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John Young
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 22 August 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 3152
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| Posted: 21 November 2023 at 2:59pm | IP Logged | 1
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It's always been boom an bust. If its time for them to go, it's ok.
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Paul Gibney
Byrne Robotics Member.
Joined: 17 April 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 1084
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| Posted: 21 November 2023 at 3:13pm | IP Logged | 2
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I used to work at and even manage a comic book store, so bear that in mind
with my comment here.
I don’t feel sorry for them at all. They’ve been the problem not the solution,
despite what he seems to say. The solution is not too help the comic book
stores, but to get the comics themselves into more venues. If the book
stores go away right now that is a problem because there’s nowhere else to
sell them, at least no physical copies can be sold.
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Fred J Chamberlain
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 30 August 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4046
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| Posted: 21 November 2023 at 3:18pm | IP Logged | 3
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I am always struck by the presentation of the unified
retailers. My experiences have left me with the perception
that most retailers are functioning independently and not
"unified" and leading the editorial with "you have an army
of passionate retailers" doesn't ring accurate, either.
While there are plenty of retailers who are passionate,
there are also numerous who seem to have stumbled into the
business, with no clear direction or business sense.
Blaming this all on the publishers seems disingenuous
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Jason K Fulton
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 23 September 2016
Location: United States
Posts: 758
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| Posted: 21 November 2023 at 3:24pm | IP Logged | 4
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There's one store in my immediate (re: within 45 minutes) that I'm comfortable taking my niece and nephew so they can get books. The few other stores are Eltingville Club creep show shops. The industry would be better off purging those stores.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133688
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| Posted: 21 November 2023 at 3:33pm | IP Logged | 5
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Frank Miller used to tell of doing a signing at a comic shop where the owner insisted comics had NEVER been published to be READ, and had ALWAYS been manufactured “collectibles” bought strictly as investments. Oversized trading cards, basically. (I’m remembering one MidOhioCon where I was confronted by an enraged retailer who’d heard a rumor that Marvel, in order to meet the demand for pre-bagged copies of some new hot title, was actually shipping just the covers wrapped around unsold copies of CAMP CANDY. I asked why that would be a problem, since the comics were never meant to be removed from the bags. Schroedinger’s comics.)
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William Costello
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 30 August 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 759
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| Posted: 21 November 2023 at 7:10pm | IP Logged | 6
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In his recent Mile High newsletters, Chuck Rozanski has emphasized that if the comics store is not diversifying into other products, the store will probably not survive:" I just have to shake my head at these cries and lamentations, as I tried to warn everyone about five years ago that it was going to take some outrageously entertaining storylines to keep fans consistently shelling out $3.99 each (or more) for new comics. I personally doubted if that was going to be even possible, so I gently suggested (OK, not so gently...) that all Direct Market comics shops needed to immediately diversify into higher-margin collectibles product. Much scorn was heaped upon me at that time for stating what seemed to me to be quite obvious, but many of my previous detractors have now come around to my point of view, and are scrambling to reinvent themselves on the fly. I wish them nothing but the best in good fortune as they try to adapt to a collecting world that is changing with astonishing speed."
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Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 31324
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| Posted: 21 November 2023 at 7:36pm | IP Logged | 7
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My LCS just became an authorized Lego sales spot. (Apparently, Lego
decides who can and cannot sell their new product. A fact I had not known
before.)
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John Popa
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 March 2008
Posts: 4528
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| Posted: 21 November 2023 at 10:09pm | IP Logged | 8
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Coincidentally, my LCR just announced it's closing in a couple weeks.
There are 2 or 3 more stores in the area, though.
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Mark Waldman
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 August 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 1278
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| Posted: 21 November 2023 at 11:15pm | IP Logged | 9
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More sad for the art form than the shop owners. I recall fun times going to the comic shop but also as much or more going to the grocery store or 7-11 for my comics. Like baseball, all the things I love being taken away from me one by one. Yay progress? (sarcasm)
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133688
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| Posted: 21 November 2023 at 11:37pm | IP Logged | 10
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The history of the American comic book is a story of bad decisions, the capper of which was putting all emphasis on the Direct Sales Market. Altho the DSM is said to have “saved” the industry, it set everything on an increasingly slippery slope, culminating where we are now, on the brink of oblivion.
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Jim Petersman
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 June 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 654
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| Posted: 21 November 2023 at 11:41pm | IP Logged | 11
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Comic books are $4+ now?!?
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Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6549
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| Posted: 22 November 2023 at 12:08am | IP Logged | 12
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What came first, the direct sales-only market, or the clubhouse mentality
that these “collectibles” belong in specialty shops only?
There is something inevitable about the arc of the fan mentality. It abhors
an open door and loves exclusivity.
It would amuse me to see 7-11 start their own line of comic book characters
and titles to sell on spinner racks to people who buy them on impulse at the
door. In 20 years, they could be making the big super hero movie deals.
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