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what's up with Mile High Prices?4097

Collector OrbitCityComics private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Towmater
@TommyJasmin So, you are saying that he buys like other dealers do at shows? How does that make him any different from any other large dealer?


It depends on what prices he is paying. For him, every book he buys is overhead. If he's paying FMV for every book he's buying, then he has to charge more to recoup his investment and cover his overhead.

I do not believe that his GMROI can be all that high.
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COLLECTOR shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user
Whatever he's doing, he's not failing. So theres that anyways.
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Forum Crier OGJackster private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Homer
Either I have a knack of finding books priced below value, or I'm very unlucky. Three books in a row from Ebay, were canceled and I was told out of stock. No book for me. Mile highs Ebay store.



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Collector* Towmater private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by OrbitCityComics
Quote:
Originally Posted by Towmater
@TommyJasmin So, you are saying that he buys like other dealers do at shows? How does that make him any different from any other large dealer?


It depends on what prices he is paying. For him, every book he buys is overhead. If he's paying FMV for every book he's buying, then he has to charge more to recoup his investment and cover his overhead.

I do not believe that his GMROI can be all that high.


I don't think any dealer at a show ever pays FMV for a book. It doesn't matter if that's Chuck or anyone else. No idea, on his business and its GMROI.
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COLLECTOR JLS_Comics private msg quote post Address this user
Chuck wants you to know it's a privilege purchasing from his curated, prestige mile high collection.

He's operating on the same model he used when he was a mail-order ad in the middle of your latest marvel comic book.

His "keyword sale" strategy is akin to a clearance inventory sell-out: jack up the original price then mark it down 35-50%. Sounds like a deal but you're back at the original price.
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Collector thelastbard private msg quote post Address this user
They've been operating the same way for 40(?) years, right. It worked when we were buying books from the short catalog in our marvel books and the print one they sent us with the packages, but in the supply and demand world where we have access to eBay and other sources, it doesn't really work. It's also why we get sticker shock when we go to conventions and see various prices at different booths, including MHC's at SDCC... It used to be kind of nuts seeing their pricing there, too. Great selection, but odd pricing. Overstreet pricing in the modern day just doesn't work if you want to move product. I suppose if you don't care how much you spend OR if you need to insure your books and need a tool to do so, Overstreet works, fine. For selling to people? No... We all know that when you go to sell your book to any shop, what do they reference? How much the books have been selling for on eBay, then they mark down from that point.

I like Mile High... I have shopped with them off and on for over thirty years (crazy to think), BUT I do wish they would adjust their pricing, not mark up to mark down, along with other retailers to a high reasonable rather than just a place that, in many cases, people will look, but they won't purchase.
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Collector* Towmater private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by thelastbard
They've been operating the same way for 40(?) years, right. It worked when we were buying books from the short catalog in our marvel books and the print one they sent us with the packages, but in the supply and demand world where we have access to eBay and other sources, it doesn't really work. It's also why we get sticker shock when we go to conventions and see various prices at different booths, including MHC's at SDCC... It used to be kind of nuts seeing their pricing there, too. Great selection, but odd pricing. Overstreet pricing in the modern day just doesn't work if you want to move product. I suppose if you don't care how much you spend OR if you need to insure your books and need a tool to do so, Overstreet works, fine. For selling to people? No... We all know that when you go to sell your book to any shop, what do they reference? How much the books have been selling for on eBay, then they mark down from that point.

I like Mile High... I have shopped with them off and on for over thirty years (crazy to think), BUT I do wish they would adjust their pricing, not mark up to mark down, along with other retailers to a high reasonable rather than just a place that, in many cases, people will look, but they won't purchase.


The key sentence in what you wrote is "They've been operating the same way for 40(?) years, right."

They still are in business. Chuck found his comfort zone and what works for him to provide for his family, and those that work for him. People are buying from him or he wouldn't be in business.
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Collector thelastbard private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Towmater
They still are in business. Chuck found his comfort zone and what works for him to provide for his family, and those that work for him. People are buying from him or he wouldn't be in business.


You're right, of course, but...

http://www.milehighcomics.com/newsletter/070517email.html

The above may not have been needed with a little bit of adjustment on their part. I was at the convention, saw the aisles, how crowded they were over the last few years, last year in particular, this year, etc... I've run booths at SDCC, spoken with retailers (including comic shops), understand some of the struggles (though, I'll admit not one with THAT large a footprint).

To some degree, you have to evolve. Or wither and blow away in the wind.
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COLLECTOR shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user
Today's newsletter: complete bs that he made no money lol, thats a sales tactic (I'm sure he got a nice fat salary). Regardless, here's the sales pitch and the 50% off sale. His prices dont look so bad right about now 👍🏻

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mile High Comics

50% Off LABORDAY Codeword Sale - All BI Comics and Magazines
Howdy!

I had a brief meeting with my accountant this afternoon, and the news from our final tally from last year was the same as it almost always turns out to be: we worked hard all year, and at the end of it all made diddly squat in terms of cash profit. We did not lose money, but our operating profit was only about 1.7 cents on the dollar of sales. On the flip side, we did successfully add over 100,000 new items into our website offerings during 2016, and also filled in many thousands more missing grades.

That remarkable growth in our inventory last year bodes extremely well for 2017, and our first seven months results from this year have certainly reflected the benefits of having more great comics on hand. Our online sales right now are running well ahead of 2016, and sales in our Jason St. Mega-Store are up in August by a staggering 49%! over the same month last year. Simply put, with most comics shops in America experiencing slow sales right now, we are beating the industry curve all to heck. Yay!


WOLVERINE (1988) #10
All of the above having been said, you would think that 2017 would be the year that we finally show a strong cash profit. Nope, I can assure you that is not going to happen. Why? Because we're the only shop in Denver actively buying comics and toy collections right now. As a direct result, we are being buried on a daily basis in offers to buy great material. Just today (Monday), for example, Lisa bought a 6' high stack of huge tubs filled with action figures, Will purchased over 500 choice back issues, Pam bought two collections containing 2,000+ comics, and I purchased 8 estate boxes filled with books, magazines, and toys. Whew!


BATMAN (1940) #428
If you want to see listings of a portion of what we have been buying recently, I urge you to visit our Premium New-In-Stock links. Over the past seven days we have been listing hundreds of great new arrivals in comics, books, and magazines. And just so you know, that trend is bound to continue, as I am already committed to look at a private collection this week that contains 60,000+ comics, and have another waiting that contains over 100,000 comics! In all honesty, I have absolutely no idea how we're going to find the time to get all of these newly-purchased comics graded...


THIEF OF THIEVES (2012)) #1
I will close today's newsletter by mentioning that the fact that we have purchased so many awesome collections this month is allowing me to start our annual 50% off LABORDAY codeword sale a week early. Please do bear in mind right from the beginning, however, that it is going to take at least a week for your order to ship. Try though we might, we have just not been able to completely eliminate our shipping backlog that began after the July 4th holiday. That having been said, as long as you are willing to wait a bit for your order to ship, I'm in a position where I can offer you a half price codeword that applies to all ten million of our back issue comics and magazines, including most issues that are now being listed in New-In-Stock and Premium New-In-Stock. Only new issues, a few variants, and our professionally graded comics are exempt. Enjoy!

Please do enjoy our generous new codeword sale with our sincere thanks for your continuing support of our company. You are the best!

Happy collecting!

Chuck Rozanski,
President - Mile High Comics, Inc.
August 22, 2017
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Collector thelastbard private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by shrewbeer
Today's newsletter: complete bs that he made no money lol, thats a sales tactic (I'm sure he got a nice fat salary). Regardless, here's the sales pitch and the 50% off sale. His prices dont look so bad right about now 👍🏻


That makes a MHC variant I have on the site only... well... marginally overpriced, ha ha... :P
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COLLECTOR JWKyle private msg quote post Address this user
I had to buy from Mile High one time. I knew going in what the reputation was,I remember even asking here on the boards for peoples input on Mile High. Well needless to say one time was enough every book that was listed as NM was no better then a VF and this was modern drek. There is NO way I would spend real money with this company. It just makes me wonder how many new collectors Mile High has either killed their enjoyment of the hobby by selling them over graded books or people who learned to grade by Mile High standards. Hence they can't really grade their collection. There are so many better online dealers that actually can grade books. Those should be the companies that get your hard earned comic money.
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COLLECTOR shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user
@JWKyle I keep hearing that from several people; yet every NM book ive bought from them was correctly graded 😳

I suppose that means Im due for a burn 🔥
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Collector VillageIdiot private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by cseale0223
Super high. I went in and found a dollar bin book. Guy wanted to charge me $16 for it. I laughed in his face and walked out.


That's some shady shit right there 😡 Hence why I've never purchased a single item from Chuck!
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COLLECTOR shrewbeer private msg quote post Address this user
Lots of hate for Chuck here lol.

I just spent $40 on 6 NM books I had been looking for for the past year with no luck, filling holes in the collection. Happy to pay it. Wasnt happy to pay it last week under his normal prices though 😁
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Collector TommyJasmin private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by Towmater
@TommyJasmin So, you are saying that he buys like other dealers do at shows? How does that make him any different from any other large dealer?


Oh come on, you know how that works @Towmater. The real dealer-to-dealer buying happens way before the regular folk get to set one foot in the door. The fact that he would come peacocking around on day 2 or 3 snapping up boxes little kids were perusing made it different.
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Collector VillageIdiot private msg quote post Address this user
Chuck has been a thief since his Edgar Church "find" 😔🤔
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Collector* Towmater private msg quote post Address this user
Quote:
Originally Posted by TommyJasmin
Quote:
Originally Posted by Towmater
@TommyJasmin So, you are saying that he buys like other dealers do at shows? How does that make him any different from any other large dealer?


Oh come on, you know how that works @Towmater. The real dealer-to-dealer buying happens way before the regular folk get to set one foot in the door. The fact that he would come peacocking around on day 2 or 3 snapping up boxes little kids were perusing made it different.


So, he was acting like every other dealer who wanted some comics. Whoopty do.
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