Dealers Aren’t Your Friends…! 9 9

[batman_fan]

Dealers aren't your friend

What conspiracy theory is he going to push next, the dancer at my local strip club doesn't love me ?

[Withering Wind]

Isn't this the guy that posted a video about getting kicked out of multiple comic shops?  I see a theme.

[daydoodle]

Yes, this is the same youtuber who filmed himself getting kicked out of a shop for trying to sell books to other customers.

He shows a brief run-in with Bob Storms in his Heroes Con video. He felt insulted because Bob would not show him a book.

[godzilla43]

Does anybody actually fall for the old -XX% off inventory thing. Like you are a vendor in a convention not Walmart so how should we know what are you're "old" prices?  

Edited August 10, 2023 by godzilla43

[thehumantorch]

On 8/9/2023 at 7:27 PM, daydoodle said:

Yes, this is the same youtuber who filmed himself getting kicked out of a shop for trying to sell books to other customers.

He shows a brief run-in with Bob Storms in his Heroes Con video. He felt insulted because Bob would not show him a book.

So he’s a YouTuber looking for attention via controversy and friction.  Waste of space

[F For Fake]

First of all, Youtubers aren't actually people, and should therefore not be allowed in cons.

[Tec-Tac-Toe]

I would not want to be friends with some of the dealers I met at cons during the 1980s and 1990s because, well, some were, I'll write, slightly less than Mr. Clean. In fact, I recall one dealer at the, was it called at that time, Miami-Con, asking me, his exact words, "How can you get close to that guy?" I responded that I could hold my breath for long periods of time.  I actually breathed through my mouth as much as I could.

Granted, those dealers very likely did not want to be my friends, probably thinking "This is the biggest nerd in here!"  

[workingdog]

I took a friend of mine to a comic convention in Chicago.  I think it was still called Wizard World at that time.  While my friend wasn't really into comics, he did love himself some Transformers.  And I told him he might find something. 

Well, we get there and he finds this uber cool Optimus Prime statue.  No price tag.  So I told him to ask the dealer about it.  He did and this dealer couldn't have been more rude to him.  Totally condescending and patronizing.  My friend got pretty upset and yelled at him, "If you don't want to sell it then why did you even put it out?" and walked away.  My friend then came back to me and said, "NEVER bring me to one of these things again." 

[Mutant Manatee]

Just take a deep breath and pretend that it's 1949.

 

[KCOComics]

 

Do his friends sell him big ticket comics at a loss? 

I have good relationships with a handful of dealers. I feel like they are nice people with genuine love for comics. I'm not expecting them to sell me books at costs because we've had friendly chats and exchanged some emails. 

Research the book, set a budget and if someone is selling a copy in your budget buy it. If they aren't, move on. I don't need to be invited to Thanksgiving dinner. 

[Robot Man]

I can probably count my real friends on one hand easily. Covid really brought that out for me. Many folks I thought were my friends only contacted me to get something they wanted. No questions of how I was doing but just what they wanted from me.

Comic dealers, for the most part are the same way. It is a business primarily. Many are good folks that I really like but outside of collecting I have very little in common with. Many are strictly “suppliers” to my addiction.

I get it. And it is OK with me. It is for the most part business. A fun business but business none the less. But I make no assumptions that we are “friends”.

I learned a long time ago to make “friends” not adversaries. Always want to keep those “doors of opportunity” open…

[Ride the Tiger]

The enemy of your enemy.......is your friend.

[1Cool]

Not much new information in his video.  Setting up at Cons is tough work and dealers are out to make money after investing cash into comics and time into setting up - shocking!  Dealers bump up prices to account for everyone wanting a deal - absolutely crazy!  Dealers are not your friends any more then you are their friends just because they sell you books - crazy talk! 

I just got my oil changed and I really don't think the guy that was talking to me while he did the oil change may not be my friend and was just being nice while he sold me a service - now I'm pissed!

Edited August 10, 2023 by 1Cool

[Cman429]

I love when people create “Well…DUH!” content and it’s like people are shocked to learn water is wet. Dealers at cons are there to take advantage of impulse buyers and filthy casuals who don’t know any better. If you’re an experienced con-ner or collector, you figured this out after your first con or two.

If not, the handwritten “Don’t quote GPA to me” signs on their booths should be your first tip off 

[Mystafo]

On 8/10/2023 at 9:48 AM, Tec-Tac-Toe said:

I actually breathed through my mouth as much as I could.

Ah, you're one of those who prefer tasting the particulates!  I kid, I kid.

[Tec-Tac-Toe]

On 8/10/2023 at 1:29 PM, Mystafo said:

Ah, you're one of those who prefer tasting the particulates!  I kid, I kid.

Ha!

Thankfully, the dealer was about 6 feet behind his table. Regardless, one could still smell him. A nice gentleman that I recall but, apparently, (edit) adverse (the Miami-con was adverse to success as it was held in a different venue every year that I went. At some point I lost track of it. I don't know if it became the Florida Supercon) to regular bathing.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Tec-Tac-Toe

[october]

On 8/10/2023 at 12:28 PM, Cman429 said:

If not, the handwritten “Don’t quote GPA to me” signs on their booths should be your first tip off 

I haven't seen that before.

I understand that mentality for infrequently sold rare items, but if you don't want to hear GPA on a Silver Age Marvel that trades 20 times a month you are likely an overpriced museum that I can skip right over. 

Edited August 10, 2023 by october

[EastEnd1]

On 8/10/2023 at 2:30 PM, october said:

I haven't see that before.

I understand that mentality for infrequently sold rare items, but if you don't want to hear GPA on a Silver Age Marvel that trades 20 times a month you are likely an overpriced museum that I can skip right over. 

You also probably shouldn't be in this business... 

[shadroch]

G.P.What?

Its usefulness is in tracking past sales, not in dictating future prices. 

[FlyingDonut]

On 8/10/2023 at 2:45 PM, shadroch said:

G.P.What?

Its usefulness is in tracking past sales, not in dictating future prices. 

 

If that's your argument, then all price guides are useless and you should make prices up based on the tides.