Is Con selling easier then on-line sales?

[RCheli]

Doing shows, what is your percentage of profit after purchase of book, table space, employee wages, if used, gas, rentals (van and/or hotel) or flight fare, food, etc.?

 

It really all depends on what you sell.

 

For the most part, dollar books are all profit. When I buy a collection, I pull out the good stuff -- wall books, close to wall books, and priced stock -- and then the rest goes to dollar.

 

You can make your money back right away with the wall/priced stock. which covers the cost of the buy. And then some. So the dollar books are all gravy. So the more you sell of those, the bigger your profit margin.

 

Wall books are often the ones with the lowest profit margin. You're sometimes buying a $150 comic for $130 or $120. Or a $1000 book for $900.

[1Cool]

Doing shows, what is your percentage of profit after purchase of book, table space, employee wages, if used, gas, rentals (van and/or hotel) or flight fare, food, etc.?

 

It really all depends on what you sell.

 

For the most part, dollar books are all profit. When I buy a collection, I pull out the good stuff -- wall books, close to wall books, and priced stock -- and then the rest goes to dollar.

 

You can make your money back right away with the wall/priced stock. which covers the cost of the buy. And then some. So the dollar books are all gravy. So the more you sell of those, the bigger your profit margin.

 

Wall books are often the ones with the lowest profit margin. You're sometimes buying a $150 comic for $130 or $120. Or a $1000 book for $900.

 

I hear a lot of dealers talking about selling 10x their total expenses to set up at a con. So that translates to a 10% "fee" for all sales at the con. Your profit would be directly related to the price you paid and sold the books but your expense is 10% in that scenario. I guess as long as you can sell your books at the cons for more then you can via sites like E-Bay then you will make out since E-Bay also charges a 10% fee to sell your books.

[youmechooz]

I need to work smarter. Reading Foolkiller say "I pay someone to carry my books, drive the van and basically do all the labor." while also stating he does "only" 15k at the show to public, the much larger percent to dealers blows my mind.

 

I deal mostly in trades/hc's. Dozens of boxes. A box of absolutes can weigh 60 lbs. Last year at Mega I was offered a deal too good to pass, a couple of hundred DC HC Archives at $5 each, I sell those at 1/2 cover with some going online fo good coin, and I tend to move piles so I cant pass that up, right? Blew out both back tires on trip home. Following few days after show I had crazy back spasms, could barely get out of bed. I solo everything.

 

I will start to slowly try to transition to Foolkiller model as I dont want a massive coronary event at some point.

At magic city, that guy mike had 2 dudes setting up for him. Some expediting service.

[gcstomp]

I know Crazy Ed always has a few helpers who move everything around. And I mean everything. Crazy has some health issues, as well as some sort of power complex, as I usually hear him yelling some crazy stuff at his help.

 

Very different world, but who knows, when I get to that point age and health wise I may be him. He definitely has a strong sales drive which I admire, anyone within reach will be drawn in for some experience. I do the low key type of "Look around, let me know if I can help you" while others have that abc killer approach of keep pushing until they buy or walk away.

 

 

[Junkdrawer]

Selling vs Buying is far more challenging. Buying is easy. Just simply hand over the money for whatever it is you so desire. Selling on the other hand is work. Its costly in both time and there is an expense of attracting buyers to your outlet. You can sell online or through auction houses and PAY fees. Set up at flea markets and specific shows, but PAY for table space, afford your time, expect theft and damages. You can even open a brick and mortar shop and PAY rent and other expenses involved. There is no easy way to sell without an expense involved. I highly recommend being diversified as a seller. Have multiple outlets and networks for your comic books. Know what books are better off to put on ebay, where to sell OA, What bunk is best for your cheapo bins at the show or shop. Have a guy that buys bunk in bulk on hand. Sell here on the boards, open a brick and mortar, do a show, its all good and its all fun. Keep building a solid reputation in your field and your client base will ultimately grow as a result.

[ft88]

I'm a little too disorganized to sell at shows. And I don't have a posse of helpers I'd trust to do a bigger show like Baltimore. Online is pretty much the way to go for me. Keys sell here pretty easy as do common Bronze and SA (not to mention Gold) if priced right.

 

The big problem I have are the better than drek $1 to $4 books. The time to grade, scan, list, pack, label etc is inefficient compared to selling those same books at a show. It also depends on your passion and situation. With four little kids and a full time job, weekend time is valuable. The flexibility to sell on line is invaluable. There's just too many sport events and birthday parties to attend. Not to mention every little household chore that has to be done on Sat and Sun. A three day show and the preparation for that? Just can't do it.

 

Grade, scan, list, pack, label for two hours on a Sunday evening - why not. List 100 books or lots valued at $2000 and sell half. Pretty straight forward to me. A lot of those "extras" Dale and others mentioned have huge costs in terms of time, money, and stress etc. All that goes away selling online. At the cost of dealing with returns and the postal system. I also lose out on some of the meetups and friendships developed by meeting in person.

 

[skypinkblu]

I know Crazy Ed always has a few helpers who move everything around. And I mean everything. Crazy has some health issues, as well as some sort of power complex, as I usually hear him yelling some crazy stuff at his help.

 

Very different world, but who knows, when I get to that point age and health wise I may be him. He definitely has a strong sales drive which I admire, anyone within reach will be drawn in for some experience. I do the low key type of "Look around, let me know if I can help you" while others have that abc killer approach of keep pushing until they buy or walk away.

 

 

I got drawn in twice...ever since I skip whatever row he's in just to avoid him. So if you sell next door, I never get to see your booth;)

[kimik]

Doing shows, what is your percentage of profit after purchase of book, table space, employee wages, if used, gas, rentals (van and/or hotel) or flight fare, food, etc.?

 

It really all depends on what you sell.

 

For the most part, dollar books are all profit. When I buy a collection, I pull out the good stuff -- wall books, close to wall books, and priced stock -- and then the rest goes to dollar.

 

You can make your money back right away with the wall/priced stock. which covers the cost of the buy. And then some. So the dollar books are all gravy. So the more you sell of those, the bigger your profit margin.

 

Wall books are often the ones with the lowest profit margin. You're sometimes buying a $150 comic for $130 or $120. Or a $1000 book for $900.

 

I take a slightly different approach re: collections. I blow out the low grade/extremely slow selling books in dollar boxes (most are worth $4 - $10, some a bit more, in the OSPG) and the higher grade common GA/SA/BA books first to make my money back and generate a small profit fast. I sit on the keys/wall books for a year or two (or longer) if possible to generate a larger profit. The keys/wall books appreciate in value faster than the common books so it makes more sense to me to keep them for a bit before selling.

 

Besides, my wife would rather have 5 long boxes of keys/high demand books in storage in the house than 20 longs of commons.

 

I do agree with Brian/foolkiller re: selling to dealers being a good way to move books in volume. I usually take in my common/minor key show stock a couple of times a year to my file LCS. They can use the books as they have a strong back issue business, and freeing up the cash allows me to buy new books.

[Timmay]

I know Crazy Ed always has a few helpers who move everything around. And I mean everything. Crazy has some health issues, as well as some sort of power complex, as I usually hear him yelling some crazy stuff at his help.

 

Very different world, but who knows, when I get to that point age and health wise I may be him. He definitely has a strong sales drive which I admire, anyone within reach will be drawn in for some experience. I do the low key type of "Look around, let me know if I can help you" while others have that abc killer approach of keep pushing until they buy or walk away.

 

 

I got drawn in twice...ever since I skip whatever row he's in just to avoid him. So if you sell next door, I never get to see your booth;)

 

Don't make eye contact and you will be ok.

[ChiSoxFan]

I know Crazy Ed always has a few helpers who move everything around. And I mean everything. Crazy has some health issues, as well as some sort of power complex, as I usually hear him yelling some crazy stuff at his help.

 

Very different world, but who knows, when I get to that point age and health wise I may be him. He definitely has a strong sales drive which I admire, anyone within reach will be drawn in for some experience. I do the low key type of "Look around, let me know if I can help you" while others have that abc killer approach of keep pushing until they buy or walk away.

 

 

Five or six years ago, I had set up at a local show that Crazy Ed had traveled to, and I was situated across from him. He enlisted a couple of patrons of my LCS to assist him -- and I think it's safe to say, the term "enlisted" was pretty apt, as he worked the two guys (who got free admission only, IIRC) like a drill sergeant busting in a pair of new recruits. He had the guys not only help with the set-up and the breakdown, but also with the running of the booth during the show.

 

I remember one of them coming over to my set-up with an exasperated look on his face about midway through and saying "I should have just paid to get in here."

 

I got drawn in twice...ever since I skip whatever row he's in just to avoid him.

 

My friend who set up with me and I got quite the entertainment watching him work. We had a front row seat and it was ... interesting ... to say the least.

[W16227]

I was definitely worried about this. I'm going to help out at a couple booths over the next couple months and I've got a "mentor" at Heroes that will help me set up and answer any of the questions that pop up. I'm sure I will stand out as a newbie seller at Heroes but hopefully that will entice the big sharks to come grab some books. I never seem to have any issues selling books on the boards so I'm hoping that translates over to doing well at a Con.

 

the important thing is - do you have any deadpools???

 

 

 

Seriously though - big thanks to all for posting experiences and opinions with respect to this subject. It is great to see the different elements that go into selling at the different levels of shows (flea market/ small local /BIG shows).

 

Full timers - you get nothing bur respect from me with the hoops you have to jump through to make a living at this.

 

 

[thehumantorch]

I know Crazy Ed always has a few helpers who move everything around. And I mean everything. Crazy has some health issues, as well as some sort of power complex, as I usually hear him yelling some crazy stuff at his help.

 

Very different world, but who knows, when I get to that point age and health wise I may be him. He definitely has a strong sales drive which I admire, anyone within reach will be drawn in for some experience. I do the low key type of "Look around, let me know if I can help you" while others have that abc killer approach of keep pushing until they buy or walk away.

 

 

We have a couple guys who help us almost every show. They're happy to do it in exchange for getting early and at no cost and we take them out for supper afterwards.

[youmechooz]

Doing shows, what is your percentage of profit after purchase of book, table space, employee wages, if used, gas, rentals (van and/or hotel) or flight fare, food, etc.?

 

It really all depends on what you sell.

 

For the most part, dollar books are all profit. When I buy a collection, I pull out the good stuff -- wall books, close to wall books, and priced stock -- and then the rest goes to dollar.

 

You can make your money back right away with the wall/priced stock. which covers the cost of the buy. And then some. So the dollar books are all gravy. So the more you sell of those, the bigger your profit margin.

 

Wall books are often the ones with the lowest profit margin. You're sometimes buying a $150 comic for $130 or $120. Or a $1000 book for $900.

 

I take a slightly different approach re: collections. I blow out the low grade/extremely slow selling books in dollar boxes (most are worth $4 - $10, some a bit more, in the OSPG) and the higher grade common GA/SA/BA books first to make my money back and generate a small profit fast. I sit on the keys/wall books for a year or two (or longer) if possible to generate a larger profit. The keys/wall books appreciate in value faster than the common books so it makes more sense to me to keep them for a bit before selling.

 

Besides, my wife would rather have 5 long boxes of keys/high demand books in storage in the house than 20 longs of commons.

 

I do agree with Brian/foolkiller re: selling to dealers being a good way to move books in volume. I usually take in my common/minor key show stock a couple of times a year to my file LCS. They can use the books as they have a strong back issue business, and freeing up the cash allows me to buy new books.

+1

My $1/$2 books pay for the collections plus give profit and keys are all profit, if bought with collections.

[NewWorldOrder]

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.

 

Welcome to how life and living should be.

 

70 degree weather!

[Xela]

I know Crazy Ed always has a few helpers who move everything around. And I mean everything. Crazy has some health issues, as well as some sort of power complex, as I usually hear him yelling some crazy stuff at his help.

 

Very different world, but who knows, when I get to that point age and health wise I may be him. He definitely has a strong sales drive which I admire, anyone within reach will be drawn in for some experience. I do the low key type of "Look around, let me know if I can help you" while others have that abc killer approach of keep pushing until they buy or walk away.

 

 

We have a couple guys who help us almost every show. They're happy to do it in exchange for getting early and at no cost and we take them out for supper afterwards.

 

thats a great deal... no queuing!

[ChicksCosmiComics]

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.

 

Welcome to how life and living should be.

 

70 degree weather!

 

I don't know man I just spent the entire day scanning and pricing books, then at the end I realized I screwed up the names half way into the process I only got somewhere between 500 to another 2000 to go if I make it that far. I got a comfy chair but its only comfortable for so long.

[kimik]

I was definitely worried about this. I'm going to help out at a couple booths over the next couple months and I've got a "mentor" at Heroes that will help me set up and answer any of the questions that pop up. I'm sure I will stand out as a newbie seller at Heroes but hopefully that will entice the big sharks to come grab some books. I never seem to have any issues selling books on the boards so I'm hoping that translates over to doing well at a Con.

 

the important thing is - do you have any deadpools???

 

 

 

Seriously though - big thanks to all for posting experiences and opinions with respect to this subject. It is great to see the different elements that go into selling at the different levels of shows (flea market/ small local /BIG shows).

 

Full timers - you get nothing bur respect from me with the hoops you have to jump through to make a living at this.

 

 

Don't knock Deadpool - Harley and Deadpool are steady sellers at cons and will cover your costs and generate a profit. All you have to do is keep putting them out on the table.

[W16227]

 

Don't knock Deadpool - Harley and Deadpool are steady sellers at cons and will cover your costs and generate a profit. All you have to do is keep putting them out on the table.

 

no knocking on DP at all!!! --- was a bit of an inside joke for the OP

 

 

 

[Jaylam]

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.

 

Welcome to how life and living should be.

 

70 degree weather!

 

I prefer buying at Cons, especially raw books. I can see what I'm looking at first hand before I plunk my money down. If I see any problems, I can try to negotiate or just back out right there. No hassle with re-packaging, return postage and waiting on a refund.

[Lego]

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?

 

I don't know if this was mentioned, but $10,000 at a single show is pretty astonishing. There are a handful of dealers who make that kind of money, but the smaller shows probably don't have that sort of clientele or even the stock.

 

Ideally, I like to make eight to ten times my expenses (table/booth, van rental, food, gas, etc). Because I only do smaller one-day shows, this is very doable. I just don't have the stock to do $10,000 worth of business. (Unless somebody comes up and buys me out completely. I'd love that.)

 

I've only gotten sales numbers from a couple people at the few local cons I've attended and most of them seem to be in the $8,000 - $10,000 range. I kind of assumed that was the general sales range for most of the larger dealers at the larger cons. Sounds like my figure could be a bit high. I plan on setting up at Heroes for the first time so I guess I'll get some real world data then.

Might be tough using heroes for data. Ive heard of dudes going with high grade silver keys and high grade hot "keys" coming home disappointed from sales.

Yea - I'm amassing a nice selection of cheaper Deadpool and Harley for that show since I hear they do well down south. It's all hit or miss especially my first con so I'm just going into it as a learning experience.

 

Heroes is an art show, first and foremost... I rarely see a lot of books moving around the floor.