How do you make money selling comics?

[tunglashr]

Don't forget the value of "specials." NOT variant covers and that ilk, but, say... those Spider-Man newspaper insert reprints. I have made good money with those on eBay. The NY Post SE Batman 60 and Superman comic later on, people wanted those that couldn't get them otherwise. As you say, find a niche and stick to it, but there's nothing wrong with "multi-niching."



-slym

Tru dat my brotha. When I say find a niche and stick within it, I mean only buy things you know well enough to know its a good deal. If you dont know Platinum Age, dont pay $50 for a Life With Father book. Its old, it seems rare, but its probably not worth that unless its super nice.

For instance, I know little about Gladstones. I bought a huge collection a few months back and lo and behold, there were all these Gladstone books that were worth like $25 apiece. I never would have known; the only reason I have them is serendipity.

Also, and this is super important: BE HONEST. I tell people who I am buying from what I expect to sell their books for if they ask, and sometimes if they dont. Its just plain good karma, man.

Funny you should mention Gladstones...

Many Gladstones ARE worth $25 each.....but only to insane Disney completists.

To, say, Hobo, they'd be worthless, because he doesn't care.

Knowing your market and catering to it is an important part of the process.

Insane Disney completists? I think not. Gladstones, well at least the ones that are worth $25, have much better value than the vast majority of the books from their era. Once I got them I did some research into them, and I think its pretty well deserved. In a lot of cases the print runs were pretty low and the quality of the books was good. This doesnt really apply to the ones that are entirely reprints (but those dont tend to be $25 books).

I would say they have more legitimate, real value than a CEAR. Thats completely novelty value, and even though this is a forum for them, completely only to these 'completists' of which you speak. In 25 years, those Gladstones will still be the transition to a new phase of Disney books (a source of true value), while the books like CEARs will be novelties with high book values and zero demand. Is a little bit of cover ink really worth $100 in the long run?

[cobra_commander]

I dont think its as difficult as these guys are saying. I consistently bring in about $1000 per week in profits working out of my house in summer months while holding a regular full time job. Its a lot harder to make good buys, and therefore make sales, at other times of the year.

I can generally make 750+ at even super small cons as well. They are a great way to network, you can get to know all the local dealers and find out what sells in their area.

The key is buying well. Screw new comics. Everybody has them. There is no profit in them. I basically dont buy anything that isnt from the 80's or before, and the 80's stuff needs to be XMen or ASM, with a few exceptions. Ebay can also make sure you keep that cash flow working the mojo as well. Just remember, you get 33% or so on ebay for most issues, less on some. Be prepared for that.

What do I pay? Well when Im not overpaying for Valiants for my collection I normally buy at 25% for books over $10 value, properly graded. I pay 10 or 25 cents on up to $5 and up to $10 respectively.

Those cheapies go for a dollar at a con, or 50 cents apiece in lots, or in huge lots maybe as low as 30 cents each. They are easy to keep your cash flow working.

At cons I sell at 50-60% for the vast majority of books. This includes high dollar books usually, but not always. At the last con I had the best House of Secrets 92 in the place (about an 8.0) and I had it marked at $300. I think the key is be happy. Smile, talk to people, be energetic, talk about the comics you love. Let the customers feel your enthusiasm for your books and they will fly off the shelf.

So, my formula: Find a niche, and stick within it as much as you can. Decide what you can pay and dont pay more. Sell cheap enough that your customers leave smiling. Have a great time. That last sentence is the most important. This little formula has gotten my face in the Overstreet a few times and even let me write a market report once. If I can do it, you can do it.

Thats pretty d@mn good

[X-O Dan-O-War]

Heh,

Captain America #25 for example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Captain-America-25- ... dZViewItem

Well, it would seem some stores have a goldmine on their hands.. for a limited time I'm sure. These things are selling for ABSURD amounts of money considering they hit shelves yesterday. Anyone want to predict what they sell for in 6 months? I'd guess $10.

[ZephyrWasHOT!!]

Don't forget the value of "specials." NOT variant covers and that ilk, but, say... those Spider-Man newspaper insert reprints. I have made good money with those on eBay. The NY Post SE Batman 60 and Superman comic later on, people wanted those that couldn't get them otherwise. As you say, find a niche and stick to it, but there's nothing wrong with "multi-niching."



-slym

Tru dat my brotha. When I say find a niche and stick within it, I mean only buy things you know well enough to know its a good deal. If you dont know Platinum Age, dont pay $50 for a Life With Father book. Its old, it seems rare, but its probably not worth that unless its super nice.

For instance, I know little about Gladstones. I bought a huge collection a few months back and lo and behold, there were all these Gladstone books that were worth like $25 apiece. I never would have known; the only reason I have them is serendipity.

Also, and this is super important: BE HONEST. I tell people who I am buying from what I expect to sell their books for if they ask, and sometimes if they dont. Its just plain good karma, man.

Funny you should mention Gladstones...

Many Gladstones ARE worth $25 each.....but only to insane Disney completists.

To, say, Hobo, they'd be worthless, because he doesn't care.

Knowing your market and catering to it is an important part of the process.

Insane Disney completists? I think not.

Why on EARTH would you not think that?

Gladstones, well at least the ones that are worth $25, have much better value than the vast majority of the books from their era.

Do you mean by "much better value" that they HOLD their value better than the vast majority of books from that era (NOT a difficult thing to do for mid 80's books!) or that they are better QUALITY than most books of the era (also not a difficult thing to do for mid 80's books!)

Because ONE is quantifiable, the other's a judgement call.

And who buys them.......?

Once I got them I did some research into them, and I think its pretty well deserved. In a lot of cases the print runs were pretty low and the quality of the books was good. This doesnt really apply to the ones that are entirely reprints (but those dont tend to be $25 books).

I would say they have more legitimate, real value than a CEAR. Thats completely novelty value, and even though this is a forum for them, completely only to these 'completists' of which you speak. In 25 years, those Gladstones will still be the transition to a new phase of Disney books (a source of true value), while the books like CEARs will be novelties with high book values and zero demand.

Doubtful.

Is a little bit of cover ink really worth $100 in the long run?

CEAR is now 13 years old, and shows no signs of fading in price.

Look....do not misunderstand: Gladstones (except the aforementioned reprints) are DECENT quality books. HOWEVER...they are FAR MORE of a niche market than Valiant. Yes, Gladstones enjoyed somewhat of a heyday in 1988, and market reports from the time reflect this, BUT....the VAST, VAST, VAST majority of people who will PAY $25 for those books are who.....?

Ah yes...insane Disney completists.

But please do not misunderstand and imagine that "insane Disney completists" are NOT a force to be reckoned with. Oh HO, they VERY MUCH ARE. In fact....there is no single company in the WORLD with a larger and more dedicated collector base than the Walt Disney Co. None.

But again....who's going to pay $25 for a WDC&S #511 (it guide for $30)? I'm not. Is there anyone else on this board who would?

Anyone?

Probably not....but I will GLADLY pay, and HAVE paid, 75 cents to $2 for one...or several....because I know SOMEDAY I will run into those people, and when I do, I will have what THEY want at a price THEY are willing to pay.

No, it is a mistake to make assumptions about phrases like "insane Disney completists."

[ZephyrWasHOT!!]

Heh,

Captain America #25 for example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Captain-America-25- ... dZViewItem

Well, it would seem some stores have a goldmine on their hands.. for a limited time I'm sure. These things are selling for ABSURD amounts of money considering they hit shelves yesterday. Anyone want to predict what they sell for in 6 months? I'd guess $10.

It's always hard to say, but history is stacked very much AGAINST this book.

It COULD be another Ultimate Spiderman #1 (though the circumstances were completely different) or, it could be like every other "hot" book out there.

[tunglashr]

Rather than quote a whole post that got huge, Ill assume we can all reference back.

CEAR has a huge value now, and this idea of 'no signs of slowing down' is a misnomer. Its value is related solely to a marketing gimmick. There is no real difference between a CEAR and a 50 cent Chaos Effect Alpha. The only reason its value holds is because of the buzz surrounding a Valiant comeback. In 25 years Valiant will have either came back or not, and those people who want CEARs will for the most part have them. Its totally, 100% about completism for a collector of everything Valiant. There is no story value in CEAR (well, 50 cents worth).

Over time these gimmicks tend to reduce in value rather than increase. This entire line you mention is based on a flurry of fellacious logic. Just because nobody wants Gladstone Disneys on a Valiant board proves nothing. Ill bet you I sell at least half of my decent Disneys at the ECCC in 3 weeks (I actually had lots of people asking for Disneys at my last show, where I brought none). Lots of people buy Disneys.

Not only that, but these little differences tend to blur over time. Take for example Marvel Comics #1. There are two printings of this book (one month apart), one of them 10 times more common than the other, yet there is little perceivable difference in the value of either.

In 25 years if someone wants Chaos Effect Alpha, there is no real reason to buy the red UNLESS they want everything Valiant. Thats the realm of the completist. The Gladstones on the other hand, are books that have value based on story, art, temporal considerations and a change in one of the comic industries largest driving forces. Thats real value.

[Heath]

Heh,

Captain America #25 for example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Captain-America-25- ... dZViewItem

Well, it would seem some stores have a goldmine on their hands.. for a limited time I'm sure. These things are selling for ABSURD amounts of money considering they hit shelves yesterday. Anyone want to predict what they sell for in 6 months? I'd guess $10.

DANGIT! I clicked the link, scrolled down the eBay page, and immediately had the issue spoiled for me with their HUGE HEADLINE.

[ZephyrWasHOT!!]

Rather than quote a whole post that got huge, Ill assume we can all reference back.

CEAR has a huge value now, and this idea of 'no signs of slowing down' is a misnomer.

Well, it's not a misnomer, because that would be something inappropriately named, but I said it hasn't FADED....there's a bit of a subtle difference. It certainly DID slow down in the late 90's, but since the "Valiant Revival" of the early 2000's, it hasn't faded in price. And that's true. It jumps around, like all things do, but it's not a $15 book, nor a $20 book, nor even a $50 book.

"no signs of slowing down" implies that it's charging ahead full speed, and it's not; but the price hasn't faded, nonetheless. It is STABLE, and shows ZERO signs of changing much.

Its value is related solely to a marketing gimmick. There is no real difference between a CEAR and a 50 cent Chaos Effect Alpha.

There actually is one minor, and one HUGE difference:

Minor: the cover is different.

Huge: the printrun is extremely small in relation to CEA.

The difference between Star Wars #1 regular and Star Wars #1 35 cent variant is even LESS than CEAR and CEA....and yet, a CGC 9.4 Star Wars #1 35 cent is a $3,000+ book. Aregular is about $75-$100.

That's a HUGE difference for something so "insignificant."

You and I DO NOT disagree on the first difference being nothing more than a marketing gimmick (which it actually wasn't, it was a thank you to retailers...it certainly had no effect on the sales of CEA.)

The only reason its value holds is because of the buzz surrounding a VALIANT comeback.

This is not entirely true.

Here's why:

Back in the mid to late 90's, this book was never (on the eBay market) a "25 cent book."

Just like Harbinger #0 Pink, which rarely sold for less than $10, and Unity Red the same, CEAR has never, EVER been a 25 cent book on eBay when properly listed.

While I do not doubt that SOME of its upper value is buzz related, the VAST MAJORITY of its value is not, as has been demonstrated for years.

In 25 years VALIANT will have either came back or not, and those people who want CEARs will for the most part have them.

That's entirely untrue. You have no idea who will have come around by then who will want one that we don't know about today. *I* didn't know CEAR existed (which is why I didn't have it) until round 1999, from one of Joe Petrilak's auctions (no not THAT one.) NO clue it existed for five YEARS after it came out.

So, if *I* ended up wanting one, who had no clue it existed for years, and that's the same story for a LOT of people on this board, how can anyone make predictions about future buyers of the book?

Every EC comic ever printed was published before I was born...and yet, I desire ECs to own. I have caused ECs to sell for more just by my presence and bidding, whether I won or not.

So, who's to say who will come along and discover Valiant?

Its totally, 100% about completism for a collector of everything VALIANT. There is no story value in CEAR (well, 50 cents worth).

Do not discount the power of completism.

Over time these gimmicks tend to reduce in value rather than increase.

You will never get an argument from me on this......in the short term.

However, Valiant is long, long past the short term when it comes to comics.

Is it possible that this book will go down to $20-$30? Of course.

Is it possible for this book to go down to $1-$2?

Never, not while many of us live and have access to eBay.

This entire line you mention is based on a flurry of fellacious logic. Just because nobody wants Gladstone Disneys on a VALIANT board proves nothing.

A. It's not "fAllacious logic" to use as an EXAMPLE a cross section of the comics community as represented on this board. I wasn't TRYING to "prove" anything.....as one EXAMPLE rarely does.

B. This board, as mentioned before, is just a representative cross section. I do not base, and have not based, this information just on this board. It is based on a combination of my considerable experience in the field, written reports from other experts in the field going back 15 years+, and market realities.

C. It's tacky and provocative to accuse someone you're having a discussion with of "fellacious" logic. Let's try and keep this discussion above board and not be insulting, huh?

Ill bet you I sell at least half of my decent Disneys at the ECCC in 3 weeks (I actually had lots of people asking for Disneys at my last show, where I brought none). Lots of people buy Disneys.

You missed it, so I'll say it one more time:

But please do not misunderstand and imagine that "insane Disney completists" are NOT a force to be reckoned with. Oh HO, they VERY MUCH ARE. In fact....there is no single company in the WORLD with a larger and more dedicated collector base than the Walt Disney Co. None.

But let's look at your own statement here: "(I actually had lots of people asking for Disneys at my last show, where I brought none). "

If Gladstones (let's focus on what we're actually talking about, here, Gladstone is NOT the sum total of Disney output. Disney published for 45 YEARS before Gladstone came around) sell for as much as you are claiming....why did you bring NONE?

And if you sell them, GREAT. That's really good news. But A. what are you going to sell them FOR, and B. ONE set of sales on ONE day in ONE location does not a trend indicate.

Lots of people DO buy Disneys...but VERY, VERY, VERY few people buy GLADSTONES at GUIDE prices.

Not only that, but these little differences tend to blur over time. Take for example Marvel Comics #1. There are two printings of this book (one month apart), one of them 10 times more common than the other, yet there is little perceivable difference in the value of either.

Um....huh? How does this relate?

(Aside from the "10 times more common" for a book that is estimated to have less than 250 copies in existence bit of weirdness. You're comparing apples to a 1971 Barracuda hemi convertible.)

In 25 years if someone wants Chaos Effect Alpha, there is no real reason to buy the red UNLESS they want everything VALIANT. Thats the realm of the completist. The Gladstones on the other hand, are books that have value based on story, art, temporal considerations and a change in one of the comic industries largest driving forces. Thats real value.

Let's clear one thing up: I am not comparing the value of CEAR vs. the value of Gladstones, either now or in the future. THAT comparison was made by you.

I am telling you that NOW, RIGHT NOW, Gladstones have a dedicated but SMALL NICHE fanbase.

The market RIGHT NOW is NOT supporting Gladstones at guide prices.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Walt-Disneys-Comics ... dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/WALT-DISNEYS-COMICS ... dZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/10-walt-disney-comi ... dZViewItem

And this is just the last TWO WEEKS.

Where is the market for Gladstones?? NOT ON EBAY.

And NOT in the REST of the market EITHER.

That is the point. The ONLY people willing to PAY GUIDE prices for Gladstones are insane Disney completists.

And there's NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT...it just means that, ONCE AGAIN, Overstreet is WRONG.

What's your motivation for defending Gladstones so vehemently, despite the realities of the market? Are you trying to protect your market? TRUST ME....your market is not going under threat here.

[stone384]

DANGIT! I clicked the link, scrolled down the eBay page, and immediately had the issue spoiled for me with their HUGE HEADLINE.

I wouldn't worry too much about it Heath. If you are reading the series there is still a lot of Brubaker goodness inside. Yeah the big reveal may have been spoiled, but for regular readers there are lots of little revelations to be had. This is the ending of this storyline, but sets up, IMO, a lot of good storytelling possibilities. So while the big reveal may have been ruined the rest of the story still delivers on a lot of fronts. If you weren't reading the title it is still not a bad read.
m

[daydreamscomics]

we came up with a new idea at the shop last week:

start providing previews to anyone who wants them.

we used to do this when previews didn't cost so much, but not everyone wants to pay $4.50 for one.

starting in april, we ordered 80 copies (we normally get 25)

our intent is to help both the customer (so they know what is coming out and might find something they would be interested in that they wouldn't know about otherwise) and ourselves (so we can get a better idea on quantity #'s for stuff that seems to sell out week after week)

what we will do is sell you a previews for $4.50. you take it home, and if you bring it back and preorder ONE item that isn't on your pull list, we'll credit your next purchase for $4.50.

we are also going to start doing a monthly newsletter, highlighting the bigger items/comics that are in that month's previews, as well as a check list of books that we think are going to be good.

the problem we've had is that we order what we think is a good # of issues, and we keep inventory on every monthly title that comes in. lately we've been selling out of iron fist, captain america, daredevil, amazing spider-man, and aren't able to reorder them before they are out of stock at diamond. by doing this preview/newsletter program, we are hoping to be able to have enough copies on hand to satifsy the demand off the bat, while not having too many copies left over. we are also hoping to get a lot more people signed up for pull lists, as it's the best way for someone to make sure they get what they want every month, and it helps us know what quantity to order as we have a base number to start with.

i'm very excited to see how it goes. the month of march has already been INSANE. we've done $13,500 in sales in 12 days, and THAT'S WITH ONLY ONE WEDNESDAY & IT's SPRING BREAK WEEK!

things are looking better every week here, and they show no signs of letting up. we are going to be rebuilding out back counter space in the next few weeks, and almost have our back issue repricing project finished.

i can't tell you all how much i love my job

[superman-prime]

my shop pretty much lets anyone borrow or have a copy of previews if they want it till they rum out i guess they call it free advertising we also get a discount for boxholders 20% and discounts on incentives 6 on all 1 in 10 issues so he does well by taking good care of us and there is a few other perks ( i get first dibs on all valiant comics lol ) i got a huge amont after a year of going there about 600 issues for id guess 225 so far and thats almost every issue (all pre unity) just missing later issues

the point of my spheel is if u take care of your custemers they will take care of u

[speedracex]

well this has been a very cool thread to read.


seriously, thanks dudes. Very cool to read.

excellent read

[Heath]

We did a similar thing with Previews "back in tha day." Any new pull-list subscribers got a free current Previews catalog when they opened their account (or when they shipped next). From then on, as long as they used Previews to order from, they got it for free. About 50% of our pull list subscribers used the catalog every month.

What I really hated with the non Previews using costumers was that they would list something like "All X-Men" on their list. So we'd order a copy of every X-Men related book for them. Then they'd come in and say, "Oh, I didn't want X-Factor and X-Force - just Uncanny and X-Men." I eventually had to have them be very specific with their hold titles - no "all X-Men" or "All Spider-Man" or anything like that. Specific titles only. Of course, I'd always hold back some books for certain customers if I thought they were interested and didn't know about it, but at least then I wasn't counting on and expecting them to buy it. I was much more happy to put the book back on the stands in those cases. But with the customers who used Previews, there was no question about what they wanted and didn't want to pre-order.

[superman-prime]

i can understand now days jumping off some titles due to the changing of creative teams alot who wants to go from geoff johns to bob horrible writer

[Heath]

i can understand now days jumping off some titles due to the changing of creative teams alot who wants to go from geoff johns to bob horrible writer

That's another benefit (for the retailer) to customers using Previews. They know about those creative changes ahead of time and can stop ordering it Geoff Johns leaves and the retailer isn't stuck with two months worth of ordered books that the customer no longer wants.

It also helps the retailer spot trends earlier and adjust the ordering more efficiently. If half of my Previews users stopped ordering Bionic Bunny at #25, then there's a good bet a lot of the "off the street" and other pull list subscribers are going to want to stop at that issue as well. Those kind of trends can be spotted a lot earlier.

[aj583]

I agree with Elveen. Good chat guys. Very interesting.

[cobra_commander]

we came up with a new idea at the shop last week:

start providing previews to anyone who wants them.

we used to do this when previews didn't cost so much, but not everyone wants to pay $4.50 for one.

starting in april, we ordered 80 copies (we normally get 25)

our intent is to help both the customer (so they know what is coming out and might find something they would be interested in that they wouldn't know about otherwise) and ourselves (so we can get a better idea on quantity #'s for stuff that seems to sell out week after week)

what we will do is sell you a previews for $4.50. you take it home, and if you bring it back and preorder ONE item that isn't on your pull list, we'll credit your next purchase for $4.50.

we are also going to start doing a monthly newsletter, highlighting the bigger items/comics that are in that month's previews, as well as a check list of books that we think are going to be good.

the problem we've had is that we order what we think is a good # of issues, and we keep inventory on every monthly title that comes in. lately we've been selling out of iron fist, captain america, daredevil, amazing spider-man, and aren't able to reorder them before they are out of stock at diamond. by doing this preview/newsletter program, we are hoping to be able to have enough copies on hand to satifsy the demand off the bat, while not having too many copies left over. we are also hoping to get a lot more people signed up for pull lists, as it's the best way for someone to make sure they get what they want every month, and it helps us know what quantity to order as we have a base number to start with.

i'm very excited to see how it goes. the month of march has already been INSANE. we've done $13,500 in sales in 12 days, and THAT'S WITH ONLY ONE WEDNESDAY & IT's SPRING BREAK WEEK!

things are looking better every week here, and they show no signs of letting up. we are going to be rebuilding out back counter space in the next few weeks, and almost have our back issue repricing project finished.

i can't tell you all how much i love my job

How much of that is profit?

Actually...how much does the comic shop make per comic sold?

[sckao]

we came up with a new idea at the shop last week:

start providing previews to anyone who wants them.

we used to do this when previews didn't cost so much, but not everyone wants to pay $4.50 for one.

starting in april, we ordered 80 copies (we normally get 25)

our intent is to help both the customer (so they know what is coming out and might find something they would be interested in that they wouldn't know about otherwise) and ourselves (so we can get a better idea on quantity #'s for stuff that seems to sell out week after week)

what we will do is sell you a previews for $4.50. you take it home, and if you bring it back and preorder ONE item that isn't on your pull list, we'll credit your next purchase for $4.50.

we are also going to start doing a monthly newsletter, highlighting the bigger items/comics that are in that month's previews, as well as a check list of books that we think are going to be good.

the problem we've had is that we order what we think is a good # of issues, and we keep inventory on every monthly title that comes in. lately we've been selling out of iron fist, captain america, daredevil, amazing spider-man, and aren't able to reorder them before they are out of stock at diamond. by doing this preview/newsletter program, we are hoping to be able to have enough copies on hand to satifsy the demand off the bat, while not having too many copies left over. we are also hoping to get a lot more people signed up for pull lists, as it's the best way for someone to make sure they get what they want every month, and it helps us know what quantity to order as we have a base number to start with.

i'm very excited to see how it goes. the month of march has already been INSANE. we've done $13,500 in sales in 12 days, and THAT'S WITH ONLY ONE WEDNESDAY & IT's SPRING BREAK WEEK!

things are looking better every week here, and they show no signs of letting up. we are going to be rebuilding out back counter space in the next few weeks, and almost have our back issue repricing project finished.

i can't tell you all how much i love my job

How much of that is profit?

Actually...how much does the comic shop make per comic sold?

If you calculate $13,500 x 12 days to a full month (12 x 2.5= 30 days), you'll do $33,750 for March. Isn't that close to the 30k a month figure that was cited a while ago. (I realize this figure does not include back issue sales which were cited at $300-400 a month.)

(I'm also assuming that this store gets better than a 50% discount due to its age and volume to answer the profit question. )

[cobra_commander]

we came up with a new idea at the shop last week:

start providing previews to anyone who wants them.

we used to do this when previews didn't cost so much, but not everyone wants to pay $4.50 for one.

starting in april, we ordered 80 copies (we normally get 25)

our intent is to help both the customer (so they know what is coming out and might find something they would be interested in that they wouldn't know about otherwise) and ourselves (so we can get a better idea on quantity #'s for stuff that seems to sell out week after week)

what we will do is sell you a previews for $4.50. you take it home, and if you bring it back and preorder ONE item that isn't on your pull list, we'll credit your next purchase for $4.50.

we are also going to start doing a monthly newsletter, highlighting the bigger items/comics that are in that month's previews, as well as a check list of books that we think are going to be good.

the problem we've had is that we order what we think is a good # of issues, and we keep inventory on every monthly title that comes in. lately we've been selling out of iron fist, captain america, daredevil, amazing spider-man, and aren't able to reorder them before they are out of stock at diamond. by doing this preview/newsletter program, we are hoping to be able to have enough copies on hand to satifsy the demand off the bat, while not having too many copies left over. we are also hoping to get a lot more people signed up for pull lists, as it's the best way for someone to make sure they get what they want every month, and it helps us know what quantity to order as we have a base number to start with.

i'm very excited to see how it goes. the month of march has already been INSANE. we've done $13,500 in sales in 12 days, and THAT'S WITH ONLY ONE WEDNESDAY & IT's SPRING BREAK WEEK!

things are looking better every week here, and they show no signs of letting up. we are going to be rebuilding out back counter space in the next few weeks, and almost have our back issue repricing project finished.

i can't tell you all how much i love my job

How much of that is profit?

Actually...how much does the comic shop make per comic sold?

If you calculate $13,500 x 12 days to a full month (12 x 2.5= 30 days), you'll do $33,750 for March. Isn't that close to the 30k a month figure that was cited a while ago. (I realize this figure does not include back issue sales which were cited at $300-400 a month.)

I don't know what this had to do with my question but thanks for the info.

(I'm also assuming that this store gets better than a 50% discount due to its age and volume to answer the profit question. )

So let me ask again...does anybody know how much per NEW comic sold is profit...sckao is saying 50% (I think)...So for every $3 comic $1.50 is profit?

[sd2416]

The discount the store receives off of a comic depends on how much they order for that month. It's broken down by publisher. Last months order, the lcs by the house got 60% off his Marvel order and 50% off his DC. I didnt see what the indy discount was.

[cobra_commander]

50-60% is a pretty good margin business...

[sckao]

Here's an excerpt from a Diamond interview from 2003:

How much does it cost to distribute a comic book? I understand it depends on how wide, but do you have specific levels?

It's difficult to say how much it costs to distribute a single or specific comic book. Distribution is very much a matter of planning, organization and labor. Ultimately, for a comic book to end up in a store, someone at one of our warehouses physically has to locate it, pull it from a box, and make sure that it gets into the box that's being shipped to the store.

Typically, the publisher receives between 35%-40% of the cover price from us, then we turn around and sell to the retailer. The better the discount we get from the publisher, the better the discount we can give to the retailer. The better the discount the retailer gets, the more likely he or she is to order the product. So, for example, some publishers might want to offer a higher discount, making less money per copy in order to increase their sales volume.

http://weblogs.variety.com/bags_and_boa ... h_dia.html

So if Diamond receives on average 60-65%, they can vary their discount for each client.

For new clients, their max discount is probably 40%. For older established clients or clients who have consistently high volume, they may have better discounts. Obviously, everyone at each step is out to make the maximum and to achieve greater market share. So Marvel may be undercutting DC's pricing or vice versa.

Discounts from 2004:

I. DISCOUNT SCHEDULES (All discounts are off invoiced list price.)

A.RETAILERS

1. GRAPHIC NOVELS & ROLE-PLAYING GAME BOOKS (except short discount items; please consult with your Sales Representative for details):
Direct to Stores: 46% Retail Distribution Center (RDC): 50% RDC discount is available if: the retail account has four or more locations and is supplied by a consolidated warehouse capable of receiving full skids of merchandise, and RDC orders are placed in carton quantities; otherwise orders will be rounded to the nearest carton quantity or a minimum of 30 copies.

2. ALL OTHER MERCHANDISE (CCGs, CMGs, DVD/VHS, trading cards, toys, apparel, etc.): Please consult with your Sales Representative.

3. Order Minimum: The minimum order is $250 retail value. All publishers and formats will combine to meet the order minimum. Orders of less than $250 will result in a flat discount of 35%, non-returnable, on all products, less 5% of net for shipping and handling.

4. Annual Minimum: If an account’s annual volume with Diamond Book Distributors is less than $100,000, the base discount for all formats will be 40%.

B. WHOLESALERS
1. GRAPHIC NOVELS & ROLE-PLAYING GAME BOOKS (except short discount items; please consult with your Sales Representative for details):

Annual volume less than $10,000: 40%
Annual volume $10,000 to $99,999: 50%
Annual volume $100,000+: 52%

2. ALL OTHER MERCHANDISE (CCGs, CMGs, DVD/VHS, trading cards, toys, apparel, etc.): Please consult with your Sales Representative.

3. Order Minimum: The minimum order is $250 retail value. All publishers and formats will combine to meet the order minimum. Orders of less than $250 will result in a flat discount of 35%, non-returnable, on all products.
C. STOP ORDERS (5 units or less): 25% off list, non-returnable, less 5% of retail for shipping and handling ($4.95 minimum). Prepaid orders should include shipping and handling charges.

[daydreamscomics]

i can understand now days jumping off some titles due to the changing of creative teams alot who wants to go from geoff johns to bob horrible writer

haha i think bob horrible writer is probably as bad as geoff johns

[daydreamscomics]

The discount the store receives off of a comic depends on how much they order for that month. It's broken down by publisher. Last months order, the lcs by the house got 60% off his Marvel order and 50% off his DC. I didnt see what the indy discount was.

it's all based on how much you consistently order and how long you've been on the block.

there are different discount levels, obviously the more you order, the better your discount. new kid on the block is probably getting a 35 - 40% discount while a place like mile high comics is probably 75% or more.

we have a 55% discount on all marvel and dc comics/trades.

most independent stuff ranges from 30 - 45% discount.

statues/toys/shirts all depend on who's making it and how much it costs.

[daydreamscomics]

we came up with a new idea at the shop last week:

start providing previews to anyone who wants them.

we used to do this when previews didn't cost so much, but not everyone wants to pay $4.50 for one.

starting in april, we ordered 80 copies (we normally get 25)

our intent is to help both the customer (so they know what is coming out and might find something they would be interested in that they wouldn't know about otherwise) and ourselves (so we can get a better idea on quantity #'s for stuff that seems to sell out week after week)

what we will do is sell you a previews for $4.50. you take it home, and if you bring it back and preorder ONE item that isn't on your pull list, we'll credit your next purchase for $4.50.

we are also going to start doing a monthly newsletter, highlighting the bigger items/comics that are in that month's previews, as well as a check list of books that we think are going to be good.

the problem we've had is that we order what we think is a good # of issues, and we keep inventory on every monthly title that comes in. lately we've been selling out of iron fist, captain america, daredevil, amazing spider-man, and aren't able to reorder them before they are out of stock at diamond. by doing this preview/newsletter program, we are hoping to be able to have enough copies on hand to satifsy the demand off the bat, while not having too many copies left over. we are also hoping to get a lot more people signed up for pull lists, as it's the best way for someone to make sure they get what they want every month, and it helps us know what quantity to order as we have a base number to start with.

i'm very excited to see how it goes. the month of march has already been INSANE. we've done $13,500 in sales in 12 days, and THAT'S WITH ONLY ONE WEDNESDAY & IT's SPRING BREAK WEEK!

things are looking better every week here, and they show no signs of letting up. we are going to be rebuilding out back counter space in the next few weeks, and almost have our back issue repricing project finished.

i can't tell you all how much i love my job

How much of that is profit?

Actually...how much does the comic shop make per comic sold?

If you calculate $13,500 x 12 days to a full month (12 x 2.5= 30 days), you'll do $33,750 for March. Isn't that close to the 30k a month figure that was cited a while ago. (I realize this figure does not include back issue sales which were cited at $300-400 a month.)

(I'm also assuming that this store gets better than a 50% discount due to its age and volume to answer the profit question. )

the mindboggling part about it is that it only took into account ONE wednesday. obviously wednesday is your biggest sales day of the week BY FAR. we look at the week as running wednesday - tuesday. with the first day of the month falling on a thursday, to be up $13K over 12 days is amazing.

March 7th - 13th was the biggest week we've had in the 20+ years of the store being open (over $10,000) and also had the largest sales day in history that week ($4200+)

i'm pretty sure we are close to $20K for the month already, and there is still two weeks to go...