I starting collecting comics with I was 8 years old. My 1st book was a Rawhide Kid issue I still have 35 years later.
During the later 1980's and 90's I bought and sold a lot of comics. I'm still very interested in the hobby and plan to pass it down to my daught who also now eight years old.
But I have a lot of comics.
So here's the topic:
What's the best way to sell comics
1. Yard sale
2. Convention
3. eBay
4. roll your own web-site
what do you think?
During the later 1980's and 90's I bought and sold a lot of comics. I'm still very interested in the hobby and plan to pass it down to my daught who also now eight years old.
But I have a lot of comics.
So here's the topic:
What's the best way to sell comics
1. Yard sale
2. Convention
3. eBay
4. roll your own web-site
what do you think?
posted by:
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Washington
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Re: Selling Comic Books
Tue, May 22, 2007 - 7:03 PMeach has its own strengths and pitfalls:
1) Yard Sale
the yard sale is dead. the internet killed it. Nobody scours yard sales anymore. Nobody thinks they'll find a gem. they just want a citrus squeezer at a fair price, or maybe some glasses and a pitcher from 1972 (and even that would sell for more money on Ebay!) The main drawback with the yardsale is that nobody is going to give you a fair price for anything. Everyone still dreams of buying that box of comics from granny's attic that contains mint contion early runs of DEtective Comics and Action comics, but it hasn't happened in many years. grannies are too savvy with the internet now.
2) Convention.
Once again, you'll have to settle for handing out deals. Sellers go to conventions to sell off their overstock at reduced prices. so you'd be competeing both in volume and price. Plus you have to pay a huge ticket price to put up a booth at a good con, so you have to outsell that investment considerably to make it worthwile. a small local convention might be good for you however.
3) Ebay
don't even think about it unless you are willing to do the following: a) send off all your comics in the mail to be cgc rated and sealed in blisterpacks. these are almost exclusivly the only comics that sell on Ebay. b0 pay ridiculous fees for the listing AND the closing of the sale. I sold a $100.00 item on Ebay and they charged me 20$ for the sale! AFTER i Paid 12.50 for the listing in the first place! that's 32.50 out of $100. almost 1/3! c0 Comete against every othre major comics seller in the US, abroad, and in outer space and pocket dimensions. just search "comic" on Ebay and see how many hits you get.
4) Roll your own website
maybe a little less doomed than Ebay, in that all you have to pay is: Site hosting costs, advertising on relevant sites, Paypal account, shipping materials and of course the website itself; but hey, if you can swing it, maybe its the thing to do.
Just thought I'd offer my opinions on the routes you suggested.
I've given it some thought and even tried a few of these. Know anybody who might be interested ina collection of Star Wars Miniatures? -
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Re: Selling Comic Books
Wed, May 23, 2007 - 6:09 AMIt all depends on what your goal is for selling the comics.
If your goal is to get as close to "book value" as possible, then ebay and your own website are the best way to go of the ones you listed. What you have to watch for is overhead, both the kind that show up on a balance sheet and the kind that doesn't. (i.e. the cost of running a website or ebay auctions and the time and effort that go into having success on ebay) Remember, the majority guys who sell comic books for a living work long hours and survive a pretty thin margin... If you're not willing to spend the time and money, you're unlikely to achieve the price range attain for a large number of comics.
If on the other hand, you just want a quick cash in on the titles that you don't want to pass on to your daughter, I would recommend doinga round of yard sales/conventions and then sell the remainder on ebay as a collection. -
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Re: Selling Comic Books
Wed, May 23, 2007 - 6:19 AMAll great feedback to ideas.
And of course I've tried all these myself at one time or another.
A few years ago I did quite well on eBay. Before everyone and his dog was on there.
I do have a website that costs virtually nothing.
I tried selling at a yard sale. I had a few hundred comics sitting out, mixing in with a couple of old lamps and dishes.
I didn't sell anything, but ending up making a good trade.
Sometimes I think trading is the the most rewarding way to go. -
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Re: Selling Comic Books
Wed, May 23, 2007 - 6:36 AMYeah, I've done them all as well. I've been to lazy to check where y'all are, but Yard Sales have been pretty profitable for me in the past here in Columbus... Making sveral hundred dollars at some. I think the key is lots of flyering and craigslist back up.
Ebay has definitely changed as a comic market. Like ZaeM said, the books that do the best on ebay as individual sales are the ones that the best currently. I've noticed that small lots collections do fairly well, since the retailers looking for stock are in direct competition with the collectors.
I think the hardest thing about selling comics is divorcing yourself from preconceived notions of their value. In the end, you can only judge the value of a comic by what someone is actually willing to pay. (For instance, In my mind a comic book listed on ebay for $40 with no bids is worth nothing. Regardless of what the guide says.) -
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Re: Selling Comic Books
Wed, May 23, 2007 - 8:11 AMworse than that!
It costs something to list it!
I remember when we actually used to us4e the damn price guides to gauge worth; as the prices in there come from a comparrison of what is selling in a cross section of the american market, and for how much.
Its so frustrating how inaccurate the guides pinpoint value these days, and how nobody abides by the mean price.
It makes it very difficult to price your stuff.
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Re: Selling Comic Books
Wed, May 23, 2007 - 8:07 AMI gotta agree that trading is much more rewarding.
I trade gaming stuff alot, and since I've tried switching over to selling my Star Wars Miniatures, I haven't had any luck. Now if I were to put them up for trade, I feel It might be different.
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