The “Fallen Angel” trade paperback came in #37 on the Diamond list which is, frankly, not impressive. However, I am hearing anecdotally from fans who claim the book is sold out in their stores.
I want to hear from any retailer who is (a) sold out and (b) has reordered it. Just for my own curiosity, if nothing else. No need to reply publicly: Simply e-mail me at padguy@aol.com.
Thank you.
PAD
• 
Peter, this isn’t a specific answer to your request, so I’ll post it here publicly instead of emailing you–hope that’s okay.
The Amazon.com page for the book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/140120225X/
has
1) An incorrect title
2) An incorrect jacket
3) No book description
Peter, I work for a publisher, and one of my many jobs is sending data, descriptions, jackets and corrections into Amazon. Hope you don’t mind the initiative, but I’ve sent in a title correction and have scanned and sent in a corrected jacket–even though it’s not published by my company, Amazon should make the corrections. Hope that’s OK.
On the other hand, DC’s Amazon sales contact really needs to get the BOOK DESCRIPTION and AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY sent in to Amazon. One of the things Amazon has repeatedly told us, and we’ve seen in action, is that book sales increase with the more info that’s on that Amazon page: jacket, book description, reviews, etc. If DC is serious about supporting this book in specific and their trade list in general, they are missing out on a valuable (and free!) marketing tool by not sending that sort of bibliographic info into Amazon. (Also, in another example, Pocket should have long ago sent in the jacket for your Fall 2004 Star Trek: New Frontier book to Amazon, but it’s not posted yet).
Just my tuppence. We now return you to your regularily scheduled discussion board.
amazon.com also lists the book as FALLEN ANGELS– with an “s”– and the only way I was able to remotely find it was to put “Peter David Fallen Angel” into the search box. You do not want to know the insanity that ensues when you type only “Fallen Angel” into the search box.
Good news though, I was able to find– and I did order– the book.
Yeah, I actually emailed PAD a day or so ago about this very issue. I think that if this book’s survival depends on TPB sales then they could at least list the book under it’s correct name! I’m glad to see John has taken the time to send Amazon the correct info. Thank you.
Unfortunately, I haven
Peter:
At least as far as Trades go, at the store I deal with, they don’t order more than a copy or two unless people pre-order. The turn-around hasn’t hsitorically been there at that price point to make the investment worthwhile.
Jeff
Hey Peter,
I was at my local comic book store today and noticed that they had Fallen Angel located with the Vertigo titles instead of the DC ones.
What issues are included the the tpb? I’ve considered ordering it from Amazon, but would first like to know what issues and storylines are included and couldn’t find any indication at Amazon or at the DC Comics web site, though perhaps I didn’t look hard enough. I’m one of those that feel that comic book publishers have overpriced individual comic books and now buy very few, preferring instead to order trade paperbacks online. It’s a sturdier format, and with online discounts often cheaper than buying the individual issues, and the tpbs usually have more content.
The trade collects issues 1-6.
Peter:
I’m sent in a title correction, submitted the final jacket file, and submitted a text file with the book description (and also listing David Lopez, and Fernando Blanco as illustrators and Harlan Ellison as doing the introduction). If there aren’t any problems, the jacket should be correct on Amazon tomorrow, and the various text sometime next week. I’ll keep an eye on it; hope it helps.
Lynn D W wrote at July 19, 2004 06:28 PM: the tpbs usually have more content.
Extra content included in the trade is the excellent and funny introduction by Harlan Ellison (or, as he’s listed on the book cover, Harlan Ellison®), the covers of the six comics minus any typographic or sales elements (purty!), and a two-page David Lopez sketchbook.
And a really serious sense of chills up the spine. Don’t forget that.
Someone who feels up to it could also write a glowing customer review for Amazon…
Peter,
I ordered 7 for my store so if anyone is in Chicago go the B&N at webster place and I have them on my staff recommends shelf.
Side note, I thought the book was fantastic I was waiting for the book to come out before I bought the comics and when I finished the book I went out and bought all the old issues.
Any ?s feel free to email me at booksell28@yahoo.com
sean
I just noticed that someone put up a great review for Fallen Angel at Amazon.
When I was in the local comic shop I overheard one of the staff saying that the graphic novel had sold out and that they would be re-ordering. He also said something about the GN selling more than the individual issues have.
I just noticed that someone put up a great review for Fallen Angel at Amazon.>>
Yeah, that’d be me. I’m not sure how much Amazon reviews sway people, but I figured it was the least I could do. I know in the past that review comments have swayed my opinion on ordering books and music off amazon.
Jim
Someone just above made the comment that he or she waits until the trade in order to save money rather than buy separate issues. Sometimes that’s a bit of false economy.
In the case of Fallen Angel, the original issues 1-6 collected in the first trade came out at $2.50 each, for a total of $15.00. The trade is priced at $12.95. That’s a whole $2.05 difference, after waiting almost a year.
Although everyone wants the trade to sell, it’s far better to support the individual issues as they come out.
First, the cost differential is minimal if not non-existant (assuming that most readers would have it on a pull list and receive some type of discount from their local store for doing so).
Second, you get six separate pieces of cover artwork, not available in the trade.
Third, you don’t have to wait many months before reading the story.
Fourth, buying the individual issues supports your local comics retailer on a month to month basis, allowing him or her to continue to improve their businesses and keep the market vibrant.
Fifth and most important, the sales numbers on the individual books go up indicating to the publisher that this is a very viable title, rather than having to use the trade as a test to see if the thing is still worth publishing.
It makes me crazy when I see the rationale behind people’s choices to buy trades rather than monthly books. Folks, if the monthlies are not supported then the market dries up and the trades disappear all by themselves mainly because there’s no new material to collect in them.
Actually, I believe trades are a real great way for publishers to make big $$ because in many cases the signatures are printed at the same time as the monthlies, saving costs and are just bound when the right number of issues has come out. But that’s a rant for another time…..
My favorite example of trades versus individual issues was the case of the first Exiles volume, where if memory serves me the difference between the cost of the individual books and the cost of the trade was exactly one whole cent!
Peter, there are many more comments on Newsarama, in a thread dedicated to this question. You might want to check it out. I’m sure you have something to say on some posts. 😉
Posted by Joe Krolik: “Actually, I believe trades are a real great way for publishers to make big $$ because in many cases the signatures are printed at the same time as the monthlies, saving costs and are just bound when the right number of issues has come out. But that’s a rant for another time…..”
I’ve got to disagree with you, Joe, even though I agree with your other points about supporting the monthly comic.
Most trades are shot from a different plate than the comic book: the indicia, next-issue blurb, and frequently the credits are blocked or blacked out in the trade. (I’ve got to admit that this process ruined one of the best jokes in the recent Fantastic Four: Imaginauts trade. In the second to the last panel of one story, Sue says to Johnny: “Don’t screw up.” The last panel of the story is Johnny sitting, looking confused, with the blurb “Next issue: Johnny screws up!” The next issue blurb was deleted from the trade.)
In addition, 1) trades are frequently (admittedly not always) printed on different paper; 2) the signatures (folded and gathered pages) for a comic book are very different than those of a trade book (there’s ads in the comic book!).
Running extra signatures for a later edition is a common production savings technique in the publishing world: at the company I work for we do it often, especially with low-print-run books like poetry. The extra signatures are saved for reprint/rebinding or to make into paperbacks. But the vast differences between the original newsprint comic and a trade paperback graphic novel are significant enough I find it doubtful they’re doing that.
First, the cost differential is minimal if not non-existant (assuming that most readers would have it on a pull list and receive some type of discount from their local store for doing so).
Even so, the savings are there. When one buys many different collections every month, it all adds up eventually.
Second, you get six separate pieces of cover artwork, not available in the trade.
All six covers are in the collection, unobscured by logos and cover blurbs.
Third, you don’t have to wait many months before reading the story.
This is an advantage, but one that people obviously don’t mind at all. Many people wait for movies to hit dollar theaters or video rental stores before seeing them. Waiting for the collection is no different in this respect.
Fourth, buying the individual issues supports your local comics retailer on a month to month basis, allowing him or her to continue to improve their businesses and keep the market vibrant.
Buying collections from retailers supports them, too. Since I want see more collections on the shelves, I make sure he knows that and am backing up my decision with my wallet.
Fifth and most important, the sales numbers on the individual books go up indicating to the publisher that this is a very viable title, rather than having to use the trade as a test to see if the thing is still worth publishing.
I don’t want sales numbers on issues to go up. I want sales numbers on trades to go up. I want publishers to stop being dependant on issues as their sole publishing revenue stream. The only way they will do that is if people vote with their wallets. What you point out as a flaw – having to use the trade as a crutch – is instead exactly what I want to see happen. I want titles to be more and more reliant on sales from their collected versions so that collections and original graphic novels become more and more economical.
I don’t want sales numbers on issues to go up. I want sales numbers on trades to go up. I want publishers to stop being dependant on issues as their sole publishing revenue stream
But (and here’s the Catch-22) if the monthly comic doesn’t sell, why would the publisher invest time, money, and energy putting out a trade?
But (and here’s the Catch-22) if the monthly comic doesn’t sell, why would the publisher invest time, money, and energy putting out a trade?
Because if they publish trades they will get more of my money. If they only publish issues, they won’t.
I will consider buying series in collected format that I would not as issues.
$15.00 – 10% hold discount = $13.50
I have spent exactly $0.55 more by collecting the issues, as opposd to waiting for the TPB.
Maybe a little more that that if I would have purchased the TPB from Amazon along with enough other titles to eliminate shipping costs, since there is no sales tax on Amazon. But still defintiely worth the, let’s say $1 extra I spent. (I will admit, the $1 does add up slowly over time. But many people will pay the .50 or $1 surcharge for buying movie tickets online in advance for the added convenience.)
Unfortunately, the introduction by Harlan Ellsion intrigued me. And the idea of a copy I can read again and again while the issues are safely bagged and protected appeals to me. So in actuality, I have now spent $13.50 more. Or will once the copy I ordered arrives.
It makes me crazy when I see the rationale behind people’s choices to buy trades rather than monthly books.
Well, maybe you should consider some therapy. Of all the slights and problems I confront in life, the reasons people engage in buying decisions marginally different than mine are way down on the importance level.
Third, you don’t have to wait many months before reading the story.
With monthlies you often have to wait a month between each installment. Not everyone likes the serial nature of comics. As far as not having to wait to read an entire story, everything I read now I have had to wait through thirty years of life to read – a few more months here and there won’t kill me.
I should add that the slight savings in price on this particular collection isn’t a factor for me personally. I am perfectly understanding if the publishers price the trade the exact same amount as the total price of the issues contained therein.
However, I don’t think the the Fallen Angel trade necessarily represents the norm. For instance, there is a new 100 Bullets trade out this week which would cost $17.50 as issues but is priced at $12.95. Many publishers are also starting to price the first collection in a series at low prices like $9.99 for 6 issues to get people in the door.
The jacket and title are now correct at Amazon.com.
I was going to buy the trade but then i got imapatient and bought 1,3-7 and now i got 10-13 also so im buying in single issues…and searching out the ones i dont have.
I’m glad that I got some real juices flowing on this one. Now to some specific commentary and my refutation thereof.
Ralf Haring wrote:
“Buying collections from retailers supports them, too. Since I want see more collections on the shelves, I make sure he knows that and am backing up my decision with my wallet.”
I would refute this by saying that your retailer appreciates your loyalty every six months or year, but would appreciate it more if you would buy regular issues as well every week or month because that’s where the bulk of his or her cash flow comes from.
Ralf continued:
“I don’t want sales numbers on issues to go up. I want sales numbers on trades to go up. I want publishers to stop being dependant on issues as their sole publishing revenue stream. The only way they will do that is if people vote with their wallets. What you point out as a flaw – having to use the trade as a crutch – is instead exactly what I want to see happen. I want titles to be more and more reliant on sales from their collected versions so that collections and original graphic novels become more and more economical.”
Well Ralf, I agree with you that publishers should not be dependant on one stream for revenue. Both components are important. However, I believe that trades should function as items to appeal to either those who a) missed the originals and would have a difficult time finding individual issues, making the trade more convenient or b) desire a collected edition to prevent wear and tear on their original issues from re-reading.
The logic of your argument falls apart somewhat when you view the situation as a catch-22, as John DiBello pointed out above. Namely in order for the publisher to want to put out a trade collection, the title must show itself to be viable enough through single copy sales. If sales of singles aren’t high enough the title is either cancelled or it limps along, and no trades appear.
My best argument against the idea of Trades Only is again the one that when montlies disappear, all comic book specialty stores become in essence “just another small independent bookstore”. We all know the havoc that the big chains have wreaked on small independents, and we definitely do NOT want that to happen to specialty retailers.
Lastly on this comment, I said earlier that the publishers make $$$ on trades,not that they used them as a crutch…in fact far from it.
This brings me to John DiBello’s comments on plate chages, etc.
The last time I was in Montreal at Ronald’s, the pressmen took great pains to boast of how they can do a complete changeover in less than 30 minutes.
I haven’t examine signature setups in the average trade, but I suspect that if they run stuff 16 or 32 up, then that involves perhaps 12 separate slugs to ditch the ads and ad a cover and maybe a roll change for the paper, so it’s still easier to run extras than do a complete shutdown. At worst they may have a second set of plates sans ads and with new front and back cut at the same time, so it would be a straight plate change, roll change, and then Bob’s Your Uncle and away we go. Cheaper to do the setup at that time in either case. Worst that happens is that they have some recycling if the books bomb.
Kudos to John’s comments above. ForeverZero also gets a nod for going out and getting those back issues! Bravo!
Now, Phearlez wrote:
“As far as not having to wait to read an entire story, everything I read now I have had to wait through thirty years of life to read – a few more months here and there won’t kill me.”
No, but it could kill your retailer. This involves the economics of stocking trades versus single issues, as well as turn rates for the product. On average, a medium sized retailer will need to stock anywhere from 2 to 6 copies of any average trade to start with unless the item is proved to be really hot. Then the numbers go up. If you take an average of $16 as the cover price and do some number crunching, that’s a huge commitment, particularly when you consider that there are fully 1000 or more trades currently on backstock from DC, Marvel, Image and Dark Horse, not to mention all the independent publishers AND that even most medium size retailers won’t be able to stock a fraction of that number of items. If the retailer can’t turn that stuff, then he or she is dead before they even start. Now remember that a very important aspect of the business is the idea of attracting younger readers. Many of those either don’t have the necessary cash to lay out all at once on a book, or their parents still balk at $2.25 for a comic let alone $12 to $20 for a book. I will wager you that for most retailers, they would still sooner sell 6 comic books at $2.25 to two or three younger customers to build future readership rather than wait for that one person to come in and plunk down $16 or $20 or whatever. That’s the cash flow issue. I’d like to hear feedback on that subject.
Incidentally, someone on one of the threads I read somewhere mentioned “9,000” comic retailers. Maybe on Zrrff, but not on Earth. In North America we’re still dealing with around 3,000 stores that could be counted as true comic book specialty retailers on a good day.
One other point about individual issues: when they sell better guys like Peter get nice big juicy cheques. If nothing else this showsd them appreciation and gives them encouragement to outdo themselves with each succeeding issue and project. Leave us not forget all those hard-working creators out there!
Several comments:
First, the shop I picked up my copy of the Trade had indeed sold out, and had to re-stock in order for me to get a copy. Apologies for not knowing the name, but it’s in Palatine, IL, and it’s NOT Fat Duchy’s, if that helps.
As to the “Trade v. Issue” debate, here’s my perspective:
I’m a long time comic fan. I actively collected beginning in the late 80s for more than a decade. I finally stopped when the rate at which I bought books exceeded the rate at which I could read them, causing an ever-growing pile of issues I needed to catch up on. The realities of a full time job and other real-life interests finally got me out of the collection hobby. That, and I just didn’t have any more space to store my collection.
Since then, I’ve moved a few times, and gone over my collection, paring out what I didn’t want. My collection now fills the top shelves of my closet. I try to keep up on the news in the comic world, but I don’t get much time spent going to shops.
PAD’s site is one way I stay in touch, and that’s how I learned about FA. It sounded interesting, and I did scan through a few issues I found while killing time in random shops.
So, for me, the Trade makes a great way for me to read the series, since I don’t/won’t commit the time to come back to a shop every month or so. Plus, it does let me “vote” with my wallet.
Sure, if the series doesn’t do well enough, there won’t be enough issues to collect for a trade. But comics are an artistic medium, and you can’t just get an MBA to run a study over a series and predict what’s going to be well received or not. Publishers can look at trade collections as ways of: 1) earning more money off collectors who like to have “complete” collections; 2) ditto for those who want to preserve the original issues, while still enjoying the story and art in the Trade, and; 3) reach a market that doesn’t collect, but is still interested in reading the material.
I’m a 3. Maybe someday (say in about 15 years, if I’m blessed with children who are interested) I’ll be a 2.
Point being, that the trade does serve a valid market function that publishers have apparantly recognized.
You can see the same thing occurring with DVD collections. After watching a friend’s copy of the Firefly DVD collection, we went out and bought it ourselves. I think it still has the shrinkwrap still on it. The point was to vote with our wallet. Let the studios know that Firefly represents the kind of TV we want to see, and are willing to spend money on it.
[i]I would refute this by saying that your retailer appreciates your loyalty every six months or year, but would appreciate it more if you would buy regular issues as well every week or month because that’s where the bulk of his or her cash flow comes from.[/i]
I [b]do[/b] buy stuff every week and month. Even if there’s not another Fallen Angel collection for six months, there will be plenty of collections of Y the Last Man, Ultimate Spider-Man, Cerebus, Powers, Fantastic Four, Age of Bronze, etc. etc. etc. that come out in the interim.
It shouldn’t make a difference to the retailers cash flow if I decide to spend it all in one shot of Metabarons this week and one shot of Human Target next week instead of spreading it in smaller increments over those intervening months. I can safely say that there is usually at least one [b]new[/b] collection per week that I am interested in purchasing. And if there happens to be a slow week or couple of weeks, I’ve still got plenty of old ones on the back burner.
[i]Well Ralf, I agree with you that publishers should not be dependant on one stream for revenue. Both components are important. However, I believe that trades should function as items to appeal to either those who a) missed the originals and would have a difficult time finding individual issues, making the trade more convenient or b) desire a collected edition to prevent wear and tear on their original issues from re-reading.[/i]
I think marketing trades to people who already own the issues is counterproductive and breeds resentment because they’re being “forced” to pay twice for the same content. They should be marketed to new readers of the material. Ideally, the issues and the collections would represent two separate and equally valid sources of revenue comprised of different groups of readers.
[i]The logic of your argument falls apart somewhat when you view the situation as a catch-22, as John DiBello pointed out above. Namely in order for the publisher to want to put out a trade collection, the title must show itself to be viable enough through single copy sales. If sales of singles aren’t high enough the title is either cancelled or it limps along, and no trades appear.[/i]
Yes, and that thinking needs to change. The standard model for Vertigo nowadays is that low sales on issues and high sales on collections are [b]expected[/b], and they publish the issues anyway to make some money in the short term while they await publication in the preferred format of their readership. So for series that have much higher issue sales, it would seem that collections could definitely be justified as long-term money makers.
[i]My best argument against the idea of Trades Only is again the one that when montlies disappear, all comic book specialty stores become in essence “just another small independent bookstore”.[/i]
I don’t want monthly comics to disappear. I just want them to be regularly collected because I prefer that format. I support the comics that I really, really, really like and don’t want to wait for in issue format as well. I will happily buy the issues and collections of Age of Bronze, because it is [b]that dámņ good[/b]. I’ll even spring for the hardcovers to put more money in Eric Shanower’s pocket.
[i]Incidentally, someone on one of the threads I read somewhere mentioned “9,000” comic retailers. Maybe on Zrrff, but not on Earth. In North America we’re still dealing with around 3,000 stores that could be counted as true comic book specialty retailers on a good day.[/i]
Those are how many Diamond accounts there are. Who knows how many of those even carry collections or anything other than Marvel and DC comics? The recent CrossGen bankruptcy filings stated that there were “approximately 285 comic book retailers” to whom they supplied comics. CrossGen was a relatively high profile new independant comics company selling around the same as Dark Horse or Image. It’s pretty sad when they could only get their books into 10% of the stores out there. I also remember an online column by Warren Ellis or a retailer whose name I can’t remember where they spitballed from the estimated sales numbers on an original Ellis Vertigo graphic novel that the copies ordered by that [b]one[/b] retailer accounted for 15% of the books entire print run!
I think the vast majority of comics stores are just like the one on the Simpsons, fat smelly guys who have comic stores to get cheaper Marvel and DC superhero comics for them and their buddies with no thought given to actually growing their business.
[i]One other point about individual issues: when they sell better guys like Peter get nice big juicy cheques. If nothing else this shows them appreciation and gives them encouragement to outdo themselves with each succeeding issue and project. Leave us not forget all those hard-working creators out there![/i]
Laying the guilt trip on a little thick, eh? They should also be getting fat royalty checks if their collections sell well, and those should theoretically keep selling well forever instead of being a one-shot deal like issue-based sales incentives.
Grr…stupid different message boards with different formatting rules. 😉
Ralf, that’s a valid point you make about different books coming out on different weeks. So tell me, on average how many trades do you buy per week? Just curious.
Diamond’s quantity of accounts? I don’t know about that. How many are what we’d call “full-line”, that is, taking the bulk of DC, Marvel, Image, Dark Horse, the two former Image components: Dreamwave and DDP and perhaps Archie for the young’uns.
I don’t know what the reprint royalties are like for trades compared to first run royalties. OK, Peter, can you give us all some background in this aspect of the business?
One other point vis a vis the viability of trades versus single issues:
The latter are largely confined to the direct specialty market. Most newsstand sales are far lower, so it’s reasonable to assume that the mass market does not contribute overwhelmingly to single issue sales. However, trades are not confined to just the specialty market. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing what the contribution of a B&N, Waldens, Chapters, McNally’s or any other chain amounts to or how it compares to specialty market sales. And then of course there is Amazon and other on-line discounters. I suspect that in the case of trades there is a much more significant volume in the mass market than there is in the specialty comic store market.
So tell me, on average how many trades do you buy per week? Just curious.
A breakdown of my orders for 2004:
January: 7 new trades, 1 backlist, 2 cancelled
February: 12 new trades, 0 backlist, 3 cancelled
March: 15 new trades, 2 backlist, 0 cancelled
April: 10 new trades, 0 backlist, 1 cancelled
May: 11 new trades, 1 backlist, 0 cancelled
June: 10 new trades, 1 backlist, 0 cancelled
July: 12 new trades, 0 backlist, 1 cancelled
August: 9 new trades, 0 backlist, 1 cancelled
September: 11 new trades, 1 backlist, 0 cancelled
Some of those are trades of series that I only get as collections like Flash, Usagi Yojimbo, or Lucifer. Others are replacements for series I did buy the issues of like Fallen Angel, Arrowsmith, or Human Target. [Those issues usually wind up being sold on eBay – see end of message for plug – and only on very rare occasions do I keep both formats such as Astro City or Age of Bronze.] Some others are series that only come out in trade format like Phoenix, Samurai Executioner, and ElfQuest or reprints of long out-of-print issues like Perez’ Wonder Woman, The Maxx, or Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith’s Conan.
Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing what the contribution of a B&N, Waldens, Chapters, McNally’s or any other chain amounts to or how it compares to specialty market sales.
Actually we do, but someone would have to shell out a couple thousand bucks for a BookScan account, which tracks sales data from book stores.
And now the promised plug:
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=preypacer&include=0&since=-1&sort=3&rows=50&sspageName=DB:OtherItems
However, trades are not confined to just the specialty market. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing what the contribution of a B&N, Waldens, Chapters, McNally’s or any other chain amounts to or how it compares to specialty market sales.
Judging from Marvel’s SEC financial statements, it’s grown from 5-10% of total sales to 20% of total sales. If it maintains that pace, it might end up being a quarter to a third of all sales.
Not that this can be extrapolated to DC or to individual titles, but this is what you can glean from the SEC statements.
Couple of points here:
First, Ralf you’re certainly doing your part. But one question: That’s all from a local retailer, right? Are any discounts involved. I ask, because that’s quite a good volume of goodies each month.
Second, I suspect that the mass market stores are getting a much larger quantity of trades than the specialty market. In fact, I would not be surprised if the split is something like 60% mass vs 40% comic specialty. However, and this is a big question: what is the sell-through at mass market outlets? I wonder if only for the fact that often Diamond gets copies for reorders that carry chain store UPC stickers or other chain markings.
I worry about the state of the market because the specialty stores are still the backbone of it, whether anyone agrees with me or not. If the specialty stores go, then the whole thing collapses in on itself.
That’s all from a local retailer, right?
It’s from a brick-and-mortar store, but not my local store. G-Mart in Champaign, IL.
I use my local store to check out product that I want to take a look at before buying or just to browse and find something totally new. Usually if I start getting a trade series by browsing there, I’ll buy the rest there, even though I could probably get them cheaper elsewhere. Some recent stuff I’ve gotten from them would be Usagi Yojimbo trades, Blade of the Immortal trades, Hellboy trades, the first couple Cerebus trades, the Tezuka Buddha hardcovers, and Iron Man’s ongoing series. I’ll want to take a look at some of DC’s new Humanoids reissues since their solicitation information is extremely lacking in description.
High-ticket items – hardcovers, minibusts and such – I’ll usually want to see beforehand instead of preordering blind.
Are any discounts involved.
Yes, of course. I wouldn’t preorder any comics anywhere if I didn’t get a discount. That’s the whole point of preordering. I am guaranteeing my retailer a sale, plunking down my money ahead of time, and giving him market data to estimate his non-preorder customers’ desires and in return he’s letting me share in the discounts he gets from Diamond.
I ask, because that’s quite a good volume of goodies each month.
Yep, and if I didn’t get as good a discount, I would order less stuff. I also factor in that I have absolutely no qualms about selling off anything that disappointed me or is even “just ok.” Ebay and Amazon have made finding buyers easy nowadays.
It’s my opinion that there are more great, diverse comics coming out today than ever before and there are more collections of great past comics than ever before. It’s a shame I don’t have more hours in a day and more money in the bank.
Well Ralf, you not only talk the talk but you walk the walk, so no complaints from me…..well, except one perhaps:
I have never understood the logic of any retailer giving a discount in return for a booked order.
Now before you jump down my throat and tell me I’m an idiot (which I could very well be), hear me out.
We call a preorder or a pull bin or a slot or whatever you want to refer to it as, a “store account”. Store accounts share one common trait: they are all labor intensive. Even the ones that deal with one or two regular titles. More especially ones that require managing books and things which are not what could be termed “standing order items” (ie. stuff that comes in for someone issue after issue). Trades fall squarely into that category.
So let’s look at the store owner who has to manage 100 to 200 store accounts every single week. Invariably at the crack of opening on Wednesday or Thursday (depends where you are), five to ten of those account holders will show up, mouths watering, palms and foreheads glistening with sweat, pupils diluted, just DYING to get their hands on the new stuff which has just come in…..within the last couple of hours!
What they don’t see, what they never even THINK about, is that poor harried store owner or his poor harried staff, scrambling through 150 to 200 releases a week (let’s assume it’s a good store that orders lots of independents and books and stuff), and racing like maniacs to have those doggone store accounts ready to go at the “opening bell”!
AND FOR THIS THEY ACCEPT A LOWER PRICE!
You betcha folks…..”Give your regular order to me and I will work my ášš off twice as hard, I will hire more folks to service your accounts at great cost, and I will SHOOT MYSELF IN THE FOOT by taking LESS MONEY from you!” This makes absolutely no sense to me, nada, gournisht, nuttin’!
If anything, hard-working retailers deserve a PREMIUM for such service!
Think about it. How many of you guys out there have the foggiest notion of what it takes to get the stuff from the plant to your hand?
Again, just my take, and I fault no one for their decisions or the opportunities they take. A pause in thought to keep that good ole’ industry we all love alive and kicking…..
And for those others of us who frequent boards in the wee hours, pupils are usually “dilAted”, not “dilUted”. I guess I’m a little diluted myself at this hour! Oh well…..
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