I, as I think you've noticed, am a fairly frequent and vocal critic of Marvel Comics (though I sort of find it interesting that the tenor on the HaloScan threads here seems to be leaning with me being more "against" DC. C'est la guerre!), largely because I think that a company that is that big and powerful has certain responsabilities that go with those powers.

This, of course, is something Marvel itself taught me!

So since I'm always ragging on them I should, I think, also take the time and space to thank them when they do something nice.

As you saw from my last post, my "Marvel" section got wiped out. (This is not, in fact, EVERY Marvel comic in the store. I keep, for example, the X-books racked separately from the rest of the Marvel U, as well as the licensed titles or adaptations or kids comics or the Soliel books, and so on)

David Gabriel, VP of Sales at Marvel contacted me and asked me for a list of what I lost.

I gave them a list of stuff that I thought I should actually replace, in "appropriate" quantities (ie, I didn't mention completed mini-series that I still had on the rack, I didn't list anything b-list or under, and I only specified what I thought I might sell in the next 6 or so weeks, rather than what I actually lost -- which was a truly larger number of books), and I've been told that I'll have my whole list sent to me, for free, with free and expedited shipping so I'll have it by Friday.

Marvel did not have to do that, they were under no obligation, and, frankly, since we joust so much I am not entirely sure that I'd've done the same thing in their position. But they did, and that's awesome, and they deserve some public props for that, so here they are!

Thank you Marvel comics!

Tomorrow, however, I go back to writing mean things about you! (insert: smiley emoticon)

-B

Labels: Brian, I am getting tired of leaks, Marvel can in fact do the right thing sometimes, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

It is the time of the year for Looking Back at total sales and all of that, and John Jackson Miller does some excellent heavy lifting on that score.

But there's something that I don't see any commenter making a point of, and I think it is a REALLY significant impact that people-who-aren't-retailers seem to be forgetting: In February, Diamond began a major warehouse move. More or less the entire month of February there "weren't" reorders on any product shipping from Diamond.

Even once they "fixed" that issue (which memory tells me stretched into early April on many titles), there were HORRIBLE cockups in fill rates, accuracy, damages, etc all through the summer and fall. It wasn't really until 4th quarter that things went ANYwhere close back to normal.

I mean, I can think of a few books from different publishers where Diamond COMPLETELY LOST *all* of the inventory they were SUPPOSED to have on hand.

So while JJ and others are reporting on the Reported Figures, I think it is very important that 2009's figures get an asterisk put next to it because it is a certainty that reported sales DO NOT MATCH to the actual demand on a large number of titles for, probably, half of the year.

I believe that, had that warehouse move not happened, DM sales would probably have been UP overall, by a couple of points.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing, Sales Charts

Click Here to Read More...

Well, not intentionally, or anything.

But I came in this morning to a "drip drip drip" sound.

Hm, that's not good, I thought, and, hey, why are there puddles on the floor?

Some moron staying at the hotel above apparently decided that if the toilet doesn't flush, they should simply flush it again and again and again until it finally flushed (which it never did). Gravity is a bitch, and it has nowhere to go but down, and down it did go, into my store.

The entire Marvel periodicals rack, completely wiped out.

Half a month's rent in product damage, not counting rack damage or my labor. YAY!!!!

I'm just glad my landlord (the hotel) has good insurance, and is usually fine working with me on this kind of thing.

*sigh*

On the other hand, I'm glad I keep the new comics separated from the Not New ones, so New Comics Day can proceed as normal... but I've now got hours of database work in front of me to adjust all of the inventory levels and whatever.

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!!!

-B

Labels: Brian, I am getting tired of leaks, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

And here, below the jump, is the "Comics" portion of our show



Again, like before, let's show first the number of UNITS sold (note that I've scrubbed out things like Quarter Books)

(Also note that, again, because of the way Diamond works, and MOBY interacts with it, some things might say something like "4th printing" when, in fact, that's any and all printings added together)(doing the cleanup would really take too much time)

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583
BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
BATMAN AND ROBIN #2 4TH PTG
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #21 CHEN CVR
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #22 CHEN CVR
BLACKEST NIGHT #1 (OF 8)
BATMAN AND ROBIN #3
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #23 CHEN CVR
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #24 CHEN CVR
BATMAN #686 (NOTE PRICE)
BATMAN AND ROBIN #4
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #26 CHEN CVR
WEDNESDAY COMICS #1 (OF 12)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #25 CHEN CVR
BATMAN AND ROBIN #5
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #27 CHEN CVR
FINAL CRISIS #6 (OF 7)
BLACKEST NIGHT #2 (OF 8)
REBORN #1 (OF 5)
DETECTIVE COMICS #854 2ND PTG
ASTONISHING X-MEN #28
FINAL CRISIS #7 (OF 7)
CAPTAIN AMERICA #600
BATMAN AND ROBIN #6
DETECTIVE COMICS #853 (NOTE PRICE)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #28 CHEN CVR
FLASH REBIRTH #1 (OF 6)
WEDNESDAY COMICS #2 (OF 12)
BLACKEST NIGHT #3 (OF 8)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #29 CARNEVALE CVR
UNWRITTEN #1 2ND PTG
BLACKEST NIGHT #5 (OF 8)
BATMAN #687
DETECTIVE COMICS #855
DARK AVENGERS UNCANNY X-MEN UTOPIA #1 DAX
FINAL CRISIS LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #3 (OF 5)
ASTONISHING X-MEN #29
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #30 ADAM HUGHES CVR
GREEN LANTERN #43
STRANGE TALES #1 (OF 3)
ASTONISHING X-MEN #30
DARK AVENGERS #1
FLASH REBIRTH #2 (OF 5)
UNCANNY X-MEN #506
WEDNESDAY COMICS #3 (OF 12)
CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #2 (OF 5)
SANDMAN DREAM HUNTERS #3 (OF 4) (MR)
BLACKEST NIGHT #4 (OF 8)
KICK ASS #5 (MR)
DETECTIVE COMICS #856
HELLBOY WILD HUNT #2 (OF 8)
IGNITION CITY #1 (OF 5) (MR)
UNCANNY X-MEN #513 DAX
WEDNESDAY COMICS #4 (OF 12)
WEDNESDAY COMICS #5 (OF 12)
WEDNESDAY COMICS #6 (OF 12)
WOLVERINE #70
UNCANNY X-MEN #507
UNCANNY X-MEN #509
UNCANNY X-MEN #510
WEDNESDAY COMICS #9 (OF 12)
HELLBOY WILD HUNT #4 (OF 8)
SANDMAN DREAM HUNTERS #4 (OF 4) (MR)
ASTONISHING X-MEN #31
GREEN LANTERN #44
PREACHER # 1 SPECIAL EDITION
UNCANNY X-MEN #514 DAX
WEDNESDAY COMICS #8 (OF 12)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #20 CHEN CVR
CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #3 (OF 5)
DARK AVENGERS #2
DARK AVENGERS #3
INCOGNITO #2 (MR)
NEW AVENGERS #49
PLANETARY #27
SEAGUY THE SLAVES OF MICKEY EYE #1 (OF 3) (MR)
UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL #2
WEDNESDAY COMICS #10 (OF 12)
WEDNESDAY COMICS #11 (OF 12)
WEDNESDAY COMICS #7 (OF 12)
WOLVERINE #71
DETECTIVE COMICS #857
HELLBOY WILD HUNT #3 (OF 8)
INCOGNITO #1 (MR) (C: 1-0-0)
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #22
ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #1
UNCANNY X-MEN #508
CAPTAIN AMERICA #50
FABLES #83 (MR)
GREEN LANTERN #46
UNCANNY X-MEN #511
UNCANNY X-MEN #512
UNWRITTEN #2 (MR)
WOLVERINE #72
ASTONISHING X-MEN #32
IGNITION CITY #2 (OF 5) (MR)
MIGHTY AVENGERS #21
NEW AVENGERS #53 DKR
BATMAN #688
DARK AVENGERS #8 DAX
LITERALS #1 (OF 3) (MR)


(Man, 100 places really isn't enough, is it?)

#1 is, no surprise, the Obama issue of Spider-Man. Nor should it be any real surprise that no other issue of Spidey charted besides that one -- that was not a comic that got people coming back to read more.

And now the same thing, flipped for DOLLARS sold.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583
BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
BLACKEST NIGHT #1 (OF 8)
BATMAN AND ROBIN #2 4TH PTG
BATMAN #686 (NOTE PRICE)
CAPTAIN AMERICA #600
WEDNESDAY COMICS #1 (OF 12)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #21 CHEN CVR
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #22 CHEN CVR
BATMAN AND ROBIN #3
BLACKEST NIGHT #2 (OF 8)
REBORN #1 (OF 5)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #23 CHEN CVR
FINAL CRISIS #6 (OF 7)
DETECTIVE COMICS #854 2ND PTG
STRANGE TALES #1 (OF 3)
DETECTIVE COMICS #853 (NOTE PRICE)
FINAL CRISIS #7 (OF 7)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #24 CHEN CVR
BATMAN AND ROBIN #4
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #26 CHEN CVR
BLACKEST NIGHT #3 (OF 8)
WEDNESDAY COMICS #2 (OF 12)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #25 CHEN CVR
BLACKEST NIGHT #5 (OF 8)
FLASH REBIRTH #1 (OF 6)
DETECTIVE COMICS #855
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #27 CHEN CVR
BATMAN AND ROBIN #5
DARK AVENGERS #1
DARK AVENGERS UNCANNY X-MEN UTOPIA #1 DAX
NEW AVENGERS #50
WOLVERINE GIANT-SIZE OLD MAN LOGAN #1
WEDNESDAY COMICS #3 (OF 12)
CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #2 (OF 5)
THOR #600
IGNITION CITY #1 (OF 5) (MR)
BLACKEST NIGHT #4 (OF 8)
UNCANNY X-MEN #513 DAX
BATMAN #687
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #28 CHEN CVR
BATMAN AND ROBIN #6
DETECTIVE COMICS #856
WEDNESDAY COMICS #4 (OF 12)
WEDNESDAY COMICS #6 (OF 12)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #29 CARNEVALE CVR
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #600
WEDNESDAY COMICS #5 (OF 12)
PLANETARY #27
DARK AVENGERS #2
UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL #2
DETECTIVE COMICS #857
CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #3 (OF 5)
STRANGE TALES #2 (OF 3)
ASTONISHING X-MEN #28
WEDNESDAY COMICS #9 (OF 12)
IGNITION CITY #2 (OF 5) (MR)
SEAGUY THE SLAVES OF MICKEY EYE #1 (OF 3) (MR)
WEDNESDAY COMICS #8 (OF 12)
UNCANNY X-MEN #512
WEDNESDAY COMICS #7 (OF 12)
DAREDEVIL #500
FINAL CRISIS SUPERMAN BEYOND #2 (OF 2)
SUPERGOD #1 (OF 5)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #30 ADAM HUGHES CVR
UNCANNY X-MEN #514 DAX
NEW AVENGERS #49
WEDNESDAY COMICS #10 (OF 12)
DETECTIVE COMICS #858
DARK AVENGERS #7 DAX
ULTIMATUM #3 (OF 5)
CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #4 (OF 5)
NEW AVENGERS #53 DKR
NEW AVENGERS #54 DKR
WEDNESDAY COMICS #11 (OF 12)
DARK AVENGERS #4
ASTONISHING X-MEN #30
INCOGNITO #2 (MR)
ASTONISHING X-MEN #29
WEDNESDAY COMICS #12 (OF 12)
ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #1
NEW AVENGERS #52
KICK ASS #5 (MR)
NEW AVENGERS #51
INCOGNITO #1 (MR) (C: 1-0-0)
DARK AVENGERS #3
CAPTAIN AMERICA #50
HELLBOY WILD HUNT #2 (OF 8)
NO HERO #3 (OF 7) (MR)
ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #16
FINAL CRISIS LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #3 (OF 5)
FINAL CRISIS LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #4 (OF 5)
ULTIMATUM #4 (OF 5)
SEAGUY THE SLAVES OF MICKEY EYE #2 (OF 3) (MR)
SANDMAN DREAM HUNTERS #3 (OF 4) (MR)
GREEN LANTERN #43
DETECTIVE COMICS #859
UNCANNY X-MEN #509
INCOGNITO #3 (MR)
INCOGNITO #4
NEW AVENGERS #56 DKR
DARK AVENGERS/UNCANNY X-MEN EXODUS DAX


Doesn't change it a TON, but some more expensive books get up the placements in a few places.

Anyway, always interested in your commentary!


-B

Labels: Brian, retailing, Sales Charts

Click Here to Read More...

Alright, here's a look at the Top Selling Books at Comix Experience in 2009, under the cut.



First off, here is the list sorted by PIECES SOLD (quantity). I'm not going to bother noting where the ties are, or, for that matter, adding the placing numbers, or cleaning up the listings (eg: the "new ptg" that got appended to LOEG -- that's just what we've sold, total, over the year, but when a new printing came in to Diamond, that changed their data listing, which, once merged into MOBY, changed MY data listing. Such is life)

This is the Top 100 (well, 107 thanks to ties)


LOEG III CENTURY #1 1910 NEW PTG
BATMAN WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER HC
WATCHMEN TP (FEB058406)
SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 05 SP VS THE UNIVERSE (DEC084184)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 09 HERE WE REMAIN
ASTERIOS POLYP GN
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 01 DAYS GONE BYE
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 02 CYCLES (OCT058281) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 12 THE DARK AGES
LOVE & ROCKETS NEW STORIES TP
WHO KILLED AMANDA PALMER HC
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 10 WHAT WE BECOME
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 01 UNMANNED (OCT058020)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 10 WHYS AND WHEREFORES (MAR080241) (MR
CRIMINAL TP VOL 04 BAD NIGHT (NOV082430) (MR)
UMBRELLA ACADEMY TP VOL 1 APOCALYPSE SUITE
DMZ TP VOL 06 BLOOD IN THE GAME (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 11 WAR AND PIECES (AUG080229) (MR)
LOEG VOL ONE TP (JUL068290)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 03 ONE SMALL STEP (MAR068027) (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 05 RING OF TRUTH (MAY050306) (MR)
100 BULLETS TP VOL 13 WILT (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 01 LEGENDS IN EXILE (APR058372)
SANDMAN TP VOL 02 THE DOLLS HOUSE (APR058268)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 04 SAFEWORD (APR058056) (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 06 GIRL ON GIRL (SEP050317) (MR)
ALL STAR SUPERMAN HC VOL 02
BATMAN DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP (DEC058055)
BOOK OF GENESIS ILLUS BY ROBERT CRUMB HC
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 01 LONG WAY HOME
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 03 WOLVES AT THE GATE
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 09 MOTHERLAND (FEB070362) (MR)
ALL STAR SUPERMAN TP VOL 01
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 04 TIME OF YOUR LIFE
POWERS TP VOL 12 COOLEST DEAD SUPERHEROES
RICHARD STARKS PARKER THE HUNTER HC
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 08 MADE TO SUFFER
BLACK HOLE COLLECTED SC
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 05 PREDATOR & PREY
DMZ TP VOL 07 WAR POWERS
SANDMAN TP VOL 01 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES (DEC058090)
BONE COLOR ED SC VOL 01 OUT FROM BONEVILLE
FREAKANGELS TP VOL 02 (MR)
LOEG BLACK DOSSIER TP (JUL080193)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 02 MILES BEHIND US
WARREN ELLIS FRANKENSTEINS WOMB GN
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 07 PAPER DOLLS (FEB060341) (MR)
BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL ED HC
FREAKANGELS TP VOL 01 (SEP083753) (MR)
LOEG VOL TWO TP (FEB058407)
THE FART PARTY TP
WARREN ELLIS CROOKED LITTLE VEIN MMPB
BOYS TP VOL 04 WE GOTTA GO NOW
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 02 NO FUTURE FOR YOU
PLANETARY TP VOL 01 ALL OVER THE WORLD AND OTHER STORIES
PREACHER TP VOL 01 GONE TO TEXAS NEW EDITION (MAR050489) (MR
TRANSMETROPOLITAN TP VOL 01 BACK ON THE STREET
BOYS TP VOL 03 GOOD FOR THE SOUL
DMZ TP VOL 01 ON THE GROUND (MAR060383) (MR)
PLANETARY TP VOL 03 LEAVING TP THE 20 TH CENTURY
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 05 BEST DEFENSE
WALTZ WITH BASHIR SC (C: 0-1-2)
CRIMINAL TP VOL 01 COWARD (MR)
DMZ TP VOL 02 BODY OF A JOURNALIST (NOV060292) (MR)
EX MACHINA TP VOL 08 DIRTY TRICKS
SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 01 SP PRECIOUS LITTLE LIFE
SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 02 VS THE WORLD (DEC042750)
SURROGATES TP VOL 01 CURR PTG
SWAMP THING TP VOL 02 LOVE AND DEATH (JUL058053)
V FOR VENDETTA NEW EDITION TP (MR)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 04 HEARTS DESIRE
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 07 THE CALM BEFORE
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 08 KIMONO DRAGONS (AUG060299) (MR)
CRIMINAL TP VOL 02 LAWLESS (OCT072158) (MR)
EX MACHINA TP VOL 07 EX CATHEDRA (JUL080199) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 07 ARABIAN NIGHTS AND DAYS (MAR060384) (MR)
FINAL CRISIS HC
JUSTICE TP VOL 01 (FEB080252)
PREACHER TP VOL 07 SALVATION NEW EDITION (MAY050300) (MR)
SWAMP THING TP VOL 01 SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING (APR058269)
FROM HELL TP NEW PTG
HELLBOY VOL 01 SEED OF DESTRUCTION TP
JOKER HC (JUL080124)
PLANETARY TP VOL 02 THE FOURTH MAN
PREACHER TP VOL 04 ANCIENT HISTORY NEW EDITION (MAY050299) (
PREACHER TP VOL 06 WAR IN THE SUN NEW EDITION (MAY050301) (M
SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 03 INFINITE SADNESS (OCT053132)
SECRET INVASION TP (NOV082460)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 06 SORROWFUL LIFE
100 BULLETS TP VOL 12 DIRTY (JUN080292) (MR)
ALAN MOORE LIGHT OF THY COUNTENANCE GN (O/A) (NOV083804) (MR
ARKHAM ASYLUM ANNIVERSARY ED SC (AUG050185) (MR)
BATMAN RIP DELUXE EDITION HC
BOYS TP VOL 01 NAME OF THE GAME
BOYS TP VOL 02 GET SOME
CRIMINAL TP VOL 03 DEAD AND DYING (MR)
DMZ TP VOL 03 PUBLIC WORKS (JUN070267) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 04 MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS (OCT058021) (M
FABLES TP VOL 08 WOLVES (SEP060313) (MR)
FREAKANGELS TP VOL 03
FUNNY MISSHAPEN BODY GN (MR) (C: 0-1-2)
PREACHER TP VOL 03 PROUD AMERICANS NEW EDITION (JUL068334) (
STAR WARS CLONE WARS ADVENTURES TP VOL 01
TOP 10 TP BOOK 01 (OCT058279)
USAGI YOJIMBO HC YOKAI
ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE RECORDED ATTACKS GN

Everything on the Top 100 sold, on average, more than "1 copy a month".

As noted in the "overview" post, the Batman HC is a fluke because of the Gaiman signing. Therefore, so, too, is WHO KILLED AMANDA PALMER. In the latter's case, however, had I actually had ENOUGH of those for the signing it could have been in the Top 5. Such is the power of Neil Gaiman!

"Not having enough" is actually a fairly common theme this year -- there's several books here (Crumb's GENESIS, ASTERIOS POLYP, Darwyn Cooke's THE HUNTER, etc.) where I would have sold a LOT more copies if the publishers hadn't sold out of those books. Crumb, in particular, probably would have been in the Top Ten were there any reorders available from ANY of the multiple distributors I use. I ended up even buying copies from Barnes & Noble (dot com) just to have copies for sale during the actual Christmas shopping season.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the diversity of material on this list.

Now, let's flip this around and sort this list by DOLLARS sold:

BATMAN WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER HC
WATCHMEN TP (FEB058406)
WHO KILLED AMANDA PALMER HC
LOEG III CENTURY #1 1910 NEW PTG
ASTERIOS POLYP GN
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 09 HERE WE REMAIN
SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 05 SP VS THE UNIVERSE (DEC084184)
WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM TP VOL 01
BOOK OF GENESIS ILLUS BY ROBERT CRUMB HC
FABLES TP VOL 12 THE DARK AGES
RICHARD STARKS PARKER THE HUNTER HC
POWERS TP VOL 12 COOLEST DEAD SUPERHEROES
FROM HELL TP NEW PTG
UMBRELLA ACADEMY TP VOL 1 APOCALYPSE SUITE
SANDMAN TP VOL 02 THE DOLLS HOUSE (APR058268)
LOST GIRLS HC
FABLES TP VOL 11 WAR AND PIECES (AUG080229) (MR)
LOVE & ROCKETS NEW STORIES TP
100 BULLETS TP VOL 13 WILT (MR)
ALL STAR SUPERMAN HC VOL 02
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 02 CYCLES (OCT058281) (MR)
SECRET INVASION TP (NOV082460)
SANDMAN TP VOL 01 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES (DEC058090)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 10 WHAT WE BECOME
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 10 WHYS AND WHEREFORES (MAR080241) (MR
FINAL CRISIS HC
LOEG BLACK DOSSIER TP (JUL080193)
BLACK HOLE COLLECTED SC
FREAKANGELS TP VOL 02 (MR)
FREAKANGELS TP VOL 01 (SEP083753) (MR)
CRIMINAL TP VOL 04 BAD NIGHT (NOV082430) (MR)
LOEG VOL ONE TP (JUL068290)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 05 RING OF TRUTH (MAY050306) (MR)
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 01 LONG WAY HOME
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 03 WOLVES AT THE GATE
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 01 UNMANNED (OCT058020)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 09 MOTHERLAND (FEB070362) (MR)
BOYS TP VOL 03 GOOD FOR THE SOUL
BOYS TP VOL 04 WE GOTTA GO NOW
BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL ED HC
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 01 DAYS GONE BYE
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 04 TIME OF YOUR LIFE
DMZ TP VOL 06 BLOOD IN THE GAME (MR)
BATMAN DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP (DEC058055)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 03 ONE SMALL STEP (MAR068027) (MR)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 08 MADE TO SUFFER
SWAMP THING TP VOL 02 LOVE AND DEATH (JUL058053)
V FOR VENDETTA NEW EDITION TP (MR)
SURROGATES TP VOL 01 CURR PTG
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 05 PREDATOR & PREY
BATMAN RIP DELUXE EDITION HC
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 06 GIRL ON GIRL (SEP050317) (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 04 SAFEWORD (APR058056) (MR)
DMZ TP VOL 07 WAR POWERS
LOST GIRLS DLX SLIPCASED ED CURR PTG
SWAMP THING TP VOL 01 SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING (APR058269)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 07 PAPER DOLLS (FEB060341) (MR)
COMPLETE PERSEPOLIS TP
WALTZ WITH BASHIR SC (C: 0-1-2)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 02 MILES BEHIND US
A DRIFTING LIFE TP
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 02 NO FUTURE FOR YOU
LOEG VOL TWO TP (FEB058407)
ALL STAR SUPERMAN TP VOL 01
JOKER HC (JUL080124)
WALKING DEAD HC VOL 01
PREACHER TP VOL 07 SALVATION NEW EDITION (MAY050300) (MR)
PREACHER TP VOL 01 GONE TO TEXAS NEW EDITION (MAR050489) (MR
TRANSMETROPOLITAN TP VOL 01 BACK ON THE STREET
PLANETARY TP VOL 01 ALL OVER THE WORLD AND OTHER STORIES
WARREN ELLIS CROOKED LITTLE VEIN MMPB
BOYS TP VOL 02 GET SOME
ABSOLUTE DEATH HC
PETER & MAX A FABLES NOVEL HC
FREAKANGELS TP VOL 03
PREACHER TP VOL 06 WAR IN THE SUN NEW EDITION (MAY050301) (M
HELLBOY VOL 01 SEED OF DESTRUCTION TP
THE FART PARTY TP
FLIGHT GN VOL 06 (C: 0-1-2)
BLACK SUMMER TP
PLANETARY TP VOL 03 LEAVING TP THE 20 TH CENTURY
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 05 BEST DEFENSE
Y THE LAST MAN DELUXE EDITION HC VOL 01
CRIMINAL TP VOL 01 COWARD (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 08 KIMONO DRAGONS (AUG060299) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 01 LEGENDS IN EXILE (APR058372)
BONE ONE VOL ED SC (MAR058205)
BERLIN TP BOOK 02 CITY OF SMOKE (JUN083900) (MR)
R CRUMBS HEROES OF BLUES JAZZ & COUNTRY WITH CD HC
ARKHAM ASYLUM ANNIVERSARY ED SC (AUG050185) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 04 MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS (OCT058021) (M
FABLES TP VOL 08 WOLVES (SEP060313) (MR)
TOP 10 TP BOOK 01 (OCT058279)
SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING HC BOOK 01
RUNAWAYS HC VOL 01 (JUN052053)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 04 HEARTS DESIRE
WALKING DEAD HC VOL 02
STARMAN OMNIBUS HC VOL 02
IMMORTAL IRON FIST BY FRACTION & BRUBAKER OMNIBUS HC
FABLES TP VOL 07 ARABIAN NIGHTS AND DAYS (MAR060384) (MR)
CRIMINAL TP VOL 02 LAWLESS (OCT072158) (MR)
JUSTICE TP VOL 01 (FEB080252)

Yeah, that changes things a bit -- Hardcovers shoot up quite a lot in almost every situation.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing, Sales Charts

Click Here to Read More...

Here's the first in a series of posts detailing Comix Experience's performance in 2009. I'll hide these below the jump for people who Just Don't Care.



Overall, CE was down by 4% for the year. The amount we're down is almost exactly the amount of business we lost during the nearly 2 month period of construction on Divisadero St., so I don't feel so bad about that, really -- without the construction we appear to have been flat, and in this economy, that seems pretty alright to me.

Overall, "books" accounted for 53% of our sales, while "comics" were 42%. I believe this is the widest spread that we've shown yet -- still BOTH categories are absolutely critical to my business.

I'm going to go into greater detail in the next two posts, about Books and Comics sales, but I thought it might be fun to look at our Top 20 (ish) items overall by quantity, mixing the two lists, and including everything we sell.

1. Quarter Book - Single
2. Borg - Bag & Board Combo
3. Dollar Book
4. Sale Book
5. Back Issue
6. Quarter Book - 10 for a Buck
7. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583
8. LOEG III CENTURY #1 1910
9. BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
10. BATMAN AND ROBIN #2
11. BATMAN WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER HC
12. WATCHMEN TP
13. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #21
14. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #22
15. BLACKEST NIGHT #1 (OF 8)
16. BATMAN AND ROBIN #3
17. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #23
18. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #24
19. BATMAN #686 (NOTE PRICE)
20. BATMAN AND ROBIN #4
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #26
Starter Set

Seeing it listed like this, I really wish I could go back in time to Hibbs'89 and tell him to start charging for bags back then -- we used to give bags away with every comic sold, and only stopped doing so in the last 5-6 years (I think?)

We also cut the "10 for a buck" option on the quarter books back in... May, I think? -- we had actually started to sell QBs "too fast" where I was in dire danger of "running out"

"Sale Book" is stuff put on sale -- like the roughly 300 graphic novel titles that we've purchased in 2009 that DIDN'T SELL EVEN A SINGLE COPY. "Midlist" "mainstream" GNs are pretty much a joke in 2009 -- despite "I'm waiting for the trade", it's clear to me that most people actually AREN'T.

The Batman HC is a fluke, because that was the item tied to the Neil Gaiman reading and signing. It did, in fact, sell well, but not nearly what this list would seem to suggest.

Finally, in that 3-way tie for position #20, a "starter set" is a prepackaged set of comics (ie: "20 issues of JUSTICE LEAGUE") for a cheapish price (typically less than a buck a piece)

Clearly the lesson here seems to be "cheap stuff sells well", but it really isn't like it looks -- while QBs sold something like 4x the single best-selling new periodical listed here, that's the sum over 12 entire months. Even that Obama Spider-Man wasn't really on the shelf for more than about 1/3 of that time; or if we summed together all of the BUFFY comics, they'd easily surpass QBs as a line item.

Even for the Borgs -- that's a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction of the total number of periodicals we sold.

Don't ask me what happened with BUFFY #25, I don't know either.

Still, I'm entertained by looking at things this way.

Labels: Brian, retailing, Sales Charts

Click Here to Read More...

You can find it over on Comic Book Resources.

Give it a read, let us know what you think, either in their (finally! Properly linked!) message board, or here in comments.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing, Tilting

Click Here to Read More...

Heidi has a good write up on DC's newest initiative -- basically, it sounds like DC's version of the "Ultimate" line, but they're skipping out on the serialization, and going straight to OGNs.

There's not a ton of details in terms of exact format, pagination, or release schedule, so let's make some assumptions. Let's assume they're going to try for two releases of each character a year. Let's also assume that they'll be handled somewhat like THE JOKER HC from Azarello and Bermejo from late last year -- roughly 128 pages, in HC, for $24.95.

A monthly comic, of 22 pages each, would yield approximately 264 pages at the end of a year -- in this assumed OGN format, we're talking about 256 pages at the end of a year.

Using SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN as a comparable metric, if these books were serialized as comics first, Comix Experience would sell something on the order of 50 copies of #1, 40 of #2, and an average of 30 copies each of #3-12, during our theoretical year. With a $2.99 cover price, on these 390 copies during a year would work out to $1166 (and ten cents).

In order to generate the same revenue from two OGNs, at a $25 price point, I'd need to sell almost 47 copies (46.73, says the calculator)

Here's the thing, though, in my experience OGNs are really only likely to sell 2/3rds or less of a similar periodical release (cf: 1001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL vs FABLES, LOEG: CENTURY vs LOEG: BLACK DOSSIER or SANDMAN: ENDLESS NIGHTS vs SANDMAN) -- and it can be closer to 1/3.

Working from the "mature" sales of #3 and beyond (which is really where you calculate these things, not from the top end of a #1), assuming 2/3 of those sales, that'd give me an order of 20 copies of v1. Even if we assume NO drop-off of v2 (hahaha, unlikely!), that'd yield a total of 40 copies sold. 40x$25 = $1000... or about 10% less revenue than a serialization would give us.

Of course, that's just "initial" sales -- one would presume this would continue to sell on and on, forever, if they're any good... but then you'd have the same from the TP collection of the serialized issues, so that's pretty much a wash.

(Also, you have to figure that somewhere between 10 and 25% of the people who bought a serialization will ALSO buy the collection... that goes away entirely with OGNs...)

[SANDMAN: PRELUDES AND NOCTURNES sells, for me, about 6 copies for every copy of ENDLESS NIGHTS I sell, today, years after initial release]

And, of course, I'm calculating using a $25 price point, if it is $19.95, or even less, that skews the math in a much uglier direction.

The bottom line is that customers are much less likely to plunk down for a Big Ticket item than they are for a periodical, which is one of the reasons that the OGN doesn't, to my mind, make a ton of sense.

And while it is possible that the "bookstore reader" will flock to superhero-OGN work... well, I kind of don't think that will happen... and, even if it does, I have a hardish time picturing them wanting it again and again -- because this theoretical 2x a year strategy IS a periodical, just much slower than usual.

Here's the thing: the "civilian" audience, the one in bookstores that we're assuming DC is going after on this? Well, they don't know, understand or WANT to understand the difference between a "TP" and an "OGN". TPs *are* "original" to them, if it is the first time they've ever seen it. When SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN comes out in its eventual collection, it may as well BE an "OGN" to the bookstore customer. And when they ask "what's the difference between this and 'Earth One'?" is the answer going to make a lick of sense to them?

(My guess? No, not even a little bit)

This will be an interesting experiment, but one that I don't think is going to work all that successfully -- whatever the OGN might sell, I'm fairly certain that I would sell 1.x times as many as a periodical. Therefore the bookstores are going to have to make up the difference all by themselves... and I don't really see that happening.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Now we'll look at the periodical comics. Again, under the jump...



Again, we'll start with sorting it by PIECES sold.

Yeah, the quarter book permutations win (and "10 for a buck" is counted as ONE item, not TEN), followed by Barack Obama and Spidey, followed by "back issue" as a generic item, then we get into the BUFFY's and other stuff. You'll recall that our '08 list was ABSOLUTELY dominated by BUFFY, but it spreads out a bit from there.

Here's the list:

Quarter Book - 10 for a Buck
Quarter Book - Single
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583
Back Issue
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #21 CHEN CVR
BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #22 CHEN CVR
Dollar Book
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #23 CHEN CVR
BATMAN #686 (NOTE PRICE)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #24 CHEN CVR
FINAL CRISIS #6 (OF 7)
FINAL CRISIS #7 (OF 7)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #25 CHEN CVR
DETECTIVE COMICS #853 (NOTE PRICE)
ASTONISHING X-MEN #28
FLASH REBIRTH #1 (OF 5)
UNWRITTEN #1
DARK AVENGERS #1
UNCANNY X-MEN #506
CAPTAIN AMERICA #600
ASTONISHING X-MEN #29
SANDMAN DREAM HUNTERS #3 (OF 4) (MR)
HELLBOY WILD HUNT #2 (OF 8)
UNCANNY X-MEN #509
INCOGNITO #1 (MR) (C: 1-0-0)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #20 CHEN CVR
DARK AVENGERS #2
IGNITION CITY #1 (OF 5) (MR)
INCOGNITO #2 (MR)
NEW AVENGERS #49
WOLVERINE #71
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #22
SANDMAN DREAM HUNTERS #4 (OF 4) (MR)
UNCANNY X-MEN #507
UNCANNY X-MEN #508
UNCANNY X-MEN #510
UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL #2
WOLVERINE #70
KICK ASS #5 (MR)
HELLBOY WILD HUNT #4 (OF 8)
MIGHTY AVENGERS #21
Starter Set
BATMAN #684
HELLBOY WILD HUNT #3 (OF 8)
CAPTAIN AMERICA #46
FABLES #83 (MR)
FINAL CRISIS SUPERMAN BEYOND #2 (OF 2)
IGNITION CITY #2 (OF 5) (MR)
INCOGNITO #3 (MR)
NEW AVENGERS #50
THOR #600
BOYS #26 (MR)
ULTIMATUM #3 (OF 5)
WOLVERINE #72
DARK AVENGERS #4
FLASH REBIRTH #2 (OF 5)
SEAGUY THE SLAVES OF MICKEY EYE #1 (OF 3) (MR)
FINAL CRISIS LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #3 (OF 5)
KICK ASS #6 (MR)
LITERALS #1 (OF 3) (MR)
NEW AVENGERS #51
NEW AVENGERS #52
BATMAN #687
BOYS #29 (MR)
CAPTAIN AMERICA #50
DARK AVENGERS #3
NEW AVENGERS #53 DKR
BOYS #28 (MR)
UNCANNY X-MEN #511
UNWRITTEN #2 (MR)
ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #16
BOYS #27 (MR)
DETECTIVE COMICS #854
FABLES #81 (MR)
FANTASTIC FOUR #562
FINAL CRISIS LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #4 (OF 5)
BATMAN #685 (FOE)
BTVS TALES OF THE VAMPIRES ONE SHOT JO CHEN COVER
DARK AVENGERS #5 DKR
FABLES #80 (MR)
FABLES #82 (MR)
GREEN LANTERN #36
BPRD BLACK GODDESS #2 (OF 5)
DAREDEVIL #115
FABLES #84 (MR)
GREEN LANTERN #40
INCOGNITO #4
JACK OF FABLES #33 (MR)
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #23 (FOE)
NO HERO #3 (OF 7) (MR)
SEAGUY THE SLAVES OF MICKEY EYE #2 (OF 3) (MR)
ULTIMATUM #4 (OF 5)
ASTONISHING X-MEN #30
BOYS #30 (MR)
BPRD BLACK GODDESS #1 (OF 5)
CAPTAIN AMERICA #45
CAPTAIN AMERICA #47
CAPTAIN AMERICA #49
FLASH REBIRTH #3 (OF 5)
GREEN LANTERN #38

----------------------------------------------------

OK, same thing, sorted by DOLLARS SOLD. Done this way Quarter books drop way down (for 10 for a buck), or completely off -- but "Starter Sets", packaged runs of books (eg; "10 issues of BATMAN") soars right up:

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583
Back Issue
Starter Set
BATMAN #686 (NOTE PRICE)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #21 CHEN CVR
BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #22 CHEN CVR
FINAL CRISIS #6 (OF 7)
DETECTIVE COMICS #853 (NOTE PRICE)
FINAL CRISIS #7 (OF 7)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #23 CHEN CVR
CAPTAIN AMERICA #600
Quarter Book - 10 for a Buck
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #24 CHEN CVR
DARK AVENGERS #1
FLASH REBIRTH #1 (OF 5)
NEW AVENGERS #50
THOR #600
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #25 CHEN CVR
IGNITION CITY #1 (OF 5) (MR)
DARK AVENGERS #2
UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL #2
ASTONISHING X-MEN #28
FINAL CRISIS SUPERMAN BEYOND #2 (OF 2)
IGNITION CITY #2 (OF 5) (MR)
NEW AVENGERS #49
ULTIMATUM #3 (OF 5)
DARK AVENGERS #4
INCOGNITO #2 (MR)
ASTONISHING X-MEN #29
NEW AVENGERS #52
NEW AVENGERS #51
INCOGNITO #1 (MR) (C: 1-0-0)
DARK AVENGERS #3
NEW AVENGERS #53 DKR
BATMAN #687
FINAL CRISIS LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #3 (OF 5)
CAPTAIN AMERICA #50
SEAGUY THE SLAVES OF MICKEY EYE #1 (OF 3) (MR)
SANDMAN DREAM HUNTERS #3 (OF 4) (MR)
ANGEL AFTER THE FALL #16
UNCANNY X-MEN #509
INCOGNITO #3 (MR)
DETECTIVE COMICS #854
DARK AVENGERS #5 DKR
FINAL CRISIS LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #4 (OF 5)
NO HERO #3 (OF 7) (MR)
HELLBOY WILD HUNT #2 (OF 8)
WOLVERINE #71
ULTIMATUM #4 (OF 5)
UNCANNY X-MEN #508
SEAGUY THE SLAVES OF MICKEY EYE #2 (OF 3) (MR)
UNCANNY X-MEN #507
SANDMAN DREAM HUNTERS #4 (OF 4) (MR)
WOLVERINE #70
UNCANNY X-MEN #510
KICK ASS #5 (MR)
THOR #601
HELLBOY WILD HUNT #4 (OF 8)
UNCANNY X-MEN #506
HELLBOY WILD HUNT #3 (OF 8)
MIGHTY AVENGERS #21
NEW AVENGERS #54 DKR
NO HERO #5 (OF 7) (MR)
ANGEL #17
FABLES #83 (MR)
DARK AVENGERS UNCANNY X-MEN UTOPIA #1 DAX
WOLVERINE #72
FLASH REBIRTH #2 (OF 5)
KICK ASS #6 (MR)
INCOGNITO #4
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #20 CHEN CVR
LITERALS #1 (OF 3) (MR)
NO HERO #4 (OF 7) (MR)
BATMAN #684
BATMAN BATTLE FOR THE COWL #2 (OF 3)
STAND CAPTAIN TRIPS #4 (OF 5)
DARK AVENGERS #6 DKR
UNWRITTEN #2 (MR)
ANGEL #18
UNCANNY X-MEN #511
BOYS #26 (MR)
SEAGUY THE SLAVES OF MICKEY EYE #3 (OF 3)
SECRET WARRIORS #1
BATMAN BATTLE FOR THE COWL #1 (OF 3)
FABLES #81 (MR)
BTVS TALES OF THE VAMPIRES ONE SHOT JO CHEN COVER
WAR OF KINGS #3 (OF 6)
FABLES #80 (MR)
BATMAN BATTLE FOR THE COWL #3 (OF 3)
IGNITION CITY #3 (OF 5) (MR)
BOYS #27 (MR)
FABLES #82 (MR)
BPRD BLACK GODDESS #2 (OF 5)
ANGEL #19
FABLES #84 (MR)
GREEN LANTERN #40
JACK OF FABLES #33 (MR)
FINAL CRISIS SECRET FILES #1
GREEN LANTERN #36

These will change a lot, probably more than the books chart, when we get to the end of the year -- for example, Morrison's B&R has only been on sale for a month, and I'm going to get a lot more sales before THAT ride is done... but I like the snapshot anyway.

Still, it is very highly improbably that anything will beat that issue of AMAZING SPIDEY. Note, however, that that had NO follow-through impact whatsoever on the series...

Again, anyone see anything interesting to you?

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing, Sales Charts

Click Here to Read More...

Since the first half of the fiscal year just closed, let's take a quick look at Comix Experience's best-sellers, year-to-date.

Below the jump for those of you who don't care about these things...



Because of the formatting issues, I've decided to not attach ranking numbers to the chart. I figure you guys can count just fine!

I've gone a little past #100 -- this is actually our top 127 best selling items, because I wanted to have my own book appear on the list, ha!

This first list is PIECES sold. Yes, the first item is marked down books on sale. And, finally, something else breaks the Vulcan Death Grip that WATCHMEN had last year.

(Totally sorry for all of the Diamond bullshit in the listings. I COULD clean it up, but it would take a year and a day, and this is just for snapshot purposes, so there you go.)

Sale Book
LOEG III CENTURY #1 1910 (MR) (C: 0-1-2)
WATCHMEN TP (FEB058406)
SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 05 SP VS THE UNIVERSE (DEC084184)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 09 HERE WE REMAIN (MR)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 01 DAYS GONE BYE (JUL068351) (MR)
ALL STAR SUPERMAN HC VOL 02
LOEG VOL ONE TP (JUL068290)
CRIMINAL TP VOL 04 BAD NIGHT (NOV082430) (MR)
DMZ TP VOL 06 BLOOD IN THE GAME (MR)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 08 MADE TO SUFFER (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 10 WHYS AND WHEREFORES (MAR080241) (MR
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 03 WOLVES AT THE GATE (JUL080042)
FABLES TP VOL 11 WAR AND PIECES (AUG080229) (MR)
POWERS TP VOL 12 COOLEST DEAD SUPERHEROES
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 02 CYCLES (OCT058281) (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 04 SAFEWORD (APR058056) (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 05 RING OF TRUTH (MAY050306) (MR)
UMBRELLA ACADEMY TP VOL 1 APOCALYPSE SUITE
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 01 UNMANNED (OCT058020)
BOYS TP VOL 03 (MR) (C: 0-1-2)
FREAKANGELS TP VOL 02 (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 06 GIRL ON GIRL (SEP050317) (MR)
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 01 LONG WAY HOME (JUL070028)
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 04 TIME OF YOUR LIFE (C: 0-1-2)
FABLES TP VOL 01 LEGENDS IN EXILE (APR058372)
SANDMAN TP VOL 02 THE DOLLS HOUSE (APR058268)
THE FART PARTY TP
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 03 ONE SMALL STEP (MAR068027) (MR)
ALL STAR SUPERMAN TP VOL 01 (MAY080205)
BATMAN DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP (DEC058055)
BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL ED HC (NOV070226)
LOEG VOL TWO TP (FEB058407)
SECRET INVASION TP (NOV082460)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 02 MILES BEHIND US (NOV068026) (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 09 MOTHERLAND (FEB070362) (MR)
ALAN MOORE LIGHT OF THY COUNTENANCE GN (O/A) (NOV083804) (MR
BLACK HOLE COLLECTED SC
BOYS TP VOL 02 GET SOME (DEC073541) (MR) (C: 0-0-2)
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 02 NO FUTURE FOR YOU (FEB080102)
CRIMINAL TP VOL 01 COWARD (MR)
PREACHER TP VOL 01 GONE TO TEXAS NEW EDITION (MAR050489) (MR
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 07 THE CALM BEFORE (MR) (C: 0-1-2)
BONE COLOR ED SC VOL 01 OUT FROM BONEVILLE
FINAL CRISIS HC
FREAKANGELS TP VOL 01 (SEP083753) (MR)
JACK OF FABLES TP VOL 05 TURNING PAGES (MR)
SANDMAN TP VOL 01 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES (DEC058090)
SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 01 SP PRECIOUS LITTLE LIFE (MAY042851)
SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 04 SP GETS IT TOGETHER (JUN073779) (C:
TOP 10 TP BOOK 01 (OCT058279)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 07 PAPER DOLLS (FEB060341) (MR)
ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY HC #19 (MR)
PREACHER TP VOL 04 ANCIENT HISTORY NEW EDITION (MAY050299) (
SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 02 VS THE WORLD (DEC042750)
SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 03 INFINITE SADNESS (OCT053132)
SWAMP THING TP VOL 02 LOVE AND DEATH (JUL058053)
BONE COLOR ED SC VOL 09 CROWN OF HORNS (C: 1-1-2)
BOYS TP VOL 01 (DEC078191) (MR)
CRIMINAL TP VOL 02 LAWLESS (OCT072158) (MR)
DMZ TP VOL 01 ON THE GROUND (MAR060383) (MR)
DMZ TP VOL 02 BODY OF A JOURNALIST (NOV060292) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 03 STORYBOOK LOVE (MAY068085) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 05 THE MEAN SEASONS (JAN050373) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 10 THE GOOD PRINCE (FEB080297) (MR)
HELLBOY VOL 01 SEED OF DESTRUCTION TP
JOKER HC (JUL080124)
JUSTICE TP VOL 01 (FEB080252)
PLANETARY TP VOL 01 ALL OVER THE WORLD AND OTHER STORIES (FE
PREACHER TP VOL 06 WAR IN THE SUN NEW EDITION (MAY050301) (M
PREACHER TP VOL 07 SALVATION NEW EDITION (MAY050300) (MR)
SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING HC BOOK 01 (MR)
SANDMAN TP VOL 03 DREAM COUNTRY (JAN058148)
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 05 (C: 0-1-2)
SERENITY BETTER DAYS TP (C: 0-1-2)
TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA HC (C: 0-1-2)
TRANSMETROPOLITAN TP VOL 01 BACK ON THE STREET (MR)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 04 HEARTS DESIRE (SEP051681) (MR)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 05 BEST DEFENSE (MAR061834) (MR)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 06 SORROWFUL LIFE (DEC061874) (MR)
WALTZ WITH BASHIR SC (C: 0-1-2)
100 BULLETS TP VOL 01 FIRST SHOT LAST CALL (SEP068078)
AIR TP VOL 01 LETTERS FROM LOST COUNTRIES (MR)
BATMAN RIP DELUXE EDITION HC
BPRD TP VOL 10 THE WARNING (C: 0-1-2)
DMZ TP VOL 03 PUBLIC WORKS (JUN070267) (MR)
DMZ TP VOL 05 THE HIDDEN WAR (APR080273) (MR)
EX MACHINA TP VOL 01 THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS (SEP058036) (MR)
EX MACHINA TP VOL 07 EX CATHEDRA (JUL080199) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 04 MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS (OCT058021) (M
FABLES TP VOL 07 ARABIAN NIGHTS AND DAYS (MAR060384) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 08 WOLVES (SEP060313) (MR)
FROM HELL TP NEW PTG (MR)
HELLBLAZER ROOTS OF COINCIDENCE TP (Diggle v3 of 3)
LOEG BLACK DOSSIER TP (JUL080193)
PREACHER TP VOL 05 DIXIE FRIED NEW EDITION (JUL050315) (MR)
RESURRECTION TP VOL 01
SANDMAN TP VOL 04 SEASON OF MISTS (OCT058022)
SCALPED TP VOL 01 INDIAN COUNTRY (MAY070243) (MR)
TOP 10 TP BOOK 02 (APR068255)
V FOR VENDETTA NEW EDITION TP (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 08 KIMONO DRAGONS (AUG060299) (MR)
A DRIFTING LIFE TP
BERLIN TP BOOK 02 CITY OF SMOKE (JUN083900) (MR)
BLACK SUMMER TP (JUL083705) (MR)
DMZ TP VOL 04 FRIENDLY FIRE (DEC070294) (MR)
EX MACHINA TP VOL 04 MARCH TO WAR (AUG060269) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 09 SONS OF EMPIRE (MAR070271) (MR)
FUNNY MISSHAPEN BODY GN (MR) (C: 0-1-2)
GARTH ENNIS BATTLEFIELDS NIGHT WITCHES TP (C: 0-1-2)
GOON TP VOL 07 PLACE OF HEARTACHE & GRIEF (C: 0-1-2)
JUSTICE TP VOL 03 (OCT080172)
NEIL GAIMANS CORALINE TP
PATH OF THE ASSASSIN TP VOL 15 BAD BLOOD PART 2 (C: 0-1-2)
PREACHER TP VOL 03 PROUD AMERICANS NEW EDITION (JUL068334) (
PREACHER TP VOL 08 ALL HELLS A COMING (SEP058101)
PREACHER TP VOL 09 ALAMO (APR078094) (MR)
SHORTCOMINGS HC (JUL073524) (MR)
SHOWCASE PRESENTS AMBUSH BUG TP VOL 01
SUPERMAN RED SON TP (NOV058130)
SWAMP THING TP VOL 01 SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING (APR058269)
TILTING AT WINDMILLS SC VOL 02
UNDERSTANDING COMICS THE INVISIBLE ART
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 03 SAFETY BEHIND BARS (MR)
WARREN ELLIS AETHERIC MECHANICS GN
WARREN ELLIS CROOKED LITTLE VEIN MMPB
WE 3 TP (APR050419) (MR)


___________________________________________________

OK, same thing, but this time sorted by DOLLARS sold. It looks similar, but not identical:

Sale Book
WATCHMEN TP (FEB058406)
LOEG III CENTURY #1 1910 (MR) (C: 0-1-2)
SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 05 SP VS THE UNIVERSE (DEC084184)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 09 HERE WE REMAIN (MR)
SECRET INVASION TP (NOV082460)
POWERS TP VOL 12 COOLEST DEAD SUPERHEROES
ALL STAR SUPERMAN HC VOL 02
FABLES TP VOL 11 WAR AND PIECES (AUG080229) (MR)
BOYS TP VOL 03 (MR) (C: 0-1-2)
LOEG VOL ONE TP (JUL068290)
UMBRELLA ACADEMY TP VOL 1 APOCALYPSE SUITE
FINAL CRISIS HC
FREAKANGELS TP VOL 02 (MR)
FROM HELL TP NEW PTG (MR)
SANDMAN TP VOL 02 THE DOLLS HOUSE (APR058268)
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 03 WOLVES AT THE GATE (JUL080042)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 10 WHYS AND WHEREFORES (MAR080241) (MR
CRIMINAL TP VOL 04 BAD NIGHT (NOV082430) (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 05 RING OF TRUTH (MAY050306) (MR)
DMZ TP VOL 06 BLOOD IN THE GAME (MR)
BOYS TP VOL 02 GET SOME (DEC073541) (MR) (C: 0-0-2)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 08 MADE TO SUFFER (MR)
BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL ED HC (NOV070226)
STARMAN OMNIBUS HC VOL 02
BLACK HOLE COLLECTED SC
LOST GIRLS DLX SLIPCASED ED CURR PTG
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 01 LONG WAY HOME (JUL070028)
FREAKANGELS TP VOL 01 (SEP083753) (MR)
SANDMAN TP VOL 01 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES (DEC058090)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 02 CYCLES (OCT058281) (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 04 SAFEWORD (APR058056) (MR)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 01 DAYS GONE BYE (JUL068351) (MR)
SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING HC BOOK 01 (MR)
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 04 TIME OF YOUR LIFE (C: 0-1-2)
SWAMP THING TP VOL 02 LOVE AND DEATH (JUL058053)
TOP 10 TP BOOK 01 (OCT058279)
A DRIFTING LIFE TP
LOEG VOL TWO TP (FEB058407)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 09 MOTHERLAND (FEB070362) (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 06 GIRL ON GIRL (SEP050317) (MR)
BTVS SEASON 8 TP VOL 02 NO FUTURE FOR YOU (FEB080102)
BATMAN RIP DELUXE EDITION HC
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 02 MILES BEHIND US (NOV068026) (MR)
PUNISHER BY GARTH ENNIS OMNIBUS HC
HEAVY LIQUID HC (MAY080261) (MR)
THE FART PARTY TP
POPGUN GN VOL 01 (NEW PTG) (SEP071958) (C: 0-1-2)
WALKING DEAD HC VOL 01
WALKING DEAD HC VOL 02
JOKER HC (JUL080124)
BATMAN DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP (DEC058055)
CRIMINAL TP VOL 01 COWARD (MR)
PREACHER TP VOL 01 GONE TO TEXAS NEW EDITION (MAR050489) (MR
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 03 ONE SMALL STEP (MAR068027) (MR)
STARMAN OMNIBUS HC VOL 03
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 01 UNMANNED (OCT058020)
BLACK SUMMER TP (JUL083705) (MR)
ALL STAR SUPERMAN TP VOL 01 (MAY080205)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 07 PAPER DOLLS (FEB060341) (MR)
TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA HC (C: 0-1-2)
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 05 (C: 0-1-2)
DOKTOR SLEEPLESS TP VOL 01 ENGINES OF DESIRE (AUG083788) (MR
FABLES TP VOL 10 THE GOOD PRINCE (FEB080297) (MR)
PREACHER TP VOL 06 WAR IN THE SUN NEW EDITION (MAY050301) (M
PREACHER TP VOL 07 SALVATION NEW EDITION (MAY050300) (MR)
JACK OF FABLES TP VOL 05 TURNING PAGES (MR)
HELLBOY VOL 01 SEED OF DESTRUCTION TP
LOEG BLACK DOSSIER TP (JUL080193)
SANDMAN TP VOL 04 SEASON OF MISTS (OCT058022)
V FOR VENDETTA NEW EDITION TP (MR)
ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY HC #19 (MR)
BOYS TP VOL 01 (DEC078191) (MR)
WATCHMEN HC (JUL080172)
WATCHING THE WATCHMEN HC (AUG084300) (C: 0-1-2)
WALTZ WITH BASHIR SC (C: 0-1-2)
BOYS DEFINITIVE ED HC (NEW PTG) (JUN083805) (MR) (C: 0-0-2)
WATCHMEN THE ABSOLUTE EDITION HC (JUL080174)
Y THE LAST MAN DELUXE EDITION HC VOL 01 (JUN080308) (MR)
PREACHER TP VOL 04 ANCIENT HISTORY NEW EDITION (MAY050299) (
LOCAS A LOVE & ROCKETS BOOK HC VOL 01 (O/A) (MR)
COMPLETE PERSEPOLIS TP
FABLES TP VOL 04 MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS (OCT058021) (M
FABLES TP VOL 08 WOLVES (SEP060313) (MR)
OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE SC VOL 39 AVENGERS (O/A) (
SWAMP THING TP VOL 01 SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING (APR058269)
FABLES TP VOL 01 LEGENDS IN EXILE (APR058372)
BERLIN TP BOOK 02 CITY OF SMOKE (JUN083900) (MR)
SHORTCOMINGS HC (JUL073524) (MR)
UNDERSTANDING COMICS THE INVISIBLE ART
FABLES TP VOL 03 STORYBOOK LOVE (MAY068085) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 05 THE MEAN SEASONS (JAN050373) (MR)
SANDMAN TP VOL 03 DREAM COUNTRY (JAN058148)
TRANSMETROPOLITAN TP VOL 01 BACK ON THE STREET (MR)
CRIMINAL TP VOL 02 LAWLESS (OCT072158) (MR)
JUSTICE TP VOL 01 (FEB080252)
SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 04 SP GETS IT TOGETHER (JUN073779) (C:
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 07 THE CALM BEFORE (MR) (C: 0-1-2)
SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 01 SP PRECIOUS LITTLE LIFE (MAY042851)
PLANETARY TP VOL 01 ALL OVER THE WORLD AND OTHER STORIES (FE

At the end of the day I'm super happy with our sales patterns, and I think they show a pretty high level of diversity.

Anything interesting YOU see?

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing, Sales Charts

Click Here to Read More...

The newest TILTING AT WINDMILLS is up at Comic Book Resources.

Go. Read.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing, Tilting

Click Here to Read More...

On Monday I did another podcast interview with the Comic Geek Speak guys.

You can hear it right here.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Happy birthday to me! (No, really, it is my birthday -- and yet I'm working. What's up with that?)

Just for a quick follow up: The New York Daily News has now run the story that REBORN #1 is, in fact, the return of Steve Rogers. (It also doesn't say anything about CAPTAIN AMERICA #600, out this week, ah well)

...

...

...

That's me waiting for the phone to ring.

Yeah, not going to happen -- resurrections just don't pack the same punch that deaths do.

At the end of the day, Marvel decided to fuck with retailers in the hope that news would break big. That doesn't seem to have happened.

The shame of it is that if they had told us this at point of initial solicitation I could have played it up in store, I could have gathered subs and interest and preorders, and I would have had a stronger order placed because there would have been excitement about the "how" of it.

Now, not so much.

I'll sell plenty of copies, I'm sure -- but not "Civil War" plenty or "Secret Invasion" plenty, or, most certainly, not "Spider-Man and Obama big". Or even "Death of Captain America" big.

I feel bad for those retailers who bought/are buying the book at any of those kinds of "big" levels, BUT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LET A PUBLISHER "GAME" THE SYSTEM.

At the end of the day YOUR orders determine what publishers do. If you automagically buy 10% more copies of a book to get that 1:10 variant cover, you're guaranteed they will do more and more variant covers. If you order blindly on the HOPE that there's a story published in the news, AND that that story will have meaning and resonance with the general public, then they're going to continue to do that, as well.

Just something to think about.

-B


(Oooh, seconds before I was about to hit "post" I got a call asking for CAP #600. As near as I can tell, no one in town bit on the early shipping thing? Anyway, he didn't sound like a civ, though I didn't interrogate him or anything)

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

As hoped, Marvel has officially extended the FOC date for REBORN #1 to Tuesday June 16th, so we should have basic information about REBORN in place before our orders are due.

"REBORN FOC MOVED TO TUESDAY 6/16 TO ALLOW MORE TIME FOR ORDERS!
Reborn #1 (MAY090412D, $3.99) is expected to receive nationwide mass media coverage on June 15, and in an effort to give retailers more time to adjust orders, the issue’s FOC date will be moved from Thursday, June 11 to Tuesday, June 16. The on sale date of July 1 is unaffected by the FOC adjustment."

Therefore, Comix Experience WILL now be able to rack the book.

See, complaining in public does occasionally do some minor amount of good.

However, everything about this sort of hinges on trust: how much does one trust Marvel to be able to "deliver" "nationwide mass media coverage". Clearly a news story has been brokered, but it is utterly an open question whether or not it will actually RUN (Any number of stories could very easily push it out of the "news cycle"), and, much MUCH more importantly, whether any one or not will CARE about whatever the revelation is.

There are several possibilities of what "Reborn" might be referring to, of course -- some suggest it might be the return of the Cap from "Truth: Red, White and Black", or, it could be the "Heroes Return" Cap (Since that version of Bucky is evidently in CAPTAIN AMERICA #600), or it could just be "our" Steve Rogers coming back from the dead. Or it could be something else. We won't know until 6/15. Happy birthday to me!

One of those stories might entice the general public (and the "Obama Grandmothers"), one won't even create a ripple within the Direct Market, and the last is likely to create a collective "So?"

(People seem to like Bucky-Cap just fine, after all)

If it IS the most obvious result (The return of Steve Rogers), then I'm willing to predict a still birth on this -- Brubaker's CAPTAIN AMERICA is a fine comic book, indeed, but rebirths almost never generate any real market heat, with the possibly notable exception of GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH which had on its side the fact that probably half (?) of GL readers actively disdained Kyle Rayner (the other half LOVED him), as well, to my mind, the idea that that would usher the return of the GL CORPS (Probably the best idea that comics, up to that point, had ever "thrown away")

It is worth mentioning (largely because this is getting fairly confusing) that CAPTAIN AMERICA #600, the putative lead-in to REBORN #1, will be "early released" on the Monday the news is meant to hit. For those who wish to pay for it, natch. That kind of direct shipping cost is fairly likely to run at about 5% of retail on the book, completely wiping out the benefit from the order incentive that Marvel ran.

But if the news DOES hit, there will be a bifurcation in the market -- because retailers have to pay the incoming shipping, additional staff and labor, etc etc, I'm not going to expect that a majority of retailers will actually pull that particular trigger. Which means the stores that DO will have a fairly hefty advantage. On the other hands if it is "just" "the return of Steve Rogers", I don't see a lot of civilian consumers biting -- people like death, they're less excited about returns.

(And, if you don't believe that, I'm sure I could act as a broker on AS MANY CASES of ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #500 as you might possibly want)

Comix Experience will not be one of those stores -- partly because we have Tuesday delivery, so paying 5% of retail for a (maybe) 24 hours advantage doesn't seem sensible to me; and partly because I'm not *expecting* any revelation other than "Steve Rogers returns" at this time.

What's horrifically fucked up about the CAPTAIN AMERICA #600 portion of this game is that that, effectively, most retailers had about a 3 hour window (on a Wednesday, fercryinoutloud -- when most retailers are frantically trying to help customers and don't have time to be obsessively checking email every 3 minutes) to make the decision whether to bring in those Monday CAPs or not. If you waited until Thursday it was too late to place order increases. Too bad, so sad.

Whatever these books end up being, however they end up selling, Marvel in my opinion handled this very poorly -- not giving retailers enough information OR time to make a properly formed decision. It was all "trust us".

And so far in this case, I'd argue they haven't given us enough reason to do so for these specific books.

On the other hand, they've generated a LOT of conversation, and way more "free press" then they would have otherwise, and I'm sure there are PLENTY of stores out there spiking their numbers up over all of these books. MARVEL is going to sell a whole lot more of these comics then they would have otherwise.

I just hope they sell THROUGH at retail.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

The Direct Market is sometimes an awkward beast: publishers solicit books roughly 3 months before publication, which can lead to problems in releasing information in such a way that can spoil those upcoming titles. I am very sympathetic to these concerns.

Direct Market retailers, of course, buy comics non-returnable -- if we order too many copies, we simply eat them. This means we need as much information as we can possibly get at the time of solicitation so we can make proper, informed judgments of the saleability of a specific work.

There's no doubt this is a substantial conundrum -- in this particular aspect the publisher's best interests are diametrically opposed to the retailer's. They want to preserve suspense, we want as much information as is possible (in fact, the best possible world would be to be able to read every comic before we had to finalize our orders)

Marvel, over the last few years, has taken to making certain high-profile title's solicitations "Classified" where they provide retailers NO solicitation information at first, instead releasing it, typically, the final day that Final Orders are due. This is extremely annoying (I can't help build interest in a work via pre-orders if the first piece of hard information I receive is 3 weeks before a title ships), but we've been able to work with it fairly adequately to date because, generally, we were talking about essentially "just another issue of IRON MAN", and the trade off was "spoiling the end of SECRET INVASION", y'know? I have cycle sheet data for IRON MAN, I know the general range it is going to sell, I can work around it. As long as they finally give me the solicit by the time of Final Order Cutoff (FOC).

Which brings us to REBORN #1.

REBORN is a 5-issue mini-series. It is by Ed Brubaker and Bryan Hitch. It is 32 pages long, in color, and retails for $3.99. That's every piece of information that we have. We don't know who or what is "reborn", and, really, we aren't precisely sure if that's the exact title of the final comic book. It certainly could be the return of the Steve Rogers Captain America, but it could just as easily be something to do with "Heroes Reborn", or even some version of Captain America that has nothing to do with Steve Rogers. It could also have nothing whatsoever to do with Captain America, regardless of what Rich Johnston is reporting. My point is we simply don't know.

Unlike previous situations with "classified" solicitations, this does not appear to be done to protect the conclusion of a line-wide crossover like CIVIL WAR or SECRET INVASION. As near as I can tell, no other comic is being impacted by this book in the short term. There's a possibility that this spins out of CAPTAIN AMERICA #600, I suppose? But that would be the absolute limit.

No, this is Marvel trying to "game" the system, as far as I am concerned -- trying to create interest in something in what I consider to be an underhanded way, and completely against the moral intent of the processes of the Direct Market.

And now we come to what I consider to be the real problem: Marvel has apparently pre-arranged press coverage with a tame journalist with embargoed exclusivity with one media outlet with a promise to go wide on it. This week's Marvel Mailer (a retailer-only mailing with Marvel news in it) they say the following:

"REBORN #1’s solicit and cover will not be revealed before its FOC date due to upcoming mainstream press regarding the series. Please see the Marvel page of Diamond’s Retailer Service Area for more information"

Going to that page, we get this detail (I'm not printing the details of the incentive deals):

"REBORN #1, by Ed Brubaker and Bryan Hitch, will be receiving nationwide press on 6/15, possibly on par with the media coverage we received during Civil War.

However, this means that the solicit and covers for Reborn #1 cannot be shown before the FOC of 6/11. Marvel will do everything possible to ensure an overprint is on hand to counter huge anticipated demand, but the incentives below and qualifying for free variants will only be available for orders placed before FOC"

So, basically, Marvel is cutting the retailers out of the information loop in order to hopefully make a splash in the wider media. There are two problems I see with this strategy. One: depending on news going wide is a dangerous and risky move. What if 6/15 is the day that the President is assassinated, or we declare war on North Korea, or we find out a planet-killer asteroid is on its way, or whatever else of a billion things that could knock any media interest in ANY comics project into the garbage?

Two: like we saw with CAPTAIN AMERICA #25, if there IS press coverage, and we don't have the information to even attempt to order properly, then we can't capitalize on it.

As a retailer, I object to these actions. I find these tactics ethically abhorrent and morally repugnant, and flatly against the best interests of the Direct Market and it's constituent retailers.

If we let this pass silently, then we're telling them to do it again and again and again -- hell, why even actually solicit ANYthing? We'll accept that, right?

So, there's really only one thing I can do at this point to protest these tactics, and that's to decline to carry the book. Assuming that Marvel doesn't change their mind on this, before FOC time, I'm going to cut my rack copy orders to zero.

Obviously I will stock the book for any customer who is interested in preordering the title, but I can not, in good conscience, spend my own discretionary money on something that is against my best interests. To do otherwise would be to condone what Marvel is doing here. I have no other way to express my displeasure than voting with my dollars.

Marvel won't care, I'm sure. The thirty to, say, one hundred and fifty copies I might have sold (Depending on what the comic really is) won't make or break them. It probably won't hurt Ed or Bryan either, but I have to make a public stand in the only way I can.

But what else can I do? To participate is to say that what Marvel is doing is acceptable business. And it just isn't. Some times you have to stand on your principles, even if it costs you a little bit of money.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Tom Spurgeon has Yet Another Excellent Essay on Diamond's new benchmarks. You should go read it.

Here's the thing though: let's assume that every rational human in the world agrees with the central premises of the argument -- every work deserves a chance on the market. I'll stipulate that; I certainly believe it personally.

Now how does that happen?

This isn't just an idle question -- the answer to that is, possibly, the most important question you might answer all day.

Tom, God love him, doesn't have any answers. Saying "it shouldn't be this way" really isn't enough.

Let's look at the components of the Direct Market, after the jump.



CONSUMERS: Honestly, a fair chunk of the issue is your own fault -- you, collectively, have decided that you aren't as interested in buying serialized comics as you once were. That's fair enough, and I Get It -- there's more being produced than you can possibly keep up with, and the Collected Edition is (nearly) always a better package: no ads, no waiting for the Rest, typically cheaper than its components, and so on. Like I said, I Get It.

But if you say "I'll just wait for the trade", you're automatically decreasing the size of the audience. Why? Because: x% of you will keep waiting even once the work is out. Another x% of you is going to balk at the prices needed to finance "OGN" work. Another x% of you are going to completely forget that the work is being produced -- if LOVE & ROCKETS is produced only once a year, where's the percentage for the Hernandez Brother's readership to come in looking for L&R more than once a year? ONCE YOU BREAK THAT PURCHASING HABIT, it is extremely hard to get it going again. If you're only looking once a year for something, then you're just as likely to only think of it every 18 months, 24 months, whatever.

You CAN change consumer behavior: make it clear that material will NOT be collected until x months, or by providing material in the serialization that will NOT be collected, maybe even ever. But what most needs to be done is to DRIVE CONSUMERS INTO THE STORES ON A REGULAR BASIS. "Alternative" and "art" comics have done a, frankly, shit job of that in the last decade. I suspect that war is already lost.

RETAILERS: Yes, some suck. Maybe even "many". Potentially (though, really, I don't think so, but let's grant the possibility) "Most".

Also: there aren't enough retailers, not by half. Tom's got to drive two hours to find one that may or may not have the item he wants in stock. The guy he links to on DC's "Wednesday Comics" project can't even get a good answer on whether or not his order will get filled -- that's mediocre (at best) customer service.

But retailers in hard goods are, by their very nature, conservative creatures. It is much more difficult to go out of business by selling out of something than it is from having far too much stock. This is just the reality of how things work. Even IF the store is dedicated to having the widest, most diverse stock, and is aggressive about tracking down as many things they can and making it trivial for the customer to find or reserve the item they want is going to have holes. I know I sure do. I can't stock EVERY comic. I don't have the physical room to do so.

There are ways around retailer's natural conservatism: free copies, returnable copies, extra discounts, well-orchestrated promotional plans designed to drive consumer interest and drive consumers into stores (be they DM or not), but all of those things cost money, time, and effort; things that, generally, are out of the range of some/many/most publishers to do.

But, seriously, look at the titles that have been impacted by the Diamond policy -- how many of them have had any particular lever designed to drive consumer and retailer interest?

PUBLISHERS: "I published it" is not a marketing plan.

I have all of the love and respect in the world for an outfit like Slave Labor -- they've been in the game long enough, and Vado's got reasonably good aesthetic instincts. And if someone wanted to advance the argument that, say, "if you've been a profitable publisher for [10, 15, 20] years, then Diamond should automatically distribute anything you care to print", I'd probably be willing to fight for that POV.

But "I published it" is not a marketing plan.

Heidi has a thread on this topic, too, and there's a comment over there from a consumer who talks about how he dutifully reads PREVIEWS every month, and fills out preorders, and he's a motivated and interested purchaser of James Turner and he still missed the "special" (sorta-#0) version of the book.

The orders on that version were low enough that Diamond decided not to stock the mini-series.

Cause, meet effect?

DISTRIBUTORS: Look, the central problem is Diamond has a semi-monopoly lock on Direct Market sales on four of the top five producers of comics (IDW, who was #3 for at least one month, is not a brokered publisher through Diamond, though I believe they ARE "exclusive" through Diamond within the DM). Or to put it another way: they control well over 80% of the volume that DM stores order through Diamond.

This really doesn't give any other DM distribution choice anything to work from except for "the crumbs"

[I added the "DM" qualifiers above because you can certainly order Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, IDW, FBI, etc etc from someone OTHER than Diamond, but you'd have to be fairly mental to do so, given the differences in discount between Diamond and other "ID" distributors (B&T, Ingram, whoever)]

Distribution is a hard game in the best of times -- its a really thin margin you're working on -- but I'd call it nigh impossible when you can't even access 80%+ of the potential sales.

Diamond believes that they need to cut unprofitable items from distribution. THIS IS SOMETHING VERY HARD TO ARGUE WITH. I sure can't suggest that one of my partners do something that doesn't make them enough money to continue operations. The only real argument is that they're cutting their nose to spite their faces -- that by knocking down books without giving them a viable and honest chance they're running a real risk of losing out on million copy sellers eventually down the line (otherwise known as the BONE argument), but I certainly can get why a distributor might not be interested in, y'know, playing the lottery. It seems to me that just a single BONE-level success MORE THAN outweighs the nickle-and-dime losses of a hundred other books, but the wrinkle is that by being contractually obligated to distribute whatever the fuck the "Big Four" decide to crap out means they're almost certainly losing money on a huge swath of THAT material.

(Like, say, most 1:10 variants -- those almost certainly are money losers for Diamond in most cases)

In other words, The Big Four are probably eating up most of Diamond's "mercy fuck" budget by overproducing a bunch of marginal shit that no one really wants. In a way, I feel like Diamond's policies are nearly aimed at Marvel and DC, but they contractually CAN'T dictate shit to Marvel and DC, so they have to do it where they're contractually able to do so.

This is changeable. Not easily so, but it is theoretically possible.

Possible scenario #1: The REASON the "Big Four" have brokered exclusive deals with Diamond, and the "next big ten" have non-brokered exclusive deals is because Diamond is basically the only viable choice. One publisher confided in me that virtually every non-Diamond attempt to distribute in the DM ended up going out of business owing that publisher huge sums of money.

So, possibility #1 is someone with stupidly big piles of money, and a WHOLE lot of patience sets up with the goal of directly competing, head-to-head, with Diamond. This person would be GUARANTEED to lose money (big huge scary towering piles of money) for AT LEAST three years. It is my understanding that Diamond brokerage deals are on something like 3-year revolving contracts. IF there was someone with equivalent infrastructure and staffing and knowledge and ability they'd at least have the possibility of luring Marvel away, and possibly several of the others, but, yeah, you could maybe get Marvel at contract renewal time, IF you could convince Perlmutter that they could save a few thousand dollars a quarter.

I don't see this scenario playing out because there probably isn't anyone rich enough who is also STUPID enough to try and take Diamond on head-to-head, on the POSSIBILITY that some pubs might switch... especially since they'd almost certainly have to UNDERCUT Diamond, and my understanding has been that Diamond wrote themselves a really stupid deal where they really don't make THAT much from distributing The Big Four. But it COULD happen, I guess.

***

Possible Scenario #2a: Geppi's non-Diamond empire continues to do what it appears to be doing right now: collapse. The Pop Culture Museum, Gemstone, whatever else, and they collapse hard enough to "Take Diamond With Them", and DC *has* to play its "too big to fail" clause that is reportedly in their contract, buying Diamond outright.

In this scenario, Marvel pulls out as soon as they POSSIBLY can, because they don't want their fortunes tied to their #1 competitor (especially when said competitor has become just a fraction of their new comics sales). Marvel finds someone else to distribute their comics, and, assuming said company doesn't completely fuck everything up, sending hundreds or thousands of comics retailers directly out of business (Cf: Heroes World) -- and that's a REALLY BAD ASSUMPTION -- then maybe just maybe you can start a viable second national distribution option.

Maybe.

***

Possible Scenario #2b: With no external prompting, Marvel decides to try the HWD option again. It could happen. Some of the people in charge are just nuts enough to try.

There would be a REALLY ugly couple of months though, but it, conceptually could lead to a second viable national distributor.

The real problem with either 2a or 2b is that you'd still be looking at NON-INDEPENDENT distribution -- both Marvel and DC, from good intentions or poor ones, are likely to make a lot of moves that would benefit themselves, but no one else. History, I think, is on my side on that one!

***

Possible Scenario #3: The Justice Department investigation of Diamond that Chuck Rosanski instigated was never CLOSED (to my understanding), but rather, put into abeyance. There's probably a much better legal term, but I don't know it.

Justice COULD reopen that investigation, and with a new administration in charge that is potentially much less pro-Big Business Monopoly, they could decide to split Diamond up.

I'm not so sure that this idea doesn't scare me more than 2a and 2b combined, in terms of short term fallout, but I guess it could lead to 2 viable national distribution organizations that would actually be open to potential competition. Probably not, but maybe.

***

Possible Scenario #4:

Someone like an Ingram or a B&T decide to try and court the DM, and to add periodicals and DM-like terms to their portfolio of services.

I think this is unlikely because there aren't enough viable free-agents amongst publishers to make enough of a profit from, but I suppose it COULD happen. Again, you'd be losing money for a good long while in getting this established, but, if you already have "a" distribution infrastructure in place (though one VERY DIFFERENT than what DM retailers would require!), you'd probably be losing a lot less money.

***

Possible Scenario #5:

Something Happens to make Diamond Realize the risk they're taking with Our Future. Like if, somehow, WARLORD OF IO becomes some sort of major international hit, on the level of TWILIGHT or something, and everyone could point at Diamond and say "See...?"

50/50 odds that would cause them to turtle even more, but, hey, you never know!

***

Possible Scenario #6:

Publishers of all shapes and sizes actively promote what they publish, creating consumer pre-order demand for all manner of "non-traditional" works, which spurs retailers to take more chances, and makes it so that Diamond's benchmarks never even come into play in the first place.

At the same time, publishers take a serious look at their offerings, and knock off all of the crap there really isn't any audience for (and yes, I'm including shit like DC doing a TP of the most recent EL DIABLO mini-series, which sold all of 4k copies of its last issue, sheesh!)

See, I sorta think that if you can't generate at least $30k retail in sales on your initial offering, then you probably shouldn't be publishing nationally anyway. That's like $10 per store! That's also WAY above Diamond's benchmarks, but what I'm advocating is publishers taking this kind of tack themselves, not having it imposed from the outside. AND I WOULD EQUALLY SUPPORT THIS THINKING FOR MARVEL & DC!

While this will never happen, this is the one genuinely plausible scenario which would basically guarantee material making it to market -- if you create a real and significant interest in and for your work, then it is likely to work for ALL participants.

***

Potential Scenario #7: the retailers all lose their minds tomorrow, and we mercy fuck the hell out of everything -- we order every single thing offered to us, in strong quantities, just because we want to see books survive. This is about as likely as a gigantic rainbow meteorite striking the earth, transforming us into a race of prancing unicorns who crap chocolate ice cream, but lets keep it on the table anyway. If I, and every other retailer who ordered rack copies of the WARLORD OF IO special, simply doubled our orders, we could have kept the mini-series alive. [Put aside that I still haven't SOLD all of the rack copies of WoIO that I bought!]

I actually DO have a Mercy Fuck budget... well, not "budget" per se, but I am willing to MF some books some times, if they're the kinds of things that I want to encourage my industry to become... but I don't think anyone is well-capitalized enough to sustainably do that over the long haul we'd be talking about, and it would only encourage more people with LESS talent to try to hop on our sweet sweet MF train.

***

Possible Scenario #8: People say "Aw fuck it", and just skip the DM altogether.

I wish these people luck.

Obviously it IS doable, because there ARE a tiny handful of people able to earn out and cash in whether that's through a mainstream book publisher or through the internet in some fashion, but I truly think that for every success that way there are going to be twenty crash-and-burn failures.

At the end of the day, I kinda don't think that if you can't get x thousand people to buy your physical, tangible $x comic book, that you're probably not going to be able to get enough sales from your digital version that only costs a fraction of $x to make up the same kind of revenue stream.

***

I really didn't structure this right -- I should have #6 be the concluding thought, because that's the only actually VIABLE plan in the bunch. AND, more importantly, it is the only one that doesn't rely on SOMEONE ELSE COMING TO SAVE YOU.

I might have missed one though, it's possible. Do YOU have any better ideas?

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

ICv2 has the latest sales figures up; and they're reporting that GN sales are down by 9%.

Well, OK, but I'm reasonably certain that isn't a function of actual sales in the DM. Actually, it is almost certain that's really a function of Diamond moving their Memphis warehouse in February.

Starting February 4th, Diamond stopped ALL reorders so they could do the move. This was supposed to last for something like 10 days. But, even the "top sellers" didn't start flowing again until the end of the month. As of today, 3/17, they STILL haven't completed the move 100%. According to today's Diamond Daily (Gated, sorry) they've managed to move 17,800 of 20k SKUs -- there's still more than 2000 SKUs they haven't yet reactivated. *sigh*

February was the best of bad choices to move the warehouse -- Feb is usually a "dead" month, by and large -- but we had an unusual number of VERY strong books this February, including, yeah, WATCHMEN as well as things like BATMAN RIP and the 5th SCOTT PILGRIM book.

You wonder why your LCS didn't have SCOTT PILGRIM for most of February? It sure wasn't their fault (well, at least for the stores that know how to order) -- Diamond didn't fill a SINGLE reorder for it for 3-ish weeks!

ICv2 didn't bother to note this, but I'd sure hope that in the official record books Feb '09 gets an asterisk next to it because of the warehouse move (Are you listening John Mayo and John Jackson Miller?) -- given that reorders were effectively nil for 3-ish weeks in February, I think that ONLY a 9% drop should be looked at as a HUGE gain for the month; given the lack of reorders anything less than double digits is probably a positive.

(At Comix Experience, we had our best February in nineteen of them, despite being reorder-less)

There's probably going to be a certain amount of yelling this week in Memphis...

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

You can find my look at BookScan 2008 right here.

I'd strongly suggest grabbing the chart and saving it off before Jonah gets a C&D. Tomorrow will likely be too late!

Interested in your thoughts, as always!

Edit: Tom Spurgeon has some good comments here. For the record, Tom is 100% right: look at these with a grain of salt, then a chunk of salt, then an entire salt mine, because, at best, these numbers are just the visible tip of the iceberg.

I really really tried to make this clear throughout the piece: go and count how many times I say something like "to the stores that report to BookScan" or words to that effect. I keep being afraid that I'm hurting the readability with all of the ass-covering I do!



-B

Labels: BookScan, Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

This is about retailing and distribution and all that stuff, so I'm hiding it under the jump...



Right, so Chris Butcher has written a widely linked panic attack about Diamond "de-listing" over 1000 Viz backlist items.

As near as I can tell, however, he's concerned about a bunch of material that, well, doesn't sell. YES, some of the titles on the list are REALLY FUCKING GOOD COMICS, no doubt about it... but do they SELL is the question?

I also use Baker & Taylor as a source for books, an unlike Diamond's site, B&T has some neat tools on their pages, including real time inventory for not only what is in stock, and what is expected to show, but also for REAL THIRTY DAY DEMAND for those products.

I think that most of us can agree that DRIFTING CLASSROOM was the big "wait, what?!?" on the Diamond de-listing list -- thems some fine comics.

But when I search for DRIFTING CLASSROOM on B&T's inventory, for their west Coast warehouse (they have four: East, West, Midwest, and South) this BOOKSTORE FOCUSED distributor only has inventory on hand for two volumes, and their thirty day demand for ANY of the eleven volumes is... wait for it! ZERO COPIES.

Same thing for GOLGO 13.

Same thing for Tezuka's PHOENIX, pretty much -- 2 of the volumes have single copy demand, wow, big seller.

The secret reality of things is that a huge chunk of things that YOU like, or maybe even things that Butcher or me could sell a bit... don't sell at all well out in "the real world"

Like... you basically can't get ANY Drawn & Quarterly published titles from B&T. WHAT IT IS, and SHORTCOMINGS and maybe 3-4 others, but that's IT. BECAUSE THEY DON'T SELL FOR MOST STORES.

INCLUDING "not comics" stores, guys.

My new TILTING is on Friday, with a look at the 2008 BookScan numbers. While you're waiting for that, take a guess at what the BookScan reported sales for LOVE & ROCKETS NEW STORIES #1 was (remember, they changed TO an annual, spine-d format FOR the putative bookstore market). Write your guess on a piece of paper, and see on Friday how close you were.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

I don't really have time to do this (I should be working on the BookScan stuff... next column is due in like a week, ugh!), but Lester bugged me about it, and I am also spurred by Chris Butcher's excellent post on the subject.

This is a little "insider baseball" so I am going to hide most of it behind the jump...



Some of this appeared in a post on the CBIA forum, but that's gated and most of you can't see that, so with a little editing, let me start...

One thing that I've always believed is that one of the mighty mighty strengths of the Direct Market was that anyone with a Pen and Paper, and a little talent, could get national distribution and Make a Name for themselves. That's (historically) very different than almost any other media where the barriers to entry are ginormous, and that the majority of both wholesale and retail clients are simply not interested in dealing with anyone who isn't already established. What we in the DM call "the small press" is usually referred to "vanity press" in other media.

I *liked* that the barriers to entry were generally low, because it brought us a regular influx of new talent producing exciting work on a regular basis. Much of that potential is now going to disappear with Diamond's new minimums and reorder rules (Periodical comics WILL NOT be available after 60 days, yikes!)

Part of the problem is probably that post-DC-exclusive Diamond was really really freaked out about being seen as "fair" to everyone (Understandable!), so they accepted a lot of items that were probably not the most rational to accept in the first place, things that WEREN'T ready for Prime Time, or brought nothing new to the market -- that, as much as anything else, has led to the catalog bloat.

PREVIEWS *is* a bloated, horrible beast. Despite Chris' assertion that, for The Beguiling, orders from the "back" of the catalog were higher than Marvel, DC, Dark Horse and Image combined, that's nowhere near the case for me -- most of the "back of the bus" items suck. No, not D&Q or Top Shelf or Fantagraphics or Viz or whomever you want to say... but all of those shitty shitty micro-press books that are NOT marketed or promoted, or anything other than weaker less interesting poorly created knockoffs of things that Front of the Catalog publishers are already doing. No, really, we don't need your shitty zombie comic book. We don't need your adaptation of some William Shatner novel, and we sure as fuck don't need your half-baked superhero universe.

What we DO need is "the next BONE", the "next" STRANGERS IN PARADISE, or CEREBUS or EIGHTBALL or GRENDEL or whatever title you want to fill-in-the-blanks with as a paradigm of slow-build-to-significance item.

Here's the real problem: Diamond's purchasing department. There are some really great guys working there, but they don't really have a great aesthetic judgment. That's not a knock, necessarily, but in 20 years of buying from Diamond I don't believe that they've EVER had a year where they had the entirety of, say, the Eisner nominees in stock at or around the time of the nominations.

I don't believe that Diamond would recognize the "next BONE". Not from hatred or anything, but because they have policies in place to be "fair", that for a decade or more essentially treats all projects as interchangeable widgets.

Those of you who have been doing this for a long time will recall that the late Capital City Distribution used to have actual opinion in their catalogs -- it was common to see "Looks amateurish, be careful", or the opposite in the listings, because THEIR purchasing department was encouraged to share their opinions to help sell more comics (or steer people from lesser work).

That's a GOOD thing. Distributors SHOULD be trying to sell the things they believe in, trying to take books up to their proper next level of sales. Keeping everything carefully neutral is likely to make you less enemies, maybe, but does both your client retailers and your listed publishers a pretty big disservice.

Diamond does have a few "spotlight" indications in the catalog -- "Spotlight" "certified cool", whatever... but they're not applied in what appears to be a rigorous manner, and there's no editorializing whatsoever.

Here's what I might do if I were Diamond: I'd try to hire Bob Shreck to be Czar of the Catalog. Not setting the orders or doing any of that, but going through the submissions to see what has promise and what doesn't. If there was someone there whose aesthetic judgment I implicitly trusted to be the advocate for stocking innovative work, with an eye towards finding and selling the "next BONE", I'd be a lot more enthusiastic towards this new policy.

I don't have any PROBLEM with Diamond wanting to get rid of unprofitable items, any more than I'd have a problem with a retailer deciding not to rack anything that he doesn't think he can sell 3 or more copies of, but I do think that Diamond's historical aesthetic judgment, and stocking support of that judgment, is clearly on the poor side. Diamond is TOO bottom line oriented when it comes to what they sell and support.

What I think is that if you are a guardian at the gate of a medium, there are things that you need to do to help support that medium. Maybe that's Pollyanna-ish, I don't know. But there are things that I carry that don't actually make me any PROFIT, but I carry them because it is what expected in a comic book store (or, at least, a good one in San Francisco).

Let me try this from another angle: Diamond, for maybe a decade there, didn't carry ASTERIX or TINTIN. I believe them when they said that they don't sell very well nationally for Diamond, but I don't think you can actually be a specialty comics distributor and not carry TINTIN and ASTERIX! Even if you only sell 10 copies a year.

I'm virtually certain we're going to lose the "next BONE", the "next SiP"; I'm afraid we won't have a place any longer for the next Dan Clowes of the world.

Heh, I was chatting with someone last week about the real unfairness (TO THE CREATOR!) if this business totally shifted to an OGN model -- how many 22-23 year old kids have the patience and discipline to get through the production of 100+ pages of comics content without reader and market feedback?

I flashed to LIKE A VELVET GLOVE CAST IN IRON, with was originally serialized in EIGHTBALL. This is a DEEPLY FLAWED work -- Clowes just didn't know how to end it, and it shows -- but I've still sold HUNDREDS of copies of this over the years. Knowing Clowes from that time, I suspect that had it been a GN-only work, he would have gotten to the point where it stopped working... and just stopped working on it.

And, flaws and all, I think we'd be poorer for it.

It's all supposition, I know, and I totally hope I am wrong, but I think lack of easy I-can-do-this-out-of-my-kitchen access to the marketplace is really going to come back and kick us in the nuts in ten years.

Some say "Well, BONE would still have happened because it had two things going for it: Jeff & Vijaya!" Yeah, maybe.

Other say, "Aw nertz to you, BONE would just be on the web." Mm, maybe, and maybe it would have continued enough to do the collections, and maybe, maaaaaaybe they still would have gotten the Scholastic deal.

But I'm just not sure about that, I really am not.

And even if they did, I, personally, don't just want to cede all of the sweet long green that we made from BOTH the serialization and collection of BONE. BONE used to sell 50-60 copies an issue for us. That's serious money, even compared to the overwhelming majority of Marvel and DC titles.

Diamond shouldn't be pushing away people from comics -- they should be trying, actively, passionately, enthusiastically trying to find that "next BONE". Because even if you make 100 mistakes trying to get there, it MORE THAN pays off once you find it.

Anyway, yeah, they need to hire Shreck!

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

I'm off the school hook this morning as Tzipora is taking Ben in, so hurray I can babble for a bit!

Some old business first, before I say anything about comics...

1) The Bendis/Kirkman debate thing. They're both right (as such things usually go) -- it is EXTREMELY difficult to solely do creator-owned material and make a proper living from it, but when it works, it works amazingly well.

In a way, there are two kinds of comics shops, which for the purpose of this conversation, I'll call "leaders" and "followers". Leaders are always on the make for new voices and new ideas, and are pretty active in trying to identify new talent and to support them. Followers aren't interested in a work (and/or creator) until AFTER it's already broken elsewhere, so their risk is minimal. Getting through those first few ugly months of sales (Bendis' three-issue drop) is nearly entirely a function of the Leaders. I've long suggested that the real trick is making through your first 9-18 releases (largely depending on both how good you are, as well as your production schedule), until the Followers figure out there's something going on there, and that's the point you can start to profit from your creator owned work.

Doing "mainstream" Marvel/DC work generally does very little for your creator-owned profile, with a couple of rare exceptions where your first "notices" are coming from the M/D work. Mark MIllar might be a fairly OK example of that -- prior to his M/D work, there was very little "head turning" indy work from him. Sure, he got a little attention for SAVIOUR, but that never lasted long enough (or finished the story, even) to make much of a real mark. It was through doing increasingly higher profile material at M/D that got eyes on him for creator-owned material. But it is a rare creator that can do that because what you bring with you are associations from your M/D work.

See, generally speaking, in today's market (pretty much from the 90s on) any "base" you build from M/D work comes from the characters first, and the creative voice second, unless there's something strikingly different about that voice. Not a lot of guys really have that special thing, or rare alignment of circumstances to make it all work.

What I always tell creators is to build their own brand, a brand of themselves, rather than hoping that the M/D brands will rub off upon them. Bendis, for example, became hotter than sin as a M/D guy, to the point where he's one of the prime architects of the Marvel U. His sales on POWERS, meanwhile, haven't had any appreciable bumps, relative to the book being published by Image -- at least not the kind you'd hope for when you can say "FROM THE WRITER OF SECRET INVASION!" (or whichever) on the cover, y'know? Either way, "his" brand is inextricably tied with Marvel's brand right now.

Very generally, when a creator makes a reputation from M/D books that is translatable to creator-owned work, it isn't from the Big Books, but from the Quirky stuff. The audience for Spider-Man and X-Men or whatever isn't portable to your creator-brand recognition. The audience for the books/characters that people have written off can be.

Dunno if this is making any sense, it's too early in the morning.



2) The MINX thing. One thing to consider is that the "teen" reader devouring all of that Manga really really seem to be attracted to series, rather than titles or creators -- what they appear to be looking for is something they can read for a good long time, that comes out on a fairly regular basis to fill that jones. One-off titles don't show any great evidence of being popular in that demo. While some of the Minx books did eventually develop (or at least start to develop) sequels, the line was positioned very much as stand-alone books.

Spurgeon mentioned that he thought some of the demise might have come from the spending they did at the launch, and not getting the return they wanted from that, but that doesn't really sound like a DC thing to me -- they're usually pretty good at the Long Game.

In the DM, Minx looked like it was doing pretty well, to me -- probably enough to carry the line for a good while longer, so I think it's fair to think the problem is the bookstores.

I don't KNOW if any of this is right, but here's my educated guess. In the DM DC offered some big incentives to get stores to stock the books, so I suspect they did the same in the bookstore market. Bookstores, however, are a returnable market. My guess is what happened is that they way front-loaded copies into the bookstore market, and that most of them came back. I suspect that the Minx books had decent sales, relative to similar work from say, Vertigo (the OGN line, I mean), but that the big returns coming back made it so that any profit there, as well as the profit from the DM, was wiped out. Further, Vertigo-style OGNs launch first as a $25 (ish) HC, followed by $15 (ish) PB -- Minx books were only $10. The smaller trim size would make them a little cheaper to print, but probably not 1/3 less.

Retailers, in any market, fear the Stench of Death from a line. Once you're on our "bad producer" list (be that from quality, or policy), it's really hard to get off of it. Sometimes that designation comes from PERCEPTION, rather than reality. That is to say, you might not be looking at the number of copies that you sold as much as the number you SENT BACK. "Oh," you think, using imaginary and made up numbers, "normally I return 5-10%, and I've been returning 30-40% here; wow this line has the Stench of Death, let's cut back my orders to be REALLY tight"

It doesn't matter so much that you sold a modest and sustainable number of copies -- you THINK the line is a flop. In the DM you can see this sometimes in stores that don't do cycle sheets, where they "eyeball" the rack for sales -- if you see too big of a stack left over, you THINK a book isn't selling, and tend to cut it below it's actual market value.

My guess (and purely a guess) is that the actual sales of the line were probably good enough to keep it going on its own, but that the perception of the line meant that it needed to be a "hit" in order to keep going, and that the initial wave of returns were too high because the expectations for line were oversold...


Frack, I've been writing for 90 minutes? Got to jet over to the store to open. Back with some actual reviews in a few hours (it's a small enough week for comics that I'm sure I'll have time to bat them out)

Be right back!!

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

As everyone probably knows by now, the latest issue of ALL-STAR BATMAN had a unfortunate printing error where the black bars over numerous swear words printed too light, letting you see the swears underneath.

DC caught this only after the books were printed, in hand at Diamond, and already in the process of being distributed. They attempted to get the distribution ceased, but because of the mechanics of distribution, some copies (largely, but not exclusively, to those who get "early" delivery) made it to stores on the East Coast and Midwest and South. No one on the West Coast got any copies whatsoever.

Some percentage of stores who received these copies decided that, rather than destroy the copies, as DC comics asked (but could not, at least within the terms of their TOS, DEMAND -- there may be some other legal principle I am unaware of that they may have done so, I do not know), that they would sell them instead. Whether that percentage is 1% or 10% or 98% we have no way of knowing, though I imagine DC and Diamond will be able to come to a pretty fair estimation.

Some percentage of THAT group further decided, since we now have nationwide and international tools to sell material, to put these on the internet in places like eBay, and were therefore handed a free pile of fifty dollar bills.

I have to say that I think that the PEOPLE who bought those copies for, in some cases, over $100, are extremely foolish. A year for now, no one will care or remember, and you'll be lucky to get even $5 for them, but there you go.

This is going to be very costly for DC, in reprinting the book, and what I imagine is a few frenzied hours at Diamond as they tried to "unpull" as many copies as they could, but it has several pernicious effects on retailers as well. First off the "bad actors" (those who have no LEGAL reason to comply, decide they also have no MORAL one to do so) are all REWARDED for being such.

One such retailer is Mitch Cutler of St. Marks in New York. I'm not singling Mitch out because of any animus -- I actually quite like the man, and I shopped at his stores in the Summers as a teenager (My Mom lived across from Washington Square park) -- but because he was quoted in the New York Post:

"We've sold a lot," said store owner Mitch Cutler.

"We didn't destroy it because we couldn't know everyone would destroy it," Cutler said.

The comic is currently doing "Dark Knight"-like business on eBay, with copies selling for between $20 and $250.

Cutler was selling copies at his store for cover price, $2.99. "There's no need to inflate the price," he said. "It's wrong and evil and slimy."

The funny thing is that Mitch is trying to take the moral high ground, apparently thinking since he isn't hyper-inflating them he is the "good guy" in this.

The problem is that the "good actors" (that is, the ones who respect their trading partner's wishes, even though they have no compelling LEGAL reason to do so) then get screwed.

How?

1) Some percentage of customers, when faced with a store that has one of these, and one that does NOT have one of these will choose to take that week's custom to the "bad actor". Not JUST that issue, but, well, they're there already so why not pick up ALL of that week's comics? The stores that complied with DC's wishes are out of pocket not just on the mistake, but on a whole host of other comics. DM retailers, as always, buy non-returnable, so that's 100% out-of-pocket.

2) Some percentage of customers, when told either "Sorry, we never received it" or "Sorry, we've destroyed them as we were asked" will assume that the retailer is LYING, and will become angry. Angry customers are not good for business, either near- or long-term. Entire buying relationships can be disrupted over something like this, I've seen it happen many times before.

3) Our partners, both at the publishers and at Diamond, who many retailers have been working on for years, if not DECADES, in trying to make to-store distribution a little more sane, now have fresh ammunition to completely dismiss us. As one DC executive said on the CBIA this morning (and I paraphrase to stay within CBIA rules), "This is why we don't have street dates"

Well, fuck.

One of the most incredibly fucked up things about New Comics distribution is that we don't have a Street Date. Most stores in most places get Wednesday delivery, for Wednesday sale, wholly dependent on their shipping option. This means most stores are waiting around for a UPS truck, and that many stores are OPEN and full of customers clamoring for the comics while they're trying to count them in, pick and pull subs, merchandise the store, etc. This sucks, this really really really really sucks, and it's a huge waste of manpower and frustration levels. A massive pointless waste, with no upside.

It also means that if your shipping option FUCKS UP (rare, but not especially unique), and, say, loses your shipment, or delivers it 6 hours late, you're not 100% hosed on New Comics Day's sales.

A very small number of stores have Tuesday delivery -- most of these are chains who need the extra processing time to move product from a central hub to client stores. But due to a series of strange and unusual incidents in the Bay Area involving multiple distributors competing (pre-exclusives), many single-stores in the Area are "grandfathered in" for Tuesday shipments. I'm one of them.

I would never EVER EVER go back to Wednesday receipt. Seriously, I'd close my store rather than go back to that. It was hell, and I'm a decade older and a decade more out of shape, and shipment sizes in terms of line-items have done nothing but increase. I'm too old for that shit.

I've been a tireless advocate for Street Dates for, like, ever, and I think it would have nothing but benefit for the overwhelming majority of real comic book stores in running smooth and professional operations.

So, to Mitch Cutler, and every other retailer out that there that decided they should sell these copies of ALL-STAR BATMAN: Fuck You Very Much. Hurray, you've just pushed EVERY OTHER RETAILER IN THE COUNTRY back (at least) another five years! Great job! Thinking of yourself before the wishes of your partners or the rest of your industry ("We didn't destroy it because we couldn't know everyone would destroy it") means you've just painted EVERY OTHER RETAILER IN THE COUNTRY as an irresponsible fuckwit too. There's no doubt that any retailer who decided to mark those copies up is a far greater douchebag asshole, but you don't get any points for selling something you were asked not to for fucking cover price!

So thanks to you, one and all, who just had to go fuck it up for the rest of the retailers.

Cunts.

-B

Labels: Brian, Fucking Asshole Cunts, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Cory Doctorow makes a really sensible suggestion right here, that I think every comics publisher should immediately implement.

This would have instant great benefits for me. I don't know about any other POS system, but MOBY has a space on the Individual Item display page (that shows me the sources I can buy a book from, ordering information, price, every transaction I've ever made on the item and so on and so forth) that displays the covers.

Currently, that image defaults to the item code on the Diamond website, though it can be edited to show another source. The problems are three there: 1) Diamond, of course, has to carry it, 2) You have to log on to Diamond's retailer site, which autologs you off after 30 minutes or so, and 3) Diamond is VERY liassez-faire about what size image the put in the standard path. Sometimes you get postage stamp sixed pics, othertimes the largest possible version where the window can only display the first quarter or so of it.

I use the feature ALL the time when people ask about something I don't have. Especially because, in comics there are TONS of "variant editions", and titles starting over with incredibly minute naming variations, and so on, so pinpoint THE thing someone wants to buy is really important.

An ISBN and UPC directory would be VERY helpful, and, besides the whole "having to rename the files" thing, is something that really COULD be implemented "tomorrow". It's just too simple and easy and smooth of an idea.

AND IT WILL HELP SELL MORE BOOKS.

It would also be of great use to me both as a blogger who is basically stupid when it comes to html -- I never ever have art in my posts because I'm pretty dumb about how to do it. This idea would make it trivial.

It would also be of HUGE use to me in putting together ONOMATOPOEIA, the store's print newsletter. CEO (as we call it) has to be out at the same time as PREVIEWS so that we have enough time to collect orders from people properly. But only a handful of publishers actually have publicly available art BEFORE PREVIEWS ships, which is when I need it the most. (Fantagraphics wins the prize here, they have a FTP site with art up, typically, 6 weeks before PREVIEWS ships -- that's a fantastic lead time)

ANyway, I think this is a stupidly good idea, and I urge any publisher reading this blog to immediately implement this idea (though we'd need to add UPCs for the comics)

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

I was a little hesitant to post something else retailing related so soon, but we've had two reviews up in the last 2 days (and I'll be writing something tomorrow or Friday, I promise!), so I feel OK about mentioning this nice article by Richard Bruton of Forbidden Planet's blog where he discusses my last two TILTINGs. He has some kind words, and I always appreciate other retailers discussing the topics I bring up.

But there's a little bit of grousing behind the cut....



buuuuut... Dirk Deppey, dependably, uses the opportunity to misunderstand the Direct Market YET AGAIN.

Dirk starts by dismissing the idea of a "book glut" (which retailers are using in a specific way -- much like the "B&W glut" and the "speculation glut", including the understanding that such gluts tend to eventually self-correct, though they almost always take publishers and retailers with them before they do so), by likening DM stores to Generalist book stores.

Thing is, DM retailers are not Generalists -- they're specialists. Not terribly unlike Science Fiction bookstores, or Mystery bookstores, or going a smidge more afield, a Jazz-specialist record store, or an "midnight movie" or "international"-specialized video store. All of those things exist within San Francisco, and, yeah, when I go into one of them I pretty much expect them to have "everything" that I might want to buy within their specialization.

I don't expect a generalist like B&N or Borders to have more than a "token" amount of specialized genres. I mean, sure you expect to see Asimov and Heinlein in the Sci-fi section, but I wouldn't necessarily expect them to have, dunno, Neal Asher?

I'd expect that Borderlands, here in SF would have him though... or at least know what I was talking about in the first place, and where to point me if they didn't. That's the point of a specialist, really.

Borders carries SF, but they also carry mystery, romance, history, maps, comics, and a gajillion other things. The two cases aren't really that comparable, except maybe for the "Pop Culture"-style DM store, that aren't necessarily "comic book stores" per se.

Listen, we live in an environment where "Embarrassment of Riches" seems to describe it pretty darn well, so it's a funny thing to be talking about "too many books" -- but when a retailer says that, what they're actually talking about is "too many books that don't sell". I think we're ALL very excited (display issues aside) to have many many books that sell. We're less excited about books that don't sell and clog up the racks and make the rest of the store look bad.

As noted, this will eventually be self-correcting, as, presumably, more retailers start to get a handle on their inventory and start making decisions like I have (example: this month I didn't order just under half of the TPs that Marvel offered... not even a single copy. I just couldn't see the demand), but in the meantime, it's a lot of chaff to sort through to get to the wheat.

Then Dirk makes the pitch that we need returnability.

*sigh*

Look, we have returnability right now -- it's called "using a bookstore distributor". I've used one for years. Any "DM" retailer can use one at any time, there's no penalties upon us for doing so. Well, except for lower discounts, and paying shipping two ways and tying up money until the returns are available. Oh, and the 10% (of total purchases) limit on returns, too. But I've bought thousands of dollars of stock "returnable".

I haven't returned any of it, because shipping, administration and labor costs soak up any real savings you could have gotten, and leaves you with nothing; whereas buying non-returnable leaves you eating some books, but at least you still own them so you can discount them away.

Dirk suggests that ComicsPRO can "negotiate" for better returnable terms. There's two little problems there. First is: there are pretty significant limits on what a retailer organization CAN do, based on Federal Anti-Trust laws. Seriously, talking about numbers, discounts, any of that kind of stuff has to be done EXCEPTIONALLY carefully, when it can even be done in the first place, or you run the risk of getting your ass thrown in Federal prison. ComicsPRO has paid for excellent and in-depth counsel and has a comprehensive policy involving anti-trust issues, and this is not something that is at all trivial to do, even if there was desire among the membership for it.

The second little problem is that were we somehow able to "negotiate", say, a 5% better discount on returnable items, Diamond (or whoever we convinced to do so) IS LEGALLY OBLIGATED (cf: anti-trust law) to offer that same EXACT deal to all comers. Like Borders and B&N and Amazon.

There's a third problem too: Diamond is set up to NOT do returns. For them to have a REAL returns program would be a really fundamental change in the physical way that they do business, and it would be to NO GAIN FOR THEM. Because MOST of their business comes from the brokered publishers, they can't possibly make money processing orders, then processing returns, because they're not buying books, then reselling them as a traditional distributor does. The work based on a fee-structure. What THAT means is that if Marvel/DC/Dark Horse/Image agreed to returns that were "better" than the current deal, they'd have to pay TWICE: once to us (the "better deal"), and once to Diamond. I think it is pretty safe to say "not going to happen".

At the end of the day, I don't think returnability will do anything significant to increase sell-in -- because the problem isn't the books that are selling... those you just reorder; The problem is the ones that aren't selling. No amount of returnability would get me to order something that I can't discern an audience for. MS MARVEL v 3 HC doesn't look any more attractive if I can possibly return it when it doesn't sell. Nor does a $125 96 page KRAMER'S ERGOT, for that matter. Fuck, can you even imagine the hassles of trying to ship back a broadsheet-sized book if you don't keep the original box, and/or you don't have a shipping department? *shudder*

My favorite part is this bit: "It might even give shopowners an incentive to experiment with reaching out to those new customers that the Direct Market so clearly needs right now." Which doesn't even make sense on the face of it: YES, there are what any reasonable comics-loving person would probably call a "bad comics store" that is closed and insular and geared exclusively to culture and commerce that Dirk doesn't care for. Fuck, I don't care for it either! But, THOSE stores will never ever EVER "experiment" like that because all THEY care about is the lowest hanging fruit in their own mono-focus.

Stores that DON'T myopically mono-focus already have an "experiment" budget. I call it the Mercy Fuck, personally. I probably WILL buy a (1) copy of the 96 page $125 KRAMER's ERGOT because, like Kenny Penman suggests, it's a "Trophy Book", and it is expected that a store like mine would have a copy of that. I do not actually expect to sell one in anything like a reasonable time frame, but I'll order one, and if I were to sell it in a reasonable time frame, I'll order another and be excited!

At the end of the day, were I a publisher, I'd be looking at consignment rather than returnability as the solution for the more commercially marginal projects. No one is going to order what they honestly don't believe they can sell, EVEN IF they can return the unsold copies; they, however, might be willing to accept cost-upfront-free copies to establish that a market exists for that product. The difference is who pays when.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Like I said, with kindergarten drop off, I'm in to work HOURS before the store opens, so rather than working on the new order form (6 days left!), let's try this one more time...

(But, under the cut, 'cuz I know only a small percentage of people care about any of this)



What's funny is that if I knew how to link images (I always have to call Jeff to link them for me, that's how sad I am!), I probably would have picked the same piece as Dirk just did. Heh, that really sums our "conversations" quite well!

(Side note: according to the permalink, that's post #666 on the new journalista. Nicely satanic!)

Either way, I really like Dirk. He's provides an excellent service (seldom do I not follow at least 2 links that I'd've never found on my own), and while I increasingly disagree with the extremes of his perspective, it's a valuable perspective nonetheless. I say this up front because I was probably unnecessarily ad hominem yesterday, and I don't want anyone to think this is personal or something.

It's just that I believe that Dirk is arguing from his agenda (as he always does) (and, hell, as I always do), and mistaking some pretty basic things about how markets work in his pursuit of that agenda.

Here's the essence of my point, in one handy paragraph: For ANY goods, service, or product that is meant as a commercial enterprise, the producer of those goods, services or products has to identify their market, then bring those goods, services or products TO that market. If the "low-hanging fruit" of that market (the "motivated buyer") is not large enough to make your production of those goods, services or products profitable, then the PRODUCER needs to work to expand their share of that market.

What you don't get to do is BLAME THE MARKET for the failure to be profitable.

It's not the MARKET's fault your work doesn't sell; it is the producers.

This is true whether you're talking about the DM, or the bookstore market, or the internet market (represented, in this case, primarily by Amazon). Virgin comics were, in fact, available in all of those market spaces. As far as I am able to tell from extremely limited tools available to me, Virgin comics didn't succeed in ANY of those channels.

Because of this, I really do think it's goofy to blame any individual segment of the market for the success of a line. Dirk's argument seems to stem from this statement: "The Direct Market of comics shops served as the primary outlet for Virgin’s products in North America, and this virtually guaranteed the company poor sales figures from day one."

But this seems to me to be a faulty premise on the face of it -- I strongly suspect if you could get any Virgin execs on the phone none of them would at any point agree with the thought that the DM was the "primary outlet" for their books. In fact, it was clear from talking to Sharad back before launch that they had plans for distribution well beyond the DM, and the sense that I took from Virgin was that they didn't *actually* care about the DM in any appreciable way, other than us being the lowest hanging fruit.

Certainly the DM is the EASIEST channel to market to -- Diamond's got many mechanisms to talk directly and sales specifically to their client retailers, and since each and every DM store DOES use Diamond you don't have to worry about not reaching members of that channel. But at no point did it appear to me that that was the ONLY place they were trying to sell.

Dirk says "I would dispute this to the extent that I’ve never actually seen a Virgin TPB in a chain bookstore — and I keep a regular watch on the shelves of my local Borders and Barnes & Noble branches — so while I’m not privy to the company’s marketing tactics, it seems to me that either they never really had a proper mass-market strategy in place, or said strategy was so badly bungled that it effectively left the company at the mercy of the Direct Market by omission."

I think here that Dirk misunderstands how markets buy. Goods are offered to a retailer, retailer decides whether or not they believe they can sell them. Retailers are under no obligation to buy those products if they don't believe they can sell them. If Dirk doesn't see Virgin books at Borders and B&N, what I would assume is that the buyers for those companies looked at those products and decided they weren't worth giving floor space to because they couldn't see an audience for them.

Here's the thing, I think it would be just as valid to say "The bookstores served as the primary outlet for Virgin’s products in North America, and this virtually guaranteed the company poor sales figures from day one." I'm *positive* that Virgin saw their destiny in the mass market, but if the Mass doesn't want your product, it doesn't really matter what the fuck your "strategy" is in the first place, now does it?

My point was that there WAS some potential audience out there for this material, even if it's half-a-percent. BUT YOU HAVE TO TELL THAT AUDIENCE THAT IT IS THERE FOR THEM, REGARDLESS OF SALES CHANNEL.

Virgin never did that. I pointed them, pre-launch, to what could have been a model success story, the Indian-population-dense, and student-dense, and California-Eastern-Mysticism-dense Berkeley which happens to have one of the best comic shops in the world. And they never bothered to follow through on it.

OF COURSE they failed, but it's not because of the DM, and it's not because of bookstores, and it's not because of Amazon... it's because they were a bad publisher in that they never identified a market for their works, or did what it took to service those markets. And that is NOT any individual market's fault, that's the PUBLISHER's fault!


****

Other random notes on Dirk's 2nd piece:

Disney periodicals don't sell in the DM because they're $7, and don't have a rational publishing schedule (they skips months at a time, then come out one week after another; they ship everything in a single week, etc.)

In the Tilting Dirk linked to he misread this sentence: "FOC has pretty dramatically changed the way that comics retailers do business; in fact I'd suggest that it is one of the reasons that Marvel and DC are currently at or near 80% of the market in orders, because there's "less risk" in ordering their material in a FOC environment." That is entire DM, not Comix Experience. It is approximately 65% at Comix Experience, and Vertigo, and author focused sales (ie: Moore, Ellis, Moore, Ennis, etc,) is the bulk of that.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

I'm still getting used to this whole "kindergarten" thing -- it isn't in my natural disposition to leave the house before 7:30 in the morning, really -- but it DOES give me a smidge more time before the store opens. What I SHOULD be doing right now is the new order form, but I've still got 7 days until it is late, so while I'm waiting for ONOMATOPOEIA to print on the photocopier, let me spout off a little, instead of doing "real" work!

(I COULD save this for a TILTING, but by then it will be "two weeks old")

So, anyway, Virgin Comics has shut down, seemingly suddenly and in the middle of the night. Much like everyone else, this doesn't really surprise me, but it might be worth exploring a little on the whys of it.

Unlike Dirk, I don't believe that the issue is the Direct Market. Dirk's argument basically goes like this: "DM retailers are big poopy heads. Neener-neener-neener!" This is largely Dirk's argument about every and anything involving comics, and it is kinda goofy, really, because it assumes that it is the RETAILER that is responsible for sales, and not, say, THE PUBLISHER.

When I went out to the Feb 2006 NY Comics Convention, on my short list of people to talk to was the new start-up of Virgin comics. They hadn't published any comics yet, but news was out that they were going to do it. "Self," I told myself, "maybe here's a real chance to expand the market with a company with big pockets known for aggressive and innovative marketing!" I'm not really down with "if you build it, they will come" -- you also have to TELL them about it. How would they KNOW to come otherwise?

I know some of you just come for the reviews, so I'll put the rest of this under the cut...



So, I sat down with Sharad and the marketing guy (funnily enough, at a Marvel cocktail party for retailers) and looked over their launch strategy (at that moment they were only talking about the Indian comics), and quickly saw that it probably wasn't going to work -- they planned to launch with not one, but FOUR different titles based on Indian myths. They were certainly gorgeous looking things -- some of these artists could REALLY draw -- but the problem was that they were working drastically against the public's belief-in-interest. It's not that Americans might not be interested in the Great Goddess Devi, or modern retellings of the Sanskrit epic cycle of Ramayan -- it's that they have no idea that they might be.

Well, no, even I don't believe that Americans (as a mass) ARE actually interested in any of that, but of the half of a percent that might be, you're going to have to actively tell them such things exist if you want to have a chance of them buying it.

This is where Dirk goes wrong -- he says that the problem was that the DM isn't going to reach a "broad cross-section of young American readers". This may or may not be true (I sure think I do a pretty job job of that), but I think it ignores two pretty salient points. 1) that a "broad cross-section of young American readers" aren't natively interested in Indian myth. Probably especially in a post 9/11 world. 2) they WERE available to that "broad cross-section of young American readers". These comics were sold in the Virgin megastores.

I made about 3 trips in a 9 month period after Virgin's launch to the Megastore in downtown San Francisco. As near as I was able to tell from looking at the stock, the Virgin comics didn't sell. Virgin's own stores, with that coveted audience of a "broad cross-section of young American readers" wasn't selling any significant copies of Virgin comic books.

As a retailer, I can see Baker & Taylor's inventory for their west coast warehouse. B&T is one of the major bookstore distributors. None of Virgin's "not yet published" titles has orders for even 50 copies, while in the tab that marks "30 day demand", only one of their 31 listed in-print TP/HCs has demand of over one (1) copy! (that would be the 7 copies demand for The Tall Tales of Vishnu Sharma, Panchatantra.

This tells me that the BOOKSTORES don't want these comics either.

I told Virgin that their best opportunity would either be from reaching college students, doing comparative religions or something, or to work with communities that had significant Indian populations. I strongly suggested (even writing down the contact info) that they look to Comic Relief in Berkeley for both -- if you can't sell these comics in Berkeley, they won't sell anywhere. I also called Rory to tell them I pointed Virgin in his direction, and he said he'd be really happy to work with them.

They never contacted him.

Picture this. You're a big strong corporation with a global brand. You're, dunno, off the top of my head, Kodak. Some bright and passionate light really really believes in comics, and wants to do a line of comics based around photography and photographers. You've managed to convince someone on the Board of Directors to fund this for a while, but you have a finite budget for promotion. Do you 1) Take out expensive ads in Wizard, Previews, trying to convince superhero-oriented customers to buy "Ansel Adams: The Wizard's Eye" and "Paparazzo Tales!" and whatever, or do you 2) tell people who are interested in photography and photographers that there are comics about their interests, and here's where you find them...?

I can't speak for any other retailer, but I'd love a thriving number of wide and diverse topics to be covered in comics. In Japan apparently comics about Mah-Jong sell very well, so there's no real reason that something equivalent couldn't happen here (Well, except that North America is something over 9.6 million sq km, while Japan is about 377k sq km, so it's really a lot harder to physically distribute niche products) -- heck, I thought that the Nascar comics sold really well at Nascar events (but really badly out here in San Francisco), so it clearly CAN be done.

But if you're going to do a series of comics about race car driving or photography or, yeah, even Indian Mythology, you're going to have to drive the customer TO the outlets where they're available. You're going to have to EDUCATE those potential customers the product even EXISTS.

That's pretty basic.

For myself, I thought the writing for Virgin was quickly on the wall -- pacting with B-list celebrities to use their name really is a plan that seldom works. Who really wants to buy a "Guy Ritchie" comics or a "Nic Cage" comic? That's no strike against them, but it's certainly nothing in their favor either, unless the base premise itself is strong (then the B-lister gains more from it than the publisher)

This also created a deep discordance in what the heck Virgin WAS -- were they about Indian comics, or about star-fucking, or what? You HAVE to have a clear identity in the market to use it in the best manner, and Virgin seemed to be too many different things, none of which were working very well.

Plus, once they partnered with Stan Lee's POW Entertainment, it was clear they didn't even know the right way to sell out. I mean, God love Stan Lee, he IS the man... but POW? As the kids say, "Roffle"

I suspect that Tom is in the right here -- they had too much (transcontinental!) overhead for their actual sales.

Meanwhile, I keep hoping that a well-funded operation will eventually come along and do things the right way.

I'll probably be hoping for the rest of my life.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

You can find the newest Tilting at Windmills up right here. Go, read, give Jonah hits.


-B

Labels: Brian, retailing, Tilting

Click Here to Read More...

For the dozen or so of you who care about such things, in our last installment I discussed taking some 1400 items off the racks when the POS system says "Hey, that doesn't sell!"

"But, Brian," some asked, "What are we going to do with 39 Avengers?!?" Er, no, wait, the question was about 1400 removed-from-stock books, same diff.

Well, we have a sale, I guess.

My wife gets invited to Nordstrom's "Customer appreciation sales" which is like a pre-sale sale for Nordstrom's "best" customers (she's not actually one of those, but my stepmother is, so...), and I thought it was a great idea to try and emulate.

So, we invited all of our subscribers (box customers, whatever you call them locally) to a private, pre-opening sale for two hours this morning. Half off the stock I wanted gone, and if you bought like 10 or more books, it could go up to 60% off.

The weather was deeply against us this morning -- SF has been ucky thick fogbound for the last 10 days or so, so when it was a GLORIOUS summer day today I knew we wouldn't have as many people as I would have liked. We only had about 20% of the people invited actually show up. Which, actually, is a good response rate, don't listen to my whining.

I was hoping for about 20% of this stock to go away during our two hour sale, and I think we got closer to 15%, so I can live with it.

That's still 85% left though!

I'm going to start filtering the remaining books into the Sale boxes over the next week or so (in fact, I think I'm going to temporarily remove the Starter Sets from the sales floor to accommodate the volume I want to put out at once), and I think I can get rid of another half of them within 60 days or so. The final, what is that, about a third, will trickle out over the next year or so. We're down to virtually nothing left of the "Let's not even count this in the first place, and remove it now" pruning I did BEFORE we put in the POS, so that seems like reasonable timing. And, because I'm using color coded labels, I'll know in a year what are the REAL dregs that should be donated away or even left on the curb for recycling, as need be.

It is NOT possible to deal in physical goods (retail or wholesale) and not have some spoilage and leftover and just plain unsalable junk. The key question is in MANAGING that junk.

I suddenly realized that I can get most of a column out of this, can't I, so I'll shut up there. In theory, expect to see more on this in TILTING on CBR on Friday...

Anyway, I'm hot and tired and sweaty, moving all of those boxes take a lot out of ya'! Off to the showers!

-B

Labels: Brian, POS, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Just popping in for a quick Retail Intelligence note: the trailer for WATCHMEN, which debuted something like a week ago, in front of THE DARK KNIGHT (and, wow, was that a terrific film), has done something that I've never ever seen. It is selling comic books. Lots of them.

Well, or it would have, had I had any in stock!

Last Tuesday I had what would normally be a month's worth of WATCHMEN in stock (and if you remember back to last week's post, WATCHMEN was my #2 best selling TP in the last 12 months, so we're talking about a real number of copies). Every single copy sold out by mid-Saturday morning. The calls have been coming in by the dozen or more a day "Do you have WATCHMEN?!?!", so I'm going to go on a limb and suggest that no one in San Francisco has them. I put in a direct order for a "3 month supply" that I should have tomorrow, but even then I'm going to order another big stack on my next reorder cycle (unless I pay a LOT for shipping them faster, reorders take about 10 days to show) just to cover my bets (it's not like, worst case, we won't sell them *eventually*)

Interestingly, there are some calls for DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, but nothing like WATCHMEN -- and DARK KNIGHT was a fabulous and fantastic movie.

Talk on the CBIA suggest that retailers all over the country are having similar results.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

The new TILTING AT WINDMILLS is up right here.

[If you hit the link below for the label "POS", you'll get the whole series, too]

We're very nearly a year later on installing the POS system, and several conclusions about it are in the new TILTING.

We've been spending the last 2 (and probably next three) days going through each "Hasn't sold in a year" title to set it's Minimum Point (the place where it triggers a reorder) down to zero -- it's a pretty laborious task on 1400 items, but there you go. I've made a couple of suggestions on how to make it better to Mark & Ben & AJ at MOBY, and we're trading mails back and forth.

Once I clear off all the dead books from the racks, then I have to do the same process for the floppies. Thankfully that's mostly limited to 3 racks where my natural weekly pruning skills are probably not enough.

At a guess, and not killing myself to get it done, I'll have all of the stale merchandise removed from inventory, and never again automatically reorderable by 7/31, which is the "official" start of POS date.

After that, I'll be running weekly (probably) stale item reports, and it will only be, say 5 or so items a week we'll be looking to yank, which will be an easily manageable task. This one is a pain in the ass because of the scope, but then I'll be down to a lean-mean, retailing machine.

The FUNNY thing is that There's now about 10 books that were "On The List" that actually sold this week. I won't be restocking them, but not all "Dead" merchandise is creating equal, y'know?

Finally, just because I pulled out the entire database to look at a few things, here's a list of the 100 (well, OK, 114) Top Selling Books at Comix Experience over the last (roughly) last 11 and a half months, after the jump:



1 LOEG BLACK DOSSIER HC 2ND PTG (OCT078350)
2 WATCHMEN TP (FEB058406)
3 BUFFY SEASON 8 TP VOL 01 LONG WAY HOME
4 Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 01 UNMANNED (OCT058020)
5 WALKING DEAD VOL 7 THE CALM BEFORE TP
6 SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 04 SCOTT PILGRIM GETS IT TOGETHER (JUN0
7 Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 09 MOTHERLAND (FEB070362) (MR)
8 Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 02 CYCLES (OCT058281) (MR)
9 100 BULLETS TP VOL 11 ONCE UPON A CRIME (MAY070233) (MR)
DMZ TP VOL 03 PUBLIC WORKS (JUN070267) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 01 LEGENDS IN EXILE (APR058372)
12 EX MACHINA TP VOL 06 POWER DOWN (AUG070308) (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 10 WHYS AND WHEREFORES
14 LOEG VOL ONE TP (JUL068290)
LOEG VOL TWO TP (FEB058407)
16 HELLBOY VOL 07 THE TROLL WITCH & OTHERS TP
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 03 ONE SMALL STEP (MAR068027) (MR)
18 BATMAN YEAR ONE DELUXE SC (OCT060163)
FABLES TP VOL 02 ANIMAL FARM (MAR058123)
20 ALL STAR SUPERMAN HC VOL 01 (DEC060188)
SANDMAN TP VOL 01 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES (DEC058090)
V FOR VENDETTA TP (APR058272)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 04 SAFEWORD (APR058056) (MR)
24 ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY HC #18 (SEP073597) (MR) (C: 0-1-0)
DMZ TP VOL 04 FRIENDLY FIRE (DEC070294) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 10 THE GOOD PRINCE
POWERS TP VOL 10 COSMIC (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 08 KIMONO DRAGONS (AUG060299) (MR)
29 BUFFY SEASON 8 TP VOL 02 NO FUTURE FOR YOU
FABLES TP VOL 09 SONS OF EMPIRE (MAR070271) (MR)
WE 3 TP (APR050419) (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 06 GIRL ON GIRL (SEP050317) (MR)
33 BATMAN DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP (DEC058055)
THE FART PARTY TP
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 05 RING OF TRUTH (MAY050306) (MR)
Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 07 PAPER DOLLS (FEB060341) (MR)
37 BLACK HOLE COLLECTED SC
COMPLETE PERSEPOLIS TP
CRIMINAL TP VOL 02 LAWLESS (OCT072158) (MR)
DMZ TP VOL 01 ON THE GROUND (MAR060383) (MR)
POWERS TP VOL 11 SECRET IDENTITY
SANDMAN TP VOL 02 THE DOLLS HOUSE (APR058268)
SHORTCOMINGS HC
44 DMZ TP VOL 02 BODY OF A JOURNALIST (NOV060292) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 08 WOLVES (SEP060313) (MR)
PREACHER TP VOL 01 GONE TO TEXAS NEW EDITION (MAR050489) (MR
ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE TP (DEC058019)
48 CRIMINAL TP VOL 01 COWARD (MR)
DC UNIVERSE THE STORIES OF ALAN MOORE (NOV050268) (MR)
WALKING DEAD TP VOL 08 MADE TO SUFFER
WORLD WAR Z ORAL HISTORY OF ZOMBIE WAR SC
52 CIVIL WAR TP
FABLES TP VOL 04 MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS (OCT058021) (M
JACK OF FABLES TP VOL 02 JACK OF HEARTS (JUL070305) (MR)
JUDENHASS GN
PREACHER TP VOL 02 UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD NEW EDITION (M
PREACHER TP VOL 03 PROUD AMERICANS NEW EDITION (JUL068334) (
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 02
WALKING DEAD VOL 2 TP MILES BEHIND US TP NEW PTG
60 DARK TOWER GUNSLINGER BORN PREM HC
EX MACHINA TP VOL 01 THE FIRST HUNDRED DAYS (SEP058036) (MR)
HELLBOY VOL 01 SEED OF DESTRUCTION TP
SAM & MAX SURFIN HIGHWAY TP (SEP073953)
64 EX MACHINA TP VOL 03 FACT V FICTION (JAN060357) (MR)
FABLES TP VOL 05 THE MEAN SEASONS (JAN050373) (MR)
HELLBOY TP VOL 08 DARKNESS CALLS
WANTED GN (NEW PTG)
68 ALAN MOORE THE COMPLETE WILDCATS TP (MAY070211)
BATMAN GRENDEL NEW PTG TP
BOYS TP VOL 02 GET SOME (DEC073541) (MR) (C: 0-0-2)
BPRD TP VOL 07 GARDEN OF SOULS
CHANCE IN HELL HC
EX MACHINA TP VOL 02 TAG (JUL050285) (MR)
EX MACHINA TP VOL 04 MARCH TO WAR (AUG060269) (MR)
JOSS WHEDONS FRAY FUTURE SLAYER TP
LAST MUSKETEER SC (OCT073506)
NEXTWAVE AGENTS OF HATE TP VOL 01 THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN VOL 1 TP
SIGNAL TO NOISE 2ND ED HC
WARREN ELLIS CROOKED LITTLE VEIN HC
81 ABSOLUTE SANDMAN HC VOL 02 (JUN070259) (MR)
ASTONISHING X-MEN TP VOL 03 TORN
CONFESSIONS OF A BLABBERMOUTH (JUN070258)
EX MACHINA TP VOL 05 SMOKE SMOKE (DEC060271) (MR)
FABLES 1001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL SC (DEC070297) (MR)
FILTH TP (MR)
FUN HOME TP
GOOD AS LILY (MAY070226)
JACK OF FABLES TP VOL 01 NEARLY GREAT ESCAPE (NOV060300) (MR
KINGDOM COME TP (NOV058067)
LIFE AND TIMES OF SCROOGE MCDUCK TP VOL 01 2ND PTG (FEB07823
LIVING AND THE DEAD GN
MAKING COMICS STORYTELLING SECRETS OF COMICS MANGA & GN SC (
PRIDE OF BAGHDAD SC (OCT070256) (MR)
PULPHOPE ART OF PAUL POPE SC (JUL062792) (MR)
SUPERMARKET TP
ULTIMATES 2 TP VOL 02 GRAND THEFT AMERICA
98 ASTONISHING X-MEN TP VOL 4 UNSTOPPABLE
BPRD TP VOL 01 HOLLOW EARTH & OTHER STORIES
BPRD TP VOL 08 KILLING GROUND
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER OMNIBUS TP VOL 01
CASTAWAYS SC
CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD LAST ENEMY GN (AUG073417) (MR)
DOOM PATROL TP VOL 06 PLANET LOVE (OCT070251)
EMPOWERED VOL 02 TP
FABLES TP VOL 03 STORYBOOK LOVE (MAY068085) (MR)
HELLBOY VOL 02 WAKE THE DEVIL TP
HELLBOY VOL 06 STRANGE PLACES TP
INVISIBLES TP #1 SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION (SEP068118) (MR)
PREACHER TP VOL 04 ANCIENT HISTORY NEW EDITION (MAY050299) (
SANDMAN TP VOL 03 DREAM COUNTRY (JAN058148)
SUPERMAN RED SON TP (NOV058130)
THE ARRIVAL GN
TRANSMETROPOLITAN TP VOL 01 BACK ON THE STREET (JUN058246)

-B

Labels: Brian, POS, retailing, Tilting

Click Here to Read More...

For the handful of you interested in the back-and-forth over the BookScan issue, I want to point you to Heidi's post, as well as Dirk's first and second sallies.

For those of you only here for the reviews, you can stop reading now. In fact, I'd really urge you to!

If I have edited this properly, it continues after the jump:



For whatever it is worth, I agree nearly 100% with Heidi: my biases are both obvious, (and directly stated in the original piece!) -- I believe in the Direct Market (as a concept, if not, necessarily, in the specific individual on-the-ground iteration) to be a far superior method of selling comics for the simple reason that a specialist, with a specialist's passion, is more likely to be able to do a superlative job in selling a specialty product than a generalist. That would seem to me to be fairly self-evident.

(Does this mean that ALL DM stores are going to be better than selling comics than ALL bookstores? No, of course not -- there are always going to be ends of the curve in either model which out/under-perform their opposite number)

I want to believe that I've been very specific and very exacting both about my biases, as well as the usefulness of the specific numbers. Certainly I went into great detail about how the numbers could be wrong and what they do and do not measure; part of the problem may be that on the internet (and who knows, maybe in life, in general, but we can track it on the internet...) people see what they want to see.

Look, I like me some "art comics", when a new EIGHTBALL or OPTIC NERVE comes out, its usually a Top 10 book for Comix Experience, but the fandom/internet meme/hope of "if only we get into the bookstores, then they'll all suddenly buy everything I think is good" really doesn't seem to be the case. I wanted to believe it too!

But let's stay on target when we look at retail sales -- let's not conflate them with other channels, let's not take anecdote as fact, and let's try not to move the Goalposts in the middle of the game.

By way of example, I point to Dirk's latest, where all of a sudden he's pointing to prose books; what does that have to do with anything? It should be pretty obvious that the math involved for both the publisher and especially the creator is very very different between prose and comics; the breakeven point for one is certainly very different from the other. I should know, I have a prose book in print, and I was involved in setting the print run, and the costs thereof; and I've got a pretty good idea of the physical printing costs of comics, and one is a fraction of the other.

Here's what I said (that Dirk is even quoting directly!):


“Art Comics”, with the exception of a tiny handful of “anointed” books, do not appear to be selling in the bookstore environment. Remember that BookScan includes Amazon, and all major internet retailers as well.

It further seems to me that with approximately 7500 BookScan reporting venues, this indicates that most book stores aren’t even bothering to stock “Art comics” in the first place.



And this seems to be a fairly unassailable fact in relationship to what BookScan reports -- with ~7500 venues (including the majority of the internet sales picture) if you're moving under 4400 copies that means that you're either not being stocked in the first place OR that the audience there isn't especially interested in that material OR both. For the record, I strongly suspect the answer is actually #1, that IF that material was stocked and supported and racked it would probably sell better.

The Elephant in the Room, to me, is Amazon -- Amazon is "bias neutral" in my opinion; that is that each book "displayed" at Amazon is basically equivalent to each other, and that "finding" a book on their "shelves" is a trivial matter, not influenced by physical "racking" decisions. It seems to me that if there was a deep, wide-spread market crying out for "art comics" material that Amazon would be capturing those sales in a pretty significant fashion, as Amazon is "the world's largest comics store". Yet THEY DON'T APPEAR TO BE capturing these sales in any significant fashion.

I have no problem with differing conclusions about the data -- in fact, I specifically asked for it -- but, please, let's not move the goalposts by suddenly claiming that "Oh well, a small publishing house doesn't NEED to sell as many copies", as if that were even slightly relevant to matter at hand. NO ONE said anything about whether the material is PROFITABLE or not, just that it doesn't appear to be selling in significant quantities in the bookstore environment, as far as that environment can be tracked (with all of the caveats and weaknesses of the numbers inherent in that tracking), relative to other comics material. Given the extant data, that appears to be true. If there's OTHER data to show otherwise, I'm sure that everyone would be happy to see that, but since we can't, we can only analyze what we have.

There's a larger issue here, and it is one that Robert Scott has brought up several times -- without marketing and advertising and general publisher support, it is very difficult for any material of any stripe or style or form or content to find its audience without direct intervention by the sellers of the book, be they DM or "bookstores". But that's almost certainly a topic for another day.

This will, hopefully, be my last comment on this (until it is time to write about the '08 numbers)!

-B

PS: to ADD: BONE is now "art comix"?! Buh-wha--?!?

Labels: BookScan, Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Well, its Monday, but it's a long holiday weekend! (for the banks at least?)

First off, if you haven't followed along, here's a few updates: Heidi MacDonald at The Beat discusses the general topic, and there's also Tom Spurgeon's response to my last post.

With any luck (ha!) this will be my last word on the topic...

First, Tom. Ultimately, I don't think I disagree tremendously with any of his six summarized observations. So, hooray for that. I've even willing to admit that, in hindsight, maybe the paper isn't quite meaty enough. There's been a lot of internal discussion this weekend in ComicsPRO about how to solve this the next time out, so we'll see what happens. There were a lot of eyes on this (9 Board members, 7 members of the PP committee, plus the whole membership during a month-long voting process) and no one pointed a couple things out until after it had gone out. Sometimes this happens when you live with something too long, you can't see the things you're NOT saying, because you take them utterly for granted.

Tom says: Brian says they can't provide better support without naming individual publishers. This is insane. Let's make one up: "176 of 180 ComicsPro members report at least one lost sale of a pre-ordered book in 2007 due to convention sales." That's support with a number in it and nobody is named.

I believe, and its entirely possible I am wrong, but I believe that kind of a statement would be just as dismissed as being empty and meaningless of a figure. But noted, for next time.

Tom also offers three examples of "selling in advance of your primary sales force"; I'd argue that none of those are selling whatsoever -- they're giving material away in order to generate more business in the long run (in the first two examples), or to "focus group" (as it were) the material to make it BETTER for the "final version".

If publishers were GIVING AWAY comics at conventions, I don't think there'd be a position paper except possibly one that said "Here's how to do it better". The reason I think this is because we've been talking about, as an organization, a response to the BOOM! situation, and the strongest faction of discussion has been pretty clear that we can never stop comics going out over the internet, NOR SHOULD WE BOTHER TO TRY because there are some TREMENDOUS promotional benefits that can occur. But that we can issue guidelines to the way it can be done so no one is stepping on anyone else's toes and that ALL partners are selling as many comics as they can.

(This is why the rhetorical handwavings over "yeah, how do they feel about Advance Review Copies, huh?!?!" and stuff like that that commenters other than Tom have made are pretty much besides the point -- we're talking about the SALE of goods, and how we don't think that our suppliers should be competing with us in that manner)

So, yes, there's one fatal flaw in the position paper as presented and it is missing the "unless they inform us beforehand" sentence. That SHOULD have been there, and I'll mea culpa on that one. Again, I thought that was implied, and I'll fall on the sword for not spelling it out explicitly.

Because yes, this problem goes away with Tom's "transparency".

But here's the thing, and I'll stand behind it 100%, in the decade or so that I've been discussing this with publishers, not one, not a SINGLE ONE, has shown any interest in that transparency, because they're afraid its going to lower their overall sales.

What I would suggest, and feel free to disagree with me, but it seems to me that IF publishers are concerned about that, then it naturally follows that they ARE having an impact on the sell-through at retail, and that they KNOW it.


Meanwhile, over at The Beat, Heidi offers this:

In a dollars and sense world, there is a HUGE difference between $1 and $1000. If costing Brian Hibbs $1 makes Top Shelf $20K, then you need to just suck it up, man. The health of an ENTIRE INDUSTRY is the question here — put it the other way. Would Brian Hibbs donate $1 to keep Top Shelf, Cartoon Books or Fantagraphics alive?

Not that that is actually the point, but, yeah, when FBI and Top Shelf came to us with "please please buy stuff from us, we're on the brink of going out of business" we OF COURSE stepped up and bought a bunch of stuff that we didn't actually need in order to try and help keep them solvent.

I think Heidi is a little hyperbolic in "the health of the ENTIRE INDUSTRY is in question" statement (history shows us that publishers come and go with great regularity), but it's a fair question, really -- should I give up $1 for TS to make $20k?

The answer might in fact be "Yes", but it has to be an INFORMED transaction, and one made with CONSENT. When we're not informed of the situation, or given a chance to deal with it, until it is "too late", that's why we're upset about this.

This doesn't have ANYthing to do with "increased competition" or Amazon or libraries or the internet or the dominance of the superhero publishers via Diamond, or Diamond's often disgraceful treatment of non-brokered publishers, or any of the other smokescreens pundits are throwing out there.

I'm going to try one more time to explain this as simply as I can: Retailers buy non-returnable, non-adjustable from most publishers (via Diamond). Retailers are presented with titles to buy that are presented to us as "new". For retailers "new" means that it hasn't been released before, to any channel. OBVIOUSLY, the vagaries of distribution mean that some times copies will arrive in one place before another -- sometimes we get it first, sometimes another channel gets it first. No retailer is crying foul over NATURAL AND UNINTENDED distribution vagaries. What we're objecting to is when publishers take specific, conscious, actions DESIGNED to get books to cons before we could POSSIBLY have them in order to sell them first.

That's it, full stop.

If the printer screws up, and you HAPPEN to have copies in your hand for the show before it makes it through distribution, NO FOUL.

If you're selling material at a show that we have actual equivalent access to, NO FOUL.

If you inform us AT THE POINT OF SOLICITATION that you're going to sell in advance of us, NO FOUL.

Where we screwed up was in not include five words: "...unless they inform us beforehand", and I can see that now. Hindsight is 20/20 and all that.

As some one mentioned in one of the 20 gajillion threads I've read the last 72 hours (and I've forgot which one it was) effectively we're asking for common street dates, and FOR MANUFACTURERS to not break those street dates (knowingly)

That's pretty much it, and I think this is a pretty much a no-brainer of an idea that is eminently reasonable.

(Someone will ask, I am sure, "Well, why didn't you ASK for 'street dates'?", and that's because that's a MUCH more difficult issue, one that will require Diamond to be involved, and is probably 2-3 years from even possible implementation, in my opinion of the politics of this business. Lets get most of our vendors on a FOC system first before we even THINK to open THAT particular can o' worms)



Ultimately, as I said, I don't care if any given retailer loses $1 or $1000, but do you know why that is? Because it isn't necessarily about the individual store's individual loss -- it's about the AGGREGATE harm to the industry this practice brings. Its not even about the individual publishers' individual actions, its about the aggregate harm that this does to the market. $50 here and $5 there and $500 there starts to add up.

Further, I don't think "buzz" comes from being-on-sale-first *in and of itself*. I think Top Shelf would have sold exactly the same # of LOST GIRLS as they did, and had exactly and precisely the same amount of "buzz" and being "the book of the show" and everything else, had LOST GIRLS been in stores that same Wednesday. I'll go so far as to say I'm absolutely positive that LOST GIRLS would have had the same national buzz, and sold the same # of copies at the con even had the book debuted a week before in the stores.

And here's the thing, I further think that if TS had done that (ie, printed the book 2-3 weeks earlier to ahve it in-store and at-con the same day), not only would they have sold the SAME # of copies, had the SAME Big Book of the Con Buzz, but they'd have saved themselves the $10 a book or whatever stupid amount it actually was to airfreight the books in.

Heidi, though not in that blog entry, on CBIA instead, made a point that the problem on the publisher side is often "last minute-itis" -- as long as the book goes to press at the LAST POSSIBLE SECOND to go to the printer to be able to airfreight rush job the book to a show, it's "on time", and I suspect she's mostly right. If the "deadline in their head" was "in stores no later than the week of [the show]", rather than "The week of [the show], so we can pay the airfreight in" that, I think, would make all of the problem go away.

I want to make it really clear: I'm absolutely in favor of comics being in as many venues as they possibly can be -- that includes on the internet, via mail order, in mass market stores, on newstands, at conventions, sold in roaming ice cream trucks, whatever you please. More venues, more exposure, more widespread acceptance really can't be anything but good for the dedicated specialist.

I just don't want to be undercut by my own supplier before I even have a chance to sell their goods.



As always, I'm always interested in your thoughts.

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Right, now for a response to Tom. Again, his original commentary is here, and my response and his as well is here.

Normally, I wouldn't turn something into a BLOGWAR! but Tom doesn't have messaging on The Comics Reporter, and I find his "letter column" kinda problematic (I actually hadn't even noticed the post and response until early today, to be honest), so I thought putting it somewhere when there's relatively open comments might be a good idea.

(Sorry if you feel end-runned, Tom?)

I'm going to try to do as little of quoting and counter-quoting that I can, just because it is messy and too internetty for me, but I might have to resort to it at some point.

More or less going from top to bottom, I guess we should talk about "evidence".

Tom seems to think that we need to attach some kind of specific numbers to this. I'm just trying to figure out both the how and the why of it.

In terms of the how, I don't see how we can do it without specifically singly out individual publishers. And I don't see how we do that in a public position paper without looking, frankly, like assholes. Further, it's not like we keep revenge logs where we write all our wrongs down. I can tell you that I am down (not "done" like I originally wrote, sheesh) a couple of hundred dollars in retail sales each year in the aggregate, of stuff I know. How specific do you want me to be? I had three different customers tell me that, sorry, they weren't going to buy LOST GIRLS from me (two of them preordered) because they bought it in San Diego. There, harm done. I lost at least two copies of BONE ONE EDITION, same thing. A copy of BLANKETS. Those are the ones where I clearly and specifically in detail remember the exchange with the customer, because those are big expensive books. There's half a dozen other ones each and every year, but I usually just file most of them in the *sigh* portion of my mental hard-drive; I don't recall the details, because life's too short.

I guess we could poll the membership and aggregate some numbers, but then I get to the Why? portion of it. Singling out specific vendors is only going to make them more defensive, I think, and I'm unconvinced that ComicsPRO has a large enough membership yet to even begin to present the full picture -- any specific number member stores can show is going to be under-reported by some significant factor just from that. And under-reporting a problem is much worse that not reporting it at all in a negotiation, in my opinion.

I'm telling you, specific examples above, that I've been done harm. I also believe that there's other harm done where customers didn't specifically tell me that they bought it at a show, but of course I can't prove that. OTHER retailers also will happily tell you about books here and books there they've been impacted by. What I'm not getting is why people (not just Tom) are questioning us on this. Harm has been done, maybe not massively towering masses of it, but here's a group of diverse retailers saying "We're harmed by this practice, please knock it off", it isn't just taken as read that we have been so?

See, cuz I think when you ask "how much harm", it seems like that opens up "well that's not 'enough'". What if we can only "show" within ComicsPRO membership, 20 copies of LOST GIRLS that didn't get sold when they were expected to. Is that "enough"? What if its only 10? What if it is only my 3?

For me, markets need Hippocratic Oaths too -- First thing do no harm. Selling in advance of your primary sales force being able to do so seems foolish. Can you think of any other business where that would be considered acceptable?

I guess maybe the question is that Tom doesn't see this as "harm", which OK, fair enough I guess, but when a customer comes to me and says "I am not going to take my preordered copy of this book, because it was at San Diego first", I don't see how else it can be taken?

Tom says "Also, to flip it around, are you saying that the publisher should sell $4000 fewer copies of Lost Girls overall to people not served by good comic shops because a couple of your customers may prefer to buy it from them directly?" and I think this is where some of the disconnect is coming from.

The issue is selling the book before it is released to the market -- people not served by good comic shops are STILL going to buy the book at the con, whether it was released AT the show or not, BECAUSE IT IS NEW TO THEM, whether, I repeat for emphasis, it was released AT the show or not! Every single one of those dollars will still be spent, there's no possible loss there.

In addition Tom asks "Have you ever been denied the chance to buy books at a con at a direct-order discount? Have you ever been lied to about a book being made available at a con?"

For the first, well kinda yeah -- Chris Staros flatly refused selling me any copies of LOST GIRLS direct, he insisted that all orders go through Diamond because he wanted to make sure that their orders there were as large as possible. Which means we were locked into that distribution channel.

For the second, the end of SWEENEY TODD pops into mind "No, no one ever lied/said she took poison/never said that she died". So, no, no one ever LIED as such -- but they've certainly committed sins of omission over the years where they didn't tell us they WERE. Which to me is, in effect, if not strictly taxonomically so, is the same thing. If you present a product to me as "new", I have (what I feel to be) a reasonable expectation that means that all channels will be getting it at effectively the same time. If that isn't the case, that's where we have a problem.

Tom goes on, perhaps baitingly to ask "Wait: so some stores aren't hit by this practice? Which ones? Why? Why if you have this information isn't it a part of your position paper?"

What I was trying to indicate is that not all stores are at all times impacted by every potential example equally -- MY customers are extremely likely to attend WonderCon and APE, fairly likely to attend SDCC, occasionally attend Mocca or SPX or NYCC, virtually never attend Wizard World: Anywhere. The specific and individual level of harm and concern varies for me individually with the individual show and the individual books that debut there.

Then there are stores who, say, aren't in the continental USA, or who only take preorders with prepaid credit cards, or whatever other reasoning there may be. Maybe they are in rural nowhere and were considering order 1 copy of [whatever], but read the boilerplate and decide not to, and so on.

What I do know is that over the last, sheesh, decade or more I've been speaking to publishers about this, note one has been interested in putting "this item may ship sooner to other venues before Diamond can deliver it" boilerplate on books they're intended to debut at a show.

Sorry, I'm getting really quotey here at the end. Tom: "I don't get this at all; are retailers really less amenable to being transparent about their sales practices because it might cost them a few sales and more amenable to eliminating that sales practice altogether and all of those sales? That makes no sense. Which publishers have you spoken to that indicated this?"

I think Tom means "publishers" for that first "retailers"? If not, I don't understand the question, if so then... I guess so? My sense of this issue, as always pursuing it as an individual, was that publisher reps (and pick one -- Top Shelf, D&Q, FBI, Cartoon books, and so on, all the "egregious ones", the ones where *I* see my personal impact from) was that I've always and uniformly dismissed because my concerns were unique as a snowflake to me and my individual business, so no, they weren't going to do a thing about it on the chance that it could hurt them elsewhere in an already perilous market.

But here's the thing that gores my orb, and probably doesn't touch yours: the Polite Unique Snowflake Brushoff that I got from Top Shelf was precisely the same kind of Polite Unique Snowflake Brushoff I got from Marvel over the late and missolicited titles. That's why we've got ComicsPRO, and that's why I believe in jointly issuing this kind of Position Paper is a really good thing. We may all be Unique Snowflakes, but a whole lot of us have common cause and common concern.

Sorry, here's where I'm the most internetty -- quoting myself first, then Tom now

(Also: allowing after-the-fact adjustments on orders generally delays books even further)


I wasn't talking about that.


Sure, but you can't withdraw the mechanical elements of distribution from the timeline. Allowing order adjusts is at least a month-long process from announcement to collection of changes, so doing so is almost always going to make a book ship later and not sooner.

I'm nearly done here, promise! Tom: However, my sympathy ends when it comes to advocating a system where people can't pursue whatever commercial means they wish, particularly when they're more than happy to reap the whirlwind when it comes to the results. I've never seen a publisher beat his chest in public that it isn't fair that you shouldn't adjust your orders to whatever you think is the likelihood you'll sell something.

First off, I can't personally recall any situation where a book has been made order adjustable after point-of-solicitation because of convention sales. I may be wrong, but I can't recall one. Further, publishers who aren't brokered are virtually never allowed to be made adjustable in anything like a meaningful timeline -- numbers are firm once you enter it into the ordering program and press "send", that's it, no tapbacks.

That's probably not important, really, because the first sentence is the one that kills me. Tom we're most emphatically NOT advocating a system where people pursue whichever commercial means they wish -- what we're saying is that the gun of the starter pistol should be going off at the same time for all and any channels. I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with Top Shelf selling LOST GIRLS at a con. I have every problem with them selling it weeks before me, however, to my group of customers who are naturally the earliest of early adopters, on hard non-returnable non-adjustable orders. If they started selling LOST GIRLS at a Wednesday night Preview Night, and the book had been in stock at stores that same Wednesday, then game on, that's absolutely fine -- the playing field is level. We're sure as heck not advocating the limiting of anyone's potential venues, just asking them to watch their timing so there aren't intra-channel conflicts!

Finally, finally, we end this reply with Tom's final paragraph:

(In fact, here's a question: if you guys are all in agreement on this, and the position breaks down so cleanly like you say, why hasn't there been economic consequence? It's been years. No publisher I know has complained that they've been punished by stores even one little bit, and if you're losing orders, why the hell wouldn't you make adjustments? Are we supposed to believe you're just all really nice? Slow to react? Didn't realize it was happening? What?)

I think its pretty difficult for retailers to determine which books will be affected by which publishers -- the attendance line up for shows changes and moves too quickly, and it isn't like retailers have any easy central source to figure out who is where on what days specifically selling what.

It is often also hard to determine exactly and precisely which books will be impacted, nor specifically by how much. That's because that publishers who do this are usually the ones with... fluid scheduling and release dates. Short of purposefully underordering every title scheduled to ship from February to September on the off hand chance that I catch the one they're going to screw me on... man that don't make no sense.

From my point of view as a retailer, I'm trying to maximize sales, not minimize them, so forecasting to worst-case-scenarios isn't a really smart thing to do if you're trying to make a profit.

Right, I think I'm typed out about now, and I'm sure you're all sick of hearing my voice, so I'll leave it there.

Everyone is welcome to chime in with their two cents of opinion....

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Lots of retailer-driven conversation this weekend, and we'll get to the main show in a second, but I realized I forgot to post a link to the newest TILTING AT WINDMILLS on Newsarama. This month I dissect a Dan DiDio quote about branding and COUNTDOWN, as well as talk about the move to an "annual" format for LOVE & ROCKETS.

If you have anything you want to chat about that piece, but don't want to dive into the morass that is Newsarama's Board feel free to use the commenting section below!

On Friday, ComicsPRO released the newest Position Paper on Pre-sales at Conventions. Oddly, you wouldn't know from the actual news sites, I've yet to see anything turn up on them as of yet.

I'd also strongly suggest that people go and read the comments on Johanna's piece about the paper, as I think there's a lot of pretty high-level quality commenting going on by many retailers there.

There's also Tom Spurgeon's thoughts here, as well as my reply to Tom, and his reply to that over here. We'll get back to that in a little while.

Finally, there's a plethora of commentary by Alan David Doane.

So, go read all that and come back.

I'm going to start with that last one, because ADD and I... well I don't know, we generally don't get along, I guess? He's famous for saying "Die, Direct Market, Die!", and as a participant in the Direct Market I oddly take offense to that!

Some of Johanna's comments also fall under the "Well, a lot of comic shops suck; so screw them!" defense (though Johanna, at least, tends to be much more deeply nuanced and also tends to be at least concerned with the changing and/or increasing demographic of READERS who, say, don't want to drive xx miles to a quality comics shop, or would rather buy on-line for a variety of reasons, etc.), so let's start off there.

OH, and lest it be misconstrued, I am, as always, speaking as an individual here, not as a representative of ComicsPRO or its Board.

ComicsPRO is an organization of Direct Market retailers who are trying to make things better for ALL retailers. I have and will probably always stipulate that many stores stink on ice, but I don't see any real relevance in that in terms of a ComicsPRO position paper.

Why?

BECAUSE COMICSPRO MEMBERS ARE NOT THE "PROBLEM" STORES.

(Well, or at least insofar as I know of their individual operations through anecdote and conduct -- I've certainly not personally visited more than a quarter of the membership, at most)

ComicsPRO is, by and large, "the best and the brightest" retailers. The smart ones, the passionate ones, the forward-thinking ones. The ones who outreach to their communities, the ones who get nominated for Eisners, the ones who strongly support as wide a range of material as they can. They're the early-adopters, they're the knowledgeable fonts, they're the communicable-passion carriers who work god-damn hard to move comics forward.

So any argument or debate that is predicated on a "DM stores are lousy, so why should we support stores that don't support us?" is, I think, shredded on contact with ComicsPRO membership -- these stores are NOT lousy, and these stores DO support you.

ADD's suggested position paper (his last link above) is pretty laughable in consideration of ComicsPRO's membership. I'm reasonably sure that virtually 100% of the membership would meet virtually 100% of ADD's requirements. And the ones that don't are actually a matter of ADD's preferences or misunderstandings rather than actual signs of professionalism.

Here, I hadn't intended to do this, but since I have that window open, let's discuss a few of those points.

Professional comic book stores do not favor one genre or sub-genre over another.

Professional comic book stores recognize that all comics are comics, no matter what country they originate from, or what format they are published in.

I might (just barely) support language that said "Professional comic book stores recognize that all comics are comics, no matter what country they originate from, or what format or genre they are published in", but as written this couldn't possibly be something that ComicsPRO could possibly endorse.

Why? Well, let's put it this way, would the American Bookseller Association release a policy that said that Mystery- or Science-Fiction-focused bookstores couldn't be considered "professional" bookstores because of their mono-focus? OF COURSE NOT. In exactly the same way, and for exactly the same reasons, ComicsPRO can't and wouldn't say "you can't focus on action/adventure genres" -- in exactly the same way we can't and wouldn't say "you can't just focus on manga" (as a small handful of stores in America are doing)

Like ADD, I personally and individually want to see stores offering me the kinds of comics I enjoy as a reader -- be that PERSEPOLIS or GREEN LANTERN or BONE or EXIT WOUNDS or FART PARTY or whatever; but unlike ADD, I know for a fact that business owners have every right to make the decisions they want as to THEIR vision of THEIR stores. Some retailers are in conservative communities, some retailers are running pop-culture stores, not comics-as-literature stores, and some retailers are simply following the trends of what their actual customers are actually buying, and weighing their stores appropriately. Who the fuck am I to tell them they're wrong or right?

Taken literally, ADD's first point would mean that a manga cafe like New York's Atom Cafe wouldn't be considered professional, and couldn't join ComicsPRO. (They haven't, but of course they COULD)

If what you want to say is that "Professional comic book stores are quick and willing to take reasonable special order requests" then that might be something that could hold up -- but you simply can't insist that a Mystery bookstore sell cookbooks to be considered professional.

I'm totally sympathetic to what ADD's intention here is -- he wants more stores that a family of four can walk into and walk out with something for each person, but that's not something that can be "legislated" or codified in a way that won't exclude some one you didn't intend, or, for that matter, that would stand up to anti-trust scrutiny.

And frankly, I'm not sure that there aren't quality professional retail stores that ALAN (and I!) wouldn't shop in but that DO satisfy THEIR customers in that all-four-walk-out-happy, just maybe not all four with a comic.

Moving forward, Alan offers this one:

Professional comic book stores recognize the transition from periodical pamphlet comics to more appealing and enduring graphic novels, and accommodate the readership’s clear preference for comics with a spine and a complete story.

Much like the above, I think you'll find that many many stores are not experiencing this. Stores that are not, in any way, "unprofessional"

I'm a book-oriented store, I've championed comic BOOKS nearly my entire professional life (Man, it was me and Rory Root and Bill Liebowitz in that LA conference room nearly 20 years ago now that helped convince the DC that, yes, there was a tremendous potential in their backlist. It was maybe 20 titles deep back then?) so you don't have to sell me on the concept, kiddo -- but the periodical is still a VERY viable format, and one that if you even just glance at ICv2's reports is pretty clear is still on a multi-year growth curve.

Books are TOO, but like the above, there's absolutely no way we can (or should) legislate what or how people stock or in what balance.

As I say, I run a comic BOOK store, I prefer selling trades to periodicals, and that's where our focus and energy is, but periodicals still sell VERY well, and, increasingly to the very "civilian" customers that ADD makes sweeping pronouncements about. DARK TOWER, BUFFY SEASON 8 are great examples -- those sold like MONSTERS, largely outside of the "Wednesday regulars", and people seemed to LIKE the serialization (they kept coming back, after all). For us, at least, the collections of these comics are doing well, but we sold at least 5x on BUFFY #1 than we did of v1 TP, and DARK TOWER is probably run 7x or so.

This is the last one, ADD says:

Professional comic book stores actively seek to buy from a variety of distributors, not relying on one monopolistic distributor for the entirety of their business, and not settling for receiving books “whenever Diamond ships them,” but rather, as soon as they are available, in order to better serve their customers.

Heh. OK, first, you're not going to get a ComicsPRO position paper that will specifically call out one vendor or supplier by name. Besides being beyond tacky, and needlessly confrontational (and more on that later), there are federal anti-trust issues that would absolutely forbid that. Jinkies!

Second off, regular readers will know that I have my fair share of complaints with the way Diamond conducts business, but one thing that Diamond usually does pretty well is moving items from point A to point B accurately and quickly.

In terms of exactly what moves when, these are largely questions of point of printing and point of receipt and timely notification of solicitation. There's plenty of plenty of stuff that comes faster via Diamond than it does from B&T, or even direct from the publisher.

But speed alone isn't the sole consideration here -- there's also cost. There's a lot of calculation that needs to be made in terms of shipping costs, manpower, and discounts when looking at what is the "right" source to buy from. For example, I buy most of my "New" Fantagraphics books from Diamond, UNLESS it's a book that I'm ordering 10 or more, then I'd go to B&T, UNLESS its 20 or more, then I'd probably go direct to FBI. It's all a matter of discount and shipping costs -- buying that book from FBI means I have to pay shipping on it, whereas B&T has $1 freight. With B&T, the increase in effective discount is about a half-percent better on 10 or more copies over Diamond, otherwise Diamond is the cheapest source. Diamond's also the SOLE distribution source for much of FBI's periodicals. If you buy a book NEW from FBI direct, you get a much better discount, but if its shipping from the printer, the freight costs tend to eat all of your profit because they're sending a single title. If you wait for it to ship from the FBI warehouse along with reorders, you're often adding a week or two to the process.

And so on and so forth.

On the other hand, I buy virtually none of my FBI backlist from Diamond -- that either goes direct, or formerly through Cold Cut, and some through B&T if I need something right away. Diamond's my tertiary source because of their reorder fee, and often lackluster stocking commitment.

The decision of WHERE to source a book is very much an INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS decision, and has more factors than ADD seems to want to allow for. And I'm not so sure that speed of delivery alone is the right metric to judge for a profit-focused/needed small business.

Otherwise, I wholly agree with ADD's other points -- being clean, organized, well lit, open on time, and so forth. But there's a big part of me that feels that's like issuing a position paper stating that we feel that water is wet, and the sky looks blue, and that fire can burn. There are pretty much already zero-point conclusions for ComicsPRO's membership.

Months ago there was a bit of discussion about having a professional standards paper, but no one stepped forward with a first draft, so I think it went into limbo. But I'll tell you what, I'll post a link to that discussion (and this one) in the ComicsPRO message board, and we'll see if we can find any advocate for putting out a Standards paper. Again, water is wet, but it certainly can't hurt...



I have a little more to say, because I want to comment on Tom's comments, but let's save your attention span and put that into a separate post. See you in an hour or two, I hope....

-B

Labels: Brian, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Over at Newsarama, Hibbs talks more about the POS system in the store:

"I’ve only been using POS for two weeks now; and only the one system, so nothing I say on the topic should probably be granted that much weight, really, but I can already see how this is going to transform the way that I operate my store, my ability to properly order things that have fallen “off my radar”, my accidents in double or triple ordering some material, my access to data for customer searches and special orders, and so on. If I can enact even half of the efficiencies that POS promises my store should quickly become that much more efficient and profitable."

It's not necessarily that easy, though. Go and read why.

Labels: Brian, POS, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

So, the Point of Sale has now been live for a week, as of today, and I have to say I'm in love.

There have been issues, of course -- the primary one being me trusting the Barcodes that were already in the system thinking "well, they must have scanned clearly at Starclipper, so they must all be 100% right!" Well... no. Nice idea in theory, but pretty crap in practice. I'm not 100% clear on why the differences exist -- perhaps they're from Diamond-provided codes that hadn't actually ARRIVED at SC for confirmation when they sent me the database, or something along those line -- but either way the problems are easy enough to fix, even in the middle of a transaction, and looking up books is as fast as your typing skills will allow. (So... slow for most of us Comix Experiencer types!)

I'm pretty comfortable with the gun-gun-gun nature of transactions now -- in fact, I sorta doubt I can get much faster because there's a small but crucial lag (a quarter second? Less?) between gunning an item, and the system recognizing it, but there's NO DOUBT that scanning in a stack of comics takes a whole lot longer than typing "7x299[category]" does on a cash register.

Where I can improve my time is in learning the shortcuts built in the system -- some of which are intuitive, and a few that aren't.

MOBY is the only POS system I've ever used, but, even with only a week of being live and using it, I can pretty unreservedly recommend it. The small quirks of "well, that's not how *I* would have implemented such-and-such" are often down to me just retraining my mind to HOW to do something. Everything I do and think about comics retail is very much defined by having done it in certain ways for EIGHTEEN YEARS, so challenging my preconceptions is always a decent thing.

I'll give you an example: order check-in. MOBY has a check-in procedure that I, personally, find overly-pedantic. You have to scan every bar-code in TWICE, you have to manually confirm the pricing on an item, you have to positively tell it that there are no damages.

I understand these choices -- and if I was trying to "idiot proof" a system myself, I'd probably make very similar ones. Thing is, I've got a damage rate of like .001%. Prices don't change from solicitation on 99.989% of all comics, and, so far, the barcodes for the Marvel and DC books that show up with your weekly invoice (if you've asked them for "extended format") look to be similarly accurate. I'm hoping to convince them to build me a feature that allows me to just say "YES! The invoice is fine, just import it as is", and then fix the 2-5 mistakes "in post"

(I always tend to believe that "as long as you have enough 'coverage', you can *always* 'fix it in post'" -- and doing so is usually faster than being a total fuckin' anal pendent about getting it 100% correct upfront)

Anyway, my part of check in took me an hour last week, and only 40 minutes this week. I bet I can get it down to 20 minutes or so eventually.... but I'd rather it be, y'know, 30 seconds of "Yeah yeah, it is all good", followed by 5 minutes of fixing mistakes...

One thing I LOVE about MOBY is that I can make a suggestion, and then Mark will actually work on it -- now that's customer fuckin' service!!

We've still got some minor problems and things to work out and around, but the overwhelming bulk of the work is now done, and the ability to reorder with the push of a single (series of) button (s) is... OMG! I used to spend 3 hours walking the floor every week reordering stuff, and now its going to be an approximately 10 minute process.

What you do, see, is tell it what your "minimum copies on hand" should be -- "I *always* want to have at least 3 copies of WATCHMEN on hand" or whatever -- then when you do the reorder process, if you have less than 3, it does all of the math to tell you how many you should be ordering, and spits it out in a format that Diamond understands. All I have to do now is CONFIRM the data I've been given, and maybe massage a book here or there, or look for things that maybe I didn't want to commit to a specific number until I actually saw the final product. Roolage!

My efficiency is going to double (at least)

Ultimately, if you're an existing comics shop: bite the bullet, and Just Do It -- I'm going to get back all kind of time that I used to use doing rote scut work, that can now be used more productively. If you're a NEW store, then don't even THINK about opening without POS in place.

FOr myself, I can definitely recommend MOBY to you. I may be screaming about it in a few weeks when I have to do my first order form with it, and have to beat the learning curve, but I can most certainly tell I'm going to save buckets of time in the long run by computerizing this stuff; I'm not going to sell out as easily of stuff I "forget"; and I'm NOT going to double-order stuff because I'm a doofus. Those two alone will probably pay for the cost of the system and the software in six months!

So yeah, fourteen flavors of sheer awesome, and it's going to make a damn fine comics shop way way better.

Now that we're on the downslope of the data entry that needs to be done, I'll also be making a return to reviewing. Graeme, monster that he is, wants me to review the porn, but that might be too much of a Big Boy move after not reviewing jack or shit in like six weeks or something.

So, reviews from me again starting (probably) tomorrow, yay!

In the meantime: Here's what arrived this week at CE:

AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #11
ANNIHILATION CONQUEST WRAITH #2 (OF 4)
ARMY OF DARKNESS FROM ASHES #1
ARSENIC LULLABY PULP EDITION #1
AVENGERS CLASSIC #3
BAD PLANET #2 (OF 6) (RES)
BATMAN #667
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #8
BATMAN STRIKES #36
BERLIN #13
BLACK ADAM THE DARK AGE #1 (OF 6)
BLADE #12
BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #128
BOYS #9 (RES)
BPRD KILLING GROUND #1 (OF 5)
CARTOON NETWORK ACTION PACK #16
CASANOVA #8
COUNTDOWN 38
COVER GIRL #4 (OF 5)
CRIMINAL #8
DAREDEVIL #99
DARK TOWER GUNSLINGERS GUIDEBOOK
DEADMAN #12
DMZ #22
DYNAMO 5 #6
EXILES #97
FABLES #64
FANTASTIC FIVE #3 (OF 5)
FANTASTIC FOUR AND POWER PACK #2 (OF 4)
GEN 13 #11
GHOST RIDER #14
GLISTER #1
GREEN ARROW YEAR ONE #3 (OF 6)
GREEN LANTERN #22
GRIMM FAIRY TALES #16 (RES)
GRIMM FAIRY TALES RETURN TO WONDERLAND #2 (OF 7)
HEDGE KNIGHT 2 SWORN SWORD #3 (OF 6)
INCREDIBLE HULK #109 WWH
INDIA AUTHENTIC UMA #4
IRREDEEMABLE ANT-MAN #11
JACK OF FABLES #13
JLA CLASSIFIED #41
MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #30
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED LAST OF THE MOHICANS #3 (OF 6)
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED MAN IN THE IRON MASK #2 (OF 6)
NEW AVENGERS #33
NEW AVENGERS TRANSFORMERS #2 (OF 4)
NEW EXCALIBUR #22
NICOLAS CAGES VOODOO CHILD TEMPLESMITH COVER #2
NOVA #5
OMEGA FLIGHT #5 (OF 5) CWI
OUTSIDERS FIVE OF A KIND WEEK 2 KATANA SHAZAM
PHANTOM CVR A #18
POWERS #25
PUBLIC ENEMY #4
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #10 CWI
RED SONJA #25
SADHU THE SILENT ONES #1
SPIDER-MAN FANTASTIC FOUR #4 (OF 4)
STAR WARS LEGACY #15
STAR WARS REBELLION #9
STORMWATCH PHD #10
ULTIMATE X-MEN #85
UNCLE SCROOGE #368
UN-MEN #1
WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES #683
WORLD WAR HULK FRONT LINE #3 (OF 6)
X-FACTOR #22
ZOMBIE PROJECT #1


Books / Etc.
100 BULLETS VOL 11 ONCE UPON A CRIME TP
ALAN MOORE THE COMPLETE WILDCATS TP
BLACK METAL VOL 1 GN
CLIVE BARKERS GREAT & SECRET SHOW VOL 2 TP
COMPLETE JON SABLE FREELANCE VOL 7 TP
DOME HC
DUMMYS GUIDE TO DANGER VOL 1 TP
EC ARCHIVES TWO-FISTED TALES VOL 2 HC
ESSENTIAL DAZZLER VOL 1 TP
FEMME FATALES SEPT 2007 VOL 16 #4
FORGOTTEN REALMS VOL 5 STREAMS SILVER TP
GHOST RIDER VOL 2 LIFE & DEATH OF JOHNNY BLAZE TP
HEAVY METAL SEPTEMBER 2007 #112
LAST CALL VOL 1 GN
LEES TOY REVIEW AUG 2007 #178
LORI LOVECRAFT VOL 2 MY BLACK PAGES TP
MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 6 DIGEST TP
PIRATES VS NINJAS POCKET MANGA VOL 1
SHOWCASE PRESENTS ADAM STRANGE VOL 1 TP
STYLE SCHOOL VOL 1 TP
SUPERMAN CHRONICLES VOL 3 TP
TOYFARE 10TH ANNIVERSARY ED CVR #122
VAULT OF MICHAEL ALLRED LTD ED HC
VIDEO WATCHDOG #133
WOMEN OF MARVEL VOL 2 TP
ZOMBIE TALES VOL 1 TP



What, as they say, looks good to YOU?


-B

Labels: Brian, POS, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

OK, system in and up, doors opened a bit, and we've done our first 2 sales.

OF COURSE the first sale (w/ 4 items) scanned successfully on zero of them, but he was cool enough to let me go enter the scans back into the system (though I can easialy check someone out w/o it), so the NEXT time I sell those books it should go smooth. We'll see!

Second transaction was good for 3 of the 4, and the last was my last copy of something that I won't restock anyway, so I let it go.

Anyway, back to it, more later (maybe)


-B

Labels: Brian, POS, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

OK, double Ow.

Left the house at 6:30 this morning, arrived back home at midnight. Whee.

That whole "let's try to open" thing? Turned out to be not so great of an idea, weirdly enough -- still just enough training to do/things to go over/ fussy things to finish (or get into shouting distance of finished at least) So we didn't bother to try.

Oddly enough, we still pretty much did a "normal" Monday's sales, as we let in subbers who were just there to pick up thier orders, and anyone who knew JUST what they wanted.... but still, that means we'd have had a GREAT Monday if we'd let browsers in.

We will definitely be open on time tomorrow, everything is set "enough" for it -- I still have about 200-ish items that were never in MOBY's database, or needed something cleaned up, or are something special to our store, or whatever, that need to be entered.... but those can be done catch-as-catch can over the next (whatever) because they're not exactly top sellers or anything -- but the overwhelming majority (98.5% or better) of the inventory is in the computer and ready to sell. Well, 20% of it doesn't have barcodes yet (and 10% of those won't ever), but we can look up via the keyboard anything really fast.

Anyway, game on tomorrow.

I'll be back in somewhere between 7 & 8 AM to clear up my last bits of business, then I'll have one last 12 hour day before I can go back to "normal" (though I'll be working all day each day for the next bit, just to back up Rob and Sue a couple of days each as they work their way through getting comfortable of the logic of the system.)

But, yeah, it is live and selling books tomorrow.

Hurrah!

-B

Labels: Brian, POS, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Ow.

So Mark Richman of MOBY arrived on Saturday night to complete our install of the MOBY point-of-sales system, and to begin our training on it.

Saturday night, Rob Bennett and I did the hard physical inventory of the store, as Mark wrestled the hardware into working order, clearing up all the issues I couldn't figure out, like how to get all three of the different printers (receipt, bar code, and regular 8.5x11) working in harmony.

Rob and I started around 7:30 PM. "How long can it take?" I mused out loud, "I bet we can get it done in 3 hours max". Admittedly, I thought we were going to have one more body with us. We were done SEVEN hours later, at just past 2 AM. I got to bed at 3 AM ish.

I was back at the store by 9:30 AM Sunday morning to actually enter the inventory numbers into the computer. I was freaked out that my estimate of 3 hours to accomplish that was catastrophically wrong, given the inventory timing, but I actually finished it in just under 2 hours, going at a leisurely pace, and spending lots of time double checking my entries.

(Originally Jeff Lester was meant to help with the data entry -- but he had an out-of-town wedding the same weekend, so it fell to me... He'd have probably finished in an hour flat)

Noon, and Mark started training Sue, Rob and I. Spent perhaps too much time on stuff not directly related to selling-TO-a-customer type functionality, so it looks like training will roll on 'til tomorrow as we get our first customers.

Mark had some programming related to requests we made, so, rather than hover over his shoulder while he is doing that, I decided discretion as better than, etc., and retreated home to lick my wounds. I plan on leaving the house by 6:30 am tomorrow to get a jump on the last fiddly bits of inventory management (as always, there was a fair chunk of stuff that fell through the cracks), because I'm setting my goal of being done with all of that (except, maybe, the mini-comics... and we might just skip it as being too-much-work, for too-little-return to get them in the system by about 9 am tomorrow. Which probably won't happen, but I'm going to try.

Mark thinks we should stay closed in the AM, to do some last things, and while I'll probably defer to him in the end, I'm trying to work it so we CAN open at 11AM like normal, rather than 2 or 3. We already cheated a bunch of customers out of today. Rather not perpetuate that, if it is sensible to do so.

Funny, I'm not in San Diego, but I'm pretty much keeping San Diego hours, and feeling that San Diego pain, too!

One big fuck up on my part: I didn't have the barcode scanner set up properly to capture the "hanging" 4 digits in a code, so I have 200-ish scans which will end up being severely wrong. Nice thing is, you can "train" MOBY in codes "on the spot", so this will be a fairly minimal hassle.

Ugh, my brain is total mush right now, but I think we'll be very cool at some point tomorrow -- MOBY is pretty clearly 7 flavors full of wonderful, and I'm pretty confident I made the right choice in POS systems; it is both sexy and robust!


More when I have another chance to breathe... I might even be skipping on the shipping list this week 'cuz I don't know if I will have the time.


-B

Labels: Brian, POS, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Woof.

So, first off, thanks to those who gave me Excel tips in the last post -- yep that's what I'm using. Wish I had those BEFORE I started doing the eyeball sort, but c'est la guerre.

'sfunny, I've been using Excel for like a decade (maybe more?), and I haven't got the SLIGHTEST idea how like 75% of it functions. I generally only need it to sort, or move chunks of data around, or that level of depth -- most of those options in the, say, "Tools" menu? Don't even know what they do.

ANYway, done with the majority of the database futzing -- yesterday and today I went and scanned in most of the barcodes that MOBY didn't already have (something like 600 of them?), but that was a pretty fast process, really.

There's still TONS of stuff w/o barcodes, or stuff that HAVE barcodes, but which won't scan, no matter how much I try -- but I have to say I'm more pissed about the former than the latter. There's a couple of surprising (to me at least!) publishers, like Heavy Metal, who never bothered to put barcodes on any of their books. I really can't figure it out.

I can get all of the comics that don't have them -- typically small/self-published books, or from publishers that didn't believe there was enough "critical mass" of retailers USING them for the time/expense in doing them, but my life will certainly have more of a pain in the ass from the OPTIC NERVE or LOVE & ROCKETS of the world, where we still sell 3-5 copies of each and every issue, each and every month. Having to slow down at the reg to either consult the "cheat book" (a binder with a bunch of non-barcoded items in it, with a user-generated barcode), or type-and-find into MOBY to look them up is not going to be fun.

I can deal with that pain for L&R or OPTIC NERVE, but I suspect that, come, oh let's call it 2009, I will no longer stock publishers-who-don't-barcode just from a hassle-vs-profit point of view, if they're not selling L&R numbers for us.

Anyway, as things stand, I think I'll be "done" with the database, latest, this time next week. Next week has several other things that need to get done (Tilting! And the SUPER SECRET THING that will make you go "whoa!" when we announce it [Very Soon!]; oh, and, just for good measure, the blackline of PREVIEWS showed up today, so ONOMATOPOEIA is presumably next week too!), so it will be "next Friday", rather than "Tuesday, latest" it would have been otherwise.

Really, all I have left to do is to set the Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary distributors for the non-brokered publishers, which, I think, is less than 6 hours work. (It is probably 3, but I have to factor time to look-up-and-confirm-pricing on a number of books) My BIG PROBLEM with this, is there's a lot of items in the databse I'd want to set Cold Cut as the Primary, or Secondary-after-Direct-From-publisher, and I'm kind of dreading the possibility that Cold Cut might either close or drastically mutate in the next 3-6 months, causing me to have to edit thousands of records inside MOBY (not nearly as fast as Excel.... which could do it in about 9 keystrokes, total) -- in MOBY, you have to individually open each individual record of a product (or, I think, group -- which would make changing L&R, for instance, one action, rather than 20-something different ones)

The funny thing, is my orders to Cold Cut are probably poised to triple or better, because I won't be doing that ad hoc bullshit method I'd used before, but I'll now have a "one button" process to deal with it, and the encouragement to hit that button more.

I really and truly hope they find a buyer no later than San Diego, and that said buyer understands the potential they have there -- with just a couple of tweaks, Cold Cut could become a significant player, picking up the vast majority of the non-exclusive reorder business in the DM.

I want to comment on this a bit, because I think something that Dan Vado really needs to be stated again, a couple of times.

[So, in fact, let me give myself a clean paragraph break to make it easier to link, and take a deep breath to refocus my thought here]



ANY publisher who has signed a distribution deal with Diamond, that does not have exclusions, for Cold Cut or Last Gasp, or even possibly a new startup, where that publisher is sold to retailers at an "F" (45%) discount or less has made a terrible, terrible mistake that they really NEED to rectify at their next contract negotiation.

Why? Diamond assesses a 3% reorder penalty. That means your 45% discount, just dropped to 42%. Guess what? If Diamond is distributing your books, that means Baker & Taylor and Ingram has them. ANY chimpanzee, who pays on time, and places an order of 10 or more books (not of a single title, for a whole ORDER of books! Cake!), gets AT LEAST 42% off from B&T.

And Free Shipping.

And Returnability.

THEREFORE, at a 45% or lower discount -- again, that's the "F" code, or a "H" code for 40% -- it is actually CHEAPER for retailers to buy it from the Distributor that *Diamond* is selling to, than from Diamond, on a Reorder (and, in many cases, on the initial)

You want your retailers to get the BEST POSSIBLE PRICE on your wares, don't you? So they make lots of money, and buy MORE of your books, right?

THEN MAKE SURE there is competitiveness in the marketplace.

I kind of die inside when I ponder a company like Achaia -- they're exclusive to Diamond, no exceptions; They've been quietly building up a line of high quality titles with a fairly broad "real human" appeal... but because they are "Buy/Sell" with Diamond, DIAMOND DOESN'T HAVE THEIR BOOKS *IN STOCK* MOST OF THE TIME.

To give you a good example, for the last few weeks I've been buying my copies of the MOUSE GUARD HC from B&T, rather than Diamond BECAUSE DIAMOND HAD NO COPIES, and B&T *did*. I'd kill to be able to buy, in open stock, virtually anything that Achaia produces... but because of the deal they locked themselves into, I usually can't.

Tom asked why the New Boom doesn't seem to be translating for publishers or certain aspects of retail? That's because the only publishers, on reorder, that retailers can "keystone" (double their investment) are the four brokered ones -- the ones without any 3% reorder penalty. Everyone else, you're crippled at the outset because of a regressive policy that dates from a different time of distribution. Even if you're an "E" (50%) publisher -- your Onis, your DEs -- you're 47% on a reorder from Diamond, *and* dependent on Diamond's whim of whether they *stock* your comic or not. Not "will order it, if a customer asks", but *stocks*.

Think about that VERY carefully the next time your contract comes up for renegotiation. Because I have to tell you that I think about those things constantly, and I'm the one buying your books.



[*puff* *puff* OK, rant over]

So, ah, where was I?

Right, assigning dists to the database. Quick process, I'm hoping. Then... Hm, another pass through the "series" codes (I want to make sure it understands that, say, BPRD, is actually the SAME book, despite restarting at #1 every 5th issue), and maybe futz with the author and illustrator fields a bit.

And after that, it's just another 2 weeks of scanning and looking for errors I missed before, but not the intensive 10-13 hours a day things I've been doing the last few weeks.

I figure, since I'm working from an existing database, that, of the data I'll be using (way under 10%), I'm still going to have 1-200 books with some sort of error that I didn't catch, and won't until things are running. But, hopefully, I'll be able to deal with those on the fly, and that they won't be too disruptive as things run.

But, pretty much, the overwhelming bulk of the Scary Database Project is pretty much done. There's still doing the physical inventory, and entering that data, but that will just be an ugly 8 hours that can't be done until the last second, anyway.

Right. Off to have some recreation, then back at it for Saturday...



Oh. And did I say to watch out for something Really Cool in the next few days?

Well, do.


-B

Labels: POS, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Just jumping in real quickly to let you know the project proceeds.

Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday I spent a total of 33 hours, in those 3 days, walking the store, pulling books off the rack shelf-by-shelf and checking to see if they had records already in MOBY's database. Basically, over those three days, I've touched every single item in the store (except the back issues) at least once.

(I also pulled a lot of stuff OFF the shelves for our sale box -- so, if you're a CE customer and you haven't checked the TP sale box in a while, NOW is the time to do so; there are some tremendous deals in there! [I just made Jeff Lester spend another fifty dollars, I am afraid])

This took a whole lot longer than the inventory will take (estimate: 10x longer) because I had to pull everything off the racks, shelf-by-shelf, carry it over to the counter and the computer, and type in a bit of its title in the cntrl-F Find box, then walk the books back and reshelf them. Whee, and stuff.

The FUN part of it was that MOBY's database uses DIAMOND's database at its core, and Diamond does not... well, how to be kind about it?

It is my understanding (perhaps out of date) that Diamond doesn't have a master file of what it stocks. Instead, the individual brand managers RETYPE THE ENTIRE CATALOG EVERY MONTH. Perhaps more importantly, Diamond doesn't have an exacting standard format that they use to present information, so it is entirely possible that you'll have a series of TPs that look something like this in Diamond's database:

DWEEZLEMAN VOL 1 TP
DWEEZLEMAN DWEEZLES AHOY VOL 2 TP
DWEEZLEMAN VOL 3 DWEEZLES BIG ADVENTURE TP
DWEEZLEMAN GN #4 DWEEZLES NIGHT OUT

(this is an extreme "example", generally speaking no one series has more than 3 schema -- and even those tend to be multi-year 10+ volume series)

Because of this, if you were to sort your list into alpha-numerical order, it would sort like this:

DWEEZLEMAN DWEEZLES AHOY VOL 2 TP
DWEEZLEMAN GN #4 DWEEZLES NIGHT OUT
DWEEZLEMAN VOL 1 TP
DWEEZLEMAN VOL 3 DWEEZLES BIG ADVENTURE TP

Which drives me insane when trying to work with the data.

So I was also editing titles as I went along to try and mitigate some of this. For myself, there's only ONE format that is appropriate and that's:

[Series Title] VOL [#] [Subtitle] TP ([optional notes])

I also am a total weirdo in that I like to add a zero to sub-ten-volumes entries (that is, it is VOL 01, 02, and so on to 09) -- that's because, since the volume number is in the title field (though we have a column for "issue #" as well of course) if you don't do that, an alphabetical report sorts like this:

VOL 1
VOL 11
VOL 12....19
VOL 2
VOL 20
VOL 21...29
VOL 3
VOL 30

(and so on)

(and yes, you *can* stretch this out to the 40s. No, not a manga series; Fantagraphics PRINCE VALIANT reprints reached well into the 40s)

With the "extra" leading zeroes, everything sorts the way its supposed to.

Also, this is where I hate the ABC line books -- rather than "VOL [#]" they are listed as "BOOK [number spelled out]" so that "BOOK FIVE" sorts before "VOL 05". Once someone from DC (I don't recall who, nor the context) indicated to me that they were that way because Alan Moore insisted on it, but whoever made the decision to have it that way in DIAMOND'S DATABASE should be taken out back and shot. That's not just from a POS POV -- I'm changing the titles myself, obviously -- but from an invoicing POV. DIAMOND prints their invoices in straight-alpha, which makes checking in fun fun fun.

There's also a lot of mislistings -- things categorized by Diamond as "comics" when they are actually "magazines", that kind of thing -- or bad listings. For instance, basically every book that's listed in the "book" section of PREVIEWS has in the "publisher" field the header of the category that it was listed in PREVIEWS. "How-To", "Art Books", "Fantasy/Sci-Fi" that kind of thing. Which is often annoying, but not something I'm going to fix now, because it doesn't matter *that* much, and I can always edited the important ones later.

Anyway, so that was Thur-Sat, the upshot of which is that I *could* take a hard physical inventory tomorrow if I needed. (that's end of the month though)

Sunday I vegged out.

Monday I hit the database for ~10 hours and found "all" of the things that I "should" be stocking, but didn't have on hand. This includes a lot of out of print stuff, but that will work itself out quickly. I found about 200 items. Approx 60% of them are probably OOP. Of the ones that aren't, about a quarter were on this week's restock arrival already.

I also noticed on Monday that, hm, a lot of items I have on hand don't have a barcode in the database -- this is probably because Starclipper (MOBY's "home" store) never stocked them (Diamond's database doesn't provide barcodes in advance, except for a very small handful of publishers). I hadn't realized that I was going to fill in quite that many holes, so I sorted the list of on-hand by barcode and made a sublist of the ones I'd need to scan in. About 800-ish titles.

Tuesday morning I started in on it, and got about 10% of the list done in an hour (which reminds me, I'm going to need to make another list of things that will need to have barcodes generated FOR them...), but then it was time for the New Books to arrive, so clearing that up will be Thursday and maybe Friday in the store.

Today I am at home and, literally, staring at columns of numbers. MOBY has separate data fields for "MSRP" and "MOBY price" -- that is, what the "price" is, and how much the program will charge you for it. But Starclipper, over the years, has put some number of objects on SALE... so I've got to go through and compare column A to column B.

THAT's why I'm typing this essay, BTW -- comparing two columns of numbers on a computer screen is not easy on the eyes, so every 5 or 6 PageDWNs I flip over here and type a paragraph or so.

The way I am doing this, I *know* I am making mistakes (or, at least, not catching some) -- if there's a $12.95/$12.99 discrepancy I won't be catching it in most cases (though I caught one!), and maybe not a $15.99/$19.99 one either. Thankfully, on the few occasions where it's a Starclipper-putting-it-on-sale situation (as opposed to data-entry mistake) they're generally cutting the price to half, making 5/9.99 easy to spot.

Right, so that's done, thanks for listening while I distracted my eyes. Off now to start messing with reorder points!

-B

Labels: POS, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Right, so where was I?

Last Friday I lost a few hours because the firewall router I was trying to install wasn't working with the modem for some arcane reason I can't begin to understand. I had my dad come (over three tries) and get it going (he was a network guy for PacBell before he retired), but that cost me some precious computer time on Friday.

Saturday, Sunday, and much of Monday were lost to me because I kinda forgot it was "that time of the month" -- order form for August, and subscription set up for July, and the general "end of the month blues" of paying bills, etc.

Tuesday, the comics arrived. Can't sell them until Thursday, but we have Tuesday delivery, and since Wed was the holiday, it was either Tue-for-Thur, or Thur-for-Thur, and I chose to have the piles of boxes in the store, thanks.

Wednesday.... well, despite the holiday, I HAD to get back to the database. So I did. All day. "Finished" the comics section of it. And the magazines (though, come on, how much work really needs to be done there?)

Thursday was today, and it was New Comics Day. And I worked it alone, because Sue is off at a wedding. And yet I still mostly managed to deal with the Book part of the database for most of the right hand side of the store.

Friday is tomorrow, and I'm hoping to finish off the right hand side of the store, and maybe (MAYBE) the center too.

I'm piling up a bunch of books to put on clearance, too -- nothing like touching every book in your store to go "and these must go away!". I'm hoping those will be put into the sale boxes by Saturday, but who really knows, might not be until Tuesday.

Saturday will be my normal weekly reorder pass, but if I haven't finished the center-of-the-store, then I'll have to do that as well, being wholly under Rob's feet. He'll like that.

Sunday... well Sunday, I'm hoping I can rest.

Monday, all day at home working with the books inventory of all of the things we DON'T have in stock, and setting up primary and secondary and tertiary distributors for them, as well as reorder points for the stuff I actively want to stock, and so on. Unlike the comics, where there is necessarily a reorder point except "huh, sold out, get more", basically every book needs to have a decision made about it about HOW MANY I want to keep in inventory at all times. That will take me 3 (?) days... so, since Tuesday is Comics-arrive, I'm planning on being done by Thursday early AM (Because, damn it, I have to have time to take Ben to the park!!!!). Then next Friday (a week from tomorrow) will go towards all of the "behind the counter" (T-shirts, toys, whatever is in the case) stuff, which, hopefully, is only 3-4 hours work, max.

Then normal-weekly-reorders on Saturday, rest on Sunday, then start thinking about writing a TILTING around 7/16, to run on 7/20.

There's also something else going on on Monday 7/16, but you'll hear more about that a little later.

On 7/28, Mark Richman, programmer of MOBY, is coming to SF to reimport back our now edited version of the database, and to train us on the system, Unless something goes categorically wrong (and, hey, shit does, in fact, happen), we should be trained on MOBY on Monday 7/30, and POS is "live" as of that point, just before my "Dream Date" of 8/1. So, fuck yes.

That also means that, between (let's say) 7/16 and 7/28, I HAVE to get the database finished, no screwing around. I think that's an easy deadline (unless I biffed something hard I really should be done with a week to spare), but it IS a deadline, and I have to remain aware of it all the way along.

And somewhere in there is the new ONOMATOPOEIA (I'm guessing we'll have the "blackline" of PREVIEWS on the 17th or so, for a we-photocopy-it date of 7/20 and PREVIEWS street date of 7/25, but I never keep PREVIEWS dates straight in my head)

OH, and the deadline to Turn In next month's orders is 7/31, which means that I can't possibly work the order form in the 7/28-7/30 window I would normal do.... because we're being trained in MOBY right then. Gonna have to figure out a way to do it all on Wed 7/26, because there's not a whole lot of other day options available to me right now.

And, the normal end-of-the-month functions (like bill paying!) seem like they're going to become first-of-the-next-month this cycle, whooops.

So, this is what July looks like to me, wheeeeee. But at the end, I'll have POS and a much better control of my inventory, so this "Lost Month" will be all worth it, I think.

Anyway, just letting you know I'm alive, and why I'm leaving Graeme out to fend for himself right now (Sorry, G!) -- and why my wife hates me because she's having to shoulder like 96% of the entertaining-Ben duties (Sorry, Tzipora!) -- but it's just going to be an ugly July.

More as I have time -- now to take a shower, and maybe pretend I'm a human being entertained by some recreational activity for an hour or two before I sleep...

-B

Labels: POS, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Well! I *finally* got the pre-populated database for MOBY (took nearly a month because I had some fussy requests for them, and I wanted a go at the data without having to use MOBY itself to access it -- MOBY is nice as a POS program, but kinda of mediocre as a let-me-edit-100k+ items; I'm using Excel to manage the data), so this is now my life for the next 2-4 weeks.

The MOBY database goes back something like 5 years, and has something on the order of 140k items in it. Now, of course, AT LEAST 70k of those items aren't things I'd EVER stock in my store of my own volition (like, say, games, or cards, or XENA t-shirts), but it's nice to have them in the database on the off chance that anyone might want them one day.

Of course, 140k items? Yeah, that's a LOT.

So, step #1 was to hack that into more manageable chunks -- I started by sorting out the database by Diamond "category" codes: code "1" is comics, "2" is magazines, "3" is books, and so on. 1, 2, and 3 each have their own files right now, so I don't "cross the streams", while the final 12 or so categories I split into two files. For the most part, I probably will barely touch the final 12 categories (since we're, pretty much, a PURE comics shop), but I'm still going to have to at least look through each and every item to make sure.

Step #2 was to loosely sort the "chunks". Actually, that took all of five minutes per file, if that -- sort the "comics" by publisher, then by title, then by issue #, so that, say, all of the DC books are together, are alphabetical within the "DC" listing, and are in proper alpha numeric order.

This, of course, assume that the data is both accurate and complete, but of course it isn't precisely. Probably 98% looks pretty perfect, but there are definitely holes and problems and miscategorizations. As an example, it appears that every book with a "APR07" code either lost, or never was given its "publisher" field, which means that sorting through data is a two-step process: step a: look at the publisher's bit; step b: look at the "no publisher listed" bit. Oh well, shit happens.

Step #3 is where I am right now: going through those files and looking for things that do or will have. For example, the "comics" file has 36,298 items in it. I'm going to get that down to probably under 2k items, really, since "Back issues" aren't going to be individually tracked through the POS.

So, today I started going through the store with two goals: a) strip some of the "sludge" from the racks, stuff that's been sitting there for (likely) a year or more, almost all of that "indy" or "alternative" books, because, generally, a book comes OFF the rack when the "next issue" is there to replace it. Much of the "indy" stuff never GETS a "next issue", so it tends to accumulate longer. This goal is "pretty much" done (for COMICS) in the 4 hours I was at CE today -- I ended up with a shortbox of "unsalable crap" (estimate: $400, my cost)

Goal b) was to set up a new column in the database that's basically either a "1" or a "0". "1" = "do inventory on this". I almost finished the comics on the right side of the store. I'm going to go in 'round 9am tomorrow to take advantage of 90 minutes or so of no-customers-underfoot, but I'm hoping by, dunno, 3 PM or so I'll be basically finished with the "do we have this in stock/do we anticipate it being in stock soon" marking up of the comics file.

Once that's done, then we move to Step #4 which is going through and editing what needs to be edited in the portion of the comics list I'm "keeping" (we'll keep the data of the OTHER 34k-ish items, but basically trusting "MOBY Defaults" are all correct) -- there I'll be setting reorder points, primary/secondary/tertiary distributor, genre and so on.

There are, by the way, 52 (!!!) columns in each row of the database that I could edit if I wanted/needed to. Though I doubt I'll edit more than 5-10 of them for most items.

There's also Step #5: Look for things that I DON'T have on my rack, but that I WANT to have, and have "slipped through the cracks" over the years. That's a day's work, I think (I'm doing that semi-concurrently, and have finished all of the publishers that begin with an "A")

Then after that, is Step #6: printing a list, organized by rack (genre), and doing a hard physical inventory; followed by Step #7: entering that data into the computer; followed by Step #8: POS goes live (#6 & 7 will happen "concurrently", hopefully in one single day. #8 should be the day after)

I have to do much of those same steps for the "magazine" and "book" files. (much less for the two "everything else" files)

Mags will be pretty simple, actually -- again, don't carry most of that, and I think Books will go smoother as well because I won't have to keep running to the rack to say "Wait, what issue is this on?". Books are largely binary in "do I carry this or not", while periodicals are "I carry this, but not issues six months back" (or whatever), and I have to constantly keep checking, for instance, "what issue is WONDER WOMAN on?"

Based on my progress today, I'm going to tentatively believe that I can accomplish all of this over 3 weeks or less, and my HOPE is I'll be able to "go live" with MOBY on or about 8/1. (I actually *think* I can get it done in around 10 days, and *could* be "live" by 7/15, but I'm still going to settle for 8/1 or later, because "pad" is always better)

So that's what I'm doing, work-wise, for the 11 of you that care. Lots of pain now in exchange for some powerful tools for the future.

I'll try to get in 1 or 2 reviews this week, but don't count on it, given the above.

-B

Labels: POS, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Rob had to help his sister move this week, so I did two back-to-back full days at the store today (well, "am still doing", technically), which I haven't done in a while. It is really good for me, honestly -- got caught up on buckets of stuff in filing and sorting and making sets or whatever. But I'm now very very tired.

James Kochalka came by on his way to his event tonight at Giant Robot, and we chatted for a bit. He's a really terrific guy, and he did some really color nice sketches in two volumes of his books on the shelves. I'm not going to tell you which books they are, in the hopes that they'll end up with some unsuspecting soul whose day is then utterly made.

I've installed all of the POS hardware now at this point, with the sole exception of the "pole display" (will actually be countertop) -- the bit that shows the customer how much is due, etc. Didn't really want it underfoot for the next x weeks it's going to take to get everything finished before POS launch.

I'm not sure I hooked it all up CORRECTLY, however, since I don't really have the software yet to test it all. I have a demo version of MOBY downloaded and installed, but the PDF manual that came with it is a couple of builds out of date, and I can't really piece together what I'm doing on my own. I had sorta hoped I'd've been able to get away without training, but I think now that's a bad idea.

Problem is, that's going to add MORE time to the implementation, since I either need to go to St. Louis, or have them come here. Plus it'll be another, say $500, for travel and lodging that I didn't want to spend. Ah, c'est la guerre.

The next major step is going to be the evil one -- building our initial inventory file. There's something close to 10,000 individual items we carry (not counting single back issues, or sets or quarter books, or whatever), and even if it only took me 1 minute to get each item into a database, that's something like 20 8-hour days, right?

What I'm trying to do is to arrange to get the "pre-populated" database BEFORE I actually get the final version of MOBY, so I can massage it in excel or something -- it's much easier to use Excel to "globally" change 2-3 parameters for all of the, say, ESSENTIAL volumes to be what I want, then it would be to rebuild all that data from scratch. I'm waiting to hear what my real options are here, because I'll cry if I have to build this thing from scratch.

Until then, I'm kinda in limbo -- many people are commenting on the new computer, but it's kind of just an internet-surfing paperweight at the moment, since I can't do any POS with it just yet. I'm sure I'm beginning to inculcate some bad habits (NO SURFING AT WORK, DAMN IT!), but hopefully by Monday I'll know the shape of what my next 2 or so months shall be.

It's really crazy running 2 parallel systems at once -- running stuff through the cash register at the same time I try to set up POS, and I'll be really REALLY glad when the system is fully in and running, and a lot of the stupid time wastes in my week will go away (to be replaced by new ones, I'm sure)

Anywhere, so that's where I'm at.

(in case you cared)

-B

Labels: POS, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

I hate hardware installation -- even with a fresh system... so many wires and stuff to trip over and wind through and trying to make sure that everything is all compatible.

I suspect it is even worse when, like me, you're not actually putting in the POS *yet*, so you have to keep the space for the cash register and all of the "analog" systems at the same time you're trying to set up the new stuff.

I'm likely about a month or so before I even try to ACTUALLY put in the POS -- I'm waiting to hear back from MOBY about what I can expect with the database before I start making with the inventory and all of that. I've downloaded the demo of MOBY from Bitter End, but I haven't installed it as of yet, trying to get all of the hardware pieces sorted first.

I picked a cheap Dell computer (it really was a good price, on the catalog sale), and it's working just fine. What's funny is that, except for the video card, it's faster and smarter than my "home" computer, which is mostly a gaming rig from Alienware. And it cost about a fifth of the Alienware (nearing about 4 years old now... got it right before Ben was born)

Dell's peripherals are damn awful, I have to say -- this keyboard and mouse feel like a child's toy, though the monitor seems decent enough. I'll be getting a new POS-oriented keyboard in a week or so (with a touch pad mouse built in), and that can't happen soon enough.

I picked out most of the rest of my hardware based on recommendations from other retailers on the CBIA, the internet-shopped for most of a week before finding the cheapest vendor.

Some of the hardware I can't precisely test yet -- I've hooked up the receipt printer to the cash drawer, but without installing MOBY, I'm not positive they actually work. Next week sometime!

The first thing you have to do with a new computer is scrub off all the useless software crap they come preloaded with. That's why they're so cheap, I guess -- kickbacks from the software companies.

I also got a regular laser printer from Dell, but I was flabbergasted (FLABBERGASTED) that it didn't come with the USB cable it REQUIRES to hook up to the computer. Next week for that I guess, too.

I've also hooked up the barcode printer, but I don't have the right size labels yet, so setting that all up correctly is going to take some time too. Using the starter labels it came with gave me indifferent results, but they're not the same size as the labels I'll end up using, so I don't want to invest a lot of time in programming it until I get the right labels. That could be today's FedEx, but dunno. I'll begin worrying about that for real tomorrow.

I haven't hooked up the barcode scanner yet, either, but that's more from not being sure exactly where it will finally end up more than anything else.

But yeah, the DSL was easy enough to put in (I can't believe how eensy the modem is!)

Spent yesterday and most of the morning downloading and installing virus protection, firewall, Firefox, then all of the websites I'll want to access from the store with the various passwords. I'm at about 9 hours now, and I'm feeling good about all of that stuff.

Still 9 hours, and POS is still a "soon" prospect, if you see what I mean? At least another 2-3 hours of hardware foolin' in front of me, but its lunch time, then I should get to some "actual store business" (not that this isn't, but you know what I mean -- it feels like I'm "fooling around" by blogging from work)

I'll do one review before the end of the (store) day, I think, but I need to cross off at least 5-6 more items off my "to do list" for today...

-B

Labels: POS, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Yeah, yeah, I suck, you're tired of reading it.

But I spent most of today installing (much of) the hardware for our new POS system at Comix Experience, and getting the new DSL up and running at the store. Yes, after 18 years, Comix Experience is actually going to enter the 20th Century.

What's funny is tomorrow will be the first without-Jeff Friday in a loooong time, and Jeff was kind of complaining about not having internet at the store, and tomorrow will also be the first full day of having internet, so, huh. That's more ironic than rain on your wedding day...

I've also been spending a lot of time setting up a Secret Future Plan for the Savage Critic, and, while we're probably a month away from saying anything real, I think it's going to make the place rock. Hard.

So, like, I might be kinda quiet for the next month, because I'm putting like 80% of my brain into Getting POS online (and another 10% to the Secret Future Plan), but I definitely plan on doing at least one post from the store tomorrow, just because I can.

Honestly though, I hope to reward you for your patience (and I don't want Graeme to think he's alone out there, darn it!)

-B

Labels: POS, retailing

Click Here to Read More...

We've participated in every Free Comic Book Day held so far, because its just a DAMN FINE idea. "The first taste is free" and all that.

Typically, we're pretty mellow about promoting it, preferring the national press to do the heavy lifting. This year was no exception -- zero advertising, no in-store promotion to our regulars, no press releases, heck I don't even put the FCBD window cling up until the week before, and even that's up on the high part of our windows which probably makes it harder to spot.

All of that lack of effort, and yet there were still definitely periods during the day where we had so many people in the store it was difficult to move around without bumping someone's ass.

Lots of kids, too. Lots and lots of kids. Many many many kids. Maybe more kids in 8 hours than we get in a whole month combined. So that rocked.

We were doing OK on FCBD stock until about 3 pm or so -- then we started running out of titles. We started with 35 or so different books, and ended the day with perhaps eight left available.

We don't set limits on what people can take -- we have a "don't be greedy" rule, or "take what you want to eat, eat everything that you take", or perhaps, "don't just take something because it is free"

90%+ of people adhered to this rule without even being told. Even the "leeches" (and most every retailer can tell you about leeches who only come in for whatever is "free", and are, y'know, rude about it) pretty much adhered to the Rule. Which was nice.

90%+ of attendees bought something (counting "a family" as "attendee"), and we had an EXCELLENT sales day. Not a record (that still lies with the Neil Gaiman signing for SEASON OF MISTS HC -- hard to beat selling a $25 hardcover to each and every person who walks through your door, really), but in the top five of all time, and beating last year's FCBD by around 20%.

All in all, a great day, a great event, and we made a WHOLE lot of people really very very happy.

-B

Labels: retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Had some knocking-the-wind-out news on Friday, but mostly I had forgotten it was order form/sub form weekend. I should have comics related content posts on MOnday and Tuesday...

Meanwhile, here's the Top 20 of what Comix Experience ordered for June shipping (no specific numbers this time)...

1. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #4
2. ALL STAR SUPERMAN #8
3. COUNTDOWN #47 (I fell for the returnability offer here)
COUNTDOWN #46
COUNTDOWN #45
COUNTDOWN #44
7. JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #10
DARK TOWN GUNSLINGER BORN #5
9. JUSTICE #12 (Both covers combined)
10. NEW AVENGERS #31 (taking Marvel on it's word...)
11. HELLBOY DARKNESS CALLS #3
FLASH FASTEST MAN ALIVE #13 (also returnability offer)
BRAVE AND THE BOLD #4
14. BATMAN #667
15. RUNAWAYS #27
MIGHTY AVENGERS #4
BOYS #7 (Shame that DC let a top 20 book go away)
18. X-MEN FINCH GATEFOLD VARIANT #200
X-MEN ENDANGERED SPECIES ONE-SHOT
WORLD WAR HULK #1



And here's the Top 20 by the I-think-more-important dollars


1. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #4
2. ALL STAR SUPERMAN #8
3. DARK TOWN GUNSLINGER BORN #5
4. JUSTICE #12 (Both covers combined)
5. SHAZAM MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL #4
6. COUNTDOWN #47
COUNTDOWN #46
COUNTDOWN #45
COUNTDOWN #44
10. EC ARCHIVES TALES FROM THE CRYPT VOL 2 HC
11. JACK KIRBYS FOURTH WORLD OMNIBUS VOL 2 HC
12. ULTIMATES 2 VOL 2 GRAND THEFT AMERICA TP
13. JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #10
14. FRENCH KISS #20 (A)
15. NEW AVENGERS #31
16. WILL EISNERS SPIRIT ARCHIVES V22 HC
17. GRENDEL ART OF MATT WAGNERS GRENDEL HC
18. X-MEN FINCH GATEFOLD VARIANT #200
X-MEN ENDANGERED SPECIES ONE-SHOT
WORLD WAR HULK #1


Dunno if any of that's interesting to anyone...

-B

Labels: retailing

Click Here to Read More...

I haven’t done a lot of charts here, mostly because the response is always so muted. I know only a small number of people have the Numbers Wonk gene, but if you’re one of those people, here’s a peek behind the curtain of Comix Experience, so you can see how things work. That’s because it’s paperwork day here at Casa Hibbs, and one of the things I’m working on is the April subscription orders.

Unlike a lot of stores, we ask subs to order month-by-month. You don’t say you want “Batman” – you say you want “Batman #665” followed by “Batman #666” and so on.

The following list is our top 40 sub orders for the month of April 2007. The deadline to turn this in was February 14th, so most of our customers made their decisions 6-8 weeks ago – this especially means on books that are on #2 or #3, sub counts tend to be lower as customers haven’t SEEN #1 with their own eyes yet. People tend to be willing to “take a flyer” on a new #1, much less so on the #2 and #3. Once you hit #4+, these numbers get increasingly accurate.

The first column is the numeric rank, the second column is the percentage of our total subscribers who ordered the book, and the third column is (obviously) the title. That is to say: our #1 preordered book for April (Astonishing #22) was preordered by 41% of our subscription customers.

Hopefully this will format OK as I transfer it from Excel to Word to Blogger. If not? Deal!

1 41% Astonishing X-Men #22
2 36% 52 Weeks 48-52
3 34% JLA #8
4 31% JSA #5
5 29% Batman #665
6 27% Justice #11
27% The Spirit #5
8 26% Daredevil #96
9 23% Brave & Bold #3
23% Fables #60
11 22% Hellboy: Darkness Calls #1
22% Buffy Season 8 #2
13 20% New Avengers #29
14 19% Detective #831
19% Shazam: Monster Society #3
19% Runaways #25
19% Ultimate Spidey #108
19% Uncanny X-Men #485
19% Thunderbolts #113
20 18% World War II #1-4
18% Midnighter #6
18% Iron Fist #5
18% Punisher Max #46
18% Ultimate Power #5
25 17% Teen Titans #46
17% Y, The Last Man #56
17% Ex Machina #27
17% Stephen King's Dark Tower #3
17% Ultimate FF #41
30 16% Green Lantern #19
16% Jack of Fables #10
16% The Boys #10
16% Mighty Avengers #2
16% X-Factor #18
35 15% BPRD Garden of Souls #2
15% Dr. Fate #1
15% Ultimate X-Men #81
38 14% Supergirl & LSH #15
14% Optic Nerve #11
14% Love & Rockets #19
14% Fantastic Four #545

Anything interesting pop out to you? (this isn’t a test or anything)

-B

Labels: retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Here’s a list of the “top 40” comics “expected to arrive in April 2007”, and how I ordered them. These are my gut-reaction orders from about 8 weeks ago when I did my first pass through the catalog. These numbers may have switched around a bit at FOC time, but there’s usually not a TON of adjusting going on.

Like above, we’ve got three columns. Again, rank, followed by a let’s-use-Diamond’s-percentage-of-BATMAN-metric, followed by title.

(note: some of this WON'T ACTUALLY SHIP IN APRIL 2007!)


1 231% Buffy Season 8 #2
2 169% Astonishing X-Men #22
3 138% JLA #8
4 131% 52 Week #52
131% Stephen King's Dark Tower #3
6 123% 52 Week #50
123% 52 Week #51
123% Hellboy: Darkness Calls #1
9 115% 52 Week #48
115% 52 Week #49
115% JSA #5
12 108% Brave & Bold #3
108% Justice #11
14 100% Batman #665
100% Runaways #25
16 92% Mighty Avengers #2
92% Optic Nerve #11
92% World War II #1
92% World War II #2
92% World War II #3
92% World War II #4
22 86% Ultimate Power #5
23 77% Madman Atomic Comics #1
77% New Avengers #29
77% Shazam: Monster Society #3
77% The Boys #10
77% Wonder Woman #7
77% Wonder Woman #8
29 71% The Spirit #5
30 69% Daredevil #96
69% Uncanny X-Men #485
69% X-Men #198
33 66% Thunderbolts #113
34 62% Army @ Love #2
62% Avengers: The Initiative #1
62% BPRD Garden of Souls #2
62% Detective #831
62% Fables #60
62% Iron Fist #5
62% Love & Rockets #19
62% Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness #2
62% newuniversal #4


As you can probably see, I’m a lot bolder than my preorders in some places – especially “civilian friendly” material and new books. And there’s some places I’m decidedly more timid.

-B

Labels: retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Traditionally everyone stares the most at the quantity list. But, at a retailer, the DOLLAR list is probably more important. Same set up as above, but often different results.

(note: several of these have already been cancelled, or won't otherwise actually ship in 4/07!!)


1 231% Buffy Season 8 #2
2 216% Y, The Last Man v9 TP
3 175% Stephen King's Dark Tower #3
4 169% Astonishing X-Men #22
5 154% Shazam: Monster Society #3
6 138% JLA #8
7 126% Justice #11
8 123% Hellboy: Darkness Calls #1
9 122% Optic Nerve #11
10 115% JSA #5
11 109% 52 Week #52
12 108% Brave & Bold #3
13 103% 52 Week #50
103% 52 Week #51
15 103% Wonder Woman: Who is WW HC
16 100% Batman #665
100% Runaways #25
18 96% 52 Week #48
96% 52 Week #49
20 93% Love & Rockets #19
21 92% Wizard #187
22 92% Mighty Avengers #2
23 90% Mouse Guard v1 HC
24 86% Ultimate Power #5
25 82% 52 volume 1 TP
26 82% Art of Bone HC
27 77% World War II #1
77% World War II #2
77% World War II #3
77% World War II #4
77% Golden Age Dr. Fate Archives
32 77% Eternals by Gaiman HC
33 77% Alpha Flight Classic v1 TP
34 77% EC Archives: Shock SuspenStories v2 HC
77% The Plain Janes GN
36 77% Hellboy Companion TP
77% Madman Atomic Comics #1
77% New Avengers #29
77% The Boys #10
77% Wonder Woman #7
77% Wonder Woman #8

Any thoughts?

Here’s one from me. By SUBS, OPTIC NERVE #11 is a Top 40 hit. By quantity ordered, it is a Top 20 hit. By the amount of money I expect to make from it… it’s a Top 10 book.

-B

Labels: retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Tzipora wonders why I go to bed at 1 am every night, and it's because it is midnight and I'm still typing.

BUT, now that it is Midnight, that means it is April 1, which means you're going to read a lot of stupid stuff on the 'net today that you shouldn't believe. This one is real, however.

Comix Experience is 18 years old today. Give her a round of applause!

(you have no idea how old this makes me feel, by the way)


-B

Labels: retailing

Click Here to Read More...

Dude, the truck came FOUR hours late today (pulled up at 5:05 pm), so I didn't even get home until 13 hours after I left this morning. Thus: head aches too much to review.

However, this gives me the excuse to post something I keep thinking should mention and keep forgetting to do...

If you're moving, you need boxes. Many many boxes. Boxes are life.

COmics are pretty bulky. Really, quite amazingly bulky, really, so comic shops get lots and lots of boxes every week.

The nice thing about the boxes they ship our comics in, is that they come with two inner boxes inside the outer box -- one box actually contains 3 boxes. And they're not shitty boxes. They're actually really strong high quality boxes.

They're perfect for packing comics in of course. Ever so less perfect for other kinds of books. The work great for clothes and things like that, too.

ANyway, every week, I have at least 15 or so of these boxes which we just dump out for the cardboard scavengers to get. Why not just give them to you instead?

So, if you're moving, and if you need boxes.... ask at your Local Comic Book Store to see if you can have thiers. You'll be happy.

More later.

-B

Labels: retailing

Click Here to Read More...