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Auction Services Rankings
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Started by LearnedHand,

19 posts in this topic

LearnedHand

LearnedHand

Posted
Posted

Not sure if this has been discussed, but I did a quick search and didn't see a related topic...

There are several auction houses and auction sites through which to sell and each as its pros and cons.  For instance, Heritage markets via several media including email, slick catalogues, and fliers.  And it has online, dial-in, and an actual floor auction, where folks stoked by too much testosterone can have an in-your-face bidding frenzy with the guy in the next seat to try and prove who's is bigger. All of which could mean a higher hammer price.  But I think they charge 19.5% buyer and seller premium as a default (?) so the seller's check looks very different than the sale price.  Clink markets via email and has only a virtual, online auction.  But they charge no buyer premium and a flat 10% of the seller, so even if the sale price isn't quite as high, the seller could still yield more.  And, then there's Ebay, CConnect, Pedigree, and others.  Anyway, in terms selling Golden Age, does anyone have any experience or an opinion on what selling option is best for the seller to yield the best returns? 

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ender

ender

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Posted

When purchasing from the auction houses I can say I would rather make a big purchase from comicconnect or Clink, but the only reason is I live in Texas so heritage give me the 7+ % sales tax. Don't know if where you live and sell would affect others on the income side if one was selling?

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shortboxed

shortboxed

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, LearnedHand said:

Clink markets via email and has only a virtual, online auction.  But they charge no buyer premium and a flat 10% of the seller, so even if the sale price isn't quite as high, the seller could still yield more.  

Clink charges a 3% buyer's premium. I only buy from CL and CC. 

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LearnedHand

LearnedHand

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  • Author
Posted (edited)
4 hours ago, Bat34 said:

What GA are you interested in selling?  Sell to the boards!! :)

I'm thinking about selling several books including my More Fun #36.  It just came back recently as 9.2 with off-white/white. I think this book definitely has upgrade potential with a press, as it has some waviness and such that I imagine can be removed.  I bought it and a bunch of other books from an original owner about 25-30 years ago.  All very fresh books, if you can imagine that for books that span 1936 - 1944.  I'd prefer to sell it to someone here, the problem is I just don't how to price something like this.  

Thanks for weighing in on this query!

Peter

 

Edited by LearnedHand
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Sqeggs

Sqeggs

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Posted
18 hours ago, LearnedHand said:

I'm thinking about selling several books including my More Fun #36.  It just came back recently as 9.2 with off-white/white. I think this book definitely has upgrade potential with a press, as it has some waviness and such that I imagine can be removed.  I bought it and a bunch of other books from an original owner about 25-30 years ago.  All very fresh books, if you can imagine that for books that span 1936 - 1944.  I'd prefer to sell it to someone here, the problem is I just don't how to price something like this.  

Thanks for weighing in on this query!

Peter

 

If you're selling and you don't have philosophical objections to doing so, it would be better to get the books pressed before sending them to auction.  Heritage gets you the largest audience, but charges a 10% seller's premium and a 19.5% buyer's premium. So that's a 29.5% wedge between what the buyer pays and what you receive.  It's negotiable, though, particularly for a significant consignment, as it looks like yours is. 

If choosing between CLink and CC, I would lean toward CC for GA books like these.  They publish a catalog and seem to get somewhat better results, although opinions differ on that. 

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Moondog

Moondog

Posted
Posted

I posted this info in a previous thread.  I hope this will help. 

I would select an auction house that agrees to not only list your comics in a catalog but to promote them through newsletters, mailings, etc. (along with their other major consignments).  The timing of auctions is incredibly important and it's common place to have them overlap.  Discuss this with Heritage, ComicConnect and ComicLink.  Ask them what they think of your books and how they will approach the sale.  I've found that everything is negotiable regarding buyer's / seller's premiums.  Since this is your first time selling tell them you hope to establish a long-term relationship - that you may be selling other books in the future - and you're hoping that they will give you a better deal than their list prices.  The auction business is hyper competitive and there's no reason to settle for a snooty attitude.  If you feel you're not being treated properly, move on.  After interviewing the 3 houses, select the one that gives you the most comfort in the deal, the promotion and their willingness to work with you.  I have used all 3 houses extensively over the years and have experienced joy and disappointment from each - but that's the auction business. 

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tth2

tth2

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Moondog said:

I posted this info in a previous thread.  I hope this will help. 

I would select an auction house that agrees to not only list your comics in a catalog but to promote them through newsletters, mailings, etc. (along with their other major consignments).  The timing of auctions is incredibly important and it's common place to have them overlap.  Discuss this with Heritage, ComicConnect and ComicLink.  Ask them what they think of your books and how they will approach the sale.  I've found that everything is negotiable regarding buyer's / seller's premiums.  Since this is your first time selling tell them you hope to establish a long-term relationship - that you may be selling other books in the future - and you're hoping that they will give you a better deal than their list prices.  The auction business is hyper competitive and there's no reason to settle for a snooty attitude.  If you feel you're not being treated properly, move on.  After interviewing the 3 houses, select the one that gives you the most comfort in the deal, the promotion and their willingness to work with you.  I have used all 3 houses extensively over the years and have experienced joy and disappointment from each - but that's the auction business. 

I'm sorry Gary, but there's no room on these Boards for such calm, rational analysis. :rulez:

 

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Dark Knight

Dark Knight

Posted
Posted

All 3 auction houses  (Comicconnect, Comiclink, Heritage) are great choices to consign your books. Can't go wrong with either of them, each may have its own advantages and disadvantages but overall they're the top 3.

I guess it depends on auction scheduling on when you want to sell your stuff. 

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jhm

jhm

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Posted

I think the buyer perspective is worth weighing in on here. After all, it's the buyer that determines the sale price. For GA auctions, I only look at Heritage, Clink and CConnect.

Heritage: I get nailed with sales tax, but for some reason, I rarely consider it in my purchase price. I enjoy the fact that it's a traditional auction and find that I can quickly get caught up in the focused bidding on a single book and overpay.

ComicConnect: The three minute thing drives me nutty. And when I'm hunting multiple books at once, I find I can accidentally lose a book I would have paid more for due to focus on another set of books. In other words, the final hammer on a book I missed could have been higher.

ComicLink: I tend to be in or out on these due to the fixed end time. I wait until the final seconds, put in my highest price and hope for the best. I get a lot of my best prices paid from them, but the final hammer likely suffers from my inability to get caught up in any bidding war (sometimes my rational highest I'd like to pay isn't the same as my "excited" highest to pay).

All that said, you could always do what a lot of the flippers do and put it up on eBay at some ridiculous fixed price to see if you get anyone there. If that fails, pick your favorite from the above. Worth noting - I never personally look at eBay much for this exact reason.

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LDarkseid1

LDarkseid1

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Posted (edited)

I’ve only sold on Comiclink and have had solid results for the most part. As far as the customer service experience goes, it’s been top notch! They’ve given me an advance when requested and payments have always come when expected. I’ve thought about trying out Comicconnect, but I’m pretty much good to just keep using Clink.

Edited by LDarkseid1
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batman_fan

batman_fan

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Posted

My experience

Heritage - only sold one book, high dollar, They did a nice deal to ensure I got the minimum price I was looking for.  As a buyer, purchased a ton of stuff.  I would say in general, consistently get the best stock.  Sunday auctions are a nice way to pick up smaller items.  Sometimes they have quite the gem.

CLINK - Sold a ton of stuff through the exchange all at the price I wanted, nice way to list stuff you want to sell for the right price.  Sold one item through an auction but didn't do too well.  I didn't have a reserve.  I would rethink that again if I were selling again.  As a buyer, love CLINK.  Bought a lot of stuff over the years.  I think they ship fast and items are well packed.  I use to pay via Credit card but recently shifted to wired transfer.  It is easy to do and Sue who handles accounts receivable is great.

ComicConnect - Never sold through them but started buying from them.  The Jon Berk auction was incredible.  They get some cool "standard" stuff but also a lot of cool esoteric stuff.  I bought my pride and joy from them recently which is one of my favorite items in my collection

 

 

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