• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

GAME CHANGER! Wizard world retrenches, Major policy changes
1 1

32 posts in this topic

3 minutes ago, Fan Boy said:

I also find that as well you do with the model idea of Torpedo pre-SDCC Show. I thought it is fascinating given that I could avoid the hassles of navigating thru traffic of all attendees in SDCC if I were in there. Just comics to browse and find some of nicer books to buy. 

I am waiting for someone to adapt the Torpedo idea to do with other shows ... like say, at Calgary Comic and Entertainment Con? Canada Fan Expo? ... or ECCC?  A little one day pre-comic con show would benefit to vendors as extras to their usual convention venues. 

I’m waiting for that... :baiting:

I'm with you, but I don't think any other show matches the cache that SDCC does in terms of attracting dealers. In other words, the dealers are clearly still doing to San Diego even if they sell books on the prior Sunday at the Torpedo show. But what other show would both attract the dealers to make the trek a week early, and then make it worthwhile for them to stay? It is a huge ask in terms of time and investment for a dealer, and I don't see any other shows (certainly not off the coasts) that would work that same way.

Edited by mysterio
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Fan Boy said:

 Just comics to browse and find some of nicer books to buy. 

I am waiting for someone to adapt the Torpedo idea to do with other shows ... like say, at Calgary Comic and Entertainment Con? Canada Fan Expo? ... or ECCC?  A little one day pre-comic con show would benefit to vendors as extras to their usual convention venues.  :baiting:

A typical 2.5 day Wizard (e.g. Portland, OR) con now offering 10' x 10' booth for $500 US. Not quite sure why Wizard would give up the revenue stream of charging vendors for premium corner or end cap placement. Compared to 3 day Fan Expo Vancouver 2 x contracted 8' x 8' booths for $1,600 Cdn funds plus parking.

There is no Red and White con (usually end of Feb. and around Sept. 9 each year) at McMahon Stadium a few days before the big Calgary Expo in which retail comic sales dropped an average 40% in Apr, 2019, unfortunately.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, aardvark88 said:

There is no Red and White con (usually end of Feb. and around Sept. 9 each year) at McMahon Stadium a few days before the big Calgary Expo in which retail comic sales dropped an average 40% in Apr, 2019, unfortunately.

Just to clarify, which show took the 40% drop? The Calgary Expo or the Red & White Show?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, mysterio said:

Just to clarify, which show took the 40% drop? The Calgary Expo or the Red & White Show?

Calgary Expo back issues sales dropped avg. 40 to 45%. This included $1-$2 blow out vendors. The strongest comic vendors with diverse SA to BA inventory mix at 'reasonable prices' experienced less of a retail drop.

For Vancouver Fan Expo, I mentioned 'contracted rate' as vendors were generously offered a 'free upgrade' to standard size 10' x 10' :shy: Western Canada booth size a couple of days before start of the Expo due to lack of vendors renewing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/24/2019 at 9:40 AM, mysterio said:

Any giant show that is going to bring in 10,000+ attendees is not doing that with comics. The celebrities bring those people in the door... 

How does that explain Baltimore, Heroes, and several others that go with few, or no celebs?  I have to disagree with your statement. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Spidey 62 said:

How does that explain Baltimore, Heroes, and several others that go with few, or no celebs?  I have to disagree with your statement. 

Fair point, but outside of those few exceptions I think it’s a fair statement. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Speaking as an experienced Vendor, I have heard this same argument too many times . here's what I can tell you from my own experience . Have Lots of Big name celebrity talent May bring many new people into the arena, However the Mistake is somehow believing that these new people are somehow going to magically be transformed into comic collectors, That just does not happen.  

Firstly if the come for the celebrities they've already got a significant expense  just in the admission and auto/photo .  Secondly Collectors comics are expensive, yes, they may cruise the dealers room and maybe buy some toys, or a few 1$ comics for the kids

BUT that in no way will translate into enough sales to make up for the inflated booth Fee I have to pay in order to subsidize the Guarentees these people get. 

Secondly They draw tons of money out of the room without boosting sales More often then not they bring their own photos and items to sign, and the signing costs are significant 

  I Know I've Posted this before, But I will say it  again, One of the worst shows I ever did was Ace long island which had one the best guest lists, Half the Justice league , Including Gadot and Cavill , People spent so much money on autos and so much time waiting in line for them, that the few who blundered into the dealers room were broke and mostly killing time 

  From a sales Standpoint my 2 best shows this year by far,  were east coast , and heroes Con, Neither had any big Name celeberaties But Lots of creator talent 

 I also did Big Apple with Shatner, and my sales were terrible, People who came to see Shatner Did not then turn around and spend $$ on comics (at least not from me) 

  I don't care if 50,000 people come in the door to get Ms Marvel's  autograph, and My booth price is $1,400, I'd rather do a show with NO  Hollywood people where 8,000 people show up who actually buy comics and my booth price is closer to $800

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This may be great for reducing the price of a booth, but it doesn't change who is actually attending customer-wise. I think there were 4 comic dealers at this year's WW Philly. (I didn't attend; a friend did, however, because he got a free pass.) And just as there weren't many dealers, there weren't that many people who went to the show who were looking for comics.

So next year, they charge less for booths. That's all well and good, but who's going to this show? Who's spending their money? Are comic fans that knowledgeable that they'll come back in droves?

There are countless cons within an hour of the city every month where there is a great range of dealers, from the hottest of the hot to key GA and SA. Heck, there's a show at the airport nearly every month that had three times as many dealers as WW Philly. Why would I spend $50 to get into a show where I probably won't see much more than I could in a regular show where I'm paying $5 and getting free parking? 

I'm not sure how different this is in different areas of the country -- I mean, are there quarterly shows in Tulsa? -- but the return of the comic customer is questionable, the booth cost be damned.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are correct, The WW Philly show has been locked in a downward spiral for a few years, Fewer dealers mean fewer customers, and the fewer customers, the greater the likelihood the dealers that did attend will not return 

  It has in fact gotten to the point where (as I Heard) There were almost no comic dealers this year, and they still did poorly  

 What Wizard has done is a good step toward rebuilding the show, For the reduced table fee, More dealers will show up, leading to more attendees etc 

   They Obviously realize there is a problem, and have taken a positive step to re-build, But they need to do more 

    What they need to do is make sure on their website to publish an exhibitor list, and be more selective on their dates,

I would certainly be doing more of their shows, but there are too many conflicts,

I would have immediately booked philly for example, But again, It conflicts with heroes con 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Golden Memories said:

You are correct, The WW Philly show has been locked in a downward spiral for a few years, Fewer dealers mean fewer customers, and the fewer customers, the greater the likelihood the dealers that did attend will not return 

  It has in fact gotten to the point where (as I Heard) There were almost no comic dealers this year, and they still did poorly  

 What Wizard has done is a good step toward rebuilding the show, For the reduced table fee, More dealers will show up, leading to more attendees etc 

   They Obviously realize there is a problem, and have taken a positive step to re-build, But they need to do more 

    What they need to do is make sure on their website to publish an exhibitor list, and be more selective on their dates,

I would certainly be doing more of their shows, but there are too many conflicts,

I would have immediately booked philly for example, But again, It conflicts with heroes con 

 

How many years will dealers want to show up in the hopes that buyers will appear? Even at $500 a table it would still be overpriced when compared to smaller local shows that may very well have more actual buyers show up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, Golden Memories said:

You are correct, The WW Philly show has been locked in a downward spiral for a few years, Fewer dealers mean fewer customers, and the fewer customers, the greater the likelihood the dealers that did attend will not return 

  It has in fact gotten to the point where (as I Heard) There were almost no comic dealers this year, and they still did poorly  

 What Wizard has done is a good step toward rebuilding the show, For the reduced table fee, More dealers will show up, leading to more attendees etc 

   They Obviously realize there is a problem, and have taken a positive step to re-build, But they need to do more 

    What they need to do is make sure on their website to publish an exhibitor list, and be more selective on their dates,

I would certainly be doing more of their shows, but there are too many conflicts,

I would have immediately booked philly for example, But again, It conflicts with heroes con 

 

Maybe in theory, but its easy to argue that Wizard is too far gone as a viable concern to turn things around.  Philly isn't going to go from 4 to 40 comic dealers in a years time just because the booths are half off.  Dealers talk and comic buyers talk.  And bad word of mouth is not going to be overcome quickly.  

Meanwhile, Wizard's underlying business is in tatters, that's why they'll sell a booth in Chicago to Danley's Garage World (not sure if that's true, just the first local business that came to mind, Building your garage with quality -- D-D-D-D-Danley -- that's why we're number 1!, catchy commercials for decades...I digress).  Maybe Paul Kessler has some grand master plan to turn things around, but I doubt that's going to be revealed until he wipes out the rest of Wizard's shareholders in bankruptcy court.  Or he's just using Wizard's continual losses to help offset his hedge fund's capital gains.  No one knows for sure but him, but all signs right now are pointing to Wizard's impending doom.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 Wizard stock is down to 14 cents, off 22% for the day

 On the other hand the year low is a nickle so there you go 

People have been writing wizards obit for at least  5 years and yet the persevere 

Again from a dealers perspective:

 

    With a show the size of wizard Chicago you need a balance 

x Number of comic dealers, x Number of Toys, x Number of other, and yes X number of aluminum siding booths

They provide wizard income without competing with the comic toy people , Chicago is PACKED with comic dealers and they are by 

my estimate 1/3 of the room,  if the whole room was nothing but comics it would probably not be a financially viable show for me 

 

  And sorry to disagree with you but the Booth Price Makes a HUGE difference and it IS a game changer 

  If  the announcement was made sooner, I guarantee this years philly would have been entirely different 

 

  I skipped a show this year specifically because the booth rate was $1,400 

 I will certainly take a chance on ANY wizard show within a few hundred miles of my house for $500 but NOT for $1,200 

 And I can tell you from the people I have spoken with that there is going to be a stronger comic presence at future shows

 Their biggest problem now is scheduling 

Next years philly conflicts with Heroes  , 

 Ohio= conflicts with Baltimore   otherwise  I would have signed on for instantly

I will personally sign on ANY show with no conflict in my driving range for $500 

  

   

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
1 1