So what made you start selling comics? First transaction?

[Aweandlorder]

Was just thinking this could be a fun thread and read how you got into selling your books.

I first started selling my comics last year on eBay in November, right after Superstorm Sandy hit, I honestly never thought I'd sell comics until then, I was stranded for cash because we didnt have work for weeks in the area mainly because of power outages issues and the lack of gasoline. I remember seeing a video on youtube of some guy saying how he's making money on eBay selling cell phones (one of those annoying spam pop up videos), so although I didnt have cellphones to sell this video was definitely the inspiration..

I never really sold on eBay before that and I was looking around the house for stuff I could sell and I was thinking I should give comics a try, my first sale was Superman Red Son #1, it went for $10.00 and although I wasn't super ecstatic about the money it generated (it is a dog of a book after all) it led me to post other things..

What got me more enthusiastic about selling on eBay though was a huge collection of Heavy Metal magazines that I have acquired about a month later and which sold for $400 and was shipped overseas. I was surprised that it sold for that amount and that the buyer paid almost $200 for shipping on top of that. That definitely strengthened the notion that I should get more involved with selling.

And there you have it

[Hado]

I've never sold anything, OCD is a biyot.....well, you know the rest.

 

Though, I participated in the PIF thread and donated a book in thirdgreenham's grading contest. So I'm actually toying with the idea of putting a slab or two in the marketplace just to see what it's like.

[slym2none]

I started selling because poor.

 

 

 

-slym

[Artboy99]

I was 9 years old the first time I sold comics. I was trying to get enough money to buy a Hulk comic that was in the display case of the LCS ( it was a Hulk #1 and yes I bought it, cool to own a Hulk 1 at 9 years old I paid a whole 40 bucks for it ). I asked my mother for some help selling my comics and she suggested I could take out an advert which I did in the Edmonton Journal newspaper. My advert got results, the negative was the person who came to the home while I was at school bought ALL of my comics, including the ones I wanted to keep. My Mom was so happy for me but then felt terrible when she realized I wanted to keep some of the books. One pile was for sale, the other was not, i was pretty clear about it to. Ah well my Mom had good intent and in the end I got to buy the book I really wanted.

Nowadays I would consider that entire deal very savy; selling easily replaced books to buy a major key.

That said I have sold comics many times throughout my years but more recently I have gotten into displaying as a vendor at comic conventions.

I can't say I am making a ton of money doing it so it isn't for that reason, I do it for the fun of it. Attending a comic con as a vendor is a ton of work...trust me !

There is a positive rush you get from attending an event that has many like minded people, it is a rush talking comics all day. I wish I could bottle the feeling after a great convention day.

[MagnusX]

[font:Book Antiqua]

Before I focus in 9.8 books I buy a couple of lower grades,

so... I begin to sold those and keep the focus in the highest grade...[/font]

 

[Gotham Kid]

I only sell my under-copies ...

[Awax]

When I found this place it was BUY. BUY. BUY. look at all the cool books I have.

 

10 short boxes later and I'm like. I need to get rid of some of this.

 

One of the best pieces of advice I've gotten from this place is quit buying 100 $1 books and just buy one $100 book.

 

So, I started with just a few books on eBay.. And continue at that.. A few books at a time still adds up fast.

[Larryw7]

Back in the late seventies, there was a local paper called The Trading Times. Advertising was very cheap, and I advertised a pile of books for 50.00. Two brothers answered the ad, and I sold the books to them. The only thing I regret was that there was a low grade All Flash 25 in that pile. It only cost me five bucks at the time, but it's a pretty rare issue, and I wish I still had it. I used the money to buy a couple of GA Batman's at the LCS.

[NewEnglandGothic]

I was putting back a TWD #1 in NM+ or better, back in it's bag when the tape from the back flap hit the cover. I carefully tried to peel it off, but it took some of the cover. I was bummed, but I figured I would buy the other one on the LCS's wall. So, I put it on eBay (cica 2006 - my first sale) for a BIN of $49.99 (no picture, but a thorough description) and went off grocery shopping. I guess it sold 32 minutes later.

[jimbo_707]

As a teenager, still living at home, I sold three long boxes of Marvels (all high grade, purchased from the original owner, who was a personal acquaintance) and another long box of miscellaneous silver/bronze/copper age books to a local dealer for 10 cents per book. (This was in the early 90s.) I wasn't actively collecting any more and my tastes had gravitated towards GA anyway, so I didn't see any point in letting those boxes take up space in my room. I don't even think I bothered to cherry pick the keys.

[THE_BEYONDER]

So what made you start selling comics?

 

Upgrading

 

And sometimes rent.

[fastballspecial]

Because it was fun and I enjoyed it.

 

I met people from all over the world who loved comics like I do.

 

I dont sweat all the other stuff.

[Chip Cataldo]

Necessity. Was unemployed, couldn't afford to live and was forced to sell. Comic collection, toy collection, video game collection, etc. Same deal now. Wish I could afford to buy everything I wanted, but am forced to sell most of what I pick up to flip and only buy books once all the bills are paid, which is too few and far-between.

 

I have a part-time job and just got a 2nd one. Hopefully April can get one and I can get a third so we can move into a new place and I can start buying only with no selling unless I'm selling for someone and I don't care about the books passing through my hands.

 

It makes me angry quite often, but I'm trying to work on that.

 

Peace,

 

Chip

[Chespirito]

Because it was fun and I enjoyed it.

 

I met people from all over the world who loved comics like I do.

 

I dont sweat all the other stuff.

 

 

Spoken like a true playa

[LanceTX]

I started selling earlier this year. When the Mind MGMT news hit, I thought, "I've got one of those." I sold it for $75 and started getting crazy amounts of high selling books from the Hastings right across the street.

 

For me, it's a great way to be able to buy all the comics I want each week. I sell books that are selling high and I also resell all of the books I read. Keeps me from having to touch the bank account to buy comics.

 

The Sixth Gun craze is going to keep me in comics for awhile, so everything now is just building on that.

[fastballspecial]

Funny stories below from my selling days early on ebay.

 

Many years ago on ebay a buyer from Germany would buy enough books from me to fill a flat rate envelope. He had an additional request as well as he paid cash for his comics. I was too send him back as many $1 bills as I could from his change and additional $20s he would send me. He explained to me he could get all $20s,$50s, and $100 bills he wanted but in his location $1 were very scarce.

 

So he would send me his amount + 2 $20 each time. I would go get $40 in $1 and send them back. I think he did this 2 or 3 times with me fun stuff.

 

Another seller I bought books from in Hawaii sent me back pineapples I made shakes for weeks. He also sent me a bag of See Suckers for another employee I work with that used to live there. Made her day I was her hero for years.

 

I exchange chocolate candy with a buyer in Australia. If you have never had those chocolate biscuits/triscuits from Australia you haven't lived. They are called Tim Tams and they are to die for.

 

I used to have a map of the US and world to list places where I have sold too, but with kids now I just don't have the time to keep track anymore. Wonderful hobby that can supplement your comic buys you want to keep.

 

 

 

[Duffman_Comics]

Funny stories below from my selling days early on ebay.

 

Many years ago on ebay a buyer from Germany would buy enough books from me to fill a flat rate envelope. He had an additional request as well as he paid cash for his comics. I was too send him back as many $1 bills as I could from his change and additional $20s he would send me. He explained to me he could get all $20s,$50s, and $100 bills he wanted but in his location $1 were very scarce.

 

So he would send me his amount + 2 $20 each time. I would go get $40 in $1 and send them back. I think he did this 2 or 3 times with me fun stuff.

 

Another seller I bought books from in Hawaii sent me back pineapples I made shakes for weeks. He also sent me a bag of See Suckers for another employee I work with that used to live there. Made her day I was her hero for years.

 

I exchange chocolate candy with a buyer in Australia. If you have never had those chocolate biscuits/triscuits from Australia you haven't lived. They are called Tim Tams and they are to die for.

 

I used to have a map of the US and world to list places where I have sold too, but with kids now I just don't have the time to keep track anymore. Wonderful hobby that can supplement your comic buys you want to keep.

 

 

 

It's supposed to be a secret.

 

Now you've gone and done it

[Buzzetta]

When Prodigy first came into play as a internet service provider, I realized that so long as I trusted people on the comics boards I could buy and sell with ease and get better prices than the comic book stores were offering.

 

One day the LCS had a signing of Shi 1 with Billy Tucci. I bought 100 copies that Tucci signed and sold them through Prodigy. That paid for some stuff I need some money for.

 

This eventually led to selling Power Rangers out of my trunk which I consider a low point in my life.

 

To this day... I sell what I get bored of earning. I try to keep my comic collection to a minimum and whenever I feel it is exceeding where I want to be too quickly I do a purge.

 

I currently have 255 slabs (registry keeps track of everything for me) and 12 shortboxes which are mostly Amazing Spider-man.

 

Have there been things I regretted selling?

I've sold a near complete run of Batman from 181 to then present. I regret not keeping the 181 and the 232 and 234 but I made up for that in picking up some of the GA Batmans I only dreamed about owning.

 

The one thing I honestly regret selling and one day I will rectify is that I would like to have my complete run of GI Joe back. No really... And btw... that last issue #155... is actually an excellent read.

[oakman29]

I sold 2 books my whole life.

One was to Jeffro a Fantastic Four #9 low grade.

One to C-Mack a F.F. 52 8.0 That I owned since 1975,and I was so distraught I bought it back.

No more selling on the horizon for me.

[Dr. Balls]

My first sales thread looks like it was started to thin out my books that I wasn't focused on.

 

I owned a comic shop in the 90's so selling books is still in my blood. I'm not a dealer by any means, but I still love buying comics just to sell. The thrill of the hunt, and all that.