theCapraAegagrus Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Just now, BuscemasAvengers said: Meaning (in relation to my post, please; I'm familiar with what the phrase means) ?? The Sith win. So, no, you cannot be both a reader and a speculator - because speculators are losers and readers are not. BigDaddy1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RockMyAmadeus Posted February 27, 2020 Popular Post Share Posted February 27, 2020 7 minutes ago, BuscemasAvengers said: Can one be both reader and speculator? Sure. Comb through Previews, and pick out everything you think will be hot, and place your order with your local store (or your own Diamond account!) before the Final Order Cutoff (FOC.) That way, the publisher prints more copies just for you, and no one is denied a copy that wants one. The only new comics series I read was Walking Dead. I bought my copies casually from the same retailer at Frank & Son's (SoCal weekly collectibles warehouse) every 2-3 months or so. I did this for several years. Not a pull list...but I bought every issue, because I was reading them. When #192 came out, all the fools ran and scooped them up to make their short-term gains to other idiots online. I didn't get one, because they were sold out. When #193 came out...the Wednesday it came out...I went to Fantasy Books & Games in Livermore, CA to buy a single copy. I was out of town, and figured a retailer who had been in business for nearly 40 years would have ordered them properly. Nope. "They're selling for $30 online!" I was told...like it mattered. It was the same story at the couple of other stores I visited. The next week, I was back at F&Ss, and the retailer I had been buying from for years had the book priced at $30. Because Kirkman is a jagoff and decided to play games. Because I had been buying them for years, I was offered (and bought) a single 1st print copy for cover price...which I still have. So, a casual reader...me...had to jump through multiple hoops just to buy a copy for its cover price within a week of publication. Now repeat that tens of thousands of times, all over the world, and guess what? If I go to the effort of going to a store to buy something and it's not there to be bought...I'm eventually going to give up entirely (which is what I did.) It's why books in the top 300 sell 1,500 total copies: readers shouldn't have to...and won't....fight with speculeeches to get a new book. JJ-4, mec3437, Larryw7 and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingDonut Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 3 minutes ago, RockMyAmadeus said: Sure. Comb through Previews, and pick out everything you think will be hot, and place your order with your local store (or your own Diamond account!) before the Final Order Cutoff (FOC.) That way, the publisher prints more copies just for you, and no one is denied a copy that wants one. The only new comics series I read was Walking Dead. I bought my copies casually from the same retailer at Frank & Son's (SoCal weekly collectibles warehouse) every 2-3 months or so. I did this for several years. Not a pull list...but I bought every issue, because I was reading them. When #192 came out, all the fools ran and scooped them up to make their short-term gains to other idiots online. I didn't get one, because they were sold out. When #193 came out...the Wednesday it came out...I went to Fantasy Books & Games in Livermore, CA to buy a single copy. I was out of town, and figured a retailer who had been in business for nearly 40 years would have ordered them properly. Nope. "They're selling for $30 online!" I was told...like it mattered. It was the same story at the couple of other stores I visited. The next week, I was back at F&Ss, and the retailer I had been buying from for years had the book priced at $30. Because Kirkman is a jagoff and decided to play games. Because I had been buying them for years, I was offered (and bought) a single 1st print copy for cover price...which I still have. So, a casual reader...me...had to jump through multiple hoops just to buy a copy for its cover price within a week of publication. Now repeat that tens of thousands of times, all over the world, and guess what? If I go to the effort of going to a store to buy something and it's not there to be bought...I'm eventually going to give up entirely (which is what I did.) It's why books in the top 300 sell 1,500 total copies: readers shouldn't have to...and won't....fight with speculeeches to get a new book. see my four point plan above Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuscemasAvengers Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 16 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said: The Sith win. So, no, you cannot be both a reader and a speculator - because speculators are losers and readers are not. If only there was a way validate this (perhaps speculators in all areas of life - housing markets, educational reform, bestseller reviewers, etc. are this way?); not convinced of that ... perhaps speculators, who begin to authentically read the story arcs in the issues may become more enlightened about the intent of the writer/artist, and learn to become better readers, and still be able to speculate on the impact the publication may have on the industry (and it is unfortunate that speculation seems only to relate to $$ here - but that was the context of the original article link) ... Has anyone read the books in question? Is there stuff there worthy to be deemed of quality? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockMyAmadeus Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 And let's be real, here. People who run to the stores to scoop up everything because it's selling online for $40 ARE NOT "speculators." They're profiteers. Speculation, by definition, means taking a risk. A proper speculator is ordering books in advance. It's not "speculation" to see something selling for $40 and running to go see if you can cash in. It's speculation when you take a risk on something not panning out BEFORE it's selling for a premium in the market. Order your comics 3+ weeks before it comes out, and then you'll be a real speculator. B2D327 and GeeksAreMyPeeps 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockMyAmadeus Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 24 minutes ago, Jasten said: I don't get it. Something happens that got lots of new people into your store. How is this a bad thing? As a shop owner you should be wishing that this sort of thing happens more often and work on turning the temporary customer into someone who returns. Or I suppose you can just take the holier than now attitude about how only die hard fans should be allowed to shop in your store....tell me how that works out for you in the long run.... We've already seen what happens in the long run: we live in it. The artform was gutted. The top selling books barely sell 1-10% the numbers that sold in the early 90s. These people aren't coming in to buy something else. And while, sure, a good salesman will try to get them to buy something else, speculeeches don't bite. That's why they're speculeeches. Raze 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theCapraAegagrus Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 7 minutes ago, BuscemasAvengers said: If only there was a way validate this (perhaps speculators in all areas of life - housing markets, educational reform, bestseller reviewers, etc. are this way?); not convinced of that ... perhaps speculators, who begin to authentically read the story arcs in the issues may become more enlightened about the intent of the writer/artist, and learn to become better readers, and still be able to speculate on the impact the publication may have on the industry (and it is unfortunate that speculation seems only to relate to $$ here - but that was the context of the original article link) ... Has anyone read the books in question? Is there stuff there worthy to be deemed of quality? Deadpoolica 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuscemasAvengers Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 30 minutes ago, theCapraAegagrus said: The Sith win. So, no, you cannot be both a reader and a speculator - because speculators are losers and readers are not. Just saying I don't think it's that easy (and isn't depicting a speculator as only a loser, or a reader as not a loser, absolute?? ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theCapraAegagrus Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 6 minutes ago, BuscemasAvengers said: Just saying I don't think it's that easy (and isn't depicting a speculator as only a loser, or a reader as not a loser, absolute?? ) Lets just say that the color of my lightsaber is primary - and neither blue nor yellow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deadpoolica Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slym2none Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 1 hour ago, Ares said: I'd ask why did you not order issue 1 or 2 Maybe he bought them online for a premium? Just a thought. -slym Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silversurfer275 Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 I mean ima be honest I agree with him I didn’t care about this comic I don’t care about dc but my store had 20 copies of these so I was like why not and bought one sold it for 60 so I can put it into my ff49 so i can complete my Galctus surfer run Deadpoolica 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keys_Collector Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 I understand his argument completely and I do agree with others that he is not wrong but you can't expect everyone to pick up a series at issue 1 or 2. Comics are now 3-6 bucks a pop, gone are the days of spending 20 bucks at a shop and getting 10-20 books to read weekly. I tried to start getting back into pulling books weekly last year but that got expensive quickly for some of the books that weren't all that interesting and would end up in the dollar bin a month later. There are plenty of other factors much more important to the down fall of retail comic shops and the hobby other than speculators. I get his anger but he might be better suited aiming it elsewhere than potential customers. ThothAmon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red_Hood Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Brian Hibbs is my new favorite comic book guy. 100% agree with everything he says. I just delete the emails from people looking for the weekly hot speculation books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunsicker Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 I'm too lazy to go through the process of flipping comics. I'm just going to call the comic stores and ask them to send me $35 each. GeeksAreMyPeeps 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetalPSI Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Shelling out lunch money for a book these days will only happen if I happen to really enjoy that book. Maybe I'm delusional, but 8 bucks for a modern is crazy town ThothAmon and Larryw7 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siro123 Posted February 27, 2020 Author Share Posted February 27, 2020 2 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said: He's 10,000% correct. Hate? I don't see any hate. I see a retailer who has been in the business 35 years pleading with people to stop destroying the artform. Speculation on brand new books has resulted in a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of readers left. The artform is being destroyed by jags who run into a store to scoop up all available issues to sell to other idiots online. It wasn't so bad when there are available copies for readers to buy. But it's been virtually impossible for over 20 years now, because of the tight ordering required to stay afloat. If you're buying something brand new to flip online, denying a reader the chance to obtain it, you're contributing to the problem. Not sorry if that offends people. People in the 90s lost everything...sometimes due to their own mistakes and stupidity, sometimes not...because the buying public treated all new comics like potential goldmines, like the latest hot piece of kitsch from the Franklin Mint. It hasn't changed. You want to speculate on new books? Put your damn order in with Diamond. The FOC is now a mere three weeks before publication. Stop ruining the ability of retailers to get comics to readers. It's hard enough as it is. He tells them To Eff off sounds like hate to me. ThothAmon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockMyAmadeus Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 3 minutes ago, siro123 said: He tells them To Eff off sounds like hate to me. I bet it does....... JJ-4 and slym2none 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William-James88 Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 I'll be honest, I couldn't read the whole thing (the language was just too abrasive), but I did see something that I agreed with. if the plan is you can buy 3 if you buy 1 and 2 then I am ok with it. My local shop only sold to people that were subbed so I get it. You are still getting it for retail price so that's fair and the shop gets to clear out unsold inventory. Really wish the second printing would have a different cover, to make it something fun for people who couldn't get issue 3 though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasten Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 2 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said: We've already seen what happens in the long run: we live in it. The artform was gutted. The top selling books barely sell 1-10% the numbers that sold in the early 90s. These people aren't coming in to buy something else. And while, sure, a good salesman will try to get them to buy something else, speculeeches don't bite. That's why they're speculeeches. And how many of people collect now a days because they grew up in the 90's and were caught up in it all? I bet the number is a hell of a lot more than you think. In fact, without the 90's, i bet comics would be long gone by now. There was some great content in the 90's and it sparked the love of comic books for so many people. It's so irritating to hear people trash that era... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
