A short rant about the WTB section

[BlowUpTheMoon]

WTB success stories

[Bird]

I answered a WTB about 2 copper age books, very run of the mill books. I know that I have them in high grade in my boxes. I got a response indicating he was looking to spend $2-$3 on each book so I told him it was not worth a potential $5 to go routing through the boxes.

 

Then again, I have purchased from WTB threads before, so I like them as a buying resource.

[Phantalien]

I don't know the rules of the WTB section but if someone wants to buy something they should put a price they are willing to pay, it saves a lot of people a lot of time in the long run.

[Michelangelo]

I don't know the rules of the WTB section but if someone wants to buy something they should put a price they are willing to pay, it saves a lot of people a lot of time in the long run.

 

I was just thinking that - state a price

 

make that a rule

 

Deals aren't done because two parties are either way apart on price or the poster is simply just kicking tires and has no intention to buy anything.

 

at least a rule stating that a price (or range) has to be given would weed out a lot of people being apart on pricing

[dem1138]

I can't recall a time that I didn't buy a book that was offered to me from my WTB list (doesn't mean it hasn't happened, but I can't remember an example). If that book is on my list, I am actively trying to buy that book from any source that I can find and often actively pursuing the book even when a book is not necessarily for sale.

 

When I look back at my prior WTB lists, I have been able to purchase almost all of the books on those lists. I wish that I could say that all of those purchases were made off of the boards, but I've bought them from wherever I was able to find them. And often times I've bought multiple books from sellers here beyond books on my WTB list as I'm always actively buying keys.

 

I also try to be very responsive and communicative as I want to maintain a positive relationship with sellers because I hope to buy on an ongoing basis instead of just seeing a deal as a one-time purchase.

 

I love getting surprise PMs offering me key books to buy!

[october]

Not only do people tire kick in their WTB threads, I have gotten multiple PMs from people out of the blue looking for books, only to pass on them after I offer them EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR at under GPA.

 

...and it's always one of two excuses. Either car trouble, or they just bought a more expensive book in the handful of hours between PM exchanges.

 

Lot of dopes on these boards.

[Mijael.Levy]

Not only the WTB threads but pm´s mostly from new people asking for scans and not even a thank you

[thunsicker]

I've had very good luck with my WTB threads. I'm usually willing to pay around GPA and don't ask unless I'm willing to buy.

[RockMyAmadeus]

If you make a WTB post, saying you will buy X book in X grade, for X-Y% over GPA, and someone takes the time to A. scan the book, and B. make you an offer within your stated parameters for exactly the item you want, don't counter by offering LESS THAN your already stated parameters, and then turn down the offer altogether. It is disrespectful, and a waste of people's time.

 

If you don't mean what you say, the solution is incredibly simple: say what you really mean from the get-go. And don't get angry if someone says something about it. Straightforward honesty is so much better than saying what you think people might want to hear.

 

 

[entalmighty1]

If you make a WTB post, saying you will buy X book in X grade, for X-Y% over GPA, and someone takes the time to A. scan the book, and B. make you an offer within your stated parameters for exactly the item you want, don't counter by offering LESS THAN your already stated parameters, and then turn down the offer altogether. It is disrespectful, and a waste of people's time.

 

If you don't mean what you say, the solution is incredibly simple: say what you really mean from the get-go. And don't get angry if someone says something about it. Straightforward honesty is so much better than saying what you think people might want to hear.

 

 

Couldn't agree more. That being said, I'll pay $200 for a well-centered copy of Nick Fury 2 in CGC 9.2 OW/W or better.

 

Somebody sell me one.

[ChrisInBaltimore]

I've had a lot of luck as a buyer in WTB. My most success is usually with modern stuff.

[johnenock]

I have been making a WTB list over the last few weeks. It is pretty long and I couldn't afford to buy all the books at once. Was thinking about updating the thread every time I had a couple hundred bucks to spend.

[fastballspecial]

Expecting a simple transaction in WTB really comes down to this.

 

If the buyer posts the grade and the price range it should be realitively easy.

 

If they don't then expect to negotiate. There is a learning curve on both sides.

 

 

[vaillant]

Not only the WTB threads but pm´s mostly from new people asking for scans and not even a thank you

A "thank you" would be just great, if we start to understand in full that nothing is granted…

[rob_react]

I buy! I buy! I buy!

 

Me too!

 

I think I've been guilty of telling someone "I'll think about it" one time, and that was because the price was pretty out there. I also post a ballpark of what I'm willing to pay in my threads.

 

I post exact buy prices for many books and (generous!) ballparks for books that I'm looking for in a range of grades.

 

Your format is perfect, and made it easy to complete a deal.

 

In general I find varied success in answering WTBs, but have sold quite a bit through the section over the years.

 

[makeminemego]

I like WTB and have generally had really good experiences in there. JDR sold me a TTA 35 a couple of months back. Had exactly what I was looking for, provided great scans, and we closed the sale in what seemed like 5 minutes. It helps if the buyer and seller are BOTH realistic about pricing.

[Real Elijah Snow]

3 times I've sold to a person with a wtb thread. They have all had paying prices. I had the books at a slightly higher price, I marked them down to what they were offering and all three times sold. Easy as could be.

Now, without a buying price I don't bother. With a buying price I do. This tells me that there absolutely has to be a buying price for it to be worth my time. It should be a rule just as the rule for selling is to have a price. I honestly don't see why there hasn't always been that rule.

For slabs it could be as easy as "I'm paying 80% of 6 month gpa on X". "For raws I am paying X for NM and a designated % for lower grades. There will be differences of opinion on grade, but at least there's a starting point.

As it is right now, I rarely look in there even though I usually have a good amount of the books being asked for. Without a paying price it's not worth my time to go back and forth just to be lowballed.

[Tony S]

Instead of replying the WTB poster if you've had problems in the past with this method... why not just start a sales thread in the sales section, and post a link in the WTB poster's thread ?

 

This puts a book out there that you obviously want to sell, makes it available to the one person who supposedly has interest in it, plus makes it available to anyone who sees your sales thread.

 

If it doesn't sell to the WTB thread poster... then it might sell to someone else and its a win-win for you regardless.

 

Happy Thanksgiving !

 

xxx ooo

 

Rupp

 

Genius! Sheer Genius!!

 

 

[raybowles]

I have had mixed results from the section from both a buying and selling perspective.

 

When buying I have had luck on books that are fairly readily available, but no luck on difficult books like All American Comics 16 or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1 9.8 - which is probably to be expected.

 

When selling, I have honestly had only a handful of successful sales as most people want the books at a steeeeeeeeeep discount vs FMV or GPA. :shrug: Then even the ones who are fine with the price, rarely buy - it is like they are window shopping...

 

However, I do wish it was policed a little more like the sales threads. Everyone should be required to post the book, grade and price willing to pay (or even a "range" or "within GPA"). At a minimum it should be more uniform to filter out the riffraff.

 

100% agree. When a price is listed it usually results in a deal being made. I wish it was a rule similar to the rules we have in place for the selling board. When a price is not listed and the member is not an established dealer it usually results in nothing being accomplished. In the last year I have contacted between 25-30 members who did not list a price. Only 1 time did I make a deal. Three other times I could have made a deal but I decided not to sell and on every other occasion I received offers of 20% - 30% of GPA/FMV.

 

Compare those numbers to when a member lists a price. I contacted 6 members who listed a price and on every occasion we made a deal.

 

It's come to the point where I rarely contact anyone who does not list a price. I have wasted hours of my time looking for, grading, and scanning comics only to find out that I was going to be offered lower than a LCS would pay.

 

 

[Michelangelo]

thus - make it a rule to state a price...

 

otherwise the section is virtually useless. I've had limited success when a price wasn't listed.