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

18,816 posts in this topic

Transplant

Transplant

Posted
Posted
People do not understand what the marketplace in the late 90s was like - eBay was an arbitrage dream. You could buy books at shows and flip them almost instantly for 100-300% profit easily. And, conversely, you could do the same by buying something on eBay and moving it at a show.

 

eBay in the late 1990s was the wild wild west. It was awesome and scary at the same time. The end came from CGC and just volume. Hard to be the frontier when everyone moved in.

 

It was arbitrage heaven. I remember the late 90's and even early 2000's being a time when you could not only do as you've stated but you could buy collections using ebay and remarket them a couple of weeks later for very great returns. T

 

Don't even get me started on buying DVDs from Columbia House and selling them on Ebay and clocking fat stacks '99-'02. HTF DVDs, Criterion collection discs, etc. It was easy money.

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GeeksAreMyPeeps

GeeksAreMyPeeps

Posted
Posted
Hitting refresh and watching the Cap 275s disappear. Kudos to whoever grabbed the CGC 9.8 for just over a $100. Well done you d*ck lol

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Comics-/63/i.html?_from=R40&_sop=1&_nkw=captain+america+275&LH_Complete=1&rt=nc

**edit- looks like the only copies left are either Mile High, MCS or others who use stock photos. Insane

 

More silly madness.

 

On a related note, why, why, WHY would anyone sub this??

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Captain-America-275-CGC-2-5-GD-Universal-CGC-1002843012-/201056774107?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item2ecfeae7db

 

 

W.O.W. :insane:

I have a friend who slabbed the 1st comic he remembered ever getting as a kid that he managed to hold onto, some random issue of Marvel Team-Up that was pretty beat up, came back a 3.0. He just wanted to preserve it. Other than for some sentimental reason I don't get it. But watch some nut job buy it

 

My bet is it finishes at $55.00 , any guesses

 

It's a Buy It Now for $30.00. Believe it or not, there are 2 watchers. :screwy:

I'm guessing that the watchers are just curious as to whether it will actually sell.

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bluehorseshoe

bluehorseshoe

Posted
Posted

How did I amass these books? I was a broke college student from 1993-1997. I had no money. Then, I was a waiter from 1997-2000. I still had no money. Then, I was a sales clerk for an expendable airline parts company from 2000-2001. Still had no money. Then, in 2001, I was fired, and tried to sell comics full time on eBay...that lasted until Sept of 2003, when I had to get another job, because I could barely pay my bills.

 

Your life is like one big long box of drek, isn't it?

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prez

prez

Posted
Posted

How did I amass these books? I was a broke college student from 1993-1997. I had no money. Then, I was a waiter from 1997-2000. I still had no money. Then, I was a sales clerk for an expendable airline parts company from 2000-2001. Still had no money. Then, in 2001, I was fired, and tried to sell comics full time on eBay...that lasted until Sept of 2003, when I had to get another job, because I could barely pay my bills.

 

Your life is like one big long box of drek, isn't it?

 

:signfunny:

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
Posted

How did I amass these books? I was a broke college student from 1993-1997. I had no money. Then, I was a waiter from 1997-2000. I still had no money. Then, I was a sales clerk for an expendable airline parts company from 2000-2001. Still had no money. Then, in 2001, I was fired, and tried to sell comics full time on eBay...that lasted until Sept of 2003, when I had to get another job, because I could barely pay my bills.

 

Your life is like one big long box of drek, isn't it?

 

Newb humor.

 

:cloud9:

 

I wasn't complaining, just illustrating a point. Some of the very best years of my life are in that time period. 'Cuz, you know, it's not all about the money, dig?

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divad

divad

Posted
Posted
Hitting refresh and watching the Cap 275s disappear. Kudos to whoever grabbed the CGC 9.8 for just over a $100. Well done you d*ck lol

http://www.ebay.com/sch/Comics-/63/i.html?_from=R40&_sop=1&_nkw=captain+america+275&LH_Complete=1&rt=nc

**edit- looks like the only copies left are either Mile High, MCS or others who use stock photos. Insane

 

More silly madness.

 

On a related note, why, why, WHY would anyone sub this??

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Captain-America-275-CGC-2-5-GD-Universal-CGC-1002843012-/201056774107?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item2ecfeae7db

 

 

W.O.W. :insane:

I have a friend who slabbed the 1st comic he remembered ever getting as a kid that he managed to hold onto, some random issue of Marvel Team-Up that was pretty beat up, came back a 3.0. He just wanted to preserve it. Other than for some sentimental reason I don't get it. But watch some nut job buy it

 

This has to be it. ;)

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Topnotchman

Topnotchman

Posted
Posted

I was an active seller in the early Ebay days 1998-2001, I was among only a handful of comic sellers who got to the landmark 10,000 feedback list. I can confirm that Marvel and DC superheroes from the 80's and 90's was dead as a doornail on Ebay. There was a lot of supply listed for sale, often 10-20 copies of any popular first appearance at any given time. Trying to get $5.00 was about all you could get, because there were more copies being listed as quickly as the auctions would end. Buyers had there choices, there was no rush to increase bids. So as a seller I thought outside the box and listed almost exclusively oddball lower print independents, not junk Image, Valiant, Malibu etc. I did completed searches and if there were no copies available I would list them at $5.00 and I had a sell though of 60-70%. I ran 50-100 auctions per week. I do remember a wack of around 30 copies of GI Joe 1 in vf I got $10.00 per book, but there were GI Joe toy collectors who were fighting for that book along with comic collectors. Some better sellers were DC presents 47, if you described it as first Masters of Universe you could get $20.00 or more, if you just typed DC Comics presents 47 you might of only gotten a buck or two. Toy collectors were willing to pay more than a comic collector who was patient. The savy sellers knew how to use keywords to maximize there exposure. When Ebay created fixed price stores allowing data base warehouse sellers to post tens of thousands of listings at a buck or two a book. That completely wiped out my business model. However I've observed around me and thought ahead of the curve by changing and evolving my business model every year. What I'm going to be doing in 2015 is drastically different than what I was doing in 2013.

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

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Posted

There was definitely some oddball stuff that did really, really well.

 

Grendel #37-40, for example. You could get $30 for #40 in high grade.

 

Primer #2, of course, still held to a $25-$30 price (that was always my snipe bid amount. Managed to get 4 9.8s out of these purchases over time.)

 

Miracleman, of course, was very hot, especially #15. I picked up A Dream of Flying trade in May of 1999 for $1 in Guerneville, CA, and sold it for $88 on eBay.

 

High grade early SA DC war did very, VERY well.

 

hm

 

There were others, but it basically had to be oddball stuff that wasn't being sold by everyone else.

 

 

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Topnotchman

Topnotchman

Posted
Posted
There was definitely some oddball stuff that did really, really well.

 

Grendel #37-40, for example. You could get $30 for #40 in high grade.

 

Primer #2, of course, still held to a $25-$30 price (that was always my snipe bid amount. Managed to get 4 9.8s out of these purchases over time.)

 

Miracleman, of course, was very hot, especially #15. I picked up A Dream of Flying trade in May of 1999 for $1 in Guerneville, CA, and sold it for $88 on eBay.

 

High grade early SA DC war did very, VERY well.

 

hm

 

There were others, but it basically had to be oddball stuff that wasn't being sold by everyone else.

 

 

Yes out of print trade paperbacks were a gold mine, probably my best seller ever was the Crow TPB. I bought out all available publisher remainder stock at $3.00 per book, around 1,000 copies, essentially cornering the market. You could not get the trade at your comic store as the property was in legal limbo for at least a half a decade. The originals comics were just not available at my price point. They sold like hot cakes at $15.00 or higher.

 

Goes back to my original point, books would sell on Ebay as long as you were offering a book that was difficult to find, or you had the only available copy at that given time when people searched.

 

 

 

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
Posted

 

Yes out of print trade paperbacks were a gold mine, probably my best seller ever was the Crow TPB. I bought out all available publisher remainder stock at $3.00 per book, around 1,000 copies, essentially cornering the market. You could not get the trade at your comic store as the property was in legal limbo for at least a half a decade. The originals comics were just not available at my price point. They sold like hot cakes at $15.00 or higher.

 

Goes back to my original point, books would sell on Ebay as long as you were offering a book that was difficult to find, or you had the only available copy at that given time when people searched.

 

 

 

That reminds me of the Tales from the Crypt hardcover that Borders had a ton of, nice book, $50 cover price, and they were blowing them out at like $4.87 or so. I think I sold a couple for $45. I still have a few.

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thecopperagekids

thecopperagekids

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Posted
I was an active seller in the early Ebay days 1998-2001, I was among only a handful of comic sellers who got to the landmark 10,000 feedback list. I can confirm that Marvel and DC superheroes from the 80's and 90's was dead as a doornail on Ebay. There was a lot of supply listed for sale, often 10-20 copies of any popular first appearance at any given time. Trying to get $5.00 was about all you could get, because there were more copies being listed as quickly as the auctions would end. Buyers had there choices, there was no rush to increase bids. So as a seller I thought outside the box and listed almost exclusively oddball lower print independents, not junk Image, Valiant, Malibu etc. I did completed searches and if there were no copies available I would list them at $5.00 and I had a sell though of 60-70%. I ran 50-100 auctions per week. I do remember a wack of around 30 copies of GI Joe 1 in vf I got $10.00 per book, but there were GI Joe toy collectors who were fighting for that book along with comic collectors. Some better sellers were DC presents 47, if you described it as first Masters of Universe you could get $20.00 or more, if you just typed DC Comics presents 47 you might of only gotten a buck or two. Toy collectors were willing to pay more than a comic collector who was patient. The savy sellers knew how to use keywords to maximize there exposure. When Ebay created fixed price stores allowing data base warehouse sellers to post tens of thousands of listings at a buck or two a book. That completely wiped out my business model. However I've observed around me and thought ahead of the curve by changing and evolving my business model every year. What I'm going to be doing in 2015 is drastically different than what I was doing in 2013.

 

I averaged $500-$1000 in sales per week in that time period on ebay buuuuut 99% of the books I sold on ebay were NOT copper age because:

 

1)

The market for late 80's/90's (now termed Copper Age) had not MATURED yet,as it has now.The whole point of what I've been saying is that copper age keys will grow and be sustainable 15 years from now.especially 9.8 newsstands.

 

Look how many BA 12 newsstands you see in 9.8, that is not a common book.....same for Legends 3 in 9.8 newsstand.There's not many and with the standard economic model of supply vs demand, they will experience sustained, steady (but slow) growth over the next 10-15 years.Not to say that direct edition copper keys in 9.8 won;t be worth good money because I believe they will be, but newsstand in 9.8 will continue to fetch a premium.

 

Newstand variant stuff aside, copper age key books are still affordable in high grade.

 

Example: The chances of finding a unslabbed copy of any particular Marvel/DC silver book at a show in 9.8 potential at a show are slim to none.////////but take a Captain America 298 or any other issue from the Zeck run in 9.8 potential.You can find these sorts of books at shows for a few dollars , on average.If they've been slabbed 9.8's, they're $50 books on ebay.

 

If it is a $50 or so 9.8 slab, I generally put these books in my $5 or $10 boxes at conventions.And they sell.I've had guys blow their loads (not quite literally), from pulling random copper books out of my $10 boxes.A guy in his 30's, around my age (I'm 39) recently plunked down a Chuck Norris # 1 (80's Stra/Marvel) for $10 and was happy as he-doublehockey sticks.He then spent another $50 or so out of my $5 and $10 boxes, on high grade copper books.

 

I spend time and money buying high grade books (this era). anal retentive-esque cataloging the books on the top of the boards;neatly writing out the title , issue #, anything special i.e., the grade, such as....

 

UNCANNY X-MEN# 267 2nd App GAMBIT VF/NM 9.0

 

 

or

 

AVENGERS # 239 DAVID LETTERMAN COVER NM/MT 9.8

 

 

I place the book into a gerber M2 , full back , padded with 3 BCW boards so it's a snug fit and presto, THE MAGIC ROUTINE WORKS.

 

If it works now, chances are the prices will only get higher, with time.

 

Copper age collectors are now dudes in their 30's to early 40's, who now have successful careers, homes etc....i.e.spending money to buy the titles they read as kids in the 80's.

 

*****Read into this statement as in 2015 , we now have a new generation of collectors who want to collect/pay good money for the books they had as kids.*****

 

That is KEY in forecasting that copper age willl continue to be a strong part of the comic book hobby/business.As they now have money(oppposed to being broke college kids in 1999 AND factoring in the strong nostalgia factor for their 80-90's childhood comics....the slow but steady pricing trend of heading upwards will continue.

 

 

 

This is why you see new Mutants # 87 CGC/CBCS 9.8 slabs selling for $300 now, opposed to the $10 to $20 (on the high end) it sold at, back then.I'm talking about 1999 convention prices, as this book flew in NM for me at shows, at $10 at shows......if I raised it to $20, it'd occasionally sell.I also don't doubt you could buy the same new Mutants 87 off ebay for $5, at the time.

 

Therein lies the reason I didn't bother listing NM 87 on ebay, in 1999.

 

1) As FlyingDonut pointed out, you could buy at shows and make 100-300% on your investment within 7 days of listing the books.This is in silver and gold books, some bronze.

 

2) Copper Age books were Modern Age back then, and I was not messing around with selling hot moderns for $5-$10 or so on ebay, when my time was better spent with silver/gold/bronze.Now, my time is better spent buying copper books, because they can be found at shows, shops, craigslist while silver age has gotten much tougher/pricier.I do collect and sell gold thru bronze, just not like I used to because the profit margin is not what it used to be.

 

3)Because the "Copper Age" market as it is now known did not exist then.For the myriad of reasons I explained above, it sure as eff exists now, and will continue to grow stronger as the market continues to ripen/mature with movies based on the characters.

 

In closing, I do apologize to RockMyAmadues for my somewhat brutish remark of calling the initial post I responded to as "nonsense".I didn;t mean it in the context it was read in.

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Vikingreed

Vikingreed

Posted
Posted

I love Copper books, but I personally do not get paying premiums for newsstand versions.

 

I understand some collectors target and love them, but I've always like the artwork in the boxes, myself.

 

I do not pay attention to the difference, just go for the cheaper, best looking book I can get, but is there a substantial difference nowadays between the two?

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revat

revat

Posted
Posted
I love Copper books, but I personally do not get paying premiums for newsstand versions.

 

I understand some collectors target and love them, but I've always like the artwork in the boxes, myself.

 

I do not pay attention to the difference, just go for the cheaper, best looking book I can get, but is there a substantial difference nowadays between the two?

 

It doesn't always translate to a price premium, but here's some of the reasons (they're not mutually exclusive) people would like to get a newsstand copy:

 

1. They're completionists. Plenty of collectors in every hobby want 1 of everything in their focus.

2. The hunt: In many cases, newsstand (especially in high grade) is more rare than the direct version. People enjoy the hunt, or the idea that they own something more rare.

3. They like the idea of owning comics 'off the rack' the, same way they used to buy them when they were growing up.

 

Some are obviously more rare than others, and some are more demand than others, and sometimes that results in a premium to varying degrees.

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