eBay Getting Deeper in Your Wallet 1 1

[comicwiz]

10 hours ago, Aweandlorder said:

I take all my pics from the phone now (IPhone 6S+) it takes amazing high Rez pix and saves me time with uploading them to the computer. If it wasn't for eBay's time consuming listing prep process I would've done everything on the phone. 

I don't buy or sell books without scans. Unless IG comes up with a desktop app that allows uploads from a computer, it's a non-starter for me.

[Aweandlorder]

10 hours ago, spracknetch23 said:

I've been trying an IG store out for a couple of months now and I must say it's quite nice. I can leave all unsold posts up as long as I want and archive sold posts, I can copy and paste hashtags between posts and just modify them for new posts. I can post collection pieces as well as for sale items. I can also post multiple pictures in one post if I want to show back covers, closeup flaws, etc. Also it's really easy for someone to just go to my name and look at everything I have for sale.

The downside is that it's kind of hard to see the actual condition of the book, so I try to state a grade for each book I post for sale. So far I've had 10 or so buyers, so it has worked pretty well. 

Yup you can also post a high grade short video(s) which many of my friends do with knives and watches. I can see how this could become the norm with books as well. Better than any scan u would ever get. 

The only thing that needs to happen is for the community to set standards for book numbering through hashtags and it's a wrap. 

Ie- if I sell a Harley Quinn vol 1 #1 it could read #harleyquinn_dc_2000_1

then you can hashtag a grade or condition #nm or #9.4 

like I said it's just a matter of setting search criterias that the community can easily follow and make the search easier and I believe that could impact the way we trade on books online 

[TheFifthHorseman]

For literally no reason I have a below standard seller's account for 3 months in a row. I always ship on time and securely.

Losing interest in eBay these days.

[comicwiz]

6 hours ago, Aweandlorder said:

The only thing that needs to happen is for the community to set standards for book numbering through hashtags and it's a wrap. 

I'm only mentioning this because you asked where else are you going to sell comics if not on eBay.

I went to IG and ran a search on a hashtag given to me awhile back by someone. Of the 50 or so results I waded through, about 70% were books I had no interest in. The ones I was interested in, were raffles - at $100 per spot. Some of them required as much as 19 spots - assuming everything is on the up and up, that's still a lot of people that end up with nothing. None of the posts showed a back cover scan. Some of these raffles seem a lot like guys that used to run them on Facebook (FB) and got bounced, so I guess IG is the next stop until it catches up with them like it did on FB. I'm not sure how you're going to call for community standards when you can't even have a seller care enough to put a price on something, only to see dozens of comments asking "how much" being ignored.

From what I've seen, Craigslist would be a safer trading zone compared to IG.

Edited September 22, 2017 by comicwiz

[Aweandlorder]

7 minutes ago, comicwiz said:

I'm only mentioning this because you asked where else are you going to sell comics if no on eBay.

I went to IG and ran a search on a hashtag given to me awhile back by someone. Of the 50 or so results I waded through, about 70% were books I had no interest in. The ones I was interested in, were raffles - at $100 per spot. Some of them required as much as 19 spots - that's a lot of people that end up with nothing. None of them showed a back cover scan. Some of these raffles seem a lot like guys that used to run them on Facebook (FB) and got bounced, so I guess IG is the next stop until it catches up with them like it did on FB. I'm not sure how you're going to call for community standards when you can't even have a seller care enough to put a price on something, only to see dozens of comments asking "how much" being ignored.

From what I've seen, Craigslist would be a safe trading zone compared to IG.

I never said IG is better than eBay. I said it has INCREDIBLE potential based on userbase, interest, interaction & current tech trends. All of these things point to IG, more than any other platform at the moment, as a very promising network.

Let me repeat what you quoted me on which had absolutely no relation to what you replied:

The only thing that needs to happen is for the community to set standards for book numbering through hashtags and it's a wrap. 

The proper way to use IG today, is to save your hashtags searches & users. Block the scammers. I dont have them on my feeds, and the 1-5% that pop up weekly I block immediately. 

Its kidna the equivalent of searching newly listed items/items ending soon on eBay. Thats usually what I do on eBay when Im looking for finds anyways so to me it works better through IG cause the feed is much clearer and I am searching within my network mostly.

And again, IF, the community decided that there is a need to list books through hashtags AND progress was made in that direction, you would have a PERFECT alternative to eBay. Its not rocket science

And btw, scammers on a much larger magnitude exist on eBay and much more so on Craigslist. If you are searching for an IH181 on eBay, u will likely end up with 50 magnets, posters, grab bags and beach towels before your relevant feed even starts. 

And I dont know where youre from, but over here (NY) I get 100 times better deals on Craigslist than on eBay. Craigslist is still king to me and it appears to others as well

 

 

[comicwiz]

I did respond to the quoted part, by saying how are you going to set standards when a) people don't even post prices; b) couldn't be bothered to provide a shot of the back cover, and c) are probably not people you can instill values to since they are running raffles and aren't even responding to questions about the item they posted? I know this community sets the bar high, but that's a good thing if you care about collectors not getting ripped off. Tech isn't the be all end all here, and as far as any notion of instilling a culture with promise, I wouldn't even know where to begin with doing that on IG. On Facebook, there's groups and if the admin's/mods aren't able to monitor activity 24/7, there's a regulating function within community ranks that patrol and keep things in line. I'll give you an example. There's certain groups which won't even allow you to sell an item unless you take a "hostage pic" - something proving you have the item you are selling in your possession. That wasn't a best practice born out of a members good natured conduct, it was enforced by the group to deter people who cobble images from the web from scamming people, and also to deter "brokering" or "flipping" activities where the person doesn't even have the item in hand.

The idea of using hashtags to improve your chances of finding something are overshadowed by a need for people to be kept honest. As far as social media platforms, Facebook is about as close to being a good alternative to eBay at the moment.

[fastballspecial]

On ‎9‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 3:02 PM, PunisherPunisherPunisher said:

eBay are getting worse by the day, the way it's going in 10 years they will take 1/3 of your sale

That's ridiculous. For the amount of volume that company does and their exposure you get the fees are not that bad.

Anytime I can buy $1 book and sell it for $25 I will gladly pay their fees. 

 

[fastballspecial]

23 hours ago, Aweandlorder said:

While it's in no way shape or form compared to eBay. I believe the future of comic book trading belongs to Instagram 

Explain your thinking on that. I would have thought FB seems to have a better command of the after market. Although some
FB groups seller are to think people will overpay for their books.

 

[Aweandlorder]

8 minutes ago, comicwiz said:

I did respond to the quoted part, by saying how are you going to set standards when a) people don't even post prices; b) couldn't be bothered to provide a shot of the back cover, and c) are probably not people you can instill values to since they are running raffles and aren't even responding to questions about the item they posted? I know this community sets the bar high, but that's a good thing if you care about collectors not getting ripped off. Tech isn't the be all end all here, and as far as any notion of instilling a culture with promise, I wouldn't even know where to begin with doing that on IG. On Facebook, there's groups and if the admin's/mods aren't able to monitor activity 24/7, there's a regulating function within community ranks that patrol and keep things in line. I'll give you an example. There's certain groups which won't even allow you to sell an item unless you take a "hostage pic" - something proving you have the item you are selling in your possession. That wasn't a best practice born out of a members good natured conduct, it was enforced by the group to deter people who cobble images from the web from scamming people, and also to deter "brokering" or "flipping" activities where the person doesn't even have the item in hand.

The idea of using hashtags to improve your chances of finding something are overshadowed by a need for people to be kept honest. As far as social media platforms, Facebook is about as close to being a good alternative to eBay at the moment.

Just like in any community/social network - keep with the good sellers. Avoid the . Problem solved. 

Do u remember how eBay was 10-15 years ago? It was the Wild West over there. It kinda is with Instagram now. But the potential is there big league. 

I had good sales on IG with single books (And even better buys) and good sales with fb with Lots/collections. Maybe that's just me but that's what I took from it

Again, the IG users running raffles are nonexistent to me. Much like the spammers on eBay are nonexistent to me. And there are far more of the latter 

[Aweandlorder]

4 minutes ago, fastballspecial said:

Explain your thinking on that. I would have thought FB seems to have a better command of the after market. Although some
FB groups seller are to think people will overpay for their books.

 

As a seller on IG I post pics and vids of books I sell. I get instant reply. Added daily users and that enhances my visibility = more sales. 

On fb I don't get the same response on single books. Only on lots. Kinda like I won't list single books on Craigslist. Only lots

[spracknetch23]

I've only been selling my cheaper books on IG for the most part, like $1-10 books, and it's a good way to blow out the small stuff without having to list lots of cheap ebay listings. I put the more expensive stuff on ebay. I post back cover pictures in the multiples posted at once, but maybe some people don't know to swipe as it is a relatively new feature.

I did notice that many IG sellers don't state grade, don't have back cover images, and/or don't state price. That is annoying. One of my pet peeves, even on ebay, is not seeing back cover pics, because that's a big part of my decision to buy the book. I tend to not participate or follow the raffle guys..not my thing..also they really take over your feed when you do follow them. I just ignore them.

I agree that regulating it would be tough. Some people will call out and praise successful transactions, and I've also seen bad eggs get called out.

[Aweandlorder]

what people forget is that we deal with collectibles. And a big part of buying collectibles that excite us, is showing them to others. 

IG has only that function in mind.

It THEN turns to sales. 

If you treat it like that, you will get more followers, more interaction. THEN more sales. 

If u go there with the notion that u wanna sell some books you'd get swallowed by an ocean of spammers

[comicwiz]

37 minutes ago, Aweandlorder said:

Do u remember how eBay was 10-15 years ago? It was the Wild West over there. It kinda is with Instagram now. But the potential is there big league.

I totally get what you're saying. I've been hearing for over a year about how comics are moving on IG. However, I can also relay to you that toys, especially vintage Star Wars, had been selling like hot cakes in Facebook groups, at prices that astounded even the most dialed-in collectors. There was a period from just before The Force Awakens was released, up until Rogue One was released where it seemed each week, there was a new price record, and with every price, a "new normal" was established. It was amazing for people like me who bought everything I could when the market was at it's softest 7-8 years ago, but selling in that hot market meant you also had to buy in it if you intended to remain a collector. Things have cooled off now, and stuff that used to sell in seconds sits for days, sometimes selling if the price is reduced. The last piece I sold had been listed in two Facebook groups without any takers, and a local classified site (Kijiji) is how I found a buyer.

Anyway, I think you should consider that with IG it's a newish, unconventional venue to sell comics. It's biggest asset is that people check-in a couple of times a day, and that it eventually develops into a behaviour of discovering/finding the latest and greatest offerings. I know about this because during it's hottest peak, or in anticipation of someone listing a large collection, people would literally be glued to their computers for hours, and you could tell because when an item listed and sold within seconds, there was usually a trail of a least three or four comments that lost out by a second or two at most. Like all good things that come to an end, I'd say it's in a bit of honeymoon phase with collectors at the moment and only time will tell whether it can step into eBay's shoes.

I think things have cooled off on Facebook enough at the moment that we can certainly see it as a useful alternative to avoid fees, and it's setting into a place seeming more like a marketplace thread on these forums where a seller with above average sell-through has a handle on grading, AND is pricing their stuff leaving some meat on the bone for active part-time sellers on here to resell. In other words, decent, but nothing to write home about.

Edited September 22, 2017 by comicwiz

[comicwiz]

13 minutes ago, Aweandlorder said:

And a big part of buying collectibles that excite us, is showing them to others. 

IG has only that function in mind.

It THEN turns to sales. 

I totally know about this. Some of my best finds came from people posting "hey look what I found in the garage/closet/basement."

The issue presents itself when people start using it as a way to solicit offers, and pit buyers against one another. Everyone tries to turn these platforms into eBay, and eventually (if common sensed/logical people are paying attention) people that abuse it will be shown the door.

These platforms are based on an organic sharing philosophy that all too often gets subverted by people who can't keep their greed in check, and spoil it for everyone. Which is why I say, it's still early times.

Edited September 22, 2017 by comicwiz

[Aweandlorder]

4 minutes ago, comicwiz said:

I totally know about this. Some of my best finds came from people posting "hey look what I found in the garage/closet/basement."

 

Yup. I believe that this is the modern collector's identity. Buy what excites us...

... Oh and sell if the price is right

Of course we all have our grails/runs/other oddities that we'll never part with. Thats why the hobby keeps expanding. We share our trophies and get others to salivate over our finds muahahaha

Another interesting thing on IG which I hardly see on eBay anymore is informative collectors; I have about a dozen who I follow on IG that post kickass books and write info about them and what makes them special in their opinion. Again, its simply a collector who is excited by the hobby and wants to share what excites him/her. On eBay its mainly misinformation. Just someone listing hype searchwords in the hopes of getting a poor soul to break a bill on their BS.

 

[VegasJeff]

So I'm curious how this IG thing works. How do I search for a book on there?

 

[rjrjr]

On 9/21/2017 at 11:23 AM, Terrapin said:

I'm about to start selling a 3500 book collection and was looking into eBay but I keep hearing more negative info that makes me hesitate. When I look at the sold auction values it seems that the only sellers who get a good price are those with a top rated seller status which would take a while to achieve. What are the other good options? I'm even thinking about seeing what metropolis/CC would offer just to save the time and hassle.

People here will complain, but eBay is still the best place to sell your book.  You will get more eyes and if priced properly, the book will sell.

There are competitors, but your books can sit and sit and sit, even if priced reasonably.

[Aweandlorder]

8 hours ago, rjrjr said:

People here will complain, but eBay is still the best place to sell your book.  You will get more eyes and if priced properly, the book will sell.

There are competitors, but your books can sit and sit and sit, even if priced reasonably.

While I agree, I've learned that it's wise to spread your inventory on several outlets instead of one. 

There are times where books will sit and sit & sit on eBay as well 

I never EVER thought I'd make more money on Amazon than eBay selling comics. But although eBay brings more shekels, Amazon does at times when eBay is slow af. 

I am now concentrating more on IG & fb. And lo and behold.. it works!!

so now I have 2 oiled machines that work well and 2 new ones in the works

[lizards2]

2 minutes ago, Aweandlorder said:

While I agree, I've learned that it's wise to spread your inventory on several outlets instead of one. 

There are times where books will sit and sit & sit on eBay as well 

I never EVER thought I'd make more money on Amazon than eBay selling comics. But although eBay brings more shekels, Amazon does at times when eBay is slow af. 

I am now concentrating more on IG & fb. And lo and behold.. it works!!

so now I have 2 oiled machines that work well and 2 new ones in the works

How do you sell on Facebook?  Can you send me a link?

[adampasz]

11 minutes ago, Aweandlorder said:

While I agree, I've learned that it's wise to spread your inventory on several outlets instead of one. 

There are times where books will sit and sit & sit on eBay as well 

I never EVER thought I'd make more money on Amazon than eBay selling comics. But although eBay brings more shekels, Amazon does at times when eBay is slow af. 

I am now concentrating more on IG & fb. And lo and behold.. it works!!

so now I have 2 oiled machines that work well and 2 new ones in the works

How do slabs do on Amazon?