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Should Con dealers beat/match online prices?
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Started by Knightsofold,

149 posts in this topic

Knightsofold

Knightsofold

Posted
Posted

As buyers, should we expect dealers at cons to beat or at least match ebay auction house buy it nows?  

Do the table/travel fees = about the same as the % from ebay/paypal, auction houses etc?

I'm fine negotiating, but I don't like pointing out I can buy the same graded book cheaper online.  

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1Cool

1Cool

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Posted (edited)

I find more and more expect a discount compared to the lowest BIN prices and will be waive $50 around like it's a princely sum.  You are free to expect BIN prices and it's a good nogiation tool but I find quoting other dealer prices in the room to work better.  The book on E-Bay could be vastly over graded for all the dealer can tell and then you have to factor in $5 shipping.  Buyers in my similar discussion thread said they paid extra to be at the Con so why would they pay extra on top of BIN prices but I think the ability to physically check out the book should have some kind of premium. 

Edited by 1Cool
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wombat

wombat

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Posted

I'm assuming most of us as buyers would have those prices in mind when negotiating a book. While I might pay a very small premium to be able to actually see and handle a book I wouldn't pay more just because it's at a con. Of course I would take shipping into consideration as well. 

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comicquant

comicquant

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Posted

For the books I look for 9/10 times a seller on the boards, dealer with a site or a con dealer is cheaper because they don't have to pay the fees. There have been cases where they aren't but I don't mind paying a trusted source a premium.  eBay is a completely different beast.  It's a 50/50 chance you get what you're expecting.

 

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kav

kav

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1 minute ago, comicquant said:

For the books I look for 9/10 times a seller on the boards, dealer with a site or a con dealer is cheaper because they don't have to pay the fees. There have been cases where they aren't but I don't mind paying a trusted source a premium.  eBay is a completely different beast.  It's a 50/50 chance you get what you're expecting.

 

I think 50/50 is a high estimate.  i have rarely been disappointed in my ebay purchase.  And you can get a refund no problem.  

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comicquant

comicquant

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21 minutes ago, kav said:

I think 50/50 is a high estimate.  i have rarely been disappointed in my ebay purchase.  And you can get a refund no problem.  

For raw books I rarely get what I'm expecting when I buy off eBay from sellers I don't know.  It may be because I am only in the market for GA, SA and BA so there is more opportunity for a seller to take liberties when it comes to disclosure.  I very rarely buy slabs off eBay because they're usually priced too high.  I did buy my slabbed ASM #13 from an eBay dealer but during negotiation he agreed to a price if the sale was direct thru PayPal invoice.  I'm much less of an opportunist than I used to be because I value a trustworthy relationship more with a select few as opposed to saving 10% from someone I dont know.  I'm at the point where all my higher dollar slab purchases are from one dealer who has a website as well as a handful of boardies.  I buy almost all my raw books from the same dealer because I usually buy them to have them slabbed.  Sometimes I may pay 25% more than a similarly proposed grade on eBay but I know I won't have to hassle with returning or having to state my case when the grade comes back way over graded. That's not saying I don't have sellers I buy from on ebay, but they don't usually have the lowest prices either.  I know you sell a lot on eBay and if you have a book for $550 and another has it for $500 for the same grade but I don't know them I'll pay you the $550 without hesitation because I know you and trust your opinion on grades.  But that's just me.  (shrug)

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kav

kav

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3 minutes ago, Red84 said:

When you buy a book in person you are paying a premium to: 1) see the actual book you are buying in person, 2) take it home immediately, and 3) not have to pay shipping with the corresponding risk of it getting damaged or lost in the mail.

ebay guarantee takes care of all that for me.  Shipping cost is way less than paying 3 times ebay prices.

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