I remember when I was short on cash and out of work about ten years ago and had to sell of my childhood comic collection. Amid all the other stress in my life, it was a miserable experience because comic book dealers are some of the most deceptive, sneaky, low-balling people on the planet. I wanted to sell my stuff to collectors who would love and enjoy them like me, but all I got was vultures from local comic stores and online dealers looking to cheat me out of my books and flip them quickly. They would ask what I wanted for something and I'd tell them, and the guy would be like "that's what I'd put on it in my shop" and my feeling was "you can lowball me if I bring my books to your shop, but you came to my apartment to look through my stuff; I could care less what profit you feel you have to make." Out of desperation, I ended up selling the whole collection for probably 30% of its actual value because I needed money and the only people who answered my ads were dealers. I sold one book to a guy for $50 because that was a fair market price at the time, and he literally posted it on craigslist the next day (using my photo of the book from my own ad) for $250. I have always hoped he never was able to get that for it and lost money when he finally resold it. It's totally a rigged game taken over by speculators now and not a nice place for people who just love comics.

@danielsweet858

Жыл бұрын

when HAVING TO SELL ANYTHING bring along lots of Vasaline & prepared to bend over. No wonder most of these 'business men's were despised when growing up. They are generally spiteful, greedy & nasty creatures. I buy most of my old comics at outside flea markets. They are in mint shape but the folks actually seem wanting to sell them to anybody.

@spencers3935

Жыл бұрын

Same here. Now I enjoy screwing them over.

@dawolf856

Жыл бұрын

I totally feel for you. I have over 50 comic boxes of comics I've accumulated, read, collected and enjoyed the last 4 decades. I use to sell at flea markets. Low key stuff for the time (25 years ago) pretty much 70's to 90's comics I'd sell for $1 a piece. Never had a problem. Until one day a "collector", after going thru a box of about 200 plus comics, offered me $30 for the whole box. Told him "No", that was ridiculous... he basically berated me. Saying I was ridiculous and asking for too much. The box was filled with stuff like Marvel Team Up. Marvel Two In One. Firestorm. Nova. Black Lightning. Karate Kid. Captain America. Etc... all in Fine to Near Mint shape. Comics that weren't burning up the back issue bins back then, but $1 a book wasn't a bad price. He felt otherwise. I had close to 7 other boxes there. Actually making sells. I told him $150 for the box. He eventually upped his offer to $50. Needless to say, I didn't take the deal. As much as I needed cash, I was selling more to create space an unload books. At some point, I know I'm going to be looking to unload again. The experience you just layed out is a reminder of what's to come.

@brentbachmanjr.2523

Жыл бұрын

Y’all gotta lay off resellers 😂 y’all ain’t the only ones strapped for cash. Sound like Indian givers

@iangriffith4009

Жыл бұрын

I know how you feel man I've had comic dealers be jealous over my collection and insults on my books

You can guarantee that if those dealers thought any of THEIR cgc books were not graded properly they wouldn't tell you and sure as hell wouldn't change the price....

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

BINGO!

@bobwho9527

Жыл бұрын

In my experience, comic dealers at these cons are mostly predatory commodities traders. Part of the reason is the enormous cost of setting up a booth at these conventions. I avoid most cons these days if I'm looking for comics

@paullance1258

Жыл бұрын

“I swear I know better than professional graders.” Give me your credit card it’s worth more than CGC tells you 😂

@dashfatbastard

Жыл бұрын

@@bobwho9527 Predatory??? For a lot of smaller comic stores who fight to stay alive who've managed to hang on through comic boosts and busts, it's important to their bottom line. And HOW do you feel insulted over a comic book???? You want to play the market? Can't deal with human transactions? Use eBay. OF COURSE IT'S A MONEY GAME. Do you think they run cons as a non-profit corporation? it That's the nature of a free market economy. You wouldn't last 10 minutes at SDCC, believe me.

If you have graded books, you are generally (almost always) better off selling them on line somewhere. Dealers generally can’t compete with the price you will make by selling it to the end customer yourself. I never bother to try and sell graded books to a regular dealer… but I will occasionally try to work a trade if it goes heavily in their favor (sometimes I want a less popular book for myself and I am willing to trade a more popular book to get it). I don’t even take slabs into shows unless I have something pre-arranged.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

I’ve had success before doing this though

@Eyrrll

Жыл бұрын

@@Stickygoose Without knowing anything about your experiences, the changing market (and the overall economy) could be a big part of the difference. As the economics get tougher, dealers tend to get much pickier about their purchases… which makes sense. So you might be looking at a book and thinking “this book is worth $400”… while he might be thinking “this book is worth $400 but I am going to need to unload it fast because it is dropping, so I will offer $100, initially price it at $400, but realistically I’ll probably sell in a few months for $200”. The kind of financial risk scenario can cause a lot of disconnect between the buyer and seller and make for a lot of unhappy, or downright unpleasant, situations. And unfortunately, this happens a lot when the market is in decline.

@roberto-fu8lx

Жыл бұрын

Well said. the dealers are not really there to buy but to make money at the end of the day. Best bet is ebay or whatnot but you never know. Good luck.

@PurpleFoxArcade

Жыл бұрын

@@Stickygoose I feel like dealers sell high and buy low because they have to make a profit. Sounds like selling to actual collectors is the better option to get Fair Market Value.

@userloco99

Жыл бұрын

Agree 100%

"I'm not a comicon guy, I'm a comic show guy ..." Well said ... This is pretty much how I feel these days. I don't want to spend $50 and up for admission to a comic convention, which doesn't feature much in the way of comics, when I can spend $5 for admission to a small show with comics. Also, at these larger shows, the fees are higher so the Sharks tend to surface and charge way more.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Exactly

@RaymondRich

Жыл бұрын

Spot on. Nerd culture has become a monolithic brand that people now want to be a part of because it's the current pop culture zeitgeist. For many, it's more important to engage with the fandom than with the material you're ostensibly a fan of. I generally don't care and don't favor gatekeeping in any sense, but I also don't want to wade through (and subsidize) all of this extraneous noise just to get some books to fill out a run. Similarly, GenCon is no longer about tabletop gaming.

@TheoneGodfather

Жыл бұрын

Probably cost a lot to rent a place like that. Travel cost. Overnight accommodations. I’m sure in this day and age a lot of it is over priced due to greed.

@jfdesignsinc.innovationsid1583

10 ай бұрын

Howdy bro, I think your being pretty narrow minded about all of this….no dealer showed up there , paid fees, setup and decor, business Liscence with the state, maybe even insurance was bought,,, all that definitely wasn’t done to wait for you to show and buy your books for FVM, and pass them down for generations with a tale of what a great and knoble person you were. Everyone basically was thinking ,” you got all these high dollar books your trying to sell at this convention but not put the effort in a booth like we all did?” I’m actually surprised you didn’t pick up on this info and adjust your review of this day accordingly…. But what do I kno. Thanks for reading this

I started collecting comics when I was around 5 years old (I'm 60 now) and the 70's and 80's was a wonderful time to be a collector. For me the problem started in the 90's when all the variant covers started to come out. It wasn't really about reading comics anymore and became more about collecting variants just to put on a shelf and gather dust. When I started collecting there were no comic shops or conventions, you just had to go to your local drugstore once a week and hope that your next issue of your favourite comic was there.

@MtHockey

Жыл бұрын

I grew up collecting comics in the sixties. You would go from dime store to drug store hoping to find the comics that you wanted. You did not always find them. It was always a treat to find the books that you wanted, especially if they were in good condition, and not bent up from kids bending them over in the comic book rack. It was like striking a gold mine when you found someone with a pile of old comic books that would just give them to you to get rid of them, or trading comics with your buddies. To this day, I have never even seen or held an Amazing Fantasy #15, a ASM #1, or an FF #1, and I looked hard for these books as a kid. These guys who make videos showing off these books, who have the cash to just buy them; I don't know; more power to them, but it just doesn't seem right.

@tyronebrown8510

Жыл бұрын

The variants are back with a vengeance. It is amazing how a common book can jump up into the hundreds because of it's cover. Disgusting.

After vending at Cons for several years, we've found them to be an interesting beast. It's expensive to set up a booth, and most vendors are interested in quick sales and high volume. A Comicon is not the place to bring a stack of stuff that you want to trade or sell - that's what going to a comic shop on a non-busy day is for. So yes, they might tell you to come back later, or the guy whom you want to might not be there, because he's on a break or off running his actual brick-and-mortar store. We encounter this same problem trying to convince shops at Cons to buy some of our own original comics, so we are extremely appreciative when owners take the time to look at our comics and take a chance on stocking them (we're in 200 shops across the country using a direct approach method). Many of them will tell us to wait until the final few hours on Sunday, when they know how much money they've made, so that's the best time to get transactions done. If they have a warm feeling about how the weekend went, they'll be more likely to part with a few bucks of their hard-earned coffers. But, if you're a vendor, Comicons are a must, because there's nothing like a real-life positive interaction, knowing that a customer made a purchase and became a fan! It's hard to feel that kind of love online (except, of course, in KZread comments and chats).

AT ONE TIME TIME DEALERS WERE FELLOW COLLECTORS BUILDING THERE OWN OWN COLLECTION NOW ITS A PROFITABLE BUSINESS. NO FUN OR HISTORY.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

I don’t think these guys even like comics

The comic market (like everything else) is crashing. People are looking to sell at peak comic boom prices and not accept a loss when they bought at high prices. Pocket your money for now, don't sell, and look to buy when the market has crashed and the timing is right. I pulled out of making any purchases in April and have zero regrets. I've also been seeing more of this at "comic" conventions - tons of booths filled with Funko Pops, cosplay stuff, anime, replica weapons, and every other fandom that they can cram into these buildings.

Hate those dealership tactics. Putting your product down to negotiate a better price. Same thing is happening in sports cards. Dealers bought at highs and are unwilling to take a loss in a down market.

@danielsweet858

Жыл бұрын

I quit messing with them years ago.

I feel you. I really do. The 90s was a much better time for comics in my opinion. So tired of people buying just based off TV shows and movies. So few actual comic fans. I have nothing against people making money... *sigh* I feel you.

@RaymondRich

Жыл бұрын

There is a great deal of irony in referencing the 90s here (when speculators entered the market en masse). Makes me think this has been the trend for a very long time.

@Bradimus1981

Жыл бұрын

@@RaymondRich You are not wrong, but without being an expert the 90's still felt very different then what is going on now. The people who claimed to be comic book fans, were actual comic book fans. Not so much anymore if you ask me.

This is the same thing that happened to me at Megacon price wise. I was specifically looking for Moon Knight #1 and this is right before the show so I knew prices would be slightly inflated but when I got there they were all asking 200-300 for 9.0s! I was appalled and just instead went hope empty handed and bought it online for 90

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

good for you!!

Pro tip, when you go to those big cons you have to go the first day early. If it’s a Friday,Saturday,Sunday go Friday soon as it opens. People are setting up then you can wheel and deal. Saturday it’s just a party and it’s packed. The last day is also a good day dealers are trying to deal then as well.

I’m sorry man but this was actually really refreshing and commiserating for me to watch. It reminded me of my experience last month at my comic con. I tried to tell myself I was having a great time but I ended up exhausted and with nothing to show for it

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

It took me days to recover from that trip lol

I feel your pain... I never try to sell to dealers only direct to collectors!

Bro, I had no choice but to subscribe. The way you described those vendors...LOL

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Hahahaha kinda turned into a roast session

Dealers at recent comic show basically said their high prices were being dictated by how much THEY paid for them back during the boom.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

I’ve heard that bs too. That’s on them

Comic dealers are about as honest as car dealers. Always keep that in mind. Always.

@SiccDeville

Жыл бұрын

best analogy ever!

You said it right. Vendors can care less about the correction in prices we are the ones who still have to pay too dollar

Spot on with them over valuing their books and under valuing yours. That’s how it was for me at Vegas Comic Con. Was really disappointing for my first con.

The problem with big cons is that it's so expensive to set up ad a vendor. So vendors really mark their books up because they know the bug shows bring in big crowds. Some collectors that go like you and me still will not over pay for a book even if it's a key. Some people don't care how much a book is. If they want it, they buy it with 0 research. The amount of insults though from the dealers about your books... Jesus. What a bunch of rude people. All they had to say was, nice books, but we're not interested. Thanks for letting me look. I'm honestly not a fan of big cons either. Too many people and grossly overpriced books never is a good time. The small shows are where it's at.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Yea I’m gonna stick to shows

I hate when sellers insult other people's books. Whenever I'm buying from a collector, I always try respect their books. I've found when their books are respected, they feel respected and then they are more likely to respect me as a buyer and be willing to negotiate.

@Eyrrll

Жыл бұрын

I used to do it for a living and (for raw books) pointing out problems with the books is generally a good thing as long as you are not a jerk about it. Many customers are unaware how picky other customers will be when making a purchase, so pointing out things like that helps to set more reasonable expectations AND it also helps the person know what to look for when they make further purchases. That said, picking at graded books is pointless unless there is a major glaring issue that somehow got missed during slabbing. It’s better just to refuse the book entirely and say nothing.

@wahoocomics

Жыл бұрын

@@Eyrrll Totally agree that pointing out problems is a good thing. What I'm talking about is the tendency I've seen some sellers have to be a jerk as you mentioned. I think there's a world of difference between a seller saying: 1. "Man, these books are in terrible shape, looks like they've just been thrown in a box, etc." in order to shame you in the hopes that you sell them the book at a low price vs 2. "Man, you've put together a nice collection here and I'd love to be able to buy some of these books from you. Some of the flaws I notice on this comic, however, are x, y and z, which does impact its value, so I could offer x." 100% agree that most people are unaware of how picky customers can be, so it is definitely helpful to set reasonable expectations, etc. by pointing out the flaws. All I'm saying is that there is a way to point out the flaws that make the other person feel respected and ways to do it that makes them feel shamed.

@Eyrrll

Жыл бұрын

@@wahoocomics Agree on all points. I will say that this type of behavior from sellers tends to be more common at shows (rather than stores), probably because the dealers are confident that they may never see the seller again. I’m not making excuses for the dealers in question, but it has always kind of been that way.

@Bob-yi2dp

Жыл бұрын

You are not obligated to buy anything from anyone and of course you have to make money. You are not running a charity but the respect part (as you said) is missing now a days. Talk to a collector looking to sell and if you can’t reach an agreement shake their hand and say thanks for stopping by. Thanks for being one of the good guys. I recently gave up on my local shops, after spending good money there they just don’t care. I mainly buy online now and I miss walking in, looking around and having a quick chat with the owner or person who works there.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Show respect get respect

My experience with dealers and shop owners for over 40+ years now is that they play dumb at 1st and try to feel people out to basically rip them off - it's a con game. In all fairness, buyers do the same thing. Dealers make a living off buying low and selling high. You'd be lucky to get 30-40% cash or 50% trade... and that's on good stuff. You have to look at things from their perspective. How much money do you think it cost them to set up at the con, buy the space, pay for the lodging, the rental, gas, the labor... etc. They are thousands in the hole before the con starts. Best bet from my experience is to be straight forward up front to save yourself time and from being insulted. Also, a smart buyer (if you have the money) scouts the books you want 1st, get a price in mind that you're hoping to get and then negotiate up front. If I spend X amount of dollars, would you be willing to knock off a percentage? Usually you can get 20% off or better if you're willing to drop $500. And cash always garners a little better if you know what you're doing. My advice would be sell your stuff on Ebay, take the 20% hit there and go to the con with cash in hand and that cash will gain you that 20% back if you're smart.

@BScott7220

Жыл бұрын

For me it's a fun side-hobby, selling my childhood collection book by book. Once in a while 'investing' in something new, usually 2-3 years ahead of a proposed movie release or something. Occasionally read for enjoyment, but only omnibus editions on the iPad. It's by no means a money-maker. Can't image all the headaches an actual dealer has to go through. The only brick-and-mortars that seem to survive have wildly diversified, into table-top games (w/ tournaments), toys, etc.

I've been going to cons for over 30 years. This is just how they are. Nothing surprising here.

@88playmkr

3 ай бұрын

I love department of the truth

I have a feeling the comic book hobby is hitting a bubble similar to the sports card bubble a couple of years ago. One thing I noticed about that bubble was the grading craze. Every card seemed to be graded, and it seemed you weren’t necessarily paying for the player on the card but the grade of the card. The price of Tom Gugliota card would be inflated simply because it was a PSA 10. Long boxes at Cons are still a great place to find some sweet books. I found a Watchmen #1 first print and a Batman #427 with the 900 number to vote for Jason Todd’s fate in some long boxes. Got them both for $15. Definitely not 9s, but they’re still in great shape and are perfectly fine for my personal collection.

@lambliesdown1

Жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more....my local comic shop is like that with thier graded books. They never spoke about what book it was, only concern was the grade and how much they can get for it. It's extremely disheartening

@jamesrawlins735

Жыл бұрын

Reminds me of when the comics boom of the 80s finally came crashing down between 93 to 97. The collecting market changed from the collector to the speculator. You started seeing comic book shops closing down, and about 2/3d of then were gone by 1997. The exact same thing happened to the baseball card collecting market - what made it worse was the companies flooded the market with so much product that it killed the value. Of course back then very few comics and baseball cards were actually officially graded - there was so much personal opinion (and no one wanted to spend money to get comics graded outside of really high value ones or from well-known collections.)

My experience with dealers is they all follow the adage of “buy low, sell high” and that’s disappointing sometimes. I remember when I was trying to sell a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #300 9.8 for 1500, signed by Stan Lee and Todd Mcfarlane at the time. Every dealer I tried to sell kept lowballing me. Highest offer I got was about $700. Like you I had one guy tell me that the 9.8 is what folks in the industry call a “soft 9.8” pointing out nicks and ticks that weren’t clearly there. Worst one was dealer that attempted to crack open the case saying he had to make sure that it was a legit 9.8. I took it away from that dumbass so fast.

@dancalmpeaceful3903

Жыл бұрын

Newsflash: As a dealer (not of comic books), that's HOW it works. In order for us to profitably operate, we HAVE to buy low and HOPE to sell high. The booths are NOT free. The gasoline to get there, especially thanks to Bidum, is not cheap. The hotel stay is NOT free either. A dealer will typically ONLY offer you 50% of the retail value of an object. No one is putting a gun to your head to SELL.....THAT decision is yours. IF that doesn't work...then don't DO IT.

@J.Valentine1031

Жыл бұрын

@@dancalmpeaceful3903 True, and understandable but if you’re going to give me an offer at least be honest and respectful with it and not treat me like an idiot. There’s nothing wrong with saying “hey this is what I can give or how high I can go or have you tried this guy or this place”. Pointing out imaginary damage, saying that the grade of the book is not a genuine 9.8, or like the moron I mentioned trying to crack open the case and say that he needed to make sure that the book was indeed a 9.8 grade. Things like that rub me the wrong way.

Im really loving this vlog style vids dude! Keep it up and damm what a view in the beginning. I did a trade recently for a bunch of books and what I did was show the dealers pics of the books on my phone before I took them out of my bag. That way you're not wasting your time.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

I did that Friday night.

Sorry to see such a bad experience. I was at NYC Comic Con and actually met really nice guys at the comic bins. I was buying, not selling, but I haggled some good deals with them for decent prices.

and your video is what proves my point about comics today, it's not about the fun anymore...vendors jacking up prices and that one vendor HAVING THE NERVE to tell you your CGC got it wrong on the grading...WTF!!!, now he's insulting you and those 2 boys, when u told them your HULK 181 was 4 grand they started giggling, I am not knocking you...that is a classic bronze age book and that's what it is worth, but these kids today don't have that type of loot. I'm 51, I just feel bad for this generation because this kids will not know the pleasure of buying comics books (back issues or present day books) because they are so damn expensive. it's actually cheaper to get a PS5 and a few games...in the long run. it's all money game now, all about that CGC grade and what it's worth.

@Bob-yi2dp

Жыл бұрын

100% agree with you. As a kid I got to know the owner at my local store very well. He would give me a little discount and I’d sometimes trade. I wouldn’t get full value but that’s ok he has to make money but he would give me a fair trade. That relationship part of comics is completely gone now. I mainly buy online now since repeat business doesn’t mean anything these days.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

You’re right! That’s what leading people to Veve and nfts. Completely away from physical market

Im so happy there is someone out there who goes through what I do 😂. Im from metro detroit and all the comic shows around here have similar comic dealers it seems. Best of luck brotha!

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

We suffer together!

@robbieracer3294

Жыл бұрын

Me too, near Sterling Heights actually...I can't even remember when I actually found action figures priced decently, every soccer mom thinks their beat to hell He-Man figures worth 30+bucks. Can't even really find any diverse figures, it's all the same crap table to table...

Same with gun shows a bunch of over priced vendors looking down at people yet they expect you to do business with them. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Never been to a gun show

7:39 in...... We are in a deepening Worldwide Financial depression(Not a recession, and soon worse then 1929), and its going to get much worse. More and more are catching on to that,and are really tightening there belts. Great video !

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Manny C! How you feeling today

@jbbrolic

Жыл бұрын

It's amazing to see politicians and economists warn that "we are in danger of entering a recession." Sure, technically (in terms of shrinking GDP or whatever) maybe we have not been in a recession for quite a while but to the average working person, whose money is worth a lot less without anywhere close to a correction in wages, we are in an an obvious depression.

@mannyc19

Жыл бұрын

@@jbbrolic Exactly, here in Canada the government is lying left ,right,and center, saying inflation is 8 - 9%,when everyone making less then 100k a year ,can clealry sees its at least 40 to 50% and going higher !

@mannyc19

Жыл бұрын

@@Stickygoose Mostly ok,until I need to gas up the car,at what is over 2x the fill up cost of 12 months ago.

Why would you want to sell to a reseller anyway? They HAVE to pay less, they have to be critical. The entire point of slabbing is so that anyone can sell them online for full price.

I was hoping to bringing some slabs to Baltimore Comic Con and try trading. It was good seeing your experience. Can't say that I'm not surprised by the dealers reactions. Got a lot of autographs to deal with 1st but you know ill do a complete recap on the channel. I liked all of those iron man and Spider-Man books, grew up reading all of those.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching

Funny thing all the comic sellers always say " Low Grade is Better Than NO Grade" I do agree with this saying, but when it comes to up grading through trading the story changes. I'm glade I am a collector and yes I do sell but to upgrade.

That first dealer can go **** himself . CGC graded those books. That is the grade.

@samfq3017

Жыл бұрын

I agree. Entitled prick that he is

@Bob-yi2dp

Жыл бұрын

Exactly! Unless the book has a glaring issue that was just over looked, the grade speaks for itself. You know if the dealer had that book he would insist the grade is 100% accurate

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

He was kind of like an old knight, that was passed his prime

“The key to any good comic con is to be slightly hungover.” 😂😂😂😂😂

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Haha it may have also led to my negative disposition

The beginning of the end...again. This cycle repeats every few decades.

Dealers do insult sellers books, hoping to discourage you to sell cheap. People like that I cannot stand, respect someones's books and if you don't want them then say 'pass' and leave it there. Don't try and re-grade a slabs, especially down, as guess what, when they come to sell it, it will be the 'this is the best copy I have EVER seen'. You had some nice books and if someone tell you otherwise they they are 'use appropriate profanities please'

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Show respect get respect

First time watcher and new subscriber of the channel. I attended NYCC on a Friday. Imagine the Cinci Con, but with 3-4 times more traffic. I was on a mobility scooter and it was almost impossible to get around. Plus the aisles for smaller exhibitors were much narrower. Regarding the comics, you could tell the good stuff changed hands between dealers before the doors opened to the public. I love reading comics and collecting, but the convention organizers need to start limiting tickets. Otherwise I don’t see myself returning. I look forward to watching your videos.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and welcome aboard

I've learned that most big comic cons are more aimed at pop culture than just comics. Due to the cost to exhibit, books are priced on the high side. The Cincinnati con is great to meet tv/movie stars and such, but other than dollar bins, usually not good for getting deals. I have much better luck with small shows that are actually organized by comic book stores and held at colleges or hotels, where the price of a table is not very much. Sorry you didn't enjoy the show.

Your not going to get full value of your cgc in trade, you know that, and your not going to get close if selling for cash man

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Have before

I would have walked around towards the end of the show when they still have all of their books on the wall. Cash is king. In the vendors defense they have a lot of overhead and will always trade heavily in their favor. Best to trade online with people, that has worked best for me.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

IG has the best deals

The only advice I have being a newer collector is to not attempt to sell at these shows as a convention goer. Focus your selling at a smaller, local show. Over here in Virginia we have something called the Schoff Comic and Hobbies Show which he does a few every month in Annadale, VA. If you are ever in the area, check it out. You'll be talking more so to local vendors and collectors so higher chance of cutting deals.

I got back into comics this summer after quitting 20 years. After collecting so many different things. Fandom can be heartbreaking. I hope I can dig in the wild in peace falling in love with comics all over again as if time stood still the last 20 years.

By the looks all those comic sellers in that con were in some sort of dialogue.

Never been to a comic con myself and I know when I do, I’ll be more mentally prepared thanks to your video. My small town comic store doesn’t have a dollar bin so I never knew what kind of goodies can be found

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Now you are ready to face the pain

Never deal with any dealer that doesn't have a "Wall" of raw comics. If they just have a small number of graded books they aren't big enough for you to mess with. Try Baltimore or Heroes Con. Both full of dealers who will buy.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

I will do that!

You know, they say the pandemic killed cons, but the dealers killed cons. They don't realize that the internet exists, and they're hoping they can find the dumb patron who also has never heard of eBay. I'm in Columbus, OH and this has always been the case for Ohio cons. Ohio cons should all adopt a mascot of Comicbook Guy from The Simpsons yelling "No lowballers, I know what I got!!!"

@jlarrybrewer1149

Жыл бұрын

I always loved the con in Columbus that was usually held after Thanksgiving. I once rode in a van with Mark Millar and Brian Michael Bendis to a private party at a local comic store. Don’t really remember how I got invited to it

I'm sorry you had a bad experience. Unfortunately this has been my experience on more than one experience. Once I actually went to a dealer who bought one of my books and he sold it for twice the value. Please continue to let us know your experiences at these "CONS" (yes pun intended)!

@kevinlambert2756

Жыл бұрын

Do you sell online ? Always willing to trade or $$$$.. Looking for golden age..The Marvel family..Mary Marvel..

@Caseshells123

Жыл бұрын

What he sells it for after he buys it from you is irrelevant. You obviously sold it too low. If you know the value then you can hold your price.

Im skipping cons for the next few years. Im not selling my collection, not trying to buy their over valued product, and with so many people in attendance the experience has become frustrating. Since my local comic shop started bringing in artists and writers, I get my signatures there. At this point, Cons are ONLY there for Vendor Alley, and with so many casuals involved people are THROWING money at damn near anything of value.

Ohhhh That Fantastic Four find is GREAT!! congratulations of finding those in the dollar bins!

The dollar bins are really helpful for completing runs and at the same time finding some gems. I noticed lately a lot non-key back issues are selling from 3 to 7 dollars so it’s gettng kinda tough to complete runs. I am presently trying to complete my Master of Kung run from the 70s. Prices at Comic Conventions I noticed are a bit overpriced so I have back off going to them. I live in New Jersey so there seems to be almost two every month. I mostly look for people who want to unload their collection for a reasonable price. I also learned to be patient and not fall into FOMO. Good content btw!

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

I’m going to be making a video about patience

Similar at ECCC this year. EVERY blue chip book was grossly overpriced. I wanted to go home with something big but why when it’s cheaper online.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Exactly!

I had the same experience at Wicked Comic Con in Boston. I had several slabs to try and sell and I got all the same responses you got. I had one guy literally pull out a wad of cash to show me and then said he isn't buying. Even though his sign clearly stated buying/selling comics. 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Yea lol they all saying buying comics for cash. Love the name of the con btw

No dealers wants to accept the market has corrected. Sad but true

Great video. I've got to say your preaching to the choir here. I had been going to the NY Comic Con since 2007 up until 2015 when it got so damn crowded you literally were packed in like sardines and would have to wait close to 10 minutes just to move like 50 feet in the dealers room. It was like being at a sold out concert at Madison Square garden or at Times Square during New Year's. I always complained to my friends that went with me, that adult comic book dudes like us were way outnumbered by all the anime teens and gamers running around and clogging things up. I stopped going when the Marvel movies started getting big around the time of phase 2 of the Marvel movies. By then there were lots of new Marvel fans but most were kids and teens. Your Con by the looks of it was practically empty in comparison to NY Comic Con and looked like the old Cons I used to go to at smaller venues in NY, NJ, and Pennsylvania. I really wish that they organized the Cons for the various fans by having themes and focusing on different genres on different days. Like Anime folks and Furries on Friday, Comic books, Sci-fi and Fantasy fans on Saturday, and Sunday should be reserved for kids, teens and families.

You covered it, but yes practically all big conventions are a mix of different types of vendors like this one. I'd recommend checking out C2E2 if you can - that would be the closest larger show to get your feet wet more if interested. You definitely need to be in the right mood to deal with crowds and deals not panning out. I think a lot of dealers are still getting used to the prices coming down and people not wanting to pay the Spring prices. Was that Stuart Sayger (the artist) that grabbed the whole stack?? I didn't know he bought books, too. I like his art though.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

That guy was actually someone known…bahahahaha ok that just made my day

It could a number of factors, their rent and utilities have gone up at their stores, homes and so on. Inflation is destroying small business and comic books are not priority for some people. We are probably going to get better deals online.

Well this sounds annoying. Dealers trying to downgrade your CGC books...WTF? Then insult you in the process!

The worst people I have ever met in my life were comic book dealers. Yelling, condescending, eye-rolling ayeholes. The guy on the Simpsons is more realistic than most people think.

Soon as he started commenting your books like "doesn't deserve to be a 9.8" I would've asked for them back and walked away.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

That’s essentially what happened lol

I would have snatched up those Infinity Inc books that you skipped in the dollar bin. #13 was a first published DC artwork by McFarlane ($8 in high grade) and #16 was a first Mr Bones ($40 in high grade raw). Not huge books, but some early McFarlane stuff. I am trying to collect everything (pre Image) from McFarlane. His panel work in those Infinity books was solid. As for the dealers, I have never been a huge fan. Many come off as smug and to your point, their 9.6 is special and your 9.6 is "meh...". They are there to sell and only buy if they can get it cheap and sell it for a significant markup.

I go to a lot of cons here in the south (I am in Houston) and it is the same every where -- dealers are consistently overvaluing their books and undervaluing yours. I do not even take stuff to trade anymore. Rather sell on an auction and take the money to spend. I have talked to some respectable dealers recently and they are surprised too at the prices some dealers are asking -- but they also said that they are getting some of the prices too. It is just where the market is right now, sadly.

@DocLowe

Жыл бұрын

I’m a little to the east of you in SETX, how is Comicpalooza over there? I was thinking about going, but if the trade/buy scene isn’t any better I’ll probably just go and enjoy the show instead of hoping for anything good lol

Comic Cons are exactly that..A CON! Full of Con Artists!

I live down the street from Queen City Comics, i go there regularly. He doesn't put those dollar books out at his own shop, i wish he would. He always has killer dollar bins at that show every year, I filled my back pack to capacity 2 years ago with Iron Man and Fantastic Four like you did. I almost came to the con this year just to hit those Dollar bins from Jeff at Queen City.

While I think it's crappy that some of the dealers talked poorly of your books I think it's just as crappy to get mad that none wanted to trade with you. They are ultimately there to make sales as trades won't pay the bills or their booth fees.

If you don't like crowds, you would hate SDCC. Guaranteed. Baltimore is a true comic show I'd recommend. GLMK is the best thing Claremont ever wrote imo. Powerful. I would have grabbed that TMNT #5.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

It’s just weird being around that many people after Covid. I love concerts and mosh pits

Sticky, I'm a 50 year old comic reader/collector and I feel your pain. I don't attend comic conventions anymore because the internet ruined them. In decades past, getting a good deal at cons was easy because no one could check global prices and rare merchandise was mostly acquired locally. Now EVERY convention price I see is "eBay matching" or over-inflated. So what's the point of driving to a con, overpaying for admission, parking and food when I can just buy my shit on eBay and have it delivered in a few days? The hunt is no longer fun and not worth the trouble. I HATE that the younger generations will NEVER read the classic Marvel/DC stories because the books are literally unavailable and overpriced. All the great stories of the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's? Nobody under 40 years old will EVER get to read them. Within a generation or two, all the great comic storylines will be forgotten and only the DC/Marvel films will be remembered because of the public's limited access to the comic books.

Newsflash: As a dealer (not of comic books), that's HOW it works. In order for us to profitably operate, we HAVE to buy low and HOPE to sell high. The booths are NOT free. The gasoline to get there, especially thanks to Bidum, is not cheap. The hotel stay is NOT free either. A dealer will typically ONLY offer you 50% of the retail value of an object. No one is putting a gun to your head to SELL.....THAT decision is yours. IF that doesn't work...then don't DO IT. As for I and my wife, when someone brings us a piece to buy I explain that before they EVEN show me what it is, these are the following things I have to consider FIRST: 1.Do I even NEED it? If I have 10 of something that AIN'T moving...why would I buy more? 2.Do I even WANT it? If it's damaged or common, I"m probably going to pass. 3.What are you wanting for it? If all 3 are a "yes"and the price is reasonable, then I"ll consider working with you. Also, I don't make offers as I wish to NOT offend. I let you tell me WHAT you want first. If I think it will all work, I"ll either tell you yes, or no, or I MAY make a counter-offer. My suggestion: Sell them yourself on ebay.......or go to a smaller show as that may work better....and then again...maybe not.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

You need to watch my recent video

I’ve had the same experience at local comic shops. New LCS opened almost 2 years ago near me. I got to know the owner spent thousands there over 1.5 years. Tried several times to get store credit on some books and he was offering like 60% fair market value, keep in mind I was asking for store credit and said I’d use the store credit and add money to it to buy some pricey books from him. No one seems to care about the buying experience and working with a repeat customer who spent good money at your store. I almost exclusively buy online now and I’m much happier for it.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

The best deals are on Instagram

Not the "Captain Morgan Pose" lmfao 😂😭💀🤡😆😆😂

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

This video just became me riffing on dealers

I think those people are looking to sell and not buy or trade. They spend a lot of time with traveling to the con, setting up the booth and all that. I'm sure it's a lot of work. So they are not trying to buy anything. I have tried that a few times myself and I got the same results. And you should always speak out if someone is dissing you and your books. Handel my books with care. I don't care who you are.

I think what you were experiencing is the dealers are just coming to grips with the fact the comic market has crashed.

Personal collectors are not the ones setting up

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Met some before

Not sure why people say oh this doesn't look like a cgc whatever...it should be this...mean while they send in comics and everything they send in should be 9.6 or better. Plus, I get the economy is not the greatest, but how do dealers go to shows without money on hand. They all claim to buy and sell, but no one wants to give you fair market

@Eyrrll

Жыл бұрын

Almost no dealer is ever going to give you fair market value because they can’t stay in business that way. Generally speaking, they should be paying about half market value with a variable of +/- 20% based on how many they already have and how fast they can sell the book (and that +20% is usually reserved for vintage, “best of the best” key books).

@vader4543

Жыл бұрын

@@Eyrrll I totally agree that no dealer is going to pay fair market value, but let's be honest they aren't selling at fairmarket value at these shows either. Not to mention have you seen ebay sale recently, alot of major key books are slumping. So why go to a shows, when dealers constantly complain either about the high ebay costs or the high cost of setting up at a show and yet still ask for extremely high or over market value and yet insist to offend people who are trying to move decent product. They aren't dealers at this point, they are just collectors trying to get deals.

@Eyrrll

Жыл бұрын

@@vader4543 Dealer show pricing has always been pretty variable… keys are usually listed well over FMV (or guide) pricing, while non-keys are usually under. The high price on keys usually has a bit of wiggle-room but that will vary based on the circumstances. That part of the industry hasn’t really changed in my 40+ years of collecting and being a retailer (for a decade or so). I hate to hear about some sellers being jerks to potential customers but really, that’s not a new thing either. I can understand some frustration on the part of dealers because the internet has changed everything… making it easier to sell stuff but also harder to get stuff at a price that you can afford to sell it (because nearly ANYONE can sell at FMV now, so selling under FMV to dealers is usually only required when you need a fast buck and are willing to accept less money).

@alamocitycollectibles6105

Жыл бұрын

The hobby pimps never give you FMV. They look at giving you 40-50%, at best, of FMV so they can pimp the book off. That's after insulting your books and regrading the professional graders. What scumbags.

That guy with the ink all over his hands that handled your books very weird, wasn't that Stuart Sayger?? I have had a couple run-ins with Stuart over the years and he isn't exactly a very nice person. He comes off as very cocky each time I have met him and have never bought anything from him because of how to treats people.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Dude that guy was a piece of work. Its crazy to me how many people recognized him and have reached out saying they knew him

I mean auction houses take 10% minimum, heritage takes 25% so dealers are typically gonna give you like 70% of what it's worth, if its an easily sellable book that isn't gonna go down 40% overnight during this recession and lose them money. Still talking someone's books down and not being upfront is not respectable. Dave and Adam's goes to bigger shows and buys everyone's books for like 70-75% of gpa price straight up and that's not a horrible deal for most casual comic people, but you're better off investing your time and selling your own. The rest of your criticism is very valid. Lots of related nerdy genres under 1 roof and somewhat misrepresented. Lots of people selling raw books like 3.0 at 5.0 prices.

I've been at this since my first Chicago Comic Con in 88. You have to know that you are going to take a haircut whenever you trade to dealers. The key is always to find the deals you are willing to make. Dealers nearly universally will over value their books and under value yours. At my last show, I found a very nice raw ASM 252. With a press, could grade out at a 9.4-9.6. He was asking $375 for it. I offered up my slabbed trade books to see what he would be interested in. He selected $350 in books, told me they were worth about $250 and he'd offer half of that in trade value. In the end, he wanted to take my books and still charge me what I considered FMV for the book I wanted in cash. Ultimately, I did pick up an ASM 252 at that show, for less than half what he was asking. And I did make a trade where I got a $90 raw book for a $120 slab. Also, the ComicCon has changed a LOT in the last 15 years. Conventions realized that they could bring in more people, therefore more $$ by catering to every fandom and celebrity auto seekers. Comics have been shuffled off to the side in favor of pop culture. You can still find some good comics at good prices, but there are a lot less of them these days. And far fewer comic creators anymore.

I call your experience the Chuck Rozanski effect. Most dealers seem to believe that simply by owning these books, the value is automatically higher. Rozanski, if you're unfamiliar with Mile High Comics, routinely prices dollar books in the $15 to $20 range. Then, if you try to sell a book, every dealer turns into Rick Harrison, "because they're taking all the risk on the book".

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

That dude is an actual nut job

In the early 2000s I stopped going to the big conventions because they were moving so far away from actual comics and into all the other stuff. I grew up with the old time comic shows in the back room of a bowling alley. And I wish they were still like that, fun and piles of comics.

The con seemed very similar to what I have seen to conventions both small and large lately. It is hard to find a good mix of vendors for all the diverse interests out there. The dealers not buying has been fairly common as well, I think many dealers are bulk buying at pennies on the dollar and are very reluctant to purchase slabs at even 60-75% of market. I have been close on a few deals but walked away because they only wanted to offer on one book. I did very well filling holes on silver age avengers this year so I'm not looking for quite what the mobs are chasing.

Lol I just keep watching thinking... you think these aisles are crowded? Lol ain't got nuttin on NYCC. Great show breakdown!

You would definitely be blown away by NYCC. It's far, far more packed and the cosplay genuinely is on another level but it's largely filled with non-comic tables. I think you hit the nail on the head by saying you're a comic show guy vs. a con guy. I totally get that.

You are correct-you'd be happier at a comic book show. These Comic-cons are big deals. They are held in large arenas, as opposed to comic book shows in a local Armory or Community building. Because the Comic Cons are so big, partially to handle the bigger crowds, they need lots of vendors. And a large Hall in Cincinnati is going to have expensive booth spaces. So there will be no bargains.

I have been in the comic industry and own my own comic store. Have participated in many comic cons and understand what you are saying. What everyone needs to understand is that you are rarely going to receive top dollar for your personal collections from a dealer or comic store owner. The reason is that they are not collectors, but rather running a business. You will never make money if you pay top dollar for a comic as you are not going to sell it for a profit. If you really want to make top dollar then you need to sell to another personal collector who wants to keep it and not reselling for a business. That is why pawn shops will never give you full value as they will not make money if they do. Just my opinion and experience. I do agree with you that many dealers feel they have to downgrade a comic to justify not paying full selling value. I do not agree that is a good strategy and I am always honest with people and tell them that I cannot give them full asking price if I plan to resell it. Thank you for sharing your experience.

I'm sorry you didn't have a good time at the convention. You got some great books out of the dollar bins, though; nice job. It's fun watching your con recaps in a vlog style.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Thank you

The last time I went to a TRUE COMIC CON was just before the C19 hit. Back when I lived in Cali went to a Wonder Con Anaheim it was awesome. Yeah sorry bro. Trying to sell to dealers at a con is next to zero. Those guys are there to make $$ cause there not able to get it back home. Your cgc stuff was probably awesome if not BETTER than there's and they didn't want/could buy. Dealers are there to make a profit 📈 also there gonna low ball you at every point

this is my take. unslabbed books = great for everyone, comic book collectors, casuals, and readers alike. slabbed books = only purpose is to make money off of them, they serve no other purpose. slabs at this point are just currency, and everybody wants more for their dollar.

Why would you expect dealers to give you collector prices? They're the ones setting up and paying those ridiculous booth fees. They cant pay you full retail and then sell it for retail.

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Because I’m cute

I stopped getting comics decades ago, just put what I had in boxes, then about 3 years ago, a dealer hears i have lots of comics since the '60's - he offered me $3 for a marvel Star Wars issue, i tore it up and kicked him out of my house... I hate dealers.

Yeah. That's how most shows are. It's 5% comics. 95% movies, video games, HBO, etc. Been like that for decades on some places. You mentioned San Diego. That's how it is. Most people are there to see actors.

I think it’s two things…. The Con (an apt name) is the wrong place to do business. The collected reprint market has killed a lot of the vintage market. When I was a kid the only way you were going to read the early issues of Spider-Man, for example, were to buy them.

Yeah Iv'e Been There. Like What You Have They Look At it & They Think Your Issue's Or Slab's Are Worthless. It's Better You Sell Them Off Somewere Else. 🙄

so you went to a show with a bunch of books to sell and tried to sell them to dealers that make a living selling comics and you wanted top dollar from them. Next time, pay for a table and sell as a dealer and try to sell them for top dollar to people like yourself.

I completely agree with you in the fact that you go to a convention for comics and they have all this other stuff that is completely unrelated and uninteresting. I want to see wall to wall comics.

The problem with the Comic-cons the first day you go they will not budge on prices and they lie alot. The last day is the best because they will budge unless they made huge amounts of cash. The reason they take you down is they want to get it at a lower price, so they can sell at a higher price. Its the reason I sit on my silver and gold books.

I've been going to quite a few conventions in recent years. It's funny how similar the experience is at diffenent cons, for different hobbies. They're a huge money drain, and typically way too crowded. They're fun, but I'm starting to be pickier and attend less cons, less often.

After to many years of buying physical comics, my collection grew out of hand. So for the last two years I've been readings digital comics and novels...

Bro. I’m so sorry for your experience but I love your commentary. You’re hilarious

@Stickygoose

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

I'm not dragging any collection with me to a con. Set your price online save that gas , time , and energy...