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HSM strikes again

Started by AlexH,

188 posts in this topic

AlexH

AlexH

Posted
Posted

I just received this email, and I am posting it for discussion purposes.

------------------------------------------

From: Daryl collison (email deleted)

Sent: Sat 7/15/2006 5:24 PM

Subject: HELP!!

 

 

I need your help.

 

What I am asking you to forward reflects DIRECTLY opon me and my business, this is not some foolish forward about some kid losing a gold fish.

 

Please read the enclosed and then cut and paste and send off to a slew of people. I REALLY want to get the message out about what this guy is doing. He picked the wrong guy. I am not rolling over on this!

 

Thanks

Daryl C. Collison

3rd Quadrant Comics

____________________________-

 

 

 

My name is Daryl Collison.

 

If you are familiar with the Toronto Comic Book scene, you know that I own and operate 3rd Quadrant Comics. If you are familiar with the comic scene at all, you may have actually seen me at a show or two. I am a relatively big guy with dreads and a huge McGuiness Superman tattoo on my right calf (think Samoan wrestler). I have run my store for almost 10 years now.

 

I am giving you a little background prior to giving you the juicy bits about why I am here to grind an axe.

On Saturday July the 15th at approximately 4 pm I received a phone call from Aman Gupta, the owner and operator of Hobbystar Marketing – they are the hosts of the Comic Book Expo held annually in Toronto Canada. I have been a supporter of Aman and HobbyStar for about 8 years now. I started of with 1 table and bolstered it to two tables about 4 years ago (I may be wrong on the dates, so do not quote me). I also have done a number of his smaller shows.

 

On Thursday July 13th Paradise Comics announced that they were doing a 1 day SUPER FAN COMIC BOOK SHOW in Toronto. (please note there is a LOT of history here and I am not going to go into it here. Suffice to say Paradise was doing the right thing in my opinion. BUT I will say this: Hobbystar has for the past two years put on a 1 day Fan Appreciation show ONE WEEK before the Paradise convention and saw no repercussions from Paradise. Paradise decides to put on a 1 day show 1 tenth the size of the Fan Appreciation show 2 WEEKS BEFORE the Expo and Aman has a hissy fit)

 

The gist of Aman's call was to tell me, in no uncertain terms, if I did the Paradise show on the 20th, that he would refund my money that I have deposited for his Expo which is to be held September 1-3 and that I would NOT be able to do his show. He told me that he was doing up the contracts and wanted to know what I was going to do. I suspect that he asked that so that he can CHANGE all the contracts NOW to include some ridiculous clauses about NOT doing competing shows within a certain time frame (does the term restraint of trade ring any bells) to his show. He really is running scared, isn't he? The fact that I cemented my tables by paying him hundreds of dollars almost a year ago apparently means nothing to him.

Where does he get off telling ME what I can and cannot do? In a free market place I can do whatever show I want and he tells me that? Needless to say I am not pleased. I asked him, so you are telling me that whoever is doing your show is being told that if they do the Paradise show that you are telling them they will get their funds returned and they cannot do your show? He said yes. THE REASON I asked him that was to see if he was targeting me or if all retailers and hobbyists were being told the same thing. I am sure if some of the "bigger retailers" were told what he told me, they would tell him what he could do with his tables. I am furious.

 

I WILL do the Paradise show on the 20th of August as is my right. If Aman tells me that I cannot do the Hobbystar show, then you will know why I am not at the show.

 

I have been a little vocal over the last few years about the 'battle' that exists between Paradise and Hobbystar. BUT I have always been civil in public and NEVER took a 'round' out of anyone. But this is just unbelievable.

 

I beseech all the small retailers out there that feel they do not have a voice to raise it now. Yes, I know this sounds trite and somewhat political, but I have been sitting on the fence long enough and not publicly voiced my disapproval of what is going on, I guess it is my own fault that I am doing this in the 11th hour, but ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

 

Please take the time to re-post this or forward it to whomever you think might like to get a little bit more insight into what Aman is about.

 

If you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to leave them here and I will do my best to address them

 

Daryl

The little guy who has had enough. And I ain't THAT little!

------------------------

 

HSM is a member of this community, so perhaps he would like to come on here and tell his side of the story.

 

Alex

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SignatureSelect

SignatureSelect

Posted
Posted

I like the fact that daryl is standing up and telling it like it is. Unfortunatley until someone with some real money can run Aman out of town and stop this fight, it is just going to continue. Apparently Aman is like a two year old. He has the he started it mentality even though he is the one causing all the trouble. I am actually tired of it.

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lighthouse

lighthouse

Posted
Posted

There are people who want to grow the marketplace, and there are people who just want to take market share from someone else.

 

I can't think of a single company that I respect that focuses on the latter.

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Sal

Sal

Posted
Posted

if anyone's read the threads in the Comic Events forum over the last two years about this ridiculous boondoggle Aman has been perpetuating against Paradise, this information will come as NO surprise.

 

ethics. not a strong motivating factor for some business owners

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dc360

dc360

Posted
Posted

Damn, that's ridiculous.

 

Are there any other Toronto comic reatilers around here who've had that problem? 1,000,000 Comix? Do any other "stores" post here?

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aardvark88

aardvark88

Posted
Posted

Aman is lining his pockets with thousands of $$ of net profit from his aggressively promoted comic/sci-fi/anime cons. He is trying to squash the "little guy" who caters specifically to the comic & non-sports card fans.

 

This is the same trend that happens in any major city in Canada or USA that has multiple con organizers. The larger promoter bans any retailer, swap meet vendor or hobbyist that supports the competing comicon. Aman is exercising his claut & forcing vendors to choose sides.

 

e.g. Diamond Distributors had more claut & was able to sign more exclusive contracts with publishers like Image/Wildstorm, Dark Horse, etc. Geppi eliminated Capitol City Distribution. He was consolidating all the comic book business. sumo.gif

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CycloneComics

CycloneComics

Posted
Posted

sign-rantpost.gif

 

I have enquired about setting up at the hobbystar show with the knowledge that Peter and Kevin were going to do a show before the Sept.show. I did not get a response from them. I think it could be because I advertised the Paradise Comic Con on my web site as well as giving an update how the show went and what was selling. (Aman you can correct me).

 

I have been in the comic buisiness since about 1989 and have seen stuff like this back then .

 

I have raced 24hr mountain bike races where two different promoters have booked races at two different locations the same weekend with racers having to pick sides.

 

I have been on a pit crew with a late model sportsman that raced on short tracks around Ontario again two different promoters booking 50 lap races at two different tracks and racers had to pick sides again.

 

In the end it was always the vendors or racers who got fed up and stopped participating.

 

The public gets tired of all the B.S. and stops going.

 

I hope the two show promoters in Toronto can come to some sort of agreement.

 

As far as who`s show will I set up at now. It will always be Paradise`s shows until Hobbystar plays nice.

 

John W. McArthur

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sterlingcomics

sterlingcomics

Posted
Posted
if anyone's read the threads in the Comic Events forum over the last two years about this ridiculous boondoggle Aman has been perpetuating against Paradise, this information will come as NO surprise.

 

ethics. not a strong motivating factor for some business owners

 

No surprise here. Rinse. Repeat. And it sounds very unprofessional and hardline from my perspective. But, I guess all is fair in business and war. smirk.gif

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Mephisto

Mephisto

Posted
Posted

I just noticed this on The Blazing Ones convention info for his site

 

" For those of you North of the border who want US dealers to keep coming back I would strongly suggest supporting the promoter who brings them there. Now while Harley can afford to stay for two weeks and do both shows there are some of us who cannot. I'm all for competition in the convention business, however I'm not a fan of promoters who chose to limit my ability to make money by running "free" shows at my expense. Look for me next to Koop's Comics.

 

Location: Hall C in the main building of the National Trade Centre at Exhibition Place.

 

Toronto, Ontario Canada"

 

 

 

yay.gif

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the blob

the blob

Posted
Posted

sounds like it would be illegal under u.s. law to impose this sort of requirement and restriction. dunno about canada though.

 

and no, i'm not so sure about this happening in the u.s. carbonaro/neatstuff doesn't seem to be stopping anyone from doing lemur's mini-show given that i saw some of the same people at both. of course, i can't speak for the rest of the country.

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FFB

FFB

Posted
Posted
sounds like it would be illegal under u.s. law to impose this sort of requirement and restriction. dunno about canada though.

 

and no, i'm not so sure about this happening in the u.s. carbonaro/neatstuff doesn't seem to be stopping anyone from doing lemur's mini-show given that i saw some of the same people at both. of course, i can't speak for the rest of the country.

 

That's exactly right. Darrell should talk to a lawyer in Canada. Canadian and US law are both based on the British common law system, so it wouldn't surprise me to learn that their tort systems have evolved in the same way to protect against this type of predatory behavior.

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