E-Bay Good or Bad ???

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reker1701
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Joined: 14 Dec 2006, 14:01

E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by reker1701 »

I have recently been using E-Bay to complete various collections of comics, 80's Eagle, Crunch, Buddy to name but a few.

I started wondering what people think, and this is only my opinion, about how e-bay has completely changed how people get a hold of rare or missing issues of comics.

I have wanted to buy certain issues for a number of years and no "High Street" place I could find stocked them. I have bought some real bargains, my best being 117 issues out of 130 of The Buddy for about ?30 (That includes P&P). Wanted to buy others and have seen stuff go for silly money.

Be interested to hear what other people think?

reker1701

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Beezer
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E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by Beezer »

I think eBay has a lot of good points,finding that missing issue you've spent years looking for is one of them.

However,one of it's bad points is it encourages the Greedy bidder who tries to monopolise each listing :x
How many times have you been interested in particular items only to find the same person has bids on about 20 different items at once.
On any subject listing you'll always find one Greedy Begger trying to buy up everything!

Personally,I find the pleasure of going to a shop like '30th Century Comics' or even buying at a place like 26 Pigs,where I know exactly how much I'm going to pay and I'm not going to have my hopes raised on an item only to be snipered at the end,far more enjoyable.

eBay can be very useful for getting individual comics but personally I don't find it a fun way to collect. :roll:

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colcool007
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E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by colcool007 »

Got to admit, my experience with E-bay has been solidly good when it comes to comics. Too many shop based dealers were charging silly prices for not the best grade of comics in the world.

I had hunted high and low for many comics, but it was a rare dealer that I could find that stocked UK adventure papers. 2000AD no problem. Victor? You couldn't pay them to stock it!

Using Ebay, I have built up my Victor collection from one or two annuals and the odd Summer Special to over 600 issues and have picked up nearly 400 Warlords, plus Commandos, Starlord, Revolver, Battle, Action, Misty, etc.

Not once have I been disappointed in condition as I have always read between the lines and scaled down their description to be in line with any piccies that are posted. As a result, I have probably spent close on 1K (on Ebay including P&P) to get the comics that I have and now have a very respectable collection of 3 bookcases full of comics. The most I have paid for any one comic is 20 quid for a No 1 Misty (the exception rather than the rule for me)
I started to say something sensible but my parents took over my brain!

Lew Stringer
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E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by Lew Stringer »

I've been buying a lot of old comics and annuals through eBay over the last 12 months or so. It's a great place to find items that you might not see at a comic mart because sellers don't have the hassle of renting table space etc.

I've been surprised at how cheap 1950s annuals have been to acquire. Old Radio Fun Annuals for around a fiver each.

Condition of most items I've bought has been exactly as described, and I don't buy tatty books. One disappointment was a TV Express annual that reeked so much of stale cigarettes it made me feel ill. So I threw it in the bin. (I guess that makes that TV Express Annual rarer now I've depleted it by one.)

One description on eBay always amuses me: "Good condition for age" for a comic that's 20 to 40 years old. What this usually means is it's dog eared. Comics don't tear themselves. Age has nothing to do with it. It's down to ham fisted previous owners! (I have 40 year old comics that are flat and as new. All age does is tint the pages slightly. It doesn't roll the spine or get baked bean stains on the pages! :lol: )

I remember seeing a TV21 Annual on eBay that literally was half covered in black fungus. "Some water damage" was the description. (The same seller was also trying to offload some very damaged toy cars that he'd found in his shed. No doubt the same damp shed where his annuals had been kept. Unsurprisingly they didn't sell.)

Lew
The blog of British comics: http://lewstringer.blogspot.com
My website: http://www.lewstringer.com
Blog about my own work: http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com/

Earl
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E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by Earl »

Yep, I am an ebay fan, although there does seem less older material than there was a couple of years ago.

Earl.

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www.scarcecomics.co.uk
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E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by www.scarcecomics.co.uk »

Very expensive to actually sell on, with 'Final Value Fees' taken and PayPal fees, my opinion very expensive... but an excellent place to find individual, maybe less expensive issues you've wanted for a long time. :? :wink:

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Peter Gray
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E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by Peter Gray »

Just say its very addictive...havn't used it for a year...and got conned into giving my password...though they didn't get my bank detail password..

I got wise just in time...can't use ebay unless I change my bank account....
erm got very broke using it... :) :oops: ...though got quite a lot of money back by letting the BBC film my comics. 8) ?130

I got these on ebay...
number
1 Pow paid on ebay ?11
1 Whoopee ?12
1 Whizzer and chips ?18
1, 2 Buster ?45 this also came with 9 other 1960's Busters..

and many Beano...Dandy..Dennis the Menace...Classics...Sparkys...Beezers...etc..

ebay is good for bargains.......I just bought too many bargains.. :)

Jimmy Screw
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Joined: 29 Apr 2006, 21:47

E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by Jimmy Screw »

Yep. I am an Ebay fan too and find it is the best and most enjoyable way of building up collections, if you have the patience. 26pigs is also a most valuable resource and ideal for chasing up more specific issues for low prices. I have also visited 30th Century Comics a couple of times and find this is the best way to get a quick fix, even if some of their items are a touch overpriced. To my mind, there is no other High Street shop in the South-East that provides the comics found here.

Silveracre has a smaller number of British back issues available, but slightly more reasonably priced with a handy and user-friendly online ordering system.

Other than that, it is still worth visiting car boot sales with the occasional gems which can be haggled (use 'the fear of loss') if buying multiple items.

However, for any 2000AD fans, I strongly recommend the bargain basement in the Notting Hill comic and Book exchange.

The only problem with Ebay is that I have been getting various comics with 'hidden' defects such as missing panels or even entire pages. If you pay through Paypal, you can pretty much hold the seller to ransom and order a refund anyway if they prove to be uncooperative. Sometimes, with cheaper items, it is not worth the hassle and can end up in an ugly 'negative feedback' battle. On the whole, I have to say I have been largely happy with my auction wins but Lew Stringer is absolutely right, there is no excuse for poorly deteriorated comics - just remember that, as long as you put the effort in, there is no reason why should have to end up paying for unsatisfactory items.

Lew Stringer
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E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by Lew Stringer »

I always pay for eBay items with PayPal. If it's cheque only I don't bid unless it's something I really want. (Bought the 1964 Dalek Book by cheque. Some pages were loose, as described, but with a bit of glue on the inner edges of the pages, and perseverance, I repaired it. I'll never re-sell it so a repaired book is fine for me.)

Another point: it's worth looking on eBay.com (as opposed to .uk) for American comics. With the exchange rate being in our favour at present you can find some bargains, even including airmail charges.

Lew
The blog of British comics: http://lewstringer.blogspot.com
My website: http://www.lewstringer.com
Blog about my own work: http://lewstringercomics.blogspot.com/

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colcool007
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E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by colcool007 »

Another reason that Ebay is good, is that it can sometimes throw up little gems like this. (Ebay item 330104254722)

[img:428:590]http://www.gpowell777.fsnet.co.uk/ts7.jpg[/img]

As it is ten years before my time, I can be forgiven for not being able to remember much about it! :)
I started to say something sensible but my parents took over my brain!

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Peter Gray
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E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by Peter Gray »

I've created a new email.......and new user name..........and set up a new ebay account......so after a year and a few months I'm back in action....
I didn't after all have to change my bank account....

Ebay only ask for bank details if I become a seller...
I'll be only paying things by check and won't want paypal or credit card...


and never open a ebay message from your email

my other account is still open though I've emailed ebay lots of times to close it .....though the con men never got my password to get hold of my account details that was when I was a seller and a buyer....

Hopefully I can control myself better after this long break.....try to budget how much I spend.. though I do find this method of buying comics cheaper mostly and can get some real bargains.....

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Peter Gray
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E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by Peter Gray »

heres an unusual item.....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BEANO-COMIC-ADVER ... dZViewItem

A VERY RARE AND DESIRABLE COMIC WHICH PROMOTES THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE FROM 1938 OF THE BEANO! THIS IS ACTUALLY A MINI COMIC WHICH WAS A GIVEAWAY TO PROMOTE THE NEW ADDITION THE FOLLOWING WEEK. IN COMPLETE AND UNFOLDED CONDITION THE COMIC HAS NOT BEEN MADE UP AND IS ACTUALLY AS ISSUED ALMOST 70 YEARS AGO. THE EDGES OF THE COMIC HAVE SLIGHTLY BRITTLE EDGES WHERE THE COMIC HAS A SOME POINT BECOME DAMP OR WET. A RARE FIND FOR COLLECTORS!

THE ITEM WILL BE SENT FREE OF CHARGE TO THE WINNER UNDER SPECIAL DELIVERY AFTER THE PAYMENTS HAVE BEEN CLEARED.

Kashgar and anyone else....has anyone seen this before.....

Kashgar
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E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by Kashgar »

This was a promo given away as an insert in the centre pages of either Rover or Adventure. They did the same with the Dandy the year before. In my opinion it's not worth ?500 though. ?100 maybe. I was lucky last year to get the Dandy promo safely tucked inside its original Rover issue for only ?12!

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philcom55
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Re: E-Bay Good or Bad ???

Post by philcom55 »

Kashgar wrote:I was lucky last year to get the Dandy promo safely tucked inside its original Rover issue for only ?12!
...Gleep! :shock:

As a matter of interest I wonder how many other comics were given this 'miniaturisation' treatment? Offhand I seem to remember that the first issues of Eagle and 2000AD were later reproduced in the same way.

- Phil Rushton

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