Just wondering. I’m trying to dump my comic book collection on eBay (I’ve got a wedding in 9 months and I’m strapped for cash–also, I just want to clear my house of clutter), but not everything I own is a seller. Sure, they snapped up my lot of Justice League comics, but sadly, nobody seems to want 12 issues of Martian Manhunter. I’ve got some VHS tapes I’m looking to dump as well, but I suspect the DVD market may have killed them, because those auctions ain’t moving either.
What’s a boy to do when his items won’t sell? Are there alternative venues where I can dump items, or should I just toss them in the garbage at this point?
I’ve got a friend that’s big into “thriftin’”…We’ll go out for lunch and next thing I know he’s turning into a thrift store parking lot. He thinks it’s a lot of fun, picking out old work uniform shirts, looking at funky exercise equipment and casual people watching. It’s not really my cup of tea. Except for the one time I saw a woman trying on panties and bras over her clothes at the end of an aisle and then modeling in front of the mirror. Mind you, that they did have changing rooms. So that was a bit amusing.
Anyways, that might be a good venue to drop stuff off at. I’ve seen VCRs and Video Tapes there as well as books, Atari systems etc etc…(and maybe you might get a receipt for the items for tax purposes, but I’m not sure about that at all.)
St Pauler, I think Res actually wants to sell the books, not give them away. I too had it in mind to sell my collection to put toward an engagement ring, but there aren’t many buyers.
Res, if you find a way to unload them, let me know too. Local comic shops won’t take them and yard sales even are hard going. I’ve bundles mine in packs of 5, 6, or 7, trying to sell for 2-3 dollars a bag, but not having much luck.
Do you have any flea markets in your area where you can purchase a table for a couple of days and try selling there? Sure it’ll cost you to get the space, but maybe you can make it up.
I have donated VHS movies to the local (Minneapolis-St. Paul) Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children. They were quite happy to have them, even old ones. (They said they would be ‘new’ to their patients, most of whom weren’t born when the tapes first came out.)
I imagine they would also be real happy to accept the comic books, too.
You wouldn’t get any money from this, but it would clear out some clutter, and you could deduct the contribution from your taxes. (Use a realistic value or the IRS will get you.)
Max, I’ve had at least some luck dumping my comics. I just unloaded my JLA collection (80 issues) for $150. Books are almost $3 a pop these days, so that’s not nearly my money back, but I don’t mind as much since I got a lot of reading value out of them.
I will say that the hardest thing is estimating my intial price. I mean, I started the bidding on the JLA set at $30. On the other hand, I’m selling my JSA books as well for $30, and those haven’t moved past 1 bid. I bet they’re worth more…if somebody else would bid on them.
I became a regular poster on comic and toy-related message boards, and eventually people check out the link I put in my profile or signature on those boards and send me e-mails, wanting to buy things. It is a slow process, but sometimes you’ll have that rare issue of Darkhawk someone desperately wants, and you’ll make more money than you would off eBay.
Can you make a list of your stuff? I am always trying to sell off my comic book and action figure collections, but I often end up buying things too! Also, e-mail me and I’ll help you with some links and selling strategies, including ways to get noticed on eBay.