I know someone was talking about their online sales grinding to a halt this month but can’t find the message. So I figured I would start a topic to discuss all things online sales. Post your wins. Post your losses. Post what you are moving and what isn’t moving.
I did notice a big slowdown in Ultimate Sales this week. I have moved 54 copies of various Ultimate Books in the past 90 days. A lot of them being Ultimate Invasion 3. I keep finding them and selling them. Sold two copies this weekend. Another big seller for me is IDW GI Joe ARAH variants. Don’t know why (ok most stores didn’t order enough to get the variants) but I find them cheap and flip for big money. Also pretty much any IDW 1:10 from licensed titles.
I think I was the one who was saying my sales when radio silent. After that I sold an inexpensive slab.
I think 75% or more of my sales are recent listings. So if I don’t list new or hit books my sales are pretty slow and I can go days or weeks without a sale.
And the past three weeks or so there hasn’t been much excitement. I was hoping Spider-verse cover A and ultimate x-men were going to be hotter than they were…but since they’re not hitting at least $15 I haven’t listed any of my copies.
Sunday thru Saturday may have been the worst walk-in period I can ever remember.
Not a single new from this week comic sold on E-Bay which is very rare.
Only 2 local pick-up orders for 2 new comics and both of those were yesterday by the same guy for UX1 and a var.
It was a very strong week for E-Bay back issue sales. Stuff from 2 weeks ago to 50 years ago. Wide spectrum from ratio’s to super heroes to critter books.
Hopefully starting today the gates open and the people start shopping again all week. It is tax refund season after all.
Cover prices are too high for new books. Unless the book has HYPE, (of course that means the book has to be good), it wont sell. 85% of what publishers are putting out now is just crap. People are buying books for covers, not story.
Feb was my best month ever for sales. March has slowed, but most of what I have left online is crusty spec. Need some new warm/hot stuff to list.
I’ve had good luck selling sets or runs. I bought a small collection that was mostly runs. Kept what I wanted, listed the others, and they all sold already.
Based on your response, I am assuming you own a comic book shop? If so, I notice more and more shop start to sell manga and card games to offset the current comic sales. Is that the case with you as well? Also, I am assuming the sales are to a particular demographic where it wasn’t always the case.
I source stuff. Really cheap. I get a lot of ratios for between $1-$5 and tend to hone in on the books that people do not realize are worth money (IDW Ratios). I sold a IDW ratio I paid $5 for in less than 30 minutes last night for $50. Other listings all had watchers and I just came in and under cut. Anyone who had an alert set would have seen it was listed. Sold an Ultimate Universe #1 1:25 last night as well. Paid $5 for that one too.
I am telling you I shifted my focus. I still chase and sell hot books but this new strategy I have had has increased my Mercari and eBay sales.
I buy from retailers a lot of times. Because of how much I have bought in the past they let me pick their older stock/back stock stuff like that. I don’t focus on the newest variants all the time. For example that 1:25 Marvel universe book was taken off the wall to make room for more since it wasn’t moving when it first came out. That is where I am trying to work from right now. But there are other ways of doing it. Garage sales and flea markets of course can be hit or miss.
After I whined about not having any March sales, sold an inexpensive slab and a Spider-Punk #4 (first limited series) today.
I bought a few of them a while back. Last issue was not ordered heavily and the new series must be creating some new demand.
Now going to list my last extra copy of Ult SM #1A and hopefully that will be enough to grab a grail book I’m eying. I may just make an offer to see what happens.
Who pulled their finger out the dam holding back sales. A family came in about 5 and spent over $200 and I think Mom wants to get a little more involved in things other than comic related. 10 E-Bay orders come on for about 100 comics. Everything’s packed and shipped but reloading duplicate copies may tie me up until PRH and Diamond get here leaving little time for mom and social media adventures to come. Even finally sold a new comic from last week on E-bay. Not UX1 or WX1 or even Golgatha but at least its a start.
I’ve had some small comic sales here and there, nothing crazy. I bought some NHL Series 2 23-24 tins and hobby boxes for a price that wasn’t insane (one local store kept costs reasonable while others jacked it up). I got a Bedard Young Gun/rookie card (the card everyone is after resulting in the boxes costing a ton). I was able to sell to another local shop for a price where I at least broke even on the boxes and everything else I sold that was vaguely interesting (a Leo Carlsson Young Gun) at least meant I made a tiny profit.
I can probably say it’s been at least since the 90’s for me. I usually refuse to flirt with customers since I feel they shouldn’t have to put up with that nonsense just to buy a fish or a comic for their kids. School teacher so she has access to my target for growth market and she outranks me. I’m a retired E-4, she’s a retired Lt Colonel. Basically I have to do what she says.
Thundercats #2 prices looking good so far on E-bay. I don’t see kind of race to dump and most of the ratio stuff is listing above ratio or sold out or in another country with extreme shipping to get it. Maybe this week will make up for the Ultimate mess last week.
