Unprofessional Sales Practice at a Comic Con

[shrunkenhead]

It really takes a lot for a dealer to annoy me. I just sort of take it for granted that most of them are malcontents and misanthropes.

 

The one that really bothered me was a guy who was giving me lip about pushing my kid around in a stroller b/c my child was crowding his booth and keeping away other customers (not that there were any). So I just dropped the pile of books I was gonna buy and told him to sell these to somebody who happens to be childless. He went pretty white---about $400 worth of books. It was a small con and I imagine it would have been one of his big sales of the day.

 

Short version: You can irritate me all you like, but you look sideways at my kid and I ain't giving ya jack.

[lizards2]

 

The one that really bothered me was a guy who was giving me lip about pushing my kid around in a stroller b/c my child was crowding his booth and keeping away other customers (not that there were any). So I just dropped the pile of books I was gonna buy and told him to sell these to somebody who happens to be childless. He went pretty white---about $400 worth of books. It was a small con and I imagine it would have been one of his big sales of the day.

great story, and I'm betting a lesson might have been learned :thumbsup:

[Bio-Rupp]

Once everyone realizes that all buyers, sellers, dealers, and customers in this hobby are basically total azzholes... then and only then will we all get along.

 

[sterlingcomics]

Once everyone realizes that all buyers, sellers, dealers, and customers in this hobby are basically total azzholes... then and only then will we all get along.

 

 

Sell me your books at 1/4 of 1/2 guide, or begone oh vile villian

 

[lizards2]

Once everyone realizes that all buyers, sellers, dealers, and customers in this hobby are basically total azzholes... then and only then will we all get along.

 

 

Sell me your books at 1/4 of 1/2 guide, or begone oh vile villian

His books are usually priced at 1/4 guide or less to begin with......,

[sterlingcomics]

Once everyone realizes that all buyers, sellers, dealers, and customers in this hobby are basically total azzholes... then and only then will we all get along.

 

 

Sell me your books at 1/4 of 1/2 guide, or begone oh vile villian

His books are usually priced at 1/4 guide or less to begin with......,

 

oh, well then 1/8 of 1/2 of that

 

I'm joking btw. But nice to know.

[lizards2]

Once everyone realizes that all buyers, sellers, dealers, and customers in this hobby are basically total azzholes... then and only then will we all get along.

 

 

Sell me your books at 1/4 of 1/2 guide, or begone oh vile villian

His books are usually priced at 1/4 guide or less to begin with......,

 

oh, well then 1/8 of 1/2 of that

 

I'm joking btw. But nice to know.

He's got a cut lil' doggie, so he's an untouchable azzhole.

[Buzzetta]

 

The one that really bothered me was a guy who was giving me lip about pushing my kid around in a stroller b/c my child was crowding his booth and keeping away other customers (not that there were any). So I just dropped the pile of books I was gonna buy and told him to sell these to somebody who happens to be childless. He went pretty white---about $400 worth of books. It was a small con and I imagine it would have been one of his big sales of the day.

great story, and I'm betting a lesson might have been learned :thumbsup:

 

I think we have all been there on that one. I am very unassuming and low key when I go to cons. I do not like to stand out in a crowd. It keeps me and my belongings safe and protected on the subway and at the con. I am pretty quiet at cons and a please and thank you guy. I am very clean cut but I usually wear jeans and a t-shirt or hoodie with a ball cap and a backpack or messenger bag to cons. (Collars and suits are for the work week)

 

If a dealer is going to dismiss me when I am inquiring about a book that is his mistake. The nerve of some guy last year when I asked about a book and he said to me, at my age, I have it but its probably more than you look like you can spend.

 

Really?

 

Ok... his loss... I wound up spending a little over a thousand elsewhere.

 

Epilogue - I practice what I preach - not so low key if you irritate me... Afterwards, I went over and said, "Thanks" and showed him the book, "The other guy realized I can spend more than what I look like."

[Twistty1]

 

The one that really bothered me was a guy who was giving me lip about pushing my kid around in a stroller b/c my child was crowding his booth and keeping away other customers (not that there were any). So I just dropped the pile of books I was gonna buy and told him to sell these to somebody who happens to be childless. He went pretty white---about $400 worth of books. It was a small con and I imagine it would have been one of his big sales of the day.

great story, and I'm betting a lesson might have been learned :thumbsup:

 

I think we have all been there on that one. I am very unassuming and low key when I go to cons. I do not like to stand out in a crowd. It keeps me and my belongings safe and protected on the subway and at the con. I am pretty quiet at cons and a please and thank you guy. I am very clean cut but I usually wear jeans and a t-shirt or hoodie with a ball cap and a backpack or messenger bag to cons. (Collars and suits are for the work week)

 

If a dealer is going to dismiss me when I am inquiring about a book that is his mistake. The nerve of some guy last year when I asked about a book and he said to me, at my age, I have it but its probably more than you look like you can spend.

 

Really?

 

Ok... his loss... I wound up spending a little over a thousand elsewhere.

 

Epilogue - I practice what I preach - not so low key if you irritate me... Afterwards, I went over and said, "Thanks" and showed him the book, "The other guy realized I can spend more than what I look like."

 

I think this case is a little different and that dealer was a complete mess for doing that to you. Everyone should have a little integrity and realize when someone has made an honest mistake, and maybe not get so upset when they realize that they are not gonna get a steal on a book they thought they were (especially when it's a fairly inexpensive book). Maybe he would've received a good deal anyway, but the op will never know because he cut the deal short.

 

I'm not a dealer I've just witnessed bad behavior on both sides at cons and think a lot of people in the hobby make mountains out of mole hills.

[Jimmy Linguini]

One time I had a large suitcase filled with items I was getting signed by comic creators.

 

I came up to a booth and saw a sign that said "$1 comic's, starting digging".

The guy who ran the booth asked if he could take my suitcase and "put it somewhere safe" while I looked. I told him I had too many valuables in my large suit case that I rolled around the entire convention that weekend! He told me I was in the way of other paying customers and he asked me to leave!

 

All of this and I had two $3 comics in my hand! The nerve of him!

[MK Ultra]

One time I had a large suitcase filled with items I was getting signed by comic creators.

 

I came up to a booth and saw a sign that said "$1 comic, starting digging".

The guy who ran the booth asked if he could take my suitcase and "put it somewhere safe" while I looked. I told him I had too many valuables in my large suit case that I rolled around the entire convention that weekend! He told me I was in the way of other paying customers and he asked me to leave!

 

All of this and I had two $3 comics in my hand! The nerve of him!

 

That sign sounds confusing.

[vane]

I just had a bad experience with a specific dealer at a comic book con recently. Today actually.

 

It wasn't a huge deal, but I just found it very annoying.

 

The guy had a few copies of the The Dark Knight Returns, issues 3 and 4, in a long box. One of the copies had a sticker on it that said $3, which is a great deal. The other copies, two of them identical to the $3 book, had no price on them.

 

I showed him the copy with the $3 sticker and asked if the others were priced the same.

 

He then proceeded to say that he meant to re-price the $3 book and he wanted to look at MY Overstreet Price Guide to price the others. I of course refused to let him use my price guide to price his own books. He then threw the one marked $3 at me and said, in a clearly annoyed tone of voice, that I could take that one for $3, but not the others.

 

At that point I just told him to keep them and I calmly walked away.

 

Does anyone else find this dealer's sales practices unprofessional and ridiculous?

 

Also, has anyone had any similar experiences at a Con?

 

 

Wow! I understand him giving you an annoyed tone voice at you, BUT he threw the book at you. That comic dealer is very lucky he didn't get a very short temper customer. There's people out there would've really hurt him. Why would anyone take that risk and treat a customer like that or anyone else.

 

Who's this comic dealer?

[Doohickamabob]

The one that really bothered me was a guy who was giving me lip about pushing my kid around in a stroller b/c my child was crowding his booth and keeping away other customers (not that there were any).

Did he ask politely, or was he rude about it? If he was somewhat polite would it have bothered you?

[Doohickamabob]

I used to work for a local dealer years ago who would take the cover off the new overstreet update (magazine) and put it on an older copy (with cheaper values).

Now that is shady! Whoever does that deserves to be called out by name.

[Ken Aldred]

 

.... BUT he threw the book at you. That comic dealer is very lucky he didn't get a very short temper customer. There's people out there would've really hurt him. Why would anyone take that risk and treat a customer like that or anyone else.

Doesn't matter what exactly, if someone angrily throws anything at me across a counter I get quite offended by it.  Not just comic books, it's more broad spectrum than that.   I'm happier going elsewhere for the item or service.

[JazzMan]

I was annoyed by Mile High Comics booth at San Diego. One was because they had signs that said "50% off Today Only" which actually worked on me thinking - better go through them today. Then of course the signs were up the entire convention. I thought it was really cool that they had grade stickers on them too...just wished I would of actually looked at the books to see if it they were even close to what the sticker said. Then to top it off they must of been priced when the market was stronger. Stupid me for not having my price guide with me because even with the 50% off I was still paying premium.

 

To sum up though, this is just my experience and I don't mean any disrespect to them. If I would of payed more attention to the actual condition and not the sticker and also checked the prices before buying I would of been playing it safe and only picked up a few books. As it was I was pumped to hit the con floor with all my cash screaming to be spent. Dropped about 200 bucks and will not buy from them again in any form.

 

Chuck uses his own guide that he made after smoking some of his, ahem, investments in "pots".

 

Ahhh smoking the proverbial peruvian powder is he now?

 

It's not called Mile High for nothing.

[Twistty1]

 

.... BUT he threw the book at you. That comic dealer is very lucky he didn't get a very short temper customer. There's people out there would've really hurt him. Why would anyone take that risk and treat a customer like that or anyone else.

Doesn't matter what exactly, if someone angrily throws anything at me across a counter I get quite offended by it.  Not just comic books, it's more broad spectrum than that.   I'm happier going elsewhere for the item or service.

 

If he actually threw it that would be a little different but I was getting from the story that he was kind of annoyed at the response by the buyer so he kinda just put the book on the counter in an annoyed manner...

[comicdonna]

It really takes a lot for a dealer to annoy me. I just sort of take it for granted that most of them are malcontents and misanthropes.

 

The one that really bothered me was a guy who was giving me lip about pushing my kid around in a stroller b/c my child was crowding his booth and keeping away other customers (not that there were any). So I just dropped the pile of books I was gonna buy and told him to sell these to somebody who happens to be childless. He went pretty white---about $400 worth of books. It was a small con and I imagine it would have been one of his big sales of the day.

 

Short version: You can irritate me all you like, but you look sideways at my kid and I ain't giving ya jack.

Way to go!

[TheShadowKnows]

I would have let him use my Overstreet guide only to demand a discount for allowing him to use your Overstreet when he gives it back.

Then ask to his dad in the ?

[Ken Aldred]

 

.... BUT he threw the book at you. That comic dealer is very lucky he didn't get a very short temper customer. There's people out there would've really hurt him. Why would anyone take that risk and treat a customer like that or anyone else.

Doesn't matter what exactly, if someone angrily throws anything at me across a counter I get quite offended by it.  Not just comic books, it's more broad spectrum than that.   I'm happier going elsewhere for the item or service.

 

If he actually threw it that would be a little different but I was getting from the story that he was kind of annoyed at the response by the buyer so he kinda just put the book on the counter in an annoyed manner...

 

He then threw the one marked $3 at me and said, in a clearly annoyed tone of voice...

 

 

I'm just being literal.

 

Sadly, I've had many experiences like this, so I can empathise.