Marvel to Abandon Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores

[40sJohn]

Growing up in the early 70's, all of my comic purchases were made from 7/11 stores from the spinner racks. While my interest now is purely backissue acquisition, I never have understood where new readers would come from if the books were not readily accessible in high traffic stores.

[paperheart]

Marvel Disney still publishes comic books?

[TheSurgeon]

Wouldn't this be a positive thing for actual comic book stores?

 

Not if there are not even stores around to pick up new readers and get them hooked.

 

Who Killed the Newsstand Comics Market?

 

Oddly enough, it was Jim Shooter who pointed out the relationship between Newsstand and Direct, and how the former would start new readers off leading to them then moving on to the direct market. Nowadays, he says it was not his idea to turn his back on the Newsstand Market.

 

That's exactly how it worked for me in the 80's. bike to the drugstore, get a drivers license and start haunting the comic shops.

 

Biking to the comic store in the early 80's

[ComicConnoisseur]

My first exposure to comics was actually at a local flea market my parents visited. In my teens I bought current issues at 7-11 or Eckerd drugs (now defunct).

 

It's a shame large chain book stores won't be stocking these comics but the reality is these stores won't be around much longer anyway. Most of the brick and mortar book stores are closed by me.

 

If Marvel and DC could get their monthly comic books into Wal-Mart it would be a win for mass circulation. The thing is knowing Wal-Mart they wouldn`t accept a $3.99 cover price, and would want it cheaper for the consumer.

I don`t know if Marvel or DC would want to go with a cheaper cover price at Wal-Mart because that would maybe upset the LCS?

[dupont2005]

Wouldn't this be a positive thing for actual comic book stores?

And for people who don't like having to root through all that at the bookstore while trying to find a good TPB to buy

[Speedy-D]

Wouldn't this be a positive thing for actual comic book stores?

And for people who don't like having to root through all that at the bookstore while trying to find a good TPB to buy

Um...those things are called books!

[dupont2005]

My first exposure to comics was actually at a local flea market my parents visited. In my teens I bought current issues at 7-11 or Eckerd drugs (now defunct).

 

It's a shame large chain book stores won't be stocking these comics but the reality is these stores won't be around much longer anyway. Most of the brick and mortar book stores are closed by me.

 

If Marvel and DC could get their monthly comic books into Wal-Mart it would be a win for mass circulation. The thing is knowing Wal-Mart they wouldn`t accept a $3.99 cover price, and would want it cheaper for the consumer.

I don`t know if Marvel or DC would want to go with a cheaper cover price at Wal-Mart because that would maybe upset the LCS?

Video games and electronics tend to not be any cheaper ere. In fact it seems the only "cheap" things at Walmart are from their exclusive brands. Made extra cheap, sold extra cheap. I haven't checked in a while, but I remember the local sporting goods store beating Walmart prices on Dickies by about $7

[dgarthwaite-migration]

What`s interesting is there are only about 1500 LCS left. Basically I hope each and everyone of them stick around so people can still have a place to buy printed comic books.

 

I've been trying to find out how many comic shops are left for a long time. I knew it was around 5,000-6,000 for awhile.

 

DG

[Bosco685]

My first exposure to comics was actually at a local flea market my parents visited. In my teens I bought current issues at 7-11 or Eckerd drugs (now defunct).

 

It's a shame large chain book stores won't be stocking these comics but the reality is these stores won't be around much longer anyway. Most of the brick and mortar book stores are closed by me.

 

If Marvel and DC could get their monthly comic books into Wal-Mart it would be a win for mass circulation. The thing is knowing Wal-Mart they wouldn`t accept a $3.99 cover price, and would want it cheaper for the consumer.

I don`t know if Marvel or DC would want to go with a cheaper cover price at Wal-Mart because that would maybe upset the LCS?

 

A smart marketeer would figure out how to use the books in a Walmart to encourage visiting your local comic book store for back issues, limited action figures, or something else unique.

 

1) Newsstand Market wakes the beast.

 

2) Direct Market feeds the beast.

[zosocane]

We are another step closer to the demise of the physical comic book. Looks like we're down to comic book shops only ... plus the digital format.

 

I agree with an earlier post, this will give a little bit of new life for some comic shops.

[slym2none]

Wouldn't this be a positive thing for actual comic book stores?

 

Not if there are not even stores around to pick up new readers and get them hooked.

 

Who Killed the Newsstand Comics Market?

 

Oddly enough, it was Jim Shooter who pointed out the relationship between Newsstand and Direct, and how the former would start new readers off leading to them then moving on to the direct market. Nowadays, he says it was not his idea to turn his back on the Newsstand Market.

 

That's exactly how it worked for me in the 80's. bike to the drugstore, get a drivers license and start haunting the comic shops.

 

Same here. I never saw a comic store until I was 18 years old.

 

 

+2

 

 

 

-slym

[Tony S]

Marvel has made some strategic decisions in the past that have ultimately hurt sales in the long term for comics. Anyone remember the self distribution fiasco where they bought Friendly Franks?

 

This looks like another one of those decisions. It is - just like high cover prices and reboots - a short term effort at maximizing profits that lacks any long term strategic vision of expanding the customer base.

 

 

[yoddler]

Marvel could probably never print another comic book ever, continue to make movies and still be a very successful and profitable company...

 

Oops. Did I just say that out loud?

[Number 6]

My first exposure to comics was actually at a local flea market my parents visited. In my teens I bought current issues at 7-11 or Eckerd drugs (now defunct).

 

It's a shame large chain book stores won't be stocking these comics but the reality is these stores won't be around much longer anyway. Most of the brick and mortar book stores are closed by me.

 

If Marvel and DC could get their monthly comic books into Wal-Mart it would be a win for mass circulation. The thing is knowing Wal-Mart they wouldn`t accept a $3.99 cover price, and would want it cheaper for the consumer.

I don`t know if Marvel or DC would want to go with a cheaper cover price at Wal-Mart because that would maybe upset the LCS?

 

I haven't actually seen comics for sale in any Wal-Marts here in my area. But I did buy some 90's Action Comics/Adventures of Superman issues off of eBay as readers for my son. The seller had a few issues that had Wal-Mart price stickers on them. So I guess at least at one time they did carry comics and for less than cover price.

[rjrjr]

Marvel Disney still publishes comic books?

 

Actually, Marvel/Disney are preparing to outsource comic publishing by the year 2015. That is why Dark Horse was allowed to keep Star Wars. This is going to be their new model going forward. Expect Image, Boom, IDW, and Dark Horse to license some of the characters first. DC is in talks as well, but are leaning against licensing any of the characters.

 

This was a counter-move on Marvel's part when DC announce a few months ago they were relocating from New York City.

 

 

 

 

 

[rjrjr]

What`s interesting is there are only about 1500 LCS left. Basically I hope each and everyone of them stick around so people can still have a place to buy printed comic books.

 

I've been trying to find out how many comic shops are left for a long time. I knew it was around 5,000-6,000 for awhile.

 

DG

 

I had hear there are less than 200 trading (sports) card shops left in the country. I'm not even sure the Phoenix area even has one left any more.

[dgarthwaite-migration]

Collectors have to take some responsibility for the demise of the newsstand distribution. If you were with a friend and your friend's 10 year old son wanted to buy a comic at Walmart, what would you say? The odds are you'd be telling him that the comic he picked out had creases on the spine. You'd tell him he needed to pick out the very best copy. You'd tell him he needs to visit the comic store so he could get bags and boards to protect them. You'd essentially scorn every damaged comic you saw and you'd drain out every bit of excitement the kid might have. You'd want to shape him into being a wise collector. The lack of availability of newsstand comics is partly an issue because collectors scorn the way the general public is going to treat the product in a store. People who don't buy comics look at collectors as being part of some obsessed cult that they don't even want to understand.

 

DG

[dgarthwaite-migration]

What`s interesting is there are only about 1500 LCS left. Basically I hope each and everyone of them stick around so people can still have a place to buy printed comic books.

 

I've been trying to find out how many comic shops are left for a long time. I knew it was around 5,000-6,000 for awhile.

 

DG

 

I had hear there are less than 200 trading (sports) card shops left in the country. I'm not even sure the Phoenix area even has one left any more.

 

That's amazing to me. I haven't seen one in Atlanta for years. There used to be one on every other block.

 

DG

[Number 6]

I bought a few issues off the rack at my local mini mart as a young kid, but I started going to comic shops in the mid 80's and never really looked back. We had 2-3 good shops in Fresno from the mid 80's to the mid 90's when I got out of the hobby in high school. Now there is only one shop in town that carries current issues. I haven't been in Barnes and Noble in a while, but I don't recall them stocking individual issues, only TPBs.

 

Fresno, California? That's where I live now! I actually grew up about a 30 minute drive south of there in a small town, Kingsburg.

 

Growing up, I mostly bought my comics at local grocery stores, which mostly had DC and Marvel. If you went in the toy isle you found Whitman 3-packs. The local drug store, Ostrems Pharmacy, had Harvey's. Every once in a while we'd stop at a 7-Eleven or liquor store in Fresno on our way to a vacation trip. That's where I'd find stuff like Charlton's and Epic titles.

 

I discovered Fresno's best comic store, Sierra Comics, in the mid-80's. I didn't start making monthly trips up there to get my pull books until the late 80's. When the first Batman movie came out it seemed like comic book stores exploded in Fresno, seems like there was at least a half-dozen different ones. Now Heroes is really the only decent shop in the area. There's a couple others that focus on new issues, but they're dives.

 

I'm going to miss comics at Barnes & Nobel. I don't know that they sold a lot. But if Heroes sold out of a hot DC, Marvel or Dark Horse issue, I could just pop into B&N on Friday and usually find a copy. Usually wasn't in the best shape, but at least I'd have a decent reader.

 

That's how I got my copy of Daredevil #21.

[COI]

Wouldn't this be a positive thing for actual comic book stores?

 

Not if there are not even stores around to pick up new readers and get them hooked.

 

Who Killed the Newsstand Comics Market?

 

Oddly enough, it was Jim Shooter who pointed out the relationship between Newsstand and Direct, and how the former would start new readers off leading to them then moving on to the direct market. Nowadays, he says it was not his idea to turn his back on the Newsstand Market.

 

That's exactly how it worked for me in the 80's. bike to the drugstore, get a drivers license and start haunting the comic shops.

 

Same, although I got to comic shops at a much younger age after finding and buying the Overstreet guide from a book store.