Hey Ian; Redux,a serious question.

[shadroch]

He was representing Joe more than Ian since he also told Vincent about the book. I can see Joe giving him a broker's fee, but not Ian.

 

Thankyou.

That's EXACTLY how I viewed it.

If he'd been trying to help me. he'd have organised a deal, not urged Joe to shop it all around to get the highest price AFTER he'd told me about it.

 

Since I don't know you,I'll assume that this obsession to complete your quest has given you tunnel-vision.

Since when does a person have to close a deal to get a finders fee. He found the book and directed it to you.What occurs after that is out of his control.Are you saying that if he had convinced Joe to sell for less than the best price,then you might have given him something?That if he had screwed a friend to help a stranger than his work was worth something?If a forumite finds your Buzzy 70 that he needs to close the deal,not just inform you of it?

You never did aswer my question-Is this statement true or false? Did you get this book at around the figure you offered as a result of Brian contacting you?

If its true, then I think you owe him something,even if only a sincere thank you. If it is false,please correct me.

What would your standard finders fee be for any of your missing books?

Speaking only for myself,what first seemed to be a fantastic achievment nows leaves a bitter taste.

How do you think Brian felt when he found this book?He had plenty of chances to buy this for himself and ransom it to either of you,but he didn't did he?

[Red Hook]

Trinity: My name's Trinity.

Neo: *The* Trinity? Who cracked the IRS d-base?

Trinity: That was a long time ago.

Neo: Jesus...

Trinity: What?

Neo: I just thought... you were a guy.

Trinity: Most guys do.

 

I think you misunderstood.

The inference was not particularly that she might be female, but more inferring that she was the subject herself in question.

 

Got it, ....my dumb!

[Ian_Levine]

You never did aswer my question-Is this statement true or false? Did you get this book at around the figure you offered as a result of Brian contacting you?

 

No. I got if for sixty percent more than I offered.

And why do you keep picking on me ?

[shadroch]

As I explained in the Pm. I'm not trying to pick a fight. I just thought Brian got screwed You don't, so lets drop it.

From your earlier posts, I got the impression you paid around what you offered Joe for it. If you had said that you paid 60% more, then maybe I'd have felt different. Anyway,lets let it go.

[Ian_Levine]

From your earlier posts, I got the impression you paid around what you offered Joe for it. If you had said that you paid 60% more, then maybe I'd have felt different. Anyway,lets let it go.

 

Final word on the matter.

I offered Joe five thousand at the end of October.

I ended up paying eight.

Hours prior to Joe selling the comic to Metropolis, I then offered Joe seven, and a further thousand to Metropolis on top of that.

In the end Joe sold it to Metropolis, all hell broke loose, Vincent then kindly sold it to me for eight.

I hate to go over this again, but it was obviously necessary to clarify this.

 

And if anybody else wants the comic, the high grade original cover is still up on e-bay with no bids whatsoever.

[Warlord]

From your earlier posts, I got the impression you paid around what you offered Joe for it. If you had said that you paid 60% more, then maybe I'd have felt different. Anyway,lets let it go.

 

Final word on the matter.

I offered Joe five thousand at the end of October.

I ended up paying eight.

Hours prior to Joe selling the comic to Metropolis, I then offered Joe seven, and a further thousand to Metropolis on top of that.

In the end Joe sold it to Metropolis, all hell broke loose, Vincent then kindly sold it to me for eight.

I hate to go over this again, but it was obviously necessary to clarify this.

 

And if anybody else wants the comic, the high grade original cover is still up on e-bay with no bids whatsoever.

 

Gee, a high grade cover... just need to find someone who has a low grade issue, doesn't mind restoration in the form of marrying, and that person would have a sweet, sweet DC...

 

Now who might that be?

 

[lighthouse]

I really hesitate to get involved in this thread... and have avoided all the Ian-Metro-related threads since my original charity idea went up in flames...

 

But...

 

I'm doing a show in Seattle in a couple weeks...

 

Say I am at that show and I come across a HTF book off your list, perhaps the Buzzy 70 or the Green Lantern 30.

 

Scenario 1: I don't have enough money with me to buy it.

 

Am I better getting the contact information and giving it to you? Or am I better finding out what you will pay and approaching the book's owner myself (potentially with a cut for my trouble)? Or do I give the contact information to you and also offer it to other collectors and dealers on the board?

 

Scenario 2: I have enough money with me to buy it.

 

Am I better buying the book outright and selling it to you? And if so, is the price solely based on what I paid for it? Or should I arrive at that from consultation with big name dealers and collectors? Or am I better off not buying the book and going with an option above?

 

 

I am curious both as to what your (Ian's) response would be, and to what other forumites would suggest... You've asked for assistance in completing your collection. In many cases that was a simple matter of locating books at market price. (I doubt you overpaid for Cartoon Cartoons 2, you just needed to find someone who had one).

 

The folks who have been here a while know that I am a firm believer in taking less profit in the short term in favor of developing goodwill and building relationships. You'll find several posts from me on that topic just in the last week (particularly in HooDeeDoo's marketplace thread). But if I have an opportunity to turn a sizable profit on a truly rare book, I am curious how much of that profit you would ask/expect me to leave on the table?

 

Gary Dolgoff's ads in the Overstreet have said the same thing for years: "Finder's Fees Paid for information leading to a deal" ... I don't know that shadroch is all that far off base when he suggests that Brian gave you information leading to a deal. You are welcome to disagree, we all have our own opinions of when a finder's fee is expected.

 

But I just printed out a copy of your current list of 22-26 books and set it on the pile of twenty or thirty wantlists I will take with me to the show... and I started thinking... I am not certain it turns out to be a positive experience for me should I happen to find a book on your list. There seems to be a good chance that I either leave a lot of money on the table in the name of a grand quest that is not my own, or that I wind up demonized for how I handled the transaction. It's also possible that everything turns out smoothly, but the two negative possibilities give me pause. When I find a Little Lulu for bobpfef, or a price variant for Darth, or a gorgeous 20c FF for Donut I feel confident it's a good day for both of us... I picture myself pulling a Buzzy 70 out of a box and asking myself "What the heck do I do now?"...

 

I'd like to be a part of helping you complete your quest. I really would. And I imagine there are others here who would too. I traded Donut the last 30c price variant to complete his set, the first set ever completed. And as cool as it was for him, I got to share in the accomplishment. I'd love to be able to say I found you one of the last 25 books you needed, but I have no idea what you expect me to do if it should happen...

[Darthdiesel]

Well worded I think I said once that if I ever did find one of the one's on Ian's list, I'd rather sell it to Metro because I didn't want the hassle. As a matter of fact, I have them on my cell phone speed dial, which I bring to all shows and stores.

 

Reasons:

1) Not my quest = no interest in seeing it completed or not completed; whther he needs 1 more or 100 more, it is all the same to me

 

2)Looking out for my best interests in this case = $$$. There is no "Goodwill" factor if there is nothing the other party can offer in return or if you don't like the other party. There is nothing in his current quest or collection that I could want - EVER - as I'm not a DC fan or collector.

 

3) Metro knows how to handle these obsessive types and has much more experience than I have in this arena. I sell the Buzzy 70 or Mutt and Jeff whatever # right away to them, wash my hands of the whole affair and walk away counting the $$$. Will Ian ever offer more than Metro? - I seriously doubt it from the tales regaled here. He may match them as in the case of the DA 2, but that is not enough to sway me into selling into a nightmare. I've dealt with Metro before as a buyer and have had no problems, but had transactions filled with great communication and service. And I'm not even what you would consider a heavy repeat Metro customer!

 

4) House - you were wise not to post before, but like Kevin Smith in his role as Silent Bob, whenever you do pipe up, pearls of wisdom abound

[Ian_Levine]

I picture myself pulling a Buzzy 70 out of a box and asking myself "What the heck do I do now?"...

 

Realistically, if you do pull a Buzzy 70 out of a box, it won't be more than ten dollars unless it's someone on this forum, who wouldn't take it to a show to sell either.

[Ian_Levine]

Scenario 1: I don't have enough money with me to buy it.

 

In the cold light of day, apart from the Big Book Of Fun Comics, and assuming I do get the three Detective Comics I've agreed the deal on, there is nothing else particularly expensive on the list. Stubborn - yes, expensive - no.

Even the Green lantern 30 shouldn't be THAT expensive.

Apart from whatever ashcan/proof form the Double Action 1 may or may not ever be, and apart from the Big Book Of Fun Comics, the entire other twenty books should cost under five thousand dollars for the whole twenty, IF they were available and in lower grades.

[Ian_Levine]

There seems to be a good chance that I either leave a lot of money on the table in the name of a grand quest that is not my own, or that I wind up demonized for how I handled the transaction.

 

I am GENUINELY sorry you feel that way.

[Ian_Levine]

There is no "Goodwill" factor if there is nothing the other party can offer in return or if you don't like the other party. There is nothing in his current quest or collection that I could want - EVER - as I'm not a DC fan or collector.

Will Ian ever offer more than Metro? - I seriously doubt it from the tales regaled here. He may match them as in the case of the DA 2, but that is not enough to sway me into selling into a nightmare.

 

And I'm also sorry that YOU feel that way too.

[ScarFace-migration]

[fantastic_four]

Gary Dolgoff's ads in the Overstreet have said the same thing for years: "Finder's Fees Paid for information leading to a deal"

 

Is any dealer going to pay a finder's fee if you tell them AND their competitors about the book in question? I don't see how you can act in the interests of a seller by contacting multiple buyers and then expect whichever buyer wins the bidding to pay you a finder's fee. I guess it could work out if the dealer didn't know you had contacted the competitors, but if he finds out, I bet over half of them, if not more like 90%, would refuse to pay the fee because the finder raised his cost by acting as the seller's broker.

[Ian_Levine]

Is any dealer going to pay a finder's fee if you tell them AND their competitors about the book in question? I don't see how you can act in the interests of a seller by contacting multiple buyers and then expect whichever buyer wins the bidding to pay you a finder's fee. I guess it could work out if the dealer didn't know you had contacted the competitors, but if he finds out, I bet over half of them, if not more like 90%, would refuse to pay the fee because the finder raised his cost by acting as the seller's broker.

 

Indeed.

No.

No

NO

 

Absolutely not.

 

NO.

 

A thosand times NO.

 

Well said, Sir.

[lighthouse]

There seems to be a good chance that I either leave a lot of money on the table in the name of a grand quest that is not my own, or that I wind up demonized for how I handled the transaction.

 

I am GENUINELY sorry you feel that way.

 

Ian, as I stated in the post, it is certainly possible that things go smoothly. And since I have never sold you a book I have no personal experience to draw upon.

 

But even though I may articulate my feelings better than most, I have absolutely no doubt that the sentiments I expressed are shared by many people on this board. I was just the first one to really take the time to expound on them.

 

While it's true that I personally will have plenty of money with me in Seattle to buy most any book on your list, there are plenty of folks here who don't take more than $100-200 to a show. And their chances of finding your book are just as good as mine. So addressing my questions (which are as venom-free as you are likely to get) might not be a bad idea.

 

After a night's sleep, I realized that for me personally, there was almost no chance the deal would go poorly. You have a lot of duplicate copies of Golden Age and Silver Age books, and I would be happy with most any trade that looked like it was worth my time. Since your cost on those is much lower than a cash price would be, I'm sure we could work something out. But for the forum member who buys a book for cash and expects to sell it for cash, I still don't know. Because I haven't heard anything from you to clarify it for me.

[Aman619]

House, you wrote a very well written scenario to Ian asking that he inform you of what course you should take. I was surprised that Ian chose not to answer your concerns, other than to state that there are no 'big' books left on the list, suggesting that your concerns are no longer valid.

[shadroch]

Now,is that your final word on this subject?Seems like we heard this from you about twenty post ago.

BTW-Several years ago,a store owner out west came upon an uber-collection and promptly notified several dealers including Metro,Harley Yee,Dolgof and a few others. After several rounds of spirited bidding,Gary won the books and paid the store owner a finders fee.This was reported in CBG at the time.There is a huge difference between earning a finders fee and acting as an agent for the party. They don't need to be mutually exclusive.To earn a finders fee,imo,all one needs to do is notify a party of the location of said merchandise.

I also believe that if you thought there was the slightest chance that Brian would come up with a second book on your list, that you'd reward him in a heartbeat but since you assume he was strictly a one shot wonder,you can safely blow him off.

We're still waiting for you to post your standard finders fee and what you expect of a finder.

 

[Aman619]

I also believe that if you thought there was the slightest chance that Brian would come up with a second book on your list, that you'd reward him in a heartbeat but since you assume he was strictly a one shot wonder,you can safely blow him off.

We're still waiting for you to post your standard finders fee and what you expect of a finder.

 

interesting observation....

[lighthouse]

House, you wrote a very well written scenario to Ian asking that he inform you of what course you should take. I was surprised that Ian chose not to answer your concerns, other than to state that there are no 'big' books left on the list, suggesting that your concerns are no longer valid.

 

I dunno... You know, if I find the Kid Colt 207 that 4Gemworks needs to complete his variant set, I know there is absolutely no way the deal will turn out badly for me. And I also know that I should buy it on the spot so it's in the hands of a forumite rather than sitting at some dealer's table.

 

If I find a book that Bronzebruce13 needs for his collection, I snap it up immediately and I know at the end of the deal I will not be disappointed.

 

I find a Green Lantern 30, which has been established on this forum to be on several people's want lists, and I just don't know whether the only scenario that results in Ian getting the book is also one that involves me leaving substantial money on the table, or worse, results in some [!@#%^&^] match here on the forums that no one wants to read.

 

I said from the beginning, I don't mind foregoing a certain amount of profit in exchange for goodwill. But I just don't know... and I feel like expressing that opinion is constructive for Ian, because I have no doubt whatsoever that I am not alone...