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One Man Comic Business
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279 posts in this topic

Update: Post Office was unable to execute the ISAL m-bag and had to go Air mbag so cost was $85 instead of $36. Following up with USPS but not sure if it will resolve in my favor.
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ugh - they did not know how - or said that the package was not compliant ( like a media mail thing)....

 

 

 

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Here's hoping for a collection of about 5000 late 60s through early 80s mostly Marvel and DC superhero. It's a lady who is retiring and it is her original owner collection and she has no one to leave it too so she is willing to sell it to me in total Most of the major keys are there but I don't know the condition It sounds like none of them are bagged so we will see At least they are organized by title sometimes that doesn't happen and she gave a good price over the phone that I would buy as is for that Wish me luck it is a 6 Hour Dr.

 

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I do have a list too so this is the opposite of how deals usually go where the seller doesn't know if they have doesn't name a price and promises the world

 

$.15 to $.40 keys the only major ones missing are

Hfh1

X-Men 94

Green Lantern 76

No Conan's

No Kirby fourth world or flash or wonder woman of any kind

No horror westerns or war, to speak of either

No wwbor tod

 

Good on hulk 181

GSX 1

Asm 129 121 122 300

If 14

Batman 232 234 251 227 237

Tec 411

I'm 55

Did 158 168

Most of the mid-70s number one issues

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Done and done a minivan full of plastic bins and boxes 5000 comics. Good news is the grades were slightly better than I expected in the VF range mostly Unfortunately every comic that had an M VS was clipped out There were fewer coverless and low grade books of the ones clearly bought earlier then when she bought them off the rack so that was nice

 

And a real easy sale without much negotiation. She even made me a lunch for my drive home

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Ed, I enjoy your posts on your comic buying & selling experiences!

 

Cool, always worry lm being a brag but I where else am I going the share the thrills of the hunt.

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I've mentioned previously in the thread that nothing compares to the North East. Volume of people and key cities w key advertising outlets or estates or craigslisting and on and on.

 

That I live within 3 hours of Pittsburgh, to NYC to northern VA makes this venture viable.

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Possibly a good story where I haven't seen the collection yet. Gentleman calls and asks if I buy comics, which I do. Long conversation about it all and his son in law recently passed away and his daughter (newly remarried) is moving and doesn't want the books. Son in law collected in the 1980s and 1990s going to conventions. He has 10 boxes or so.

 

What's really interesting is he says everything is in mint condition and 1960s or older. At first I am unable to contact the daughter, I think he is feeling me out and is a bit paranoid, in a good way. I tell him to ask her to simply pull a few comics from each box (they don't have any time and don't have a list) and let me know the original cover price and title. If you haven't experienced it, its extremely difficult for the non-collector to figure out the issue number.

 

He relays that there are a number of Iron-mans 12 and 15 cent all in mint condition. I talk to him about value and am able to contact the daughter. As she goes through more boxes, there are a number of 30 cent to $1.25 books. Given that there are 10 long boxes, that's not really a surprise. They mentioned TOS 39 but it was the milestone, grrr. So this should be the typical 1970s to 1980s collection with a goodly amount of SA thrown in. Other good news is that he never sold anything (according to wife/widow) and there are toys and star trek collectibles etc. Cool.

 

Here's a twist. She and her dad said that he paid $5000 for one comic in the early 1990s at a convention. That could be fantastic and make the deal a killer. But here's the issue. If it isn't there, I may have a hard time buying the collection. Lets say I value them at $6000 and offer $3000. How do they know I'm not BSing that the book isn't there? Offering $3000 for, say, $12,000+ in comics. That will be a tough one, that I need to prepare for. This is true of any skeptical seller who has no idea about value.

 

Another twist. The dad is local to me but the daughter is a long flight (or really long drive) away. And it's not a slam dunk with regard to a purchase. Always interesting.

 

Stay tuned.

Edited by ft88
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I think you have to drive right? you can't bring all that stuff on the plane.

 

Is there anywhere we can bet on condition?

 

I'm thinking the word 'mint' is used because the comics are bagged and boarded.

 

I know I wouldnt drive (more than 1 hour) or fly anywhere without at least representative picture of what they think 'mint' is. But on the other hand, I'd don't swim with the big fish on this type of stuff.

 

Good Luck

 

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The father doesn't know squat about the comics or their condition, that's my takeaway. No way to really tell anything without seeing them firsthand, then all will be revealed.

 

Best of luck!

 

All this. I don't think the daughter who has them in hand knows condition either. But my experience is that you get a good number of late 70s and 80s books in VFNM to NM+ and many earlier books in the VF range with some NM's that can be valuable. Almost always a buyer at conventions has higher grade then an OO who more often than not doesn't bag and board.

 

I can basically merge this trip as an unplanned weekend getaway to see friends and family. It'd be a 20+ hour drive if I didn't fly. I'll likely leave the bulk boxes with said friends/family who also do ebay and take home (or ship) a box or two of the money books.

 

I generally see these things as high upside low downside. Upside is likely $3000 or much more; wide dispersion of results if you're into that kind of statistical forecasting. Downside is loss of $400 in deductible expenses and a lost weekend. Probability variables are well within my control with more communication and exploration with potential sellers. In the end, this magnitude of a buy is too good to pass up as it has all the positives I want in buying a collection

 

All that's part of the buy sell challenge I am exploring here in the Journal.

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