Hi Swagg! Personally, I compare my purchases to Ebay sold items. That gives me a realistic perspective of what people are actually paying at that present time as opposed to what price sellers would like. Also if I am in no rush to sell, I will list my book at what price I want whenever the tv/movie hype hits. It may take awhile to sell but again I'm in no rush.
For sure. Sold items are def the true indicator of the books value. But I still utilize lowest price buy it now because it indicates to me what I can offer the market - and a potential buyer who is looking to find the best deal at that time.
It’s easy to get caught up in buying a book in person, whereas the patient buyer would weigh the options and determine if it can be found for cheaper on eBay. The main difference is that in person you can get a better idea of condition of the book.
When I got back into the hobby 12 years ago after a 20-year absence my personal strategy was to first buy only slabs of the Marvel Silver Age major keys (plus GSX-1 and Hulk 181). I only lack FF-1 and ASM-1. My hobby has evolved into an investment with the drastic increase in values.
I would also recommend to make a spreadsheet that contains the following fields for you to document over time: Issue# Purchase price Desired exit/sale price Then make a separate section with: Total invested Total Profit Made Total collection networth based on FMV
Interesting video. Personally, I can't imagine anybody asking higher prices than what's on eBay, but I suppose it's possible. Liquidity is a key point that you bring up. My rule of thumb: expect to lose 50% on your purchases if you decide to sell. That way, you keep your expectations safely realistic and will buy only what you like.
Thank you Brother. I've been lugging around my collection for over thirty years now and I've really been having a hard time with pricing. I mean, I paid .25-1.00 for these comics when I was a kid so figuring out profit is interesting. Thanks for the insight.
This is why it's better to buy first appearances of characters that have been popular for decades instead of chasing spec books. They are much more likely to hold value and it's less stressful to feel like you have to sell at a certain time. For example, your Avengers 1 is much more likely to hold value in 10 years than a spec book. Spec books could be more "fun" but they are much riskier.
Great rule and examples! I try to buy bargains, but I don't always succeed. I need to start selling some books so the hobby will pay for itself. Thanks as always for the great stuff, Swagg!
I’m definitely guilty of over paying. Came across a copy of Icon #1. Wanted it so much I payed $50 for it. It’s priced all over the place on eBay, but I definitely took a L.
Thanks Swag. Makes sense to always be able to at least “return” a book, if not sell higher. I’m thinking of selling some books for the first time to Marie Kondo my collection and this is helpful going forward.
I try to have the hobby pay for itself and usually succeed. But the odd time I buy an expensive book ( $500.00 - $1500.00 is expensive to me ) because I see the market shifting and I know it has room enough to grow that I cannot lose long term - even if it puts me in the hole for a while short term.
Your examples assume conditions that exist irregularly or unreliably on Ebay. Unless an item is from a Top Seller/Legacy Ebayer ... priced markedly less than _virtually all_ of the others listed ... AND ... there's a current stream of steady demand (for that item/at that price/at that time) ... your item's doomed to Ebay's "elephant graveyard" of stagnant listings.
Makes sense if you see comics as an investment instead of something you love to collect just to collect. I'm the later art and story means the most to me. I've always just bought or traded for something that I liked. I used to get laughed at for going through a 50 cent or dollar bin. But I have found some good stories doing so. Basically I dislike a "market" being a means to buying something as a hobby. That takes the joy of the art out of it for me. Maybe I'm alone in this thought process but it's me.
Buying a book for $10 and selling on eBay for $20 for a $10 profit is inaccurate... eBay takes a cut for using their forum and then shipping has to get paid for... so if you are flipping and you are only spending $10 you will need to sell for above $20 on ebay (because of the cut and added cost to buyer for shipping)... flipping comics is a little bit more difficult than just buy for $10 ebay for $20 collect $10 profit...
Hey y’all…Swag knows this too, but remember: Don’t forget about eBay fees and packaging/shipping costs when recouping funds on an investment. Example: If you buy something for $40.00 and sell it for $40.00 on eBay while breaking even on packaging/shipping fees, you’ve still lost money bc eBay takes a cut on the sale. So you need to adjust your prices accordingly. Sometimes to move a book you only break even or take a loss. Hopefully, a small one.
Excellent golden rule. As someone who runs a sales space, I generally try to round down to the nearest five dollars when marketing my books based off of eBay prices. It helps find buyers good deals & I move large amounts, so it helps me stay liquid.
Good rule. I find it gets tricky with shipping. Living in Canada, I have to pay through the nose for shipping and it takes a lot of books out of consideration. For some book, it's hard finding a comparable grade. I also find many buy-it-nows have books listed for far, far more than FMV. Some are crazy high. Perhaps some sellers are hoping for a FOMO-fueled impulse purchase, after all, all they need is one person to accept the price. Or maybe it's set high as a negotiation tactic. Someone makes an offer and the actual price is a little lower.
Hey, for February 2022 I currently am selling to any Canadian 🍁 🇨🇦 customer for 1/2 shipping fees in honor of the Canadian truckers’ #FreedomConvoy. I generally ship First Class for $19.95, so it’ll be basically $9.95 for First Class shipping, but the 1/2 off applies to other shipping services too. If you spend $200.00+, I’m happy to negotiate lower shipping rates too, but we’d need to talk one-on-one. So if you see anything you like on my eBay store or IG, keep that in mind. #HonkHonk 🇺🇸
I'm new to collecting comics. I've gotten a few, like Superman's New 52 issue 32, etc. (preowned). My question is, do you just collect comics, or do you read any of them? Or do you buy dupes to read?
Hello. Just bought coverless avengers #8. "Buy the book not the grade". My kind of entry price. Not real high on the book. Had to have it. I got it at a price i can afford.
Yes I would. eBay sold is for sure the best way to figure out what a book exactly sells for, but kinda what I was getting at in the video…I just am concerned with what price I will need to hit in order to be the most competitive price out there (essentially the lowest buy it now). That way I’m offering the market the “best option”
Have you seen what comics are going for on claim sales? It's crazy. I wish those transactions were documented. They don't follow many of the comic market rules and norms.
Yeah I do take into consideration taxes/fees when I’m doing my actual book keeping. But as a general rule I don’t sweet the exact price it sells for. I just try to gauge what the easiest available book is currently being sold at to the market and use that as a guide to my decision.
EBay's over priced. That why comic collecting not fun anymore.i go buy real prices .to many trying to sell stuff way more then it's worth thinking they have gold . if it's worth 1000 in 9.4 then in 1.0 it's a 35 dollar book that on ebay probly buy now for 75. U lose in the end .
