A Unique NYCC Report

[sacentaur]

I totally respect and understand the expenses that dealers incur when setting up at a show. And when it comes to pricing individual books, a potential buyer usually doesn't know how much the dealer has into the comic (which they are free to price as they please, of course).

 

Having said that, one of the major turn offs for me are books that are so grossly overpriced I just know it's a waste of time (for both me and the dealer) to enter into any type of negotiation because we are so far apart. And when a dealer consistently grossly overprices their books, then I won't bother visiting their booth anymore, regardless of what's on the wall display.

 

Dealers acquire reputations over time - some good, some bad - either moving a lot of books or seemingly sitting on stale inventory. Maybe they aren't interested in moving any books unless they get top dollar, and that's fine - but it's frustrating to potential buyers who would otherwise be interested in exploring a purchase.

 

As buttock relates, there are very few books nowadays that I would eagerly overpay for. Most of my purchases are impulse buys that fall within my collecting parameters. If such books are stickered too high however, then it's a pass.

 

Overpricing is one of the major reasons I avoid certain sellers.

[drotto]

I hate to say it, but cons are getting a reputation for having overpriced books.

[Phantalien]

I am not a comic person compared to many people on the boards, I would go to your table and see about the video games.

 

You said you had 2 nice racks, unfortunately they were the wrong kind.

 

Why is Simpsons #1 on your wall?

[Gotham Kid]

I have a general idea of what most GA books will or won't sell for, so when I see a booth where a book is priced so markedly over realistic retail, that implies to me that pretty much anything else there will be overpriced so I will just move on.

 

[Robot Man]

I hate to say it, but cons are getting a reputation for having overpriced books.

 

Not always true. Like everything, you've gotta work and box dive. I have bought underpriced from just about every major dealer on the circuit by looking hard. Deals don't just land in your lap. It is getting harder but I do it at every show I go to. Tanksheba's haul in the GA thread looks like he did some digging. I don't know what he paid but by the looks of it a lot of those books were in boxes and he probably scored on at least some of them.

[batman_fan]

I have a general idea of what most GA books will or won't sell for, so when I see a booth where a book is priced so markedly over realistic retail, that implies to me that pretty much anything else there will be overpriced so I will just move on.

 

 

I take a similar approach, although I will say I will be thinking long and hard before paying for any conventions going forward. Last two I went to were just terrible. One was in Cheyenne WY so that was really my fault but I convinced myself maybe there would be some lesser known folks selling stuff. The other was the Denver show where prices were super high and the only place there was room to breath was in the comic area which was tucked away in one corner. Denver is definitely becoming a non-comicbook comic book show.

[FineCollector]

Agree with grouping the ages together, seeing so much modern scattered everywhere tells me you're not the guy to see for bigger or older books. Guys with moderns on their wall want older books to sell, but don't have them, can't find them, and can't afford them. They don't give up silver/gold books unless it's hugely advantageous to them, because they don't know where they'll get more.

 

Toys and games are also a turnoff. It reminds me of a flea market, and makes me feel the comics you're selling are something that you found, rather than something that was collected and cared for. I love a good flea market find as much as anyone, but only at a significant discount, because there's the risk you don't know how to count pages or check resto.

 

Finally, no good bin stock. Trades I'd rather have the originals of, sets I've seen a million times, prestige format which usually means common 90's Batman squarebounds... how is that better than $5-30 bin books? If you don't have stock to fill a $5-30 dollar box, then you shouldn't be putting other people's bins down.