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What would you do...

Started by MrBedrock,

159 posts in this topic

MrBedrock

MrBedrock

Posted
Posted

I have had a 9.6 ow/w X-Men #9 for about six weeks. I priced it at $5250, which admittedly is a little higher than GPA. But the book is a knockout and I figured there would be some negotiating room. About three weeks ago a guy came into the store and offered $3600 for it. He reasoned that the last sale that he was tracking was a copy that sold on C-Link a few months ago for that amount. He is not a GPA subscriber. I showed him all of the GPA info and said the best I'd do is $4700, which is around the GPA average. He passed. Two weeks ago he came back and offered $4200. He said there was a copy on eBay with a fixed price of $4750, plus there was a copy in the most recent C-Link auction that he was following. So $4200 was his most generous offer. I again said $4700 was the best I could do. He declined but said that he would probably come back by after the auction. We left it at that. There was no mention of whether either of our offers would be accepted after the auction. Well auction time comes around on Thursday and the C-Link copy sells for $7077. A really big price.

 

So what would you do?

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chromium

chromium

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Is this guy a customer or just a walk-in ? Does he regularly buy higher end books ?

If so I would honor my price of $4700 but would insist on cash and make him aware that with the recent sale you are doing him a solid and are a man of your word.

Sure you would leave something on the table but maybe get a real loyal and happy customer for life out of it.

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MrBedrock

MrBedrock

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Is this guy a customer or just a walk-in ? Does he regularly buy higher end books ?

He's a newer customer (moved to Houston a few months ago). He buys new comics every week, but has never bought a higher priced comic from me. And he is very upfront about the fact that he only buys investment grade books if he can get a deal.

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Dr. Balls

Dr. Balls

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Posted
Is this guy a customer or just a walk-in ? Does he regularly buy higher end books ?

If so I would honor my price of $4700 but would insist on cash and make him aware that with the recent sale you are doing him a solid and are a man of your word.

Sure you would leave something on the table but maybe get a real loyal and happy customer for life out of it.

 

Kinda want to +1 this, but with a caveat: if the guy is an annoying tire-kicker, I'd tell him the price went up $1000, and laugh in his face - on the off-chance he ever comes back in.

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blazingbob

blazingbob

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"Sure you would leave something on the table but maybe get a real loyal and happy customer for life out of it"

 

Really? A loyal customer who is basically playing you with all his recent sales games. Well that game just blew up in his face.

 

I think if he were such a loyal customer he wouldn't have done that in the first place.

 

Yes, Richard would be taking the high road by honoring his $4700 sales price

 

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Dale Roberts

Dale Roberts

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I have had a 9.6 ow/w X-Men #9 for about six weeks. I priced it at $5250, which admittedly is a little higher than GPA. But the book is a knockout and I figured there would be some negotiating room. About three weeks ago a guy came into the store and offered $3600 for it. He reasoned that the last sale that he was tracking was a copy that sold on C-Link a few months ago for that amount. He is not a GPA subscriber. I showed him all of the GPA info and said the best I'd do is $4700, which is around the GPA average. He passed. Two weeks ago he came back and offered $4200. He said there was a copy on eBay with a fixed price of $4750, plus there was a copy in the most recent C-Link auction that he was following. So $4200 was his most generous offer. I again said $4700 was the best I could do. He declined but said that he would probably come back by after the auction. We left it at that. There was no mention of whether either of our offers would be accepted after the auction. Well auction time comes around on Thursday and the C-Link copy sells for $7077. A really big price.

 

So what would you do?

 

Call Doug and have him offer it to the underbidder? :whistle:

 

The market fluctuates on books. That is just the reality of comics today. If you are willing to hold it to get your price and take the chance that the next sale is 3800.00, then I think it is completely up to you. I would find a price that YOU are comfortable with, and then he can either buy it or not.

 

If there was no type of agreement, I don't see that you are bound to do anything, one way or the other.

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KEY ISSUES Comics

KEY ISSUES Comics

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I'd revise my price. He who hesitates is lost. I mean, he had a chance to buy it at your price, but he missed out by playing the lowball game. If the market is willing to pay around $7K, then why shouldn't you get it as well?

 

Giving a deal is one thing, but being lowballed all the time gets tiring.

 

The bottom line is that you have this sweet, rather rare book in grade, and the person who really wants it will pay your asking price if it's in line with the market.

 

Good luck!

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Dale Roberts

Dale Roberts

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"Sure you would leave something on the table but maybe get a real loyal and happy customer for life out of it"

 

Really? A loyal customer who is basically playing you with all his recent sales games. Well that game just blew up in his face.

 

I think if he were such a loyal customer he wouldn't have done that in the first place.

 

Yes, Richard would be taking the high road by honoring his $4700 sales price

 

Agreed. With this type of guy, loyalty runs about as far as the next book he finds.

 

Odds are, you sell it to him for $4700, and it is in the next comiclink auction for sale.

 

 

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Trev

Trev

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I think it depends on a few things:

 

1. Is $4700 a good profit for you? Assume it is.

2. Is this a guy who's bought from you in the past and may do so in the future?

3. Do you care if you don't move it?

 

If you sell it at $4700 seems like there's good chance for it to end up on C-Link, would you be comfortable with that?

 

Part of me says if it is a long time customer who's bought a lot from you in the past and you are well in the black on the book, then let it go for either $4700 as agreed or for $5.5k, a price that acknowledges the new sale but also compromises on the customer playing C-Link against you.

 

OTOH, if it's just a guy looking to invest, then I think you have to go higher, bec. he will just try to flip it for the add'l. $3k, and why just immediately give that profit to him? If he wants to play the market then play the market.

 

One thing I might consider would be just putting it in the next C-Link Auction and asking him to bid on it there. Not sure if you ever put things into auctions though.

 

 

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Whizzer

Whizzer

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He has been using recent sales data to mitigate his low offers. Well it looks like recent sales data suggests the price is higher so he doesn't seem to have a leg to stand on.

 

I'd put it up for auction and let him bid with everyone else. Everyone wants a good deal which is fair enough but he had his chance on this one. Of course if you still have a decent profit in the book at 4,700 and don't want the hassle of going the auction route, then you could offer it to him at that price but only for a very quick sale on your terms.

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comix4fun

comix4fun

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Is this guy a customer or just a walk-in ? Does he regularly buy higher end books ?

If so I would honor my price of $4700 but would insist on cash and make him aware that with the recent sale you are doing him a solid and are a man of your word.

Sure you would leave something on the table but maybe get a real loyal and happy customer for life out of it.

 

 

 

Yes but only if it's a regular customer.

 

Because, really, he gave no "word" to honor. They negotiated, offered and counter offered. Richard's last counter offer was rejected. When you reject an offer or counteroffer that's the end of the deal until the seller or buyer makes another offer which is then accepted.

 

At this point there's nothing at all between them. No deal at all.

 

 

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