Comiclink September Focused Auction starts today...

[supapimp]

Okay, here is one:

 

 

12 month GPA is $314. Last sale is $323. High sale in 2008 was $400.

 

No fugly miswrap. Nice pages. $125.

 

I need to call you Jesse James now. That was a steal.

 

I got 4 books I was really hoping to win at about 75% of GPA.

 

congrats on the STEALS!!! i see a slow down on consignments in future comiclink auctions. the consigners are getting bent over from behind with no lube.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Okay, here is one:

 

 

12 month GPA is $314. Last sale is $323. High sale in 2008 was $400.

 

No fugly miswrap. Nice pages. $125.

 

I need to call you Jesse James now. That was a steal.

 

I got 4 books I was really hoping to win at about 75% of GPA.

 

congrats on the STEALS!!! i see a slow down on consignments in future comiclink auctions. the consigners are getting bent over from behind with no lube.

 

I have to figure it would be in the long term best interest of C-Link too to stop putting 2,500-3,000 certified books up for auction every month. Let's face it, their model isn't exactly optimized to work on volume, when you break down the amount of work each book requires. Processing a book that auctions off for $25 involves 1). Receiving the book 2). Entering the book under the consignor's account. 3). Scanning the book 4). Creating the Auction listing and at Auction's end 5). Processing the book for shipment and 6). Sending out the consignor's check. That's fairly labor intensive for what amounts to a $2.50 commission.

 

It works fine when you make $25-$30+ per book, but at a couple of dollars a pop, not so much.

 

At least with the brokerage model, Steps 2-4 are taken care of by the consignor themselves, and Steps 1, 5-6 don't occur until after a sale has been consumated and you know you're getting paid. In the auction model, you're doing half the work upfront for what might amount to a couple of bucks.

 

I think they reached a happy equilibrium when they had 20 pages of quality material in the Focused auctions...books that sold for $100-$500 a piece. Add in all the Bronze, Modern, and Copper drek that sells for $10-$40, and you're really creating extra work for yourself that isn't justified by the revenue you receive.

 

Just my

 

[paperheart]

Okay, here is one:

 

 

12 month GPA is $314. Last sale is $323. High sale in 2008 was $400.

 

No fugly miswrap. Nice pages. $125.

 

I need to call you Jesse James now. That was a steal.

 

I got 4 books I was really hoping to win at about 75% of GPA.

 

congrats on the STEALS!!! i see a slow down on consignments in future comiclink auctions. the consigners are getting bent over from behind with no lube.

 

I have to figure it would be in the long term best interest of C-Link too to stop putting 2,500-3,000 certified books up for auction every month. Let's face it, their model isn't exactly optimized to work on volume, when you break down the amount of work each book requires. Processing a book that auctions off for $25 involves 1). Receiving the book 2). Entering the book under the consignor's account. 3). Scanning the book 4). Creating the Auction listing and at Auction's end 5). Processing the book for shipment and 6). Sending out the consignor's check. That's fairly labor intensive for what amounts to a $2.50 commission.

 

It works fine when you make $25-$30+ per book, but at a couple of dollars a pop, not so much.

 

At least with the brokerage model, Steps 2-4 are taken care of by the consignor themselves, and Steps 1, 5-6 don't occur until after a sale has been consumated and you know you're getting paid. In the auction model, you're doing all the work for what might amount to a couple of bucks worth of commissions....

 

i'm going to put on my Kreskin hat and say the monthly auctions from CLINK will disappear by mid 2010. too many books = lousy closing prices = fewer consignments = fewer auctions. this would actually be healthy for the market from my perspective.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Okay, here is one:

 

 

12 month GPA is $314. Last sale is $323. High sale in 2008 was $400.

 

No fugly miswrap. Nice pages. $125.

 

I need to call you Jesse James now. That was a steal.

 

I got 4 books I was really hoping to win at about 75% of GPA.

 

congrats on the STEALS!!! i see a slow down on consignments in future comiclink auctions. the consigners are getting bent over from behind with no lube.

 

I have to figure it would be in the long term best interest of C-Link too to stop putting 2,500-3,000 certified books up for auction every month. Let's face it, their model isn't exactly optimized to work on volume, when you break down the amount of work each book requires. Processing a book that auctions off for $25 involves 1). Receiving the book 2). Entering the book under the consignor's account. 3). Scanning the book 4). Creating the Auction listing and at Auction's end 5). Processing the book for shipment and 6). Sending out the consignor's check. That's fairly labor intensive for what amounts to a $2.50 commission.

 

It works fine when you make $25-$30+ per book, but at a couple of dollars a pop, not so much.

 

At least with the brokerage model, Steps 2-4 are taken care of by the consignor themselves, and Steps 1, 5-6 don't occur until after a sale has been consumated and you know you're getting paid. In the auction model, you're doing all the work for what might amount to a couple of bucks worth of commissions....

 

i'm going to put on my Kreskin hat and say the monthly auctions from CLINK will disappear by mid 2010. too many books = lousy closing prices = fewer consignments = fewer auctions. this would actually be healthy for the market from my perspective.

 

I don't think they have to disappear altogether....but I think some of the closing prices mentioned in this thread aren't exactly a ringing endorsement for their process. Sure, if you have a 9.4 FF # 50, you're golden...put it up for auction and watch the bids explode. But I might want to sway some of my consignors to list their more common books at or close to GPA through the regular site, because right now, it's clearly a buyer's market.

 

 

[supapimp]

Okay, here is one:

 

 

12 month GPA is $314. Last sale is $323. High sale in 2008 was $400.

 

No fugly miswrap. Nice pages. $125.

 

I need to call you Jesse James now. That was a steal.

 

I got 4 books I was really hoping to win at about 75% of GPA.

 

congrats on the STEALS!!! i see a slow down on consignments in future comiclink auctions. the consigners are getting bent over from behind with no lube.

 

I have to figure it would be in the long term best interest of C-Link too to stop putting 2,500-3,000 certified books up for auction every month. Let's face it, their model isn't exactly optimized to work on volume, when you break down the amount of work each book requires. Processing a book that auctions off for $25 involves 1). Receiving the book 2). Entering the book under the consignor's account. 3). Scanning the book 4). Creating the Auction listing and at Auction's end 5). Processing the book for shipment and 6). Sending out the consignor's check. That's fairly labor intensive for what amounts to a $2.50 commission.

 

It works fine when you make $25-$30+ per book, but at a couple of dollars a pop, not so much.

 

At least with the brokerage model, Steps 2-4 are taken care of by the consignor themselves, and Steps 1, 5-6 don't occur until after a sale has been consumated and you know you're getting paid. In the auction model, you're doing all the work for what might amount to a couple of bucks worth of commissions....

 

i'm going to put on my Kreskin hat and say the monthly auctions from CLINK will disappear by mid 2010. too many books = lousy closing prices = fewer consignments = fewer auctions. this would actually be healthy for the market from my perspective.

 

josh doesn't care about his consignors, he just cares about his spineless body. you don't flood the auction by having the same books compete against other books. you two just explained what i've been thinking your well thought out posts.

[MrBedrock]

C-Link isn't going to slow down their auctions. They aren't going to downsize their offerings. And they won't be going away anytime soon.

That is what my Kreskin hat is telling me.

[supapimp]

C-Link isn't going to slow down their auctions. They aren't going to downsize their offerings. And they won't be going away anytime soon.

That is what my Kreskin hat is telling me.

 

there will be deals for buyers looking for non HG keys.

[Bomber-Bob]

I respectfully disagree that Clink will soon stop the Monthly auctions. In fact, I heard they are going to start up their eBetter Auctions again. As long as clients are sending in books to list in the auctions, why should they stop ?

50 books at 50.00 each is still 250.00 commision for CLink. Incidentally, I believe there is a minimum 5.00 commision per book. Not sure what that means for the book that sold for 1.00 ? Does the seller owe CLink money ?

[VintageComics]

Okay, here is one:

 

 

12 month GPA is $314. Last sale is $323. High sale in 2008 was $400.

 

No fugly miswrap. Nice pages. $125.

 

I need to call you Jesse James now. That was a steal.

 

I got 4 books I was really hoping to win at about 75% of GPA.

 

congrats on the STEALS!!! i see a slow down on consignments in future comiclink auctions. the consigners are getting bent over from behind with no lube.

 

I don't remember anybody twisting a consignors arm to consign their books, do you?

 

On the one hand you're congratulating Jive for the steals, on the other you're saying that the sellers are getting bent over which to me sounds like you are congratulating Jive for bending people over.

 

 

What is happening in the markets is a combination of strong supply (blame the sellers) and limited demand (blame your government for screwing your country's economy to line their own pockets). Nothing else.

 

josh doesn't care about his consignors, he just cares about his spineless body. you don't flood the auction by having the same books compete against other books. you two just explained what i've been thinking your well thought out posts.

 

 

Obviously you don't think before you post.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

C-Link isn't going to slow down their auctions. They aren't going to downsize their offerings. And they won't be going away anytime soon.

That is what my Kreskin hat is telling me.

 

Okay...more deals to come in the future.

 

I think that "market forces" will win out one way or another. Lower selling prices will equal fewer consignments at some point, just like higher selling prices yielded more consignments as they steadily built up their auction process.

 

And to be clear, my posts are not a criticism of C-Link in any way, just a view from the outside.

[paperheart]

I respectfully disagree that Clink will soon stop the Monthly auctions. In fact, I heard they are going to start up their eBetter Auctions again. As long as clients are sending in books to list in the auctions, why should they stop ?

50 books at 50.00 each is still 250.00 commision for CLink. Incidentally, I believe there is a minimum 5.00 commision per book. Not sure what that means for the book that sold for 1.00 ? Does the seller owe CLink money ?

 

but why would consignors continue send in books if they're getting 30% below GPA? yes, there are amazing prices realized but the underbelly of the market is softer than sweaty brie. who in there right mind wants to see their precious 9.4 be listed right below a 9.6 and 9.8 of the same book?

[supapimp]

Obviously you don't think before you post.

 

this coming from a person who doesn't believe hitler did anything wrong. look in the mirror.

[VintageComics]

Obviously you don't think before you post.

 

this coming from a person who doesn't believe hitler did anything wrong. look in the mirror.

 

Actually I never said he didn't do anything wrong, we were discussing whether he was evil in a Universal sense. To me they are two different things.

 

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

I respectfully disagree that Clink will soon stop the Monthly auctions. In fact, I heard they are going to start up their eBetter Auctions again. As long as clients are sending in books to list in the auctions, why should they stop ?

50 books at 50.00 each is still 250.00 commision for CLink. Incidentally, I believe there is a minimum 5.00 commision per book. Not sure what that means for the book that sold for 1.00 ? Does the seller owe CLink money ?

 

I know there is a "listing fee" of $5 if you list a book under $50, but I don't remember anything about a "minimum commission" of $5 in the auction format.

 

If that's the case, it would really seem silly to consign a certified book you know isn't worth more then $20-$30 to a C-Link auction.

 

Cost of Book + Certification costs + cost of shipping to and from CGC + cost of shipping to C-link + weak selling price + $5 minimum commission = EPIC FAIL.

 

 

[Bomber-Bob]

I respectfully disagree that Clink will soon stop the Monthly auctions. In fact, I heard they are going to start up their eBetter Auctions again. As long as clients are sending in books to list in the auctions, why should they stop ?

50 books at 50.00 each is still 250.00 commision for CLink. Incidentally, I believe there is a minimum 5.00 commision per book. Not sure what that means for the book that sold for 1.00 ? Does the seller owe CLink money ?

 

but why would consignors continue send in books if they're getting 30% below GPA? yes, there are amazing prices realized but the underbelly of the market is softer than sweaty brie. who in there right mind wants to see their precious 9.4 be listed right below a 9.6 and 9.8 of the same book?

 

I agree with you that it doesn't make sense. I'm certainly not going to do it. However, in this economy, if someone NEEDS to sell their 9.4 collection, CLink

is still an excellent choice.

[supapimp]

 

Cost of Book + Certification costs + cost of shipping to and from CGC + cost of shipping to C-link + weak selling price + $5 minimum commission = EPIC FAIL.

 

 

it's the comic supply school of business model.

[Silver Surfer]

C-Link isn't going to slow down their auctions. They aren't going to downsize their offerings. And they won't be going away anytime soon.

That is what my Kreskin hat is telling me.

 

I agree, low prices will just attract more buyers and once the economy gets stronger the prices will get stronger. EBay, Heritage, etc are all seeing lower than normal bids on every day books. As a buyer I prefer selection so keep them coming. If people are worried about their net return maybe throw your books on the regular exchange?

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Obviously you don't think before you post.

 

this coming from a person who doesn't believe hitler did anything wrong. look in the mirror.

 

Actually I never said he didn't do anything wrong, we were discussing whether he was evil in a Universal sense. To me they are two different things.

 

 

Sweet, this thread has the obligatory Nazi/Hitler mention...its destined for the Forum Hall of Fame now.

[VintageComics]

I've been too busy to watch the auctions so I'm bummed that I missed out on some sweet deals.

 

Jive you are my hero when it comes to scoops.

 

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Thanks Roy, but your "hero" probably should've kept his proverbial trap shut.

 

As I put in my bids for the final night of this auction, I kept noticing how "firm" many of the prices were, even with hours to go before the auctions end. Even titles like Thor, which generally don't attract a lot of bidders, had very good prices, "GPA-like" prices in fact. Mayhaps this thread convinced a few people to wander over to the auction and actually put in a few bids in hopes of getting a deal or two of their own?

 

I have a feeling I'm not going to win a lot tonight....