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DEATH OF THE COMIC BOOK (Comic Book Forums)

  • DEATH OF THE COMIC BOOK

Author Discussion
  • Posted: February 7, 2013 3:35:38 pm
  • The closest supermarket to me and the one i shop at most of often does carry comics. They have 1 metal spin rack with some DC , Marvel and Archie stuff. Wish i was about to tell you they sell out every time but i would be lying. Honestly not sure why they stock them at all. From what i can tell when i am in there(usually once a week) they just don't move. Maybe it's the sheer size of the business that 1 measly rack of comics isn't even a blip on their radar. Unfortunately many businesses can not afford to eat such losses or could but are unwilling to. Either way the push of the comic book out of places where easy access can be gained by all is definitely a contributor to the decline of the media.

    The move from print to digital is certainly another. Which for me personally leaves me not sure how i feel about this. I am very much into a "green" economy. Comics obviously being a paper product consume natural resources which i do not favor at all. However they are a collectible and collectors like having something tangible to hold. As individuals we have to weigh the pros and cons of paper vs digital and do what we feel is best.

    Pricing. Well not much to say on the subject other then $4+ for a comic? Insane. DC has the edge with me when i do decide to buy a paper comic. I like their drawing the line at $2.99 but to be honest i think even that is rather expensive. Another pro for digital. Pricing is much better.
  • Posted: February 7, 2013 3:45:51 pm
  • claudioma said:
    Yep i remeber buying books for .10 and then .12 cents when I was a kid and being able to buy second hand books from .03 to .o7 cents, Unfortunaty my parents threw them all out or else I would be a very happy and wealthy man today,


    I missed the days of 10 cent issues. I do remember though when comics went from 75 cents to $1.00. I couldn't believe it.
    "You will soon see the distinct advantages of having no scruples whatsoever!" - Cobra Commander
  • Posted: February 7, 2013 3:46:58 pm
  • More and more DC titles are creeping to the $3.99 mark...especially the popular ones like Batman, Justice League...
    "Disliking everything is not the same thing as having an opinion"

  • Posted: February 7, 2013 6:41:21 pm
  • If you only buy a couple titles like myself the price is not an issue. If you are dumb like me and get your wife into zenescope comics whom wants all kinds of variants then that is costly.

    I will say when the books I buy have variants it can be pricey but I can usually handle it for the few I buy.
  • Posted: February 8, 2013 7:55:55 pm
  • One small point about being "green." One should consider that tablets require energy to use. Over the life of the device I would expect the negative impact on the environment to be greater with a tablet than with printed material.

    You also have to consider the heavy metals and toxic chemicals that go into the construction of the device that you read on and all the infrastructure required to create and transmit the files.

    Not to say that paper production is in any way environmentally friendly (though it can be made more so if you recycle and use low bleach paper) but don't kid yourself into thinking that e-readers are environmentally safe. Factor in the planned obsolescence of such devices and you generate tons of toxic logic boards and chips.

    Just something to consider.

    I still read paper comics. Grew up with them and can't seem to adapt to digital. I still buy new books but spent the last few years buying older stuff.

    With regard to the "death" of comics, it seems like lots of things are dying these days. Records, books, comics, brick and mortar stores...I guess that society is changing and that people would rather have the convenience and cost savings rather than the experience and human interaction that comes with physically having to go out and buy a product.

    The fact of the matter is that people have a choice about how they want to interact with each other and with their possessions. If you unhappy about the "death" of some sort of media, then you should be prepared to pay to keep it around. I hear people all the time lament about the potential closing of book stores in their neighborhood, but they don't buy anything while they are there and instead order what they want from Amazon.

    My feelings on this matter: Either you value something and are willing to pay for it or you don't and it goes away.

    If you want the situation to change you need to do the following:

    Be prepared to spend more than you think you should have to in order to keep what you value going.

    Consider the time and energy spent in acquiring something to be part of the "fun".

    Spend time trying to get the next generation interested in what you are interested in.

    Shop locally even if it means paying more to get something.

    Just my .02, which is about all its worth.
  • Posted: February 8, 2013 8:08:21 pm
  • There needs to be a collective movement. A network in order to make this happen.
  • Posted: February 8, 2013 9:56:37 pm
  • So, start a movement.

    I bought 7 comics at my local book store this week. Could I have gotten them cheaper online? Sure, but I spend a little more and ensure that other people have acess to them.

    If you don't have a local store that carries comics stop by someplace that carries magazines and ask them why they don't stock comics. Honestly tell them how much you are prepared to spend each week on books and then follow up on it

    Have friends that collect? Get them to do the same thing.

    See if the local book store will let you start a comic book group and then meet at the store, drink beverages and buy some comics. Talk to the manager and show interest. People that work at book stores tend to do so because they love books. Find an employee that loves comics and get them committed to getting comics into their store.

    When Iron Man 3 comes out, take all your lower grade or duplicate books and give them away to kids outside the theater. Tell their parents what a great investment comics are.

    Next Halloween, give kids comics instead of candy.

    Go to your local art museum and badger them to set up some sort of comic book retrospective with original art and rare books. Volunteer to help with this in any way you can. When they agree, give away inexpensive comics to everybody that shows up on opening day.

    Be the change that you want to see.
  • Posted: February 9, 2013 2:31:51 pm
  • I think ebay has changed the allure and potential of the LCS as well. Apart from an LCS being a place to get your new comics, the bigger appeal for me was always the ability to browse back issues and pick up things you'd missed. Im not even talking about finding a buried key, but just pickin up issues that you hadnt gotten the first time around, or when you start a new collection getting a start buy buyin up all the issues they had stocked.

    THat doesnt work anymore. It seems like LCS's seem to keep less and less back issues, and the only ones they have are issues that no one has any interest in at all. I went to an LCS today, one Id never been to, to see what was there. THe back issue selection was actually surprisingly small, and none of the things I was looking for had back issues. And I wasnt looking for Amazing Fantasy 15, I was looking for things like old Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Megaman, Wheel of Time: EotW, etc.

    I think one of the problems is that people are now buyin current comics and puttin em up on Ebay if there is any interest in the comic at al, even just at cover price. Not sure why people are doin that, but it seems to be the trend.

    So now if you want back issues, you pretty much have to spend some time on ebay, because lately its been my experience that you cant find em in a shop.
  • Posted: February 9, 2013 6:24:08 pm
  • I don't buy on ebay now, but about 5 years ago and more I did all the time. If there was one or two back issues i was looking for the LCS would sell them for slightly over cover price, I would then get them on Ebay for the same price with 10 extra issues at times. That's how I started buying most my comics. I never buy new stuff on Ebay, just older stuff. Like Blackest Night, I wanted to read all the stuff, the main story and all the tie-ins, instead of spending hundreds and hundreds in the LCS I waited till it was all done and bought lots of them all for about 20% of what I would pay in the store. Same with 52 and Countdown, waited till it was all done and bought them all for a fraction of what I would have paid in the store.
    I know it hurts LCS, but with the cover prices what they are, unless you are Nic Cage or some really rich person you're screwed
  • Posted: February 9, 2013 9:03:24 pm
  • I have a hard time buying on ebay. I just don't like to buy a comic without being able to inspect it. I'm thankful that my LCS has tons of back issues. They are constantly buying collections and keys. They just picked up another 50 long boxes 2 weeks ago. They recently just had Hulk 181 come back graded at a 9.8. That thing sold right away. They have tons of great books on the wall. Lots of bronze and silver.
    I hate hearing about shops that don't have back issues. For many years shops like that were my only option for back issues. They never had key issues and most wouldn't even bag and board them. They were chucked into a box in no particular order and were bent up from people digging through them.
    "You will soon see the distinct advantages of having no scruples whatsoever!" - Cobra Commander
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