My road to success (Moving Update 2) 8 8

[uchiha101]

Milestone update

 

He will be sending me 600 dollars worth of comics because he sold off the rest

 

Today's thoughts

 

must sell those useless comics that are taking up space

 

 

 

 

[W16227]

Milestone update

 

He will be sending me 600 dollars worth of comics because he sold off the rest

 

Today's thoughts

 

must sell those useless comics that are taking up space

 

 

You talking about the $600 worth?

 

 

That deal - should have warning bells going off - someone was going to send you $2500 worth of books to sell - now it is $600. If the story from the other person is true - probably means that they sold off the most desirable books and are sending you the drek (or the collection was cheery picked). Be careful with whatever consignment agreement you have with them - so that you do not get burned and just store longboxes for someone until you have to pay for them to be shipped back.

 

Make sure to have a list of what they are sending you - and check this immediately against what you receive,

 

 

[uchiha101]

Milestone update

 

He will be sending me 600 dollars worth of comics because he sold off the rest

 

Today's thoughts

 

must sell those useless comics that are taking up space

 

 

You talking about the $600 worth?

 

 

That deal - should have warning bells going off - someone was going to send you $2500 worth of books to sell - now it is $600. If the story from the other person is true - probably means that they sold off the most desirable books and are sending you the drek (or the collection was cheery picked). Be careful with whatever consignment agreement you have with them - so that you do not get burned and just store longboxes for someone until you have to pay for them to be shipped back.

 

Make sure to have a list of what they are sending you - and check this immediately against what you receive,

 

 

Thanks I already have a list so now I just wait until I have the comics at my house and check them against what he said he would send me.

[AJD]

Update

 

added my visa to heritage auction so I can now make offers, bid and contact people

 

This will not be the way to riches. Heritage prices won't usually leave much meat on the bones for you, if any. The top end dealers can make money by on-selling to clients who don't deign to enter into auctions, but I suspect you have a while to go before you're in that league.

 

Just my worth.

 

[uchiha101]

Update

 

added my visa to heritage auction so I can now make offers, bid and contact people

 

This will not be the way to riches. Heritage prices won't usually leave much meat on the bones for you, if any. The top end dealers can make money by on-selling to clients who don't deign to enter into auctions, but I suspect you have a while to go before you're in that league.

 

Just my worth.

 

you have a point but I can always try

[uchiha101]

Auctions

 

So I've tried my hand at auctions and I have to say I had a few hiccups but I've learned quite a few things in this one auction.

 

What I've learned

 

I overpay for comics

I need to be better organized

I need a faster laptop

I need to be more clear with the rules

 

Comics pending that have sold

 

Daredevil 257

Avengers 197

JLA #55

X-men 222

Iron man 51

ASM 301

ASM 362

ASM 363

TWD #36

 

Sold comics

 

TWD #36 Copy 2

ASM 361

Spiderman 298

Spiderman 299

Spiderman 300

Xfactor 5

Xfactor 6

Wolverine 1

 

Comics Bought

 

Marvel super heroes 12

 

New Idea

 

I'm trying a idea where I get my comics pressed for free and give the person 50% profit of the new value of the comics.

 

 

 

[Hibou]

Gabriel, I'm not sure if I asked this before but do you have a subscription to GPAnalysis?

 

For $10.95 a month, it's helped me immensely when making decisions regarding buying and selling. I'm not saying that I haven't overpaid and under sold myself when it comes to books but it certainly helps.

 

Good luck!

[revat]

Auctions

 

So I've tried my hand at auctions and I have to say I had a few hiccups but I've learned quite a few things in this one auction.

 

What I've learned

 

I overpay for comics

I need to be better organized

I need a faster laptop

I need to be more clear with the rules

 

Comics pending that have sold

 

Daredevil 257

Avengers 197

JLA #55

X-men 222

Iron man 51

ASM 301

ASM 362

ASM 363

TWD #36

 

Sold comics

 

TWD #36 Copy 2

ASM 361

Spiderman 298

Spiderman 299

Spiderman 300

Xfactor 5

Xfactor 6

Wolverine 1

 

Comics Bought

 

Marvel super heroes 12

 

New Idea

 

I'm trying a idea where I get my comics pressed for free and give the person 50% profit of the new value of the comics.

 

 

 

50% of the profit of the NEW value???

 

1. You'd have to agree on the starting condition.

2. You'd have to agree on the starting value based on the starting condition.

3. You'd have to let them know how much you sold it for (after fees, taxes, shipping etc), and that's assuming you didn't sell it bundled with other non-pressed comics (or those pressed by others).

4. What if you don't sell the books timely? Do you use the market value (which you can't seem to realize?) and pay him in advance of your sale? What if you argue about that value? What if he holds your other comics hostage because you can't sell the other comics he pressed and you disagree on the new grade and price of old comics he already pressed that you're now trying to sell.

 

this is begging for an argument isn't it? unless you're only pressing slabbed books and then reslabbing or doing cheapies (and moving them quickly). This would take a remarkable amount of trust which can easily be damaged.

 

Please please write out all the terms explicitly ahead of time, as this can go south in a million different ways extremely quickly.

 

Or just don't do it. Pay for pressing per unit up at a set fee like any normal person in the comic business.

 

 

[DeadOne]

Pay for pressing per unit up at a set fee like any normal person in the comic business.

This.

Edited June 2, 2015 by DeadOne

[uchiha101]

Gabriel, I'm not sure if I asked this before but do you have a subscription to GPAnalysis?

 

For $10.95 a month, it's helped me immensely when making decisions regarding buying and selling. I'm not saying that I haven't overpaid and under sold myself when it comes to books but it certainly helps.

 

Good luck!

 

I do have GPA analysis

[uchiha101]

Auctions

 

So I've tried my hand at auctions and I have to say I had a few hiccups but I've learned quite a few things in this one auction.

 

What I've learned

 

I overpay for comics

I need to be better organized

I need a faster laptop

I need to be more clear with the rules

 

Comics pending that have sold

 

Daredevil 257

Avengers 197

JLA #55

X-men 222

Iron man 51

ASM 301

ASM 362

ASM 363

TWD #36

 

Sold comics

 

TWD #36 Copy 2

ASM 361

Spiderman 298

Spiderman 299

Spiderman 300

Xfactor 5

Xfactor 6

Wolverine 1

 

Comics Bought

 

Marvel super heroes 12

 

New Idea

 

I'm trying a idea where I get my comics pressed for free and give the person 50% profit of the new value of the comics.

 

 

 

50% of the profit of the NEW value???

 

1. You'd have to agree on the starting condition.

2. You'd have to agree on the starting value based on the starting condition.

3. You'd have to let them know how much you sold it for (after fees, taxes, shipping etc), and that's assuming you didn't sell it bundled with other non-pressed comics (or those pressed by others).

4. What if you don't sell the books timely? Do you use the market value (which you can't seem to realize?) and pay him in advance of your sale? What if you argue about that value? What if he holds your other comics hostage because you can't sell the other comics he pressed and you disagree on the new grade and price of old comics he already pressed that you're now trying to sell.

 

this is begging for an argument isn't it? unless you're only pressing slabbed books and then reslabbing or doing cheapies (and moving them quickly). This would take a remarkable amount of trust which can easily be damaged.

 

Please please write out all the terms explicitly ahead of time, as this can go south in a million different ways extremely quickly.

 

Or just don't do it. Pay for pressing per unit up at a set fee like any normal person in the comic business.

 

 

These are good point to take into consideration and as for the trust factor I already shipped him 1500 worth of comics before.

[W16227]

Auctions

 

So I've tried my hand at auctions and I have to say I had a few hiccups but I've learned quite a few things in this one auction.

 

What I've learned

 

I overpay for comics

I need to be better organized

I need a faster laptop

I need to be more clear with the rules

 

Comics pending that have sold

 

Daredevil 257

Avengers 197

JLA #55

X-men 222

Iron man 51

ASM 301

ASM 362

ASM 363

TWD #36

 

Sold comics

 

TWD #36 Copy 2

ASM 361

Spiderman 298

Spiderman 299

Spiderman 300

Xfactor 5

Xfactor 6

Wolverine 1

 

Comics Bought

 

Marvel super heroes 12

 

New Idea

 

I'm trying a idea where I get my comics pressed for free and give the person 50% profit of the new value of the comics.

 

 

 

50% of the profit of the NEW value???

 

1. You'd have to agree on the starting condition.

2. You'd have to agree on the starting value based on the starting condition.

3. You'd have to let them know how much you sold it for (after fees, taxes, shipping etc), and that's assuming you didn't sell it bundled with other non-pressed comics (or those pressed by others).

4. What if you don't sell the books timely? Do you use the market value (which you can't seem to realize?) and pay him in advance of your sale? What if you argue about that value? What if he holds your other comics hostage because you can't sell the other comics he pressed and you disagree on the new grade and price of old comics he already pressed that you're now trying to sell.

 

this is begging for an argument isn't it? unless you're only pressing slabbed books and then reslabbing or doing cheapies (and moving them quickly). This would take a remarkable amount of trust which can easily be damaged.

 

Please please write out all the terms explicitly ahead of time, as this can go south in a million different ways extremely quickly.

 

Or just don't do it. Pay for pressing per unit up at a set fee like any normal person in the comic business.

 

 

These are good point to take into consideration and as for the trust factor I already shipped him 1500 worth of comics before.

 

Not you trusting them - it is them trusting you. A pressed would basically be fronting you money for their services with the hope that you sell the books for a profit and pay them back quickly.

 

This plan is full of issues- and you realize that there are times that pressing does not work or causes damage, right? - especially with amateurs.

 

If the analysis of the book justifies pressing - pay by unit as Revat suggested.

 

 

[uchiha101]

Auctions

 

So I've tried my hand at auctions and I have to say I had a few hiccups but I've learned quite a few things in this one auction.

 

What I've learned

 

I overpay for comics

I need to be better organized

I need a faster laptop

I need to be more clear with the rules

 

Comics pending that have sold

 

Daredevil 257

Avengers 197

JLA #55

X-men 222

Iron man 51

ASM 301

ASM 362

ASM 363

TWD #36

 

Sold comics

 

TWD #36 Copy 2

ASM 361

Spiderman 298

Spiderman 299

Spiderman 300

Xfactor 5

Xfactor 6

Wolverine 1

 

Comics Bought

 

Marvel super heroes 12

 

New Idea

 

I'm trying a idea where I get my comics pressed for free and give the person 50% profit of the new value of the comics.

 

 

 

50% of the profit of the NEW value???

 

1. You'd have to agree on the starting condition.

2. You'd have to agree on the starting value based on the starting condition.

3. You'd have to let them know how much you sold it for (after fees, taxes, shipping etc), and that's assuming you didn't sell it bundled with other non-pressed comics (or those pressed by others).

4. What if you don't sell the books timely? Do you use the market value (which you can't seem to realize?) and pay him in advance of your sale? What if you argue about that value? What if he holds your other comics hostage because you can't sell the other comics he pressed and you disagree on the new grade and price of old comics he already pressed that you're now trying to sell.

 

this is begging for an argument isn't it? unless you're only pressing slabbed books and then reslabbing or doing cheapies (and moving them quickly). This would take a remarkable amount of trust which can easily be damaged.

 

Please please write out all the terms explicitly ahead of time, as this can go south in a million different ways extremely quickly.

 

Or just don't do it. Pay for pressing per unit up at a set fee like any normal person in the comic business.

 

 

These are good point to take into consideration and as for the trust factor I already shipped him 1500 worth of comics before.

 

Not you trusting them - it is them trusting you. A pressed would basically be fronting you money for their services with the hope that you sell the books for a profit and pay them back quickly.

 

This plan is full of issues- and you realize that there are times that pressing does not work or causes damage, right? - especially with amateurs.

 

If the analysis of the book justifies pressing - pay by unit as Revat suggested.

 

 

Thanks I've already spoken about that issue and he said he will fully refund the value of the comics if they get damaged they are worth about 150 bucks all together before pressing but it's nice to have a piece of mind and pressing by unit I have thought of that as well but he's the first one to offer to ship it to cgc and I pay him later for it

[Red84]

Auctions

 

So I've tried my hand at auctions and I have to say I had a few hiccups but I've learned quite a few things in this one auction.

 

What I've learned

 

I overpay for comics

I need to be better organized

I need a faster laptop

I need to be more clear with the rules

 

Comics pending that have sold

 

Daredevil 257

Avengers 197

JLA #55

X-men 222

Iron man 51

ASM 301

ASM 362

ASM 363

TWD #36

 

Sold comics

 

TWD #36 Copy 2

ASM 361

Spiderman 298

Spiderman 299

Spiderman 300

Xfactor 5

Xfactor 6

Wolverine 1

 

Comics Bought

 

Marvel super heroes 12

 

New Idea

 

I'm trying a idea where I get my comics pressed for free and give the person 50% profit of the new value of the comics.

 

 

 

50% of the profit of the NEW value???

 

1. You'd have to agree on the starting condition.

2. You'd have to agree on the starting value based on the starting condition.

3. You'd have to let them know how much you sold it for (after fees, taxes, shipping etc), and that's assuming you didn't sell it bundled with other non-pressed comics (or those pressed by others).

4. What if you don't sell the books timely? Do you use the market value (which you can't seem to realize?) and pay him in advance of your sale? What if you argue about that value? What if he holds your other comics hostage because you can't sell the other comics he pressed and you disagree on the new grade and price of old comics he already pressed that you're now trying to sell.

 

this is begging for an argument isn't it? unless you're only pressing slabbed books and then reslabbing or doing cheapies (and moving them quickly). This would take a remarkable amount of trust which can easily be damaged.

 

Please please write out all the terms explicitly ahead of time, as this can go south in a million different ways extremely quickly.

 

Or just don't do it. Pay for pressing per unit up at a set fee like any normal person in the comic business.

 

 

These are good point to take into consideration and as for the trust factor I already shipped him 1500 worth of comics before.

 

Not you trusting them - it is them trusting you. A pressed would basically be fronting you money for their services with the hope that you sell the books for a profit and pay them back quickly.

 

This plan is full of issues- and you realize that there are times that pressing does not work or causes damage, right? - especially with amateurs.

 

If the analysis of the book justifies pressing - pay by unit as Revat suggested.

 

 

Thanks I've already spoken about that issue and he said he will fully refund the value of the comics if they get damaged they are worth about 150 bucks all together before pressing but it's nice to have a piece of mind and pressing by unit I have thought of that as well but he's the first one to offer to ship it to cgc and I pay him later for it

 

My advice. Someone who is really good at what they do won't give that service up for free. A quality presser with a steady stream of business wouldn't be interested in getting paid months after the fact. Be careful that you're not just supplying someone with a bunch of books for them to test their pressing methods on.

[revat]

he's willing to press for free up front, and pay for CGC grading fees, and then not get paid until you sell it?

 

It sounds 'nice' I guess, but at some point you have to ask yourself "Why would ANYONE do that?" You're not some major dealer or celeb who's going to make them famous. You're not moving enough volume or enough quality (no offense) to make him rich.

 

And that assumes you've addressed the starting price/grade issues, the prompt payment after selling, of 'profit' after fees, and the issue of selling in mixed bundles (some pressed with some not pressed).

 

 

Of course, you know the situation better than the rest of us. He could be a great guy with other steady (and/or disposable) income, who presses WELL and is willing to do you a solid, especially if he presses and submits his own books in high volume too. It might be no big deal for him to press 3-10 books a month for you and just charge you for it later, if he's submitting 50-100 per month to CGC anyways.

 

Either way, make sure you get EVERYTHING spelled out ahead of time in writing, for both of your sakes. And take millions of pictures/scans before handing your books over.

 

1. How initial value/grade is decided (for raw and slabbed books)? What about PGX? or CBCS? or CGC?

2. How is final grade decided (raw books)? There can be disagreements whether a book is actually improved.

3. What happens if a book comes back lower or the same grade? How fast are YOU supposed to get your money back in the case of pressing damage? Is partial refund plus the book ok? Or just a full refund and he keeps the book?

4. How are grading fees determined (if he submits)? Of course you pay the grading on any given book, but how much of the shipping fees and invoice fees are you responsible for? What about customs fees? Insurance?

5. What if he presses a book, you get it back raw, and YOU damage it by accident?

6. How do you determine your final profit? Is it based on your cost? Based on the FMV of the book pre-press? OSPG? GPA? What evidence do you have to provide to the presser?

7. How soon do you have to pay the presser after you get your money?

8. What if the customer asks for a return after you've already paid the presser? How do you go about getting your money back from the presser? And how quickly? What evidence do you have to provide to the presser?

 

 

Again, its nice that he's either so confident (or has other motives) that he'll front the pressing costs for you, and its nice to save money, but if you can't pay $50-$60 up front to bump up your profit by $200+, you're probably doing it wrong. And IF he is that good and your books are reasonably valuable, you will end up paying more in the long run.

[W16227]

 

My advice. Someone who is really good at what they do won't give that service up for free. A quality presser with a steady stream of business wouldn't be interested in getting paid months after the fact. Be careful that you're not just supplying someone with a bunch of books for them to test their pressing methods on.

 

this......

 

and to echo Revat again - you do not seem to have thought this out too well. This plan has MANY issues.

 

I'll add one - what happens when you list a book under FMV without realizing it. Your presser sees the mistake and wants his cut of the $200 you left on the table. What then?

 

There is no quick path to a sustainable business model - especially if you intend to buy and sell comics for a living.

 

You will probably not listen - but the smart path would be this -

 

1. Pay as you go for grading and pressing services. This is how you MAXIMIZE your profit. Your plan will require an insane amount of record-keeping (and since you are sharing profits - probably even more as you need to file taxes properly)

 

2. Get a GPA account. If you are dealing in graded comics - you need this tool It not only is used for current pricing - but you can see trends. You listed a couple of your RAW JLA #1s recently - for more than GPA had referenced for graded ones. Your buyers (especially ones on this site) have GPA (or know someone who does) and can see this pricing.

 

3. Movie hype helps - but you should never rely on it. That deal you made for the Infinity Gauntlet books - you stared that you were waiting for the movie hype to sell. Ok - but the books are not all that rare - and you have a glut of #1s. Bringing them all to market at once - and you do not maximize profit.

 

Much better to list individually starting now - on ebay there are already more than 20 graded 9.8s available. Imagine the glut if you wait.....

 

4. SELL BOOKS. Seriously - some may be held on to - but you do yourself a big favor when you move books constantly and do not try and "time" the market. Cash flow (in this case - buying and selling constantly) is a LOT more valuable than buy and hold. you gain experience this way - and build your reputation reputation.

 

Start with a goal - list 20 books a week on ebay. Increase the number if you want - but make sure it is manageable to start. Keep listing more (and relisting what does not sell).Look at the quantity of books on hand - think of how long it will take to sell them with your listing goals.

 

It is not a negative to sell out of your stock - for you and how you have been progressing - might be a good thing and help you see how the plan is progressing. The fewer books you have - the better you can see how close or far away you are from any profit (easier to work up a FMV of 10 books vs 100 and be accurate).

 

If you have stock - then you can at least see what your buying needs may be - and could also increase you listing numbers. At some point - you will see how much "free time" you have - and then you can get a decent idea of the maximum amount of books you are capable of listing. Pace out the high value books with lower value ones- then you have a balanced selling strategy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[uchiha101]

he's willing to press for free up front, and pay for CGC grading fees, and then not get paid until you sell it?

 

It sounds 'nice' I guess, but at some point you have to ask yourself "Why would ANYONE do that?" You're not some major dealer or celeb who's going to make them famous. You're not moving enough volume or enough quality (no offense) to make him rich.

 

And that assumes you've addressed the starting price/grade issues, the prompt payment after selling, of 'profit' after fees, and the issue of selling in mixed bundles (some pressed with some not pressed).

 

 

Of course, you know the situation better than the rest of us. He could be a great guy with other steady (and/or disposable) income, who presses WELL and is willing to do you a solid, especially if he presses and submits his own books in high volume too. It might be no big deal for him to press 3-10 books a month for you and just charge you for it later, if he's submitting 50-100 per month to CGC anyways.

 

Either way, make sure you get EVERYTHING spelled out ahead of time in writing, for both of your sakes. And take millions of pictures/scans before handing your books over.

 

1. How initial value/grade is decided (for raw and slabbed books)? What about PGX? or CBCS? or CGC?

2. How is final grade decided (raw books)? There can be disagreements whether a book is actually improved.

3. What happens if a book comes back lower or the same grade? How fast are YOU supposed to get your money back in the case of pressing damage? Is partial refund plus the book ok? Or just a full refund and he keeps the book?

4. How are grading fees determined (if he submits)? Of course you pay the grading on any given book, but how much of the shipping fees and invoice fees are you responsible for? What about customs fees? Insurance?

5. What if he presses a book, you get it back raw, and YOU damage it by accident?

6. How do you determine your final profit? Is it based on your cost? Based on the FMV of the book pre-press? OSPG? GPA? What evidence do you have to provide to the presser?

7. How soon do you have to pay the presser after you get your money?

8. What if the customer asks for a return after you've already paid the presser? How do you go about getting your money back from the presser? And how quickly? What evidence do you have to provide to the presser?

 

 

Again, its nice that he's either so confident (or has other motives) that he'll front the pressing costs for you, and its nice to save money, but if you can't pay $50-$60 up front to bump up your profit by $200+, you're probably doing it wrong. And IF he is that good and your books are reasonably valuable, you will end up paying more in the long run.

 

man you ask a lot of questions so I'll do my best to answer them

 

1. How initial value/grade is decided (for raw and slabbed books)? What about PGX? or CBCS? or CGC?

 

The initial grade is decided by mean sending him scans of the comic and we both come to a agreement on grade and I've bought cbcs comics and I don't like them so cgc it is.

 

2. How is final grade decided (raw books)? There can be disagreements whether a book is actually improved.

 

My comics all have defects that are obvious like spine rolls, waviness and wrinkles and we both come to a agreement on the grade.

 

3. What happens if a book comes back lower or the same grade? How fast are YOU supposed to get your money back in the case of pressing damage? Is partial refund plus the book ok? Or just a full refund and he keeps the book?

 

As soon as the comics gets damaged during pressing he will refund 100% of my money and he can keep the comic as a future reference should he want to.

 

 

4. How are grading fees determined (if he submits)? Of course you pay the grading on any given book, but how much of the shipping fees and invoice fees are you responsible for? What about customs fees? Insurance?

 

I am responsible for all the fees, including the invoice, shipping, customs and insurance fees simply for the reason that he separates my comics from his just in case we have the same ones.

 

 

5. What if he presses a book, you get it back raw, and YOU damage it by accident?

 

The answer for this one is simple: I won't hold people responsible for my mistakes

 

6. How do you determine your final profit? Is it based on your cost? Based on the FMV of the book pre-press? OSPG? GPA? What evidence do you have to provide to the presser?

 

The final profit would be decided by how much I paid for it, shipping costs, fmv before the pre- press, insurance and then I would take that away from the value of the pressed comic and split it with him.

 

7. How soon do you have to pay the presser after you get your money?

 

We both agreed as soon as I get the money I will pay him.

 

8. What if the customer asks for a return after you've already paid the presser? How do you go about getting your money back from the presser? And how quickly? What evidence do you have to provide to the presser?

 

I don't understand are you asking me if the customer would ask for a refund because it's pressed? and I also want to thank you for not trolling me but keeping me on my toes in a good way

[revat]

he's willing to press for free up front, and pay for CGC grading fees, and then not get paid until you sell it?

 

It sounds 'nice' I guess, but at some point you have to ask yourself "Why would ANYONE do that?" You're not some major dealer or celeb who's going to make them famous. You're not moving enough volume or enough quality (no offense) to make him rich.

 

And that assumes you've addressed the starting price/grade issues, the prompt payment after selling, of 'profit' after fees, and the issue of selling in mixed bundles (some pressed with some not pressed).

 

 

Of course, you know the situation better than the rest of us. He could be a great guy with other steady (and/or disposable) income, who presses WELL and is willing to do you a solid, especially if he presses and submits his own books in high volume too. It might be no big deal for him to press 3-10 books a month for you and just charge you for it later, if he's submitting 50-100 per month to CGC anyways.

 

Either way, make sure you get EVERYTHING spelled out ahead of time in writing, for both of your sakes. And take millions of pictures/scans before handing your books over.

 

1. How initial value/grade is decided (for raw and slabbed books)? What about PGX? or CBCS? or CGC?

2. How is final grade decided (raw books)? There can be disagreements whether a book is actually improved.

3. What happens if a book comes back lower or the same grade? How fast are YOU supposed to get your money back in the case of pressing damage? Is partial refund plus the book ok? Or just a full refund and he keeps the book?

4. How are grading fees determined (if he submits)? Of course you pay the grading on any given book, but how much of the shipping fees and invoice fees are you responsible for? What about customs fees? Insurance?

5. What if he presses a book, you get it back raw, and YOU damage it by accident?

6. How do you determine your final profit? Is it based on your cost? Based on the FMV of the book pre-press? OSPG? GPA? What evidence do you have to provide to the presser?

7. How soon do you have to pay the presser after you get your money?

8. What if the customer asks for a return after you've already paid the presser? How do you go about getting your money back from the presser? And how quickly? What evidence do you have to provide to the presser?

 

 

Again, its nice that he's either so confident (or has other motives) that he'll front the pressing costs for you, and its nice to save money, but if you can't pay $50-$60 up front to bump up your profit by $200+, you're probably doing it wrong. And IF he is that good and your books are reasonably valuable, you will end up paying more in the long run.

 

man you ask a lot of questions so I'll do my best to answer them

 

1. How initial value/grade is decided (for raw and slabbed books)? What about PGX? or CBCS? or CGC?

 

The initial grade is decided by mean sending him scans of the comic and we both come to a agreement on grade and I've bought cbcs comics and I don't like them so cgc it is.

 

2. How is final grade decided (raw books)? There can be disagreements whether a book is actually improved.

 

My comics all have defects that are obvious like spine rolls, waviness and wrinkles and we both come to a agreement on the grade.

 

3. What happens if a book comes back lower or the same grade? How fast are YOU supposed to get your money back in the case of pressing damage? Is partial refund plus the book ok? Or just a full refund and he keeps the book?

 

As soon as the comics gets damaged during pressing he will refund 100% of my money and he can keep the comic as a future reference should he want to.

 

 

4. How are grading fees determined (if he submits)? Of course you pay the grading on any given book, but how much of the shipping fees and invoice fees are you responsible for? What about customs fees? Insurance?

 

I am responsible for all the fees, including the invoice, shipping, customs and insurance fees simply for the reason that he separates my comics from his just in case we have the same ones.

 

 

5. What if he presses a book, you get it back raw, and YOU damage it by accident?

 

The answer for this one is simple: I won't hold people responsible for my mistakes

 

6. How do you determine your final profit? Is it based on your cost? Based on the FMV of the book pre-press? OSPG? GPA? What evidence do you have to provide to the presser?

 

The final profit would be decided by how much I paid for it, shipping costs, fmv before the pre- press, insurance and then I would take that away from the value of the pressed comic and split it with him.

 

7. How soon do you have to pay the presser after you get your money?

 

We both agreed as soon as I get the money I will pay him.

 

8. What if the customer asks for a return after you've already paid the presser? How do you go about getting your money back from the presser? And how quickly? What evidence do you have to provide to the presser?

 

I don't understand are you asking me if the customer would ask for a refund because it's pressed? and I also want to thank you for not trolling me but keeping me on my toes in a good way

 

your answers have given me a slew of new questions, but my point is not to pick a part every little thing, just to encourage you and anyone reading this to think through the potential pitfalls of an unorthodox course of action. Of course, sometimes the risk is worth it to a given person in a given situation. To me, economically, this still doesn't make much sense to me, but I can see some very specific scenarios where if the numbers are run correctly this can be a better choice, but they all involve a LOT of volume of turning 9.6 raws into 9.8 slabs, unless I've missed something. But I guess there's definitely a lot of value for the presser to assume nearly all the risk and fees up front. But anytime there is profit to be made, you make much less of it....

 

But you don't owe me or anyone else an explanation.

 

Note: Some of your answers would benefit from a bit more thought, including #5 and #8. Also you should think more about some of your other answers, because HOPEFULLY you are buying the vast majority of your comics for the less than FMV. Make sure that you spell out very carefully to the presser when FMV and when your cost are used.

[uchiha101]

 

My advice. Someone who is really good at what they do won't give that service up for free. A quality presser with a steady stream of business wouldn't be interested in getting paid months after the fact. Be careful that you're not just supplying someone with a bunch of books for them to test their pressing methods on.

 

this......

 

and to echo Revat again - you do not seem to have thought this out too well. This plan has MANY issues.

 

I'll add one - what happens when you list a book under FMV without realizing it. Your presser sees the mistake and wants his cut of the $200 you left on the table. What then?

 

There is no quick path to a sustainable business model - especially if you intend to buy and sell comics for a living.

 

You will probably not listen - but the smart path would be this -

 

1. Pay as you go for grading and pressing services. This is how you MAXIMIZE your profit. Your plan will require an insane amount of record-keeping (and since you are sharing profits - probably even more as you need to file taxes properly)

 

 

I've calculated that if I were to pay for pressing + shipping it would run me $150 bucks $225 dollars profit.

 

2. Get a GPA account. If you are dealing in graded comics - you need this tool It not only is used for current pricing - but you can see trends. You listed a couple of your RAW JLA #1s recently - for more than GPA had referenced for graded ones. Your buyers (especially ones on this site) have GPA (or know someone who does) and can see this pricing.

 

I'm surprised you remember that and yes that was before I had GPA analysis so now I price things more fairly.

 

 

3. Movie hype helps - but you should never rely on it. That deal you made for the Infinity Gauntlet books - you stared that you were waiting for the movie hype to sell. Ok - but the books are not all that rare - and you have a glut of #1s. Bringing them all to market at once - and you do not maximize profit.

 

Much better to list individually starting now - on ebay there are already more than 20 graded 9.8s available. Imagine the glut if you wait.....

 

I think this is the only thing I'll do differently and if I fail you can say I told you so

 

4. SELL BOOKS. Seriously - some may be held on to - but you do yourself a big favor when you move books constantly and do not try and "time" the market. Cash flow (in this case - buying and selling constantly) is a LOT more valuable than buy and hold. you gain experience this way - and build your reputation reputation.

 

 

I do sell comics in fact I sold about 30 of them yesterday and as for holding them it's so that they accrued value past the fact that I overpaid for them nothing more.

 

Start with a goal - list 20 books a week on ebay. Increase the number if you want - but make sure it is manageable to start. Keep listing more (and relisting what does not sell).Look at the quantity of books on hand - think of how long it will take to sell them with your listing goals.

 

It is not a negative to sell out of your stock - for you and how you have been progressing - might be a good thing and help you see how the plan is progressing. The fewer books you have - the better you can see how close or far away you are from any profit (easier to work up a FMV of 10 books vs 100 and be accurate).

 

If you have stock - then you can at least see what your buying needs may be - and could also increase you listing numbers. At some point - you will see how much "free time" you have - and then you can get a decent idea of the maximum amount of books you are capable of listing. Pace out the high value books with lower value ones- then you have a balanced selling strategy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've tried doing that and I always would run into the problem of no one buying my comics even though they were .99 and I'd end up with a load of listing and re-listing fees

[uchiha101]

Today's Purchase

 

Tomb of dracula 13

 

 

 

Net Revenue update

 

$-3727.18 from $-3000.25 so in other words my update is I lost money right now.

Edited June 4, 2015 by uchiha101