IMO.... limits are a bad business practice. I'm a paying customer, cash in hand, right in front of you ready to buy a product you are offering to the public. If you insist on a limit, put a sign up saying "LIMIT ONE" or adjust the price to keep someone from buying a stack at cover. If someone told me to put them back, it would be my last visit to that store.
I can't stand lazy store owners that don't track the market and when you get to the register have an epiphany and say, "Oh yeah, I need to mark this up" or "Oh yeah, you can't buy but one of those." I would be like, "Oh yeah, I forgot why I would rather buy from someone I trust online..."
I have talked to mine a few times about this and he made a very excellent point and think some others have eluded to preordering.
If a LCS orders in 20 copies of Star Wars 1 and you come in and buy all 20 that means that come number 2 the store may order in 20 copies based on 1 selling out but only 1 customer will pick it up as YOU were the only one who had a chance to read number 1 and thus 19 sit on the shelf. I agree that if you want to limit it make it be known. That said after a week of the comic being out I would totally agree its pretty much a free for all.
this certainly makes sense for the first 3 or 4 days it is on the rack. by then your regulars and once a week customers will have had the chance to buy and read the book, maybe get into it, whatever.
Maybe....the second issues have already been ordered by then. If someone wants that number one in the interim they will find it and make sure they dont miss out on the next issue. Remember the ones hitting the shelves are the ones that are not on subs. You would think they want to sell them. For those of you with one shop near you...... I feel for you.