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When will the “comic con” bubble burst?
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With the sheer number of shows these days it would appear to any outside observer that we’re experiencing a golden age of cons that is coinciding with the golden age of comic movies. Seemingly every weekend you could go to a con, especially in a place like Texas, and if flights weren’t an issue you could probably attend a large show (Wizard, Fan Expo, Reed, Heroes & Villains, etc) damn near every weekend someplace in the US. 

However, as anyone who goes to these shows to shop for books knows, comics tend to be pretty scarce at the average “comic con” compared to years past. These shows have evolved into a generic mutated shell of their former selves. 

Its been our experience that comic sales at the larger shows have been trending to be, at best, very hit or miss. I’ve heard similar set of complaints from a variety of other vendors on different online forums. I can’t help but think that this could be due, at least in part, to oversaturation. Cons are no longer once or twice a year special events that you save up for months to attend and spend like a drunken sailor, now you go once a month and spend a few bucks. This change in spending trends is not reflected in the ever escalating vendor table fees and entry fees.

With Wizard (once again) seemingly on the ropes I’m left to wonder if we’ve passed “peak con” or will very soon. 

Edited by mysterio
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Here in Michigan we only have one true comic con that actually has a considerable dealer presence  (the Motor City Comic-Con) it is a fabulous show @Dale Roberts calls it his best show of the year so you know its a great COMIC show and hopefully the comic-con bubble will not be bursting here in Mi.

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I imagine Wizard will be done in a year or 18 months.  I have never liked Wizard. I never liked their magazine or what they have done to cons. when their done someone will scoop up the shows worth anything and the rest will disappear. I will go to WW St. Louis because it is practically in my back yard but it isn't a good show for comics. 

I prefer to buy my books at a con as I like to go through boxes but in reality I buy mostly over the internet so it wouldn't be surprising that dealers sales may be down at these shows.  I imagine a lot of people buy that way.

 

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@WoWitHurts I have noticed that many of the bigger dealers will not risk selling their good books on fleeceBay anymore and  many of those dealers stock are so huge they don't have the time to list anything more than the most popular stuff on their web sites so you have to catch them at cons

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38 minutes ago, Treco said:
  • So what you're saying is that there needs to be a movement initiated by dealers to organize cons that cater to the book buyer?  :idea: Yes please. Growing up, the best thing was going to a rented hall somewhere that had nothing but table after table of dealers with piles of boxes. No decoration, no cosplayers....just hard-core nerds flipping through back issues. A bit nostalgic, yes...but it sure was fun. 

I’ve been to a few shows like this in the Kansas area, and it’s nice to see true comic shows that are still doing well. I’m hoping that this is a trend we’ll see coming out of this deflation of the mega-con market. 

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Just now, mysterio said:

I’ve been to a few shows like this in the Kansas area, and it’s nice to see true comic shows that are still doing well. I’m hoping that this is a trend we’ll see coming out of this deflation of the mega-con market. 

Where at? Originally from SW Kansas

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47 minutes ago, 1950's war comics said:

@WoWitHurts I have noticed that many of the bigger dealers will not risk selling their good books on fleeceBay anymore and  many of those dealers stock are so huge they don't have the time to list anything more than the most popular stuff on their web sites so you have to catch them at cons

I agree but someone somewhere will list a big book on ebay - and they still go for big money there. Ebay is simply another resource, not the end all be all

Edit: NYCC was lame for comics (for me anyway). I didn't see any of the books we see here on The Boards

Edited by TheFifthHorseman
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3 minutes ago, TheFifthHorseman said:

Where at? Originally from SW Kansas

Free State in Lawrence and Air Capital in Wichita come to mind as great examples. I’ve had great times at those shows three years running as both a customer and a seller. 

Edited by mysterio
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3 minutes ago, mysterio said:

Free State in Lawrence and Air Capital in Wichita come to mind as great examples. I’ve had great times there as both a customer and a seller. 

Wichita - talk about a TOWN spread out as far as humanly possible. Takes about an hour to drive through that mother lol

Edited by TheFifthHorseman
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^ Yup, I practically don't do cons any more for the exact reasons, but probably no way of turning back the clock on this one.

I'm running restaurants these days and pay attention to that industry in particular, and chains like Olive Garden/Applebees see their business dying off - possibly because millennials have different habits.   I don't know, but it seems cosplay is here to stay, run collectors and box divers are a dying breed, and the current con situation, pretty awful for comic collectors, is the organizers way of reinventing their product to stay in business.

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1 hour ago, Treco said:
  • So what you're saying is that there needs to be a movement initiated by dealers to organize cons that cater to the book buyer?  :idea: Yes please. Growing up, the best thing was going to a rented hall somewhere that had nothing but table after table of dealers with piles of boxes. No decoration, no cosplayers....just hard-core nerds flipping through back issues. A bit nostalgic, yes...but it sure was fun. 

Sounds exactly like what we have at the Berkeley Comic Con in California, organized by Marc from House of Comics! Fun show and many other boardies there too!

The pic below is from my table last show

 

 

IMG_5491.jpg

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12 minutes ago, grebal said:

^ Yup, I practically don't do cons any more for the exact reasons, but probably no way of turning back the clock on this one.

I'm running restaurants these days and pay attention to that industry in particular, and chains like Olive Garden/Applebees see their business dying off - possibly because millennials have different habits.   I don't know, but it seems cosplay is here to stay, run collectors and box divers are a dying breed, and the current con situation, pretty awful for comic collectors, is the organizers way of reinventing their product to stay in business.

I still think cosplay is a trend that will die off when this generation finds something else to do. The “pros” will fall by the wayside when the mega-cons start to dwindle. 

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I've been to Motor City Con a couple times and I have to say it's pretty solid. This past year I felt have a few less comic vendors but they still have some decent vendors but the ticket to admission is a bit steep if you are just looking for comics like myself. I went to Grand Rapids con this year for the first time and it was very bare bones. I did not buy anything. They also had people selling wack stuff. I saw two booths selling sowing equipment. Didn't make sense to me. I like the diversity of bog cons but they cannot forget that comics should always be a the main draw and they should make every effort to get those vendors there. 

1 hour ago, 1950's war comics said:

Here in Michigan we only have one true comic con that actually has a considerable dealer presence  (the Motor City Comic-Con) it is a fabulous show @Dale Roberts calls it his best show of the year so you know its a great COMIC show and hopefully the comic-con bubble will not be bursting here in Mi.

 

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I believe the peak occurred sometime last year.  The enviable push back from the public and the dealers seems to be happening this year.  I believe the circle will start contracting and a bunch of shows will be cancelled over the next couple years especially markets like Cleveland that has Cons pretty much every weekend within a two hour drive.

Edited by 1Cool
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Just now, silverweb said:

Sounds exactly like what we have at the Berkeley Comic Con in California, organized by Marc from House of Comics! Fun show and many other boardies there too!

The pic below is from my table last show

 

 

IMG_5491.jpg

I suspect there will be gatherings such as this for a long time to come. We may be a dying breed, but we just might have a few extra dollars to spend. What's better, a large audience that isn't buying the product or a smaller more enthusiastic group that is ready to purchase? Probably at a much cheaper table or booth price. Eh....maybe some more dealers could chime in. 

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1 minute ago, Treco said:

I suspect there will be gatherings such as this for a long time to come. We may be a dying breed, but we just might have a few extra dollars to spend. What's better, a large audience that isn't buying the product or a smaller more enthusiastic group that is ready to purchase? Probably at a much cheaper table or booth price. Eh....maybe some more dealers could chime in. 

Really depends on your business model.  Top grade and rare book dealers (ie probably a bit more expensive) will love selling to a select audience of true comic book collectors.  Hot big book key sellers probably is in the middle since they love a big crowd but they also sell well to the geek elite.  $1 blow out guys need a huge crowd since they need to sell a ton to make it a good day and the elite guys probably have a few Youngblood 1s.  The hard thing is the high end guys can afford the big booth fees but don’t really need ten thousand people walking by with little money.  The guys who love the masses can’t really justify the high booth fees.

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7 minutes ago, 1Cool said:

Really depends on your business model.  Top grade and rare book dealers (ie probably a bit more expensive) will love selling to a select audience of true comic book collectors.  Hot big book key sellers probably is in the middle since they love a big crowd but they also sell well to the geek elite.  $1 blow out guys need a huge crowd since they need to sell a ton to make it a good day and the elite guys probably have a few Youngblood 1s.  The hard thing is the high end guys can afford the big booth fees but don’t really need ten thousand people walking by with little money.  The guys who love the masses can’t really justify the high booth fees.

It doesn’t matter if you get 10,000 people in the door if nobody is there for comics, but the right 50 people can make a show. The right mix of buyers there for books can work for big and small dealers, and buyers will be happy to have the diversity. I’m happy to be able to dive dollar boxes at the same show I can also buy $1000 books. This is why a show like WW Chicago is so great when they have the right mix of mega dealers and small timers.  

Edited by mysterio
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