What would you do...

[DrWatson]

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?

I would recommend he buy the one at a fixed price on eBay for $4750.

 

I would agree but it sold to a New Yorker privately.

 

 

Although I did get several low offers in the sub $4000 range from a Houston eBayer last week.

 

He actually mentioned that book a few times.

You could have told him to go to hell and thrown a quarter at the back of his head, so he could call someone who cares, as he was leaving the store.

[ashrael]

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!

 

I agree. He was hoping the auction went low so he could offer $4200 again, but it didn't go what way. If you sell it at $4700 he will immediately resell it for much more. He missed his chance. Put it on ComicLink yourself and be done with it.

 

[Westy Steve]

I even pointed him here to get a better understanding of the high grade silver age market. I'm not pointing out anything that anyone has done wrong. I'm just trying to get feedback on a legit dilemma. I don't really want to sell the book at $5250 now, much less $4700. But I do have to consider the fact that I have a relationship with a retail customer who is interested in bigger ticket items. But that customer is approaching those items from the viewpoint of a stockbroker or commodities buyer and not a collector. But he is still interested. And he has money to spend. From that standpoint I need to figure out the best way to express to him my standpoint, while showing that I understand his, and thus deal with the situation in a respectful manner.

 

Go ahead and explain this to him. It's not unreasonable for you to indicate that the market value has shifted on the book.

 

If he was quoting CL figures while negotiating, it's certainly fair for you to do the same.

 

 

Yes...talk to the guy!

 

Say: "Hey, we never settled on a price and a new auction result came out. I would like to have you as a customer, but we know the book's market value is higher now. I want to give you first option on the book since you expressed interest on it, but I am in business to make money and can't ignore the book's potential. Can we meet in the middle somewhere?"

 

 

[TheShadowKnows]

I even pointed him here to get a better understanding of the high grade silver age market. I'm not pointing out anything that anyone has done wrong. I'm just trying to get feedback on a legit dilemma. I don't really want to sell the book at $5250 now, much less $4700. But I do have to consider the fact that I have a relationship with a retail customer who is interested in bigger ticket items. But that customer is approaching those items from the viewpoint of a stockbroker or commodities buyer and not a collector. But he is still interested. And he has money to spend. From that standpoint I need to figure out the best way to express to him my standpoint, while showing that I understand his, and thus deal with the situation in a respectful manner.

 

Go ahead and explain this to him. It's not unreasonable for you to indicate that the market value has shifted on the book.

 

If he was quoting CL figures while negotiating, it's certainly fair for you to do the same.

 

 

Yes...talk to the guy!

 

Say: "Hey, we never settled on a price and a new auction result came out. I would like to have you as a customer, but we know the book's market value is higher now. I want to give you first option on the book since you expressed interest on it, but I am in business to make money and can't ignore the book's potential. Can we meet in the middle somewhere?"

 

+1

This way you have given him every option.He can still get a good deal and you come across as a good guy,which of course you are.

If he wants to be immature about it raise the price and put back on the wall.Cant hurt having that gem on display.

Good luck!

[VintageComics]

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?

I would recommend he buy the one at a fixed price on eBay for $4750.

 

I would agree but it sold to a New Yorker privately.

 

 

Although I did get several low offers in the sub $4000 range from a Houston eBayer last week.

 

He actually mentioned that book a few times.

You could have told him to go to hell and thrown a quarter at the back of his head, so he could call someone who cares, as he was leaving the store.

 

Wouldn't a Sacagawea dollar work better?

 

 

[Dr. Balls]

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?

I would recommend he buy the one at a fixed price on eBay for $4750.

 

I would agree but it sold to a New Yorker privately.

 

 

Although I did get several low offers in the sub $4000 range from a Houston eBayer last week.

 

He actually mentioned that book a few times.

You could have told him to go to hell and thrown a quarter at the back of his head, so he could call someone who cares, as he was leaving the store.

 

Wouldn't a Sacagawea dollar work better?

 

 

I didn't think anyone even had those anymore.

[rodan57]

Don't worry about the guy until he comes back and then pretend that you don't remember him.

[MrBedrock]

Don't worry about the guy until he comes back and then pretend that you don't remember him.

[lizards2]

Don't worry about the guy until he comes back and then pretend that you don't remember him.

That has been a proven strategy for many a BSD....., :think:

[Dick Pontoon]

I hope there'll be more to add to this thread after tomorrow.

[HouseofComics.Com]

I was thinking the same thing, one more day until new comics day.

 

In some ways, this situation makes Richard look good because it makes his original price look very fair and makes his instincts that this was moving above GPA look very savvy. Might help down the line with this customer when it comes to another book.

 

OTOH, on prime books like this I'm not sure there's any benefit to having local customers for them. They will sell for near market price anyway but with a local buyer you have to charge them sales tax and then they would want a discount due to that. Especially an investor type who is very careful about what he's paying.

[InvstmntComcSuply]

After reading Walls concept of the market for collectible comics as well as dozens of similar posts over the years, I find it interesting to note that there are many people, even on these boards, who look at comic shops, not much different than grocery stores, Wal-Marts or other big box retailers.

 

I am sure, that were they the protaganist in Bedrock's story, they would actually be offended by the notion that Bedrock would have the gall to actually change the price from what he had quoted two weeks earlier. Obviously this sentiment will be even higher in the general population than here on the boards, where every other inmate is a flipper.

 

I don't envy the tightrope a comics retailer must walk all the time between maximizing profit and making sure he doesn't completely off a customer.

 

 

[Forbush-Man]

Reprice the book at $6,000.00 and offer it to him as a one-time special discount of the original asking price of $5,250.00. He will recognize three things:(1) that he is getting a deal (last two GPA $6K and $7,077.00) ( 2) when he is offered a fair deal on a book, take it and and be satisfied and (3) you are in the business of selling and making profit; Nothing wrong with that.

 

I'm thinking he was betting on a lower sale to re-negotiate a lower price or back-up his original offer. Instead the market showed the books value is higher than originally thought. If the guy passes, then the new $6k asking price is still a deal for the next buyer (Looks like new GPA is around $6,500.00.)

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

where every other inmate is a flipper.

 

Guilty as charged!

[Senormac]

[rodan57]

After reading Walls concept of the market for collectible comics as well as dozens of similar posts over the years, I find it interesting to note that there are many people, even on these boards, who look at comic shops, not much different than grocery stores, Wal-Marts or other big box retailers.

 

I am sure, that were they the protaganist in Bedrock's story, they would actually be offended by the notion that Bedrock would have the gall to actually change the price from what he had quoted two weeks earlier. Obviously this sentiment will be even higher in the general population than here on the boards, where every other inmate is a flipper.

 

I don't envy the tightrope a comics retailer must walk all the time between maximizing profit and making sure he doesn't completely off a customer.

 

 

Of course, Bedrock's replacement cost is now higher.

[Snake Eyes]

So how did the story wrap up Bedrock? Did he return to the store at all?

[joeypost]

So how did the story wrap up Bedrock? Did he return to the store at all?

 

Richie took out a hit on the guy, and sold the book for $875.00 more.

[Walls]

After reading Walls concept of the market for collectible comics as well as dozens of similar posts over the years, I find it interesting to note that there are many people, even on these boards, who look at comic shops, not much different than grocery stores, Wal-Marts or other big box retailers.

 

I am sure, that were they the protaganist in Bedrock's story, they would actually be offended by the notion that Bedrock would have the gall to actually change the price from what he had quoted two weeks earlier. Obviously this sentiment will be even higher in the general population than here on the boards, where every other inmate is a flipper.

 

I don't envy the tightrope a comics retailer must walk all the time between maximizing profit and making sure he doesn't completely off a customer.

 

 

Wow, you must be Charles Xavier or something to be able to read my mind like that. Can you hit me up with some insider stock tips or something?

 

Might want to ask me before you just make a silly wild @ss guess about what I'm thinking. I'll do my best to do the same before I blatantly make an attribution about what someone else is thinking as well.

 

And actually, if you had read what I had wrote you would understand what I was saying. I'm saying that I don't think just because a single book goes to auction and bids out for an outrageous price that all other books should automatically raise to that level. Maybe you should continue to take into consideration all of the prices that have sold recently. And I would fully agree with what another poster said, the inverse, that just because a single auction tanks that doesn't meant that the price automatically lowers to that level either.

 

Seems pretty simple to understand to me.

[John R]

So how did the story wrap up Bedrock? Did he return to the store at all?

 

Richie took out a hit on the guy, and sold the book for $875.00 more.

 

Hey Joey

 

Please check my PM.

 

Thanks