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It's 1993 and in the days before CGC...

Started by Hibou,

32 posts in this topic

RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
Posted
"90 million comic books sold each month" -- presumably in 1993 (@ 2:28). Don't know how accurate that is, but even if it's the accurate number is half of 90MM, that's pretty astounding.

 

Considering there were some books with print runs at almost a million copies, and the total number of books that were coming out every week, it might be an over-exaggeration, but probably not as much as people think. Especially if it means comics that were "sold/shipped" to the comic shops, and not necessarily sold to customers.

 

I think it's likely a pretty substantial exaggeration. The dm sold 100 million comics in the entire year of 1997, just four years later. There definitely would have been a significant drop in those four years, but I doubt it's that big.

 

Can't remember the source, but it seems like I read it somewhere here on the site that during the early 90's the 100th best selling issue every month still had more copies sold than the top seller at present, so that would mean that the top 100 books each month back then would've sold at least 100k issues a month.

 

100k issues a month was for the C list titles. X-Men and Amazing were over 500,000k 750,000-1,000,000 a month, easy.

 

:whistle:

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joecgcmaniac

joecgcmaniac

Posted
Posted
"90 million comic books sold each month" -- presumably in 1993 (@ 2:28). Don't know how accurate that is, but even if it's the accurate number is half of 90MM, that's pretty astounding.

 

Considering there were some books with print runs at almost a million copies, and the total number of books that were coming out every week, it might be an over-exaggeration, but probably not as much as people think. Especially if it means comics that were "sold/shipped" to the comic shops, and not necessarily sold to customers.

 

I think it's likely a pretty substantial exaggeration. The dm sold 100 million comics in the entire year of 1997, just four years later. There definitely would have been a significant drop in those four years, but I doubt it's that big.

 

Can't remember the source, but it seems like I read it somewhere here on the site that during the early 90's the 100th best selling issue every month still had more copies sold than the top seller at present, so that would mean that the top 100 books each month back then would've sold at least 100k issues a month.

 

100k issues a month was for the C list titles. X-Men and Amazing were over 500,000k 750,000-1,000,000 a month, easy.

 

:whistle:

 

I just didn't want the Walking Dead fanatics here to realize just how small their market really is compared to 20 years ago. :gossip:

 

Just think, the first issue of Spawn had more copies printed than the last 24 issues of Spawn. Combined. lol

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markseifert

markseifert

Posted
Posted

There were also a lot fewer titles being offered from Marvel, DC, Image, and Dark Horse. And print runs dropped around 50-85% in that time period. 500-600 million is probably a closer number than 900 million.

 

You know what, crunching the ballpark numbers, I guess I do buy a 80-90%-ish drop over 4 years, incredibly enough. :o I stand corrected.

 

The number of Marvel titles being put out did drop very substantially over that period, and print runs aside that's a huge hit (which corresponds exactly with the Heroes World debacle and culminated in the '97 bankruptcy). Although both DC and Image actually notably increased the number of titles they put out over that time frame.

 

See, it was still possible to launch a b&w indy from a complete unknown and do 15k in late '96, so I always still think of that as part of the golden years. ;)

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

Posted
Posted
"90 million comic books sold each month" -- presumably in 1993 (@ 2:28). Don't know how accurate that is, but even if it's the accurate number is half of 90MM, that's pretty astounding.

 

Considering there were some books with print runs at almost a million copies, and the total number of books that were coming out every week, it might be an over-exaggeration, but probably not as much as people think. Especially if it means comics that were "sold/shipped" to the comic shops, and not necessarily sold to customers.

 

I think it's likely a pretty substantial exaggeration. The dm sold 100 million comics in the entire year of 1997, just four years later. There definitely would have been a significant drop in those four years, but I doubt it's that big.

 

Can't remember the source, but it seems like I read it somewhere here on the site that during the early 90's the 100th best selling issue every month still had more copies sold than the top seller at present, so that would mean that the top 100 books each month back then would've sold at least 100k issues a month.

 

100k issues a month was for the C list titles. X-Men and Amazing were over 500,000k 750,000-1,000,000 a month, easy.

 

:whistle:

 

I just didn't want the Walking Dead fanatics here to realize just how small their market really is compared to 20 years ago. :gossip:

 

giggle.gif

 

Just think, the first issue of Spawn had more copies printed than the last 24 75 issues of Spawn. Combined. lol

 

:eek:

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