My local comic shops are killing me.

[seank]

I feel fortunate that my LCS is the exception rather than the rule: clean, well-lit, lots of back issues including GA and SA, and everything is reasonably priced and (with rare exceptions) fairly graded.

 

It has spoiled me for other stores when I travel.

[Norrin_Radd]

On my last trip to my big city LCS, I saw Simpsons Comics in the 60's and 70's marked up from cover price to $3.50.

 

Oh, and I was informed when I checked out that they now have a minimum purchase amount of $10. (My Escapists #3 and Treehouse of Horror #12 only came to $8.46)

[dudeman5000]

I feel fortunate that my LCS is the exception rather than the rule: clean, well-lit, lots of back issues including GA and SA, and everything is reasonably priced and (with rare exceptions) fairly graded.

 

It has spoiled me for other stores when I travel.

 

Same here Brother! It's the only shop within an hour of where I live but the owner is pretty cool and has a rule of under grading vice over grading. He knows he will sell more and encourage repeat business. Good times!

 

Chris

[That Ron Dude]

My buying pattern is Ebay for expensive comics ($50+), conventions for less expensive ($5 to $50) and the local comic store for the occasional good deal in both catagories.

 

I think the profit margin is so high (compared to the purchase price) that many will negotiate.

[LordThanos1969]

It's the reason so many shops go out of business. Poor business sense and being lazy. These guys would rather sit on a comic for years and wait for the right buyer than price it fairly, move it quickly and use that money to buy more stock and in turn repeat again and again.

 

Why? Well it's either that they are worried that they won't be able to pick up more stock or that they are lazy and would rather deal with 1 customer than 100. Whichever it is the only loser is the comic shop owner. eBay and the internet is thriving and these brick and mortar shops are relying on the latest comics, trading cards, toys and merchandise to stay alive. If i ever opened a comic shop i would do it the right way and have no doubt that although it would be tough, i would make a real go of it.

I agree, and I think anymore most LCS's don't really care too much about selling back stock. They can't compete with eBay and the internet, so they use back issues as museum pieces to get people into the store with no real plans of selling them. In fact, I pity the poor soul who does buy the overgraded, overpriced comics found in these stores. Anymore, there is only one LCS I could reliably buy back issues from, and unfortunately, it is located 100 miles away from where I live.

[mcox156-migration]

My LCS is not bad about back issues. They sell some as NM with some yellowed pages but that is about it. The problems I have with them is their modern stuff. The Marvels they put on the shelf are not in the best condition and the covers are kind of wavy. The DCs are better though. I'm not sure if it's a Marvel thing or problems at the comics book store.

[lizards2]

I don't have an LCS anymore, as I moved to a place that is too rural abouth 16 years ago.

 

I had a recent business trip to Phoenix, and one of my coworkers informed me that there was a comic shop around the corner. I went there, and it was about like most I've seen anymore - back issues way over priced and over graded. What little silver and gold they did have, had been on the walls too long under flourescent lights, and all had cover fade. Pretty sad.

[jediknight]

All of my LCS's overgrade and/or over price...And are impossible to negotiate with, Even though the amount of Gold Silver and Bronze they actually sell is minimal they would rather just keep raising the prices year aftre year and let it sit there. I have gotten some deals from them but that is only because I knew something they did not. Like 35 cent price variants

 

One just recently got a great EC collection in. Many of the key issues and all of the classic covers. I really wanted to pick up a couple, but they were all grossly overgraded. (This shop writes the grade on the price tag) They also have a person on staff that quakifies himself as a "professional grader", and he will be glad to go on and on about how great his skills are.

 

What a dubious basturd. Likewise. My LCSs are identical to yours. Their overpriced comics are so beat up from amateurs perusing them yet they keep the prices the same even the grades keep dropping.

[jmg3637]

My LCS was having a nice sale today. I did not even know it but happened to stop in while running errends. He had several boxes of decent back issues for 50cents each. spent about ten minutes and picked up 15 books including a couple that were signed for him by Howard CHaykin years ago.

 

I would not have spent new book prices for the books but it was worth it at those prices.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

It's the reason so many shops go out of business. Poor business sense and being lazy. These guys would rather sit on a comic for years and wait for the right buyer than price it fairly, move it quickly and use that money to buy more stock and in turn repeat again and again.

 

Why? Well it's either that they are worried that they won't be able to pick up more stock or that they are lazy and would rather deal with 1 customer than 100. Whichever it is the only loser is the comic shop owner. eBay and the internet is thriving and these brick and mortar shops are relying on the latest comics, trading cards, toys and merchandise to stay alive. If i ever opened a comic shop i would do it the right way and have no doubt that although it would be tough, i would make a real go of it.

I agree, and I think anymore most LCS's don't really care too much about selling back stock. They can't compete with eBay and the internet, so they use back issues as museum pieces to get people into the store with no real plans of selling them. In fact, I pity the poor soul who does buy the overgraded, overpriced comics found in these stores. Anymore, there is only one LCS I could reliably buy back issues from, and unfortunately, it is located 100 miles away from where I live.

 

You both are spot on. Ebay and the internet, for all their inherent risks, have taken a huge chunk of change away from brick and mortar stores, especially when it comes to back issues.

 

Premium books will generally find a better price online and at shows anyway, and most shop owners know this. Once they slab and sell off the "good stuff" from a collection, whats left is the middle of the road stuff that fetches 30-60% on ebay, which they try to get a better price for through the store. If that means overpricing and overgrading, so be it.

 

I've actually yet to walk into a comic store in the last five years that acknowledged and respected the intelligence and savy of the modern-day back issue collector. Even those that actively buy and sell on ebay think everyone coming into their shop is some schmoe who doesn't have a clue regarding the comic market. All they are assuring themselves of is one less customer.

[thomasdacat]

. Whichever it is the only loser is the comic shop owner. eBay and the internet is thriving and these brick and mortar shops are relying on the latest comics, trading cards, toys and merchandise to stay alive. .

 

 

There is a lcs in my area that does just this. Selling only new comics,toys ,etc but back isuues. No gold ,silver and bronze age. Not even a friggin discount on the new issues. The only positive is that their store is brand new.