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Potential Wizard bankruptcy???

Started by Columbia Comics,

271 posts in this topic

Comicshrine

Comicshrine

Posted
Posted
I would like to throw out the "Financial profile" of what I see at Conventions as far as "Buyers" go.

 

These numbers are after admission costs.

 

The $100 buyer. Am I seeing this buyer at my booth? Very rarely and they are generally looking at low grade, may buy one book. A lot of these buyers are the ones who ask "I'm just curious, how much is the AF #15?"

 

The $300 buyer - $300 buyers come with lists. Am looking for the most bang for the buck. Are generally afraid to buy something on the first day so they spend that day scouting out where to come back to. Wants to buy $1000 books but always pops out the wife will kill me. This is always the giveaway that they are not the $1000 buyer. People who pop out when I win the lottery drops them into the $100 camp.

 

The $1000 buyer - Wants to buy a key but is limited by the budget. Negotiates your lowest price and whips out the credit card.

 

The $3000 buyer - This used to be the cap of the low grade keys buyers. A lot of these buyers have the bank envelope of $100's in the jacket pocket.

 

The $10K + buyer - The few and far between. Generally takes a few looks but when they buy it is all business. Dealers can be your $10K buyer for the show so think about that check before you dismiss them.

 

The souvenier buyer - More and more of these at shows. Looking for something to get signed by a creator, buying a theme book or just find comics cool so they buy something. Not exactly the buyer who is in this for the long haul.

 

The social day out - This buyer has a poster, a big mug of unlimited root beer or a regular drink if alcohol is being served at the show. Cosplayers fall into this category. The event where Halloween is all year round.

 

 

I started at the bottom category and have recently now thanks to Bob made it to the top. :acclaim:

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the blob

the blob

Posted
Posted

It's fine, but it would be finer in a better venue.

 

If it was in a fine venue it wouldn't be a Carbo show. lol

 

This is some truth. Carbo is a creature of habit.

 

The penn shows are good in terms of public transport options. Moving boxes in and out of the 2d floor space looks like a pita and it gets hot. I miss the church basement shows, but, of course, they were within walking distance of where I lived, so that's just me. The one time I set up I did not do well. Had no idea what I was doing. cleared like $100 after costs, which I then blew on dinner (lobster) with my brother who helped me, but the guy I split my space with unloaded like $3k worth of stuff that wasn't selling in his store. He was thrilled. We had dolgoff's spot right near the front, so if I had a clue and brought better stuff I would have done ok.

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oakman29

oakman29

Posted
Posted

I would like to throw out the "Financial profile" of what I see at Conventions as far as "Buyers" go.

 

These numbers are after admission costs.

 

The $100 buyer. Am I seeing this buyer at my booth? Very rarely and they are generally looking at low grade, may buy one book. A lot of these buyers are the ones who ask "I'm just curious, how much is the AF #15?"

 

The $300 buyer - $300 buyers come with lists. Am looking for the most bang for the buck. Are generally afraid to buy something on the first day so they spend that day scouting out where to come back to. Wants to buy $1000 books but always pops out the wife will kill me. This is always the giveaway that they are not the $1000 buyer. People who pop out when I win the lottery drops them into the $100 camp.

 

The $1000 buyer - Wants to buy a key but is limited by the budget. Negotiates your lowest price and whips out the credit card.

 

The $3000 buyer - This used to be the cap of the low grade keys buyers. A lot of these buyers have the bank envelope of $100's in the jacket pocket.

 

The $10K + buyer - The few and far between. Generally takes a few looks but when they buy it is all business. Dealers can be your $10K buyer for the show so think about that check before you dismiss them.

 

The souvenier buyer - More and more of these at shows. Looking for something to get signed by a creator, buying a theme book or just find comics cool so they buy something. Not exactly the buyer who is in this for the long haul. The social day out - This buyer has a poster,

 

 

a big mug of unlimited root beer

 

 

or a regular drink if alcohol is being served at the show. Cosplayers fall into this category. The event where Halloween is all year round.

 

 

 

This is the perfect Rant / Rave post but I think this one particular line deserves to be highlighted.

 

lol:roflmao:

 

Ahh, yes. Ye 'ol beer mug. Root beer that is, because we all see how that fits into a con.

 

gd-bob-bd-bob2.gif

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blazingbob

blazingbob

Posted
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Yes, I do sell a lot of $50 and under material off the website.

 

The easiest transactions are CGC books. Pull them out of a box, pack them nicely and stick them in a box. Most of my CGC material is easily accessible.

 

Now while I am extremely happy on large $50 and under book orders those books tend to be from multiple collections and since I have 35K+ books tend to take longer to gather.

 

Sorry forgot the 2nd part of the question. No, they are not "tack on" purchases.

 

I have a lot of customers who make $50 and under purchases as standalone buys.

 

 

 

 

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Guardian Comics

Guardian Comics

Posted
Posted
Here is the problem with one day shows Carbo, New Jersey shows.

 

Loading 42-45 boxes, 3 racks, supply boxes 4 times a day if a one day event. 4 times over a 2 day event.

 

Load them in the van, Drive to the venue. Park, unload all the stuff. Roll them into the show, set up the wall. Break down the wall, load the boxes back into the van. Drive them home, unload them out of the van and put them back on my shelves.

 

Online sales - Roll down the stairs. Boot on computer. Turn on coffee maker. Respond to bids. List books, make sales. Pack books. Drink more coffee. Transfer paypal payments into checking account. Rinse repeat.

 

You tell me. Which one would you do?

So what you're saying is the if the promoters offered free coffee you'd be more likely to do one day shows?

 

:insane:

 

He does one day shows, but they are usually in Toronto and I do all the work, while he drinks coffee from the comfort of his home.. Bob's favourite part is when I send him the sales and he's flabbergasted every time that we are able to do those types of numbers at a one day.

 

Two coming up in the next three weeks. :wishluck:

 

Jim

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the blob

the blob

Posted
Posted
Sure, but I doubt Bob has 50 copies of that obscure book just waiting to take off like you do.

 

Nahh, I don't have 50 copies of anything other than maybe Thor 339 and that's just an accident that I own them. I have been looking at Bob's website and think it is very well laid out. More scans would probably be good, but I understand there are only so many hours in the day.

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TupennyConan

TupennyConan

Posted
Posted

Boyd kept the Megacon Tampa trainwreck at the top of the Events forum for weeks and weeks only to claim postmortem, upon its brand and goodwill spoiling catastrophic collapse, that it wasn't a comics show nor marketed as a comics show.

 

Yet the Toronto gang occupied coveted top billing in Events, shamelessly.

 

Their Sunday only Dr Who con should've pimped itself elsewhere.

 

May Toronto come to your US town is my Thanksgiving wish. It has already consumed your online forum.

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TupennyConan

TupennyConan

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Publicly celebrating the defeat of a rapacious business adversary isn't the prosaic schadenfreude of an armchair pundit, it is the sound of victory.

 

It is the roar of winning.

 

 

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