Whats your take on the comic shops that limit the number of books you can BUY??

[Flaming_Telepath]

Comic shops count on their pull list subscribers. Those are the sales they know are going to happen, and can plan their bills on. They make every effort to get their customers to subscribe and pre-order books.

 

But how does the average customer add books to their pull list? By sampling new stuff, liking it, and then adding it to their pull list.

 

They're limiting you from buying all their copies, because they want their other customers to have a chance to read it, like it, and then add it to their pull list. When stores sell all their #1's of the hot speculator pick of the week to one guy, other customers don't get to read it. So guess what? They aren't going to buy and read #2, or #3, etc.... because they missed the first issue. They are thinking long term, not on the quick sale.

 

And if the argument is that regular customers should have pre-ordered their books, well then WTF aren't you the speculator pre-ordering as well.

 

Buying one comic is a gateway to buying several comics. Maximizing one's customer base usually trumps maximizing sales to any individual customer.

 

 

A couple of people who understand retail and how to run a successful comic shop. (thumbs u

[james1miller]

@ryanatlas Well said.

 

BIRDMAN! BIRDMAN!

[ThoseBackPages]

putting up a sign is a good idea

[Ryan.]

@ryanatlas Well said.

 

BIRDMAN! BIRDMAN!

 

Thanks.

 

ALFONSO RIBEIRO! ALFONSO RIBEIRO!

[james1miller]

! Birdman and Alfonso are my favorite peeps in the whole wide world!

[Prince Namor]

What is your opinion on the comic book shops that limit the number of books you can buy?

 

This has recently been happening to me with a few different shops that I frequent. Ill go into a store see a few copies of the same issue that I want, so I grab 3-5 and when I get to the counter im told "Sorry its one per customer".

 

To me a comic book shop is a store that makes their money by selling a product. The more product you sell the more money you make.

 

I understand that the shop owners want there to be copies for their regulars ect but have them go on a pull list and youll ensure they get their copy, why would you intentionally limit the quantity you can sell? Is it within the stores rights to not allow you to walk out with a nice stack of 20 image # 1s?

 

Whats are your opinions?

 

You're looking for a distributor, not a comic store.

Try Diamond or DCBS

[Moondog]

When the Death of Superman was released, I was at my Lincoln Park store waiting for the shipment to arrive. Chicago's NBC outlet was there waiting with me. Andrea Goldberg, Marvel's Midwest sales rep was also there. The line to buy copies was out the door and down the street.

 

NBC shot video of me opening the cartons (Andrea helped too) and stocking the shelves. This store only received 1,200 copies so we knew we would sell out in a few hours.

 

When I announced that sales were open, with the cameras rolling, the first person in line (who had been waiting about 6 hours) said, "I want to buy them all" and proceeded to start scooping up all the copies on the shelf.

 

I said to him, "Are you nuts?" Look at all the people behind you! He responded that he didn't care and he wanted them all. At that point I announced that the limit was 3 and everyone in line cheered.

 

Crazy times.

[Park]

What is your opinion on the comic book shops that limit the number of books you can buy?

 

This has recently been happening to me with a few different shops that I frequent. Ill go into a store see a few copies of the same issue that I want, so I grab 3-5 and when I get to the counter im told "Sorry its one per customer".

 

To me a comic book shop is a store that makes their money by selling a product. The more product you sell the more money you make.

 

I understand that the shop owners want there to be copies for their regulars ect but have them go on a pull list and youll ensure they get their copy, why would you intentionally limit the quantity you can sell? Is it within the stores rights to not allow you to walk out with a nice stack of 20 image # 1s?

 

Whats are your opinions?

 

You're looking for a distributor, not a comic store.

Try Diamond or DCBS

 

This.

 

DCBS will let you order to your hearts content.

 

But that brings the risk back into speculating.

 

[james1miller]

I'm with Chuck Gower. I used to use DCBS and they're really good. If you're buyin enough, go through Diamond.

 

And remember. Every time Birdman dunks....Alfonso Ribeiro cut's the rug like a son of gun.

[Prince Namor]

All the speculators bought up Sixth Gun when the movie news hit making it unavailable to the customers that wanted to check it out. Yes, there are tpb's, which are a higher dollar investment for 'trying something out'.

Now that the movie is dead, the speculators bolt, and they haven't picked up the new readers they could have. Unless the regular readers stick with it, it's print run will drop below what it was before it all began. Which wasn't much. It will teeter on the brink of cancelation.

[Prince Namor]

What is your opinion on the comic book shops that limit the number of books you can buy?

 

This has recently been happening to me with a few different shops that I frequent. Ill go into a store see a few copies of the same issue that I want, so I grab 3-5 and when I get to the counter im told "Sorry its one per customer".

 

To me a comic book shop is a store that makes their money by selling a product. The more product you sell the more money you make.

 

I understand that the shop owners want there to be copies for their regulars ect but have them go on a pull list and youll ensure they get their copy, why would you intentionally limit the quantity you can sell? Is it within the stores rights to not allow you to walk out with a nice stack of 20 image # 1s?

 

Whats are your opinions?

 

The subscriber copies should never hit the store shelves. Some stores put subscriber copies on the shelf first which is messed up. I don't think a store should limit copies once they hit the shelves. If they sell out... great. That's an incentive for customers to read Previews and pre-order their comics.

 

DG

 

Putting the burden on your customers to be smarter buyers is a recipe for disaster.

As a store YOU should be the smart buyer to make something available to as many DIFFERENT customers as you can. THIS builds repeat buyers and that is everything to a comic store.

The guy who walks out be ause he can't buy 10 copies? See ya.

[Prince Namor]

 

Unfortunately for you, the regular joe that buys books from them every week keeps their doors open. The speculator stopping in every few months when they hear of some hot book does not.

 

 

That was a lesson many shops learned the hard way in the 90s. Hope history doesn't repeat itself.

 

I'm glad there were speculators in the 90s. Many small indy companies were able to produce decent comics and make a profit. It allowed cool stuff to exist that would not have existed if it relied upon readers knowing about some comic they've never seen before.

 

DG

 

The Indy boom happened because people were tired of the same old thing from the Big Two.

One of the reasons it died was because the Big Two (and some of those indy's) glutted the market with speculator that was worth nothing.

[Ryan.]

Cue X-Force 1 joke.

[Bosco685]

When the Death of Superman was released, I was at my Lincoln Park store waiting for the shipment to arrive. Chicago's NBC outlet was there waiting with me. Andrea Goldberg, Marvel's Midwest sales rep was also there. The line to buy copies was out the door and down the street.

 

NBC shot video of me opening the cartons (Andrea helped too) and stocking the shelves. This store only received 1,200 copies so we knew we would sell out in a few hours.

 

When I announced that sales were open, with the cameras rolling, the first person in line (who had been waiting about 6 hours) said, "I want to buy them all" and proceeded to start scooping up all the copies on the shelf.

 

I said to him, "Are you nuts?" Look at all the people behind you! He responded that he didn't care and he wanted them all. At that point I announced that the limit was 3 and everyone in line cheered.

 

Crazy times.

 

 

Or people offering you more as soon as you walked out of the store so they could own what they thought was a piece of history. Crazy times indeed!

[Prince Namor]

Cue X-Force 1 joke.

 

I wonder if future generations will think that X-Force series was some kind of highly successful parody comic.

[maloney414]

Comic shops count on their pull list subscribers. Those are the sales they know are going to happen, and can plan their bills on. They make every effort to get their customers to subscribe and pre-order books.

 

But how does the average customer add books to their pull list? By sampling new stuff, liking it, and then adding it to their pull list.

 

They're limiting you from buying all their copies, because they want their other customers to have a chance to read it, like it, and then add it to their pull list. When stores sell all their #1's of the hot speculator pick of the week to one guy, other customers don't get to read it. So guess what? They aren't going to buy and read #2, or #3, etc.... because they missed the first issue. They are thinking long term, not on the quick sale.

 

And if the argument is that regular customers should have pre-ordered their books, well then WTF aren't you the speculator pre-ordering as well.

 

Actually, "Word of Mouth" is the #1 motivation for customers to want something. If a comic sells out, they want it MORE. When they find out they need to pre-order comics to guarantee availability, they'll do it. Only one speculator can buy you out. The second one will have to pre-order his books in advance next time. Let's say I drive ten miles and the store that limits their comics is sold out also. I've wasted time and gas money. Does that store really think I'm going to drive an extra ten miles every new comic day?

You are winning a customer for one sale. I used to walk out of one Atlanta store shaking my head. The owner would cop an attitude because I wasn't subscribing to my comics at his store. It was 30 miles away from where I live. I'm NOT going to go to his store every week.

 

If a store has to limit comics, they are under-ordering comics whether there are speculators visiting his shop or not.

 

DG

 

Actually, "Word of Mouth" is the #1 motivation for speculators to want something. If a comic sells out, they want it MORE.

 

[AmazingComics413]

[Ryan.]

Cue X-Force 1 joke.

 

I wonder if future generations will think that X-Force series was some kind of highly successful parody comic.

 

Boom goes the dynamite.

[Prince Namor]

Comic shops count on their pull list subscribers. Those are the sales they know are going to happen, and can plan their bills on. They make every effort to get their customers to subscribe and pre-order books.

 

But how does the average customer add books to their pull list? By sampling new stuff, liking it, and then adding it to their pull list.

 

They're limiting you from buying all their copies, because they want their other customers to have a chance to read it, like it, and then add it to their pull list. When stores sell all their #1's of the hot speculator pick of the week to one guy, other customers don't get to read it. So guess what? They aren't going to buy and read #2, or #3, etc.... because they missed the first issue. They are thinking long term, not on the quick sale.

 

And if the argument is that regular customers should have pre-ordered their books, well then WTF aren't you the speculator pre-ordering as well.

 

Actually, "Word of Mouth" is the #1 motivation for customers to want something. If a comic sells out, they want it MORE. When they find out they need to pre-order comics to guarantee availability, they'll do it. Only one speculator can buy you out. The second one will have to pre-order his books in advance next time. Let's say I drive ten miles and the store that limits their comics is sold out also. I've wasted time and gas money. Does that store really think I'm going to drive an extra ten miles every new comic day?

You are winning a customer for one sale. I used to walk out of one Atlanta store shaking my head. The owner would cop an attitude because I wasn't subscribing to my comics at his store. It was 30 miles away from where I live. I'm NOT going to go to his store every week.

 

If a store has to limit comics, they are under-ordering comics whether there are speculators visiting his shop or not.

 

DG

 

Actually, "Word of Mouth" is the #1 motivation for speculators to want something. If a comic sells out, they want it MORE.

 

+1

Yeah, the sales theory of making one customer happy and making 10 mad as a bad thing seems to make sense to most people.

[ImageMask]

...and the speculators who scour the state looking to buy up every copy of Arseman #7 (1st appearance of The Wiper) from every store within a 750 miles radius so that they can 'corner the market'.

 

Did you pull my 10 copies? Gonna have a lot of butthurt if you didn't.