Lost a big collection sale because I didn't check the grading first

Last weekend I had a guy drive 2 hours from Milwaukee to buy my old Amazing Spider-Man run, like issues 150 to 200. Turned out three of them had color breaks I never noticed and he walked away after offering half what I was asking. Now I'm wondering if I should invest in a cheap loupe or just start cross-referencing with Overstreet more carefully. Anyone else lose a sale over something dumb like condition issues you overlooked?

3 comments

3 Comments

perry.evan29d ago

Take the time to photograph everything under a bright desk lamp with your phone before you list. I started doing that after a similar headache with some X-Men books. The camera picks up surface scuffs and color rubs you'd swear weren't there when you're just flipping through them in dim light. You can zoom in on the phone screen and see things a loupe would catch anyway. Saves you the embarrassment of a buyer showing up with expectations way higher than what you're actually holding.

wilson.sam29d ago

Bought a loupe for like 12 bucks on Amazon. Changed everything. Spent a whole weekend going through my boxes and found color breaks I never saw with my naked eye. Made me feel sick honestly. Lost out on a Silver Surfer sale a few years back because I swore it was a 9.0 but the buyer pulled out a loupe and showed me a spine tick I'd missed a hundred times. Now I check everything twice before listing. Overstreet helps but that loupe is the real lifesaver. Saves you from that awkward drive-by rejection.

lucashart15d ago

I got a $6 jewelry loupe from a craft store a few months back and it works just as good as the fancy ones. The real trick is holding it still though - I rest my elbows on a table or I shake all over the place and cant tell a ding from a dust speck.