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Dealer Rankings 2011

Started by Foolkiller,

211 posts in this topic

Foolkiller

Foolkiller

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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.

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sufunk

sufunk

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Crazy Ed?? (shrug)

 

Yes, I would add him to the list of consideration.

 

I havent bought anything from Ed since the early 90's when he used to set up a booth at little mall shows here in Fort Lauderdale. Back then, he would have the SICKEST early SA and BA books. He would charge WELL over guide for these mint books but damn were they nice!

 

I bought a "MINT" Iron Fist 14 from him for $129 when it guided for about $80 in maybe 1992. I just got it graded and it was a 9.8w and for the life of me, i cant figure out why it isnt a 9.9 or even 10.0!

 

I dont know what he's like now but Crazy Ed was DEFINITELY my favorite dealer back in the day :cloud9:

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Foolkiller

Foolkiller

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Number 2: Heritage Auctions, Dallas Texas

 

Pros: The most powerful and largest of the auction houses that actively do comic book auctions, Heritage remains the #1 force in that regard. This year they set records with the Twin Cities books and successfully auctioned the Savannah Pedigree as well. In addition, collections like the Edward M. Sarley collection have incredible, high grade books as well. Heritage is run like a big corporation and it shows in the incredible professional way the auctions are run and processed. They are still the go-to house for Golden Age auctions and still the clear favorite for comic book original art. They dominate the market in many ways and have resources that Comiclink simply doesn't. Their customer service is generally reachable, responsive and professional. While there are occasional glitches, generally speaking they are handled swiftly and professionally. The amount of material they continue to acquire is staggering, and their auction catalogs resemble museum pieces.

 

Cons: Heritage definitely suffers from some transparency issues as the 'NP Gresham' incident is a constant reminder of. While they have acquired two impressive silver age collections this year, I believe most collectors still favor Comiclink because of the more straight forward fees. Having a buyer's premium and a seller's commission seems like an expensive double dip considering the other options that exist in the marketplace today for comics.

 

The Bottom Line: Incredibly powerful, tremendous resources, slick presentation and ultimate professionalism make Heritage the top Auction House for comics and #2 on this list.

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Doc Joe

Doc Joe

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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.

 

how did I miss this, link?

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COI

COI

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Great thread, as always.

 

Looks like Metro wins again. hm

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Foolkiller

Foolkiller

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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.

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COI

COI

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

 

Hard to argue with that.

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Foolkiller

Foolkiller

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so Brian, now that you got all that extra stock from your studies on this report

are you about ready for another midnight sales thread?

 

 

hm

 

 

 

Pretty overwhelmed these days with other stuff including real work, new house, new cars, and other family stuff... still buying though. Just storing it all for now.

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Wally's Comics

Wally's Comics

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so Brian, now that you got all that extra stock from your studies on this report

are you about ready for another midnight sales thread?

 

 

hm

 

 

 

Pretty overwhelmed these days with other stuff including real work, new house, new cars, and other family stuff... still buying though. Just storing it all for now.

 

 

:foryou:

 

kool, just give me a heads-up when you start flippin' again...

 

oh yeah, great report too.

 

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Calamerica

Calamerica

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Fantastic report.

 

My 2 cents: Comic Link needs to go bye-bye. Hopefully another comic online site will take their spot.

 

 

And if you are either reading this, C Link, or those Cal-hating unemployed fanboys with too much time on their hands forward my post to you - stop sending me catalogs. A waste of paper. save a tree, save my time, send to someone else.

 

CAL just won't forget - ever

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