Should you try to make deals a comic cons?

[Comicdey]

Call me old fashioned but I never even considered asking for a discount at a con or my LCS for back issues. I either liked the price or nott. I'm not a haggle type guy and really don't care for the practice. Still don't...even on this Forum.

 

Jim

 

Problem is many people ask prices that are either high or out of line with condition...I offer what I will pay....and take no offense to people that do the same thing....we can always say "nope" thanks anyway.

 

I'll remember you don't like to haggle if we ever make a deal

[Red Hook]

I always wonder if it is prudent to ask a dealer at a show if he can do better on a book or not. Some dealers every time you look at there books will say, “I’m marking stuff down, let me know if your interested in something and we can work something out”. I can think of numerous dealers who conduct business that way.

 

Then you have other dealers who look at you like you just asked them if you can sleep with there daughter when you ask for a discount.

 

What do you guy’s think? I can understand both sides of the coin, but I would like to hear some other opinions.

 

 

post number 600 yahooo!!!!

 

 

Hi. Blazing Bob is currently busy getting his Maserati detailed so he asked me to pass along his answer to your post.

 

 

Sure. I'm happy to work things out with you. And while you're at it...here's my credit card. Take it. Just mail it back to me by the 14th of next month in time for me to pay my mortgage with it.

 

By the way, I love lugging these boxes of books around endlessly and I look forward to seeing your smiling faces arrive to start detaching me from my sweat equity. It's the gamesmanship I love. Besides, I'm just a collector who happens to do a deal on the side once in a while.

 

Profits? Feh! That's for capitalists! That's for little piggies!

 

And of course you can sleep with my daughter. And if you come back in 25 years you can sleep with my granddaughter too! You guys make life worth living.

 

BTW, you look tired. Walking around wheeling and dealing all day with those evil dealers does wear one down. Can I fireman carry you out to your taxi? Be right with you. Just gotta'....jump.....over this table.

[october]

I always wonder if it is prudent to ask a dealer at a show if he can do better on a book or not. Some dealers every time you look at there books will say, “I’m marking stuff down, let me know if your interested in something and we can work something out”. I can think of numerous dealers who conduct business that way.

 

Then you have other dealers who look at you like you just asked them if you can sleep with there daughter when you ask for a discount.

 

What do you guy’s think? I can understand both sides of the coin, but I would like to hear some other opinions.

 

 

post number 600 yahooo!!!!

 

Unless a book is $10 or less, I bargain 100% of the time. No exceptions. Usually by the end of a show I can purchase several expensive books with the money I "saved" by not paying sticker price.

[october]

And it doesn't take long for dealers to spot or learn whether you're a serious buyer or just gawking at their books. Those guys can smell money.

 

It honestly doesn't. It took me about half an hour into working my first show to be able to spot them. People think that they aren't obvious, but they really are.

 

Then there are the goofs (complete strangers) who just wander up to your table, never buy anything, block the view of the board, lean on your boxes, and babble on about nothing. Those are the worst gawkers.

 

"Nice Hulk 181. What are you asking for that? Can I see it? No....I don't want to buy it. I don't have any cash on me and I have 17 9.8s at home in my safe. How about that ASM 300?"

[awe4one]

Problem is many people ask prices that are either high or out of line with condition...I offer what I will pay....and take no offense to people that do the same thing....we can always say "nope" thanks anyway.

 

Has that always been the case though? Or has the expectation of "making a deal" forced dealers into the practice over the years?

 

I'll remember you don't like to haggle if we ever make a deal

 

And again...if I don't like the price, I'll politely pass. I'm not wed into buying any comic regardless of how much I want it...

 

Jim

[alecholland]

Call me old fashioned

 

OK Jim, you're old fashioned.

 

I'm not saying I always try to haggle, but I do quite a bit, even on these boards. I guess I assume most sellers build a little wiggle room into their prices to account for cheapskates like me. Perhaps I am wrong. I'm never rude or mean to anyone. If they don't like my offer, I thank them for their time and move on. I just think in general, if a dealer has the opportunity to unload several books at once at a show he/she might be willing to give some sort of quantity discount. I never ask for much, usually 10% or so off. So if I have a stack of books that is priced at $100, I'll ask if they would take $90. Again, maybe I'm wrong and I just look like a jerk. I don't know.

[the-comic-trader]

I always wonder if it is prudent to ask a dealer at a show if he can do better on a book or not. Some dealers every time you look at there books will say, “I’m marking stuff down, let me know if your interested in something and we can work something out”. I can think of numerous dealers who conduct business that way.

 

Then you have other dealers who look at you like you just asked them if you can sleep with there daughter when you ask for a discount.

 

What do you guy’s think? I can understand both sides of the coin, but I would like to hear some other opinions.

 

 

post number 600 yahooo!!!!

 

I don't see anything wrong with wheeling and dealing as long as it's for an expensive book or a whole stack of books.

[goldust40]

I always wonder if it is prudent to ask a dealer at a show if he can do better on a book or not. Some dealers every time you look at there books will say, “I’m marking stuff down, let me know if your interested in something and we can work something out”. I can think of numerous dealers who conduct business that way.

 

Then you have other dealers who look at you like you just asked them if you can sleep with there daughter when you ask for a discount.

 

What do you guy’s think? I can understand both sides of the coin, but I would like to hear some other opinions.

 

 

post number 600 yahooo!!!!

 

 

Hi. Blazing Bob is currently busy getting his Maserati detailed so he asked me to pass along his answer to your post.

 

 

Sure. I'm happy to work things out with you. And while you're at it...here's my credit card. Take it. Just mail it back to me by the 14th of next month in time for me to pay my mortgage with it.

 

By the way, I love lugging these boxes of books around endlessly and I look forward to seeing your smiling faces arrive to start detaching me from my sweat equity. It's the gamesmanship I love. Besides, I'm just a collector who happens to do a deal on the side once in a while.

 

Profits? Feh! That's for capitalists! That's for little piggies!

 

And of course you can sleep with my daughter. And if you come back in 25 years you can sleep with my granddaughter too! You guys make life worth living.

 

BTW, you look tired. Walking around wheeling and dealing all day with those evil dealers does wear one down. Can I fireman carry you out to your taxi? Be right with you. Just gotta'....jump.....over this table.

 

That Bob...such a glutton for punishment.

[arexcrooke]

Not to be mean here, but that has to be the world's longest run on sentence. Let me guess text messaging?

[MutantKeys]

Not to be mean here, but that has to be the world's longest run on sentence. Let me guess text messaging?

[awe4one]

Call me old fashioned

 

OK Jim, you're old fashioned.

 

When I was new to buying back issues after returning to the hobby, I went to a show in Fayetteville in 1993. A dealer had a couple comics I wanted, a VF/NM Avengers #96, a VF FF #73 and #77, a NM GS Superstars #1 (beautiful), and a fifth comic I can't recall. All were very reasonably priced. I realized I didn't have enough cash on me for all (I was $5 short if I recall correctly). I asked him to put one of the comics back. The dealer just took the cash I had and told me to take all five. I was very appreciative and to this day it is one of the most enjoyable exchanges I've ever had with a dealer.

 

If I were expecting a deal or to haggle, I wouldn't have had the same joy about the deal...of course money was tighter back then and probably infuenced my expectation.

 

Jim

[Fan4Fan]

I don't see anything wrong with wheeling and dealing as long as it's for an expensive book or a whole stack of books.

 

Actually, I've had a couple of dealers spontaneously round down one or a couple of books to the nearest dollar.

 

Not much, granted, but then I'm often only buying books under $10 or so.

 

A dealer also offered to discount a couple of mid-grade GA romance books... which I forgot about until I got home .

 

I guess I am not used to this kind of attention since it is more normal for me to p!ss people off for no reason that I can fathom.

[alecholland]

When I was new to buying back issues after returning to the hobby, I went to a show in Fayetteville in 1993. A dealer had a couple comics I wanted, a VF/NM Avengers #96

 

Uh...you wouldn't want to sell that Avengers 96 would you? I'll give you $5.00 for it.

 

Seriously, that is one of my favorite covers.

I really want a nice copy some day.

 

Cool story too.

 

I hope you know I'm just kidding you about being old fashioned Jim.

[Comicdey]

Problem is many people ask prices that are either high or out of line with condition...I offer what I will pay....and take no offense to people that do the same thing....we can always say "nope" thanks anyway.

 

Has that always been the case though? Or has the expectation of "making a deal" forced dealers into the practice over the years?

 

I'll remember you don't like to haggle if we ever make a deal

 

And again...if I don't like the price, I'll politely pass. I'm not wed into buying any comic regardless of how much I want it...

 

Jim

 

I'm a collector who sells to feed the habit

 

I see that some people think that dealers build in wiggle room into books.....what does that mean.....I price what I'd like to get for the book....amount of profit, or lack thereof isn't how I price...I price based upon what I want to get for the book...sometimes if someone offers less, I'll take it if it's close, sometimes I wonder what they're smoking

 

The GA Horror I just sold was priced below guide with a few pretty nice books....Jayman didn't squabble at all or Paratrooper or even October (well at least not too much) on the purchases. If I priced them higher, I'd have expected people to offer less, but maybe they would have just paid more....maybe I would take it maybe not....depends on my mood and other purchases I'm making.

 

What are you looking for these days? I want to have one trade/sale with you just to say we did it. Watcha got to trade?

[Silvers24]

I always wonder if it is prudent to ask a dealer at a show if he can do better on a book or not. Some dealers every time you look at there books will say, “I’m marking stuff down, let me know if your interested in something and we can work something out”. I can think of numerous dealers who conduct business that way.

 

Then you have other dealers who look at you like you just asked them if you can sleep with there daughter when you ask for a discount.

 

What do you guy’s think? I can understand both sides of the coin, but I would like to hear some other opinions.

 

 

post number 600 yahooo!!!!

You bet your [embarrassing lack of self control] we should.

Pittsburgh Toy Show, USM #13, wanted $13, took it down to $10.

Truthfully, I didn't ask for a discount, all I said was "Man this is the same price everywhere" and he out of the blue said "Ten Dollars" and I took it.

I asked the lady to remove $5 off that ASM #102 so yeah, don't be shy.

[MutantKeys]

What I do everytime I think the book is overpriced is ask.. So whats the best you can do?? Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt..If I like the price I hear I'll take if not I'll move on..

[skybolt]

You bet your [embarrassing lack of self control] we should.

Pittsburgh Toy Show, USM #13, wanted $13, took it down to $10.

Truthfully, I didn't ask for a discount, all I said was "Man this is the same price everywhere" and he out of the blue said "Ten Dollars" and I took it.

I asked the lady to remove $5 off that ASM #102 so yeah, don't be shy.

 

[Silvers24]

You bet your [embarrassing lack of self control] we should.

Pittsburgh Toy Show, USM #13, wanted $13, took it down to $10.

Truthfully, I didn't ask for a discount, all I said was "Man this is the same price everywhere" and he out of the blue said "Ten Dollars" and I took it.

I asked the lady to remove $5 off that ASM #102 so yeah, don't be shy.

 

[The Troll King]

Having done toy shows for many years I've been on both sides of this equation. For example, I've picked out a stack before that totals to like $48 and asked if they'd take $40.

 

Often times you will get the deal because we as dealers do NOT like to make change and we can be simple minded folk sometimes and prefer to only count in multiples of 10.

[Monstro]

And it doesn't take long for dealers to spot or learn whether you're a serious buyer or just gawking at their books. Those guys can smell money.

 

It honestly doesn't. It took me about half an hour into working my first show to be able to spot them. People think that they aren't obvious, but they really are.

 

but really what is wrong with just looking. if i go to a show…..lets say twice a month if i’m lucky. probably more like once a month. first i have to talk my wife into letting me go. then i have to haggle with her over how much i’m bringing. so lets say one show i have a little extra and can afford a cool grand or another show i can only bring 300. well that 300 is all i have to get my back issue comic fix for the month or maybe even longer. so when i get to the show i want to make daam sure i get the most out of my 300 bucks.

so yes, i’m gonna walk through the show at least once before i make any decisions on what to buy.

but you always get the feeling that (i should say with some dealers) that they get annoyed.

what do they think i’m gonna just blow my whole wad without even checking the whole place out?