Flights, tickets, food, hotels - as far as the cost of a book at a con, those are what are referred to as "sunk costs." They are expenses that you are going to incur just in the attendance of the con, regardless if you actually buy anything at the con. If you attended a con but bought no book, you'd still be out all that money. Therefore, the real cost of the book is only the price that you paid directly for the book. Put another way: if you try to say that any of those other costs are associated with the cost of the book, you'd basically be saying that your food was free, your con pass was free, your hotel was free, ... etc.
I, too, want the underpriced graded comic grail fairy to drive to my house in a van... There are fantastic deals to be had in all of these, but you have to love "the hunt" and not just be out to make a quick purchase.
Problem with collectibles is there is no real "market value" it's all in what you're comfortable paying. Sellers can set a price, but if no buyers, price will come down. For me, ST #180 is $100 max. The whole MCU driving prices is pretty stupid.
Top notch information and I agree with your choices, particularly the top 2. I find my Con purchases are limited to raw, run fillers, etc. and stuff I want to read. Not a good idea to look for higher value keys, etc. Plus I just enjoy the experience, talking with people, etc. It's been 25 years or so since I bought a big ticket comic at a larger Con. Smaller/local Cons, on the other hand, are great places to get books but the selection is drastically limited. Never got a graded book off Whatnot and the two times I've bought raw comics I was disappointed with condition when I received the books with, like you said, no remedy. No more Whatnot for me. Great video!
Yeah I agree with your entire list. Short box is incredibly frustrating as you can’t contact the seller directly and even the slabs that are marked green for good price I find are still over priced from current eBay sells.
Disagree about ebay for the most part. Yes, there are crazy priced BIN's that never sell, and a low percentage that sell at twice what they should. But if you check the solds and not what's available, most of what sells averages out to the fair market value...and in some ways even defines the market value, since so many comics are sold there. I sell on ebay at average market value or below, NOT market value + fees. I factor in the fees I'll have to pay before originally buying a book, not when I'm selling it, which only limits how much I'm willing to buy it for originally. Those fees are now quite high as a seller, often 20% or more depending on the price (13% or whatever officially, but that number gives a false impression. It often ends up 20% or more of your BIN for lower-priced books, especially if you use promoted listings), but they are not passed on to the buyer. The buyer has no "transaction fees" as you call them. Shipping, yes. But I wouldn't call taxes and shipping transaction fees. You pay shipping for anything bought online (even if its hidden on Amazon by Prime's other fees), and you're "supposed" to pay taxes anywhere you buy (buying at shows or with cash, you can often avoid it, yes)...That being said, I know the bigger places that sell on ebay do pass some fees on. For instance, mycomicshop has comics cheaper on their website than on ebay, even though its the same comic.
I agree that Heroes was a reasonably-priced convention. I saw a lot of deals go down there, and I myself found some big books and paid fairly for them. By contrast, I just attended FanBoy Knoxville, and other than a few notable sellers, the prices were head-scratchers to say the least. In one instance, there was a seller that had some quality books, but the pricing was "boom prices" all the way. Books were 30-40% higher than even a seller right across the aisle that had the same books, and I wish I was exaggerating on the percentages. My wife asked the guy how the show was going and he indicated "not well", but I didn't know a polite way to tell him that he's WAY too high. Side note: Speaking of Heroes, it was good to meet you and have a short conversation (we met in front of Buzzard Bros.' booth if you recall). Keep up the good content!
I have got my best deals at Comic-Con’s. Hands down the best place to buy graded comic books. Now that being said you can also find the most expensive over priced books at comic con as well.
Love the vid! The sellers I watch on whatnot take their time to show the books before they start the auction. I also prefer going through sellers bins & making an offer on stuff I want or working out deals in the dms. I think in general WN is full of sussy baka sellers, but does have enough good ones to curate a nice front page. A good tip to not overspend during auctions on there is to only use the max bid amount button & enter a custom amount.
Thank you - interesting video; good advice especially about ancillary costs and being cautious for new collectors. I would like to suggest that at any Con or collectible gathering (art, guns, antiques): go last day, bring a bunch of cash and be brutal on your offer because dealers have to cover costs. Otherwise just walk away, be patient and buy CGC graded books at auction. Thanks again keep up the videos.
Those are the weirdest books when it comes to price. Whether the ASM 1 or FF1, I'll see a 7.0 sell for not much less than like a 9.2. But you're 100% correct, they only get super expensive in the 9.6 to 9.8 range.
9:12 I did find a nice Zombie Tramp CGC 9.8 at my antique store not too long ago for $50. Just a random issue, but still I felt like it was a decent price idk...
Oh I can't stand that annoying old pricing tactic. "I overpaid for the comic so I have to price it higher". Dear dealer, that's not our fault! At some point you have to accept you will take a loss, and better to sell and get the additional cash flow in then wait forever to sell, assuming it ever goes back up.
Yeah my local LSC had a 1st Iron Man book that I would have been interested in trading or buying but had it priced $1500 over FMV and I over heard the owner say he overpaid for the book basically trying to pass the brick to someone else
I also don’t want to hear about a dealer’s costs and overhead, whether it’s an online or convention dealer or even a shop. Your costs are your problem. If you can’t make a profitable business out of it, then get out of the business. That is unless you can find enough suckers and people who don’t know pricing to buy your overpriced books to keep afloat. My experience at most cons is dealers go there to show their books, not to sell them. Unless of course they can find some of those suckers. Prices are always too high on just about everything from every dealer. Some prices are so high it’s literally insulting. I’m talking 2,3,4 times FMV.
@@kenny_numbers No it's honestly utterly nuts at conventions. They truthfully are just looking for suckers. Maybe by the last day when they have sold very little or nothing do they finally give in and are willing to work out a deal. But by then it's just annoying when they've ridiculously over priced soo much to start.
Oh dear, I don't know when you brought that ASM 3, but it seems you're about $2000 down in that grade..🫣 Also, you spent $6000 on mystery boxes on the off chance you would win a book... 😳 I think you may have a gambling problem. 😕 Anyway, I've just subscribed, so there's a positive for you. 🫡
Flights, tickets, food, hotels - as far as the cost of a book at a con, those are what are referred to as "sunk costs." They are expenses that you are going to incur just in the attendance of the con, regardless if you actually buy anything at the con. If you attended a con but bought no book, you'd still be out all that money. Therefore, the real cost of the book is only the price that you paid directly for the book. Put another way: if you try to say that any of those other costs are associated with the cost of the book, you'd basically be saying that your food was free, your con pass was free, your hotel was free, ... etc.
I, too, want the underpriced graded comic grail fairy to drive to my house in a van... There are fantastic deals to be had in all of these, but you have to love "the hunt" and not just be out to make a quick purchase.
Problem with collectibles is there is no real "market value" it's all in what you're comfortable paying. Sellers can set a price, but if no buyers, price will come down. For me, ST #180 is $100 max. The whole MCU driving prices is pretty stupid.
Top notch information and I agree with your choices, particularly the top 2. I find my Con purchases are limited to raw, run fillers, etc. and stuff I want to read. Not a good idea to look for higher value keys, etc. Plus I just enjoy the experience, talking with people, etc. It's been 25 years or so since I bought a big ticket comic at a larger Con. Smaller/local Cons, on the other hand, are great places to get books but the selection is drastically limited. Never got a graded book off Whatnot and the two times I've bought raw comics I was disappointed with condition when I received the books with, like you said, no remedy. No more Whatnot for me. Great video!
I completely agree with your logic on opportunity costs and hidden costs. The same logic applies when it comes to selling. Time is money. Great video!
Yeah I agree with your entire list. Short box is incredibly frustrating as you can’t contact the seller directly and even the slabs that are marked green for good price I find are still over priced from current eBay sells.
Great video, just subbed up!
Disagree about ebay for the most part. Yes, there are crazy priced BIN's that never sell, and a low percentage that sell at twice what they should. But if you check the solds and not what's available, most of what sells averages out to the fair market value...and in some ways even defines the market value, since so many comics are sold there. I sell on ebay at average market value or below, NOT market value + fees. I factor in the fees I'll have to pay before originally buying a book, not when I'm selling it, which only limits how much I'm willing to buy it for originally. Those fees are now quite high as a seller, often 20% or more depending on the price (13% or whatever officially, but that number gives a false impression. It often ends up 20% or more of your BIN for lower-priced books, especially if you use promoted listings), but they are not passed on to the buyer. The buyer has no "transaction fees" as you call them. Shipping, yes. But I wouldn't call taxes and shipping transaction fees. You pay shipping for anything bought online (even if its hidden on Amazon by Prime's other fees), and you're "supposed" to pay taxes anywhere you buy (buying at shows or with cash, you can often avoid it, yes)...That being said, I know the bigger places that sell on ebay do pass some fees on. For instance, mycomicshop has comics cheaper on their website than on ebay, even though its the same comic.
Yeah I fully agree with you.
I agree that Heroes was a reasonably-priced convention. I saw a lot of deals go down there, and I myself found some big books and paid fairly for them.
By contrast, I just attended FanBoy Knoxville, and other than a few notable sellers, the prices were head-scratchers to say the least. In one instance, there was a seller that had some quality books, but the pricing was "boom prices" all the way. Books were 30-40% higher than even a seller right across the aisle that had the same books, and I wish I was exaggerating on the percentages. My wife asked the guy how the show was going and he indicated "not well", but I didn't know a polite way to tell him that he's WAY too high.
Side note: Speaking of Heroes, it was good to meet you and have a short conversation (we met in front of Buzzard Bros.' booth if you recall). Keep up the good content!
When I have alil money too spend I buy from brys he’s usually priced fair but ya I sell on eBay and the fees are high and sometimes not worth selling
I have got my best deals at Comic-Con’s. Hands down the best place to buy graded comic books. Now that being said you can also find the most expensive over priced books at comic con as well.
Love the vid! The sellers I watch on whatnot take their time to show the books before they start the auction. I also prefer going through sellers bins & making an offer on stuff I want or working out deals in the dms.
I think in general WN is full of sussy baka sellers, but does have enough good ones to curate a nice front page.
A good tip to not overspend during auctions on there is to only use the max bid amount button & enter a custom amount.
PS- CARNAGE IS ALWAYS WORTH THE ATM FEES 🔥
Thank you - interesting video; good advice especially about ancillary costs and being cautious for new collectors. I would like to suggest that at any Con or collectible gathering (art, guns, antiques): go last day, bring a bunch of cash and be brutal on your offer because dealers have to cover costs. Otherwise just walk away, be patient and buy CGC graded books at auction. Thanks again keep up the videos.
TRUE THAT!! ALL OF IT
I love buying comics from comic con’s. I take large wads of cash and get. Great deals since I pay with cash
So now the fair market went up ?
Love your work! Awesome!
Check the tape? What year is this?
Gotta be careful on those GRRs. They have some value but only at high grade. And don't forget GRRs dont have the 12 cent price tag on the cover...😎
Those are the weirdest books when it comes to price. Whether the ASM 1 or FF1, I'll see a 7.0 sell for not much less than like a 9.2. But you're 100% correct, they only get super expensive in the 9.6 to 9.8 range.
So you want sellers on e-Bay to always take a hit?
9:12 I did find a nice Zombie Tramp CGC 9.8 at my antique store not too long ago for $50. Just a random issue, but still I felt like it was a decent price idk...
I grabbed a nice asm on Shortbox auction !! But I do agree u paying tax and shipping 😮
Last strange tales 180 in a 9.6 sold for $450. I would say you bought it under fmv.
Can’t really complain about tax and shipping if buying online…😂
So basically dont buy them anywhere got it
Whatnot is trash. Instagram and eBay are the best.
Hard pass on this guy.
Oh I can't stand that annoying old pricing tactic. "I overpaid for the comic so I have to price it higher". Dear dealer, that's not our fault! At some point you have to accept you will take a loss, and better to sell and get the additional cash flow in then wait forever to sell, assuming it ever goes back up.
Yeah my local LSC had a 1st Iron Man book that I would have been interested in trading or buying but had it priced $1500 over FMV and I over heard the owner say he overpaid for the book basically trying to pass the brick to someone else
@@billyrod1980 Yeah that’s just never gunna work. Kudos for not falling for it 👌
I also don’t want to hear about a dealer’s costs and overhead, whether it’s an online or convention dealer or even a shop. Your costs are your problem. If you can’t make a profitable business out of it, then get out of the business. That is unless you can find enough suckers and people who don’t know pricing to buy your overpriced books to keep afloat. My experience at most cons is dealers go there to show their books, not to sell them. Unless of course they can find some of those suckers. Prices are always too high on just about everything from every dealer. Some prices are so high it’s literally insulting. I’m talking 2,3,4 times FMV.
@@kenny_numbers No it's honestly utterly nuts at conventions. They truthfully are just looking for suckers. Maybe by the last day when they have sold very little or nothing do they finally give in and are willing to work out a deal. But by then it's just annoying when they've ridiculously over priced soo much to start.
@@Comicbookyoutubersrock Their asking prices are too high to even negotiate from. I just walk away.
Oh dear, I don't know when you brought that ASM 3, but it seems you're about $2000 down in that grade..🫣
Also, you spent $6000 on mystery boxes on the off chance you would win a book... 😳
I think you may have a gambling problem. 😕
Anyway, I've just subscribed, so there's a positive for you. 🫡