Selling Comic Collection in LA Area 2 2

[DougC]

On 11/27/2023 at 5:56 PM, mlovest said:

Collectorz (using CovrPrice) pegs it at $42,000, all input as 9.4 raw.  Most of this is obviously in the ASMs.  There are 653 separate AMS issues, plus another 20 or so annuals.  1,822 separate comics.

I think it would be wise to speak with some people privately to set your expectations on a sale price.

[ADAMANTIUM]

I noticed your handle as an old boardie, and I don't want to read between lines as I'm not too sure the details of the app in 9.4?

Costs to grade have gone up about 2 thirds in the past 5 years, the cost of only grading even the cheapest of moderns (older books are more) at 1822 times $25 per book is like $45000 in itself, so I assume this 42000 is the price of raws.

When buying in bulk I've heard less than $3 to$5 a piece all the way to $50 a longbox, which can hold about 100-150 books. Imo or from what I remember.

Even $10 a book would only be 18,220, for 1822 books, which itself is a far cry from $42000.

With that said the app could actually mean slabbed cgc 9.4, and if that's the case? At the current cost to grade they'd be losing money in raw times two if they wanted to then slab by spending an additional $$45000?

The math doesn't substantiate, but that's my opinion.

Edited November 28, 2023 by ADAMANTIUM

[mlovest]

On 11/27/2023 at 7:36 PM, ADAMANTIUM said:

I noticed your handle as an old boardie, and I don't want to read between lines as I'm not too sure the details of the app in 9.4?

Costs to grade have gone up about 2 thirds in the past 5 years, the c9st of only grading even the cheapest of moderns (older books are more) at 1822 times $25 per book is like $45000 in itself, so I assume this 42000 is the price of raws.

When buying in bulk I've heard less than $3 to$5 a piece all the way to $50 a longbox, which can hold about 100-150 books. Imo or from what I remember.

Even $10 a book would only be 18,220, for 1822 books, which itself is a far cry from $42000.

With that said the app could actually mean slabbed cgc 9.4, and if that's the case? At the current cost to grade they'd be losing money in raw times two if they wanted to then slab by spending an additional $$45000?

The math doesn't substantiate, but that's my opinion.

I understand your comments.  I realize selling modern drek is pennies on the dollar.  Some of my books would go in a dollar box; however, NM ASMs, MTUs, lower Conans, etc., are not dollar box comics.  Collectorz allows you to input your comics as graded or raw, and their prices are via CovrPrice, which is conservative and prices as graded or raw.  Again, mine are all raw.  I'm sure no one on here would sell ASMs from 200-500 and higher for pennies on the dollar in NM and higher condition.  I spent 35 years pulling this collection together, and I've always been very picky.  My earlier ASM raws often graded at 9.6s and 9.8s (121, 122, 129, 300, etc.).  Pull out a price guide and see the prices for 9.2 ASMs...these are not for graded books.

For a Spider-Man collector, I never wanted to get most of the copies graded as it takes up too much space.  In the collection, I've got around 650 ASMs between 200-700 with many of the variants, and that would be crazy expensive to grade, plus all of the time involved.  They would also fill a small room if graded...

[mlovest]

On 11/27/2023 at 7:36 PM, ADAMANTIUM said:

I noticed your handle as an old boardie, and I don't want to read between lines as I'm not too sure the details of the app in 9.4?

Costs to grade have gone up about 2 thirds in the past 5 years, the c9st of only grading even the cheapest of moderns (older books are more) at 1822 times $25 per book is like $45000 in itself, so I assume this 42000 is the price of raws.

When buying in bulk I've heard less than $3 to$5 a piece all the way to $50 a longbox, which can hold about 100-150 books. Imo or from what I remember.

Even $10 a book would only be 18,220, for 1822 books, which itself is a far cry from $42000.

With that said the app could actually mean slabbed cgc 9.4, and if that's the case? At the current cost to grade they'd be losing money in raw times two if they wanted to then slab by spending an additional $$45000?

The math doesn't substantiate, but that's my opinion.

And yes, I have been on these boards since just about the beginning!  Awesome place to find great books and learn a ton from other collectors like yourself.  

Edited November 28, 2023 by mlovest

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 11/27/2023 at 9:53 PM, mlovest said:

And yes, I have been on these boards since just about the beginning!  Awesome place to find great books and learn a ton from other collectors like yourself.  

Amen 🙏

On 11/27/2023 at 9:51 PM, mlovest said:

I understand your comments.  I realize selling modern drek is pennies on the dollar.  Some of my books would go in a dollar box; however, NM ASMs, MTUs, lower Conans, etc., are not dollar box comics.  Collectorz allows you to input your comics as graded or raw, and their prices are via CovrPrice, which is conservative and prices as graded or raw.  Again, mine are all raw.  I'm sure no one on here would sell ASMs from 200-500 and higher for pennies on the dollar in NM and higher condition.  I spent 35 years pulling this collection together, and I've always been very picky.  My earlier ASM raws often graded at 9.6s and 9.8s (121, 122, 129, 300, etc.).  Pull out a price guide and see the prices for 9.2 ASMs...these are not for graded books.

For a Spider-Man collector, I never wanted to get most of the copies graded as it takes up too much space.  In the collection, I've got around 650 ASMs between 200-700 with many of the variants, and that would be crazy expensive to grade, plus all of the time involved.  They would also fill a small room if graded...

Ya I just wanted to check on the app. 1822 books into $42000, which is the kind of math common for bulk imo, would only put it at about $22 per book which doesn't sound unreasonable on the face of it. Only in small bursts, as would seem obvious a LCS or for that matter a collector would shell out that kind of dough on the whole on a af15 a much better investment.

If I followed the conversation as it's been a minute, I think that $42000 is closer to the total you'll wind up with, but not by selling it all at once. Even to a LCS and etc. so for my own benefit on the app I was double checking to see how realistic. Was more a question, and I thank you for the response.

[1Cool]

Here is a good exercise in terms of setting your expectation to a reasonable level.  You have a near complete set of Web of Spiderman which retail for about $300 for the set.  Look at what price the app puts on the set to see how inflated the app is compared to real world.  You will also have to take a big hair cut if you want to sell your collection to a dealer (especially the non key books).  So if the Web of Spiderman set is $300 in retail then you will probably get offers of $150 for that set if they are very nice high grade books.  If the app gave you a price of $1,000 for the set then you know you will have to divide the price by 6 (or about $7,000 for the collection) to come close to a realistic price.  Based on your list you posted I don't see $7,000 worth of books in that type of collection but you may be able to generate that kind of money if you do a lot of the leg work and sell directly to people.  Good luck with the sale and let us know how it goes since it's always eye opening when trying to sell books compared to buying them. 

[mlovest]

On 11/28/2023 at 6:22 AM, 1Cool said:

Here is a good exercise in terms of setting your expectation to a reasonable level.  You have a near complete set of Web of Spiderman which retail for about $300 for the set.  Look at what price the app puts on the set to see how inflated the app is compared to real world.  You will also have to take a big hair cut if you want to sell your collection to a dealer (especially the non key books).  So if the Web of Spiderman set is $300 in retail then you will probably get offers of $150 for that set if they are very nice high grade books.  If the app gave you a price of $1,000 for the set then you know you will have to divide the price by 6 (or about $7,000 for the collection) to come close to a realistic price.  Based on your list you posted I don't see $7,000 worth of books in that type of collection but you may be able to generate that kind of money if you do a lot of the leg work and sell directly to people.  Good luck with the sale and let us know how it goes since it's always eye opening when trying to sell books compared to buying them. 

Quick check of eBay has a number of WoS sets that are nearly complete for sale around $300, as you noted.  However, they are not hand-picked, in Mylars and half-backs, and they are clearly not in NM condition.  All I saw were pictures of piles of raw books claimed to be NM or "mostly" VF/NM condition.  And I am definitely not trying to get full CovrPrive ap price for these books.  CovrPrice appears to be well under guide price with its 9.2 highest grade for raws.

CovrPrice lists my almost compete WoS set at $789 for the 126-comic partial set.  No one on these boards would sell a truly NM set of 126 WoS comics in Mylites/half-backs for $150.  I get your point I am likely going to have to split my collection up, but I was hoping I could find someone who would want a large part(s) or the whole thing in the LA area.  What's the cost of the Mylars and half-backs alone for 126 comics?

Edited November 28, 2023 by mlovest

[1Cool]

On 11/28/2023 at 11:11 AM, mlovest said:

Quick check of eBay has a number of WoS sets that are near for sale around $300, as you noted.  However, they are not hand-picked, in Mylars and half-backs, and they are clearly not in NM condition.  All I saw wee piles of raw books claimed to be NM or "mostly" VF/NM condition.  And I am definitely not trying to get full ap price for these books.  CovrPrice appears to be well under guide price with it's 9.2 highest grade for raws.

CovrPrice lists my almost compete set at $789 for the 126-comic partial set.  No one on these boards would sell a truly NM set of 126 WoS comics in Mylites/half-backs for $150.  I get your point I am likely going to have to split my collection up, but I was hoping I could find someone who would want a large parts or the whole thing in the LA area.  What's the cost of the Mylars and half-backs alone for 126 comics?

Good points but selling here on the boards is probably your best bet since most buyers on E-Bay will not really care if the books at 9.0 / 9.2 or 9.4 / 9.6 when it comes to the prices they will pay.  There is so much drek in that set of WoS that most dealers wouldn't touch a set for probably more than $150 even if they were absolute perfect.  A high grade comic buyer on the boards could get closer to the full $300 - $400 value if they are 9.4 / 9.6 with mylites (if they need all 126 issues) but most e-bay buyers just are not that choosy and you have to account for the dealer typically wants to at least double the price they paid.  It usually comes down to how much work you want to put into it before you blow out the common sets (especially if you are selling the keys separately).

[mlovest]

On 11/28/2023 at 8:38 AM, 1Cool said:

Good points but selling here on the boards is probably your best bet since most buyers on E-Bay will not really care if the books at 9.0 / 9.2 or 9.4 / 9.6 when it comes to the prices they will pay.  There is so much drek in that set of WoS that most dealers wouldn't touch a set for probably more than $150 even if they were absolute perfect.  A high grade comic buyer on the boards could get closer to the full $300 - $400 value if they are 9.4 / 9.6 with mylites (if they need all 126 issues) but most e-bay buyers just are not that choosy and you have to account for the dealer typically wants to at least double the price they paid.  It usually comes down to how much work you want to put into it before you blow out the common sets (especially if you are selling the keys separately).

Roger that on the eBay selling.  I will say I have found many gems on eBay over the years, but the number of schemers thee just continues to rise.  Never forget a preacher's son I connected with on eBay.  He ended up selling me dozens of super high-grade '70s/'80s semi-key Marvels.  I paid close to guide at the time, and many graded out at 9.6/9.8 when submitted years ago.  Made me happy, and the guy was really happy with what I paid him.  I will probably need to bring some of these to the boards.

[ExNihilo]

On 11/28/2023 at 8:38 AM, 1Cool said:

Good points but selling here on the boards is probably your best bet since most buyers on E-Bay will not really care if the books at 9.0 / 9.2 or 9.4 / 9.6 when it comes to the prices they will pay.  There is so much drek in that set of WoS that most dealers wouldn't touch a set for probably more than $150 even if they were absolute perfect.  A high grade comic buyer on the boards could get closer to the full $300 - $400 value if they are 9.4 / 9.6 with mylites (if they need all 126 issues) but most e-bay buyers just are not that choosy and you have to account for the dealer typically wants to at least double the price they paid.  It usually comes down to how much work you want to put into it before you blow out the common sets (especially if you are selling the keys separately).

Yup, when selling it's a matter of time vs money.  You either sell the books piecemeal to maximize return while simultaneously expending YEARS of energy to unload the entire collection, or you sell the books heavily discounted and just wipe your hands clean of everything quickly.  Also, realize that any eBay sale is going to take 10% off the top, plus apparently shipping (and I have no idea how much it would cost to ship 130+ issues).  Recent eBay sales for WoSM run were $500 and $700 for NM+, though they appear to use the same image so not sure if one was canceled.  Both included free shipping.  The net return was probably $400 on that one sale, which would probably be a reasonable expectation for anyone looking to buy in person for their own personal collection.  A shop/retailer is obviously going to want less than that.

The other consideration is demand.  The number of people interested in buying sets is smaller than those interested in individual issues.  If I want a full run of WoSM, I might want most, but not all books, and as a result, I'll be less willing to pay a premium for any duplicate books.  All this is to say the $42k estimate is waaaay too high and I would pare back expectations.

Edited November 28, 2023 by ExNihilo

[mlovest]

To be clear, I am NOT asking for or expecting to get guide for my collection, and I know that's not going to happen.  Stormflora asked for FMV, so I added what CovrPrice calculates for the full set.  All I said above is I'm not going to sell for pennies on the dollar, and I am not is that sort of a hurry.  I'm not selling because I need the money today, but I'm moving on from comics to focus on my family and other hobbies.  I loved collecting for decades, and I will always have warm memories of comics from my youth through most of my life.

I have sold hundreds of high-grades graded comics to date, some through dealers and some on my own.  I actually did pretty good selling statues online via eBay...much better than I originally thought.  I know it's hard work.  I also know no one is going to knock on my door with a bucket of cash to pay guide for these books.

I appreciate the inputs, and I did get some contacts from folks in the LA area.  In the future, I will probably blow some of these books out at good prices.  Keep your eyes peeled! 

[shadroch]

How many people will walk into a comic shop this week nationwide looking for a 9.6ish raw Web of Spiderman 39?  

One problem with your collection is there is nothing the buyer can quickly flip to recoup some of his money. I can buy most non-key Spidey issues from 225 to 400 for $3-$5 at auctions any week. The issues in the 400s are tough, and don't come up as often as the earlier issues. I don't deal with moderns so I don't know the market, but I'm thinking you'll get between $5,000 and $7500 if you are lucky.  I hope I'm wrong. 

[mlovest]

On 11/28/2023 at 3:08 PM, shadroch said:

How many people will walk into a comic shop this week nationwide looking for a 9.6ish raw Web of Spiderman 39?  

One problem with your collection is there is nothing the buyer can quickly flip to recoup some of his money. I can buy most non-key Spidey issues from 225 to 400 for $3-$5 at auctions any week. The issues in the 400s are tough, and don't come up as often as the earlier issues. I don't deal with moderns so I don't know the market, but I'm thinking you'll get between $5,000 and $7500 if you are lucky.  I hope I'm wrong. 

You can find NM ASMs in auction for $3-5 on eBay?  Then spend $5-10 for postage...plus deal with all the over-graded ?  I'm not an unknown seller on the internet, which is why I was looking for someone in the LA area.  I would expect a local to actually look over the books in person.  I've been a serious collector for decades, and a reputable dealer would not sell ASMs in NM or higher condition for $3-5 from 225 to 400.  You can find these ASMs below NM for more on multiple high-rep dealer websites...High Grade, Doug Sulipa, Dale Roberts, Superworld, etc.

True, not many seeking a WoS 39 in NM.  

[shadroch]

I have not bought a comic off ebay in a decade or so. There are dozens of comic auctions every week, and most don't attract too many eyes. I don't want to argue over this, and I wish you the very best with your sale. Perhaps you'll find a young star with new money and a love of Spider-Man.

Edited November 29, 2023 by shadroch

[masterlogan2000]

On 11/28/2023 at 10:38 AM, 1Cool said:

It usually comes down to how much work you want to put into it before you blow out the common sets (especially if you are selling the keys separately).

^ ^ This 

[mlovest]

On 11/28/2023 at 4:25 PM, shadroch said:

I have not bought a comic off ebay in a decade or so. There are dozens of comic auctions every week, and most don't attract too many eyes. I don't want to argue over this, and I wish you the very best with your sale. Perhaps you'll find a young star with new money and a love of Spider-Man.

Thank you, sir!  Since you've been here for a month longer than me, I will relent.  Thank you for your inputs!  

[Dale Roberts]

On 11/28/2023 at 5:21 PM, mlovest said:

You can find NM ASMs in auction for $3-5 on eBay?  Then spend $5-10 for postage...plus deal with all the over-graded ?  I'm not an unknown seller on the internet, which is why I was looking for someone in the LA area.  I would expect a local to actually look over the books in person.  I've been a serious collector for decades, and a reputable dealer would not sell ASMs in NM or higher condition for $3-5 from 225 to 400.  You can find these ASMs below NM for more on multiple high-rep dealer websites...High Grade, Doug Sulipa, Dale Roberts, Superworld, etc.

True, not many seeking a WoS 39 in NM.  

Actually, with the exception of key issues, the majority of issues you are talking about don't sell regularly for more than that. ASM #329 - 400 can be found almost anywhere for $3, and many places even cheaper. Amazing Spider-man #253-297 probably sell for an average of $3-5. Web of Spider-man complete run has less than 10 books that are in any kind of demand. If I was retailing most issues, to actually sell them, they would have to be $1 - $2. No one is paying much more because they are in mylites and half backs, though it might make them easier to sell. 

[mlovest]

On 12/29/2023 at 2:19 PM, Dale Roberts said:

Actually, with the exception of key issues, the majority of issues you are talking about don't sell regularly for more than that. ASM #329 - 400 can be found almost anywhere for $3, and many places even cheaper. Amazing Spider-man #253-297 probably sell for an average of $3-5. Web of Spider-man complete run has less than 10 books that are in any kind of demand. If I was retailing most issues, to actually sell them, they would have to be $1 - $2. No one is paying much more because they are in mylites and half backs, though it might make them easier to sell. 

No offense, but no one sells 200-300 range NM ASMs for $3-5.  You may be able to find random NMs in a $1 box, the vast majority of those books would not be true NM.  They would be VF- or worse with major dings and multiple binder creases.  No seller on these threads sells them for $3-5.  If they do, please show me a link.  True enough, when a collector sells off large numbers of dreck, they will sell for pennies on the dollar.  As I mentioned, I'm not in a hurry, so I don't need to unload them for pennies.

[Chip Cataldo]

On 12/29/2023 at 6:35 PM, mlovest said:

No offense, but no one sells 200-300 range NM ASMs for $3-5.  You may be able to find random NMs in a $1 box, the vast majority of those books would not be true NM.  They would be VF- or worse with major dings and multiple binder creases.  No seller on these threads sells them for $3-5.  If they do, please show me a link.  True enough, when a collector sells off large numbers of dreck, they will sell for pennies on the dollar.  As I mentioned, I'm not in a hurry, so I don't need to unload them for pennies.

You know who you're responding to there, bud? 

[mlovest]

On 12/29/2023 at 3:39 PM, Chip Cataldo said:

You know who you're responding to there, bud? 

Yes...I've purchased a number of comics from Dale over the years.  He has plenty of raw ASMs on his website, and they are not listed for $3-5.  I will stop responding now as it's of no value to get hammered by people who think I'm trying to sell VF dreck off as over priced and over graded .  I will simply get the good stuff graded, and I will sell it for GPA...

Happy 2024 and good luck with your collecting!