Dealers with un-priced comics

[youmechooz]

My worst story of the year:

 

I was at WizardWorld Atlanta with a guy that had 50-100 longboxes of unalphabetized, unpriced, unorganized comics. His wife said he bought them just days before the con, and hasn't looked at them yet. Fine, i'll look. I picked one or two books & asked a price. The wife said only her husband can quote prices, and he's shopping the floor. She said, pick out a few more books, he'll be back & will make a super deal to move inventory. -- I took this to mean they were maybe $2 each, and found filler issues, nothing big or key. He finally came back, I handed him 20 books, expecting to pay $20-40 ... he said something like $80. I said, "Which one are you valuing high, maybe i pulled a book you considered key." He was like, nah, they're all about the same. Thanks for wasting an hour of my life! I handed him all his books back. Good thing there wasn't any order or alphabetization to his boxes. Unpriced comics are not for me.

I remember that guy. I pulled out a stack of books from his boxes and asked for a price. He grabbed his overstreet and i said thats okay and just left them there. He was using overstreet on all of those long boxes. He was terrible.

[kav]

I had a comic shop owner offer me like $3 each for ASM 23,25, 30, 32 once.

[FineCollector]

I had a very similar experience just recently. I found a bunch of un-priced books that I wanted in a store's back room. When I brought them to the counter, the owner proceeded to use "Buy It Now" prices on eBay to determine how much he should charge me for them. Needless to say, I won't be going back to this particular store anytime soon. If I do return, though, I'm sure I'll see all the comics that I pulled out up on the store's wall.

 

Does anyone else hear this story and think, if only you'd pick some books that weren't in demand, he'd get fed up of looking them up, and you'd be able to name your price?

 

 

[rodan57]

If they haven't priced it, they haven't graded it ... and if they haven't graded it, they can't price it in any sort of meaningful way.

[fmaz]

My son is a big baseball card collector...and weve been taking him to a local card show since he was 8 (much like my dad did with me at a local comic show). Anyway, there are certain dealers there who sell some priced cards but then have mostly unpriced cards and it drives my son nuts.

 

He asked a dealer who he's struck up a friendship with why those guys don't price and the answer was interesting.

 

The dealer said guys did it to get buyers to identify "hot cards" from their boxes for them. So they'd put out boxes of unpriced cards by years and if they weren't keeping up on what was the hot cards, the buyers would show them by constantly asking on the same cards.

 

The next show those cards would be in that dealer's case with a (too high) price marked on it.

 

I'm guessing the practice translates to comics. Either way, its sleezy.

[MBFan]

ATTENTION DEALERS

 

If your stuff isn't graded and priced, I'm walking on to the dealers who have graded and priced their books. It doesn't take long to decide if I agree with the grading and/or pricing when they're clearly posted. If I have to wait for you to finish with one or more customers and then to consult eBay or OS before I can determine if your grading and prices are good, you are wasting my time...and just like everyone else, my time is worth money.

 

I don't care what your "reasoning" is, because there are only so many hours in the day. I'm not going to waste time at your booth, when I could be at another dealer's booth finding and buying what I want. I could eventually get back to your table, but it will be after I've checked every dealer with clear pricing. By then, the show might be closing, and you won't get any of my money.

 

Whether it's reality or not, when I see books without prices, I automatically figure the dealer is out to gouge me.

[kav]

Using customers to ID hot books then wasting their time.

Sounds legit.

[gaz973]

When these dealers who don't price their stock, go to price it at a show, do they examine the book for grade? If they don't then how is it possible for them to assess its value? This isn't so much a problem with books for a couple of dollars but pricing more valuable books without even having opened them up to see if there is a stamp cut out or if a kid scribbled all over a page is an awful way to be doing business. There's no way they can properly examine each comic they price up for a customer.

[catrick339]

Unpriced books?

 

No business from me. Ever. (Bulk buys excepted)

[comicartfan]

Price wall books

Have $1, $2, $3, $5, etc boxes for other books

Pretty simple

Even if you use a small post-it note for pricing it's easy

 

Exactly.

 

I bought several collections back to back of what was essentially "cheap" stuff at the time. I had to go through and rebag and board 50+ long boxes of books. Then it all had to be alphabetized...which was more daunting because I kept finding runs of books out of order. - Then every book was stuck with a price sticker. Even if it's a $2 book.

 

First show I did, another dealer came over to look at the new guy's stuff....First comment out of his mouth "Ahh....everything is in order"....

 

I believe presentation is key. Having a clean bag and board...books in alpabetic order and EVERYTHING priced is so important. It says alot about the dealer and speaks volume TO the customer. As already noted, people have a million options as to where they buy from and I try very hard not to take that lightly.

 

Something else to consider, especially if you're dealing with smaller books. Let's say it costs a dealer $1000 in expenses to do a show for two days. Now, Saturday is from 10am to 5pm and Sunday is 10am to 4pm....for example. You have 13 hours to make back your investment. If you're selling books on the average for $10 a piece, then you're looking at 7.6 books an hour.

 

If you're haggling, looking up prices and "starting up a conversation" for several minutes, then that's cutting into your actual selling time...You're costing yourself money....You need to do more than 7.6 books an hour in order to make a profit and you're having a 20 minute conversation about the price of a book, it's going to make you fall behind....and adds more importance onto the next hour which will have a domino effect.

 

Of course, if I have something priced and someone wants to make an offer or asks if I "can do better", then we will have a conversation. I never price and have it set in stone...aside from a very, very small exception.

 

One last thing. I have to echo what some other people have stated. I have gone to a local comic shop where 90% of stuff wasn't priced. I bring a pile up and they start going through Ebay and quoting me prices which seem to be "asking prices" vs. selling prices...

When I did find a book that was priced, I brought it to the register. The owner looks at is and says "Oh, that's the price from 10 years ago. I can't sell it at that price now".....I walked out and have never returned -

 

What a tool

[lizards2]

I was at the local con this weekend and a dealer had all his books with no prices on them. I mentioned to him, he'd sell more books with prices on them. He disagreed and said if they're interested they will ask for a price and he engages anyone who looks interested.

 

I think a lot of people won't ask and if it's a deal, how are they to know?

 

Thought on this? I think he lost money.

 

 

When I've run into this in the past, the answer to price questions has always been, "you don't want to ask."

 

For about the past 20 years, I just walk away. Same if you have to ask for carp from behind a counter.

 

The internet has spoiled me.

[MetalPSI]

Doesn't matter where I am, I see something in retail with no price, I always say to the help, "Well this must be free, then"

 

Some smile but most are not amused.

[speedcake]

I tend to just walk past dealers at shows who don't put prices on their stuff. The few times I have asked to look at a particular book and asked for the price, I've usually been given ridiculously high numbers.

 

I also feel like I'm on the spot more when looking at a book with no visible price tag then when I'm looking at books with a definite starting point. Like the pressure is somehow on me as a buyer. Maybe that's just in my head, but it isn't comfortable for me, and I think this is partly why I just usually keep moving. Plenty of dealers do put prices on their stuff so no biggie for me.

[kav]

I think dealers who dont put prices and the books end up being cheap or reasonable are rare as hen's teeth

No prices means high prices

[Stumptown]

Price wall books

Have $1, $2, $3, $5, etc boxes for other books

Pretty simple

Even if you use a small post-it note for pricing it's easy

 

I don't price 50 centers and if time permitting, cross out the overpriced sticker on the book. All of these are in boxes clearly labelled as 50 centers. No boards on these either and no rebagging or bagging if there isn't one already. I do alphabetize but don't chron.

 

Everything else is priced though anything under $2 also doesn't need a board. Just an easy way for me to spot spendy or spendier books in the middle stack of 50 centers brought up for sale.

 

 

[Jeffro.]

I'm not justifying those dealers who don't price and sort their books. However, ignoring these guys can lead to missing out on deals.

 

I found my United Comics Peanuts # 1 in an unsorted, unpriced box. (almost fell over in shock at finding it)

 

That example may be a bit extreme however I've gotten good deals from the same dealer before.

[1Cool]

I normally avoid sellers without prices but I got some great deals from a guy last weekend who had to consult a spreadsheet before giving prices. It was a pain in the butt but I'll deal with it fort sweet deals.

[OrangeNemesis]

My favorite is the dealers without prices that are advertising 40-50% off today only!

[cujobyte]

Surprised at the hate towards unpriced books. I've found the best deals in unpriced boxes. In fact, keep hating that way I keep getting deals.

[kav]

Surprised at the hate towards unpriced books. I've found the best deals in unpriced boxes. In fact, keep hating that way I keep getting deals.

So how does this work you pull out an unpriced book and the dealer doesn't look it up anywhere he just pulls some random low price out of his spoon?