seeking suggestions for sale of my collection

[handyjack]

Hi guys, so I finally decided it's time to liquidate my collection and was looking for suggestions on what you think the easiest way to do it with the best return.

I've done the ebay route but it's really a hassle at times and I don't want to devote the time and energy. I can consign it to an auction house and pay the commission. Maybe see if my LCS would take it on consignment, but that would take forever to sell and if I offer them to purchase I won't get worth back. I never listed anything here on the boards, guess thats an option too. I'd like to sell the whole thing off at once if possible, also realizing I could get more back on individual sales.

Just looking for suggestions and experiences with all the options suggested or maybe I missed some.

Just for informative purposes I am looking to move a complete midgrade raw run of Tales of Suspense and Iron Man books, along with about 40 cgc graded 7.5 to 9.8 keys of the same. (TOS 39 not included) Also have various individual SA & BA books graded and raw.

Any suggestions I may have missed? What have your experiences been?

[AndyBoBo]

List the cgc'd books and the books of import in the sales forum and go the LCS route for the junk. My LCS gives me 50% his charge when he can (he has around 3 long boxes of BA/SA books of mine that didn't sell here). Also, he gives me $12 unseen for drek, more if I want him to sort it out.

 

I would avoid eBay for single non-key raw issues (just a pain). Lots on eBay, although did well for me for some time, have died down.

 

Whatever CGC'd books that don't sell here, send to an auction house.

 

Subscribe to GPA to price the books out.

[lscomics]

"Easiest way" and "Best return" don't go together in this context. The easiest way is to sell the whole thing to a dealer or consign it, no muss, no fuss. To get the best return you'd have to sell it off one book at a time or in lots which can be time consuming and a PITA.

[Speedy-D]

do it! I think Rodey's in the market...

[Tony S]

In racing a popular statement is "Speed costs money - how fast can you afford to go?'

 

In comic sales a similar statement would be "maximum return takes time and effort - how much are you willing to give?"

 

With most collections, the great majority of the value is in the key books. So selling your slabbed and key issues individually (here, eBay, other sites) will net you the majority of the value of your collection. If you do that expect to either sell the rest for pennies on the dollar either in one dump or in lots - or sell them individually (for a few more pennies on the dollar) and expect it to take forever.

 

[Erndog]

Iscomics and Tony S are bang on.

 

I did this with my hockey cards. I found the best way was to go to a card show with a box of my best ones, walk dealer to dealer and haggle a bit. It took a day up sure, but I got 80% of what I was hoping for.... however other benefits included no shipping, no packaging deliveries, no post office trips, no worrying/dealing with emails and returns, etc. It was 1 day and forget about it.

 

Then I was left with mostly the "junk" or leftovers which I tossed up as lots on ebay and message boards slowly but surely. I knew the value wasn't necessarily there for these so I took my time and did a few each week.

 

 

 

 

[lizards2]

time consuming and a PITA.

If you're hanging around Comics General, then you're probably into this sort of thing!

[VintageComics]

Iscomics and Tony S are bang on.

 

I did this with my hockey cards. I found the best way was to go to a card show with a box of my best ones, walk dealer to dealer and haggle a bit. It took a day up sure, but I got 80% of what I was hoping for.... however other benefits included no shipping, no packaging deliveries, no post office trips, no worrying/dealing with emails and returns, etc. It was 1 day and forget about it.

 

Then I was left with mostly the "junk" or leftovers which I tossed up as lots on ebay and message boards slowly but surely. I knew the value wasn't necessarily there for these so I took my time and did a few each week.

 

 

 

 

Yup, can't get top dollar and do no work.

 

There's always a trade off. Figure out what you're comfortable with.

 

 

[shadroch]

In every run, there are only a few issues that are key. Walk into a shop with a VF run of DD 1-200 and the shop owner will want about seven issues. He may take them all, but 90% of what he pays you will be for 1,7, 43, 158,168 and one or two other issues. The rest he'll factor in at about a quarter a pop.

Overall, 90% of your collections value will lie in less than 10% of your books, maybe even less than 5% of it.

If your collection is 10,000 books, that means selling 500 to get achieve good value. Is selling ten books a week for the next year too much work in order to achieve top dollar. Only you can decide. Best of luck.

[handyjack]

I figured "easiest way" and "best return" don't go together. thanks for all your responses, guess I'll have to do a hybrid of both ways to get it done. I don't need to make full value back but I don't want to take a beating either.

[zuulioso]

Shadroch nailed it. Even most of the "keys" are not really books that you can sell for what you think. Comic dealers have time to sell books and can sit on them for months. You, on the other hand, want them to sell quick and given that you will have to discount them anyway.

 

If you sell to a dealer, I believe you will get a better offer if you take in just the keys and graded books.

 

Take the rest and wholesale it on craigslist.

[zuulioso]

I figured "easiest way" and "best return" don't go together. thanks for all your responses, guess I'll have to do a hybrid of both ways to get it done. I don't need to make full value back but I don't want to take a beating either.

 

Don't equate a beating with less than GPA/Guide. You will only get that from fellow collectors if you are lucky. Dealers need to make money to stay alive.

[Dr. Balls]

In every run, there are only a few issues that are key. Walk into a shop with a VF run of DD 1-200 and the shop owner will want about seven issues. He may take them all, but 90% of what he pays you will be for 1,7, 43, 158,168 and one or two other issues. The rest he'll factor in at about a quarter a pop.

Overall, 90% of your collections value will lie in less than 10% of your books, maybe even less than 5% of it.

If your collection is 10,000 books, that means selling 500 to get achieve good value. Is selling ten books a week for the next year too much work in order to achieve top dollar. Only you can decide. Best of luck.

 

I agree. It's funny you use DD as an example, as my LCS got a DD run of 70-200, and he said he paid 25¢ each because even after he sells off the 111, 158 and 168, he'll have over 100 books that will sit in the bins until the end of time.

 

I think the keys will get you GPA, but deep discounts on other stuff is the only way the rest of the collection will move. And the higher the grade, the higher the percentage of BV you'll get.

 

If it were me, and I wasn't in a huge hurry - I'd go to the post office website, order a bunch of Priority Mail supplies, buy a couple rolls of bubble wrap and tape - then sell the keys here on the boards, and put the rest on Ebay for the long haul. Someone will eventually buy the common books if priced right.

[shadroch]

If by t'the right price' , you mean six cents a book, I'll take them right now.

[Dick Pontoon]

Is your mailbox stuffed full of PMs yet?

[Boozad]

I'm selling off virtually all of my entire Batman and 'Tec collection from SA to present, and I decided to do it the long way. I'm listing lots of five every week on eBay (two to three lots at a time) and so far it's working quite nicely. I list the higher grade books on their own. I did have the advantage of being completely anal and scanning every book as I bought it, entering the grade into a database and uploading every scan and linking them to the database. That makes it easy for me to enter the HTML quickly into all of my listings so large scans are included effortlessly.

 

[FlyingDonut]

Hi guys, so I finally decided it's time to liquidate my collection and was looking for suggestions on what you think the easiest way to do it with the best return.

I've done the ebay route but it's really a hassle at times and I don't want to devote the time and energy. I can consign it to an auction house and pay the commission. Maybe see if my LCS would take it on consignment, but that would take forever to sell and if I offer them to purchase I won't get worth back. I never listed anything here on the boards, guess thats an option too. I'd like to sell the whole thing off at once if possible, also realizing I could get more back on individual sales.

Just looking for suggestions and experiences with all the options suggested or maybe I missed some.

Just for informative purposes I am looking to move a complete midgrade raw run of Tales of Suspense and Iron Man books, along with about 40 cgc graded 7.5 to 9.8 keys of the same. (TOS 39 not included) Also have various individual SA & BA books graded and raw.

Any suggestions I may have missed? What have your experiences been?

 

[Maccai3]

i'd start by making a list of what you have, group the runs (if there are any) and then start figuring out prices, personally i wouldn't go for the quick way as you'll just make less money

[handyjack]

Is your mailbox stuffed full of PMs yet?

 

yes.

it's cool, I appreciate the interest and I am getting to know some of you guys better.

[handyjack]

If by t'the right price' , you mean six cents a book, I'll take them right now.

 

I was hoping for a little more than that,

that would really stink if that's what I am looking at in reality