It’s like when a new video game system gets released. Imagine stores like Walmart pulling all their available stock off the shelves prior to release day. Customers come in on the big day and are being told that the system which retails for $500 is now going to be sold on release day for $5000 because that’s what some people are paying for it on eBay. Imagine how pissed Sony or Microsoft would be that gamers aren’t getting their systems.
It’s like the wild wild west for comic shops. I can’t think of another industry that treats their customers so poorly. That’s why I think this thread is so necessary. Out these shops so we don’t ever have to pay them a visit if we’re traveling or in the area. Lots of other shops that treats their customers well.
Whenever I visit a shop and they don’t have a price on their back issues with signs saying they will price at the counter, I’m out.
Exactly. I was like why are you so worried about me buying 2 copies of a book thats been sitting in your boxes since 2012 lol? He’d change the prices of books in my file even. Id put a few books back, go to grab them a couple days later, and the prices had been changed dramatically. Most the owners in the area say he’s a A**hole but they still kiss his butt…its crazy. I do my FOC ordering and shop at Queen City Comics in Cincinnati now…Geoff is amazing, never steered me wrong once in 2 years now.
There are plenty of shops that pay attention to the market and pull whatever Key Collector tells them to and raises the prices. Thats fine and dandy…they are on top of their inventory. But stores who are too LAZY to pay attention to the actual market, and only target certain people and change their prices, thats just bad business. The store owner is basically relying on me to tell him what’s hot when I find it, and then raise the price to where I won’t want it…how is that good business? There is another store around here (Jim and Dans) who look stuff up too. BUT, they honor the sticker price on 1 copy, if you are buying 3 of the same book they will look up the others and charge accordingly. But at least we all KNOW that this is their policy and I have nothing wrong with that. Its the ones that act like you are stealing from them or you are doing something malicious just because you are trying to buy multiple comics for the price that THEY have them priced at…they need smacked around.
I thought I’d chime in on Bell, Book, and Comic in Kettering as I shop there as well. They have a ton of back issues, and order a lot of product. When a new variant comes out. I know they’ll have it. They meet all the thresholds and as far as I can tell, they are just about the only store in the area to do so, so that’s where I have to go.
I agree the owner is definitely mean to customers that he sees as resellers and I hate that. He treated me that way at first, but has been pretty decent since I set up some subscriptions with him. I never try to buy more than one copy of anything because I know their reaction.
I definitely don’t like them but I feel somewhat stuck. I don’t really want to order all of my books online and when it comes to the hard to get ratios, I think they’re the only game in town. I haven’t even found any stores in Cincinnati that can compare.
The worst thing about Bell Book and Comics is that they mark up “hot” books on release day. For example, last week they had Avengers Forever 6 for $7.99. When questioned, he tells you that it’s hot and it’s already selling for $xx.xx. It’s annoying. I feel like an abused person that keeps going back haha.
Haha DSizzle31 I feel you man. Queen City Comics always has all the new books and multiple Incentives every week. There are two different stores, I go to the Montgomery/Ridge location. The shop that orders more than anyone is Comic Book World in Florence…right across the Kentucky State line. They order massive amounts of everything and dont care how many you grab either. I order all my books ahead of time though so I never am pulling from the shelves. We have a 700 follower base on Whatnot in 2 months, and Ive started ordering new books alot heavier in preparation for Cons and possibly opening our own brick and mortar. Like I ordered 100 copies of Miles 38, 100 of Grim, 400 of the Mandalorian 1etc…and the owner of QC gives us a nice discount plus all the incentives we qualify for FREE. If you can make that drive, they are awesome people. I like the guys at Nostalgia Ink and Mavericks in Cincinnati too…all good shops.
I will say this. If back issues aren’t priced, immediately ask about them. One of my favorite shops only had maybe half of their back issues priced. I cautiously asked them about it the first time there, and they said if it’s not separately priced, it’s always cover price. I would have bailed immediately if they pulled the “we’ll price it at the register” nonsense. They are awesome and always honor prices. I found the A cover as well as all three 1:25s of A-Force 1 buried in their unbagged 50 cent boxes (all in fantastic condition). They recognized the books at checkout, but were cool about it. “Nice finds!” I’ve now gone back a zillion times because of that and spent a bunch there.
I put in the research, the legwork and the money, I invest in knowledge of a comic, 1 app etc…for me to do all that and have them price at the counter is wrong. They are a shop and they sell goods, these should be clearly priced so a customer can make an informed choice to buy or not…anyway I will NEVER buy from anyone who prices at the counter.
I’ve had some shops price stuff lower at the counter if they’ve had it awhile and I ask about it. That’s the only counter-located repricing I enjoy, lol.
I wonder if paying that person a salary just to look for hot Books actually results in more sales to pay that salary…or just create more wall books to display.
Also, Austin Books and Comics is known to yank hot books before and after release, hide them and put one out at a time on the “wall” with the sign… “recently acquired”… if it sells, they replace it with the next one behind the counter. they try to make it seem more rare than it really is. It’s a reason I don’t shop there anymore. This all started with Middleton’s Batgirl #23 cover… they got every other book in that week but suprisingly said they got none of that cover in. Several weeks later another customer saw the stack of them in the back warehouse. They were holding them to cash out probably when it peaked… they did start showing up on the “wall” as recently acquired… It was complete BS… after that, I never went back!
Probably gain more than lose… either way, pay the employee to sit and do nothing (waiting for a sale to happen) or have them walk around and yank hot books when not checking consumers out.
