If comic cons are always packed, then why are comic shops closing down?

[Dr. Balls]

My LCS sells back issues at 100% guide and refuses to buy or sell on the internet. From time to time, I pick up a $10 back issue here and there, but I can't pay $100 for a SA Silver Surfer issue that gets $30 on Ebay.

 

I'm sure that has hurt business. And now with digital - my pull has one or two sympathy books in there that get me to stop in twice a month, but eventually - the LCS will probably be gone.

 

I can't throw a rock without hitting a comic book store.

 

They're everywhere.

 

I have 4 pretty close to me. 2 of them, it's VERY obvious that they do pretty good. The other two, I'm pretty sure the owners are independent billionaires because I can't figure for the life of me how they can possibly be staying in business

 

The one here in my town run by a great guy - retired military.

[unmovedmover]

I think shops that are run well do well.

 

Deep insight, I know.

[fastballspecial]

Comic shops have high overhead and low profit margin. The publishers force you to order more comics than you can sell so you can get your demanding customers those variants they want. Every unsold comic eats into the profits. Comic shops have employees and customers that steal. They have rent and utility bills. Most are stuck working their store and can't really get out and locate the comics their customers want the most. Collections walk in the door, but most are already cherry picked of anything decent. Most store owners are burnt out on what they do because they are barely getting by. They have no health insurance. Gamers like to hang out and not buy anything. Parents drop their kids off and use them as babysitters. When the parents come to pick up their kids, they whine for mom or dad to buy them something and the parent looks at the price and says "that's too expensive" and they walk out.

 

Convention dealers don't have the monthly rent. They buy a few tables and have time to hand pick books that they know will sell. They get a month to prepare or more. Many have a steady income elsewhere. They meet a wider range of customers, not just the ones in their local area.

 

DG

 

Let me add to a pretty good summation above. Comic Shop owners for the most part dont know how to run a business. They dont know about marketing, sales, or cash flow they just know comics. Some dont shower, use deodorant or treat their customers with any respect. They get frustrated as time goes on by Diamond which strangles them and their profits.

 

Several refuse to use ebay or other comic related boards to buy and sell because that would take work. They never change their prices so books sit for years because of this. Comic companies refuse to either listen to them or heaven forbid actually recognize some of them for any of their efforts to sell books. I am fortunate in my area that out of my 3 LCSs all 3 are run to make a profit. Each goes about it a different way, but at least for 2 of them they will be around for a long time. The 3rd maybe not, buts it their own fault by choking themselves with inventory and letting gamers take over which as above dont buy much.

 

 

[Buzzetta]

Comic Con has more to do with the spectacle of it all than the actual shopping experience.

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

My LCS sells back issues at 100% guide and refuses to buy or sell on the internet. From time to time, I pick up a $10 back issue here and there, but I can't pay $100 for a SA Silver Surfer issue that gets $30 on Ebay.

 

I'm sure that has hurt business. And now with digital - my pull has one or two sympathy books in there that get me to stop in twice a month, but eventually - the LCS will probably be gone.

 

I can't throw a rock without hitting a comic book store.

 

They're everywhere.

 

Consider yourself lucky. There's four in the entire state of Montana (other than Hastings). If I don't like what mine has, it's a three hour drive to the next one.

 

I imagine Montana is a little different because of the population density.

 

I have two within walking distance.

[dupont2005]

Probably because of the internet. If I can buy 100 comics for $9 on eBay then what could possibly make me thumb through the LCS's limited selection of things I don't really want all priced at Overstreet NM prices? And I think a good chunk of people attending the big cons are not there to buy comics. They don't collect comics, they don't care about comics. They like TV shows, video games, cartoons, and cosplaying. They might like Spiderman, but they don't want floppies of Amazing Spider-Man. They just want a tee shirt with the Venom logo. The comic cons that are strictly about comics don't have the attendance that a con that has a lot of TV, movie, and video game stuff going on dpes.

[seanfingh]

Screw the Venom logo. I want a shirt that says Sketch-Sig Freakoid.

[underthebigw]

You want the saddest commentary.

 

At San Diego, the largest show in the country, my company previewed a new product. People went nuts. Many asked where they could get it. We told them, among other retailers, it was currently in Previews and could be ordered at their LCS.

 

80% of the them gave us this look like we were out of our freakin' minds. Most had never been in a comic shop, and many were almost insulted that we would think they did.

 

For better or worse, the stores that continue to suceed are the ones that realize that back issues, and even current books, are not what drives their sales any more. As I told one friend, "You don't own a comic shop. It's an entertainment store that specializes in comic-related merchandise."

[sfrenchenterprise]

For me it's the high price of current issues, and way over priced back issues. I've only once seen them drop their back issue price to $1/issue. And even then they severely limited the inventory. Heck even HC/TPB which used to be cheaper then moderns retail for equal or greater. Why would I choose to pay full retail on HC/TPB, when I can go online and get them 40-60% off?

[Phill the Governor]

I went to St. Mark's comics in NYC the other day, and I was floored. I could not comprehend how the shop was still in business.

 

In one part of the store, they had back issues in plastic bags tacked up on the walls, which were obviously damaging some books that were hanging at angles. There wasn't one priced book that made sense. They had a Chew #2 for $75, a Spiderman #23 in about a 4.0 for at least $400. Tons of bronze age books that should have been 10 - 30 dollars were upwards of 300 bucks.

 

The thing that really shocked me were the large reprints of Superman 1, Tec 27, and other keys, that you can regularly get for $5 or so, were between $50 and $100. Regular back issues that should have been $1 were at least $10.

 

Has anyone else had a similar experience in a store? Do they bank on uneducated people coming in and paying between 5 - 100 x what something is worth?

[Buzzetta]

Prices at Midtown are also inflated in comparison to internet sales. How do they justify their prices? I have no idea...

 

Yet Midtown is always busy.

[Hado]

Yes.

[thehumantorch]

Prices at Midtown are also inflated in comparison to internet sales. How do they justify their prices? I have no idea...

 

Yet Midtown is always busy.

 

Prices of many things are cheaper on-line. Retail stores like LCS are generally gonna be the most expensive places to buy from - their expenses are far higher. They sell to those who don't want to wait for an item, can't be bothered to shop around, aren't tech savvy, or want to examine an item in person before buying.

 

 

[Ken Aldred]

Prices at Midtown are also inflated in comparison to internet sales. How do they justify their prices? I have no idea...

 

Yet Midtown is always busy.

 

Prices of many things are cheaper on-line. Retail stores like LCS are generally gonna be the most expensive places to buy from - their expenses are far higher. They sell to those who don't want to wait for an item, can't be bothered to shop around, aren't tech savvy, or want to examine an item in person before buying.

 

 

Manhattan real estate / rents. There's a sky- high operating cost, for starters.

[dupont2005]

You want the saddest commentary.

 

At San Diego, the largest show in the country, my company previewed a new product. People went nuts. Many asked where they could get it. We told them, among other retailers, it was currently in Previews and could be ordered at their LCS.

 

80% of the them gave us this look like we were out of our freakin' minds. Most had never been in a comic shop, and many were almost insulted that we would think they did.

 

For better or worse, the stores that continue to suceed are the ones that realize that back issues, and even current books, are not what drives their sales any more. As I told one friend, "You don't own a comic shop. It's an entertainment store that specializes in comic-related merchandise."

That's true, and I used to not like that, but now I feel like whatever keeps the doors open. If all your sales come from games and toys you'll still have your pull lists for those who want one.

[dupont2005]

I went to St. Mark's comics in NYC the other day, and I was floored. I could not comprehend how the shop was still in business.

 

In one part of the store, they had back issues in plastic bags tacked up on the walls, which were obviously damaging some books that were hanging at angles. There wasn't one priced book that made sense. They had a Chew #2 for $75, a Spiderman #23 in about a 4.0 for at least $400. Tons of bronze age books that should have been 10 - 30 dollars were upwards of 300 bucks.

 

The thing that really shocked me were the large reprints of Superman 1, Tec 27, and other keys, that you can regularly get for $5 or so, were between $50 and $100. Regular back issues that should have been $1 were at least $10.

 

Has anyone else had a similar experience in a store? Do they bank on uneducated people coming in and paying between 5 - 100 x what something is worth?

That's the experience I have at every comic shop every time.

[Darrell F]

Screw the Venom logo. I want a shirt that says Sketch-Sig Freakoid.

JJ was supposed to get us letterman jackets back in the day but as usual he dropped the ball.

[sfrenchenterprise]

This thread got me thinking about one of the few pretty cool LCS I've stumbled across when traveling around the US. In Longwood, FL there's a LCS off the beaten path w/ a huge inventory (at least compared to what's in my hometown), Acme Superstore. While at the time of my visit I didn't look too much into back issue/key issue/TPB/HC prices, three things did stand out to me. A huge selection of 80-90's toys MIB for dirt cheap, a life size Silver Surfer, and a room where all the comics in it were $40 per short box

 

Granted this was nearly five years ago when I last visited that store, but at the time I was pretty impressed.

[Buzzetta]

Prices at Midtown are also inflated in comparison to internet sales. How do they justify their prices? I have no idea...

 

Yet Midtown is always busy.

 

Prices of many things are cheaper on-line. Retail stores like LCS are generally gonna be the most expensive places to buy from - their expenses are far higher. They sell to those who don't want to wait for an item, can't be bothered to shop around, aren't tech savvy, or want to examine an item in person before buying.

 

 

Manhattan real estate / rents. There's a sky- high operating cost, for starters.

 

That's what I am saying. They are even higher than what most people will pay in another comic book store. Yet, the place is always packed. They cannot be selling new stuff at a quantity that justifies the rent and operations fees. So they must also be making money off the back issues and other items in the store. Those items and back issues are severely inflated.

 

Yet, they sell.

[The-Collector]

My LCS makes most of their money from merchandising. Big bang t-shirts, statues, board games etc.

 

I also think the cost of acquiring BA and older comics for inventory has increased as collectors offloading books have multiple sale options and don't have to sell at a discount to store owners. The other day I was in my LCS and a guy bought in 20 odd silver/bronze x-men. The store owner offered about half BV to which the guy responded by quoting recent eBay sales.