Does anyone have a sense of when the market will improve for selling limited Buk books? I have been itching to post pieces of my collection on E-bay but can wait to improve my return. Is this cyclical, i.e., can we definitely expect things to pick up at end of summer? or is this recent down market a new and unpredictable occurrence?
When Will Buk Market Improve? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter MarkDB
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bospress.net
www.bospress.net
Hi,
It is not just a summer slump. The marked for Buk has slowed down over the past year or so, I think. That being said, Buk's books are a still TERIFFIC investment, if that is what you are looking for. He will only continue to be more and more sought after as time passes. Why not list them on this forum what the amount that you want for them? Nothing may happen, but it cannot hurt.
I'm looking for a few items....
Bill
It is not just a summer slump. The marked for Buk has slowed down over the past year or so, I think. That being said, Buk's books are a still TERIFFIC investment, if that is what you are looking for. He will only continue to be more and more sought after as time passes. Why not list them on this forum what the amount that you want for them? Nothing may happen, but it cannot hurt.
I'm looking for a few items....
Bill
chronic
old and in the way
I imagine that the slump is due in part (at least in the US) to high prices, low wages, record debt, and the reliance on ever higher fossil fuel prices. Bukowski items are not the only ones suffering from low demand right now. People just can't afford to buy luxury items as easily as they could a few years ago and, with our current administration, I don't see things getting better anytime soon.
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
Chronic nailed it.... The stock market is way up because the US companies are making record profits by moving jobs elsewhere. That gives the impression that the economy is doing much better than it really is. Americans, as a rule are making less and less, causing them to scale back on luxuries.
Things may get better on 1/21/09.
Bill
Things may get better on 1/21/09.
Bill
mjp
Founding member
You cockeyed optimist, you! ;)bospress.net said:
I sort of disagree about the economy, stock market, unemployment or the like having anything to do with it. Seems like the market got really hot there for a while, and what goes up, usually comes down. But it always picks up in the fall, with people holiday shopping. Will it pick up back to where it was? Probably not right away.
A great time to buy though.
bospress.net
www.bospress.net
HI mjp.
I hope that you are right!
BIll
I hope that you are right!
BIll
Rekrab
Usually wrong.
I work in the energy field, and I can tell you that the price of gasoline (and all fuels) will only keep going up, with small dips, but it's not going to ever come down to the historic low levels we enjoyed for decades. The "peak oil" situation you may have heard about is real, and it's a huge problem. The economy suffers, and collectibles just aren't necessary. Ebay prices have been disappointing if you're a seller, and I fear this may be long term. Just my two cents. Then again, I've never been an optimist when it comes to the world at large, so maybe I'm full of it.
I agree with mjp. I don't think you can tie the rare book/Buk market to the stock market, economy or any of that other crap. If there's something out there that a collector has been looking for, or if a bargain is to be had, a buyer will find the money to purchase it no matter how much a gallon of gas costs. Do I remember correctly that chronic recently purchased two books with paintings? I don't recall him exactly hemorrhaging cash, but he was wise enough to know a bargain when he saw one.
The collectible market is driven by emotion and momentum. Right now the momentum is with the buyers and I don't think there's a gage you can use to assess when the pendulum is going to swing the other way. Did everyone see the auction results for the Bukowski titles at the Peter Weiss auction yesterday on eBay? The prices realized were not so bad, particularly when you figure in the (outrageous) 18% hammer fee. If you want to sell something, throw it up with a reserve and see which way the wind blows. You never know -- you may start a trend!
The collectible market is driven by emotion and momentum. Right now the momentum is with the buyers and I don't think there's a gage you can use to assess when the pendulum is going to swing the other way. Did everyone see the auction results for the Bukowski titles at the Peter Weiss auction yesterday on eBay? The prices realized were not so bad, particularly when you figure in the (outrageous) 18% hammer fee. If you want to sell something, throw it up with a reserve and see which way the wind blows. You never know -- you may start a trend!
Rekrab
Usually wrong.
mjp & Nymark:
I agree there is no one-to-one correlation between the rare book market and the economy. Had I been fully awake I and thinking clearly, I would have said there's an indirect relationship, where the economy has an effect on the market, but doesn't drive it. I think how that effect works is that good stuff still sells, but the prices are often lower than they otherwise might have been had the economy been better. Let's say there are five people who badly want a certain rare book and are willing to pay a lot for it, and they will be competing when the next copy shows up on eBay. Then one of them gets laid off, and another has business setbacks, and those two drop out of the picture, and then there are only three people competing for the book. Less competition can mean a lower final price (but not always...it depends of course on how high the remaining bidders are willing to go). So the item will sell, but for less than it would have when the economy was better. I'm just guessing this happens. My own auctions have been disappointing this year. I really think it's the economy, but I can't prove it. Or, like I said before, maybe I'm just full of shit (ha!)
I agree there is no one-to-one correlation between the rare book market and the economy. Had I been fully awake I and thinking clearly, I would have said there's an indirect relationship, where the economy has an effect on the market, but doesn't drive it. I think how that effect works is that good stuff still sells, but the prices are often lower than they otherwise might have been had the economy been better. Let's say there are five people who badly want a certain rare book and are willing to pay a lot for it, and they will be competing when the next copy shows up on eBay. Then one of them gets laid off, and another has business setbacks, and those two drop out of the picture, and then there are only three people competing for the book. Less competition can mean a lower final price (but not always...it depends of course on how high the remaining bidders are willing to go). So the item will sell, but for less than it would have when the economy was better. I'm just guessing this happens. My own auctions have been disappointing this year. I really think it's the economy, but I can't prove it. Or, like I said before, maybe I'm just full of shit (ha!)
zoom man
Founding member
nymark said:
Yeah, I wish I had known about it....
Seems like many of the realized prices went below expectations,
And man,
They had some weird/funky lots->
Like lots I've offered before :D
Really though,
How did you find out about the auction?
Were they listed as items on e-bay before the auction happened?
I see some of us here bid on some stuff....
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