First convention purchase 1 1

[thehumantorch]

On 2/13/2023 at 9:53 AM, jas1vans said:

 

The Sub-Mariner 21 was $80. It seemed like the dealer was the one running the tables. He'd been getting chewed over prices and I wasn't there to continue doing that. I was there to buy some books, experience my first con, and see if I could find a value on a book I'm certain I gave a fair offer on f-bay. I asked about a book I knew was overpriced and let him

decide how he wanted to handle it. If he'd have been more flexible, he would have gotten more money. There were a couple books on his wall I would have talked myself into buying.

I'd say you overpaid a bit.  Every dealer is different.  Some are overpriced and some are underpriced and many are overpriced on some books and underpriced on others.  You can often get better deals online but buying books at shows means you don't have to wait for them to be delivered, you don't have to pay shipping and you can examine them before buying them. 

One strategy you might consider is picking out a wall book/key book that you want that's fairly priced and trying to get the dealer to toss in a couple of bin books for free.  Don't insult the guy by trying to get $200 worth of bin books for free if you buy a $100 wall book but a $150 wall book and $30 or $40 of bin books for $150 will often work.

[lordbyroncomics]

The first convention I went to was in 1992 or 1993 when I was 11-12 years old or so and I remember Curt Swan was there and so was Jan Duursema who signed a HULK for me. I remember some older guy in line in front of me- well, he was probably in his twenties- complaining to his buddy that she'd taken over Hulk after Dale Keown because Image was stealing everybody. And that's really the only thing I can share about it; being the first show I ever went to, I found it mesmerizing naturally. I think I paid $10 bucks!

[Jesse-Lee]

On 2/13/2023 at 10:53 AM, jas1vans said:

 

The Sub-Mariner 21 was $80. It seemed like the dealer was the one running the tables. He'd been getting chewed over prices and I wasn't there to continue doing that. I was there to buy some books, experience my first con, and see if I could find a value on a book I'm certain I gave a fair offer on f-bay. I asked about a book I knew was overpriced and let him decide how he wanted to handle it. If he'd have been more flexible, he would have gotten more money. There were a couple books on his wall I would have talked myself into buying.

As someone who has been to this show in the past (I missed this one) and other regional shows, I can actually almost picture who that dealer probably was just based on your couple of short descriptions. Either way, you got some nice books, and I don't think you did too bad at all, congrats!

Edited February 17, 2023 by Jesse-Lee

[jas1vans]

On 2/16/2023 at 8:11 PM, thehumantorch said:

I'd say you overpaid a bit.

I knew I was overpaying for all of it once I saw the $80 sticker. For me, it's part of learning; it wasn't the first and won't be the last time I overpay.

On 2/16/2023 at 11:02 PM, lordbyroncomics said:

The first convention I went to was in 1992 or 1993 when I was 11-12 years old or so and I remember Curt Swan was there and so was Jan Duursema who signed a HULK for me. I remember some older guy in line in front of me- well, he was probably in his twenties- complaining to his buddy that she'd taken over Hulk after Dale Keown because Image was stealing everybody. And that's really the only thing I can share about it; being the first show I ever went to, I found it mesmerizing naturally. I think I paid $10 bucks!

I went to a bowling alley show when I was about that age. I stole an Uncanny X-Men 201. I have purchased that book from stores at full price more than a few times now and they're all staying in the PC.

On 2/17/2023 at 12:06 AM, Jesse-Lee said:

As someone who has been to this show in the past (I missed this one) and other regional shows, I can actually almost picture who that dealer probably was just based on your couple of short descriptions. Either way, you got some nice books, and I don't think you did too bad at all, congrats!

Walk in the main doors, turn right, walk to the wall. Older guy with a bunch of longboxes that have a few titles per in no real order. Nice guy, didn't deserve some of the hassle he was getting, but he overpriced a bit.

[marvelmaniac]

Congrats on your 1st con, hope you had fun and are happy with your purchases, that is all that matters, comics books are/were meant to be fun. (Speaking as a guy who grew up in the 60's).

Are you just getting started in the hobby?

The last con I went to was Wizard World Philly in 2009, it was expensive to get in and it was more about "pop culture" than comics, I was very disappointed.

You can check online for small(er) shows in your area, smaller venue, more personal, dealers more willing to negotiate especially for multi book purchases (my experience anyway), you may also find your LCS's may be there, good opportunity to get to know them since they are local. Back about 20 years ago I used to go to the National Guard Amory in Bordentown N.J. (monthly show) and one time shows in the conference rooms in Hotels, such as the Holiday Inn in South Philly and Runnemede N.J., there is usually always a local show coming to your town other than the BIG cons. Your LCS would know if shows are coming.

When I knew I was going to a show I used to make a list of the main books I was looking for with approx. grade and price I was willing to pay along with a secondary list of books I needed to fill runs. I used to use Overstreet to determine approx. value, (as did everybody, dealers/patrons all had their copy handy), these days I would use eBay sold auctions for books in the same grade to get a roundabout of value so you do not overpay and can negotiate if need be.

Becoming somewhat proficient at grading will also come in handy so you know when a book is "overgraded/overpriced".

 

 

[Ken Aldred]

On 2/17/2023 at 5:02 AM, lordbyroncomics said:

so was Jan Duursema who signed a HULK for me. I remember some older guy in line in front of me- well, he was probably in his twenties- complaining to his buddy that she'd taken over Hulk after Dale Keown because Image was stealing everybody.

Occasional fill-in issues are difficult to avoid. 

[Ken Aldred]

I fondly remember the run of Conans I got from my first comic mart in the late 70s.

Hope you enjoy the books.

[jas1vans]

On 2/17/2023 at 11:19 AM, marvelmaniac said:

Congrats on your 1st con, hope you had fun and are happy with your purchases, that is all that matters, comics books are/were meant to be fun. (Speaking as a guy who grew up in the 60's).

Are you just getting started in the hobby?

The last con I went to was Wizard World Philly in 2009, it was expensive to get in and it was more about "pop culture" than comics, I was very disappointed.

You can check online for small(er) shows in your area, smaller venue, more personal, dealers more willing to negotiate especially for multi book purchases (my experience anyway), you may also find your LCS's may be there, good opportunity to get to know them since they are local. Back about 20 years ago I used to go to the National Guard Amory in Bordentown N.J. (monthly show) and one time shows in the conference rooms in Hotels, such as the Holiday Inn in South Philly and Runnemede N.J., there is usually always a local show coming to your town other than the BIG cons. Your LCS would know if shows are coming.

When I knew I was going to a show I used to make a list of the main books I was looking for with approx. grade and price I was willing to pay along with a secondary list of books I needed to fill runs. I used to use Overstreet to determine approx. value, (as did everybody, dealers/patrons all had their copy handy), these days I would use eBay sold auctions for books in the same grade to get a roundabout of value so you do not overpay and can negotiate if need be.

Becoming somewhat proficient at grading will also come in handy so you know when a book is "overgraded/overpriced".

 

 

Thrilled with every book I own, even the overpays and guilt buys. I'm trying to be smarter in the hobby, got back in 7 or 8 years ago and just accumulated stuff. Now, there's a master list that I'm trying to stick to.

During the accumulation stage, I went to a show at a bowling alley that I liked. The dealers all seemed happy to be there, selling books felt like a secondary thing. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for that in the future.

[Courageous Cat]

On 2/17/2023 at 6:57 PM, jas1vans said:

Thrilled with every book I own, even the overpays and guilt buys. I'm trying to be smarter in the hobby, got back in 7 or 8 years ago and just accumulated stuff. Now, there's a master list that I'm trying to stick to.

During the accumulation stage, I went to a show at a bowling alley that I liked. The dealers all seemed happy to be there, selling books felt like a secondary thing. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for that in the future.

Meh, we all eventually pay a "stupid" tax from time to time, but you could have done worse

[Robot Man]

On 2/17/2023 at 9:19 AM, marvelmaniac said:

Congrats on your 1st con, hope you had fun and are happy with your purchases, that is all that matters, comics books are/were meant to be fun. (Speaking as a guy who grew up in the 60's).

Are you just getting started in the hobby?

The last con I went to was Wizard World Philly in 2009, it was expensive to get in and it was more about "pop culture" than comics, I was very disappointed.

You can check online for small(er) shows in your area, smaller venue, more personal, dealers more willing to negotiate especially for multi book purchases (my experience anyway), you may also find your LCS's may be there, good opportunity to get to know them since they are local. Back about 20 years ago I used to go to the National Guard Amory in Bordentown N.J. (monthly show) and one time shows in the conference rooms in Hotels, such as the Holiday Inn in South Philly and Runnemede N.J., there is usually always a local show coming to your town other than the BIG cons. Your LCS would know if shows are coming.

When I knew I was going to a show I used to make a list of the main books I was looking for with approx. grade and price I was willing to pay along with a secondary list of books I needed to fill runs. I used to use Overstreet to determine approx. value, (as did everybody, dealers/patrons all had their copy handy), these days I would use eBay sold auctions for books in the same grade to get a roundabout of value so you do not overpay and can negotiate if need be.

Becoming somewhat proficient at grading will also come in handy so you know when a book is "overgraded/overpriced".

 

 

Smaller more comic book centric are really making a great comeback now. Very low admission and usually free parking. Nothing but comics. I have cut out most of the big shows. Terry O'Neil's CalCon was a two weeks ago. One day and it was EPIC!

[Motor City Rob]

On 2/16/2023 at 9:11 PM, thehumantorch said:

I'd say you overpaid a bit.  Every dealer is different.  Some are overpriced and some are underpriced and many are overpriced on some books and underpriced on others.  You can often get better deals online but buying books at shows means you don't have to wait for them to be delivered, you don't have to pay shipping and you can examine them before buying them. 

One strategy you might consider is picking out a wall book/key book that you want that's fairly priced and trying to get the dealer to toss in a couple of bin books for free.  Don't insult the guy by trying to get $200 worth of bin books for free if you buy a $100 wall book but a $150 wall book and $30 or $40 of bin books for $150 will often work.

I think your suggestion is good, but my experience the past year or so is that it's extremely rare to even find one wall book I want that's reasonably priced. And if I were to make a reasonable offer, it would probably offend the dealer because they are priced 30-40% higher than GPA. I've been going to local cons to network and catch up with other dealers but haven't bought a single book. Not sure how any dealers are making their money back. 

[thehumantorch]

On 2/18/2023 at 1:24 AM, Motor City Rob said:

I think your suggestion is good, but my experience the past year or so is that it's extremely rare to even find one wall book I want that's reasonably priced. And if I were to make a reasonable offer, it would probably offend the dealer because they are priced 30-40% higher than GPA. I've been going to local cons to network and catch up with other dealers but haven't bought a single book. Not sure how any dealers are making their money back. 

That is a problem.  Prices have come down on a lot of stuff and no dealer wants to sell a big book at a loss or at a low point in the market.

[marvelmaniac]

On 2/17/2023 at 6:57 PM, jas1vans said:

Thrilled with every book I own, even the overpays and guilt buys. I'm trying to be smarter in the hobby, got back in 7 or 8 years ago and just accumulated stuff. Now, there's a master list that I'm trying to stick to.

During the accumulation stage, I went to a show at a bowling alley that I liked. The dealers all seemed happy to be there, selling books felt like a secondary thing. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for that in the future.

Happy Hunting!!!

[FoggyNelson]

On 2/17/2023 at 9:03 PM, Robot Man said:

Smaller more comic book centric are really making a great comeback now. Very low admission and usually free parking. Nothing but comics. I have cut out most of the big shows. Terry O'Neil's CalCon was a two weeks ago. One day and it was EPIC!

I use to love smaller shows back when the used to have them🥲

[Robot Man]

On 2/18/2023 at 12:24 AM, Motor City Rob said:

I think your suggestion is good, but my experience the past year or so is that it's extremely rare to even find one wall book I want that's reasonably priced. And if I were to make a reasonable offer, it would probably offend the dealer because they are priced 30-40% higher than GPA. I've been going to local cons to network and catch up with other dealers but haven't bought a single book. Not sure how any dealers are making their money back. 

You might be looking in the wrong place. Wall books tend to be keys, classic covers and the dealer’s best and most expensive stuff. They pay the most for it and often have a very small margin.

I hit some boxes at CalCon on Sat and found three cool books that I guess the dealer wasn’t familiar with. One I kept and two I sold the next day for 3-4 times what I paid for them. Just gotta be educated and open minded…

[Robot Man]

On 2/18/2023 at 5:59 AM, FoggyNelson said:

I use to love smaller shows back when the used to have them🥲

I don’t know where you live but smaller shows have made a comeback in my area. Not usually out of state big dealers with the “sparkly” stuff but often smaller booths with collectors like me selling to support our habits. I often don’t go home with much but usually enough to make it worth while and “scratch the itch”. 

[Gaard]

On 2/17/2023 at 9:03 PM, Robot Man said:

Smaller more comic book centric are really making a great comeback now. Very low admission and usually free parking. Nothing but comics. I have cut out most of the big shows. Terry O'Neil's CalCon was a two weeks ago. One day and it was EPIC!

I love it! Reminds me of the days when the local Knights of Columbus hall would hold a Vegas Night on Friday and a small comic show on Saturday.

[Robot Man]

On 2/18/2023 at 9:02 AM, Gaard said:

I love it! Reminds me of the days when the local Knights of Columbus hall would hold a Vegas Night on Friday and a small comic show on Saturday.

My very first “comic conventions” (just before the SDCC), were at the Hollywood Women’s Club. GA Timelys, DC, Barks Ducks and ECs (my favorite) were unbagged in stacks on tables. I would get on my hands and knees and look at the $1. Books in cardboard boxes. Lots of PCH, Crime, GGA and most everything else. I would splurge on a couple of $3-5. ECs and stack up as many $1. Books as I could afford. Hard to imagine those books bringing what they do today…

[Motor City Rob]

On 2/18/2023 at 10:22 AM, Robot Man said:

You might be looking in the wrong place. Wall books tend to be keys, classic covers and the dealer’s best and most expensive stuff. They pay the most for it and often have a very small margin.

I hit some boxes at CalCon on Sat and found three cool books that I guess the dealer wasn’t familiar with. One I kept and two I sold the next day for 3-4 times what I paid for them. Just gotta be educated and open minded…

I'm not looking in the wrong place. I attend cons for other reasons previously mentioned. Simply just stating that wall books at cons are so over priced (in most cases) that there's no good starting point for negotiating. Best to buy big keys from Clink, CC, Heritage, eBay, and IG, if looking for something close to FMV. Isn't it sad that you are essentially saying that cons are not a good place to buy keys? It's true....but sad. 

[Motor City Rob]

On 2/18/2023 at 4:03 AM, thehumantorch said:

That is a problem.  Prices have come down on a lot of stuff and no dealer wants to sell a big book at a loss or at a low point in the market.

Yep. That's exactly what's happening. But that turns into not brining in much revenue for hours upon hours of prep. I'm starting to see some new dealers at local cons because others are giving up their spots. Somethings gotta give. Either pricing needs to change or the market does.