ComicsPriceGuide.com Forums - General Comic Discussion - LCS Changing for the worst - Messages https://comicspriceguide.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=16104 ComicsPriceGuide.com Forums - General Comic Discussion - LCS Changing for the worst - Messages en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Jitbit AspNetForum Sun, 09 May 2021 13:07:16 GMT Sun, 09 May 2021 13:07:16 GMT https://comicspriceguide.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=16104 Message from Oxbladder Sun, 09 May 2021 13:07:16 GMT https://comicspriceguide.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=16104 Message from
Most collectors here freak right out on dealers all the time if they try and seek FMV or try and cash in on market trends. One store was attacked on face book for raising the price of a book to over cover if if you had not ordered one in advance because the demand was so high by the day of the release. They also, like many other stores, got hell for rationing some new releases. I've seen countless posts over the years of collector gloating g that they got a hot book from a dealer or other collector for way under FMV. There are people who don't even know the owners of stores getting mad when a store sells out of books or refuses to "cut a deal".

It may not make a lot of sense to not offer to sell some books locally but perhaps the dealer who is doing that isn't getting any sales locally on these hot items or he/she is seeing that they can get far more online for them. Yeah eBay prices are high but people still buy from eBay and other sites and on site like Facebook they are also asking and getting eBay prices. Why? Because a vast majority of people know that people check eBay realized prices. A few of the hot speculation apps use these online prices, even prices from the guide here because prices from this guide are large or completely sourced from online resized prices. So, yes eBay finishing prices can indeed be considered in a FMV talk. You also, despite all the online markets, have regional variation in prices and some of those areas it is hard to get the higher FMV at stores because the collecting population is keyed in and keyed up to make money as well and thus they expect to be able to buy low and sell high. Should we also talk grading? Because dealers get the raw end of the stick there because everyone has been programmed to think that only CGC and CBCS can grade. When I was working at stores or hawking my own stuff you ALWAYS get people trying to downgrade your stuff in hopes of paying less. Fact is, if they are interested at all they KNOW, that the book is a good deal. They just want to reduce the cost so they can claim more down the line sooner.

So, I hate to say it, but I have to side with any dealer that chooses such models to try and keep their head above water. We may not like or it may not seem logical but they know their base and they may see that their base is not going to keep them afloat ... or even care if they stay afloat until such time as they close their doors. There a reason that I don't ever want to own a store again. It's a tough largely thankless job made even tougher by collectors dictating how stores should be doing business.]]> Sun, 09 May 2021 13:05:39 GMT https://comicspriceguide.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=16104 Message from Theoldcollector Oxbladder wrote:
It always amazes me that people get mad at stores for wanting to get FMV for their products. Why should they leave money on the table just so some "speculator" can turn around and flip a book for more money. If they also find it is more profitable to sell online then by all means do so. Their livelihood is selling comics and comic related products so you go where the money is. buyers have created this environment and I am never going to fault an LCS for trying what they need to make a living.


I have no problem with LCS getting FMV for their products. But like I said before if they aren't going to display or sell the product in their stores what would be the purpose of their store? Comic collectors are already able to get a discount online buy pre-ordering current books. So if an LCS wants to only sale higher priced items online and get those online FMV prices what is going to keep them physically open in the future? Sure it makes them a few extra dollars now but will in the long game put them out of business or they will close their doors to the public and only deal in online sales like mycomicshop. I just read about a store in Oklahoma doing this style of the lonestar move as well. Also like I said I don't mind LCS getting their part but asking the same amount that something sold for on E-bay is actually asking for more than FMV due to there is no fee to any other parties involved such as E-bay or Paypal and that is just one seller site there are a lot of other sell sites out there so how is the Ebay price the FMV price?. Also have your books priced, don't start looking them up one by one at the register when the customer goes to check out. This is horrible customer service for one and two it's a bit of laziness on the store's part. If you were to walk into any other store and bring 20 items up to check out and then the cashier starts looking each one of them up one by one, online to see how much they go for, you would probably just walk out right? Bad business behaviors. Also why would you only sell specific items online only and not in the store at all? Nothing stops the store from asking for they price they expect it would get online. Just makes it easier for both parties, no shipping no third party fees and the buyer can actually see what they are buying and not having to guess on the grade online.]]> Sun, 09 May 2021 10:08:13 GMT https://comicspriceguide.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=16104 Message from Oxbladder Sun, 09 May 2021 06:10:25 GMT https://comicspriceguide.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=16104 Message from BasementComics Tue, 20 Apr 2021 23:24:32 GMT https://comicspriceguide.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=16104 Message from Theoldcollector glorkar wrote:
My LCS sells on eBay too, but they still have the books displayed in store. If someone local buys it, they pull the listing from eBay. It's cheaper and easier to sell local (no packaging and shipping to worry about) but if there's no interest, it makes sense to list them online for a broader market.

Not having anything priced is just crazy though. Especially if they are displayed. They already obviously know they are keys and are worth more than the average book. It would make more sense to me to put a price on them, then adjust every week or something if they are that concerned about making a few bucks more.




Ya it makes since for them to place them up for sale online as well as in store but to not even display them anymore like Titan Comics or to not have a price on them in the store is defiantly a horrible business model for the long game if you want to be a local store. If they want to be a LCS but their not going to sale keys in the store or have prices marked on books shows they would rather sale online and if that's the case why even have a store lol. Large online stores give 20%-40% off on subscription presales services, so as a comic collector there is no reason for someone like me to ever visit their store again if this is their business model.]]> Tue, 20 Apr 2021 20:11:15 GMT https://comicspriceguide.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=16104 Message from glorkar
Not having anything priced is just crazy though. Especially if they are displayed. They already obviously know they are keys and are worth more than the average book. It would make more sense to me to put a price on them, then adjust every week or something if they are that concerned about making a few bucks more.]]> Tue, 20 Apr 2021 18:24:39 GMT https://comicspriceguide.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=16104 Message from Theoldcollector Marvels and even Spawns were all closed in long boxes saying do not touch and it wasn't until
I actually asked if they had any of these titles they would open it and
once again they looked up the books online to see what they were going
for before giving me my price. I fear this is what all LCS are going to start looking like in the future with the way this market is going, which is sad in my opinion. This one stuck a nerve because first of all, shouldn't you already have a price on what you have in the glass cases and this place had as many closed long boxes as they had opened for everything else. I won't give this stores name because the guy was really cool and helped me track down 5 books for me and called me later to let me know he had found them.


But I also just stopped at Titan comics and while they do have a large back stock selection there are no keys or higher valued books to be seen in the store. This is one of the larger comic stores here and they have glass cases up front but only a few books like ten total in them and all of them were graded except I think one gold Venom #1. But behind the counter they had tons and tons of graded books that I'm guessing they are selling online via Ebay. It's crazy to walk in a store this size and not see any raw keys up for sale on the walls and in the cases, it's just crazy. I'm guessing they sell all of those online only as well.


Sad to see LCS turning into those Ebay store fronts that popped up all over the place for awhile but that's basically what they are turning into.]]> Tue, 20 Apr 2021 18:06:14 GMT