Not a CBCS member yet? Join now »
CBCS Comics
Not a CBCS member yet? Join now »

Online stores - did sales hit a brick wall this week?12565

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock Tedsaid private msg quote post Address this user
Here are my last six weeks or so of exchange sales. Previous sales can be seen in past updates:
Oct 1: Daredevil #188 9.8 - $89.99
Oct 3: Something is Killing the Children #1 main cover - $329.99
Oct 3: Something is Killing the Children #1 Frison variant - $189.99
Oct 3: Venom #3 9.8 - $469.99
Oct 9: Immortal Hulk #25 Sorrentino 1:25 Variant 9.8 - $54.95
Oct 9: Thor (2014 4th series) #8 9.8 - $109.99
Oct 9: Guardians of the Galaxy #1 Comic Mint Maer variant - $129.99
Oct 9: Batman 92 1:25 variant - $139.99
Oct 12: Batman #429 9.8 - $259.99
Oct 13: Batman Damned #3B 10.0 Gem Mint - $235.00 (Best Offer accepted)
Oct 15: Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 9.6 - $259.99
Oct 16: Silver Surfer Black (B&W color splash variant) 9.6 - $129.99
Oct 17: House of X #2 Pichelli variant - $59.99
Oct 17: Walking Dead #192 blank variant - $64.95
Oct 18: Sparrowhawk #1 1:15 Hans variant 9.6 - $49.95
Oct 19: Thor #3 9.8 - $89.99
Oct 19: Uncanny X-Men #251 - $124.99
Oct 20: Something is Killing the Children #2A - $139.99
Oct 20: Daredevil #170 9.6 - $123.45
Oct 20: Daredevil #178 9.8 - $89.99
Oct 23: Something is Killing the Children #2B 9.8 - $139.99
Oct 24: Superman Lois & Clark #1 9.8 - $69.95
Oct 25: Something is Killing the Children #3A 9.8 - $129.99
Oct 26: Batman #404 9.2 - $59.95
Oct 27: Detective Comics #1000 JeeHyung Lee variant 9.8 - $129.99
Oct 29: Thor #2 9.8 - $179.99
Oct 29: Strange Academy #1 Campbell virgin variant 9.8 - $199.99
Oct 30: Legion of Super-Heroes #6 9.8 - $89.49
Nov 1: Venom #1 9.8 - $139.99
Nov 1: Venom #4 9.8 - $169.99
Nov 1: Venom #5 Frankie's Comics variant (1st Knull Cover) 9.8 - $249.99
Nov 1: Venom #7 9.8 - $179.99
Nov 1: Thor #1 9.8 - $99.99
Nov 1: Uncanny X-Men #126 9.2 - $64.95

And the most recent sales:
Nov 6: X-Men #1 JeeHyung Lee virgin variant 9.8 - $129.99
Nov 6: Something is Killing the Children #1 9.8 - $349.99
Nov 7: Something is Killing the Children #2 9.8 - $139.99

When I sold that SIKTC #1, I immediately went on eBay to pick up a couple more if I could. I am LOVING this book.

Now, I do have some more in the pipeline. There are two 9.8's that MCS sent back to CGC because the case was cracked, or had debris in it, or something. They do that if it's bad, send it back for re-casing. Sucks, the time it takes, but that's part of the gig. And it's pretty awesome that MCS handles that for you, too.

I also have a few more waiting to be graded. But I'm not buying for today ... I'm buying to sell 3-4 months from now. And I guess I'm trying to get some more sales in before that foil version hits the market in slabs, because I don't know what that will do to demand. It could undermine it, by giving a cool alternative; or it could drive it up, by giving folks a low-cost entry. Who knows.

Anyway, a few weeks ago I bought a set of #1A, #1B, and #1C for $260.00. He had it listed for $299.95, but I asked for a discount and he gave it to me. They arrive and looked absolutely perfect, and I've already sent them in for grading.

Looking online, I noticed the same seller had another set of the three #1's, but this time for sale for $520. Wow. I'm not ready to pay that price yet, but more power to him. He also had a lone copy of #1A for $300 all by itself.

I wanted to make an offer, but I didn't really want to lowball his offer. So I had an idea ... I messaged him on eBay via the previous sale, the one for $260. I said, Hey, I got these comics and they look fantastic, and the shipping was great, and thank you very much. And by the way, if you have another set or two left, I'd love to buy them, too, given how nice these look.

And he said okay! He sold me two sets for the same price he had one advertised for on eBay. Cool, huh?

It is a little bit of a risk, because I didn't have pictures. But, if you can't trust the guys you've bought from before successfully, then who the hell can you trust?

Oh, by the way ... that Venom #5 from Frankie's? The first cover appearance of Knull? Turns out, I had only bought three copies after all. And, the third one was already on it's way to being listed. So, if I want any more, I'll have to buy them on eBay. (I got one, for $42 plus tax. Not willing to risk much more than that until I sell a couple more.)






Post 226 IP   flag post
Collector* Towmater private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tedsaid
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bronte
Off topic

I have read that with ebay / paypal if you exceed 20k$ and 200 sales they send out a tax form. Does MCS send tax forms if you choose check as payment?

I don't think so. I had $26k in sales ($23.8k in payments) last year, and didn't receive anything. But yeah, I'm gonna have to figure out how to do the taxes here soon.


There is a drop down menu for tax information in Paypal. You download and print your own 1099. If those were your sales last year then it was reported to the IRS.
Post 227 IP   flag post
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock Tedsaid private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Towmater
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tedsaid
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bronte
Off topic

I have read that with ebay / paypal if you exceed 20k$ and 200 sales they send out a tax form. Does MCS send tax forms if you choose check as payment?

I don't think so. I had $26k in sales ($23.8k in payments) last year, and didn't receive anything. But yeah, I'm gonna have to figure out how to do the taxes here soon.


There is a drop down menu for tax information in Paypal. You download and print your own 1099. If those were your sales last year then it was reported to the IRS.

Well, none of that was done through PayPal ... it was all via MCS.
Post 228 IP   flag post
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock Tedsaid private msg quote post Address this user
Let me make this clear: I am not avoiding taxes, nor am I advocating avoiding taxes, and - regardless of how it is reported by others - if one has significant income from selling comics, it needs to be reported to the IRS and taxes due need to be paid. And I am okay with that.

I actually paid taxes, a small amount, for 2019. The income was greatly offset by a lot of expenses, especially early in the year when I was buying more and building up stock. When I said I will have to "figure out" the taxes soon, I meant for 2020, some months from now, because there are a few different ways it can be done. You can calculate the income on each comic individually - and I don't think anyone does it this way, for the accounting overhead - but that's not really realistic, unless one sells only a few big-ticket items a year. You can aggregate all your expenses and sales, including travel, postage, pressing, grading, bags and boards, and other expenses directly related to the revenue generated. And a few other options as well.

And, you can spin off all your expenses and sales into a new company. An LLC, or S-Corp, or just incorporate somewhere like Delaware where it is really cheap. There are some benefits and drawbacks to each approach, which I am trying to figure out now, because if I do something there, I'd like to start with the new year, keep it simple. The big factor is, one way you pay taxes on the profits as personal income, and another way you pay taxes on the profits as business income, and THEN pay personal taxes on the "distribution" of the remaining income. But you get more allowances for business expenses and such. So, I just haven't figured out the best way yet.

I'm not suggesting any way forward for other folks, except to say that I will be paying all taxes owed, and I strongly suggest everyone else does as well. There is some accommodation for "hobbies" and for the occasional yard-sale type sales. These things change frequently, though, in the tax code, so you should use TurboTax or get a good accountant to do your taxes if it is confusing for you. I know it confounds me every year around March and April as I try to figure this out.
Post 229 IP   flag post
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock Tedsaid private msg quote post Address this user
I did receive another sale since my last, brief update. Flash #235 in 9.0. I just love this comic, and I'm sure nostalgia is a big part of that ... I had this comic when I was just 5 or 6 years old. So I've been trying lately to get a 9.8, or at least a 9.6. This one missed a bit. I've got another at CGC now, waiting for grading; and one here in my stack, ready to go out once I get that grade back.

Honestly, I don't believe the one at hand is a 9.6 candidate, but it's close. And CGC are so inconsistent lately, who knows how they will feel on the day.

Nov 7: Flash #235 9.0 - $89.99


Post 230 IP   flag post


I'd like to say I still turned out alright, but that would be a lie. flanders private msg quote post Address this user
What are you thoughts on all the DC Future State comics that are on pre-order right now? Do they have any potential for investment or is my money better spent somewhere else? There are a decent amount of nice looking covers.
Post 231 IP   flag post
CBCS Boomhauer HeinzDad private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by flanders
What are you thoughts on all the DC Future State comics that are on pre-order right now? Do they have any potential for investment or is my money better spent somewhere else? There are a decent amount of nice looking covers.
Are any magazine sized? My buddy told me yesterday they are doing a bunch of mag size right now when he saw my Hellblazer. He could be hallucinating I dunno.
Post 232 IP   flag post
I had no way of knowing that 9.8 graded copies signed by Adam Hughes weren't what you were looking for. drchaos private msg quote post Address this user
I would kindly ask the moderators not to close this thread.

If there are any posts you wish to delete or any members you wish to discipline that would be understandable and probably helpful.

The thread itself is a valuable source of shared information.

Just my two cents.
Post 233 IP   flag post
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock Tedsaid private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeinzDad
Quote:
Originally Posted by flanders
What are you thoughts on all the DC Future State comics that are on pre-order right now? Do they have any potential for investment or is my money better spent somewhere else? There are a decent amount of nice looking covers.
Are any magazine sized? My buddy told me yesterday they are doing a bunch of mag size right now when he saw my Hellblazer. He could be hallucinating I dunno.

Oh, boy, I don't know. I was kind of turned off by the premise ... it sounds like none of the stories are in continuity? And only some of them connect with each other? From a collector's point of view, that's a load of crap, usually. First appearances are the big deal, but it's rare that a first appearance counts when it isn't in continuity. Harley Quinn is the exception that comes to mind, but there aren't many. Superman has had kids before Jonathan. Batman has had kids before Damian. And don't forget Wonder Tot.

And, frankly, DC is the worst about releasing a barrage of #1's. They did it with all the Metal and Death Metal crap and they are doing it here ... 20 limited edition titles starting at #1. What a farce.

Having said that, out-of-continuity stories can be awesome, too. The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, and Kingdom Come prove that. I guess the difference is when someone has an idea so cool, they want to make a comic of it, even if it doesn't fit. Contrast that with an editorial decision: "Hey, go make a "future state" story for Aquaman/Teen Titans/Swamp-Robin-Super-Quinn ... just come up with something so we can move some comics!" I guess most will be the latter.

Some months ago I posted the image below of this Batman comic, without knowing what the hell it is. I posted it because it's an absolute bad-ass cover. I still think so. So I'll get this one, definitely. I will also get the one below it, because I just want to know what's going on in this story. For the rest, I'll check out who the writer is, and maybe pick up one or two just to see, but I'm not getting the whole set. There will be a new Wonder Woman, but I guess it's just Nubia? A character we've seen before. And I think there will be a new Flash, a non-binary one? So I'll look for that for spec.

What do you guys think? I'd love to hear some other opinions.




Post 234 IP   flag post
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock Tedsaid private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by HeinzDad
Quote:
Originally Posted by flanders
What are you thoughts on all the DC Future State comics that are on pre-order right now? Do they have any potential for investment or is my money better spent somewhere else? There are a decent amount of nice looking covers.
Are any magazine sized? My buddy told me yesterday they are doing a bunch of mag size right now when he saw my Hellblazer. He could be hallucinating I dunno.

Sorry - I completely ignored your question. I am not aware of any being magazine size, but I haven't looked into it.
Post 235 IP   flag post
CBCS Boomhauer HeinzDad private msg quote post Address this user
It sounded weird to me and I cried bs but he swore by DC and mag size.
Post 236 IP   flag post
Moderator Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user
This thread has been scrubbed, sanitized and redacted. Let's try to stay on topic, shall we?

Quote:
Originally Posted by HeinzDad
Quote:
Originally Posted by flanders
What are you thoughts on all the DC Future State comics that are on pre-order right now? Do they have any potential for investment or is my money better spent somewhere else? There are a decent amount of nice looking covers.
Are any magazine sized? My buddy told me yesterday they are doing a bunch of mag size right now when he saw my Hellblazer. He could be hallucinating I dunno.


Yes, DC Black Label prints some titles in magazine size. They usually call it "prestige format". When you see that in the preview listing, it means oversized.

3 Jokers, for instance, is one example.
Post 237 IP   flag post
I had no way of knowing that 9.8 graded copies signed by Adam Hughes weren't what you were looking for. drchaos private msg quote post Address this user
@Jesse_O

Thank you.
Post 238 IP   flag post
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock Tedsaid private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jesse_O
Yes, DC Black Label prints some titles in magazine size. They usually call it "prestige format". When you see that in the preview listing, it means oversized.

3 Jokers, for instance, is one example.

Three Jokers isn't magazine size, though? It's prestige, but regular size, like The Killing Joke. Did you mean Joker: Killer Smile or Joker / Harley?
Post 239 IP   flag post
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock Tedsaid private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by drchaos
I would kindly ask the moderators not to close this thread.

If there are any posts you wish to delete or any members you wish to discipline that would be understandable and probably helpful.

The thread itself is a valuable source of shared information.

Just my two cents.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, by the way. I'm glad you and a few others at least find this thread useful, when on-topic. I like putting down and talking about what I'm doing, too ... it helps me clarify my thinking.

And by the way, if anyone else wants to list their sales, too, by all means, feel free to throw in. I like lifting the veil a little bit, getting the "inside baseball" of things. I think we could all use some advice and feedback from time to time.
Post 240 IP   flag post
Moderator Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tedsaid
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jesse_O
Yes, DC Black Label prints some titles in magazine size. They usually call it "prestige format". When you see that in the preview listing, it means oversized.

3 Jokers, for instance, is one example.

Three Jokers isn't magazine size, though? It's prestige, but regular size, like The Killing Joke. Did you mean Joker: Killer Smile or Joker / Harley?


I could have been thinking of Joker: Killer Smile or Batman: The Smile Killer. I think the Harley Quinn and Birds of Prey was oversized also. I got all three series plus the 3 Jokers. I know they have some oversized titles in the Black Label line. Not all Black Label series are oversized though.
Post 241 IP   flag post
Masculinity takes a holiday. EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tedsaid
Let me make this clear: I am not avoiding taxes, nor am I advocating avoiding taxes, and - regardless of how it is reported by others - if one has significant income from selling comics, it needs to be reported to the IRS and taxes due need to be paid. And I am okay with that.


@Tedsaid I hope my now deleted post about taxes wasn't offensive, that certainly wasn't my intention.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Tedsaid
And, you can spin off all your expenses and sales into a new company. An LLC, or S-Corp, or just incorporate somewhere like Delaware where it is really cheap. There are some benefits and drawbacks to each approach, which I am trying to figure out now, because if I do something there, I'd like to start with the new year, keep it simple. The big factor is, one way you pay taxes on the profits as personal income, and another way you pay taxes on the profits as business income, and THEN pay personal taxes on the "distribution" of the remaining income. But you get more allowances for business expenses and such. So, I just haven't figured out the best way yet.


I had a personal S-Corp for about 7 years and I can tell you that unless the numbers are big enough, it's just not worth it. The only reason to do it is to legitimately avoid taxes and the two main benefits are much bigger amounts for pre-tax retirement funding and a small amount of expensing capacity. But keep in mind that you now have new costs in accounting, a second set of tax filings and if you want to be really legit, a payroll service to legitimately redistribute the money to you personally from the corporation. I'm also told that if you get audited you need to have some reasonable justification for doing this the hard way rather than the easy way...some justification beyond tax reduction (which is the real reason for doing it anyway). At the time I had small amounts of income coming from multiple sources and a larger amount coming from an overseas employer, so my justification was legit. The recession wiped out most of that, along with my need to reduce personal tax liability, lol. I shut it down around 2012 and I was happy to be done with the extra headache and potential legal liability.
Post 242 IP   flag post
I'd like to say I still turned out alright, but that would be a lie. flanders private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tedsaid


What do you guys think? I'd love to hear some other opinions.






I read a few articles about Future State and it looks like the Dark Detective and the Next Batman are definitely worth purchasing and maybe the Justice League as well as Flash #1 but I'm going to pass on those ones.
Post 243 IP   flag post
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock Tedsaid private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jabberwookie
@Tedsaid oh, crap!

Don’t take advice from me! I have a vanilla ice comic in my collection, not to mention TWO (!) copies of Captain carrot and his amazing zoo crew #1.

But, seriously, good luck.

I do hope they pan out for us and we can all be rap star rich.

Love that Batman cover. I might see if my lcs still has one.

Well, my gamble on the Young Avengers Director's Cut seems to have paid off. Thanks! I'm going to try this on eBay for a few days, and then send to MCS if I don't get any nibbles. Also got a hit with Swamp Thing #37 9.6! Very happy with that grade.

I ended up buying THREE copies of the aforementioned Batman #92 B&W "Thank You" one-per-store variant. $200 each, plus tax and shipping. The one I had graded fast came back a 9.6, which really annoys me ... there wasn't a damn thing wrong with that one. I'm not going to sell it at 9.6, if I can help it, so I've just sent it to my presser. He will crack it and look to see if there is anything to fix. Maybe some hand grubber at CGC put fingerprints on the back cover or something? Who knows. I wiped all the prints off very carefully before I sent it in, so I KNOW it was clean.

Anyway, I got the other two back today, the regular submissions, and both were 9.8. But there are a LOT of copies just now on eBay. (Though none at MCS.) The price is depressed at the moment ... hovering just under $300. I'll be lucky to break even on these, I guess. So it appears to have been a gamble that didn't work out. Oh, well ... that's the breaks, right? At least I did well on these other two.



Post 244 IP   flag post
Masculinity takes a holiday. EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tedsaid
I'll be lucky to break even on these, I guess. So it appears to have been a gamble that didn't work out. Oh, well ... that's the breaks, right? At least I did well on these other two.

@Tedsaid if they all worked out for you we'd have to assume that you made some kind of deal with the Devil.
Post 245 IP   flag post
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock Tedsaid private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by EbaySeller
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tedsaid
I'll be lucky to break even on these, I guess. So it appears to have been a gamble that didn't work out. Oh, well ... that's the breaks, right? At least I did well on these other two.

@Tedsaid if they all worked out for you we'd have to assume that you made some kind of deal with the Devil.

"Hey, what's the big deal about a soul anyway. You can't see it. You can't touch it. You can't smell it or taste it. Sign here and you'll gain so much! What are you even losing... ?"
Post 246 IP   flag post
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock Tedsaid private msg quote post Address this user
Well, that was fast. I put these two up on eBay last night, and the Swamp Thing got a LOT of "views" ... 75 or so in just a few hours. That's as much as my overpriced Batman #407 with a double cover has received in the last 6 weeks.

Anyway, I sold it this morning. I put it up for $599.99 - less than the other two on eBay, at $650 and $850 (which I think are both over priced). Someone offered $500, I countered with $569.99 and free shipping, and we settled on $525 and he pays shipping.

It may be too low, but here is my reasoning: this comic had a recent spike, I assumed based on the rumors of a second Constantine movie with Keanu Reeves. To give perspective, in an exchange with another board member eight months ago, I pointed out a 9.6 for sale on MCS for just $214.95. I almost bought it myself, it was so low.

But I didn't know it was going to spike! I just thought it was a good price at the time. Oddly, for this comic, the 9.6's and the 9.4's are VERY close in price.

Anyway, maybe the spike is real, and maybe it is temporary - who knows! I checked out GPA for this one, and the 90-day for a 9.6 is $429 and rising. I checked eBay sales, and there were TWO 9.6 copies that sold in September, from MCS via eBay, for $685 (Sept 7th) and $685 (Sept 26). However, the most RECENT eBay sales, all auctions, were: $430, $441, and $500. There were also two sales that were "best offer," so we don't know the amount. (They were: something less than $500 for one, and less than $644 for the other.)

But then I noticed something. BOTH MCS copies - the two highest prices from September, and the highest prices all year - were newsstand editions. Also, none of the others were newstand ... and neither was mine.

So, I got more than 90-day GPA, and more than the three most recent eBay sales. It was less than either of the other two for sale, but I got significantly more than I paid just three months ago: $160 + taxes and shipping + pressing + grading, for about $205. Not a bad deal!

I could have maybe squeezed $50 more out of it, if I put some time into it, been patient. But I wanted the cash in hand quickly. I want to send another box of 25 for grading before the holiday, and now I can do that, thanks to this one sale. And, as the owner of my LCS said one time: You don't have to make ALL the money on a comic.

It was a pretty copy though. Sad to see it go. Perfect centering on this one.

Any thoughts? Is this comic still spiking? Or has it crested for now? What do you guys think? Did I make a huge blunder, or a great score? (Or both!)


Post 247 IP   flag post
The apple sauce and pudding were the best part... Bronte private msg quote post Address this user
In my opinion, you can always make more money at a latter point, the question is if you used the money earned to make more money? If the answer is yes, then no it wasn't a mistake.

Almost every book I own I can make more money in the future, but I will miss out on stuff in the here and now. The real brain work is balancing it to where you make money consistently. Obviously I haven't got the brain works for that as of yet....
Post 248 IP   flag post
Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock Tedsaid private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bronte
Almost every book I own I can make more money in the future, but I will miss out on stuff in the here and now. The real brain work is balancing it to where you make money consistently. Obviously I haven't got the brain works for that as of yet....

Ha! I'm still working on that one, too.
Post 249 IP   flag post
598088 249 24
This topic is archived. Start new topic?