I had every intention on buying Feral, but the book has 23+ covers counting incentives and exclusives. Regardless of value, Stray Dogs #1 went under the radar for weeks and didn’t have incentives or 20+ covers. I’ll read the story later and save money.
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Feral only has 7 covers. A, B and C are open order with C being a blank then you have 4 ratio’s for 10, 25, 50 and 100.
I do expect it to be heavily ordered though.
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He’s including retailer exclusives when he mentions 20+ covers.
Okay, so 16 stores ordered store exclusive covers. That sounds about normal for many titles. I don’t follow those since in general, I assume they would mainly only be sold by the 16 stores ordering them and not available to everyone else to participate. I’ve seen some go into the hundreds when you start figuring in store exclusives.
Most people at most stores may only have 2 covers to chose from unless their store of preference also gets some blanks for the niche market or chases some ratio’s. I only ordered A Covers for my store. I still get those “I only want Original1st prints” people who will not take anything other than cover A. Just had two new one’s singing that song Thursday and Friday but at least the first one grabbed the last 1st print original Six Fingers". He refused all the later printings for Beneath the Tree’s.
What’s the minimum for image store exclusives? 500?
So that’s 8000 more copies no one asked for?
I would assume those 8,000 would be tied up in pricing games where stores are asking higher than normal for that special cover or claiming to destroy a specific number. I doubt they’d be available at cover if the title takes off, sells out of A and B and gets hot.
Image has their new higher discount in play now so it’s really not break the bank to chase an exclusive here or there.
Even at the smaller store 55% discount bracket, you could get 100 A, B and C’s plus the 17 ratio’s that qualifies you for at only a touch over $200 investment.
Image is being very generous.
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Here is how I remain successful and make a profit with store variants:
I avoid them like the plague.
Seriously, I dabbled in them briefly years ago and they’re just not a good idea.
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Unless there is a cover by an artist I really want, I don’t buy store exclusives. I did get that Elvira Hughes cover because I love Elvira and Hughes.
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SIKTC exclusives were quite profitable up to around issue 15 or 16 when there were tons of covers. Killed the game. JTC covers were great up until the past year or so. But I agree, I only really buy exclusive covers now during crazy sales like TFAWs dollar sale a year ago when they had CBCS 9.8 exclusives for $1.
For Marvel I believe it’s 3,000
Image Comics Retailer Exclusive Program Update
UPDATED: 5/22/2023
Image Comics is rolling out a new Retailer Exclusives program for single issues and with long-term series growth in mind.
Immediately following the PREVIEWS drop for each month, Image Comics will update the retailer site with a listing of new series #1s that are eligible for retailer exclusive opportunities. Image will also send out an email announcement listing the new titles available for retailer exclusives. To be added to this list, email Jon Schlaffman (jonschlaffman@imagecomics.com)
Forms for each title will be available for retailers to download, fill out and send to Image Comics’ Specialty Sales Coordinator, Jon Schlaffman (jonschlaffman@imagecomics.com).
Retailers interested in participating in Image Comics’ Retailer Exclusives program must be aware of and agree to the following requirements:
Every retailer exclusive cover requested will have a minimum order of 500 copies
Retailers may request multiple versions of a cover (virgin, b&w pencils, etc) but EACH cover has a minimum order of 500 copies
Every retailer requesting one or more exclusives on an issue #1 commits to also purchasing 50 copies of #1 (any open to buy covers); 40 copies of #2 (any open to buy covers) AND 40 copies of #3 (any open to buy covers)
For each retailer exclusive variant requested, retailer agrees to make advance payment to Image of $500, which will cover the plate change fees and cover Image’s Production and Coordination expenses
Payment is required in advance of the FOC date. If payment is not received, books will not be printed.
All retailer exclusives will ship through Diamond Comic Distributors
Artist selection is required to have been signed off on by the creators before the Request Form Deadline
A rough sketch of the cover requires creator approval before proceeding to the final art stage
Final art is due two weeks before issue FOC
Missing any deadlines will result in an immediate, non-negotiable cancellation of the retailer exclusive
NO EXCEPTIONS to any of the above requirements will be made or considered.
To request a retailer exclusive, please fill out the form for the eligible title. Forms must be filled out and submitted via electronic mail as soon as possible to Jon Schlaffman (jonschlaffman@imagecomics.com).
If an issue #1 is available for retailer exclusive, it is listed on the Image retailer services page. If it is not listed, it is not available. If interested in a non #1 issue, contact Jon Schlaffman (jonschlaffman@imagecomics.com).
Shortages & Damages Procedure:
Damages or shortages will be credited or replaced at the discretion of IMAGE COMICS and must be reported to Diamond ASAP.
Please be advised that we are entering into agreement to provide a comic fit for sale through a comic shop. There is no guarantee that the comics received should register at any specific professional grading level. Small rolls, minor spine ticks and other very small cosmetic blemishes or printer issues are NOT going to be grounds for credit or replacement. If retailers wish to enter into an agreement to pursue an exclusive with Image Comics, by the submission of this form, they are indicating that they are in agreement that minor superficial damages will not be grounds for credit or replacement
Photos of damages AND photos of the shippers that the books arrived in are required to request credit or replacement.
IN CASE OF SHORTAGES:
- Retailers must initiate the shortage report with Diamond, upon receipt of shipment.
- Provide Diamond with accurate quantity, title, and Diamond code for each shorted cover.
IN CASE OF DAMAGES:
- Retailers must initiate the damage report with Diamond, upon receipt of shipment and provide the following information:
- Photos showing the damages for each book being claimed as damaged
- Photos of the boxes the exclusives were shipped in
- Accurate quantity, title, and Diamond code for each damaged variant
Image Comics Retailer Exclusive Program Update - Diamond Comics
550 minimum if you count the open order covers they are required to buy.
If my math is right, a store at 55% discount has to pay $1.80 for each of the 500 comics plus another $1 per comic in Image fee’s for a total cost of $2.80 plus shipping for $3.99 comics which I’m sure they end up asking more than $3.99 for but are in reality still cheap enough for Galaxycon and such places to order as door giveaways and such. In other words you can still make money selling them at cover price although I suspect many don’t try that low. Shipping for 500 comics from Lunar would be between $11.50 to $23 if a second box is needed.
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Funny you should mention Galaxy Con. I just got in a couple of Galaxy con GI Joe #1 IDW reprints with the Galaxy Con Exclusive covers from 2019. They were $4 each plus $2.80 shipping. So, $10.80 for the pair, I couldn’t pass that up since I was keeping one and selling the other.
Galaxycon just sprang to mind since they send me a few for free as bribery to pass out their brochures for conventions coming soon to my area a couple times a year.
Maybe it’s just me, but $65 for a Saturday general admission to GalaxyCon seems a bit much considering it’s just a traveling convention like Wizard World was.
I don’t go but I send my 4 biggest subscribers with 3 day free passes each year as part time employees.
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Since you can an order it from Keenspot’s webstore, like all their books, not really…
Ebay is flooded with flippers buying from their webstore.
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lets you add 10k copies, id be cautious about order getting filed
Its their own book. They can print-to-order…
Let alone the fact all the flippers buying tons of the variants from the webstore before FOC, that definitely sends a red alert to the publisher… “Hey demand is high, lets print a ton…”
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What was the price on the website? It’s 29.99 now.