Comics Handling at the LCS...

[com1cbook]

One of the main reasons that I buy very few new books is condition.

 

My LCS is one if the highest profile stores on the East Coast. The owner is a legend and a great guy. But even when I can find books I want on the racks, in the condition that meets my standards, more often than not they are severely manhandled at the cash register and many times by the General Manager.

 

I have been very careful about how I handle comics ever since I was a preteen. I would think that if one worked in a comic book store that one would "know" how to handle comics without damaging them.

 

I have had very polite conversations with the owner and he agrees, but nothing ever changes.

 

How do you guys do it? I imagine that if I could be onsite every NCBD then I could cherry-pick the best books, but I work and have a family. How do you manage that relationship with an LCS and get home with books that meet your grade standards? I don't feel comfortable starting a pull list with these gorillas manhandling all the books. I haven't had this problem with other LCS' in other parts of the country, so this is a new problem me.

 

Dealers? How do you guys train your employees?

Is this discussed amongst your staff at all?

[bababooey]

...but I work and have a family

 

[loadstone]

My LCS has a very awesome store manager and clerk who knows and understands my preference for minty fresh condition. He cherry picks my comics and handles them with care. But just in case he isn't in, I always bring mylite2s and fullbacks and bag and board every comic before going to the cash register making sure the prices are visible.

[Manole]

I hold the comics as they scan them at the register, so they cant get their pizza greasy hands on them and then put them in my own comic book holder for transport.

[com1cbook]

Loadstone, yep I thought of that today. I should just carry boards and bags with me.

Today I fanned them out on the countertop so that every price was visible so that he didn't need to touch them at all. The guy in line right in front me, his books got mangled when they we put into the paper bag.

 

I miss the thrill of buying new books.

There are few out there that I think I would enjoy.

[fastballspecial]

Let go of your OCD?

 

If not order from DCBS they do an excellent of sending you very nice comics well packed.

 

Most LCS dont cater to the small % of the hobby that insists on perfect new copies.

 

Dont get me wrong there is a guy at my LCS that opens and looks at EVERY book until he finds his perfect copy. He will just plain tell you he has bad OCD. They tolerate him because he does spend quite a bit in the shop. Irritates the hell out of the rest of us though.

 

[kowings]

Hate to ask a stupid question, but what is DCBS?

[com1cbook]

What other commodity do I buy in life and I am supposed to ignore the cosmetic damage?

 

Like my old rusty pickup truck, I have lots of comics that are damaged from my love and affection and I adore those books. But the truck was brand new when I bought it, and I certainly would not have driven it off the lot with chipped paint thinking to myself "Don't be so OCD".

 

Should I pay full price for the bruised fruit at the grocery store?

 

I should probably see a therapist.

Well, I bought some books today. We'll see how it goes.

[Designer Toast]

There was one shop near here that just tosses the books up on some tiered racks and lets them all get bent to mess. This shop does a bit of everything, mainly Hello Kitty and Disney merch and his store is decent size.

 

I told the guy I'd buy more books from his shop if the books weren't as trashed. His response? Well, apparently "professional buyers" such as myself only represent 7% of comic buyers, according to him. So it wasn't worth his time to ensure the quality of the books.

 

I go to a smaller shop and the guys there treat all their customers like gold and they bag and board books going into your subscription box. The smaller shop will always get my business.

 

 

[James J]

Hate to ask a stupid question, but what is DCBS?

 

here let me help

[kowings]

thanks

[FineCollector]

I don't collect new books, but I buy plenty of copper drek to complete runs, and finding a cashier who can handle books properly is a rare treat.

 

I don't think you, as a customer, can train someone to handle books properly, or to care about the condition of your books. Either they have an eye for it, or they don't. I worked at my local store back when I was in college, and they learned to handle books the way I do, but a lot of that came from customers saying how much they liked how careful I was. Best you can do is find a cashier who does it right, and visibly thank them so the others hear it.

[Jaymole]

When I was young, my LCS had an employee there who was missing one hand due to a power tool accident. Instead, he had a hook, so all the books he handled had a hole going clean through the book. Very upsetting if you were a condition freak like me.

[ChrisInBaltimore]

Yea I've always been amazed by the handling of books in comic stores. They just sort of throw them around on the table. I've come to the conclusion that if you want a 9.8 modern, then just wait and buy the first few that hit the market graded. That probably isn't what people want to hear, but the LCS just trashes books.

 

The worst part: a lot of books don't even make it to the shelf anymore in NM. If you've ever opened a package of weekly comics, it is amazing how they are shipped to the store. The first time I was witness to it, I was horrified. This was in recent times too. It is incredible to imagine what the shipments must have looked like 30, 40, or even 50 years ago.

 

I like the bag and board method.

[mysterio]

I always take bags and boards when I go to buy new books, and just make sure the bar code faces out. Our LCS has one employee that my brother and I have nicknamed "ham fist", and we've gotten to the point that we will turn around and leave if that guy is working. He can bend books that are bagged and boarded no problem. It's horrifying watching that guy turn NM+s into VF-s in the blink of an eye, like that was actually his job.

[Rhymenoceros]

Getting a 9.8 home is often more challenging than finding one on rack. I've had good luck and bad luck with that. If I'm buying a book I really care about I usually put it in the middle of the stack, so if I notice the cashier being rough I'll ask them to please be careful. Most the time they are understanding... So by the time they get to the books I really "need" in good condition there's a chance my polite request will save it. For the most part my LCSs around here are good about handling with care though.

[Bookery]

I can certainly relate to everyone here. I have the same problems with my newspaper carrier. He was constantly rolling the newspaper every morning and putting it in the tube by the mailbox. And that's after the goons at the plant went and folded the thing! I've finally supplied him with stacks of 2 mil tabloid mylars and heavy-duty backer boards, and I get up early every morning to make sure he doesn't shove it in the screen door and I take possession of it directly. It costs me an extra $1300 per year in supplies, and a lot of sleep, but it's worth it!

 

 

 

[CheeseFrog]

[namisgr]

Well, it's a good point. Buy comics to read them and enjoy the stories, art, and intrigue, and you'll never have to concern yourself with their minty freshness.

[fastballspecial]

I can certainly relate to everyone here. I have the same problems with my newspaper carrier. He was constantly rolling the newspaper every morning and putting it in the tube by the mailbox. And that's after the goons at the plant went and folded the thing! I've finally supplied him with stacks of 2 mil tabloid mylars and heavy-duty backer boards, and I get up early every morning to make sure he doesn't shove it in the screen door and I take possession of it directly. It costs me an extra $1300 per year in supplies, and a lot of sleep, but it's worth it!