My local comic shops are killing me.

[MCMiles]

All of my LCS's overgrade and/or over price...And are impossible to negotiate with, Even though the amount of Gold Silver and Bronze they actually sell is minimal they would rather just keep raising the prices year aftre year and let it sit there. I have gotten some deals from them but that is only because I knew something they did not. Like 35 cent price variants

 

One just recently got a great EC collection in. Many of the key issues and all of the classic covers. I really wanted to pick up a couple, but they were all grossly overgraded. (This shop writes the grade on the price tag) They also have a person on staff that quakifies himself as a "professional grader", and he will be glad to go on and on about how great his skills are.

 

 

[sterlingcomics]

sounds like an average run of the mill LCS. I've visited quite many in the past several years across the country, and your experience is the general rule, not the exception...I'm afraid.

 

Let me guess: these guys don't like CGC either, huh?

[MCMiles]

They also have a person on staff that quakifies himself as a "professional grader"

 

That was supposed to be qualifies but I guess quackifies works.

 

Yep, they all hate CGC.

[chrisco37]

Seems to be a trend with EC books. Most dealers overgrade them (at least as far as "Horror" goes). In my experience, most are over-graded and over-guide. I've had few exceptions; here on he boards was one) J

 

Just the name of the game. Unfortunately.

[Aces]

My local comic shops are killing me.

I got a nice small one for Moderns.

His case for SA/BA back isses has about 50 of them inside and about 20 of them are from me trading them in for modern comics.

 

He just got an ASM 27 VG for a stack of trades from me today and he said it was the earliest ASM he ever owned except for a very low grade 1 many years ago he got as part of a huge trade.

 

Back issues are horrible in WNY.

Anything past 1980 it's eBay or here.

[joeypost]

All of my LCS's overgrade and/or over price...And are impossible to negotiate with, Even though the amount of Gold Silver and Bronze they actually sell is minimal they would rather just keep raising the prices year aftre year and let it sit there. I have gotten some deals from them but that is only because I knew something they did not. Like 35 cent price variants

 

One just recently got a great EC collection in. Many of the key issues and all of the classic covers. I really wanted to pick up a couple, but they were all grossly overgraded. (This shop writes the grade on the price tag) They also have a person on staff that quakifies himself as a "professional grader", and he will be glad to go on and on about how great his skills are.

 

 

 

Wonder who that could be?

[the blob]

"Seems to be a trend with EC books. Most dealers overgrade them (at least as far as "Horror" goes). In my experience, most are over-graded and over-guide. I've had few exceptions; here on he boards was one) J"

 

These are the sorts of books that might sell to non-comic collectors because of the covers, etc., so they jack them up.

 

I know around Christmas my old LCS would jack up the GA Superhero books, SA Spideys/X-Men, etc. figuring that whatever the guide says, a $50-$150 price point is a good one for a christmas gift from a wife/girlfriend to husband/bfriend (and he'd do very well that time of year) [you don't need to be a comic collector per se to think getting a Batman 56 or whatever for christmas is kindah cool]

[alecholland]

sounds like an average run of the mill LCS.

 

Unfortunately Sterling is right. I was in a shop up the street from me just today and had the same experience. The guy had an Iron Fist 14 in VG condition at best - it was soiled and had a rolled spine - and the store owner wanted $140 dollars for it. As soon as I saw the price, I left the store. It looked like most of his comics were priced about 10-15 years ago using Wizard magazine prices.

[mar-vell]

just yesterday i got a great deal on a high grade TOS 74 at my LCS! These deals happen too few and far between to make it worthwhile to visit very often though!

[aaron568]

All of my LCS's overgrade and/or over price...And are impossible to negotiate with, Even though the amount of Gold Silver and Bronze they actually sell is minimal they would rather just keep raising the prices year aftre year and let it sit there. I have gotten some deals from them but that is only because I knew something they did not. Like 35 cent price variants

 

One just recently got a great EC collection in. Many of the key issues and all of the classic covers. I really wanted to pick up a couple, but they were all grossly overgraded. (This shop writes the grade on the price tag) They also have a person on staff that quakifies himself as a "professional grader", and he will be glad to go on and on about how great his skills are.

 

 

 

By what your saying there and i see you live in Florida i would have to say Acme Comics right i know what your talking about i would never think of buying a comic from them but i do like there old toys but you got to watch there prices

[Anfield Fox]

I went to Tropical Comics in Miami once. What a dump.

[aaron568]

Never been to any comics store in Florida out side of Orlando maybe i need to get out more

[Ringfinger]

My local comic shops are killing me.

I got a nice small one for Moderns.

His case for SA/BA back isses has about 50 of them inside and about 20 of them are from me trading them in for modern comics.

 

He just got an ASM 27 VG for a stack of trades from me today and he said it was the earliest ASM he ever owned except for a very low grade 1 many years ago he got as part of a huge trade.

 

Back issues are horrible in WNY.

Anything past 1980 it's eBay or here.

 

I know who you are talking about.... ;-)

[BuckeyeChaos]

I've got one that is very conservative in grading but he specializes in moderns and has scant SA or earlier available for sale.

[Pirate]

Half Price books had a rare 2 cent variant X-Men #25 in F for $60 I couldn't get any info out of the guy on what they use as a grading and price criteria

[Monstro]

yeah my LCS is the same. i can’t figure out who they want their customer to be. it seems like they would rather wait for some wife wanting to buy a present for her husband who will buy a VG- book priced as a NM-, then have a real live loyal comic book collector as a customer.

you know i wonder if it's the poor comics that keep comic shops out of business or the poor business sense of the owners.

[slackjawcomics]

yeah my LCS is the same. i can’t figure out who they want their customer to be. it seems like they would rather wait for some wife wanting to buy a present for her husband who will buy a VG- book priced as a NM-, then have a real live loyal comic book collector as a customer.

you know i wonder if it's the poor comics that keep comic shops out of business or the poor business sense of the owners.

 

you are right element.

 

My LCS had a White Ultimate Spider Man #1 at best a 8.5 for sale for $350. I couldnt believe what he was asking for it.

[johnenock]

I have two lcs's in town...one only has back issues (where I get a lot of my 9.4's to 9.8's from -- some of you guys have bought the slabbed 9.8's) that he prices at NM-9.2 guide prices(Yeah, I pretty much cleaned him out) He grades these all pretty well considering there are virtually no flaws. He also has a Captain America Comics 4 on his wall in the F-VF range that I've been staring at for years.

 

The LCS where I buy new comics get's most of the major local collections(admittedly not too many). He tends to grade spot on and doesn't jack up the prices either...strict overstreet price guide pricing plus the slabbing fee if he has sent the books in to get graded. On top of that he is a great guy who owns every Daredevil comic ever made...I swear he even has minor crossover appearances.

 

Anyway, 2 pretty good stores way out here in BF Idaho. I guess it's good to live off the beaten path.

[Anfield Fox]

It's the reason so many shops go out of business. Poor business sense and being lazy. These guys would rather sit on a comic for years and wait for the right buyer than price it fairly, move it quickly and use that money to buy more stock and in turn repeat again and again.

 

Why? Well it's either that they are worried that they won't be able to pick up more stock or that they are lazy and would rather deal with 1 customer than 100. Whichever it is the only loser is the comic shop owner. eBay and the internet is thriving and these brick and mortar shops are relying on the latest comics, trading cards, toys and merchandise to stay alive. If i ever opened a comic shop i would do it the right way and have no doubt that although it would be tough, i would make a real go of it.

[comicdonna]

My LCS is overpriced as well. He don't write the grade, instead, he grades the book, then prices it way over guide. I did notice a slab, the last time I was there. It was the only book, that seemed to be priced reasonable. It was a GSXM #1 CGC 8.0 for $420