Overseas buying on Ebay? Better deals possibly?

[BassGMan]

Hi. Usually when scanning the listings on Ebay if I see a book that is being sold in Europe I usually don't even consider purchasing it. Only reasons really are that I know shipping is going to be higher and since the comics will be shipped a much greater distance there is more chance that the comics may be damaged. Plus the shipping takes longer. Valid reasons or not, I usually just pass. But I was just scanning the ads and found three midgrade late SA Detectives (359,363,365) from a seller in the UK with great feedback, etc. All books were very reasonably priced under guide (even with the rate exchange). So I bought 'em all BIN as whenever I see these books sold from a reputable US dealer they have sold for considerably more. My question is this. I imagine that many others here in the US may have also avoided international purchases for the same reasons or others. Do any of you purchase RAW books regularly from European dealers and have you found that the prices (or winning bids) for these books are less than if you purchased these same books here from a US dealer? Any other comments? Thanks, just wondering if I should give European dealers a try or continue to just shop online in the US.

[joe_collector]

Awhile back I decided to give International sellers a shot, and over a period of a month or two, I did 4-5 small transactions with Euro sellers.

 

After over a month of waiting, one of the packages finally arrived, literally torn to shreds, and I never even saw the other packages. Disappointed is not the word, and I have never bought international since then.

 

And this is from someone who has never lost an EBay package, and only had a few online DVD purchases scammed a few years ago, during the Xmas "Hire a Con" program at the post office.

[BassGMan]

Thanks for the input Joe, this is exactly the kind of comment I was hoping for, and also why I have avoided European sellers before. And that is why I am thinking there may be better deals to be had there, just because some of us North Americans won't buy from Eurpoe. This is the guy I am trying out. Looks pretty good to me.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?V...DME:B:EOTB:US:6

[joe_collector]

And that is why I am thinking there may be better deals to be had there

 

Sure, and that was basically why I tried a few "test sample" buys from Europe, but remember that a deal is only a deal IF you receive it.

[ComicSupply]

Nice Scan... NOT

[AussieRuss]

Hello Guys.

 

As I live in Australia I find that purchasing from the USA & Europe to be the norm.

I have sold arount 20-30 high grade CGC books to many different people in both the USA , Europe & also within Australia.

 

Withover 150 purchases from the USA & U.K I have never had a problem with not receiving a book.

 

I have only once had to wait a prolonged period for a shipment to arrive in Australia but that was due to the dealer taking 6 weeks to finally get to item posted & the wrong item finally turning up. This dealer has since hired a new workforce and is trying to start fresh after many -ve feedbacks about shipping & shipping prices.

 

I have also only had one occasion where a slab has turned up cracked. The item was packed well and the box was not damaged so I am not sure how this damage occured.

 

With the CGC comics that I have shipped to the USA & Europe I always pack well with a strong box and about 5 layers of bubblewrap around the book and I have never had a complaint from a buyer to date.

 

Costs to ship to the USA & UK. work out at around US$15 for non insured airmail & around US$20-25 for fully insured airmail.

 

It usually takes arount 10-14 days to reach th USA & UK from Australia and I have never expeienced any longer than 20 days in either direction. around 9-12 days is the norm.

 

I get the feeling that as these books originated in the USA there was no need to look abroad to purchase in the past. Now that a lot of high grade & pedigree books moving to Australia, Europe and Asia I am starting to notice a lot more international sellers shipping books back to the USA and even more books heading out of the USA.

 

In another 10-20 years I think that the boundry's will have broken down to a large degree and purchasing a book from any part od the world will become a lot more accepted.

 

It's the people that don't pack items well that I believe let down those of us that pack items in a very secure manner.

 

Regards,

Russ...

[BassGMan]

Nice Scan... NOT

 

Check the link provided in the listing. An excellent scan is provided.

 

And Aussie Russ, thanks for the down under perspective. Sounds like you have had good experiences with international buying and selling. I like to hear all the angles but I think a little international dealing is worth a try when the price is right.

[awe4one]

Dealing with European buyers is fine. Other than a longer than normal wait, I've never had a problem. It's all about the exchange rate though and buyers can easily be fooled in thinking they're getting a good deal when in fact they're paying much more.

 

Using your example, you won the lot for 20 pounds. Convert this into dollars and you're paying roughly $36 just for the comic. Add in shipping which I've never had come less than 7 pounds (usually closer to 10) and that's another $12.50. Total for the comic shipped to your door is $48.50. OSPG value in VG (European dealers overgrade just as often as US sellers and the tracing around Batgirl will bring the grade down) is $26. So you're not really getting the deal you thought you were...

 

Jim

[Kermit the frog]

Thanks for the input Joe, this is exactly the kind of comment I was hoping for, and also why I have avoided European sellers before. And that is why I am thinking there may be better deals to be had there, just because some of us North Americans won't buy from Eurpoe. This is the guy I am trying out. Looks pretty good to me.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?V...DME:B:EOTB:US:6

 

Joe and BassG

 

Being an european fan, i've been buying from ebay it's been around 5 years. i've bought already from all the 5 continents and of course the majority of stuff came from the USA.

it's very rare to have problems like bad packaging/shipping and all. all you want to do is take a look at the sellers feedback and contact him before buying assuring that he'll do the best he can to protect the books.

 

regarding delays, well, of course it ain't justa couple of days, around you'll wait 1 week...don't think to be that long...

 

and i never had a missing package...

 

so Joe you were really down in luck (or maybe you didn't look/informed enough about from whom you were buying...) and BassG you might pass some great oportunities if you close the doors on the european sellers...which is great for us, .

 

regards

[tth2]

Overseas sellers are all thieves. As soon as I moved to Hong Kong from the US, I personally could feel all sense of morality ebbing away with each mile of the flight. Between the fluctuating rates of exchange, additional shipping costs and the genetic and cultural predisposition to dishonesty, why deal with the hassle? Leave the international wasteland for us international folks. Just continue to purchase from American and Canadian sellers, because then you`re GUARANTEED to get an honest deal.

[drbanner]

There's no difference between buying international versus domestic except for the more expensive shipping charge. Goldust40 and Flaming_Telepath are UK dealers and are highly recommended...as far as overgrading, poor shipping, and/or poor customer service, one doesn't have to go far from home to find that!

[Room 237]

Overseas sellers are all thieves.

 

I find that offensice. I am in the UK, and 99% of my eBay purchases are from the US and it dosn't bother me waiting for a few extra days as long as I get the book I want.

 

I sell to the US, Australia, Europe, everywhere and I've never had a complaint.

 

To say all overseas sellers are thieves is a broad an uneducated statement, there are just as many bad US sellers, European sellers, or whatever.

 

Don't tar us all with the same brush.

[tth2]

Overseas sellers are all thieves.

 

I find that offensice. I am in the UK, and 99% of my eBay purchases are from the US and it dosn't bother me waiting for a few extra days as long as I get the book I want.

 

I sell to the US, Australia, Europe, everywhere and I've never had a complaint.

 

To say all overseas sellers are thieves is a broad an uneducated statement, there are just as many bad US sellers, European sellers, or whatever.

 

Don't tar us all with the same brush.

fortysevenuk, no offense was intended, as I was being highly sarcastic. I`m based outside the US too.

[Room 237]

no worries tth2

[BassGMan]

Dealing with European buyers is fine. Other than a longer than normal wait, I've never had a problem. It's all about the exchange rate though and buyers can easily be fooled in thinking they're getting a good deal when in fact they're paying much more.

 

Using your example, you won the lot for 20 pounds. Convert this into dollars and you're paying roughly $36 just for the comic. Add in shipping which I've never had come less than 7 pounds (usually closer to 10) and that's another $12.50. Total for the comic shipped to your door is $48.50. OSPG value in VG (European dealers overgrade just as often as US sellers and the tracing around Batgirl will bring the grade down) is $26. So you're not really getting the deal you thought you were...

 

Jim

 

Thanks for the input Jim. The book looked nice to me for the price and the tracing doesn't bother me as much as other factors that would have brought the grade down. I bought three books that I wanted, I wouldn't make the purchase for just a single book. He charged 4.30 GPB to ship the three books so it sounded reasonable to me.

[awe4one]

He charged 4.30 GPB to ship the three books so it sounded reasonable to me.

 

That's very reasonable...cheaper than I've ever paid...

 

Jim

[jediknight]

I have also only had one occasion where a slab has turned up cracked. The item was packed well and the box was not damaged so I am not sure how this damage occured.

 

Aussie, I'll tell you how it cracked. The son of a %$##* dropped the comic while he was packin' it.

[Elvis]

Europe, Australia, Asia... If the feedback is good, and the price is right, I am buying! No complaints here. Scammers are found on every continent, but so are the good guys.

 

Elvis

[shadroch]

I've bought a few books fom European dealers and have not had a problem.

I've bought a few books from Jim when he was selling and got really great deals as his APO address seemed to scare off many people.

Has anyone noticed how bad things always seem to happen to JC? Books not showing up,being trashed,ect,ect. Do you suppose its karma for being such a wonderful person who welches on his bets,or do you think he's such a bitter person because all this tragedy befalls him.

Either way,he certainly seems to have way more bad experiances than the rest of us. What a shame.

[joe_collector]

so Joe you were really down in luck (or maybe you didn't look/informed enough about from whom you were buying...)

 

Sure, I'm at a 100% rate for US and Canadian shipments from EBay and private, numbering well over a thousand, and I'm "down in luck" regarding my Euro shipments. The missing packages also all came from Power Sellers or huge-feedback sellers, so it wasn't like I was dealing with Joseph P. Euro with (0) feedback here.

 

I will say this. I tried this during the post-9-11 frenzy, where customs theft and abuse was rife due to the wanton contracts being tossed around to 3rd-party vendors. It may well be better now, but I'm not too eager to find out.

 

P.S., my comments are in no way directed at International sellers, but the POSTAL SERVICES that are needed to get from Point A to B. Adding in multiple customs offices, differing postal systems and unions, as well as extending delivery times, all add up to heightened risk in my book.