Mile high comics prices 3 3

[Hamlet]

On 11/25/2023 at 1:53 PM, Chip Cataldo said:

I get that, but no other store uses that business model...which is my opinion is ridiculous. Deliberately overprice everything just because it's difficult to restock those items? If Chuck was more concerned about cash flow he'd be a billionaire. Lol

Aren’t most of the listings on E-bay using that model?  

[Gambold Vintage]

Huh. I've seen the ads for MHC  in Overstreet, and I know the story about the Church collection (although we will ever know the REAL story?) 

But I wasn't aware the store was a DESTINATION.  Like something you go out of your way just to see, like the Corn Palace in South Dakota, or the enormo-Starbucks in downtown Chicago.

I took a look online at some of the store photos, inside and the exterior. It's a big warehouse..and hardly inviting from the street, here's the Google photo. Even the old TV Batman villains lived in better digs:

Edited November 25, 2023 by Gambold Vintage

[lordbyroncomics]

On 11/23/2023 at 3:49 PM, LadyDeath said:

That's what they're most known for. People say it's because he doesn't actually want to sell his comics so he keeps them overpriced. It's more like a museum.

I've heard that too but this guy made a good point about some of these "museum" pieces:
 

 

[1950's war comics]

i think my own little GA collection is better and larger than what little good stuff he has to offer GA wise

[mlovest]

I used to buy from Mile High regularly in the mid 90's.  When I lived in Colorado Springs, they had a satellite store in the Springs.  I would have the local rep bring down a big stack of comics from the mothership in Denver from my then large want list of ASMs, SSMs, MTU, etc.  Then, I would cherry pick only the true NM copies, and he would give me a big 50% or so discount.  Nothing awesome, but mostly fairly common stuff, all Marvels.  I would get a pretty good deal because I could pick only NM books.  Their grading is always off, and they would argue they have too many books to properly grade them.  I never met Chuck, but I did go to the big Denver shop a couple of times.

Haven't purchased anything from them in years, as their raws are or were so over graded.

[NP_Gresham]

He must have a large swath of employees.

How well does he pay them? 
He gets kudos if he is good employer.

But he must be low-balling his graders or paying piecemeal because they suck.

[stormflora]

On 11/30/2023 at 1:30 AM, mlovest said:

I used to buy from Mile High regularly in the mid 90's.  When I lived in Colorado Springs, they had a satellite store in the Springs.  I would have the local rep bring down a big stack of comics from the mothership in Denver from my then large want list of ASMs, SSMs, MTU, etc.  Then, I would cherry pick only the true NM copies, and he would give me a big 50% or so discount.  Nothing awesome, but mostly fairly common stuff, all Marvels.  I would get a pretty good deal because I could pick only NM books.  Their grading is always off, and they would argue they have too many books to properly grade them.  I never met Chuck, but I did go to the big Denver shop a couple of times.

Haven't purchased anything from them in years, as their raws are or were so over graded.

Standards change over time, due to fatigue or impatience or otherwise. It's far easier to deal with people who are not the actual owners/managers or are related to them, as they have less of an incentive to care, being paid a typical paycheck. As long as they sell a comic at its listed price and/or within the specifications of any deals they are permitted to offer, they haven't done anything "wrong." Also, it's highly unlikely that the owners/managers even have an updated inventory of comics that they own, key issues or not. So they might not even know that they had them in the first place, especially with freshly brought in stock to quickly make a buck and flip.

[Hudson]

 

[mikenyc]

I posted this same topic when I joined in 2010 and was getting back into the hobby and then discovered that is was being discussed since the dawn of mankind. 
 

Chuckles prices were literally insane and he would tout his computer algorithm that would base pricing on what seemed to be Mars’s alignment with Jupiter and chicken bones bathed in blood. 
 

When he would hike his prices 50% and then run his 60% off sale you could get some good deals, but grading was certainly not tight. 
 

Was in the site once in September, where I see his prices have stayed as insane as ever. Like a warm hug from Grandma, it’s nice to see that some things never change. 

[newshane]

On 11/25/2023 at 4:51 PM, Gambold Vintage said:

 

But I wasn't aware the store was a DESTINATION.  Like something you go out of your way just to see, like the Corn Palace in South Dakota, or the enormo-Starbucks in downtown Chicago.

 

Yep. 

Fun fact...it was the first destination on our honeymoon. 

It's awesome to browse, but I was concerned, not only over the prices, but over the dozen or so buckets throughout the store collecting dripping water from the leaking roof. 

Edited February 10 by newshane

[Paul © ® ⚽️💙™]

On 2/9/2024 at 11:36 PM, mikenyc said:

Like a warm hug from Grandma, it’s nice to see that some things never change

A warm hug from Grandma is nice, providing the warmth doesn't mean she's wet herself.

[dbcn]

I was there a couple years ago and can confirm he has no real interest in selling the books, and said as much when I was looking at an insanely overpriced X-Men 1.

sure the prices are bananas, but the store itself is super fun - tons of books, tons of slabs, aisles of funkos, cases of vintage action figures - totally worth the trip if you’re not actually looking to buy comics…

[Tec-Tac-Toe]

Based on MHC's prices, I'm a trillionaire.

[1950's war comics]

i would gladly sell to them at 1/4th their asking price

[valiantman]

On 2/9/2024 at 5:36 PM, mikenyc said:

When he would hike his prices 50% and then run his 60% off sale you could get some good deals

This is a fun bit of math, for those who would rather read about it than do it.

You might think "up 50%" and then "60% off" would result in 10% off... but...

If the original price is $100, then "hike his prices 50%" means the new price is $150.

"Then run his 60% off sale" takes $90 off the price and the result would be $60, for a book originally priced $100.

"hike his prices 50% and then run his 60% off sale" results in 40% off the original price. 

[DeadOne]

On 2/10/2024 at 3:05 PM, valiantman said:

On 2/9/2024 at 6:36 PM, mikenyc said:

When he would hike his prices 50% and then run his 60% off sale you could get some good deals

This is a fun bit of math, for those who would rather read about it than do it.

You might think "up 50%" and then "60% off" would result in 10% off... but...

If the original price is $100, then "hike his prices 50%" means the new price is $150.

"Then run his 60% off sale" takes $90 off the price and the result would be $60, for a book originally priced $100.

"hike his prices 50% and then run his 60% off sale" results in 40% off the original price. 

 

[Nick Furious]

On 2/10/2024 at 2:05 PM, valiantman said:

"hike his prices 50% and then run his 60% off sale" results in 40% off the original price. 

still a hard "pass".  

[october]

On 2/10/2024 at 2:05 PM, valiantman said:

This is a fun bit of math, for those who would rather read about it than do it.

You might think "up 50%" and then "60% off" would result in 10% off... but...

If the original price is $100, then "hike his prices 50%" means the new price is $150.

"Then run his 60% off sale" takes $90 off the price and the result would be $60, for a book originally priced $100.

"hike his prices 50% and then run his 60% off sale" results in 40% off the original price. 

You forgot to add the part where market value is $6.

[stormflora]

At the end of the day, if you don't like their prices, don't buy from them. MHC is not the only store in the world that deliberately overcharges their products. What they try to offer is a larger inventory during times of specialized demand. Their primary clientele is most likely not small folk like us, but the richer whales who are willing to pay anything to get what they want, so long as they have it.

I've only ordered from them once so far just to try them out despite all the negative opinions towards them (and to fill many gaps in my Tom & Jerry collection), and frankly, it turned out pretty well. Although my series isn't particularly high profile, they undergraded most of the comics (even their Fair-graded ones) and do issue you refunds in case there are problems. Buy during one of their frequent "sales," and you may be able to grab something closer to market price.

[BA773]

On 2/11/2024 at 4:08 PM, stormflora said:

At the end of the day, if you don't like their prices, don't buy from them. MHC is not the only store in the world that deliberately overcharges their products. What they try to offer is a larger inventory during times of specialized demand. Their primary clientele is most likely not small folk like us, but the richer whales who are willing to pay anything to get what they want, so long as they have it.

I've only ordered from them once so far just to try them out despite all the negative opinions towards them (and to fill many gaps in my Tom & Jerry collection), and frankly, it turned out pretty well. Although my series isn't particularly high profile, they undergraded most of the comics (even their Fair-graded ones) and do issue you refunds in case there are problems. Buy during one of their frequent "sales," and you may be able to grab something closer to market price.

You dream if you tought to convince us