How has eBay impacted the market?

[im-bi-migration]

Do you think that eBay has permanently created a high demand for comics? How and will the bubble ever burst?

[Artboy99]

Ebay kinda killed the market unless it is for high demand high grade books.

It opened the eyes of the collecting community to reveal just how many books there actually were. No longer does your local comic shop have the only book you have seen, now you log into Ebay where they have 30 of them and all the sellers competing for your dollar. And forget about the price guide on Ebay...

 

example:

One of my Local comic shops has an Amazing Spiderman #45 on their wall for 100 dollars. The grade I give the book is a solid 5.0.

I wonder what I have to pay on Ebay for a raw 5.0? It certainly wont be anything close to 100 dollars

 

Artboy99

[im-bi-migration]

That's true and you bring up a good point. High demand high grade books can now be bought by anyone. But as for a lot of comics, they are available but nobody wants them. Depending on what you are looking for, eBay can be your worst or best friend. A comic shop can close if it doesn't have enough business, or somebody looking for just reading copies can pick up a whole lot of comics very cheap.

 

I am curious if this demand will keep going up and up or one day will the demand just drop off. We all know what happened to the stock market, people are still recovering from that. If it were 2010 are we going to be smacking ourselves saying why didn't we buy in 2005?

[sfilosa]

Demand for most of the books at LCS was almost Zero BEFORE eBay.

 

High Grade has always ruled.

 

Low and Mid Grade books were a plenty at LCS / Conventions over the past 3 decades.

 

eBay, now gives people an opportunity to sell these books to at least SOMEONE (even if it is at 10% of guide).

[The Less Blob]

well... just how much could you make off your books before ebay?

 

sell to a dealer? worse % of guide (usually) than ebay.

 

take a table at a show? if you have a table of high end stuff that'll work, but mostly $1-$20 books, not so good.

 

take out an ad in cbg? maybe good for high end stuff.

 

so "retail" prices are lower on most material, but you have a heck of a lot more liquidity.

[im-bi-migration]

In the 80s I remember going to local flea markets where there was at most 2 comic dealers. I had some nice comics and tried getting some money for them. They would give me a third of guide at best. Nevermind high end stuff, I was very young.

 

In relation to pricing on most material, I agree with you and those "retail prices" are much lower. However for certain items I can see a pattern happening now, like stocks. For example, a Hulk #181 (non-CGC) goes on eBay and within a hour has like 10 bids, all of which are from people with not much feedback. If the price guides follow eBay (because this shows demand), then theoretically if people like this keep pushing up the price then the price for that comic is sure to keep going up. Much like a Warren Buffet buying up stock in a certain corporation because it is rumoured to buy another company out.

[Artboy99]

I am glad you all brought up the point that now there is a market for books. The internet and sites like Ebay opened up the stores inventory to a larger market. It is something i should have recognized in my post.

Well said guys.

 

Artboy99

[The Less Blob]

yeah, retail is lower on most material, but not the high end ultra high grade books, where it's higher. in the old days your LCS was only able to market to a few local HG collectors and their budgets and maybe do a show now and then. now they can try to sell to the world. it goes both ways, they aren't constrained by what the local guys are able to pay. many a time i was able to pick up a high grade early silver or golden age book at 50% off guide from one of my LCSes because the 2 or 3 high end customers that would buy at retail (or a modest discount) had passed on the book and the dealer wanted money.

 

so, we get pissy when we're only able to get 1/4 - 1/2 of guide (or less) for some mid-grade SA non-key book, but what could we get before unless we sold regularly at shows (and laid out $200-400 a table plus expenses)? I know my LCS would offer nothing for collections of good stuff --- 5-10% of guide, maybe less -- and if not mainly GA and SA, he'd offer a nickel a book, even if mostly 70s stuff. on $100+ stuff, for a regular customer, he might be willing to do a 50/50 consignment deal.

[The Less Blob]

i'd add that it depended on where you were. there are probably LCSes out there that were more willing to pay a decent price. there were just none where I lived (NY).

[im-bi-migration]

Hard to imagine that none were in NY since that is such a big place, depending on the time I guess. I grew up in midwest Canada myself and just didn't have the money to buy stuff, too bad. So the market has changed. If you sell constantly on eBay you are probably aware in order to sell a book its all about timing. Perhaps one day prices for all comics will drop. What happens if we fall into a major recession like in the 1920s or eBay declares bankruptcy? Then it is probably safe to say those that knew where to get those HG issues will have the upper hand.

[Rip]

Before E-bay I sold books to dealers at shows for anywhere from 50% to 5X guide.

The LCS was an occasional dumping ground where I got 30%-50% guide for current [#@$%!!!].

You just had to know the mkt and keep track of phone auctions or Overstreet sales listings.

The other place to sell books was through Pacific Comic Exchange and go to their BBoard site.

E-bay has made it easier to sell books...and easier to get ripped off by bad "dealers"

 

.....but as to demand for HG comics it was already there in full force

[The Less Blob]

i suppose metropolis or some of the other NYC guys who advertise in overstreet would pay a decent price for very high end GA and SA, but for the other stuff, my LCS knew he could pay pennies on the dollar because the other shops in the city were either not buying at all or would be offering the same pennies on the dollar. a comic shop in the middle of nowhere was perhaps more willing to pay good money because they didn't have collections walking in all the time... in NYC there was another collection waiting to walk in (not to mention all the marvel and DC employees who would take as many comics from work as they could and sell them to the shops)

 

i remember when i was a baby teen in the early 80s (probably around '84) one guy had been offered a nickel each for the books he had brought in to a different LCS in my neighborhood -- a big box of bronze ASMs, byrne X-Men, Miller Daredevils, etc. (granted, they weren't so "vintage" then, but the X-Men and DDs were still worth something as were some of the spideys). He was so pissed off and upset he just set up in front of the comics shop and, instead of selling for a nickel each to the store, he was giving them away to kids. I was a little scared about taking too much and [#@$%!!!] him off further, but I snagged a bunch of Byrne X-Men that I would have not been able to afford. I just wish I had looked at the Spideys! Lots of 20 cent and 25 cent cover prices in there, probably passed on some biggies!

[The Less Blob]

"Before E-bay I sold books to dealers at shows for anywhere from 50% to 5X guide.

The LCS was an occasional dumping ground where I got 30%-50% guide for current [#@$%!!!]."

 

Was this in the 80s or 90s?

 

What books are you talking about?

[otherworldcomics]

Well, as a buyer and a seller I'd have to say Ebay has made a major impact on comics across the board. As a seller it has definitely made things tougher because there is greater competion for books and therefore tougher to get those higher $$$ you may want. However, also being a buyer, I am estactic that I can get those Silver Age books that I've wanted for a fraction of the cost. Yeah, there have been some low grades that are more readable copies than any "investments" but where before it would have cost me big bucks to get these books any grade, I am now able to snag some great SA's for maybe a 1/3 or 1/4 the cost. Heck I got an Avengers #99 in great condition for maybe 10-15 bucks. You couldn't do that before Ebay. And if Ebay kills over, well there are several other auction places to take its place. I'm on 4-5 already.

[Timulty]

So, what are some other auction places you recommend, otherworld?

[all4comics]

If it wasn't for ebay, I wouldn't of gone back to being a comic dealer/collector. For me it stared in 1999 where I was out of the hobby since 1992. I've been able to find and buy everthing I ever wanted in at great price. Where before, I just had LCS and stores and selection sucked and prices were high...... I live in Canada eh! I've even been able to find SA collection's that came back from CGC as 9.2 to 9.6 on average. I pretty well cherry pick ebay.. Love finding raw books that come back 9.0 and higher

 

God bless ebay

 

I think this is the case for some of the board members here?

[otherworldcomics]

Well, I've found 3-4 that don't cost to sign up:

www.Gathergate.com

www.whybidmore.com

www.auctioncities.com

www.stormpay.com

 

All of these do general collectbiles and merchandise like ebay. I'm sure there are lots of others. Just gotta search for what you want.

[crispsting-migration]

Hi ebay has made collecting easier and prices are far more reasonable. saying that some of the UK auction houses have some great bargains. I got a Fine Justice League of America 1 for £100.00 (about $165.00) I am sure if I went to a dealer oI would have paid loads more. now I just need to get it CGC'd.

[DarrenSmith]

Hi ebay has made collecting easier and prices are far more reasonable. saying that some of the UK auction houses have some great bargains. I got a Fine Justice League of America 1 for £100.00 (about $165.00) I am sure if I went to a dealer oI would have paid loads more. now I just need to get it CGC'd.

 

Welcome to the boards and congradulations on your purchase.

[kidcolt]

I live in a small town in the middle of no where. Ebay has made comic collecting sooo much better for me.