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It's really hard to sell

Started by handyjack,

67 posts in this topic

thehumantorch

thehumantorch

Posted
Posted
I keep telling myself to sell my collection. My kids have no interest in it and I'm not geting any younger. I feel I should sell it off to save them the trouble when I'm gone. It is really alot of work to sell individual books on ebay and on other sites. I don't think they will get what they should and besides I never read the actual comics anyways as I have the trade collections when I feel the need.

 

I have my books safely stored away in boxes and I never really look at them.

Yet, just the fact I know I have them makes me feel good. It's like I have this emotional attachment to them. Everytime I pull a book out to photograph and list I can't seem to follow through so I put it back in its box abd leave it there until the next time I say I am going to sell it.

 

Then I start to worry that if i sell it I am going to regret it, even though the books are easily obtained, there seems to be plenty of them listed everyday on the bay that I could always buy them back. Or I could flip the money into a mega key and really excite myself except I still wouldnt have my precious collection, only a single slab or two.

 

What is wrong with me? I must be sick in the head. Am I the only one who feels this way?

 

I can come up with plenty of reasons to sell them but the feeling of dread overwhelms me.

 

Sheesh!

 

Any therapist here on the boards?

 

Your emotional attachment to your collection is very real. You must enjoy the art form as you're collecting comics rather than Barbies or pogs. You've probably also spent a good part of your life and your money building your collection. I think we all get it and we all have the same basic attachment to the hobby.

 

All I can suggest is; take the tops off your comic boxes and spend some time with your collection. Look at some covers, take some of your favorite books out of their bags, sniff a few centerfolds. If you don't get that 'I love these silly things type feeling' it might be time to sell.

 

One suggestion. If you do decide to keep the collection leave a list of the better books and a rough value and contact information for a trusted dealer or knowledgeable collector/friend. Make sure your family or estate has a plan to sell the books if you can't.

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loadstone

loadstone

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Warning: wall of text.

 

I have this exact problem and the feeling you describe, thehumantorch, is what often do to reaffirm that I'm still enjoying my collection and enjoy the hobby. What I've been able to overcome recently is selling duplicates, or rather my inability to part with duplicates. Sometimes it's hard just nostalgically letting go of a book but I have to keep telling myself I have like 3 copies of the damned things in varying grades including highest graded for some of them so why keep more than 1 extra?

 

I'll run into the same problem selling, however. You often make more selling them individually but the hassle, time, and effort required to do so merely becomes a vehicle for your procrastination and continued hesitation and, thus, is counterproductive. It becomes an enabler of your indecision. I've been able to sell 40 or so dupes one at a time but I've got 2 long boxes of dupes to go through and like a band-aid, it's probably best that I just get rid of them quickly by selling them in big lots. You make less but are able to get rid of them and saves time and effort. Not sure if you have something like multiples or undesirables that you could try piling together and selling all at once but that might help you get started and once you start, the selling can actually be as much fun as buying was.

 

Regrets, yes I do miss some of the copies I've sold especially when I come across old posting photos of them on my phone or computer but when I do I force myself to delete the images and then I go dig out the high grade copies I kept and feel comforted. However, someday, I will have to sell those as well if my family isn't interested. You will eventually have to cross that bridge and hopefully not let the burden fall upon family.

 

One thing to try is seeing what someone might be willing to pay to relieve you of your collection. With that figure in your head, think about what, if anything, the financial benefit or personal enjoyment/happiness of what could be done with that money will bring you and your family and whether it outweighs the benefit/happiness you currently have with your collection. If, like you say, you never look at them or read them, I'm sure you can find something to do with whatever money comes your way that will give you and your family some priceless memory or opportunity. And if the money or sale price isn't that great and it isn't costing you anything to hold onto them, then just keep them and enjoy them stipulating well defined instructions on what to do with them upon your death in your will. Perhaps donate to charity and get a tax write off. 2c

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synch

synch

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Since you say you have trades of everything I say keep the trade & sell the books, get some nice keys in cgc format :) You may only have a few books but it will be stuff you can put on display & see daily & enjoy & from the sounds of it it will be less of a burden on your mind worrying about what your kids are going to do with your junk when you die & yes they will see it as junk ... at least with cgc stuff & KEY stuff they will have no problem flipping the stuff even if just taking it to a lcs

 

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thehumantorch

thehumantorch

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Warning: wall of text.

 

I have this exact problem and the feeling you describe, thehumantorch, is what often do to reaffirm that I'm still enjoying my collection and enjoy the hobby. What I've been able to overcome recently is selling duplicates, or rather my inability to part with duplicates. Sometimes it's hard just nostalgically letting go of a book but I have to keep telling myself I have like 3 copies of the damned things in varying grades including highest graded for some of them so why keep more than 1 extra?

 

I'll run into the same problem selling, however. You often make more selling them individually but the hassle, time, and effort required to do so merely becomes a vehicle for your procrastination and continued hesitation and, thus, is counterproductive. It becomes an enabler of your indecision. I've been able to sell 40 or so dupes one at a time but I've got 2 long boxes of dupes to go through and like a band-aid, it's probably best that I just get rid of them quickly by selling them in big lots. You make less but are able to get rid of them and saves time and effort. Not sure if you have something like multiples or undesirables that you could try piling together and selling all at once but that might help you get started and once you start, the selling can actually be as much fun as buying was.

 

Regrets, yes I do miss some of the copies I've sold especially when I come across old posting photos of them on my phone or computer but when I do I force myself to delete the images and then I go dig out the high grade copies I kept and feel comforted. However, someday, I will have to sell those as well if my family isn't interested. You will eventually have to cross that bridge and hopefully not let the burden fall upon family.

 

One thing to try is seeing what someone might be willing to pay to relieve you of your collection. With that figure in your head, think about what, if anything, the financial benefit or personal enjoyment/happiness of what could be done with that money will bring you and your family and whether it outweighs the benefit/happiness you currently have with your collection. If, like you say, you never look at them or read them, I'm sure you can find something to do with whatever money comes your way that will give you and your family some priceless memory or opportunity. And if the money or sale price isn't that great and it isn't costing you anything to hold onto them, then just keep them and enjoy them stipulating well defined instructions on what to do with them upon your death in your will. Perhaps donate to charity and get a tax write off. 2c

 

I've never felt remorse after selling dups. The proceeds are happily used to add new books to the hoard.

 

I've also found that buying and selling here has lead to a number of , dare I say it, internet friends. The process begins as a financial transaction but often leads to pm discussions and friendship. It never ceases to amaze me how well you can get to know someone through simple chat on a message board.

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vaillant

vaillant

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Posted
I've also found that buying and selling here has lead to a number of , dare I say it, internet friends. The process begins as a financial transaction but often leads to pm discussions and friendship. It never ceases to amaze me how well you can get to know someone through simple chat on a message board.

 

(thumbs u

 

To the OP: my opinion is that you should start to sell what you care less about. It may not be easy, as there are a big number of reasons for which we love our comics. There are some which are just too importantly tied to meaningful moments in our lives (and they may even have been part of those important moments because of their truly artistic content – so it is no longer a mere "hobby").

If you can manage to start and do some "soul mining", this will also help on many other fronts, as reflecting on what you are keeping makes you consider its "inherent" value. If you don’t care much about the first editions, and you have reprints, it will be easier.

 

I am trying to do so myself, but not for the same reason. I am constantly buying and selling, and I see I am very attached to them, but I think it is good when you rationally, and patiently, browse to them and little by little start to sell… :)

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Chip Cataldo

Chip Cataldo

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You often make more selling them individually but the hassle, time, and effort required to do so merely becomes a vehicle for your procrastination and continued hesitation and, thus, is counterproductive.

 

Send me the comics and I'll sell them for you. I enjoy selling on eBay so it's not like work for me. I'm already doing it for a few people here and advertise it locally for people that either don't know how or don't have the time/can't be bothered. If you can muster up enough motivation to ship me a couple longboxes then your work will be done. :D

 

I'm cheap, too. ;)

 

Peace,

 

Chip

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vaillant

vaillant

Posted
Posted
You often make more selling them individually but the hassle, time, and effort required to do so merely becomes a vehicle for your procrastination and continued hesitation and, thus, is counterproductive.

 

Send me the comics and I'll sell them for you. I enjoy selling on eBay so it's not like work for me. I'm already doing it for a few people here and advertise it locally for people that either don't know how or don't have the time/can't be bothered. If you can muster up enough motivation to ship me a couple longboxes then your work will be done. :D

 

I'm cheap, too. ;)

 

Peace,

 

Chip

 

I feel like to vouch for Chip, here. He, and other young members here are unfortunately unemployed, so if one’s willing to trust the person, the thing will have a double advantage: it will help you decide what to sell, and have it sold, and will give some spare $$$ to a person which is currently experiencing a bad economic moment… :)

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conditionfreak

conditionfreak

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I go through the same as many here have expressed. Hate selling, but don't want my family to have to deal with the load when I am gone.

 

I have slowly and methodically kept my wife and kids abreast of how to determine values, and even how to figure out titles correctly. So that they can use an Overstreet Guide with some semblance of accuracy.

 

I have found out that people who are not in this hobby (and some who are), have a hard time not understanding that Man of Steele #1 is not Superman #1, etc. :) So, I have stressed this situation with my wife. She is going to live to be 96 and I am scheduled to "leave" at age 72. :( (according to an internet web site) :)

 

My current thoughts are: I want to sell my raw copies and hold onto my slabbed copies. I have maybe 15,000 raw and maybe 250 slabbed. That way, the guess work is more or less taken out of whatever my family would need to do to move them after I am gone. I have told my wife to put the slabbed copies on Ebay and start them at $10.00 each. Whatever they get, they get.

 

But my slabbed copies will be staying with me until I am gone.

 

That is my compromise. Sell raw and hold slabbed.

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letsgrumble

letsgrumble

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In the course of collecting comics for many years, I have sold off most of my collection... on two occasions. Once in the late-1980's and the other in the mid-1990's. I still actively collect, err buy stuff, today.

 

I can't say for sure whether I have anything wise to say, but I will tell you from experience, and looking back at some of the stuff I previously owned, money is much more easier to replace than your collection. You sell your items of value (emotionally and monetarily) to fill your bank account, but, unless you have specific plans for the money you receive for them, it will eventually just get evaporated into general life expenses, and poof it's all gone.

 

If you are going to sell off your collection, put it towards something meaningful, like an education fund for junior, a special trip, early retirement, whatever. In other words, turn it into something tangible. It will help justify why you sold your collection and ease the pain a bit.

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shadroch

shadroch

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The first few times i sold off large chunks of my collections, it really bothered me. Now, my only regrets are if I hadn't sold then, I'd get so much more now.

I look at my book shelf see my Avengers and Spidey omnis and think about the thousands of dollars I could have saved if these had come out thirty years ago.

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