Jeff Weaver Wants No More Dealer Badges for Those Not Setting Up 1 1

[Old Fashion PB and J]

 So what he wants is to make sure that only dealers can get first pick at books so they can increase price and profit. So on top of him setting up and making money, he also wants to get first crack at other dealers inventory so that he can personally benefit by adding to his inventory at a discounted rate, assuring the books purchased pre show are only going to other dealers who are there to sell comics. Personally, I have always paid for a dealers badge to cut down on time standing in lines. But if someone buys a badge and is willing to spend money before doors why in the heck is it his business.

 If he wants to get inventory cheaper, do it the old fashioned way.. buy collections. I think this is one of the more absurd things I have heard and really just sounds like belly aching about not getting crack at everything first.

 

 

[1Cool]

9 minutes ago, mosconi said:

Curious, how do non-dealers and non-helpers get these dealer badges to begin with?  Is there a list you sign up for to get special approval

Dealers do not get a ton of badges (especially at some big Cons) so it just comes down to knowing the dealers and asking them early if they have any extras based on how many the Con gives them and how many helpers they need to actually run the booth.

[mosconi]

 

21 minutes ago, 1Cool said:

Dealers do not get a ton of badges (especially at some big Cons) so it just comes down to knowing the dealers and asking them early if they have any extras based on how many the Con gives them and how many helpers they need to actually run the booth.

Gotcha!  So if a dealer ends up with extra badges, they can just be given to out to certain friends that ask (or that ask with some incentive for the dealer), or even possibly sold online to make a little profit?  And do Con organizers frown on this type of activity?  Shows how little I know of the Comic Con dealer behind the scene activities  

Edited July 22, 2019 by mosconi

[djpinkpanther67]

12 hours ago, comicwiz said:

It's an attempt to curtail the competition, but the most dedicated will always find a way.

[wombat]

For those saying they or other dealers won't attend shows if they can't get in early and therefore that is a lot of money not being spent, what is the alternative? I assume you still need / want to buy those books. Do you just buy them outside of the shows?

[1Cool]

12 minutes ago, wombat said:

For those saying they or other dealers won't attend shows if they can't get in early and therefore that is a lot of money not being spent, what is the alternative? I assume you still need / want to buy those books. Do you just buy them outside of the shows?

Early bird gets the worm.  If there is a room full of dealers and their helpers buying from the first load is brought in the door then does it make sense to drive hours and get a hotel if you have little chance at buying enough cheap books to make it worthwhile.  Getting a dealer badge doesn't make buying easy but it at least gives you a chance at finding some of the steals (which of course is why some dealers who pay to set up want to have that advantage). 

Edited July 22, 2019 by 1Cool

[THE_BEYONDER]

It’s all this pre-show buying that diminishes any incentive I have to attend cons at all.  

[1Cool]

24 minutes ago, mosconi said:

 

Gotcha!  So if a dealer ends up with extra badges, they can just be given to out to certain friends that ask (or that ask with some incentive for the dealer), or even possibly sold online to make a little profit?  And do Con organizers frown on this type of activity?  Shows how little I know of the Comic Con dealer behind the scene activities  

I'd recommend anyone set up at a small Con at least once to see how it works especially if you go to Cons to buy books.  The inner workings of Cons will be eye opening and will help you appreciate how tough it is to set up a booth but it will also give you some inside info about how things work.  Selling dealer badges tends to be a no no but giving you badges to people who buy a bunch of books seems to be hard to enforce or is not really cared about (from a promoters stand point).

[lizards2]

5 minutes ago, THE_BEYONDER said:

It’s all this pre-show buying that diminishes any incentive I have to attend cons at all.  

That, and the cost, time and smell, to name a few other things.

[wombat]

7 minutes ago, 1Cool said:

Early bird gets the worm.  If there is a room full of dealers and their helpers buying from the first load is brought in the door then does it make sense to drive hours and get a hotel if you have little chance at buying enough cheap books to make it worthwhile.  Getting a dealer badge doesn't make buying easy but it at least gives you a chance at finding some of the steals (which of course is why some dealers who pay to set up want to have that advantage). 

My question was more where do those dealers get the books from then (assuming they need it for inventory). Let's say every single con put a stop to buying early. Dealers still need to acquire books. 

[Dick Pontoon]

3 hours ago, Transplant said:

Can I also add this?  People actually read dealer reports still?  Or the OSPG? 

Sure do! I find the dealer reports pretty entertaining. 

Although the percentage of reports that contain some thoughtful insights is in the minority, the thinly veiled ploys to get rid of overstock are always a hoot. I’ve only read a few in the latest edition, but so far my favorite is the one touting religious comics, books with autos on the cover or covers with Hawaiian shirts as on the move up. They may have also said generic, late-run, post-code Gleason crime and 9th printing Classics llustrated are going through the roof.

Edited July 22, 2019 by Dick Pontoon

[shadroch]

This might be better if the OPP@

1 hour ago, mosconi said:

Curious, how do non-dealers and non-helpers get these dealer badges to begin with?  Is there a list you sign up for to get special approval

Secret handshakes decided upon at the Big Table in the back room at Comic-Con.

[1Cool]

42 minutes ago, wombat said:

My question was more where do those dealers get the books from then (assuming they need it for inventory). Let's say every single con put a stop to buying early. Dealers still need to acquire books. 

Big buyers like Roy and Foolkiller don't really buy for inventory other then finding books that will give them profit (I guess that qualifies as inventory but not the same as booth dealers or shop owners).  If your market is high end gradable books and you think that dealers who have booths may get first shot would you fly from Canada or New York to pick thru left overs?  There are a ton of Cons where they can get dealer badges so they would I assume go to those Cons and spend their tens of thousands of dollars and not go to the ones were rules have been placed to limit them.

Edited July 22, 2019 by 1Cool

[MCMiles]

Well, I don’t spend $75k at a show. I like to think I can get in early because I’m likable.  I’m also not bumping butts with the likes of the cut throats over a new collection or the flippable and upgradeable books. I’m smart, I can wait till their done and do well in the left overs. If I can’t get in with a dealer pass, I’m not going. So my money (a lot of which is spent during regular floor hours) isn’t coming to the show at all. I can quickly add up a significant amount of people and money that would be missing from the floor if passes were all of a sudden restricted. 

Edited July 22, 2019 by MCMiles

[jsilverjanet]

1 hour ago, 1Cool said:

I think bob has expressed his opinion on this several times throughout the years.  But I also think Bob doesn't do a ton of business with the big dog early bird buyers so he may be biases since he sees mostly negatives when competing with additional buyers.  I was at a small local show and there was a dealer who refused to sell to early birds.  The problem was he was swamped with dealers and booth friends when the doors opened and none of the regular ticket holders had even gotten in the front door yet.  Maybe a couple of the deals few thru the cracks and got scooped up by regular ticket holders but 99% of the books that would have sold early were gone within 15 minutes of the door opening.

I'm not a big dog by any means but I've skipped two cons this year since I couldn't score dealer badges.  That is $8,000 - $10,000 that didn't quickly go right into the dealers pockets at pretty much full asking prices.  Did those books sell?  Maybe but it probably took a bunch more work on the dealers part to sell them off slowly and I'm just a small fish - you would be crazy to not let the big dogs in and quickly spend 10x what I spend.

I see people pushing the limits of helping a booth set up if this rule gets imposed.  You could watch the booth for 5 minutes while the dealer runs to the bathroom and that would classify as booth helper, right?  Carry a short box in from the van and you instantly become a helper.

@blazingbob 

[RockMyAmadeus]

The "I must get in early to get the best deals" thing is not really a thing. Don't misunderstand: the "best stuff" is usually bought on the early...but if you're patient, have money, and learn how to negotiate, you can get deals that are as good, if not better, than the early-birds.

If it's purely monetary, you can do quite well if you make large purchases, especially at the end of a show from the dealers who were overpriced at the beginning and wouldn't budge then...which means they still have "nice stuff."

Skip the feeding frenzy, take your time, and enjoy the hunt.

Edited July 22, 2019 by RockMyAmadeus

[jsilverjanet]

a big part for me getting early is to avoid much of the crowds and to socialize a bit more with the dealers. I usually leave once the general public comes in. Do I find some stuff to sell - yes but really not as much as before as there are more people buying books early than ever before. 

[Guardian Comics]

4 hours ago, Transplant said:

Can I also add this?  People actually read dealer reports still?  Or the OSPG? 

Of course they do...49th might be the best edition yet.

First off I don't think there is any place in a Market Report for a soapbox.  Joe Public buying an Overstreet in the first place could care less about our "first world problems"  Secondly a Brian, Schmell, Brulato can make or break a show for some dealers.  If they make your show in the first hour and you can just enjoy the rest of the weekend with no pressure that is a big win for a dealer.  Lastly, when Eric and I are set up at a show I cannot remember the last time we were able to get away to look at any books to buy for resale.  We just don't have the time to be absent from the booth for more than a few minutes at a time, Whether is be a one dayer, or a four dayer like Fan Expo.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

1 hour ago, THE_BEYONDER said:

It’s all this pre-show buying that diminishes any incentive I have to attend cons at all.  

 THIS!! I actually only attend conventions that offer on site grading as I know that there is all of the pre show buying done by dealers which limits my ability to find some decent deals.

[1Cool]

5 minutes ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

The "I must get in early to get the best deals" thing is not really a thing. Don't misunderstand: the "best stuff" is usually bought on the early...but if you're patient, have money, and learn how to negotiate, you can get deals that are as good, if not better, than the early-birds.

If it's purely monetary, you can do quite well if you make large purchases, especially at the end of a show from the dealers who were overpriced at the beginning and wouldn't budge then...which mean they still have "nice stuff."

Skip the feeding frenzy, take your time, and enjoy the hunt.

I agree depending on the market you operate in.  If you are looking for the latest hot book that just shot up that may be in dollar bins or key books that could get a grade bump then waiting until the end for a bulk buy is really not a great buying opportunity.  If you are looking for 9.8 contenders of books that would look good in a yellow label then I 100% agree that there really is no rush and take your time.