500Club

Far from all the hoopla...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Daredevil-2-Waid-Riveira-Captain-America-NM-M-Sold-out-1st-Print-2011-Vol-3-/130692061376?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item1e6dda98c0

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Daredevil-2-Waid-Hot-New-Series-VF-1st-Printing-Never-Read-2011-/370612495418?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item564a39e43a

Maybe "Super Hero" ain't what it used to be.

As a dedicated super-hero fan, it's tough being beaten over the head with schlock year after year. My tastes have definitely wandered.

I would have thought that those conditions which in a less enlightened time we might have referred to using the blanket term Retarded each have a correct name of their own which is better known now than in the past. Similar to how at one time those suffering from Downs Syndrome were referred to as .

 

Again, this is just my opinion, but if you in a bantering way now refer to someone as a person_having_a_hard_time_understanding_my_point, you are really just questioning their level of intelligence rather than comparing them to a person with a specific condition.

 

To me that legitimizes the word as an epithet or insult, because it does not refer to any specific actual condition or group of people.

 

I try not to use the word for the sole reason that it bothers some people. I still do it from time to time because for years I said it 50 times a day. To me it means the same as dummy, but I don't want to unintentionally offend anyone. I prefer to do it head on.

Likewise. To me it's a word that means stupidity, as opposed to a cognitive handicap.

even with only 2 issues it's easy to tell it's a 'Saga'.

And it was easy to tell in the summer of 1990 that Kevin Maas was headed straight to Cooperstown.

 

That's not a logical analogy insofar as BKV has prior legit hits, but I agree with the premise that it is premature to conclude that Saga is the next big thing (ditto for Thief of Thieves and every other Image book that has been awesome, but all of those books that have been awesome are still awesome).

True... the analogy is somewhat loose...

Just noting the rush to judgement...

even with only 2 issues it's easy to tell it's a 'Saga'.

And it was easy to tell in the summer of 1990 that Kevin Maas was headed straight to Cooperstown.

Vaughan and Staples > Kirkman and Adlard

I'll need a body of work larger than 2 issues to comment on this one.

I vote for better than tolerable, but not amazing.

 

So, is that about a 7.5-8.0?

Maybe 8.5. One thing I'll give FS credit for -- I never have to stare at the panels, or scan back a couple panels repeatedly to figure out wtf is going on. (thumbs u

I vote for better than tolerable, but not amazing.

On the other hand, giving a solid customer the book for cover just to help maintain good will in general goes a long way.

 

Yup. Pull $3 book from shelf, sell on eBay for $25 = $22 profit.

 

$22 profit = about 15 books bought by a pull file customer.

 

It's easy to see how a little loyalty and good will will outweigh the quick buck. (thumbs u

 

a couple of years ago I was looking for creepy 1 at a shop i hit now and then. it had sold out at my main shops as nobody ordered more than 3 copies. that shop only had the more expensive variant cover, which he let me have at regular cover price (plus a subsequent discount because i bought some other stuff). the shop is way out of my way, but since then i have always tried to get over there when possible and have probably dropped 5 figures there since then. true, i'd probably try to get over there now and then anyway, but after that little gesture I feel guilty if I don't make a solid effort to do so, like i met my wife near there recently when i could have just as easily picked somewhere else.

 

Anyway, after fees and other hassle on ebay (not to mention time spent packing, etc.), it's not a $22 profit. Don't you see how someone may not want to be bothered selling 3 low price items on ebay a week?

Now that I reread my above post, it may've been a bit vague. I was actually trying to make the point you made (much better) in your first paragraph.

And your point about the $22 is correct also - especially when time is in short order for an LCS owner, and listing/packing/mailing is factored in.

if you want customer loyalty, be nice when they enter the store. say hello, and ask if they need any help. most comic shop workers aren't all that nice (at least 90% in my area are to plain rude) and don't engage anyone in conversation. you'll get far more customers by just being nice and remembering their name when they come in often then by having a particular book that's hot on your shelves.

 

again, if you've been in business for 25 yeas, great. doesn't mean you're a great businessman though. vast majority of comic shops don't pay attention to ebay or online sells. it's horrible business no matter how you twist it.

I am actually with you on all of this, especially the bolded part.

There is a middle ground to be walked, though. It's not good business to scoop all books off your racks at the first sign the book is heating up on eBay. Taking care of your customers and engendering loyalty will pay off many times over.

On the other hand, giving a solid customer the book for cover just to help maintain good will in general goes a long way.

Yup. Pull $3 book from shelf, sell on eBay for $25 = $22 profit.

$22 profit = about 15 books bought by a pull file customer.

It's easy to see how a little loyalty and good will will outweigh the quick buck. (thumbs u

Are all Kirkman fans all just buying into this?

 

Nick Spencer is writing it, so that's a big reason why I'm picking it up. I read all three at once last weekend and it flowed well. I'm sticking around for the long haul.

Yep, and stories like these can't really be judged by three issues, especially in the tpb era of story decompression. Quitting now is like putting a novel down early in Chapter 2.

FWIW, and as a counterpoint to ToT fever, I actually liked the start Secret is off to better.

I have yet to meet ONE person who's worked at a comic book store that actually knows how to handle a comic - let alone those that know that certain new issues are selling for more than cover online.

You're of course referring to the 'lobster grip', where the clerk grabs the book in a pincer between thumb and fingers, putting a spine crease about two inches above the bottom staple.

I'm still shocked that many dealers don't know whats up. I bought 3 sets today of 1 and 2 ToT's plus a first print of Fatale 1, all for cover. I've gotten 5 sets (of 1 and 2) from them in 3 days, all for cover.

 

I consider to be friends with them and I'm considering giving them a set back for free.

 

They asked me why so many, and I told them I was doing a trade for the BW cover.

 

I felt bad.

 

I asked a local store about this, that still has ToT, Saga, and Fatale on the shelf.

 

They said they make enough money off the regular prices, they're happy to sell it for cover, because it gets people through the door knowing they'll be able to find their copies of anything for cover.

 

Makes some sense to me.

 

They do however, sell some copies on eBay, everything new in the store however, stays at cover.

Then I would be at that store when it opens to get all the ToT #1s I can carry.

You'll get to the counter - where they'll tell you it's one per.

people sure do a good job acting like they know what they're talking about.....

 

i wonder how many people listened to them and decided not to invest in WD because of it.

 

you need to get out more. the entire financial services industry is made up of people acting like they know what they're talking about while the vast majority have no clue. how many pundits said AAPL was overpriced at $200? that's $300 BILLION AGO. you're talking about 300 copies of a book that went from $500 to $1500 like it's meaningful.

One of the oddest and yet truest maxims of Wall Street is that the bear case always makes more sense.

Thanks guys... Just curious. Cause these image books are just going crazy.. Thieves is getting more prints, danger girl , secret .. Pretty insane.

Follow and read the ones you like. Drop the rest.

Support the projects you like.

In the long run, that'll bring the good books to the forefront.

and to think, I give my RRP and variants away to my customers... I should have been selling them all this time

Penny foolish, pound wise.

Low hanging fruit.

Hanging lower than you?

I do hang pretty low...

Low hanging fruit.

When it comes to limited print runs of my favorite comics, I really enjoy knowing that I have the most extensive collection.

 

How would you know, though? In regards to the Fables #6 RRP, for instance, you said that you have 4 copies - I know at least two people who own more copies of that book than you, yet neither of them would be so bold as to proclaim that they "have the most extensive collection of this particular issue".

 

There is always someone tougher than you, smarter than you, and possessing more copies of any given comic book than you.

You missed 'taller than you'.

The trajectory for WD was how a book with legs is born. A low print run in the beginning which ultimately becomes a popular long running series. WD 1 started demanding multiples of cover quickly and was selling into the low hundreds after 7 years. One cultural phenomenon later and the series has literally exploded. This was before Kirkman became "Midas Touch Kirkman".

 

All these new titles are following a very different path. Collector hoarding does not make a good long term investment, unless the non-collector becomes the consumer of the title. Even if they do, the landing after a parabolic rise is usually much more uncomfortable on the brown star.

 

Also, barring gimmicks like the New 52, Marvel and DC are as stagnant as a sex swing in an old age home. If it weren't for the torch carriers they would have major issues.

Much goodness in this post.

The trajectory of WD, the comment on the new titles, Marvel/DCs loss of creativity...

My point still stands that there is a bigger market out there for heist/crime fiction than there is Zombies. It is just down to quality, Walking dead has been a fantastic success because of its quality and I think Thief of thieves could be just as big if not bigger because of the larger audience for heist/crime fiction.

Exactly, and not only for the ToT vs WD market discussion, but for the comics themselves. At the end of the day, what drives true demand is people wanting to own and read the books. If ToT evolves into a consistently great read month after month, it'll be ok. If it doesn't, it'll fade off.

maybe all these buyers were left ouf of the TWD gold rush and want a shot at something that might end up being big.

I'd definitely agree with this -- I think it's a big part of the recent 90s style buying, not just with ToT.

So the same person is buying every $20+ copy on ebay?

 

The #1 & 2 set that ended at $52.87 last night had 7 different bidders over $20. Clearly they all want a copy.

 

Of course, they probably want a copy because of the hype and speculation, so we're not disagreeing on that...

That's a bit literal.

I'm not sure how you'd quantify how many buyers are accumulating ahead of hopes for the TV project. Would 50-200 be a reasonable guess? Opinions?

I don't think the ebay needs this board's help to inflate the price of a Kirkman property that has been optioned by AMC.

No, not entirely, which is why I noted 'to an extent'. However, this board's effect on collecting trends has been seen before - see the Hulk 377 3rd print thread for example.

I bought 14 copies of ToT #1 at a random LCS on Friday - that doesn't mean it's still a $2.99 book.

No, but one person bought those 14 copies. It's when 14 buyers want and buy a copy that the prices realized become a reflection of true demand for the book, and not hype and speculation.