Potential Wizard bankruptcy???

[MrBedrock]

I guess you are not aware of the multi-show discounts. 3-5 shows is a 10% discount; 6-11 shows is a 15% discount; 12-15 shows is a 20% discount and 16+ shows is 25% off

Exactly!

You may lose money on one show, but if you do lots of them you can make it up by losing money in volume.

[lizards2]

::

[shadroch]

In answer to Bob's question, the short answer is Yes.

I've bought books from dealers that I met at shows,but more importantly I've gotten a sense of which dealers to avoid.

While I don't buy much, if anything, from Bob, it's the fact that he gets top dollars for his books that has lead me to consign some high profile books to him and he has yet to disappoint me.

[blazingbob]

I guess you are not aware of the multi-show discounts. 3-5 shows is a 10% discount; 6-11 shows is a 15% discount; 12-15 shows is a 20% discount and 16+ shows is 25% off

Exactly!

You may lose money on one show, but if you do lots of them you can make it up by losing money playing poker.

 

Let me fix that for you

[lizards2]

"I have spent well over $50,000 on comics and art in the last decade, perhaps double in fact, but I rarely buy a big book at a show. It's just too inconvenient".

 

This is a open question to all, not just Shadroch on the boards.

 

If you are not buying a big book at a show are you THAT comfortable doing the transaction online? Or do you go to a show, meet the seller and then order off their website? I have had a large number of post show big book transactions AFTER meeting the buyer at the show. Which means that I have to be at SOME shows for them to meet me in the first place. I still feel that shows are not just selling events but networking opportunities.

 

Or have we all just become so comfortable that we assume everybody is honest?

 

 

 

As a buyer, I don't go to shows because they cost way too much, and are inconvenient. As a buyer, I'm just not interested in meeting stars, getting autographs and all that kerfluffle. I'd rather bank that expense, and buy more books.

 

I generally don't buy off of dealer's websites due to the high asking prices and/or sketchy grading.

 

I generally buy here or eBay. Some on Clink auctions. I have won a few at Heritage auctions, but don't even look there anymore.

 

If I'm uncomfortable at all about the transaction, I pay through Paypal using a credit card.

[shadroch]

This seems as good a place as any to ask for feedback on an idea I've been kicking around.

Bob mentions shows as networking.

Suppose, instead of taking a massive booth at a show, one took the minimum space they can get and instead spent the money on a nice hotel suite. Set up a hospitality suite and had customers stopping by to sample some goods, take a load off their feet for awhile, have refreshments and just network. Dealers could spend some time one on one with clients or prospective clients, find out what they are looking for and present a sample inventory as well as pull up scans of the books buyers are looking for. Any sales would result in the books being shipped to the buyers home, saving them the hassles.

Just an idea I've been kicking around. Beats the Hell out of shipping inventory around the country to every show, and goes a long way towards reducing shrinkage.

[blazingbob]

Harley and Tomorrow's treasures have had "private" cons. Private Cons work with an existing customer base but how do you get new customers to come which is one reason why I do shows.

 

While I love seeing the same people year over year I am looking to expand the business.

 

Not a new idea.

[shadroch]

In the bar business, they've been around for years. Much cheaper for small companies to reach clients at the giant trade shows.

I wasn't aware of any doing it in the comic world.

I'm guessing you aren't a fan of the idea?

[blazingbob]

I'm sure there are more of you out there that buy this way.

 

[shadroch]

You'd get new customers by having a small table, manned by a rotating cast of scantily dressed models, promoting your luxurious suite party.

[underthebigw]

I guess you are not aware of the multi-show discounts. 3-5 shows is a 10% discount; 6-11 shows is a 15% discount; 12-15 shows is a 20% discount and 16+ shows is 25% off

Exactly!

You may lose money on one show, but if you do lots of them you can make it up by losing money in volume.

 

 

I assume Bob was being sarcastic. I find their discounts laughable. As much as I like Peter, it really seems that dealers and their need to make money are an afterthought to them, once they've collected their booth fees to finance guests. Even worse, even in Chicago, where there are more books of all sorts than any other show, the attitude on the part of attendees is that they either have no interested in spending money and are there for the "experience", or that their pockets have been picked clean by the time they make it to the dealers. At times, attendees have been downright vocal and angry about how much the whole thing costs--it's really mind-blowing when you figure out how much passes+parking+lunch+signatures+photo ops costs individuals, never mind a family. And yet, Wizard doesn't seem to care if there's anything left for the dealers, as long as they get their cut. Even at this mecca of comic books, more and more dealers have chosen not to return or cut down on their booth size, only to be replaced by yet another dealer selling t-shirts, lanyards, or pop figures.

[blazingbob]

I don't consider myself a small company so I'm not sure why I would setup a hotel suite while a major show is going on across the street.

 

I can understand setting up a hotel suite in a large city if there is no show and inviting customers. But I'm not exactly sure why I would just show up with tablets pointing to my website.

 

 

[blazingbob]

You'd get new customers by having a small table, manned by a rotating cast of scantily dressed models, promoting your luxurious suite party.

 

Yup, some of the most successful dealers out there use this business model.

 

Tape some AF 15's to their tops and bottoms and send them out on the floor?

 

 

[blazingbob]

All of the major promoters (Reed, Informa, San Diego) are using Dealer booth fees to finance their "guest lists" so I'm not sure why Wizard is the only one out there guilty of this.

[MrBedrock]

I don't consider myself a small company so I'm not sure why I would setup a hotel suite while a major show is going on across the street.

 

I can understand setting up a hotel suite in a large city if there is no show and inviting customers. But I'm not exactly sure why I would just show up with tablets pointing to my website.

 

This actually goes directly to the point of us, as dealers needing to change our perspective...and maybe our model. Basically you pack two booths full of all of your best books (literally hundreds of thousands of dollars), travel them and a staff across the country, and hope that some random person comes by and makes an impulse purchase. You have booth expenses, staff expenses, shipping costs and insurance costs to cover. And you are doing all of these things and paying all of this money to exhibit in a venue that doesn't cater to you. Why is this a good thing to continue to do?

[underthebigw]

All of the major promoters (Reed, Informa, San Diego) are using Dealer booth fees to finance their "guest lists" so I'm not sure why Wizard is the only one out there guilty of this.

 

That's true, but I feel like, at least in the case of Reed, there's some interest in the success of the dealers as well. The icing on the cake for me, was the year Wizard set up their own booth in Chicago selling new, non con-related merchandise.

[shadroch]

I don't consider myself a small company so I'm not sure why I would setup a hotel suite while a major show is going on across the street.

 

I can understand setting up a hotel suite in a large city if there is no show and inviting customers. But I'm not exactly sure why I would just show up with tablets pointing to my website.

 

 

 

Save the booth fee

Save the cost of transporting your inventory

Save the wear and tear on your inventory

Save the wear and tear on your body.

Eliminate load in, load out.

Eliminate shrinkage.

Eliminate the three day recovery period after a major show

Give clients and prospective clients an oasis from the madness of the crowded convention.

 

I understand you have a model that works for you and am not suggesting you do this. My post was seeking opinions from buyers if something like that would be of interest to them.

As the theme seems to be shows are overpriced and sales could be better, I'm exploring a possible alternative.

[sterlingcomics]

I have spent well over $50,000 on comics and art in the last decade, perhaps double in fact, but I rarely buy a big book at a show. It's just too inconvenient. I don't want to be dragging

a $5,000 book from booth to booth, then out to dinner with a few friends and a dozen strangers, then on the train and to the bar before I get home. Last big book I bought was an Avengers 2 in 9.0 that the seller refused to let me walk away from.

In this day of internet sales and overnite delivery, I'm surprised many big books get sold to the general public. My personal experience has been anything I want, I can find cheaper and with less hassle on the net. Often from the same people.

As my main focus the last two or three years has been Schomburg Captain America's and classic covers, it's been an exercise in futility looking for bargains at the few shows I attend.

Just offering my prospective, for whatever it's worth.

 

This probably speaks as to why I don't buy at shows. Not sure, had some locals that share comic collecting interest but just didn't connect with them on a regular basis b/c I have to travel a ton and spending MORE time away from family on weekends doesn't sound very wise to me.

 

Is it also a problem of a lack of new blood...is the old blood just turning in the towel?

[blazingbob]

Save the booth fee - You still have the cost of the Hotel Suite

 

Save the cost of transporting your inventory - Not sure if I would do this without some inventory at the suite.

 

Save the wear and tear on your inventory - Yes, would eliminate some of that

 

Save the wear and tear on your body - Still have to travel, maybe not the loading/unloading as much material

 

Eliminate load in, load out - Yes, that would definitely be less stressful.

 

Eliminate shrinkage - Again you are assuming that I wouldn't be bring "pre suite orders" or "show" books. How exactly or who is watching stuff as I am "socializing". What if a lot of people show up? Crowd control, Hotel complaining

 

Eliminate the three day recovery period after a major show - Not sure if this is minimized.

 

Give clients and prospective clients an oasis from the madness of the crowded convention. - Yes that is possible assuming that only a few people are in the suite at one time.

 

I believe Harley's and Tomorrow's treasures suite shows have books at them.

[1Cool]

I have spent well over $50,000 on comics and art in the last decade, perhaps double in fact, but I rarely buy a big book at a show. It's just too inconvenient. I don't want to be dragging

a $5,000 book from booth to booth, then out to dinner with a few friends and a dozen strangers, then on the train and to the bar before I get home. Last big book I bought was an Avengers 2 in 9.0 that the seller refused to let me walk away from.

In this day of internet sales and overnite delivery, I'm surprised many big books get sold to the general public. My personal experience has been anything I want, I can find cheaper and with less hassle on the net. Often from the same people.

As my main focus the last two or three years has been Schomburg Captain America's and classic covers, it's been an exercise in futility looking for bargains at the few shows I attend.

Just offering my prospective, for whatever it's worth.

 

This probably speaks as to why I don't buy at shows. Not sure, had some locals that share comic collecting interest but just didn't connect with them on a regular basis b/c I have to travel a ton and spending MORE time away from family on weekends doesn't sound very wise to me.

 

Is it also a problem of a lack of new blood...is the old blood just turning in the towel?

 

In terms of dealers? Or buyers? Not sure what you mean based on the post you quoted. I'd say there is a definete lack of young blood Con dealers in my area. I find there is a huge batch of new guys looking to buy cheap, press and slab books for big bucks but the number of new guys willing to buy long box collections and sell at Cons is very small. May be an indication of market trends or maybe what I'm seeing in my area.