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Suggestions for Selling Collection679

Collector rdburghard private msg quote post Address this user
I'm new here, and have my first 6 comics in for grading. The ones I've sent in are, New Mutants # 87 and 98, Fantastic Four #52, Star Wars #1, Sandman #1 and Omega Men #3. These are from an inherited collection of just over 3000 comics. All but about 150 are from 1978 through 2007 and the vast majority in near mint to mint condition. Was wondering the best places to look to possibly sell the entire collection. I really don't want to have to try and sell them little at a time on ebay. Being mostly modern, I'm having trouble finding people who are very interested and since I've never collected comics before, I'm new as to where to look. I'm not looking for a huge return, only what is reasonably fair instead of twenty five cent on the dollar (which actually was what someone offered me!). It has taken me more than three months to catalog and grade/price them and would love to find someone who actually loved comics to buy them instead of someone who just wants to buy them cheap and turn around and sell them. I have them all cataloged in an excel spreadsheet if anyone would be interested in taking a look and giving them a good home! Oh, right now, except for the six in for grading, they are all in raw condition. Any suggestions? I'm not trying to sell them on this site, just looking for suggestions as to where to start finding someone interested in more of the modern comics.
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Collector Stelbert_Stylton private msg quote post Address this user
http://www.mycomicshop.com/webuycomics
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Collector The_Curmudgeon private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by rdburghard
I'm not looking for a huge return, only what is reasonably fair instead of twenty five cent on the dollar (which actually was what someone offered me!)

Take the .25 on the dollar, it's probably the best you can get all at once.
Most people aren't looking for an instant collection.
To maximize your return, small lots of title runs might be your best bet.
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Collector rdburghard private msg quote post Address this user
Thanks for the link to mycomicship.com.. However, I did try them and they were not interested in so many modern comics.
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Collector rdburghard private msg quote post Address this user
I might have to go in for small lot sales. Could try and group them in series etc... The man who made me an offer, also mentioned selling them in 'runs' on ebay. I guess that is what he was talking about.
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COLLECTOR JWKyle private msg quote post Address this user
Looks like you have a pretty good grasp of what the money books are if you sent those in for grading and someone was willing to pay 75 cents for a three dollar cover price non descriptive comic from 2002 or so you may want to call them back. By the time you put all the eBay work in it may turn into a hassle with low money returns
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COLLECTOR JWKyle private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stelbert_Stylton
http://www.mycomicshop.com/webuycomics
And I say the above statement because if these guys don't want them it could be tough sledding
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Collector rdburghard private msg quote post Address this user
The person I was dealing with actually lives and works in the same city that I do. He was very friendly and helped me understand some things and actually suggested CBCS for grading. He used to own a comic book shop (that is still in business) in the area and sold it several years ago. He told me I could contact him again if I didn't have any good takers elsewhere.
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Collector Despain private msg quote post Address this user
A few years ago I sold over 500 comics here: Craigs List
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Collector Stelbert_Stylton private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by JWKyle
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stelbert_Stylton
http://www.mycomicshop.com/webuycomics
And I say the above statement because if these guys don't want them it could be tough sledding


Yeah, that doesn't bode well.
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Collector UF2 private msg quote post Address this user
New here too and I am in the same boat. It sounds like you have a good starting point, since you have taken the time to take inventory. I would recommend joining comics price guide which is free and plug your titles in. See what books go for more than 5.00, then look those books up on eBay to get a gauge on market. Break those key books out and sell them or get them graded. Yeah, it's going to take time but it's the better pay off. People aren't going to give you more than 50 cents a book. The last thing you want is someone buying a Amazing Spiderman run for 50.00 bucks and it turns out you had an Amazing 300 in there mint condition. Whatever you have left put up on Craigslist and dump it cheap.

I'll also add that you can break them in runs or storylines based on what issues are included in a collected version or trade paperback. Usually 6-12 issues a story run. You have to this because shipping wise you have 6.45 where you can fit about 20 comics in, or 13.45 for a medium flat rate box for about 40 books. For a lot of people the shipping makes it not worth it. That is the problem I am having now. You can roll the dice with media mail, but the post office can inspect it.
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COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user
I would also say eBay them in title run lots. If you have any big key issues put them up single. You could also post them on this forum, no one has gotten hand slapped yet for selling books on here. I would be interested in seeing the spreadsheet since I'm just getting my collection ramped up I have a large want list. I'm mostly looking for anything Batman.
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Collector Jeremy_K private msg quote post Address this user
look for a small local comic show and inquire about a booth
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Collector rdburghard private msg quote post Address this user
Thank to all for the suggestions!
We just had a comic convention in town on June 25/26 (Jackson, MS). Wasn't prepared to set up a booth though.

As for Batman comics that DarthLego mentioned, I just searched for 'batman' in my collection and came back with 583 titles.

UF2, thanks for the tips. My pricing was almost exclusively done at the comicspriceguide.com. I have an old Overstreet book and I also looked at MyComicShop.com. I even bought a new Overstreet guide to pricing comics to help me understand the grading. I know I've read that the comicspriceguide prices can be out of date, but I just had too many to try and get through quickly and it was easy to use and make sure I had the right comics looking at the photos. Some of their information, like dates, are wrong though. I tried to be conservative on the pricing.

As for an Amazing Spider-Man 300, I wish I had one. I have all around it but not that one.

I also have very few of them photographed. I do have a good camera, but have not started that process yet so I have to do that if I decide to try and sell some online.

It is a slow process to go through so many and try and gauge what are good key ones for grading and finding story lines that jump from series to series. I have already done some of that though. It is hard for me to determine how much to invest in getting more graded. I hate spending too much money on this, but do want to get the best return on them. I will have to carefully go through them again and sort them out. I have graded about 9 of them that are $100 or more raw. I have about 36 that are worth between $50 and $85 each. Then I have over 300 that are from $10 to 40. I'll try and go back and re-evaluate. I know I could never get those exact prices, but I hate to give them away for nothing! I wouldn't mind selling a lot of them for next to nothing, but those I see listed as $25 to $85 each, I just can't see selling too cheaply if I can help it! I'll go back and check the sold ebay listings and see what is selling for what.

I've learned a lot this year dealing with this collection and have thoroughly enjoyed it. My late Uncle Jim, unfortunately did not keep ANY records of what he had, so I've had to start from scratch.

I know this isn't the place for this, but we also inherited his Zippo lighter collection that we have not had a chance to start learning about. We have over 40 boxes of them! Can't imagine how many that might be!
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Collector cjbehr948 private msg quote post Address this user
@rdburghard: You may want to sit on that NM 87 for a little bit. It's a hot book right now with talk of Cable in the next "Deadpool" movie. If/when Cable's cast, 87 may blow up even more like 98 did.
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Collector Captain_Aspirin private msg quote post Address this user
Seek some advice on shipping these books when you are ready to sell. Don't put about 20 comics in a flat rate envelope!
Post 16 IP   flag post
Collector rdburghard private msg quote post Address this user
cjbehr948, Thanks for the advice on the NM 87. I think someone else told me that too. That is one reason I sent it in for grading
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Collector The_Curmudgeon private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by DarthLego
I would be interested in seeing the spreadsheet...

I, too, would be interested to see said spreadsheet.
I have a few holes in some of my runs.
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COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user
You might want to weed out a whole bunch of the sub $10 books and put together lots to sell them off. If you can thin out the lower dollar books then it will be less of a chore working with the higher dollar books.
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Collector rdburghard private msg quote post Address this user
Now that I have cataloged everything, I do need to rearrange them all by type and value to be able to work with the best ones more easily, like DarthLego mentioned. If I get any more graded I also might consider having some pressed. I have a few that would definitely be graded higher if I had them pressed. Some were stored in a box that wasn't full and wasn't packed to hold the others up and they sagged and got a bend in all of them, cardboard backers and all. I made notes about that type in my list so I could find them later if I decide to do anything with them. Luckily only one of the 24 boxes was in that condition and they were not the best comics anyway.
Post 20 IP   flag post
COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by rdburghard
Now that I have cataloged everything, I do need to rearrange them all by type and value to be able to work with the best ones more easily, like DarthLego mentioned. If I get any more graded I also might consider having some pressed. I have a few that would definitely be graded higher if I had them pressed. Some were stored in a box that wasn't full and wasn't packed to hold the others up and they sagged and got a bend in all of them, cardboard backers and all. I made notes about that type in my list so I could find them later if I decide to do anything with them. Luckily only one of the 24 boxes was in that condition and they were not the best comics anyway.

This is why my collection is getting fullbacks and 4mil mylar, 50 years from now my heirs will have flat pristine books to work with.
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Collector rdburghard private msg quote post Address this user
Hey,just to let you know, that I will get around to sending my list to those who asked. Just too much 'stuff' going on lately at work and home... Like working on my internet and email... Changing to Gmail from Comcast since I'm changing my internet/television/telephone provider to CSpire's fiberoptic network. In six days I should have 33 times the internet speed!
Post 22 IP   flag post
Collector dburghard private msg quote post Address this user
When I changed email address here, this forum thinks I'm a different person, so I changed my name slightly, so I'm feeling like a copy of myself (2nd edition).
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I bought a meat grinder on amazon for $60 and it's changed my life. kaptainmyke private msg quote post Address this user
2nd printing, imo
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COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user
Like Batman 608, the 2nd print is better.
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Collector Ebandy private msg quote post Address this user
Batman 608 second print is one of the books I sent for grading lol
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COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user
Mine is sitting in my to be graded someday soon box.
Post 27 IP   flag post
Collector dburghard private msg quote post Address this user
I have one of those too!
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COLLECTOR DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user
It's possibly my most favorite book. There's so many good Batman covers though it's hard to choose.
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Collector Oldbsturgeon private msg quote post Address this user
Had one but sold it 2 weeks ago to help pay for my batman 1:200 #1.
I liked it but not as much as what replaced it
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