Buying rituals at Cons - How do you go about buying at Cons?

[AGGIEZ]

I usually go with the intention of targeting keys but end up spending half of the day diving through dollar bins. After that, I'm so tired I typically just walk the floor without purpose and stumble on a few keys then leave...

[1Cool]

I usually go with the intention of targeting keys but end up spending half of the day diving through dollar bins. After that, I'm so tired I typically just walk the floor without purpose and stumble on a few keys then leave...

 

If you're there a few days then I'd guess the keys would have to be purchased on the first day since most of the bin books will probably be there on the second day. The third day is for taking pictures and trying to haggle on the keys still around. Does anyone ever bring new material on the second day that was not available on the first day or are new books on walls mostly from other dealers in the room? I guess some of the new books could be from people selling or trading books to the dealers so there is a good chance for new books on the last couple days.

[blazingbob]

This strategy works but there are shows where a lot of books will show up at the show - Onsite grading.

 

Which is why you have to be there when the "Casino" is in town.

 

Never know what will show up on the wall or in a dealers booth that they onsite graded.

[Bomfy]

First thing is to go straight Artist Alley and hit the main people on my list if a comission is spot is not already set up. This normally accounts for a majority of my con wad.

 

Next I start looking for books. I have a list of books that I need and will take a crack at even If they are at the first booth. I've either missed out or have not had great luck finding them. If condition and price at there I have no issue pulling the trigger. My belief is if I walk away from a booth with a book I have been looking for in a condition I want for a fair price I won't cry in my Cheerios if I could have saved a bit with someone else.

 

I use cash only and stick to smaller bills. I've gotten some great deals in the past being able to give a vendor several hundred with nothing larger than a 20 and only a few of those.

[blazingbob]

Just an fyi but the local strip club that night is very grateful for buyers like yourself.

[Steviehuv66]

[PovertyRow]

I have been to countless cons and my strategy was always the same: start with those dealers I know and trust, say hello to them and chat a bit, let them know what I am looking for and check out their wall books and relevant boxes. Sometimes they will have books in my category in short boxes under the table as well, and the chat will always reveal them. After that I just scouted dealers that looked like they would have what I was looking for (mostly pre-code and pre-hero).

[oakman29]

First thing is to go straight Artist Alley and hit the main people on my list if a comission is spot is not already set up. This normally accounts for a majority of my con wad.

 

Next I start looking for books. I have a list of books that I need and will take a crack at even If they are at the first booth. I've either missed out or have not had great luck finding them. If condition and price at there I have no issue pulling the trigger. My belief is if I walk away from a booth with a book I have been looking for in a condition I want for a fair price I won't cry in my Cheerios if I could have saved a bit with someone else.

 

I use cash only and stick to smaller bills. I've gotten some great deals in the past being able to give a vendor several hundred with nothing larger than a 20 and only a few of those.

 

I like slapping down hundred dollar bills,looks more impressive.

[Lazyboy]

I will go to all the dealers booths and check out books I'll never buy until I have seen just about everything I want to check out. Then I go back and buy what I was looking for. Some shows I make a list before hand but I don't do well with crowds and sometimes totally draw a blank.

 

My problem with shows is I can generally find everything easier from a couple clicks on the computer. But looking at books in hand has its advantages

 

With that technique aren't all the "steals" you saw on the first pass purchased already? I'd love to make a quick walk thru but with the big cons that could take a couple hours. But if you don't do a walk thru then you don't know if an even better deal isn't a couple booths over or not. Tricky tricky.

 

You have to buy any "steals" immediately, but otherwise a quick walk around without purchases before returning to look at books/booths that caught your eye is a good strategy.

[Junkdrawer]

I like to walk around and see how many books I can recall from the last show that some dealers like to drag around show after show, year after year.

[NewWorldOrder]

Comic Conventions are the only time periods each year where I actually have to set a alarm to get up.

 

Also my working hours per week double from 10 to sometimes even 40 during SDCC.

 

 

[porcupine48]

We have a small monthly show here.....Whenever there are new people signed up to sell,I get in early as I can...like helping a friend dealer set up,and run to forage.

Then go and say hello to everyone I know,buy a round of sodas and try and get the best deals I can in trade,cause I'm broke.Another reason to always help set up and break down.If it is a bigger show...I run and find West Hagan and Harley.

And look for books for my friends here always.I've been known to help.You gang are always on my mind...

Jimmers

[zuulioso]

unless your kids have a high tolerance for watching you flip through boxes of comics...leave them at home. Their boredom could kill your buying adventure. Just my own experience.

 

+1

 

I took mine last year for the first time. It was awesome to see their excitement, but you definitely need a 2nd day all to yourself.

[1Cool]

unless your kids have a high tolerance for watching you flip through boxes of comics...leave them at home. Their boredom could kill your buying adventure. Just my own experience.

 

+1

 

I took mine last year for the first time. It was awesome to see their excitement, but you definitely need a 2nd day all to yourself.

 

I learned my lesson last year. I took my wife and she lasted about 4 hours. I ended up leaving right after I found a dealer with a ton of books for cheap. I grabbed all the low hanging fruit but the guy had tons more I would have grabbed if I had more time.

[Kevin76]

If it is a big show, I won't get there early, I'm not standing in that line that wraps around the building and down the street, I'll walk right in around noon time, people have this thing where they have to get in early as possible to "get to the good stuff before anyone else" It's all in your head.

 

Smaller shows, I walk around looking at wall books because that's where the key issue stuff is, The show is usually only about 5 hours on a Sunday, I'm not going to go through $1 boxes all day long, after a while you start to go snow blind and dollar boxes are usually so crowded with college kids wearing thier annoying backpacks and antisocial creepy guys with thier notebooks spread across the boxes you can't even get a spot to look at anything.

[1Cool]

If it is a big show, I won't get there early, I'm not standing in that line that wraps around the building and down the street, I'll walk right in around noon time, people have this thing where they have to get in early as possible to "get to the good stuff before anyone else" It's all in your head.

 

Smaller shows, I walk around looking at wall books because that's where the key issue stuff is, The show is usually only about 5 hours on a Sunday, I'm not going to go through $1 boxes all day long, after a while you start to go snow blind and dollar boxes are usually so crowded with college kids wearing thier annoying backpacks and antisocial creepy guys with thier notebooks spread across the boxes you can't even get a spot to look at anything.

 

I'd say 90% of the "steals" I've gotten at the three shows I've gone to are from diving into boxes. The wall books can be pretty easily picked over by other dealers before the show opens but I'd guess most dealers do not have time to dig thru boxes prior to a show.

[Revol]

If it is a big show, I won't get there early, I'm not standing in that line that wraps around the building and down the street, I'll walk right in around noon time, people have this thing where they have to get in early as possible to "get to the good stuff before anyone else" It's all in your head.

 

Smaller shows, I walk around looking at wall books because that's where the key issue stuff is, The show is usually only about 5 hours on a Sunday, I'm not going to go through $1 boxes all day long, after a while you start to go snow blind and dollar boxes are usually so crowded with college kids wearing thier annoying backpacks and antisocial creepy guys with thier notebooks spread across the boxes you can't even get a spot to look at anything.

 

I'd say 90% of the "steals" I've gotten at the three shows I've gone to are from diving into boxes. The wall books can be pretty easily picked over by other dealers before the show opens but I'd guess most dealers do not have time to dig thru boxes prior to a show.

 

Yeah I agree, I love finding the hidden gems tucked up in the long boxes. I wish some dealers wouldnt pack their boxes to capacity though, it makes browsing very frustrating.

[bababooey]

If it is a big show, I won't get there early, I'm not standing in that line that wraps around the building and down the street, I'll walk right in around noon time, people have this thing where they have to get in early as possible to "get to the good stuff before anyone else" It's all in your head.

 

Smaller shows, I walk around looking at wall books because that's where the key issue stuff is, The show is usually only about 5 hours on a Sunday, I'm not going to go through $1 boxes all day long, after a while you start to go snow blind and dollar boxes are usually so crowded with college kids wearing thier annoying backpacks and antisocial creepy guys with thier notebooks spread across the boxes you can't even get a spot to look at anything.

 

I'd say 90% of the "steals" I've gotten at the three shows I've gone to are from diving into boxes. The wall books can be pretty easily picked over by other dealers before the show opens but I'd guess most dealers do not have time to dig thru boxes prior to a show.

 

Yeah I agree, I love finding the hidden gems tucked up in the long boxes. I wish some dealers wouldnt pack their boxes to capacity though, it makes browsing very frustrating.

For overpacked boxes I just remove a couple inches from the box & place it on top of my notebook spread out on the box beside me.

 

[1Cool]

If it is a big show, I won't get there early, I'm not standing in that line that wraps around the building and down the street, I'll walk right in around noon time, people have this thing where they have to get in early as possible to "get to the good stuff before anyone else" It's all in your head.

 

Smaller shows, I walk around looking at wall books because that's where the key issue stuff is, The show is usually only about 5 hours on a Sunday, I'm not going to go through $1 boxes all day long, after a while you start to go snow blind and dollar boxes are usually so crowded with college kids wearing thier annoying backpacks and antisocial creepy guys with thier notebooks spread across the boxes you can't even get a spot to look at anything.

 

I'd say 90% of the "steals" I've gotten at the three shows I've gone to are from diving into boxes. The wall books can be pretty easily picked over by other dealers before the show opens but I'd guess most dealers do not have time to dig thru boxes prior to a show.

 

Yeah I agree, I love finding the hidden gems tucked up in the long boxes. I wish some dealers wouldnt pack their boxes to capacity though, it makes browsing very frustrating.

For overpacked boxes I just remove a couple inches from the box & place it on top of my notebook spread out on the box beside me.

 

Great idea. I usually just put a handful of books in my backpack and take them out when I'm done. Sometimes.

[FineCollector]

My shopping list isn't a list of what I need, it's what I already have. I've tried using a short list, and didn't find the books I was looking for. Going home empty handed sucks. I tried a longer want list, but ended up buying doubles by mistake, because I wasn't looking for it, but couldn't pass it up! Now, my full list is open on my phone, and my short list is in my head.

 

I do the backpack. My friend Overstreet is with me, but rarely comes out. In a pinch, I'll compare prices to Overstreet. I have no idea what GPA is (yes, I'm an uneducated savage, but I'm also happily buying your mid-grade silver age issues over GPA, so don't complain! ).

 

I rarely do dollar bins unless there's no one around, and they're alphabetized.

 

Truth be told, I've found my best deals in artist's alley. There's always one guy with a short box who's paying for his table by selling comics.