Watching a book get away from you... how do you deal with it?

[IngelsFan]

I am very blessed with many things in life (comics and far more important things).

And just WHAT is more important than GA comics, may I ask??

 

Go to your room...

 

I'm stumped at that one too....the only thing more important than GA comics is: more GA comics.

[Ricksneatstuff]

Ok, so Im thinking this is most frequently ocurring with GA collectors. If some guy misses out on an AF15, well there are more fish in the sea with not long of a wait...

 

But in GA you might wait years for a book to pop up (in this case lets say it's an open market auction)... so you put your sights on it.. and you watch the bids climb and climb and as they pass the expected market and just keep going you have to decide if you are staying on this climb up Everest or if you jump off, knowing that another chance wont pop up any time soon...

 

How do you rationalize it so it doesnt haunt you?

 

Anyone ever stayed in an auction with an "at any costs" mentality, and were you happy afterwards?

 

I think we've all got books that were our "white whale" and we missed our shot, so how do you move on?

 

Im thinking less about missing out on "deals" and more about missing out on books that you chose to walk away from due to their asking price...

 

I can really relate to this one. There is one book that still haunts me to this day. It was a 6.0 copy of a book I really wanted on eBay with a GPA approximate value of $700-750. It is a book that comes up 1-2X a year for sale at the most and this was one of the nicer ones that had come up in a couple years. I sniped at $925, thinking "surely this will be enough" only to get beat out by another boardie (buddy). That was around 6 months ago and I think about it all the time. I found out later his number was $1050. Since then I have offered him $1250 for the book to no avail. He is in love.

 

Anyway, now I walk the streets at night muttering "$1075, 1075- that's all it took. Why am I such a tightwad? God help me." The pictures of the book haunt my dreams. I wake up in cold sweats. I take Xanax now, after never taking drugs my whole life. I see a therapist every other week. My ability to function at work has suffered.

 

All of that being said..."Just get over it, another one will come along, what is meant to be will be."

 

Rick,

 

I know the book you are speaking of. I watched eBay that night, and saw you and the other board member throw in those last minute snipes.

 

I am REALLY hoping you bought the copy that sold last night on HA. It was not as high grade, but considering it went for around $600 (and came in a lot with several other books), I think it was a great deal. I was thinking you might be bidding and so I backed out early. PPPPLLLLEEEEAASSSSEEEE tell me you got that book, so that I can start bidding again.

 

Rich, it showed up today, and I am happy enough.

 

[jimbo_707]

Ok, so Im thinking this is most frequently ocurring with GA collectors. If some guy misses out on an AF15, well there are more fish in the sea with not long of a wait...

 

But in GA you might wait years for a book to pop up (in this case lets say it's an open market auction)... so you put your sights on it.. and you watch the bids climb and climb and as they pass the expected market and just keep going you have to decide if you are staying on this climb up Everest or if you jump off, knowing that another chance wont pop up any time soon...

 

How do you rationalize it so it doesnt haunt you?

 

Anyone ever stayed in an auction with an "at any costs" mentality, and were you happy afterwards?

 

I think we've all got books that were our "white whale" and we missed our shot, so how do you move on?

 

Im thinking less about missing out on "deals" and more about missing out on books that you chose to walk away from due to their asking price...

I've stayed in at an "any cost" mentality and never enjoyed the books that much afterward because I was always reminded of how badly I overpaid. In some case, values eventually caught up with what I paid (after many years); in some cases they never did.

 

What I have learned over the years is that there is always another book that is just as cool, so I have no inclination to pay over FMV. If a book is "hot," chances are prices will eventually fall or at least flatten out.

 

Missing out on a book that sold for a high price has never bothered me. The only thing that bothers me is when I forget about an auction and then the book sells for less than I would have paid.

[poundofbull]

I usually just wait until Gator post a picture of it. That way I can admire from afar.

[EBE]

I'm very much in agreement with the last sentence of Jimbo 707's reply above.

 

If I've already decided what my top price is going to be for a comic, and that price is exceeded at auction, then it doesn't bother me.

 

But if I get distracted (so far this year I've been reading threads here on the forum and have missed eBay auctions by seconds!!), or forget, then that does irritate me.

 

Another irritation is when eBay sellers change the end time of their auction - that has happened 3 times to me in the last year. I have written down the date an auction was going to end, go to check the book the day before it's due to end, only to discover that the seller has already closed the auction and sold the book!

 

Such is life. --ElJay

[fifties]

Another irritation is when eBay sellers change the end time of their auction - that has happened 3 times to me in the last year. I have written down the date an auction was going to end, go to check the book the day before it's due to end, only to discover that the seller has already closed the auction and sold the book!

I've seen that occur in other collectibles as well. Obviously someone contacted the seller and made them an offer they couldn't refuse.

[Hudson]

Ok, so Im thinking this is most frequently ocurring with GA collectors. If some guy misses out on an AF15, well there are more fish in the sea with not long of a wait...

 

But in GA you might wait years for a book to pop up (in this case lets say it's an open market auction)... so you put your sights on it.. and you watch the bids climb and climb and as they pass the expected market and just keep going you have to decide if you are staying on this climb up Everest or if you jump off, knowing that another chance wont pop up any time soon...

 

How do you rationalize it so it doesnt haunt you?

 

Anyone ever stayed in an auction with an "at any costs" mentality, and were you happy afterwards?

 

I think we've all got books that were our "white whale" and we missed our shot, so how do you move on?

 

Im thinking less about missing out on "deals" and more about missing out on books that you chose to walk away from due to their asking price...

 

I can really relate to this one. There is one book that still haunts me to this day. It was a 6.0 copy of a book I really wanted on eBay with a GPA approximate value of $700-750. It is a book that comes up 1-2X a year for sale at the most and this was one of the nicer ones that had come up in a couple years. I sniped at $925, thinking "surely this will be enough" only to get beat out by another boardie (buddy). That was around 6 months ago and I think about it all the time. I found out later his number was $1050. Since then I have offered him $1250 for the book to no avail. He is in love.

 

Anyway, now I walk the streets at night muttering "$1075, 1075- that's all it took. Why am I such a tightwad? God help me." The pictures of the book haunt my dreams. I wake up in cold sweats. I take Xanax now, after never taking drugs my whole life. I see a therapist every other week. My ability to function at work has suffered.

 

All of that being said..."Just get over it, another one will come along, what is meant to be will be."

 

Rick,

 

I know the book you are speaking of. I watched eBay that night, and saw you and the other board member throw in those last minute snipes.

 

I am REALLY hoping you bought the copy that sold last night on HA. It was not as high grade, but considering it went for around $600 (and came in a lot with several other books), I think it was a great deal. I was thinking you might be bidding and so I backed out early. PPPPLLLLEEEEAASSSSEEEE tell me you got that book, so that I can start bidding again.

 

Rich, it showed up today, and I am happy enough.

 

 

Great looking book, Rick.

 

Very nice pick up. I am VERY happy you now have a copy and I see you have already added it to your sig line (an impressive sig line at that).

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[Ricksneatstuff]

Thanks! Surprised this was the hardest book I had to get. All of a sudden I have a few copies available to me.

[BOOT]

In the end we should always remember what is important in life and draw our joy from those things which are eternal.

I don't know why, but reading this then looking at your sig line makes me chuckle.

[catman76]

I never have done auctions,except some ebay, or lost a comic I was dying to have, but the ones that haunt me to this day are like in the early 1990s when I found four or five early Archie issues in a junk shop and only had enough money for one. I bought #24 and left the others because I was coming back that way in about a week and I just thought I'd get them then. Of course they were gone a week later. I still think about that and kick myself, because they were only like 2 dollars I think and I didn't even buy the oldest one, I remember #18 was there.

[fifties]

the ones that haunt me to this day are like in the early 1990s when I found four or five early Archie issues in a junk shop and only had enough money for one. I bought #24 and left the others because I was coming back that way in about a week and I just thought I'd get them then. Of course they were gone a week later. I still think about that and kick myself, because they were only like 2 dollars I think and I didn't even buy the oldest one

We all have had similar memories and experiences.

 

Sometime in the eighties, I had put an order in with a dealer for some horror comics, one of them being the Voodoo Annual from 1952, VG condition for around 42 bucks. They came back to me and said that they had mis-priced it, and it would be several dollars more if I still wanted it. Cutting off my nose to spite my face, I told them no, thinking they were trying to rip me off.

Once the internet occurred, I discovered that the book was quite rare, and today would fetch many multiples of that original price.

[Ricksneatstuff]

I have a real bad got away story, but I am almost reluctant to share it here . Early 90's a lady comes walking into my shop with about 20 DCs from 1942 and tells me how her dad had a five and dime back then and kept one of every comic from 1941-1945 that came in and kept them in paper bags all these years. She said he had Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, All Star, etc. These books were in the F/VF range that I saw- if pressing would have been more of a thing then these books would be 8.0-8.5. She gave me a list of what she had and said this small stack was representative of the shape they were in. There were several hundred books on the list. At the time I was in my early 20s and had very little money to speak of. I made a sight unseen deal with her for $XX,000 and arranged to get the money from my dad. The next morning we were going to meet at her house and do the deal at 8AM. I made some calls to some bigger dealers I knew a couple states away and had a sight unseen general agreement that if books were as described I would get $XXX,000. It was a very nice flip and I was going to still pull 20 or so books for myself from the collection. I was to say the very least. I could not even sleep. If I knew then what I know now my entire approach would have been different. Back then I had tons of silver books and very little cash and had never had a single deal approach me on that level. I handled it the way a kid in his early 20's would. I offered her the most cash I knew I could come up with overnight and figured if it all came together I would be a really nice guy and split the profit with her (after my 20 books came out of course ).

 

Next morning I get to the house and she tells me "Yesterday I told a co-worker about this sale and they called a comic dealer in such and such a city and they came down here this morning at 6AM and made me a cash offer for $10k more than you and I had to take it now or never. So I took it and I'm sorry."

 

That was the biggest one that got away from me.

[The-Collector]

I have a real bad got away story, but I am almost reluctant to share it here . Early 90's a lady comes walking into my shop with about 20 DCs from 1942 and tells me how her dad had a five and dime back then and kept one of every comic from 1941-1945 that came in and kept them in paper bags all these years. She said he had Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, All Star, etc. These books were in the F/VF range that I saw- if pressing would have been more of a thing then these books would be 8.0-8.5. She gave me a list of what she had and said this small stack was representative of the shape they were in. There were several hundred books on the list. At the time I was in my early 20s and had very little money to speak of. I made a sight unseen deal with her for $XX,000 and arranged to get the money from my dad. The next morning we were going to meet at her house and do the deal at 8AM. I made some calls to some bigger dealers I knew a couple states away and had a sight unseen general agreement that if books were as described I would get $XXX,000. It was a very nice flip and I was going to still pull 20 or so books for myself from the collection. I was to say the very least. I could not even sleep. If I knew then what I know now my entire approach would have been different. Back then I had tons of silver books and very little cash and had never had a single deal approach me on that level. I handled it the way a kid in his early 20's would. I offered her the most cash I knew I could come up with overnight and figured if it all came together I would be a really nice guy and split the profit with her (after my 20 books came out of course ).

 

Next morning I get to the house and she tells me "Yesterday I told a co-worker about this sale and they called a comic dealer in such and such a city and they came down here this morning at 6AM and made me a cash offer for $10k more than you and I had to take it now or never. So I took it and I'm sorry."

 

That was the biggest one that got away from me.

 

Ouch! If that was me I'd still be waking up suddenly in the dead of night cursing.

[Ricksneatstuff]

Man, I had two get away on eBay tonight that I was SURE I bid enough for. Aaugh!!

 

This one will take a week or two because I really wanted these.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191956541009?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131922460708?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[atomic1950s]

Man, I had two get away on eBay tonight that I was SURE I bid enough for. Aaugh!!

 

This one will take a week or two because I really wanted these.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191956541009?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131922460708?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

I feel your pain, I lost out on this Laugh #66 . I had no idea it was going to get that high, someone REALLY wanted it more than everyone else bidding.

 

 

 

[archiefan]

Man, I had two get away on eBay tonight that I was SURE I bid enough for. Aaugh!!

 

This one will take a week or two because I really wanted these.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191956541009?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131922460708?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

I was looking at those too Rick. Can't believe the prices on these. Wow!!

[Ricksneatstuff]

Man, I had two get away on eBay tonight that I was SURE I bid enough for. Aaugh!!

 

This one will take a week or two because I really wanted these.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191956541009?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131922460708?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

I was looking at those too Rick. Can't believe the prices on these. Wow!!

 

I had what I thought were high snipes in, then I bumped them up 25% with an hour left as insurance. These were going to be keepers. I have a 41 but it's 3.5. I don't have a 40 because I am holding out for fine or better.

[Sqeggs]

Man, I had two get away on eBay tonight that I was SURE I bid enough for. Aaugh!!

 

This one will take a week or two because I really wanted these.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191956541009?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131922460708?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

I was looking at those too Rick. Can't believe the prices on these. Wow!!

 

I had what I thought were high snipes in, then I bumped them up 25% with an hour left as insurance. These were going to be keepers. I have a 41 but it's 3.5. I don't have a 40 because I am holding out for fine or better.

 

I don't know about the 41 given those severe dust shadows. I think I might rather have a solid 3.5.

[Ricksneatstuff]

Man, I had two get away on eBay tonight that I was SURE I bid enough for. Aaugh!!

 

This one will take a week or two because I really wanted these.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191956541009?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131922460708?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

I was looking at those too Rick. Can't believe the prices on these. Wow!!

 

I had what I thought were high snipes in, then I bumped them up 25% with an hour left as insurance. These were going to be keepers. I have a 41 but it's 3.5. I don't have a 40 because I am holding out for fine or better.

 

I don't know about the 41 given those severe dust shadows. I think I might rather have a solid 3.5.

 

I hear ya. Thanks for the consolation. I went on MCS and just bought a 3.5 of 40 (they called it 4.0) to comfort myself.

 

Here's my 41. Clean back cover and nice OW pages. Guess it works.

 

[Hudson]

Man, I had two get away on eBay tonight that I was SURE I bid enough for. Aaugh!!

 

This one will take a week or two because I really wanted these.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191956541009?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131922460708?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

After winning that Terrific #5, I didn't think anything could get you down this week. That is one awesome book!

 

As for B&V, I had no clue they went for that kind of $$$$. I think I need to go dig up my old copies and see what kind of shape they are in.