Advice: Should I acquire any of these three cartoon character lots? 1 1

[stormflora]

I made a response about this to the Whitman thread as well, but wanted more exposure and insight as they are time-sensitive auctions.

The seller I'm looking to buy a massive lot from has a bunch of other massive lots as well. I'm thinking liquidation/divestment by the seller. These other lots look incredibly tempting from a ROI perspective. Hard to pass on. Of the lots I believe I could secure, it would only cost $1-2 per issue (before shipping). Pretty much guaranteed to take them.

The lots that interest me a bit are: Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, and Mickey Mouse. Note: The Woody Woodpecker one has a few duplicates within, while the rest do not.

Are any of those series worthwhile? Do they have resale value? Considering that they do not have aggressive bidding, I wager that they do not contain any key issues. Grade-wise, they seem to be G/VG.

[Patriot6]

On 11/24/2023 at 4:39 PM, stormflora said:

Do they have resale value?

My opinion only.....Someone is willing to unload a bulk quantity of something to you at a 'discount' price. Multiple lots of books to boot. I think that answers your question. 

Don't get me wrong, there are people out there that collect these books and buy them and some spend a lot of dough on them. Like anything else comic related condition plays a big part. Even more when it comes to something lower value and not exactly rare. 

If by resell you mean you will set up boxes at a flea market and sell an issues for five bucks a piece and you want to wait for the next fifteen years to sell through setting up a table every weekend, then sure. If you mean buy these, post them ,on eBay and watch you phone light up with sales notifications then no.

 

[Patriot6]

On 11/24/2023 at 4:39 PM, stormflora said:

The lots that interest me a bit are: Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, and Mickey Mouse.

Again, are you buying out of interest to collect or re-sell? If out of interest to collect, this is a great way to builld a collection and then decide which issues you want to upgrade. If it is to read through, then you can rinse a repeat the same process you are undertaking. Buy the books, read them and sell them in bulk afterwards. 

I guess you need to decipher your intentions. 

[fifties]

On 11/24/2023 at 2:40 PM, Patriot6 said:

 

I guess you need to decipher your intentions. 

Exactly!  You're either buying as a collector, to keep and read, or as an investor, to flip.  If the latter, research sold sales on eBay for the same or similar grades.

[Point Five]

I know little about the market for these books, but even if on paper you could turn a profit, it sounds like something that would take a LOT of work to resell.

 

[stormflora]

On 11/24/2023 at 5:37 PM, Patriot6 said:

My opinion only.....Someone is willing to unload a bulk quantity of something to you at a 'discount' price. Multiple lots of books to boot. I think that answers your question. 

Don't get me wrong, there are people out there that collect these books and buy them and some spend a lot of dough on them. Like anything else comic related condition plays a big part. Even more when it comes to something lower value and not exactly rare. 

If by resell you mean you will set up boxes at a flea market and sell an issues for five bucks a piece and you want to wait for the next fifteen years to sell through setting up a table every weekend, then sure. If you mean buy these, post them ,on eBay and watch you phone light up with sales notifications then no.

 

On 11/24/2023 at 5:40 PM, Patriot6 said:

Again, are you buying out of interest to collect or re-sell? If out of interest to collect, this is a great way to builld a collection and then decide which issues you want to upgrade. If it is to read through, then you can rinse a repeat the same process you are undertaking. Buy the books, read them and sell them in bulk afterwards. 

I guess you need to decipher your intentions. 

For those three listed lots, primarily to resell. But I'd read through them once, at least. I'm not particularly interested in collecting their runs, though.

On 11/24/2023 at 8:52 PM, Point Five said:

I know little about the market for these books, but even if on paper you could turn a profit, it sounds like something that would take a LOT of work to resell.

 

Yeah, I'm aware that it's a small market compared to superhero comics. It would be one of those things where you leave the issues listed indefinitely, and simply wait for buyers over a year or two.

[jimbo_7071]

On 11/24/2023 at 11:49 PM, stormflora said:

For those three listed lots, primarily to resell. But I'd read through them once, at least. I'm not particularly interested in collecting their runs, though.

Yeah, I'm aware that it's a small market compared to superhero comics. It would be one of those things where you leave the issues listed indefinitely, and simply wait for buyers over a year or two.

I don't think they would sell in a year or two. I returned to the hobby in 2012 after a long break; there are still books on eBay that were already there when I first came back 11 years ago.

[stormflora]

On 11/25/2023 at 6:12 AM, jimbo_7071 said:

I don't think they would sell in a year or two. I returned to the hobby in 2012 after a long break; there are still books on eBay that were already there when I first came back 11 years ago.

Oof. Well, at least I don't have to stress out and frantically package comics for buyers, haha. A couple of orders per month is fine for me; I've got better things to do.

The profits I'd make from reselling these would mostly offset the cost of coffee or dinner.

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

On 11/25/2023 at 6:39 AM, stormflora said:

I made a response about this to the Whitman thread as well, but wanted more exposure and insight as they are time-sensitive auctions.

The seller I'm looking to buy a massive lot from has a bunch of other massive lots as well. I'm thinking liquidation/divestment by the seller. These other lots look incredibly tempting from a ROI perspective. Hard to pass on. Of the lots I believe I could secure, it would only cost $1-2 per issue (before shipping). Pretty much guaranteed to take them.

The lots that interest me a bit are: Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, and Mickey Mouse. Note: The Woody Woodpecker one has a few duplicates within, while the rest do not.

Are any of those series worthwhile? Do they have resale value? Considering that they do not have aggressive bidding, I wager that they do not contain any key issues. Grade-wise, they seem to be G/VG.

I’d steer clear at that price; that may be all you can expect to get back. Look for smaller lots in better grades of this stuff.

[stormflora]

On 11/26/2023 at 5:18 PM, 50YrsCollctngCmcs said:

I’d steer clear at that price; that may be all you can expect to get back. Look for smaller lots in better grades of this stuff.

It's a bit too late for those auctions now (they've ended already), but they had already rose to prices I wouldn't really want to pay, anyway. After factoring in shipping and taxes and whatnot. And many have advised me not to bite anyway, since the work involved in resale is likely to be too much. So I'll only focus on bulk buys/auctions/lots relevant to the series that I am interested in at this time, and sell the unavoidable extras from those.

[fifties]

On 11/26/2023 at 2:30 PM, stormflora said:

It's a bit too late for those auctions now (they've ended already), but they had already rose to prices I wouldn't really want to pay, anyway.

IDK how long you've been into this hobby, but what you posted is unfortunately the way it is more often than not, regardless if at eBay, HA, Comic Link, etc.

Here's a link to the eBay category, golden age comic book lots; https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=golden+age+comic+book+lots&_sacat=259103&rt=nc&Era=Golden%20Age%20%281938%2D55%29&_dcat=259104

[stormflora]

On 11/27/2023 at 12:07 AM, fifties said:

IDK how long you've been into this hobby, but what you posted is unfortunately the way it is more often than not, regardless if at eBay, HA, Comic Link, etc.

Here's a link to the eBay category, golden age comic book lots; https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=golden+age+comic+book+lots&_sacat=259103&rt=nc&Era=Golden%20Age%20%281938%2D55%29&_dcat=259104

Not very long; only a few months. Definitely a newbie. And I only like specific cartoon series from the GA/SA era.

Also, most of the lots in that link are either overpriced or dollar bin disposals...

Edited November 27, 2023 by stormflora

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

If there are flea markets in your area you may still be able to find deals on cartoon character books; they are usually left behind after the superhero books are picked over. There is a wealth of fun books out there; including old now mostly unknown characters like Little Audrey. There are also some really fun books that can be bargains like Dennis the Menace and some of the Sheldon Meyer DC funny animal work like the Three Mouseketeers. Honestly this is a really interesting area to collect and explore without breaking the bank.

Here's a copy of Funny Stuff which has the Golden Age version of the Three Mouseketeers but they morphed into more of a humor strip in the fifites. Turtle McSnurtle was a takeoff on the Flash and is also very funny.

 

[stormflora]

On 11/27/2023 at 7:29 PM, 50YrsCollctngCmcs said:

If there are flea markets in your area you may still be able to find deals on cartoon character books; they are usually left behind after the superhero books are picked over. There is a wealth of fun books out there; including old now mostly unknown characters like Little Audrey. There are also some really fun books that can be bargains like Dennis the Menace and some of the Sheldon Meyer DC funny animal work like the Three Mouseketeers. Honestly this is a really interesting area to collect and explore without breaking the bank.

Here's a copy of Funny Stuff which has the Golden Age version of the Three Mouseketeers but they morphed into more of a humor strip in the fifites. Turtle McSnurtle was a takeoff on the Flash and is also very funny.

 

The only flea market near me mostly deals in jewellery and clothes. Not much of a flea market, really.

[Bookery]

It depends on what years you are talking about.  Those three titles, if from the '60s and '70s (and possibly even earlier), in G-VG (and higher) we put out in our 99-cent boxes.  They would have to be in really sweet condition to move up to our $5 section.  Issues from the '40s... that's different.