I no longer even get any views. Yes the economy still sucks, my prices aren’t bad. But something changed with ebay a while back and I don’t even get views anymore.
This is all I have left on ebay, I think wheh it’s gone, I’m done.
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Same here.
Interesting thing is my raws sell on Ebay.
My CGC’s do not, generally, sell for any more than a presumed raw equivalent grade.
9.8’s don’t even seem to mean nearly as much as they did previously.
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I have been moving more comics in Mercari than eBay. And those are good prices.
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I only sell on eBay, and I had my best Jan and Feb ever. But, so much of it is having the current hot book. 98% of my listings sit there month after month.
I can’t give away graded books.
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My Jan and Feb have been fantastic on ebay however 90% of all sales are from Invincible books.
I have not tried mercari.
This 
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There’s a show in town tomorrow. I’m tempted to bring a few graded books and see if I can swap them for something. I have a graded shortbox full (not a ton, but enough), and that box’s value is probably 20% of what it was 3 years ago.
I have a SIKTC 1 4th print CGC 9.8 that at one point was going for over $400. I bought it for $45 on eBay before the series exploded. It’s down to $130ish now. Ugh. I knew I should have moved that when I had the chance. Never get attached!
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eBay has been bad for all of my collectibles the last two weeks. I have gone a good 4-5 days without a sale then will get one and the cycle repeats. Slabs are barely moving and then I get clowns with some real lowball garbage. Two weeks ago I was at a con in Milwaukee setup as a vendor and there I was able to move 5 slabs surprisingly.
My main eBay account where I sell used auto parts and we have a business for, has been a tad bit better than the last few months of last year which December was absolute garbage. This month is not starting off to well as I’m seeing some not so great sales that we would normally get during the tax season bump.
Guess we all have to hold on for the ride with this economy.
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eBay is certainly slow. I can sell the hot new books on the regular. But even those have a shorter and shorter shelf life. Wouldn’t doubt by the end of the year, there will be no new “hot” books. Slabs go nowhere. I’m down to the last 8 or so that I’ll ever sell. Grading is dying. Even seeing the occasional “whale” on Youtuber talk about how there slabs are moving slower and for less. It’s rough out there.
Also just did my taxes. Not sure it’s worth it to keep grinding like I do lol
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Yep.
Raw books under $5 at shows - gone in an instant
Raw keys priced reasonably well and willing to negotiate - gone quickly.
Slabs - it’s like looking behind me on my wall and watching paint dry. Especially Moderns - that’s like watching an Ocean drip a few milliliters a minute
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January was pretty fantastic for me, February has been crap. Hopefully March picks up, sold some good stuff already this month. I don’t own slabs, never understood the draw of them for a collection, so I can not comment on that part.
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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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When does PSA start grading comic books?
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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.