kds_comics

Posts: 686

About three years ago I had the "let go" app on my phone for the sole purpose of hunting down comics.

I showed up to buy a few for $15 as agreed and this guy had a copy of UXM
#266 they all looked rough and they were all in page protectors with
sharpie all over the plastic with notes. NONE in the lot in question
would clear a "5" I figured I'd let the kids at them since they were
mostly classics illo's and maybe flip the rough #266 for my $15 back.


I get there, and now he wants $25 and he's pulled the 266 out and is
asking $75 for it. I got back in my car and started it and he runs up to
the window asking for $20. I said "We agreed on $15 for all,you changed
that this is the outcome good luck." He goes: "Ok, Wait, why not $30
for all?" I said What happened to the original $15 we agreed on?


He replied: "I googled them after we texted and this ones worth $155.00"
pointing to the UXM #266. I asked him if he understood the fact that, he
was referring to a guide price for a book that was in at least 7 times
better condition than the one he had was in and that if he had done a
little more "research" before he posted them he wouln't have wasted my
time or gas money. (It was about 25 minutes from my house but I was
hoping that i would find a diamond in the rough within the lot since I
was more interested in the DC Ghosts issues for my collection and didn't
even notice the 266 at the time) Also the fact that he changed his
price was strike two.


He apologized and asked again if I would do $30 I said No thank you, and pushed in the
clutch pedal and selected reverse and he goes "OK,OK $15. I said for all
of them or nothing at all. He agreed reluctantly but in the end we both
kinda lost as he got paid to waste my time and money and didn't learn
any apparent lesson from the interaction as I later saw a different listing from
the same guy pulling a similar stunt with some EC reprints. and I didn't
learn anything useful AT THE TIME.


In retrospect I learned to check everything out more thoroughly before I
buy (as the UXM #266 was missing 4 pages and I got greedy and excited
when he folded. Take your time if one of you is in a rush then you may
make a snap decision you regret later.

Most importantly if it's to good to be true then it most like IS to good to
be true. Ultimately if you start to walk away and it feels right to do
so follow that instinct.

Point being- OPEN YOUR BOOKS when grading them! i see a lot of sellers grading by the outside appearance only.

taskmaster

Posts: 265

I've had similar experiences to Expander's, ESPECIALLY on Letgo (I've had much better luck with Craigslist), but it doesn't really answer Taskmaster's question.
I think the main problem with people labeling their comics a "9.4" is a lack of knowledge, rather than deceit (yes, there is plenty of that too). A lot of people think just because a comic left the comic shop brand new, it must be Near Mint. It's hard enough for comics to make it out of the store at a 9.0, let alone anything higher. I have a little more trust for people that label their comics a "VF" with very few visible marks (or none), than people always claiming "NM".
Another part of the lack of knowledge is not knowing the terminology. Everybody has heard of Mint or Near Mint, but to non-collectors the rest of it can be a little confusing. I've seen countless ads for, and purchased some, books labeled "Good" or "Very Good", when clearly they are Fine or better. Saying a book is in Very Good condition sounds great to the average person, but not so much to a collector.
As for purchasing online, although there are sometimes good deals for good looking books from many people, I try to buy from reputable sources: sellers that have a long or good history selling, with positive feedback.