Could you sell your collection?
04-05-18, 09:43 PM
#26
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
04-06-18, 05:54 AM
#27
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Could you sell your collection?
I think the direct market was a response to what was already going on rather than a cause.
I think it started in the late 70s with Star Wars. Is that the point people began buying stuff and not opening them to use?
When people would buy a box of cereal to save as a collector's item and not eat it?
When retail posters, signs and displays would be saved by someone who works there instead of going in the dumpster?
Since practically 100% of everything was now being preserved in mint condition, rather than surviving by chance, there was no longer any challenge to collecting. In response, the industries artificially recreated the challenge to generate interest with limited editions, variants and chase cards.
I think it started in the late 70s with Star Wars. Is that the point people began buying stuff and not opening them to use?
When people would buy a box of cereal to save as a collector's item and not eat it?
When retail posters, signs and displays would be saved by someone who works there instead of going in the dumpster?
Since practically 100% of everything was now being preserved in mint condition, rather than surviving by chance, there was no longer any challenge to collecting. In response, the industries artificially recreated the challenge to generate interest with limited editions, variants and chase cards.
Last edited by rw2516; 04-06-18 at 06:38 AM.
04-06-18, 11:07 AM
#28
Member
Re: Could you sell your collection?
I used to have 30-35 long-boxes full of comics. A couple years back we downsized very unexpectedly for the 2nd time in a year. I realized that I wasn't going to have room for all the comics in our new place and made the decision to shed about half of them. At best, I got $20 per box. The bulk of what I let go were lame Image books and 90s Marvel stuff that an uncle I reintroduced to comics subscribed to and handed down to me. The stuff that really mattered to me, I kept.
Had I not cut down on the long-boxes I'me guessing some or all of them would have been destroyed in the fire that happened 2 months after we moved to the new place. So I guess that's a bright side to look on.
Had I not cut down on the long-boxes I'me guessing some or all of them would have been destroyed in the fire that happened 2 months after we moved to the new place. So I guess that's a bright side to look on.
04-06-18, 01:19 PM
#29
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Could you sell your collection?
Since practically 100% of everything was now being preserved in mint condition, rather than surviving by chance, there was no longer any challenge to collecting. In response, the industries artificially recreated the challenge to generate interest with limited editions, variants and chase cards.
04-07-18, 04:03 AM
#30
Re: Could you sell your collection?
I started getting back into comics at a time when nobody gave a shit about value (but had always been getting Archie in the meantime).
Luckily that time was when The Walking Dead was getting started, so I have sold a couple of those.
Luckily that time was when The Walking Dead was getting started, so I have sold a couple of those.
04-07-18, 10:36 AM
#31
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Could you sell your collection?
I think it started in the late 70s with Star Wars. Is that the point people began buying stuff and not opening them to use?
When people would buy a box of cereal to save as a collector's item and not eat it?
When retail posters, signs and displays would be saved by someone who works there instead of going in the dumpster?
When people would buy a box of cereal to save as a collector's item and not eat it?
When retail posters, signs and displays would be saved by someone who works there instead of going in the dumpster?
I googled up an old 2012 interview with Chuck Rozanski (of Mile High Comics fame), where he mentioned something similar. (I assume Chuck speaks from first hand experience and authority on this particular issue).
Q: Do the new superhero movies help drive neophytes to comics?
A: Sure. One of the reasons I left CU was because comics were growing so quickly. In 1977, “Star Wars” was one of the catalysts for the growth of comic book stores. It led to the establishment of 20 distributors selling just to comics stores. That may not sound like a big deal, but before that, people got their comics from newsstands. Once distributors got involved, the collectors all went to comic book stores, because we got the shipments a week before the newsstands did. So, yes, the new movies are acting as a catalyst. Want to hear a funny story?
A: Sure. One of the reasons I left CU was because comics were growing so quickly. In 1977, “Star Wars” was one of the catalysts for the growth of comic book stores. It led to the establishment of 20 distributors selling just to comics stores. That may not sound like a big deal, but before that, people got their comics from newsstands. Once distributors got involved, the collectors all went to comic book stores, because we got the shipments a week before the newsstands did. So, yes, the new movies are acting as a catalyst. Want to hear a funny story?
04-07-18, 11:38 AM
#32
Challenge Guru & Comic Nerd
Re: Could you sell your collection?
^
Wow. That’s sorta creepy Chuck.
A: ... Want to hear a funny story?
Q: Always.
A: I was in a Grand Junction convenience store when the first ” Iron Man” movie came out. Two girls there were talking about the movie, and I mentioned that I had an Iron Man comic book in my van.
Q: Always.
A: I was in a Grand Junction convenience store when the first ” Iron Man” movie came out. Two girls there were talking about the movie, and I mentioned that I had an Iron Man comic book in my van.
04-08-18, 02:14 PM
#33
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Could you sell your collection?
I could easily see Star Wars igniting the collector's mentality in most geeky hobbies. Before Star Wars, collections in almost any field were seen as the domain of eccentric rich people. The Star Wars' fan boom fueled the rise of middle-class adults collecting all sorts of things.
04-10-18, 01:40 PM
#34
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Could you sell your collection?
04-11-18, 07:55 AM
#36
Re: Could you sell your collection?
Most of the comics I've gotten rid of are relatively recent floppies, released within the last 10/15/20 years. I have tried to sell them, and they are borderline-worthless, in most cases. Anyone telling you that you will be able to get good money from most floppies from the '90's are 200X's is either a liar, or a fool.
I've typically donated these to get rid of them, since I don't want them around.
Absolutely, 100% correct. There are numerous issues & problems involved in selling something through the mail:
1) The hassle & time involved in packaging these, insuring them (if you want to go that route), and sending these out in the mail. And, you can't put a price on the time you'll have to spend on this.
2) The possibility that the item(s) will either get lost in the mail, and/or mis-delivered. Also, the possibility that you will send the items to someone dishonest - who will lie & say they didn't receive the items (and you won't have any way to prove otherwise).
The amount of $ that I would get on these items wouldn't cover the money I paid for them - even if I sold them to someone in person. And, it definitely wouldn't come close to covering the time, hassle, shipping costs, etc. that would factor into selling them through the mail.
Screw it.
I've typically donated these to get rid of them, since I don't want them around.
1) The hassle & time involved in packaging these, insuring them (if you want to go that route), and sending these out in the mail. And, you can't put a price on the time you'll have to spend on this.
2) The possibility that the item(s) will either get lost in the mail, and/or mis-delivered. Also, the possibility that you will send the items to someone dishonest - who will lie & say they didn't receive the items (and you won't have any way to prove otherwise).
The amount of $ that I would get on these items wouldn't cover the money I paid for them - even if I sold them to someone in person. And, it definitely wouldn't come close to covering the time, hassle, shipping costs, etc. that would factor into selling them through the mail.
Screw it.
Last edited by TheDude; 04-11-18 at 08:10 AM.
04-16-18, 10:58 AM
#37
Re: Could you sell your collection?
Most of the comics I've gotten rid of are relatively recent floppies, released within the last 10/15/20 years. I have tried to sell them, and they are borderline-worthless, in most cases. Anyone telling you that you will be able to get good money from most floppies from the '90's are 200X's is either a liar, or a fool.
I've typically donated these to get rid of them, since I don't want them around.
Absolutely, 100% correct. There are numerous issues & problems involved in selling something through the mail:
2) The possibility that the item(s) will either get lost in the mail, and/or mis-delivered. Also, the possibility that you will send the items to someone dishonest - who will lie & say they didn't receive the items (and you won't have any way to prove otherwise).
Screw it.
I've typically donated these to get rid of them, since I don't want them around.
Absolutely, 100% correct. There are numerous issues & problems involved in selling something through the mail:
2) The possibility that the item(s) will either get lost in the mail, and/or mis-delivered. Also, the possibility that you will send the items to someone dishonest - who will lie & say they didn't receive the items (and you won't have any way to prove otherwise).
Screw it.
04-16-18, 12:08 PM
#39
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Re: Could you sell your collection?
I guess I'm lucky, I've been selling on ebay for over 20 years and have never had a buyer try to scam me (watch, now that I have said that it will probably happen next week ).
I purged most of my comic collection years ago, and if I had to get rid of what I have left I could do it no problem (only about ten percent of it has any actual value though). My vintage toy collection would be trickier. If I had to I could do it, but I do have some rare items that would be very difficult to replace if I sold my collection and then tried to rebuild it again.
). I purged most of my comic collection years ago, and if I had to get rid of what I have left I could do it no problem (only about ten percent of it has any actual value though). My vintage toy collection would be trickier. If I had to I could do it, but I do have some rare items that would be very difficult to replace if I sold my collection and then tried to rebuild it again.
