From: [s--w] at [ns.theshop.net] (Stewart Brower)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc,rec.arts.comics.marketplace,rec.arts.comics.info
Subject: In the Bins (1) -- Bargaining Tips
Date: Sun, 08 Sep 96 23:10:18 GMT
Keywords: collecting comics bargaining bins

In the Bins (1) -- Bargaining Tips

by Stewart Brower, Copyright 1996.

*Sigh* The things we do.

The column you are reading is a much different animal than the column I
originally concieved. When I started out, it was with the idea of
writing up reviews of comics you can buy in bargain bins. Cheap, fun
reading that I could recommend and summarize. Basically, doing reviews
like what Dave and Elayne do, (and do *brilliantly* I might add!) but
for bargain comics from the Eighties and early Nineties.

And I still think it's a good idea, and I might even do that from time
to time.

But as I wrote my first few columns, I realized I was talking less
about the comics themselves, and more about how I found them. About the
Art of the Deal. About where to find great bargain comics. About
trading with collectors. About dealing with non-collectors. About
pricing your comics.

You see, I'm an antiquer's brat. Kinda like an Army brat, I followed
Mom & Dad through antique shops, garage sales and auctions for much of
my childhood. Often, when they would set up a booth at an antique show,
I would set up a box of comics and sell them. I was buying back issue
comics at flea markets and the like long before I ever set foot in an
actual comic shop.

With the inflated prices of new comics, I've been going back to the
bargain bins at the flea markets and garage sales, and I've been very
pleased that I have. There is a ton of good reading in those bins. It's
cheap reading. Usually, it is even collectable reading. It makes me
feel good. And I want to share some of that with you.

So, welcome to IN THE BINS. I'm going to use this column to talk about
the Art of the Deal, and occasionally the things I find out there. If
that doesn't interest you, thanks for reading this far. You can hit "n"
now.

***

Oh good, you stayed. Basically for this first column I'm going to clue
you into four things that I find help me get the best price when I'm
buying at a local flea market, antique mall, or garage sale. Use them
at your own risk -- I can only tell you that they work for me.

Tip #1: Be conversational. And nice. And friendly. Compliment their
selection of comics, or the comics' condition. Remember that these
folks were probably up at five o'clock that morning setting up, and
that they've been on their feet all day dealing with buyers. They
probably don't want to have a thirty minute discourse with you on world
politics (although they *might*), nor do they want to hear those
cornball X-men jokes you were telling at the comic shop last week. Odds
are they don't really even *read* comics, won't get the joke, and will
think you are weird or hopped up on goofballs or something. But a
friendly compliment might just get them in a selling spirit.

Tip #2: Buying in bulk begets bargaining benefits. Don't figure on much
bartering over one or two dollar comics. It can happen that way, where
a dollar comic becomes whatever loose change you have in your pocket.
But if these folks are looking toward the end of the sale, and they
think they can unload fifty-some-odd comics that they won't have to lug
home, they might just let you strike up the deal of the decade.

Tip #3: The opening bid is the most important. These people are there
to sell stuff; it's pretty hard to insult them with your opening bid.
Go too low and they probably just won't take you very seriously. But my
wife Molly, who gets really great deals on antiques and cars and just
about everything, usually starts bargaining at about half of asking
price. I usually start at about sixty percent, but then I'm a coward.
Oddly enough though, we both end up either at about seventy percent, or
walking away. (Molly also adds here that if a dealer marks an item as
FIRM, don't question them on it. If it's a serious dealer, they have
already taken that price as low as they are willing to go.)

Tip #4: End the deal on an up note. Don't walk away muttering, "Boy,
did I just get screwed," or "You'll never sell it for that." It's rude,
asinine, and uncool. If you aren't pleased with a deal, just walk away.
Don't bitch about sales tax, or that they can't take your check or Visa
card. The dealer cannot help it, and I have yet to find one that is
pleased about not being able to take some form of currency. Whatever
the scenario, I bet they don't like it any better that you do. If
there's no sale, I always try to say, "Maybe next time," or just plain
"Thank you."

That's about it. At least two, probably three, of these tips are just
wordy rehashings of the Golden Rule. I'd love to hear about other
collectors' experiences, and tips they might have. Next week I'll get
into the intricacies of dealing with non-collectors, where a little
knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

And I hope to see you then!

Stewart Brower
[s--w] at [theshop.net]

This column was posted to RACInfo, RACMisc, and RACMarketplace.