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In the end, how much of it is all about the book?

Started by Hedge Collector,

To buy the book, would you go over what you would reasonably "want" to pay?  

171 members have voted

  1. 1. To buy the book, would you go over what you would reasonably "want" to pay?

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19 posts in this topic

Hedge Collector

Hedge Collector

Posted
Posted

Some say that in the end, for collectors, it is about the book.

 

We've all chased that elusive book before, or are still waiting for a certain book to come around. Let's assume you know that a book is coming around and it is The Book you have always wanted and been waiting for. And for all intents and purposes, if you miss this book, you think you may never get another opportunity at least for a very, very long while.

 

(This isn't a thread to debate the merits & love of collecting. It's just designed to see how far people would go for a book.)

 

...sorry, no crack option...

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TSwift25

TSwift25

Posted
Posted

I would pay more, the pressing would not bother me, nor would the dealer; however, if the grade seems suspect (or I suspect resto) I would pass.

 

If I'm paying a premium (say, anything over $1,000) I want to know that I could sell it for reasonably close to what I paid for it, were it ever necessary. That isn't to say that it's purely "investment," because it's not, it's a hobby, but throwing money away is foolish no matter what it is, and issues with grade / restoration certainly are problematic.

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
Posted

I don't believe there are more than a handful...and by that, I mean 30-40 items total...in comic book form that don't show up at least every once in a while (say, once every 2-3 years.)

 

OA is different. Coins are different.

 

But comics? Let me ask, is there any book of which only 2-3 are known? If so, that'd be your example, and the vast majority probably wouldn't be interested in them.

 

But to answer it hypothetically, 1. I'd gladly pay "more than I want" if it was THE book, because that's nearly always what you MUST do to obtain said item.

 

2. Would I buy it from a person_who_is_obnoxiously_self-impressed? Mmmm...situational ethics applies. If it was full price or more, hell no. If I just HAD to have it, I'd purchase it through an agent, but my "don't deal with douchebags" sense is very strong. If it was substantially lower than what I thought was FMV, then yes, and I'd chuckle maniacally.

 

3. Well, when you're dealing with the ultra rare as you state, "grade bumps" essentially become meaningless, so yes.

 

4. Again, dealing with the ultra rare negates this sort of question. If it's really ultra rare, then grade ceases to be a major concern over simply owning an example. If it's common enough to be choosy about grade, then the entire hypothesis is invalid.

 

Unless it's a 2.5 in an 8.0 case, questionable grades aren't really THAT much of a concern when dealing with the ultra-rare.

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sakaridis

sakaridis

Posted
Posted

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

 

Disclaimer: The last question doesn't factor in the price, so I have to explain that my "yes" means that even if The Book is sold as a VF+ and in reality it is a FN-, I'd still buy it if I felt the price was rational for a FN-. (shrug)

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dupont2005

dupont2005

Posted
Posted

I have overpaid for books i thought i would not find elsewhere and gone through questionable sellers to get it. i would do it again too. and as far as grade goes, if the only copy i can find is a beater i'll have to take it

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