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The growing dilemma, where best to buy comics?
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109 posts in this topic

Other than the boards here, I honestly find Instagram to be the best place to find comics of any era - and once connections are made there with the sellers it is very easy to put out the word when looking for a specific book. Met lots of local golden age collectors because of it, and have been able to do many more trades and cheaper transactions. I'll buy from eBay occasionally maybe, but never sell on it.

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16 hours ago, ThothAmon said:

 Heritage has great product but prices and the bp are onerous. Comicconnect usually gets very high prices but no bp is nice. ComicLink does charge a 3 percent bp but GA seems to sell the most below GPA. Basically I usually overpay for everything. 

I tell myself that paying at auction at least gets me at market value since those are the sales that get captures in the GPA.

And while Heritage has a crazy BP, it affects the seller more than the buyer. I thought everyone just looked at the price including the BP and bid accordingly. Don't buyers just look at how much the book is costing them in total, not caring about which percentage of that goes to the auction house and how much goes to the seller? Why wouldn't that be the case? 

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I get the concept of figuring in all associates cost of bidding in major auction houses like HA. The problem is that when you do, you are really lowering your bid on what you are really willing to actually pay for the book. I am often very willing to really pay up for something I want but when I take that number and add in the associated costs, I usually find I don’t need or want it that bad anymore. There is usually someone with a bigger wallet, more emotional or crazier than me. I believe it really hurts the consigner the most in the long run. 

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13 hours ago, walclark said:

In regards to “lowering your bid on what you are really willing to actually pay,” I would respectfully disagree.  Even if the auction house charged a 100% markup for buyer’s premium, shipping, handling fee, service with a smile, and sales tax, I would still PAY what I’m willing to spend on that book.

Let’s say I wanted a book at $1000.  If the auction house charges $100 for shipping, $100 in sales tax, $100 BP, $100 for a box to ship it in, and $100 just because we can fee, then my bid is $500.  If I win, I pay $1000.  So while technically my bid is less than what I was willing to pay, I still paid exactly what I was willing to pay.  You just have to think of your “bid” as the final out the door price, not what you enter on the bid line.

I understand this. You and I probably go for better GA books where there is likely to be some stiff competition for. The trick is to figure out what you are willing to pay for a book. I already know I will probably have to pay top dollar (or beyond) to get it. Often when I figure the “juice” it is even more than beyond what I want to pay. I’m not trying to get something cheap necessarily, but it better be a once in a lifetime book for me to pay that game. I’d much rather just pay the $1,000 straight up to a seller to get it. At this point in my life and as a collector, there just isn’t much left I want that bad to play the game. 

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I'd also try Instagram guys  Lotta great deals there. Takes a  little time to get comfortable using but the deals are there

Make sure to use hashtags #goldenagecomics #igcomicfamily #comicbooksforsale #silveragecomics  to search for goodies and see how it goes

Good luck

IG @dreamtoreal1 

Edited by Dreamtoreal1
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1 hour ago, Dreamtoreal1 said:

I'd also try Instagram guys  Lotta great deals there. Takes a  little time to get comfortable using but the deals are there

Make sure to use hashtags #goldenagecomics #igcomicfamily #comicbooksforsale #silveragecomics  to search for goodies and see how it goes

Good luck

IG @dreamtoreal1 

IG @saucedogcomics  I just followed you :D  

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5 hours ago, Dreamtoreal1 said:

I'd also try Instagram guys  Lotta great deals there. Takes a  little time to get comfortable using but the deals are there

Make sure to use hashtags #goldenagecomics #igcomicfamily #comicbooksforsale #silveragecomics  to search for goodies and see how it goes

Good luck

IG @dreamtoreal1 

I especially love those crooked, blurred photos of one side in the dashboard light and “make an offer” :roflmao:

 

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Earlier in the thread a passing mention of the corona virus and convention attendance was made,  While at present, the degree of outbreak and severity is uncertain, the potential threat of this highly contagious virus should be taken seriously.  

Fans used to joke about coming down with “con-grunge” ...usually a flu bug or severe cold... upon returning home from a big show.  The conventional wisdom has been that the risks of getting mildly ill were par for the course.  This time things may be different as the risks the corona virus poses for older folks, appear to be much greater.

Public gatherings at larger shows certainly pose added risk especially if this virus spreads to pandemic proportions as medical experts are predicting.  While this obviously wouldn’t pose a direct threat to on-line auction and virtual store sales, I’d think long term travel planning to big ticket shows like SDCC, NYCC, Chicago, Baltimore and others may take a serious hit.  

Since high anticipated attendance shows require advance logistical planning, ticket acquisition, hotel reservations, etc. (some of which is non-refundable) I wonder if collectors aren’t already adjusting their travel schedules.

Barring a major downturn in the collectors market rivaling the DOW, the obvious beneficiaries of reduced convention attendance would seem to be HA, CC, CLink, MyComicShop, eBay and other on-line dealers and bidding services.

Thoughts on this?

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1 hour ago, Cat-Man_America said:

Earlier in the thread a passing mention of the corona virus and convention attendance was made,  While at present, the degree of outbreak and severity is uncertain, the potential threat of this highly contagious virus should be taken seriously.  

Fans used to joke about coming down with “con-grunge” ...usually a flu bug or severe cold... upon returning home from a big show.  The conventional wisdom has been that the risks of getting mildly ill were par for the course.  This time things may be different as the risks the corona virus poses for older folks, appear to be much greater.

Public gatherings at larger shows certainly pose added risk especially if this virus spreads to pandemic proportions as medical experts are predicting.  While this obviously wouldn’t pose a direct threat to on-line auction and virtual store sales, I’d think long term travel planning to big ticket shows like SDCC, NYCC, Chicago, Baltimore and others may take a serious hit.  

Since high anticipated attendance shows require advance logistical planning, ticket acquisition, hotel reservations, etc. (some of which is non-refundable) I wonder if collectors aren’t already adjusting their travel schedules.

Barring a major downturn in the collectors market rivaling the DOW, the obvious beneficiaries of reduced convention attendance would seem to be HA, CC, CLink, MyComicShop, eBay and other on-line dealers and bidding services.

Thoughts on this?

I think you are spot on. I think our country is going to be learning some new tricks in the next 90 days

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18 hours ago, Cat-Man_America said:

Earlier in the thread a passing mention of the corona virus and convention attendance was made,  While at present, the degree of outbreak and severity is uncertain, the potential threat of this highly contagious virus should be taken seriously.  

Fans used to joke about coming down with “con-grunge” ...usually a flu bug or severe cold... upon returning home from a big show.  The conventional wisdom has been that the risks of getting mildly ill were par for the course.  This time things may be different as the risks the corona virus poses for older folks, appear to be much greater.

Public gatherings at larger shows certainly pose added risk especially if this virus spreads to pandemic proportions as medical experts are predicting.  While this obviously wouldn’t pose a direct threat to on-line auction and virtual store sales, I’d think long term travel planning to big ticket shows like SDCC, NYCC, Chicago, Baltimore and others may take a serious hit.  

Since high anticipated attendance shows require advance logistical planning, ticket acquisition, hotel reservations, etc. (some of which is non-refundable) I wonder if collectors aren’t already adjusting their travel schedules.

Barring a major downturn in the collectors market rivaling the DOW, the obvious beneficiaries of reduced convention attendance would seem to be HA, CC, CLink, MyComicShop, eBay and other on-line dealers and bidding services.

Thoughts on this?

About a month ago I set up at Terry O’neil’s Show. A few days later, I came down with a nasty cold that lasted about a week. Although I didn’t notice any one sick or with any symptoms, apparently, someone was packing. You just don’t know. 

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