Are prices still climbing or have they eased up a bit??? 42 42

[MAR1979]

On 7/10/2024 at 10:47 AM, NewWorldOrder said:

Whatnot has declined by a lot since COVID ended.  Sales are way down for the majority of sellers whether they are dealers you have heard of or the bedroom warriors selling their ASM 300 in raw VG condition that they think is rare.  

 

whatnot and the uniformed comic bandwagon buyers on that platform are both on the down slope. Unlike the whatnot hype/spin makers state its likely a death spiral.

Droves of uninformed buyers have left a hobby they never should have been in, replacements for them are almost non existent

Depending on uninformed buyers to make a profit in comics is short term + unsustainable and may no longer even be cyclical.

The blazingbob or even better anthonysnyder [not for comic art] business models are ones that are viable to make a living or nice living in what is the new normal and how it will evolve...

Edited 3 hours ago by MAR1979

[Chip Cataldo]

On 7/10/2024 at 11:05 AM, blazingbob said:

Ebay,  to me one of the worst reference points as far as raw selling goes...

I disagree, Bob. eBay is great for pricing raw books. I grade the book and price it less than every other similar copy on eBay. I do the same with toys, video games, sports cards, sci-fi books, whatever.

Things sell quickly, so rinse and repeat.

[blazingbob]

On 7/10/2024 at 2:39 PM, Chip Cataldo said:

I disagree, Bob. eBay is great for pricing raw books. I grade the book and price it less than every other similar copy on eBay. I do the same with toys, video games, sports cards, sci-fi books, whatever.

Things sell quickly, so rinse and repeat.

Ok not to be argumentative on this but if you grade accurately and most ebay sellers do not why do you have to price less then most of the over graded stuff out there?

And for time processing you are looking up every book you are listing to see what the lowest price is?  Whether they put a grade on it or not?  Seems like a lot of work to me.  I grade a book,  I price it and if offers are fair I sell it.  I can never ensure that I'm the lowest price out there and frankly how many websites would I have to look at?

.    

[FoggyNelson]

On 7/9/2024 at 2:57 PM, The humble Watcher lurking said:

and that`s with the Fantastic Four new movie to next year for July, 25th, 2025. It seems like speculators/YouTube influencers have left, while we collectors are still being patient. 

I always wish I had a FF #2 , the last 10 center😢🙄😪

[Chip Cataldo]

On 7/10/2024 at 5:14 PM, blazingbob said:

Ok not to be argumentative on this but if you grade accurately and most ebay sellers do not why do you have to price less then most of the over graded stuff out there?

And for time processing you are looking up every book you are listing to see what the lowest price is?  Whether they put a grade on it or not?  Seems like a lot of work to me.  I grade a book,  I price it and if offers are fair I sell it.  I can never ensure that I'm the lowest price out there and frankly how many websites would I have to look at?

I only sell on eBay so I'm not concerned with other websites or sale venues. So, I'm only pricing against what's on eBay. I price less than *similar* graded stuff. It's pretty easy when pricing a book to see what an actual book in comparable listings is based on the photos they have provided. If I have a solid mid-grade and someone has a listing that says "Fine" but is actually "Good" based on the photos/scans, then I obviously ignore that listing and move on to see the next lowest that's actually in-line with the grade of my own book.

For time processing it's also pretty easy...you just do a search and sort, then scroll. Doesn't take long. I can list at least 100 books in a day (including scanning/grading) if I start in the morning.

I also take offers on everything so if my comic is the lowest at $50 in that grade but someone thinks it's also $40...welp, if that book has been listed a while with not much interest, I take the money and put it toward different inventory. Cash flow is king.

Edited July 11 by Chip Cataldo

[wiparker824]

On 7/9/2024 at 4:19 PM, DC# said:

I don't want to keep bringing this book up but holy cow is it dropping fast all the sudden.   It really seemed to be holding at the $3K mark for the longest time......Heritage just sold for under $2.2k.     Looking at GPA there are still a lot of recent sales in the upper 2s.....maybe Heritage is just not the place for sellers of this book right now (and yes....these books are for sale every week it seems on Heritage so I get that aspect too)

 

 

Correct in that these do appear in Heritage weekly… one sold yesterday for a bit better but not much, nowhere near the 3k barrier you mentioned: 

 

Meanwhile over on MCS this one is already up to 2900 with over a day left to bid on it:

 

I have many copies of this book still, and they aren’t for sale at the moment but I can tell you one thing…If they were I’d not send this book or any other common Copper/Modern to HA. Much better off on eBay or MCS.

[Stefan_W]

On 7/17/2024 at 2:26 PM, wiparker824 said:

Correct in that these do appear in Heritage weekly… one sold yesterday for a bit better but not much, nowhere near the 3k barrier you mentioned: 

 

Meanwhile over on MCS this one is already up to 2900 with over a day left to bid on it:

 

I have many copies of this book still, and they aren’t for sale at the moment but I can tell you one thing…If they were I’d not send this book or any other common Copper/Modern to HA. Much better off on eBay or MCS.

Pre-Covid 9.8 copies were going for $1500-2400. Sadly, there is still room for it to fall a bit more before it levels out. 

[wiparker824]

On 7/18/2024 at 7:48 AM, Stefan_W said:

Pre-Covid 9.8 copies were going for $1500-2400. Sadly, there is still room for it to fall a bit more before it levels out. 

Oh I agree, in general I think that’s the case for all of the copper and modern keys that they will be the last to bottom out but we aren’t there yet. Of course I can’t predict the future but think the days of seeing things like this on copper keys:

 

Are never going to return… These were wild times we lived thru.

[Motor City Rob]

On 7/18/2024 at 11:16 AM, wiparker824 said:

Oh I agree, in general I think that’s the case for all of the copper and modern keys that they will be the last to bottom out but we aren’t there yet. Of course I can’t predict the future but think the days of seeing things like this on copper keys:

 

Are never going to return… These were wild times we lived thru.

I do feel a little bit badly for the person who bought that book....but only a little.

[jimjum12]

On 7/9/2024 at 9:59 PM, LordRahl said:

But you know, let's not let facts get in the way

It's not fair when you talk dirty like that. GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[Microchip]

https://scoop.previewsworld.com/Home/4/1/73/1012?ArticleID=276571

[Hepcat]

On 7/18/2024 at 1:13 PM, Motor City Rob said:

I do feel a little bit badly for the person who bought that book....but only a little.

I don't feel bad for the fellow at all. He must have felt the comic was worth that much to him and I don't see that the comic has changed. But if it wasn't worth that much to him, why then did he pay so much to buy it?

[Motor City Rob]

On 7/20/2024 at 12:26 AM, Hepcat said:

I don't feel bad for the fellow at all. He must have felt the comic was worth that much to him and I don't see that the comic has changed. But if it wasn't worth that much to him, why then did he pay so much to buy it?

Like many during that time, there was a thought that prices would keep going higher on every sale. Every day seemed like a new record was being set. He just happened to be the one who bought at the high point.

[jjonahjameson11]

Approximately this time last year, I paid $28K for an ASM 129 cgc 9.8 white pages.  The book has dropped in value since then, selling for around $20K now (multiple sales at this price).

I have no regrets paying up for my copy because quite frankly, it’s the best copy I’ve ever seen and I happy to have it in my collection.

I always keep in mind that not all 9.8’s are equal, and this holds true with my copy.

[jjonahjameson11]

Regarding the ASM 300 price drop…once 9.8’s with white pages fall to $2K (or less), I will resume my quest to hit 80 copies of this book. 👍🏻

[Stefan_W]

On 7/20/2024 at 1:21 AM, Motor City Rob said:

Like many during that time, there was a thought that prices would keep going higher on every sale. Every day seemed like a new record was being set. He just happened to be the one who bought at the high point.

This may very well be the case. Seeing a rising market and thinking it will continue rising, or seeing a falling market and thinking things continue to fall, is a common error that a lot of people make and I think it is still an error. 

I think there is another possible factor - boredom. During the comic boom in 2020-21 I sold off comics like crazy, but it was hard to find things to buy. My choice was to sit on my hands and just watch my collection dwindle, or take a few shots at books that may have some staying power beyond the pandemic. Truth be told the period after selling off most of the books I had for sale ended being really boring and I felt like I would never find a deal again. And I regret feeling the need to jump back in a bit and spend money again because none of the purchases during that time, even the ones I figured had staying power, look good right now. 

[Hepcat]

On 7/20/2024 at 1:21 AM, Motor City Rob said:

Like many during that time, there was a thought that prices would keep going higher on every sale. Every day seemed like a new record was being set. He just happened to be the one who bought at the high point.

Well then I don't sympathize with him any more than I do any buyer of stocks or bonds who ends up being the one buying at the high and holding the bag because he was simply extrapolating the trend. In other words playing the greater fool theory.

And of course comics aren't an investment instrument per se. Investment instruments have the potential to spin off an income stream (hopefully one that grows) and comics simply aren't capable of spinning off an income stream. They started out as kids' reading, became a prized collectible due to nostalgia as these kids grew older, and then became a vehicle for speculation as their prices rose. Note the word "speculation". The last thing I do is sympathize with comic buyers who were simply buying with a view to flipping at a higher price. Screw them.

Edited July 20 by Hepcat

[DC#]

On 7/20/2024 at 3:57 PM, jjonahjameson11 said:

Regarding the ASM 300 price drop…once 9.8’s with white pages fall to $2K (or less), I will resume my quest to hit 80 copies of this book. 👍🏻

May be heretical to say in front of some people on this board - but when I got my 9.8 ASM 300 I felt absolutely nothing.  One of the very few times I bought a “key/grail” that I thought I wanted and then realized I really didn’t once it was in my hand.  The book didn’t excite me at all - I still have it but I don’t know why.   

[MAR1979]

On 7/20/2024 at 10:58 AM, DC# said:

May be heretical to say in front of some people on this board - but when I got my 9.8 ASM 300 I felt absolutely nothing.  One of the very few times I bought a “key/grail” that I thought I wanted and then realized I really didn’t once it was in my hand.  The book didn’t excite me at all - I still have it but I don’t know why.   

Nothing special or unique or interesting in owning a book with such a huge population in that grade.  After all we have someone in this thread that when all is said and done will have 80+ copies...

Edited 3 hours ago by MAR1979

[jjonahjameson11]

On 7/20/2024 at 10:58 AM, DC# said:

May be heretical to say in front of some people on this board - but when I got my 9.8 ASM 300 I felt absolutely nothing.  One of the very few times I bought a “key/grail” that I thought I wanted and then realized I really didn’t once it was in my hand.  The book didn’t excite me at all - I still have it but I don’t know why.   

It happens.

i felt the same way when I picked up Showcase 4.  I was underwhelmed.