Foolkiller's C2E2 2011 Report (Pics and Scans)

[sl4ppy]

 

Let’s say you go to the car dealer, and the car you want has a sticker price of 10k, but you know the dealer’s invoice price was 8k. You tell the dealer the price you’re willing to pay, he agrees, and the car is sold for less than the sticker/asking price.

 

Let’s now say you go to a comic show and see a book that is priced at $100. You know that Overstreet has it at $80, and GPA or recent online sales are about $70. Asking the dealer if he’d take $70 or $75 would make sense, and doesn’t seem any different to me than the car scenario.

 

 

You are correct, it's similar. I just rarely spend $50k on a comic. The higher the dollar figure involved, the easier I can get over my personal hangups about haggling.

[fantastic_four]

Dude, haggling doesn`t have to be confrontational.

 

It's inherently confrontational--the will of the buyer versus the will of the seller. It's not as epic as the scene below, granted, it's definitely one of the tamest possible types of confrontation. Some people just avoid it all costs; women tend to do it more than men which is why some auto dealerships specialize in no haggling.

 

[jeBailey]

 

I've never been to a really big show (Dallas is growing, but still comparatively small), so my experience is limited...

 

I just don't get the whole haggling thing, I guess. Why not just list it for the lowest you'd sell it for and be done with it? Less time dealing with offers, less people wondering what the price "really" is, etc. etc. If you're listed price is waaay out of whack, I immediately don't trust you to not take advantage of every uneducated customer that may stumble by and my interest in buying from you evaporates...

 

We don't really haggle (at least I don't) in any other aspect of life.. Even cars now, I know exactly what dealer invoice is before I set foot on a lot and I know what my one and only price I'm willing to pay is. Even when buying real estate; the haggling of price is rarely more than a few percent at most of the entire price. Price is determined by the comps, and you aren't going to be able to waver too far from that.

 

I play the haggle game with comics because I must to not get utterly taken (and I have been on a few occasions), but I don't like it one bit. :shrug:

 

Let’s say you go to the car dealer, and the car you want has a sticker price of 10k, but you know the dealer’s invoice price was 8k. You tell the dealer the price you’re willing to pay, he agrees, and the car is sold for less than the sticker/asking price.

 

Let’s now say you go to a comic show and see a book that is priced at $100. You know that Overstreet has it at $80, and GPA or recent online sales are about $70. Asking the dealer if he’d take $70 or $75 would make sense, and doesn’t seem any different to me than the car scenario.

 

 

I have to have a car. I don't have to have a comic. I don't often haggle for comic books. I also don't often buy books at a show.

 

John

[towards2112]

 

I've never been to a really big show (Dallas is growing, but still comparatively small), so my experience is limited...

 

I just don't get the whole haggling thing, I guess. Why not just list it for the lowest you'd sell it for and be done with it? Less time dealing with offers, less people wondering what the price "really" is, etc. etc. If you're listed price is waaay out of whack, I immediately don't trust you to not take advantage of every uneducated customer that may stumble by and my interest in buying from you evaporates...

 

We don't really haggle (at least I don't) in any other aspect of life.. Even cars now, I know exactly what dealer invoice is before I set foot on a lot and I know what my one and only price I'm willing to pay is. Even when buying real estate; the haggling of price is rarely more than a few percent at most of the entire price. Price is determined by the comps, and you aren't going to be able to waver too far from that.

 

I play the haggle game with comics because I must to not get utterly taken (and I have been on a few occasions), but I don't like it one bit. :shrug:

 

Let’s say you go to the car dealer, and the car you want has a sticker price of 10k, but you know the dealer’s invoice price was 8k. You tell the dealer the price you’re willing to pay, he agrees, and the car is sold for less than the sticker/asking price.

 

Let’s now say you go to a comic show and see a book that is priced at $100. You know that Overstreet has it at $80, and GPA or recent online sales are about $70. Asking the dealer if he’d take $70 or $75 would make sense, and doesn’t seem any different to me than the car scenario.

 

 

(thumbs u Presentation is usually a key, if you grouch out - JoeCstyle -" I'll

give you five bucks for this piece of azzz whipe", odds are you'll get stone walled.

If you smile politely and ask if five bucks would be an acceptable offer , most

people are ameaneable to the offer. Honey attracts more flies than vinegar

[fantastic_four]

Let’s say you go to the car dealer, and the car you want has a sticker price of 10k, but you know the dealer’s invoice price was 8k. You tell the dealer the price you’re willing to pay, he agrees, and the car is sold for less than the sticker/asking price.

 

Let’s now say you go to a comic show and see a book that is priced at $100. You know that Overstreet has it at $80, and GPA or recent online sales are about $70. Asking the dealer if he’d take $70 or $75 would make sense, and doesn’t seem any different to me than the car scenario.

 

Yes, they're both haggling. And most people hate it at car dealerships, too, they simply put up with it--or just pay sticker price. The auto industry probably has fairly precise statistics as to how many people pay sticker price without even trying to haggle because they prefer to avoid confrontation.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Or you avoid all that entirely if you don't enjoy haggling. He didn't call dealers who base their sales upon it scam artists, he said they're relying on customers being uneducated. That's not a scam, it's a shot at the buyer's intelligence that sl4ppy doesn't shrug off as easily as you've learned to do it yourself. I would add it also relies on some customers being nonconfrontational and just paying the price they see without wanting to go through the haggling process. Either way, if all you ever do is buy--and you sell yourself so you're less able to see this perspective--the haggling process is mostly a process filled with negatives and no positives when compared to other methods of sale.

 

Thanks! You said it better than I did. I'm definitely non-confrontational. I'm afraid of upsetting someonem so haggling is virtually off the table from the get-go for me.

Dude, haggling doesn`t have to be confrontational. It can be as benign as asking the dealer "Is this your best price?"

 

Haggling doesn`t mean you have to start with some insane lowball offer while taking shots at the book and the dealer`s family, and then getting into a screaming match. Although it`s well known that this tactic is very effective with Roy.

 

Sometimes I find myself in the spot of dealing with a person on the other side of the booth who I consider a friend or acquiantance. If I think their price is a little strong on an item, but I really want it, I can always resort to the "what's the absolute best you can do on this book?" method of negotiation. Sometimes the seller won't budge (they'll know they'll get their price eventually or perhaps they have a lot into the book), sometimes they'll come down a little, sometimes they'll come down more then you would expect, but it leaves the price setting in their control so there are fewer ruffled feathers. Sometimes their "best" price is still above what I'm comfortable paying, so you either meet it or suggest a middle ground that satisfies neither party (in which case, true FMV has been determined when a buyer pays more, and a seller gets less, then they both think the book was worth).

 

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Let’s say you go to the car dealer, and the car you want has a sticker price of 10k, but you know the dealer’s invoice price was 8k. You tell the dealer the price you’re willing to pay, he agrees, and the car is sold for less than the sticker/asking price.

 

Let’s now say you go to a comic show and see a book that is priced at $100. You know that Overstreet has it at $80, and GPA or recent online sales are about $70. Asking the dealer if he’d take $70 or $75 would make sense, and doesn’t seem any different to me than the car scenario.

 

Yes, they're both haggling. And most people hate it at car dealerships, too, they simply put up with it--or just pay sticker price. The auto industry probably has fairly precise statistics as to how many people pay sticker price without even trying to haggle because they prefer to avoid confrontation.

 

Captialoneautobuying.com. Best place to find great no-haggle deals on brand new cars.

[joeypost]

Or you avoid all that entirely if you don't enjoy haggling. He didn't call dealers who base their sales upon it scam artists, he said they're relying on customers being uneducated. That's not a scam, it's a shot at the buyer's intelligence that sl4ppy doesn't shrug off as easily as you've learned to do it yourself. I would add it also relies on some customers being nonconfrontational and just paying the price they see without wanting to go through the haggling process. Either way, if all you ever do is buy--and you sell yourself so you're less able to see this perspective--the haggling process is mostly a process filled with negatives and no positives when compared to other methods of sale.

 

Thanks! You said it better than I did. I'm definitely non-confrontational. I'm afraid of upsetting someonem so haggling is virtually off the table from the get-go for me.

Dude, haggling doesn`t have to be confrontational. It can be as benign as asking the dealer "Is this your best price?"

 

Haggling doesn`t mean you have to start with some insane lowball offer while taking shots at the book and the dealer`s family, and then getting into a screaming match. Although it`s well known that this tactic is very effective with Roy.

 

Sometimes I find myself in the spot of dealing with a person on the other side of the booth who I consider a friend or acquiantance. If I think their price is a little strong on an item, but I really want it, I can always resort to the "what's the absolute best you can do on this book?" method of negotiation. Sometimes the seller won't budge (they'll know they'll get their price eventually or perhaps they have a lot into the book), sometimes they'll come down a little, sometimes they'll come down more then you would expect, but it leaves the price setting in their control so there are fewer ruffled feathers. Sometimes their "best" price is still above what I'm comfortable paying, so you either meet it or suggest a middle ground that satisfies neither party (in which case, true FMV has been determined when a buyer pays more, and a seller gets less, then they both think the book was worth).

 

Haggling is in my blood. That and olive oil...I think.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Or you avoid all that entirely if you don't enjoy haggling. He didn't call dealers who base their sales upon it scam artists, he said they're relying on customers being uneducated. That's not a scam, it's a shot at the buyer's intelligence that sl4ppy doesn't shrug off as easily as you've learned to do it yourself. I would add it also relies on some customers being nonconfrontational and just paying the price they see without wanting to go through the haggling process. Either way, if all you ever do is buy--and you sell yourself so you're less able to see this perspective--the haggling process is mostly a process filled with negatives and no positives when compared to other methods of sale.

 

Thanks! You said it better than I did. I'm definitely non-confrontational. I'm afraid of upsetting someonem so haggling is virtually off the table from the get-go for me.

Dude, haggling doesn`t have to be confrontational. It can be as benign as asking the dealer "Is this your best price?"

 

Haggling doesn`t mean you have to start with some insane lowball offer while taking shots at the book and the dealer`s family, and then getting into a screaming match. Although it`s well known that this tactic is very effective with Roy.

 

Sometimes I find myself in the spot of dealing with a person on the other side of the booth who I consider a friend or acquiantance. If I think their price is a little strong on an item, but I really want it, I can always resort to the "what's the absolute best you can do on this book?" method of negotiation. Sometimes the seller won't budge (they'll know they'll get their price eventually or perhaps they have a lot into the book), sometimes they'll come down a little, sometimes they'll come down more then you would expect, but it leaves the price setting in their control so there are fewer ruffled feathers. Sometimes their "best" price is still above what I'm comfortable paying, so you either meet it or suggest a middle ground that satisfies neither party (in which case, true FMV has been determined when a buyer pays more, and a seller gets less, then they both think the book was worth).

 

Haggling is in my blood. That and olive oil...I think.

 

So that's what was all over the bathroom floor at the Wyndam last year.

[cheetah]

Dude, haggling doesn`t have to be confrontational.

 

It's inherently confrontational--the will of the buyer versus the will of the seller. It's not as epic as the scene below, granted, it's definitely one of the tamest possible types of confrontation. Some people just avoid it all costs; women tend to do it more than men which is why some auto dealerships specialize in no haggling.

 

 

Here's my hard core buying tactics.

 

1. Go through boxes and find what I like.

2. Have the seller take them out of the mylar so I can look at them but it is his fault if it gets a tape pull.

3. Give him back what I don't want. Make a pile with what I do.

4. Hand him the pile and say, 'how much do you want for these?'

 

Never fails to get a reasonable discount. Not really very confrontational either. It even worked on Metro at C2E2.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Dude, haggling doesn`t have to be confrontational.

 

It's inherently confrontational--the will of the buyer versus the will of the seller. It's not as epic as the scene below, granted, it's definitely one of the tamest possible types of confrontation. Some people just avoid it all costs; women tend to do it more than men which is why some auto dealerships specialize in no haggling.

 

 

Here's my hard core buying tactics.

 

1. Go through boxes and find what I like.

2. Have the seller take them out of the mylar so I can look at them but it is his fault if it gets a tape pull.

3. Give him back what I don't want. Make a pile with what I do.

4. Hand him the pile and say, 'how much do you want for these?'

 

Never fails to get a reasonable discount. Not really very confrontational either. It even worked on Metro at C2E2.

 

Maybe it had something to do with Fischler's new yacht being called the Cheetah 2?

[cheetah]

Dude, haggling doesn`t have to be confrontational.

 

It's inherently confrontational--the will of the buyer versus the will of the seller. It's not as epic as the scene below, granted, it's definitely one of the tamest possible types of confrontation. Some people just avoid it all costs; women tend to do it more than men which is why some auto dealerships specialize in no haggling.

 

 

Here's my hard core buying tactics.

 

1. Go through boxes and find what I like.

2. Have the seller take them out of the mylar so I can look at them but it is his fault if it gets a tape pull.

3. Give him back what I don't want. Make a pile with what I do.

4. Hand him the pile and say, 'how much do you want for these?'

 

Never fails to get a reasonable discount. Not really very confrontational either. It even worked on Metro at C2E2.

 

Maybe it had something to do with Fischler's new yacht being called the Cheetah 2?

 

Maybe the left tire on the trailer is named cheetah.

[fantastic_four]

Never fails to get a reasonable discount. Not really very confrontational either. It even worked on Metro at C2E2.

 

Agreed, same here, that usually works for me as well and only occasionally doesn't. Dangle a pile of potential money in front of a dealer and the haggling goes right out the window because they know you're serious about buying and are aware that excessive handling could cause you to hand the stack right back to them to re-file.

 

But if all you can find is one or two significant books, the haggling usually happens.

[AGGIEZ]

 

I've never been to a really big show (Dallas is growing, but still comparatively small), so my experience is limited...

 

I just don't get the whole haggling thing, I guess. Why not just list it for the lowest you'd sell it for and be done with it? Less time dealing with offers, less people wondering what the price "really" is, etc. etc. If you're listed price is waaay out of whack, I immediately don't trust you to not take advantage of every uneducated customer that may stumble by and my interest in buying from you evaporates...

 

We don't really haggle (at least I don't) in any other aspect of life.. Even cars now, I know exactly what dealer invoice is before I set foot on a lot and I know what my one and only price I'm willing to pay is. Even when buying real estate; the haggling of price is rarely more than a few percent at most of the entire price. Price is determined by the comps, and you aren't going to be able to waver too far from that.

 

I play the haggle game with comics because I must to not get utterly taken (and I have been on a few occasions), but I don't like it one bit. :shrug:

 

Let’s say you go to the car dealer, and the car you want has a sticker price of 10k, but you know the dealer’s invoice price was 8k. You tell the dealer the price you’re willing to pay, he agrees, and the car is sold for less than the sticker/asking price.

 

Let’s now say you go to a comic show and see a book that is priced at $100. You know that Overstreet has it at $80, and GPA or recent online sales are about $70. Asking the dealer if he’d take $70 or $75 would make sense, and doesn’t seem any different to me than the car scenario.

 

 

(thumbs u Presentation is usually a key, if you grouch out - JoeCstyle -" I'll

give you five bucks for this piece of azzz whipe", odds are you'll get stone walled.

If you smile politely and ask if five bucks would be an acceptable offer , most

people are ameaneable to the offer. Honey attracts more flies than vinegar

 

 

 

 

and True

 

 

[HouseofComics.Com]

You are correct, it's similar. I just rarely spend $50k on a comic. The higher the dollar figure involved, the easier I can get over my personal hangups about haggling.

 

I think if you stick to a simple -script you'll avoid most of the distaste that haggling causes. Just mentally take 10% off in your head and ask very politely if the dealer will take that price (round up to nearest dollar or whatever). He says yes or no or gives you a figure in the middle and you pay him. I don't think that will cause you any aggravation.

[NewWorldOrder]

 

Haggling is in my blood. That and olive oil...I think.

 

Very much agreed. (thumbs u

 

East coasters like myself are just born to know how to haggle or negotiate prices, especially from the north east.

 

I think it is comical out here on the west coast to see people bending over and taking BS pricing.

[blazingbob]

If buyers are offering me 90% of my asking price I am saying Yes every time.

 

Being that my raw books have a 15% discount I like the above method a lot better.

 

Same goes with 99% of my CGC inventory.

 

It's the guy who is offering 50% of my ask price that generally doesn't start off on the right foot.

[Warren Oates]

Some good suggestions here. I would add; the question "Are your prices firm?" may be good to ask. If the dealer says yes, you are wasting your time there, and shouldn't bother with the attempt of haggling. If they say anything else; such as "Well not always", "Sometimes", "What did you have in mind?", "On some books", etc, then they have opened the door and let you in. Once you get them talking about some books a nice follow up will be to inquire about a possible volume discount.

 

Also, as mentioned, if a dealer has a book that you want at price that seems great, just buy it (unless your spider sense tells you to investigate). The dealer probably knows it's good price and will sell as is, they don't want to be insulted. Plus they might be more receptive to your future haggling attempt if they remember you as a good customer.

 

Lastly, if they are busy, don't waste their time. Going through all of this to find out they will accept prices you have talked about, and then saying "gee maybe I'll come back and buy these tomorrow" will get you on their bad side fast.

 

 

[VintageComics]

Or you avoid all that entirely if you don't enjoy haggling. He didn't call dealers who base their sales upon it scam artists, he said they're relying on customers being uneducated. That's not a scam, it's a shot at the buyer's intelligence that sl4ppy doesn't shrug off as easily as you've learned to do it yourself. I would add it also relies on some customers being nonconfrontational and just paying the price they see without wanting to go through the haggling process. Either way, if all you ever do is buy--and you sell yourself so you're less able to see this perspective--the haggling process is mostly a process filled with negatives and no positives when compared to other methods of sale.

 

Thanks! You said it better than I did. I'm definitely non-confrontational. I'm afraid of upsetting someonem so haggling is virtually off the table from the get-go for me.

Dude, haggling doesn`t have to be confrontational. It can be as benign as asking the dealer "Is this your best price?"

 

Haggling doesn`t mean you have to start with some insane lowball offer while taking shots at the book and the dealer`s family, and then getting into a screaming match. Although it`s well known that this tactic is very effective with Roy.

 

 

Wait till my "family" visits your family.

 

[SolitaireOne]

You'll never get it if you don't ask for it... wrks both ways, as a buyer and seller.