It’s weird to me that the local comic shops do things to turn away their regular customers. Do they not depend on repeat business? Greed for short-term gains only works for CEO’s with huge bonuses that don’t care about the long-term health of the company
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My LCSs here don’t mark up prices on release day, it wouldn’t go over well with our customers here. They limit new releases to 1 copy per customer on release day and after that it’s all yours. I have heard stories of stores jacking up new release day books on new release Wednesday but I have never actually seen it done in person. It would really grind my gears if I ever saw that. I guess some stores would do that at smaller towns, not sure they would do it in a metropolitan city where customers can go elsewhere.
However what they will do is some tomfoolery. For example, do you guys remember when TMNT The Last Ronin came out and there was a press release that they would allocate copies to stores? Caused giant FOMO and the prices went through the roof. Sure enough my LCS said they didn’t have enough copies and there were none for the shelves…
Weeks later I was milling around the store and a customer came in asking the shop owner for a copy of The Last Ronin. The owner said sure I got a copy. He takes one underneath his desk and said $75 dollars. He told the customer that someone had put it in their pull box on hold but never came to pick up their copy…“oh reaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllyyyyyy” 
Just happens to be the hottest book on the planet for those few weeks and they didn’t come to pick it up. I have no doubts that there were many more copies stashed away under his desk that customers “forgot to pick up”
My LCS used to put out the one per store books for cover…then they caught on about 6-8 months ago. Pricing them at the eBay high sale price.
Every single one per store book since then can now be seen sitting behind the counter. Collecting dust.
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I was really surprised. They have never done this before. Hot books won’t be on the shelf and later reappear like your Ronin example, but I’ve never seen them mark stuff up and try and sell it like that from day 1. Business must be tough right now.
Not that surprised. Dynamite ratios are flooded into the market constantly. Good luck ever finding any these day that will be good value later.
Finally have tracking for my order of Apex. Diamond’s incompetence caused faulty FOMO for everyone buying.
Next we’ll see pre foc orders get cancelled if they get hot
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So you are who I have been selling against. I am sold out so I hope yours all sell too.
It’s gonna get a bit hectic I think because of Marvel Rivals…
I admittedly love the game. Not only Rivals, but Marvel Snap is also featuring quite a few of these characters that are sort of lesser known & with just a bit of nudging and highlights by certain apps you’ll see them move. Already seeing it. We know how it works love it or hate it.
Look for Luna Snow, Galacta (too hard to find already), & Lin Lie Iron Fist (Iron Fist #1) to start moving
Personally I am waiting to see movement on the Mark Soears Soawn covers.
This Mark Spears guy is out of control. lol
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This market has brought back the fun fellas. Spears, Jeff, ultimate wolvie, and absolute….just crazy. But yes, Spears has pretty much single-handedly transformed the game.
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I think two idiots got caught in a bidding war. BIN copies for $70 or less. A fool and their money…
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I always just buy it now. I don’t need folks outbidding me at the last minute…
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Where did you order from?
Could be straight from Diamond and it wouldn’t make a difference to be honest, haha. I anticipate my copies having damages and either refunding or shipping damages for preorders. No ability to get replacements.
Mine were all beautiful. And now beautifully gone.
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Wonderland Comics. Rarely have an issue. I like the place because I pass by it every few months. One of the few places I can order online and have it held/not pay shipping.
When I’m able to have them hold a hot book for me, that allows me to sell my copies on hand knowing I got one more waiting. That’s what I did for the Absolute Batman, which is a 9.8 candidate.
But the risk is they don’t guarantee any grade…they will
Let me examine the books when I pick them up. But this time I had my wife grab them for me as she was passing through.
So I’m not saying they did anything wrong…just unfortunate for me…it’s the risk I take doing what I do.
They’re actually very nice people. It’s rare they cancel an online order. Another reason I go there.
I do similiar, I have found only two Canadian stores that have hold boxes and have the integrity to not raid those boxes/honour their online orders. If your store doesn’t have a hold box I don’t ever order online from them (shipping 3 books is the same as shipping 30 here) and will have them ship every couple of months. The one store held a Mark Spears Bridezilla and 2 Absolute Batman and all arrived in perfect condition, this keeps me buying books from them.
Like you said it means I can sell any copies I can scrounge up from brick and mortar stores, well at least back when this ridiculous postal strike wasn’t a thing.
Just sold both copies of It’s Jeff for fat profits. I’m happy now move on to the next spec.
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