Chuck explains his Mile High pricing

[dupont2005]

Nope, not me specifically. I'm trying to understand what makes Chuck so significantly different than many, many people in the marketplace?

Nothing. Except some people think he's a business genius, a pillar of the community, and a person to be respected.

 

Anyone saying that about random eBay sellers?

 

Who said that?

That he's a business genius, that he's essential to the hobby, and that those of us who don't understand must have zero business experience? A couple people in this very thread. As recently as a couple pages back.

[FlyingDonut]

Was curious at a price of a book so I looked for a JLA #1. They have one in stock in VG condition for $5880. I really didn't need to look at pricing for any other books after that.

 

 

Or you could buy four in that grade from this guy and have a grand left over.

[Dano]

Was curious at a price of a book so I looked for a JLA #1. They have one in stock in VG condition for $5880. I really didn't need to look at pricing for any other books after that.

 

 

Or you could buy four in that grade from this guy and have a grand left over.

 

 

Dan

[shadroch]

Nope, not me specifically. I'm trying to understand what makes Chuck so significantly different than many, many people in the marketplace?

Nothing. Except some people think he's a business genius, a pillar of the community, and a person to be respected.

 

Anyone saying that about random eBay sellers?

 

Who said that?

That he's a business genius, that he's essential to the hobby, and that those of us who don't understand must have zero business experience? A couple people in this very thread. As recently as a couple pages back.

 

I said it, and I'll say it again. Chuck is a wizard at creative financing. Forget the Church collection. Just examine the MH2 collection. He outmaneuvered dozens of other buyers and managed to pay cash for it without using a dime of his own money. He was GIVEN the Dallas Stephans collection to sell without laying out a dime, when others were offering six figures of cash for it.

I have no idea how much business experience anyone has but even my investment banker friends have been impressed by his ability to turn a deal.

[ttfitz]

 

A spouse. A parent. A son or daughter. Someone looking to make someone happy. They're getting burned. How would you feel if your wife bought you a special gift from Milehigh, paid $1600 or so, for some milestone. A wedding anniversary, a retirement, it was a significant cost. It was a surprise, and she CANNOT WAIT for you to open it. When you do, it's a $5 comic.

 

Yes, this indeed would be a bad thing. If it ever actually happened.

 

5 years ago, my wife was deciding upon a comic book wedding anniversary present for me. She initially decided against the internet, as she wanted to see the book in person. She got concerned I wouldn't like what she would get, and was afraid to dump 1K plus on a book that wouldn't make me happy. So she told me, and sought my advice. She nearly went to our local Mile High and I'm so damn glad she didn't.

 

Got some sweet OA online from my sweet better half.

 

Dan

 

 

So, (1) your wife didn't make such a purchase, and (2) nothing you have said here suggests that she nearly purchased a $5 book from MH for $1600.

 

Nobody's saying that you're going to get a good deal from MH, particularly on high priced stuff.

[BarryAllen]

He's deserving of criticism, but I'm simply arguing that I think the criticism he gets is disproportionate, and I'm intrigued by it. Smells really butthurty.

 

But how many others are making videos and putting them out there in the public? Is it really disproportionate when you specifically take actions that invite criticism?

 

It has been the same story around here with Chuck, long before he was posting videos. Heck, it was long before youtube even existed.

 

I can't speak to that. But it certainly seems like the things he currently does do invite strong opinions. Way more than the average bad apple on ebay.

 

The whole point of the thread was to criticize Chuck because of his antics...

 

He gets more of it because he literally asks for it. I guarantee he would be pleased by this discussion on the whole because I am sure he subscribes to the: "there is no such thing as bad publicity" mentality.

 

Sure there are lots of people out there fleecing people. But only one claiming to be the king and using this particular brand of "sales/marketing" (using the terms loosely due to his unsavory grading and pricing practices) and tactics.

[ttfitz]

 

A spouse. A parent. A son or daughter. Someone looking to make someone happy. They're getting burned. How would you feel if your wife bought you a special gift from Milehigh, paid $1600 or so, for some milestone. A wedding anniversary, a retirement, it was a significant cost. It was a surprise, and she CANNOT WAIT for you to open it. When you do, it's a $5 comic.

 

Yes, this indeed would be a bad thing. If it ever actually happened.

Let's just hope it never does, but if we assume he's EVER sold ANYTHING with a pricetag that high in his shop, it happened. That's the only way it could possibly happen.

 

So considering Chuck's been in business before I was a glimmer in my father's eye, it's pretty safe to assume it's happened. And will again, if he's to remain in business. His business model simply does not work without this happening.

 

So you are saying if he has ever sold anything that costs $1600 at MH, it has been a $5 book to some poor, unsuspecting loved one? Really? And you base this on....?

 

Sure, he's got ridiculous pricing on his stuff for the most part, but that sort of thing is well beyond what anyone has ever stated before, so I'd love to see an example.

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

We want, we need people to become collectors. Not only to ensure the hobby lives on, but also for anything you own to be worth anything when you sell it. Whatever your motivation, collectors needs collectors. Chuck makes collecting unattractive.

 

Let's just talk about this part, right here.

 

I don't want, and I don't need anyone to "become (a) collector." I am perfectly happy to be the only collector, or just one of a few, because I love the artform for the sake of the artform.

 

I don't NEED or WANT what I already own to be "worth anything", because it's not about the damn money. I cannot now, and will probably never, be able to complete a collection of Batman from Tec #27 up. I cannot do it, because I cannot afford it. Why? "Other collectors."

 

I miss the days when I could find a nice Batman #232 and pay $10 for it. I miss the days when Batman #121 was a $50 book. When FF #45 was a $30 book. When Hulk #271 was a $1 book. The only thing that the expansion of the market did was bring more exposure to what was out there, but the internet would have done that anyway.

 

Those who have done real damage to this industry are predatory venture capitalists like Ron Perlman and Steve Massarsky, and idjit speculators who have not one damn concern in the world for the artform...all they see is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and drive the prices up for everyone.

 

Whoopee!

 

The greatest thing that EVER HAPPENED in this industry, from MY perspective, was the mid 90's crash...by 2001, all of those books that were unattainable to me suddenly appeared, everywhere, and I was thrilled. I only wish I had more money to buy even more when I could.

 

Now...we're back to la-la madness land.

 

No, Chuck is HARDLY "doing damage."

 

See guys, I was looking for a well-constructed argument like this to explain how Chuck was hurting people.

No, you wanted an argument to explain how Chuck was hurting you specifically. We all know anyone unlucky enough to be suckered into buying anything significant on his website or in his store is being hurt, even if they never realize it. And who do you think wanders into Milehigh wanting to buy a severely overpriced low grade raw copy of some Bronze Age Iron Man or Daredevil?

 

A spouse. A parent. A son or daughter. Someone looking to make someone happy. They're getting burned. How would you feel if your wife bought you a special gift from Milehigh, paid $1600 or so, for some milestone. A wedding anniversary, a retirement, it was a significant cost. It was a surprise, and she CANNOT WAIT for you to open it. When you do, it's a $5 comic.

 

And...?

 

Serves the wife right for being foolish with her money.

 

It is the era of the internet. If someone is not going to do literally 30 seconds worth of research, a fool and his money.....

 

Nobody, but NOBODY who is not completely broke or filthy rich, buys something without doing a modicum of research about whether it's a good buy or not.

 

"Won't someone PLEASE think of the CHILDREN!!" has meaning, because it expresses the nannying attitude that leads people to do actual, real damage to those they perceive as "perpetrators", in the hopes of "protecting" a hypothetical "customer" from being ripped off.

 

You know what? Sometimes, we NEED to be ripped off. When that happens, then we REALLY understand the value of money, and do our homework before buying.

 

Your time and energy would be much, much better spent educating the public, rather than trying to protect them.

 

If I value my Comic X at $5,000, and someone wants to buy it from me for that price, I'm going to sell it to them for that price. It does not matter if they can go down the street and buy it for $10, because that is what *I* value Comic X to be worth to me..

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

We want, we need people to become collectors. Not only to ensure the hobby lives on, but also for anything you own to be worth anything when you sell it. Whatever your motivation, collectors needs collectors. Chuck makes collecting unattractive.

 

Let's just talk about this part, right here.

 

I don't want, and I don't need anyone to "become (a) collector." I am perfectly happy to be the only collector, or just one of a few, because I love the artform for the sake of the artform.

 

I don't NEED or WANT what I already own to be "worth anything", because it's not about the damn money. I cannot now, and will probably never, be able to complete a collection of Batman from Tec #27 up. I cannot do it, because I cannot afford it. Why? "Other collectors."

 

I miss the days when I could find a nice Batman #232 and pay $10 for it. I miss the days when Batman #121 was a $50 book. When FF #45 was a $30 book. When Hulk #271 was a $1 book. The only thing that the expansion of the market did was bring more exposure to what was out there, but the internet would have done that anyway.

 

Those who have done real damage to this industry are predatory venture capitalists like Ron Perlman and Steve Massarsky, and idjit speculators who have not one damn concern in the world for the artform...all they see is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and drive the prices up for everyone.

 

Whoopee!

 

The greatest thing that EVER HAPPENED in this industry, from MY perspective, was the mid 90's crash...by 2001, all of those books that were unattainable to me suddenly appeared, everywhere, and I was thrilled. I only wish I had more money to buy even more when I could.

 

Now...we're back to la-la madness land.

 

No, Chuck is HARDLY "doing damage."

 

Are you really this self-centered?

 

Yes, and so are you. And so is everyone.

 

Your "art-form" won't exist without collectors coming into the hobby each year to replace those that are lost. Or are you only worried about it until you die?

 

Oh, really? Tell me, before comic book "collecting" came about in the mid 60's, how did the artform (why in quotes? Do you think comic books aren't an artform?) survive from the 30's?

 

30 years, without organized fandom...maybe 100-200 actual collectors (as opposed to "accumulators") nationwide...and the artform went gangbusters, selling millions and millions of copies every month, to a public voracious for them?

 

How did that happen...?

 

 

I am hardly out on a limb here...

 

Do you just wait and argue for the sake of it?

 

No, and never have. Do you? Is there a reason why, on multiple occasions now, you keep trying to make these discussions personal?

 

Are you that insecure about your positions and ability to conduct yourself that you have to argue about the people, rather than the issues?

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

A spouse. A parent. A son or daughter. Someone looking to make someone happy. They're getting burned. How would you feel if your wife bought you a special gift from Milehigh, paid $1600 or so, for some milestone. A wedding anniversary, a retirement, it was a significant cost. It was a surprise, and she CANNOT WAIT for you to open it. When you do, it's a $5 comic.

 

The above post says it all

and for this very reason I have also noticed many unknowledgeable people will not buy older coins as a gift because they are afraid they are being ripped off

 

GOOD! That means they're cautious, and wary, as EVERY consumer should be! That is a wonderful, wonderful thing! It leads to a much, much more stable marketplace, which is healthy for everyone!

 

This is a GOOD thing!

 

It isn't an insurmountable barrier, but it should be a speed bump, so you spend your money wisely. That's how the market works best.

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

+1,000,000 Would the rest of you all stop collecting already, please? You're making my funny books too expensive.

 

That would suit me just fine.

 

 

EDIT: Though there is plenty of blame to assign to Chuck in this regards. After all his pricing of the Church collection was some of the earliest huge inflation in pricing.

 

Oh come on, now. Not you, too.

 

I don't need to explain the impact that the Church collection had on the market at the time, do I...?

 

What the hell, I will anyways.

 

In 1977, the comic book market was young, disorganized, and subject to the whims of technology that consisted of mimeographs, telephones, and the occasional TV soft news report.

 

The "big books" were quietly sitting in collections that hardly anyone but the owners knew about, and wouldn't see the light of day again for another 20-30 years or so. What was available on the market was low grade junk. People assumed that nearly all the choice GA material had been recycled (and, they weren't too far off.)

 

So, when the Church collection came to the market, it was, far and away, superior to everything available (and, of course, would remain so to this day.)

 

Chuck had the audacity to charge 1.5 to 2x OPG guide...how much was that? In 1978, the current GA book du jour, More Fun #73, was $240 in the OPG. Chuck would have charged $350-$500 for it. Granted, a ton bunch of money in an era when new books were 35 cents, but that very copy sold for $75,000 in 2012, a scant 35 years later.

 

Any way you slice it, the books, even at 2 or 3x OPG, were still one hell of a deal. The Action #1 sold for $22,000 in 1982. That book is worth $5,000,000 OR MORE in this market. Did Chuck rip people off? Could they have bought a similar quality Action #1 in 1982 for less...?

 

No.

 

Could they have bought similar quality ANYTHING in 1982 for less than Chuck was charging...?

 

Maybe for about 5% of the collection. Otherwise, no.

 

Chuck gave away those books, in hindsight.

 

Does that justify his prices today? No. But so what? There is no gun to anyone's head to pay his prices. And the best revenge any of his naysayers could EVER have is to simply choose not to do business with him. Problem succinctly solved.

 

And, if nothing else, Chuck rescued those books. Church's kids were actively throwing them out before he saved them. That's why there are gaps. No one else in the area even wanted to look.

 

 

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

We want, we need people to become collectors. Not only to ensure the hobby lives on, but also for anything you own to be worth anything when you sell it. Whatever your motivation, collectors needs collectors. Chuck makes collecting unattractive.

 

Let's just talk about this part, right here.

 

I don't want, and I don't need anyone to "become (a) collector." I am perfectly happy to be the only collector, or just one of a few, because I love the artform for the sake of the artform.

 

I don't NEED or WANT what I already own to be "worth anything", because it's not about the damn money. I cannot now, and will probably never, be able to complete a collection of Batman from Tec #27 up. I cannot do it, because I cannot afford it. Why? "Other collectors."

 

I miss the days when I could find a nice Batman #232 and pay $10 for it. I miss the days when Batman #121 was a $50 book. When FF #45 was a $30 book. When Hulk #271 was a $1 book. The only thing that the expansion of the market did was bring more exposure to what was out there, but the internet would have done that anyway.

 

Those who have done real damage to this industry are predatory venture capitalists like Ron Perlman and Steve Massarsky, and idjit speculators who have not one damn concern in the world for the artform...all they see is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and drive the prices up for everyone.

 

Whoopee!

 

The greatest thing that EVER HAPPENED in this industry, from MY perspective, was the mid 90's crash...by 2001, all of those books that were unattainable to me suddenly appeared, everywhere, and I was thrilled. I only wish I had more money to buy even more when I could.

 

Now...we're back to la-la madness land.

 

No, Chuck is HARDLY "doing damage."

 

You can criticize Perlman's voice acting for Clayface in Batman: The Animated Series all you want, but I take exception with your claim that he did real damage to the industry!

 

 

 

I've made the same joke to others.

 

Ron Perelman

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

A spouse. A parent. A son or daughter. Someone looking to make someone happy. They're getting burned. How would you feel if your wife bought you a special gift from Milehigh, paid $1600 or so, for some milestone. A wedding anniversary, a retirement, it was a significant cost. It was a surprise, and she CANNOT WAIT for you to open it. When you do, it's a $5 comic.

 

Yes, this indeed would be a bad thing. If it ever actually happened.

Let's just hope it never does, but if we assume he's EVER sold ANYTHING with a pricetag that high in his shop, it happened. That's the only way it could possibly happen.

 

So considering Chuck's been in business before I was a glimmer in my father's eye, it's pretty safe to assume it's happened. And will again, if he's to remain in business. His business model simply does not work without this happening.

 

So you are saying if he has ever sold anything that costs $1600 at MH, it has been a $5 book to some poor, unsuspecting loved one? Really? And you base this on....?

 

Sure, he's got ridiculous pricing on his stuff for the most part, but that sort of thing is well beyond what anyone has ever stated before, so I'd love to see an example.

 

You just don't understand. We must save people from even hypothetical ripoffs.

[dupont2005]

 

A spouse. A parent. A son or daughter. Someone looking to make someone happy. They're getting burned. How would you feel if your wife bought you a special gift from Milehigh, paid $1600 or so, for some milestone. A wedding anniversary, a retirement, it was a significant cost. It was a surprise, and she CANNOT WAIT for you to open it. When you do, it's a $5 comic.

 

Yes, this indeed would be a bad thing. If it ever actually happened.

Let's just hope it never does, but if we assume he's EVER sold ANYTHING with a pricetag that high in his shop, it happened. That's the only way it could possibly happen.

 

So considering Chuck's been in business before I was a glimmer in my father's eye, it's pretty safe to assume it's happened. And will again, if he's to remain in business. His business model simply does not work without this happening.

 

So you are saying if he has ever sold anything that costs $1600 at MH, it has been a $5 book to some poor, unsuspecting loved one? Really? And you base this on....?

 

Sure, he's got ridiculous pricing on his stuff for the most part, but that sort of thing is well beyond what anyone has ever stated before, so I'd love to see an example.

I'd say it was overvalued by about a thousand percent, certainly bought as a gift, and sold to someone who didn't know better, yes. I can't imagine him selling a high ticket item ANY other way. And there's an example of it almost happening right here in this thread.

[dupont2005]

A spouse. A parent. A son or daughter. Someone looking to make someone happy. They're getting burned. How would you feel if your wife bought you a special gift from Milehigh, paid $1600 or so, for some milestone. A wedding anniversary, a retirement, it was a significant cost. It was a surprise, and she CANNOT WAIT for you to open it. When you do, it's a $5 comic.

 

The above post says it all

and for this very reason I have also noticed many unknowledgeable people will not buy older coins as a gift because they are afraid they are being ripped off

 

GOOD! That means they're cautious, and wary, as EVERY consumer should be! That is a wonderful, wonderful thing! It leads to a much, much more stable marketplace, which is healthy for everyone!

 

This is a GOOD thing!

 

It isn't an insurmountable barrier, but it should be a speed bump, so you spend your money wisely. That's how the market works best.

It would also be a good thing if there were less pieces of mess in the collectibles business so some people could buy gifts without getting screwed. But whatever. He buys boxes of worthless drek so he must be a great guy. I'll make sure all my loved ones know to never buy me the thing I love most for any occasion ever.

[dupont2005]

 

We want, we need people to become collectors. Not only to ensure the hobby lives on, but also for anything you own to be worth anything when you sell it. Whatever your motivation, collectors needs collectors. Chuck makes collecting unattractive.

 

Let's just talk about this part, right here.

 

I don't want, and I don't need anyone to "become (a) collector." I am perfectly happy to be the only collector, or just one of a few, because I love the artform for the sake of the artform.

 

I don't NEED or WANT what I already own to be "worth anything", because it's not about the damn money. I cannot now, and will probably never, be able to complete a collection of Batman from Tec #27 up. I cannot do it, because I cannot afford it. Why? "Other collectors."

 

I miss the days when I could find a nice Batman #232 and pay $10 for it. I miss the days when Batman #121 was a $50 book. When FF #45 was a $30 book. When Hulk #271 was a $1 book. The only thing that the expansion of the market did was bring more exposure to what was out there, but the internet would have done that anyway.

 

Those who have done real damage to this industry are predatory venture capitalists like Ron Perlman and Steve Massarsky, and idjit speculators who have not one damn concern in the world for the artform...all they see is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ and drive the prices up for everyone.

 

Whoopee!

 

The greatest thing that EVER HAPPENED in this industry, from MY perspective, was the mid 90's crash...by 2001, all of those books that were unattainable to me suddenly appeared, everywhere, and I was thrilled. I only wish I had more money to buy even more when I could.

 

Now...we're back to la-la madness land.

 

No, Chuck is HARDLY "doing damage."

 

See guys, I was looking for a well-constructed argument like this to explain how Chuck was hurting people.

No, you wanted an argument to explain how Chuck was hurting you specifically. We all know anyone unlucky enough to be suckered into buying anything significant on his website or in his store is being hurt, even if they never realize it. And who do you think wanders into Milehigh wanting to buy a severely overpriced low grade raw copy of some Bronze Age Iron Man or Daredevil?

 

A spouse. A parent. A son or daughter. Someone looking to make someone happy. They're getting burned. How would you feel if your wife bought you a special gift from Milehigh, paid $1600 or so, for some milestone. A wedding anniversary, a retirement, it was a significant cost. It was a surprise, and she CANNOT WAIT for you to open it. When you do, it's a $5 comic.

 

And...?

 

Serves the wife right for being foolish with her money.

 

It is the era of the internet. If someone is not going to do literally 30 seconds worth of research, a fool and his money.....

 

Nobody, but NOBODY who is not completely broke or filthy rich, buys something without doing a modicum of research about whether it's a good buy or not.

 

"Won't someone PLEASE think of the CHILDREN!!" has meaning, because it expresses the nannying attitude that leads people to do actual, real damage to those they perceive as "perpetrators", in the hopes of "protecting" a hypothetical "customer" from being ripped off.

 

You know what? Sometimes, we NEED to be ripped off. When that happens, then we REALLY understand the value of money, and do our homework before buying.

 

Your time and energy would be much, much better spent educating the public, rather than trying to protect them.

 

If I value my Comic X at $5,000, and someone wants to buy it from me for that price, I'm going to sell it to them for that price. It does not matter if they can go down the street and buy it for $10, because that is what *I* value Comic X to be worth to me..

So your argument is not that Chuck does not rip people off, but that people stupid enough to buy from him deserve it. Okay, just seeing where you stand. I'll have to agree to disagree here.

[ttfitz]

I am glad we don't have a lot of people here telling us specific examples as that would make the people on this forum look like they have been duped at some point by these mile high prices.

 

good god-- how can anyone justify the prices he is asking on that website? it is insanity

 

No argument from me, his prices are completely out of whack. But somebody must be paying those prices, or he wouldn't still be in business.

[ttfitz]

 

A spouse. A parent. A son or daughter. Someone looking to make someone happy. They're getting burned. How would you feel if your wife bought you a special gift from Milehigh, paid $1600 or so, for some milestone. A wedding anniversary, a retirement, it was a significant cost. It was a surprise, and she CANNOT WAIT for you to open it. When you do, it's a $5 comic.

 

Yes, this indeed would be a bad thing. If it ever actually happened.

Let's just hope it never does, but if we assume he's EVER sold ANYTHING with a pricetag that high in his shop, it happened. That's the only way it could possibly happen.

 

So considering Chuck's been in business before I was a glimmer in my father's eye, it's pretty safe to assume it's happened. And will again, if he's to remain in business. His business model simply does not work without this happening.

 

So you are saying if he has ever sold anything that costs $1600 at MH, it has been a $5 book to some poor, unsuspecting loved one? Really? And you base this on....?

 

Sure, he's got ridiculous pricing on his stuff for the most part, but that sort of thing is well beyond what anyone has ever stated before, so I'd love to see an example.

I'd say it was overvalued by about a thousand percent, certainly bought as a gift, and sold to someone who didn't know better, yes. I can't imagine him selling a high ticket item ANY other way. And there's an example of it almost happening right here in this thread.

 

Um, actually, no, there isn't an example of that almost happening, there is an example of someone possibly having maybe gone to MH and could have bought something that her husband, you, me, and the butcher's son would consider overpriced. That's a long way off from your "paying $1600 for a $5 book." Which, by the way, is 31,900% overvalued.

 

And, once again, didn't actually happen.

 

There's certainly plenty to criticize about his pricing without making up ridiculous stuff.

[dupont2005]

 

A spouse. A parent. A son or daughter. Someone looking to make someone happy. They're getting burned. How would you feel if your wife bought you a special gift from Milehigh, paid $1600 or so, for some milestone. A wedding anniversary, a retirement, it was a significant cost. It was a surprise, and she CANNOT WAIT for you to open it. When you do, it's a $5 comic.

 

Yes, this indeed would be a bad thing. If it ever actually happened.

Let's just hope it never does, but if we assume he's EVER sold ANYTHING with a pricetag that high in his shop, it happened. That's the only way it could possibly happen.

 

So considering Chuck's been in business before I was a glimmer in my father's eye, it's pretty safe to assume it's happened. And will again, if he's to remain in business. His business model simply does not work without this happening.

 

So you are saying if he has ever sold anything that costs $1600 at MH, it has been a $5 book to some poor, unsuspecting loved one? Really? And you base this on....?

 

Sure, he's got ridiculous pricing on his stuff for the most part, but that sort of thing is well beyond what anyone has ever stated before, so I'd love to see an example.

I'd say it was overvalued by about a thousand percent, certainly bought as a gift, and sold to someone who didn't know better, yes. I can't imagine him selling a high ticket item ANY other way. And there's an example of it almost happening right here in this thread.

 

Um, actually, no, there isn't an example of that almost happening, there is an example of someone possibly having maybe gone to MH and could have bought something that her husband, you, me, and the butcher's son would consider overpriced. That's a long way off from your "paying $1600 for a $5 book." Which, by the way, is 31,900% overvalued.

 

And, once again, didn't actually happen.

 

There's certainly plenty to criticize about his pricing without making up ridiculous stuff.

Assuming he's sold something in his shop in forty years of business is not making up ridiculous stuff. Assuming he hasn't is.

 

Under what other scenario could any of those books have possibly sold?

[RockMyAmadeus]

A spouse. A parent. A son or daughter. Someone looking to make someone happy. They're getting burned. How would you feel if your wife bought you a special gift from Milehigh, paid $1600 or so, for some milestone. A wedding anniversary, a retirement, it was a significant cost. It was a surprise, and she CANNOT WAIT for you to open it. When you do, it's a $5 comic.

 

The above post says it all

and for this very reason I have also noticed many unknowledgeable people will not buy older coins as a gift because they are afraid they are being ripped off

 

GOOD! That means they're cautious, and wary, as EVERY consumer should be! That is a wonderful, wonderful thing! It leads to a much, much more stable marketplace, which is healthy for everyone!

 

This is a GOOD thing!

 

It isn't an insurmountable barrier, but it should be a speed bump, so you spend your money wisely. That's how the market works best.

It would also be a good thing if there were less pieces of mess in the collectibles business so some people could buy gifts without getting screwed.

 

It would also be nice if Unicorns shot rainbows out of their behinds, but that's not going to happen, either. There will always be pieces of mess. The goal isn't to force people to not be pieces of mess (and what constitutes a piece of mess is debatable, anyways), but to train yourself and your loved ones to not be victims of those pieces of mess.

 

But whatever. He buys boxes of worthless drek so he must be a great guy. I'll make sure all my loved ones know to never buy me the thing I love most for any occasion ever.

 

 

Orrrrrrr....

 

Instead of being a martyr, you could do the completely sensible thing, and teach your loved ones about the things that you want, where to get them, and about how much they should pay for them, so they at least have an introductory education when the time comes.

 

Here's a story to go along with this:

 

When I was in high school, I needed and wanted a certain piece of equipment. It was a very specific piece of equipment, and a very specific brand. My parents decided they were going to get that piece of equipment for me for Christmas. But, unfortunately, my parents didn't bother to find out exactly what I needed and could use, and bought me the wrong piece, which they thought would be absolutely perfect.

 

It was like buying a Catcher's mitt for someone playing Shortstop. Totally useless, but "hey, it's a baseball glove, isn't it?" :shrug:

 

I, being a typical surly teenager, was not yet adept at hiding my true feelings in socially acceptable ways, and was unable to hide my crushing disappointment that they had gotten something that was functionally useless to me, and, my parents being who they were, were completely offended...not at themselves, for not making sure of what they should be buying before buying it, but at me for being a spoiled little ingrate.

 

I tried to make it work, but, of course, it couldn't, and my parents ended up spending over $100 (in 1980's dollars, no less!) on a piece of equipment that, to this day, sits in a corner of the house, because I cannot bear to get rid of it, knowing that they did, at least, try to get something I would like. It wasn't a good try, but a try it was nonetheless. Coming up on 30 years of uselessness, and will probably be 30-40 more.

 

The point...? Don't make your loved ones grope in the dark about things that would interest you. Teach them to not only find out exactly what you like, but also teach them how to find out by showing them how to ask the right questions to the right people. And if they happen to get ripped off, so what? Won't they learn a wonderful, powerful life lesson in the process? Sometimes, we need to get burned, to teach us that fire is hot. And I'd much rather my loved ones get burned a little now, when the consequences aren't necessarily as disastrous, rather than being burned to pieces later, when I am not around to soothe and comfort. And will you, as an adult, love their gift any less because of it?