Potential Wizard bankruptcy???

[blazingbob]

Would make it a lot easier when I am asked to let customers hold the book so that they can have their picture taken with it.

 

 

[batman_fan]

 

The $100 buyer. Am I seeing this buyer at my booth? Very rarely and they are generally looking at low grade, may buy one book. A lot of these buyers are the ones who ask "I'm just curious, how much is the AF #15?"

 

 

I'm curious: Is the price of the AF #15 clear for all to see or is there no price on it? If there is no price on it, would putting a price on it relieve you of what must be a really annoying question?

 

You're missing the humor in the post. It's meant to be 'tongue in cheek' post.

 

Sellers often 'regret' putting books like Hulk #181 and AF #15 up for sale because 'how much is it' is almost invariably followed up by one of the following

 

a) my used to have one

b) I used to have one but my mom threw it out (to which I reply, thank God for moms throwing out comics - I wouldn't have a business if they kept them all!)

c) I have one. Just wanted to know how much they go for.

d) I wish I had one (me too!)

 

Usually about 200-300 times a show.

 

Absolutely true. The glamour life I lead. Much like a bartender I am behind the table to hear your stories of motherly woe, your triumphs and failures in collecting and the things you could have bought if your horrible mother hadn't thrown out your treasured possessions. Sadly I am not tipped while you are telling those stories.

 

Nothing says you can't put a tip jar out at conventions

[VintageComics]

These two posts go together.

 

Would make it a lot easier when I am asked to let customers hold the book so that they can have their picture taken with it.

 

Nothing says you can't put a tip jar out at conventions

 

[VintageComics]

As far as the stories go they get a little old since I've been in the comic business since 1973.

 

God, I can only imagine...

 

A couple of years ago a pretty prominent international dealer put up a sign in his booth.

 

"Don't ask how much the !#$#@!#@! Hulk #181 is. It's not for !@#$%@!#$ sale! @#$%$%Q"

 

[NoMan]

As far as the stories go they get a little old since I've been in the comic business since 1973.

 

God, I can only imagine...

 

A couple of years ago a pretty prominent international dealer put up a sign in his booth.

 

"Don't ask how much the !#$#@!#@! Hulk #181 is. It's not for !@#$%@!#$ sale! @#$%$%Q"

 

 

Is this another joke? I don't get it.

[VintageComics]

As far as the stories go they get a little old since I've been in the comic business since 1973.

 

God, I can only imagine...

 

A couple of years ago a pretty prominent international dealer put up a sign in his booth.

 

"Don't ask how much the !#$#@!#@! Hulk #181 is. It's not for !@#$%@!#$ sale! @#$%$%Q"

 

 

Is this another joke? I don't get it.

 

They were so annoyed at people asking about the book and not buying it that they put up a sign to discourage people from asking about it.

 

It was funny at the time.

[Sqeggs]

As far as the stories go they get a little old since I've been in the comic business since 1973.

 

God, I can only imagine...

 

A couple of years ago a pretty prominent international dealer put up a sign in his booth.

 

"Don't ask how much the !#$#@!#@! Hulk #181 is. It's not for !@#$%@!#$ sale! @#$%$%Q"

 

 

Is this another joke? I don't get it.

 

The exact words I've said when looking at the stickers on some dealers' books!

[NoMan]

Growing up my LCS tried an experiment: They took a nothing, essentially dollar-value zero book, bagged and boarded and put a high price tag on it and put it up on the wall.

 

It sold.

 

They did it again to a nothing book.

 

It sold.

[Silver Surfer]

This is all Roy's fault.

[lizards2]

Well..., greggy's not here. :shrug:

[Columbia Comics]

Well..., greggy's not here. :shrug:

 

But Bob and Tupenny both are....so now the thread is a thread!

 

Oh yeah...Roy doped by too

[greggy]

Well..., greggy's not here. :shrug:

[Logan510]

So, when can we expect the Imaginarium LLC version of the Chicago Comicon?

[BlowUpTheMoon]

Well..., greggy's not here. :shrug:

[wombat]

Philly would be a great show if they actually had people selling comics. Now if you like Funko Pops, you are in for a real treat.

[blazingbob]

Greg Reece and I were selling comics in Philly.

 

Had a lot of comics for sale.

 

I guess we don't count.

 

I have done a lot of philly shows over the years.

 

I've done Derek shows, I've done a lot of Wizard Philly shows.

 

It isn't like the comic collecting base in PA supports the dealers that do the shows which is why they don't come back. The fact that dealers aren't there is because they are not making money. Believe me, if dealers/retailers are making money at a show they will put up with a PITA promoter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wombat]

Greg Reece and I were selling comics in Philly.

 

Had a lot of comics for sale.

 

I guess we don't count.

 

I have done a lot of philly shows over the years.

 

I've done Derek shows, I've done a lot of Wizard Philly shows.

 

It isn't like the comic collecting base in PA supports the dealers that do the shows which is why they don't come back. The fact that dealers aren't there is because they are not making money. Believe me, if dealers/retailers are making money at a show they will put up with a PITA promoter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course I wasn't saying there were zero dealers. That is just silly. There were a HANDFUL of dealers. It was pretty ridiculous if you were looking for any kind of variety of sellers. And personally it doesn't matter why they weren't there. They just weren't. Which makes it the last time I would ever shell out $30 to go again.

[blazingbob]

Your quote "Philly would be a great show if they actually had people selling comics"

 

Sorry but this is why shows die since for every poster there is are a number of lurkers who are not posting and word of mouth gets around.

 

And since I don't know what a "variety of sellers" means I will ask you to clarify what does a variety of sellers mean?

 

A number? Modern, Bronze, Gold, dollar books? Are you expecting dealers to come back year after year if they don't make money doing the show?

 

Clearly you have expectations and I'm guessing that you didn't email Wizard and complain or say something to the sales team.

 

.

[wombat]

If someone actually thinks there were zero comic sellers based on my comment then they have way bigger problems than comic books. A variety of sellers means more than a few. I like to visit a lot of booths and see what people have. Different booths sell different stuff.

 

I expect comic shows to have lots of comic sellers. I don't care why they don't. That's not my job. Did I email Wizard? Nope. I just cross it off my list of shows. If my grocery store starts having terrible selection I just go somewhere else. I'm not going to take it up with them when there are plenty of alternatives.

[Foolkiller]

If someone actually thinks there were zero comic sellers based on my comment then they have way bigger problems than comic books. A variety of sellers means more than a few. I like to visit a lot of booths and see what people have. Different booths sell different stuff.

 

I expect comic shows to have lots of comic sellers. I don't care why they don't. That's not my job. Did I email Wizard? Nope. I just cross it off my list of shows. If my grocery store starts having terrible selection I just go somewhere else. I'm not going to take it up with them when there are plenty of alternatives.

 

Philly, which was once an awesome show, has fewer dealers over the years because dealers (across all genres and price ranges) stopped being able to sell to the attendees. I've been to every single WW Philly. So yes, you're saying you're not going anymore, and the reason there's no more dealers is the customers aren't there. So of course it's not your responsibility to put dealers in the room, but when they did, not enough of the buyers spent money with the dealers to continue bringing them back. It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

 

That said, Wizard made the booth prices so high that any local or regional dealers who you may not otherwise see stopped doing the show. Nobody was going to go to a Wizard show to set up and sell their collection. The smaller one day shows aren't great for a large national dealer, but they are great to see smaller dealers and the buying and selection at (for example) John Paul's New Jersey shows and others like them is as good as many national shows, with less hassle and almost as many comics.