how to approach a dealer about books I think might be overpriced. 6 6

[VintageComics]

1 hour ago, Bookery said:

18 hours ago, VintageComics said:

My favorite: negotiate a price and then don't take the book. It happens.

Yep.  They usually end up saying "Thanks... I'll keep that in mind."  

Happened to me last week. Twice.

Also had someone make an offer and then ghost me after accepting it.

Happens far too often.

[RockMyAmadeus]

4 hours ago, OrangeNemesis said:

Just secretly letting him know his options. 

I know, I was making a funny.

[blazingbob]

Here is my morning for those contemplating the glamorous lifestyle I live.

70 year old man came to my house on last Thursday morning after I just got home from a red eye with my overstreet page torn out of the price guide.

Told me that he had approx 500 books,  40's - 70's.  Said that he had bought them.

Set up an appointment,  went there today.

80% 90's books,  nothing from the 40-65,  some and I mean a few late 60's stuff,  no keys.

From chatting with him found out they were given to him by a friend. 

Fastest 10 minute collection review I've ever done.

 

[F For Fake]

Possibly my biggest pet peeve is entitled, ungrateful, discourteous people. I do try to not be one of these people, and that extends to the world of buying and selling.

As a buyer, I'm not one to harangue every single dealer to try to squeeze every last nickel out of a deal. If a dealer has a book I want in the condition I want at a fair price according to current FMV, then I pay it, no questions asked. I get the book I want, in hand, at a price I already decided was fair, and they get the price they were asking for. We both got what we wanted.

Now, from THAT point, the ice is broken, and I may go ahead and inquire about a discount on some books if I think it is fair to do so based on their asking price. If the books are priced at or above FMV, but I have cash in hand and am willing to buy a stack, I see no harm in ASKING about a discount, but I never EXPECT a discount. And i think this is where the issue lies: that sense of entitlement. Why would a dealer sell you their keys at huge discounts? Keys move all day long. Why would they give a big discount on the flavor of the week hot flip? They know as well as you do that the book will be dead in the water by the next show. If a dealer has a sense that they may be able to build a business relationship with you, I can see why they'd go for it. But surely the experienced dealers can smell an opportunist a mile away, and who wants to deal with a jerk?

I think, at the end of the day, the key is respect. Are you being respectful with your offer? If you are reasonable and it comes from a place of respect and knowledge, I'd think most experienced dealers will respond accordingly. 

[blazingbob]

1 minute ago, F For Fake said:

Possibly my biggest pet peeve is entitled, ungrateful, discourteous people. I do try to not be one of these people, and that extends to the world of buying and selling.

As a buyer, I'm not one to harangue every single dealer to try to squeeze every last nickel out of a deal. If a dealer has a book I want in the condition I want at a fair price according to current FMV, then I pay it, no questions asked. I get the book I want, in hand, at a price I already decided was fair, and they get the price they were asking for. We both got what we wanted.

Now, from THAT point, the ice is broken, and I may go ahead and inquire about a discount on some books if I think it is fair to do so based on their asking price. If the books are priced at or above FMV, but I have cash in hand and am willing to buy a stack, I see no harm in ASKING about a discount, but I never EXPECT a discount. And i think this is where the issue lies: that sense of entitlement. Why would a dealer sell you their keys at huge discounts? Keys move all day long. Why would they give a big discount on the flavor of the week hot flip? They know as well as you do that the book will be dead in the water by the next show. If a dealer has a sense that they may be able to build a business relationship with you, I can see why they'd go for it. But surely the experienced dealers can smell an opportunist a mile away, and who wants to deal with a jerk?

I think, at the end of the day, the key is respect. Are you being respectful with your offer? If you are reasonable and it comes from a place of respect and knowledge, I'd think most experienced dealers will respond accordingly. 

Totally agree.  Relationships built have resulted in a lot more customers getting great deals then short term "wins".

Word spreads very quickly on what type of buyer/seller you are.  Reputations take a long time to build and a short time to destroy.  

Edited June 26, 2019 by blazingbob

[Krismusic]

WTB all your amazing MEGA SUPER keys for Super super low prices. I have Cash, I means paypal, sorry I mean "IOU?" who wants to sell . 

Edit I might have to think about that discount can you do 105% off??? (Yes you own me 5% as I am giving you more storage space by taking these books) 

Spoiler

 

[kav]

5 hours ago, Bookery said:

I have this happen most often with books (hardbacks, paperbacks).  It will be some obscure paperback that they go on about at some length... how it was their favorite book as a youth, been looking for it for a decade, etc.  They usually begin their saga with "I know you don't have this, but...", or "I know you've never heard of this, but...".  Of course, I have a massive stock of vintage paperbacks (because they seldom sell, so they accumulate), and can usually come up with a copy for them.  Price?  $2.  Answer... "Great!  I'll come back and get that sometime when I have the money!".  Never do of course.  This is not a bizarre one-shot.  This happens probably a half-dozen times every year.

I experience this as an artist.  Everyone has this 'project' they are 'serious' about.  In 40 years not one of them actually turned into a client.  People just like to flap their gums I guess.  I tell people now when they try to approach me for a 'project' that it will cost $50 to listen.  Havent had an issue in years!

[thunsicker]

3 minutes ago, kav said:

I experience this as an artist.  Everyone has this 'project' they are 'serious' about.  In 40 years not one of them actually turned into a client.  People just like to flap their gums I guess.  I tell people now when they try to approach me for a 'project' that it will cost $50 to listen.  Havent had an issue in years!

Hey, I have a project I want to pitch you.  Is $50 the lowest you can go on that?  I've seen it on eBay for much less.

[kav]

Just now, thunsicker said:

Hey, I have a project I want to pitch you.  Is $50 the lowest you can go on that?  I've seen it on eBay for much less.

before I did the $50 thing I just told people "I dont draw for money".  One lady was baffled she kept asking "Not for any amount of money?"  I replied "Not for any amount of money".  I knew damn well there was going to be no money involved-just her getting to talk for hours and have someone listen to her.  Thats all people really want.  For some reason people like to torture artists by dangling the possibility of money over their head, and making them listen to their nonsense to boot.

[F For Fake]

Just now, kav said:

before I did the $50 thing I just told people "I dont draw for money".  One lady was baffled she kept asking "Not for any amount of money?"  I replied "Not for any amount of money".  I knew damn well there was going to be no money involved-just her getting to talk for hours and have someone listen to her.  Thats all people really want.  For some reason people like to torture artists by dangling the possibility of money over their head, and making them listen to their nonsense to boot.

I have this issue with writing, and I'm not even a professional writer, just a (questionably) talented amateur with a few credits in local papers, fan websites, band bios, junk like that. I can't count how many friends have come to me with this "great idea" they have for a project. They want to have a sit-down meeting about it, or send me reams of word docs detailing their pitch. Of course, they're just the "idea" people. They want me to do the writing, which is, you know, the actual WORK. I finally cut everyone off. For friends I just tell them that I barely have time to write my own stuff, much less anyone else's, and for non-friends, the answer is simple: i don't write for free, or on spec. Pay me, and I'll write. 

[kav]

3 minutes ago, F For Fake said:

I have this issue with writing, and I'm not even a professional writer, just a (questionably) talented amateur with a few credits in local papers, fan websites, band bios, junk like that. I can't count how many friends have come to me with this "great idea" they have for a project. They want to have a sit-down meeting about it, or send me reams of word docs detailing their pitch. Of course, they're just the "idea" people. They want me to do the writing, which is, you know, the actual WORK. I finally cut everyone off. For friends I just tell them that I barely have time to write my own stuff, much less anyone else's, and for non-friends, the answer is simple: i don't write for free, or on spec. Pay me, and I'll write. 

Yes this is pretty much what happens.  

Side story-recently some guy contacted me about doing a logo.  I did a pretty good one I must say, and he never paid.  I was ok because going into it I didnt really care if I got paid he just caught me when I felt like drawing.  He's a contractor and I like the idea of him wondering why I never asked for the money.  A greedy person getting their mind blown-thats enough payment for me.  Of course if I did indeed want to make sure I got paid there are ways of sending an image that are unusable until I get paid.

[the blob]

42 minutes ago, kav said:

I experience this as an artist.  Everyone has this 'project' they are 'serious' about.  In 40 years not one of them actually turned into a client.  People just like to flap their gums I guess.  I tell people now when they try to approach me for a 'project' that it will cost $50 to listen.  Havent had an issue in years!

How about a copy of Thor 339?

[kav]

10 minutes ago, the blob said:

How about a copy of Thor 339?

It will cost you$50 to listen-

[the blob]

56 minutes ago, kav said:

It will cost you$50 to listen-

I usually charge to listen. My rate is $700 an hour.

 

[kav]

1 minute ago, the blob said:

I usually charge to listen. My rate is $700 an hour.

 

Listen if you wanna talk about Thor 339 it's gunna cost you $50 bucks!

[the blob]

Just now, kav said:

Listen if you wanna talk about Thor 339 it's gunna cost you $50 bucks!

Right now I am thinking about how to get back the $100,000 I spent paying off my student loans and have those loans reinstated. Of course, compounded interest for the last 20 years might be a brute, but it's all going away. yay!

[Crops068]

5 minutes ago, kav said:

Listen if you wanna talk about Thor 339 it's gunna cost you $50 bucks!

There you go 50 bucks!

[kav]

1 minute ago, the blob said:

Right now I am thinking about how to get back the $100,000 I spent paying off my student loans and have those loans reinstated. Of course, compounded interest for the last 20 years might be a brute, but it's all going away. yay!

Well I went to school in the 80's so my student loan was a whopping $1200

[kav]

Just now, Crops068 said:

There you go 50 bucks!

[the blob]

1 minute ago, kav said:

Well I went to school in the 80's so my student loan was a whopping $1200

Law school is what blew me up, even in the early 90s. I got out of college owing like $10K.