Ever been denied a purchase of 2 of the same $3 book at a LCS?

[seanfingh]

The problem with LCS owners has always been that the vast majority of them are collectors who think it would be nifty to open up a shop. It doesn't matter whether it is comics or new cars, any business needs to be a business first... not a hobby. In fact... if you are a collector in most cases you probably shouldn't open any business in the area that you personally collect.

 

I'm thinking I should put up a big banner on the outside of my store... FLIPPERS WELCOME! Much of my business model actually caters to dealers and flippers... buy from me at a decent price that I'm happy with, turn around and double your money at shows or on the net. I don't care. In fact I love it! Make yourself lots of money and come back and spend more with me.

 

Any dealer that can't see a win-win on this shouldn't be in business (and probably won't be for long).

 

This is why Tim is the greatest! Even though he didn't come out and see me last week!

[Dukes40]

I would have said (and I quote)

 

"This book has been sitting here for years. I'm betting I am the first person to ask about this book (ever). You could have made a $70 sale, now you get nothing. Have a nice day."

 

That or drop a $20 on the counter and tear the covers off both issues.

 

Either way works for me.

 

(thumbs u

[Bookery]

The problem with LCS owners has always been that the vast majority of them are collectors who think it would be nifty to open up a shop. It doesn't matter whether it is comics or new cars, any business needs to be a business first... not a hobby. In fact... if you are a collector in most cases you probably shouldn't open any business in the area that you personally collect.

 

I'm thinking I should put up a big banner on the outside of my store... FLIPPERS WELCOME! Much of my business model actually caters to dealers and flippers... buy from me at a decent price that I'm happy with, turn around and double your money at shows or on the net. I don't care. In fact I love it! Make yourself lots of money and come back and spend more with me.

 

Any dealer that can't see a win-win on this shouldn't be in business (and probably won't be for long).

 

This is why Tim is the greatest! Even though he didn't come out and see me last week!

 

Sorry about that. The actor that usually plays me was off at an audition that day. I am rarely seen outside of my office...

 

 

[awakeintheashes]

The problem with LCS owners has always been that the vast majority of them are collectors who think it would be nifty to open up a shop. It doesn't matter whether it is comics or new cars, any business needs to be a business first... not a hobby. In fact... if you are a collector in most cases you probably shouldn't open any business in the area that you personally collect.

 

I'm thinking I should put up a big banner on the outside of my store... FLIPPERS WELCOME! Much of my business model actually caters to dealers and flippers... buy from me at a decent price that I'm happy with, turn around and double your money at shows or on the net. I don't care. In fact I love it! Make yourself lots of money and come back and spend more with me.

 

Any dealer that can't see a win-win on this shouldn't be in business (and probably won't be for long).

 

Very well said.

[Dukes40]

Yeah, that's pretty weird. If they were NM copies and complete I could see them wanting to discourage speculating. But nearly mid-grade incomplete copies? My LCS would be tickled pink to move both copies.

 

It's never happened to me before, but I think I would have asked "why not?" when told I wouldn't be allowed to purchase both. I understand not wanting to make a scene but if I'm going to be questioned why I'm buying something I think it's fair game to ask why they're taking that stance.

 

But like others said, if he was giving attitude I probably would have walked too. If you've got a policy fine, just enlighten me on what it is, no need to get snotty.

 

His policy was: "I didn't know the significance of the comics, I got my info from you, now I'm going to use it for my gain.".

[Erndog]

Yep - last time I was at my LCS it was clearly implied that me buying comic books to sell on the internet was something the owner did not like. So, I have taken my business completely online and have not been back since.

 

It's a little annoying because I don't buy multiple copies. If a book like Django Unchained would be hot, I'd buy a copy and he'd say 'You don't collect this' and give me this look about it. If he's so concerned about where his comics go after a customer makes a purchase - he doesn't need my business.

 

It's pretty sad how they would treat a repeat customer like yourself like that (clearly you are a repeat customer if he knows what you collect) but some random schmo off the street can come in and buy the same issue hassle free.

 

 

[comix4fun]

Wow you know if you link this thread on their facebook page for an answer..

 

It shows up as the Dr. Balls icon LMAO

 

 

I don't see your comment on their page anymore. I saw it yesterday.

[Kevin.J]

The problem with LCS owners has always been that the vast majority of them are collectors who think it would be nifty to open up a shop. It doesn't matter whether it is comics or new cars, any business needs to be a business first... not a hobby. In fact... if you are a collector in most cases you probably shouldn't open any business in the area that you personally collect.

 

I'm thinking I should put up a big banner on the outside of my store... FLIPPERS WELCOME! Much of my business model actually caters to dealers and flippers... buy from me at a decent price that I'm happy with, turn around and double your money at shows or on the net. I don't care. In fact I love it! Make yourself lots of money and come back and spend more with me.

 

Any dealer that can't see a win-win on this shouldn't be in business (and probably won't be for long).

 

[mrwoogieman]

When I was at Midtown last week, I brought four copies of the Betty variant of Afterlife up to the counter. The clerk said, I'm supposed to ask you if you know you have four copies of the same book. I said that's weird, he said I know, and then he said, so do you know you have four copies of the same book? and I said yes I do. And then he rung me up.

 

[the blob]

When I was at Midtown last week, I brought four copies of the Betty variant of Afterlife up to the counter. The clerk said, I'm supposed to ask you if you know you have four copies of the same book. I said that's weird, he said I know, and then he said, so do you know you have four copies of the same book? and I said yes I do. And then he rung me up.

 

 

midtown usually has a "1 copy per customer" rule for any "hot" book, at least lately. i guess they did not designate the afterlife books as "hot" enough for this policy?

 

perhaps they don't want people buying 4 of the same issue, deciding that it wasn'ta good speculation move, and then trying to return them a few days later under the guise of "ooops, I didn't know they were the same"?

[revat]

When I was at Midtown last week, I brought four copies of the Betty variant of Afterlife up to the counter. The clerk said, I'm supposed to ask you if you know you have four copies of the same book. I said that's weird, he said I know, and then he said, so do you know you have four copies of the same book? and I said yes I do. And then he rung me up.

 

 

This has happened to me before. I think its not so much to shame or guilt you, but just to make sure you meant to grab all four. Like for instance, in some cases someone might accidentally put an extra copy of something in your pull box and you might not catch it. So some stores have the policy JUST as a final control to help out the customer to just ask the question.

 

 

As it relates to the OP, I've had the opposite experience before with Nowhere Men #2 back when Nowhere Men was HOT HOT HOT. I went to my LCS, saw 3 on the shelf, grabbed them. At the counter, the owner was like, "we've got more of them if you want them, if you can wait a minute, we've got more in the back" I wait and he brings out 7 more. Then he says "At our other branch, I think we have like 8-11 more". I know the other branch, its about 8 miles away but on my way to my gf's house, so I go there the next day to scoop them up. The owner remembers me from the day before, and cuts me a small discount on the rest. ANd this owner actually has a fairly large internet store too, and was happy to sell to me. Now I go in there all time looking for leftover hot comics and end up buying other random stuff there (or new comics I want). I think owners need to realize that moving new comics (3 months old or newer) is really the key to having a successful shop. Anything older that you move for even remotely near market value is just a bonus. And trying to rely on coppers or overcharging for 3d variants isn't the path to enlightenment. But each owner has to decide for themselves, as they're the ones at risk.

[revat]

When I was at Midtown last week, I brought four copies of the Betty variant of Afterlife up to the counter. The clerk said, I'm supposed to ask you if you know you have four copies of the same book. I said that's weird, he said I know, and then he said, so do you know you have four copies of the same book? and I said yes I do. And then he rung me up.

 

 

midtown usually has a "1 copy per customer" rule for any "hot" book, at least lately. i guess they did not designate the afterlife books as "hot" enough for this policy?

 

perhaps they don't want people buying 4 of the same issue, deciding that it wasn'ta good speculation move, and then trying to return them a few days later under the guise of "ooops, I didn't know they were the same"?

 

can comics be returned? I've never heard of that.

[999ghosts]

So what would happen if I go to a shop like that? I order comics for 5 of us. Some books up to 4 times. Yes, only one for me and the others for my friends, again just one each. Would I have to explain myself every time?

 

Just wierd

 

I used to have my own comic book store. After I took care of my pullist all other books where for whoever got them first.

[Number 6]

he would have paid $30 for one of those "keys" and $10 for the other...copper age "keys" like those, in those grades at those prices take A LONG time to move

 

and x-force 2 is still a dollar box book, particularly in that grade.

 

pretty sure i have a stack of Web 118-120 pulled out of dollar boxes

 

Like I said, devil's advocate.

 

You have to cater to your customer base, and realize what kind of store you're dealing with. Take two types of stores:

 

One store buys actively, and keeps on top of the prices of key books. They pay little attention to lesser books, and have their buying focus on the best books they can find because they have a few key customers who drop lots of coin (and plenty of pretenders looking for a bargain to flip).

 

Another store is a mom and pop shop that gets most of their back issues from random walk ins. They survived the 90's, but treat the store more like a newsstand than a comic shop. The big dollar buyers don't bother coming in anymore. They sell to kids, and people who don't own a current price guide. Their customers still want Venom, random #1's, and shiny covers.

 

To the active store, X-Factor 24 is only a key book for flippers and newbies, and a chore to grade at VF. At the mom and pop shop, that's one of few keys in their piles of drek. The active store's price goes down everytime they sell one because they're running out of new customers to sell them to. The mom and pop shop doesn't know when they'll see another copy, and raise the price every time it sells.

 

One store will cut you a deal, the other store won't. The OP simply picked the wrong one.

 

The OP's experience was with Eides Entertainment. They have an internet store, an eBay store, ads in Overstreet and set up at conventions. They do not match your description of a mom-n-pop store.

 

The OP didn't go into a mom-n-pop store expecting to have a big-time dealer experience.

 

He went into a well-established, fairly large store with an internet presence which, for whatever reason, decided to behave like a mom-n-pop store. And a fairly crummy one at that.

 

The OP is not the problem here.

[Buzzetta]

Hey society super heroes and villains,

 

I wanted your guys opinion on an incident that happened to me today at Eide's Entertainment in Pittsburgh.

 

And how you would handle it.

 

 

First of all I just want to say, I think Eide's is a cool store, big, easy to access back issues, cool little cgc collection and non graded keys. I also enjoyed the lighting so I could easily grade books myself.

 

 

Anyway, long story short, I bring about $70 dollars worth of the following back issues to the counter.

 

DC comics Presents #26 7.0-7.5 (clerk said 8.0 but no way) $30

X-Force #2 7.0-8.0 $4.

X-Factor #24 7.0-8.0 $10

Web of Spiderman #118 8.0 $3.50

Web of Spiderman #119 x2 8.0, 1 was maybe 8.5 3.50 (both unbagged, missing inserts)

Web of Spiderman #120 8.0 $3,50

misc supplies. action figure holders. $6-10 or so

 

All of the pages are cream to offwhite due to the store being so close to the 3 rivers and all that moisture just seeps through those poorly stored books.

 

So after about an hour of digging through long boxes I go to checkout with my modest pile of books, I ask about a deal and get a quick "Nope"

 

and the clerk then asks me why I want 2 issues of Web of Spiderman 119.

 

And I honestly reply

 

"119 is the first appearance of Kaine and one of my favorite characters is Scarlet Spider."

 

The clerk then says in a completely condescending tone

 

"Oh, well Im only going to sell you 1 copy of 119. you can pick which one"

 

I was immediately floored. I honestly didn't know how to react.

 

So to not make a scene or allow stupid mindwar to ensue, I simply left and didn't buy anything. I said no thanks, I will shop elsewhere.

 

I didnt mind that 119 wasnt complete or bagged. I just wanted the issues for my personal collection so my son's and I can enjoy,read, and share low grade coppers together. but moreso, I just wanted to support the local comic shop! I'm a Pittsburger, I don't judge. I live a simple and fulfilling life in the city.

 

 

 

My question to other members of the society,

 

 

how do you handle situations where you deny or are denied purchasing a book?

 

 

As a comic book dealer, do you really care that much about mid grade coppers...?

 

 

 

Comic dealers do intend to sell what they put out on the floor, correct??

 

Im so totally confused.... please help, society!

 

and thanks

 

 

 

First, in this day and age, they are lucky they have traffic.

 

If you want, go back another day and see if the clerk is just being an insufficiently_thoughtful_person or that really is the culture of the store and how they interact with their customer base.

 

Then, despite what everyone else says, shop on eBay or mycomicsshop.

[Sqeggs]

Being a clerk in any kind of store is a lousy job: low pay, dealing with rude customers, little hope of advancement, etc. Not surprisingly, the result can be poor customer service, particularly when the clerk is out of sight and ear shot of the owner. When an employee figures that getting fired is ok because a similar job is easy to find, they can decide to give their jerky side free rein with customers.

[slym2none]

When I was at Midtown last week, I brought four copies of the Betty variant of Afterlife up to the counter. The clerk said, I'm supposed to ask you if you know you have four copies of the same book. I said that's weird, he said I know, and then he said, so do you know you have four copies of the same book? and I said yes I do. And then he rung me up.

 

 

midtown usually has a "1 copy per customer" rule for any "hot" book, at least lately. i guess they did not designate the afterlife books as "hot" enough for this policy?

 

perhaps they don't want people buying 4 of the same issue, deciding that it wasn'ta good speculation move, and then trying to return them a few days later under the guise of "ooops, I didn't know they were the same"?

 

can comics be returned? I've never heard of that.

 

One would think not... the shop I used to work for even said "no returns accepted" right on the receipt, but some people can come off whiny & weasly and still get what they want. Long story coming...

 

OK, so I was working at my LCS one weekend day, and this guy comes in that I have seen a few times, but isn't a regular by any means, and he spends some time looking around inthe independant section. I notice him looking at a few books, taking them out of the bags & boards without asking (store policy was for employees to actually take the book out but the customer can handle it) but I let it go, no worries. After about an hour, he comes up with a few books, including some #1 of a lesser-known title. I ring him up, out the door he goes.

 

Fifteen minutes later he comes back in with the #1, saying he wants his money back because it is a third print, not a first. That shop ALWAYS noted if it was a print later than the 1st on the price-label, and this cat was inspecting the books so closely that I feel he made sure is was a 1st print, then went out to his car and switched it with a third print he already had. He left the store and came back, and to me, these were all huge red flags. (BTW - this was a book that had only the indicia to tell you if it was a later printing, no cover difference or anything.) I told him that I cannot refund his money, it even says "no returns" on the receipt. He proceeds to start getting loud, trying to intimidate me. Another red flag, considering how quickly he went from reasonable to individual_without_enough_empathy. After repeatedly saying there is nothing I can do, maybe he can some back and talk to the manager, he gets quiet, talking low and his voice is shaking, like he is about to explode with anger - again, trying to intimidate me. If it were a $5 book, I'da paid him myself to go away, but when it's a difference of say $50 for the 1st print and $5 for the third, I am not giving away the store's money. He starts yelling, making other customers uncomfortable, and I finally tell him I am calling the police if he doesn't leave, and he should come back and talk to the manager.

 

Turns out he did go back, talk to the manager, and even though the manager said it wasn't our mistake, he gave the guy his money back.

 

Lesson for me, folks - the customer is not always right, and sometimes you dont bend over backwards to please them. IDK why the shop took that book back, I told them everything that happened and how sketchy it was.

 

*sigh*

 

 

 

-slym

[the blob]

When I was at Midtown last week, I brought four copies of the Betty variant of Afterlife up to the counter. The clerk said, I'm supposed to ask you if you know you have four copies of the same book. I said that's weird, he said I know, and then he said, so do you know you have four copies of the same book? and I said yes I do. And then he rung me up.

 

 

midtown usually has a "1 copy per customer" rule for any "hot" book, at least lately. i guess they did not designate the afterlife books as "hot" enough for this policy?

 

perhaps they don't want people buying 4 of the same issue, deciding that it wasn'ta good speculation move, and then trying to return them a few days later under the guise of "ooops, I didn't know they were the same"?

 

can comics be returned? I've never heard of that.

 

you can always try to return them [or exchange them for store credit or exchange them for something right there] if you have a receipt and a good story. the shop then needs to determine whether it's worth it to fight over this and potentially send a future customer somewhere else.

 

i would have found the comment less surprising if woogie had bought all 4 variant covers and the clerk was reminding him that the insides of the comics were all the same... there a potential return would make more sense if someone comes back and says "jeez, i didn't realize they were all the same on the inside!"

[Foolkiller]

From Greg Eide, the owner of Eide's. I can only say that Greg has always been a stand up member of the comic community and immensely fair to do deal with. As a "flipper" I have bought literally thousands and thousands of dollars of books from Greg without any issue from either he or his employees, though I have always dealt with senior people and/or Greg directly. In fact, I bought multiple BB 28s from him on one occasion without objection.

 

Greg has been fair and judicious in all dealings and I ask you all to weigh that in consideration of what happened with this OP. Nevertheless, here is Greg's response directly:

 

From my investigation , not all the statements by the accuser are true (e.g. no deal was asked for , cream pages ? incomplete

book ? , etc. ) and not all of the pertinent facts are presented ( a scene was made ) . Always nice to see how the CGC community

is so ever ready to sharpen the pitchforks , warm up the tar and point out the monster on Maple St .

The story is of course exacerbated and the OP does not reveal or admit that he is obviously a speculator : his line of questioning

and titles requested were serviced by a different employee but over heard by the employee under fire . I have NO PROBLEM

with flippers but the employee that rang up Sonic does . Out of misguided loyalty to me and with NO authorization to do so , he did

deny him a second copy . If I had been present the employee would have immediately suffered a foot colonoscopy .

Despite embellishments and memory lapses by the OP there is NO EXCUSE for my employee's behavior . He has been severely

reprimanded . He will be on my mess list for some time to come and to his constant shame the incident will be continual referred to by

" don't be a ***** ". I and the employee in question , sincerely apologize . The OP is welcome to receive that apology in person if he so

wishes . Greg Eide

[the blob]

well, i think the OP was pretty clear that this was the employee in action and that he has had good dealings with the owner. i think employees need to understand that their job is to help their owner SELL STUFF...unless, of course, the owner takes the F-you attitude toward customers too

 

this is why i try to avoid employees when i want to haggle...i buy a lot from a guy who sets up at NY shows, but now he has like 4 people working for him (including his girlfriend, mother and partial partner)...he's good guy and if you go to the shows here you know who I'm talking about...anyway, I've been buying from him for 20 years, I want to deal with him...I know I might only be spending $150-$200 on some days, but i feel there ought to be $30-$50 of haggle in there and i know he's the only one who is going to give it to me. if i'm not going to deal with him i will be buying less stuff, period.