General question

[Bomber-Bob]

I never considered a non-auction website as a place to negotiate a price.

Call me ignorant, but this is all news to me. In person, at a con, I always thought discounts were only given on a stack, you buy one book you pay full price.

Bob, when I see a price on your website that may be higher than I would like I don't think about factoring in a possible discount. This results with me having to make a decision to pay more than I want or to skip it. IMHO, if you really are factoring in a discount when you price an item you are doing yourself more harm

than good. I would rather have your best price posted and not deal with negotiations. Am I the only one that feels this way ?

[VintageComics]

Am I the only one that feels this way ?

 

Interesting.

 

Because comic prices are never static (they fluctuate greatly with market conditions) and everyone is trying to get as much as is fairly possible I'd assumed that all vintage comic prices are negotiable, especially on a web site that has consignment books. Otherwise how would values rise and fall? Guide values are supposed to be based on what people are willing to pay, not on non-negotiable arbitrary numbers.

 

New comics, groceries, ticket prices at the movies. Those are not negotiable.

 

Vintage comics? Sure.

[Flaming_Telepath]

I never considered a non-auction website as a place to negotiate a price.

Call me ignorant, but this is all news to me. In person, at a con, I always thought discounts were only given on a stack, you buy one book you pay full price.

Bob, when I see a price on your website that may be higher than I would like I don't think about factoring in a possible discount. This results with me having to make a decision to pay more than I want or to skip it. IMHO, if you really are factoring in a discount when you price an item you are doing yourself more harm

than good. I would rather have your best price posted and not deal with negotiations. Am I the only one that feels this way ?

 

It's maybe not as simple as that.

 

Let's say Bob's bought 20 sweet books in a batch. He's got X amount of money in them.

 

Now, if the first book he lists gets an offer on it, he's less likely to take a reduced sale price than he would if it's the 17th book to shift out of the batch and he's already covered his outlay.

 

Or maybe he's just been offered another copy of that particular book and instead of thinking 'why take a chunk off when I don't know when I'll be able to replace it', he's happy to move it on at a healthy mark-down and purchase the other copy.

[Foolkiller]

I never considered a non-auction website as a place to negotiate a price.

Call me ignorant, but this is all news to me. In person, at a con, I always thought discounts were only given on a stack, you buy one book you pay full price.

Bob, when I see a price on your website that may be higher than I would like I don't think about factoring in a possible discount. This results with me having to make a decision to pay more than I want or to skip it. IMHO, if you really are factoring in a discount when you price an item you are doing yourself more harm

than good. I would rather have your best price posted and not deal with negotiations. Am I the only one that feels this way ?

 

Everything in life is negotiable.

[toro]

Hi Bob,

 

I never really go to your site. The main reason was I took the name literally "High Grade" comics. And somehow in my mind that became High grade expensive Gold/Silver age books. Upon looking at the site there are some things that do interest me. But some of the prices seemed a little high and I end up in that category of people who don't like to dicker on price that often. I like the idea someone put forth about "Was $650 now only $550" I feel like I'm getting a deal and it may be closer to the actually average price". My one suggestion for books that might be on consignment is not to accept them unless they have a reasonable price that is good for you, the seller and the buyer. If someone lists a book for $1000 and it's real value is around $700 it makes you look like your jacking up the price, when actually your hands are tied by the seller.

 

Anyways that's just my 2 cents, but I at least this thread is helping me give HighGradeComics another look at that is half the battle.

[blazingbob]

Bob, I've known you for years and I don't believe you paid me full price on a book or a couple of books.

 

I've always tried giving you a deal.

 

As far as putting the price I will take on the book. Might work if people paid full price which isn't the case. This hobby is driven by the discount. Even though some know they are getting a fair deal they still ask "Can you do better".

 

Raw books are clearly identified on my boxes as 15% off.

 

CGC books are generally discounted around 10%.

 

 

 

 

[blazingbob]

Nik as usual is spot on.

 

At some point a deal becomes "in the money". I have plenty of "in the money deals". Would I sell the rest at a reduced price to move them out.

 

Sure, it's called the Motor City 50% off sale. It's called the Special offers part of my website, it's emailing me about some books and asking as Brian has stated. Brian and I do a lot of business because we communicate and are fair with each other. That's the way I like to business. It's not able "take the money" and run.

 

I don't have a "In the money" indicator by the way on every book. Maybe I could do that to alert buyers that bob is negotiable on this item. Frankly I thought that what the "Deal" in Dealer stood for.

 

 

 

I never considered a non-auction website as a place to negotiate a price.

Call me ignorant, but this is all news to me. In person, at a con, I always thought discounts were only given on a stack, you buy one book you pay full price.

Bob, when I see a price on your website that may be higher than I would like I don't think about factoring in a possible discount. This results with me having to make a decision to pay more than I want or to skip it. IMHO, if you really are factoring in a discount when you price an item you are doing yourself more harm

than good. I would rather have your best price posted and not deal with negotiations. Am I the only one that feels this way ?

 

It's maybe not as simple as that.

 

Let's say Bob's bought 20 sweet books in a batch. He's got X amount of money in them.

 

Now, if the first book he lists gets an offer on it, he's less likely to take a reduced sale price than he would if it's the 17th book to shift out of the batch and he's already covered his outlay.

 

Or maybe he's just been offered another copy of that particular book and instead of thinking 'why take a chunk off when I don't know when I'll be able to replace it', he's happy to move it on at a healthy mark-down and purchase the other copy.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

He is the nicest guy in comics

 

Okay, I love Bob, but I doubt even he would describe himself as the nicest guy in comics.

 

Hes my favorite dealer. He is always very polite to my wife, and always a good time to hang out with. Most others dont even remember my name. Thats why hes "Smilin' Bob Storms"

 

Hey, everyone is more polite with your wife than they are with you.

 

Thats because my wife is always nice to people, me.. Not so much.

[blazingbob]

Greg, I absolutely know that having Highgradecomics.com as my name is going to turn somebody away. Frankly I like the niche market, yes it limits some sales but it also makes you stand out a bit. No offense to the other dealers reading this but I didn't want to be just like everybody else. And frankly Mile High was not who I was trying to be. I always was a high grade collector, I knew the market and that's my speciality. At the time I started my company there wasn't too many people focused on just that market. Now it seems everybody wants to be in this part of the market. Frankly I would think that smart buyers would want to shop for lower grade on my website because it's not a market I want to be in.

 

[jimjum12]

Bob....You have a site I check regularly. I've bought books at prices I felt were very realistic given their availability in grade, etc....not dozens, but then I don't buy many books from anyone...I have champagne taste on a beer budget. You are open to time payments and you pay a very high percentage for the books I collect if the need would ever arise to sell. In fact, every book I've ever bought from you that I ended up selling was sold for a profit. I, personally, you....thanks for everything. I just thought you could use some market feedback...and anyone out there who hasn't bought from you will NOT be disappointed if they give you a shot. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[WeR138]

Just went and checked out your site for the first time. My first impression was; nice site, but why the "bid now"? Is it a storefront or an auction? Not trying to be too picky, but I've seen other comments to this effect, so I don't feel like it's an off the wall observation.

 

 

[blazingbob]

I've heard the masses on this one. It will be changed.

[Primetime]

your site is cool Bob because you "BATTLE FOR OUR BUSINESS!"

 

Pricing a tad higher than your bottom line and discounting a book upon request always makes me feel good about a purchase (thumbs u

[Snake Eyes]

Am I the only one that feels this way ?

 

Interesting.

 

Because comic prices are never static (they fluctuate greatly with market conditions) and everyone is trying to get as much as is fairly possible I'd assumed that all vintage comic prices are negotiable, especially on a web site that has consignment books. Otherwise how would values rise and fall? Guide values are supposed to be based on what people are willing to pay, not on non-negotiable arbitrary numbers.

 

New comics, groceries, ticket prices at the movies. Those are not negotiable.

 

Vintage comics? Sure.

 

Perhaps someplace in between the higher prices and closer to GPA/FMV is the place to be. That way I do not immediately move on to another site. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I do primarily shop by price point and do not prefer to negotiate t0o heavily with a retail/dealer site. Other comments suggest that I am not alone in this. Again, if I were buying several I may ask if anything can be done on price (generally I do not even suggest a price and just ask if a multiple buy break is available). In addition to the social discomfort of putting in the offer, upon reflection I think another factor is at play. For me, comics are a fun/recreational pursuit. Negotiating is not fun and borders on work. I will generally just avoid that to keep a pleasureable pursuit from turning into something more tedious. :shrug: Probably not a great way to put this but the dealer is the one that is supposed to do the work, not the buyer. I prefer it if a dealer hooks me in, as opposed to me hooking myself by throwing offers out there. Maybe I will give it a try and see how it goes, but I suspect I will revert to the baseline of making the easiest and most cost-effective buy.

 

SE

[greggy]

Greg, I absolutely know that having Highgradecomics.com as my name is going to turn somebody away. Frankly I like the niche market, yes it limits some sales but it also makes you stand out a bit. No offense to the other dealers reading this but I didn't want to be just like everybody else. And frankly Mile High was not who I was trying to be. I always was a high grade collector, I knew the market and that's my speciality. At the time I started my company there wasn't too many people focused on just that market. Now it seems everybody wants to be in this part of the market. Frankly I would think that smart buyers would want to shop for lower grade on my website because it's not a market I want to be in.

He's not Greg. I'm Greg. He's just using my picture.

[blazingbob]

, Sorry about that. I saw that smiling face and assumed it was you.

 

 

[blazingbob]

I'm sure some know my thoughts on GPA/FMV.

 

Here's some additional issues I've had with GPA negotiations I've experienced.

 

1). Person wants to use 12 month moving average.

 

2). Person wants to use last price sale

 

3). Unless it's priced below GPA they don't buy it.

 

4). GPA can change daily.

 

5). For business reasons not everyone reports to GPA.

 

6). Some books are still a little light as far as GPA sales go.

 

Fair Market value - Who determines that? Should I pick the lowest priced site as a reference or the highest? Again, I've had sellers of books quote Comiclink auction prices to me all the time. Doesn't matter that it's price was so far in the stratosphere I almost have to assume that it's going to be PRESSED (Disclaimer - No pressing responses allowed).

 

I don't price to GPA/FMV?

Let's use two books I just listed as an example

AS #5 CGC 9.2 - Last GPA sale $5500 2007 - my asking price $5500. I don't see many 9.2's up for sale right now. My sales data on 9.2 is old.

AS #6 CGC 9.4 - Last GPA sale $13K June 2009 - my asking price $10,500 which is more in line with the 12 month moving average but frankly that's what I've priced the last 3 in 2009 at. Frankly I have more 9.4 sales of this issue than GPA.

 

So why aren't "it's priced at GPA" guys jumping all over the AS #6 9.4?

 

I do a lot of work on pricing but frankly that's the point of allowing offers on books.

 

I understand your point that the retailer should do the work but there are a lot of different type of "comic shoppers" out there. Finding the "middle ground" is not easy.

[Foolkiller]

GPA is one tool for pricing, not the only one. The only thing I'll say is that for some of the more common books, I do think pricing to GPA is probably a little more fair.

[blazingbob]

Frankly when someone uses GPA as a primary pricing tool I only see what I call a Death spiral of pricing.

 

I've heard it before. A lot of people don't want to pay over GPA so they pay a little bit under. Bar gets set lower and lower with each sale. Unless an auction or ebay sale notches it up a bit we continue lower.

 

Not exactly what I call a strong long term selling market.

 

[fantastic_four]

Frankly when someone uses GPA as a primary pricing tool I only see what I call a Death spiral of pricing.

 

I've heard it before. A lot of people don't want to pay over GPA so they pay a little bit under. Bar gets set lower and lower with each sale. Unless an auction or ebay sale notches it up a bit we continue lower.

 

Not exactly what I call a strong long term selling market.

 

It's plenty strong, the laws of supply and demand keep it that way. If you're talking about a book in short supply, who cares if they want to pay under GPA, you're not likely to replace the copy, just pass and let somebody else buy it. If it's a book in high supply, then I always hold out for under-GPA pricing...why wouldn't I if I know I'll see another few copies within weeks or months anyway.