My WonderCon MONSTER Deal: How did I do??

[ciorac]

How are the pages on the 31 Ben?

[rjpb]

Hey GA fans-

 

So, I pondered this deal (and various other scenarios) in my head most of Friday and Saturday at the SF Wondercon this past weekend. This is what went down. LMK your thoughts. Did I give up too much? Intially, I thought yes, but I think I did well. The cover is killer and I had to have it.

 

Gave up:

-Action Comics #13 CGC 4.0 cream/off-white (tough to let go of!)

-AF #15 CGC 4.0 Cream/off-white (easily replaceable--I have a beater copy still)

-FF #1 CGC 3.5 Cream/off-white (easily replaceable--I have a 2.5 copy still)

-$1,000 cash

 

No offense, but I don't think you did well in that deal. The three books you traded would sell outright for considerably more than the equivalent of the trade. Considering that there are people out there who would give their left (insert word here) for that Action 13 (I estimate closer to 3000-3500 dollars), I think you could have done much better than you did. Again, no offense intended.

 

No offense taken! I'm open to the opinions! Thanks bro!

 

Assuming that was the copy at Harley's booth, I have to agree with Thegoldenage that you gave up more than I would have given up for it. But still, congrats on getting a Detective Comics #31! That is a sweet book in its own right.

 

 

It's pretty hard to get a close to even trade with a dealer - but if it's easier than paying cash- sometimes that's what it takes. great book!

[GreatEscape]

It's pretty hard to get a close to even trade with a dealer - but if it's easier than paying cash- sometimes that's what it takes. great book!

 

How true!!!

 

GE

[Primetime]

How are the pages on the 31 Ben?

 

I would say that they are cream with tanning on the edges. The corners are chipping, which I was initially concerned about but not brittle at all. Matt Nelson looked at the book, and he agreed. CF is tight.

[Primetime]

Hey GA fans-

 

So, I pondered this deal (and various other scenarios) in my head most of Friday and Saturday at the SF Wondercon this past weekend. This is what went down. LMK your thoughts. Did I give up too much? Intially, I thought yes, but I think I did well. The cover is killer and I had to have it.

 

Gave up:

-Action Comics #13 CGC 4.0 cream/off-white (tough to let go of!)

-AF #15 CGC 4.0 Cream/off-white (easily replaceable--I have a beater copy still)

-FF #1 CGC 3.5 Cream/off-white (easily replaceable--I have a 2.5 copy still)

-$1,000 cash

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

It's pretty hard to get a close to even trade with a dealer - but if it's easier than paying cash- sometimes that's what it takes. great book!

 

Good point. Exactly what I thought.

[CentaurMan]

Yo PT,

Here is my take,

Am 15 all day ebay $3500.00

FF#1 All Day Ebay $3500.00

Action #13 $2000.00 Tough call, would love this one tough to find might go higher

Cash $1000.00

 

Total IMHO $10,000.00

 

I disagree on that Action price. I might pay $6000 for one of those in that condition.

[stagedoorjohnny]

Yo PT,

Here is my take,

Am 15 all day ebay $3500.00

FF#1 All Day Ebay $3500.00

Action #13 $2000.00 Tough call, would love this one tough to find might go higher

Cash $1000.00

 

Total IMHO $10,000.00

 

I disagree on that Action price. I might pay $6000 for one of those in that condition.

 

I didn't want to say it, but I think Win is a hell of a lot closer with the value of that book than the original figure posted. But it all boils down to what you like, so you can't go wrong.

[Korvac Saga]

Just took a quick look at the census. Only 7 copies graded with none higher than 5.5. The census doesn't even show the 4.0 copy yet.

[Dark Knight]

I don't know much about Action Comics, but I didn't know Action 13 was a rare book.. Only 8 unrestored and 2 restored ths far on the census.. Possibly a Gerber 8?

[Korvac Saga]

Sorry, still learning to read My previous post was the census on Action #14. Action #13 shows 8 copies graded with the top copies graded 7.0, 6.5 and 4.0 respectively.

[Primetime]

Just took a quick look at the census. Only 7 copies graded with none higher than 5.5. The census doesn't even show the 4.0 copy yet.

 

that can't be right. I had this Action 13 slabbed 7 years ago...

[Primetime]

Sorry, still learning to read My previous post was the census on Action #14. Action #13 shows 8 copies graded with the top copies graded 7.0, 6.5 and 4.0 respectively.

 

got it. thanks.

[sacentaur]

Ben, it was great to bump into you at the show - I could really tell that your blood was pumping for a 'Tec 31!

 

Oftentimes when I trade, I think in terms of not what I could possibly get for a book, but more of what I actually have invested in the book. Makes things more palatable down the road...

 

Hope to see you again at Wizard L.A. (if you're attending).

 

STEVE

[CentaurMan]

I'll admit, however, that the price I'd pay for a generic Action #13 in unrestored 4.5 is higher than the price I'd pay for the copy in your scan. That printing error in the colors on the logo is a significant visual defect, no matter what the stated grade on the slab, and certainly should be factored into the valuation. I'd say $4k or so is a more appropriate price for that book.

[jpepx78]

by coincidence i was at wondercon saturday afternoon and i overheard a dealer (at terry's comics) discussing the scarcity of certain books with a customer and he specificly mentioned that action 13 was harder to find than action 1. i guess your deal was done later. most of the time you don't get full value in trade from a dealer but you got a book you really wanted. enjoy your nice pickup.

 

i went looking for a golden age book that had a gerber scarcity of 6 and thought i would be lucky to find one copy. three dealers had copies and one dealer had 4 copies in various grades so i got the best copy for a reasonable price. i also saw 2 copies on ebay. although the book is not common, i guess i'm lucky few other people want it unlike early actions or detectives.

 

jt

[lou_fine]

Yo PT,

Here is my take,

Am 15 all day ebay $3500.00

FF#1 All Day Ebay $3500.00

Action #13 $2000.00 Tough call, would love this one tough to find might go

 

Although I may be biased here..........I would definitely place a higher value on the Action #13 as compared to the 2 SA books. In those conditions, they are indeed available all day long on eBay.

[G.A.tor]

hello all...

PT, sometimes passion for a book, outweighs the cost/value...we all have gotten some bargains, and we all have taken it in the shorts, at one time or another...as long as you are happy with the deal, then I say you did great, and I will congratulate you!...

that said, from a non biased opinion (since you asked) I think this copy of 31 is a gd+ at best (maybe you could push to a gd/vg, but I wouldn't based on your description of having the book in person)...it is likely "worth", at best, $7k to $8k, even in todays' inflated pre robin tec, 2x+ guide market....that said, you did get rid of 2 "common" SA keys (as someone else mentioned, the AF and FF are easy to pick up in that grade)....now, the action 13 is rare, even with the fading, and I agree with Win, $4K minimum value should be placed on that book today (give or take)...but, since you got slabbed 7 years ago, you probably don't have anywhere near that amount into the book, so my next analysis only takes into account today's market, not what you paid for the books...that said, from a strictly numbers standpoint, an $8K book for $12Kish ($1K cash, too) worth of books is not a good deal for me (again, just my opinion, not trying to deflate your enthusiasm at all)....but, as said, as long as YOU are happy, then fantastic, don't worry about what the rest of us geeks say, just enjoy one of the best Batman Books every produced!

rick

[CentaurMan]

Plus, you absolutely should not expect to make a $1.00=$1.00 trade with a major dealer. I think $1.40=$1.00 is the minimum expectation, and if you get a significantly tighter margin then I don't think the dealer is going to be in business for too long.

[thedude]

Plus, you absolutely should not expect to make a $1.00=$1.00 trade with a major dealer. I think $1.40=$1.00 is the minimum expectation, and if you get a significantly tighter margin then I don't think the dealer is going to be in business for too long.

 

totally agree on this point,.. one last thing I'll say is, I realize that this was an impulse buy of sorts, being at the closing of the con, and we've all been there before, however, I feel that you would have done much better by simply selling those 3 books for cash to collectors, and then buying the 'Tec #31 outright, although I know that may have taken some time, the price realized for the Action #13 may have shocked you, as it only takes one collector who really wants it and has been looking for a copy for a long time,..I know of at least 4-5 people who have been looking for an Action #13, I guess the real test will be how much Harley ends up selling that book for.

[dizzyfoxx]

Ben, First of all it was great meeting you at the show. It's so cool to meet other collectors with the same passion for these treasures.

 

Here's my '2-cents' on your deal... I look upon your Tec 31 similarly to the way I feel about my Tec 29. I gave some thought to what you gave up to get the Tec 31, and if I was presented the same potential deal to acquire my Tec 29, it would take me all of about 10 seconds to say "Let's do the deal".

 

The AF 15 and the FF 1 are easily replaceable IMO. And of course as far as the $1000, you can always make more cash. Now the Action #13 is the 'kicker' of course. It's a very special book with a cool cover. BUT, the Tec 31 is an iconic book with probably one of the most famous and popular covers throughout the Golden Age era. It's a cover that every Tec collector searches for, and every comic book collector would love to own, period.

 

P.S. The fading color of the lettering of the Action 13 would really bother me anyway. Although it's a very tough book, over-all eye appeal is everything and with that faded color lettering, the eye appeal is lacking somewhat.

 

Translation: You did good.