COMIC BUYING TIPS FOR NEW sERS

Hi,
I wanted to share some geic buying tips for mainly new okayers. I am a 30+ year collector. I both buy and sell geics on okay.
Tip 1# READ all the recent feedback from the seller you are considering buying from. I have a rule of not buying from any seller with under 98% postive feedback.
Tip 2# Read between the lines on some of the postive feedback for issues with shipping , grading etc. Often a buyer will NOT leave a negative because they don't want oneback. They will leave their negative in the form of a postive feedback. ( THIS ONE HAS CHANGED SINCE SELLERS CAN'T LEAVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK NOW.)
Tip 3# Poor photos often mean a poor geic. Large clear photos or scans are the best.
Tip 4# Look for repeat customers. I have9 or10 favorite sellers I track in my okay. I trust these people. I will often pay more for a geic if I know it's in the grade they say it's in from past dealings with them.
Tip 5# Don't pay excessive shipping costs. Says a lot about the character of the person you are dealing with. I sent 340 geics to a buyer in New Jersey from Ohio for $10 bucks! AND I did not lose money on the shipping. I don't fault someone for covering their costs and even a small profit. One gemon way to run up costs is putting in a greater weight in the shipping ( zip code ) calculator than the item actually weighs.
Tip 6# Beware of a wide grade range in a listing. If it says Fine to Near Mint it's going to be closer to Fine. Also beware of a description but no actual grade given in the listing. Some sellers give a paragraph of details but NO GRADE. Email them to give you a grade.
Tip 7# You will often be bidding againest the same group of collectors. Check their gepleted listings to see who they often buy from and trust. YOU CAN FIND OUT WHO THEY ARE AFTER THEY LEAVE FEEDBACK. THIS ONE ALSO CHANGED WITH okay HIDING BIDDERS ID'S.
BUY IT NOW vs AUCTION TIPS. A lot of collectors don't use buy it now on geics. But they should! You really have to search but good deals can aways be found. I often buy file copies with buy it now. I saw oneGold Key file copyget 16 bids and sell for almost $30.00 by a popular seller recently. I had trackedthe same book in the same grade for over a month by another seller for $7.99 buy it now. It never sold the 1st 30 days. I bought it at $5.99 after the seller relisted it the second 30 day period. My Silver Surfer 4 6.0 was a buy it now. Well below what I have seen them go for during a regular auction. Search the newly listed geics with buy it now on a regular basis and you will find some deals. I RECENTLY BOUGHT SOME HIGH GRADE MARVELS AND A PEDIGREE" BUY IT NOW! " NEXT TO NOTHING ON COST.
Finalnotes. I have noticed something by tracking some Buy It Now geics for a long period of time. Some sellers if they do not sell a geic over the period of a month or two will relist the same geic and up the grade AND price in order to get it to sell. Beware of this. Saw this 3 times this week. One jumped from an 8.0 for $12.99 TO a 9.0 for $29.99! Same book.Needless to say I lost my interest and I was going to purchase it and a 7.0 he had this weekend. Not now.
Also I see some sellers who put in large letters " $ 500.00 GUIDE VALUE IN NEAR MINT ! " but in small print they are selling a geic in good condition. This is to get your attention and quick bid,but the geic they are selling is not going to begee near mint by magic. Not many Golden or Silver age geics truly near mint. Thank you and hope this was helpful!