Are Local Comic Shops (LCS) necssary for the hobby to prosper?

[HouseofComics.Com]

I vote that the LCS is very important to keeping the hobby going, at least for now. Ask again in ten years.

 

Another reason why shops don't usually have back issues anymore isn't just online competition or the need for specialized knowledge, it's that there are too many of them now. it's very different from opening a store in 1988 and there being one long box of Amazing Spider-Man and another box that would hold just about every other Spider-Man comic. It's a question of space and sub-niches. You can't store these things and pay $2 to $3 a square foot month after month just waiting to attract the people who want the comics. (Having a small section of back counter books high on shelves is a different story--you can have 50-100 magazine boxes with a very high $$ value in a fairly small space). Trying to have ASM 301-750 in stock at all times doesn't really pay off and that's a top title. You've got your people who like 60s comics, the ones who 70s, the ones who want 80s, the ones who want indies, the ones who want stuff like Aliens and Predator, you just can't stock it all anymore and in a way, in 1988, you could. Just way too many comics published now per month, month after month.

[revat]

I vote that the LCS is very important to keeping the hobby going, at least for now. Ask again in ten years.

 

Another reason why shops don't usually have back issues anymore isn't just online competition or the need for specialized knowledge, it's that there are too many of them now. it's very different from opening a store in 1988 and there being one long box of Amazing Spider-Man and another box that would hold just about every other Spider-Man comic. It's a question of space and sub-niches. You can't store these things and pay $2 to $3 a square foot month after month just waiting to attract the people who want the comics. (Having a small section of back counter books high on shelves is a different story--you can have 50-100 magazine boxes with a very high $$ value in a fairly small space). Trying to have ASM 301-750 in stock at all times doesn't really pay off and that's a top title. You've got your people who like 60s comics, the ones who 70s, the ones who want 80s, the ones who want indies, the ones who want stuff like Aliens and Predator, you just can't stock it all anymore and in a way, in 1988, you could. Just way too many comics published now per month, month after month.

 

I agree

 

A lot of stores actually have more back issues available, but you have to ask for specific items or the tell you to look online. Yes the customer might miss out on the browsing experience, but the economics of store space makes it very tough

[Psithyrus]

The trip to the LCS is my favorite time of my week. I would be so bummed to not have that.

[rjrjr]

This is a really good question.

 

I don't visit a LCS anymore since all the nearby establishments have closed. For the past 6+ years, I have been buying from DCBS.

 

I don't miss:

 

1) mishandled comics

2) unfriendly service

3) seeing brand new comics being sold for more than cover because they are "HOT"

4) cover prices

5) having to make the drive to the store

6) high back issue prices

 

I do miss:

 

1) chatting with other collectors

2) looking at comics I otherwise wouldn't consider

 

Overall, I think most of what the Internet has to offer supplants anything good I got out of going to the comic shop. There are some terrific facebook comic discussions and this site isn't too shabby either. I don't know if comic shops are necessary for the hobby, but they haven't really been necessary for me to enjoy the hobby.

[Fan Boy]

I vote that the LCS is very important to keeping the hobby going, at least for now. Ask again in ten years.

 

Another reason why shops don't usually have back issues anymore isn't just online competition or the need for specialized knowledge, it's that there are too many of them now. it's very different from opening a store in 1988 and there being one long box of Amazing Spider-Man and another box that would hold just about every other Spider-Man comic. It's a question of space and sub-niches. You can't store these things and pay $2 to $3 a square foot month after month just waiting to attract the people who want the comics. (Having a small section of back counter books high on shelves is a different story--you can have 50-100 magazine boxes with a very high $$ value in a fairly small space). Trying to have ASM 301-750 in stock at all times doesn't really pay off and that's a top title. You've got your people who like 60s comics, the ones who 70s, the ones who want 80s, the ones who want indies, the ones who want stuff like Aliens and Predator, you just can't stock it all anymore and in a way, in 1988, you could. Just way too many comics published now per month, month after month.

 

I agree

 

A lot of stores actually have more back issues available, but you have to ask for specific items or the tell you to look online. Yes the customer might miss out on the browsing experience, but the economics of store space makes it very tough

 

HofC, what you said is exactly what I had noticed in some local LCSs around here. The number of new comics is lot more than what was then, and the time by years is greater in volumes in then and now. My favourite LCS doesn't have the full set for ASM #1-700 like that, sure they might have some numbers in 1-100, 300- 500, whatever. But not ALL, maybe say, 40-70 issues in counter file box. Same goes with other titles from years past.

 

I can remember back in 1980s, I would see near-full set in volume in counter file boxes by DC, Marvel or others. They were more available to pick to buy. But now? I'm lucky if I can find a nice copy. Or that I might have to put in a request to the owner to find me that specific copy. It is harder than what was in 1980s.

 

When eBay come up, it was a game changer. Then CGC, another game changer. Next whatever, yet another game changer! And that is what affects the LCS over the years slowly.

I've seen half a dozen stores gone closed in the last 5 years, I think?

 

For me, I have been going to LCS for almost 40 years and I still like to go in person. I still like to chat a bit with the owner on what's new in books, cons, or events. The difference is that I buy far less moderns than I did years ago. I am down to less than 5-6, soon to be few this year. At least I can still order TPB and volumes.

 

Yeah, this forums here replace the chat in LCS. But it can't duplicate the visual effects within the LCS. I like seeing all the comics and books on walls around. Plus, and the local small cons are great to keep in touch with other collectors.

[SupergirlDC1959]

Not for me I can find anything I need on Ebay (or other places like ComicLink) on almost any day of the week.....I don't even have to bother getting out of my comfortable home it all comes to me via mail.....I am grateful to live in the era I do as a collector!!

 

My local shops have nothing I want but I am happy they seem to still serve a purpose for some. But when I walked into my local shops last year it was a complete waste of my time....a lot of people where there but my taste in books was simply not satisfied at all.

 

Now if I had a comic book shop with nothing but GA and SA books (not just random books but key books and mega key books as well) and CGC graded books then yes I would happy to go there and spend some time looking threw that type of store (I would go a few times a year for sure as long as the material does not stay the same....unless that material is all mega key books I could spend my time drooling over those any time of the year). But that is not going to happen in my lifetime in my area or anywhere near it. It would be cool also if they had a nice selection of BA books as well but anything after that age is not for me.....and that is even pushing the limits on what I collect.....but they would they would prove to be great reading material.

 

But this type of store is nothing more than pure fantasy here in Canada.

[HouseofComics.Com]

Aren't there two board members with stores in Canada who have either really good back issues or do back issues only with no new comics? I believe so. I feel like the former was in western Canada and the latter was in Toronto.

[porcupine48]

Pendragon comics maybe?

[SupergirlDC1959]

Aren't there two board members with stores in Canada who have either really good back issues or do back issues only with no new comics? I believe so. I feel like the former was in western Canada and the latter was in Toronto.

 

Maybe so it would be very cool but in my city and anything in a 400 - 500km radius does not that is for sure.

[nocutename]

On the flip side, I don't think this younger generation has that nostalgia gene. They don't seem to embrace collecting or care about much of anything outside of their cell phone. That partnered with the geographic location and many having lack of travel means makes getting to hobby stores harder.

It's hard to be nostalgic about comics when you've never actually read comics as a kid.

 

I reckon majority of funding for this KickStarter is due to nostalgia from millennials who grew up watching the anime so I don't think it's accurate to say they're missing the "nostalgia gene". More than likely, practical concerns such as being able to pay rent and buy groceries override the desire for a $1000+ key.

 

 

I am sorry I thought they look to the parents to pay for such life necessity. I agree that it is hard to care about something that you didn't grow up with that is why I didn't mention comics in my sentence. My point is I find this younger generations seems cares about nothing. So collecting anything is slim. About the most passion I have seen from them are video games but I am not sure they would be spending money towards that as a hobby later on either. Lots of digital content that will have little collector's value.

 

Owing a $1k+ key is subjective to ones personal disposal income, investment and/or collecting pursuant. So it is more focus on what you want and can afford not what the other person has. It makes collecting more fun until the cost becomes too prohibitive for even the causal collector. Then that will shrink the hobby circle.

[nocutename]

I think with Half Price Books and the proliferation of graphic novels online (amazon et al), there is a shrinking market for a comics store. Someone was complaining on FB that the sales threads were basically a proxy for ebay and there were no more deals. Everyone is looking to flip, so the stores have to compete with all the online sellers that don't have the overhead. I don't know about new issues, but apparently they're flat to down.

 

So with having to order lots of dead stock to get the rare variants that everyone wants, having to compete with larger volume online sellers for graphic novels, and the flippers that will sell back issues without the expenses I don't see how an LCS can survive let alone prosper. Every time I see a thread about someone asking about opening a LCS, everyone says just burn your money and kick yourself in the nuts and you'll get the same effect.

 

It's odd, comics seem to be at an all time high in popularity and acceptance, yet the stores seem to be an endangered species. Cons, auction sites and online sellers are probably less risky endeavors, and they're all taking a piece of the pie.

 

Did you ever order from HPB or Amazon or Half.Ebay? Good luck on getting anything in like new condition or heck decent looking condition. Good luck on it not being completely bend or dinged up during shipping as it is thrown into an unpadded envelope with a hope and a pray. Those are the worst places to purchase books, IMO.

 

When I used to read a lot, I did purchase many of my TPBs online. It was cheaper than the LCS. However, I did make some purchases at the store. I purchased my full Flash by Johns run book by book at my LCS. It was a great experience, reading it then returning to get the next volume and discussing the book at the shop. Fond memories and for that I would never sell that set.

 

However, it isn't an expensive set to collect. Anything with a price point about 15.00 and I purchase online. Now if the shop were to give a 15% discount on trades, I probably would purchase more in store.

 

On the flip side, I don't think this younger generation has that nostalgia gene. They don't seem to embrace collecting or care about much of anything outside of their cell phone. That partnered with the geographic location and many having lack of travel means makes getting to hobby stores harder.

 

 

I've bought TPB from amazon. It doesn't really bother me that they're a little dinged up, comparable to what I've seen at LCS. Haven't bought new single issues in over ten years. I was reading the newly relaunched Iron Fist series among others, when they relaunched Iron Fist again. Plus the constant cross overs that you had to buy a title I wasn't interested in to follow the story. Finally, I noticed that paying $3 for a comic and reading it in ten minutes left me wondering why. I'm sure the people that want all new books to be 9.8 will buy local, but I think the people that buy them to read and read them will buy from online sellers.

 

My point is, the LCS is not necessary anymore. Lots of other alternatives to buy. Lots of other alternatives to sell. Lots of other alternatives to socialize on a much bigger scale.

 

I went to Tropic Comics back in high school days, and Phil's Comic Shoppe too. Phil sold baseball cards and was dead inside. Owner really didn't have much of a personality, especially when compared to John, and to a lesser extent Rob. As a teen I though John was the coolest. But he mocked and made fun of everyone. The Comics and Games Exchange out west was his favorite target, with all the books he'd display as "not for sale". Rob was funny as hell, but not at the expense of others. Changing song lyrics, etc. I think those behaviors would be seriously frowned upon today and they'd likely set up a safe zone outside for all those with hurt feelings. Ergo, no environment.

 

While there are alternative places to purchase items, there is a social side to comic collecting and reading as well. That is completely lost once you solely opt to purchase online. Personally, I am completely bothered by damage caused by shipping because the seller is too lazy to spend an extra minute to take pride in their work. It actually affects how I read the book too. Now I have lower grade books too that doesn't bother me of the condition because I made the choice to purchase a lower grade book. So for me there is a big difference. I want to get what I paid for.

 

Yes, there are lots of complaints about LCS employees. Not every LCS has a work cozy environment. But I have more enjoyment searching and pick up back issues and books from a LCS over internet purchases. The problem is many LCS do not carry a big back issue selection. Heck many of them have a pretty crummy paperback trade selection.

[aerischan]

I agree that it is hard to care about something that you didn't grow up with that is why I didn't mention comics in my sentence. My point is I find this younger generations seems cares about nothing. So collecting anything is slim. About the most passion I have seen from them are video games but I am not sure they would be spending money towards that as a hobby later on either. Lots of digital content that will have little collector's value.

 

Owing a $1k+ key is subjective to ones personal disposal income, investment and/or collecting pursuant. So it is more focus on what you want and can afford not what the other person has. It makes collecting more fun until the cost becomes too prohibitive for even the causal collector. Then that will shrink the hobby circle.

I'm part of that younger generation and we do collect stuff. I know people my age or younger who collect books, shot glasses, pins, Funko Pops, Blu-rays/DVDs, Gundams or pop-culture novelties (Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Twilight, etc). Some prefer to travel and collect experiences rather than physical goods.

 

Heck, Loot Crate has enough subscribers to put Big Trouble Little China/Escape From New York #1 on top of the Diamond October 2016 sales charts.

 

With anime, I've noticed instead of releasing inexpensive Blu-rays and DVDs for watching, the business model seems to be slowly changing to watching/streaming via Crunchyroll and then releasing $$ collector's/limited edition Blu-ray sets such as this one for those who want to collect the physical media.

 

There are also plenty of crooks on ebay who make a living taking advantage of collectors by selling expensive fakes.

 

Batman: The Complete Animated Series

Authentic $395 (this really is pretty hard to find and I've seen auctions years ago for sealed, brand-new sell for higher)

Bootleg $94

 

Since this is a 90s series, I reckon this one primarily appeals to Millennial (defined as born early 80s to mid-90s/early 2000s) collectors.

[1Cool]

I wonder how many loot crate comics get read and then tossed (if read at all). But I guess comics were always meant to be disposable reading.

[aerischan]

I wonder how many loot crate comics get read and then tossed (if read at all). But I guess comics were always meant to be disposable reading.

How many Loot Crate comics are actually worth reading let alone keeping?

 

I think most people who subscribe to Loot Crate are probably more interested in collecting the other goodies rather than the comics.

[1Cool]

There will always be examples of young (25 and younger) people who have a vast collection of certain things but I think we can all agree the number of collectors seems to be drastically dropping with each generation. And the number of comic book collectors seems to be dropping fast but not nearly as fast as sports card or many other outlets. Let's just be happy there are a ton of 35 - 70 year olds still buying books (for now) - but do we need actual comic shops to do it?

[1Cool]

I wonder how many loot crate comics get read and then tossed (if read at all). But I guess comics were always meant to be disposable reading.

How many Loot Crate comics are actually worth reading let alone keeping?

 

I think most people who subscribe to Loot Crate are probably more interested in collecting the other goodies rather than the comics.

 

100% agree. The comic books are something to be pushed aside to get to the shirt and the cool Pop. Unless they hear the comic is going for $50 on E-Bay the comic book may as well not be in the box for a large percentage of younger people.

[Goldeneye]

There will always be examples of young (25 and younger) people who have a vast collection of certain things but I think we can all agree the number of collectors seems to be drastically dropping with each generation. And the number of comic book collectors seems to be dropping fast but not nearly as fast as sports card or many other outlets. Let's just be happy there are a ton of 35 - 70 year olds still buying books (for now) - but do we need actual comic shops to do it?

 

The truth is no we do not need comic shops to be able to get comics. The reality is if you walk into my local successful comic shops they are game stores, toy stores, merchandise other than comics, and clothing stores first before comics. They needed to do that to be successful. Yet they are not truly comic shops and they even admit online sales is where back issues sales and there is no market for back issues in shops.

 

 

[aerischan]

There will always be examples of young (25 and younger) people who have a vast collection of certain things but I think we can all agree the number of collectors seems to be drastically dropping with each generation. And the number of comic book collectors seems to be dropping fast but not nearly as fast as sports card or many other outlets. Let's just be happy there are a ton of 35 - 70 year olds still buying books (for now) - but do we need actual comic shops to do it?

The purchase of non-essentials ties in to disposable income. Factor in rising rents (I believe going rate for 500 sq ft studios in my area are now $1500-2000) and expensive real estate (2BD/1BR condos are ~$500K) with stagnant wages and the first thing people are gonna cut are the luxury items.

 

For me, the LCS is nice to have but not a necessity. I'm new to the hobby. Got introduced via the digital side (Marvel Unlimited) and started patronizing the LCS because of Marvel's free digital copy with printed comics. However, most of my purchasing is because of recommendations via social media or sampling first volumes/issues. Now that Marvel will stop providing free digital copies, I'll but cutting down Marvel subscriptions and will stop sampling new titles. It's a good thing DC ran a Comixology 50% off sale on Rebirth #1s on Black Friday and I started reading a number of Image titles via Comixology Unlimited or I would stop going to the LCS altogether.

[Ken Aldred]

There will always be examples of young (25 and younger) people who have a vast collection of certain things but I think we can all agree the number of collectors seems to be drastically dropping with each generation. And the number of comic book collectors seems to be dropping fast but not nearly as fast as sports card or many other outlets. Let's just be happy there are a ton of 35 - 70 year olds still buying books (for now) - but do we need actual comic shops to do it?

 

The truth is no we do not need comic shops to be able to get comics. The reality is if you walk into my local successful comic shops they are game stores, toy stores, merchandise other than comics, and clothing stores first before comics. They needed to do that to be successful. Yet they are not truly comic shops and they even admit online sales is where back issues sales and there is no market for back issues in shops.

 

 

The local Forbidden Planet has looked more like a toy store with the comics secondary, down in the basement, for quite a number of years now. How different it is to the original London comic book shop.

[Goldeneye]

There will always be examples of young (25 and younger) people who have a vast collection of certain things but I think we can all agree the number of collectors seems to be drastically dropping with each generation. And the number of comic book collectors seems to be dropping fast but not nearly as fast as sports card or many other outlets. Let's just be happy there are a ton of 35 - 70 year olds still buying books (for now) - but do we need actual comic shops to do it?

 

The truth is no we do not need comic shops to be able to get comics. The reality is if you walk into my local successful comic shops they are game stores, toy stores, merchandise other than comics, and clothing stores first before comics. They needed to do that to be successful. Yet they are not truly comic shops and they even admit online sales is where back issues sales and there is no market for back issues in shops.

 

 

The local Forbidden Planet has looked more like a toy store with the comics secondary, down in the basement, for quite a number of years now. How different it is to the original London comic book shop.

 

Forbidden Planet I always thought of that shop as the exclusive signing shop for actors in the U.K. for when science fiction DVDs/BluRays are released there