NYcc sales report

[woowoo]

The bad taste will last for a while. Guarantee does nothing to help you now.

 

If i bought your Action 7 that you have at 5.0 for 10gs off and at the end of show i told you i was not happy with the deal you gave me what would you do?

 

1=Tell me sorry but when i am here next year i will make something up to you.

 

That does nothing for the way i feel now.

 

Yes its my fault for not doing something sooner but i was in hope i would feel better.

 

Would you not try to work with me and make me feel better.

[MrBedrock]

Ok. Let me address Ole Grand dad of the boards.

 

Went to the New Force website. Nothing mentioning a booth location or frankly where I would find Rick at any Convention he sets up at. Nice short blog on where I can call him if I'm selling books and that he is accepting paypal with a note dated 2006. Last post August 2014. No mention that he is at Reed NY show.

 

Filter's Comics has no website, ebay store only.

 

Again, how Adam would communicate he is at the Reed NY show on ebay would be interesting unless Adam put it into every book description he has up for sale. Needless to say that didn't happen.

 

So between the two of them they are relying on the show exhibitor listing and the white sign hanging on the curtain.

 

Now unless Adam has a email group customer list hanging around I didn't get an email from him saying he would be at the show. I heard it from another customer of mine that he would be there. Same goes for New Force, no email. I heard Rick was coming because I had to give him a check.

 

Now if you go to my website and look in my convention schedule there is a lot of information including booth number. The home page lists a short list of the next 6 shows I will be doing and clearly states where to click for my full schedule. That schedule goes deep into 2015. I give customers a FULL year in advance where I will be. If I can't be there I let them know.

 

Do I see this on the New Force website? Adam doesn't have a website.

 

So the way I see it if my customers don't know where I am and are relying on "sight" what happens is "Out of sight, out of mind". I would be questioning why "my customers" weren't looking for me or calling me asking where I was. Why don't I have pre-show sales? Why don't I have books on hold for customers to see? Did anybody I sold to last year come by again this year? Why not? Have I contacted them to ask why?

 

Could it be my website or the fact that I don't have one doesn't support my convention sales?

 

Is it possible I had the wrong product mix for the show?

 

Display rows too crowed?

 

If I have a "Wall book business model" and don't have box stock inventory is it possible the business model is flawed. Clearly the business model doesn't support a bad booth location. That is the owners business model for those of you following along, not the promoters.

 

Were books being requested off the wall displays? Were prices being asked? Best you can do questions? If yes then it is possible that customer bought the book from somebody else. That means I didn't have the nicer copy or my pricing (My responsibility)

 

Or is it simply easier to post that I was slighted by the promoter?

 

And I am NOT saying Reed didn't mess up on this or that Rick/Adam are not upstanding.

Essentially what Bob is saying is that Bob is God and all other dealers suck.

Bob does it right and anyone who does it differently does it wrong.

 

I will defend Rick here by simply saying that the Reed Expo floor sales reps do not have the best interest of the out of town comic dealers at heart. When I got my terrible booth placement it would not have mattered how loud I announced it on my web-site, how many e-mails I sent to my NY customers, or how much I spent to have local picketers walk the convention entrance with Bedrock City signs, I was not going to get the same foot traffic or sales as the core of East Coast dealers who set up every year, get personal visits from the Reed reps, and probably person_without_enough_empathy, whine and bribe their way into those spots (that being the NY way to get things done). Screw that, I don't have time for it anymore. Anyone who is thinking of setting up a small booth at NYCC for the first time should listen to what happened to Rick. You will not get any kind of reasonable booth placement. They will promise you the moon...and deliver the bathroom. And it isn't just comic dealers. The same thing has happened to a number of small publishers.

 

I do think Bob does things the right way. He is certainly proactive in getting his message across. But he does need to realize that doing it his way doesn't necessarily equate certain success given all the other factors. If that were the case then explain to me the whining he does when he has a less than successful show in the venues where some of us kill it?

[taro90]

Rick,

 

I was at this year's NYCC and (unfortunately) never found your booth. Reading about your experience had me thinking about some of the key locations that were occupied by non-comic related sellers. Geico Insurance? Come on! The last place I need to see my insurance carrier is at a comic con. And I'm a big fan of the NYCC- it's evolved into the largest Con in the country if not the world (been to San Diego - one of the "Grand Slam Cons" but NY is moving to a higher plane in terms of sheer size). The NY Times Business Section had an article about how they plan to extend the NYC Comic Con to multiple locations. I have mixed feelings about this. Can you imagine Wal Mart, Sears, Wells Fargo, etc. having a presence at these Cons? Scary.

 

I'm looking forward to Carbonaro's show in March 2015.

 

Best,

 

John

 

Is this the article? %7B%221%22%3A%22RI%3A5%22%7D&_r=0'>NYT article If so, I don't see a discussion of expanding to multiple locations.

 

"110 events at 25 venues all over the city"

 

I read the article. The con will still be at Javits. The "110 events at 25 venues all over the city" will be like super week. Where they have different types of events associated with the con throughout the city.

 

Also, Carbonaro has a new 2 day winter con in December. It's at the new Resort and Casino in Jamaica, Queens.

 

http://nywintercon.com/

 

 

That is nuts. Unless you live in Queens, and even if you live in Queens, that is a huge PITA to get to. Yes, Javitz is a schlep to the subway, but at least it is doable and you're within 20 minute walk of 3 million bars and restaurants for afterwards. They must be giving the space to Carbo proactically free. I wonder if more than 500 people show up?

 

You can always take the free shuttle bus to get there. It's available throughout different parts of the city.

 

http://nywintercon.com/index.php/show-info/getting-here

[Sqeggs]

Alriiiighty ... Some of you are going to face fines from the Dealers Guild over this

 

In other news ... Anyone score anything interesting at the show?

 

I picked up this copy of a classic Matt Baker cover.

 

 

 

Otherwise, just dribs and drabs. I wish Chuck R. would set up again. He usually has a great selection of trade books.

[Cat-Man_America]

Ok. Let me address Ole Grand dad of the boards.

 

Went to the New Force website. Nothing mentioning a booth location or frankly where I would find Rick at any Convention he sets up at. Nice short blog on where I can call him if I'm selling books and that he is accepting paypal with a note dated 2006. Last post August 2014. No mention that he is at Reed NY show.

 

Filter's Comics has no website, ebay store only.

 

Again, how Adam would communicate he is at the Reed NY show on ebay would be interesting unless Adam put it into every book description he has up for sale. Needless to say that didn't happen.

 

So between the two of them they are relying on the show exhibitor listing and the white sign hanging on the curtain.

 

Now unless Adam has a email group customer list hanging around I didn't get an email from him saying he would be at the show. I heard it from another customer of mine that he would be there. Same goes for New Force, no email. I heard Rick was coming because I had to give him a check.

 

Now if you go to my website and look in my convention schedule there is a lot of information including booth number. The home page lists a short list of the next 6 shows I will be doing and clearly states where to click for my full schedule. That schedule goes deep into 2015. I give customers a FULL year in advance where I will be. If I can't be there I let them know.

 

Do I see this on the New Force website? Adam doesn't have a website.

 

So the way I see it if my customers don't know where I am and are relying on "sight" what happens is "Out of sight, out of mind". I would be questioning why "my customers" weren't looking for me or calling me asking where I was. Why don't I have pre-show sales? Why don't I have books on hold for customers to see? Did anybody I sold to last year come by again this year? Why not? Have I contacted them to ask why?

 

Could it be my website or the fact that I don't have one doesn't support my convention sales?

 

Is it possible I had the wrong product mix for the show?

 

Display rows too crowed?

 

If I have a "Wall book business model" and don't have box stock inventory is it possible the business model is flawed. Clearly the business model doesn't support a bad booth location. That is the owners business model for those of you following along, not the promoters.

 

Were books being requested off the wall displays? Were prices being asked? Best you can do questions? If yes then it is possible that customer bought the book from somebody else. That means I didn't have the nicer copy or my pricing (My responsibility)

 

Or is it simply easier to post that I was slighted by the promoter?

 

And I am NOT saying Reed didn't mess up on this or that Rick/Adam are not upstanding.

Essentially what Bob is saying is that Bob is God and all other dealers suck.

Bob does it right and anyone who does it differently does it wrong.

 

I will defend Rick here by simply saying that the Reed Expo floor sales reps do not have the best interest of the out of town comic dealers at heart. When I got my terrible booth placement it would not have mattered how loud I announced it on my web-site, how many e-mails I sent to my NY customers, or how much I spent to have local picketers walk the convention entrance with Bedrock City signs, I was not going to get the same foot traffic or sales as the core of East Coast dealers who set up every year, get personal visits from the Reed reps, and probably person_without_enough_empathy, whine and bribe their way into those spots (that being the NY way to get things done). Screw that, I don't have time for it anymore. Anyone who is thinking of setting up a small booth at NYCC for the first time should listen to what happened to Rick. You will not get any kind of reasonable booth placement. They will promise you the moon...and deliver the bathroom. And it isn't just comic dealers. The same thing has happened to a number of small publishers.

 

I do think Bob does things the right way. He is certainly proactive in getting his message across. But he does need to realize that doing it his way doesn't necessarily equate certain success given all the other factors. If that were the case then explain to me the whining he does when he has a less than successful show in the venues where some of us kill it?

 

The line of the head, ...I mean thread! (thumbs u

[Murphman13]

Bob is moody again. Someone quickly photoshop him back into Disneyland or with the bikini girls to cheer him up.

 

 

[Badger]

Alriiiighty ... Some of you are going to face fines from the Dealers Guild over this

 

In other news ... Anyone score anything interesting at the show?

 

I picked up this copy of a classic Matt Baker cover.

 

 

 

Otherwise, just dribs and drabs. I wish Chuck R. would set up again. He usually has a great selection of trade books.

Baker

[VintageComics]

 

Was wondering who got that book.

 

I had it in my pile and then Harley changed the price on me. I passed at the new price.

 

 

[lhcomics]

I'm waiting for the Bob groupies step in and say Bob is a good guy once you get to know him.

 

Well I think I know Bob a little and I will say that yes I do think he is a good guy. As I think a lot of dealers are such as (in no order) Gator, Bedrock, Dale, Vinny, Jamie, Ted, Greg, Clink, Bunky, Ritter, Harley, Terry, Joe V, John V.

 

Bob is doing what I want to do sometimes where I have a post ready but instead of hitting send I let it sit for several minutes and think what good is going to come out of this post. Then I hit delete and feel better. Even though it is something that irks me it may be better just to say nothing and ignore the thread and let everyone else have fun posting.

 

I let this post sit for 15 minutes and then hit send.

[VintageComics]

I will defend Rick here by simply saying that the Reed Expo floor sales reps do not have the best interest of the out of town comic dealers at heart. When I got my terrible booth placement it would not have mattered how loud I announced it on my web-site, how many e-mails I sent to my NY customers, or how much I spent to have local picketers walk the convention entrance with Bedrock City signs, I was not going to get the same foot traffic or sales as the core of East Coast dealers who set up every year, get personal visits from the Reed reps, and probably person_without_enough_empathy, whine and bribe their way into those spots (that being the NY way to get things done). Screw that, I don't have time for it anymore. Anyone who is thinking of setting up a small booth at NYCC for the first time should listen to what happened to Rick. You will not get any kind of reasonable booth placement. They will promise you the moon...and deliver the bathroom. And it isn't just comic dealers. The same thing has happened to a number of small publishers.

 

 

So did you guys (both Rick and Rich) not pick your booths and just have Reed choose them for you?

 

From what I understand they actually allow you to choose a booth space from a map.

 

 

[G.A.tor]

I'm waiting for the Bob groupies step in and say Bob is a good guy once you get to know him.

 

Well I think I know Bob a little and I will say that yes I do think he is a good guy. As I think a lot of dealers are such as (in no order) Gator, Bedrock, Dale, Vinny, Jamie, Ted, Greg, Clink, Bunky, Ritter, Harley, Terry, Joe V, John V.

 

Bob is doing what I want to do sometimes where I have a post ready but instead of hitting send I let it sit for several minutes and think what good is going to come out of this post. Then I hit delete and feel better. Even though it is something that irks me it may be better just to say nothing and ignore the thread and let everyone else have fun posting.

 

I let this post sit for 15 minutes and then hit send.

bob is definitely a good guy...and he makes a lot of valid points... not applicable in this instance, but valid none the less...

 

as mentioned, can't put 100% blame on anything or anybody, but location was most definitely the most detrimental aspect to the lack of success our show...

[Sqeggs]

 

Was wondering who got that book.

 

I had it in my pile and then Harley changed the price on me. I passed at the new price.

 

 

I got it at a real bargain: What he wanted to charge you plus 10%

[the blob]

to clarify, I did have the nycc booth location on our website newsfeed, top post, dated 10/08 (it also stated shipping warehouse closed while we were gone,etc) ...but I deleted it sunday night, as it was no longer valid.... I post every con dates on our site, in advance....BUT, I don't sell comics via my site, so it has very little impact, other than maybe some local customers coming by and saying "hi"...

 

Daniele had it posted all over facebook daily (that is their main "social media" alert mechanism)...so, we did as much if not more there, than we ever had...

 

in fact, I have had the same modus operandi at NYCC for the past 7 years, and every show has been a success, except this one....

 

so the only variable that was diff this con, from past, was location...

 

inv about the same (multiple of GA and SA keys across all price points, priced at or around current FMV...same as I always do...same as I had last month in Balt, etc)...no overcrowding of shelves...in fact, no shingling at all...every book, full faced...prices in line/the same with balt and wwchicago and sdcc, etc...where I sold hundreds of 1000's of $ of books

 

booth staffed same as always etc...

 

as mentioned, about the only variable diff this year, from past years, was our location (we've never had signs, or websites posts, etc)...

 

just saying (thumbs u

hey rick. as a side note, I know you are just a text/phone call away but I'd love it if you had a NFC website updated with new GA inventory with scans and prices. I know it is a lot it work and you have a store but I view several dealers sites that update semi/regularly (Reece, bob, Superworld, metro) to see what offerings are available. Some take advantage of all social media forms (website, facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, vine, yelp) to market their inventory to new customers. Of course, face to face interaction is always fun. Not saying a stronger Internet/social media presence would have cured your bad location at NYCC, but overall hits and exposure helps in mass marketing.

 

I completely understand... Bob does a fantastic job of this type of operation... I'm virtually "retired"....I worked 45 years worth of hours in a 15 year period on my toy business... I am "done" working... I just do this for fun/hobby, make a little money, socialize, whatever you want to call it... (my wife and kids get to travel sometimes to diff cities, so its all good).... do I like to lose 10K? of course not....as mentioned, in the 7 years I've been setting up at shows, I had never lost money until the Tampa show last year, and that was , as bob is pointing out, my error in selection of books, etc... I put that "loss" 100% on me, not the promoters...

 

in this case, NYCC was largely (I'm not saying it is 100%, as that is too definitive) due to booth placement and the promoters telling us one thing (where we would be placed) and doing/placing in a bad spot (they've already admitted this too us at the show, so the discussion on that aspect is moot...they've admitted responsibility, but only recourse offered was better pricing and placement next year, if we choose to return)

 

you bring in 7 figures (i know, that's gross, i have no idea what your profits are, if any) a year and it's just a fun hobby?

[the blob]

there were some little guys in the "core" area. one guy who used to do a lot of 50 cent books at local shows had a table or two in there. mostly not expensive stuff. "robbie's comics" was in the mix over there, but i guess they're local. reece, roberts, zapp, yee, etc. seemed to be in the core area as far as I could tell.

 

it's tough though if you need to have a bunch of four (maybe even five) figure sales for a show to work for you.

 

so, was this just GA that didn't sell? or just GA wall books? did any $50-$100 books sell? SA? good BA?

 

I want to know how Katz comics makes a return on his huge space with mostly $1 book sales, some TPBs and some inexpensive wall books. Plus, he has a bunch of adults working for him, not 13 year old kids.

[MrBedrock]

I will defend Rick here by simply saying that the Reed Expo floor sales reps do not have the best interest of the out of town comic dealers at heart. When I got my terrible booth placement it would not have mattered how loud I announced it on my web-site, how many e-mails I sent to my NY customers, or how much I spent to have local picketers walk the convention entrance with Bedrock City signs, I was not going to get the same foot traffic or sales as the core of East Coast dealers who set up every year, get personal visits from the Reed reps, and probably person_without_enough_empathy, whine and bribe their way into those spots (that being the NY way to get things done). Screw that, I don't have time for it anymore. Anyone who is thinking of setting up a small booth at NYCC for the first time should listen to what happened to Rick. You will not get any kind of reasonable booth placement. They will promise you the moon...and deliver the bathroom. And it isn't just comic dealers. The same thing has happened to a number of small publishers.

 

 

So did you guys (both Rick and Rich) not pick your booths and just have Reed choose them for you?

 

From what I understand they actually allow you to choose a booth space from a map.

 

I had not pre-paid from the year before. The Reed folks called about three months before the show and asked if I wanted to set-up. I did not have a very good show the year before but decided it was New York, how could I possibly not set up there? They e-mailed a floor plan and I picked out an empty booth in the middle of the show floor. Then I picked another, and another. I picked a booth three different times. Each time they came back and said "we may not be able to do that area. We have a large vendor who may be committing to those spaces." I finally picked a fourth and said I want this booth or I am not coming. The booth I picked was down an aisle from Metro about two rows back. They said fine. When I got there the floor plan had somehow changed and I got what I got. They changed my space. They said I got the best they had. They said, "Here you go." The frustrating thing was the original booths that I had picked had some random t-shirt folks in them, having nothing to do with the surrounding vintage comic dealers.

[hockeyboy13]

[

I will defend Rick here by simply saying that the Reed Expo floor sales reps do not have the best interest of the out of town comic dealers at heart. When I got my terrible booth placement it would not have mattered how loud I announced it on my web-site, how many e-mails I sent to my NY customers, or how much I spent to have local picketers walk the convention entrance with Bedrock City signs, I was not going to get the same foot traffic or sales as the core of East Coast dealers who set up every year, get personal visits from the Reed reps, and probably person_without_enough_empathy, whine and bribe their way into those spots (that being the NY way to get things done). Screw that, I don't have time for it anymore. Anyone who is thinking of setting up a small booth at NYCC for the first time should listen to what happened to Rick. You will not get any kind of reasonable booth placement. They will promise you the moon...and deliver the bathroom. And it isn't just comic dealers. The same thing has happened to a number of small publishers.

 

 

So did you guys (both Rick and Rich) not pick your booths and just have Reed choose them for you?

 

From what I understand they actually allow you to choose a booth space from a map.

 

I had not pre-paid from the year before. The Reed folks called about three months before the show and asked if I wanted to set-up. I did not have a very good show the year before but decided it was New York, how could I possibly not set up there? They e-mailed a floor plan and I picked out an empty booth in the middle of the show floor. Then I picked another, and another. I picked a booth three different times. Each time they came back and said "we may not be able to do that area. We have a large vendor who may be committing to those spaces." I finally picked a fourth and said I want this booth or I am not coming. The booth I picked was down an aisle from Metro about two rows back. They said fine. When I got there the floor plan had somehow changed and I got what I got. They changed my space. They said I got the best they had. They said, "Here you go." The frustrating thing was the original booths that I had picked had some random t-shirt folks in them, having nothing to do with the surrounding vintage comic dealers.

 

Thank you Richard for putting it out there so anyone can understand. That is exactly how it is done with reed. i love my reps BUT do they listen. Maybe. Do they care? Sort of. But they all say it was someone in operations that made the changes and it is out of their hands as they are only sales reps.

i noticed that NOBODY found me on the outside aisle of the show. How did i get there? Well., like Richard,I had picked two booths which happened to be across from cgc. i picked them A YEAR BEFORE. Money down all done.

 

last minute operations realigned the floor and realigned me out to the perimeter. Same as C2E2. I am one of the first to pick booths in my hometown and i have been moved several times without my knowledge.

 

so to end all this discussion. we vendors DO NOT HAVE THE FINAL SAY. and unless you look up the exhibitor placement map everyweek, call them every day, and send them flowers, we don't always catch the changes and don't always get what we ordered. i am glad some of you dealers do always get what you want....but some of us do not.

so it is time to let it rest and move on.

 

by the way my sales report is,

sales down

sold more to dealers which is ok..

af 15 cgc 4.0

rawhide kid 16

xmen 1

2 iron man 1

but i didn't sell what i love best...golden age

and that is a problem

 

[hockeyboy13]

and Doc Joe never took a shot of wall! i feel so left out!!!

[Flex Mentallo]

and Doc Joe never took a shot of wall! i feel so left out!!!

 

Well, if he thinks Harley's photogenic surely you are!

[G.A.tor]

and Doc Joe never took a shot of wall! i feel so left out!!!

[G.A.tor]

there were some little guys in the "core" area. one guy who used to do a lot of 50 cent books at local shows had a table or two in there. mostly not expensive stuff. "robbie's comics" was in the mix over there, but i guess they're local. reece, roberts, zapp, yee, etc. seemed to be in the core area as far as I could tell.

 

it's tough though if you need to have a bunch of four (maybe even five) figure sales for a show to work for you.

 

so, was this just GA that didn't sell? or just GA wall books? did any $50-$100 books sell? SA? good BA?

 

I want to know how Katz comics makes a return on his huge space with mostly $1 book sales, some TPBs and some inexpensive wall books. Plus, he has a bunch of adults working for him, not 13 year old kids.

coming from florida, logistics disctate I only send gold, silver and bronze keys...

 

Andre was "shocked" I didn't sell any Batman Adventures, even though I was priced under what other dealers sold them for at the show...why, because no one saw them or my attractive pricing