Question on buying bulk back issues - advice requested

[Thomas]

Hi guys, I've been thinking of trying to acquire approximately 5,000 back issues so that I can setup a table at conventions and see if I'd enjoy that side of the hobby. I'm just wondering where/how I might be able to acquire this and was hoping someone in here may have any suggestions and/or advice for me?

 

I recently picked up 1200 comics from someone local who had an ad out to sell his collection for a decent price but that seems to be the rarity.

 

I'm in Canada (Eastern Ontario/Western Quebec) if that makes a difference.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Kakapo]

Any of the largest, warehouse-owning dealers will usually have plenty of Moderns that they are dying to get rid of. Neatstuff would be one example, but anyone who buys collections wholesale will have excess runs of Spectacular Spider-man et al.

 

You should probably avoid the boom years of 1990-95, though, or you'll just have the same books as everyone else; and then the only way to sell them will be to undercut what everyone else is charging!

[tth2]

Hi guys, I've been thinking of trying to acquire approximately 5,000 back issues so that I can setup a table at conventions and see if I'd enjoy that side of the hobby.

Perhaps you might want to talk with a dealer how about helping out at his table at a con, and maybe contribute some of your own inventory, to see what life is like from that side of the table before you go and buy 5000 back issues and run your experiment? That way if you hate the experience you're not going to be stuck with 5000 books.

 

I'm just wondering where/how I might be able to acquire this and was hoping someone in here may have any suggestions and/or advice for me?

I think guys like Joe Koch and Gary Dolgoff are always advertising bulk sales suitable to create an instant store. As with all things, the devil is in the details. Price, and what is in the inventory they try to sell you, will be critical in determining whether your plan is economically viable.

[Ringfinger]

Must be careful, moderns will kill you at a show unless they are neatly organized and like 3/$1.

 

Your money is in Bronze and prior.

[the blob]

I would just go about acquiring them carefully over time. It should not take long to put together 5000 decent books and at least you have some decent shows to go to in Toronto if you're near enough. Paying 20 cents a book for a collection that is 80% unsellable junk, multiples of x-force, turok, etc. is practically the same as paying $1 a book.

 

What's your expected price point? $1 a book? $2 a book? 3/$10? 50% of guide/marked price?

 

Personally, I think you're wasting your time bringing 20 boxes of 50 cent modern junk to shows unless that WHAT you do. there are some dealers here who do that and I guess they have a business model and it works for them, but they're doing show after show after show and replenishing their inventory all the time. Of course, they also have some decent stuff sprinkled in there too, you just need to hunt it down.

[Thomas]

I was originally thinking of trying the 3/1$ pricepoint and adding in my own collection for some of the better books and building the quality over time. It's more of an experiment for me to see if I'd enjoy it at all and if I got stuck with the books and didn't like it then I'd just store them away and give them to family at some point.

 

I really do appreciate all of the advice given so far, thanks to all of you!