blazingbob

I did good based on resetting my sales expectations. I had so many great shows last year that it is VERY unlikely that I would repeat the numbers I was doing. Bought some great books, sold some great books. Show was steady.

Well based on this type of review would collector's want to go to shows? People seem to think that nobody reads these posts. Word of mouth can destroy a show as quickly as actually going and experiencing it yourself. You compare a Whatnot or IG seller to a comic convention dealer? A video stream with a quick look at the book versus you physically looking at the book in your hand? Sorry but I think I would like to physically see the book, see if I agree with the grade before I start negotiating it down if the price doesn't meet my expectation. And speaking of expectations it is very hard for comic dealers to know every buyers "Pricing/Grade wanted Expectations". The GPA only guy, the OSPG guy, the 10% off GPA guy, the dollar book guy, the champagne taste/beer wallet guy, etc. I had two buyers at C2E2 turn a book down after I asked them what they wanted to pay. I agreed to their price and they still had to think about it. So while buyers may think that dealers are difficult to deal with try standing on my side of the table for awhile. Here is a honest assessment of what I think most and I say most buyers really feel. The less travel they have to do the better. They don't want to pay a lot to get in. If they can score a dealer badge even better. They don't want to pay a lot to park, Free comes to mind for most They don't want to pay a lot for a hotel They don't want the show too crowded They want good food at a good price. Every dollar spent at dinner is one less available to buy something. They want to see lots of books in the genres they collect at prices that they want to pay. They want dealers to take their trade at their numbers, save themselves the time and cost of selling it themselves so they can get the books they want at their numbers. The flippers want to find the collector selling his collection at OSPG prices in high grade before the dealers do. They can then proudly show the purchases off to their friends while dollar signs dance in their eyes. They want a really nice venue for all of the above

I'm sorry that I am not a "Big dealer" to you. I was at C2E2

I'm not sure how the "collective" you can see it coming unless you are reading the security filings of the banks and their holdings. Or following the changes in law which relaxed the stress test standards on the regionals. SVB was right up there moaning about it and guess where they are now. One of the problems is that the federal reserve can't have it both ways. If you want banks to buy those treasuries that the government is printing out you have to have a model of review when you decide to jack rates. The problem is that if a bank had stocks in their portfolio you have to mark to market those securities every quarter. However treasuries etc that are held to maturity were not. However, the warning sign was the "unrealized losses" that are sitting on banks balance sheets if they "had to sell". Create the run and the bank then has to sell. Unrealized losses suddenly turn into real losses. That supposedly "strong deposit base" panics and the momentum down escalates. While some of us think the financial system is "sound" it is all built on "Faith" and counter party risk. Whenever I read who profited off this mess Goldman Sachs is right there. Made over $100 million on the SVB bond portfolio they bought and I'm sure they were shorting SVB stock the minute they got the Bond portfolio call. And guess who is out there Selling claims against the Credit Suisse Tier 1 bonds that went to $0 - Goldman Sachs. This article also points out what happens when a bank communicates weakness. You might as well as cut an artery and threw yourself in a shark infested pool - https://finance.yahoo.com/news/svb-failed-stock-offering-shows-140346893.html

To me the real difference is the way the person is doing business. The truest form of flipper is the guy clearly asking me what I'm looking for, finding it on the floor and then trying to flip it to me so that he makes a quick profit. There are a couple of guys I know who do that at shows. To use a friends phrase they are solely turn em and burn em. You are solely a ATM machine for them. Wanna be dealers to me are the people on another dealers badge buying books to clearly resell. They have no booth costs, no cost of setting up except getting there and maybe a hotel day or 2, no business costs like annual corporate tax, filing sales tax forms when necessary, no cost getting in and are basically competing for the same inventory that I spent up to $5000 getting in to see. They also get to run around the show all day while I'm stuck at the booth. Back in the day of when CGC did on-site grading some of them literally parked themselves at submission pickup to see what everybody just got. Now I would have more respect for that buyer if maybe they were buying to do local shows and possibly down the road started supporting the national shows and maybe even becoming national dealers. I get that we all started somewhere but frankly the lack of new blood does concern me.

I did get a call from my detective on the case today. Somebody did try to pawn some books, unfortunately they were CGC books and not mine. At least they are still working on my case.

No leads from Public Storage, no leads from anyone.

Yes, some developers that have a knowledge of the comic business do know what they are doing very well.

Which happens when you let the programmer design it and not get input from users. Developers think like developers, users take many paths to do essentially the same thing. Websites should all be about ease of use, if you can't figure it out in 3 clicks or less they leave.

Appreciate the comments in this thread about my website. Please note that if there is functionality that you want in my website I will see if it can be implemented. Not everything can be implemented, sometimes the costs outweigh the benefits. PM's are welcome. Bob (www.highgradecomics.com)

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Thank you, appreciate that you would mention it to them.

We have considered that. Again that is the job of the detectives and public storage to determine who accessed the building if my stuff and other stuff was going out the exits. Public storage inside units are not floor to ceiling walls, floor to ceiling on the doors either. You could look into each unit if you were determined enough.

This is what my inventory looks like in mylar, 4 ML, fullbacks. There is some inventory that is in poly bags

This is how my inventory basically looks in 2 ml mylites. Tape is always angular. Price stickers are always in the upper left corner

All my love at first sights were sold, I didn't have any in inventory.

I am looking into ring or trail cameras that are motion detection and notification to your cell phone.

8 other storerooms were broken into. Don't be sorry asking, I do not have any employees, haven't had one in a very very long time. He wouldn't have known about this unit since I didn't have it when he worked for me. People that work for me at shows are either family or have worked for me for a very very long time.

And so that people know I have lost the keys to this type of storage unit. It took a locksmith over an hour and three drill bits to drill out the lock. They are VERY good locks, however the door design is useless as far as security goes which I didn't know until yesterday.

For those looking at the coding of my boxes. Every box that was stolen has a code that will correlate to the inventory list I provide.

They did not damage the lock at all, they bent the steal bar that protects the slide into the runner the door goes up and down on. I could have had 50 locks on the door, wouldn't have mattered with the door design they use. If you have anything in a storage unit using this type of door the locks mean absolutely NOTHING. These units are NO security at all. I went back today and my wife and I discovered that 4 5x5 units had also been broken into, the person working there was aware of 3-4 other 5x5 units which has a different door slot. Bend and pop them open like beer cans. Here are the pictures of the locking mechanism. The lock was still in when I arrived at the unit. This picture was taken after I took the lock out. By bending the bar out they can better access to the runner (basically a garage door runner which is not hardened steel by any means. Bend that runner back and the lock bar pops out allowing the door to be opened up halfway which is more then enough space to gain access.

I will be at Wondercon

I have not broken down the gold key portion of the theft yet.

Police department arrived quickly, took an report which I didn't agree with and left. Haven't spoken to detectives yet.

If you are familiar with Public Storage units this one has a roll up door, sliding bolt with the ability to put up to two locks. The slide is protected by steel bar in front of it. The door was still locked when I got there but the steel bar was pried forward, the bent the runner the door goes up inward which disengaged the slide from the runner keeping the door down. The bar on the outside only allows the door to be halfway open but in you go. It doesn't matter how many locks you put on the door, this door system does not provide security. I've lost storage unit keys for this type of unit, took the locksmith over an hour to drill it out, they are not easy. However, after seeing this break in it doesn't really matter about the lock. That and there not being any security camera's inside has made me more then sick.