Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.marketplace
Date: Tue,  6 Oct 1992 20:16:05 -0400 
From: Purbaya Pantja <pp1w+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: re:X-Men 1E Holo 4 Sale

In response to Jim Cowling articles:

>How?  Do you own a store?  If so, you shouldn't be posting here.

 Nope, I do not have a store but I do go to shows locally. I have been
selling the X-Men Holo $14.50 and they are selling. 


>Nope.  I know the power of the Consumer.  The consumer has more power than
>the seller.  Period, full stop.  What you are going for is not "the market
>price" if someone in the market (namely me) is willing to push the
price lower.
 
>Again, I don't care what it sells for.  I will post the lowest price here 
>because I feel that this newsgroup is a place for deals, not dealers.  I'm
>sick and damned tired of seeing prices here so much higher than The Going
>Rate that it isn't funny.  That's why I have my Mail-Order List which lists
>places where readers can find prices lower than yours, and Dave Lillard's,
>and the rest of the bozos here who think that this place is their personal
>playground to become mini-dealers.  It isn't.

Prove it, Jim. Sure, you can always give alternatives to those those
people who are buying comics but that does not mean that your listings'
prices are cheaper. In fact, there are a couple people who told me that
after they shop around, they decided to buy from me. I may not be the
cheapest around but I am not putting ridiculous prices, either, because
there are people out there who have much higher prices.


>And I've had three offers on my Wizard cards.  Have you had any?  I'd rather
>have people buying my (when you see 'my', read it is 'the stuff which I am
>selling for myself and others') stuff at fair prices that posting an
>unreasonable price and sitting on it.  

Yes, I have had a couple offers and guess what? I told them to go to you
instead since you have a better price on Spawn Gold card. So, don't tell
me that I am trying to rip off people. If there is competition out
there, I will be glad to accept it. For example, if you want to
challenge my price on all comics that I post, go ahead. This way, you
will teach me a lesson that my price is too high. And, as long as I know
that there are postings that have better prices than me, I will refer
them to those people.


>You are not selling at market price.  You are not selling at fair price.
>You ARE selling at rip-off price, which is why I am so vehement to let others
>know how they can find merchandise far cheaper than what you (and others)
>ask.
 
Like I said, prove that my prices are really crazy. Again, I am not
saying that I am the cheapest (since I do not know who's selling what)
but I guarantee you that my prices are comparable.


>I'm not getting personal; this is not a personal attack.  I simply don't like
>the prices you ask.  You may certainly keep your price, but judging by the
>huge number of people asking about my items and asking for my listing, you
>aren't getting much business at all.

Sure Jim, if you don't like my prices, you can do anything you want,
it's your right. I am glad that a lot of people are asking you about
your listing. This means that they are shopping around, which what I
want them to do before they buy comics from me. By the way, you do not
know how many of these people who ask for your listingbuy comics from me
after they shop around, do you ? 


>I'm beating your price and sending your customers to established, good-deal
>places or selling to them myself.  That's the free market.  Lowest price and
>best service wins.  By opting out of the price war with your "I don't have
>to lower my prices because I want big money" attitude, you can only hurt
>yourself.

You got that right, Jim. It is a free market out there. You
misunderstood me, though. I do not want to lower the price because I
feel that that is the market price. I will NOT lower down the price
BECAUSE somebody is trying to compete with me. If you are telling me
that I have this attitude of wanting big money, look at yourself. You
should have sold your hologram for $14.00 at the beginning  instead of
$22.00. 


>Fact:  your prices are higher than established retailers

Like I said, prove it, Jim. You said that the best price and service
wins. I agree. 

>Fact:  you have not been straight with everybody, as you have admitted 
       yourself -- repeating an error after you have been corrected is
       the same as misleading your customers

Don't turn words around. People make mistakes and this is one of my
mistakes. If I would not have been straight, I would not tell those
Spawn Gold buyer to go to you.

>Fact:  you get defensive when challenged.

Really ? You perceived my reply as being defensive. In reality, I am ok.


>Ask yourself this question:  I live in another country, and by mail-order I
>can get EVERYTHING you have put up for sale at 10-60% cheaper than the prices
>you offer -- why should an American, who will pay less for shipping and
>therefore save more money, buy from you?

Wow, what are saying about 'another country' and 'an American'? It's not
healthy, you know.Pus, I think it's getting personal. By the way, if you
do find some comics that are cheaper by more than 50% (or close to it),
as you claimed, let me know. I might as well just buy all you've got. 


>It's good economics, Purbaya.  Maximize your profit, but balance it
>with maximizing the customer's interest in the item.  Cut your percentage to
>increase the chance of selling it.  Otherwise, you're no different from
>any retailer, and that's not what I, or I'm sure ANYBODY reads this group
>for.

Thanks for your economic advice. But until you can prove me that my
prices are really really high, I will keep on going.



I am getting sick with this argument and I will stop right here no
matter what somebody will say later on. I just want to say that for
those people out there who think that my prices are too high, give
alternatives as to where they can buy comics cheaper. Jim has done this
and this is good. I always encourage people to shop around. Worst comes
to worst, I will not sell my comics and I would be forced to lower down
the price in order to make sale. That's ok with me, as long as I am
convinced that I have rip-off prices. As far as competing with other
people in the net, I am not interested. However, if I know that there is
someone post a cheaper price than me, I will refer everybody who is
interested in that comic to buy from him or her and not from me. I think
that is fair.


Purbaya Pantja




Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.marketplace