I am going to forego my usual synopsis of the episode and get straight into the episode. In the first part of the episode, you are shown Jordan getting ready for his trip to Birmingham England to do a comic book con. Jordan has decided to take items that they did not get over in the United Kingdom. Jordan goes with Travis Long to a storage unit own by Sean. Sean has items that Jordan can used including Silver Hawks and Robo Tech. This is a good move
The second part of the episode shows Jordan in London. He has along with him David, who in a previous episode was identified as expert of foreign toys. This is a good move if you are not strong in a country’s toys have someone along who knows that country’s toys. Where this episode falls down is when Jordan says he is getting some English items for resale at the comic book con. Wrong move, he should be buying items to taking home. There are several reasons first, Jordan does not know the English Market compared to the American Market. So he does not know what will sell. Second, the English collectors will be interested the American toys which they have a harder time find in the UK. Third, he will get better money in the states for the foreign items.
The Ideal Batman Cowl set I feel was a prearranged sell. I bet Jim had tried to sell it in the United Kingdom with no luck. It is a good piece, but I did not feel it was going to sell at the Comic Book Con..
Traveling aboard to buy and sell toys can be a worthwhile. It is much harder today with the underlying cost for the trip. When I first went to London 25 years ago I paid $200.00 round trip. Now airfare is easy $1000.00 a person. (This is due to a green tax of $400.00 plus other fees.) You add in hotel and food expenses, it can really add up. These higher expense has caused many dealers who use to do show have stopped.(also the internet has been a factor as well.) There are some dealers who are still do the trips aboard as they are able to make money. We will have to see if Jordan goes back.
I wonder if any dealers have a feel for whether it’s more profitable selling toy soldiers on ebay than selling them at the shows. I mean, many of the prominent dealers are regular attenders at the shows, so I assume they still find the shows a profitable venue. My own observation is that there seem to be fewer dealers at the shows. Of course, all the heavy expenses of traveling to a show are deductible, if the dealer is running things as a business. I would like your opinion, Paul. You’ve previously stated that with the advent of ebay you’re surprised there’s still as much dealer show attendance as there is.
Sorry this isn’t totally on track with your Jordan post, but you did allude to the issue.
Don
No your question is quite valid. EBay has change the playing field in many ways. First EBay sellers can reach people they would never meet at shows. The next time you go to a show look at the new faces, chances are you will not see many new faces. With EBay you are getting people from around the country that have never been to a toy show. Second with EBay, you are able to sell items that would be common at a show or better price. Fourth it is easier for people to sell items that they have. Before the internet you would have to create list or advertise in a magazine which took time. Today with EBay you can get items up and get a response in within minutes after it is listed. Fourth look at how many new dealers are at a show not many.
I am sure the dealers are doing well at the shows or they would not keep going. They can deducted their expenses. The problem is that out of pocket costs keep rising
I gave them up as a dealer at shows as I could do better with my lists and now EBay
This is just my opinion, but I think many dealers go to shows in part to pick up needed items from other dealers. Another reason is the interaction with other dealers and friends they have met over the years. Of course making a profit is always nice too.
I think Ed is right. All the dealers I have ever known were and/or are toy soldier collectors themselves, and do in fact enjoy the comraderie of the shows. And most of them are also on the look-out for items they can get from other dealers. On the few occasions when I have gone to shows as a dealer (meaning, I rented a table) invariably 50% of my total sales were made to dealers before the doors even opened. Of course, part of the reason for that was that I had priced things to move. And dealers, being dealers, recognized good prices when they saw them.
But unfortunately, I won’t see Ed Boris and the others this year at Indy, since circumstances prevent me from going. I really wish I was going to be there. And I hope Indy is as good as ever for everyone who attends. My next show is apparently going to be Joseph Saine’s Michigan Toy Soldier Show/Auction in August.
Well, we will miss you Don. I have those three beautiful Conte Civil War sets I was going to talk you into buying.
One of thse years I hope to make it up to Michigan, I like Joe Saine.
If you are a dealer looking to make money it usually is not profitable to do shows where you have hotel stays unless you are selling complete playsets or metal figures that bring in higher dollar sales. Someone like me selling figures one at a time faces a real hurdle to make money. A recent show I did my hotel stay and show tables cost me $300. Most dealers try to double their cost of goods so just to break even I needed to sell $600 worth of figures. I had five tables full of stuff, but the crowd was light and I took in $265 in sales which was less than the hard costs of doing the show. I took a full day before the show to pull the stuff from inventory and two days to put it all back where it belonged and check off inventory sold. I really enjoy seeing the other people in the hobby I know, but I needed to at least break even. I also got behind with my internet orders being gone the weekend. Unless I win the lottery I doubt I will do any more shows. Vintage 1/32 still sells well from my website. Ebay sales have dropped as there seem to be more sellers than buyers some weeks. Those of you up in the midwest that can drive to good shows like Indianapolis, Columbus and Chicago are lucky to have the higher number of collectors that attend shows. Of course I am lucky to not have snow!
Kent
It is the overhead that is killing some dealer to do shows that are over night. Laurie and I have curtail our long distance shows because of cost. I was thinking about West Virginia for June but may bag it because of the overhead. If we do it will be for only one day. Chicago has been off our list because of cost either driving or flying.
EBay has been non stellar this year It is not only you but other people as well across the board that complaining on the drop of sales. I feel it is more the economy than just more sellers.
The only show that I don’t at least break even is the Texas show, somehow I never bring the right stuff for that crowd. Usually I make some money, sometimes quite a bit at shows. Indy Last year was kind of bleak due to the threatened blizzard, but usually I make expenses plus some profit there. I’ll hope for the best this year and see what happens.
Ed
when doing a show it is hard to predict what will sell or not. My friend Gerry Watts has done shows where people wanted plastic and he was carrying lead figures and vice versa.
Yeah it’s pretty much a crap shoot, OTSN is great for me, I live 20 minutes away, so I can go home and provide whatever they need, if I have it of course. It;s like getting it from the warehouse the same day. I remember the one year I brought Gibbs sets to Texas and most of them had never even heard of them.
I was always jealous of you guys, being able to go to the shows. When I was able to travel, I worked all the time, no time to take off, plus my wife would have had a cow. I remember reading all the lists, and magazines about the shows, and always had to say maybe next year. It is sad that it is even harder to make it to them now, then it was back 20 years ago.
If it wasn’t for some of ya’lls lists, ebay, and the internet, I would have never been able to get many of my figures I have today. I am still searching for some figures, the quest will never end. I hope you guys all do well.
ED C
The collectors in my area were luck to have so many shows. Back in the 70’s we had one toy show at JFK which was a pain to get to due to the traffic, MFCA in May and Macungie in August. Over the years we got more shows in a two or three hour radius.
Ed I don’t know where you live, but I would suggest that you plan to go to OTSN in September. This show goes over several days and you can sit and talk with people of the same interests. For several days the dealers open their rooms and you can roam around the hotel looking for treasures. There are great restaurants and a large mall near the show.
That would be a good show to make Paul, maybe one day I’ll make it up there. I live in Florida. Until then though, I appreciate you, and the other members recapping, and sharing the news of them.
Ed C
What you have to do is plan for it. When my mother died, I decided to go to England for the Plastic Warrior Show. I figured I would do it once at least in my life time. I have been back many times.
In the mean time we will keep reporting on the shows we attend.