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HSM strikes again

Started by AlexH,

188 posts in this topic

racnek63

racnek63

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Ah, I see. When you said "national" I thought you meant that Canada was the "nation" in question (since that's where Hobbystar and Paradise are located), and that really had me wondering what periodicals you were talking about. Since there aren't any comic-related periodicals in Canada that I know of.

 

Thanks for answering.

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AlexH

AlexH

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The latest:

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

 

I am Daryl Collison.

 

Well, it is the Monday after. As we hopefully bask in the glow of the coins made over the weekend, and begin the deconstruction of all the boxes we brought back with us, it is again time to put our thoughts to (as Martin Sheen said at the very end of the West Wing) "tomorrow".

 

Tomorrow.

 

FIRST let me say that I am not here to stir any pots. The weekend went over without a single hitch for me. The traffic at the show was good. Obviously I heard a few complaints, but that is always expected.

 

Again, obviously, I spoke with MANY people who were actually surprised I was at the Hobbystar show. I told them, emphatically I might add, that I never had any real doubt that I would be at the show.

 

BUT, as I said, now it is time to look to tomorrow.

 

ALREADY there are rumors running around about what is going to happen next. If you were at the Hobbystar show, you got to read the 'application' for space at the 2007 show. In which we were informed that we are not guaranteed space for next year and a representative will call us. I of course have misgivings about this statement, but as I said, I am not here to stir the pot.

 

Recently there have been some 'behind the scenes' talk about what can be done to fix the situation that has so many of us still up in arms and wondering about our futures at the shows.

 

As I said as I stood on the loading dock speaking to another retailer, I Just want us all to be able to do shows and not worry about anything.

 

Well, tomorrow will tell.

 

Another supplier added that the situation has blame falling squarely on more than one set of shoulders. And I agree.

 

NOW is the time to again set a few balls in motion in an attempt to fix things before they escalate further.

 

I do and have always realized and understood that Hobbystar is dealing from a position of strength. That is obvious in the manner in which Aman exists and continues to run his company.

 

BUT Aman is not stupid. Even though I know some of you may beg to differ at times. The sheer logistics of running the Expo are literally nearly crippling. To see the amount of work that goes into putting on this show, you can see how he can be protective, overly though we all agree, of the Expo. It takes someone with some insight to get the whole thing in the air and land properly on the ground.

 

The strength in the marketplace of the Hobbystar Expo is not and never was in question. What we all want is for Paradise and Hobbystar to exist now. The hurdle that was put up on the 15th of July when I and 6 other retailers were contacted has now been overcome - for now. But what of tomorrow?

 

I hope that Aman will take stock in what he has and realize that its strengths are those of the community and its weaknesses are his and his alone. A stronger comic community is one in which we can all (yeah I know) get along.

 

Tomorrow? Well, I am sure that soon we will know what it holds. I hope it is a better landscape and I hope that the strengths that he community has can become the strengths that Paradise and Hobbystar can share.

 

I am Daryl Collison, and I am a comic book retailer in Toronto.

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AlexH

AlexH

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Latest comments from http://stophobbystar.blogspot.com/ in regards to a possible exclusivity contract for HSM's next big convention. Please see the blog entry for further information.

 

"I am Daryl Collison

 

Well, I just got back from Baltimore and I guess it is only fitting that I take a moment to check out this Blog.

 

"I now know for a FACT that Aman called my lcs and told them that in the contract for next year there will be a SIX MONTH exclusivity clause for the Toronto area."

 

Ted, I am not sure who you have been talking to, but unless Aman is giving different numbers to different people, I will tell you this: He told me as we sat behind Coipel in Baltimore, that the clause would be for 90 days.

 

I did have the opportunity to talk to Aman at the Baltimore conventione, and I can tell you that there is at least a glimmer of a possibility of rectification. I WILL NOT go into specifics here.

 

I also had the opportunity to speak to other dealers and some did say that they would not do the Paradise show if forced into a corner. AND as I have said before, I understand where they are coming from.

 

But I guess we also have to question the overall impact of what the exclusivity clause means: is it legal? I do not know. I imagine that Aman may have put out the suggestion that he was going to do a clause to gauge the reaction. OR maybe he knows something we do not.

 

Either way, we will see.

 

I would not have tried to talk to Aman in Baltimore if I still did not believe that we could fix all of this. I was a bit surprised when he told me that other retailers had asked him to take me out of the show. Is that real? Again, I do not know. I of course did tell him that I was sure that would have been a mistake, but he feels right now that the amount of public damage that I have caused him and his show could not be any worse. I guess since I was at the show, we will never know.

 

Now, if there are retailers out there that feel my 'whining' is without merit, you are of course entitled to your POV. Mine is obvious. I want us all to get along. I want us all to be able to do every show without fear of repurcussions. I STILL am holding out for that.

 

I guess the biggest thing I learned from Aman over the weekend is something I should have realized quite some time ago.

 

When I told Aman that if he intoroduces the clause into the contract, that I would not honor it. IF IT WAS LEGAL and HE COULD enforce it, I would do the Paradise show.

 

The example I gave hime went something like this:

 

Aman, you KNOW I make money at your show. I make 4X dollars at your show and X dollars at the PAradise show, BUT if forced to choose, I would go to Paradise. IT IS NOT ABOUT THE MONEY!!!

 

His reply was: It is all about the money, THAT is why we are in business to make money. He could not understand (or chose not to see my POV) that for me, being bullied into that position meant that I could not in all good conscience, do his show.

 

I know and Aman knows that I have been a pain in the side. I am not proud of that fact and I NEVER WANTED IT TO BE THIS WAY, but as I said , I did not make the threatening phone call - he put me in this position.

 

So, now we sit on yet another precipice, looking into an abyss wondering what happens next. As I st in a retailers seminar in Baltimre, a retailer from down south said, when the tide rises, all the boats float higher.

 

WE ARE ALL STRONGER with a stronger comic community.

 

To those of you that can make a difference, can we take an hour? Less time to watch your fave weekly program. THAT is all I want. 1 hour. We can make a difference.

 

I am Daryl Collison and I am a retailer in Toronto.

(oh yeah, if you decide to quote me, please refrain from taking it out of context - it defeats my purpose - but I guess that would be yours)"

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