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Where does everyone sell their junk?
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35 posts in this topic

4 hours ago, Jeffro. said:

The following is going to sound snarky but I don't mean it that way. Have you considered not buying junk so that you don't have to worry about selling said junk later?

I'm being quite serious. I was looking through boxes the other day and continually shaking my head and asking myself why I bought all that crap. 

For nearly 15 years I would hit up 25 vent, 2 for $1, 3 for $2, and $1 boxes at local shops during lunch and spend the $10-15 I might have spent on lunch on comics instead. And I already had a decent size 5,000 or so comic collection before that. Most of the purchases were thought out at the time, but as far as the moderns go, they were better for readability than flippability. Some of you have seen my comic disaster zone. I had a real Mary kondo moment this morning when I was trying to squeeze some non comic stuff my wife wanted me to store up there. I was very much WTF have I done??

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8 minutes ago, 1Cool said:

Donating to schools is still a good option over a land fill throw away but the days of getting something for donating drek is pretty much over since very few people itemize with the new tax rules.

I've never tried it but maybe put a long box or two out by the curb with a small box saying $20 a long box similar to what I see people doing with cut wood or vegetables.  People love to grab "deals" out of the curb so maybe people will grab and pay since they are valuable comics.

I still itemize because I have a chunky mortgage and the childcare deductions proved useful (was able to deduct after school and camp this year). My wife also has a consulting side hustle she deducts against. I did not get around to donating my usual box of comics to the thrift shop though. Have in the past. I claimed $2 each, but as I see they put $3-4 price tags on their comics now, I will be upping that. For those of you with comic empires where you are reporting income, couldn't a donation like this be predictable?

Edited by the blob
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4 hours ago, Jeffro. said:

The following is going to sound snarky but I don't mean it that way. Have you considered not buying junk so that you don't have to worry about selling said junk later?

I'm being quite serious. I was looking through boxes the other day and continually shaking my head and asking myself why I bought all that crap. 

Some of it was just acquired through purchasing other lots.  What I like has very little appeal to others.  I like DC animated series.  No one else really collects that outside of those few keys and desirable covers.  I got rid of a small Detective modern run too.  Personally, I love the covers to that run and the writing.  It was Greg Rucka part of the Tec run that was never collected.  I paid maybe 10-15 dollars for it so it isn't a big loss.  The tec and animated comics that I sold, I will purchase them in TPB format.  That was the bulk of the box.  The rest was really tag along stuff and horror dollar fodder that i like to read during Halloween.  Unfortunately, I get comics because I enjoy reading them.  That is not how collecting these days are designed.

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16 minutes ago, the blob said:

For nearly 15 years I would hit up 25 vent, 2 for $1, 3 for $2, and $1 boxes at local shops during lunch and spend the $10-15 I might have spent on lunch on comics instead. And I already had a decent size 5,000 or so comic collection before that. Most of the purchases were thought out at the time, but as far as the moderns go, they were better for readability than flippability. Some of you have seen my comic disaster zone. I had a real Mary kondo moment this morning when I was trying to squeeze some non comic stuff my wife wanted me to store up there. I was very much WTF have I done??

I have been reorganizing my stuff now since January.  It started with a rebag and boarding project simply because I wanted to claim back my bedroom closet back.  I figured moving the boxes, I might as well rebag some of them.  400 comics done later and reaudited my spreadsheet, I got rid of around 2 short boxes.  I want to get rid of one more short box but I am in no hurry.  I am quite satisfied with how my collection is shaping up.  Basically, while I do love my moderns, they are the ones I have changed over to trade format.

It takes some effort to get rid of them but it is worth it.  I have so many TPB/HC that I read one a week, I still would be reading about 7 years from now.

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5 hours ago, Jeffro. said:

The following is going to sound snarky but I don't mean it that way. Have you considered not buying junk so that you don't have to worry about selling said junk later?

I'm being quite serious. I was looking through boxes the other day and continually shaking my head and asking myself why I bought all that crap. 

I asked myself that 10 or 15 years ago. Then I sold all the junk and now I actively cull my collection. MUCH happier without a bunch of clutter. 

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4 minutes ago, october said:

I asked myself that 10 or 15 years ago. Then I sold all the junk and now I actively cull my collection. MUCH happier without a bunch of clutter. 

While it does not sound like it is the OP's issue (or mine), don't some people wind up with a bunch of junk buying collections? I assume a lot of folks selling just say "take it all." Even if you're only really "paying" for 20% of the books?

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15 minutes ago, october said:

I asked myself that 10 or 15 years ago. Then I sold all the junk and now I actively cull my collection. MUCH happier without a bunch of clutter. 

This is the evolution of many collectors. Going from accumulation to targeted collecting. The problem is, even once you are a more seasoned and selective collector, the accumulation from decades ago is still sitting there. This is where I am now. I am thinking of trying Facebook Marketplace to unload some long boxes.

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15 minutes ago, the blob said:

While it does not sound like it is the OP's issue (or mine), don't some people wind up with a bunch of junk buying collections? I assume a lot of folks selling just say "take it all." Even if you're only really "paying" for 20% of the books?

Some people do, but I don't. There are bulk dealers for everything out there and whatever mediocre stuff filters in goes right back out the door ASAP.

It has cost me money in the long run, but not enough for me to keep dozens/hundreds of longboxes of marginal material around. 

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18 hours ago, nocutename said:

Craigslist is a terrible pain unless you are giving something way for free.  Then they all come out of the woodwork.  I really don't want to mail this junk.  Too much work for very little money but I hate to throw it out.  None of the hospitals will take it.  I could dump it in the Library donation bins but then it just may get thrown out.  I am trying not to add to the landfill.

I tried selling stuff here and while some went most of it didn't.  Any suggestions?  I don't facebook and I tried Letgo app a few years ago without any luck.

Thanks.

Based on the above I would just suggest you donate it to a local thrift store. A lot of families rely on those stores for low-budget entertainment needs and someone will be happy to find it there.

 

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Try local auction houses. Every decent sized town has somebody doing estate sales and auctions. Ones around Vegas get 35% commission but I've gotten $60 a box for carp, and about $3 a book for migrate bronze and copper. Every so often, two people bid up a book or lot. 

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1 hour ago, Point Five said:

Based on the above I would just suggest you donate it to a local thrift store. A lot of families rely on those stores for low-budget entertainment needs and someone will be happy to find it there.

 

Hi Jon,  Back when I was picking up collections more, I tried the thrift store route.  I don't think any of the comics hit the floor and the workers took them. Places like Goodwill will put up items on their website for sale vs ever hitting the sales floor.  That is why I don't do thrift stores.  But each area is different.   I try and do the free on Craiglist but rarely do that for comics as you mostly get resalers.  But I do it for coats, clothing and things of need often.

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16 minutes ago, nocutename said:

Hi Jon,  Back when I was picking up collections more, I tried the thrift store route.  I don't think any of the comics hit the floor and the workers took them. Places like Goodwill will put up items on their website for sale vs ever hitting the sales floor.  That is why I don't do thrift stores.  But each area is different.   I try and do the free on Craiglist but rarely do that for comics as you mostly get resalers.  But I do it for coats, clothing and things of need often.

Woof, that does sound discouraging with the workers taking things. Maybe try a different thrift shop? I donate to a small place in my neighborhood where I know the owner and my books and comics get put out right away. (Actually, it's kind of funny as there's a good handful of my books there that must be too esoteric for my neighborhood's tastes. When I drop by the store it's starting to feel like a permanent museum of my stuff.)

 

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For the stuff I absolutely can't otherwise give away, I take it to HPB. They'll give you pennies on the dollar for it, but they'll take everything. Or at least they always have for me. That's my last stop before the recycling bin.

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1 hour ago, F For Fake said:

For the stuff I absolutely can't otherwise give away, I take it to HPB. They'll give you pennies on the dollar for it, but they'll take everything. Or at least they always have for me. That's my last stop before the recycling bin.

I so jelly of people with HPB near them.  I do have the Strand that I used to score TPB at great prices but I rarely visit the store nowadays.

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