Introducing...BLINDBOX COMICS!

[Still Only 35c]

Wanted to share this Jason Adams handcut variant I got in my most recent Blindbox with everyone.

 

 

Soooo awesome!

[Jacey]

Last Blindbox had 2 Aftershock titles, great reads!

[Jackhartmann]

Wow, Liking that Leia

[raynetripper]

I have to say I'm incredibly disappointed to see that BlindBox is also auctioning copies of the super limited 1/50 embossed sketch edition variants of Dept.H by Matt Kindt on their ebay account (http://www.ebay.com/usr/comiconart!!). Not only does this decrease the odds of subscribers having a chance to receive a limited edition, but it's also like a slap in the face to all the people who were really hoping to find one in this month's box, since they obviously didn't include them all randomly as they claimed.

 

 

(http://www.ebay.com/itm/DEPT-H-1-Matt-Kindt-Blindbox-Comics-EMBOSSED-ARTIST-SERIES-33-50-NM-Mind-MGMT-/371627788339)

 

Other than that, every comic in this month's box is a first issue that's already been out for well over a month and all the titles have already moved on to their second issues before BlindBox even sent out the first issues to subscribers as "new" titles. I feel like I got totally ripped off on the hope of maybe receiving something special for my money. A card? A sticker? Maybe a thank you?? Nope! Nothing.

 

There's your honest review.

 

 

[rich_TMNT]

.....

 

There's your honest review.

 

Blindbox is frustrating. I'm completely with you on this...your frustrations are valid. So you know, they did this as well with the TMNT Shredder that was "only available to 12-month Blindvariant subscribers." But they turned around and made that freely available for direct purchase just a few months later to anyone (not just subscribers). Made my two 1 year subscriptions pretty much unnecessary. But I can understand why they're doing it...they need to offload these issues. They've gotta be sitting on thousands of copies of variants right now. If you don't have the subscriber base to offload all these books via subscription what other option do you have than to try and sell them off? And there's really been no communication about HOW they go about distributing these "rare" variants to subscribers. Out of 50 limited copies of Dept. H how many of those do you think went out to subscribers? They don't tell you what ratio of books go where and to whom. Obviously not all of them went to subscribers if they're selling some on eBay. And that's a really poor message to subscribers that support the service (like me) but open their envelope(s) to find two copies of the regular color version.

 

But I kept my subscriptions to see if I could recoup my money by reselling any rare variants I might receive. Unfortunately, it turns out that these Blindvariant issues are pretty much worthless. I got two of the rare die-cut Star Wars issues (one Leia and one Chewbacca) and thought I might get a nice profit with those. NOPE! Leia sold for $7.55 and Chewbacca for $6.66.

 

Honestly, Blindbox as a service is a creative idea and some of these issues (like the Star Wars die-cut) are cool. But I'm a Turtles collector and have zero desire for Star Wars, Dept. H, G.I. Joe, etc. So, to get my TMNT I have to suffer through these zero-value books every month until a Turtles month. At least they're offering all the variants for direct sale now.

 

Given the cost of creating variants, it's a business model that can't sustain itself without a massive subscriber base...but I wish them the best. Like I said, I'm only a subscriber to get the TMNT books. Once TMNT is out of Blindbox, so am I.

[Kyle R.]

I have to say I'm incredibly disappointed to see that BlindBox is also auctioning copies of the super limited 1/50 embossed sketch edition variants of Dept.H by Matt Kindt on their ebay account (http://www.ebay.com/usr/comiconart!!). Not only does this decrease the odds of subscribers having a chance to receive a limited edition, but it's also like a slap in the face to all the people who were really hoping to find one in this month's box, since they obviously didn't include them all randomly as they claimed.

 

 

 

Other than that, every comic in this month's box is a first issue that's already been out for well over a month and all the titles have already moved on to their second issues before BlindBox even sent out the first issues to subscribers as "new" titles. I feel like I got totally ripped off on the hope of maybe receiving something special for my money. A card? A sticker? Maybe a thank you?? Nope! Nothing.

 

There's your honest review.

 

Holy mess ! I didn't know they were selling the comics on Ebay. WTF !!

It is a slap in the face to the subscribers.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, it turns out that these Blindvariant issues are pretty much worthless.

 

They join the ranks of 4 Color Grails and other "variant subscription" companies...... in the ground.

[jjeanius]

I have to say I'm incredibly disappointed to see that BlindBox is also auctioning copies of the super limited 1/50 embossed sketch edition variants of Dept.H by Matt Kindt on their ebay account (http://www.ebay.com/usr/comiconart!!). Not only does this decrease the odds of subscribers having a chance to receive a limited edition, but it's also like a slap in the face to all the people who were really hoping to find one in this month's box, since they obviously didn't include them all randomly as they claimed.

 

 

(http://www.ebay.com/itm/DEPT-H-1-Matt-Kindt-Blindbox-Comics-EMBOSSED-ARTIST-SERIES-33-50-NM-Mind-MGMT-/371627788339)

 

Other than that, every comic in this month's box is a first issue that's already been out for well over a month and all the titles have already moved on to their second issues before BlindBox even sent out the first issues to subscribers as "new" titles. I feel like I got totally ripped off on the hope of maybe receiving something special for my money. A card? A sticker? Maybe a thank you?? Nope! Nothing.

 

There's your honest review.

 

Welcome to the boards!

 

We are always happy to answer any questions you might have about print runs, odds, distribution methods, etc.

 

We try to be as transparent about everything as possible, and to this end we always announce all print runs, and the corresponding odds of receiving each variant each month. The information regarding this month's Dept H Blindvariant can be found HERE , and it is also clearly listed on the Blindvariant product page in the store. Again, they are as follows:

 

Color variant - print run of 800 (out of 1000 total books) - 4:5 odds of receiving this book

B/W partial sketch blank - edition of 150 - 3:20 odds of receiving this book

Signed/Sketched OA cover - edition of 50 - 1:20 odds of receiving this book

 

These odds will always be strictly honored. As such, if we need 207 copies to fulfill all of our orders for the month (as an example), then we will blind bag a total of 220 copies to maintain the correct odds for all books that are "Blindvariants". We then ship 207 of them at random, and maintain the extra 13 copies on hand for future orders. We then repeat this process (as necessary) whenever we need more Blindvariants.

 

Each and every month, we get requests to make each cover available for individual purchase. This is something that we have struggled with in-house, as we like the randomness of Blindvariant, and the fact that our customers have a chance to get something much rarer (and quite possibly more valuable), at no additional cost above and beyond the flat price for Blindvariant. In previous months, in an attempt to make everyone happy, we have acquiesced, and made the rarer variants available for individual purchase at a higher price point. For those that like the luck involved with Blindvariant, the opportunity is still there to get a rarer/more valuable book by chance. For those that would rather not play the odds, they have the opportunity to just buy the rarer book if that is their preference. One thing we have learned, though: It is impossible to make everyone happy! And to be clear: In each and every instance where all variants have been made available for individual purchase, the print run has been split (where a certain number of copies are allocated for individual sale, and a certain number of copies are blindbagged in accordance with the stated print run distribution / odds). If we get to a point where we no longer have enough copies of a particular variant to maintain the odds, then the "Blindvariant" for that book is no longer an option for purchase.

 

So...this month, with Dept H, we decided to finally stick with our original business model, by not offering the rarer books on the site for individual purchase. Again, we received several emails asking for an opportunity to just buy the OA covers. So...we put exactly one copy on eBay to give those people the opportunity to get the book that they wanted, and started the auction at a penny, with no reserve. We certainly did not expect it to blow up as it has. We would hope that would make our customers even more excited about the 1:20 chance of receiving such a book for $13.99. Obviously, though, when offering something rare that is distributed by chance, most customers will not receive the book that everyone wants.

 

This month, we randomly included two golden tickets with a few of the Color Blindvariants. Instead of just receiving the color Blindvariant, these two customers are now also receiving CGC SS copies of the OA variants for Dept H. This was just an unannounced bonus for our subscribers - and these two SS copies were IN ADDITION to the copies needed to fulfill the print run odds - so we actually shipped two EXTRA art copies. Here are pics we just received from each lucky winner:

 

 

 

We always endeavor to give our customers more than they paid for. In some cases, this means shipping an extra book each month as a bonus. In other cases, we will work with creators to get autographed copies of books for everyone. We are always looking for opportunities to exceed expectations, and to deliver more than promised.

 

For this reason, it's always tough to hear from customers that are disappointed in Blindbox Comics. Again, though - we are always happy to address any such questions, and you can reach us directly through the site at any time. We are sorry if anyone feels slighted in any way. That certainly was not our intention. This has very much been a learning process for us since day one, and we will continue to try to find ways to improve the product that we offer, and ways to reward our subscribers for their trust in us.

[raynetripper]

.....

 

We try to be as transparent about everything as possible, and to this end we always announce all print runs, and the corresponding odds of receiving each variant each month.

 

.....

 

Again, we received several emails asking for an opportunity to just buy the OA covers. So...we put exactly one copy on eBay to give those people the opportunity to get the book that they wanted, and started the auction at a penny, with no reserve. We certainly did not expect it to blow up as it has.

 

 

I feel like transparency would have been announcing to your subscribers that you were also auctioning off copies out of the limited 50 that exist.

 

You said "to give those people the opportunity to get the book that they wanted" but it seems like the only ones who get an opportunity there are the one person who gives you the most money, and you of course. How much did the golden tickets sell for?

[cbalroman]

Copies or 1 copy?

[raynetripper]

Exactly. How does anyone know? Who's to say how many they really insert randomly, or how many they keep to auction, or how many they purposefully hold onto to sell for top dollar down the line when rich collectors come calling? They already lost my trust, even if it's just one copy that got sold to the highest bidder instead of being sent to a fan who thought they had a chance.

[ExcludedTim]

It looks pretty clear as to what Court said in regards to distribution. There may not have been as many subscribers to get the randomly inserted 1/50 versions. Plus he also stated that things are overprinted. Sounds like you're just sour about losing out on the 1/20 odds.

[jjeanius]

Exactly. How does anyone know? Who's to say how many they really insert randomly, or how many they keep to auction, or how many they purposefully hold onto to sell for top dollar down the line when rich collectors come calling? They already lost my trust, even if it's just one copy that got sold to the highest bidder instead of being sent to a fan who thought they had a chance.

 

1.) We listed exactly ONE copy on eBay

 

2.) Since we cannot predict the number of orders we will receive for any given book, we do not know how many copies we will have left over until all orders are filled. Obviously, all subscription and website orders are filled first, and so this ONE book was only made available via eBay once it was clear that we had remaining inventory left over. If we had sold all 1000 copies of the print run via Blindvariant, then we would not have anything to offer on eBay. That, however, was not the case. And – as we are a business, in the business of selling comic books - it makes more sense to do whatever we can to drum up sales, and interest in the products that we offer, rather than just sitting on piles of unsold inventory. One such way to do so is via an eBay auction, which may receive a lot more eyes than other sales channels, etc, and help to increase brand awareness. ALSO: While we ARE obligated to honor all stated odds when fulfilling Blindvariant orders, we ARE NOT obligated to sell every book of every print run via Blindvariant. If we do not receive enough orders to sell the entire print run via BV, we are certainly free to attempt to sell them via other methods. That being said, first priority will ALWAYS go to BV sales.

 

3.) We shipped more OA covers this month than strictly dictated by the print run odds. The print run odds were observed with all Blindvariants, and we also added two extra CGC SS copies of the OA cover that were given away via Golden Ticket.

 

4.) The Golden Tickets were sent out randomly to two subscribers at no additional cost. As with any of the other “bonus items” sent as part of our subscriptions (signed books, CGC books, original published art, sketch covers, etc), there is no additional charge for anything that you might receive in your box - just the same flat monthly subscription price for the product and tier selected.

 

5.) As with any business, trust is built on a company's word, and reputation. If you do not take us at our word, then that is certainly your prerogative - although we have given you as much transparency as possible, by stating exact print runs, odds, and also an explanation as to how orders are fulfilled and books are batched for blindbagging, etc.

 

6.) We strictly observe all print run odds for all books sold as Blindvariants. Obviously, the integrity of such a product is paramount, and we take it very seriously. We know that the product simply will not work if the integrity of said product is called into question. That being said, this is why I am willing to spend so much time addressing these issues, even when I do not know who you are, or why you are going out of your way to express such displeasure with our business practices. You created an account here to begin this conversation, and you also created a blank Facebook page and Twitter account just to reiterate the same displeasure on those sites as well. So: Who are you, and what did we do to upset you so? As I have already stated, we would be happy to discuss any potential customer concerns directly with our customers – but you have gone out of your way to make this conversation as public as possible, while making your identity as anonymous as possible. Why…?

 

[cbalroman]

I agree that the OP has sour grapes. One copy was sold in n eBay. Who cares. Court and Blindbox has done great with getting cool items out to collectors. The Golden Tickets for the CGC books was awesome for them to do!

[Solar]

Exactly. How does anyone know? Who's to say how many they really insert randomly, or how many they keep to auction, or how many they purposefully hold onto to sell for top dollar down the line when rich collectors come calling? They already lost my trust, even if it's just one copy that got sold to the highest bidder instead of being sent to a fan who thought they had a chance.

 

I think you're missing the stated odds. Each box has a 1:20 shot at the top variant. If Blindbox doesn't sell 1000 boxes (which they clearly didn't) then they will have copies remaining. Obviously, they are free to do as they wish with the unsold copies. If that means putting one on ebay, I don't see any harm.

 

It's never a good strategy for a small kickstarted business to sit on unsold inventory or just give it away to entitled customers.

[cbalroman]

Normally I'm just a loser, but today I'm a winner!!

 

 

[jjeanius]

Hey, sweet...! Congrats Chuck!

[ebtorres]

Normally I'm just a loser, but today I'm a winner!!

 

 

[James J]

Awesome Chuck

 

Any WD coming down the pike?

I'm ok with direct single sales

or if we need to I can go with the blind case

For WD of course.........

[ebtorres]

Awesome Chuck

 

Any WD coming down the pike?

I'm ok with direct single sales

or if we need to I can go with the blind case

For WD of course.........

 

You freaking Walking Dead Whoreder!

 

That's the correct spelling, right?

[LarrysComics]

Exactly. How does anyone know? Who's to say how many they really insert randomly, or how many they keep to auction, or how many they purposefully hold onto to sell for top dollar down the line when rich collectors come calling? They already lost my trust, even if it's just one copy that got sold to the highest bidder instead of being sent to a fan who thought they had a chance.

 

1.) We listed exactly ONE copy on eBay

 

2.) Since we cannot predict the number of orders we will receive for any given book, we do not know how many copies we will have left over until all orders are filled. Obviously, all subscription and website orders are filled first, and so this ONE book was only made available via eBay once it was clear that we had remaining inventory left over. If we had sold all 1000 copies of the print run via Blindvariant, then we would not have anything to offer on eBay. That, however, was not the case. And – as we are a business, in the business of selling comic books - it makes more sense to do whatever we can to drum up sales, and interest in the products that we offer, rather than just sitting on piles of unsold inventory. One such way to do so is via an eBay auction, which may receive a lot more eyes than other sales channels, etc, and help to increase brand awareness. ALSO: While we ARE obligated to honor all stated odds when fulfilling Blindvariant orders, we ARE NOT obligated to sell every book of every print run via Blindvariant. If we do not receive enough orders to sell the entire print run via BV, we are certainly free to attempt to sell them via other methods. That being said, first priority will ALWAYS go to BV sales.

 

3.) We shipped more OA covers this month than strictly dictated by the print run odds. The print run odds were observed with all Blindvariants, and we also added two extra CGC SS copies of the OA cover that were given away via Golden Ticket.

 

4.) The Golden Tickets were sent out randomly to two subscribers at no additional cost. As with any of the other “bonus items” sent as part of our subscriptions (signed books, CGC books, original published art, sketch covers, etc), there is no additional charge for anything that you might receive in your box - just the same flat monthly subscription price for the product and tier selected.

 

5.) As with any business, trust is built on a company's word, and reputation. If you do not take us at our word, then that is certainly your prerogative - although we have given you as much transparency as possible, by stating exact print runs, odds, and also an explanation as to how orders are fulfilled and books are batched for blindbagging, etc.

 

6.) We strictly observe all print run odds for all books sold as Blindvariants. Obviously, the integrity of such a product is paramount, and we take it very seriously. We know that the product simply will not work if the integrity of said product is called into question. That being said, this is why I am willing to spend so much time addressing these issues, even when I do not know who you are, or why you are going out of your way to express such displeasure with our business practices. You created an account here to begin this conversation, and you also created a blank Facebook page and Twitter account just to reiterate the same displeasure on those sites as well. So: Who are you, and what did we do to upset you so? As I have already stated, we would be happy to discuss any potential customer concerns directly with our customers – but you have gone out of your way to make this conversation as public as possible, while making your identity as anonymous as possible. Why…?

 

but you have gone out of your way to make this conversation as public as possible, while making your identity as anonymous as possible. Why…?

 

Because.

He is a " vindictive lunatic"

Safe harbored here on the CGC boards with licence to drag you down.

 

That's how it works here.