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The worst buying comics experiences...

Started by Kermit the frog,

104 posts in this topic

Kermit the frog

Kermit the frog

Posted
Posted

to everyone

 

all of us had some less positive buying experiences, some bad experiences and then there are the "depressing" ones, that makes you ponder and wonder at some point/level about your passion for this form of art.

 

fornutelly i think not all of you have hited that low on buying/collecting...the ones that make you ponder...

from my side i've hit rock bottom recently with 2 consecutive bad experiences, but the last one really takes the cake...

Not wanting to present/reveal details (things are alrerady pretty difficult without "public laundry service, this topic is more to let go some pressure and share this frustration/revolt).

 

How did you react/act towards this kind of negative events?!

 

from my side i'll be off from comics for some (long) time, thinking seriouslly on selling some of them, try to enjoy what i have, save some major $$$ to recover my 893censored-thumb.gif up luck period and let time heal things up (or at least try to).

 

thanks in advance for your attention and comments

 

regards

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herc2000

herc2000

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Sorry to hear of your recent bad experiences Kermit, try to think of your good ones.

I got some items recently from heritage, and I was not to happy, very disapointed with the grades. Hopefully you'll get back into it after a little break, we usually do,

 

all the best

 

herc

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wrcomics

wrcomics

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I used to have regular 'bad' experiences buying on eBay. I've learned to be far more detective-like in my purchasing and really dig into the sellers' background more. I had two very bad experiences last fall buying through eBay where the sellers grossly overgraded the books (sometimes as much as 2x!). It wasn't worth the headache shipping books back because one of the sellers was in Okinawa.

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fable

fable

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I bought a run of Cerebus off of Ebay - all labelled "Mint" - when i got them they had obviously been completed submerged at some point - i can't get the image of the guy reading the books in the tub out of my mind - straight in the trash frown.gif

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Mr. Zipper

Mr. Zipper

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I have had decent luck on ebay. I've only bombed out with a couple of grossly overgraded books, but fortunately they were low cost books.

 

That said, I am VERY picky about who I buy from on ebay... this has increased my batting average greatly.

 

* If it's a small scan, forget it.

* If it's a super low res pixellated scan, forget it.

* If any edge is cropped, forget it.

* I check the sellers other books... if they look overgraded, forget it.

* I ask questions... if the seller gives me an attitude, forget it.

* I search Heritage Archives and CLink. It's amazing how many books have been reslabbed at higher grades... almost nothing is immune... even books as low as $50.

* If the seller won't accept returns on slabs, forget it.

* If the seller has left revenge feedback for others, forget it.

 

And most importantly... even with a good scan, anticipate a 1.0 margin of error.

 

So, by following these strict rules, I probably preclude myself from some one in a thousand raw gem deal, but I also minimize the risk of a bad experience.

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worldsbestcomics

worldsbestcomics

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Whe I buy raw comics, I look for high-res scans. If the picture/scan isn't up to par, I ask for a better one. I also put the seller on notice that I am a picky grader and ask specific questions about spine stress and corners if the seller is describing the book as mint so that they can't rely on some general comment like, "looks real nice to me." If they don't respond or come back with some BS response or attitude, I don't bid.

 

Even so, I have been burned twice. Both times I posted threads on the Boards to let others know. One seller is *cgc* comics. He is a real nut job. The other was some lady selling off an estate. She was a piece of work too.

 

No matter how careful you are, if you buy raw comics over the internet, I believe it is just a matter of time before you are burned by someone so expect it to happen. Twice in a row makes it harder to deal with.

 

But, I would say don't be shy about sharing your experience on the Boards. You may help someone else avoid a poor seller. And the venting can be therapeutic. devil.gif It was for me!

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Anfield Fox

Anfield Fox

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* I ask questions... if the seller gives me an attitude, forget it.

 

That's a good one. It's quite shocking sometimes when you send an ASAQ and the responses are almost as if their doing you a favour by replying. A couple of days ago i saw a book i wanted. It was at just over $60. I saw the person didn't accept paypal but rather "bidpay". Having never used it before i kindly asked for a bit of info. The response, and i quote: "its up to you to figure it all out"

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ronm3-migration

ronm3-migration

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I mostly buy slabbed off of Ebay. I will only buy raw from a reputable dealer and even then it is hit or miss. I have had the best luck buying off of these forums as far as raw goes.

As far as bad deals I have only had bad deals on cheap auctions. I bought a Batman 200 raw labeled as a Near mint and when i got it it was at best a 7.0. I spent 100 bucks and that was the most I ever spent. I later resold it on Ebay for 50 bucks correctly graded and it sold for 50.00. So it wasnt that bad.

Other dealings were just cheapies listed as near mints and they were at best 7.0's again.

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scupbucket

scupbucket

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* If it's a small scan, forget it.

* If it's a super low res pixellated scan, forget it.

* If any edge is cropped, forget it.

* I check the sellers other books... if they look overgraded, forget it.

* I ask questions... if the seller gives me an attitude, forget it.

* I search Heritage Archives and CLink. It's amazing how many books have been reslabbed at higher grades... almost nothing is immune... even books as low as $50.

* If the seller won't accept returns on slabs, forget it.

* If the seller has left revenge feedback for others, forget it.

 

 

 

 

I just posted that on my wall...

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njiron

njiron

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My feelings on ebay? I never buy high dollar books unless they are slabbed or I get a good deal even after factoring in the 1 grade margin of error. Ebay is like a field of landmines, so you really got to be skeptical with everything you see.

 

Interestingly, I find that cons can be trecherous if you aren't asking the right questions or pushing a dealer for info. When I first got back into collecting, I would be stupidly trusting of dealers grading only to be dissapointed. Now I'm like an FBI interrogator, asking them to show me page quality, back cover etc. etc.

 

If you want to build a very high grade collection, sometimes you have to be a pest. Otherwise you might get burned.

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october

october

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Like anything else, buying on eBay take practice, patience, and knowledge. It's a great venue for finding deals if you know what you are doing and if you minimize risks by doing your homework. Check out the person's grading by looking at his other auctions. Look at his feedback to see how others reacted to his grading and to see if you recognize the names of any buyers. Ask for larger scans. Drop the grade by a full point and pick a percentage of guide you are comfortable paying for the reduced grade and don't go higher than that. Check the seller's completed auctions to see if lowballed any of the grades on books in the past. Check completed auctions to see the going rate for things. Save scans to your desktop and enlarge them manually. Write down the names of sellers you have dealt well with in the past and revisit their auctions. Email sellers you know are on the up and up and ask if they can send you lists pre-eBay. Check out return policies and factor that into your bid. Don't be afraid to take calculated risks if the price is low enough. Check out the prices books are going for on major dealer sites and adjust your bids accordingly. Use toolhaus to check on negative and neutral feedbacks. Look for hidden books by using the description search or by looking at the auctions ending soon.

 

Plenty of tricks to minize your risk...these are just the tip of the iceberg. confused-smiley-013.gif

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Kermit the frog

Kermit the frog

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another question:

 

apart the lack of money, what other factors (or if you wish to be more precise, events) could make you stop from reading/buying comics (even if it isn't forever)?!

 

how "important" is this form of art/passion/hobby for you?!

 

regards

 

ps- yesterday i thought "i'll sleep over this and tomorrow it will be better"...oh i was wrong 893censored-thumb.gif my luck!!! Guess i'll go see a movie today...

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