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Post by G on Sept 8, 2012 11:33:25 GMT -5
I typically wait until the end too. I often try and wait until the last 30-40 seconds or so hoping I can pull off a snipe. If it says I have been outbid, I usually have just enough time to put in 1 more bid if I want to. Otherwise I let it go because I pretty much already knew how much I wanted to spend in the 1st place. But there have been times I got caught up in a book and threw another bid in because I just wanted the book bad enough. I'm hoping that happens with my auctions on some of them. As of this writing I'm up to 150 bids and 133 watches. I'm sure some of those watchers are the same people on multiple books, but I've probably got a lot of unique possible bidders looking at it. So, I'm very optimistic for last minute bidders. I should have interesting nights this coming Thursday and Friday. I tried making sure that all the auctions end between 9pm - 12pm. I didn't want to get too many close to 12, but it took time getting all those auctions up and it just worked out that way. I figure that would be prime time because on the west coast it would be 6pm - 9pm. I'm not too happy with 1/2 of them ending on a Friday night but I couldn't help it.
The only time(s) I wouldn't wait to bid last second would be if I was going to be away when the auction ended. Or it ended at a time I knew I wouldn't be around, like 3am in the morning (I think its stupid if you end an auction at 3am, but its a good time to look to buy things). Or if I felt like there was a good chance I would just plain forget about it, I might put up a bid. But all those scenarios are rare.
I'm actually keeping the Zoo Funnies #2. I know its not rare. I've seen a lot of them. It just doesn't seem like a book I would ever buy again so I'm going to try and keep it. I'd have a hard time letting go of my better Charltons. Good ones are hard to come by.
I'm keeping my eye on the ball. I think I'm done with this batch of auctions. I think these are some of my easier sells. I have tons of semi-decent to decent raw books to put up but I feel those won't command the higher prices. And I also want to see how much work I'm going to be up against to ship all this stuff out. I'm not looking forward to packing and shipping. It was a lot of work just to put all those books up. But towards the end, I had made it into a science and I had the process down to a science. I was getting quicker with it the more I did it. I think shipping is just going to be a pain in the ass. But I'm hoping I'll see ways I can do things quicker and be even better prepared for the 2nd round. I just hope I will be okay with the prices it brings in. And best case scenario would be to have a good job before I completely cherry pick my own collection. I don't want to be sitting here with a bunch of worthless crap at the end.
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Post by defiant1 on Sept 8, 2012 20:27:18 GMT -5
I typically wait until the end too. I often try and wait until the last 30-40 seconds or so hoping I can pull off a snipe. If it says I have been outbid, I usually have just enough time to put in 1 more bid if I want to. Otherwise I let it go because I pretty much already knew how much I wanted to spend in the 1st place. But there have been times I got caught up in a book and threw another bid in because I just wanted the book bad enough. I'm hoping that happens with my auctions on some of them. As of this writing I'm up to 150 bids and 133 watches. I'm sure some of those watchers are the same people on multiple books, but I've probably got a lot of unique possible bidders looking at it. So, I'm very optimistic for last minute bidders. I should have interesting nights this coming Thursday and Friday. I tried making sure that all the auctions end between 9pm - 12pm. I didn't want to get too many close to 12, but it took time getting all those auctions up and it just worked out that way. I figure that would be prime time because on the west coast it would be 6pm - 9pm. I'm not too happy with 1/2 of them ending on a Friday night but I couldn't help it. The only time(s) I wouldn't wait to bid last second would be if I was going to be away when the auction ended. Or it ended at a time I knew I wouldn't be around, like 3am in the morning (I think its stupid if you end an auction at 3am, but its a good time to look to buy things). Or if I felt like there was a good chance I would just plain forget about it, I might put up a bid. But all those scenarios are rare. I'm actually keeping the Zoo Funnies #2. I know its not rare. I've seen a lot of them. It just doesn't seem like a book I would ever buy again so I'm going to try and keep it. I'd have a hard time letting go of my better Charltons. Good ones are hard to come by. I'm keeping my eye on the ball. I think I'm done with this batch of auctions. I think these are some of my easier sells. I have tons of semi-decent to decent raw books to put up but I feel those won't command the higher prices. And I also want to see how much work I'm going to be up against to ship all this stuff out. I'm not looking forward to packing and shipping. It was a lot of work just to put all those books up. But towards the end, I had made it into a science and I had the process down to a science. I was getting quicker with it the more I did it. I think shipping is just going to be a pain in the ass. But I'm hoping I'll see ways I can do things quicker and be even better prepared for the 2nd round. I just hope I will be okay with the prices it brings in. And best case scenario would be to have a good job before I completely cherry pick my own collection. I don't want to be sitting here with a bunch of worthless crap at the end. I've said it on other boards, but I think most people who try to use eBay as an online store are only making McDonalds wages after the factor the cost of the book, the time setting it up and monitoring it and the time shipping it. For me to sell on ebay, i'd have to have a table designated for shipping prep. I dread even boxing up a comic that I'm giving as a gift. I'd give away a lot more comics if the recipient was actually at my house. Sciencedaily.com had an article that said red backgrounds online generate more aggressive buying. That was based upon someone's study. dp
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Post by G on Sept 15, 2012 12:12:43 GMT -5
Well it's over. Without shipping being added into it, I've grossed $1368. By time I pay fees, I'll be looking at about $1200. If I work shipping right, maybe $1250.
Overall, I'm satisfied. I wasn't sure what to expect. I went in feeling like my lowest expectation would be $600 and my highest being $1000. So I exceeded my expectations. Being I got a job, perhaps these Valiant Fan books (which I truly didn't care much about) and the CGC's (which I DID care about) will be the worst of what I lose. I'm thinking I might have 1 more fire sale just to give me some more money. But that really depends on how much of a pain and expense it will be for me to ship this stuff out. And then going through my stuff and seeing which potential good stuff I would be willing to part with.
I don't want to cherry pick myself too bad.
If I ever get back on my feet, I can see myself wanting to rebuild a CGC collection.
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Post by defiant1 on Sept 15, 2012 14:54:17 GMT -5
Well it's over. Without shipping being added into it, I've grossed $1368. By time I pay fees, I'll be looking at about $1200. If I work shipping right, maybe $1250. Overall, I'm satisfied. I wasn't sure what to expect. I went in feeling like my lowest expectation would be $600 and my highest being $1000. So I exceeded my expectations. Being I got a job, perhaps these Valiant Fan books (which I truly didn't care much about) and the CGC's (which I DID care about) will be the worst of what I lose. I'm thinking I might have 1 more fire sale just to give me some more money. But that really depends on how much of a pain and expense it will be for me to ship this stuff out. And then going through my stuff and seeing which potential good stuff I would be willing to part with. I don't want to cherry pick myself too bad. If I ever get back on my feet, I can see myself wanting to rebuild a CGC collection. Glad to hear it went well. Sorry to hear that you want a CGC collection. ;D df1
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Post by G on Sept 24, 2012 17:17:28 GMT -5
Well it's over. Without shipping being added into it, I've grossed $1368. By time I pay fees, I'll be looking at about $1200. If I work shipping right, maybe $1250. Overall, I'm satisfied. I wasn't sure what to expect. I went in feeling like my lowest expectation would be $600 and my highest being $1000. So I exceeded my expectations. Being I got a job, perhaps these Valiant Fan books (which I truly didn't care much about) and the CGC's (which I DID care about) will be the worst of what I lose. I'm thinking I might have 1 more fire sale just to give me some more money. But that really depends on how much of a pain and expense it will be for me to ship this stuff out. And then going through my stuff and seeing which potential good stuff I would be willing to part with. I don't want to cherry pick myself too bad. If I ever get back on my feet, I can see myself wanting to rebuild a CGC collection. Glad to hear it went well. Sorry to hear that you want a CGC collection. ;D df1 I would want to collect CGC's again. I actually hated losing my CGC's 10 times more than my Valianfan.com Signature books. There was a bit of pain there too, but only because I knew I had something that most Valiant fans didn't have. But I've been one to think that we've overdone the value we've given to Valiant over the years and become hung up on it and it's name for far too long. Almost to the point of nausea. And it has reached such a level with me, that I get sick of holding onto the Valiant books that no one else had. I'm almost glad to be rid of them. It almost sets me free of Valiant. Which I'm glad about. CGC's, I know what I'm getting up front. I love the collectible aspect and know what it is I'm buying and at what grade. Plus, they are plenty easy to get rid of and in almost every circumstance, I made profit. In many cases, small, but profit nonetheless. There were one or two I took a loss. But I'd say I did about 85 - 90% profit with the rest being even or less. The current modern day reader in me has almost all but died. Especially when I am on hard financial times. When I am doing well, I'm willing to give it a chance. But I got tired of being disappointed. In the last 4 years, I probably spent 2 and 1/2 being a DCBS subscriber and I was spending on average at least $50 a month. I was getting sick of getting about 25-30 books and only truly enjoying 2 or 3 of them with the rest seeming fair or average at best. And that was at best. The majority were downright pathetic. The ratio was too low for too long to keep supporting current comics. So therefore, the collector in me is still interested and I believe always will be. The CGC's appeal to the collector. About the only part I don't like is not being able to open it up and look at it. But I've never felt I really needed to. Because I was buying knowing that it was a slabbed comic. I knew up front what I was buying. I was buying a collectible and not just something to look at. When I get back to collecting comics, I will collect both slabs and raw comics. And if a modern has the ability to be collectible, I might be willing to buy it. But I'm more a collector now that a reader. So therefore, the CGC's appeal directly to the collector in me. I think when I get back on my feet I will go after them hard eventually. I feel a loss losing the ones I had. I want to come back and have more than before I just sold.
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Post by defiant1 on Sept 24, 2012 22:22:18 GMT -5
Glad to hear it went well. Sorry to hear that you want a CGC collection. ;D df1 I would want to collect CGC's again. I actually hated losing my CGC's 10 times more than my Valianfan.com Signature books. There was a bit of pain there too, but only because I knew I had something that most Valiant fans didn't have. But I've been one to think that we've overdone the value we've given to Valiant over the years and become hung up on it and it's name for far too long. Almost to the point of nausea. And it has reached such a level with me, that I get sick of holding onto the Valiant books that no one else had. I'm almost glad to be rid of them. It almost sets me free of Valiant. Which I'm glad about. CGC's, I know what I'm getting up front. I love the collectible aspect and know what it is I'm buying and at what grade. Plus, they are plenty easy to get rid of and in almost every circumstance, I made profit. In many cases, small, but profit nonetheless. There were one or two I took a loss. But I'd say I did about 85 - 90% profit with the rest being even or less. The current modern day reader in me has almost all but died. Especially when I am on hard financial times. When I am doing well, I'm willing to give it a chance. But I got tired of being disappointed. In the last 4 years, I probably spent 2 and 1/2 being a DCBS subscriber and I was spending on average at least $50 a month. I was getting sick of getting about 25-30 books and only truly enjoying 2 or 3 of them with the rest seeming fair or average at best. And that was at best. The majority were downright pathetic. The ratio was too low for too long to keep supporting current comics. So therefore, the collector in me is still interested and I believe always will be. The CGC's appeal to the collector. About the only part I don't like is not being able to open it up and look at it. But I've never felt I really needed to. Because I was buying knowing that it was a slabbed comic. I knew up front what I was buying. I was buying a collectible and not just something to look at. When I get back to collecting comics, I will collect both slabs and raw comics. And if a modern has the ability to be collectible, I might be willing to buy it. But I'm more a collector now that a reader. So therefore, the CGC's appeal directly to the collector in me. I think when I get back on my feet I will go after them hard eventually. I feel a loss losing the ones I had. I want to come back and have more than before I just sold. I think Valiant is dated and that Jim's stories and orchestration of talent is the only thing that made the comics good. Unfortunately, Jim acts like a turtle under any form of criticism and he disappears for long periods. He sabotages any value his name has. I don't think Jim really wants to do comics anymore. I just feel like he's going to have it really tough as he gets older and his health goes into a natural decay. As far as there being a low percentage of comics you enjoy, I ran into that problem too. I scoured Previews with a fine tooth comb and ventured to different shops to check out the indy selections in the 90's. I found a decent percentage of things I liked, but the series were so obscure, that they weren't very profitable for the creators. In the 00's, I toned down drastically. I shifted to buying novelty books and things that caught my eye as well done or interesting. As the decade came to a close, I shifted to only buying back issues. Not dollar box fodder, but books that cost more money and had a better prospect for retaining value. Now I buy nothing and just recall the good old days of innocence. I SHOULD have done what everyone else did. I should have quit collecting in the 90's. I wonder what I would've done with myself these past two decades if I'd gotten out of comics as soon as I started back in the 90's. Valiant is the reason it didn't happen. df1
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Post by G on Sept 25, 2012 12:55:51 GMT -5
I think Valiant is dated and that Jim's stories and orchestration of talent is the only thing that made the comics good. Unfortunately, Jim acts like a turtle under any form of criticism and he disappears for long periods. He sabotages any value his name has. I don't think Jim really wants to do comics anymore. I just feel like he's going to have it really tough as he gets older and his health goes into a natural decay. I agree. I think Jim Shooter has become an obsolete outdated relic of our times. He's no more effective at running comics these days as Stan Lee is. He's considered washed up and living in the past. Ironically though, people hold onto to Valiant like it was the coming of Jesus. But when it comes to paying Jim respect, it's like he died on the cross and never rose again. I think people have a sentimental value to Valiant because they realize it was well made. But it's almost like its more a sheep following thing than actually knowing why they were so well received. It's almost like a lot of people "heard" they were great. I think Shooter could have done something with the clowns of today back in the day. I would have loved to see what he could have done with the Image boys if he would have had control of them in the early 90s when Jim still commanded some respect. He might have been able to mold and shape these posers into actual good creators. Unfortunately, he had a couple of failed projects afterwards and noone seems to give him his due on running a show anymore and I almost think Jim has lost his game at running things. From the late 70's - early 90's, Jim ran a tight ship for the most part. I don't think he was challenged much during those years. But once he got let go from Valiant and had failed attempts after that, creators lost the respect for him. You take these same clowns now and put them under Jim, and they wouldn't hardly listen to Jim. Remember Rob Liefeld just recently said on Twitter that editors work for him and not vice versa. (WHAT? ). That kind of thinking just spells ruin to me. I don't think either Jim or Valiant will bring comics out of the dark ages. I think it will take someone new who runs the same kind of tight ship and has a true vision of a company like Jim had back in the day. Almost someone following his formula but in the modern day world of these fickle creators. I don't think the Didios or Lee's or Liefelds or McFarlane's or the Quasadas are the answer. But someone who comes out of nowhere and who runs a tight ass ship. Takes no foolishness. Cuts underperformers. Promotes success. And follows a gameplan to the core, with few gimmicks and fluff as the only hope. I've long since wanted the true death of Valiant. I actually admire the current incarnation as the best looking one in the last 15 years. But I see them following the same traps that fell other comic companies and I see it just being a matter of time before they die too. The early 90's disrespect what works and promoted what didnt to still run things today. It needs to end. If you're an artist - draw. Don't write. If you're an editor - lead, don't cater. If you're a writer - look far ahead - not just now. And if you're EIC - my god, have a vision. Don't look for yesmen. As far as there being a low percentage of comics you enjoy, I ran into that problem too. I scoured Previews with a fine tooth comb and ventured to different shops to check out the indy selections in the 90's. I found a decent percentage of things I liked, but the series were so obscure, that they weren't very profitable for the creators. In the 00's, I toned down drastically. I shifted to buying novelty books and things that caught my eye as well done or interesting. As the decade came to a close, I shifted to only buying back issues. Not dollar box fodder, but books that cost more money and had a better prospect for retaining value. Now I buy nothing and just recall the good old days of innocence. I SHOULD have done what everyone else did. I should have quit collecting in the 90's. I wonder what I would've done with myself these past two decades if I'd gotten out of comics as soon as I started back in the 90's. Valiant is the reason it didn't happen. df1 I sometimes wonder if I should have stayed away from comics when I left around 97. Comics were about dead when I left then. I came back around 01 - 02 and there was a new found excitement. CGC had been born. Ebay was ruling. Message Boards were alive with fans. And movies such as Spider-Man were taking the people by storm. It felt like a bit of a rebirth and there was a new excitement. Unfortunately, the thrill seemed to start running out around 05 - 06. Other than what was mentioned, I don't really remember any books just blowing me away. People were gung-ho for things like Ultimates but I found them shallow and somewhat weak. Suddenly continuity was dead and quick mini/maxi series were made to create books that would hopefully be seen as movie plots. It's almost like the thing that made comics hot were what ruined it. When the medium of comics got blurred into fodder for movies and created with that in mind, the medium jumped the shark to me. I have had trouble finding anything of value to read since then. I almost feeling like 10 years ago was a opening and instead of comics running off in a direction that could have captured new audiences, the dudes in charge today got stars in their eyes and saw dollar signs and fame and just went down a path of ruin. Now we sit at 1/10th the readership of 20 years ago and still bow to guys who put out unprofessional and off-schedule projects which have never finished like Image United. You get past the ages of the early 90's and it would be unheard of to have unfinished projects like this. The creators of yesteryear were more about the craft and less about themselves.
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Post by defiant1 on Sept 25, 2012 20:41:31 GMT -5
I think Jim is fully capable of running a successful company, but I don't think he wants to work as hard as he did at Valiant and DEFIANT with nothing to show for it. He hasn't been given a chance since 1996. Writing a few stories isn't the same as running a company.
df1
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Post by G on Sept 25, 2012 21:31:03 GMT -5
I think Jim is fully capable of running a successful company, but I don't think he wants to work as hard as he did at Valiant and DEFIANT with nothing to show for it. He hasn't been given a chance since 1996. Writing a few stories isn't the same as running a company. df1 Oh, I think he is fully capable too. I have mad respect for Jim Shooter. And I agree he's probably not up for it anymore. But I feel like this day an age wouldn't respect him as much as say 20 years ago either. I don't know how big a role Jim had with Dark Key Valiants, but for all I've seen, it didn't appear like his vision was followed to a tee either. I'd have to say that was my all time least favorite incarnation of Valiants. As well as his previous effort on writing Legion. He had a half assed artist who wouldn't listen to what he wanted. Agreed, books are not a company. I just don't think he would be listened to today like he was 2 decades ago. It's part of what made him great back then. I don't think Jim is seen as a visionary anymore. 2 decades ago creators worked for the company and wanted to benefit the organization. Today, the creators see themselves as the brand.
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Post by defiant1 on Sept 26, 2012 20:30:54 GMT -5
I think Jim is fully capable of running a successful company, but I don't think he wants to work as hard as he did at Valiant and DEFIANT with nothing to show for it. He hasn't been given a chance since 1996. Writing a few stories isn't the same as running a company. df1 Oh, I think he is fully capable too. I have mad respect for Jim Shooter. And I agree he's probably not up for it anymore. But I feel like this day an age wouldn't respect him as much as say 20 years ago either. I don't know how big a role Jim had with Dark Key Valiants, but for all I've seen, it didn't appear like his vision was followed to a tee either. I'd have to say that was my all time least favorite incarnation of Valiants. As well as his previous effort on writing Legion. He had a half assed artist who wouldn't listen to what he wanted. Agreed, books are not a company. I just don't think he would be listened to today like he was 2 decades ago. It's part of what made him great back then. I don't think Jim is seen as a visionary anymore. 2 decades ago creators worked for the company and wanted to benefit the organization. Today, the creators see themselves as the brand. Jim would require that the artist do what they are supposed to do. Artists wanting work would do what he asked. They would also reap the benefits. It'd take time, but his biggest skeptics would eventually admit his way works. It just takes more time than anyone will give him. df1
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