Who Does Chuck Think He's Fooling?

[awe4one]

I get Chuck's weekly mailings and usually find them amusing as he always seems to put a positive spin on his business regardless of the circumstances. He also has some ouright funny, if not clever, ways to announce why he having each individual sale.

 

He must have run-out of reasons. Last e-mail he laments his disappointment of going all the way from Colorado to Hawaii to buy a collection that was found to be seriously overgraded and had to pass. I can sympathize...

 

Now in today's e-mail he mentions that while at airport on his way home emptyhanded, it wouldn't be a Chuck story without some drama, he received a counter-offer from the seller that was close to his offer, or at least much less than what the seller originally wanted. You'd think Chuck would have jumped on the offer considering he went all that way for nothing. But no, evidently it's moral dilemma that he needs his customers to help with:

 

You would think that I would be delighted to purchase the Hawaii deal, but my joy at the thought of scoring this great collection of old comics is tempered by my fiscal conservatism. While I certainly love buying great old comics, the turnover of high priced #1 issues is typically quite slow. That means tying up a lot of our cash for a long period of time. That possibility couldn't come at a worse time, as I just finished purchasing several major (as in huge...) private collections, just as we're entering into our annual Spring sales slump. I wish it were otherwise, but as the days grow longer in the Spring, online sales take a nosedive every year for almost all companies providing e-commerce. With the lure of warm evenings filled with bright sunshine to tempt many of our shoppers away from their computers, our orders decline significantly as compared with the dark days of Winter. So while I am delighted to be offered this collection of great older comics, the cash flow rea! lity is that I now need to sell a lot of our existing inventory very quickly, or I will have to dip into our reserves to pay for this new deal.

 

What the ? Does he think we are retarded? Are we really to believe that he traveled all that way to buy a collection and now has a financial problem to work out?

 

I think he has finally talked his way into a corner...

 

Jim

[rob_allan]

When my wife and I were sharing a computer, I subscribed to the Mile High e-mails (on her e-mail account.) We now cannot unsubscribe. We've tried and tried but they don't go away. He must be e-mailing more now because she keeps yelling out "spooning Mile High!" angrily at me. I need to call them or the next collection they buy might be my own.

[whomerjay]

Does he think we are retarded?

 

yes.

[awe4one]

His new minimum 50% sale is bull also. Just did the math on an already extremely overinflated $125 comic and with discount it's now such a bargain at $71.25. Last time I checked that not 50% off...

 

Jim

[Mac Man]

I picked up a couple comics from them over the Christmas holiday (the Death in the Family set) that were actually at a good price along with a few minor issues. They accidentally sent me one or two wrong issues, but quickly sent me out the right comics and let me keep the ones they sent at no charge. I was definitely pleased with the customer service side of thing at MH.

 

I do have to admit though, I find they are always jacking their prices up in anticipation for their "sales"- which really only bring the price down to guide- sometimes a couple dollars more or less. If they really want to make some waves, it seems to me they should just start giving base prices that are closer to guide or FMV. I dunno... that's just me. I know it'd make me that much more likely to truck over and see what IS on sale if they did.

[Shadow]

Am I mistaken, or does MH's prices seem more out of line each time I check? The "sales" seem to bring them down to so-so levels. It reminds me of some dealers at conventions who take a $50 book, price it at $120 and then advertise 50% off.

[goldust40]

Am I mistaken, or does MH's prices seem more out of line each time I check? The "sales" seem to bring them down to so-so levels. It reminds me of some dealers at conventions who take a $50 book, price it at $120 and then advertise 50% off.

 

Quite definitely the oldest trick in the book and one that raises my hackles the most...if a dealer at a show tries that on regardless of inventory I just walk away.

[Shadow]

Am I mistaken, or does MH's prices seem more out of line each time I check? The "sales" seem to bring them down to so-so levels. It reminds me of some dealers at conventions who take a $50 book, price it at $120 and then advertise 50% off.

 

Quite definitely the oldest trick in the book and one that raises my hackles the most...if a dealer at a show tries that on regardless of inventory I just walk away.

 

Glad I'm not the only one.

[ciorac]

Am I mistaken, or does MH's prices seem more out of line each time I check? The "sales" seem to bring them down to so-so levels. It reminds me of some dealers at conventions who take a $50 book, price it at $120 and then advertise 50% off.

 

Quite definitely the oldest trick in the book and one that raises my hackles the most...if a dealer at a show tries that on regardless of inventory I just walk away.

 

Glad I'm not the only one.

 

make that 3 of us then! There is a guy at the Chicago Con that does it every year!

[comicparadox]

It's the old line, for publicity, he doesn't care what they write in the newspapers, as long as they spell the name right.

 

No matter what people think of the man, his original "deal" with the Church family, his "buying schemes", "MH2 Collection", or whether he's growing high potency hemp behind the 10 acres of turnip greens, Chuck Rozanski remains a major figure in the comics hobby.

 

Although I will never purchase another book from his company due to the overgraded status of the single comic I bought from Mile High Comics, I respect the fact that he employs several people, pays taxes to cities, the State of Colorado, and the USA. As long as the revenooers don't find out about those 5 acres of kind hydroponic sensimillia growing under the rutabagas, Chuck will continue to do well. (In case anyone's wondering, he got the idea of dual-level hydroponics from Nich Fury, Agent of SHIELD #135, the one with SHIELD HQ below the street-level barbershop).

 

He's raised a family, put several children through graduate school, and literally "bought the farm" by making a living from what the rest of us enjoy as a hobby. Congratulations to him, I'm envious!

[deathlok]

Am I mistaken, or does MH's prices seem more out of line each time I check? The "sales" seem to bring them down to so-so levels. It reminds me of some dealers at conventions who take a $50 book, price it at $120 and then advertise 50% off.

 

Quite definitely the oldest trick in the book and one that raises my hackles the most...if a dealer at a show tries that on regardless of inventory I just walk away.

[Mr. Zipper]

He's raised a family, put several children through graduate school, and literally "bought the farm" by making a living from what the rest of us enjoy as a hobby. Congratulations to him, I'm envious!

 

Good point. Whether it was luck or not, I think most people here would gladly trade their career for Chuck's. He's made a very nice living doing what he loves, appears to have a loving, supportive family, and he's his own boss.

 

You gotta give the guy some credit...

[Ringfinger]

I'll give him that. However, those sales are not sales. They are ploys to get his prices to almost reasonable.

 

I for one am not buying into it.

[whetteon]

I picture a collection worth half a million and Chuck telling the brothers that he could maybe give them $45,000 out of sympathy for their plight.

[finecomics]

Am I mistaken, or does MH's prices seem more out of line each time I check? The "sales" seem to bring them down to so-so levels. It reminds me of some dealers at conventions who take a $50 book, price it at $120 and then advertise 50% off.

 

Quite definitely the oldest trick in the book and one that raises my hackles the most...if a dealer at a show tries that on regardless of inventory I just walk away.

 

Glad I'm not the only one.

 

make that 3 of us then! There is a guy at the Chicago Con that does it every year!

 

It may time for a new prescription

[finecomics]

He's raised a family, put several children through graduate school, and literally "bought the farm" by making a living from what the rest of us enjoy as a hobby. Congratulations to him, I'm envious!

 

Good point. Whether it was luck or not, I think most people here would gladly trade their career for Chuck's. He's made a very nice living doing what he loves, appears to have a loving, supportive family, and he's his own boss.

 

You gotta give the guy some credit...

 

Has there been some financial information published that I don't know about concerning Mile High? Why does everyone always assume this guys is running around with no problems other than counting his franklin's at the end of the day?

I don't see it at all I definitely see where's he's made a living, not sure about the "very nice" part.

[paperheart]

He's raised a family, put several children through graduate school, and literally "bought the farm" by making a living from what the rest of us enjoy as a hobby. Congratulations to him, I'm envious!

 

Good point. Whether it was luck or not, I think most people here would gladly trade their career for Chuck's. He's made a very nice living doing what he loves, appears to have a loving, supportive family, and he's his own boss.

 

You gotta give the guy some credit...

 

Has there been some financial information published that I don't know about concerning Mile High? Why does everyone always assume this guys is running around with no problems other than counting his franklin's at the end of the day?

I don't see it at all I definitely see where's he's made a living, not sure about the "very nice" part.

 

claims to have $25mm (that's million) in inventory- so in theory, if he turned off the buying machine today and liquidated everything at 10 cts on the $ he'd be knee deep in navajo pottery.

[BlowUpTheMoon]

he'd be knee deep in navajo pottery.

 

[Black00SS]

"spring sales slump" !!!

 

Bring your prices back down to freaking reality.

 

"Hey I have an idea, lets have a sale every 2 weeks, for 50-80% off.....and still be charging 2-3X guide value!!!!"

[Ringfinger]

Nice bowls by the way. I think it could be filled with water, but don't think all the mechanics are there for it. So, we will go with bowls.