When You Unexpectedly Find a Grail or Other Book You've Always Wanted in a Shop 3 3

[Cat]

On 8/28/2023 at 11:04 AM, KCOComics said:

. have it graded, submit it for auction and give her the money minus only my cost, if I like pie wanted. 

 

First time I've seen that particular filter trap up a legitimate comment, lmao. 

[godzilla43]

On 8/28/2023 at 4:04 AM, KCOComics said:

To tell a quick story - I had a coworker who discovered her father's old comics after he passed. She responded to a Craigslist Ad of someone who wanted to buy comics. He came over and offered her $50 for some old beat up GA comics. But something felt off, so she declined. Then he offered her $200... After a few weeks of silence he followed up and offered her $1,000.  

I hope that guy felt at least little bit of ashamed by himself. First offer 50$ then later 1000$  

[shadroch]

On 8/27/2023 at 10:09 PM, godzilla43 said:

I hope that guy felt at least little bit of ashamed by himself. First offer 50$ then later 1000$  

He'd have been pretty happy if she'd taken the first offer.

[GermanFan]

On 8/27/2023 at 5:08 PM, Robot Man said:

There is a fine line between “honesty” and stupidly.

I have had many opportunities to by collections of comics and other collectibles. The owner asked me what the value was. I worked for in some times many hours to give them an accurate appraisal and made them a fair offer only to be turned down. The seller just uses it as a starting point to the next buyer. Is my time and expertise worth nothing? Of course not. There are many actual appraisers who actually charge for their time and education.

Does it always pay to be “forth coming”? I once bought a very valuble sports photograph from a local flea market seller for a very inexpensive price. I knew what it was and he obviously didn’t nor did he seem to care. I sent it to auction and it sold for huge money. I saw the seller a few months later and handed him $500. cash. He was blown away and asked me why. I just told him I had purchased something from him that did real well at auction. He asked me what it was and what I got for it. I refused to answer and just told him to enjoy his windfall. The result? Now he won’t sell to me. So much for “honesty”…

Some times it does pay off. There are several dealers and estate sale owners who give me first shot at stuff because they know and trust me. They know I will be fair and pay accordingly in cash. We have a good relationship.

At a show dealing with a total stranger, I will either just pay their asking price or make a counter offer if we are close. Zero guilt on my part no matter what the item or value.

I have been doing this for 50 years. Great deals are fewer and fewer these days. For every home run there are 50 strikeouts.

Reminds me of the story you once told about finding a coverless Bat 1 in an antique store and the seller said "3" you initially thought he wanted 300 but the you quickly realized he meant 3 Dollars...(iirc).

Edited August 28, 2023 by GermanFan

[GermanFan]

First offer 50$ then later 1000$

What a stupid move. 1000 red flags going up immediately. He guaranteed the failure of the deal. He should have laid $500 cash on the table right in front of her, then maybe going up to $ 1000 in some steps, nearly crying for the loss of his money.

Edited August 28, 2023 by GermanFan

[GermanFan]

A friend of my father was a very knowledgable coin collector in the 70s. Once he got a call from a seller and went to his house to look at the coins. He bought some coins among them an old german coin he never had seen before. He got it for a song and later sold it at auction for huge money, half the value of a house in germany to that time. The seller was so suspicious he had a revolver laying on the table when they negotiated the deal.

[Get Marwood & I]

I enjoyed reading this thread this morning and found myself sympathising with both sides of the arguments as to when it is or is not appropriate to 'make a buck'. I've been fairly soft in my comic dealings throughout my life and I've let a number of good deals go. If I like a dealer, have a good rapport with them or generally find them to be decent I will usually bring under-priced items to their attention rather than take the profit for myself. I've done it countless times, often using my knowledge of the more obscure stuff, and have enjoyed the warm glow that followed. There's something inherently decent about bringing an opportunity to someone's attention, regardless of whether they deserve it. 

I have a tendency to feel sorry for people too. I once saw this old couple struggling at the London Fair not knowing what they were doing and pointing some glaringly under-priced items to their attention. I find myself imagining that they're decent, out of their depth old folk who may really need that money. I'm sure there have been occasions when they were mercenaries and undeserving of it. But I know what I'd want someone to do if that was my Mum and Dad, struggling with my post-death comic collection. I've sent messages to new sellers on eBay too pointing out wildly undervalued items. You get an instinct for it and, on occasion, the response shows that you have indeed saved someone's life.

It doesn't always work out though. When I worked for the RSPCA, one of my jobs was to collect donations from customers. Once, I pulled up in the van and found a chap from Australia who was over trying to deal with his late mother's possessions. He looked a little overwhelmed. The first thing I did was hand him a pound coin that I picked up outside his front door. I made some joke about it being a start and he told me a little bit about what he was doing and why. I filled the van with boxes of stuff, wished him well and headed back to the nearest shop. On the odd occasion, I would help the shop staff open some of the boxes and that day I did. In the presence of the manager - a surly old woman - I pulled out this odd contraption and said something along the lines of "Cor, that looks interesting". "Rubbish!" she said, "throw it away". She was like that, and likely would have. Something told me to Google it, so I went back to the van and did so. It was a rare, French underwater microscope of some description and a quick check on eBay found two that had sold for several thousand. "There you go, I said" and she couldn't take it out of my hand quick enough. It later sold at auction for thousands and the Area Manager took the credit for it.

Looking back, I wish now that I had kept it, and took it back to the owner. I imagined knocking on his door, saying "Remember me?" and giving him the good news. It would have paid for his flights over and back. So on that occasion, for me, it didn't work out.

As for my own luck, I've found £10 books that are worth £100 many times at the fair from sellers who could be described, at best, as dislikeable. I've taken those without a second thought.

One other thought, sorry to bang on, I sold my early Spideys a few years back having sat on them for 20 years and observing only modest, sequential annual price rises. When I decided to let them go, I was happy with the final sale prices. One chap bought them all, I'm told. Then they literally trebled in price within a year. It was quite an inexplicable tripling, completely at odds with the preceding 20 year trend. Did anyone contact me to give me anything back, in recognition of the sense of unfairness? Of course not, and it's silly of me to presume anyone would. Chances are I would have though. I've never had any luck with timing and money.

At the end of the day, it gets dark, and all you can do is recognise how you feel having done something. If you feel good, chances are you did right. If you feel bad, chances are that you didn't. It's a personal thing, I think, and everyone will have their own take on it. Who is to say what is right or wrong? 

[shadroch]

I used to do a lot of business with an auction house in Vegas. They'd occasionally get some cards and comics but it wasn't their specialty. As I'd buy a lot of it, I became their go-to guy for questions about them. One day I saw a long box and was surprised it contained a full run of the Hulk from 102 to the modern day.  The House had pulled 102,180-182 and 143 but would sell the rest as a run. I found an NM #271 and explained they should sell it separately.  It brought in an extra $100 for the guy's books.  A week or so goes by and I was there inspecting stuff for the next auction when this man comes over and introduced himself.  The Hulks were his son's books; he passed away in middle age.  He'd been hoping to get something for the books- $50-$100 and got almost $1500.  I thought he could use the money and he thought I'd pulled all the books that sold separately.  He'd never heard of Wolverine and couldn't believe I'd been able to get him so much money for kiddie books. He really just wanted someone to talk to about his son, so I suggested he get a dog.

[B2D327]

My days of flipping through piles/boxes at the lcs have long gone and I don’t really use the term “grail” but I’ve had some luck finding key books in online sales of comic lots that had enough pics to spot the standout books including  an FF49 and a gold key Johnny quest #1

Edited August 28, 2023 by B2D327

[Cat]

On 8/28/2023 at 11:57 PM, shadroch said:

I used to do a lot of business with an auction house in Vegas. They'd occasionally get some cards and comics but it wasn't their specialty. As I'd buy a lot of it, I became their go-to guy for questions about them. One day I saw a long box and was surprised it contained a full run of the Hulk from 102 to the modern day.  The House had pulled 102,180-182 and 143 but would sell the rest as a run. I found an NM #271 and explained they should sell it separately.  It brought in an extra $100 for the guy's books.  A week or so goes by and I was there inspecting stuff for the next auction when this man comes over and introduced himself.  The Hulks were his son's books; he passed away in middle age.  He'd been hoping to get something for the books- $50-$100 and got almost $1500.  I thought he could use the money and he thought I'd pulled all the books that sold separately.  He'd never heard of Wolverine and couldn't believe I'd been able to get him so much money for kiddie books. He really just wanted someone to talk to about his son, so I suggested he get a dog.

You may want to reword that last sentence... 

[Robot Man]

On 8/28/2023 at 5:02 AM, GermanFan said:

Reminds me of the story you once told about finding a coverless Bat 1 in an antique store and the seller said "3" you initially thought he wanted 300 but the you quickly realized he meant 3 Dollars...(iirc).

Close but not exactly. At the risk of being jumped and sent to Hell, I won’t repeat the story here. 

[Gonzimodo]

I always thought it was a staple/feature of the hobby and a dream of collectors to find ridiculously underpriced items and bask in the warm glow of their unbelievable luck, but apparently that now means you're a selfish, evil person or something. 

Don't get me wrong, I understand how people can and will take advantage of ignorant widows and orphans and whatnot, but finding something like that in an antique store or comic store is one of the unique thrills of the hobby.

Besides, I hear that dealers aren't your friends, right...? 

[WolverineX]

Is anyone honestly surprised? I don't always agree with it but isn't this the mantra of capitalism? No one reaches billionaire status being nice.  

 

  

Edited August 28, 2023 by WolverineX

[Nazirite]

On 8/28/2023 at 1:39 PM, Gonzimodo said:

Besides, I hear that dealers aren't your friends, right...?

[csaag]

Nothing undervalued here.  Back around the late 1970's to 1980 I found this in the back issue bins for $2.

Back then it was prob fair price given the condition (also has a detached centerfold to boot)

I used to drool over the much much better copies hanging from the wall but they were well outside my paperboy income

 

 

Edited August 28, 2023 by csaag

[FlyingDonut]

On 8/25/2023 at 11:06 AM, Robot Man said:

I am more than happy to be a victim of “dumb luck”. The difference is, I have had the foresight to hang on to all my “lucky” purchases instead of throwing them out for a quick flip. That isn’t being lucky.

And if one has half a million to invest. There are far better investments to be made than funny books. Buying a common book like IH 181 today for $10K is just foolish…

I'm not too sure about that.

[FlyingDonut]

On 8/27/2023 at 10:31 AM, october said:

I said routinely expected to give away their expertise for free. Plenty of the above give their time and knowledge away of their own volition and that's great, but do they get the same raft of s&%t as collectible dealers if they don't do it constantly? Is a doctor a crook if he sends a bill? Is lawyer a scumbag if he doesn't do all pro bono work? I help people all the time with comic questions and expect nothing in return, but using that same knowledge to generate a payday is scummy if the profit is "too much". I just don't buy it.

The store's job is to price it, the buyer's job is to buy it. The end. If this was a person at a garage sale who got a box of comics from the basement because you asked, or someone coming to you for pricing advice, that would be different, but this was a store whose literal job is to price antiques. If they shouldn't know better, who should? Why does their responsibility, their job, and the burden of their work transfer to the buyer? I don't hear that standard, that expectation, anywhere else. 

This is very accurate.

[FlyingDonut]

Stuff is everywhere and I know more about said stuff than 99.99% of stores in the world. I know what the FMV value of it is, and I know what my profit margin and spread requirements are. If a store is selling something far below FMV, that's not my problem, that's theirs. I will happily buy it and make my profit margin and spread thank you very much. Don't rip off an uniformed seller. A store is not an uniformed seller.

[Flanders82]

On 8/28/2023 at 10:39 AM, Gonzimodo said:

I always thought it was a staple/feature of the hobby and a dream of collectors to find ridiculously underpriced items and bask in the warm glow of their unbelievable luck, but apparently that now means you're a selfish, evil person or something.

I'm all for finding deals, but not turning those deals into an even bigger deal by marrying the cover in hopes of getting a universal label, getting fmv of a complete ASM #1, for an incomplete book, after it was misplaced by someone trying to facilitate a Stan Lee signature, or even having the book encapsulated by CGC with incorrect infromation regarding the condition of the book and having no urge to send it back to them to correct the issue. It sounds like the owner of the ASM has been on the board for awhile and you're just refraining from any criticism because of this. Any other time restoration or things of this nature aren't disclosed it's a huge deal and everyone is on the same page. I know in this case, he's only revealed an intention to capitalize off of a married book rather than actually doing it, but looking at his post as a whole, he comes across as someone that I don't care to interact with or do business with.  I don't consider being against these things to be on a high horse. It's a bit ridiculous that so many people here are getting on the case of those of us that are against the idea of profiting at someone else's expense by not disclosing substantial flaws with a book. 

If somehow you bs your way through all of this and still think I'm on my high horse, how do you explain the fact that he still hasn't resubmitted the book to CGC to have the error of the missing wraps corrected?  CGC would likely still do this at their expense. 

 

Edited August 28, 2023 by Flanders82

[october]

On 8/28/2023 at 3:52 PM, Flanders82 said:

 It's a bit ridiculous that so many people here are getting on the case of those of us that are against the idea of profiting at someone else's expense by not disclosing substantial flaws with a book. 

 

No one, zero people, are arguing that. Marrying, incomplete interiors, etc. should always 100% be disclosed.

People are taking issue with the OP getting dogged on because he found a deal and paid sticker price at a store that should have known better.