Frustration with conventions

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Summydad1
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Frustration with conventions

Post by Summydad1 »

I went to the Daytona Beach comic convention this weekend. I go every year in April. It is always a great show for collectors. Not a lot of cosplay or arts and crafts. Most every table is comics or toys and the prices are reasonable unlike most conventions. I ask every vendor the same question when I approach their tables. "Do you have any Valiant? I will take old or new." I have been asking this question for years at every convention. I get the same answer of "No, we left it back at the shop. No body ever asks for it." Or " You are the only person today to ask. I think we have some in the $1 boxes." My post here isn't to ask why but to express my feelings. Most of the retailers couldn't remember the Valiant characters names or that the movies are in the works. I really hope that the movies bring these characters to the public's attention. I know that most people here on the forum have had the same experience and also desire the movies to be successful. I am still just blown away that Valiant comics are not loved by everyone.
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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by jxm640 »

While I understand your frustration. Taste is taste, which is annoying.

Off the top of my head, if you don't mind doing the work, you can spread the Valiant love. If possible, get a booth for a small convention and speak to someone at Valiant, maybe Mel. See if they can supply you with a selection of comics as well as promo posters and/or merchandise.

Otherwise, just spread the word through conversation as Dinesh did.
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Ricomortis
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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by Ricomortis »

jxm640 wrote:While I understand your frustration. Taste is taste, which is annoying.

Off the top of my head, if you don't mind doing the work, you can spread the Valiant love. If possible, get a booth for a small convention and speak to someone at Valiant, maybe Mel. See if they can supply you with a selection of comics as well as promo posters and/or merchandise.

Otherwise, just spread the word through conversation as Dinesh did.
I know taste is taste, but I don't think this is the problem with Valiant.

1. A TON of dealers and collectors got burned on the "investment" aspect of the old Valiant and lost their *SQUEE*. They won't make ""that mistake" again. :roll:

2. People are sheep. It took this long for Marvel to get to this point. Even if most of the stories suck, and alot of people complain about reboots, they keep on keeping on. :lol:

3. I have been to MANY comic stores where they all say "yea, I keep hearing they have REALLY good stories and are focusing on quality over quantity". So of course I ask, "Have you read any". 100percent of the time the answer has been... NO! :roll: facepalm

4. As for "Taste is taste", I was right about Walking Dead, Invincible, TMNT, Bone, and many others WAY before they were crazy popular. I think it's more of zero exposure to the mainstream than taste.

5. I was at a shop yesterday in a different town and the owner was EXTREMELY knowledgable about ANY comic I asked about, new or old, and even knew about the Bloodshot movie with Vin Diesel, the Ninjak vs. was released the day before, and knew the characters. So I ask him if he has read Imperium. Guess what? He had no idea what that was. Sorry, missing an awesome concept and story. :?
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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by kjjohanson »

Summydad1 wrote:I am still just blown away that Valiant comics are not loved by everyone.
Not *yet*
If you're not a *SQUEE*, you're okay with me.

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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by TheFerg714 »

Ricomortis wrote:
jxm640 wrote: 3. I have been to MANY comic stores where they all say "yea, I keep hearing they have REALLY good stories and are focusing on quality over quantity". So of course I ask, "Have you read any". 100percent of the time the answer has been... NO! :roll: facepalm
OMG :censored: THIS.

It gets really tiresome getting this same crap at every single store. You'd think, as a comic distributor, you'd listen when multiple people say, "HEY THIS *SQUEE* IS GOOD," but no apparently not. Not to be too harsh to comic stores, but your shop (and the industry, as a whole) is never going to grow if you don't try to promote anything other than Marvel, DC, and a little Image. You have to cultivate a fanbase of people who are willing to try different things, and catering to the will of the masses 100% of the time isn't gonna cut it.

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depluto
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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by depluto »

I wanted to go to that Daytona con but I was working that weekend. You're right about the lack of Valiant around here ... I don't even bother looking through the local shops any more. It's easier to just get stuff online. Every now and then at MegaCon I find a decent deal on Valiant stuff but never more than a couple of books. Hoping to see some newer variant covers for cheap there this year.

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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by greg »

Sad to hear, but it's such an old story at this point, I'm not sure what any of us can do.

:hm:

Dealers get asked for "weird things" (in their mind) non-stop at conventions, but there's no "urgency" for them to do anything about it... and they easily forget. We need to create the urgency and the memory. Perhaps conceal a few hundred dollar bills in your hand when you ask the question, then when the dealer says no, thumb through them quickly and put them back in your pocket while you walk away saying "too bad". Instead of letting them make you feel frustrated... flip it back on them.

:lol:

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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by Ricomortis »

greg wrote:Sad to hear, but it's such an old story at this point, I'm not sure what any of us can do.

:hm:

Dealers get asked for "weird things" (in their mind) non-stop at conventions, but there's no "urgency" for them to do anything about it... and they easily forget. We need to create the urgency and the memory. Perhaps conceal a few hundred dollar bills in your hand when you ask the question, then when the dealer says no, thumb through them quickly and put them back in your pocket while you walk away saying "too bad". Instead of letting them make you feel frustrated... flip it back on them.

:lol:
I think I've actually done something like that. If I remember... I made the comment to the store owner who was a little egotistical, about how it was his loss that I came in with 1000.00 in my back pocket. :lol:
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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by MoonChild »

Talk about not feeling alone in this ^^^ :o :o Every-Single-Shop!!! Always make out pretty good when you digg tho right :? 8-) this one guy had all his books priced out accept he threw the valiants in with the over printed image books and had em at a quarter a pop. Landed high grade end run original valiants including bloodshot, some doubles too, was surprised they were in high grade. Another spot this guy had every single pre-unity in high grade 2.50 each :D :D He deals in toys though usually, he just pulled out all his boxes he had since early 90's said he never touched em or nothin', Venom Lethal Gold etc, crazy..

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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by greg »

Ricomortis wrote:
greg wrote:Sad to hear, but it's such an old story at this point, I'm not sure what any of us can do.

:hm:

Dealers get asked for "weird things" (in their mind) non-stop at conventions, but there's no "urgency" for them to do anything about it... and they easily forget. We need to create the urgency and the memory. Perhaps conceal a few hundred dollar bills in your hand when you ask the question, then when the dealer says no, thumb through them quickly and put them back in your pocket while you walk away saying "too bad". Instead of letting them make you feel frustrated... flip it back on them.

:lol:
I think I've actually done something like that. If I remember... I made the comment to the store owner who was a little egotistical, about how it was his loss that I came in with 1000.00 in my back pocket. :lol:
You've gotta show the bills he missed out on, or else he'll think you're just talking big.

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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by greg »

MoonChild wrote:Talk about not feeling alone in this ^^^ :o :o Every-Single-Shop!!!
Yep. :|

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Summydad1
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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by Summydad1 »

I would gladly go to smaller conventions in my general area and hand out Valiant promo items and tell people about the characters and the stories. It would be kinda like a "grass roots" campaign to make people aware of what they are missing. That would be so fun...... If anybody at Valiant is seeing this, I am available. Ha. That would be like a dream come true.
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MoonChild
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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by MoonChild »

greg wrote:
MoonChild wrote:Talk about not feeling alone in this ^^^ :o :o Every-Single-Shop!!!
Yep. :|
:lol: We live in a bizzaro world where quality means squat to these kids, I just say it out loud when I get there, "it keeps the print runs low!" They won't care till the movies, shows, games & toys are in their face. That's the only reason im not too mad about DMG so far.
Last edited by MoonChild on Tue Apr 24, 2018 5:39:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by MoonChild »

Summydad1 wrote:I would gladly go to smaller conventions in my general area and hand out Valiant promo items and tell people about the characters and the stories. It would be kinda like a "grass roots" campaign to make people aware of what they are missing. That would be so fun...... If anybody at Valiant is seeing this, I am available. Ha. That would be like a dream come true.
Plus 1 :thumb:

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Re: Frustration with conventions

Post by Sven the Returned »

jxm640 wrote:While I understand your frustration. Taste is taste, which is annoying.
Take it anyway you want it but comics is the weirdest marketplace with it's DC and Marvel loyalty. I got other good stuff more than what i can read in a lifetime but i would, love it if that would go away and the marketplace would still do well.


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