Went to a con and didn't buy a comic book 1 1

[GoldCap]

Yup, I haven't bought anything very substantial at a con in a few years.  Last semi-expensive book I did get was a Sgt. Fury #13 by partial trade and cash that was beautiful but ended up grading a 8.5 even after a press.  Now I hate that grade

I will be attending Boston Comic Con Fan Expo this coming weekend but will only be going one day instead of all three like I used too.  I'm not holding my breath for much of a decent GA selection there at all.  The only thing that made it worth going the last two years was meeting board members there, some of whom had the best books in the place!  I will try to get to New York Comic Con this year for the first time.  Hopefully they have some (even just one ) GA books I'm looking for.

As for the state of the hobby, I wholeheartedly agree that the pricing is getting nuts.  As I stated in my journal, I cannot even get a non-war cover GA Captain America book that has had color touch and been trimmed on all three sides for under $500!  I understand Cap is one of the most popular series of all GA titles but 

There's one more book I'm looking to get this year for my main series I collect and if I land it, I think I will take a break from purchasing for a while.  I'll need to do that anyway if I ever want to save up enough to purchase a bigger key at this rate

[jaeldubyoo]

I go to conventions. Not necessarily to buy, but to enjoy the experience. The thrill of the hunt in the dollar boxes. Being able to gawk at the wall books. Hold a key that you probably will never own. Check out the cosplayers. Talk comics with fellow collectors. Maybe get a signature or two (the free ones). And maybe splurge a little on a comic that I just had to have (of course, I going to haggle). There you go, cheap entertainment for the day, assuming the admission is not too high,

 

[Knightsofold]

I agree with the og post, last con I was at there  were only 2 dealers who understood that they can make a lot of $ by selling good mid grade non key 60s-80’s books at discounts that reward big spenders like $1 books with a buy $50 get bonus books etc.  

I couldn’t believe it when I started looking for some Byrne x-mens I was missing, and the lowest prices I could find were $17+....  in low to mid grade these are not keys...  and are cheap in lots on ebay.  I’m not gonna blow $200 for 10-12 non key byrne x-men, but I’d pay $200 for 25-30 mid low graders.  I get that maybe they’re harder to come by, but it sometimes feels like they’re waiting to sell non key books for great profits rather than moving a lot of stuff for cash.

Also it seems dealers don’t bother bringing the middle of the ground non key or highest grade books too often because they’re not sure they’ll sell.  I think there’s enough interest to move big volumes if priced right like older times.  I’d be fine with something a local record store does, spend $100 get another $50 for free.  

[batman_fan]

I have to be honest, I am real glad I started collecting in the 1970s and bought my Batman 1 19 years ago and finished the run 16 years ago. Now I am just doing the occasional upgrade and picking us a few covers I love (but they have gotten crazy expensive too).   There are several books I have just resigned myself to the fact I will never own.

[1Cool]

7 hours ago, Knightsofold said:

I agree with the og post, last con I was at there  were only 2 dealers who understood that they can make a lot of $ by selling good mid grade non key 60s-80’s books at discounts that reward big spenders like $1 books with a buy $50 get bonus books etc.  

I couldn’t believe it when I started looking for some Byrne x-mens I was missing, and the lowest prices I could find were $17+....  in low to mid grade these are not keys...  and are cheap in lots on ebay.  I’m not gonna blow $200 for 10-12 non key byrne x-men, but I’d pay $200 for 25-30 mid low graders.  I get that maybe they’re harder to come by, but it sometimes feels like they’re waiting to sell non key books for great profits rather than moving a lot of stuff for cash.

Also it seems dealers don’t bother bringing the middle of the ground non key or highest grade books too often because they’re not sure they’ll sell.  I think there’s enough interest to move big volumes if priced right like older times.  I’d be fine with something a local record store does, spend $100 get another $50 for free.  

You were hoping for $6-$7 for Byrne X-Men books?  They are out there but usually only a few select issues.  The problem is dealers would have to buy said books for $2-$3 a piece to sell at your prices.  Are you willing to sell your extras for that amount?  Dealers are there to make money if not a living so they can only discount so much.

[blazingbob]

7 hours ago, Knightsofold said:

I agree with the og post, last con I was at there  were only 2 dealers who understood that they can make a lot of $ by selling good mid grade non key 60s-80’s books at discounts that reward big spenders like $1 books with a buy $50 get bonus books etc.  

I couldn’t believe it when I started looking for some Byrne x-mens I was missing, and the lowest prices I could find were $17+....  in low to mid grade these are not keys...  and are cheap in lots on ebay.  I’m not gonna blow $200 for 10-12 non key byrne x-men, but I’d pay $200 for 25-30 mid low graders.  I get that maybe they’re harder to come by, but it sometimes feels like they’re waiting to sell non key books for great profits rather than moving a lot of stuff for cash.

Also it seems dealers don’t bother bringing the middle of the ground non key or highest grade books too often because they’re not sure they’ll sell.  I think there’s enough interest to move big volumes if priced right like older times.  I’d be fine with something a local record store does, spend $100 get another $50 for free.  

So basically you are looking for a 30% off sticker sale hoping the seller is pricing them at guide and not jacking them up to discount them that much.

[Kevin76]

7 hours ago, Knightsofold said:

I agree with the og post, last con I was at there  were only 2 dealers who understood that they can make a lot of $ by selling good mid grade non key 60s-80’s books at discounts that reward big spenders like $1 books with a buy $50 get bonus books etc.  

I couldn’t believe it when I started looking for some Byrne x-mens I was missing, and the lowest prices I could find were $17+....  in low to mid grade these are not keys...  and are cheap in lots on ebay.  I’m not gonna blow $200 for 10-12 non key byrne x-men, but I’d pay $200 for 25-30 mid low graders.  I get that maybe they’re harder to come by, but it sometimes feels like they’re waiting to sell non key books for great profits rather than moving a lot of stuff for cash.

Also it seems dealers don’t bother bringing the middle of the ground non key or highest grade books too often because they’re not sure they’ll sell.  I think there’s enough interest to move big volumes if priced right like older times.  I’d be fine with something a local record store does, spend $100 get another $50 for free.  

This stuff isn't getting any cheaper for the dealers either, it's not like they can call up Marvel and say "I'd like to order 200 copies of any non-key Byrne X-Men, just bill me later"  

[The Lions Den]

9 hours ago, justafan said:

I dont know if prices will ever come back down but it's not my goal in life to try and keep up with them.

Amen.  

[blazingbob]

So is it the dealers job to make up for disposable income not rising in order to buy back issues?  Or that replacement costs go up as time goes on?  Or do some collectors still think I rob little old ladies of their collections in order to meet these pricing expectations?

I can't exactly stop the electric company from raising my rates,  my real estate taxes from going up or food inflation.  Add in the cost of electronic payments,  website fees,  taxes,  convention costs,  travel,  maintaining a vehicle etc that aren't exactly going down I'm not sure we are entirely responsible. 

Edited August 7, 2018 by blazingbob

[1Cool]

I do think the discussion of why Con prices aren't typically in line with (or lower) than E-bay prices is one that has been discussed at length before but it's always a point of contention.  I had a recent example that summed it up for me.  A guy made an offer on a hot CGC book for 30% under GPA.  I countered with GPA and he messaged me about doing a bulk deal if he could get 30% off of several hot books.  I declined and told him he was not my buyer and I was not his seller.  He got offended and said he bought thousands of dollars worth of books a year and how could he not be my type of buyers.  I told him that he must be very patient to get keys for 30% under GPA and I was patient to wait for a buyer who is willing to pay GPA (or maybe a smidge over depending on the book).  No harm - no foul.  He was a patient buyer and I was a patient seller so we just didn't match up.

If you go into a Con thinking all dealers will match the price of a random bulk lot e-bay auction that ended Tuesday morning then i think you will find a lot of people do not want you as a buyer and you will always do better being patient and trying to grab a steal on E-Bay or waiting to make an offer Sunday afternoon at the last Con of the year.

[Westy Steve]

14 hours ago, Mercury Man said:

How was it overall?   Did it seem less or more crowded?   Same number of Cosplayers?  This was the first TampaCon I missed in like 6 years.  I simply didn't have any disposable income lying around at this time.   I don't even think I will make it to MegaCon Tampa just around the corner.  

I was there on Friday only.  It was the smallest Friday crowd I've seen in the last few years...it was very easy to get in with almost no wait in line at all.  It was pretty easy to get around. My buddy and I joked that this might be their last year based on how few people were there Friday.   Comic book dealers appeared to be steady but slow, usually with one person looking at wall books at a time.  There was the usual crowds looking through the $1 books...not sure if they were buying or not.   I didn't see as many cosplayers as the last couple years, and I was OK with that.  I personally would be interested in hearing what Saturday was like compared to last year.

[Westy Steve]

14 hours ago, Robot Man said:

They are still out there. I bought a 3.0 Fighting Yank #22 stickered at $90. and a 2.0 Exciting #42 stickered at $125. at the Torpedo show. Low grade but nice presenting copies that I could live with. I'm sure that to some spending $100. on a GA comic seems "expensive" but when you consider what that same money would buy in the SA/BA/Copper or Modern market. This seems like a great deal. 

Those would have been great pickups for me.  (I'm the O.P. in this thread).  Wish dealers would make a point to bring more books like that.

[Westy Steve]

12 hours ago, Dormian said:

I went to TBCC with Westy and had the same experience. I had $400 in cash on me and a budget of 2k. There were definitely cool books but pricing put me out of the market.  Some key books are twice what they were a year ago. There were 6 copies of a semi key book at the con that is on my buy list and every copy was $25 to $50 more that it would cost to buy on eBay. I did buy a copy of Batman 675 for $2, Kansas Dust in the Wind album for $5, and a comic frame for $25. If you haven't checked them out yet the comic frames made by https://www.dynamiccomicdisplays.com/ are pretty cool.

(my buddy that I keep referencing)

[Westy Steve]

11 hours ago, FineCollector said:

Are there any titles or creators under the radar that would interest you?  Are there gaps in your numbers that you could fill, even though they're not standouts from the run?  There's always something else to buy.  Whether or not you think it's worthy of you is the big speedbump.

eBay is always going to have better selection than any collection of dealers, but buying from someone I know and trust, along with being able to look at a raw book in hand, is worth a premium to me.  Might you turn up a bargain anyway?  Sure.  Can you expect it every time you walk in the door of a con?  Depends on how rare the stuff you're looking for is.  If you're limiting yourself to Schomburg, I'm not expecting much success, but you have to admit that's not unreasonable.

If we're talking about GA material to buy in the $100-500 range, yes, there's plenty at any convention worth mentioning.  Is there any from a narrow list of things you're looking for?  Dunno... as RMA has stated, a lot of cheap stuff has risen in price.  Are you keeping up with the trends, or are you expecting prices of yesteryear?  Considering how much modern keys and flavor of the month books cost nowadays, comparatively cheap GA was too hard to resist at discounted pricing, and prices had to come up.

Sorry I'm replying to so many here, but this is a good question:   I feel I know my comics pretty well, and every time I go to a show I come back with some kind of deal that justifies the cost of gas and the hotel.    Not this time.   I go to shows open minded, because I need to be flexible to find a book that justifies the gas money and hotel fees.

FWIW, I don't blame the dealers and sympathize with them.  I  feel sorry for the dealers because cons have gotten so bloated that they have to pay huge table fees and they pass those costs on.  Maybe I'm not finding deals because the cons themselves are getting expensive.  This weekend I'm planning on going to a smaller "hotel show" that is just comic dealers.  The table fees there are smaller.  I suspect I'll have better luck there, which defeats the purpose of going to a big con completely. 

Edited August 7, 2018 by Westy Steve

[D84]

9 hours ago, batman_fan said:

I have to be honest, I am real glad I started collecting in the 1970s and bought my Batman 1 19 years ago and finished the run 16 years ago. Now I am just doing the occasional upgrade and picking us a few covers I love (but they have gotten crazy expensive too).   There are several books I have just resigned myself to the fact I will never own.

I collected a lot in the late 90s and early 2000s, but had to sell because of a divorce.  This year, I started to get back in but the prices are so inflated, that I'm about to sell everything and walk away.  There's no way I will be able to rebuild that collection, unless I win the lottery or become a drug dealer.

It's just not fun anymore.

[Bomber-Bob]

2 minutes ago, D84 said:

I collected a lot in the late 90s and early 2000s, but had to sell because of a divorce.  This year, I started to get back in but the prices are so inflated, that I'm about to sell everything and walk away.  There's no way I will be able to rebuild that collection, unless I win the lottery or become a drug dealer.

It's just not fun anymore.

Don't try and rebuild your old collection. Start fresh with some new titles or genres. Regarding pricing, it's like the stock market or real estate or most anything else people invest in. You can't look back at old prices. 

[comicartfan]

I hear what the OP is saying. There is always a certain amount of anticipation and excitement to go to a con. You look forward to it for weeks (sometimes months) and think about which dealer you want to see and what to look for when you're there. Then when you start looking around, you get sticker shock. It's real and I've been there myself. 

A couple of thoughts. One, I would shift your perspective. You gotta go into the show knowing that books, particularly hot and keys, are going to be inflated. I have been to shows where a dealer has an item priced 10-30% more than what is on their website. This is an instant turnoff and I always walk away without looking any further. Remember, we as consumers, have options. Of course I understand that exhibitors have expenses involved in being at the show. I used to do set up at one local shows and even with this small area, the expenses are surprising. 

Another point I would bring up is more about the hobby and the marketplace in general. Prices are reaching levels that are just mind boggling. When a Hulk 181 3.0 sells for $1500 and ASM 300 9.8 is a $2500 book, you have to wonder when the insanity will stop. This is where a mind shift is in order. We can't control what books cost or where the market will go. But we can control ourselves. People have to come to a point, like BatmanFan said, that there will just be some books you won't own. Or maybe not in the grade you desire. 

Most people own a car. Do they own a luxury BMW or a R8 Audi ?....No. They might drive a Ford Focus or a Toyota Camry. It's not that they don't have a car, it just has to be adapted to their income (lifestyle). The same can be said for comics. I know for myself, I won't own a Batman 1 or the cover art to Batman 497 or a Hulk 1 9.0 - But I can own books that are important to me, that get me excited about the hobby and fill that fix. I don't worry about where I got them. If it was at a con, on line or at a LCS. I get enjoyment from them. 

What I would recommend it shift your thinking. Don't get caught up in what you "can't afford" or what you perceive as collectors being fleeced. Focus on the positive. Think to yourself when you leave a con without spending, "Hey, I didn't see anything that fit my need...now I have a little money more for the next con". When you spend time looking for hidden gems and actually find one, you will get more of a thrill for a longer period of time than if you bought a key issue at an inflated price. If the hobby isn't fun, then why do it ?!.....There is so much great things about comic collecting and I would hate for people to lose that love that got them into it in the first place. 

Lastly, remember, collecting is not a sprint....it's a marathon. 

 

Edited August 7, 2018 by comicartfan

[NoMan]

first convention i went to after 30 years out of the hobby was the Stan Lee Los Angeles thingee. first dealer table I went up to there was a heated customer speaking loudly to a calm dealer. Customer was, I don't want to say throwing books around, but placing them back in the dealer's stacks firmly saying, "But the customer is always right! THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!" The dealer looked sort of overwhelmed and was saying. "I just can't do that deal." Dealer and I made eye contact as customer repeatedly said, "BUT THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT" eventually storming off like a child who got told he can't have any candy. At that point I kinda fell in the camp of the dealers. I'm sure there are dishonest dealers, in fact I've met a few. In fact there was a guy in NYC at a store the ripped me off hard cause I was an eager newbie. Went back about 6 months ago walked through his store with a pocket of cash. "You wanna see something from the wall," he asked. Nope. "You Sure." Yeah I'm sure. but man, that customer at the Stan Lee thingee. I'm sure for every bad customer story there is a bad dealer story. I buy from the same guys over and over.  I trust their grading and ignore some of their grumpy traits knowing I'd be a million times more grumpy if I had to deal with comic collectors.

Dealer turned out to be Brad from Fine/Very Fine. Great guy. I bought a HOS 92 form him and many books since. And I'm gonna buy some books from him at a LA con on 8/12.

I dunno know what my point is? Do I ever have one?

Edited August 7, 2018 by NoMan

[mysterio]

I’ve always wanted to find books at prices I’m willing to pay. Sometimes that’s under market, sometimes it’s over. Value is a different proposition for everyone. Sometimes it takes a few years to find that thing at that price. Either I do, or I keep looking, or I lose interest and forget about it because it wasn’t that important anyway (this last one has saved me a bit over the years).

In the past few years I’ve learned about my habits as a collector. I like to make acquisitions. It scratches that itch whether it’s a $1 book or a $1,000 book. Having a few foci at different price points helps. As someone else mentioned, I’m working on DCU variants. I’m also filling in a Nam run at $1 apiece and recently re-completed Robinson’s Starman through a similar hunt. Starman took about 3 years, but it was enjoyable. If there are other books I would like but can’t find or afford (or simply don’t want to afford at today’s market price), then I can be patient and wait for my opportunity. 

And I’m constantly glad that I bought most of the early/key ASMs back in the late 80s when I could afford them. That also helps. But if I hadn’t the same principle would apply. 

Edited August 7, 2018 by mysterio

[miraclemet]

I think the trick with cons is buy the things that are more difficult to buy on eBay. Not that they are unavailable on eBay (they're there) but that there are other aspects of the transaction that make an online purchase more trouble. 

 

1. Runs or stacks of trades. Often, on eBay, these go from being a "good deal" to "over priced" once you factor in shipping, so cons are great ways to buy bulk. I had a period a while back where I'd buy hundreds of singles (good runs from the late 80s to early 2000s. Probably two short boxes worth... would have made no sense to pay shipping on them since they were (at most) $1 books. Same deal for piles of trades out of the $5 bin. Lots of good reading in either format, but shipping costs can make them go from $5 to $10, and go from being a good deal, to not so good. 

2. Low grade books. These are books that you really need to hold in hand to assess condition. You can buy them online but scans dont convey all the issues, so you get more surprises than not, so at a con you can really look at a book to decide if it's really a 2.0 or a 4.0 like the dealer says...

3. High priced books you are afraid to ship. Buying that $2k book? It's never fun holding your breath during shipment, so picking it up in hand is very nice. 

 

but I hear you, those $200 books are cheaper elsewhere, so buying them at the con is never the deal to make... unless it falls into one of the above groups...