I Feel Bad For Shop Owners 0

[kav]

6 minutes ago, Bird said:

I met a woman in a parking lot

-she was an amputee-

[ADAMANTIUM]

8 minutes ago, kav said:

15 minutes ago, Bird said:

I met a woman in a parking lot

-she was an amputee-

With an .... ahem..."flexible"... ahem schedule

[jhutton2]

On ‎11‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 10:50 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.

Bit of a long shot, but for all anyone knows, the comic shop could also be selling that very same book through Amazon or some other venue as well.  The market space is very tough these days and business owners need to hustle to create cash flow from multiple sources if they are going to stay liquid and in business.

[the blob]

1 hour ago, jhutton2 said:

Bit of a long shot, but for all anyone knows, the comic shop could also be selling that very same book through Amazon or some other venue as well.  The market space is very tough these days and business owners need to hustle to create cash flow from multiple sources if they are going to stay liquid and in business.

This is Amazon's price. Others are trying to sell new on Amazon too, but Amazon is lower. 

[jhutton2]

12 hours ago, the blob said:

This is Amazon's price. Others are trying to sell new on Amazon too, but Amazon is lower. 

I forgot they sell books directly too.   Hard to compete on price with a business in the billions of dollars 

[1950's war comics]

1 hour ago, jhutton2 said:

14 hours ago, the blob said:

 

I forgot they sell books directly too.   Hard to compete on price with a business in the billions of dollars 

i know it is hard to compete but my LCS has a Daredevil #27 in VG right now for $35.00 and whomever buys (if ever) they are going to be VERY disappointed when they realize they have been completely ripped off....

[Buzzetta]

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.

I have actually found a LOT of things that I did not know about due to Amazon.  Amazon also has suggestions at the bottom of every listing.

Since you like this... you may like this.....

Customers who bought this... were also interested in this...

It's a tired and lazy excuse for shop owners to WHOLLY blame Amazon. Some of their complaints have merit.  However, just as many complaints do not. 

 

[the blob]

On 11/3/2018 at 12:31 PM, 1950's war comics said:

i know it is hard to compete but my LCS has a Daredevil #27 in VG right now for $35.00 and whomever buys (if ever) they are going to be VERY disappointed when they realize they have been completely ripped off....

I had a qualifier about a shop trying to run the right way, etc. The shop in question does tend to look at opg for old stuff, but usually prices it 20-40% below opg and grades fairly.

Edited November 4, 2018 by the blob

[Buzzetta]

So... 

This bares mentioning in this thread. As I have made mention of, I am recently trying to rebuild my GI Joe collection and hit up two stores in the last two weeks. 

Last week I went to Amok Time toys in Hicksville, Long Island.  I could not have been happier with my visit to that store and I plan on going back again. The store was clean, well stocked, competitively priced and manned by a knowledgable store owner.  I will definitely stop by next month. 

I just got back from another vintage toy store somewhat in the area.  Not going to name names on that.  Looking around the store one would see a hodge podge amounting of a mess stacked and arranged around another mess.  One guy is behind the counter and the other guy was on a chair doing something on his iPhone that he could barely move because there were piles of items just thrown on top of one another surrounding him.  I asked for something specific and the owner admitted that they have boxes and boxes of things downstairs in the basement but he has not had the time to sort through them and put them together. As I was leaving the sounds of the YouTube comedy video he was looking at on the computer accidentally came on.  I shrugged and said that I would check back in a month or two.  Probably not... 

What did I do? I went to eBay. 

 

 

 

Edited November 3, 2018 by Buzzetta

[Buzzetta]

I have also made mention of stores complaining about Amazon.  Sears tried to blame Amazon for losing it's market share and its impending closure. Amazon really had nothing to do with that.  That was all on Sears. 

Stores like CVS and Barnes and Noble won't even honor their own online prices. I documented a Barnes and Noble story where the manager became irate because I told her that i understand they will not honor the Amazon price but I found it ludicrous that they would not honor their own online Barnes and Noble price.  I shrugged and bought it on Amazon. I recently had the same experience with CVS.  CVS offered a home care product that was $60 in the store but $35 on their website shipped for free.  I asked if they would honor their online price and they said, No.

Both stores told me that the benefits of shopping in a brick and mortar are customer service and a hands on shopping experience. 

That's not true. 

It takes me about 7-10 minutes to locate someone who works in CVS or Barnes and Noble that is NOT a cashier or someone that is just restocking the shelves and does not know anything else. Their hands on shopping experience is one of waiting on lines and a mess of problems. 

 

Brick and Mortar stores in general need to step up their game or they will lose all together. 

 

Now there are certain things I will not buy online.   I need a snowblower and have not made my decision as to what to get yet.  However I want one from a Lowe's, Home Depot, or commercial Hardware store.  If something goes wrong I want the company and store backing up their product. Besides, you ever try to box up and ship back a snowblower? 

 

[shadroch]

I rarely frequent comic shops. 99% of my purchases are old collections.

I assembled a run of Moonstone trades and while reading them ,realized I was missing one. None on Amazon but two on ebay.

I called four shops. Three had no idea if they had it in stock, which I completely understand. The fourth took the information and said they'd look and get back to me. An hour later, he called and told me his sister shop had one, and he gave me the phone number.

I call and the guy already has it on hold. I live in the SE, the shop is in the car NW, a good fifty mile roundtrip but I have a Drs appointment nearby in two days. I tell him I'll be there in two days. I call the morning of my appointment and get a different guy. He doesn't know anything but says the owner will be there this afternoon and they close sometime after 6.

Finish with my Dr and drive 12 miles in the opposite direction to get to the shop just after 5pm. It's in a small strip center with about ten shops. Nine of these stores were open. Anyone want to guess which one was closed?

Edited November 3, 2018 by shadroch

[shadroch]

32 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

I have also made mention of stores complaining about Amazon.  Sears tried to blame Amazon for losing it's market share and its impending closure. Amazon really had nothing to do with that.  That was all on Sears. 

Stores like CVS and Barnes and Noble won't even honor their own online prices. I documented a Barnes and Noble story where the manager became irate because I told her that i understand they will not honor the Amazon price but I found it ludicrous that they would not honor their own online Barnes and Noble price.  I shrugged and bought it on Amazon. I recently had the same experience with CVS.  CVS offered a home care product that was $60 in the store but $35 on their website shipped for free.  I asked if they would honor their online price and they said, No.

Both stores told me that the benefits of shopping in a brick and mortar are customer service and a hands on shopping experience. 

That's not true. 

It takes me about 7-10 minutes to locate someone who works in CVS or Barnes and Noble that is NOT a cashier or someone that is just restocking the shelves and does not know anything else. Their hands on shopping experience is one of waiting on lines and a mess of problems. 

 

Brick and Mortar stores in general need to step up their game or they will lose all together. 

 

Now there are certain things I will not buy online.   I need a snowblower and have not made my decision as to what to get yet.  However I want one from a Lowe's, Home Depot, or commercial Hardware store.  If something goes wrong I want the company and store backing up their product. Besides, you ever try to box up and ship back a snowblower? 

 

You do realize the more you spend on a snowblower, the less you end up needing it. Spend enough and it almost guarantees a great winter.

[Buzzetta]

19 minutes ago, shadroch said:

You do realize the more you spend on a snowblower, the less you end up needing it. Spend enough and it almost guarantees a great winter.

Don't jinx me.  I need a Stage 2 though... capping it at $750-800.  I am tapping out this year. 

Edited November 3, 2018 by Buzzetta

[justafan]

On 11/1/2018 at 10:50 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.

The single biggest advantage any store might have over Amazon or any other online retailer (until they eliminate it) is that you can see it in hand and get it right now.  That is why I and anyone should expect to always pay more at a store than online.  The difference in price is the convenience fee for having it in stock + certainty of condition + accuracy of item purchased.  What I choose to pay for that difference is the deciding factor between whether I'm willing trust that the item arrives as described by the online retailer and wait for it to be shipped to my house.  That argument might not help the shop owner but that is the understanding that all customers need to have when comparing in-store vs online pricing and negotiating. Customers should know that to meet or even beat the price online means that the store is losing money on that sale and you're not actually "supporting" the store but instead hurting it more than you would if you had bought it online.

I think rather than reference Amazon, a better approach by customers might be to simply state I know I can buy it for $x online and I don't expect you to be able to meet or beat that but I'd like to buy it from you, what's the lowest you could go and still be worth selling it to me?  I don't know maybe that sounds douchy too but everything should be negotiable.  It's just not always easy to be tactful.

[NoMan]

i thought the OP thread was about a great comic store that was, you know, great. and a guy came in and was saying I can get this cheaper and that cheaper and this cheaper and that cheaper on Amazon. OP didn't say the store sucked that I recall. Why would anyone shop in a store or come back to a store that sucked. Duh! So it seems some people don't care how great it is: customer services, cleanliness, selection, etc, etc.  $2 cheaper is the goal. And what a fine goal!

But it's all gonna be Amazon soon enough (or some variation of You might like this if you like this or This costumer bought this so you should, too!) so it's all gonna be great. and like I said, enjoy.

Edited November 3, 2018 by NoMan

[SBRobin]

On 11/2/2018 at 7:26 PM, Number 6 said:

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?

I have received thousands of items from Amazon and only had one item damaged. I don't need backer boards because I don't buy new comics. Everything I get is digital now.

[fastballspecial]

You can always reply good luck getting your book and its not bent or severely corner dinged. A vast majority of sellers on Amazon just don't pack well.
We complain all the time about ebay, but Amazon is much worse in my experience.

 

[jason4]

On 11/3/2018 at 4:02 PM, justafan said:

The difference in price is the convenience fee for having it in stock + certainty of condition + accuracy of item purchased.

Still though you can get all 3 of these points on eBay and save significant $$ to avoid this “convenience fee” even though I hate Ebay.

-easy to find almost anything in stock on eBay than a store

-If you buy a graded book you know it’s condition. If you buy raw and then disagree you get your money back easily even if they said no returns Ebay doesn’t care. 

-accuracy is only checkable in person (missing pages etc.) but again you can get a refund on a seller so easily nowadays I have no fear as a buyer. 

I never sell on eBay anymore because of this but I prefer buying there over in person because everything local comic stores sell is always wayyy over priced and they rarely have anything I collect and they all seem to overgrade (Long Island New York area). Many books I bought in person came back significantly lower grade than what they said once cgc had a chance to look at them. 

Edited November 5, 2018 by jason4

[N e r V]

On 11/3/2018 at 9:31 AM, 1950's war comics said:

i know it is hard to compete but my LCS has a Daredevil #27 in VG right now for $35.00 and whomever buys (if ever) they are going to be VERY disappointed when they realize they have been completely ripped off....

 

 

27

Fair (13.50)

Good 27.00

Very Good 53.00

Fine 93.00

Very Fine (162.00)

 

 

Thst $35.00 is still a bargain when compared to Mile High comics $53.00 price. Lol 

[justafan]

9 hours ago, jason4 said:

Still though you can get all 3 of these points on eBay and save significant $$ to avoid this “convenience fee” even though I hate Ebay.

-easy to find almost anything in stock on eBay than a store

-If you buy a graded book you know it’s condition. If you buy raw and then disagree you get your money back easily even if they said no returns Ebay doesn’t care. 

-accuracy is only checkable in person (missing pages etc.) but again you can get a refund on a seller so easily nowadays I have no fear as a buyer. 

I never sell on eBay anymore because of this but I prefer buying there over in person because everything local comic stores sell is always wayyy over priced and they rarely have anything I collect and they all seem to overgrade (Long Island New York area). Many books I bought in person came back significantly lower grade than what they said once cgc had a chance to look at them. 

I respectfully disagree for likely the very reasons you hate Ebay:

1. convenience fee of having it in stock at a store vs ebay online: I still have to wait at least 2-3 shipping days to receive my items.  No matter how fast their shipping might be, I still can't enjoy it right now vs at a shop where I can enjoy it right there (after paying of course unless you're one of those people that start eating the snacks you intend on purchasing while in the checkout line.)

2. Certainty fee of condition in store vs ebay: Yes and No.  This can also apply to graded items as well.  Yes, if you buy a graded book on ebay you can be certain that the grade represented on the label is what is assigned to that particular slab and possibly the book on the particular day it was graded.  But No, you cannot be certain of the actual condition of the book in the slab, the slab or holder itself, the hidden defects that don't/won't always show up on scans/photos (especially if intentionally hidden/photoshopped).  I've received many graded books with defects that were only visible with the slab in hand such as: faint stains, popped staples, spine wear and fingerbends that breaks color (yes, even on a 9.8's with no grader notes), cracks on the CGC case, 1-2 posts broken, label swapped, and of course hidden SCS damage.

2b. The other side of this is that when you buy in a store even after inspecting for condition satisfaction YOU can at least try to control the preservation of the condition you bought it in from the store to your house.  With ebay it's a roll of the dice with the shipping service and seller packing.  I've gone through so many ebay purchases where I've asked all the right questions, had the seller send multiple photos, verified the condition of the item and paid extra for higher shipping only to have the comics ruined so often in transit that I seriously considered not buying anything on ebay to prevent further reduction of the population of HG books.

3. Accuracy fee of item in store vs ebay: 1st print, newsstand, direct, 1st edition, with Tattooz, coupon intact, white pages, 1st generation, 2nd generation, good knockoff vs bad knockoff.  Sorry but unless the item is sealed in a black mystery box in the store, you will still guarantee the accuracy of the item in store far better than you can only relying on the word of the seller that the item and photos listed is what you will actually get from ebay.  I've received direct editions when the seller listed a newsstand copy thinking they were the same, or 3rd printing when listed as 1st and using a stock photo, or the wrong item entirely.  Sure ebay allows for hassle free returns (unless the seller is a real piece of work), but now I'm inconvenienced by having to go through a return process that could take up to 5 days to resolve and repack and ship the item back to the seller costing me time and money.

No, when it comes to buying an item in store vs online where condition, accuracy, and instant gratification are important I find I'm willing to pay a bit more in store for the convenience, certainty, and accuracy of what I'm getting.  For all else, nothing beats online shopping.

 

Edited November 5, 2018 by justafan