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Eric Jansen
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 October 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 2319
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| Posted: 14 February 2016 at 10:53pm | IP Logged | 1
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I was recently at an honest to goodness newsstand that had a comics spinner rack. It had mostly DC comics on it, and a few unknown (to me, at least) independents. The strange thing was that most of the DC comics were $4.99 each! I doublechecked later at a Barnes & Noble, and same thing there. I only stopped reading my last DC a few months ago, but I couldn't believe they went from $2.99 to $4.99 that quickly!
Looking at the DC website, I realized that DC has a few series that are 22 pages for $3.99 and it was these series that were $4.99 at the newsstand, and the ones that are normally $2.99 are $3.99 on the newsstand.
This seems very strange to me. This is the first time I've ever seen a different price between comics shops and other distribution. Two questions:
(1) If there is a price difference, shouldn't it be the other way around? Doesn't the comics shop take more of a financial risk?
(2) Who in the world is paying $5 for a regular comic these days?
Edited by Eric Jansen on 15 February 2016 at 12:45am
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Bill Collins
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 May 2005
Location: England
Posts: 11264
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| Posted: 15 February 2016 at 1:42am | IP Logged | 2
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That`s bad! I remember being in a U.K. comic shop in the 80`s and a boy`s mom having a rant at the owner over why the `distributed` comics were cover price and the weekly imports had a sticker on with a higher price,obviously there was a solid reason for that,but i can`t see the sense in a price difference just based on the outlet.
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gary haylock
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 October 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 53
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| Posted: 15 February 2016 at 1:43am | IP Logged | 3
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Pricing of comics is one of the reasons i stopped collecting.
My first comic that got me collecting was alpha flight 26 by john byrne.
After reading that i started collecting more marvel,then d.c. and then
image and others.
Back then i was collecting 70 + comics.
As prices increased i have to drop titles and as they increased again i
had to drop more.I ended up only collecting avengers and john byrne
comics.
Now i collect nothing as i dont reconize the characters or enjoy the
titles.
Only collect back issues and john byrne titles to fill in my collection.
Comic shops are now harder to find and comics are to expensive for
young children to buy.
Future customers and collectors not interested in comics anymore only
films and tv shows.
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gary haylock
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 27 October 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 53
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| Posted: 15 February 2016 at 1:46am | IP Logged | 4
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Bill, i remember the price stickers on comics in the u.k. in newsagents.
Now on america comics in a newsagents omly the panini reprints.
Miss those days.
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Jess Sowerby
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 05 February 2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 174
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| Posted: 15 February 2016 at 2:27am | IP Logged | 5
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I remember when it used to be that newstand comics were slightly cheaper,but that they would come out later and that the stuff that was shipped to comic stores would be about a dollar or two more. Now the reverse has happened...
How times change and not always for the better
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Bill Collins
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 May 2005
Location: England
Posts: 11264
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| Posted: 15 February 2016 at 4:44am | IP Logged | 6
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Yes Jess,the cover month of the distributed titles used to match the month they were on sale in the U.K.,the `imported` ones were 3 months early! It did used to annoy me that anniversary double sized issues weren`t distributed due to the price difference!Gary,yes stickers and occasionally printed price stamps!
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Jess Sowerby
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 05 February 2016
Location: Australia
Posts: 174
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| Posted: 15 February 2016 at 4:51am | IP Logged | 7
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When i first visited a proper comic book store,i think it was in the early 90's, up till then i had been getting the occasional issue of spidey or cap or thor or avengers from a newsagent depending on what i could afford with my pocket money,but i digress,when i first saw imported comics it was as if i had been tempted over to the dark side and as a young kid very much into comics i had decided to accept. Having thoughts of 'but this isn't out yet back home!' and then having to wait for the issues to catch up back at home from the newsagents. I'm sure you guys had experiences like that too.
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Bill Collins
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 May 2005
Location: England
Posts: 11264
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| Posted: 15 February 2016 at 7:32am | IP Logged | 8
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Yes,we also has `Marvel UK` weekly comics reprinting the U.S. versions mainly in black and white.For about 10p you could get Mighty World Of Marvel which had a Hulk story and a couple of stories.Captain Britain had his own strip,plus an FF strip and Steranko Nick Fury.The distributed comics were 10-12p and only featured the title character...but the lure was full colour!
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Stephen Churay
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 25 March 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 8369
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| Posted: 15 February 2016 at 9:01am | IP Logged | 9
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I don't know if newsstands are allowed
returns but for the most part, comic shops
aren't. The reason many drug, grocery and
convenience stores have quit selling
monthies, is that the price point is too
low. The juice isn't worth the squeeze.
Newsstand outlets don't want to carry them
anymore. It's also why, slowly but surely,
monthies are disappearing from the box
stores as well. So, I can only guess that
the price increase for a newsstand edition
is an incentive for them to continue
carrying to books.
Do comic shops take more of a financial
risk? Not really, if you realize that they
have the built in audience for the product
and can better understand what they need
to order. Plus have the ability to sell
comics as back issues.
Can the situation be made better? I think
so. Notice that today's books no longer
carry ads except for a few in house ones.
Publishers are no longer looking or not
trying very hard to sell ad space in there
books, which should help offset some of
the production costs.
Plus, again, I preach glut of material.
Publishers seem to fall victim to the idea
that more always equals more. A 25 to 35
title line, I truly believe would have a
higher sell thru and lower the printing
cost of each book.
Put these two things into play, and the
publishers could make the same, maybe
more, maybe less, money without absorbing
the high printing costs, and pass along a
better discount to both comic shops and
newsstands.
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John Cole
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 02 March 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 508
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| Posted: 15 February 2016 at 1:14pm | IP Logged | 10
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I Remember being upset when the price went from twenty cents to twenty five cents.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132620
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| Posted: 15 February 2016 at 1:53pm | IP Logged | 11
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I wonder if any of you can truly comprehend the wallop to my wallet incurred by the rise from 10¢ to 12¢? For a kid in the early Sixties 10¢was already a sizable chunk of change. A 20% jump caused chaos. Chaos, I tell you!!
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Matthew Wilkie
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 09 March 2011
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1139
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| Posted: 15 February 2016 at 4:01pm | IP Logged | 12
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It did used to annoy me that anniversary double sized issues weren`t distributed due to the price difference!
* * *
Are you sure? I can definitely remember buying double issues at newsagents - they would be 50p versus 25p, and later 30p, for regular issues. AF 12 was one such issue.
Limited Series and Annuals were not available though and were the thing of dreams!
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