I Feel Bad For Shop Owners 0

[NoMan]

14 hours ago, kav said:

My LCS buddy got so sick of it he doesnt even ask what they have he just says A1 will give you the most for your books and gets off phone asap.

is A1 another local shop? (Sacramento, California?) If so I could possibly see why they might get angry, unless they enjoy these kinds of encounter we're discussing.

[FineCollector]

19 hours ago, lighthouse said:

But we aren't a store that competes on price. We compete on customer service and selection (and somewhat on convenience). A store who is strongly competing on price is going to have a far harder time defusing the Amazon landmine. We just chose to go another way.

Standing by your pricing is essential. Once you start wheeling and dealing, you train your customers that none of your prices are valid, and they won't ever be happy unless you give up something.  You end up pricing higher to be able to deal down, and scare away customers who don't want to haggle.  It's a bad way to do business.

[newshane]

On 11/1/2018 at 9:50 AM, the blob said:

Who are trying to run a decent store, provide customer service, etc.

I am in a shop the other day and I guess a semi-regular is in there too, although I don't recognize him, the employees do. He pulls a TPB off the rack (he's probably buying other stuff). Anyway, I think the store gives 10% off for file customers anyway. And he goes to the owner telling him that he can get the TPB for $5.50 less on amazon, but he wants to support the store, is willing to pay a little more, etc...So the shop owner lets him have it for $1.50 more than the Amazon price, $4 less than retail. (This, of course, assumes Prime with no shipping and no sales tax). I guess the reference to Amazon is what might be irking me, how about "can I get this for $14, I have seen it for a little less than that elsewhere" rather than  referencing half of what is probably going to put this guy out of business eventually. Now, I understand if TPBs are 50% at wholesale (this was not a closeout type book), he has still made $4.50 on the sale, but I kind of find this shoving Amazon pricing in his face a bit much, even if done respectfully, albeit within earshot of other customers. The owner if willing to negotiate a little, but usually on back issues or whatever. I don't think it is unreasonable to have new TPBs on the rack at cover price..he does 40-75% discounts all the time on various items. And I respect the guy because when folks come in to sell him good stuff (not stuff he offers 5 cents each for) he is willing to go over them with the seller and say what he will charge and what he is willing to pay, etc.

It boils down to the fact that your average person is a greedy animal, willing to risk anything for an extra dollar, an extra meter or two on the Interstate, a spot in line at Wal-mart, etc. 

No respect. No consideration. No empathy. No decency. 

*bows* 

Thank you for allowing me to rant about the simian hell, AKA "humanity", in which I am trapped. 

 

[FineCollector]

15 hours ago, kav said:

My LCS buddy got so sick of it he doesnt even ask what they have he just says A1 will give you the most for your books and gets off phone asap.

Based on all of your LCS stories, I can safely say your friend is a terrible store owner.  A storefront gives you opportunities no one else has.  Even if you know it's drek, you don't have to spend a lot of time on it, but you always want to look.

[newshane]

I gave up on Mile High when I walked into their retail location in Denver. 

1. Beat-to-death moderns listed for 20-30X guide OR GPA. 

2. Numerous buckets around the floor that were necessary to capture the water dripping down from the leaking roof. 

3. A sales clerk who has no idea what I was talking about when I asked "where are the ECs?" 

It's like window shopping. Totally enjoyable to browse...pointless to buy. 

[kav]

1 hour ago, FineCollector said:

Based on all of your LCS stories, I can safely say your friend is a terrible store owner.  A storefront gives you opportunities no one else has.  Even if you know it's drek, you don't have to spend a lot of time on it, but you always want to look.

He runs a very successful shop and every single time he does something that makes no sense to me he explains why and its completely logical.  In this case he said no one ever comes in with anything good, and they always get angry at him.  No upside so he doesnt want to deal with it.  They also many times want him to valuate their collection.  The few times someone came in with decent stuff he spent a couple hours going thru it and gave em an offer and they said thx no counter offer no nuthin.  Just wanted a free valuation of their collection.  He is very busy as he runs a successful shop and does not have time for nonsense.  Now Brian at A1 can whip thru a collection in seconds flat he has an incredible knowledge of books so if someone is wasting his time theyre not gonna waste much of it.

Edited November 2, 2018 by kav

[kav]

1 hour ago, NoMan said:

is A1 another local shop? (Sacramento, California?) If so I could possibly see why they might get angry, unless they enjoy these kinds of encounter we're discussing.

yep.  

[Number 6]

On 11/1/2018 at 11:28 AM, Black_Adam said:

I would much rather buy a TPB in new condition than roll the dice with Amazon shipping and have to return the TPB when it arrives with the cover torn and a corner banged after being shipped loose in a bubble envelope (I am in the process of returning two trades that arrived in exactly that condition as I type this post).  Amazon...

 

That’s the first thing the popped in my head. 

Shop owner should have said: “Sure, I’ll give it to you for the Amazon price...if I first put in a bubble mailer 4 times too big with no protection and let tumble in a dryer for an hour so you can get the COMPLETE Amazon experience”

There’s a reason why Amazon offers them so much cheaper. 

Edited November 2, 2018 by Number 6

[kav]

5 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

That’s the first thing the popped in my head. 

Shop owner should have said: “Sure, I’ll give it to you for the Amazon price...if I first put in a bubble mailer 4 times too big with no protection and let tumble in a dryer for an hour so you can get the COMPLETE Amazon experience”

There’s a reason why Amazon offers them so much cheaper. 

good one

[SBRobin]

On 11/1/2018 at 1:42 PM, NoMan said:

What joy- shopping at Amazon. Forget having a learned  shop owner to point you to stuff you may not know about, ect.

Keep saving that precious 2 or 3 bucks.

Amazon does the same thing with the "Customers who bought this item might also like..." option. Amazon is significantly cheaper. Amazon is open 24 hours a day, unlike my LCS that opens at 11 AM and is closed on Monday, and charges ridiculous prices. Amazon accepts returns, my LCS doesn't (which I found out after I bought too many backing boards and ended up throwing the extras away). That 2 or 3 bucks per book adds up to a significant amount when buying a lot of books. I would love to be able to support my LCS but they offer zero advantage over Amazon when it comes to TPBs. 

Edited November 2, 2018 by SBRobin

[NoMan]

1 hour ago, SBRobin said:

 

 

1 hour ago, SBRobin said:

Amazon does the same thing with the "Customers who bought this item might also like..." option. Amazon is significantly cheaper. Amazon is open 24 hours a day, unlike my LCS that opens at 11 AM and is closed on Monday, and charges ridiculous prices. Amazon accepts returns, my LCS doesn't (which I found out after I bought too many backing boards and ended up throwing the extras away). That 2 or 3 bucks per book adds up to a significant amount when buying a lot of books. I would love to be able to support my LCS but they offer zero advantage over Amazon when it comes to TPBs. 

Cool. Some kinda algorithm vs. human being with real life lived experience. Is it like when you use Pandora and you put in Brian Eno and the algorithm or AI or whatever ends you up at Motley Crue an hour later? If you're LCS sucks find another. If live in the middle of nowhere there's some great shop owners here I'm sure would work with you via mail. Or like I said, enjoy Amazon and add up those 2 bucks. I hear ya though, if things aren't convenient and easy, hell, why do it?

Edited November 2, 2018 by NoMan

[mrc]

I always try and avoid buying from Amazon wherever possible.

[Robot Man]

On 11/1/2018 at 2:40 PM, kav said:

There's nothing like walking into LCS with longbox of SA books and walking out with a small bag of SA books...

Or ONE GA book! 

[kav]

17 minutes ago, Robot Man said:

Or ONE GA book! 

I was after as many strange adventures as I could get.  Not long ago those were $5 books on ebay interest has really spiked in em.

[the blob]

3 hours ago, SBRobin said:

Amazon does the same thing with the "Customers who bought this item might also like..." option. Amazon is significantly cheaper. Amazon is open 24 hours a day, unlike my LCS that opens at 11 AM and is closed on Monday, and charges ridiculous prices. Amazon accepts returns, my LCS doesn't (which I found out after I bought too many backing boards and ended up throwing the extras away). That 2 or 3 bucks per book adds up to a significant amount when buying a lot of books. I would love to be able to support my LCS but they offer zero advantage over Amazon when it comes to TPBs. 

Ridiculous prices? Do they charge more than the price printed on the book? 

Between the file customer discount and about half the trades on tbe racks being discounted 40-80% my shop may charge, on average, less than Amazon, just not on the stuff that isn't getting a deep discount, which tend to be newer trades. I have bought many a trade from him for $3 that says $16.99 on the back.

Edited November 2, 2018 by the blob

[Bird]

21 hours ago, kav said:

Your average Joe thinks COMIC BOOKS ARE VALUABLE!  I SAW IT ON TV!!

They never stop and think wait a minute if all comics were valuable, no one would work.  Everyone would just buy a stack of comics off the stands, wait 5 years and retire-

When they see comics from 1990 they go OMG THESE COMICS ARE 30 YEARS OLD!!!  OMG OMG OMG.

I tell em 30 years is not old-get back to me when you have some 70 year old books-or older-

I heard a good analogy here on the boards and although I hate going right to analogies this one works well I think.

Comics are like people. Are you 30 years old? Well, that may be old to some but not to most. 50 years old? Now we are starting to be what most consider a bit old. 75 years old, yeah, that is old. Same with comics and most people can understand that immediately.

[1950's war comics]

when i walk into the couple of local comic shops here in town and start going thru long boxes i feel as if i am on candid camera or something the prices are so out of line

[Number 6]

3 hours ago, SBRobin said:

Amazon does the same thing with the "Customers who bought this item might also like..." option. Amazon is significantly cheaper. Amazon is open 24 hours a day, unlike my LCS that opens at 11 AM and is closed on Monday, and charges ridiculous prices. Amazon accepts returns, my LCS doesn't (which I found out after I bought too many backing boards and ended up throwing the extras away). That 2 or 3 bucks per book adds up to a significant amount when buying a lot of books. I would love to be able to support my LCS but they offer zero advantage over Amazon when it comes to TPBs. 

Zero advantage? 

If not being able to hand-pick your copy of TPB for condition is unimportant, if paying for a “new” copy - whether it be full MSRP, 30% off or 50% off - and not having that new copy damged is unimportant, if saving a buck is the end-all be-all then yeah I guess. 

Amazon has determined that the money they save on sub-standard shipping outweighs the expense of dealing with a handful of returns. 

So if condition is even the least bit important to you then Amazon is not the way to go. 

I won’t buy TPBs there anymore, and as attractive as their prices can be on Blu-rays I won’t buy movies there anymore either. Tired of getting cases that are cracked. 

And yes, Amazon accepts returns...and then sends your replacement copy out exactly the same way they did they first time which resulted in the damage to begin with, no matter how much you explain that to the CSR. And on the 3rd attempt to get an undamaged copy they’ll tell you the problem is you, not them and that’s it. 

Yeah, great customer service. 

And why would you throw extra backing boards away?  Why not save them until you buy more comics?

[kav]

4 minutes ago, 1950's war comics said:

when i walk into the couple of local comic shops here in town and start going thru long boxes i feel as if i am on candid camera or something the prices are so out of line

thats been my experience.

[Bird]

I met a woman in a parking lot (hey, this starts like a Penthouse Forum letter!) who was selling her brother's books for him. IIRC it was bronze X-Men and Batman. Her valuation was ridiculous as we expect and I pulled out my phone and went to mcs to show her that I could buy any of those issues for $5 or less. We both left disappointed (unlike a Forum letter) but I felt she understood. She was also muttering about her brother wasting her time and what she was going to say to him.