the formula there. If you are spending $1k each and only making $100 each book, you need to reevaluate. My margin, with very few exceptions, is at least doubling up. So if I'm spending $1k on a book, I'm generally making, let's be conservative, and say, $750-$1k.

 

Plus I have a far easier time -- not necessarily at shows -- moving more expensive books. Plus, you have to sell a heckuva lot more $1 to get to your margin. Granted, there are more customers for them, but it's a much harder way to get to the same profit you can achieve selling high end books. If you have the capital, it's a much better money maker and frankly less time in, though hard work either way.