Rankings for Dealers

[Foolkiller]

When you sit in some of these depositions with too much time on your hands and a VERY boring witness, you come up with ideas like this. I thought about how a ranking system for dealers would work. What factors would you use as a criteria? Size of inventory, customer service, reputation, historical notable sales, grading abilities, experience, and internet accesibility all factored into my ranking system.

 

Forget personal feelings about any of these dealers, but rather who the "best" dealers are and what criteria you would use to evaluate them.

 

This idea seems a little doofy, but I thought it'd be fun to put some more thoughts behind these "best dealer" threads and the like. College Basketball season always gets me thinking along these lines especially when I see things like the indecipherable RPI index and the like.

 

I didn't include guys like the "dentist" because I don't view him as primarily a dealer, or other collectors who only deal on the side...

 

Anyway... here goes:

 

10) Harley Yee: Known for finding hard to find books and offering a fairly wide array of high grade material, Harley has built a solid reputation and a popularity among many collectors. Plus, the guy seems to travel to absolutely every show with his fairly extensive inventory in tow. I've heard rumors of many "backroom deals" involving Harley, and he's a fairly nice guy in person and always polite. A bit quirky, Harley does price high for his high quality. He does not have much of a web presence though, and I think this actually holds him back from ascending higher on this list.

 

9) Gary Dolgoff: Dolgoff has an enormous inventory of books and literally seems to have bought everything he could get his hands on. If you wanted to fill in holes from the 70s to the 90s, there literally seems to be nothing he could not fill if asked. This breadth of inventory truly has to make you marvel, and he is also a good accurate grader (although not quite as superb as his ads make him sound). Many people sound like they've only had succesful dealings with Gary, and only have positive things to say about him. The one thing is that you don't hear about too many of the "best copies" or high grade stuff filtering through his inventory. Plus, when he does come to shows, many times his inventory is less than inspiring, and it actually can turn you off to buying from him at all, even down the road, because you envision that's what you'll be getting from him by mail order. Nonetheless, he's satisfied many, many customers, and I've only heard good things, and have had one good (personal) experience through him.

 

8) Doug Sulipa: Very few personal dealings with Doug, but it seems like many collectors on these boards and almost everyone I talk to only has super positive things to say about him and his grading. Trouble is, ordering takes some effort as his web site is apparently tough to navigate. Doug also enjoys a reputation as an incredibly strict grader with just an enormous amount of knowledge about comics. Additionally, his market reports in the Overstreet every year are far and away the most comprehensive in dealing with all aspects of the market and the different genres of books. I'm always impressed with Doug because he isn't just a super hero guy, but knows the other publishers and titles as well, which is how he earns a spot on this list.

 

7) Bob Storms: Pre the website being updated, Bob would probably not have made my list, but the website update is truly an unbelievable improvement. There are so many new books on that site now that his whole inventory is opened it's incredible. Plus, it's basically a site that serves only high grade books. There are mid/low grades on there offered at very reasonable prices, but the high grade CGC stock is comparable in breadth to ANY other major dealer's site out there. However, Bob isn't as much of a presence in DC books, and certainly leans more towards Marvels. While having sold high grade AF 15s and FF runs, there haven't been as many notable DC collections to go through Bob. Bob's raw grading always was, and remains, some of the strictest anywhere, and on high grade, this is particularly important. Fair and honest, Bob deserves a place on this list despite his inventory not being quite as large, but having one of the best quality inventories.

 

6) Showcase New England: Whether or not you like Dan Greenhalgh personally, the guy always seems to be in the thick of most major transactions for many major collections. The person who sold Doug Schmell the 9.6 FF #1 and has produced some large finds of high grade over the years, Doug has always been at the forefront finding and buying high grade gold and silver age collections. Plus, if you look at how their Ebay auctions performed, you have to give the guy credit for knowing how to market those raw books and constantly achieve those prices. Although brusque to deal with, Dan appears to have the financial means to compete for many collections, and has years of success doing so. Trouble is, Dan turns a lot of people off with his 'charming' personality, has difficult customer relations (as I found out), and has some accounts of spotty grading. Still, you can't deny the facts and the numbers of his success.

 

5) Pacific Comics Exchange: Although Robert Roter does not have quite the same inventory in terms of high grade he once did, I remember all throughout the 90s just drooling over some of the books that passed through his hands including an Action #1. For years, I'd see some of his high grade books and just be in awe. A solid reputation all around, this is another dealer that I have not heard any negatives either from other dealers or customers. Of course, Roter also bought the infamous Pacific Coast Collection containing some of the finest examples of high grade Silver Age Marvels, and an X-Men #1 from the collection which later graded out at a spectacular CGC 9.8.

 

4) Comiclink: Despite my thread on questioning the relevancy of Comiclink during yesterday's thread, there is no denying that Josh Nathanson has cemented Comiclink as an industry standard for consignment sites. This is a site that, even in an era of Ebay where collectors could simply sell their books directly, has still managed to not just survive, but thrive, in today's high grade certified and uncertified market, making it one of the most important and "best" dealers/consignment sites in existence. Although not technically a "dealer", Josh has constructed a community where books can be bought and sold with a high amount of confidence for both buyer and seller and does so with some of the most prominent books available on the market today. Despite glitches in their service, and stiff competition all around, Comiclink is probably the most sucessful, and certainly the most notable, consignment website with the possible exception of...

 

3) Heritage: It's hard to deny the impact Heritage has had with its auctions for Gold, Silver and Bronze age comics as well as original art. Despite shady dealings with allowing their employees to bid on the auctions and questionable histories from some of the controlling members, you have to be impressed with their stature in today's current marketplace. They turn up some fantastic material, some of which could be considered some of the finest examples of books available. In the current marketplace, few, if any, other dealers, consignment sites, or auction houses, can match them in terms of quality of goods offered.

 

2) Mile High Comics: Love 'em or hate 'em, Chuck Rozanski is a powerhouse like no other in the Comic Book Dealers' world. Discoverer of the Mile High Collection and later the Mile High II collection, Chuck, while a bit hyperbolic in his tales, is a genuine fan of comics, and should get credit for having the foresight not to take the quick buck on trying to flip the Church collection but rather to expand it into a business for years to come. Chuck built an empire of stores, an enormous web store and assembled just a massive back issue inventory. Is the grading sometimes a bit off? Yes, especially on some high grade material. But owns a ton of high grade material, has sold a mountain of some of the most noteworthy books in history, continues to run insane discounts on trades, back issues and the like, willing to ship for free many times, and is extremely knowledgable about the comic book hobby.

 

1) Metropolis Comics: The 800 lb. gorilla of the comic book universe, Stephen Fishler and Vincent Zurzolo run the best comic book business in the United States. Period. They have an awe inspiring inventory, their original art collection blows you away, their aggresive tactics in pursuing collections will force most competitors out of the way as they seem to be able to outspend anybody. Their website is constantly being improved, they are involved in some way at most major national shows, their inventory is not just large, but has a large quantity of high grade, and they service some of the wealthiest clientele (Nic Cage, for instance). Their selection of Golden Age is unbelievable (8 Batman #1s at one time), and their selection of Silver seems limitless. They have generally high customer service and professional outlook with regards to almost all their dealings. While I have often been critical of their pricing structure, and their somewhat stringent 'no discounts' on most high grade, their pricing, while high, is not stratospheric. And if you are the kind of collector just seeking the tough book, Metro is the way to go. If you want a book, Metro's probably got it with multiple options. If they don't have it, they can get it. Even the ultra rare. Without question, Metro ranks as the #1 dealer right now.

 

Honorable mentions to Ted VanLiew of Superworld, LeRoy Harper, Dale Roberts, Motor City Comics, J & S Comics, Joe Koch, Zen Comics and others I'm sure I've left out.

 

Thoughts?

[Norrin_Radd]

Nice idea.

 

 

The sad thing is that I've only bought from three dealers on that list.

[FFB]

When you sit in some of these depositions with too much time on your hands and a VERY boring witness, you come up with ideas like this. I thought about how a ranking system for dealers would work. What factors would you use as a criteria? Size of inventory, customer service, reputation, historical notable sales, grading abilities, experience, and internet accesibility all factored into my ranking system.

 

Forget personal feelings about any of these dealers, but rather who the "best" dealers are and what criteria you would use to evaluate them.

 

(snip)

 

 

Thoughts?

 

What would be cool is to take all of the factors that you listed and give each dealer a score of 1-10. I would also add to the list a "dealer personality" or "pleasantness" score. It may not matter to some, but to me, there are a few cases where I'll just avoid a dealer even if he has a book I want because I don't like his sourpuss attitude.

 

Anyway, once you have your 1-10 scores in each, total them up and you'll see who got the highest overall scores.

[nik]

Good topic.

 

I personally have bought from 7 out of 10 you have listed.

 

As far as strict and accurate grading goes, Highgrade Comics for me is #1, Metropolis very close behind.

 

For me this is probably the most importent part of being a returning customer.

[Foolkiller]

Well, I once did a ratings point system for women (which got me in trouble, so I stopped), and included a personality score, so I guess it's not all that different for dealers. (you have a four, but she gets + 2 bonus for personality, making her a 6).

 

So here are my point assessments for each dealer:

 

10) Harley Yee: as a dealer, overall ranking of (7.75) + (1) for personality.

 

9) Gary Dolgoff: (8.25) + (1) for personality

 

8) Doug Sulipa: (8.5) + (1) for personality

 

7) Bob Storms: (8.75) no personality bonus (Bob, I love ya, but ya gotta know that some people think you're stand offish. I appreciate the dry wit and bluntness, but not everybody does...)

 

6) Dan Greenhalgh: (9.00) - (1) for personality. The guy's a jerk, but I wouldn't qualify him as dishonest or slimy.

 

5) PCEI: (9.1) never met Roter, can't give a personality figure, everyone seems to like him though

 

4) Comiclink: (9.25) I'm so-so with Josh. No bonus.

 

3) Heritage: (9.35) Petty's spotty record and bidding on your own books... -(1.5)

 

2) Mile High: (9.5) Chuck's an earnest guy, but a little bit strange. Don't know him well enough to rate.

 

1) Metropolis: (9.8) Vincent and Fishler are a wash. Any positive from Vincent is cancelled out by negatives from Fishler. In fact, I've heard once you get to know Fishler he's not a bad guy, but first impressions from him were so bad, I just can't forget.

[DoubleCovaBrotha]

Is there a reason why Pedigree was left out? I know Doug is kinda new to the field and all, but I am interested if there is any other reason besides the lack of an established reputation.

[jbud73]

This list seems geared towards success more or less. And in that vein I guess its pretty comprehensive. However I too echo FFB in terms of what consitutes best. The top two choices on your list might rank high in terms of success, but I know for a fact several collectors who will not buy, or avoid it if possible, or buy begrudgingly off Milehigh and Metro because of horrific personality experiences with Chuck or Fishler. If you are going to mention the abrasive personality of Showcase, you would have to score Milehigh and Metro in the same vein.

 

Put it this way for every egoism horror story I've heard from personal collector friends about Dan at showcase there is a similar tale of Chuck, or Fishler. Lest we forget that even though I have come to respect Vinny for his passion for the hobby - it would be stupid to believe that The Wheels are in Motion incident was an isolated incident and I have no reason to believe that this condescending attitute has not permeated other business dealings.

[nearmint]

I've never been able to gauge Pacific Comic Exchanges place in our hobby. Do many people buy from them?

 

I noticed PGCMint is not on your list, even as an honorary mention. I know Mark's prices are high, but he seems to sell a lot of books.

 

A fun exercise, though.

[Rip]

For grading I'd put Storms & Sulipa way out in front.

 

Best customer service: Metropolis.

They go out of there way to help people with want lists and Vincent really goes that extra mile.

[Foolkiller]

Not enough of a track record for Doug. Believe me, I think Doug's a great guy, but he hasn't been around for even a year, and I think you've got to be in existence a bit longer for me to include you on such a list. Moreover, he only sells slabs, and since he is a consignment site, you have to factor in the lack of experience, I can't rate his grading skills as a grader (even though I know personally he's great) and I can't rate his business acumen over the long haul. Those are the reasons I didn't put him on the list.

 

Is there a reason why Pedigree was left out? I know Doug is kinda new to the field and all, but I am interested if there is any other reason besides the lack of an established reputation.

[OldGuy]

You lost me at "depositions". To many words make OldGuy's head hurt.

[DoubleCovaBrotha]

I thought so. Nice list/concept by the way.

 

Not enough of a track record for Doug. Believe me, I think Doug's a great guy, but he hasn't been around for even a year, and I think you've got to be in existence a bit longer for me to include you on such a list. Moreover, he only sells slabs, and since he is a consignment site, you have to factor in the lack of experience, I can't rate his grading skills as a grader (even though I know personally he's great) and I can't rate his business acumen over the long haul. Those are the reasons I didn't put him on the list.

 

Is there a reason why Pedigree was left out? I know Doug is kinda new to the field and all, but I am interested if there is any other reason besides the lack of an established reputation.

[Foolkiller]

No question PGC Mint should be on the list as an honorable mention. Although he sells the ultra high grade, his presence kind of wanes and he isn't a force at cons or on the web consistently. When he is present, he's catering to a very select group of books, the super high end. I'd like to have included him just on that basis alone, but was more comfortable overall with the ten I selected. PGC Mint was a definite oversight on the honorable mentions.

 

Other honorable mentions should certainly have included Richard Evans of Bedrock City, John Verzyl, Bob Hughes and probably others I'll think of others.

 

I've never been able to gauge Pacific Comic Exchanges place in our hobby. Do many people buy from them?

 

I noticed PGCMint is not on your list, even as an honorary mention. I know Mark's prices are high, but he seems to sell a lot of books.

 

A fun exercise, though.

[Rip]

PCE used to be a real powerhouse,.... not so much anymore

[drice6900]

7 out of 10 for me. Nice ranking, great job!

[DoubleCovaBrotha]

I am also thinking that Michael Carbonaro and Neatstuff Collectibles should be on there somewhere as a dishonorable mention or something.

[Foolkiller]

I really didn't want to go negative. And the thing is that I've bet Mike Carbonaro many times in person and the thing is, I like the guy for what is: a strange dude. Plus, the Big Apple shows are great, and he does a great job with them.

 

I am also thinking that Michael Carbonaro and Neatstuff Collectibles should be on there somewhere as a dishonorable mention or something.

[Larryw7]

Gary Dolgoff: Dolgoff has an enormous inventory of books and literally seems to have bought everything he could get his hands on. If you wanted to fill in holes from the 70s to the 90s, there literally seems to be nothing he could not fill if asked. This breadth of inventory truly has to make you marvel, and he is also a good accurate grader (although not quite as superb as his ads make him sound). Many people sound like they've only had succesful dealings with Gary, and only have positive things to say about him. The one thing is that you don't hear about too many of the "best copies" or high grade stuff filtering through his inventory. Plus, when he does come to shows, many times his inventory is less than inspiring, and it actually can turn you off to buying from him at all, even down the road, because you envision that's what you'll be getting from him by mail order. Nonetheless, he's satisfied many, many customers, and I've only heard good things, and have had one good (personal) experience through him.

 

I think one of the reasons Gary's inventory may not be up to snuff when he does shows is because, as soon as he gets something really good, he calls up various customers to see if they're interested. The books disappear before he can even catalogue them. I know I've been the recipient of such phone calls in the past, and got some nice, conservatively graded stuff from him.

[Foolkiller]

I've heard this as well -- and believe me, there's a reason he made the list... but that said, the inventory he chooses for shows is reeeeally low grade it seems.

 

Gary Dolgoff: Dolgoff has an enormous inventory of books and literally seems to have bought everything he could get his hands on. If you wanted to fill in holes from the 70s to the 90s, there literally seems to be nothing he could not fill if asked. This breadth of inventory truly has to make you marvel, and he is also a good accurate grader (although not quite as superb as his ads make him sound). Many people sound like they've only had succesful dealings with Gary, and only have positive things to say about him. The one thing is that you don't hear about too many of the "best copies" or high grade stuff filtering through his inventory. Plus, when he does come to shows, many times his inventory is less than inspiring, and it actually can turn you off to buying from him at all, even down the road, because you envision that's what you'll be getting from him by mail order. Nonetheless, he's satisfied many, many customers, and I've only heard good things, and have had one good (personal) experience through him.

 

I think one of the reasons Gary's inventory may not be up to snuff when he does shows is because, as soon as he gets something really good, he calls up various customers to see if they're interested. The books disappear before he can even catalogue them. I know I've been the recipient of such phone calls in the past, and got some nice, conservatively graded stuff from him.

[chrisco37]

I really didn't want to go negative. And the thing is that I've bet Mike Carbonaro many times in person and the thing is, I like the guy for what is: a strange dude. Plus, the Big Apple shows are great, and he does a great job with them.

 

What about Richie Munchin? Certainly you can say something bad about him?

 

Seriously though, good list. I'd say it's pretty accurate, although I'd bump Bob up as he's my favorite, and I'd lower Chuck considerably.