Sellers are now using projected grades?

[BarryAllen]

Charging more is not dishonest.

 

I am referring to people who use false statistics, trumped up grades or fake potential press up-grades are dishonest.

 

Pricing (high or low) is a choice just like buying.

[BarryAllen]

The dealers at shows who do the best are the ones who are selling to EVERYONE. Yes they leave some money on the table but guess who is running to the table the next show asking what is new. When everyone is walking away happy it is a win/win. I don't ask the guy to give it away, I just expect to be treated fairly. If they need something from me I work with them. What goes around comes around.

 

This.

 

Moondog follows that general outline. Every year dealers and collectors flock to his table at Chicago, every year he manages to find more for the next show. When I started setting up at cons five or six years ago, I did my best to emulate his model as I saw firsthand how successful it was. I haven't been dealing in earnest for all that long, but his method has worked really well so far.

 

 

No doubt that if done properly it adds credibility and loyal customers to your business. I would love to connect with a few of these dealers and make multiple purchases from them. Everyone loves a deal!

 

However, it's not the few honest dealers out there, it's the 50 other dishonest ones at the same show that spoil the sport.

 

 

Neither of those posters are talking about dishonesty.

 

I think anyone would want to buy regularly from people who leave money on the table.

 

Everyone prices books differently. As long as there is no dishonesty, there is no "right" way.

 

It's always going to depend on market factors, how much you are into the book for and who your target buyer is.

 

Charging more is not dishonest.

 

Beat me to it.

 

 

I get it. My only point is that there are lots of people doing it dishonestly - which can make the practice subject to scrutiny. Particularly because there is no course of action if the book doesn't perform when pressed. It complicates a sale beyond paying for what you see and makes for any easy way to scam the un/under informed.

 

I wasn't calling anyone dishonest specifically.

[ComicConnoisseur]

I was searching the sales forum and came across a guy selling books with the grades he projected they would be after a proper press.

Amazingly, he has actually sold a few books.

Is this where we are headed?

Yes as the word as gotten around that pressing is by far the easiest way to make a profit selling comic books.

The cat's outta the bag,as this isn`t 2007 anymore.

CGC also made it very simple now,so Joe Six Pack can send in a bunch of books to later to flip on Ebay.

It kinda takes the fun away from collecting comic keys, but what can you do?

It is what it is.

[Speedy-D]

I was searching the sales forum and came across a guy selling books with the grades he projected they would be after a proper press.

Amazingly, he has actually sold a few books.

Is this where we are headed?

Yes as the word as gotten around that pressing is by far the easiest way to make a profit selling comic books.

The cat's outta the bag,as this isn`t 2007 anymore.

CGC also made it very simple now,so Joe Six Pack can send in a bunch of books to later to flip on Ebay.

It kinda takes the fun away from collecting comic keys, but what can you do?

It is what it is.

Doesn't really make sense. If you're paying the pressed price and still left to do the pressing, where's the profit? There isn't any. So, you're paying the (assumed) pressed price for a comic which you then have to put more time and money into just to break even (hopefully) ... no way that's gonna be the trend.

[Ryan.]

I'm going to start pricing my books based on their projected grades after restoration.

[shadroch]

Not to mention the round trip shipping to get it pressed.

.

Some people here are okay with it.

This is why they make different flavor ice creams, I suppose. What leaves a bad taste in some folks mouths is mouth-watering to others.

 

[Speedy-D]

Not to mention the round trip shipping to get it pressed.

.

Some people here are okay with it.

This is why they make different flavor ice creams, I suppose. What leaves a bad taste in some folks mouths is mouth-watering to others.

I love different flavors of ice cream, especially Chubby Hubby. God damn that's some good business. But why would someone love vanilla priced at the level of home made pie a la mode, while still having to pay for and make the pie? It's like doing business with a farmer who charges 1000% times the going rate for seeds or whatever.

[GACollectibles]

WWSFD?

[miraclemet]

so now its kosher to list "last GPA sale" but not mention that it was a pedigree (when you are selling a non-pedigree)?

 

 

 

[passion4comics]

I was scammed by this with the sellers "guaranteed" grade or money back. A cracked and pressed 8.5 that was guaranteed to come back as a 9.2, came back an 8.0. He took the book back, but I learned a lesson in paying too much for a raw book and ate grading fees on top of it.

 

If it's in a slab, the grade is the grade. Sellers say "9.2 looks like a 9.4 candidate" etc etc. All bull. It's a 9.2! Someone said it should be a 9.3. I've seen all types of fantasy pitches on EBay.

 

 

[comicwiz]

Maybe this hobby's too close to some to see why selling on projected grades is stupendously dumb.

 

Here's how this situation shook out in vintage toys.

 

Buddy has a rare carded figure. It's been AFA graded a 75. He bought it this way and was looking to resell.

 

cgcworld (Jim) told me about the deal before the person brought it too market. When I contacted the person, he was insinuating that with some tweaks the item could achieve an 85, and was asking the 85 price.

 

When I stopped laughing at his proposition long enough to blurt out "NO" I pretty much told him the 75 he got was a gift grade, that the tweaks would not help the grade, and that my offer would only be based on the 75 grade.

 

Here's an example of a seller marketing phantom optimization potential, and predicted grade pricing, that IMHO are tactics that pretty much scream Charlatan.

[Theagenes]

As far as the original topic of this thread, would giving a possible post-press grade for a book be a violation of the selling rules? Isn't there a requirement to provide an actual grade for the book, not a hypothetical potential grade?

 

 

[lizards2]

As far as the original topic of this thread, would giving a possible post-press grade for a book be a violation of the selling rules? Isn't there a requirement to provide an actual grade for the book, not a hypothetical potential grade?

 

 

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[Hamlet]

Sure, but you've described a situation where there really is no upgrade potential, and someone who was trying to charge the full final price as well.

 

It makes more sense when there is obviously some true upgrade potential, and the seller's price leaves some room for the buyer to come out ahead. Obviously no one is going to pay full price for that potential, but they are going to pay something.

 

If you have two books that are currently at the same grade, but one of them is very likely to increase substantially in value with a press, are you really going to sell them at the same price?

 

Maybe this hobby's too close to some to see why selling on projected grades is stupendously dumb.

 

Here's how this situation shook out in vintage toys.

 

Buddy has a rare carded figure. It's been AFA graded a 75. He bought it this way and was looking to resell.

 

cgcworld (Jim) told me about the deal before the person brought it too market. When I contacted the person, he was insinuating that with some tweaks the item could achieve an 85, and was asking the 85 price.

 

When I stopped laughing at his proposition long enough to blurt out "NO" I pretty much told him the 75 he got was a gift grade, that the tweaks would not help the grade, and that my offer would only be based on the 75 grade.

 

Here's an example of a seller marketing phantom optimization potential, and predicted grade pricing, that IMHO are tactics that pretty much scream Charlatan.

[Ryan.]

Is this dissimilar from charging different prices for eye appeal?

[paperheart]

Sure, but you've described a situation where there really is no upgrade potential, and someone who was trying to charge the full final price as well.

 

It makes more sense when there is obviously some true upgrade potential, and the seller's price leaves some room for the buyer to come out ahead. Obviously no one is going to pay full price for that potential, but they are going to pay something.

 

If you have two books that are currently at the same grade, but one of them is very likely to increase substantially in value with a press, are you really going to sell them at the same price?

Maybe this hobby's too close to some to see why selling on projected grades is stupendously dumb.

 

Here's how this situation shook out in vintage toys.

 

Buddy has a rare carded figure. It's been AFA graded a 75. He bought it this way and was looking to resell.

 

cgcworld (Jim) told me about the deal before the person brought it too market. When I contacted the person, he was insinuating that with some tweaks the item could achieve an 85, and was asking the 85 price.

 

When I stopped laughing at his proposition long enough to blurt out "NO" I pretty much told him the 75 he got was a gift grade, that the tweaks would not help the grade, and that my offer would only be based on the 75 grade.

 

Here's an example of a seller marketing phantom optimization potential, and predicted grade pricing, that IMHO are tactics that pretty much scream Charlatan.

 

yes

[joeypost]

Here is my take on it.

 

If the book is currently a raw 9.0 but has defects that would press out and POSSIBLY get a bump I could see the seller put a premium on the value of a raw 9.0 book. If it is $400 as a raw book or $800.00 in GPA as a 9.2 then a fair price might be $400 plus a small premium. Would I expect to pay $800.00? Anyone who knows me would say no. I would go out a just buy a 9.2 copy that is already graded that might have potential instead of me accepting all the risk.

 

If the seller does not want to leave that much money on the table then he or she should go through the money and time investment of getting the book pressed and graded.

 

What I read into a sales thread like the one in question is: "I am not willing to take the risk, but I have no problem charging full GPA prices and happily pass on all that risk to you".

[comix4fun]

WWSFD?

 

 

Whatever it is, it involves Greek yogurt and righteous anger.

[blazingbob]

Yes, I don't sell "HYPE - Hope you paid enough". I sell reality. It is what it is right now and should be priced as such.

 

But hey, if people want to "tip the seller" on what the book could be I will put out a jar for the next show. I think I know what will be in it at the end of the show which is exactly what you should be paying for "potential", nothing.

 

 

[Theagenes]

Here is my take on it.

 

If the book is currently a raw 9.0 but has defects that would press out and POSSIBLY get a bump I could see the seller put a premium on the value of a raw 9.0 book. If it is $400 as a raw book or $800.00 in GPA as a 9.2 then a fair price might be $400 plus a small premium. Would I expect to pay $800.00? Anyone who knows me would say no. I would go out a just buy a 9.2 copy that is already graded that might have potential instead of me accepting all the risk.

 

If the seller does not want to leave that much money on the table then he or she should go through the money and time investment of getting the book pressed and graded.

 

What I read into a sales thread like the one in question is: "I am not willing to take the risk, but I have no problem charging full GPA prices and happily pass on all that risk to you".

 

This.