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Would you look in a $4 box?
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74 posts in this topic

When I go to shows, I skip over the $1 boxes because I figure there can’t be anything good in there.  Also because I generally attend shows for only one day so I need to be judicious about how I spend my time.   (Please hold your story about how you found an AF15 in one)

I occasionally set up as a dealer at small shows. At the last one I set up a $5 box, because I don’t really accumulate stuff worth only a dollar and one $5 box takes up 1/5 the space of five separate $1 boxes. 
 

I received limited interest in my $5 box. Probably only sold 20 books out of there. Most of those books might sell for $10 shipped on eBay
 

I was considering expanding my selection of boxes…like maybe adding a $10 box. 
 

Would these “non-$1 boxes” be of more interest to you or less?  Would you be interested in a $20 box that had discounted stuff or would you keep walking hoping to find a great bargain in the dollar boxes elsewhere?

Thanks for your feedback

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I mostly skip over the $1 to begin with, I contemplate $5 or $10 boxes, but after looking through any of them, I quickly give up and move on.

I usually stick to $10-$20 boxes.

I'm not as experienced as those successful divers though, and I may have missed out.

Regardless, this is my experience :):cheers: 

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On 2/23/2022 at 8:28 PM, djzombi said:

I do all the boxes.  
I love thumbing through bargain bins.  

Always worth having a look through.  You never know. 

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I sometimes go through $1 boxes.  More and more they are $2 boxes now.  I've seen $3 boxes and $10 boxes but don't think I've ever seen $4 or $5 boxes. I would imagine your $4 boxes would work if the books were compelling.  What are you putting in them?

We've had a lot luck pricing anything old at overstreet and building 25% off boxes.

 

Edited by thehumantorch
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On 2/23/2022 at 12:14 PM, Westy Steve said:

When I go to shows, I skip over the $1 boxes because I figure there can’t be anything good in there.  Also because I generally attend shows for only one day so I need to be judicious about how I spend my time.   (Please hold your story about how you found an AF15 in one)

I occasionally set up as a dealer at small shows. At the last one I set up a $5 box, because I don’t really accumulate stuff worth only a dollar and one $5 box takes up 1/5 the space of five separate $1 boxes. 
 

I received limited interest in my $5 box. Probably only sold 20 books out of there. Most of those books might sell for $10 shipped on eBay
 

I was considering expanding my selection of boxes…like maybe adding a $10 box. 
 

Would these “non-$1 boxes” be of more interest to you or less?  Would you be interested in a $20 box that had discounted stuff or would you keep walking hoping to find a great bargain in the dollar boxes elsewhere?

Thanks for your feedback

Instead of higher priced books, try 3-5 dollar books in a .50 cent box. You'll sell out and fast.

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On 2/23/2022 at 3:40 PM, thehumantorch said:

I sometimes go through $1 boxes.  More and more they are $2 boxes now.  I've seen $3 boxes and $10 boxes but don't think I've ever seen $4 or $5 boxes. I would imagine your $4 boxes would work if the books were compelling.  What are you putting in them?

We've had a lot luck pricing anything old at overstreet and building 25% off boxes.

 

My plan/thought was to put items that would cost twice as much on eBay in the boxes.  The idea is to keep it compelling.  If something stays in a box too long, I would discount it. 
 

Im hearing there is a market for $20 boxes. That’s encouraging. I’d rather give someone a great deal than have to individually price $5 or $10 books. 

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On 2/23/2022 at 4:10 PM, Mike Bray said:

These were all recent $5 pulls -- all depends on what the books are as stated above --  

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We’ll the last book wouldn’t go in my $5 box (too cool!).  The Mr. Miracles would probably start out in a $10 box and be moved down quickly if they didn’t sell. I’m assuming there isn’t a key there…not a miracle collector.  The others are $5 or less (shooting from the hip). 
 

Understand I accidentally sold a $300 book at my last show for $100…I will do some screening now!

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A used bookstore owner told me once a couple years ago that some booksllers’ trade group she belonged to had determined that $4 was the highest price point at which casual impulse buyers would grab without thinking hard — don’t ask me how they determined that. But it stuck with me.

Anecdotally, one guy I know has rows and rows of $4 longboxes filling the majority of his space in an antiques store, and the model works for him. But that’s one local market of one sort.

But I guess there may be something to that price point for those various books that are anywhere from $3-$10 give or take a crease or spine tick.

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I'm not going to be any use to you as I'm basically in the Sigur Ros camp.  At a show, I would be looking for specific, high grade Silver Age books at what I consider reasonable pricing.  Going through $1 or $5 boxes hoping someone made a multi-hundred/thousand dollar pricing error is obviously a waste of time.  I don't buy books to flip, so I'm also not looking for a $5 book I can sell for $10.  BUT you're right to be thinking this over as there are a lot of people out there who are doing exactly this.

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On 2/23/2022 at 4:49 PM, Sigur Ros said:

I'm a wall guy.

I don't have the patience or interest in flipping thru books everyone else has flipped thru.

If I'm looking for something at a show, it's not $1-$10 books I can buy all day on eBay.

I admire those of you who have the patience to dig.  I'd rather go walk by the girls of Arrow autograph tables for the 7th time.

I'm the same way. I'm sure if there was anything of importance it would be with the wall books.

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