Do people listing on Comiclink even care about GPA? 0

[blazingbob]

Hmm, very interesting statement "But the more data GPA possesses the more true to the actual market it reveals, and perhaps that is why some dealers are concerned"

 

Maybe the seller of the Hollywood Hills books should have checked GPA before he sold them to you and Southern Cal?

[esquirecomics]

Hmm, very interesting statement "But the more data GPA possesses the more true to the actual market it reveals, and perhaps that is why some dealers are concerned"

 

Maybe the seller of the Hollywood Hills books should have checked GPA before he sold them to you and Southern Cal?

 

And your point on that is, what, Bob? Do tell.

 

I find it interesting to see that rather than address any of the substantive points I made, you seem bent to only launch personal attacks.

[esquirecomics]

GPA provides insight to books that trade frequently, on some books they are completely USELESS.

 

How to do you come up with a price on a book you haven't offered before, or don't have any sales information on from show cons or any other venues?

 

Nor have you responded to George's astute comment either.

[blazingbob]

Well, let's see. I have a large number of dealers that I do a lot of business with that are very willing to give me a price to sell a book at.

 

Just because I may not have sold a book before doesn't mean that I cannot make a phone call or partner with the dealer to buy and sell the book.

[blazingbob]

Are you really a dealer or a hobbyist?

 

What value do you put on your business? Your proprietary information?

 

You feel very free on how much you sell your books for? How much do you pay for them?

 

I am able to sell a lot of books over GPA. Why would I want that to become public knowledge? GPA prices go up, buying prices go up, margins get squeezed.

 

I run a business and quite frankly am not in business to make other people money. Let them work as hard as I do to find the books, write the checks and sell them.

[esquirecomics]

Are you really a dealer or a hobbyist?

 

What value do you put on your business? Your proprietary information?

 

You feel very free on how much you sell your books for? How much do you pay for them?

 

I am able to sell a lot of books over GPA. Why would I want that to become public knowledge? GPA prices go up, buying prices go up, margins get squeezed.

 

I run a business and quite frankly am not in business to make other people money. Let them work as hard as I do to find the books, write the checks and sell them.

 

What is the difference between whether I am a dealer or a hobbyist? According to you (as amply demonstrated by repeated posts), I am a dealer.

 

Explain what is so proprietary, and how is it damaging to you to release?

 

Forget about me, what about all the other DEALERS who do provide their data to GPA? Your information is more valuable than theirs? You are smarter than they are?

 

What does purchasing prices have to do with it? And actually, yes, sometimes I do list how much I paid for a book. Done it many times. What relevance is that?

 

No one is criticizing or commenting upon how hard you do or do not work, nor do I see how that is relevant to the discussion at hand.

 

Yet I find it ironic that you so easily criticize GPA but have no problems with self-promoting yourself through their newsletter.

 

Why check out HighGradeComics.com? - GPA Feb 2006 Newsletter

 

Nor did you have any compuncture in becoming an advisor to GPA back in 2003. As far as I know GPA's business model was identical then as it is now, so why don't you explain your change of heart to us all, or were you just merely again using GPA to self-promote yourself?

 

Storm joins GPAdvisors - GPA Newsletter, Vol 1, No. 6

[blazingbob]

Actually I wasn't even aware of this being on the GPA site until now. Thank you.

 

I have not provided GPA with any of my sales data so I guess I am guilty of self promotion.

 

Ah, I must have touched a nerve since the infamous Mark tone comes out.

 

Maybe you need to read a few more of my posts but I'll spell it out to you again.

 

I am not against a person using GPAnalysis when negotiating with me on price. What bothers me is when they feel I should sell the book for the GPAnalysis price as if it's the End all/Be all price. Hence my many posts about the fact that I have sales data to back up my pricing.

[Sal]

i am of the opinion that both Bob and Mark are correct.

 

 

now stop trying to wrap a zero-sum game dress on this pig you're both dancing with and let's all go back to looking at scans or something

[Foolkiller]

Amazing that when it comes to Self promotion I can think of no better person than yourself.

 

They're coming! They're Coming!

 

They're here! They're here!

 

And your problem with that is what exactly?

 

I am very good at promoting the businesses I am involved in, whether that be comics or law. I don't shy away from that. Sorry you have a problem with it.

 

But then again I share all my market data with GPA and yet it doesn't negatively impact my bottom line.

 

Mark, although I wouldn't say that your post "bothered me" and I was a buyer of a couple of Hollywood Hills books --

 

Be fair, and don't go with the hyperbole about promoting businesses. The thread with the carnival barker intro got such a negative publicity that you basically stopped posting in it once the cover was blown (not by me) that the books were all on SoCal's website.

 

So that thread was kind of a dismal failure by most boardies.

 

In the end -- it really doesn't matter whether people liked or hated the thread -- but c'mon -- be fair about characterizing the success, because I think when you make statements like this, it's when people are like, was he reading the same thread everyone else was?

[esquirecomics]

Actually I wasn't even aware of this being on the GPA site until now. Thank you.

 

I have not provided GPA with any of my sales data so I guess I am guilty of self promotion.

 

Ah, I must have touched a nerve since the infamous Mark tone comes out.

 

Maybe you need to read a few more of my posts but I'll spell it out to you again.

 

I am not against a person using GPAnalysis when negotiating with me on price. What bothers me is when they feel I should sell the book for the GPAnalysis price as if it's the End all/Be all price. Hence my many posts about the fact that I have sales data to back up my pricing.

 

Not a tone at all Bob. Funny that it is you of all people to reference tone. And what nerve do you think you've struck other than perhaps one of annoyance since you have conveniently failed to substantively respond to the majority of the questions I posed to you to explain your own position, but that will reflect on you, not me. You are great at deflection Bob, but that doesn't work with me. I focus on the debate.

 

Moreover, no one here criticized your sales prices Bob. Nor is anyone advocating that you need to set your sales prices based on GPA data. You should sell your books for whatever amount you want, whether justified by data or not. Your sales will determine whether the prices are fair or not, and the longevity of your business will as well. Obviously you've done fine for yourself.

 

But none of that is the point to any of the discussion, nor explaining your criticism of GPA. You may be bothered by some GPA users but that is no reason why to levy your harsh criticism on GPA, which provides a great service and is a valuable tool (among many).

[jkrk]

 

I'm waiting for round two to begin.

 

[esquirecomics]

Amazing that when it comes to Self promotion I can think of no better person than yourself.

 

They're coming! They're Coming!

 

They're here! They're here!

 

And your problem with that is what exactly?

 

I am very good at promoting the businesses I am involved in, whether that be comics or law. I don't shy away from that. Sorry you have a problem with it.

 

But then again I share all my market data with GPA and yet it doesn't negatively impact my bottom line.

 

Mark, although I wouldn't say that your post "bothered me" and I was a buyer of a couple of Hollywood Hills books --

 

Be fair, and don't go with the hyperbole about promoting businesses. The thread with the carnival barker intro got such a negative publicity that you basically stopped posting in it once the cover was blown (not by me) that the books were all on SoCal's website.

 

So that thread was kind of a dismal failure by most boardies.

 

In the end -- it really doesn't matter whether people liked or hated the thread -- but c'mon -- be fair about characterizing the success, because I think when you make statements like this, it's when people are like, was he reading the same thread everyone else was?

 

Brian, I am honestly not clear on what issue you are trying to address. That one particular thread definitely wasn't the success I intended it to be, and I learned my lesson to avoid that type of format again on these boards.

 

But the sales for the Hollywood Hills collection have been excellent. I have no complaints at all. In fact, we sold many books to Forumites such as yourself, as well as to dealers. The promotions through Scoop, GPA and our own websites also significantly contributed.

 

In any event, I wasn't referring to that one specific thread as an illustration of my successful promotions. That was just one Bob referenced.

[Foolkiller]

Amazing that when it comes to Self promotion I can think of no better person than yourself.

 

They're coming! They're Coming!

 

They're here! They're here!

 

And your problem with that is what exactly?

 

I am very good at promoting the businesses I am involved in, whether that be comics or law. I don't shy away from that. Sorry you have a problem with it.

 

But then again I share all my market data with GPA and yet it doesn't negatively impact my bottom line.

 

Mark, although I wouldn't say that your post "bothered me" and I was a buyer of a couple of Hollywood Hills books --

 

Be fair, and don't go with the hyperbole about promoting businesses. The thread with the carnival barker intro got such a negative publicity that you basically stopped posting in it once the cover was blown (not by me) that the books were all on SoCal's website.

 

So that thread was kind of a dismal failure by most boardies.

 

In the end -- it really doesn't matter whether people liked or hated the thread -- but c'mon -- be fair about characterizing the success, because I think when you make statements like this, it's when people are like, was he reading the same thread everyone else was?

 

Brian, I am honestly not clear on what issue you are trying to address. That one particular thread definitely wasn't the success I intended it to be, and I learned my lesson to avoid that type of format again on these boards.

 

But the sales for the Hollywood Hills collection have been excellent. I have no complaints at all. In fact, we sold many books to Forumites such as yourself, as well as to dealers. The promotions through Scoop, GPA and our own websites also significantly contributed.

 

In any event, I wasn't referring to that one specific thread as an illustration of my successful promotions. That was just one Bob referenced.

 

Yes I know. But you're saying "I'm a successful promoter" of comics. The sales of Hollywood Hills have been successful, but not obviously not because of the style employed on the boards.

 

Anyway, if you say "I'm successful" in response to the point Bob makes of the thread you posted here with the "carnival barker" I would think that a logical response to illustrate YOUR point is to post the examples where you were successful to rebut Bob's statement. Not just say "I'm successful".

 

The books sold well by virtue of the fact that they were high grade. You could have put them anywhere, and frankly, they probably would have sold (especially the ones I've seen marked sold). If you have high grade, they will find you it seems like.

[esquirecomics]

Amazing that when it comes to Self promotion I can think of no better person than yourself.

 

They're coming! They're Coming!

 

They're here! They're here!

 

And your problem with that is what exactly?

 

I am very good at promoting the businesses I am involved in, whether that be comics or law. I don't shy away from that. Sorry you have a problem with it.

 

But then again I share all my market data with GPA and yet it doesn't negatively impact my bottom line.

 

Mark, although I wouldn't say that your post "bothered me" and I was a buyer of a couple of Hollywood Hills books --

 

Be fair, and don't go with the hyperbole about promoting businesses. The thread with the carnival barker intro got such a negative publicity that you basically stopped posting in it once the cover was blown (not by me) that the books were all on SoCal's website.

 

So that thread was kind of a dismal failure by most boardies.

 

In the end -- it really doesn't matter whether people liked or hated the thread -- but c'mon -- be fair about characterizing the success, because I think when you make statements like this, it's when people are like, was he reading the same thread everyone else was?

 

Brian, I am honestly not clear on what issue you are trying to address. That one particular thread definitely wasn't the success I intended it to be, and I learned my lesson to avoid that type of format again on these boards.

 

But the sales for the Hollywood Hills collection have been excellent. I have no complaints at all. In fact, we sold many books to Forumites such as yourself, as well as to dealers. The promotions through Scoop, GPA and our own websites also significantly contributed.

 

In any event, I wasn't referring to that one specific thread as an illustration of my successful promotions. That was just one Bob referenced.

 

Yes I know. But you're saying "I'm a successful promoter" of comics. The sales of Hollywood Hills have been successful, but not obviously not because of the style employed on the boards.

 

Anyway, if you say "I'm successful" in response to the point Bob makes of the thread you posted here with the "carnival barker" I would think that a logical response to illustrate YOUR point is to post the examples where you were successful to rebut Bob's statement. Not just say "I'm successful".

 

The books sold well by virtue of the fact that they were high grade. You could have put them anywhere, and frankly, they probably would have sold (especially the ones I've seen marked sold). If you have high grade, they will find you it seems like.

 

Brian, what I am saying is that I do not follow what issue we are now discussing or debating. My sales demonstrate I am successful, at least on a level that I am totally comfortable with. Is that due to promotions I run or just because of the books themselves and people stumbling across them? I suppose we could debate this if anyone really wanted, but it has nothing to do with the discussion we were having about GPA.

 

Bob was the one who raised, in his usual tone, the deflective comment about my self-promotion in response to a post that was not even directed at him. It was directed at Josh and I hope he answers it. But it had nothing to do with the topic at hand. I do not feel any need to defend whether I am a successful self-promoter or not. That is really irrelevant, don't you think?

[batman_fan]

One comment I will never forget and I think really states the comic business in general terms occured at the Phoenixcon way back in the 90's when it was at the Convention Center. Motor City Comics was there and some collector was looking at some books with his guide. He said the books were over priced based on the grade he gave them and the guide price. He asked Mike (I am pretty sure it was Mike) "what do you grade this book." Mike from Motor City calmly replied "I don't grade books, I price them" He restated this several times but the bottom line of what he was saying was I price books based on the general grade and the difficulty and desirability of the book. I think this is still very true. Most seasoned dealers know the books they have had over the years, how easy or difficult they are to replace and what the demand is. Based on that, they set the price. Myself, I have never looked at GPA and marginally look at the guide. I know what books I need and how often I see them come up. Some stuff I pay way over guide (4x guide for a uncirculated Batman 1966 3-D in 1996, 2x guide for a GD+ Mysterymen 3, tried to pay $2400 for a Batman 73 in 8.5, etc.) some stuff I pay under guide (Detectives from the late 40s and early 50s in mid grade). Other stuff, I am pretty clueless on, but a little poking around for more common stuff can give an idea. I do the same thing for deciding to send stuff to CGC before selling, poke around to see what others are asking and decide if it is worth paying to have it graded or not. At the end of the day, a smart dealer prices a book at the high end of what they can get to maximize the return on it. Otherwise it flips to someone else who makes money off it.

[divad]

[divad]

 

*** You are ignoring this user ***

[Foolkiller]

Amazing that when it comes to Self promotion I can think of no better person than yourself.

 

They're coming! They're Coming!

 

They're here! They're here!

 

And your problem with that is what exactly?

 

I am very good at promoting the businesses I am involved in, whether that be comics or law. I don't shy away from that. Sorry you have a problem with it.

 

But then again I share all my market data with GPA and yet it doesn't negatively impact my bottom line.

 

Mark, although I wouldn't say that your post "bothered me" and I was a buyer of a couple of Hollywood Hills books --

 

Be fair, and don't go with the hyperbole about promoting businesses. The thread with the carnival barker intro got such a negative publicity that you basically stopped posting in it once the cover was blown (not by me) that the books were all on SoCal's website.

 

So that thread was kind of a dismal failure by most boardies.

 

In the end -- it really doesn't matter whether people liked or hated the thread -- but c'mon -- be fair about characterizing the success, because I think when you make statements like this, it's when people are like, was he reading the same thread everyone else was?

 

Brian, I am honestly not clear on what issue you are trying to address. That one particular thread definitely wasn't the success I intended it to be, and I learned my lesson to avoid that type of format again on these boards.

 

But the sales for the Hollywood Hills collection have been excellent. I have no complaints at all. In fact, we sold many books to Forumites such as yourself, as well as to dealers. The promotions through Scoop, GPA and our own websites also significantly contributed.

 

In any event, I wasn't referring to that one specific thread as an illustration of my successful promotions. That was just one Bob referenced.

 

Yes I know. But you're saying "I'm a successful promoter" of comics. The sales of Hollywood Hills have been successful, but not obviously not because of the style employed on the boards.

 

Anyway, if you say "I'm successful" in response to the point Bob makes of the thread you posted here with the "carnival barker" I would think that a logical response to illustrate YOUR point is to post the examples where you were successful to rebut Bob's statement. Not just say "I'm successful".

 

The books sold well by virtue of the fact that they were high grade. You could have put them anywhere, and frankly, they probably would have sold (especially the ones I've seen marked sold). If you have high grade, they will find you it seems like.

 

Brian, what I am saying is that I do not follow what issue we are now discussing or debating. My sales demonstrate I am successful, at least on a level that I am totally comfortable with. Is that due to promotions I run or just because of the books themselves and people stumbling across them? I suppose we could debate this if anyone really wanted, but it has nothing to do with the discussion we were having about GPA.

 

Bob was the one who raised, in his usual tone, the deflective comment about my self-promotion in response to a post that was not even directed at him. It was directed at Josh and I hope he answers it. But it had nothing to do with the topic at hand. I do not feel any need to defend whether I am a successful self-promoter or not. That is really irrelevant, don't you think?

 

Yes, I agree it's irrelevant, so why respond at all then? If you don't feel the need to defend, then don't.

 

As to GPA -- I love it as a tool, but it's just that: one tool. If dealers want to report their sales data great. And if not, fine too. From my side of the table, I just look at the book, look at Overstreet, look at GPA, think about what I've seen the book sell for, and then decide if I want it.

[esquirecomics]

Brian, if you feel compelled to debate something, perhaps you can answer some of the questions or address some of the points I posed to Bob that he ignored or deflected!

[divad]

. . . way back in the 90's

 

. . .