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One reason why comic book stores are going under

Why are comic shops going under? Here is one reason. If you are going to participate in free comic book day, then you should post online or have some knowledge of what special events and artists are appearing. I called 2 shops in the Philly suburbs this morn and they had to ask the other associates the names of the artists that might appear and also they were not sure exactly when some events were going to start if at all. A whole year to plan and this is what you get.

Comments

  • John_SteedJohn_Steed Posts: 2,087
    edited May 2013
    We also got these "free comic book days" over here in the German speaking parts of Europe - and many of the shops advertise it mainly to their existing customers via their homepage, newsletters and flyers. Thus only existing comic book readers know about it. On top of it, the main people behind it all, have decided that each customer should only get 3 free books (out of 30!).

    http://www.gratiscomictag.de/

    Some shops give away more free books depending on how much a customer is willing to spend in the shop.......

    Needless to say that there are not many (pure) comic shops left. People prefer to buy online. (Thus again not attracting new readers...)



  • PlaneisPlaneis Posts: 980
    If you're good at something.... never do it for free...
  • fredzillafredzilla Posts: 2,131
    edited May 2013
    I can understand if a store limits the amount of books that people can get. I've attended FCBDs in the past where there is nothing left after about 12pm. My LCS this year limited everyone to 2 books each for FCBD and if there are leftovers, they will be available tomorrow and this next week. I went with my kids and we were all able to grab two books each (my 2 year old went nuts when she saw the Sesame Street Elmo cover book and hugged it as I we walked around the store). The only special events they were having was Denver Comic Con representatives and Aurora Rise charity for the Aurora theater shooting victims, and then back issues, trades, and hardcovers were on sale. I think they should have way more stuff going on to celebrate. No artists were available to come and do sketches? Theres a Toys R Us not a half mile away, and theres no cross promotion they could do? The only people in the store were geeks. Actually, I saw one mother there who looked lost and frightened as her son waited in line to buy a new book. The store was cramped and you had to practically crawl over other customers to get through an aisle. They totally could have extended it out into the parking lot and sidewalk.

    While ultimately the onus of getting new customers falls upon the LCS, I think we kind of have an obligation to help people get into the hobby. I use my Facebook and twitter accounts to let all my friends and followers know about stuff like FCBD and Denver Comic Con, because I know that the general public has no idea that this stuff is going on let alone how to get involved or participate. Why should a shop do something special when they know the only customers that come in for FCBD are mostly the "regulars" who are going to grab their free books and leave? They spend their money every Wednesday, why should they spend more on this "holiday?" Maybe you could call the store and talk to the manager/owner and voice your displeasure? If they're worth it, they'll want to listen.
  • ajcasperiteajcasperite Posts: 221
    One shop I went to today put a lot of the batman and superman freebie issues on the shelf but they kept the other stuff hidden and I watched when certain folks would come in they would go into the secret stash and let them pick through the whole line of the free issues offered and then they would take the remainder and put them back under storage? I saw this a few times and when the guy caught my eye I asked if I could get an issue or two and he was kind enough to give me them but I would have never gotten them if I didn't see that. What's up with that?
  • RedRight88RedRight88 Posts: 2,207
    To be honest; I have been having trouble with FBCD...I thought its purpose was to help shops generate new customers, and yet most people who turn up are either just coming for that one day, or are already regulars at the shop.
  • nweathingtonnweathington Posts: 6,748
    Well, one of the local shops in my area makes it a really big deal. They have tents set up in the parking lot—one with about a dozen artists doing sketches, and another with dollar boxes and heavily discounted trades and toys. They also have local bands playing on a stage all day and an ice cream vendor on hand. They get at least a dozen different FCBD titles, and you can take one of each if you want. They get large crowds for a good portion of the day, and I’ve rarely seen them run out of any of the free comics. I'm not sure how much new business it generates, but I do see a lot of kids come out, which can't be a bad thing.
  • Chuck_MelvilleChuck_Melville Posts: 3,003
    My local shop is a tiny affair to start off with, just big enough for a line of folks to file in, circle around to the cashier and head out. But there was a long, steady line while I was there that never shrunk, and a lot of folks brought their kids along -- enthusiastic kids, I'll add, who were all quite excited by the whole business.
  • WebheadWebhead Posts: 458

    To be honest; I have been having trouble with FBCD...I thought its purpose was to help shops generate new customers, and yet most people who turn up are either just coming for that one day, or are already regulars at the shop.


    I spoke with one of the owners of my LCS and we discussed this very subject and he told me it can be frustrating but he can't look at it that way. He goes out of his way to do a good job with FCBD and usually t pays off with a few new customers each year. Some new customers and some customers from other shops who are dissatisfied with their store and some who use his store as a backup to their LCS. It all adds up to new customers for his store.



  • ajcasperiteajcasperite Posts: 221

    Well, one of the local shops in my area makes it a really big deal. They have tents set up in the parking lot—one with about a dozen artists doing sketches, and another with dollar boxes and heavily discounted trades and toys. They also have local bands playing on a stage all day and an ice cream vendor on hand. They get at least a dozen different FCBD titles, and you can take one of each if you want. They get large crowds for a good portion of the day, and I’ve rarely seen them run out of any of the free comics. I'm not sure how much new business it generates, but I do see a lot of kids come out, which can't be a bad thing.

    That sounds awesome! I want to go there next year.
    My local shop tanked about a year ago. Few years ago it was fresh, exciting and new but it went down hill, moved to a crappier building across the street and died. When they had free comic book day you would get one book free and anything else you had to buy a comic to get another freebie book. I guess they literally meant "free comic book" not "comic books" . I know there are artists in the area, comic artists who they could have asked to participate but I guess perhaps the store was not interested. Sadly, These days I have to go for a drive to get any kind of comics, free or not.

  • ElsiebubElsiebub Posts: 338
    edited May 2013
    Yesterday morning I went to my LCS at around 10:05 (they open at 10), walked around the shop and browsed back issues for about 10 minutes, then went to the counter to collect my pull list and pick up my free comic. My LCS is located within a much larger fleamarket type place, so it isn't always easy to tell who's there for the comics and who's there to just look around the rest of the store.

    Anyway, at 10:15 or so the clerk at the counter told me that 15 people had already come in for FCBD, which, if you knew how small a shop this was in how rural an area, is quite impressive. I have no idea how many were "new readers", but while walking around the store I did see an awful lot of kids there with their parents. The limit was one free comic per customer, but since I'm a regular I was asked "If we have any left at the end of the day, which ones would you want us to save for you?"

    Probably best of all, they had two gigantic stacks of Marvel Essentials that they were giving away for free (one per customer again). There was a Spider-Man one (Spectacular Vol. 3, I think?) and a She-Hulk one (reprinting the series from the late '70s). I chose the latter. Apparently they were sent all of these for free (or for next to nothing) from Diamond, and decided to just make them part of FCBD. I guess we could nit-pick and say "Well those old things aren't the best way to hook new readers!" But I can remember how cool I thought old '50s-'60s reprints were when I was a young kid. When I was five, I used to be overjoyed when my mom brought me old '50s Batman reprints home from the library. I'm not sure how this would be much different.

    I'm not exactly sure how much advertising my shop did for FCBD. I know they put it up on their Facebook page, and had posters up in the main section of the fleamarket for weeks now. Yesterday they had a big balloon-laden display up with all of the free comics (and Essentials) up right as you walk in, so anyone passing by (or anyone just wanting to go to the fleamarket) would see it. I can't really imagine many people seeing the display and NOT thinking "Oh, what is this? This looks cool", even if they don't go on to be a regular comics reader week after week after week.

    I know FCBD doesn't always go well for some people, and in certain areas it looks like a missed opportunity. But sometimes I think that a lot of these nitpicks are only possible from the perspective of diehard fans. I think more casual readers, or outsiders that we want to convert to become readers, would probably look at it as something neat. They wouldn't be pouting that they couldn't have ALL of the free comics; if a parent (or parents) took their kids to FCBD, each member of the family would just get a different comic and they'd probably share and be happy enough, I would think? FCBD isn't going to save the world, but in general I think it's a good idea, especially if the LCS is going to go an extra step or two.

    On the one hand, I can put my Disillusioned Diehard Fan hat on and say that DC is ridiculous for not putting out any new material for FCBD. But on the other hand, when kids see a Jim Lee cover of a Superman comic done by Geoff Johns and Adam Kubert -- if something like that is NOT going to somewhat interest them, then they're just not going to ever be a fan anyway. It didn't interest me, nor did the more "kiddie"-looking comics, but catering so much to diehards...that's not really the point, was it? The only comic I was interested in was the "Infinity" one from Marvel. So there WAS something there for me. But I saw a good number of little kids picking up comics yesterday morning, just within the 10 minutes I was in the shop. Any sort of overwrought hand-ringing about older fans somewhere not being able to greedily scarf up ALL of the free comics . . . just doesn't really matter to me in light of that.
  • matchkitJOHNmatchkitJOHN Posts: 1,030
    I hit two yesterday. One was my current shop and the other was my old shop in the city I use to work in. Between both shops I could get a total of 11 books for me and my son and he got 9 of the 11 and I got two. I picked up my regular books at my current and I am going back later in the month to get stuff at the old one. David Petersen of Mouse Guard appeared at one of the stores and one of the directors the Walking Dead. These two shops are typical of successful stores. Clean, well lit, kid friendly and nice folks working there.
  • shroud68shroud68 Posts: 457
    I went to Conquest Comics in Bayville, New Jersey. After lacrosse and soccer I got there at Noon. There was some cos-play and a very crowded store. An artist from FUBAR was there signing his FCBD book and all the free Comic Books were out for display next to the register with a 5 book limit that was not enforced as I bought 2 current issues and got 10 free books. I've been broke lately so I just cherry pick what I can for my older kids; My Little Pony and the Mega Man/Sonic Crossover. I dont spend much money on new comics month to month but if I do it is there. I get the impression Conquest does OK as it grew recently and always has a nice sized crowd. Whether FCBD brought in new business I dont know but this store seems to have done it well. What percentage of new business shops retain I guess has to be quantifiable because they keep doing this and I cant believe it is just for existing fans.
  • TorchsongTorchsong Posts: 2,794
    I did in-stores on both Saturday and Sunday (one store was doing FCB Weekend!) and while they limited what you could get (so everyone could be sure they'd get something), they did some cool incentives like box-holders could get one extra free issue, etc. The stores promoted the hell out of it, too...bringing in some big names and locals (like me) to work side by side slinging books, sketches, prints...forget Cinco De Mayo...the parties that mattered this weekend were in the LCS's around town.
  • HexHex Posts: 944
    I stopped by a shop I rarely visit on a whim. They had security at the door and the place was packed! lots of parents with kids. Looks like it went well for them.
  • JDickJDick Posts: 206
    My LCS had a grill going outside, $1 books from the past year, Tarzan artists editions for 99$, buy 2 trades get a 3rd free, etc.
    His policy was that you could take one of each free book.

    The store was packed and the line was quite long most of the day from what I could gather. I think it was a very successful day for Pittsburgh Comics.
  • Chuck_MelvilleChuck_Melville Posts: 3,003
    JDick said:

    My LCS had a grill going outside, $1 books from the past year, Tarzan artists editions for 99$, buy 2 trades get a 3rd free, etc.
    His policy was that you could take one of each free book.

    A grill!? Now there's a great idea! Now I wish my LCS had been able to do that!
  • NickNick Posts: 284
    My brother and I went to three shops around Chicago: Challengers, Aw Yeah, and Graham Crackers. Challengers was packed with tons of people, you could get every book if you wanted, but only one of each. Jamal Igle was there along with Chris Eliopolis, apparently NOT the letterer we all know. They didn't have any sales, but with that many free comics it was a great deal anyway. Aw Yeah had Art of course, and Chris Yambar from Bongo fame, and several other Indie guys. Aw Yeah was 2 FCBD books per person, but it was packed with kids, so that is awesome, plus everything was 20% off. Graham Crackers was about out of books by 2:00 when we got there, but at least they had other books, either from their quarter bins or previous year's FCBD to give everyone something.

    All in all a great day, I think a lot of kids getting books in their hands is the biggest benefit of FCBD, hopefully they keep reading!
  • RickMRickM Posts: 407
    Of my 3 shops, two of them were selling trades for half price, new comics for 25% off, and back issues for dirt cheap. Two of them opened at 10 am instead of their usual "noonish". It's the coolest day of the year for comic fans.
  • GregGreg Posts: 1,946
    JDick said:

    My LCS had a grill going outside, $1 books from the past year, Tarzan artists editions for 99$, buy 2 trades get a 3rd free, etc.
    His policy was that you could take one of each free book..

    That is awesome. I'm now wondering if my LCS could get away with that. They're in a small strip mall with a pizza shop three doors away.

    We hit our LCS almost as soon as they opened, there wasn't a big crowd there yet but by the time we left the people were starting to show up. Bill Halliar was there doing sketches. Not sure if there were any sales going on or not.

    The local AMC also asked the shop to set up a booth inside the theater for a few days over the weekend. I'm sure the shop had a great weekend.
  • ajcasperiteajcasperite Posts: 221
    They could do a deal with the pizza shop. Caps shield pizza or something. It's nice to see alot of LCS making it a party. I wish that would happen here.
  • larrylarry Posts: 125

    I hit two yesterday. One was my current shop and the other was my old shop in the city I use to work in. Between both shops I could get a total of 11 books for me and my son and he got 9 of the 11 and I got two. I picked up my regular books at my current and I am going back later in the month to get stuff at the old one. David Petersen of Mouse Guard appeared at one of the stores and one of the directors the Walking Dead. These two shops are typical of successful stores. Clean, well lit, kid friendly and nice folks working there.

    @matchkitJOHN Sounds like you went to Detroit Comics? I was going to go there but my child was not cooperating. We went to a closer shop, Warp 9. It was real busy. They were giving everybody 10 issues. I picked up 7 because I already had 5 coming through DCBS. I bought 2 trades and 2 issues to go along with it to support. I was happy to see so many people there!

  • KrescanKrescan Posts: 623
    Have to brag on my lcs the guys there went around to local business and got gift cards and a few other prizes. You got tickets for the raffle for bringing in a canned food item. By the end of FCBD he had over 1300 items to give to the local need line.

    The businesses in turn put up flyers for the store and promote fcbd.

    And they always a run a big sale of 5 dollar trades. I got 109 dollars retail for 25 bucks. And they went with 3 free books a person which seems fair. My only complaint was that the place was packed but I don't think that is a complaint for FCBD.

    Oh and he couldn't go outside because there was a significant chance of rain and that would make for bad comic mush.
  • LibraryBoyLibraryBoy Posts: 1,803
    The other day I set foot into The Worst Comic Book Store I Have Ever Visited In My Life. Rather than relive the experience, I'll just post my Yelp review:
    I've been reading comic books since I learned how to read. I've been to a lot of comic book stores in my time. Some are good, some are bad, and a rare few are truly capital-G Great. [STORE NAME REDACTED], on the other hand, might be the worst I've ever set foot into in my life.

    How a store in 2013 can look this way and remain in business is beyond me. It's cavern-like in its darkness, there's stuff EVERYWHERE covering every conceivable surface (reminding me of the line from Friends about having to move the pile of garbage to get to the pile of garbage), and most of the boxes look like they have been through floods, vermin infestation, or some combination of both that I can only envision as giant rats whose bodies are made of swirling vortices of living water.

    On the plus side, I guess, they did have a wide selection of new & recent releases on the wall. And the guy working behind the counter was happily engaged in conversation with a few customers (though he did not, I noticed, address me - a potential new customer - in any way as I walked in), so apparently someone's happy to be there. Good for them, I guess?

    Obviously, I will not be going back, and I cannot recommend in good conscience that anyone else go, either. Barring surly people playing Magic: The Gathering and ignoring all attempts at commerce, this was nearly every negative stereotype of a comic book store brought together in one place, with those very negatives apparently magnified as if to make up for the seemingly pleasant (and oddly oblivious to their surroundings) demeanor of those inside. It has to be the fact that it's the only comic shop in the [REDACTED] area that is keeping this place in business. I cannot imagine any other reason.
    Now I hate writing mean-spirited, snarky things on the internet, but honestly, it really was that bad. No one should ever set foot in that place. Revulsion, that's what I felt.
  • matchkitJOHNmatchkitJOHN Posts: 1,030
    larry said:

    I hit two yesterday. One was my current shop and the other was my old shop in the city I use to work in. Between both shops I could get a total of 11 books for me and my son and he got 9 of the 11 and I got two. I picked up my regular books at my current and I am going back later in the month to get stuff at the old one. David Petersen of Mouse Guard appeared at one of the stores and one of the directors the Walking Dead. These two shops are typical of successful stores. Clean, well lit, kid friendly and nice folks working there.

    @matchkitJOHN Sounds like you went to Detroit Comics? I was going to go there but my child was not cooperating. We went to a closer shop, Warp 9. It was real busy. They were giving everybody 10 issues. I picked up 7 because I already had 5 coming through DCBS. I bought 2 trades and 2 issues to go along with it to support. I was happy to see so many people there!

    Yeah and Green Brain in Dearborn.
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