Question for the dealers.

[Flemmings]

Since he seems that moderns are more or less going up to $3.99. Has that sparked more interest in back issues?

 

Is the $1 bin moving more than it used to?

 

Are tpb/graphic novels selling more? Better yet are they your #1 seller?

 

Lastly are there even still dealers out there with .25-.50 bins and if so how are they selling?

 

[moonlite]

In my store, no not more interest in back issues, just more selective in books sometimes for SOME people. Some don't care at all.

 

We have .25, $1 and $2 boxes (15 for $20), not more sales than normal.

 

TPBs are down this year, not #1 seller.

 

I am going to try and do a show and blow out a bunch of stuff in .50 and $1 boxes so hope that works.

[G.A.tor]

TPB are up 50% for us this year... luckily , subscriptions for reg titles have remained pretty constant... but the days of 20 comics at 2.99 and 2 comics at 3.99 in the ole stack are gone... it has yet to tip on favor of 3.99 (in other words, if a customer has 20 comics, at least 11 of the 20 are still 2.99), but it is getting dangerously borderline now... our 35% discount helps ease the pain a bit, but still..

[Flemmings]

So I guess tpb is based on location. Once it tips over to all comics 3.99, what are your plans?

[comicstock]

Higher new issue cover prices have always hurt traditional bagged & boarded back issue sales. Less leftover cash to spend on older stuff when it's tough enough to afford new books.

 

At what point will the 3.99 books begin to be filled with reprint backup stories? My guess is as soon as publishers can't afford paying talent for creating brand new backup stories, instead of cutting pages or raising prices again, reprints will be the way to go. Cheapest alternative.

[Flemmings]

Higher new issue cover prices have always hurt traditional bagged & boarded back issue sales. Less leftover cash to spend on older stuff when it's tough enough to afford new books.

 

At what point will the 3.99 books begin to be filled with reprint backup stories? My guess is as soon as publishers can't afford paying talent for creating brand new backup stories, instead of cutting pages or raising prices again, reprints will be the way to go. Cheapest alternative.

 

Wow I didn't know that new issue sales hurt back issues. When I discovered I could get back issues for a dollar. I started dropping some of my new issues to pick up back issues for cheaper. I can understand tpb hurting back issues because they are more or less the same.

 

I wish they would do more reprints kind of like Marvel Tales. Where they reprint an entire run of comics. I think some people would pay $3.99 for an issue that they wouldn't be able to afford any other way. I read tpb on trips and things like that, but when I'm home, I prefer to read them in comic format.