Is Con selling easier then on-line sales?

[1Cool]

When you consider the time it takes to scan, post, ship out a large collection would you say its easier to just sell your books at a couple cons over the year. I realize most sellers (especially the ones doing it full-time) use a mix of on-line sales and cons to move books but is one venue easier then the other?

 

I've heard con buyers tend to not really care about grading as much which must make it easier to sell a lot of fairly priced books compared to venues like the boards or even on E-Bay.

 

For discussion purposes lets say grading time is equal between the two options and the cost in fees to sell are equal (E-Bay fees equal the cost to travel and set up at the cons). So does standing around selling books at the cons equate to the time necessary to sell on-line?

 

Managing your own website seems like the goal of most sellers but it must be a ton of work to keep a website running and up-to-date so anyone want to discuss the time spent selling at cons vs selling via your own web site?

[RCheli]

Well, think of it this way. At cons, you have to have everything ready. You need everything bagged and boarded and priced. You need it to be alphabetized and presentable. You need to figure out what is worthy of being in a box and what's on the wall (or on another display). Then you have to figure out what other people are selling the same thing for (and figure out if you have to adjust your price accordingly).

 

If I bring 25 long boxes to a show, I hope to come home with 21 or 22. (But at least 2 of those are dollar books). That's a lot of loading and unloading.

 

Overall, it's nice to sell a lot of stuff at one time. But it's also a lot easier not having to do all the other stuff involved in setting up at a con.

[Dale Roberts]

I thought this post was a joke.

 

Have you ever spent a week or two getting your stuff ready for a convention, go rent a cargo van (or buy one), load the sucker up, drive for 12 hours, spend the night in a hotel, set up all day the day before the show opens, spend 12 hours on your feet answering "Do you have any Deadpool comics?, get back to the room early enough to collapse and do it again for 2 or 3 more days, before a load out in which you sit in line for an hour or two and then load all your back into the van, and drive 4 hours to a hotel, and drive back 8 more hours the next day, only to get to unload the van again, go inside, and try to get caught up on the week you got behind while you were gone?

 

Yeah, that's much easier than sitting on your butt in front of a computer, scanning books, printing out paypal, and scheduling a pick up from the post office.

[1Cool]

Well, think of it this way. At cons, you have to have everything ready. You need everything bagged and boarded and priced. You need it to be alphabetized and presentable. You need to figure out what is worthy of being in a box and what's on the wall (or on another display). Then you have to figure out what other people are selling the same thing for (and figure out if you have to adjust your price accordingly).

 

If I bring 25 long boxes to a show, I hope to come home with 21 or 22. (But at least 2 of those are dollar books). That's a lot of loading and unloading.

 

Overall, it's nice to sell a lot of stuff at one time. But it's also a lot easier not having to do all the other stuff involved in setting up at a con.

 

Lets say you sell $10,000 worth of books at a show do you think you put in more work then it would take to sell $10,000 worth of books on e-bay or the boards considering all that goes into one of those mega sales threads?

[Xela]

craigslist ads win then

[gcstomp]

Cons are great for moving bulk that you have no interest in scanning/shipping. Ever see Earl Shaw and his $5 boxes? He moves tonnage, people lined up shoulder to shoulder trying to make piles. CGC moves better online.

 

I am reading the question as which is the most efficient method to move product. Certainly nothing easy to set up at a show. I deal in trades and after a large show I am wrecked for days afterwards physically.

[1Cool]

I thought this post was a joke.

 

Have you ever spent a week or two getting your stuff ready for a convention, go rent a cargo van (or buy one), load the sucker up, drive for 12 hours, spend the night in a hotel, set up all day the day before the show opens, spend 12 hours on your feet answering "Do you have any Deadpool comics?, get back to the room early enough to collapse and do it again for 2 or 3 more days, before a load out in which you sit in line for an hour or two and then load all your back into the van, and drive 4 hours to a hotel, and drive back 8 more hours the next day, only to get to unload the van again, go inside, and try to get caught up on the week you got behind while you were gone?

 

Yeah, that's much easier than sitting on your butt in front of a computer, scanning books, printing out paypal, and scheduling a pick up from the post office.

 

Nope, never done that before. Definetely sounds like a lot more physical work compared to the time necessary to sell books on the boards (E-Bay). I did talk to a couple sellers at the Akron Con and they gave up their brick and mortar store to concentrate on Con selling since its a lot more fluid and "fun" to them. They didn't have half the booth material you have Dale so maybe its fun until you get big enough to make it all a pain.

[gcstomp]

BTW, have any Deadpool?

[Dale Roberts]

Well, think of it this way. At cons, you have to have everything ready. You need everything bagged and boarded and priced. You need it to be alphabetized and presentable. You need to figure out what is worthy of being in a box and what's on the wall (or on another display). Then you have to figure out what other people are selling the same thing for (and figure out if you have to adjust your price accordingly).

 

If I bring 25 long boxes to a show, I hope to come home with 21 or 22. (But at least 2 of those are dollar books). That's a lot of loading and unloading.

 

Overall, it's nice to sell a lot of stuff at one time. But it's also a lot easier not having to do all the other stuff involved in setting up at a con.

 

Lets say you sell $10,000 worth of books at a show do you think you put in more work then it would take to sell $10,000 worth of books on e-bay or the boards considering all that goes into one of those mega sales threads?

 

Well, if you want to look at it as a financial comparison, then you have to take into account different things, like set up costs at the show. Lets be conservative and say $3000.00 for a convention. That doesn't take into account things like risk of damage on the road, or car trouble or an accident even.

 

Then you have the variables of how you price your books, what discounts you are selling at (either venue), competition, etc....

 

Its just not this simple, and really you are asking 2 different questions. First you start with easier, and then you start talking about financial.

 

You go to a typical comic show (pick your Wizard show) etc, and the number of comic dealers who sell 10K are few and far between. You've got to have some serious inventory or be selling at a serious discount. And if you are discounting the stuff that heavily, you would be just as well selling the stuff to a dealer, unless you are selling bulk book, and you might still be better off when you figure the costs of set up.

[Dale Roberts]

I thought this post was a joke.

 

Have you ever spent a week or two getting your stuff ready for a convention, go rent a cargo van (or buy one), load the sucker up, drive for 12 hours, spend the night in a hotel, set up all day the day before the show opens, spend 12 hours on your feet answering "Do you have any Deadpool comics?, get back to the room early enough to collapse and do it again for 2 or 3 more days, before a load out in which you sit in line for an hour or two and then load all your back into the van, and drive 4 hours to a hotel, and drive back 8 more hours the next day, only to get to unload the van again, go inside, and try to get caught up on the week you got behind while you were gone?

 

Yeah, that's much easier than sitting on your butt in front of a computer, scanning books, printing out paypal, and scheduling a pick up from the post office.

 

Nope, never done that before. Definetely sounds like a lot more physical work compared to the time necessary to sell books on the boards (E-Bay). I did talk to a couple sellers at the Akron Con and they gave up their brick and mortar store to concentrate on Con selling since its a lot more fluid and "fun" to them. They didn't have half the booth material you have Dale so maybe its fun until you get big enough to make it all a pain.

 

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy what I do. And normally, the money is worth it. But I talk to small dealers every show who just don't get it, and those guys may do it for the fun, and some of them may be single and don't care to be away from family, etc. And that's fine, if that's how you choose to spend your time.

 

But there is nothing "easy" about it. Its a job. Its probably easier than digging ditches, and the money can be good (after you pay some serious dues).

 

A large part of setting up at conventions is to make long term customers, and to have access to inventory for buying. If you were simply doing it based on what you sell at a given convention, it probably would not be worth while. If you are going to set up once every two or three years, then maybe, but you are constantly trying to restock desirable inventory. If you don't, you will sell decent your first show, and decline every show after that, so that whatever profit you made in the first one, is eaten up in expenses by the end.

[Dale Roberts]

Cons are great for moving bulk that you have no interest in scanning/shipping. Ever see Earl Shaw and his $5 boxes? He moves tonnage, people lined up shoulder to shoulder trying to make piles. CGC moves better online.

 

I am reading the question as which is the most efficient method to move product. Certainly nothing easy to set up at a show. I deal in trades and after a large show I am wrecked for days afterwards physically.

 

I bought a couple of big trade paper back deals once or twice, but the weight of the boxes is crazy. I am not sure you could stay healthy long term lifting those sorts of boxes all the time.

[anstettoman]

i live in buffalo NY and with one major show per year (some may dispute this) which is in October (Queen city comic con) i choose to set up at this one only and after paying for the tables, paying my help (my 2 sons and nephew) with breakfast/ lunch and some spending money after the fact, borrowing a truck loading and then the return trip to net somewhere around $500-$700 after expenses you certainly aren't doing this because it makes you a lot of money but It can be some bonding time with your family (which is priceless).

 

But to answer the original question I just put up some books on craigs list and when the buyer was thru I not only sold $80 of cheap books but $600 worth of con stock as well so you never know. this scenario was certainly a lot less work for the same amt of "profit" as a day at the show.

[youmechooz]

When you consider the time it takes to scan, post, ship out a large collection would you say its easier to just sell your books at a couple cons over the year. I realize most sellers (especially the ones doing it full-time) use a mix of on-line sales and cons to move books but is one venue easier then the other?

 

I've heard con buyers tend to not really care about grading as much which must make it easier to sell a lot of fairly priced books compared to venues like the boards or even on E-Bay.

 

For discussion purposes lets say grading time is equal between the two options and the cost in fees to sell are equal (E-Bay fees equal the cost to travel and set up at the cons). So does standing around selling books at the cons equate to the time necessary to sell on-line?

 

Managing your own website seems like the goal of most sellers but it must be a ton of work to keep a website running and up-to-date so anyone want to discuss the time spent selling at cons vs selling via your own web site?

Depends on what you have. Cheap $2 books, con's are easier. Books like dale's, probably easier online. I made the switch because 1 weekend at a con is what i do in a month of ebay.

[youmechooz]

Cons are great for moving bulk that you have no interest in scanning/shipping. Ever see Earl Shaw and his $5 boxes? He moves tonnage, people lined up shoulder to shoulder trying to make piles. CGC moves better online.

 

I am reading the question as which is the most efficient method to move product. Certainly nothing easy to set up at a show. I deal in trades and after a large show I am wrecked for days afterwards physically.

Earl definitely moves books. people who dont get dealer badges for a show he's at will never understand what a deal is when buying from earl before a show opens. You going to start doing wizards or what?

[Vikingreed]

"spend 12 hours on your feet answering "Do you have any Deadpool comics?"

 

 

I actually did laugh out loud.

 

[Buzzetta]

I set up as a charity thing two years ago. That wasn't even a comic show. That in itself was tougher than doing it from home. I scan a book once then I can put it away until it sells.

[toytastik]

There is no easy way to make money. Which is what I think the point of this thread is. Selling anywhere takes a lot of effort and determination. You need to be good at customer service, know how to bite your tongue or constrain your typing fingers. You also need to care about perception and how you market yourself.

[Dale Roberts]

There is no easy way to make money. Which is what I think the point of this thread is. Selling anywhere takes a lot of effort and determination. You need to be good at customer service, know how to bite your tongue or constrain your typing fingers. You also need to care about perception and how you market yourself.

 

 

This

[VintageComics]

I thought this post was a joke.

 

Have you ever spent a week or two getting your stuff ready for a convention, go rent a cargo van (or buy one), load the sucker up, drive for 12 hours, spend the night in a hotel, set up all day the day before the show opens, spend 12 hours on your feet answering "Do you have any Deadpool comics?, get back to the room early enough to collapse and do it again for 2 or 3 more days, before a load out in which you sit in line for an hour or two and then load all your back into the van, and drive 4 hours to a hotel, and drive back 8 more hours the next day, only to get to unload the van again, go inside, and try to get caught up on the week you got behind while you were gone?

 

Yeah, that's much easier than sitting on your butt in front of a computer, scanning books, printing out paypal, and scheduling a pick up from the post office.

 

Agreed. I'd rather scan books in my polka dot undies than put in a weekend at a show.

[Xela]

would you ever do an international show like London, Dale?