Why-o-why-o-why-o...?

[Bookery]

Why-o-why-o-why-o?

I wonder from Ohio...

 

Neg him already. Then quit buying off eBay.

 

This post in another thread got me thinking about this (again). Why do so many people here keep buying off eBay? (And I say this as a dealer who sells on eBay).

 

Not being snarky... serious question. I can understand, and even recommend, buying from established dealers that you already know and trust, or have good reviews here on the Boards. But say you stuck with a dozen or so top dealers that carry the kind of product you collect... that is likely acces to thousands, or even tens of thousands, of comics a year. How much stuff can you buy in a year?

 

I suspect more than half the complaints on these boards emanate from eBay dealings. It seems like buying from unknown dealers or private individuals is akin to going to the casinos. Are there really such a high number of great deals out there that it's worth all of the fuss and grief? Maybe so... that's why I'm asking.

 

It just seems a lot of problems go away if collectors stayed with known sources... it wouldn't matter about the Robojos of the world if everyone just stayed with dealers they'd already met and trusted, or came highly recommended by Boardees whom you also know and trust. No more bad packaging, no more failures to respond, no more empty boxes, etc., etc. Plus, if enough people lived by this rule, it would help trusted dealers acquire more collections, rather than so many private individuals selling books themselves that don't know how to grade, or spot restoration, or count pages, or simply destroy perfectly great books through mishandling or packaging.

 

EBay's great for picking up basic used stuff... office equipment, that certain replacement part you've been looking for, etc. But it just seems like for collectibles, the risks far outweigh the rewards.

 

Or not???

 

 

[lizards2]

Lots of good sellers with lots of good books :shrug:

 

And seasonally, you can find lots of good deals :shrug:

[sufunk]

Lots of good sellers with lots of good books :shrug:

 

And seasonally, you can find lots of good deals :shrug:

 

+1

 

You have to wade thru a TON of products and sellers but there are definitely some gem deals and dealers hiding in the huge pile of (thumbs u

 

[lizards2]

I eBay is fine if you stay away from too good to be true stuff, or stuff with craappy scans. The problem there is that bidding adds legitimacy to the auction, so if you get enough people that ignore the too good to be true theorem and bid, all of the sudden you have an auction that appears legitimate.

[oakman29]

I avoid Ebay like the plague.

[Bookery]

Lots of good sellers with lots of good books :shrug:

 

But if it's somebody you don't already know, or has been recommended to you, how do you know they're a good dealer? Again... does the gambling pay off more often than not?

 

[sufunk]

Lots of good sellers with lots of good books :shrug:

 

But if it's somebody you don't already know, or has been recommended to you, how do you know they're a good dealer? Again... does the gambling pay off more often than not?

 

Yes, at least for me.

 

Only time i really got burnt was when i fell for robojo's 4,000+ positive feedback before i found the boards. Even that was VERY minor compared to the usual Robojo screwing. His 9.2-9.4 book turned out to be a 8.5 but at least it wasn't a PLOD and it went at 8.5-9.0 price so i really didnt lose much at all if any.

[Mark 1]

I avoid Ebay like the plague.

 

+1

 

I usually scan through comic auctions looking for boardies who are selling stuff on ebay and everyone else is ignored. In my recent years back to collecting comics I have only made a few comic purchases through ebay. All have been fine but I did serious research on the seller and made sure they were legit before sending my cash. That includes getting their cell number, email address, etc but then again I wasn't buying a $20 modern. I was buying something more expensive.

 

 

[miraclemet]

If you are thoughtful about your buys, and don't get caught up in bidding there are still the occasional good deals out there.

 

I will say that the surf/search to buy ratio is way high though...

 

And the number of auctions I bid on vs actually win is again a way out of whack ratio (which I assume is thanks to sniping (which I don't mind) and shilling (which I do mind)).

 

I've bought more books here, but the best deals I've found have been on ebay or thru direct negotiations with some online retailers.

[Point Five]

This post in another thread got me thinking about this (again). Why do so many people here keep buying off eBay? (And I say this as a dealer who sells on eBay).

I'm primarily a golden age collector, and the vast majority of my GA books -- probably around 75-80% -- have come from ebay. I understand why a lot of folks have issues with ebay, but at the end of the day it's got a selection that no one dealer can come close to matching, and there are some real bargains to be had if you're patient.

 

Avoid obvious scams and auctions dotted with red flags, and ask questions about condition while auctions are in progress, and you've minimized at least some of the risk. In addition, ebay's policies are much more buyer-friendly than they used to be.

 

If you continue to sell on ebay despite all its pitfalls, seems like you see some value there as well.

 

 

[Bookery]

If you continue to sell on ebay despite all its pitfalls, seems like you see some value there as well.

 

I quit selling decent collectibles on there years ago... right now the only things we sell (and my manager handles it) are leftover variants, extra statues we can't sell locally, and odd stuff we find buried in storage (it's the odd stuff that would seem pretty much like junk that tends to bring lots of money... but I gave up trying to get reasonable prices out of gold and silver-age collectibles on there a long time ago).

Which, since I have been out of the eBay loop for awhile, is why I asked about how it's going for buyers now.

 

Thanks for the responses... useful info!

 

[chrisco37]

Why-o-why-o-why-o?

I wonder from Ohio...

 

Neg him already. Then quit buying off eBay.

 

This post in another thread got me thinking about this (again). Why do so many people here keep buying off eBay? (And I say this as a dealer who sells on eBay).

 

Not being snarky... serious question. I can understand, and even recommend, buying from established dealers that you already know and trust, or have good reviews here on the Boards. But say you stuck with a dozen or so top dealers that carry the kind of product you collect... that is likely acces to thousands, or even tens of thousands, of comics a year. How much stuff can you buy in a year?

 

I suspect more than half the complaints on these boards emanate from eBay dealings. It seems like buying from unknown dealers or private individuals is akin to going to the casinos. Are there really such a high number of great deals out there that it's worth all of the fuss and grief? Maybe so... that's why I'm asking.

 

It just seems a lot of problems go away if collectors stayed with known sources... it wouldn't matter about the Robojos of the world if everyone just stayed with dealers they'd already met and trusted, or came highly recommended by Boardees whom you also know and trust. No more bad packaging, no more failures to respond, no more empty boxes, etc., etc. Plus, if enough people lived by this rule, it would help trusted dealers acquire more collections, rather than so many private individuals selling books themselves that don't know how to grade, or spot restoration, or count pages, or simply destroy perfectly great books through mishandling or packaging.

 

EBay's great for picking up basic used stuff... office equipment, that certain replacement part you've been looking for, etc. But it just seems like for collectibles, the risks far outweigh the rewards.

 

Or not???

 

 

Thank you!!!

 

I gave up on it years ago as there always seems to be problems. Luckily, I never had one of the nightmares that others have.

 

I know there are some great deals to be had, but I just don't have the time or inclination to go digging for those.

 

I'd much prefer to spend my money with someone I know I won't have a problem with (trusted dealer like Bob Storms). I always use him as an example, but I buy more from him than anybody. He deals in the books I look for. He has reasonable prices and will negotiate. I never have to worry about shipping (slowness or packaging). I know the grading on raw books will be based in reality.

 

I'd gladly pay a few extra bucks rather than the crapshoot that eBay is. If I miss out on something on eBay, oh well. More stuff for you guys to find.

 

 

[miraclemet]

I don't buy big dollar books (most I've ever spent on a slab was just under $400), but I'll agree that I dont understand taking the risk associated with a somewhat anonymous transaction for thousands of dollars (or more!). I'd rather go thru a smaller house (comiclink, HA, etc) that has more reputation on the line to make sure transactions go smoothly.

[MedicAR]

As a rule, I buy either new stuff that I couldn't get locally or CGC books only on eBay. I try to be careful and avoid the "too good to be true" deals and I'm generally happy overall.

[RockMyAmadeus]

Lots of good sellers with lots of good books :shrug:

 

And seasonally, you can find lots of good deals :shrug:

 

 

+

 

$

[buttock]

Tim, you could probably do well selling at fixed prices. I know I would love to see your inventory. I swung by a couple of times a year when I lived in Columbus, but can't make it now that I'm out west.

[Point Five]

If you continue to sell on ebay despite all its pitfalls, seems like you see some value there as well.

 

I quit selling decent collectibles on there years ago... right now the only things we sell (and my manager handles it) are leftover variants, extra statues we can't sell locally, and odd stuff we find buried in storage (it's the odd stuff that would seem pretty much like junk that tends to bring lots of money... but I gave up trying to get reasonable prices out of gold and silver-age collectibles on there a long time ago).

Which, since I have been out of the eBay loop for awhile, is why I asked about how it's going for buyers now.

 

Thanks for the responses... useful info!

(thumbs u

 

Honestly, as to why most buyers use ebay despite the problems, in the end I think it just comes down to money. On ebay it always feels like there's a chance of a bargain, even when the seller is questionable and the risk is off-the-charts-high. It brings out the gambler in a lot of folks (certainly, myself included).

 

 

[Dr. Balls]

I rarely, if ever, have a bad deal go down on Ebay. But, I also pick and choose the books I buy on Ebay. I don't expect the best of the best on Ebay, and it seems to work out for me fine.

[Bookery]

Tim, you could probably do well selling at fixed prices. I know I would love to see your inventory. I swung by a couple of times a year when I lived in Columbus, but can't make it now that I'm out west.

 

Hang in there... I'm hoping later this year to sell with a direct web program (X-Cart or some sort). The problem is... I like to keep prices low, but that means a lot of stuff... especially good stuff... sells quickly right from the shop and doesn't last long enough to make it on line. On the other hand, there's lots of esoteric stuff that has no local market.

 

BTW-- dealers out there... any sales cart program you especially recommend or use yourselves? I'm quite open to suggestions (or a link if this subject has come up before).

 

[AJD]

This post in another thread got me thinking about this (again). Why do so many people here keep buying off eBay? (And I say this as a dealer who sells on eBay).

I'm primarily a golden age collector, and the vast majority of my GA books -- probably around 75-80% -- have come from ebay. I understand why a lot of folks have issues with ebay, but at the end of the day it's got a selection that no one dealer can come close to matching, and there are some real bargains to be had if you're patient.

 

Avoid obvious scams and auctions dotted with red flags, and ask questions about condition while auctions are in progress, and you've minimized at least some of the risk. In addition, ebay's policies are much more buyer-friendly than they used to be.

 

If you continue to sell on ebay despite all its pitfalls, seems like you see some value there as well.

 

 

Agreed - and I'd add that self-control goes a long way on eBay. Just because someone is selling a book you want, don't bid on something you aren't fairly confident about. In ten years on eBay I bought one book with colour touch (and got suckered by the seller into not negging them - long story) that I wasn't happy with. Otherwise, I've had some great deals. To get that ratio there's been quite a few where I ended up wondering how I might have gone, but just didn't have enough information or confidence to take the plunge.