Wednesday, the best day of the week, new comic book day. It is like your birthday in the middle of each week (well, one where you buy your own presents.)
We open things up to hear from you. A free for all.
The 172nd edition of the open forum!
Well, Super Bowl is over. The real winners are the commercials. For me the Tide ads were the best. Which did you like? I watched Cloverfields Paradox as soon as it hit Netflix Sunday night. Could not wait.
As always we also want to hear about your weekly pickups.
So, What were your pick ups?
What had disappeared off the shelves?
What was sitting on the shelves?
What back issue deals did you grab?
80 thoughts on “Wednesday Open Forum”
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Looking for some suggestions. I have between 300-450 to spend on some books, I would prefer slabbed. Any suggestions for decent investments could be 1 book could be a couple, thoughts? Im pretty open minded any help is appreciated.
I’d shop a midgrade Marvel silverage first appearance.
If you can find one in your price range.. Amazing Spider-Man 300 is a book I think will only continue to rise over time. Another one would be Amazing Spider-Man 316 which I found a CGC 9.8 for around $100, but I think it’s gone up since I bought mine.
I invested in an ASM 300 CGC 9.6 about a year ago. Paid $400 CND. The movie was announced about a month later and 9.6s were hiting $800 – $850. I think its settled down a bit since. Everytime i go to that shop, the guy smiles at me and tells me he wish he didnt sell it. Lol.
I bought mine raw about a year or so ago. On a good day could be a 9.8 but it’s definitely a 9.6. I bought mine when it hadn’t settled down yet though after the news I think and paid around $500. I didn’t care though, I’d rather pay $500 now instead of $2000 years from now while I’m still gathering up the missing books from my ASM collection.
When i first got back into reading about 3 years ago, i stumbled across Jock and Detective 880. I loved it from the moment i first saw it. I think it was about $60-$80 at that time, and i remember thinking that was way to much to spend on a comic. Now, I really wish i had bought one back then.
It is too much but its fun when you can buy the ones you want…. 🙂
I have one and came across one again recently. I paid $3.99 for mine.
Happy with my copy bought it when NM raws went for $50 sadly my copy was an 8.0 when graded many years later. This is the one book my husband would want in 9.8 but no plans to buy another better copy
Thats why i started flipping. It took a while, but now my hobby is completely self sustained plus some. If there is any book i want, i save up in my paypal and buy the book for ‘free’. Its how i paid for my ASM300. Its fantastic.
That is what this site is and has always been about. Self sustaining the hobby. Sell more than what you buy.
Everything I’ve been selling on eBay and such (comics and other items), all that money goes towards vacations.
I have purchased three cars in four years and taken two trips to Disney with the family. Comic sales go to help subsidize all of this. Comics made it happen. When I started flipping comics, I was between jobs, and it really kept me sane.
Yeah, 2018 has been a hot start for me. I’ve been downsizing the collection and purging comics I don’t want in my personal collection. I’ve made well over $1000 so far in January.
I love vacations though.. they’re even sweeter when you realize you paid for them by flipping comics and selling other crap you got for free or for cheap.
NYCC is practically paid for by flipping items that people want who couldn’t attend and then you keep the few select items you want for yourself.
It’s certainly fun…
Man, I love NYCC. Every year is something that turns out to pay for the trip plus. We ate well, drank well, and flipped comics and toys well all weekend.
Yes, love me some NYCC. Honestly, a few days away from family, eating great food and being a nerd flipping nerd stuff to pay for it all.. heck yeah.
Maybe this year I’ll just fly into Baltimore or DC and ride up with you so we can shoot the sh*t the whole way to NYC.
I really want to maybe extend it one year too, a few days before or after just to hang out to site see…
You are always welcome. Extend the con by a day and hit a ton of shops on the way up.
CHU has been my go to comic site since i discovered comic sites. When i first found CHU, i went back about 1 year and read every Wednesday forum making notes of books that were discussed. I then went to every comic shop i could find within readonable driving distance and raided the back bins for anything i could find. It was so much fun. I now have over 700 feedback on my eBay store. Thank you, CHU and friends.
Same here. CHU is almost one of the few websites in general I just visit that’s not related to my day job. I mean, I check email, I check news (less often nowadays, it’s just all negative poo flinging for the most part nowadays) and I buy stuff from Amazon and Midtown.. then I check ebay to see what I’ve sold.. but the rest of the internet, meh, I stay away for the most part since I work with computers for a living.
But I found CHU after I started reading comics again. I used it as a site to just find potential cool reads.. figured if people are selling hot books, they must be great reads as well. Then I slowly start collecting and then selling by flipping as time goes by..
Jay,
Don’t you find it hard to do well up here with the cost of shipping? Between shipping costs, fees and time involved, I find it’s not really worth it to try and flip books. Any advice? I want to flip more in order to fund my habit. I usually pick up the books we all talk about to enhance the overall value of my PC. I have stacks of books I bought intending to flip and then just didn’t.
@Brennan…it is a bit of a battle up here to compete in the US market with shipping costs. I use a company that takes my American orders and they take them over the border at Niagara and ship my books directly through USPS. It costs me about $4.50 CDN to ship anywhere in the states w/ tracking. In Canada i ship via Canada post snd i use lettermail. It costs me $3 to ship anywhere in Canada. Now, i dont get tracking w/ that so i do run a risk there. Ive had 1 problem in 2 years. Most canadian buyers seem to be honest. If the book is worth more than $50/$60, ill require more for shipping so i can track it. In 2 years, ive accumulated over 700 feedback and have 100% feedback and get the top rated seller discount. I earn about $200-$300 CDN each week with about 50-60% profit. January was really good this year and i had about $2300 in sales. Ive streamlined my whole system since its inception 2 years ago and its basically on auto pilot now. I withdraw money every sunday from my paypal to pay for any and all books i buy on wednesdays. It also puts gas in my car. If you want to commission some books through my eBay store, Brennan, im sure we could arrange something.
I do tracking on all sales myself. I sold some computer PCI brackets once that my company was just throwing out (yeah, not worth company time to sell but people bought these at $4.99 each). These would come under an ounce each so at first I was just using a first class stamp but then I started getting aholes claiming they weren’t receiving them (which I doubt was happening at the rate I was starting to get them). So I had to strip the free shipping and start charging the $2.67 for shipping that includes tracking off eBay just so I’m not refunding liars.. I wish people were more honest but here in the U.S., anyone sees a package without tracking seems they’ll take advantage of the situation..
Nicely done sir.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/caledon_collectibles/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=
Theres a link to my store.
Thanks Jay!
I should really take some time to get all my stuff together and figure out what my best option is. I may be in touch with you about this in the future. I’m afraid that when I pass the collection down the line that it won’t be valued and just tossed or sold off as is without realizing how much is in there that is valuable!
Oh man. The exit strategy is tough. I would rather leave the cash then the comics
Nice content on ebay as well Jay! Looks like we have a lot of the same stuff!
Tony, ideally I would like it to eventually go to someone who will enjoy having it as much as I do.
I picked up a House if Secrets 92 6.5 for $450 a little while ago. According to GoCollect, it has appreciated about 35% since I bought it. Sometimes, lower grades can bring a good return.
I have a PGX 6.0 I paid $50 for in 2010 first Graded book I’ve ever owned.
Same thing just recently happened with FF #5 1st Doom I paid $550 for a cgc 2.0 not even a year ago with Fox Disney merger news I could probably fetch $1100-$1200. But I don’t ever flip anything that’s part of my 1st appearance collection unless I have multiples.
are you a new collector?? I would go after totally awesome hulk #22 and teen titans #12 its batman who laughs to start. i just ordered 100 amazing spiderman #300 true believers from my local retailer. I will sit on those for several years.
I got 20 of the true believers coming. That’s an excellent grab
I preordered 30 True Believers ASM300, and ive presold 3 already for about $6 each. Ive almost made my money back already and i havent even spent the money yet. ?
One of the smaller LCS’ in my area has a TT #12B on the wall for $50 CND. Ive been eyeing it for a few weeks now. I think i may have to invest in that tomorrow.
Nah.. go for TT #12 Cover A.. that’s gonna be the real winner I think long term. Cover B is still up there in same range but Cover A has him on the cover.
I agree. But that option isn’t available to me at any local shops. I own 1 copy of TT12A in my PC, flipped a few others shortly after release, but think i can still make some cash if i buy the B cover in the shop and flip it in 6 months-year.
Ah, okay. Didn’t realize you had the cover A as well.
I still have 2 cover A’s and 1 cover B. Going to grade both A covers and hopefully sell them by the end of the year.
Moot point. TT12B was sold at the shop i was eyeing it at. Oh well.
I think I pre-ordered about 15 or 20 of those I can’t remember.
80 cents a piece here http://shrsl.com/rsc3 worth the grab.
I pre ordered 10 of the ASM 300. I need to list my books…
Been really busy with work. I have this huge design that I need to turn in into the city by tomorrow 9am. I have 2 more items to input but need to go early in the morning to take more measurements. ????
i just picked up miracleman #15 for $50 canadian ($56.50) including tax. it is around a 9.4 raw book.
not a bad pick up although it has not been a hot book lately. if i know its a low print i usually pick this stuff up nevertheless. quite happy with it.
any thoughts on a 9.8 saga 1?
I have one. A long as the series stays strong, and as much demand the book has, it will be a good hold. But do not hold too long if they announce the end of the book (not saying they are announcing it). I have held a Chew #1 9.8 for a while and should have sold it a long time ago
I say hold it, unless it’s the variant then sell sell sell. It will eventually come to film or television in some form.
I’m looking for a NM+ copy of Spawn Dark Ages #1 cover A. If anyone has one, let me know and I will give you my contact info or you can get it from Tony. Ether way. Thank you.
I might have one Jesus raw I can send photos
Cool. You can contact me at 735vargas at gmail dot com
Picked up Venom Lethal Protector #1-6
and Amazing Spider-Man #375 for $12
And Swamp Thing #1 CGC 9.0 for $189
What’s up everyone? Slow day for me today due to the amount of snow coming down! The good news i to that is the course I’m taking is cancelled for the night so as long as the roads aren’t too bad I will get to go pick up my books!
Today I am getting:
Batman #40
Batman: White Knight #5
I Hate Fairyland #16
Justice League #38
Nightwing #38
Spiderman/Deadpool #27
Star Wars #43
Superman #40
Amazing Spider-man #795
The Avengers #679
The Walking Dead #176 Both Covers
Hasta La Vista Babies!
Picking up this week:
I Hate FL 16
Swamp Thing Winter Special
Young Monsters in Love 1 (for the Kelley Jones Swamp Thing/Bride of Frankenstein cover)
I was given a copy of Dark Horse’s book, The Artist Within, which captures in photos many of the top artists in the comic industry. My sister-in-law knows the photographer who created the book and had it signed and sketched by Stan Sakai (Usagi) and Scott Shaw (Sonic the Hedgehog). It is the type of book you don’t mind lugging around a show and getting signed by people in the book. In fact, on Saturday, I’ll be going to a new show, I Love Comic Con, in Washington state and plan on getting Neal Adams to sign and maybe sketch in it. Unfortunately, many of the artists have now passed after their photos were taken for the book.
James O’Barr will be at the show too. Unfortunately, he cancelled the last show I went to, so I decided to send in my Caliber Presents to get slabbed without his signature. I do have a few Deadworld I can have him sign. Is it weird to ask an artist to sign multiple copies of the same book? I tend to feel weird about it and only get one copy signed per con. I have 3 sets of Brandon Graham’s October Yen 1-3 signed and sketched but only brought one set at a time.
I just scored 2 Larazz X23 young guns for $7 CDN each and a XMen Red 1:25f for $6. Good start today. ?
Pick ups for the week:
Swamp Thing Special (based on Batman Annual, can’t wait to read this by Tom King)
Walking Dead variant
Avengers 679 (Brooks cover)
Amazing Spiderman 795 (4 copies)-my spec of the week- RED GOBLIN appearance!!!
Star Wars action figure variant
Spec pick ups from last week- Infinity War: Prelude X 4 for cover price. Sold 3 copies at between $20-$23. From what I can tell pretty low printed book and surprising compared to other prelude Marvel movie books that don’t sell. Pick’em up if you see them.
Good hunting everyone!
I was in the area of my LCS and was able to be there upon opening. I was able to get the following:
Avenger # 679 ×2
Swamp thing winter special #1 (only got 1. All the copies had a crease by the spine area. Got the one that has the least)
Walking dead #176 ( just 1 copy. Going to sell by walking dead collection so 1 reader copy is good enough)
ASM #795 ×2
VS #1 both covers
WEDNESDAY WINNER…..AMAZING SPIDERMAN 795….BOOK IT!!!!!
Actually did very well with the Dastardly and Muttley 6 Sienkiewicz Variant
What’s up guys? Pickups included……..
Daredevil #598b x 2
Thanos #14 2nd print x 2
Batman Who Laughs 3rd print
S.W. Forces of Destiny Rose and Paige #1RI x2
Amazing Spider-Man #795 x2
Comics in my pullbox……..
White Knight #5
Extremity #11
Paper Girls #20
One purchase this week
Transformers #1, 2, 3 from the plastic multi pack from the 80’s all NM going to send #1 off for grading, as 9.8s are now listing at $400. Paid $20 free shipping
I have a few Avengers #679 1:25 from a preorder looks like it’s going strong probably hold my copies see if Challenger devolps into a top tier Villain.
Did you contemplate sending all three from the multi pack to get slabbed? I broke open a 70’s multi pack to slab a WW 205. I eventually decided to send in the other two books too since they were untouched 70’s books.
This morning I wanted to be at one particular shop for opening, as i have been getting the Avengers 1:25s there for cover. When i got there, on time, the shop keep told me he didnt qualify for this issue as he had cut back. So, i proceeded in and found 2 Larazz Young Guns and a XMen Red #1 1:25 for $1 over cover. Started out well. My pick ups this week are:
PC and Readers
Swamp Thing Winter Special #1
White Knight #5
Avengers #678 Dauterman YG variant
XMen Red #1 Larraz YG variant
XMen Red #1
ASM #395
ASM #398
ASM #795
She-Hulk #162
TWD #176
Star Wars #43
Venom #161
All New Wolvie #30
Avengers #679
XMen Gold #21
Batman #40 A&B
Smoketown #6
Flips n Specs
Avengers #678 Dauterman YG x2
Avengers #679 Hulk Variant x2
Avengers #679 x7
Nightwing #29B
Suicide Squad #26
Phoenix Resurrection #4 Inhyuk Lee
White Knight #5B
BP Sound and Fury #1
XMen Red #1 1:25
XMen Red #1 Larraz YG variant
Oh, and i picked up 5 more ASM #795s and a Hulk Variant of that issue along with 5 more copies being teserved between 3 shops, that i still need to go visit. What if Harry becomes the Red Goblin after the Carnage Symbiote frees Norman of the nanites that Parker put in him to counteract the Goblin? Then we would have the Green Goblin and the Ref Goblin. And if Harry bonds with a Carnage Spawn, then we can still have Kletus Carnage, Green Goblin and Red Goblin at the same time. Slotts going out with a bang.
Batman: Hush Deluxe 15th Anniversary Edition LCSD (50% off)
Swamp Thing Annual #1
Walking Dead #176B
White Knight #5A
Missed out on a couple from my pull list, but not ASM #795 or Avengers #679. List below:
MOTHER PANIC BATMAN SPECIAL #1
BANE CONQUEST #9 (OF 12)
BATMAN #40 VAR ED
BATMAN WHITE KNIGHT #5 (OF 8) x2
BATMAN WHITE KNIGHT #5 (OF 8) VAR ED
BLACK LIGHTNING COLD DEAD HANDS #4 (OF 6)
BOMBSHELLS UNITED #11
DEATHSTROKE #28 VAR ED
GREEN ARROW #37 VAR ED
GREEN LANTERNS #40 VAR ED
HARLEY QUINN #37 VAR ED
INJUSTICE 2 #19
JUSTICE LEAGUE #38 VAR ED
NIGHTWING #38 VAR ED
SUPERMAN #40 VAR ED
DARK NIGHTS METAL #5 (OF 6) LEE VAR ED
VS #1 CVR A RIBIC
EXTREMITY #11
GRAVEDIGGERS UNION #4 (MR)
KINGSMAN RED DIAMOND #6 (OF 6) CVR A PARLOV
ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN #8 (OF 8) (MR)
ROSE #8 CVR A GUARA
ROSE #8 CVR B LOOPYDAVE
SCALES & SCOUNDRELS #6
WALKING DEAD #176 CVR A ADLARD & STEWART x2
VENOM #161 LEG
X-MEN RED #1 LEG
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #795 LEG
AVENGERS #679 LEG
IRON FIST #77 LEG
SPIDER-MAN DEADPOOL #27
PACIFIC RIM AFTERMATH #2
SHADOW BATMAN #5 CVR A PETERSON
SHADOW BATMAN #5 CVR F CHARM B&W
LCS
Swamp Thing Winter Special
Harley Quinn 37 var cvr
Batman 40 reg cvr
Hungry Ghosts 1
Walking Dead 176 reg cvr
Rose 8 Loopydave cvr
Hawkeye 14
Avengers 679 reg cvr
Amazing Spider-man 795 reg cvr
Online
Action Comics Vol 2 #997 Cover B Variant Kaare Andrews Cover NEXT WEEK
Adam Greens Hatchet #2 Cover C Variant Andrew Mangum Peek-A-Boo Cover
Amazing Spider-Man Vol 4 #794 Cover A Regular Alex Ross Cover
Animosity Evolution #3
Astonishing X-Men Vol 4 #7 Cover C Variant John Tyler Christopher Trading Card Cover
Avengers Vol 6 #680 Cover A Regular Mark Brooks Cover (No Surrender Part 6) NEXT WEEK
Baby Badass #1 Cover A Regular Tim Larsen Cover NEXT WEEK WTF
Babyteeth #7
Birthright #29
Black Betty #1 Cover B Variant Michela Da Sacco Battle Damaged Cover NEXT WEEK
Black Lightning Cold Dead Hands #3
Captain America Vol 8 #697 Cover A 1st Ptg Regular Chris Samnee Cover
Comic Shop News #1600
Crosswind #6
Giant Days #34
Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #4 Cover B Variant Gene Ha Cover
Iron Fist Vol 5 #76
Judas #3 Cover B Variant Jeremy Bastian Cover NEXT WEEK
No 1 With A Bullet #3
Paper Girls #19
Phoenix Resurrection Return Of (Adult) Jean Grey #2 Cover A Regular Leinil Francis Yu Cover
Plague Of The Living Dead #4 Reg Cvr
Rock Candy Mountain #7
Secret Weapons Vol 2 #0 Cover B Variant Veronica Fish Cover
Solar Flare Season 2 #3
Spider-Man Vol 2 #236
Star Wars Vol 4 #41 Cover B Variant John Tyler Christopher Action Figure Cover
Supergirl Vol 7 #18 Cover B Variant Stanley Artgerm Lau Cover NEXT WEEK
Superman Vol 5 #38 Cover B Variant Jonboy Meyers Cover
Teether #1 @ MIDTOWN
Venom Vol 3 #159 Cover D 2nd Ptg Variant Gerardo Sandoval Cover
VS #1 Cover A Regular Esad Ribic Cover
Wonder Woman Vol 5 #40 Cover B Variant Jenny Frison Cover NEXT WEEK
X-Men Grand Design #2 Cover B Variant Ed Piskor Character Cover
The end credits scenes for bLack Panther were released. The Captain Marvel part is wrong wrong from my spoiler post.
Do you have a link to the actual end credits?
http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/black-panther/feature/a849425/black-panther-post-credits-scenes-explained/
Thanks. I saw it.
The bit in the comments section of the original bp spoiler of the actual film is all right
I’m gonna rant.. cause I can.
So if a book is selling on an average of let’s say.. $40. So I list mine at $39.99 with Best Offer (cause you know, I’m flexible, I’m cool like that).
So what do you do when some clown actually sends an offer of $5.00? To me, that’s just a freaking slap in the face. It’s a waste of time if you ask me. I can understand when people try to get the best deal possible but let’s get real.. who in their right mind knocks off 87.5% off the going price?
How do you other sellers deal with clowns like this? I tell you how I deal with them.. slapping me in the face with silly offers gets you blocked and banned from buying from me. I don’t care if they have a wad of cash to give me for my books.. You act like a dumba$$ then you don’t deserve to buy from me. And honestly if you’re willing to make stupid offers like that, I’m willing to bet these types are just going to cause hassle after the purchase as well. Not worth my time or effort.
Okay.. end rant.
I block and ban.
How do you handle offers of 50-75% off your asking price? I sell at small cons and don’t think twice about selling if someone asks about 10% off.
I deny offers over 20%. I have a profit range I would like to see but when people come in and lowball, I just blow them off.
10% to 30% are usually pretty reasonable. I tend to set my asking price at what books are going for or slightly under the current average. I’m pretty fair. So when someone comes in asking for 50% or more off, I just wanna slap them back.. maybe knock some sense into them.
Now if I was a seller asking $40 for a book that is selling for $5, it’d be a totally different story but then again, I don’t think I’d be that unreasonable when setting my prices either..
I have had someone do that to me. I had a book for $45. They offered me $20. I countered offer $40 they did $20. I counter offer $60. They didn’t reply lol. I like to mess around with stupid people…
Yeah, I’ve done that too. Now if I counter and they just send the same offer price as the first one, I just decline and then block. Not gonna waste time trying to conduct business with unreasonable people…
True!