At least once a day, and usually two or three times a day, I get asked what something is worth: books, toys, but especially sports cards and comics.
The answer is, "I don't know."
No really. I don't know. I'm not trying to be difficult. I quit selling product based on "collectible prices" over a decade ago. I can't even hazard a guess what things are selling for.
There are no current price guides for comics and game cards at all. (There is a yearly price guide for comics that I no longer get.) The sports card Beckett price guide to me was dubious even when cards were hot; I have no idea if they even approach reality.
So here's the one and only true answer I can give: -- something is worth what you can get when you put it up for bid online.
Seriously.
That's the only answer I can give.
O.K. Sometimes they're willing to give me that -- but then they ask, "Who else in town is doing it."
"No one."
Silence, speaking volumes. Again, they don't believe me.
I'm not kidding, there is no one else doing comics or cards in town.
Then they ask, "Can you appraise my stuff?"
Wait a minute, I just told you I don't know what things are worth. How can I possibly appraise anything?
Again, they don't believe me. I have some general knowledge, like -- if it's pre-seventies, it's more likely to be worth something, but it's no guarantee. That material of iconic characters, or iconic events, which are the exceptions, MIGHT be worth more than cover value.
My residual knowledge is suspect -- I can't be sure what I knew 10 or 20 years ago is even valid, so I'd prefer not to pass it along. Trouble is, when I try to explain the above, the conversation gets longer and more complicated, but usually the caller is not any more enlightened.
So that's just the way things go.
But here's the thing.
They don't like my answer. They don't believe me. They just think I'm being a butthead.
Surely, I must have a rough idea of something.
Well, yes. Without looking, I'm 95% certain that what you have isn't worth anything. And if it is worth something, I have no idea how much. So either way, you'll hate my answer.
But even if I did know what something was worth, they would STILL have to try to sell it online, and they would STILL only get what someone is willing to pay them. My opinion doesn't matter, price guides don't matter.
So put it up for bid, and then either accept the offer or don't. That's the only true answer I can give you.
What do you do when you give them the only answer you can give them, and it isn't good enough?
Telling me that you can't go online, or you don't know how to do it, well -- that isn't my fault. I sympathize, really. I don't know how nor do I like doing it either.
All I can do is try to keep is short and simple -- and do it in as gentle a way as possible. "I'm sorry, I really can't tell you what it's worth -- it's only worth what you can get online for it."
Sometimes, they get mad at me. Sometimes they just won't let it go. Sometimes I pull out the big guns. "I sell comics for reading; I honestly don't care what they're worth. I think people should collect sports cards as if they are bottle caps, with no expectation of value."
Again I repeat: " Collecting has moved online. Most stuff isn't worth much. Your Mad Magazines? Last time I bought any I paid .25 apiece."
Sometimes I have to go even further. "Most of this stuff isn't worth anything, except for the exceptions and the exceptions require a lot of homework and I don't do that any more. "
Or the biggest gun of all. "The card hobby is dead. The back-issue comic market is dead. The toy market is dead. I personally wouldn't buy them for ANY price."
Hopefully, they'll take my first answer.
The value of a collectable is what someone is willing to pay you online.
It's the truth.
The answer is, "I don't know."
No really. I don't know. I'm not trying to be difficult. I quit selling product based on "collectible prices" over a decade ago. I can't even hazard a guess what things are selling for.
There are no current price guides for comics and game cards at all. (There is a yearly price guide for comics that I no longer get.) The sports card Beckett price guide to me was dubious even when cards were hot; I have no idea if they even approach reality.
So here's the one and only true answer I can give: -- something is worth what you can get when you put it up for bid online.
Seriously.
That's the only answer I can give.
O.K. Sometimes they're willing to give me that -- but then they ask, "Who else in town is doing it."
"No one."
Silence, speaking volumes. Again, they don't believe me.
I'm not kidding, there is no one else doing comics or cards in town.
Then they ask, "Can you appraise my stuff?"
Wait a minute, I just told you I don't know what things are worth. How can I possibly appraise anything?
Again, they don't believe me. I have some general knowledge, like -- if it's pre-seventies, it's more likely to be worth something, but it's no guarantee. That material of iconic characters, or iconic events, which are the exceptions, MIGHT be worth more than cover value.
My residual knowledge is suspect -- I can't be sure what I knew 10 or 20 years ago is even valid, so I'd prefer not to pass it along. Trouble is, when I try to explain the above, the conversation gets longer and more complicated, but usually the caller is not any more enlightened.
So that's just the way things go.
But here's the thing.
They don't like my answer. They don't believe me. They just think I'm being a butthead.
Surely, I must have a rough idea of something.
Well, yes. Without looking, I'm 95% certain that what you have isn't worth anything. And if it is worth something, I have no idea how much. So either way, you'll hate my answer.
But even if I did know what something was worth, they would STILL have to try to sell it online, and they would STILL only get what someone is willing to pay them. My opinion doesn't matter, price guides don't matter.
So put it up for bid, and then either accept the offer or don't. That's the only true answer I can give you.
What do you do when you give them the only answer you can give them, and it isn't good enough?
Telling me that you can't go online, or you don't know how to do it, well -- that isn't my fault. I sympathize, really. I don't know how nor do I like doing it either.
All I can do is try to keep is short and simple -- and do it in as gentle a way as possible. "I'm sorry, I really can't tell you what it's worth -- it's only worth what you can get online for it."
Sometimes, they get mad at me. Sometimes they just won't let it go. Sometimes I pull out the big guns. "I sell comics for reading; I honestly don't care what they're worth. I think people should collect sports cards as if they are bottle caps, with no expectation of value."
Again I repeat: " Collecting has moved online. Most stuff isn't worth much. Your Mad Magazines? Last time I bought any I paid .25 apiece."
Sometimes I have to go even further. "Most of this stuff isn't worth anything, except for the exceptions and the exceptions require a lot of homework and I don't do that any more. "
Or the biggest gun of all. "The card hobby is dead. The back-issue comic market is dead. The toy market is dead. I personally wouldn't buy them for ANY price."
Hopefully, they'll take my first answer.
The value of a collectable is what someone is willing to pay you online.
It's the truth.