• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Selling Comics part time, and full time?
0

64 posts in this topic

Let’s close this topic for today, and I’ll get some better questions together before asking. A lot of valid points have been made. I really need to build my knowledge base before attempting anything.

Edited by jfree580
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, TwoPiece said:

Phase 1: Get a bank loan to "invest" in comics.

Phase 2: Buy all of the GA & SA keys.

Phase 3: s6hdwntp7a701.jpg

Phase 4: ?

Phase 5: Who cares, you're rich in comics!

She did say she wanted to be rich.. she didn’t say in what.. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Advice in 3 steps

 

Step 1:  Before you make another purchase for profit you need to know comic books.  If you can't look at a collection in person and make a quick judgement on your max price and reasonable expectation on both profit and time to move the books then you are not ready to jump in yet.  You can still give it a go but you will be paying tuition in the form of lost profit.  

Step 2:  Stay away from hot modern books because if they are already hot then by the time you get them and resell them they will be cold.  Some book however are easy to speculate and at worst break even, book like Thor 337.

Step 3: Most of the people making a livable profit are doing one of or both of these.  Finding collections cheap and flipping them by using their knowledge of what they are worth.  Buying bigger books at a discount and already have a large buyer base to sell that book to.  Finding collections is your best bet but honestly with a full time job and lack of knowledge the pros are going to beat you to it.

My own personal beer money and comic upgrade method is buying collection very CHEAP.  I then remove the big books, press and slab ($300 plus value).  I take the $5-$100 books and just run facebook auctions to move them quickly ( I make less money but books move fast).  I take all the drek and either donate it or sell it in large bundles cheap.  I basically just do this to buy overpriced Silver age marvel keys and would never do it to make a living because it is a grind.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

stop talking about it with you girlfriend. Use only money from sales for new comics and put aside the money from sales until you find some more comics to buy. Occasionally buy her dinner and say that you are using your profits to pay for the meal. I am going to spend $1000-$2000 tonight at a seller's house (Comico Primer 2 hopefully among the buys!) and my wife is okay with it because she knows that I am using hobby money that has been accumulated from sales.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are a collector first and looking to try to offset costs of books you want, buy in bulk.

I scour ebay daily for people selling comics in bunches or lots. If I find a good deal, I buy it. There is always stuff I don't love and am happy to flip and sell (anything Superman, Green Lantern...most silver age DC for example). Also, there is the issue of condition. Some of the stuff I want is the FN or better. Anything VG, I will sell. And sometimes if I get a book at a good price (like I did once for a copy of DC Presents 28) I sold it. Would have been neat to have but other books take priority.

As to how I sell, I sell raw on ebay. If something I really did not want came to me and I thought I could really up the value by grading and selling, I would do it. But for the most part that has not happened for me. I have a back stock of about 3 long boxes worth of books I am still picking through and selling. If I can get more than $2-3 for it, on ebay it will go. Otherwise, I will use local avenues (Kijiji, Carigslist, Facebook, local classifieds) to part with books I don't need but to make sure I am still making a profit. This is how I "fund" my hobby. I dont try to make money, per say, but rather offset my spending on stuff I like.

The problem has become I am liking and wanting more and more. I used to just collect Spider-Man....then anything Marvel....then anything Marvel plus Batman...and now, literally anything that I like. Fortunately, there still seems to be enough out there that I am willing to part with to allow my collection to continue to grow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Bird said:

stop talking about it with you girlfriend. Use only money from sales for new comics and put aside the money from sales until you find some more comics to buy. Occasionally buy her dinner and say that you are using your profits to pay for the meal. I am going to spend $1000-$2000 tonight at a seller's house (Comico Primer 2 hopefully among the buys!) and my wife is okay with it because she knows that I am using hobby money that has been accumulated from sales.

This^

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Bird said:

stop talking about it with you girlfriend. Use only money from sales for new comics and put aside the money from sales until you find some more comics to buy. Occasionally buy her dinner and say that you are using your profits to pay for the meal. I am going to spend $1000-$2000 tonight at a seller's house (Comico Primer 2 hopefully among the buys!) and my wife is okay with it because she knows that I am using hobby money that has been accumulated from sales.

Agreed with this. We don’t really talk about it though, I was more trying to be funny with that aspect of the post, it got too literal with that, she could really care less. I usually do run it by her when I’m spending a larger amount though. We have good communication and I’d like to keep it that way. 

 All money that I accumulate on eBay whether it’s from comic sales or my other Ebay sales stays in a separate account. 

38 minutes ago, slg343 said:

Advice in 3 steps

 

Step 1:  Before you make another purchase for profit you need to know comic books.  If you can't look at a collection in person and make a quick judgement on your max price and reasonable expectation on both profit and time to move the books then you are not ready to jump in yet.  You can still give it a go but you will be paying tuition in the form of lost profit.  

Step 2:  Stay away from hot modern books because if they are already hot then by the time you get them and resell them they will be cold.  Some book however are easy to speculate and at worst break even, book like Thor 337.

Step 3: Most of the people making a livable profit are doing one of or both of these.  Finding collections cheap and flipping them by using their knowledge of what they are worth.  Buying bigger books at a discount and already have a large buyer base to sell that book to.  Finding collections is your best bet but honestly with a full time job and lack of knowledge the pros are going to beat you to it.

My own personal beer money and comic upgrade method is buying collection very CHEAP.  I then remove the big books, press and slab ($300 plus value).  I take the $5-$100 books and just run facebook auctions to move them quickly ( I make less money but books move fast).  I take all the drek and either donate it or sell it in large bundles cheap.  I basically just do this to buy overpriced Silver age marvel keys and would never do it to make a living because it is a grind.

 

I agree with this. My more cautious side is telling me to wait. I can tell a lot of keys. 70s-80s and up, but to look at hundreds of books at once at an estate sale for example might take me some time, I would not be able to make a split second decision. 

For the information to stay away from the hot moderns, that’s exactly what I was looking for, and that makes sense. I have been staging away, and will continue to do so. 

I was really wanting to hear how you all did it, but the more I read my post, the more it looks like I’m asking for you all to tell me how to flip books. I wasn’t trying to do that. I was looking at more information of what people did. But that would be giving away your secrets, and that isn’t what my intentions were. I have a lot of questions, I would have been better off separating them and asking at different times possibly.

Edited by jfree580
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Bird said:

stop talking about it with you girlfriend. Use only money from sales for new comics and put aside the money from sales until you find some more comics to buy. Occasionally buy her dinner and say that you are using your profits to pay for the meal. I am going to spend $1000-$2000 tonight at a seller's house (Comico Primer 2 hopefully among the buys!) and my wife is okay with it because she knows that I am using hobby money that has been accumulated from sales.

Your advice is somewhat conflicting - don’t talk to the significant other about this, and yet your wife knows you’re going to spend a stack or two on books tonight (knowing the source of the money, very important).  

I keep my wife in the loop on all the significant outlays I make as well, and it’s never caused an issue, so it would seem that communication is key based on our own experiences.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, mattn792 said:

Your advice is somewhat conflicting - don’t talk to the significant other about this, and yet your wife knows you’re going to spend a stack or two on books tonight (knowing the source of the money, very important).  

I keep my wife in the loop on all the significant outlays I make as well, and it’s never caused an issue, so it would seem that communication is key based on our own experiences.

No, I said that he should stop talking about it with his girlfriend as she is complaining about him spending money. I already have set up the trust and understanding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic reminds me of great advice I got about 30 years ago. ALWAYS have a slush fund, money set aside that you can use without explaining it to anyone. My wife knows where mine is but respects it and leaves it alone, but in case I die suddenly she knows to go get it before disposing of my things!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Bird said:

No, I said that he should stop talking about it with his girlfriend as she is complaining about him spending money. I already have set up the trust and understanding.

But we all have to start somewhere building that trust and understanding, no?  Even if its initially from a confrontational position.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Bird said:

This topic reminds me of great advice I got about 30 years ago. ALWAYS have a slush fund, money set aside that you can use without explaining it to anyone. My wife knows where mine is but respects it and leaves it alone, but in case I die suddenly she knows to go get it before disposing of my things!

We’ve been together a long time. We both know where each-others hidden fund is, but we don’t touch them either. I got the same advice from my father quite a while ago.

I know that no one was trying to be rude, I just shouldn’t of mentioned it at all, I’ve been sick, half asleep and was trying to be funny. That backfired lol, is what it is. 

Like I said the more I read the post, the more I’m like why the heck did I even post that. I guess I have lots of questions, and was trying to get them all out at once. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
0