How to best promote our hobby?

[chrisfuccione]

Probably few seeing that newspapers are struggling. Also the comic sections are a shell of what they used to be. I can remember having three or four comics that were a continuing story line where you had to pick up the newspaper everyday to follow it. They don't do that any more.

 

CHRIS

[Forbush-Man]

Good question POV. I haven't looked at the comic section of a Newspaper in so long, I don't even know if there is currently a "super-hero" comic strip being produced. I do think this is a great time for the hobby due to the higher quality of comic-book related movies coming out. Not to mention the marketing that comes from the franchise, ie all the comic-character related merchandise being sold.

I am amazed at what you see just walking through a Walmart or other major retailer these days. You can't walk more than ten feet without seeing something with Spider-Man or The Hulk on it!

[eddly]

In my opinion its hard for kids to get into comics nowadays... I'm not sure what new moderns are selling for off the shelf now... but whatever it is... its too much.

 

There's too much money involved with comics now... too much attention to condition... (not that I'm complaining)... but the results are evident...

[Forbush-Man]

Very true! The cost is around $2.95 an issue, although Marvel has produced a few issues for .09 or .10 cents on ocassion. Then there is also 'Free Comic Book Day" which is tomorrow.

[joe_collector]

You want to know the best way to help the hobby? Seriously?

 

All you people who pizz and moan about comic books, low sales, no kid readers and other meaningless drek, you really have only one option:

 

BUY MORE!

 

Yep, lay down the cash and increase your monthly orders, buy new comics off the rack, and help make a monthly pamphlet a profitable endeavor.

 

All this "fairy tale" BS listed on here isn't even on the radar of Marvel and DC, so if you really want to help, open your wallet.

[chrisfuccione]

Of course as collectors it's your responsibility to introduce collecting to people who might be interested. Whens the last time you took someone to their first show with you? Have you given any doubles aways to local Boy Scouts? Or neighborhood kids for Halloween? Or have made your collection available to show as a display at the local library?

 

So in addition to DC, Marvel and the comic book stores it's the long time collectors responsibility to promote the hobby.

 

CHRIS

[joe_collector]

Of course as collectors it's your responsibility to introduce collecting to people who might be interested.

 

I am sorry, but I do not feel the same way, and actually find it quite repulsive when comic collectors "get all religious" in trying to find "new converts".

[Darthdiesel]

Of course as collectors it's your responsibility to introduce collecting to people who might be interested.

 

I am sorry, but I do not feel the same way, and actually find it quite repulsive when comic collectors "get all religious" in trying to find "new converts".

 

Like Amway/Quixtar (MLM pyramid schemes)

[PovertyRow]

Of course as collectors it's your responsibility to introduce collecting to people who might be interested.

 

I am sorry, but I do not feel the same way, and actually find it quite repulsive when comic collectors "get all religious" in trying to find "new converts".

 

There is a HUGE difference between introducing collecting to those who may be interested and getting religious and seeking converts. Not sure why, JC, but you sometimes seem to use the most radical interpretation of what someone says and then make a counter post to said radical interpretation.

 

If someone shows even a small interest in comics, then why not expose them to more and if it clicks, it clicks. If it doesn't click, it doesn't click. Where be the repulsion in such a scenario?

[chrisfuccione]

Joe I have to disagree with you on this. As you know I am a coin collector. On the coin side we are more organized where we have the ANA and local clubs to do allot of the out reach to the schools and other youth organizations such as the Boy Scouts who have a coin collecting merit badge. Unfortunately the comic book community has not grown to the point yet to get originated to have clubs. If you leave promoting your hobby to Marvel, DC, or comic book store they have their best interest in mind not the best interest of the collector in mind.

 

So do you want to help and make your hobby survive for the next twenty years or do you want to sit back and be a

Silas Marner?

 

Here is an example of the YN program that the ANA has

 

http://www.money.org/ynprograms.html

 

 

CHRIS

[Forbush-Man]

I like what you said here! I enjoy collecting comics & pulp magazines and, even though pulps died out in the 1950's, they are still collected today. If you feel the hobby has merit, promote it in whatever form you find,...movies, video games, trade paper backs,..whatever!

[Forbush-Man]

I guess the original question is appropriate here" How to best promote the hobby?"

Excluding buying more of whatever is produced. How do you get more people interested in collecting comics?

[Aman619]

the answer must come from the producers of comics. If they can devise content or format that appeals to potential readers they will buy them. Thats a difficult proposition. Just what would that be that would be a profitable business? Most people say they are too expensive, but if sold more cheaply they would fail. (Its not like they are wildly profitabel even at $2.95!

 

I sometimes think the price issue is a fallacy too, A newspaper is a dollar. A Cheap cup of coffee is a buck, and many of us spend up to $4.50 for a fancy coffee concoction. NOTHING is dirt cheap anymore. Ive read that comics prices have risen FASTER than everything else, but certainly not appreciable so...

[joe_collector]

A newspaper is a dollar. A Cheap cup of coffee is a buck,

 

I feel sorry for you Americans.

 

Even our Funny Money buys more.

 

P.S. If you want to take a quick look at the economics of comics and kids, then understand that comics (until adults took over fully) were always the same price as:

 

1) A can/bottle of pop

or

2) A bag of potatoe chips

or

3) A chocolate bar

 

Then in the late-80's/early-90's the adult speculator descended, comic prices spiked, and kids were simply priced out of the equation. Certainly price is not the be-all-end-all reason why kids no longer buy comics, but it's certainly a prime consideration.

 

Or to put it another way, I don't see too many kids buying "specialty items" (which comics more definitely are now) like a $5 cup of coffee.

[Forbush-Man]

I'm going to go with something you hit upon here, the fact that Comics are now a specialty item. When I was growing up during the mid 60"s-early 70's, comics were found in all drugstores, bookstores , convience stores, ect. Now they are primarily found in Comic stores. Tightening distribution may have been a "shoot yourself in the foot" move in the long term.

 

The fact that distributor(s), now Diamond, no longer accept returns, or only limited returns, has made this less viable a product for retailers.

[backtomarvel]

I remember that as a "tweener" and then young teen I would regularly stumble across a set of 12 to 15 tables of cards and coins for sale at my local mall. That was the mid- to late-'70s and if I recall, it appeared the guys were collectors/dealers, not shop owners ...

 

There are regular coin shows at various locales -- malls and VFWs -- here in the Twin Cities nearly every weekend, but I'll be damned if I can find one for comics.

 

There are many kiosks at malls ... and there are many teens carrying cash at those malls ... hmmmmm ... but then how do you get them to buy? Exposure is one thing, but interest is another I suppose.

[Zanarkand]

I think there have been a lot of good points made so far. Comics have becaome specialty items, not good. Comics have been priced out of kids' range, not good.

 

Also promotion. Both major publishers have popular cartoon shows on now. Produce some spots to push the latest comics, tack it on to the end of the show. How hard could that be?

[Forbush-Man]

Perhaps they could put in a plug similar to this at the end of, say, a Spider-Man cartoon:

 

"Visit diamondcomics.com to find a Comic Book store near you to read the latest Spider-Man adventures on sale now! "

 

It would be quick and easy to do and it might even encourage viewers to start reading. Diamond Comics has a fund for promoting comics on a dealer level, they'd probably go for this given it would also give them exposure. It could help offset some of the production costs as well.

 

If you'd be interested in seeing how to best NOT promote the hobby, check out the Free Comic Book Day--Parent Disgusted thread.

[Dr_Neff]

 

let's start some programs like the ANA has as Chris pointed out. It shouldn't be too hard

[Iko-migration]

I think it's simply by exposure.

 

I'm a fairly big comic cheerleader. Since reading comics is about 25% of my reading overall, I can't help but talk about titles I love to people around me.

 

My cousin and sister are die-hard Jeffrey Brown nuts because I raved about "Clumsy" for days after I read it and convinced them to give it a go. They are now quite eager and are buying comics for themselves, although the range of material they read is currently quite small. (Even relative to me, who doesn't read any superhero titles.) They are eagerly awaiting Craig Thompson's and James Kochalka's "Conversation", after reading Thompson's superb "Blankets".

 

Some former coworkers no longer think of comics as "[!@#%^&^] that kids read" because I exposed them to Art Spiegelman's "Maus". My uncle's birthday was last week and I bought him Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics", Alan Moore/Dave Gibbon's "Watchmen" and Neil Gaiman (and others)'s "Sandman IV: Fables and Reflections". I hope to turn him as well (muahahaha!).