Did COMC just kill their business model?

[SMPEP]

So I logged onto COMC for the first time in a while ... and I see that they have added a huge amount of cards .... which sounds good ... BUT then I learn they're all from Dean's Cards.

So, basically now I can't use COMC without tripping over the same (overpriced) inventory that is clogging up Ebay.

Wasn't there someone who was working for COMC that posted a while ago that said it was his job to work with sellers to encourage them to lower prices (because stuff wasn't moving on COMC)?

So your plan to get more sales is ... bring in an even more expensive supplier, flood your site with these expensive cards, thereby reducing the pressure on people to lower their prices (because the old prices now look cheap)... at the same time when you were complaining you didn't have enough sales?

The best thing COMC has going for it ... good front and back scans. The next best thing it has going for it though ... inventory that is not on Ebay. I think they just destroyed half of their big advantage.

Will be interesting to see if they survive.
Patrick

[bnorth]

I also think adding Dean's Cards was a joke. It is crazy to pull up a card and see several listed in the $2-$5 range and then see the scans with the black background priced at $20-$25 for the same cards in the same condition. I can see no way this helps COMC and I love COMC for the awesome front/back scan of every card.

[Gr8Beldini]

Yeah, but $8 1975 Topps Vida Blue cards in VG condition are hard to come by. It's either Dean or keep looking (and looking and looking). Not too many of those babys listed at $8!

[swarmee]

So the Dean's Cards thing was not even announced until the cards started showing up on site; I reported it here on the main board a few weeks ago. Their rationale was that some sellers had "war-chests" that they were amassing, but didn't want to take the 20% hits, so adding Dean's Cards allowed them to buy other cards to take off site.

It doesn't make a ton of sense, because you're still losing at least 20% of value converting your store credit into Dean's cards as well.

The other thing that it harmed was the fact that Dean's cards with the black background made other sellers' cards look washed out or pale in comparison. I'm still using the site heavily and mailed in another 400 cards which will be added to the site in the next six weeks. Will Dean's accept offers on their cards? If so, it might mitigate the initial prices if they're willing to haggle. But yes, all of a sudden having 50 unique cards on site and going to 3, some sellers were going to feel like they submitted cards no longer worthwhile to have submitted.

We'll see if it's half-baked or not.

[savedfrommyspokes]

Originally Posted by SMPEP

So, basically now I can't use COMC without tripping over the same (overpriced) inventory that is clogging up Ebay.

As John mentioned in his last post, the DC offerings have a black back ground....the actual COMC cards have a white back ground. In addition the DC's offerings are not clumped in with the COMC cards. See the example below...it is easy to avoid the DC by just looking for the white backgrounds(you can also sort by price to easily tell the DC from the COMC cards)

http://www.comc.com/Cards,=1975+topps+510

[begsu1013]

have never even used COMC before, but as soon as I saw "dean's cards" in this thread I just cringed.

mostly buy on ebay and run across this guy's overly priced listings on a daily basis. there's only been 1 instance where something was properly priced and I passed simply because I cant stand his business model as a whole.

I can only imagine how the people who use COMC on a daily basis are reacting!

-Bob Evans.

[Rich Klein]

Honestly, as a seller on the site, no impact to me at all. If COMC can use Dean's to generate revenue, fine by me

Here was my take on the subject

http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com...w-partnership/

Rich

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by savedfrommyspokes

As John mentioned in his last post, the DC offerings have a black back ground....the actual COMC cards have a white back ground. In addition the DC's offerings are not clumped in with the COMC cards. See the example below...it is easy to avoid the DC by just looking for the white backgrounds(you can also sort by price to easily tell the DC from the COMC cards)

http://www.comc.com/Cards,=1975+topps+510

I don't see this as a big issue either. I would rather have more selection of cards to choose from rather than less.....and don't mind wading through Dean's cards.

Z

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

Honestly, as a seller on the site, no impact to me at all. If COMC can use Dean's to generate revenue, fine by me

Here was my take on the subject

http://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com...w-partnership/

Rich

Why would you just completely gloss over the pricing issue in your piece??

"You also have to ensure you partner with outlets that have good reputations for prompt shipping. Like other large dealers of vintage cards, Dean’s sometimes gets criticized for their pricing structure, but I’ve never heard a valid complaint about shipping issues."

Saying Dean's 'sometimes' gets criticized for their pricing has to be among the biggest understatements the world has ever heard. Their pricing is so over the top, laugh out loud ridiculous that it immediately chases countless people away from ever buying a single card from that sham of a business. Just the number of threads about them here on Net54 alone shows that they are so beyond the pale with their dumb pricing, that they are never going to take root and become a legitimate, trusted company. They're a joke.

I know as a writer you obviously can't go on the attack about their pricing, but to simply glide past it and virtually ignore this huge issue even exists with them is a complete disservice to your readers. The first--and probably only--thing anyone ever says about Dean's is that their pricing is outrageous times a billion!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SAllen2556]

I'll take bets that COMC will be out of business in five years - at least in selling anything before 1990. Adding Dean's cards just clutters up the site. A very poor decision in my opinion. They chose to partner with probably the most criticized seller on eBay. Why? There has to be a significant financial reason. It was certainly not made with their customers in mind.

There's two things COMC could do to get me back as a customer:

-End the buyer's option to make offers. I can't be bothered making offers to 15 different sellers for overpriced commons and minor stars just to get cheaper shipping. Force sellers to list their cards at their bottom line price. And let them adjust them as they please.

-Increase the quality of the scans. They were better than most eBay sellers when they started, but today most eBay sellers' scans are actually better.

[bnorth]

My only COMC complaint is the search function sucks. There is no recently added option. Before someone say yes they do because they don't. There are currently 183 1989 Fleer Randy Johnson #381 Completely Blacked Out Billboard versions and there is now way of knowing in what order they were added.

I have bought several hundred cards off the site and if the search function worked better that # would be several thousand. Just hate looking through tons of cards I have already seen to hopefully find the new listed ones.

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

Why would you just completely gloss over the pricing issue in your piece??

"You also have to ensure you partner with outlets that have good reputations for prompt shipping. Like other large dealers of vintage cards, Dean’s sometimes gets criticized for their pricing structure, but I’ve never heard a valid complaint about shipping issues."

Saying Dean's 'sometimes' gets criticized for their pricing has to be among the biggest understatements the world has ever heard. Their pricing is so over the top, laugh out loud ridiculous that it immediately chases countless people away from ever buying a single card from that sham of a business. Just the number of threads about them here on Net54 alone shows that they are so beyond the pale with their dumb pricing, that they are never going to take root and become a legitimate, trusted company. They're a joke.

I know as a writer you obviously can't go on the attack about their pricing, but to simply glide past it and virtually ignore this huge issue even exists with them is a complete disservice to your readers. The first--and probably only--thing anyone ever says about Dean's is that their pricing is outrageous times a billion!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had a Dean's Cards thread on the main board in which the OP mentioned he would find cards of interest to him that he felt comfortable buying at those levels

In addition, on the COMC blog when this issue came up, at least one COMC Dealer mentioned he bought some cards he felt were underpriced at Dean's Cards.

I'm perfectly fine saying what I said about the pricing. People used to complain about Burbank and now in many cases they are cheaper then the average.

If Dean's prices are too high, they will eventually lower the prices or be out of business. But I'm perfectly comfortable with what I wrote on that subject

Rich

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

We had a Dean's Cards thread on the main board in which the OP mentioned he would find cards of interest to him that he felt comfortable buying at those levels

In addition, on the COMC blog when this issue came up, at least one COMC Dealer mentioned he bought some cards he felt were underpriced at Dean's Cards.

I'm perfectly fine saying what I said about the pricing. People used to complain about Burbank and now in many cases they are cheaper then the average.

If Dean's prices are too high, they will eventually lower the prices or be out of business. But I'm perfectly comfortable with what I wrote on that subject

Rich

Yes, you can be comfortable and still be wrong. We are human....

Sometimes it's better to just tell the truth than perfume the turd and say it's a rose.

[bnorth]

I think Rich done a good job by mentioning it at all. I have seen other articles on it and nobody else mentioned Dean's crazy pricing.

On a side note I have no problem with Dean's pricing, it seams to be working for them. Now Rich's selling practices totally confuse me.

[JollyElm]

To write about Dean's Cards and ignore their stupendously laughable pricing structure is like writing a biography about Bill Clinton and omitting any mention of Monica Lewinsky. Or (to balance it out politically), it's like penning a tell-all book about Richard Nixon and failing to mention Watergate.

I present you (via screengrabs) with their lovely take on a ridiculously easy to find, low numbered, off-centered common from 1972 (red emphasis added)…

barton1.jpg
barton2.jpg

How does any human being see this and not just start laughing uproariously??

[Vintagevault13]

Let me begin by stating that I collect cards generally in the VG-EX range. For building my sets I primarily buy from COMC. Like many of you, I was skeptical when I read about the collaboration with Dean's Cards because I have seen some of the outrageous prices on eBay. To be fair, however, I must say that I have found the Dean's cards on COMC (in VG-EX) to be very comparable to others listed and, in many cases, actually lower. I am working on the 1965 Topps set so those are the cards I have been searching. I acknowledge that is a small sampling of what he is offering, but I thought I would share my two cents worth.

[SMPEP]

I have bought cards from Dean's on occassion. I agree there are occassionally reasonably priced cards.

But when I started this thread, my point was ... if I wanted to buy from Dean's I can go to his webiste (I bought most of my items from him in that fashion) or I could go to Ebay.

COMC does not win by competing with Ebay. It wins by offering what Ebay does not. It's principal advantage is better scans. But Deans uses the same scans on their own site and Ebay .... so COMC gets nothing from bringing Dean's in. And by bringing in Dean's, they bring in someone with higher than average priced inventory, and huge amounts of inventory. Both of which reduce the incentive for other folks on COMC to reduce their prices. And the prices on COMC have been the reason that they have told us (via them hiring someone to encourage sellers to lower prices) that their business model is not working as well as hoped.

So instead of Dean's, COMC should be going after someone like Tripleplay (who on Ebay shows a front photo of 4 cards - for a lot of 120 1952 Topps cards they are selling). That's what helps the COMC model. Not Dean's.

Just my opinion.
Patrick

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by bnorth

I think Rich done a good job by mentioning it at all. I have seen other articles on it and nobody else mentioned Dean's crazy pricing.

On a side note I have no problem with Dean's pricing, it seams to be working for them. Now Rich's selling practices totally confuse me.

Ben:

I agree with you on the issue you are talking about, I don't know how easy it's going to be to get a full photo of the framed sheet I'm advertising on BST

And, the shipping will be a lot of money

But tis still a cool item --

And it's unique and I have no idea how to price it

In other words, when I hear something I like, it will be gone

Rich

[DaClyde]

Most likely COMC partnered with Dean's because Beckett is partnered with Burbank. And unlike Burbank, Dean's already had their inventory scanned and ready to go. I don't seen Dean's pricing issues any differently than a handful of other sellers that have 5 cent commons listed for $10+ (seriously? http://www.comc.com/Cards/Baseball/1...terson/2011256). Unrealistic pricing just means those items won't sell.

I don't really see how it changes anything for COMC, as it is still one more seller competing against the hundreds that are already there. Now they just have some extra marketing materials regarding the quantity of vintage cards they have for sale.

There are currently 183 1989 Fleer Randy Johnson #381 Completely Blacked Out Billboard versions and there is now way of knowing in what order they were added.

I'm curious as to the benefit of knowing what order 183 of the same card were listed...

[Eric72]

Originally Posted by DaClyde

I'm curious as to the benefit of knowing what order 183 of the same card were listed...

Jason,

I believe he is looking for one of the variations of that particular card. If they are sorted in a "listed most recently" order, he can look only at ones he hasn't already seen and avoid wasting time.

Best regards,

Eric

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Eric72

Jason,

I believe he is looking for one of the variations of that particular card. If they are sorted in a "listed most recently" order, he can look only at ones he hasn't already seen and avoid wasting time.

Best regards,

Eric

Eric got it right. I am a variation and print error collector and hate wasting time looking at cards I have seen a dozen times.