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Copper's Heating/Selling Well on Ebay
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Started by fastballspecial,

18,818 posts in this topic

kimik

kimik

Posted
Posted
On 12/20/2022 at 11:59 AM, Lazyboy said:

No, not totals.

Yeah, $500 should not be a good one-day total. That's around my worst, though it's still not terrible for a $50 table.

I meant specific examples of sales well above FMV that you've mentioned.

Which ones? Some were mine, some were @500Club or @thehumantorch , and some are other vendors that we know at the show. 

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thehumantorch

thehumantorch

Posted
Posted
On 12/20/2022 at 12:46 PM, kimik said:

If you two and @500club bring $1 books, there is no need for me to do the same and compete for sales. Thankfully, now that I have dumped all of my $1 boxes on another seller that will not be an issue going forward. lol 

I may start competing with you by putting up 25% off signs on boxes now though...... :devil:

At the 3 day Edmonton Expo we sold 50% of our $2 boxes.  Next 2 one day shows we hardly sold any.  Makes me wonder if smaller shows with low admission are not the shows to bring $1 or $2 books which is opposite of what I would assume. 

25% off works for us, seems to move books pretty steady.

I've been digging my basement and added quite a few shorts of BA to MA minor keys.

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Lazyboy

Lazyboy

Posted
Posted
On 12/20/2022 at 1:47 PM, kimik said:

Which ones? Some were mine, some were @500Club or @thehumantorch , and some are other vendors that we know at the show. 

I don't recall any specific examples. I tried to do a quick search, but you post too :censored: much!

Regardless of whose sales they were, they were each at one of the shows you did in that alternate reality. :baiting:

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Lazyboy

Lazyboy

Posted
Posted
On 12/19/2022 at 11:36 PM, 500Club said:
On 12/19/2022 at 10:50 PM, Lazyboy said:

I know. I sell at shows occasionally.

Don’t be lazy.

I'm no dealer. Selling is just a small part of my hobby and my 'inventory' (AKA the extra :censored: that I've accumulated) is just over 2000 comics.

 

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kimik

kimik

Posted
Posted
On 12/20/2022 at 1:35 PM, Lazyboy said:

I don't recall any specific examples. I tried to do a quick search, but you post too :censored: much!

Regardless of whose sales they were, they were each at one of the shows you did in that alternate reality. :baiting:

If the prices seemed way too high, it was likely a @thehumantorch sale...............:devil:

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kimik

kimik

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 12/20/2022 at 1:04 PM, thehumantorch said:

At the 3 day Edmonton Expo we sold 50% of our $2 boxes.  Next 2 one day shows we hardly sold any.  Makes me wonder if smaller shows with low admission are not the shows to bring $1 or $2 books which is opposite of what I would assume. 

25% off works for us, seems to move books pretty steady.

I've been digging my basement and added quite a few shorts of BA to MA minor keys.

You likely have quite a few longs worth of BA to MA keys/minor keys sitting there in the 1,000+ longs in your hoard.................

I think the issue with the $1 and $2 boxes is that everyone has them. At the last show I did in November there was another comic seller there (he used to be in a flea market) that did brisk sales from his $2 boxes. The reason for that is he was blowing out $10 - $20 books at $2. 

Edited by kimik
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FlyingDonut

FlyingDonut

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Posted

I stopped bringing $1 books maybe five years ago. We bring now maybe 10 long of sorted, bagged and boarded, and alphabetized $5 books - if you remember my board sales that's what in there - and I sell through at least three long every one-day show. There are always good books in there and people are always buying them - and I can always fill that stuff back up.

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kimik

kimik

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On 12/20/2022 at 7:05 PM, FlyingDonut said:

I stopped bringing $1 books maybe five years ago. We bring now maybe 10 long of sorted, bagged and boarded, and alphabetized $5 books - if you remember my board sales that's what in there - and I sell through at least three long every one-day show. There are always good books in there and people are always buying them - and I can always fill that stuff back up.

(thumbsu

That is the point I am trying to make. I do higher sales and have to lug fewer books to shows. It is a perfect scenario.

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the blob

the blob

Posted
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On 12/19/2022 at 2:31 AM, kimik said:

Your comment re: $1 boxes is interesting. I have actually stopped taking $1 and $2 boxes to shows since everyone has them and I do not sell as many as I used to. Pre-covid I would move 3-5 longs easily each one day show. Since last fall I have noticed a change in buying patterns re: dollar books. Every other vendor has them at shows, and I am doing better using the space for $5+ hot modern retail and older back issue books (raw and slabbed) instead.

I just don't see how there is money in $1 boxes with today's costs in doing a show. Sure, if you are able to buy bulk at $20-30 a box and actually move stuff at $1 a pop, but if you bring 10 long boxes and sell 2 that doesn't seem to be a productive use of the table. $2 seems to make more sense.

 

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the blob

the blob

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 12/20/2022 at 9:05 PM, FlyingDonut said:

I stopped bringing $1 books maybe five years ago. We bring now maybe 10 long of sorted, bagged and boarded, and alphabetized $5 books - if you remember my board sales that's what in there - and I sell through at least three long every one-day show. There are always good books in there and people are always buying them - and I can always fill that stuff back up.

My question is some of the stuff that would have been $1 now $5 or is the $1 inventory sitting in the garage until there is a market for it again? 

Frankly I would see it plenty at shows, one guy is selling $1 books that are $3-5 books three tables over. I had always wondered what kind of return I could make at a 3 day show going buying a $1-2 books on a Friday and then selling them for $3-5 on Saturday and sunday (it would need to be a big show, of course, but the tables might be so expensive)

Do you double board your $5 books?

 

Edited by the blob
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the blob

the blob

Posted
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On 12/19/2022 at 11:36 PM, fastballspecial said:

You are not the average show buyer.  Honestly I doubt many regulars on this board are.

Thats not an insult we are just more selective. My sales thread here I dont bring in alot of $1 books because
while I will sell some here its just not worth the time. At a comic show dollar books will keep lines of people
at your booth. If anything to look and then they see something on your rack or so on.

 

 

Yeah, but is that fat smelly guy who paws over every dollar book and spends 20 minutes in front of each long box who ultimately picks 3 books to buy worth it? I know, because I am the fat smelly guy next to that guy who is tired of waiting for him to move because I actually do spend money. (OK, I have not been to a show for a long time, but still...)

 

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FlyingDonut

FlyingDonut

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Posted
On 12/21/2022 at 5:15 PM, the blob said:

My question is some of the stuff that would have been $1 now $5 or is the $1 inventory sitting in the garage until there is a market for it again? 

Frankly I would see it plenty at shows, one guy is selling $1 books that are $3-5 books three tables over. I had always wondered what kind of return I could make at a 3 day show going buying a $1-2 books on a Friday and then selling them for $3-5 on Saturday and sunday (it would need to be a big show, of course, but the tables might be so expensive)

Do you double board your $5 books?

 

I'm trying to dump the $1 inventory on some bulk guys here. My $5 stuff is stuff that could sell for $10-20 on a good day but I just have too much of it and its got to go. Think late Bronze/early Copper Marvels minus any keys, all 8.5 to 9.2 Nice solid run filler things.

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the blob

the blob

Posted
Posted
On 12/19/2022 at 9:01 PM, PeterPark said:

Well huh. I always go past $1 books because they make the rounds, get picked over, and if they're not worth the time to price individually, I'm not particularly interested in doing it myself. I like boxes of books priced individually, because there I can decide if I like the price or not. $1 books are probably stuff I'd rather get at $0.10 each. Wall book boxes or sometimes boxes with groups of $5, $10, $20 are also nice. I'm happy if the dealers can get by bringing $1 boxes, but they are not my thing and I keep looking.

In the couple of years pre Covid I probably did focus more on $2 boxes because there were more opportunities for $8-20 books in them, the guys at my shows were a little less careful about good stuff getting in and the $1 boxes were pretty drecky with only a few buys per long box and a lot of work. Of course you never know, my last show I secured about 12 copies of MCP 72 for 75 cents each. I’m kind of itching to go to a show now especially after I had Covid for the second time earlier this month. What are the chances of getting it again so soon?

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MyNameIsLegion

MyNameIsLegion

Posted
Posted
On 12/20/2022 at 8:05 PM, FlyingDonut said:

I stopped bringing $1 books maybe five years ago. We bring now maybe 10 long of sorted, bagged and boarded, and alphabetized $5 books - if you remember my board sales that's what in there - and I sell through at least three long every one-day show. There are always good books in there and people are always buying them - and I can always fill that stuff back up.

waitaminute....long boxes? :whatthe:

amateur!   :baiting:

we went all magazine boxes.  Don't matter what era, or what it is, it's gonna fit in a magazine box some way or another. GA/SA/BA/CA/MA Mag, digest, pulp, paperback, trade, treasury, slab, Tijuana bible, whatever.

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fastballspecial

fastballspecial

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  • Author
Posted
On 12/21/2022 at 6:24 PM, Toz said:

I quit selling(but still buy) on Ebay.If I didn't live in Siberia I'd try a show or two.

I recommend this for everyone. Being an armchair quarterback is nothing compared to actually 
doing a show and understanding how it really works. I really appreciate dealers more now 
since while I knew it was some work your first show is a TON of work then it gets easier. 

 

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