Dealer Rankings 2011

[Foolkiller]

Pat will also be doing the pat down for weapons so Bob doesn't have "accidents".

 

Even Seeberger will have to be searched before beginning work for the day.

 

Godfather Bobby doesn't want to have blood in his place.

 

[Cat-Man_America]

Metro are notorious for poor grading. The irony of them creating the 10 point grading scale is good for endless laughs.

When someone says something like that it usually means that the "informed" opinion is based on rumor and the distressed party hasn't actually purchased anything from the source.

 

Of course, what do I know, I've merely demonstrated empirical evidence to the contrary.

you are right. I will not give them my business, and my opinion is based off of my friends dealings with them. But by all means, speak however you like. It takes alot more then that to insult me.

 

 

No insult intended, but friends impressions can be misleading; I know that from first hand personal experience. (thumbs u

 

 

[Cat-Man_America]

Just remember Pat you are working Security for access to my booth.

 

If you want I can take Davidmerryweather off the access to the wall books and catered party "list".

 

 

 

...Oh, wait a minute, are you talking about Chicago? Sorry, won't be there this year, but the catered party intrigues me, especially if a decent merlot or fine ale is being served!

 

 

 

 

[jbud73]

Number 1: Metropolis Comics, Owners Steve Fishler and Vincent Zurzolo, New York, New York

 

Pros: I can hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth from here. How can you pick Metropolis #1 again? They are the devil! Fishler is evil! They overgrade all their books! They're too expensive! They ship too slow! They don't immediately return my phone calls and emails! Vinny was a jerk to me! Fishler screwed me!

 

Folks, I am well aware of these individual complaints. And one thing is crystal clear, Metropolis is the #1 dealer in comics. It's not even close. Not -- Even -- Close. They may not be your favorite dealer and you personally may not want to deal with them, but when you look at what they sell, how many clients they have, their reputation broadly amongst the public, and the notoriety they have gained, it's a no brainer.

 

They are the number one go to source to sell or buy the most important book in the hobby, Action Comics #1.

 

They uncovered one of the most impressive GA finds in recent memory, the Atlantic City collection.

 

They (whether you like or don't like the pedigree) found the Suscha news pedigree this year.

 

On any given day you can walk into their offices and they are literally overwhelmed with collections, high grade material and boxes of gold, silver and bronze age.

 

If you had a huge book, like an Action #1 or Tec 27, I think it's unquestionable (unless you had a personal issue) that you'd have to consider Metropolis as one of the first sources to sell a major key.

 

They're the only dealer with a sizable, established auction house in addition to what is likely, the largest inventory of vintage material that exists.

 

I know it will pain some people to acknowledge it, but to me, the facts are clear. Metropolis sits at #1.

 

Cons: There is always room for improvement, and for Metro it always revolves around the same things: customer service, pricing, and personal interaction with even "the little guy". I think a lot of folks feel ignored by Metro because they don't spend $10k for a book. I'm sure there is a "prioritization" of customers, as there is in any business. Metro seems to engender more controversy and ill will than is probably fair, but some of the criticisms are.

 

Bottom Line: The best there is at what they do.

 

Brian two observations (not that you asked)

Unfortunately I think it is quite telling that the #1 comic dealer in the hobby (at least on this poll) probably scored low on the following criteria 1) Competitive pricing, 2) Accurate grading 6) Customer Service

 

I think the assessment is slanted towards inventory and while I understand the argument, I also think that collectors should be mindful of inventory verses getting Sometimes a little bit of effort will save you from having to deal with the 800lb gorillas who shill their auctions and treat you like they are doing you a favor by grifting your $$ away.

 

Secondly, I in interest where the CGC forum sales shingle would insert itself into that list.

 

Brian thanks for the observations, there are some really (thumbs u dealers in there and some that but that is always the interesting part of the debate.

 

Hope all is well on the East Coast (thumbs u

 

 

[sufunk]

Number 3: Worldwide Comics: Owners, Steve Ritter and Matt Nelson, Dallas, Texas (though being moved back to Ohio)

 

Pros: The unbelievably high quality inventory that Worldwide Comics carries is truly staggering, particularly when you see the New Arrivals that are constantly pouring in. The amount of high grade books that are listed, the keys, the pedigrees, the aggressiveness with which they buy, all make for an incredible breadth of high grade inventory. The prices are, generally speaking, extremely competitive. It's clear that their goal is to continue to turn inventory. When you combine how much new high grade inventory, the grades that are obtain, the scarcity of many books, and the reasonable price, they become solidified at #3.

 

Cons: If you don't like pressed books, they are probably not the dealer of choice. Also, the revelation of their ebay auctions being shilled seriously damaged their credibility, and to this day, the incident has not been publicly addressed with any real satisfaction. With that said, I don't, for a minute, doubt the integrity of Steve and Matt. They are, as I have told them, responsible ultimately though for the actions of their employees and so it is as if they have committed those acts themselves. You've got to respond somehow.

 

The Bottom Line: High grade, pedigrees, keys, all eras of materials, deep inventory, constantly fresh material -- it just adds up. I think of Worldwide as one of the best resources out there.

 

I've only had one experience with WW and it was NOT good!

 

I bought a bunch of books from a boardie about 6 months ago. When the books arrived, 1 9.6 SA Marvel was missing. The seller told me it was mistakenly sent to WW with a shipment of books to them. Apparently, they thought it had a good chance at a 9.8 with a press so they had already cracked it and were resubbing it by the time the seller contacted them a few days later. I agreed to wait for the book until it could be regraded.

 

Months and months go by and ultimately i'm told that WW cant find the book now and my book is "lost"

 

How a 9.6-9.8 SA book could be "lost" was never explained to me. Considering i then had to pay practically the same amount for a 9.4 replacement, i was definitely NOT happy. If i see a 9.8 copy of my book for sale on their site in the future, i'm really going to be PISSED!

[sakaridis]

Number 3: Worldwide Comics: Owners, Steve Ritter and Matt Nelson, Dallas, Texas (though being moved back to Ohio)

 

Pros: The unbelievably high quality inventory that Worldwide Comics carries is truly staggering, particularly when you see the New Arrivals that are constantly pouring in. The amount of high grade books that are listed, the keys, the pedigrees, the aggressiveness with which they buy, all make for an incredible breadth of high grade inventory. The prices are, generally speaking, extremely competitive. It's clear that their goal is to continue to turn inventory. When you combine how much new high grade inventory, the grades that are obtain, the scarcity of many books, and the reasonable price, they become solidified at #3.

 

Cons: If you don't like pressed books, they are probably not the dealer of choice. Also, the revelation of their ebay auctions being shilled seriously damaged their credibility, and to this day, the incident has not been publicly addressed with any real satisfaction. With that said, I don't, for a minute, doubt the integrity of Steve and Matt. They are, as I have told them, responsible ultimately though for the actions of their employees and so it is as if they have committed those acts themselves. You've got to respond somehow.

 

The Bottom Line: High grade, pedigrees, keys, all eras of materials, deep inventory, constantly fresh material -- it just adds up. I think of Worldwide as one of the best resources out there.

 

I've only had one experience with WW and it was NOT good!

 

I bought a bunch of books from a boardie about 6 months ago. When the books arrived, 1 9.6 SA Marvel was missing. The seller told me it was mistakenly sent to WW with a shipment of books to them. Apparently, they thought it had a good chance at a 9.8 with a press so they had already cracked it and were resubbing it by the time the seller contacted them a few days later. I agreed to wait for the book until it could be regraded.

 

Months and months go by and ultimately i'm told that WW cant find the book now and my book is "lost"

 

How a 9.6-9.8 SA book could be "lost" was never explained to me. Considering i then had to pay practically the same amount for a 9.4 replacement, i was definitely NOT happy. If i see a 9.8 copy of my book for sale on their site in the future, i'm really going to be PISSED!

That is one harsh accusation. We're not talking about things like bad customer service or overgrading here. What you're insinuating is very serious.

[sufunk]

I'm not insinuating anything. The book can't be found by them. It wasn't some modern that there are hundred of copies around, it was a 9.6 SA book that is relatively rare in that grade for a late SA Marvel. There's 22 9.6-9.8 copies according to the census so it's not like this is a book they have stacks of. I'm sure it didn't get thrown away so it's somewhere and will eventually be found I'd assume. When that will be, days, months, years who knows?

 

I'm not saying they did anything wrong other than lose a book. Like I said though, I doubt highly that it no longer exists so eventually it will turn up. If it turns up on their site as a 9.8, I'm not going to be happy! I hope that doesn't happen but I'm pretty sure eventually it's going to end up somewhere for sale.

[Logan510]

I'm not insinuating anything. The book can't be found by them. It wasn't some modern that there are hundred of copies around, it was a 9.6 SA book that is relatively rare in that grade for a late SA Marvel. There's 22 9.6-9.8 copies according to the census so it's not like this is a book they have stacks of. I'm sure it didn't get thrown away so it's somewhere and will eventually be found I'd assume. When that will be, days, months, years who knows?

 

I'm not saying they did anything wrong other than lose a book. Like I said though, I doubt highly that it no longer exists so eventually it will turn up. If it turns up on their site as a 9.8, I'm not going to be happy! I hope that doesn't happen but I'm pretty sure eventually it's going to end up somewhere for sale.

 

 

Shouldn't you be more upset at the boardie who sent it to them by mistake? This sounds a lot like being mad at the guy your girlfriend is cheating with

[comicwiz]

Thanks for the list Brian.

 

I find the crowd sourced opinions and experiences give it a depth that a single person evaluating dealers could not possibly provide on his own.

 

I value Scott's opinion, and have followed his participation on these boards and CPG in the past. Even met him and his lovely wife in SD many years ago.

 

Putting aside Scott's personal experiences with Bob, I have to agree with Brian. Bob has a level of business savvy that goes beyond the comic side, and from my interactions with him via PM/email, I get the sense he is better prepared than any other person mentioned on the list to meld his business and personal brand in a way that will keep him at the top of on my personal list of dealers.

 

In the context of where I found the list to be most deficient, I have a hard time relating to seeing Doug continually get bagged on for his site. With the exception of Heritage and I'll mention Bob because he at least took time to poll for recommendations from this community, I find just as many weaknesses in every site in the top 10.

 

Some are more bearable than others, but in the context of calling for a rehaul to Doug's online site, there is no excuse for the guys in the top 5 to not have addressed the kinds of issues I've been seeing with their sites, for at least as long as last years report was written. The recent rash of security breaches indicates to me that there just hasn't been anywhere near the level of diligence to keeping their businesses a step ahead of the curve, and in the context of calling out Doug's sub-par and antiquated Website experiences, as far as I can tell, I haven't yet received any letters from him, much less from a 3rd-party promotional mailing company, addressed to my home, detailing how my confidential information had been compromised.

 

I'm also concerned that the lingering reputational baggage tied to some of the top 10 dealers should be looked at more closely when deciding if their rank has merit. I find some of the issues outlined to be quite serious, and regardless of whether you see this community as a micro-niche, smaller channel in relation to revenue and market representation, it matters not only that they have persisted, but that these dealers have not taken the necessary steps to address the concerns, made statements correcting/addressing any false or true claims, and rectified the issues in an open and transparent manner.

[sufunk]

Hey, he made a mistake and sent the book in the wrong shipment. I can't be mad at him for that. I've only sold to like 20 people and I've screwed up and done that twice. It happens. He did everything he could and located the book. They had it and they dropped the ball somehow. I mean I can see your point but he's a boardie selling a few books here and there. WW is a business though so I hold them to a higher standard

 

Probably they made the same mistake he did and sent it to the wrong place also and whoever got it didnt say anything and kept it. I'd say there's a decent chance that's what happened? But like i said, I hold them to a higher standard as a business especially after they were notified it was someone elses book and not theirs.

 

Regardless, it's not like I'm super mad over this. I'm definitely not happy about it and annoyed but whatever, mistakes happen. If it went to the wrong person or is buried there under a million books not to be found for years, I'm not going to freak out over it. If somehow it does end up for sale on their site though, that will definitely make me mad!

 

Hopefully that doesn't happen though as I said. It's been plenty long enough for it have come back and been sold and hasn't. Ill admit i do check though out of curiosity

[Hepcat]

Number 7: Harley Yee: Owner Harley Yee's Rare Comics, Livonia, Michigan

 

Pros: While I generally feel Harley can be expensive, there are a number of positives which land Harley on the list. I'm not sure there is any show dealer more aggressive than Harley at landing new material. He is everywhere and he moves fast in acquiring new material. Harley is also very knowledgeable and lands a tremendous amount of rare material as well. His customer base is large, so I'm not sure whether or not a large number of his new pick ups fill in for those want lists, but I suspect the answer is yes. Harley's grading I find to be generally accurate, but it can be a little looser than others on this list, but overall, I think it is strong.

 

Cons: As I mentioned, Harley is pricey. I have found him more negotiable in the past year than ever before, and he will haggle, but you do occasionally experience sticker shock. Some of the common material is extremely aggressively priced for what it is. However, usually Harley will release his "B" stock at some of the shows, and that's his way of conducting a "blowout". One of the best experiences of the year at any show. Hoping it happens at Baltimore.

 

Bottom Line: Harley is one of the most established, well regarded dealers. He is aggressive and ferocious in his acquisition of new material.

 

I've bought more books from Harley than from any other dealer over the years. Why? Quite simply because he's here, there and everywhere. He's the hardest working man in the comics business and he can be relied upon to be there. And his inventory is awesome.

 

Ted of Superworld is another of my favourites.

 

(thumbs u

[solm4st3r]

Number 5: Bob Storms, Owner: Highgradecomics.com, Commack, NY

 

Pros: It's no secret that Bob and I are good friends and I have an enormous amount of respect for him and how he has built his business. I would probably say that outside of the guys who have to run actual brick and mortar stores, Bob is one of the most business savvy guys out there. In fact, of almost all of the convention dealers, Bob is right near the top with how to run and model your business. A lot of dealers seek out his advice and seem to try to emulate him. Bob's inventory has really taken a quantum leap -- even though it was always good. Multiple AF 15s, including high grade ones. Superman 1 bought and sold. X-Men 1s in 9.4. JIM 83s in 8.0. TOS 39s in 9.2. High grade ASM 1s, etc., etc. And these books move. It's very rare that I see high quality books sit around very long on his site. Bob's also an accurate grader and an extremely honest guy. I would trust Bob implicitly. In fact, my wife knows that if I suddenly "disappear" and she needs to sell the comics, there's really one thing she needs to know: Call Bob Storms.

 

Cons: While Bob's Marvel inventory is very, very strong (one of the absolute best out there), his DC inventory is weak. While he has consistently turned up multiple Marvel keys -- especially in the past year -- in uber grade, he has not made those acquisitions on DCs. While I'm sure it's not for lack of trying, I do think that there is a perception that he's a "marvel" guy, which limits his customer base slightly (because most folks are Marvel collectors) -- and I think it actually can hurt his acquisition of this kind of material. The same thing is true of GA, and while I know he tries to acquire it, I again believe there is a definitive perception that he isn't the "first option" to buy or sell that material. We all know Bob's personality can be a bit gruff at times -- as he has that New York attitude. I'll only say I find him one of the most personable and funny guys once you get to know him.

 

The Bottom Line: My dealer of choice, hands down. If I can get the book reasonably close with Bob, I do it. The reality is, of course, no one dealer can serve everything, but for my collection, I generally go to Bob first. I would make that recommendation without hesitation to anyone anywhere.

 

I meant Bob at Wondercon and he made me a deal for a HG Marvel book I wanted. I traded him a couple of silver age Batman keys and some cash. He's a great dealer.

[Mark 1]

Brian, thanks for the dealer list. It's helpful to know who's out there that might be good.

 

As for the #1 Metro choice...clearly it's a debatable topic here

 

I might be wrong but I think experiences differ if you actually go to their business in person versus ordering books by scan and mail

 

I've had the benefit of going to their location in NYC and I get the ability to look at the comics before I buy them. I have passed on many comics I've seen because I thought they were overgraded. I have the luxury of looking at the comic and saying nope, I pass.

 

If I had ordered that same comic and it arrived undergraded...I'd be angry.

 

I might be wrong but I think foolkiller goes to their biz in NYC.

 

It's a different experience being there in person.

 

Lastly, the only comic I ever bought from metro that I subbed was a TOS 40 graded as a 5.0. It came back a 4.0 and when I called to discuss how to handle the discrepancy in grades, they said nothing they could do. It was two grade points difference and I wasn't happy.

 

I think they overgrade on about half the comics I've reviewed from them. I go back and see them and buy from them because I get to go in-person and see the books in hand.

 

As for Bob storms, I've had nothing but great experiences. Tight grading and great communication. A+ in my book

 

 

[FFB]

Thanks for the kind words, Joseph.

 

I hope people aren't reading too much into my few in-person dealings with Bob, only one of which really led to him getting on my nerves. I posted the details so that people would see that it wasn't anything major - I probably just caught him right after some jag off grabbed an expensive book after eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or something. For whatever reason, he just irritated me that day and I walked away. I will see Bob again at a forum dinner eventually and I'll buy him a drink and maybe even give him a manly, back-slapping hug after a few more. That will be the end of it.

 

As far as comic book sellers go, Bob is in the absolute upper echelon in terms of selection of books that I collected, grading accuracy, fair pricing, and above all else, high ethical standards. I would not hesitate to buy from him for one second and nor should anyone else.

 

Thanks for the list Brian.

 

I find the crowd sourced opinions and experiences give it a depth that a single person evaluating dealers could not possibly provide on his own.

 

I value Scott's opinion, and have followed his participation on these boards and CPG in the past. Even met him and his lovely wife in SD many years ago.

 

Putting aside Scott's personal experiences with Bob, I have to agree with Brian. Bob has a level of business savvy that goes beyond the comic side, and from my interactions with him via PM/email, I get the sense he is better prepared than any other person mentioned on the list to meld his business and personal brand in a way that will keep him at the top of on my personal list of dealers.

 

In the context of where I found the list to be most deficient, I have a hard time relating to seeing Doug continually get bagged on for his site. With the exception of Heritage and I'll mention Bob because he at least took time to poll for recommendations from this community, I find just as many weaknesses in every site in the top 10.

 

Some are more bearable than others, but in the context of calling for a rehaul to Doug's online site, there is no excuse for the guys in the top 5 to not have addressed the kinds of issues I've been seeing with their sites, for at least as long as last years report was written. The recent rash of security breaches indicates to me that there just hasn't been anywhere near the level of diligence to keeping their businesses a step ahead of the curve, and in the context of calling out Doug's sub-par and antiquated Website experiences, as far as I can tell, I haven't yet received any letters from him, much less from a 3rd-party promotional mailing company, addressed to my home, detailing how my confidential information had been compromised.

 

I'm also concerned that the lingering reputational baggage tied to some of the top 10 dealers should be looked at more closely when deciding if their rank has merit. I find some of the issues outlined to be quite serious, and regardless of whether you see this community as a micro-niche, smaller channel in relation to revenue and market representation, it matters not only that they have persisted, but that these dealers have not taken the necessary steps to address the concerns, made statements correcting/addressing any false or true claims, and rectified the issues in an open and transparent manner.

[Tatooine-migration]

Number 7: Harley Yee: Owner Harley Yee's Rare Comics, Livonia, Michigan

 

Pros: While I generally feel Harley can be expensive, there are a number of positives which land Harley on the list. I'm not sure there is any show dealer more aggressive than Harley at landing new material. He is everywhere and he moves fast in acquiring new material. Harley is also very knowledgeable and lands a tremendous amount of rare material as well. His customer base is large, so I'm not sure whether or not a large number of his new pick ups fill in for those want lists, but I suspect the answer is yes. Harley's grading I find to be generally accurate, but it can be a little looser than others on this list, but overall, I think it is strong.

 

Cons: As I mentioned, Harley is pricey. I have found him more negotiable in the past year than ever before, and he will haggle, but you do occasionally experience sticker shock. Some of the common material is extremely aggressively priced for what it is. However, usually Harley will release his "B" stock at some of the shows, and that's his way of conducting a "blowout". One of the best experiences of the year at any show. Hoping it happens at Baltimore.

 

Bottom Line: Harley is one of the most established, well regarded dealers. He is aggressive and ferocious in his acquisition of new material.

 

I've bought more books from Harley than from any other dealer over the years. Why? Quite simply because he's here, there and everywhere. He's the hardest working man in the comics business and he can be relied upon to be there. And his inventory is awesome.

 

Ted of Superworld is another of my favourites.

 

(thumbs u

 

I think Harley is probably my favorite dealer. I've been buying from him for 15 years and he always has a good inventory with eclectic titles that can take you years to find elsewhere. He is a good grader and he will always let you handle and look at a book before you buy it. He accepts no hassle returns if you order from his mail catelogs or ebay site. A great dealer.

[bronze johnny]

I've made some major purchases from Bob Storms and can only say that Bob is excellent!

[AnkurJ]

When I was back in college about 8 years ago, I was still collecting golden age. I have taken a break until now. Regardless, I was a collector who had about $2k in the bank, and bought what I could. Yes, most books were low grade, and I have been ignored & mistreated by many dealers. Well, what goes around does come around. At this point, I do remember who treated me well, and I am MUCH more likely to spend money with those dealers compared to those who mistreated me. I am in a much better financial situation, and I can be picky on who I deal with.

 

Now in regards to Metropolis. I would have no problem buying from them, but only books that are slabbed. I have had countless experiences where Ive bought lower grade books from them that have had major defects not told in their description. One example I can remember is a More Fun 71 graded as a good. When I recieved the book it looked decent, until I found that every single wrap was brittle and split. When I returned the book, I recieved a nasty call from them saying they can no longer sell to me. Frankly, I had no problem with that.

 

Some of the dealers that did treat me well, even when I was a bottom feader included Motor City Comics, Gary Dolgoff, Ted VanLiew (Superworld) and Steve Ritter. Ive never had any issues with them.

 

My major overall issue with dealers today is overgrading and overpricing. Thankfully CGC has taken away the grading issue. But overpricing is still out there, and much of it can even be seen in the for sale threads on this board. I may like a book, but frankly, I dont want to be buried with it.

 

Just my two cents,

Ankur

[Mark 1]

You are a man of few posts Mr. Ankur. Only 229 posts since 2009. I suddenly feel a bit verbose (some here might agree also. )

 

I agree about the overpricing out there (especially eBay, conventions and some dealers) but I haven't seen much over pricing in our sale forum...quite the contrary really. At least a lot of the time books are below GPA or OSPG. But that's my experience.

 

By the looks of your comics you collect GA and serious ones at that. Those books might get whacky pricing because of the x times guide factor.

 

Interesting story about Metro calling you to say they won't do biz with you. I wonder how often they have to do that.

[TempusFugitivus]

[Bazborg]

If you haven't visited Superworld (Ted Van Liew) and you're within 2 hours of Holden Mass, GO! Ted is awesome, his wife Lisa is awesome, Jose is awesome - even his dog is awesome. I guess I can call my autumn trip there "annual" since it's happened two years in a row, but I do plan to get there every year. His stock is amazing, and his prices are fair. Every thing I've gotten slabbed from him has either been right on the money or graded more harshly by Ted himself. He's always cut me a break when buying a bunch, but even without that, its just a really fun time.

 

I also have to give mad props to Ralph Dibernardo of JetPack in Rochester NH. Its out of the way, but his shop is EXACTLY the way what a local comics shop should be. Its well stocked, well organized, and will not remind you of some parent's basement. I'd walk an hour each way to hang out there if I could.