Tales from the Comic Box - Rookie Adventures in Buying/Selling/Cons 5 5

[Artboy99]

1 minute ago, Wall-Crawler said:

That is frustrating.  

I never understand why people have trouble with basic communication.  Due to set up issues last year, I spoke in advance with organizers so I am was assured of my spot but as I am sure you know, you kind of have to be prepared to "roll" with whatever ends up happening.

The only show I have had that I have ever been able to set up the day before is Graphic Con in Sudbury, ON.  All the other ones, yep, a few hours before the show.

Good luck with your show! Love to hear a report and see some pics!

In fact I just got an email reply to one I had sent on Sept 27th where he asks me if I am attending his show?

[spreads]

1 hour ago, Wall-Crawler said:

The people are kind of known "wheeler dealers" and refused to move even after I politely pointed out the flaws. Had the welds been fine, held silver age books and the spray paint not been so bad, I would have paid the $250 but now way it was worth that with all its problems, at least not to me. I appreciate the advice on checking for the welds. I checked all of them and the loose weld was not obvious until you moved/touched it and it was one of the last things I checked.

Always better to stick to your guns!  And the pool of buyers for these (in your area) I imagine would be very small, you might even be able to get it lower a year or two down the road if they're still selling (I've done that!).

I just picked up another small lot; I took a flier on the two pictured books and figured at about 50-60 cents each (based on the tub size) it was a low-risk grab - $80 CAD for about 120-150 books.  Loads of sets (that I've already priced-out), and a bunch of solid books that will sell in the dollar bin.  Good run Uncanny, Moon Knight (issue 1) and some keys as well...the only bagkicker is I believe the woman smoked, I should have known when I saw the part of town she lived in! 

[spreads]

50 minutes ago, Wall-Crawler said:

Next  and Final Show for 2017:

North Bay Gateway Fan Ex - Sunday November 12, 2017

This is another show right in my home town. Last years show was the first attempt of a local "convention style" show.

Based on the difficulties last year, I have been assured that I have a space along the wall (not in a centre aisle) and as costs were cheap, I decided to pay for a double wide booth (essentially two booth spaces), so 20 x 10.  I plan on having a mix of boxes and books (particularly sets) laid flat and displayed on at least part of the table.  I don't have time to restock my $2 boxes or sets unfortunately (taking down dying maple in backyard on Saturday, taking dock out at cabin on Sunday and next weekend taking out other dock at my parents and likely the boat) but I should still have enough variety and I am only  taking "mainstream" stuff and that basically just has to be loaded.

I like that now I am pretty much at the point where I can just load boxes. I still have more stuff to price but it is nice to just have to only double check prices once in awhile and being ready to go/set up pretty easily.

I know some vendors did not do very well at the last show and are not returning.  There were problems with advertising, signage, etc.  so it will be interesting to see how those problems have been addressed.  The organizers are very pleasant though and I think some of these issues, hopefully, will improve over time.  I am pretty sure I will be the only comic guy this year.  I did well enough last year, mostly thanks to regulars who knew I would be there and the "casual buys" were a nice bump.  I cannot understate how important it is that my local regular customers come out and support me with these shows in my home town.  Without them, it is likely they would not be "worth" doing.

I know this year they are planning on a cosplay contest, a few tournaments for things like Magic, Pokemon and there will be a Wii tournament of some sort.  

We shall see!

 

Good luck, having a corner on the market is a great thing!  All customers will flock to you and will only further cement your reputation....I deal with some very large local dealers that have been doing it for quite some time, so they get a lot of 'default' business.

[spreads]

38 minutes ago, Artboy99 said:

In fact I just got an email reply to one I had sent on Sept 27th where he asks me if I am attending his show?

Honestly, how do these people function in their day-to-day jobs?  I'm currently dealing with a realtor that hasn't figured out the 'reply-all' function yet, despite telling him many times. 

[Wall-Crawler]

On 10/27/2017 at 9:34 AM, Artboy99 said:

Good luck!

Being the only comic vendor has the obvious benefit, but it also has a negative: as a comic buyer I would probably not return to this show if there is only one seller.

Then as the only comic seller you find you do not do as well next time as fewer comic buyers return, then you don't go the following year and if the show continues it does so without comic books.

 

Saw this happen locally at a show called the Eek!

The first year there was only 3 comic sellers, and we did marginal but decided to return for the following year. At that show there were only 2 comic sellers 1 of which was us and the other was a local store and all they were selling was trades. Many of the show attendees told us that we were the only booth worth visiting and that they wouldn't come back the next time.

The next year we didn't go, and the show organizer contacted me, and even offered us a free booth if we would come but there was no point in going.

Thanks!

I have not heard the "they will not be back" from customers for this show yet, but some vendors did bow out (for various reasons).

I do get lots of compliments on my booth, it is a nice feeling to have your hard work at least acknowledged.  There were two other comic vendors there previously. One said he did ok. The other guy, who I also know of, did not cover his costs to even set up.  There are several reasons for that beyond "growing pains" for a first time show. I did very well by my standards for a show this size (hence why I am back) so him not making his costs back is more about him than the show itself.

I think these are the reasons why there are so few other comic vendors. A)  there are not just a lot of us in this area and B) it would not really be "worth" the time for larger dealers or anyone really more than a couple hours away to make the trip for such a small show at this point in time.  Maybe the whole "if you build it they will come" philosophy might work but who knows...For whatever reason, my LCS does not "do" shows. The other LCS that is about 1.5 hours away is moving more into the video game side of things and they have obviously made a determination that it is not worth it or they don't know about it.

I have a "minimum standard' in my mind and I will keep doing these small local shows so long as I continue to at least hit that minimum or people get sick of seeing me 

[thehumantorch]

8 hours ago, Wall-Crawler said:

Thanks!

I have not heard the "they will not be back" from customers for this show yet, but some vendors did bow out (for various reasons).

I do get lots of compliments on my booth, it is a nice feeling to have your hard work at least acknowledged.  There were two other comic vendors there previously. One said he did ok. The other guy, who I also know of, did not cover his costs to even set up.  There are several reasons for that beyond "growing pains" for a first time show. I did very well by my standards for a show this size (hence why I am back) so him not making his costs back is more about him than the show itself.

I think these are the reasons why there are so few other comic vendors. A)  there are not just a lot of us in this area and B) it would not really be "worth" the time for larger dealers or anyone really more than a couple hours away to make the trip for such a small show at this point in time.  Maybe the whole "if you build it they will come" philosophy might work but who knows...For whatever reason, my LCS does not "do" shows. The other LCS that is about 1.5 hours away is moving more into the video game side of things and they have obviously made a determination that it is not worth it or they don't know about it.

I have a "minimum standard' in my mind and I will keep doing these small local shows so long as I continue to at least hit that minimum or people get sick of seeing me 

In general LCS don't do shows because they are already paying to display and sell their inventory at their store.  if the show draws in customers from outside their region or they have inventory like trades or modern $1 books they'd like to move or they with to promote their store they're more likely to set up at a show.  

[spreads]

9 hours ago, thehumantorch said:

In general LCS don't do shows because they are already paying to display and sell their inventory at their store.  if the show draws in customers from outside their region or they have inventory like trades or modern $1 books they'd like to move or they with to promote their store they're more likely to set up at a show.  

Exactly, and also for them to setup it's additional cost/resources to running their store which would also be open at the same time.  Similar to not having much interest in holding back issues (buying collections), it's just not a part of their business model.

[Wall-Crawler]

1 hour ago, spreads said:

Exactly, and also for them to setup it's additional cost/resources to running their store which would also be open at the same time.  Similar to not having much interest in holding back issues (buying collections), it's just not a part of their business model.

 I can "get" not doing shows but if I ran a store, I would to at least "fly the flag" at a local show.  A store that does not buy collections seems like a huge missed opportunity to me though.

[spreads]

2 hours ago, Wall-Crawler said:

 I can "get" not doing shows but if I ran a store, I would to at least "fly the flag" at a local show.  A store that does not buy collections seems like a huge missed opportunity to me though.

Here's an exact quote from the VF boards, an owner of a store (two stores) when I asked his perspective on buying/offered collections...

"So, our situation is even tougher than 99% of the shops I know, because ... we don't have back issue bins. We are not in the business of back issues. Books come out and sell, on the shelf, until they don't and then they go to boxes and are sold by the pound, really cheap like 50c, or are sold off to guys who buy bulk books by the boxes, 30-100 long boxes at a time. Our store is a book store, with new books and graphic novels. So we only price Key issues and sell in a couple of showcases. The rest is bulked. And our bulk has great books, we just don't care to sell them by piece. "

In the Ottawa/Gatineau area there are at least 9 LCS I can think of, a few do offer back issues and one of the stores (two flagship locations) picked-up a collection for next to nothing....4800 comics for $50.  Aside from the keys/semi keys the $books took a long time to sell (and I'm sure they eventually dumped them or gave them away).  These stores have a great business model with their subscriptions, CCG, board games, etc. it just doesn't make sense to use up key space for inventory that might sit for a long time.  

This store above and the owner of the quote are both very large operations and have been in business over 20 years; sure if someone walked in with silver/golden batman books they'd buy it but they don't jump on these things like we do.

Edited October 29, 2017 by spreads

[Wall-Crawler]

On 10/27/2017 at 9:39 AM, Artboy99 said:

we have a local show this weekend on Sunday called Popculturefair.

How did it go?

[Artboy99]

1 hour ago, Wall-Crawler said:

How did it go?

just finished. 

very slow show and a clumsy person in the booth knocked some slabs off the wall. Asm 129 cgc7.5 has slab damage that should be replaced and 7 others with small cracks.

very below average show.

[Wall-Crawler]

2 hours ago, Artboy99 said:

just finished. 

very slow show and a clumsy person in the booth knocked some slabs off the wall. Asm 129 cgc7.5 has slab damage that should be replaced and 7 others with small cracks.

very below average show.

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, ok, I have to ask, what  the heck did the clumsy person say???? Sorry to hear that damage was not at least mitigated by being a good show...Ugh...I don't know if I could keep my cool in that situation...

[Artboy99]

6 minutes ago, Wall-Crawler said:

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, ok, I have to ask, what  the heck did the clumsy person say???? Sorry to hear that damage was not at least mitigated by being a good show...Ugh...I don't know if I could keep my cool in that situation...

He didn't say a thing. Ran off from the booth

I didn't see who did it.

Edited October 30, 2017 by Artboy99

[Wall-Crawler]

7 minutes ago, Artboy99 said:

He didn't say a thing. Ran off from the booth

I didn't see who did it.

THAT is looooooowwwwwwww

What an individual_without_enough_empathy - I guess no security cams? I have been to a few antique shows and always hear something breaking, the sound of slabs hitting the concrete or whatever...Damn...

I feel bad this happened to you, truly.

Besides this incident, had the show been decent in the past?

Edited October 30, 2017 by Wall-Crawler

[Artboy99]

1 minute ago, Wall-Crawler said:

THAT is looooooowwwwwwww

What an individual_without_enough_empathy - I guess no security cams? I have been to a few antique shows and always hear something breaking, the sound of slabs hitting the concrete or whatever...Damn...

I feel bad this happened to you, truly.

Besides this incident, had the show been decent in the past?

it has been in the past.  this show had about 25% less turn out than the last one. Alberta's current down economy also has a lot to do with it.

The wall got bumped by the vendors wall beside us. the clumsy guy banged into the neighboring vendors wall and as it returned to its position it hit our wall knocking about 20 books to the floor.

[piper]

I feel bad for Karl but it was a great show for me. I picked up the following 

Showcase 80 CGC 9.2

Hawkman 4 CGC 5.0

ASM 44 Fine + (presents more like a VF)

Edited October 30, 2017 by piper

[Wall-Crawler]

37 minutes ago, Artboy99 said:

it has been in the past.  this show had about 25% less turn out than the last one. Alberta's current down economy also has a lot to do with it.

The wall got bumped by the vendors wall beside us. the clumsy guy banged into the neighboring vendors wall and as it returned to its position it hit our wall knocking about 20 books to the floor.

Ugh. Very sorry to hear that. That sucks. No other way to say it...

[Artboy99]

2 minutes ago, Wall-Crawler said:

Ugh. Very sorry to hear that. That sucks. No other way to say it...

we have had wall accidents 2 times before today they have all occurred at this venue.

[Wall-Crawler]

11 minutes ago, Artboy99 said:

we have had wall accidents 2 times before today they have all occurred at this venue.

Damn. Just bad luck or are they cramming booths too close? Little bit of both?

That also seems like a pretty significant drop in attendance even with a down turn...

[spreads]

9 hours ago, Artboy99 said:

we have had wall accidents 2 times before today they have all occurred at this venue.

That's super , after the first one I probably would have said something to organizer.