Holy Freakin' Cow - Asking prices on feeBay 9 9

[Westy Steve]

On 3/22/2022 at 12:27 PM, Rob said:

I'm glad I'm not the only one to feel this way.  I thought maybe I was just cheap.  But I can't justify paying $1000 for a book I could have gotten for $200 just a few years ago (which increased from $100-$200 in the last 15 years).  You're right, it cannot sustain.  I left the hobby in 2013 because I couldn't afford the books I wanted, and couldn't get excited about non-key issues or copies in poor condition.  Since then, my income as tripled, so I was excited to finally get the books I couldn't afford back then.  Well, prices have more than tripled (in the last year), so I'm in the same boat.  

This is exactly what is going on. We are competing with each other.  When I first graduated from college and got a job as an engineer I probably (temporarily) made more money than most of my peers so I was able to buy some pretty great books on a young engineer salary.  
 

But now that I’m older my Salary has topped out, but there were guys who may be worked as a young banker or starving attorney making pennies back then who are making serious cash now and therefore they are buying the books that I used to buy.
 

The problem is Us.  Only those making top salaries or successful investors can have the very best books still available that are not locked into collections never to see the light of day.  And this pattern won’t change until we die. Most of us talk about who to leave our comic books to. We have no plans to liquidate before we leave this earth.

 

Edited April 3, 2022 by Westy Steve

[Dick Pontoon]

On 4/2/2022 at 8:42 PM, dupont2005 said:

I recently made a $310 sale ($260 with $50 shipping) on eBay and what I got after eBay took their cut was $227.39. They took nearly a third of my sale. And I’ll be taxed on what’s left. This is why all my eBay prices are aggressive enough that I wouldn’t buy it for that. Stuff still sells though

$50 shipping? Why so much?

[dupont2005]

On 4/2/2022 at 6:34 PM, Pontoon said:

$50 shipping? Why so much?

I was under the assumption shipping does not go toward fees. The buyer asked the same question and I dropped the price of the books by $30 for him. It was a pair of Library Edition hardcovers and I double boxed it with peanuts and bubble wrap. Shipping came out to over $20 media mail and insurance not counting the cost of materials. I think all in I paid $30 to package and ship it

[Readcomix]

On 3/22/2022 at 3:40 PM, path4play said:

Its not only prices, but what's being offered as well - seems more owners are holding on and what's being offered is drying up.  Fortunately for me, I like anything golden age, so shifting to Joe Palooka and Dell Westerns... get 'em while you still can.

This is what has struck me….a dearth of interesting offerings on eBay. 

[Ryan.]

I'm still finding plenty of deals on ebay. Just takes a little more work. 

[FoggyNelson]

On 4/3/2022 at 8:34 AM, Ryan. said:

I'm still finding plenty of deals on ebay. Just takes a little more work. 

Just like a flea market, overprice stuff but maybe a needle in the haystack👍‼️

[Rob]

On 4/2/2022 at 4:29 PM, JollyComics said:

I think he is a board here.  I haven't seen him active here for a long time.

An 8.0 sold less than a month ago for $2760.  Yet he keeps relisting his 7.0 with a $12,999 starting bid, every 7 days.  I don't get it.  

[Rob]

On 4/2/2022 at 5:42 PM, dupont2005 said:

I recently made a $310 sale ($260 with $50 shipping) on eBay and what I got after eBay took their cut was $227.39. They took nearly a third of my sale. And I’ll be taxed on what’s left. This is why all my eBay prices are aggressive enough that I wouldn’t buy it for that. Stuff still sells though

Did their cut include the shipping cost?  I can't imagine eBay taking 26.6% in fees.

[dupont2005]

On 4/3/2022 at 4:44 PM, Rob said:

Did their cut include the shipping cost?  I can't imagine eBay taking 26.6% in fees.

I used to think it didn’t but I can’t figure why fees are so high either 

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 4/3/2022 at 8:58 PM, dupont2005 said:

I used to think it didn’t but I can’t figure why fees are so high either 

Was your sale price $310? Or is that what was charged the buyer because if the buyers tax?

[dupont2005]

On 4/3/2022 at 7:00 PM, ADAMANTIUM said:

Was your sale price $310? Or is that what was charged the buyer because if the buyers tax?

The sale price was $260 and $50 shipping 

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 4/3/2022 at 9:00 PM, dupont2005 said:

The sale price was $260 and $50 shipping 

I thought so, but was the only way I could think it made sense

But i appreciate confirmation 

[ADAMANTIUM]

$310 × .87 the usual fee of 13% between ebay and the bank or something, comes close at $283. Rough rough estimate as PayPal no longer takes a cut, then minus 50$ for shipping. So that's close to somehow finding the issue on your own?

I'd still call.

I always like to surmise before calling to help convince customer service but idk, idk how it makes sense in any situation 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by ADAMANTIUM

[dupont2005]

On 4/3/2022 at 7:05 PM, ADAMANTIUM said:

$310 × .87 the usual fee of 13% between ebay and the bank or something, outside it at $283. Rough rough estimate as PayPal no longer takes a cut, then minus 50$ for shipping. So that's close to somehow finding the issue on your own?

I'd still call.

I always like to surmise before calling to help convince customer service but idk, idk how it makes sense in any situation 

 

I think eBay is double dipping with managed payments as well. All my auctions have been like this, or at least the big ones are the ones I notice. Maybe I should call or review my statements 

[MGsimba77]

On 4/3/2022 at 9:58 PM, dupont2005 said:

I used to think it didn’t but I can’t figure why fees are so high either 

Their giant marketplace has something to do with that. I just wish more comics people (outside these boards) bothered to check where to buy outside feebay once in a while. Might be worth the effort just to avoid the sales tax alone. And yes they do take a cut of the shipping price as well. I've sold a good number of books on Ebay while listing them elsewhere for less. I'll put something on the Clink exchange to barely get a sniff while I get 5 offers on feebay at a higher price + sales tax. An ASM 129 9.6 I'd sold not too long ago comes to mind.... sold it on Ebay when it could've been had for considerably less on Myslabs! Well anyway Its enough to drive ya batty 

Edited May 12, 2022 by MGsimba77

[Bookery]

On 3/21/2022 at 6:51 PM, Joshua33 said:

As I'm mostly collecting pulps these days, this one is my favorite.

Making a note of this... will be the new price in my next guide.

[Bookery]

On 3/21/2022 at 5:35 PM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

It can be very frustrating as a collector trying to navigate a market full of flippers and market manipulators.

The collector is like a pinball.  You bounce around from show to show and shop to shop.  There's a lot of noise and excitement and flashy collectibles.  But ultimately you still have to deal with the flippers.

[Beastfeast]

Off topic but can we get some working definitions for the phrases used here.  Like, what is a "flipper"?  Isn't that literally anyone who sells higher than they bought?  Aren't all dealers flippers?  Do you have to constantly sell at a loss to NOT be a flipper? Or is it only people that buy out a book you wanted and now it's more expensive?  

There's this constant dismissal and dislike for "flippers" yet the secondary market wouldn't exist without them.  I've even heard LCS owners say things like, "The flippers try to score $1 books and sell them for more on Ebay."  Like, what?  You buy collections for pennies on the dollar and sell them for more.  What is the difference?  

[F For Fake]

On 5/12/2022 at 2:31 PM, Beastfeast said:

Off topic but can we get some working definitions for the phrases used here.  Like, what is a "flipper"?  Isn't that literally anyone who sells higher than they bought?  Aren't all dealers flippers?  Do you have to constantly sell at a loss to NOT be a flipper? Or is it only people that buy out a book you wanted and now it's more expensive?  

There's this constant dismissal and dislike for "flippers" yet the secondary market wouldn't exist without them.  I've even heard LCS owners say things like, "The flippers try to score $1 books and sell them for more on Ebay."  Like, what?  You buy collections for pennies on the dollar and sell them for more.  What is the difference?  

I can only speak for myself, but to me, a "flipper" is someone whose entire interest in comics is on buying for an immediate resale. There is no interest or appreciation in the hobby beyond making immediate profit. Perhaps that's being a gatekeeper, but that's how I feel. I buy comics to sell, I do it all of the time. I also buy comics for my personal collection, I sell stuff so I can buy more stuff for me, I discuss and enjoy the hobby with folks here and elsewhere, etc. "Flipper" connotes "strictly in it for the money." At least to me. Are all dealers flippers? Perhaps, but the vast majority of dealers I know are fans who turned their passion into a business, as opposed to fly by night sellers who smelled money in comics and jumped on the bandwagon.

Again, just my personal definition. I'm sure it's different for everyone.

(And for what it's worth, I don't even use "flipper" in a necessarily derogatory way. I get it. Easy money is easy money. Do your thing. But I'd rather spend time with and deal with people who actually care about comics themselves, not solely as a source of income. There is no moral judgment in this feeling.)

[Beastfeast]

On 5/12/2022 at 2:45 PM, F For Fake said:

I can only speak for myself, but to me, a "flipper" is someone whose entire interest in comics is on buying for an immediate resale. There is no interest or appreciation in the hobby beyond making immediate profit. Perhaps that's being a gatekeeper, but that's how I feel. I buy comics to sell, I do it all of the time. I also buy comics for my personal collection, I sell stuff so I can buy more stuff for me, I discuss and enjoy the hobby with folks here and elsewhere, etc. "Flipper" connotes "strictly in it for the money." At least to me. Are all dealers flippers? Perhaps, but the vast majority of dealers I know are fans who turned their passion into a business, as opposed to fly by night sellers who smelled money in comics and jumped on the bandwagon.

Again, just my personal definition. I'm sure it's different for everyone.

(And for what it's worth, I don't even use "flipper" in a necessarily derogatory way. I get it. Easy money is easy money. Do your thing. But I'd rather spend time with and deal with people who actually care about comics themselves, not solely as a source of income. There is no moral judgment in this feeling.)

We have an almost identical relationship with the hobby (and I bet a lot of people on these boards are similar) but by most accounts of what makes someone a "flipper", we'd be in that category.  I've 100% bought out a book at an LCS on Wednesday because I knew I could make fast cash. I  bought a book I wanted for my PC with that money but I don't see a functional difference between that and using the money to pad a savings account, pay bills, or pay for a meal.  The end goal is that I sold something I didn't care about and now have money at the expense of the "average" collector.  Just because I love comics doesn't make what I did any more or less crappy to some person who just wanted that particular comic to read.  

I see dealers in much the same way: Their passion for the hobby is irrelevant to the fact that it's their business to buy low, sell high, and flip stuff to people.  If they've never read a comic in their lives or are an encyclopedia doesn't mean much except in the way that I'd give one my money faster than I'd give the other.  

Part of this is probably trying to justify bad personal behavior but the other part is it's hard to engage with people when everyone has their own set of working definitions of phrases.  At some point, they stop having any meaning and act as a catch-all for things they don't like.  It's how the phrase "hipster" went from describing a very particular type of person to mean anything and everything that's different to the person saying it.