Approaches for dealing with overly-high prices set by consignors

[Johnny U]

GPA isn't always accurate at the going rate of certain books. What if a book gets hot and the GPA is $400 and the book is now going for $800? The listing limit is only 25% of GPA? Also, some DC Keys are so rare that they rarely show up on GPA.

[Heronext]

Ours are cheaper:

 

VF MCS: $24 (last in stock copy at this price sold January 7th)

VF MHC: $32.50 after 50% off of $65

 

FN MCS: $18 (one copy still in stock at this price)

FN MHC: $20.25 after 50% off of $40.50

 

http://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=83101

 

http://milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=list&title=38487674096&snumber=1

 

 

Problem is our copies tend to get snapped up by consignors, who then turn around and price the books higher. Supply and demand at work.

 

Problem is you are putting your name on these prices... it makes you look bad

[Heronext]

GPA isn't always accurate at the going rate of certain books. What if a book gets hot and the GPA is $400 and the book is now going for $800? The listing limit is only 25% of GPA? Also, some DC Keys are so rare that they rarely show up on GPA.

 

They can't use any kind of formula; it would take someone looking at every listing...

 

IMO there is no solution to this problem, MCS' interests are aligned with the greed of their consignors, this is the business model they have chosen

[kav]

Ours are cheaper:

 

VF MCS: $24 (last in stock copy at this price sold January 7th)

VF MHC: $32.50 after 50% off of $65

 

FN MCS: $18 (one copy still in stock at this price)

FN MHC: $20.25 after 50% off of $40.50

 

http://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=83101

 

http://milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=list&title=38487674096&snumber=1

 

 

Problem is our copies tend to get snapped up by consignors, who then turn around and price the books higher. Supply and demand at work.

 

Problem is you are putting your name on these prices... it makes you look bad

Yep-not everyone is a boardie who knows they are consignment book-they just think MCS is high or something

[DavidTheDavid]

While you are considering making changes to the consignment system, may I suggest making it possible to filter out the consignment items when doing a search?

 

+1

[DavidTheDavid]

Ours are cheaper:

 

VF MCS: $24 (last in stock copy at this price sold January 7th)

VF MHC: $32.50 after 50% off of $65

 

FN MCS: $18 (one copy still in stock at this price)

FN MHC: $20.25 after 50% off of $40.50

 

http://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=83101

 

http://milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=list&title=38487674096&snumber=1

 

 

Problem is our copies tend to get snapped up by consignors, who then turn around and price the books higher. Supply and demand at work.

 

Problem is you are putting your name on these prices... it makes you look bad

Yep-not everyone is a boardie who knows they are consignment book-they just think MCS is high or something

The listings do state that a book is on consignment and that a consignment fee will be charged

[Heronext]

Ours are cheaper:

 

VF MCS: $24 (last in stock copy at this price sold January 7th)

VF MHC: $32.50 after 50% off of $65

 

FN MCS: $18 (one copy still in stock at this price)

FN MHC: $20.25 after 50% off of $40.50

 

http://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=83101

 

http://milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=list&title=38487674096&snumber=1

 

 

Problem is our copies tend to get snapped up by consignors, who then turn around and price the books higher. Supply and demand at work.

 

Problem is you are putting your name on these prices... it makes you look bad

Yep-not everyone is a boardie who knows they are consignment book-they just think MCS is high or something

The listings do state that a book is on consignment and that a consignment fee will be charged

 

That's even worse - see my previous comment about how their interests are aligned

 

Plus this distinction is not on their eBay listings that I am aware

[Heronext]

While you are considering making changes to the consignment system, may I suggest making it possible to filter out the consignment items when doing a search?

 

+1

 

What's the appeal for a consignor if MCS is going to let buyer's ignore their listings? MCS is attracting consignors with the promise of promoting their books for sale

[jimjum12]

While you are considering making changes to the consignment system, may I suggest making it possible to filter out the consignment items when doing a search?

 

+1

 

What's the appeal for a consignor if MCS is going to let buyer's ignore their listings? MCS is attracting consignors with the promise of promoting their books for sale

 

.... Yes, and folks should be able to ask what they want for a book. It's not anyone's (MyComicShop included) responsibility to provide a bargain..... I check their listings often.... and while some are a little pricey, many are not and sell quickly. One thing about comics..... with most all of them, if you don't like the price on one, another will be just around the bend. I think it's important not to over-sensationalize this...... as the Saunder's crew runs a very tight ship and have many, many, many, fantastic deals available. GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[MagnusX]

[font:Book Antiqua]

Off topic:

 

But could you please add a Button that lead to all the CGC SS books?

 

Thank you...

[/font]

 

[kav]

Someone needs to slap these weirdos back into reality. YOUR WOODGOD IS NOT WORTH $200. MCS can strike the first blow...plus doesnt MCS have to shell out 30c a month for these infinite listings?

[rjpb]

You can let consigners know that books will be listed on ebay only if MCS thinks the market will bear the price. With the roughly 10% markup on ebay prices, already overpriced books look ridiculous and risk preventing less knowledgeable buyers from looking through the rest of your listings. This would also help reduce the clutter of stale overpriced inventory on ebay in general.

 

You could also let sellers know that any consignment not sold in say 90 days must be reduced by at least 10% to stay in inventory or returned at consinger's expense.

[Ryan.]

doesnt MCS have to shell out 30c a month for these infinite listings?

 

Good question.

[jerome34]

To handle real scarce books, you will have to allow the consignor to set

any crazy price he wants for the first x (90?) days. Someone selling

a Gerber 10 can ask 10 times OSPG and may have multiple people

trying to get it.

 

However, after that period, some sort of "good sense" changing is needed.

 

A "make offer" will help (someone might offer 11 times OSPG for that

Gerber 10).

 

An option of "lower price by x%" or "a monthly fee of y% of your

asking price will be charged" might work.

 

Similarly, for items priced well above guide, some restrictions/costs

might be applied to your e-bay listings after that initial period.

 

[jimjum12]

To handle real scarce books, you will have to allow the consignor to set

any crazy price he wants for the first x (90?) days. Someone selling

a Gerber 10 can ask 10 times OSPG and may have multiple people

trying to get it.

 

However, after that period, some sort of "good sense" changing is needed.

 

A "make offer" will help (someone might offer 11 times OSPG for that

Gerber 10).

 

An option of "lower price by x%" or "a monthly fee of y% of your

asking price will be charged" might work.

 

Similarly, for items priced well above guide, some restrictions/costs

might be applied to your e-bay listings after that initial period.

 

[InvstmntComcSuply]

doesnt MCS have to shell out 30c a month for these infinite listings?

 

Good question.

 

5c

 

 

[InvstmntComcSuply]

To handle real scarce books, you will have to allow the consignor to set

any crazy price he wants for the first x (90?) days. Someone selling

a Gerber 10 can ask 10 times OSPG and may have multiple people

trying to get it.

 

However, after that period, some sort of "good sense" changing is needed.

 

A "make offer" will help (someone might offer 11 times OSPG for that

Gerber 10).

 

An option of "lower price by x%" or "a monthly fee of y% of your

asking price will be charged" might work.

 

Similarly, for items priced well above guide, some restrictions/costs

might be applied to your e-bay listings after that initial period.

 

I don't think lowering the price by x% per month is viable. It will just encourage some to increase their starting price even higher.

 

It would be best to have different criteria for common books and rare books that might draw more eyeballs to your listings.

[ttfitz]

I thought I might throw some thoughts in, as someone who has recently consigned some books with MCS.

 

I had a dozen books I sent them, nothing really hot, but good enough/old enough to be on their consignment list. As Conan says, there are a lot of resources given to help with pricing - the website shows you recent (the last few years) sales of the book on their site, some data from GPA, I think, as well as other copies that are for sale on the site, with their price and how long they have been listed.

 

In addition to that, I was able to ask the consignment director for advice, and she helped me setting prices. It is in their best interest to sell the books for as much as possible, since they get a percentage, so we were aligned in goals, too.

 

Anyway, my listings went up late March, the first book sold within a month, and the rest sold over time, the final sale being at the end of November. If you drop the price by at least 5%, the book will be listed on their "new on the site" listings, and I did this a number of times for the books I had when they weren't selling. I even switched one over to the auction, didn't care for that result, though.

 

So, anyway, as a seller I don't like the notion of a strict extra fee after a set period of time - I had my books priced in line with previous sales AND at what the consignment director thought was reasonable prices, and I dropped those prices over time, and still over half of them took longer than the 90 days some here suggest for taking more than the 10% (minimum $5) fee already charged.

 

Now, I don't think I'd have a problem with some of the suggestions like someone coming along and saying, "Hey, this price is out of line with previous sales, you sure you want to list that way? You can try, but if it doesn't sell after x amount of time we'd ask you to drop down to something more in line."

 

And I know as a buyer I would like a "Make an Offer" option; I think I'd probably like that as a seller, too.

[paul747]

Make an offer feature like Comic link has.

+1 and set a listing time frame . I month no takers, charge a fee or send the book back and seller pays shipping. If a books GPA is 100 bucks and the book is rare and not for sale everywhere the seller might get his 200 or be able to take 150 for it with the offer feature.

[Cephusdog]

While you are considering making changes to the consignment system, may I suggest making it possible to filter out the consignment items when doing a search?

 

+1

 

I love using your want list but getting notifications of over priced consignment items are no help.