Trying to place the value on a large collection

[youmechooz]

Wow the prices seem to be all over the board.

 

So far I have:

 

2-2.5k

3k

500-750

 

 

Any other opinions?

Best offer would be $500-$700

Consider the time it takes to sort a collection.

You will have to use new bags/boards or mylites/fullbacks

Some might have mold or other stuff wrong with it so you will need to toss it

Paying $1 or more is a waste of time.

And you are doing all the work.

[kimik]

I would just pluck the better books and bulk out the rest to LCSs or part-time dealers without rebagging it. You would make your money back, and likely a bit of profit, on the wholesale portion and then keep the best books for yourself. It works every time. (thumbs u

 

Looking at the list, I could easily get $3000 - $4000 for the less key and common stuff locally, while pulling the top 50 - 100 books to hold onto or sell myself.

[divad]

Wow the prices seem to be all over the board.

 

So far I have:

 

2-2.5k

3k

500-750

 

 

Any other opinions?

Best offer would be $500-$700

Consider the time it takes to sort a collection.

You will have to use new bags/boards or mylites/fullbacks

Some might have mold or other stuff wrong with it so you will need to toss it

Paying $1 or more is a waste of time.

And you are doing all the work.

 

This. Unless a collection is first look and in great condition, I would never even think about 2Gs or higher . . .

[FineCollector]

I would just pluck the better books and bulk out the rest to LCSs or part-time dealers without rebagging it. You would make your money back, and likely a bit of profit, on the wholesale portion and then keep the best books for yourself. It works every time. (thumbs u

 

Looking at the list, I could easily get $3000 - $4000 for the less key and common stuff locally, while pulling the top 50 - 100 books to hold onto or sell myself.

 

(thumbs u

[youmechooz]

Wow the prices seem to be all over the board.

 

So far I have:

 

2-2.5k

3k

500-750

 

 

Any other opinions?

Best offer would be $500-$700

Consider the time it takes to sort a collection.

You will have to use new bags/boards or mylites/fullbacks

Some might have mold or other stuff wrong with it so you will need to toss it

Paying $1 or more is a waste of time.

And you are doing all the work.

This. Unless a collection is first look and in great condition, I would never even think about 2Gs or higher . . .

Canadian guys spending $2k to make $500

[TheSwiftBeownFox-migration]

So heres a question, what would you consider pulling if I was only going to pull keys?

 

 

 

[Clouded9]

 

This is just my hobby so I never really thought about breaking it down by how much I made per hour as I'm not trying to make it my primary source of income or anything. Overall, I made about 40-50% more than I paid for the books so i called it a success. My time was likely the largest investment I made and being that I had a blast running my modest booth with my wife at the swap meets for a few months, gained some local dealers and collectors as friends and contacts, and gave out several hundred free books to very appreciative kids at my booth I feel it was 110% worth the investment. It all depends on your motivation I guess. The books that did not sell (about 2 short boxes worth) were donated to my local Scottish Rite Children's Hospital.

 

 

Coolest thing I have read on here in awhile!!!

 

[Clouded9]

Wow the prices seem to be all over the board.

 

So far I have:

 

2-2.5k

3k

500-750

 

 

Any other opinions?

Best offer would be $500-$700

Consider the time it takes to sort a collection.

You will have to use new bags/boards or mylites/fullbacks

Some might have mold or other stuff wrong with it so you will need to toss it

Paying $1 or more is a waste of time.

And you are doing all the work.

 

Going down your list above, I feel you are over complicating it a bit.

 

In the OPs scenario there are only about 6 long boxes to sort. Identifying and pulling the key books and then sorting the rest into $1, $3, $5 boxes etc. would only take an afternoon.

 

You could even cherry pick all the $20+ books for individual sale and then send the rest to an LCS who will do the sorting and make you an offer to buy out all the lesser bulk in one move.

 

I don't see the need for new bags and boards for the majority of the books in this scenario unless they have none to begin with. Only the books cherry picked for individual sale should be re-bagged and boarded. Keeps your overhead down.

 

Close examinations of the cherry picked books to determine mold, missing pages, etc. is fine. However sorting for the dollar bins shouldn't require more than a quick glance. If mold is a serious issue your nose should alert you before your eyes do.

 

If we were talking a collection of books from the 90s then I would say yes an offer of $1 per book is too much, but according to the OP this is a collection of low to mid grade silver and bronze books and if that is the case I still feel that $2-2.5k is a pretty safe offer in this specific case.

[divad]

According to the OP this is a collection of low to mid grade silver and bronze books and if that is the case I still feel that $2-2.5k is a pretty safe offer in this specific case.

 

It's a lot of work with low return to sell "low to mid grade silver and bronze books". $2-2.5K puts you in a pretty deep hole to start.

[jimjum12]

According to the OP this is a collection of low to mid grade silver and bronze books and if that is the case I still feel that $2-2.5k is a pretty safe offer in this specific case.

 

It's a lot of work with low return to sell "low to mid grade silver and bronze books". $2-2.5K puts you in a pretty deep hole to start.

 

...... looks like a good chance to recoup about 8-900 quickly and then carry the rest for possibly quite a while. It's not the score of a lifetime..... and much would depend on the grading....if the fines are really just VG+ (which is often the case in these types of deals).... then you might be poised for a good reaming. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[youmechooz]

Wow the prices seem to be all over the board.

 

So far I have:

 

2-2.5k

3k

500-750

 

 

Any other opinions?

Best offer would be $500-$700

Consider the time it takes to sort a collection.

You will have to use new bags/boards or mylites/fullbacks

Some might have mold or other stuff wrong with it so you will need to toss it

Paying $1 or more is a waste of time.

And you are doing all the work.

 

Going down your list above, I feel you are over complicating it a bit.

 

In the OPs scenario there are only about 6 long boxes to sort. Identifying and pulling the key books and then sorting the rest into $1, $3, $5 boxes etc. would only take an afternoon.

 

You could even cherry pick all the $20+ books for individual sale and then send the rest to an LCS who will do the sorting and make you an offer to buy out all the lesser bulk in one move.

 

I don't see the need for new bags and boards for the majority of the books in this scenario unless they have none to begin with. Only the books cherry picked for individual sale should be re-bagged and boarded. Keeps your overhead down.

 

Close examinations of the cherry picked books to determine mold, missing pages, etc. is fine. However sorting for the dollar bins shouldn't require more than a quick glance. If mold is a serious issue your nose should alert you before your eyes do.

 

If we were talking a collection of books from the 90s then I would say yes an offer of $1 per book is too much, but according to the OP this is a collection of low to mid grade silver and bronze books and if that is the case I still feel that $2-2.5k is a pretty safe offer in this specific case.

Trying to keep op's initial investment low. He most likely doesnt buy a lot. Starting small is great. Like this collection. Its small and not worth most dealers time and honestly would probably be forgotten after paying the $500 for this collection. My list is my thought process when looking at a collection and pretty much already done as soon as the first 5 books have been flipped through. Guessing some dealers have theirs already done after seeing the first box. Reading the list, there are few keys, okay books and bs books. Mostly bs books that sit. For a long time. Offering anything over $500 in this case is a bad idea. With this amount/quality of books and the initial investment of $2k or over, you need 1 book that sells consistently for $3k. Otherwise, your recouping time gets longer and you start to price $1 books at guide. Then they stay. And paying $1 or more per book for a collection like this is nuts.

[Clouded9]

According to the OP this is a collection of low to mid grade silver and bronze books and if that is the case I still feel that $2-2.5k is a pretty safe offer in this specific case.

 

It's a lot of work with low return to sell "low to mid grade silver and bronze books". $2-2.5K puts you in a pretty deep hole to start.

 

I just looked at the OPs list again and majority of the collection is listed as FN or FN+.

 

If I was buying this collection blind based on nothing but the OPs list of books I wouldn't offer more than $1200, but if I got to see the collection in person and the average condition did appear to be FN - FN+ I'd be comfortable with the amount of risk from being $2-2.5k in the hole.

 

I've moved cherry picked collections like this in the past and it can take some time if you do it yourself, but I've never lost money on a collection or regretted the time I've spent on them. Actually, I usually have fun with it. To be fair though, I'm not trying to make a living off doing this so the amount of profit made per hour invested does not really concern me.

[Clouded9]

Wow the prices seem to be all over the board.

 

So far I have:

 

2-2.5k

3k

500-750

 

 

Any other opinions?

Best offer would be $500-$700

Consider the time it takes to sort a collection.

You will have to use new bags/boards or mylites/fullbacks

Some might have mold or other stuff wrong with it so you will need to toss it

Paying $1 or more is a waste of time.

And you are doing all the work.

This. Unless a collection is first look and in great condition, I would never even think about 2Gs or higher . . .

Canadian guys spending $2k to make $500

 

Hmmm, maybe I'm part Canadian?

 

Canadian Mexican American?

 

Sure as hell would explain my obsession with Poutine.

[youmechooz]

Wow the prices seem to be all over the board.

 

So far I have:

 

2-2.5k

3k

500-750

 

 

Any other opinions?

Best offer would be $500-$700

Consider the time it takes to sort a collection.

You will have to use new bags/boards or mylites/fullbacks

Some might have mold or other stuff wrong with it so you will need to toss it

Paying $1 or more is a waste of time.

And you are doing all the work.

This. Unless a collection is first look and in great condition, I would never even think about 2Gs or higher . . .

Canadian guys spending $2k to make $500

 

Hmmm, maybe I'm part Canadian?

 

Canadian Mexican American?

 

Sure as hell would explain my obsession with Poutine.

touche brother

[TheSwiftBeownFox-migration]

I just examined the collection, and the grades are very close only a + or - off in certain cases with a lot being under graded slightly. In addition nothing has been pressed or restored, they have all been kept bagged and boarded since the 80s.

 

2-2.5k seems reasonable if I am going to keep the majority for my personal collection, but I have very little interest in DC stuff outside of Batman (if anyone wants to buy all the DC stuff in bulk let me know.) So unless I find a way to unload the unwanted stuff quick I think I would rather put my money into a few higher quality keys.

 

 

 

Thoughts would you rather have a really large collection of minor stuff or one or mid grade major keys?

 

 

[Andahaion]

I'm sure answers will vary to that question because it's a matter of personal flavor, but I'd say go for the major keys. To me, it's way cooler to have really amazing books than boxes and boxes of minor stuff. That's just me though. Sounds like you put lots of thought into this whole thing, so I'm sure you'll come to the right conclusion for yourself. Cheers.

[kimik]

Wow the prices seem to be all over the board.

 

So far I have:

 

2-2.5k

3k

500-750

 

 

Any other opinions?

Best offer would be $500-$700

Consider the time it takes to sort a collection.

You will have to use new bags/boards or mylites/fullbacks

Some might have mold or other stuff wrong with it so you will need to toss it

Paying $1 or more is a waste of time.

And you are doing all the work.

This. Unless a collection is first look and in great condition, I would never even think about 2Gs or higher . . .

Canadian guys spending $2k to make $500

 

Where do you get that from? I could easily flip the common books for $4-$5K within 2 weeks while cherry picking the best books for myself.

[divad]

Where do you get that from? I could easily flip the common books for $4-$5K within 2 weeks while cherry picking the best books for myself.

 

Yep, but you're a pro, with connections and know-how. That's a long way from OP.

[FineCollector]

2-2.5k seems reasonable if I am going to keep the majority for my personal collection, but I have very little interest in DC stuff outside of Batman (if anyone wants to buy all the DC stuff in bulk let me know.) So unless I find a way to unload the unwanted stuff quick I think I would rather put my money into a few higher quality keys.

 

Thoughts would you rather have a really large collection of minor stuff or one or mid grade major keys?

 

I think you're overlooking the opportunity in front of you. That stack of Journey Into Mystery is what's catching my eye... first Enchantress, Magneto crossover, first Absorbing Man... but all issues are desirable in mid-grade. Try and find those somewhere else for a dollar apiece.

 

On the other hand, if you just want to pay peak movie hype prices for a big book to flash, then feel free to pass up the collection...

[kimik]

Where do you get that from? I could easily flip the common books for $4-$5K within 2 weeks while cherry picking the best books for myself.

 

Yep, but you're a pro, with connections and know-how. That's a long way from OP.

 

I am far from a pro, but there is some decent $$$ to be made here with minimal effort.