"These'll pay for my kid's college..." 5 5

[lizards2]

On 12/21/2021 at 10:54 AM, Ryan. said:

On 12/21/2021 at 10:51 AM, lizards2 said:

And capital gains taxes?

Everyone still seems to be pretending these don't exist.

[Ablation Steve]

On 12/21/2021 at 12:06 PM, MAR1979 said:

I guess if you has enough of them that graded 9.8W you'd be able to make enough profit early in the COVID era to send 1 kid for for 2 years to a state college..  Still it would have to be a lot of books.  My guess is if a 5K had been put into a S&P 500 fund in the early 90's rather than dumped into a bunch of glut era comics you might be able to send 2 kids through a 4 year college, assuming state school

Over the long haul it's not easy to beat the S&P 500 and most don't.  It's why in Oct 2008  I took Buffet's advice and directed most of my then current and future (to this day) 401K in to S&P 500 and 400 funds.  That has proven to be a far more wiser choice than to buy up glut era comics.

 

Not disagreeing with you in the slightest. There were maaaaaaaany better ways to invest, but I certainly wasn't thinking of those at the ages of 16-18. And I got to "play adult" by investing in something. 

My only point in all of this was to prove that the idea of "sending my kids to college on these" wasn't as silly as it's often made out to be.

[CHASEnBLUE]

On 12/21/2021 at 10:49 AM, BigLeagueCHEW said:

what about seller fees, and shipping out to the party? What about a loss if not in 9.8. Assuming you did pre-screen.

Most sales on my eBay store I have the buyer pay shipping. In the rare case of higher dollar items I will usually cover that.

[MAR1979]

On 12/21/2021 at 2:40 PM, Ablation Steve said:

Not disagreeing with you in the slightest. There were maaaaaaaany better ways to invest, but I certainly wasn't thinking of those at the ages of 16-18. And I got to "play adult" by investing in something. 

My only point in all of this was to prove that the idea of "sending my kids to college on these" wasn't as silly as it's often made out to be.

Seem we are in agreement

But yeah most 16-18 don't make real investments. Some that do however become the next generation of moguls.

 

Edited December 21, 2021 by MAR1979

[CHASEnBLUE]

On 12/21/2021 at 10:51 AM, lizards2 said:

And capital gains taxes?

Personally I haven't had to pay capital gains because I don't make that much to have to do so. Most of what I sell graded averages 75 to 200 or so.

[Ryan.]

On 12/21/2021 at 2:44 PM, CHASEnBLUE said:

Personally I haven't had to pay capital gains because I don't make that much to have to do so. Most of what I sell graded averages 75 to 200 or so.

Uhhhhhhh

[thesink]

On 12/21/2021 at 1:05 PM, Ablation Steve said:

I bought 51 copies of X-Men #1. Let's say $30 of that went into slabbing and ebay fees and taxes, sell for $100 and I'm making $70. $70 X 51 is $3500 just for those. Spider-Man 2099 #1 is now $250, but unfortunately I only bought five of those. 10 Spawn #1, even after fees and slabbing, can get you $2000 today. That's just a square foot of space (in unslabbed form) that got me $6500. Average college would be around $13,000 a year if it followed normal inflation, so that's not a bad chunk from 66 books.

You don't need a warehouse, I've done all this on about 2 dozen long boxes (and yes, still have a bunch of drek...but the way things are going and how Marvel is launching series, everything will be valuable eventually! Cross your fingers for X-Force for me!)

Again, I know that the entire idea of slabbing was the only thing that made this happen (i.e. it didn't go the way I planned but it still happened anyway), and while people can scoff at people paying $100 for a common 9.8, that doesn't stop it from happening.

It's certainly not the efficient way to make money, but it's been fun as part of the hobby. I guess I just like challenging the idea of the foolish early 90s speculator. (Even though, in some ways, I was one)

What about the other 100 titles that you bought 50 of that aren't worth anything, or did you only buy "winners". Also, which X-Men 1 is selling for $100? The take on this is people bought lots of stuff worth nothing and a few things worth something, and whenever someone says these don't work out everyone points to the few worth something. If you were doing it because you loved those specific books it would be cheer worthy as you bought what you loved, but as an investment it doesn't make sense.

[Ablation Steve]

On 12/21/2021 at 12:20 PM, BigLeagueCHEW said:

Please factor in CGC costs:

CGC membership fee

Submission form fee

Packaging cost

Shipping cost to CGC

Grading, or press and grade fees, loss of pre-screen if less than 9.8

Return shipping cost to you

Then as a seller:

Depending on what auction site you listed on (Fees for selling) Selling fee and any returns from buyers

Cost of paper and ink to print labels to buyers

Packaging material cost to buyers

Your time and effort at a standard rate (This is the biggest loss in your claimed profit)

Cost to drive to the post office, gas, wear and tear on vehicle, etc

Capital gains tax

I am sure I am missing something.

 

 

On 12/21/2021 at 12:29 PM, MAR1979 said:

Yep a good list. I can also think of:

1) Possible storage costs over the years if applicable.  These could offset all profit depending on the situation.

2) Inflationary losses compounded since day of purchase. This applies until items are sold.

 

 

Here are my quick thoughts on those. 

CGC membership fee - breaks even with the slabbing credit you get

submission form fee - $5 for 25 books, split out that's really nothing.

Packing cost is a few cents in tape, as I just use free shipping boxes or recycled materials

Shipping cost to CGC - Totally legit cost. Don't forget cost of insurance!

Grading - also legit. Was cheaper in the past when I was doing most of this. But even if you get a 9.6 you can still sell it and break even

Return shipping - You're right on that. But if I make $70 on just one slab, it pays shipping on the other 24.

Ebay runs about 13%, but I've since learned the wonders of MCS at 10% (though there's also the cost of sending to MCS)

Cost of paper and ink - And printer! Amortized (did I use that word right?) these costs are negligible. $300 over 5 years?

Packaging materials - I usually use recycled, or free from PO

The time I spend - It's all part of the hobby, the fun of it all, the thrill of the sale. I was either going to send to CGC or play another 10 games of Halo. 

Cost of car - PO drops off free boxes on my doorstep and picks up boxes from my doorstep

Capital gains - Absolutely. Huge. But also factored in.

Storage costs - I have a nice basement

Inflationary losses - True. But this is easily offset by the profit.

 

I've run the numbers, and it's worked. If I spend 15 minutes per comic to send to CGC, take pics once it's back, list it (or just send to MCS), then it's not bad money per hour. Oh, and the 30 years of holding onto them. Can't forget that!

 

 

[Ablation Steve]

On 12/21/2021 at 12:44 PM, MAR1979 said:

Seem we are in agreement

But yeah most 16-18 don't make real investments. Some that do however become the next generation of moguls.

 

That was not me...and still isn't!

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

Some of these " 90's era glut" books have done EXTREMELY WELL for me.. I purchased a ton of books from bookstores and toy stores as well as local shops. Just this year here are some of the books I have sold and prices realized..

$600

$500

$1200 also sold another at $900

$450

$600

$500

$700

$200

$1800

$300

This is not even a drop in the bucket for how many sets /singles I sold raw. I have had so many sales with books from these sets.  The beginning of this year I sold 7 books from the Death of Superman for right at $4,000 just to 1 buyer. 

[BigLeagueCHEW]

On 12/21/2021 at 12:10 PM, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

The beginning of this year I sold 7 books from the Death of Superman for right at $4,000 just to 1 buyer. 

Wow

[Robot Man]

On 12/21/2021 at 10:21 AM, MattTheDuck said:

Back in the day (the 1970s) I was buying Silver and Bronze and we would think/say the same kind of things - "these will be worth $1 million some day!*"  For the "right" issues, of course, this actually came to pass, but if you'd told me one of the "right ones" would be IH 181 I'd have thought you were nuts.  How could a character I didn't even like be worth anything?

Same with ASM 129 - in my mind at the time it was ASM 121 that had value.  Just goes to show, trying to guess what will be worth anything is a carp shoot.

* Note I don't literally mean every issue would be worth $1 million.  It was a metaphor.

By the early 1970’s, I had completed most of the SA I really wanted and was already into GA.

We never at the time figured that comics would ever be really big money. Around 1972 an Action #1 was maybe $300. Was a LOT of money to me.

About 10 years later, I sold off all my big GA #1’s to put a down payment on my house. Many years later, I sold off most my early key Marvels and DC’s for my kids college. Never had to sell my ASM #1 or my Hulk #1. Both solid investments.

Over the years, I was able to wheel and deal to get about 1/2 my big book wants back.

I recently retired and am now weeding down my collection as needed.

Comics have been a great investment for me…

[Robot Man]

On 12/21/2021 at 12:10 PM, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

Some of these " 90's era glut" books have done EXTREMELY WELL for me.. I purchased a ton of books from bookstores and toy stores as well as local shops. Just this year here are some of the books I have sold and prices realized..

$600

$500

$1200 also sold another at $900

$450

$600

$500

$700

$200

$1800

$300

This is not even a drop in the bucket for how many sets /singles I sold raw. I have had so many sales with books from these sets.  The beginning of this year I sold 7 books from the Death of Superman for right at $4,000 just to 1 buyer. 

I bought those all off the stands. Picked the best ones I could find. Haven’t even looked at them since. Sounds like a good time to cash in…

[Ablation Steve]

On 12/21/2021 at 12:50 PM, thesink said:

What about the other 100 titles that you bought 50 of that aren't worth anything, or did you only buy "winners". Also, which X-Men 1 is selling for $100? The take on this is people bought lots of stuff worth nothing and a few things worth something, and whenever someone says these don't work out everyone points to the few worth something. If you were doing it because you loved those specific books it would be cheer worthy as you bought what you loved, but as an investment it doesn't make sense.

No, didn't only pick winners at all. But when a single slab can offset the 28 copies of X-Force #1 that I bought back in the day — and I still get to keep the X-Force #1 for later — then "the few worth something" that I sell beyond the first slab is profit. 

I can understand some of the backlash. A lot of it is "I can't believe people are buying 90s stuff, what fools!" I feel that way about the 1980s GIJoe #1, which will always be a $10 book for me, or ASM 361, or Lethal Protector which I'm surprised anyone will give more than $40 for, or Lethal Protector that I don't think is worth $3 (but it's actually just regret that I didn't buy more of them), or X-Men 4 Omega Red which many people on this board recently had a good laugh about because, to many of us, it's worthless. It can be difficult to accept what's actually happening even if we can't / don't want to believe it.

(Regarding X-Men #1, recent sales of 9.8s range from $70-130 [Magneto cover seems the most desirable])

Just remember, this whole idea wasn't about "early 90s drek was the best place to put you're money." It's about "its is possible to make pretty good money from them given volume, patience, and some hustling."

[WolverineX]

On 12/21/2021 at 3:20 PM, Robot Man said:

I bought those all off the stands. Picked the best ones I could find. Haven’t even looked at them since. Sounds like a good time to cash in…

The DCU variants were mainly in bagged sets

[skypinkblu]

On 12/21/2021 at 3:10 PM, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

Some of these " 90's era glut" books have done EXTREMELY WELL for me.. I purchased a ton of books from bookstores and toy stores as well as local shops. Just this year here are some of the books I have sold and prices realized..

$600

$500

$1200 also sold another at $900

$450

$600

$500

$700

$200

$1800

$300

This is not even a drop in the bucket for how many sets /singles I sold raw. I have had so many sales with books from these sets.  The beginning of this year I sold 7 books from the Death of Superman for right at $4,000 just to 1 buyer. 

I think I need to go back and look in my "giveaway box" again.

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

On 12/21/2021 at 2:20 PM, Robot Man said:

I bought those all off the stands. Picked the best ones I could find. Haven’t even looked at them since. Sounds like a good time to cash in…

The 1st prints do still sell and decent, but it is the later prints that really hit.

On 12/21/2021 at 2:21 PM, Wolverinex said:

The DCU variants were mainly in bagged sets

They were in sealed 2 packs and boxed sets.. (Kaybee Toys/ Toys R Us)

 

On 12/21/2021 at 2:14 PM, BigLeagueCHEW said:

Wow

I actually looked back. It was September. 

Originally the total came to $5,350 , but he took 7 of them and I did discount a little for the bulk buy.  Total was still over $4k..

[Hamlet]

I think some of you are getting a little pedantic about this.  I think the main point of the post was that people are paying quite a bit of money for books that we all thought were completely worthless 5-10 years ago.  It's not just CGC copies either.  Look at the sales for Spawn 1.  That book is selling for $25+ for a decent copy on Ebay.  It doesn't have to be 9.6-9.8 .  I never would have guessed that the market would support prices like that for a book so over-printed.

I saw a set of the five Jim Lee X-men 1 covers sell raw in a mycomicshop auction for enough to justify shipping them and paying the selling fees for the lot.  I'm amazed that those books are being sold at anything more than a dollar given how many of them there are.

[thesink]

On 12/21/2021 at 2:21 PM, Ablation Steve said:

No, didn't only pick winners at all. But when a single slab can offset the 28 copies of X-Force #1 that I bought back in the day — and I still get to keep the X-Force #1 for later — then "the few worth something" that I sell beyond the first slab is profit. 

I can understand some of the backlash. A lot of it is "I can't believe people are buying 90s stuff, what fools!" I feel that way about the 1980s GIJoe #1, which will always be a $10 book for me, or ASM 361, or Lethal Protector which I'm surprised anyone will give more than $40 for, or Lethal Protector that I don't think is worth $3 (but it's actually just regret that I didn't buy more of them), or X-Men 4 Omega Red which many people on this board recently had a good laugh about because, to many of us, it's worthless. It can be difficult to accept what's actually happening even if we can't / don't want to believe it.

(Regarding X-Men #1, recent sales of 9.8s range from $70-130 [Magneto cover seems the most desirable])

Just remember, this whole idea wasn't about "early 90s drek was the best place to put you're money." It's about "its is possible to make pretty good money from them given volume, patience, and some hustling."

I get the concept of what you're saying. I just don't believe people when they have had success buying bulk comics and holding for 30 years, unless you were to tell me you had 500ish long boxes because now you've spanned books from the entire early 90's. Obviously you're going to make money on the sales side, i just don't think it offsets your costs as much as you think it does. Even your example of X-force 1 doesn't make sense, X-Force 1 in 9.8 sells for ~$100 on ebay right now. You don't have to use 90's comics to show 9.8s make $100 there are a lot of moderns that will bring in the same $100.

[BigLeagueCHEW]

On 12/21/2021 at 12:35 PM, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

The 1st prints do still sell and decent, but it is the later prints that really hit.

They were in sealed 2 packs and boxed sets.. (Kaybee Toys/ Toys R Us)

 

I actually looked back. It was September. 

Originally the total came to $5,350 , but he took 7 of them and I did discount a little for the bulk buy.  Total was still over $4k..