No market for Spectre?

[Rob]

I recently sold Fine copies of Spectre #2 & #3 for $7 each on eBay. Maybe I graded too leniently, but they list for $9 in Good ($27 in Fine). I don't mind, I just wanted to get rid of them.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=75&item=6507558848

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=75&item=6507559096

[sfilosa]

I think your grading was accurate.

 

But here's the thing.

 

Mid-Grade common books go for almost no more than 50% of guide. That's just the reality and term mid-grade can go up to VF/NM if the book is late SA or BA.

 

Plus factor in shipping and you almost got 50% of guide.

[Rob]

Oh, I know. I've been selling comics on eBay going on 9 years. It's just whenever I buy a comic, it seems to go for near guide. And when I sell, it goes for less than half. If only I could find the great deals that my customers are finding.

 

And the two books sold for $14 + $3 shipping (I combined). So $17 total. 50% guide would have been $27. They got it for 31%, less than 1/3 guide, after shipping. If I could buy my midgrade books at that discount, I'd buy all day long.

[Comicdey]

But would you be buying mid grade books, or are you looking for the items that are more highly sought out?

 

You're selling them for a reason..(not interesting, have one, been there, read it, just wanted to get rid of it... etc.) and buying for your collection for the opposite reason (cool cover, great story, haven't seen that one before, need it to complete my run etc.).

 

Sometimes you get lucky with a new buyer that is paying the "haven't seen that one before" price for something that everyone else is saying "been there".

 

I saw a raw "NM" Thing #1 sell for around $25 last month. I saved the listing just to see why?

[FlyingDonut]

Oh, I know. I've been selling comics on eBay going on 9 years. It's just whenever I buy a comic, it seems to go for near guide. And when I sell, it goes for less than half. If only I could find the great deals that my customers are finding.

 

And the two books sold for $14 + $3 shipping (I combined). So $17 total. 50% guide would have been $27. They got it for 31%, less than 1/3 guide, after shipping. If I could buy my midgrade books at that discount, I'd buy all day long.

 

What do you want? I can get you mid-grade DCs from that vintage ALL DAY LONG and you can buy them at that discount. You want to replace those Spectres? Anything else?

[jbud73]

There are a number of things that factor into this I think. As illustrated mid-grade of a common book. But I want to add something else. A common fairly obscure book. For some reason the OS never comes back on certain books when maybe it should - there are a number of reasons for this, not the least of which is that dealers are the top source for information.

 

I guess it works both ways, OS at the top high end is used in Multiples, so much so that they dropped the 9.4.

 

But I think they might also consider that after a fairly obscure middle tier character driven book that is common to the marketplave receives its bump - and I think this series did long ago. Sometimes that bump is not sustainable and needs to be evaluated again. Just my 2 cents - I happen to love the Spectre series, sorry to book didn't sell for more Rob, but I think some of the reasoning I eluded to may have factored into it.

[jbud73]

Oh, I know. I've been selling comics on eBay going on 9 years. It's just whenever I buy a comic, it seems to go for near guide. And when I sell, it goes for less than half. If only I could find the great deals that my customers are finding.

 

And the two books sold for $14 + $3 shipping (I combined). So $17 total. 50% guide would have been $27. They got it for 31%, less than 1/3 guide, after shipping. If I could buy my midgrade books at that discount, I'd buy all day long.

 

What do you want? I can get you mid-grade DCs from that vintage ALL DAY LONG. You want to replace those Spectres? Anything else?

 

So FD would you say that this series is overvalued in the OS in mid-grade especially the Non-Adams covers.

[FlyingDonut]

Oh, I know. I've been selling comics on eBay going on 9 years. It's just whenever I buy a comic, it seems to go for near guide. And when I sell, it goes for less than half. If only I could find the great deals that my customers are finding.

 

And the two books sold for $14 + $3 shipping (I combined). So $17 total. 50% guide would have been $27. They got it for 31%, less than 1/3 guide, after shipping. If I could buy my midgrade books at that discount, I'd buy all day long.

 

What do you want? I can get you mid-grade DCs from that vintage ALL DAY LONG. You want to replace those Spectres? Anything else?

 

So FD would you say that this series is overvalued in the OS in mid-grade especially the Non-Adams covers.

 

All non-key books are overvalued in the the OS in mid-grade.

[sfilosa]

All non-key books are overvalued in the the OS in mid-grade.

 

 

 

I agree, plus I believe the term mid-grade applies up to VF/NM. A lot times, you can get a CGC VF/NM book for guide price, so why pay anywhere near guide on a potential grade/unrestored book.

[the blob]

well, if you assume your buyers assume an ebay overgrade... they're bidding on these as if they're VGs

 

so close to 50% of guide when all is done

 

not that i think they were overgraded, but a lot of people will auto-assume it no matter what

 

$27 for fine is a lot for those books. not sure what OPG is thinking on that. i would have assumed $8-12.

[Aman619]

but they are classic Silver Age books!!!

[sfilosa]

well, if you assume your buyers assume an ebay overgrade... they're bidding on these as if they're VGs

 

Nobody assumes books on eBay are overgraded.

[the blob]

personally, when i buy i like this auto-assume overgrade. i have some sellers who usually undergrade and i pick up nice stuff. they have repeat customers who are thinking the same thing, so i don't always make out like a bandit, but have picked up a lot of stuff undergraded by a grade or half (e.g., NMs listed as VF+ or VF/NM), and his VG is usually a solid Fine, Fine is usually a solid VF, etc.

 

when i sell, i'm not too happy about it.

[Fan4Fan]

Oh, I know. I've been selling comics on eBay going on 9 years. It's just whenever I buy a comic, it seems to go for near guide. And when I sell, it goes for less than half. If only I could find the great deals that my customers are finding.

 

Obviously, you need to bid on your own auctions...

[ninanina]

Just a thought....

 

....if Overstreet reacted to what books were selling for on e-bay (and I don't really think that would be a good idea as I'm one of those that don't consider what books sell for on e-bay to be a true indicator of what a book is worth) I'm just wondering if these same comics would still sell for a fraction of guide as they are doing now. I am just thinking many buyers/bidders would simply bid up to a certain percentage of guide, regardless of where the guide value is now or what it woud/could be if Overstreet reacts to e-bay pricing.

[Rob]

Just a thought....

 

....if Overstreet reacted to what books were selling for on e-bay (and I don't really think that would be a good idea as I'm one of those that don't consider what books sell for on e-bay to be a true indicator of what a book is worth) I'm just wondering if these same comics would still sell for a fraction of guide as they are doing now. I am just thinking many buyers/bidders would simply bid up to a certain percentage of guide, regardless of where the guide value is now or what it woud/could be if Overstreet reacts to e-bay pricing.

 

Yeah, I mentioned this same point in a thread a few weeks ago. Overstreet has an obligation to maintain this inaccuracy in pricing. Otherwise, the whole market would crumble. Assuming collectors automatically buy at 50% guide, Overstreet would hurt the actual values of comics by reducing guide. That $20 comic that sells for $10, would sell for $5 if they lowered guide to $10.

[sfilosa]

Yeah, I mentioned this same point in a thread a few weeks ago. Overstreet has an obligation to maintain this inaccuracy in pricing. Otherwise, the whole market would crumble.

 

That makes no sense.

 

I thought we lived in a free market economy.

[jbud73]

Herb,

 

I think Donut was eluding to the fact that Ebay or no, these books do not move at guide (the Spectres) in mid grade.

 

Hows the snow

[october]

eBay does not equal the whole market, so why should Overstreet adjust their values? The same book that sells for 35% guide on eBay might sell for 65% guide at a show or 90% guide at a store. What is the actual value then? I am not arguing that non-key midgrades are overvalued in OS...I think they are. I am just not sure that OS is as far off as people around here constatly say.

[sfilosa]

Guide value should be the AVERAGE of what collectors are willing to pay for a book. If the book is a common book then eBay sales, Convention sales, LCS sales, etc. should be combined to get to GUIDE PRICE.

 

That said, it is very rare indeed when people pay guide or above for common issues in mid-grade unless they ABSOLUTELY have the book right then. Should that sale be factored in, of course, but that NOW be considered GUIDE.

 

As much as we all grew up using Overstreet Price Guide, there was not any year where I can remember where some advisors thought that mid-grade books shouldn't be lower.

 

And more so, if you go to a convention and there are BOXES AND BOXES of MID-GRADE books NOT SELLING at guide or slightly less, then that means GUIDE IS TOO HIGH. Most of these books don't get ANY ATTENTION (unlike true HG which will at least get attention even if the price is very high).