(attempted) Flip of the Day! 12 12

[Xatari]

I think people are in the hobby for a myriad of reasons. Certainly there are those looking to flip for a profit. I don’t blame them though. I used to flip comics for profit in order to buy what I was ultimately after. Now I have a lot of the art on my bucket list, but I don’t fault those who are in the building process. I look at it as it’s not for me to judge how someone spends their money. Certainly it hurts when I miss a piece, and I have even paid more when certain pieces resurface weeks later on a flip. I would have rather paid less on the initial sale, but someone was better at the hobby than me in that instance, so that’s on me. 

[Hockeyflow33]

On 6/2/2022 at 2:18 PM, grapeape said:

If you are willing to monitor those ten auctions and share with us the results, for better or worse, that would be very useful for the community.

Do they sell for more or less when you factor in ebay seller and listing fees?

They're all posted as Buy It Now's with double the price. 

There was a David Williams Batman piece I bought off of Heritage awhile ago for $63 and it sold on ComicConnect for $65. I saw it pop up for sale on Facebook right after the auction with a "make an offer" and since I regretted selling that piece, especially for what it sold for, I reached out thinking the buyer had remorse and offered him $100 and he said he wanted at least $300. 

If people want to flip that's totally fine but at least be realistic. Two auction house sales in the same ballpark tell you what the piece is worth. 

[Hockeyflow33]

On 6/2/2022 at 4:02 PM, Xatari said:

I think people are in the hobby for a myriad of reasons. Certainly there are those looking to flip for a profit. I don’t blame them though. I used to flip comics for profit in order to buy what I was ultimately after. Now I have a lot of the art on my bucket list, but I don’t fault those who are in the building process. I look at it as it’s not for me to judge how someone spends their money. Certainly it hurts when I miss a piece, and I have even paid more when certain pieces resurface weeks later on a flip. I would have rather paid less on the initial sale, but someone was better at the hobby than me in that instance, so that’s on me. 

They're only better if the art sells. eBay is a walking graveyard of great art never to be sold because sellers have unrealistic expectations. 

[Xatari]

Oh don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s the easiest way to build “hobby wealth”. Graded Silver Age Marvel keys were my jam when I was in build mode. It definitely helped me afford a collection I never imagined being able to own. I guess that’s most collectors over the past few years though. What a fun season to be collecting!

[grapeape]

The way to survive with your soul in tact is to follow this advice.

once you sell a piece, it belongs to the new buyer. Let it go. You’ll live a happier life.

 

[Rick2you2]

On 6/2/2022 at 5:32 PM, Xatari said:

Oh don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it’s the easiest way to build “hobby wealth”. Graded Silver Age Marvel keys were my jam when I was in build mode. It definitely helped me afford a collection I never imagined being able to own. I guess that’s most collectors over the past few years though. What a fun season to be collecting!

Many, if not most people, don’t agree with my approach, but the idea of building “hobby wealth” to me is an oxymoron. Hobby items can have real dollar value, but when in hobby-mode, they are just items for viewing pleasure. If you get tired of a piece, or even an ex-wife, it’s okay to move it out for something new. But so long as I have a personal attachment to something, it stays a keeper no matter what it’s worth on the market.

[vodou]

On 6/3/2022 at 5:20 AM, Rick2you2 said:

...the idea of building “hobby wealth” to me is an oxymoron.

Yes. The activities of the frantic mover and shaker class gets tiresome, even from a distance.

[Xatari]

Oh I should probably clarify “hobby wealth”. I don’t use my joint family account for any purchases. Any new acquisition has to come from a separate pool of funds I had to build up over time, mainly through buying/selling activity of graded comics. I did this so my hobby passions don’t affect my family security in an unhealthy way. I built up a separate hobby account through buying/selling.

Over the years this included beanie babies in high school (don’t judge 😂), sneakers, guitars, cars, and then into comic books. Now the selling of these books has allowed me to buy art I otherwise would not have been able to afford… sort of like playing with house money. I say “hobby wealth” as tongue in cheek as it obviously has legitimate value. 

While the buying and selling activity of OA may be frustrating to onlookers, I don’t mind when I see others do it, as I had to utilize a similar method in the comic hobby to be able to afford pieces of art I now have. I don’t really sell art with a few exceptions during the recent CAF Live event.

[Sean I]

Some more flips flopping tonight.  Both look like they went for about a loss of a third of their purchase price.

That Avengers Buscema page that was listed for tonight’s auction within days of purchase, ended at $5,400.  After, reportedly, selling for $8,000 previously February ‘22 and $1,500 September of ‘20.

This one is less of a flip if it’s the original owner consigning, and a piece I put a few bids on myself.  Larraz X-Force cover ended at $1,301.  Looks like a nice pick up from my perspective and wish I had the funds at the moment to hang in there longer.  Initially sold for €1,850 back in 2019 then on market for $3k 6/21, $4.5k 11/21, and $3.5k 2/22 according to comicarttracker.

[Rick2you2]

On 6/8/2022 at 10:37 PM, Sean- said:

Some more flips flopping tonight.  Both look like they went for about a loss of a third of their purchase price.

That Avengers Buscema page that was listed for tonight’s auction within days of purchase, ended at $5,400.  After, reportedly, selling for $8,000 previously February ‘22 and $1,500 September of ‘20.

This one is less of a flip if it’s the original owner consigning, and a piece I put a few bids on myself.  Larraz X-Force cover ended at $1,301.  Looks like a nice pick up from my perspective and wish I had the funds at the moment to hang in there longer.  Initially sold for €1,850 back in 2019 then on market for $3k 6/21, $4.5k 11/21, and $3.5k 2/22 according to comicarttracker.

Race commented on the Comiclink Spring thread that some pieces didn’t do as well at auction as he expected. Perhaps this is the beginning of the long-anticipated slowdown/turnaround.

Edited June 9, 2022 by Rick2you2

[AlexG_art]

Not exactly Flip of the Day but I noticed this piece under sold. BATMAN CATWOMAN #6 COVER by Jim Lee. I'm trying to remember how much it was going for on Moy's site. Maybe between $25,000 - $30k.   

LINK:  Comic Link :: The Online Vintage Comic Book and Comic Art Auction and Exchange 

There was one piece I was going for and I placed a $5800 bid with a sec left. Apparently, I wasn't quick enough. The final price went for $3500.  

[Ecclectica]

On 6/9/2022 at 2:16 PM, AlexG_art said:

I'm trying to remember how much it was going for on Moy's site. Maybe between $25,000 - $30k.  

I confirm : $25,000 when it was sold on Moy's site on August 16th 2021.

Edited June 9, 2022 by Ecclectica

[Rick2you2]

On 6/9/2022 at 10:23 AM, Ecclectica said:

I confirm : $25,000 when it was sold on Moy's site on August 16th 2021.

But that may mean he didn’t sell it but was a consignor. That’s a Hell of a difference. 

[lobrac]

"MARK TRAIL Outdoor Tips" strip sold for $8.50 on eBay in May 2022:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/334436820231?hash=item4dddfce507%3Ag%3AAGIAAOSw2hVibAFn&nma=true&si=P0Ux18fRWKItf%2F%2FJe8WcIuXMsgU%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

re-Seller now asking 3x+! That's a crime! And poor Bambi... 

https://www.comicartfans.com/ForSaleDetails.asp?ArtId=7844109

[Michael Browning]

On 6/9/2022 at 3:36 PM, Rick2you2 said:

But that may mean he didn’t sell it but was a consignor. That’s a Hell of a difference. 

He’s Jim Lee’s agent.

[grapeape]

On 6/9/2022 at 7:23 AM, Ecclectica said:

I confirm : $25,000 when it was sold on Moy's site on August 16th 2021.

“SOLD” can mean so many things in our hobby. ⛔️ 

[vodou]

[Hockeyflow33]

On 6/13/2022 at 4:20 PM, vodou said:

That guy is going to make like $27 after what he paid for shipping/taxes and then add in ebay fees. 

[aqn83]

On 6/2/2022 at 1:35 PM, grapeape said:

Sometimes unbridled ambition leads to ruin

I pay pretty close attention to the modern Batman art market, and there was a young notable collector who made some HUGE modern batman art purchases, and he has since liquidated his collection.

Another year later, another younger comic collect jumps into the scene and, like the other, makes a ton of huge purchases. He has also since liquidated his collection (a lot of which he sold for far less than he bought for).

There is currently a new collector who has been buying modern Batman art nearly non-stop. I'm wondering if his fire will fizz as well. 

[grapeape]

On 6/13/2022 at 4:26 PM, aqn83 said:

I pay pretty close attention to the modern Batman art market, and there was a young notable collector who made some HUGE modern batman art purchases, and he has since liquidated his collection.

Another year later, another younger comic collect jumps into the scene and, like the other, makes a ton of huge purchases. He has also since liquidated his collection (a lot of which he sold for far less than he bought for).

There is currently a new collector who has been buying modern Batman art nearly non-stop. I'm wondering if his fire will fizz as well. 

You have to be so careful when going on a spending spree. Are you fortified to withstand unforeseen calamities?

I don’t know why these collectors sold the art they bought in a frenzy. You said “young” if it’s youth certainly inexperience can lead to big mistakes.

New collectors especially younger I think are more susceptible to impulse purchases. I think of the comic market as a parallel when a new guy with money jumps in buying up all the “hot” comics recommended by others. Sometimes you have to buy and hold!

if you know the latest collector, advise him or her not to be rash. I know recently it feels like everything we buy is going to be worth a fortune a month later. 
 

That’s not necessarily so.