Jeff Weaver Wants No More Dealer Badges for Those Not Setting Up 1 1

[Foolkiller]

Not sure if anyone caught Jeff Weaver's (Victory Comics) market report, but in it, he bemoans the fact that if you are someone who's received a dealer badge, you shouldn't be allowed into the show hall prior to opening.  Basically, he wants to narrow the playing field and only compete with the guys for material who have bought tables.  I've heard this point made by other dealers in a less pointed way, but most acknowledge that most folks who get badges are putting significant money into the vendors' pockets who are actually set up as well.  

Weaver's stance would get rid of the Tom Brulatos, Doug Schmells, Roy Delics (and me) as well as everyone else who gets an early badge (up to a point, there's still folks who I imagine would still be able to get in early because of helping at a booth etc).  It doesn't help the normal fan (and he's not looking to) he just wants those dealers who paid to have the buying opportunity.  Of course, you don't pay as a vendor for buying opportunities, you pay for the opportunity to sell, and several of these non paying 'dealers' or even higher end collectors get in early and spend -- and they would not either show up or spend the same way if they were like everyone else.  

With that said, I also understand Jeff's point.  If you didn't buy a booth, why are you there early at all?  The premise is there are always going to be helpers at the show and they could buy, but it certainly wouldn't be as free wheeling or as many.  And I understand that he's trying to claw back the competitive advantage that he and other dealers have lost (though to be fair, most dealers seem to have adapted).  

I spent $75k in San Diego.  I'm sure Doug spent as much and probably far, far more.  Other people with advance entry are big spenders.  The vendors are going to lose many of these sales and there's no guarantee that the same sales are always going to occur.  

I don't do as much clear winner buying on the floor and most of the major dealers who I deal with (and some of the smaller ones) are people that if they are willing to give you first look at something are doing it off the show floor now anyway (assuming you are someone who spends large quantity).  But I wonder how much it would affect things and how many promoters would go this way.

I'm curious as to people's thoughts.  I think it's an interesting topic and can see both sides.

[Ryan.]

If the organizers go in this direction then they, and the dealers on the floor, no longer get my money. 

[mattn792]

As a dealer, would you rather have the folks who might drop six figures on your merchandise at one time be in early so you can devote your full attention to them, or make them wait to enter along with Joe Six Pack and have to throw hands with the crowd just to get your attention?

[comicquant]

This is above my involvement with a con but while I can see why someone setting up would be bent by this, it seems pretty shortsighted.  At the end of the day that is hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales up in smoke (If they disallowed non-dealer early access).    

Edited July 22, 2019 by comicquant

[comicwiz]

It's an attempt to curtail the competition, but the most dedicated will always find a way.

Edited July 22, 2019 by comicwiz

[october]

As someone who used to go to a lot of cons and drop significant money, I am already having a hard time justifying the trips. Prices are through the roof, a lot of small/mid-range dealers have been squeezed out, and there is more competition that ever. If I wasn't allowed in during setup my chances of going drop from "maybe, maybe not" to "zero chance in hell".

To be honest,  con buying is overrated anyway. Especially when you figure in the cost and time.

[october]

And I've bought from Jeff Weaver many times....and always during setup.

[thehumantorch]

I think there's a reasonable argument that buyers, big or small, using dealer passes is an abuse of the badges, they're for dealers and their helpers to access the venue.  I also think allowing people who aren't vendors or employees early access to the venue can be dangerous.  It wouldn't be difficult for someone with a dealer pass to come in during setup or break down or early any morning before vendors had arrived and steal stuff.  Wasn't there a thread a couple years ago about someone with Mike Carbonaro's dealer passes stealing statues at a New York show during break down?

The Calgary Expo has informed us the last 3 years that dealer passes are for workers  only and giving or selling them to non employees could result in us getting banned.  Now when someone ask for a pass I tell them they'll have to actually work some small amount so I can honestly say they're working for me.

And don't get me wrong, a lot of serious buyers carry these passes, they're good customers and many of them I like and enjoy seeing every year.

[1webslinger]

I was at SDCC last year , got in the show when it opened along with everyone that had a regular badge (I had a retailers badge) and the people working JSC’s booth wouldn’t sell me any of the exclusive books because I had a retailers badge, they said come back in an hour. I said my badge didn’t get me in any earlier to beat the line, I waited like everyone else. They said sorry but that’s our policy.    Note ,I had a retailers badge not a dealer badge.

Edited July 22, 2019 by 1webslinger
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[batman_fan]

I would make a couple of points on this.

1.  Making an assumption that by not letting the early birds buy the best stuff for flipping means the stuff won't sell and dealers will make less is a pretty big stretch.  Making that assumption says people that don't get in early are not astute enough to recognize a good deal and who knows, maybe they will actually be buying the book to keep.

2.  Do the early birds pay full price?  Maybe dealers would make more selling at closer to full price to customers attending without early bird badges.

[sacentaur]

This is a slippery slope...

Terry has been more aggressive enforcing badge rules at this CalComicCon (last Sunday in January), tossing out several high-profile individuals from his last event. 

I tend to get into shows early with a dealer’s badge, my duties having ranged from watching a booth for a mere 10 minutes while the owner consummated a deal elsewhere, to actually setting up the entire booth because the owners were running late, to browsing the floor for specific want-list items that if found would be alerted to the dealer. 

The rest of the time I spend chatting and shopping - is someone really expected to spend the entire pre-opening time at a certain booth? To me that is unrealistic and basically unenforceable. 

It’s a privilege to get into a show early with a dealer’s badge, so hopefully there is at least some nexus between actual work done and any requirement for early entry, but of course many times this isn’t the case (money talks).

[Foolkiller]

51 minutes ago, batman_fan said:

I would make a couple of points on this.

1.  Making an assumption that by not letting the early birds buy the best stuff for flipping means the stuff won't sell and dealers will make less is a pretty big stretch.  Making that assumption says people that don't get in early are not astute enough to recognize a good deal and who knows, maybe they will actually be buying the book to keep.

2.  Do the early birds pay full price?  Maybe dealers would make more selling at closer to full price to customers attending without early bird badges.

Just remember, what Weaver is proposing isn't that the dealers won't be able to buy early -- it's not a leveling of the playing field.  It's lowering his and the dealers who paid to be in that room and their competition only.  The general public still isn't getting any extra deals as a result of this.  And as a strategic move, I understand that.  

Speaking to discounts, early access often means getting little to no discount on some of the books, probably depends what they are.  

My question is, will the same dealer base pump the same amount of money into the room that Doug, Tom and others pump in?  While there are heavy spenders who certainly are on the floor, the environment is still competitive for them regardless.  

[batman_fan]

6 minutes ago, Foolkiller said:

Just remember, what Weaver is proposing isn't that the dealers won't be able to buy early -- it's not a leveling of the playing field.  It's lowering his and the dealers who paid to be in that room and their competition only.  The general public still isn't getting any extra deals as a result of this.  And as a strategic move, I understand that.  

Speaking to discounts, early access often means getting little to no discount on some of the books, probably depends what they are.  

My question is, will the same dealer base pump the same amount of money into the room that Doug, Tom and others pump in?  While there are heavy spenders who certainly are on the floor, the environment is still competitive for them regardless.  

It really depends.  If people can't get in early to grab the best books/deals does that mean they will not attend or will they just have to compete with others by entering when the normal folks get in?  If they stop going, maybe the dealers make more maybe less.  It is really hard to know for sure and difficult to do a true test of.

[Foolkiller]

I do think it would lesson interest.  I can tell you I wouldn't attend at all -- and I know I'm spending a fair amount of money.  Would those sales happen?  I guess they might but I'm a bit skeptical since I'm not only buying wins and upgrades.  Would Tom and Doug?  I don't know, kind of doubt it.  Would some of the others who are big spenders?  I know some would but many would skip.  You're right there's no way to know, but I do know of a small local show where this is implemented.  I never go to the show, and neither do three of the other big money spenders.  Went to a small local show, spent $25k today -- were those vendors happy to see me?  A lot of people had a lot of little sales, but I'm guessing nobody was spending that amount or buying those books.  in fact that's what the dealer told me, if you hadn't shown, nobody probably would have bought any of these (and he's judging on past performance).  If I'm not in early, I skip that show.  

I think people think Doug buys only wins.  He misses about 50% of the time, yet still buys.  Do I think he would quit altogether, probably not, but I bet he'd be way less likely to do a show if he wasn't going to get a dealer badge.  And he's making a number of guys' shows putting in a ton of money into the room.  He's spending six figures a show.  

But I fully believe there are promoters willing to acknowledge and cater to this request, and it will happen at a few shows down the line.  Or at least they'll tighten the number of badges.

[Transplant]

So I suppose Jeff and others who support this policy have already instituted a policy where they refuse to sell to someone early unless they know the person is actually working the booth attributable to the badge they have?  (sorry for tangled pronouns, but you get my gist).  I know one dealer was person_without_enough_empathying and moaning to someone while I was in earshot, about all the guys in the show early with dealer badges.  But he didn't hesitate to take my money.  People love the buyers but they hate the competition to buy.  

Also, I have considered buying a dealer space for the sole purpose of getting the badges.  That said, I echo October's sentiments above.  That is, buying at cons is pretty hit and miss nowadays, even with early entrance, after you factor in all the costs.  

[Transplant]

Can I also add this?  People actually read dealer reports still?  Or the OSPG? 

[namisgr]

I understand where Jeff is coming from if his issue is the opportunity to buy.  One can argue that dealers who pay for tables should get first crack at the material in the room, before those who don't pay to set up.  The paying dealers are the lifeblood of the dealer room at any convention, and at shows other than SDCC are major sources of revenue for the show promoters.  Having an exclusive time for buying from other paying dealers can be considered a perk that's being paid for.  It would help the dealers justify their costs of travel and set-up, and encourage more dealers to pay for the privilege of early access.  The degree to which those gains would be offset by lost revenue from other early-bird big buyers who'd be blocked from early entry isn't clear.

I'm curious what other dealers that pay to set up at shows like BlazingBob and Bedrock think about the issue.

 

Edited July 22, 2019 by namisgr

[romanheart]

I'm not a dealer so I don't understand all the ramifications regarding buying and selling inventory, but anything that levels the playing field for everyone to me sounds like a good thing.

[1Cool]

2 hours ago, namisgr said:

I understand where Jeff is coming from if his issue is the opportunity to buy.  One can argue that dealers who pay for tables should get first crack at the material in the room, before those who don't pay to set up.  The paying dealers are the lifeblood of the dealer room at any convention, and at shows other than SDCC are major sources of revenue for the show promoters.  Having an exclusive time for buying from other paying dealers can be considered a perk that's being paid for.  It would help the dealers justify their costs of travel and set-up, and encourage more dealers to pay for the privilege of early access.  The degree to which those gains would be offset by lost revenue from other early-bird big buyers who'd be blocked from early entry isn't clear.

I'm curious what other dealers that pay to set up at shows like BlazingBob and Bedrock think about the issue.

 

I think bob has expressed his opinion on this several times throughout the years.  But I also think Bob doesn't do a ton of business with the big dog early bird buyers so he may be biases since he sees mostly negatives when competing with additional buyers.  I was at a small local show and there was a dealer who refused to sell to early birds.  The problem was he was swamped with dealers and booth friends when the doors opened and none of the regular ticket holders had even gotten in the front door yet.  Maybe a couple of the deals few thru the cracks and got scooped up by regular ticket holders but 99% of the books that would have sold early were gone within 15 minutes of the door opening.

I'm not a big dog by any means but I've skipped two cons this year since I couldn't score dealer badges.  That is $8,000 - $10,000 that didn't quickly go right into the dealers pockets at pretty much full asking prices.  Did those books sell?  Maybe but it probably took a bunch more work on the dealers part to sell them off slowly and I'm just a small fish - you would be crazy to not let the big dogs in and quickly spend 10x what I spend.

I see people pushing the limits of helping a booth set up if this rule gets imposed.  You could watch the booth for 5 minutes while the dealer runs to the bathroom and that would classify as booth helper, right?  Carry a short box in from the van and you instantly become a helper.

Edited July 22, 2019 by 1Cool

[mosconi]

Curious, how do non-dealers and non-helpers get these dealer badges to begin with?  Is there a list you sign up for to get special approval