Online Comics Shopping Experience (Back Issues)

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Sat Aug 16, 2008 6:43 pm

I think I now see why I don't have much use for Atomic Avenue (but why other people LOVE it)....

From their web-site:

Suddenly, we thought to ourselves, “You know, there are tens of millions of comics that have been entered into ComicBase—all with prices. What if we just gave everyone a big button marked “Sell” which would let them post their comics to a central site. Then, anyone looking for a regular comic like Hellblazer #85 could not only find it, but probably find a dozen copies in various conditions. And whoever sells their comics on the system would be able to put their books before the entire world and just wait for orders to roll off their printer!”

So, since I have pretty much all of those "regular" comics, I'm not looking for all the stuff that is in AA's "sweet spot". The 60s stuff I'm looking for can be found lots of other places for better prices than the premium full guide value that AA members tend to ask for this stuff.

Trev · Post by **Trev** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 4:54 pm

BobBretall wrote:I think I now see why I don't have much use for Atomic Avenue (but why other people LOVE it)....

From their web-site:
Suddenly, we thought to ourselves, “You know, there are tens of millions of comics that have been entered into ComicBase—all with prices. What if we just gave everyone a big button marked “Sell” which would let them post their comics to a central site. Then, anyone looking for a regular comic like Hellblazer #85 could not only find it, but probably find a dozen copies in various conditions. And whoever sells their comics on the system would be able to put their books before the entire world and just wait for orders to roll off their printer!”
So, since I have pretty much all of those "regular" comics, I'm not looking for all the stuff that is in AA's "sweet spot". The 60s stuff I'm looking for can be found lots of other places for better prices than the premium full guide value that AA members tend to ask for this stuff.

What I love about Atomic Ave. is being able to list all the books I don't want and occasionally unload them. I already track everything in Comicbase, so when I buy a new issue or start a storyline and for some reason just don't care for it, I mark it for sale.

If at some point, somebody buys it, then cool. I just got some money in my paypal accoung to spend on Ebay or Mycomicshop or Heritage buying books I do want.

They have a feature that let's you globally mark down your books x % every y weeks to a minimum number. My strategy has been to let it keep marking down books until I make a sale, then to reset everything.

I don't move a ton of books this way, but I don't really do any work either. In the last I've made just about $100 taking into account their fees, etc.

Occasionally somebody will get a really good deal from me bec. some variant will get marked way down or something, but I figure I didn't really want that book anyway and having a book I want instead of a book I don't is worthwhile.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Sat Oct 04, 2008 6:09 pm

After several months of most comics at MyComicShop.com being priced right at (or slightly discounted) from Overstreet Guide prices.......

On Friday I once again noticed quite a few comics on my want list (late 60s / early 70s, VG - F conditions) that were once again 33 - 50% off Guide prices.....

A largish order followed.......

Lord Shaper · Post by **Lord Shaper** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:31 am

After MyComicShop.com lost one of my orders I've since places another 2 and the second one came today.

This is what came today:

Hellblazer (1988) 34 GD
Hellblazer (1988) 36 VF
Hellblazer (1988) 40 NM
Hellblazer (1988) 58 VF

That finishes my Hellblazer Run finally.

And I've now started on filling my holes in my Sandman Mystery Theatre Run.

Sandman Mystery Theatre (1993) 2 NM
Sandman Mystery Theatre (1993) 4 NM
Sandman Mystery Theatre (1993) 5 NM
Sandman Mystery Theatre (1993) 6 NM
Sandman Mystery Theatre (1993) 7 NM
Sandman Mystery Theatre (1993) 8 NM
Sandman Mystery Theatre (1993) 57 NM

Only 10 more to finish that run as well.

Darth Kramer · Post by **Darth Kramer** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 7:43 am

I just recently read Sandman Mystery Theater 5-8. It's an indirect tie-in with Starman!

Lord Shaper · Post by **Lord Shaper** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 7:56 am

Darth Kramer wrote:I just recently read Sandman Mystery Theater 5-8. It's an indirect tie-in with Starman!

Your going to hate it but I have signed copies of Sand and Stars in my collection hehehe as well as a later Mystery Theatre story that I can't remember the issues of as they are at the new house atm.

Darth Kramer · Post by **Darth Kramer** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:18 am

Lord Shaper wrote:
Darth Kramer wrote:I just recently read Sandman Mystery Theater 5-8. It's an indirect tie-in with Starman!
Your going to hate it but I have signed copies of Sand and Stars in my collection hehehe as well as a later Mystery Theatre story that I can't remember the issues of as they are at the new house atm.

Lucky! I'd suggest re-reading Sand & Stars after you read #5-8. You'll say "well I'll be damned!".

Post by **JohnMayo** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 10:11 am

Has anybody been having problems placing orders at MyComicShop.com recently?

I'm trying to place one now and it tells me that the shipping address I've been using for the past year is now invalid for some undisclosed reason. Very annoying.

Post by **JohnMayo** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 12:10 pm

johnmayo wrote:Has anybody been having problems placing orders at MyComicShop.com recently?

I'm trying to place one now and it tells me that the shipping address I've been using for the past year is now invalid for some undisclosed reason. Very annoying.

Follow up: There was a minor bug introduced into the system this morning which they have since fixed and I've been able to place my order.

Darth Kramer · Post by **Darth Kramer** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 12:40 pm

I just read this now, but I was having a similar issue placing an order with them on Sunday night. I just manually entered my address and it accepted it. Strange! But Sunday night I just placed my first $50+ order with them, so I'm excited to see how their free shipping works for me!

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:49 am

johnmayo wrote:Has anybody been having problems placing orders at MyComicShop.com recently?

No problem with the order process, but I have been having some problems with grading-quality.

In general, when they bag-and board a comic they do a spot on job of grading it, and a grade label is affixed to the bag.

HOWEVER, it seems that lower-priced comics (it looks like <$2 or < $1.50) do not necessarily get bagged & boarded if they did not come to MCS in one already. Now, for more current comics, or higher-grade comics, this is not an issue. But unbagged VG grade, I have been finding that about 50% of the (admittedly small) sample set I am working off of has been stuff I would call G at best. This is after getting literally 100s of VG-graded comics from them where I have never had an issue with the grading. I now seem to have a serious problem with their grading of unbagged VG comics. They are just ratty at least half of the time. I actually sent a few of them back!

BOTTOM LINE:
* DO NOT buy any comic in VG or lower grade if the price point is < $3.

Post by **JohnMayo** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 11:56 am

BobBretall wrote:
johnmayo wrote:Has anybody been having problems placing orders at MyComicShop.com recently?
No problem with the order process, but I have been having some problems with grading-quality.

In general, when they bag-and board a comic they do a spot on job of grading it, and a grade label is affixed to the bag.

HOWEVER, it seems that lower-priced comics (it looks like <$2 or < $1.50) do not necessarily get bagged & boarded if they did not come to MCS in one already. Now, for more current comics, or higher-grade comics, this is not an issue. But unbagged VG grade, I have been finding that about 50% of the (admittedly small) sample set I am working off of has been stuff I would call G at best. This is after getting literally 100s of VG-graded comics from them where I have never had an issue with the grading. I now seem to have a serious problem with their grading of unbagged VG comics. They are just ratty at least half of the time. I actually sent a few of them back!

BOTTOM LINE:
* DO NOT buy any comic in VG or lower grade if the price point is < $3.

Given that MyComicShop is located in Texas and that they don't store their comics bagged and boarded, I started going for higher than VG grades in general a while back. Most of what I'm buying is in that cheaper price point category that you mention too.

Darth Kramer · Post by **Darth Kramer** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 12:52 pm

BobBretall wrote:
johnmayo wrote:Has anybody been having problems placing orders at MyComicShop.com recently?
No problem with the order process, but I have been having some problems with grading-quality.

In general, when they bag-and board a comic they do a spot on job of grading it, and a grade label is affixed to the bag.

HOWEVER, it seems that lower-priced comics (it looks like <$2 or < $1.50) do not necessarily get bagged & boarded if they did not come to MCS in one already. Now, for more current comics, or higher-grade comics, this is not an issue. But unbagged VG grade, I have been finding that about 50% of the (admittedly small) sample set I am working off of has been stuff I would call G at best. This is after getting literally 100s of VG-graded comics from them where I have never had an issue with the grading. I now seem to have a serious problem with their grading of unbagged VG comics. They are just ratty at least half of the time. I actually sent a few of them back!

BOTTOM LINE:
* DO NOT buy any comic in VG or lower grade if the price point is < $3.

I kind of noticed that as well with my recent order. It was an unbagged VG copy of Adventure Comics #371 and I paid $2.70 for it. When it arrived, I would have considered it more of a G, but I didn't really care enough to return it. I'll probably never find this book for a better price in a comparable condition.

Frank Castle · Post by **Frank Castle** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:32 pm

I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents about Mycomicshop and Milehigh via eBay. I rently made a purchase with both thru eBay and was quite happy with the results. The prices for the books were the same as listed on their website. Shipping for MH was a flat $3 no matter the amount of books bought. MCS charged $3 as well but an additional .10 for each book added.

But what I really loved the extremely quick turn around and shipping. I received both packages 6 days after paying for them via Paypal. For either company processing and shipping has taken up to 3 weeks after I've placed my order.

The don't have every book they sell on the site up on ebay but they each have a ton listed. So if you were going to do a smaller order with either, I suggest checking their eBay stores out.

BobBretall · Post by **BobBretall** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 5:12 pm

johnmayo wrote: Given that MyComicShop is located in Texas and that they don't store their comics bagged and boarded, I started going for higher than VG grades in general a while back. Most of what I'm buying is in that cheaper price point category that you mention too.

I think that they store comics that came into their hands bagged & boarded bagged & boarded. Newer books (last few years), and "quarter bin" stuff they may pick up when a dealer goes out of business do not get bagged & boarded unless the customer pays for it.

The vast majority of books I have bought over the past couple of years have been bagged & boarded. Only recently as I have dipped into some cheaper <$3 books have I started seeing problems.

So, back to my original point, beware of these.

But, in comparison, Mile High has EXTREMELY squirrely grading for all books in VG/F or less condition, regardless of whether they are bagged & boarded, or whether they are $10+

I can be very confident in buying a $10 VG book from MCS, I would not say the same for MH.

I suspect they are both roughly equivalent for books from the 90s to date.