Interesting… I’ve never had it easier.
Between sales of Muse Daredevil books (it has hands down become the biggest Marvel tv/cinema related spec money maker ever for me) & Disney Lorcana…the sales have just rolled in.
The Muse thing is weird… usually b list villains shouldn’t do so well. Especially one that won’t make it through the series. Maybe it’s his look? The awesome covers? Who knows…but damn those #11 & #14 just keep rolling along.
My February was fine. March has been slow but I have a big stack of stuff to list that I’ve been slacking on.
LOL! You nailed it and how it has been for me at shows too.
In the Fall at shows, slabs felt like they were this wonderful piece of art that nobody could afford just sitting on the back wall or even the slab boxes on the table.
I have shows these next 3 weekends, with my next one this Sunday in Wisconsin. I’ll report back on how things went and especially if any slabs moved or not. Slabs are starting to become antiques.
The telling part will be next weekend at Indiana Comic Con where we are there for 3 days. Hoping to move some of the books there.
At least you aren’t out a bunch of money. I buy a ton of books on ebay but have to limit myself to things that I believe will be relevant in the future. I only buy 9.8 first appearances. I have learned in my old age that 9.8 1st apps are what retains the most, then there needs to be reason for folks to buy. Don’t grade non keys, period. Just like cards, I see so many that never should have been slabbed in the first place - and it usually must be a PSA 10, or a CGC 9.8 or nobody wants it taking up space in the PC box. GL!
I’m honestly not sure if it makes sense to grade much of anything anymore; with the exception of super expensive old books and signature series books
Do I really want my book listing to appeal to (example) 5% - 10% of the total hobbyist population (for slabs) or to 80 - 90% of the total hobbyist population (raws). The actual grade of 9.8 seems to matter within only that 5 - 10% of potential buyers. The rest just don’t give a hoot and growl and scoff when I point a book out - key or no key. 9.8 or not 9.8.
I haven’t even gotten into costs which are now a bit on the crazy and bananas side of the scale.
The only, and I mean only place I can sell slabs is Ebay with some barely success.
As for the frequent convention shows I do, I have to bring my dust rag for the tops of my slabs - Unless the hobbyist/collector at my table scoffs so hard it blows the dust off on its own.
Damn shit is like carrying a kitchen sink around with me, strapped to my back.
Most (not all) hobbyists want raw books - and that’s a period. And that is very very very different from 5 years ago.
Someone make a thread “Slabs are dead”
And let’s make it the most viewed thread on the site. I’m ready for CGC to fall.
When does PSA start grading comic books?
That’s funny. Don’t you mostly sell Mark Spears variants? I can see the tension there, depending on where you are in the food chain. Mark and the top level have the CGC 9.9s, gold foils, etc. It is all about perspective.
CGC won’t fully fail. They can certainly get too big and have to downsize, but there is a real place for authenticating and grading comics. The main thing hurting CGC was their willingness to bend over to the fake rare scheme and by working with the new comic printers to create 9.9 copies and diminish themselves. Only legit comics need slabbing. These can be expensive lessons. I’m waiting for the photoshop ratio variant cover scheme to die - and it has, people just don’t realize it until they go to sell.
I would no longer grade modern books. If you sell them for fifty bucks on ebay you are just wasting your time. I have 9.8’s up for forty bucks (free shipping) just to be done with them and they are still sitting there.
When the stores starting selling speculator packs and 9.8 pre sales, that was pretty much the end of modern books.
For me, a modern 9.8 is like claiming the car that just rolled off the assembly line is in “pristine” shape… of course it is, it’s brand spanking new.
Now you get that classic car from the 70s or earlier in “pristine” shape, that’s a gem and worthy of pointing out it’s grade where someone took mighty fine care of it.
Never got into the slab to flip game. I never saw the appeal. I have a few, but mostly because I sent in 2 or 3 copies of a single book hoping one would be 9.8, and the rest I’d just move when they sell. And even that was a very rare for me. I maybe send in one small batch per year…and haven’t done that in over a year.
I bought a Rocketeer retailer incentive slab today for 25 bucks. Basically less than it cost to slab.
Less than the cost by a mile.
The breakdown -
#1 Price of whatever book to buy (plus shipping if bought online)
#2 Send to CGC (5-10 bucks)
#3 Slabbing $27 ( Associate and Premium members save 10% on grading)
#4 Return shipping minnimun is $25
And this is what people that don’t use CGC don’t understand. And then if you didn’t get that 9.8 then the whole thing is f*****.
Funny. I had my Impact Winter #1 up on eBay and Mercari. Same price, $74.99. Got an offer for $30 on eBay which I turned down right away. Book sold on Mercari right now. Helps they have a 5% off coupon for customers which brings their price down at purchase. But moving 2x the books on Mercari now than eBay. Never thought I would see the day.
I take that back, 7x the books on Mercari as eBay.
I haven’t sold on Mercari since they made all those policy and fee changes. Gonna list a few on there just to compare with eBay…
Do you find that all your books sell better on Mercari or just whatever is hot at the moment?
Just listed mine on Mercari as well as a copy of Dracula #3. No movement on eBay after 3 days so we’ll see if Mercari come through as it has for you.
At the moment yes, my hot books have been selling more on Mercari than eBay. In fact, I have only moved one book on eBay this month, seven sales on Mercari.
I tend to have no good luck on Mercari and my prices are a tad bit cheaper than eBay. I also offer free shipping on Mercari.
Well, an hour after listing on Mercari, my impact winter sold on EBay.