Interview Series with Facebook Seller - Aaron Quintana

     This interview series is with Facebook Seller Aaron Quintana.  He's another good seller I've done business with in one of many Facebook comic book groups out there.  He's fairly new to selling so I thought his point of view and advice would be a great help to all those teetering on the edge of becoming a seller.   

What got you into comics?

• As long as I can recall I remember snagging comics off the spinner racks or magazine racks at the grocery store everytime we went.  I think it was these fantastic stories where people were heroes when I was growing up in a small town in a not so ideal situation.

Favorite childhood memory about comics?

• Going to the used book store with my mom and rummaging through the back issues.  I found so many amazing stories that would never have been carried on newsstands.  While all my friends were reading things like Youngblood and Spawn I was reading Poison Elves and Bone. Those early indy days set the tone for my collection now.

What got you into selling comics?

• Boredom.  I used to flip high end watches but I got nervous about holding that much cash in product with uncertainty, so when quarantine hit due to covid-19, I found myself with lots of time on my hands.  I figured I could sling some of my collection I wasn't super attached to and use that money to grab grails that at the time had lost some of their value.

Biggest mistake you made when you started selling?

• Overvaluing my books.  I was looking in the wrong places for pricing guidance and I had a few deals blow up on me.

What’s your favorite character or title to collect?

• I'm a big Spider-Man/Venom fan but lately I've been trying to complete finished runs of Independent books.

Next big thing for your personal collection?  Your grail?

• An AF15. It's on my hit list for 2021.

Most unique or favorite thing in your collection?

• I have an AMS Annual #1 in .5.  I bought it for $1 at a flea market in Oceanside, California with my Grandma when I was like 12.  It's pretty beat but it was my first big key.

Raw or Graded? Why?

• I like both for different reasons.  I collect raws of current runs for the stories (and because I can't get onboard with digital just yet.) but I like graded slabs for the preservation value.  This reminds me that I need to organize the raw collection.

Best find or score?

• During the early days of Covid I discovered my LCS had a Hulk 181 in a 5.5.  I bought it from them and had it pressed/cleaned and it came back a 7.0.  I also snagged a BA12 in 8.5 for pretty cheap and was able to bump it to a 9.6.

Advice to new sellers or collectors.

• This is still a hobby. I think a lot of people take this too seriously but at the end of the day if it's not fun anymore it's not worth doing.

Thanks to Aaron for the interview!  Our goal on the interview series is to help educate new and veteran collectors with real good stories and advice.  If you have anyone you'd like us to interview drop a comment below!

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