Nowadays everything is available online, even your food is delivered with a few little keystrokes. Comic books have gone the same way, purchase online and never meet another human being again. Is this the most affordable way to purchase comics? Do the old retail comic specialty stores still exist and is it lucrative to have a working relationship with the vendor? possibly the online experience is all-encompassing and produces savings. Is that the only way to go, just purchase and sell online? Also, numerous are now trying conventions; are those the best prices you can get on comics? The evidence is pretty overwhelming and like many things in life, comic speculation is case specific. Where can you get the most affordable price and best quality for incredible Spider-Man #300 in a brick mortar, online, or at a con?
Con Wisdom?
Unfortunately, for both sellers and online stores, the conventions are actually a buyer’s best friend. After all, if you have ten comic book resellers at one medium-sized regional convention the price is going to drop as there is way much more supply than demand. everyone at that convention has to make much more than the cover entry price of a table to pay for the event. If you are a reseller and searching for a buyer for your incredible Spider-Man #300. then you better be ready to take some cut-rate offers. because every reseller in the building will be trying to unload that same book in a very similar grade. Therefore, conventions are the ally of the prepared speculator.
Brick and Mortar: RPG Gambit
In purchase to stay in business, the brick and mortar sellers have expanded into other markets: Pokemon cards, models, posters, action figures, but many importantly numerous are looking to the RPG Gambit. This implies creating full RPG gaming centers, with refreshments, and multiple tables for people to rent inside the comic book store. What is so fantastic about the RPG gambit by retail brick and mortar comic stores is the brand they are selling is inclusion. They build a place that is like a cheers bar for nerds. “Where everyone knows your name” and your armor class. This killer association draws customers by the dozen. The selling of inclusion offers sellers with consistent returns daily for rented table space. people need to interact, even gamers and comic book collectors, need a place to talk, and conjecture, or simply make pals around the same or nearly same shared interest.
Many gamers are also big comic book fans, one man I know has a terrific Bronze Age collection, but he just owns them to read, not as an investment. Yes, this is a different mindset than the speculator or even the collector. bottom line, these folks spend money and time at the retail establishment and it is worth courting their tastes to keep the company profitable. Are the brick and mortar retail spaces lucrative to purchase from as a speculator?
The incredible Spider-Man #300 has an FMV price label of $260 for grade fine (6.0). My seller of choice sold me that book about two years ago for $150. at that time I was quickly in the money, as the price then was around $182 online. This disparity is a $32 savings in price, and instant profit. The built-in saving could wind up being your profit margin if you purchase under the current average online market price. Also, you ought to verify the book is not fraudulent or missing parts. You can’t count on what you can’t verify, in the retail business, everything can be verified. In addition, I have some guarantee if the comic is not as advertised; I can get a full refund. purchase big keys from your local seller when they have any. By purchasing many of my bigger books from a local comic store; I build a strong customer relationship. In return, the seller keeps an eye out for what he knows that I like.
Retail store +110% Return
This is another bit of anecdotal evidence for catching profit at a retail place. one of my best scores was discovering a double cover Swamp thing #5, which I sent into CGC and received a (9.4) near mint grade. That book cost me time searching forgotten bins and about $5 at the check out counter. The return on Swamp thing #5 over time, is close to eight times my first investment, or an ROI of +110% return. I get a better deal in the store than on online, usually. building a lucrative relationship between buyer and seller, he makes a profit as well as the speculator.
New Comic online Gamble
The online reseller has nothing to offer but lower prices and a tidy bowl race to the bottom. However, you can purchase low-end stuff really low-cost if you find a good supplier. many of the eBay books tend to be in pretty good shape, but every once in a while you get some books that are actually fine minus and people are selling them as near mint. In my experience, online has been terrific for new issues like incredible Spider-Man #798 the first Red- Gobbie. I purchased a couple of copies and the price was very competitnull