Bargaining Techniques

[greggy]

Here's another one, but its kind of a pain. NEVER EVER EVER go to a table where the guy doesn't have his books priced

 

Well...that would eliminate almost all the dealer with any good books in San Diego!

[COI]

Is this lack of price tags really a common practice? What's the strategy behind it. Maybe I've got it all wrong?

[PovertyRow]

Is this lack of price tags really a common practice? What's the strategy behind it

 

Really common? Not to my experience - but a reality - ABSOLUTELY. I honestly have NO idea of the strategy. It reminds me of the Antique Co-Ops I sometimes go to where you see Tracy comics in Poor-Fair being priced at $45 each (which I have). I have to ask - why would a non-comic collector PAY $45 for it and also why would a COLLECTOR pay $25 for it.

[doyle033]

NEVER EVER EVER go to a table where the guy doesn't have his books priced.

I agree 100 percent. but as a side note, I have never understood this. I go to comic shows and card shows to boot and i love when i have to ask the prices and the guy pulls out the price guide and starts quoting. Years ago, i actually had a seller using two wizards from different months to quote prices. so that i could have the "best price" i assume.

this too is in your favor believe it or not.

to me this says either

this dealer is not too serious about this (not serious enough to spend a few minutes price changing his stuff every month) so get a quick read. either he is gonna drop QUICK and HARD cause its cash flow to him or not at all cause he could sit on these beauties all year, he doesnt care one way or the other. but this dealer will always be a bit distant and nonchanlant. take no offense just get a quick barometer on him. no sense wasting your time if you can not break down the armor and get a drop out of him.

or

the dealer is a bit on an introvert, maybe self concious, and doesnt feel netgotiating is his strong suit. but using the trusty price guide as a tool to justify the price means never having to argue or be wrong. this can be a bit tougher to work around. at this point you almost have to force negotiation and hope the seller is so uncomfortable with it that he just sells to get rid of you. I once knew a car guy who could sell anything. truly a great product presenter. if he wanted to sell me knee sox for a hummingbird i would be ready to sign. he fell apart at the money phase though. for him talking about large sums of money with people made him so nervous that when he did close a deal, there was no profit in it, and when the customer walked, they had all kinds of false reads on this guy as the signals he sent were truly haywire during negotiations. bear this in mind with the AT THE TABLE PRICERS.

and in response to a few posts, yes some dealers can be [!@#%^&^] and we all know why. but remember, this is not due to you. you are going to make that dealers weekend whether you are spending 5 dollars or 5000 dollars. you believe it, and so will they.

and no it is not like buying a car. we are all very honest, extremely helpful and would give you the shirt off of our backs to help. (sarcasm) (you believe me dont you?)

 

[FlyingDonut]

It is common at big shows because people are moving books around. It really chaps my [!@#%^&^], let me tell you, because the dealer is then repricing when you're buying, and you can't get a feel for what your total purchase price is.

 

BTW - at some big shows, Mrs. Donut comes with. She's helpful in distracting dealers and making prices go down.

[The_Man_Of_Steel]

What's the strategy behind it.

 

Haggling by force. "A comic book is worth what a dealer is willing to sell at." You either haggle with them or move on to someone else.

[greggy]

Is this lack of price tags really a common practice?

 

In San Diego, a lot of the dealers with higher end CGC books have no prices on them. I dunno if they make up the price depending on how you look or how much $$ they can get out of you. Other than the Boston copy of a Brave and the Bold 63 that I bought last year, I have never asked for a price of an unpriced book. I regret that because I way overpaid! It'll be in my collection for a long time.

 

It's just like original art there! It's either unpriced or priced so outrageously that you don't know if they are serious or not.

[COI]

Taking the dealer's perspective, I think this is nuts. The last time I set up at a show(a year and a half ago), I had a GS X Men #1 that I had not priced for whatever reason, I think it was because I hadn;t fully inspected it. I had SOOO many people ask me how much it was, including kids and people who were obviously not potential buyers, that I evnetually just pulled it off the table out of frustration. I can't imagine someone going through that with their entire stock!

[aardvark88]

Sometimes fresh collections are brought to Wondercon or San Diego & the 2 partners may not have had time to bag & sticker price their raw treasures. This is the best time to cherry pick a bundle of books during set up & ask for the dealer discount. Depending on your attitude, this could be 5% or 50% off.

[doyle033]

yea but you are not the average dealer. the common practice when this is done is to price nothing. (you had most stuff priced so it was not common to people looking at your stuff)

then act very very very busy looking through Current wizard or a longbox of reading copies of "revolutionary comics" from the day or better yet well dog eared copies of "carnal comics" starring Hyapatia Lee. or eating a pizza or stand in between tables with the other guys so that you look like you work somewhere else. point is be VERY inconspicous, then make people yell to you "excuse me, excuse me" so that they really have to work to ask you the price. see you probably greeted them and asked if they wanted or needed any help. this messes up the whole NOT PRICING ANYTHING technique. then when someone does get your attention. you MUST SIGH LOUDLY, get your wizard (even if you have looked up the price on that book a thousand times today) thumb through, then quote book price in NM no matter what the book looks like. do this and you will see a difference

[COI]

If I asked a dealer for a price, and he consulted a WIZARD, I'd walk away on the spot.

[PovertyRow]

I had SOOO many people ask me how much it was, including kids and people who were obviously not potential buyers, that I evnetually just pulled it off the table out of frustration

 

Well - so you are honorable!

[sckao]

 

Actually, not pricing your entire inventory could be a sign that the dealer isn't a full-time dealer and is actually a collector liquidating his collection. (Since that describes me personally.)

 

I set up at small conventions occasionally and I frequently don't have the time to price everything out due to work and other family obligations. I'm not really selling my collection for a living, I'm just trying to get rid of some books even though I have some pretty nice older books. (Right now, my collection is taking up WAY too much space in my house and I'm not really tied to any of them.) As a kid/teenager I was buying dozens or even hundreds of copies of 80's books (Simonson Thors, Crisis, Man of Steel, Miracleman, Spider-man, X-men, etc.) as they were coming out via Westfield Comics.

 

Rebagging, boarding, sorting and pricing comics takes a lot of time actually.

 

So yeah, you probably could get a better deal from me than say a real dealer.. even though my comics aren't necessarily priced. (I even ended up designing and building my own rack to hold High grade comics.)

 

(I charged about 50% of guide even for high grade books, which probably wasn't a great idea.) I even give out free comics to little kids. Dealers were at the last con charging an outrageous $75 for Daredevil #181 when mine were priced at $10.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[periodicals-migration]

My two cents as a dealer and buyer (I know that's all they are worth):

 

First thing:

 

Whoever said cash talks, is completely right.....something about seeing moola waved under your nose, and then put back in the wallet.....it's a siren effect. Writing out a check just doesn't have the same power. If the guy doesn't budge then I usually try to get "throw-ins" that make up the difference in what I would have paid.....for example, "I'll buy the FF 48 at the price you asked if you throw in this X-men 101 in with the deal" If not, "good luck, I hope you sell it". If he's only got one book you want, then you can maybe play dealer off dealer and see who will go lower. If neither will, then maybe this might not be the time to buy.

 

I'm a dealer who doesn't put prices on their books. You can say laziness is the reason, but that is not the whole truth. Yeah, buying stickers for 12,000 books and updating them every year can be a pain. I don't put stickers because I would rather agree on grade first, then we can go to the price guide to see the negotiating playing field. Once we agree on grade, there still is some haggling, but at least the buyer doesn't feel like he got taken on an overgraded book. Overgrading and consequently overcharging and dropping the price down to the "right" grade and price is still a bait and switch no matter how you slice it. I would like a repeat customer who I can give 20% discounts, as much as the customer wants to be one.

 

CGCed books are a different story. You don't put a price on them, then you SHOULD be accused of "riding out the wave" and gouging someone.

 

Two other words of advice, probably common-sense. I would get a small pad and make a list of the "A" books you want or need or could upgrade, so you have a set of goals; 2.) I would bring a price guide (not a Wizard or some other half-assed guide), and based on your aesthetic compass decide if the book is overgraded, undergraded, etc.

 

Also, if you want to inspect the book further let the dealer open the bag and page through it. I've had people open books and since I deal with primarily golden ages they chip like motherf...ers if you catch the edges. If I damage it, it's my problem. You damage it and walk away, and I'm pissed for the rest of the show......

 

 

[PovertyRow]

Also, if you want to inspect the book further let the dealer open the bag and page through

 

A great bit of advice - at least for a dealer you are not friends with. Agree with this 100%!

[COI]

Also, if you want to inspect the book further let the dealer open the bag and page through it.

 

I also agree, and put this into practice. I never let others handle my HG books, and most often people are scared to anyway and motion for me to do it. A lot of accidents can happen from the buyer's side of the table, especially with a packed house.

[hammer-migration]

If you don't appreciate how your negotiations are proceeding with a stone-walling dealer, just feign a seizure brought on by frustration and be sure to throw yourself over the table as you're thrashing about. Take out as many boxes of stock as possible, hopefully, even his comic wall, while keeping your eyes rolled back in your head as far as possible!!! Believe me, he'll REMEMBER you for a long time. The next show you happen to both attend, approach him again and apologize profusely for the books you "accidentally" destroyed in your spasmodic state brought about by needlessly haggling over his high prices with him. Start negotiating on some books he brought to THIS show and then shake like a leaf if the prices don't go YOUR way. Chances are when he sees you getting worked up again, EVERYTHING will go your way!!!

 

 

[musicmeta]

Really GREAT negotiation advice. Thank You.

[CosmicBob]

Typically I will do my negotiating by finding a dealer that has several books I want. I stack them up and add up the total of the posted prices and then take 20% to 25% off the top and say: "I'll give you $X for these books." Usually they agree.

 

If the books are unpriced I check my list which usually has the OS price written down and then add them up and take the discount. I ask the same question, only this time the guy has to spend time looking up all the books and figuring out if my offer is profitable. Some dealers are pretty sharp and know right away that the offer is reasonable.

 

As for removing books from sleeves, I ALWAYS ask them to do it, even for $1 books. Usually they will tell me to remove them, but if it's a Golden Age, then I still want them to do it, in fact, I would like them to hold it and turn the pages for me as well.

 

As for Hyapatia Lee, well, you can't go wrong with that particular comic! I only wish she had done a second one like she promised! I bet she could negotiate some good prices!

[uclapeterg]

I kinda take offense to your post as a person who has had seizures in the past... They are *NOT* funny and were very frightening to myself and those around me when it happerned the first time. The easiest thing I can relate it to is "rebooting" a computer. For awhile, you can't think straight. It takes a couple of minutes to pass. (By the way, I have had tonic clonic seizures that involves both sides of the body and laspe of consciousness - usually around 3-5 minutes for me)