Okay, so I got a problem

[ubiquiti]

So I took my entire(almost) comic collection to the local comic shop that said they had a buyer in Europe and they would consign a sale from me to the buyer in Europe and my end would be around $4000.

Well - after about a month, nothing happened, so I started getting my books back from the comic shop guy.

I told him to send out one last email to his customer base to see if anyone wanted to look at them. Again this would be a consign deal - to his customer base at FULL GUIDE.

He asked me if I wanted him to put this stuff up on eBay, and I said no - I could do that myself and make WAY more money.

Well when I called him on Wednesday - he said he put some of the stuff up on eBay. I checked it out Thursday morning, and figured he wouldn't sell any of the lots because of low res digital photos..

Well - turns out he sells 2 lots - X-Men 7,8,9 and 12, averaging VF-, and X-Men 50,53,54,55,57,58,59,61,64,66,&67 - averaging VF+.....

They sold for 80% of guide.

Problem is - I'm going to pay his listing fees AND split the sale price with him - and I could have just done this my damn self.

THe whole point of taking him my books was to sell everything in one shot. If I couldn't do that - it would have been easier for me to just sell myself on eBay.

Now I kinda get hosed - after I told him not to do what he did.

I'm really ticked off.

Help? Advice?

[BachelorOfComix]

Tell him to go to hell. You wanted full guide & he didn't get it for you.

[Forbush-Man]

[Forbush-Man]

What city is your LCS located in?

[eddly]

just take your comics back... what can the comic shop dealer do? Sure its too bad for whoever won the auctions... maybe let them know what happened... and they can neg the comic shop dealer if they feel so inclined... you shouldn't lose out here.. be firm. oh and lastly... don't pay any of the fees etc... did you have a written agreement with this comic dealer? verbal agreement?

[The Brain]

Two Words: VERBAL CONTRACT !! Time to use the hammer!!

[Ze-man]

Did you ever sign anything telling him to do anything more then consign your entire collection to this "buyer?"

 

 

If you never signed anything.. then ask for your comics back... and hope you get them all in the shape you left them.

 

And also the EXACT same issues.

 

What a mess..

I really hope it works out for you, good luck

 

Ze-

[Jayman]

Problem is - I'm going to pay his listing fees AND split the sale price with him - and I could have just done this my damn self.

 

And why are you doing this if you told him not to? Just wondering if there is more info to this story that you have mentioned, if not you have a right to refuse paying the dealer and to get your books back as the sale was not done in accordance with your wishes.

[ubiquiti]

Problem is - I'm going to pay his listing fees AND split the sale price with him - and I could have just done this my damn self.

 

And why are you doing this if you told him not to? Just wondering if there is more info to this story that you have mentioned, if not you have a right to refuse payment and sell the books as this was not done in accordance with your wishes.

I'm just saying our agreement was for him to use his store and sell them for at a minimum guide price.

I have sold tons of stuff on eBay - but selling my whole collection on ebay while trying to prep my house to sell was more time than I wanted to take.

After his buyer fell through - I asked him to try and sell the nice silver stuff at his store for at least guide and told him specifically NOT to sell on eBay - as I could do that myself...I just didn't want to take the time if I could help it.

Selling everything I gave him for $4000 seemed fair considering the time it would take for me to sell them on my own, plus using his store - I would at least get to take advantage of the showcase and hope of a quick sale.

After his European buyer fell through - I gave him the opportunity to buy the lot outright - which he refused. In fact he offered me about $1800 for an outright sale, which i declined.

I don't want him to be totally out-of-pocket on this deal, and the wife and I discussed it, so tomorrow I am going to offer him 25% of the sale price or my comics back.

The problem with that is I will still feel bad regardless of the fact that he is in the wrong because I like him, and I HOPE he did that because he thought he was trying to help me, and also, when i list them next week, a saavy eBay buyer can put two and two together and see the same issues and the same grade from the same city which could hurt my sale price......

Man, I wish I would have just taken the time and sold them all myself.

[Jayman]

Well considering the circumstances, meaning he went ahead and did what you told him not to do, I think offering the dealer 25% is a more than generous offer. You are trying to be fair I realize but the dealer did overstep his boundries (even if he was trying to help) by selling on e-bay IMO.

 

Hope everything comes to a reasonable end,

Please post a follow-up to let us know

[ubiquiti]

Well, here is the email communication so far (read from the bottom up):

 

Okay, well.....

I'm going to have to ask you to not ship the lots that sold until we talk.

I appreciate very much the time you took to try and market my books, believe me.

And I believe you to be a very honest and upstanding guy in the comic community.

However, when you asked me about listing my comics on ebay, I specifically told you not to - in that if the comics were to be listed - I could list them and get, for myself, a far greater price.

I really don't want this to go badly for either of us, but we have never come to an agreement on how eBay sales would be handled, since i told you not to list them.

I will be up for a while, so if you are still online, please give me a call at ***-***-****

Please understand I want to work this out amicably, but to be honest, I could have listed those comics individually and gotten at least what those lots sold for and only have to pay listing fees.

Thanks,

Todd

----- Original Message -----

From:

To: ubiquiti@cox.net

Sent: Friday, October 01, 2004 10:26 PM

Subject: Re: Question from eBay Member

 

 

Hey Todd,

I'm going to be out of town tomorrow. I dropped off the remaining stuff at the store so you can pick it up tomorrow.

Email me tonight otherwise I'll be at the store 10 AM Mon.

 

What's up?

Signature

 

 

In a message dated 10/1/2004 10:21:14 PM US Mountain Standard Time, ubiquiti@cox.net writes:

We need to talk. I will be in tomorrow morning when you open. Todd

[ubiquiti]

Okay so I feel kinda bad now(probably his strategy) but what else can I do? I was VERY clear on this issue. I guess this means he is not going to expect listing fees, and is offering me 50% of guide, but still.

I also realize there have been a few misunderstadnings regarding our agreement but still.. Maybe I'm waaaay off base.

Keep in mind - this guy is a very good guy and well respected dealer and I have nothing but respect for him.

But read below and tell me what you think

Next chapter(read from the bottom):

 

My response:

 

I am absolutely not second guessing you. Considering we specifically discussed the eBay issue, and I said no. After the Ireland deal was dead, and I came to pick up the Byrne X-Mens and the Bronze stuff, I asked you to offer the nice silver age comics up to your customers one last time. I did this because I wanted you to get something from the deal. I explained to you that the whole point of bringing the whole collection to you was to get my asking price and be done with it - with not much time spent from my side of the coin, as I don't have much time to spare right now. You told me you could list those issues on eBay, and I told you as politely as I could not to, given that I could do the same and make more money for myself in the end run. I hope you remember that conversation.

I am not questioning your selling reputation on ebay or your intentions whatsoever... Please believe me. This is very uncomfortable for me to even discuss with you.

You informed me you had put lots up on eBay when we spoke late Wednesday. I did not get a chance to see them until today. I would have checked immediately, but unfortunately, I just did not have time to until today, and by the time I saw the lots were already sold.

Don't get me wrong *******, as I said previously, I have nothing but the highest respect for you and your store.

And of course, I will not have you get negatives.

I think I am a VERY amicable, reasonable guy. The problem I have here is if the comics were to be listed on eBay, I told you I would be the one to do it. And I never meant to have you out of pocket on anything. Hell, I was planning on giving you some money after I sold off the rest of my stuff just for you TRYING to sell off my stuff. I appreciate the time you and ***** took to look over my collection and give me your fair assessment on it. That is just the way I work. I feel bad for you that you were not able to get something together with the Ireland guy.

You are correct, I had no problem with the Spiderman 300 and Swamp Thing 1 sale. But they were done though your store, per our agreement, and not on eBay.

I'm sorry if there was some misunderstanding here. There is no cold feet on my part whatsoever, the terms of our agreement, however, have been slightly changed by you and I need to ensure that I am renumerated fairly.

Respectfully,

Todd

----- Original Message -----

From:

To: ubiquiti@cox.net

Sent: Friday, October 01, 2004 11:31 PM

Subject: Re: Question from eBay Member

 

 

Whoa Todd,

I thought the initial intention was for you to come up with three grand, and the store would facilitate that by selling them on a 50/50 basis at guide prices, be it sold in the store or on Ebay. I thought I had made it clear to you that I was putting some lots up on ebay. We've selling by Ebay for years, and I thought our reputation as a retailer with over 2000 positives would be a nice vehicle.

 

Those two lots that sold on the net were discounted from the regular price in Overstreet, but the discount comes off of OUR end, and you still get your 50 cut so it shouldn't matter where they sold. (I think it's in the $800. 00 range.)

 

I don't know if you just got cold feet, but those puppies HAVE to sell now or I get negative feedback and I'm out all the fees. You didn't seem to mind when I brought all the stuff in on busy days and sold a couple of your other keys. ( Swamp Thing #1 and AS #300).

 

I'm willing to discuss this with you Todd, and the rest of your stuff is at the store now. I AM an honest person, and it feels like you are second guessing my intentions.

The 50/50 part of this deal was discussed a month ago.

 

We'll talk.

 

Signature

[awe4one]

He screwed up by putting them on eBay but...

 

He is still going to give the you the agreed 50% of guide regardless of how they were sold. I'd get the rest of the comics from him and let him complete the eBay sale.

 

Miscommunication happens. I'd just act if this deal was done in-house and let it go...

 

Jim

[shadroch]

first off,let me say that I hate it when I see someone I just sent money to comes on and says he has a problem.

Can't tell you how much that made my heart flutter.

 

However,if i'm reading this whole thing right,I don't see where the problem is. You consigned the books expecting to get 50% of guide,yes? The seller seems to be sayng that he is going to give you 50% of guide for them.If he had sold them in his store for guide,you'd still only be getting 50%,no?

Or am I mis-reading the situation?

[awe4one]

You can send me money and I'll make sure to not say I have a problem...

 

Jim

[ubiquiti]

first off,let me say that I hate it when I see someone I just sent money to comes on and says he has a problem.

Can't tell you how much that made my heart flutter.

 

However,if i'm reading this whole thing right,I don't see where the problem is. You consigned the books expecting to get 50% of guide,yes? The seller seems to be sayng that he is going to give you 50% of guide for them.If he had sold them in his store for guide,you'd still only be getting 50%,no?

Or am I mis-reading the situation?

You are partially corect.

Our intitial deal was 50% of guide on the big deal.

I madeit very clear I wanted him to make something from the whole thing, so I asked him to offer the Nice Silver stuff to his customers, but I wanted nothing on ebay, as that made no sense to me...I have a small reputation as well, and his 2000 feedabck would not get me more $ in the end run than my 178 feedback.

I guess I should havejust been a jerk and taken everything back and not tried to make him some money. I relaize that now, as my desire to help him out got me screwed. Don't get me wrong - if he would have sold every issue through his store and made me money, I would have been more than happy. He just took advantage of me, and maybe my pride is making me take this more personally than i should.

[shadroch]

I've been trying to send you money. I'd like those german Marvels whenever you get around to it.

[awe4one]

They're already on their way to you....no charge...

 

Jim

[greggy]

They're already on their way to you....no charge...

 

Jim

[awe4one]

You never indicated a desire for German comics...

 

Jim