Local comic store: priced or price at the counter?

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

only an imbecile would run a comic shop with unpriced back issues. it's the first sign that should scream "he doesn't know what he's doing" to you, the buyer. a lack of interest in the customer and a messy store would be the next two in line

What about taking this a step further?

 

What do you think of dealers/LCS pricing back issues, but NOT grading them?

 

I know a few dealers who do this with vintage stuff, and I would avoid it like the plague as a collector, or at least if I were a relatively new collector with little experience grading.

[sterlingcomics]

Something else I thought about today. I was dressed in business clothes when I was in the shops. There's no doubt that the owner in the non-priced store took that into consideration a little bit when he threw out the total.

 

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. I usually take a member of the undead and spread his filth on my body so that I gather a good odor and accumulate flies...the owner will do ANYTHING to get me out of the store...so I get GREAT prices. :thumbsup:

[the blob]

most shops i have encountered do not have a grade on the book. that's a lot of work!

 

also, if something is sitting in the bins for years getting pawed nd manhandled, it doesn't seem likely that the book will be in that grade anymore.

[Transplant]

The only time I've seen grading in a LCS is when the books are on the wall. Most of the time, and I think this goes without saying, they are overgraded.

[CAP Freak]

The only time I've seen grading in a LCS is when the books are on the wall. Most of the time, and I think this goes without saying, they are overgraded.

 

 

Mile High Comics usually has a grade sticker on all back issues.

[the blob]

Mile High Comics usually has a grade sticker on all back issues.

----------------------

 

They have 500-5000 copies of each issue. They need that to be able to differentiate them when they pull them for mail order purposes!

[Transplant]

Yeah. I know they have B&M stores in CO but I think of them as mailorder. Thus, I didn't really count them in the LCS equation. Anytime a store has that many copies of individual issues, grading would be a necessity.

[Dale Roberts]

If you want your local comic store to be there in 3 years, you SHOULD buy back issues from them. Why? I can give you a few good valid reasons.

 

1. Because they ARE local. It helps your local economy.

2. Because a full service comic store should carry back issues. If no one buys them, then they won't be there to carry them and you will have to buy them from nameless faceless people on the internet.

3. Because back issues are generally the highest profit items in a comic store. The margin on new comics, statues, trades etc is horrible in comparison with almost every other retail market (not including food). If you want him to stay in business, buy back issues.

4. Because back issue comics are cheaper than new comics in alot of cases and probably better reading too. I know I would rather buy .40 and .50 cent Amazings, Iron Mans, Batmans, etc than the garbage being produced today.

[Dale Roberts]

the fav thing for my LCS to do is once he sees a modern selling well he will pull 2 or 3 off the shelf and once he sells out will immediantly jack them up to 10 bucks.

 

There is a difference between supporting your local store and being a sucker. Though I hardly consider something that came out 2 weeks ago a back issue.

[bronzilla]

Yeah if your LCS is selling those comics at those prices and they still have there covers attached, I would agree.

[Foolkiller]

While generally I would rather books be priced...

 

Today I visited a comic shop and ended up with stacks of high grade bronze FFs, Avengers, Iron Mans and other random Marvels for $2, $3, or $4 a pop. Most were 9.0 or 9.2 -- beautiful stuff with nice page quality. None of the books were graded. Most were in just bags, no boards. Sitting in boxes, waiting to be dug through. I spent a few hours digging and digging, speaking and visiting with the owner in between. It was a lot of fun... Many of these appeared to be unread gems.

 

So, although no pricing sometimes doesn't seem to work out well, when I brought these to the counter, the owner basically looked up the VG or Fine price and discounted 50% off or so. It was a blast... so sometimes the no prices thing works out!

[Aces]

While generally I would rather books be priced...

 

Today I visited a comic shop and ended up with stacks of high grade bronze FFs, Avengers, Iron Mans and other random Marvels for $2, $3, or $4 a pop. Most were 9.0 or 9.2 -- beautiful stuff with nice page quality. None of the books were graded. Most were in just bags, no boards. Sitting in boxes, waiting to be dug through. I spent a few hours digging and digging, speaking and visiting with the owner in between. It was a lot of fun... Many of these appeared to be unread gems.

 

So, although no pricing sometimes doesn't seem to work out well, when I brought these to the counter, the owner basically looked up the VG or Fine price and discounted 50% off or so. It was a blast... so sometimes the no prices thing works out!

 

You are a lucky son of a gun.

[moonlite]

Dale is absolutely right!! (thumbs u

 

If you don't ever care about having a LCS around you in the next 5 to 10 years...just never buy anything there. My customers like going to wally world to buy the cards (we are the same or cheaper priced) because they can pick them up while they are buying groceries. Still others buy tpbs at amazon and such (ok they are 20% cheaper than the discount we give regulars), and yet others use comic discounting services such as dcbs or another one to get new comics at 35-45% off.

 

What is left? Back issues ...that it takes time and money to stock and keep stocked and to account for 10-20% of your sales and maybe 30-40% of display space. A losing battle for most comic stores and the reason that more and more are not carrying them. I have never seen a store that had unpriced back issues but almost as bad is pricing them on the back of the book. A week doesn't go by where I don't find empty bags where people have removed the book and done lord knows what with it.

 

We work with people if they buy a bunch and I give stuff to people many times. We have 1/2 off sales a couple times a year for back issues and there are times I am amazed we don't sell more. Maybe its the thinking as here as heard here that prevents that but moreover I think its that my customers are new book readers. Even though I prefer the older stuff to read, the newer stuff does have some interesting stories and some of you should love it too