Dealers Aren’t Your Friends…! 9 9

[badback83]

7:00 mark 

Discuss….. 

 

 

[Murphman13]

But, but what if I want to be friends?

[Stefan_W]

I am friends with some people in my local community and often give them deals where my cost is their cost. People I am friendly with still get great deals but I do make money on the transaction. Random people who walk up to my booth at the local convention get a solid price but that is it. I try to be friendly to everyone but not everyone who buys a comic from me is my friend. 

Interesting side note is I get tons of friend requests on Facebook from people who join my comic group but haven't bought anything, or who make a purchase and then want to be friends. I just delete those - although I do regret not making a dedicated FB account for comic selling where I can just friend everyone so that one is my bad. 

[wardevil0]

A lot of people just don't know what "friends" are.  Having a social media connection doesn't make us friends.  Doing retail business doesn't make us friends.  Being a returning customer for many years or many purchases may facilitate us becoming friends, but doesn't necessarily mean we are.  Don't expect a discount because you think you're friends.

[Bookery]

You could say that about any profession... plumbers, roofers, grocers, lawyers, government workers, therapists, car repairmen, retail outlet workers... what's his point?  It's called a job.  Does anyone expect these people to be your friends also?  Sure there are outright crooked dealers.  But again... you could say that about any profession.  Just like when hiring a contractor... if you don't like the estimate, or the attitude, go somewhere else.  It really is just that simple.

[jcjames]

[Antman’s shorter brother]

I’d like to echo Bookery’s sentiments. Comic book dealers are professionals like any other. When you are consider the travel and the necessity to work weekends, their job is tougher than a lot of professions.

Over years, I’m lucky to build up a friendship a comic dealer whose kind enough to call me first when he gets in some interesting GA (even though he has customers with bigger pockets). I always inform him of my ever changing want list, and he frames my expectations with what he sees in the marketplace.

it’s a relationship like any other. - it takes time to cultivate and communicating what both sides need.

[oldbsturgeon]

this guy is local to me and I'll be at the show he was talking about in the video. I've never met him in person, but know several of the people he has talked about in previous videos. He says it like he sees it for sure

[Dr. Balls]

I'm not a convention go-er, but it's been my experience that buying comic books from people entails:

• Me doing some due diligence to see what it's worth, if it's rising in value or dropping and it's availability in grade.
• Making an offer that is a reasonable discount against the value of the book.
• Determining whether or not I am one of many or few people interested in said book - and adjusting my offer based on that.
• Being satisfied with the price paid or walking away without it.

Dealers have to make money. So do hobbyists. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don't. It's up to the consumer to decide if they want the book. I've never understood the complaints about "dealers charging too much for X Book" - it's a SA/BA/CA or Modern comic book, there's hundreds of that same book available for sale at any given moment in a dozen locations on the internet.

Dealers "trying to be your friend" are probably just dealers being nice towards customers and that is their approach. The idea that dealers being polite and friendly to customers is a "bad thing" really exemplifies what's wrong with people's perspectives nowadays. Armed with the right information and a friendly dealer can make your comic buying experience a positive one, I would imagine.

People that have an issue with comic book dealers charging too much should stay far and away from comic art - the markups in that area of collecting will make your head spin!
 

 

[rlextherobot]

On 8/9/2023 at 11:56 AM, Dr. Balls said:

 

Dealers "trying to be your friend" are probably just dealers being nice towards customers and that is their approach. The idea that dealers being polite and friendly to customers is a "bad thing" really exemplifies what's wrong with people's perspectives nowadays. Armed with the right information and a friendly dealer can make your comic buying experience a positive one, I would imagine.

 

I've met way too many sour, exploitative, abrasive comic sellers in my time to believe that those who make an effort to be friendly and cordial, even when they aren't actively making a sale, are 'faking it'. There's a weirdly cynical attitude in the belief that being conversational or approachable is some kind of trick to disarm customers and make them more likely to buy from you at your price - its part of salesmanship, sure, but it's also just ensuring that your potential buyer feels at ease and has a good time at your booth or store. 

[wiparker824]

Most of the dealers I’ve actually bought from at cons are way too busy to talk life and become my best friend. They really just want to talk business - after all that is why they are there - and if they have quality selection and reasonable prices (only reason I’d stop in the first place) they usually have multiple customers they’re dealing with at once. 

Do people really experience what this video implies? Like a dealer just has time to sit there and chat you up? My conversations usually go like this:

Me: “If I get book X and book Y could you do $200 total?”

Dealer: “Best I can do is $225”

Me: “Okay cool” … proceed to hand cash… “Thanks”

No part of this do I think we are now “friends”. Just a person running a business and a customer. 

LCS owners are a different story. They build a rapport with customers they see every week for years. And they also aren’t always super busy like a con floor, so there are times when I have sat and chatted with those types. It’s never some sort of weird predatory thing  where I’m pressured into buying something as being portrayed in this video though, just a friendly business owner - which isn’t a bad thing.

 

 

[rjpb]

Meh, my con experience in recent years has been limited to small to medium sized local shows, but it didn't seem that different than it was decades ago, except instead of walking around with a dog eared OSPG, folks are checking values on their phones. Dealers have overhead costs and are trying to make a living (or supplement one). How they price and deal with customers varies, and always has, though with most there is the expectation that the buyer will generally offer less than asking. Some are better at presenting and hawking their goods than others, and some are more pleasant to deal with than others. I imagine the availability of comics online has put some pricing pressures on sellers that wasn't there 30 years ago, when one either had to buy stuff at a con, or pretty much blind out of catalogues and the CBG. 

I thought this video was a mix of the fairly obvious, and the overly generalized, but some might find it useful, especially if they aren't familiar with the comic con experience. One thing he missed about the flashy overpriced wall books dealers have behind them, is that a reason they are sometimes reluctant to make deals on some of them is that they serve as advertising, bringing people to their table who in many cases aren't even in the market for them, but figure the dealer might have other cool books for sale as well.

[Antman’s shorter brother]

I finally watch the video. I take offense to his  using a photo of High Grade Comics as an example of an overpriced dealer. At the last NYCC, Bob sold me a copy of OAAW 83 and couple of early Showcases at an attractive price. And that was the first time I ever met Bob.

this sticky goose has lost credibility with me.

[manetteska]

On 8/9/2023 at 2:52 PM, Antman’s shorter brother said:

I finally watch the video. I take offense to his  using a photo of High Grade Comics as an example of an overpriced dealer. At the last NYCC, Bob sold me a copy of OAAW 83 and couple of early Showcases at an attractive price. And that was the first time I ever met Bob.

this sticky goose has lost credibility with me.

He had credibility!?

[mr_highgrade]

On 8/9/2023 at 3:52 PM, Antman’s shorter brother said:

I finally watch the video. I take offense to his  using a photo of High Grade Comics as an example of an overpriced dealer. At the last NYCC, Bob sold me a copy of OAAW 83 and couple of early Showcases at an attractive price. And that was the first time I ever met Bob.

this sticky goose has lost credibility with me.

Maybe that day you met Good Bob  Not Bad Bob. 

[Azkaban]

I try to make friends  and give good deals

[EastEnd1]

On 8/9/2023 at 3:49 PM, rjpb said:

I thought this video was a mix of the fairly obvious, and the overly generalized, but some might find it useful, especially if they aren't familiar with the comic con experience. One thing he missed about the flashy overpriced wall books dealers have behind them, is that a reason they are sometimes reluctant to make deals on some of them is that they serve as advertising, bringing people to their table who in many cases aren't even in the market for them, but figure the dealer might have other cool books for sale as well.

Agreed, his commentary seemed fairly obvious to me too... but maybe I've been in this hobby too long.

I've never set up at a comic show but I do help my wife sell her yummy cakes at farmer's markets.  While I love to get the sale, I am very happy to chat it up with customers, especially the kids, whether they buy anything or not.  Talking about cakes and treats on a sunny day out in a pretty park just puts smiles on everyone's faces and makes for a fun day (though yes that breaking down part at the end is definitely a downer!).  

[comicjack]

Look at some of his other video's and you will understand his thinking not for the best.

[Nick Furious]

YouTube schmucks are not your friends.  

[ExNihilo]

Maybe they would like me if they got to know me.