Moderns that are heating up on ebay! 71 71

[@Captain_Sawyer]

i wonder if Catowoman #13 is going to be this insane

[Nico Esq]

Larry, the sad part is that what you do for your customers is becoming the exception, not the rule. I think it is a result of more and more speculation, more and more people who got out of comics in the 90's returning to the industry and a product of the poor economy (some stores need to do that to keep there lights on). In reality, I probably shouldn't be upset about it either. I don't know how comic shops compete with DCBS for subscribers. My LCS gives its subscribers no discount and charges them for their copy of Previews magazine. This is off topic, but it didn't make sense to start a new thread since its not about the Walking Dead.

[fastballspecial]

Larry, the sad part is that what you do for your customers is becoming the exception, not the rule. I think it is a result of more and more speculation, more and more people who got out of comics in the 90's returning to the industry and a product of the poor economy (some stores need to do that to keep there lights on). In reality, I probably shouldn't be upset about it either. I don't know how comic shops compete with DCBS for subscribers. My LCS gives its subscribers no discount and charges them for their copy of Previews magazine. This is off topic, but it didn't make sense to start a new thread since its not about the Walking Dead.

 

They are in a tough spot. Here you got a book that is fetching $10-20 on ebay within a day. You are making a $1.50-$2 off a book in store. They guy coming in to flip the book(One of us) probably doesnt have a local account. So do you sell the 5 copies to them at cover or hold a few back so you can make some money on ebay with them. Do you limit the book 1 per customer? There is no right answer.

 

I have always been told its bad business to give a subscriber a discount unless they buy a very large amount. I am sure some do it and do okay, but multiple store owners I know just plain dont offer it. What they do offer is a discount on back issues say 20-40% depending on volume because they dont have the money in the back issues they have in the current books.

 

Several years ago one of my LCSs got to Issac Pearlmutter and Bill Jemas in a dispute over the direction of Marvel Comics. He wrote a letter to Issac, he called him and talked to him and then put Bill Jemas on the line and they talked for about an hour. Bottom line is from what he told me Marvel at that time was more concerned with launching the movie line then the comics and I guess it makes sense. They gotta go where the money is and it isnt in the comics anymore. They want the comics around they just dont care if they are that good.

 

Everybody strangles the LCS from Diamond, Ebay and the comic companies themselves. Its a tough tightrope to walk. Shop owners have to establish an online pressence or they will shrink up and die eventually. I disagree with Larry occasionally, but how many other shop owners are on here discussing the ins and outs of the business. Wish there more like him business wise.

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

At NYCC, I sold 100 Batman #13's for $5 ea & 100 Batgirls for $15 ea BY noontime Saturday.

 

Batman was priced to $10, & Batgirl $20 on other tables.

 

It will be pretty funny in a few weeks when the same ole board members remind me what a terrible speculation play the Bat 13's were.

 

 

 

"Moderns that are heating up ON EBAY"

 

 

(thumbs u

[AKA Rick]

Larry's Comics sounds like the reason why brick and mortar comic stores add value where conventions and online sellers sometimes lack that customer service humanity.

 

I'd rather spend a little bit more and support the local merchants like Larry than try to save nickles and dimes online or at conventions.

 

With the right local merchants you get conversations, and the more white glove customer service treatment for a very fun shopping experience.

 

Over in the Los Angeles area, there's a similar store to Larry's with that same customer centric vibe, called The Comic Bug:

 

http://www.facebook.com/thecomicbug

 

They just posted on their facebook page:

 

Why buy Batgirl #13 or Batman #13 for $17.00 on ebay when you can buy them at The Comic Bug for cover price? (limit one per customer please-let's spread the love!)

 

I think the 1 per customer to ensure the fans gets 'em is a good policy to have and avoid resellers ruining it for the masses.

 

 

 

 

 

I "never" sell comics above cover at my shop. ( variants excluded ) & have built up a mid size retail volume over the years.

 

My shop variants sell for COVER PRICE in the store.

The entire program is designed to build foot traffic in store. The day of a new release we get fans from 4 states.

 

batman #13 & Batgirl is in stock right now at cover price. I order great & customers appreciate it. My new comic stock is a KEY reason fans take the time to visit my retail shop.

 

I figure online & conventions are fair game to charge whatever the market will bear & I order for all classes of my business.

[songsaboutclouds]

Larry, the sad part is that what you do for your customers is becoming the exception, not the rule. I think it is a result of more and more speculation, more and more people who got out of comics in the 90's returning to the industry and a product of the poor economy (some stores need to do that to keep there lights on). In reality, I probably shouldn't be upset about it either. I don't know how comic shops compete with DCBS for subscribers. My LCS gives its subscribers no discount and charges them for their copy of Previews magazine. This is off topic, but it didn't make sense to start a new thread since its not about the Walking Dead.

 

"Originally Posted By: LarrysComics

At NYCC, I sold 100 Batman #13's for $5 ea & 100 Batgirls for $15 ea BY noontime Saturday."

 

 

I guess these customers were just ripe for picking then

[Nico Esq]

FYI: for those of you worried about getting enough Catwoman 13, DCBS added to my order. Now I had already ordered copies of this book b/c unlike Batgirl the initial cover reflected that it was Joker related and I don't know if DCBS is more likely to increase copies where you've already ordered copies, but it's worth a shot if your a customer and want more copies to email them.

[Whizzer]

All our comics are cover price the week of release. Don't forget that any retailer that is able to place large volume orders with Diamond benefits from receiving numerous variants which they can sell for good margins. If they are smart and are in the industry for the long haul they will allow variant sales to subsidize regular books.

 

I can understand a certain level of frustration from retailers who know that people are buying hot books to flip and might want a slice of that pie, but like I say I think it's better to take the long view and look after your regular customers first.

[Nico Esq]

You and Larry are becoming the exception not the rule and retailers like Gator who sell variants for cover price are almost extinct! It's a tough market for consumers these days. Christ the Walking Dead No. 1 is selling for $800 raw and $1,600 in 9.8 ... it's not a bad time to be a collector of bronze, copper, silver and golden age books though. Personally, I think we're all crazy for spending the money we do on modern comics when you can score real treasure at reasonable prices. That being said, I think the market for modern comics is really fluid. If you want to get out of your Walking Dead comics you can sell them in 24 hours on ebay. Good luck selling the majority of older comics online. I can't imagine how long it would take to sell Avengers 4 or other older keys.

[Shaven Kev-migration]

As a retailer one would hope you had an online presence even if it was just selling some items on eBay at this point. Limit hot items to one, cover subscriptions and keep a few for customers you know are going to come looking, but flip as many extras as you can while they are hot. Why let the speculators get all the benefit?

[Whizzer]

I have some sympathy for smaller retailers with small customer bases. Being able to arbitrage a book like Batgirl 13 can really make a difference to a struggling business if they can do it often enough.

 

If you can do big volume on regular books, plus make the most of variant sales it's actually an exciting time to be selling new comics. Despite a lot of the naysaying on here I'm seeing unprecedented enthusiasm from customers new and old at the moment.

[CKB]

I "never" sell comics above cover at my shop. ( variants excluded ) & have built up a mid size retail volume over the years.

 

My shop variants sell for COVER PRICE in the store.

The entire program is designed to build foot traffic in store. The day of a new release we get fans from 4 states.

 

batman #13 & Batgirl is in stock right now at cover price. I order great & customers appreciate it. My new comic stock is a KEY reason fans take the time to visit my retail shop.

 

I figure online & conventions are fair game to charge whatever the market will bear & I order for all classes of my business.

 

FWIW, I was in Larry's store last week and they indeed were all cover price. The Batgirls were sold out I was offered a copy at cover price when they came back in. Friday I think.

[LarrysComics]

Larry, the sad part is that what you do for your customers is becoming the exception, not the rule. I think it is a result of more and more speculation, more and more people who got out of comics in the 90's returning to the industry and a product of the poor economy (some stores need to do that to keep there lights on). In reality, I probably shouldn't be upset about it either. I don't know how comic shops compete with DCBS for subscribers. My LCS gives its subscribers no discount and charges them for their copy of Previews magazine. This is off topic, but it didn't make sense to start a new thread since its not about the Walking Dead.

 

"Originally Posted By: LarrysComics

At NYCC, I sold 100 Batman #13's for $5 ea & 100 Batgirls for $15 ea BY noontime Saturday."

 

 

I guess these customers were just ripe for picking then

 

Nice selective post.

Lets call it a lie of omission, shall we?

 

You may not agree with my logic, BUT You missed this:

 

I figure online & conventions are fair game to charge whatever the market will bear & I order for all classes of my business.

[songsaboutclouds]

Larry, the sad part is that what you do for your customers is becoming the exception, not the rule. I think it is a result of more and more speculation, more and more people who got out of comics in the 90's returning to the industry and a product of the poor economy (some stores need to do that to keep there lights on). In reality, I probably shouldn't be upset about it either. I don't know how comic shops compete with DCBS for subscribers. My LCS gives its subscribers no discount and charges them for their copy of Previews magazine. This is off topic, but it didn't make sense to start a new thread since its not about the Walking Dead.

 

"Originally Posted By: LarrysComics

At NYCC, I sold 100 Batman #13's for $5 ea & 100 Batgirls for $15 ea BY noontime Saturday."

 

 

I guess these customers were just ripe for picking then

 

Nice selective post.

Lets call it a lie of omission, shall we?

 

You may not agree with my logic, BUT You missed this:

 

I figure online & conventions are fair game to charge whatever the market will bear & I order for all classes of my business.

 

No, you miss my point.

Are they not customers?

[comicartfan]

I think we're all reading too much into this type of behavior. People ALWAYS want what's new and they always want to be first.

 

It can be the new iPhone, the newest hot toy or video game, the newest DVD release...or whatever. People will wait in line for days, pay above asking price, endure the harshest conditions just to have it then and now. It's all about the instant gratification...Comic collectors are especially prone to this because of the resell potential.

 

 

[Nico Esq]

Don't misunderstand me. As much as my head tells me to stop, my heart keeps me from slowing down on modern comics. I think this is a Renascence for moderns. Objectively there are better comics, better stories, better art, better independents, better products than ever before. And as we are all aware, with books like Thief of Thieves, Saga, Revival and, of course, the Walking Dead - you make a nice chunk of change flipping moderns. When I try and explain to people I know what I paid for certain books and how quickly I was able to sell them for one hundred, two hundred, etc., they think I'm lying to them. Even though the stock market has doubled in the last four years or so, investors didn't see that kind of return. There are certain books that when you factor in the cost of pressing and slabbing still have a return of 100% to 700%. That's insane. Now I'm not so certain that any of these books are going to maintain their value, but that's another discussion.

[songsaboutclouds]

I have some sympathy for smaller retailers with small customer bases. Being able to arbitrage a book like Batgirl 13 can really make a difference to a struggling business if they can do it often enough.

 

If you can do big volume on regular books, plus make the most of variant sales it's actually an exciting time to be selling new comics. Despite a lot of the naysaying on here I'm seeing unprecedented enthusiasm from customers new and old at the moment.

 

It's a great time for comics, it's a tough time for comics.

Lots of new customers and some great new stories but

those new people paying £9.95 on Ebay for a 6 day old comic

won't stick around when the stories over and the price goes down.

They'll be off like they were in the 90s.

I'm looking after the people who'll appreciate loyalty and good gestures

speculators can fend for themselves

[comicdonna]

Larry, the sad part is that what you do for your customers is becoming the exception, not the rule. I think it is a result of more and more speculation, more and more people who got out of comics in the 90's returning to the industry and a product of the poor economy (some stores need to do that to keep there lights on). In reality, I probably shouldn't be upset about it either. I don't know how comic shops compete with DCBS for subscribers. My LCS gives its subscribers no discount and charges them for their copy of Previews magazine. This is off topic, but it didn't make sense to start a new thread since its not about the Walking Dead.

 

"Originally Posted By: LarrysComics

At NYCC, I sold 100 Batman #13's for $5 ea & 100 Batgirls for $15 ea BY noontime Saturday."

 

 

I guess these customers were just ripe for picking then

 

Nice selective post.

Lets call it a lie of omission, shall we?

 

You may not agree with my logic, BUT You missed this:

 

I figure online & conventions are fair game to charge whatever the market will bear & I order for all classes of my business.

 

No, you miss my point.

Are they not customers?

There are extra expenses associated with a convention. Tickets, transportation, food, lodging ect...

 

[seanfingh]

Larry, the sad part is that what you do for your customers is becoming the exception, not the rule. I think it is a result of more and more speculation, more and more people who got out of comics in the 90's returning to the industry and a product of the poor economy (some stores need to do that to keep there lights on). In reality, I probably shouldn't be upset about it either. I don't know how comic shops compete with DCBS for subscribers. My LCS gives its subscribers no discount and charges them for their copy of Previews magazine. This is off topic, but it didn't make sense to start a new thread since its not about the Walking Dead.

 

"Originally Posted By: LarrysComics

At NYCC, I sold 100 Batman #13's for $5 ea & 100 Batgirls for $15 ea BY noontime Saturday."

 

 

I guess these customers were just ripe for picking then

 

Nice selective post.

Lets call it a lie of omission, shall we?

 

You may not agree with my logic, BUT You missed this:

 

I figure online & conventions are fair game to charge whatever the market will bear & I order for all classes of my business.

 

No, you miss my point.

Are they not customers?

 

Why don't you ease your Larry hardon into some other space? (thumbs u

[CKB]

Larry, the sad part is that what you do for your customers is becoming the exception, not the rule. I think it is a result of more and more speculation, more and more people who got out of comics in the 90's returning to the industry and a product of the poor economy (some stores need to do that to keep there lights on). In reality, I probably shouldn't be upset about it either. I don't know how comic shops compete with DCBS for subscribers. My LCS gives its subscribers no discount and charges them for their copy of Previews magazine. This is off topic, but it didn't make sense to start a new thread since its not about the Walking Dead.

 

"Originally Posted By: LarrysComics

At NYCC, I sold 100 Batman #13's for $5 ea & 100 Batgirls for $15 ea BY noontime Saturday."

 

 

I guess these customers were just ripe for picking then

 

Nice selective post.

Lets call it a lie of omission, shall we?

 

You may not agree with my logic, BUT You missed this:

 

I figure online & conventions are fair game to charge whatever the market will bear & I order for all classes of my business.

 

No, you miss my point.

Are they not customers?

 

Things don't work that way at cons. Think about it this way:

 

Say Larry has a stack of 100 Batgirl 13's on hist table for cover price and they are $20 everywhere else. Every dealer will try to buy them from him, hand him $400 for the stack immediately, etc, and then just add them to their $20 stack at their table.

 

Trying to limit the number books being purchased to one per customer has the same effect. Every dealer gets everyone they have working for them to go buy one. Every person who sees the great price gets everyone they know at the show to buy one, and maybe even enlist people they don't know. You get a whole mess of people who come to the booth, buy that book, and leave.

 

It's a whole different ballgame.