"You're gonna let that bother you?" 1 1

[kav]

Like HOW DARE YOU!

[ADAMANTIUM]

or   or too but always:  

[Hollywood1892]

1 minute ago, ADAMANTIUM said:

or   or too but always:  

This bothers me

[ADAMANTIUM]

2 minutes ago, Hollywood1892 said:

This bothers me

I just like posting

That's my favorite and easiest to type...

 

[ADAMANTIUM]

Colon ohnoez  Colon

If I keep this up I'll have to check my head beastie boys style!

[Hollywood1892]

1 minute ago, ADAMANTIUM said:

I just like posting

That's my favorite and easiest to type...

 

I was being sarcassy 

[Bookery]

5 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

I have yet to see a comic book store that can compete with online sellers.

You should probably get out more.  Plus, you realize, don't you, that probably 75% of those online sellers are the same exact dealers that own the shops you despise, or sell at shows?

5 hours ago, Buzzetta said:

Personally, I see brick and mortar comic stores as antiquated and dead.  Some of them just do not know it yet. 

I've been blissfully unaware of it for 35 years.  Just bought 11 collections this past week alone (possibly a record!).  Most of my significant sales are to dealers and flippers who turn around and sell it to you at a higher price (likely after a press and sub).  Fine with me.  I get the price I need for the book regardless, without sharing the proceeds with eBay, the convention hosts, hotels, the gas pumps, etc.  Now, to be fair, my shop is very unusual and I am certainly in the minority among comic shops.  But you often post as if these sort of operations don't exist... they may be few and far between, but they are out there, just maybe not in your local area.

 

[ADAMANTIUM]

1 minute ago, Hollywood1892 said:

I was being sarcassy 

 i wonder what would be faster for Dr x contest, typing colon takeit colon, or waiting for the smiley on the tool bar

 

[Hollywood1892]

2 minutes ago, ADAMANTIUM said:

 i wonder what would be faster for Dr x contest, typing colon takeit colon, or waiting for the smiley on the tool bar

 

I don't wanna see a colon anywhere...

[ADAMANTIUM]

1 minute ago, Hollywood1892 said:

I don't wanna see a colon anywhere...

Finish Him  

Have you played in Dr. X Contest? I just got to thinking that you may not know of what I mean....  but you'll have fun!

Provided it is happening, it is always shrouded in mystery  

[slym2none]

16 minutes ago, ADAMANTIUM said:

I just like posting

That's my favorite and easiest to type...

 

 

Watch out, you might get conspiracy theories about why you posted the !!!

   



-slym

[ADAMANTIUM]

3 minutes ago, slym2none said:

 

Watch out, you might get conspiracy theories about why you posted the !!!

   



-slym

Posting, It's all in good fun most of the time! But I can try to respect any  thrown my way, well hopefully! I don't want to be a to anyone, knowingly or unknowingly....  EEK!

I get enough of that out and about  

[ADAMANTIUM]

Oh and "You're going to let that bother you?"

 

[porcupine48]

4 hours ago, NoMan said:

almost went to sacremento. is that where A1 is. Kav? I've bought online from them. I would seek them out. I don't believe all comic stores are dead,many are of course. What I don't have that I had when I was younger: time. time to explore this place or that place. and that's how you find the cool spots in this town or that town.

Never been to the store but I've had dealings with them on here,board member is zzutack.Great,friendly,stand up operation. And from pics I've seen,cool spot.I believe they have a vault!For real! A-1+

[Domo Arigato]

1 hour ago, kav said:

sorry Domo-its a running board joke from that star wars guy!   

I know.

[NoMan]

1 hour ago, Bookery said:

You should probably get out more.  Plus, you realize, don't you, that probably 75% of those online sellers are the same exact dealers that own the shops you despise, or sell at shows?

I've been blissfully unaware of it for 35 years.  Just bought 11 collections this past week alone (possibly a record!).  Most of my significant sales are to dealers and flippers who turn around and sell it to you at a higher price (likely after a press and sub).  Fine with me.  I get the price I need for the book regardless, without sharing the proceeds with eBay, the convention hosts, hotels, the gas pumps, etc.  Now, to be fair, my shop is very unusual and I am certainly in the minority among comic shops.  But you often post as if these sort of operations don't exist... they may be few and far between, but they are out there, just maybe not in your local area.

 

You’re in Ohio right? Somebody should put together a list of best comic shops for ga, sa, ca.  Put the list in Overstreet. I believe there’s great shops out there. Having the time to find them at this point in my life is the problem and when you do take/make the time to explore a new comic shop: 94% of the time it blows. 

Edited November 24, 2019 by NoMan

[kav]

"Oh you're gonna let that bother you?"
"Your Jedi mind tricks only work on the weak-minded"

[Buzzetta]

1 hour ago, Bookery said:

You should probably get out more.  Plus, you realize, don't you, that probably 75% of those online sellers are the same exact dealers that own the shops you despise, or sell at shows?

I've been blissfully unaware of it for 35 years.  Just bought 11 collections this past week alone (possibly a record!).  Most of my significant sales are to dealers and flippers who turn around and sell it to you at a higher price (likely after a press and sub).  Fine with me.  I get the price I need for the book regardless, without sharing the proceeds with eBay, the convention hosts, hotels, the gas pumps, etc.  Now, to be fair, my shop is very unusual and I am certainly in the minority among comic shops.  But you often post as if these sort of operations don't exist... they may be few and far between, but they are out there, just maybe not in your local area.

 

Your assessment is either quite jaded or misinformed OR I may very well not be conveying my thoughts in the way I want to.  

Visiting comic stores while on vacation:  Most of the time when I post things like this it is in reference to those that say things like, "Hey, I've never been to New York City before, where are the good comic book shops?"  I stand behind every comment I have ever made in those threads.  As the years pass, I double and triple down on that.  There are far better things to do in a place you have never been to than go rummaging through a comic store 'hoping' to find that superman comic for 10-20% cheaper than you would have found it back home.   Now, if you happen to come across a store in your travels, yeah, I guess, stop in and take a quick look.  To make a vacation of going to NYC and making it about exploring all the comic stores?  Don't waste your time.  

At a comic show: I do not despise comic shows.  However, I have been to enough to realize that at least for local comic shows and NYCC I am getting better deals online.  Why should I pay more?   If you figure the price of admission, travel, food and anything else, for even a local show, then what is the point of going if you are looking to score something big.  Are there exceptions?  Absolutely.  However, each year, my friends and I that go to shows come home with less and less.  We comparatively shop while we are there.  If a dealer can give me a price on a book in person that I cannot get online, of course I will buy it there.  If not, I buy it online.  Why wouldn't we?   These days, I mostly go to a comic show to see artists, look for artwork, or other opportunities exclusive to that show.  Finding a copy of All Winners 15 at a show?  Nah, I am not going out of my way to find that.  Not when I know one will come to me via the internet at a cheaper price.

.

Now let's talk brick and mortar because that is the discussion here.  You admit that you are the exception as your shop is very unusual.  You are based in Ohio? (I looked up Bookery online - If I am wrong I apologize.)  Dealers around here have remarked even on these very boards that finding collections are becoming harder and harder.  In the tri-state area more collections are being parsed out online than through a dealer.  And wouldn't they?  Please explain to me why I would EVER want to sell the majority of my collection to YOU?  If I sell it myself, I get current value / FMV less 10% fees if I sell it on eBay or consign it to comiclink or comicconnect or Heritage or Mycomicshop or Pedigree (ewww but whatever).  If I sell it to you... will you give me 80%? No? okay... 70%... No?  umm...

You see where I am going here?   More people each year realize this.  Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and many others are taking to network television to advertise their marketplaces for people to see online.  If you were a newer small business owner, you should be scared.   The outlook does not look very bright for you.  After 35 years though you have your customer base and established word of mouth. I am also sure you are savvy enough to not continue to be like everyone else was and you do your own thing.  This is good... however, as you said, you are an exception. 

Brick and mortar is dying all around.  Each year fewer people go to the stores.  Malls are drying up.  Chain stores are contracting rather than expanding. This is not an opinion.  This is an overall fact. This past year, the Department of Commerce revealed that for the first time ever internet commerce surpassed brick and mortar commerce.  Why is it so wrong to say that Comic Book Stores will last while everyone else is slowly disappearing?  Comic Book Stores are THAT special?  Seriously? Here is the government report from April.     

YOU CAN READ THAT HERE  https://www.census.gov/retail/marts/www/marts_current.pdf

 

I don't despise.... I recognize... I don't despise comic stores.  It is actually kind of sad that they are disappearing along with so many other brick and mortar stores.  

BTW... here is one of the Facebook Marketplace Commercials.   Please just watch the first five seconds and take SERIOUS note as to what that guy has in his lap.  Don't want to look?  Okay, I will spoil it.  The very first thing that Facebook showcases as being sold on its commercial, is, you guessed it... a comic book 'short box.'

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/dNiL/facebook-marketplace-buy-and-sell-together-song-by-harry-nilsson  <--- Click this... the pic is a screen shot. 

Edited November 24, 2019 by Buzzetta

[RockMyAmadeus]

29 minutes ago, Buzzetta said:

Your assessment is either quite jaded or misinformed OR I may very well not be conveying my thoughts in the way I want to.  

Visiting comic stores while on vacation:  Most of the time when I post things like this it is in reference to those that say things like, "Hey, I've never been to New York City before, where are the good comic book shops?"  I stand behind every comment I have ever made in those threads.  As the years pass, I double and triple down on that.  There are far better things to do in a place you have never been to than go rummaging through a comic store 'hoping' to find that superman comic for 10-20% cheaper than you would have found it back home.   Now, if you happen to come across a store in your travels.  Yeah, I guess, stop in and take a quick look.  To make a vacation of going to NYC and making it about exploring all the comic stores?  Don't waste your time.  

At a comic show: I do not despise comic shows.  However, I have been to enough to realize that at least for local comic shows and NYCC I am getting better deals online.  Why should I pay more?   If you figure the price of admission, travel, food and anything else, for even a local show, then what is the point of going if you are looking to score something big.  Are there exceptions?  Absolutely.  However, each year, my friends and I that go to shows come home with less and less.  We comparatively shop while we are there.  If a dealer can give me a price on a book in person that I cannot get online, of course I will buy it there.  If not, I buy it online.  Why wouldn't we?   These days, I mostly go to a comic show to see artists, look for artwork, or other opportunities exclusive to that show.  Finding a copy of All Winners 15 at a show?  Nah, I am not going out of my way to find that.  Not when I know one will come to me via the internet at a cheaper price.

.

.

Now let's talk brick and mortar because that is the discussion here.  You admit that you are the exception as your shop is very unusual.  You are based in Ohio? (I looked up Bookery online - If I am wrong I apologize.)  Dealers around here have remarked even on these very boards that finding collections are becoming harder and harder.  In the tri-state area more collections are being parsed out online than through a dealer.  And wouldn't they?  Please explain to me why I would EVER want to sell the majority of my collection to YOU?  If I sell it myself, I get current value / FMV less 10% fees if I sell it on eBay or consign it to comiclink or comicconnect or Heritage or Mycomicshop or Pedigree (ewww but whatever).  If I sell it to you... will you give me 80%? No? okay... 70%... No?  umm...

You see where I am going here?   More people each year realize this.  Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and many others are taking to network television to advertise their marketplaces for people to see online.  If you were a newer small business owner, you should be scared.   The outlook does not look very bright for you.  After 35 years though you have your customer base and established word of mouth. I am also sure you are savvy enough to not continue to be like everyone else was and you do your own thing.  This is good... however, as you said, you are an exception. 

Brick and mortar is dying all around.  Each year fewer people go to the stores.  Malls are drying up.  Chain stores are contracting rather than expanding. This is not an opinion.  This is an overall fact. This past year, the Department of Commerce revealed that for the first time ever internet commerce surpassed brick and mortar commerce.  Why is it so wrong to say that Comic Book Stores will last while everyone else is slowly disappearing?  Comic Book Stores are THAT special?  Seriously? Here is the government report from April.     

YOU CAN READ THAT HERE  https://www.census.gov/retail/marts/www/marts_current.pdf

 

I don't despise.... I recognize... I don't despise comic stores.  It is actually kind of sad that they are disappearing along with so many other brick and mortar stores.  

BTW... here is one of the Facebook Marketplace Commercials.   Please just watch the first five seconds and take SERIOUS note as to what that guy has in his lap.  Don't want to look?  Okay, I will spoil it.  The very first thing that Facebook showcases as being sold on its commercial, is, you guessed it... a comic book 'short box.'

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/dNiL/facebook-marketplace-buy-and-sell-together-song-by-harry-nilsson

 

 

 

 

Excellent summation of the state of commerce as we head into the 3rd decade of the 21st century. 

I suspect that, in 20-30 years, there will no longer be "dealers" of pretty much anything in the way we recognize it now. In the past, advertising was expensive, cumbersome, and time consuming. Now? A couple of clicks gets you a worldwide audience. What B&M stores should be doing is making themselves more, not less, attractive to buyers. But too many price their material as if they're running museums, don't care for their stock, and dare potential customers to knock the chips off their shoulders. Who needs it? 

If I want to buy a Hulk #181, why would I take the time, effort, and expense of driving to your store and spending $5,000 on it when I can get virtually the same thing online for $3800? 

If you spent $4700 on it...that's your problem. It means you don't know how to compete, and don't belong in business. And why on earth would I want to buy something raw from you, only to have it come back as restored, and then you give me the tiniest hint of pushback when I want to return it because I paid the UNrestored price, or worse, have you view me with suspicion? No thanks.

I spent high 5 figures last year on comics and comics-related services (oh, who are we kidding, it all went to CGC.) I haven't been IN a local store in a good 4-5 years, aside from random in-store signings. 

You want customers, B&M stores...? Make your stores irresistible. Use your purchasing power to make good purchases that you can turn for a profit, rather than sitting on it for 10 years because you have too much sunk into it. Compete, like everyone else has to, or go out of business where you belong.

The days of the middleman may be over for good.

Edited November 24, 2019 by RockMyAmadeus

[divad]

20 minutes ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

The days of the middleman may be over for good.

"You're gonna let that bother you?"