If you had 10-15 minutes entering a shop you’ve never been to before (or in a long time), what are the books you search for immediately or go after first?
I thought of this as I’ve basically had to take such an approach as I’m traveling/vacationing with my family, constantly together…and so I need to work as efficiently as possible to keep my comic visits short but meaningful.
So as I’m strategizing…I thought it might be a fun question to ask people how they might approach (or are approaching) such a situation.
Anyway…here’s how some been attacking it this week as an example…not going to get into specifics of what issues as you all know by now which ones are the money books…except if it’s just one or two issues.
I attack these titles first mostly in alpha order…these usually take up the entire 15 minutes depending on how well organized the shop is.
Batgirl (Talaski/Mora) and Batgirls (Mora)
Batman (145 Putri)
Detective (1006/1007 Quintana)
Mr & Mrs X
Nightwing (Mora/Beefcake)
Red Hood Outlaw later issues / Hill (Mora)
Robins (Beefcake)
Rogue and Gambit (2018)
Tim Drake: Robin (homage covers)
Worlds Finest (early Mora/Beefcake issues)
Time permitting - if the above is quick or I have a little extra time to dig…
Transformers (IDW)
Trades (Mr & Mrs X, Nightwing, Red Hood, Tranaformers)
Junkyard Joe/Geiger/Rook keys
Batman & Catwoman Gotham Knights
Simpsons (#4 & Treehouse of Horror)
This is a fun topic. I’ll also be stealing what people put because I am driving from Indianapolis to Atlanta next week and plan to stop at shops on the way.
For PC, I search for older Skottie Young covers.
Otherwise, I do not have much to add to this list except for first print Absolute books.
I would add the following Dan Quintana books:
Justice League Dark #13
Daphne Byrne #2 variant
Dawnrunner #2 Dark Horse Cover C
He Who Fights Monsters #1 Cover C
I also check for Conan the Barbarian Titan Books and John Wick Dynamite…
My quick playbook is basically what D-Rog posted, although I’m not schooled in Transformers beyond first print Image DWJ Transformers #1.
I always check for Absolute DC titles, though, because you never know, even if most shops have caught on by now. Any Absolute Batman blanks, and first prints of Abs Martian Manhunter 5 and Abs WW 5 are grabs if the price is right. First prints of Absolute Evil #1 aren’t super valuable yet, but I think the potential is there.
I might look at those as a last resort. I haven’t seen an early/first print of any single digits in a long time…and when I was months ago they were beat to hell because they had so many other books stacked in front of them.
Now I find just about all shops have 20+ copies of the later prints…and it’s a PITA trying to figure out the printing since the cover art is the same and the bar code text so small.
I could spend 15 minutes just going through absolute reprints and find nothing worth a flip. And so I’ve essentially abandoned it as not good use of limited time in a shop. Most shops this past week I didn’t bother looking at books on the rack.
No offense - but is the ‘beefcake’ a gay thing?
Trying to understand this vision of you traveling with the family on vacations hunting for beefcake and Tm Drake books.
A large portion of my beefcake sales have been surprisingly to women. I’d say about 40%. I don’t know if it’s just men who used their wife’s eBay account to buy the books or not. Nonetheless I’m getting away more women buying comics this year than I have ever did in the past. Most of what they buy are Mr and Mrs X, Nightwing beefcakes etc.
Also has multiple women keep buying my IDW transformers books. Just kept buying one after another every time I find and listed a new issue in the run. She bought so many from many multiple orders I threw in a box of free transformers comics that she might enjoy .
I have multiple women on Mercari following me asking to let them know when I have Nightwing variants, Rogue and Mr./Mrs X comics up for sale. You can never be 100% sure, but I’d approximate 60-75% are women who like sexy men and/or romantic super hero covers.
Same here. I think the Japanese historical ties to Transformers has brought in Manga fans which a fair amount of Manga fandom are women as we all know.
so you guys buy beefcake books to resell to the ladies. Got it. It got defensive quick in here, lol. It’s all good.
I love the “Does it matter?” - none of it matters…I’m just enjoying the idea that folks are buying beefcake Robin books while on vacation with the family so they can resell, to women online. That is deep indeed - and I respect the hustle. That is what I am all about.
I go straight to the Silver Surfer bin, Conan, Image and Indy bins and look for random 1st apps in potential 9.8 grade - and then off-brand 1st apps like El Gato, Elfquest, Battle of the Planets, Powers, Silverhawks, Thundercats, cartoon stuff.
I buy beefcakes because they’re hot right now and it keeps selling for me. I can’t keep Moras in stock. It doesn’t matter who’s buying them, I’m an equal opportunist. If people want it and pay silly money for them I’m here with the shears ready to remove their wool.
I really don’t care who is buying them or for why, same thing when I find nude women covers. I buy and sell. Doesn’t matter to me what or why. I sell what others want so I can buy whet I like.
I was the first to answer. Yes. It was a quick answer because I was online when you posted, but not being defensive. I have told the story of when I bought my first beefcake book for $1 and the shop made fun of me. After I paid I showed them it was going for over $100 and they shut up quick. Again, I have very little shame when it comes to selling comics.