That Crazy Itch!

[captain_slinky]

Sometimes I keep myself awake at night plotting and scheming my Big Dream. Sometimes I keep myself awake thinking about Buying & Selling Comic Books, and how I could make a living doing so.

Doing web-searches for lots of my old "Contacts", looking to get a "Hook-Up"... if I could get just 7 to 10 long boxes full of Quarter Bin and 50-cent comics, I could justify traveling to conventions as far away as Portland several times a year! But I've really established (and now-re-established) myself as a "Stuff" guy at these shows.

Comic Book Conventions have htree different types of retailers; Comic Book Sellers, Toy Sellers and "Stuff" sellers.

Comic Book Sellers are easy to spot; they've got long boxes on top of the table, 25-cent boxes below the table, and a wall full of REALLY OLD AND VALUABLE comics behind them.

Toy Sellers are a little harder to spot. They may have one or two short-boxes full of comics that they speculatively bought in the 90's that they're trying to sell for Full Guide Value, but the table and the wall are taken up by "Hot" Action Figures, Movie Posters and the occasional smattering of T-Shirts or VHS/DVD stuff (mostly imported Anime).

And then there's the "Stuff" Sellers, like me. Stepping up to their table is like a cross between Sanford & Son and a Yard Sale. A Swamp-Thing Board Game! A Masters Of The Universe Bed Sheet! A Beverly Hills 90210 Lunchbox! A Smurf Puzzle! A VHS copy of "Karate Cop"! Buzz Lightyear! You never know what The Crazy Stuff-Man is gonna pull out of those boxes next! It's like a MAGIC SHOW!!!

Although i really enjoy being The Stuff Man, it takes up A LOT of room and has a pretty minimal profit margin. Things that I bought for an average of $1 each ended up selling for maybe $2 or $3 at the most, and cost me severla hundred dollars to store over the years. But if i could switch over to being a Comics Guy...

Comics Guys have it easy. Comic Book Boxes stack real nice and can even be made in to impromptu furniture for long-term storage! And really, when you buy back issues in bulk? You pay an average of 23-cents per comic (old figures from 1992 so things may have changed by now for the better or the worse) and you end up getting a nice assortment of stuff that sells for anwhere between 25-cents and $25. You're not gonna find anything Earth-shattering in there as far as rarity is concerned, but you Do get a very nice variety that will keep the kids digging in your boxes show after show :)

Well, that's it for me. I told myself that I'd only dwell on this till midnight, then force myself in to bed for some sleep.

Comments

[sasjhwa.livejournal.com]

Have you considered setting up an Internet store? Something off ebay with its own dedicated url? You can list out the comics you have for sale offer a reasonable shipping rate and a free random comic with the purchase of 5 or something like that. Make it look professional and slick.

Maybe every day you can have a special deal that is only available during that day. Something to get people checking back.

Setting up a website is pretty cheap really and a shopping cart is easy to set up. If you have thousands of comics to sell it could be a good way to move them without splitting your share with eBay.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

It's really a completely different thing. The best example I can think of is that it's like the difference between sex WITH a Condom and WITHOUT a condom. Selling via The Internet you don't get a feel for the customer. You don't get to talk to them. you don't get to *see* how they respond to your prices. You don't get to feel how much they appreciate the deal you just gave them. You can't see the guy pause as he picks up an item and then you can give him the background on it. The internet is cold and impersonal, regardless of how many emoticons you use :)

I'm not looking to just make money; i want to *enjoy* what I'm doing. I want the social interaction. I want the thrill of the deal! Those are things you just can't get via The Internet.

[sasjhwa.livejournal.com]

I understand that. But, selling on the Internet doesn't mean you still can't do the same number of conventions. In fact, were you to be successful you would have enough money to do MORE conventions. There is something to making money that is good after all.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

I see wher eyou're coming from, but... How do i put this in terms that you'll "Get"?

Let's say you have this excellent idea for a thousand-point Lizard Man army that you've never seen anybody else try and you're POSITIVE that it'll be both Extremely Powerful AND Fun To Play, but you need 3 or 4 very expensive and/or rare pieces to make it work. Would just go ahead and play a pre-built, pre-painted Orc Army instead because it's cheaper, easier and less fun? or would you continue to just go ahead and play with the armies you currently have and keep building towards the army that you actually want?

Your own personal answer to that question may explain our differing opinion here... I'm the type of guy who would play with what I have and build towards my Ultimate Army instead of wasting time and money on something that there's already a gazillion of out there.

[sasjhwa.livejournal.com]

No need to be condescending. I "get" your point. I offered a suggestion. You are welcome to ignore it. I'll shut my mouth now so I don't offend you further.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I didn't mean to be condescending... it just really seemed like you weren't getting why i wouldn't want to just open an on-line store! I figured it was either an inability on my part to properly convey the message, or a base-level difference of values. I wasn't offended at all! I was just frustrated! NOBODY 'Gets" it! But I knew I had to try again because if anybody COULD get it, it would be you!

[sasjhwa.livejournal.com]

I'm sending a response via email.

[jrsonday.livejournal.com]

Speaking of selling ... posters in the mail?!?! :-) :-) I'm excited.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... posters went out over a week ago now! You should have had them by now, since they were shipped via Priority Mail!

E-Mail me (dmcamr at yahoo dot com) with your shipping address so i can be sure I've got the right one... I'll make a trip to The Post Office and see if the package can be tracked!

[melancholywings.livejournal.com]

I've only been to a few comic cons and I think the problem with them (that I have seen) is there isn't any (or maybe only 1) vendor that falls out of those three catagories. There isn't enough variation of offerings, which I guess is why I like the 'stuff' booths the most, though I rarely buy because rarely do they have things that would interest me...it's mainly aimed at men, boy toys and such....and I'm a girlie girl. So the hello kitty booth gets all my cash. The same at Pax. I think I bought one tiny thing from Pink Godzilla and everything else went into the (forget their name) Hello Kitty booth.

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

You need to come to my booth next time! We offer a wide variety of "Girly" items such as She-Ra, Rainbow Brite, My Little Pony, Surfs (which i was informed at the convention *is* a Girly item), Sweet Valley High and more! What type of stuff do you want to see more of? I'll make sure to start carrying whateve rit is, as long as no one else is selling that type of thing :)

My Girlie Stuff ALWAYS sells :)

[schizoauthoress.livejournal.com]

Damn straight! ^_~

[zannah.livejournal.com]

Don't you have a lot of comics in storage, though? Could you use those to start your convention dreams?

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

But... but those are *MY* comic books!

[supernovame.livejournal.com]

You know I have plenty. I am sure we could go through them and find at least 7-10 quarter boxes out of the 35 -50 boxes I have... Plus I have boxes of toys, cards and stuff too! More stuff! Just what you needed! I had a lot of fun, but I am not the seller type guy, just the collector type guy. But you make it look fun! and I do want to sell...

[captain-slinky.livejournal.com]

True that... and I *do* intend to get in to your storage unit at some point to start organizing, probably shortly after i've got my own units down to just a single unit! We'll have your stuff ready by next summer, I'm fairly certain...

...But I want stuff of my own to sell! Selling the stuff of othe rpeople is fine and dandy, but I want 100% of the proffits! When I'm working for The Cash is when I REALLY shine :)