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IN THE ERA OF COVID19...BUYER'S MARKET?
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662 posts in this topic

Just curious. hm  Is it really a good time to be selling comics at this time?  Not dollar-box comics but comics of any significant value or comics whereby the seller is looking to get market or better?  I would think not...but I'm not much of a seller or buyer anymore these days.  Anyone have any data or stories from the primary Auctions sites...CLINK...Heritage...Metropolitan...etc?  Seems like the Auctions are going on but I'd expect a decline in the hammer prices...just wondering and if there would be some significant drop-off in final prices currently and over the next few months...

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That makes sense the last part of people at home...bored...shopping.  For smaller ticket items.  But for bigger ticket items I would think there would be considerable risk for the seller at this time.

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47 minutes ago, trmoore54 said:

That makes sense the last part of people at home...bored...shopping.  For smaller ticket items.  But for bigger ticket items I would think there would be considerable risk for the seller at this time.

I recently sold 8 hardcover tpb that were out of circulation.  The amazon cost was $30-35 when they came out.    Last few sales were between $275-$375 for the set.  I put it up for $550 obo + shipping.  Someone offered me $450 while I was in conference to which I would have actually taken that but I could not have my iPad, iPhone, other computer all make the cash register sound that eBay makes when you have a sale and I also could not get up in the middle of the conference and walk around to make sure all devices were turned off. Within a half hour of not responding they bought it for the full $550 + shipping AND using the Global Shipping Program. 

I honestly don't know what to say sometimes. 

Jewelry sales have been slower than usual though right now which is out of the ordinary.  That's where I received the 'times are tough' note. 

 

Edited by Buzzetta
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1 hour ago, trmoore54 said:

Just curious. hm  Is it really a good time to be selling comics at this time?  Not dollar-box comics but comics of any significant value or comics whereby the seller is looking to get market or better?  I would think not...but I'm not much of a seller or buyer anymore these days.  Anyone have any data or stories from the primary Auctions sites...CLINK...Heritage...Metropolitan...etc?  Seems like the Auctions are going on but I'd expect a decline in the hammer prices...just wondering and if there would be some significant drop-off in final prices currently and over the next few months...

Thank you! Now we don't have to debate what to call the present comic book era following Modern!  :idea:

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Currently, many stocks are a buyers market.  Comics?....too early to tell.  Maybe once more bills come due, you will see more stuff become available, but even then, probably will not be for 'bargain' prices.   A lot depends on the upcoming 'recession', and what the health community can do with Covid19.  

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I put up a bunch of books on eBay, something I have not done in a while. A few were books that I had here 2 months ago that had not sold. I sold a bunch of stuff that surprised me. I lowered a few prices, but some went for more than I had them listed here.

I got some decent offers on a book I have up for almost $1800, but I was not in a huge rush to sell it.

So go figure.

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as @DavidTheDavid has shown in his awesome speadsheet, most prices have indeed come down for SA and BA stuff. i think the more interesting question is how long will it take for prices to resume an upward trajectory? some folks think this will be the event that permanently crushes all the strong growth that most keys have experienced in the last decade, while others think that it will just last as long as the recession does, which is also unknown. stocks seem perhaps like the smarter buy, comics are more fun. how bad will this be for comics values over a few years?

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6 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

I recently sold 8 hardcover tpb that were out of circulation.  The amazon cost was $30-35 when they came out.    Last few sales were between $275-$375 for the set.  I put it up for $550 obo + shipping.  Someone offered me $450 while I was in conference to which I would have actually taken that but I could not have my iPad, iPhone, other computer all make the cash register sound that eBay makes when you have a sale and I also could not get up in the middle of the conference and walk around to make sure all devices were turned off. Within a half hour of not responding they bought it for the full $550 + shipping AND using the Global Shipping Program. 

I honestly don't know what to say sometimes.  

 

Well, this one's really rather simple.  :gossip:

Send him an email explaining that you had made a mistake and had priced it wrong and then take the $650 offer that he will end up giving to you.  :takeit:

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After reviewing the past few days I’m realistic that the next convention center con will be C2E2 next spring with some smaller hotel shows starting this fall.  People still enjoy the thrill of collecting and accumulating piles of books to read and stash into boxes.  But the overall money flow across the country and world has just started its worst flip by sending 10-30% of newly unemployed into a shuttered shock.  So the pool of collectors will be shrinking, disposable income will be shrinking, which is going to be felt in ripples of lower sales across the industry.  Books will continue to sell and the auction houses will have chart busters to wave around to draw in collections.  The popular silver and bronze keys started pulling back 10-20% during the second half of 2019 anyways, so it’s not like a slowdown in higher end books wasn’t in motion last year.  

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2 hours ago, Foolkiller said:

I've been having a running dialog with a friend who thinks things will start to reopen by May 1st, but even if by some miracle that starts to happen, I don't think it will signal reopening group gatherings because states like New York, California etc. are a long way away from even considering reopening and the governors in those states aren't going to allow large groups.  A lot of folks either can't or won't wait for auctions for raising money because the advances aren't enough and they are afraid the auctions could tank which has turned into opportunity.  There are a limited number of people to pay in large chunks for better books.  Long term, the keys are great plays as always and I have complete confidence.  

Agree that large-scale shows are basically done for the year.

On the above, there's *zero* chance that NY/PA/DC/MD/VA open re-open by May 1 and even mid-June is optimistic.

I think the true deals will start a month from now, when May rent is due, unemployment's higher and many southern states are further along the COVID curve.

The great depression was just 24.5% unemployment. We'll likely hit that within the next 40 days.

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2 hours ago, Foolkiller said:

For books under $1000, maybe even $5k the market seems generally stable but maybe a little slower than normal.  But there are enough cracks that are starting to show.  I've been offered a number of books from people 'having' to cash raise and that's going to get worse over the next six months with more cancellation of shows and unemployment rising.  I think it's interesting that a lot of folks are moving shows to august and September assuming shows are moving forward.  I will be shocked if any shows happen in 2020 of significant size . I think small regional shows will start to reopen the quickest, so there will be some show market.  But a lot of the larger ones are going to take far longer.  I don't think we are going to have a 'return to normalcy' in a lot of areas of life.  The longer things go and the more long term disruption is felt, the more impact the comic market will feel.  there are people right now spending their unemployment checks as if they are in a normal situation and bidding -- that will change.  You already have some dealers discounting where they normally wouldn't to raise cash with the absence of show season.  I think you have to be selective but march was a very good month for buying and I expect that it will continue as things drag on.  I've been having a running dialog with a friend who thinks things will start to reopen by May 1st, but even if by some miracle that starts to happen, I don't think it will signal reopening group gatherings because states like New York, California etc. are a long way away from even considering reopening and the governors in those states aren't going to allow large groups.  A lot of folks either can't or won't wait for auctions for raising money because the advances aren't enough and they are afraid the auctions could tank which has turned into opportunity.  There are a limited number of people to pay in large chunks for better books.  Long term, the keys are great plays as always and I have complete confidence.  

amen. totally share this view. 

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17 hours ago, trmoore54 said:

Just curious. hm  Is it really a good time to be selling comics at this time?  Not dollar-box comics but comics of any significant value or comics whereby the seller is looking to get market or better?  I would think not...but I'm not much of a seller or buyer anymore these days.  Anyone have any data or stories from the primary Auctions sites...CLINK...Heritage...Metropolitan...etc?  Seems like the Auctions are going on but I'd expect a decline in the hammer prices...just wondering and if there would be some significant drop-off in final prices currently and over the next few months...

Its seems a common financial equation to me. The auctions will continue because they are businesses that have to. Many buyers wont be able to justify the expenditure in hard times, so there will be fewer of them. Those selling won't drop their prices but instead, absorb a lower turnover and reduced income for awhile. If you do get a lucky bargain it will be because the seller is really strapped for cash and will take what he can get, within reason of course. The most recent CL Auction, which just ended, did not show a drop in prices paid, but it would be interesting to see what happens in a few weeks from now. 

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It seems that there are more copies of popular books in the $100-$1000 range available than a few months ago as people are more willing to sell. I haven't seen much evidence of the market prices lowering though. All these extra available copies are not priced to move but just available to market. I'm with others who have voiced that the market prices will come down, the longer this environment drags on. 

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