You know the issue. This is the one from DC's New 52 line. The one in which Robin, aka Damian Wayne, Bruce and Talia's kid, dies. And the one that was chased by everyone, collector and speculator, on the day that it came out. I couldn't get one because Midtown Comics, the one closest to my office, did not receive their shipment. No other store in Manhattan that day had any copies left. I was able to get a copy the following week. Then I saw the combo-pack bagged variant version with the digital code. I thought, hey, why not sell it while it's in high demand? I listed it on eBay. Then it all went to heck.
A day or so after I listed it, I noticed that the back cover was creased. I wasn't sure how that happened. I may have just picked up a bad copy. I pulled the listing and relisted it with pictures of the back cover. Yeah, I was honest. At the end of the seven days, I sold it for about $5.80. I actually took a loss: although I paid cover price for it ($3.99), I underestimated the actual shipping costs for the buyer to assume. So I ate the difference. Add to that the eBay and Paypal fees...I figured I took about a $2 to $3 bath. But at least my eBay reputation remained intact and was rewarded to an additional star.
I didn't lose my shirt. My family did not have to go hungry. But it was a humbling experience for me. As a novice, I expected to make a few dollars. And as a novice, I took a few metaphorical slaps in the face from reality. Here's what I learned:
1. I should have paid more attention when buying the issue. Collectors love Near Mint condition. Mine was not and I suffered for it. I've seen comic store employees handle stacks of comics: they're not awful about it but comic spines are fragile and suffer from being piled onto the racks ten or twenty at a time.
2. Know your shipping cost. I thought I did, but I was lazy and just estimated. Bad move, buddy.
3. Fees will eat into your profits. And they will exacerbate your losses.
In the future, I expect not to sell anything on eBay unless I expect to make at least two to three times what I paid for the item. How will I know that the auction will turn out in my favor? Well, I don't. But this cautionary tale will give me pause to seriously consider if the timing is right.
On the other hand, I did enjoy Batman Incorporated #8 and have the regular version in my collection. Is it going to put my daughter through college? No. Is it going to be worth much more than the $2.99 I paid for it? Unless the number of Damian Wayne fans suddenly rise in the coming decade, I don't think so. In any case, I have a historically important story and it will be part of my permanent collection. It just cost me a few more dollars than I had expected to spend on it. Oh well...
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