Theoldcollector wrote:

leigh28 wrote:

And yet people are buying them. If no one was greedy we'd still be paying cover price for things

The value of a book worth more than cover price is not from greed that is just what the market says it's actual worth is. Greed is someone ripping off their fan base and asking well over current market prices knowing that some of their fans will fall for it and think they are getting a good deal. Greed is when LCS are pulling books on the day of their release and telling their customers they sold out only to turn around and sell the books a week later for high prices. There is a difference between greed and the value of books going up.

If I'm running a business and trying to stock desirable comics that customers want, I will buy what I can for the price I can. If I have to buy comics at market value, I have to mark it up in price to make a profit and sustain my business.

This is not greed. It is running a business.
Does it make you pay more? Yes.
Does eBay make retailers pay more to restock? Yes.


What do you think a comic business is supposed to do?

Try to sell unpopular garbage that collectors don't care about?
Fruitlessly hope that someone will want to sell a hot comic to them for 50% of what they can get on eBay?

This is how business works.

You buy product to sell at the cheapest price you can.

You stock products people actually want.

You mark it up standard percentages so that you pay business expenses and make a profit.


Profit is not greed. It's what sustains the economy and keeps people gainfully employed.


In the 90's I saw a store sell out of the "Death of Superman" issue. Customers who had not pre-ordered the comic were demanding they get a copy or they'd do business elsewhere.

The store owner was buying back the comics they had just sold to customers and paying them cover price or more. The customers who didn't care as much about it were getting their money back or even a small profit so the store could restock and meet the demand of their customers. The store would mark the issues double the price they had paid to buy them back. A $3 comic became a $6 comic instantly. Customers were still demanding the comic and threatening to shop elsewhere. The cycle repeated and by the end of the evening, the store was charging about $18.

Keep in mind that if a store has to buy back a comic for cover price, they made no profit at all on the initial sale. They lost money. They have to mark it up or they are just giving comics away.

leigh28 wrote:

And yet people are buying them. If no one was greedy we'd still be paying cover price for things

The value of a book worth more than cover price is not from greed that is just what the market says it's actual worth is. Greed is someone ripping off their fan base and asking well over current market prices knowing that some of their fans will fall for it and think they are getting a good deal. Greed is when LCS are pulling books on the day of their release and telling their customers they sold out only to turn around and sell the books a week later for high prices. There is a difference between greed and the value of books going up.

And yet people are buying them. If no one was greedy we'd still be paying cover price for things

It amazes me on how greedy some of the people are getting in this market right now. I was just checking online at one of the larger back issue websites and they have a Conan #23 Raw Fine for $255 you can get a CGC 9.0 for that price even in today's market lol. I just called out a youtuber for this same this kind of greed. He was selling his books on his own to his fans for well above FMV price. He's already making a better profit by saving on the fees associated with selling on sites like Ebay he was greedy enough to try and rip off his own followers and try and sell above FMV. So I gladly called him out on it in front of his followers. I understand everyone can sell what they have for whatever price they want but when it comes to an actual business to it's customers or a Youtuber ripping off his own fans, I find that poor in taste and their greed is just sad.

I have not seen it yet. I should go check it out.

That collection is UNBELIEVABLE!

Speaking of Detective Comics have you seen any of the Promise Collection coming up for sale? They have a 9.8 Detective Comics #118 What the hell? That promise collection is going to be crazy, a ton of great books in high grade form.

BasementComics wrote:

I've been thinking that for years on the Golden Age Batman and Detective I need. I may have to resign myself to the fact I won't get much better than I what I have (missing 9 Batman and 26 Detective).

First of all that's one heck of a run you have there if that's all you're missing. Second you're way too close to give up now Just going to have to wheel and deal as they say. I'm wondering on just how high this market is going to go. Right now it seems as if it's never going to stop climbing. I don't want it to crash but I sure wish it would at least plateau for a little while and let me catch up lol. I've never sold a comic book before but I'm starting to contemplate buying everything I come across under FMV now that I don't even care about so I can trade or sell it later to get some these books that are starting to get out of my reach.

I've been thinking that for years on the Golden Age Batman and Detective I need. I may have to resign myself to the fact I won't get much better than I what I have (missing 9 Batman and 26 Detective).

kds_comics wrote:

It is like day trading the stock market. Proceed with caution!

Now that is a fact This market is going crazy right now. I'm happy to see it go up, I just wish I had bought more before it did. It's getting so crazy right now I may never get some of the older books that I wish I had in my collection. Still adding to my collection but this market has slowed down the amount of books I'm buying, drastically.

It is like day trading the stock market. Proceed with caution!

Actually, since the announcement of the Netflix movie, Raw Fine on Ebay have sold for $250 + and Raw 9.0 have sold for over $450. Announcements for shows/movies make prices go through the roof instantly. Its like playing the stock market, one must keep an eye on everything. CRAZY