Who Does Chuck Think He's Fooling?

[Sal]

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.

 

well...you're still not accounting for sunk costs, but your premise is still valid.

 

if Chuck did an across-the-board reduction to OSPG pricing, his business would likely triple, without the "special sales."

 

it would surprise me a great deal to discover that he did not already know this, and so there must be another reason / rationale for his pricing model. perhaps he has a lot of overhead that he has to carry, perhaps the pricing is reflective of the number of returns/refunds they have to give out, perhaps there are inefficiencies in his business model that he can't fix for whatever reason...or maybe it is a bit of all of the above.

 

i can't just believe that he's blindly pricing stuff at 2-300% of guide only to offer running sales at 120-200% of guide just because he enjoys giving Moulton and the other database monkeys something to do

[lizards2]

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.

 

They sure look like Navajo bongs to me...., would explain the *spoon* eatin' grins....,

[Mr. Zipper]

if Chuck did an across-the-board reduction to OSPG pricing, his business would likely triple, without the "special sales."

 

it would surprise me a great deal to discover that he did not already know this, and so there must be another reason / rationale for his pricing model. perhaps he has a lot of overhead that he has to carry, perhaps the pricing is reflective of the number of returns/refunds they have to give out, perhaps there are inefficiencies in his business model that he can't fix for whatever reason...or maybe it is a bit of all of the above.

 

Or, maybe he can afford to sit on inventory until he gets the price he wants or there are enough people actually paying those prices that he has no incentive to drop them.

 

And regarding the sales increase if only he reduced prices...

 

You could make the same two statements about Metropolis and a few other big dealers.

[thirdgreenham]

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.

 

In Toronto, there's a dealer who shows up, I believe from Montreal. He prices everything at NM- prices, doesn't matter the grade. Then offers 50% off.

 

Ummmm....no thanks!

 

Andy

[awe4one]

it would surprise me a great deal to discover that he did not already know this, and so there must be another reason / rationale for his pricing model. perhaps he has a lot of overhead that he has to carry, perhaps the pricing is reflective of the number of returns/refunds they have to give out, perhaps there are inefficiencies in his business model that he can't fix for whatever reason...or maybe it is a bit of all of the above.

 

i can't just believe that he's blindly pricing stuff at 2-300% of guide only to offer running sales at 120-200% of guide just because he enjoys giving Moulton and the other database monkeys something to do

 

I think Chuck relies on the impulse buyer more than any other dealer. He continually hypes the sales, how much value there is to a sale promotion (while focusing on what a great thing it is for you as a collector), and how quickly the issues will sell unless you buy immediately.

 

I also suspect he has a fair number of European customers who take advantage of the depressed dollar and like the free shipping option (over $100).

 

Jim

[goldust40]

I also suspect he has a fair number of European customers who take advantage of the depressed dollar and like the free shipping option (over $100).

 

Not that I doubt you, but if those European customers were to take advantage of the depressed dollar I'd've thought they would've gone for a website that has far more coverage and exposure for them than Chuck's: ebay.com.

 

At least trolling that site would've taught them to shop around - European buyers tend not to be prone to impulse buying, anyway. And I've yet to meet anyone from Europe who's bought from Chuck.

 

But you have to be right, as at least a small proportion of those "must have it, have no clue about the market and hang the price" buyers have to be from Europe....

 

And they all end up at Chuck's. Damn.

[the blob]

And I've yet to meet anyone from Europe who's bought from Chuck.

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

 

Somewhere on his website he says he sells tons of midgrade SA to Euros. Maybe just on the continent. The UK has plenty of its own U.S. style comics.

[awe4one]

I've met some Germans who have bought from Chuck...more than once...

 

Jim

[jordanscott]

I've met some Germans who have bought from Chuck...more than once...

 

Jim

 

To quote Mr Burns...

 

OOOO...the Germans!

[That Ron Dude]

I have never met Chuck Rozanski or done business with him. His dealings, success and commentary certainly polarize people. I imagine him to be a very charming man.

 

I always think of the Uncle Scrooge story, where Scrooge goes to the Isle of the Golden geese. There he finds a valley filled with feathers made of pure gold and offers the woman who is responsible for them $2 to take the feathers off her hands. Huey, Dewey and Louie intervene and offer the woman one million dollars on Scrooge's behalf.

 

I have heard that it is an "Urban Legend" of comics that Mr. Rozanski paid $.10 a comic for the Church collection. He seems to want to make an awful lot of what he does in his business, our business, excluding what he paid for the Church collection.

 

If he really wants to get people's attention he could can the stories about Hawaii and tell us what he paid for the Church collection.

[Ringfinger]

I bet 10 cents was high... Just like someone else....

[Wally's Comics]

Who Does Chuck Think He's Fooling?

 

Anyone that has a dollar to their name,

and ready to spend it on overgraded slop...

 

 

 

[Sal]

I have heard that it is an "Urban Legend" of comics that Mr. Rozanski paid $.10 a comic for the Church collection. He seems to want to make an awful lot of what he does in his business, our business, excluding what he paid for the Church collection.

 

If he really wants to get people's attention he could can the stories about Hawaii and tell us what he paid for the Church collection.

 

just to be a Devil's Advocate, would it have been better for the hobby if Chuck had just declined to buy the collection? they were on their way to the landfill, after the first dealer passed on the Church's offer.

 

[Ringfinger]

No, that would be a shame. Bottom line, he made a great find and a great deal. I just get sick with his "I am full of soul" bs that he slings.

 

Who cares about your bongs? How about concentrating on getting some inventory out to the public at reasonable prices.

[mica]

No, that would be a shame. Bottom line, he made a great find and a great deal. I just get sick with his "I am full of soul" bs that he slings.

 

Who cares about your bongs? How about concentrating on getting some inventory out to the public at reasonable prices.

Secret Code Word = Hawaii 5 O

[Ringfinger]

Can't wait for it!!

[MrBedrock]

I have heard that it is an "Urban Legend" of comics that Mr. Rozanski paid $.10 a comic for the Church collection. He seems to want to make an awful lot of what he does in his business, our business, excluding what he paid for the Church collection.

 

If he really wants to get people's attention he could can the stories about Hawaii and tell us what he paid for the Church collection.

 

just to be a Devil's Advocate, would it have been better for the hobby if Chuck had just declined to buy the collection? they were on their way to the landfill, after the first dealer passed on the Church's offer.

 

 

It is true that the collection was purchased for $.10 a book. And Chuck had to borrow the $2000 to buy them. It is also true that if he didn't buy them they would have been trashed. Some were thrown out prior to his purchase. At this point, what he paid is much less important to me than what I will have to pay to add the next Church book to my collection.

[Ringfinger]

You bring up a good point.

[G.A.tor]

I have heard that it is an "Urban Legend" of comics that Mr. Rozanski paid $.10 a comic for the Church collection. He seems to want to make an awful lot of what he does in his business, our business, excluding what he paid for the Church collection.

 

If he really wants to get people's attention he could can the stories about Hawaii and tell us what he paid for the Church collection.

 

just to be a Devil's Advocate, would it have been better for the hobby if Chuck had just declined to buy the collection? they were on their way to the landfill, after the first dealer passed on the Church's offer.

 

 

It is true that the collection was purchased for $.10 a book. And Chuck had to borrow the $2000 to buy them. It is also true that if he didn't buy them they would have been trashed. Some were thrown out prior to his purchase. At this point, what he paid is much less important to me than what I will have to pay to add the next Church book to my collection.

I've got a bible from Church that would go great in your collection...$12.95 shipped..PM me

[NSPhillips]

If I was a Hawaiian with some comics to sell, I wouldn't want him talking about our deal in a public newsletter.