The rise of Instagram sellers 12 12

[Erndog]

15 hours ago, VintageComics said:

Social media is a huge waste of time to me.

You spend hours browsing with very little way of focusing on what you are really looking for. 

With the chat forums you get titles. With eBay you have search functionality.

Wading through pages and pages of pure junk isn't worth the effort most of the time to me. 

I actually find it WAY more cumbersome to scroll through the boards.  Someone posts "KEYS FOR SALE" and you open the thread, you have to scroll and scroll scroll and see maybe 5-6 books on a single page.  Lots of popcorn icons, some stupid comments, some "GLWTS", a laundry list of rules, and big pictures that take u 3 finger scrolls to pass by. 

I open a users IG, immediately I see 16 thumbnail pics.  No text.  I can view like 100 pics on 10 seconds.  If I want a closer look at something specific I click it.

I actually think the boards feature way more junk than the IG users I'm now following.

 

[Keys_Collector]

2 hours ago, Erndog said:

I actually find it WAY more cumbersome to scroll through the boards.  Someone posts "KEYS FOR SALE" and you open the thread, you have to scroll and scroll scroll and see maybe 5-6 books on a single page.  Lots of popcorn icons, some stupid comments, some "GLWTS", a laundry list of rules, and big pictures that take u 3 finger scrolls to pass by. 

I open a users IG, immediately I see 16 thumbnail pics.  No text.  I can view like 100 pics on 10 seconds.  If I want a closer look at something specific I click it.

I actually think the boards feature way more junk than the IG users I'm now following.

 

Agreed, it may be user bias for veteran posters here bumping up the boards interface as if its something better than it actually is just to bash IG/social media.

[VintageComics]

1 hour ago, Eric C. said:

Agreed, it may be user bias for veteran posters here bumping up the boards interface as if its something better than it actually is just to bash IG/social media.

Correct. We're just a bunch of geriatrics who don't know how to use a cell phone.

You've been here 2 months and have still no idea what you're talking about.

Some of these board members are people who have been involved in the hobby since I was in diapers (and I'm pushing 50).

4 hours ago, Erndog said:

I actually find it WAY more cumbersome to scroll through the boards.  Someone posts "KEYS FOR SALE" and you open the thread, you have to scroll and scroll scroll and see maybe 5-6 books on a single page.  Lots of popcorn icons, some stupid comments, some "GLWTS", a laundry list of rules, and big pictures that take u 3 finger scrolls to pass by. 

I open a users IG, immediately I see 16 thumbnail pics.  No text.  I can view like 100 pics on 10 seconds.  If I want a closer look at something specific I click it.

I actually think the boards feature way more junk than the IG users I'm now following.

 

I probably should have qualified my boards statement. Yes, it is a little more cumbersome than the 'instant gratification' of social media giving you reams of endless pictures to scroll through but I find it much more useful to follow sellers I know on this chat forum (that have experience in selling, know how to grade and price books and have a reasonable reputation on here) than scroll through nameless pics on social media.

I do agree that many thread titles are poorly titled and those sellers are dorks.

When it comes to social media, I just find that many sellers are completely clueless and a waste of time. It's like giving kindergarten students the reigns to online stores.

For example, I constantly see people posting books for sale with 'FIRM' sales prices even though their items are priced well over market. I just roll my eyes and move on. Not only will it never sell, it never makes me want to deal with a seller like that again.

Or I see endless pages and pages of stuff I have no interest in (I don't want to call it garbage but a lot of it really is) at inflated prices.

Sure, you might turn up a pearl once in a while but it's not for everyone.

Ironically, most of the better sellers this thread has mentioned on IG also post their stuff here.

Edited June 8, 2018 by VintageComics

[Keys_Collector]

On 6/8/2018 at 5:53 PM, VintageComics said:

Correct. We're just a bunch of geriatrics who don't know how to use a cell phone.

You've been here 2 months and have still no idea what you're talking about.

Some of these board members are people who have been involved in the hobby since I was in diapers (and I'm pushing 50).

Never mentioned anything related to age.  I've been a long time lurker and a collector for 25+ years.  I don't post often because of the elitist attitudes often present on forums as evidenced by your "You've been here 2 months and have still no idea what you're talking about."  Hate to tell you this but someone's post count doesn't determine their knowledge in a hobby.  I'm well aware of some from the older generations being way more technologically advanced than some knuckleheads from the newer generation who barely know how to turn on a computer.  My post was related to inherent biases when someone becomes attached to a certain format rather than expanding their horizons.  Much easier to dismiss something new than be a little more open minded.  That goes for everything.

[Jeffro.]

On 6/8/2018 at 1:53 PM, Erndog said:

I actually find it WAY more cumbersome to scroll through the boards.  Someone posts "KEYS FOR SALE" and you open the thread, you have to scroll and scroll scroll and see maybe 5-6 books on a single page.  Lots of popcorn icons, some stupid comments, some "GLWTS", a laundry list of rules, and big pictures that take u 3 finger scrolls to pass by. 

It wasn't this way in the past, or at least it wasn't nearly as bad. Sometimes, I wish people would keep their ultimately useless comments out of a sales thread. It's just a bunch of grab a s s that clutters up the thread. However, some sellers encourage such banter and If that's what they want in their own sales thread, then so be it. 

On the subject or selling comics on venues other than this one, it's become a sad fact that you can often realize more money selling your comics away from here.  

[october]

I post on Instagram regularly, but I still think this place is far better as a selling venue. As an experiment I spent some time looking through the #comicsforsale listings. A TON of the books that came up weren't actually for sale, the dbag poster had just stuck that hashtag in there to attract eyeballs. It wasn't a total waste of time, but close.

At least the boards police themselves. A post in the sales forum that doesn't contain books for sale lasts about 10 seconds.

Edited June 11, 2018 by october

[VintageComics]

2 hours ago, Eric C. said:

Never mentioned anything related to age.  I've been a long time lurker and a collector for 25+ years.  I don't post often because of the elitist attitudes often present on forums as evidenced by your "You've been here 2 months and have still no idea what you're talking about."  Hate to tell you this but someone's post count doesn't determine their knowledge in a hobby.  I'm well aware of some from the older generations being way more technologically advanced than some knuckleheads from the newer generation who barely know how to turn on a computer.  My post was related to inherent biases when someone becomes attached to a certain format rather than expanding their horizons.  Much easier to dismiss something new than be a little more open minded.  That goes for everything.

No you didn't mention age but you seemed just as elitist and judgemental when you suggested that boardies were bashing social media to 'pump' the boards, hence my comment.

I'm well aware that post count does not = knowledge.

I personally spend most of my life online and I find the boards much more favorable for buying than most social media sites.

The self policing of the boards tend to weed out the scams. They also tend to weed out the dbags that lack social skills.

2 hours ago, Jerkfro said:

It wasn't this way in the past, or at least it wasn't nearly as bad. Sometimes, I wish people would keep their ultimately useless comments out of a sales thread. It's just a bunch of grab a s s that clutters up the thread. However, some sellers encourage such banter and If that's what they want in their own sales thread, then so be it. 

One thing I hate is when people don't put in their thread titles what they are selling (or their WTB threads or their discussion threads for that matter).

But I agree, it wasn't so bad in the past.

 

[entalmighty1]

On 6/8/2018 at 3:14 PM, Eric C. said:

Agreed, it may be user bias for veteran posters here bumping up the boards interface as if its something better than it actually is just to bash IG/social media.

Interface notwithstanding, the information you can get from the people on these boards versus the endless stream of hashtags from Instagram isn't even comparable.  You have huge nationwide dealers talking about pricing models, the history of the hobby, what books are starting to pick up, what's cooling off, etc.  You have folks that have been in this hobby for 50+ years giving you first person reports of what the first SDCC was like, who the movers and shakers were, and griping about how much things cost now.  The relevant insight available here is unreal.

It's two different things, and both of them have their merits and I enjoy both for different reasons.  

I try not to get into the whole "what I collect is cool, what you collect sucks" mentality, but I can only take seeing mid-grade bronze/silver "HUGE KEYS" so many times before I fall asleep from boredom.  There are a few users on Instagram that I can't wait to see what they post next, because it's not always just comic books.  @Sardo Numspar comes to mind immediately, with his oddball collection of WWII propaganda/toys/games.  I absolutely love that stuff, but he doesn't post it on the boards, so I would never see it if I didn't use Instagram.  @streyouttacomics and @october also post some stunning books on IG that don't always make it to the boards.

That being said, you aren't getting a lot of meaningful information beyond visual stimulation.  So then you can come to these forums and read a 50 page thread about the history behind the Okajima pedigree, or a thread dedicated to one specific topic, artist, title, whatever.  The sales forum here is also 100 times more developed than Instagram.  

Like I said, two different things, both are useful and enjoyable for their own reasons.

[october]

1 hour ago, entalmighty1 said:

That being said, you aren't getting a lot of meaningful information beyond visual stimulation. 

This. Instagram is a great place to gain exposure to images of different books, far better than here. Instagram is a terrible place for discussion of those books, far worse than here. The difference is, you cannot replicate the knowledge dropped on this board by any other means. There is no book as comprehensive, the amount of information contained here is peerless. On the other hand, a set of $40 Photojournals gets you images of (basically) every golden age book, and goes well beyond what Instagram offers. The app is basically a site to brag and/or meet some like minded collectors. That's fine, but saying it's a replacement for these boards is laughable. Instagram doesn't contain one half of one percent of the accumulated knowledge of the boards. 

[entalmighty1]

1 minute ago, october said:

This. Instagram is a great place to gain exposure to images of different books, far better than here. Instagram is a terrible place for discussion of those books, far worse than here. The difference is, you cannot replicate the knowledge dropped on this board by any other means. There is no book as comprehensive, the amount of information contained here is peerless. On the other hand, a set of $40 Photojournals gets you images of (basically) every golden age book, and goes well beyond what Instagram offers. The app is basically a site to brag and/or meet some like minded collectors. That's fine, but saying it's a replacement for these boards is laughable. Instagram doesn't contain one half of one percent of the accumulated knowledge of the boards. 

You're such an elitist snob Andy!  

[october]

Just now, entalmighty1 said:

You're such an elitist snob Andy!  

Guilty as charged. 

Instagram is actually awesome for hobbies I don't know as well. I follow a lot of toy and video game collectors/sellers, and their posts are far more interesting than the 736th image of an ASM 300 or Hulk 181. That said, there are some good comic guys on there. You mentioned @streyouttacomics, who puts some effort into the text of his posts (unlike me). I do wish that more guys posted splash and interior pages though. So much good stuff between the covers that you never see unless you own a copy. I need to be better about that. 

[Erndog]

@october whats your IG handle?

[entalmighty1]

7 minutes ago, october said:

Guilty as charged. 

Instagram is actually awesome for hobbies I don't know as well. I follow a lot of toy and video game collectors/sellers, and their posts are far more interesting than the 736th image of an ASM 300 or Hulk 181. That said, there are some good comic guys on there. You mentioned @streyouttacomics, who puts some effort into the text of his posts (unlike me). I do wish that more guys posted splash and interior pages though. So much good stuff between the covers that you never see unless you own a copy. I need to be better about that. 

You're right, I'll try to do the same.  Most of what I post are slabs though.  

[Erndog]

Just think of all the questions people had probably 20 years ago when message board sales started popping up? 

-  How do I know the seller is trustworthy? 
-  How is the seller going to package the comics?
-  I prefer to see the books IN hand (at a con for example)
-  Are they disclosing everything?  # of pages, interior tears, etc
-  How do they accept payment?  Am I covered via paypal? MO?
etc, etc

There were a whole HOST of questions several years ago about message board sellers.  Most of them have either been answered or aren't any worry anymore.

While IG still has some questions sure, I think we can all see the real promise in using it as another vehicle to buy/sell.  Not discuss books.  But simply buy/sell (ex. like ebay).

Edited June 12, 2018 by Erndog

[entalmighty1]

8 minutes ago, Erndog said:

Just think of all the questions people had probably 20 years ago when message board sales started popping up? 

-  How do I know the seller is trustworthy? 
-  How is the seller going to package the comics?
-  I prefer to see the books IN hand (at a con for example)
-  Are they disclosing everything?  # of pages, interior tears, etc
-  How do they accept payment?  Am I covered via paypal? MO?
etc, etc

There were a whole HOST of questions several years ago about message board sellers.  Most of them have either been answered or aren't any worry anymore.

While IG still has some questions sure, I think we can all see the real promise in using it as another vehicle to buy/sell.  Not discuss books.  But simply buy/sell (ex. like ebay).

It's certainly a sales venue.  I will say that I absolutely hate trying to grade a comic from an Instagram picture.  You can't blow anything up to see detail, so it's super tough to see flaws.

[Erndog]

11 minutes ago, entalmighty1 said:

It's certainly a sales venue.  I will say that I absolutely hate trying to grade a comic from an Instagram picture.  You can't blow anything up to see detail, so it's super tough to see flaws.

Agreed on that front.  Gotta mostly stick with graded books I think (for now anyways).

I've been debating making a 2nd IG handle devoted entirely to comics.  Showing, buying/selling.  I don't think my friends would want me to clog up their timeline

[ygogolak]

IG is good, but the real money is in live raffles on FB. IF you can get the watchers.

These guys are pretty good. They have about 40-50 people watching. Check out some of the prices they get and they typically don't state a grade.

Part I

Minute 13:45, BIN of Superman #500 for $10.

Minute 2 hr. 10 min., blind auction $1,650 - look at this lot and tell me you would pay this at a show.

Part II

Minute 25, blind auction $600 for Mister Miracle 1-18 with (2) #1s

Minute 41 question "What is the grade of the books?"  "Oh, their all like super sweet conditi"

[Robot Man]

3 hours ago, entalmighty1 said:

It's certainly a sales venue.  I will say that I absolutely hate trying to grade a comic from an Instagram picture.  You can't blow anything up to see detail, so it's super tough to see flaws.

Not to mention, there is only one photo, no description and in many cases no price listed. I mostly buy raw books. This doesn't look like a great venue for me. 

[ExNihilo]

6 minutes ago, ygogolak said:

IG is good, but the real money is in live raffles on FB. IF you can get the watchers.

These guys are pretty good. They have about 40-50 people watching. Check out some of the prices they get and they typically don't state a grade.

Part I

Minute 13:45, BIN of Superman #500 for $10.

Minute 2 hr. 10 min., blind auction $1,650 - look at this lot and tell me you would pay this at a show.

Part II

Minute 25, blind auction $600 for Mister Miracle 1-18 with (2) #1s

Minute 41 question "What is the grade of the books?"  "Oh, their all like super sweet conditi"

The blind auctions are hit or miss.  I once watched a blind auction for a short box of books (maybe short of 100 books?) go for like $1500.  It was a set of bronze age hulks that included an IH181 in about a 6.5.  I'd say that seems worth it to me.  But for every one of those, there's probably 9 that aren't worth the money.  Like i said...hit or miss.

[ygogolak]

2 minutes ago, ExNihilo said:

The blind auctions are hit or miss.  I once watched a blind auction for a short box of books (maybe short of 100 books?) go for like $1500.  It was a set of bronze age hulks that included an IH181 in about a 6.5.  I'd say that seems worth it to me.  But for every one of those, there's probably 9 that aren't worth the money.  Like i said...hit or miss.

Wow, I hope they had a lot of followers. Only reason that would make an ounce of sense would be to build their brand up for future blind auctions. The 181 will sell for that or higher if graded at 6.5.