Why are comics shops closing as superheroes make a mint?8909
 I hear their hourly rate is outrageous!
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| Post 76 • IP flag post | ||
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X51 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Wraith Variants are bad for long term collectability. I care about the value of what I buy in the secondary market. I have no desire to own the "common" version of anything. There are enough obscure and rare back issues for me to buy where I can get entertaining reads and have a comic that will be worth more than I paid. At one point I was barely able to afford food and had no money. My collection increasing in value allowed me to trade 70's and 80's duplicates for Silver age comics I wanted more and had dreamed of owning. I traded duplicate Valiant comics for an Amazing Fantasy #15. I'm not going to spend $4 on some common cover that is going to be worthless in 3 months. I'm not going to spend $100 on some variant cover that is over-hyped just to have it be forgotten and unsalable in a year. To much crap is produced these days. My tastes have refined in 50 years. I like some things for nostalgia. I like some things for obscurity. None of that includes decompressed stories. None of that includes art not suitable for the style of story it is trying to tell. I tried to pick up Dark Horse's reboot of the Gold Key heroes in 2010 or so. Someone thought it was a good idea to use a noir style art to depict holograms of a nuclear power plant. Seriously? I want serious art for serious stories. Cartoon art can be used for cartoon characters. The art of making comics good and compelling is lost. People are working hard and cutting corners to produce lousy comics. Great art is wasted on horrible stories. 90% of the loyal die-hard fans I knew in the 90's have left the hobby, sold their collections, and said they got tired of it. The shop owners and employees that I chatted with a decade ago (and are still around) are usually happy to see me. What is there to talk about? Me: There's nothing in your store I want Them: "Blah Blah Blah is popular. Me (thinking): "Is that the best they have to offer? That's horrid." Me (saying): "I've looked at it, it doesn't interest me." I linger around to look at as much as I can tolerate to look at. I tell them I interact with people online who like one series or another. I get an update on what consumers are buying or who walked into the store after a 10 year lapse. After the small talk has run it's course, I find an opportunity to get out of there as soon as possible. I can like the people but see that they are stuck in their quicksand of life choices. I have no desire to jump into the quicksand with them. That's how I view the modern industry. Creators, publishers, distributors, and retailers are flailing around trying to find something to make their lives relevant. There's very little to feel excited and energized about. For the all of them, it's work. It's a daily routine of going through the motions to earn a living. There is no fire of excitement. They try to second guess the consumers with some formula they think works, but none of them grasps the big picture. They all have tunnel vision. That tunnel vision is focused on how to get a sale. Publishers try to trick people into buying comics and they are no longer trying to invigorate and inspire people to buy comics. Publishers only need to trick the retailers to buy comics since the consumer isn't the one who is directly paying them. The retailer is pinched between the publisher's offerings and consumers being able to afford what is offered. Retailers didn't make the recipe and they aren't necessarily the one who is eating it. To say "I try to always support my LCS to keep them around" sounds like "I go there because it's the only Italian restaurant in town." Doesn't matter if it's great food or what you even want. It's the closest to what fans want so they settle for what they can. I don't like seeing the comatose patient just laying there. It's disappointing, but eventually the plug needs to be pulled. I'm ready to accept it and move on. I know others are still hoping for the industry to come back to life and be restored to days of old. It's a fine line between learning from the past and living in it. I try to associate with people who are looking forward. Our eyes are in the front of our heads for a reason. "He who takes the plow and looks back...." Fill in the rest of that if so motivated. |
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| Post 77 • IP flag post | ||
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etapi65 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by MR_SigS This is why i didn't collect comics from 2010-2015. Limited shop choices (closest was 30 minutes away) with it being a crap shoot whether they have stuff. Combined with the comics i had a pull list for always being mangled. I don't go crazy about the random, average book having a minor flaw, but we're talking multiple spine creases "dents" that looked like someone jabbed it with a leather punch and complete corner bends going through the whole book. It's like...why would you even put this in my box? |
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| Post 78 • IP flag post | ||
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chirock private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I have 3 comic shops that are pretty easy for me to go to, but I still order from Westfield comics. I'm not terribly interested in most new Marvel/DC. I like being able to make my selection from the range of everything that's available during the month at a computer in advance. One store has a limited set of titles available for pulls. You'd think Previews/Diamond would get their act together and make do something like westfield for LCSs, but they're stuck in the 90's with printed books. | ||
| Post 79 • IP flag post | ||
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OGJackster private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by chirock Me too, love Westfield! Things may not be as grim as we think. Here is a good article on an upswing in sales... Comics and Graphic Novel Sales Hit New High in 2018 According to New Estimate by ICv2 and Comichron clickable text  |
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| Post 80 • IP flag post | ||
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etapi65 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| They just had 13 creators in for FCBD including Chuck Dixon, Tony Kordos, Sergio Cariello. They bring people in throughout the year (Greg Land, Mark Texiera, Dawn McTeigue) and they were doing decent business (I think). But the struggle of getting jerked around by places to rent space apparently just became too much to deal with. =68.ARBED0v6cIbEHPuifvmUxuRLjmAaOn4tM4ApwOt8W10dy83_c0oPM0cTAyjJLS6q2etQLwRZ3aZl9YPunbcADs0nnqvXZyuzh35rTBnpZTnRj7-JoHWaPNEqDJV2bZpei8YUN2eQGI9J6JTn0CBsqnn0MpxO_Zj1QYLHwWKR-voFe_lRzzX3Xl5zrsz4nLpeb6Z8Hnzx6YIWSNOZ4zcwH5pc-l702OjHSHTqfYJ3Cw9eaStW_3M7fz5nJElTsahhWdiLHqcZ3cMJljDAOXFiirV8sfuUixywdMchiHVZzdApkryeVRm-B1JswOMBGV3qdkBJrYm6Gp78EFY1WiJqFT1nFdWF3dU9y_NMCSSLPurAKZ2yn1ciFV2mSA]clickable text | ||
| Post 81 • IP flag post | ||
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Zipper private msg quote post Address this user | |
| The reason comic stores are closing as the movies make a fortune is because there’s little correlation between the success of movies and the desire of kids to read comic books. To today’s kids, Marvel heroes are figures from movies and videogames… not books. My children and their friends all enjoy the Marvel movies yet none of them read comic books. I’ve tried introducing them to comic books many times with no success. And the people who are interested in comic books — like the people who read this message board — are more likely to use eBay than patronizing local comic shops for significant purchases. |
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| Post 82 • IP flag post | ||
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Doc_Cop private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Hey Zipper, I agree with you in regards to kids not reading comic books as movies are much more acceptable. I feel LCS need to focus on keeping desired books on their walls. It seems most LCS will put up a number of keys at ridiculous prices and drive serious buyers to EBay. I would love to find a book on my want list at my LCS, unfortunately the only thing that changes there are the new books on Wednesdays. During my childhood, nothing was better than meeting up with my fellow newspaper delivery buddies and trading comics to read. Just last night I escaped reality and read the latest Detective Comics and feel sorry that today's youth are missing out. Nuff said.... | ||
| Post 83 • IP flag post | ||
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| Lastly Zipper, "Tennessee Tuxedo shall not fail"! | ||
| Post 84 • IP flag post | ||
 Beaten by boat oars
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
| True about kids associating the characters with movies/TV/games. Some stores do have crazy prices on wall books. I'm looking at you Comic Interlude in Lexington, KY. However, all but one of the stores that I frequent have their wall books priced to move. It's kind of like a pull list in a way. If a shop owner gets in a copy of AF 15, the owner may have 10 people on a list he has to call first before making it available. Do the characters in the movies equate to what is in the comics? Is Rocket Raccoon even in the GOTG comic at this point? That could be part of the disconnect as well. | ||
| Post 85 • IP flag post | ||
 Please continue to ignore anything I post.
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southerncross private msg quote post Address this user | |
How about location Adult store and a few doors down. The blue doors is a comic book shops in Cork.  The blue doors to a comic book shop 3 doors down. |
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| Post 86 • IP flag post | ||
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billkruser5 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Studley_Dudley Rocket showed up (just his arm in a single panel) in the most recent GOTG. And a storyline about his "death" is coming. I'm kind of let down by that. Rocket is one of the most iconic parts of GOTG, not cosmic ghost rider. I have found myself re-reading the older runs with the whole crew in them. As for the kids, I got my 6 year old every issue of the Marvel Super Hero Adventures with Spider-Man kids comics over the past year. He asks to read a couple together every night before bed. His favorite is the most recent Web Designers one with all the villains in it. So there is a glimmer of hope for him to latch onto the hobby. And if he does, I will have a good collection to give him some day. |
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| Post 87 • IP flag post | ||
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Beaten by boat oars
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @southerncross Maybe people have a pull list at Secrets for Hustler and High Society before going to the comic shop. Consolidate trips, you know? | ||
| Post 88 • IP flag post | ||
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Please continue to ignore anything I post.
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southerncross private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Studley_Dudley lol, Gives a new meaning to pull list. Yep I went there. I'm an Australian. That's my defense | ||
| Post 89 • IP flag post | ||
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GanaSoth private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Studley_Dudley Haha. A Pull List.... | ||
| Post 90 • IP flag post | ||
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BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by billkruser5I think it is great that you have exposed your son to comic books. I think this is what it will take is for every comic book fan/collector to have their kids involved with it in some fashion. Even if it is just Free Comic Book day. My 17 year old goes to comic book shows and even a couple comic book auctions with me. He is on his second half box now. He also has a really nice Nova #1 that he won at an auction for $30. It is easily a 9.4-9.6 candidate. I will be sending that one off with some of mine to get graded soon. He enjoys the shows and usually picks up a nice stack every time he goes and they are a lot cheaper than if he went to an LCS and paid $4.99 a book. He usually gets really nice books for.50 cents to a buck a book. He helped me set up at a few shows in the past and I think that has been a good experience for a young guy to do to. He is actually a good salesman and very comfortable behind the table dealing with customers and collecting money. This also allows me to sneak away from the table to check out hot deals. We have to make an effort with our kids if we want this hobby to continue. Also it is nice to know that my comics might be enjoyed by my kids one day. Or at least he realizes the value of a lot of my books so if my wife ever had to sells them, she won't get screwed over. |
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