|
|
Post by vikingspawn on May 4, 2013 15:40:26 GMT -5
Went to 3 shops for FCBD and got a 5 book limit on 2 stores. It was about a 20 min wait in the long lines. Picked up a StarWars book, Bongo, Kaboom, Archie, Aspen and some others. While waiting in the long lines, I totally forgot about the Papercutz FCBD book with the JJ Jackson art. It must have been a flipside of the Smurfs book. There were about 52 books to choose from the wall and when I got to the tables to pick out 5 books, I drew a blank after waiting so long. I think next year, i'll order them online.  |
|
|
|
Post by Defiant1 on May 4, 2013 17:19:20 GMT -5
Went to 3 shops for FCBD and got a 5 book limit on 2 stores. It was about a 20 min wait in the long lines. Picked up a StarWars book, Bongo, Kaboom, Archie, Aspen and some others. While waiting in the long lines, I totally forgot about the Papercutz FCBD book with the JJ Jackson art. It must have been a flipside of the Smurfs book. There were about 52 books to choose from the wall and when I got to the tables to pick out 5 books, I drew a blank after waiting so long. I think next year, i'll order them online. Gowaltrip posted a link to the FCBD website. I have no desire to visit a comic book shop. I looked at the selections online and nothing even interested me. Maybe they should offer to pay me to go look at the selections one year. Defiant1 |
|
|
|
Post by vikingspawn on May 5, 2013 13:25:25 GMT -5
My area had more lines this year and more chicks showed up at the events this dressed as Catwomen and Scarlet Witches. A couple of them looked fairly decent. The waiting in line was a turn off though. And the customers with bad hygene in front of me made me want to leave quickly.  More non-comic buyers turn up for the free things there. I tried 3 shops to get a decent undamaged looking Bongo book and by the third shop, I was done. I'll try midtowncomics online for books next year instead. They were offering all 52 books online but sold out before I noticed. |
|
|
|
Post by Defiant1 on May 5, 2013 14:00:12 GMT -5
My area had more lines this year and more chicks showed up at the events this dressed as Catwomen and Scarlet Witches. A couple of them looked fairly decent. The waiting in line was a turn off though. And the customers with bad hygene in front of me made me want to leave quickly. More non-comic buyers turn up for the free things there. I tried 3 shops to get a decent undamaged looking Bongo book and by the third shop, I was done. I'll try midtowncomics online for books next year instead. They were offering all 52 books online but sold out before I noticed. FCBD offerings are traditionally not going to increase in value. I want comics that both retain value and increase in value as well as being content that entertains me. Defiant1 |
|
|
|
Post by Brother J on May 5, 2013 18:51:19 GMT -5
Here's a re-post from the Valiant board about my FCBD trip yesterday:
Went to Golden Eagle Comics in Reading, PA. First time I've been in a comic shop in months. Immediately bypassed the free books as there were bargain bins that needed to be gone through. The regular .25 books were 10 for a $1 while the normally 75 cent overstock books were 5 for $2. I haven't been keeping up with the new Valiant books, so this was a good chance to get some on the cheap. Picked up copies of Archer & Armstrong #1 2nd print and #3 and Bloodshot #3 and two copies of #4 (two different covers, I assume they are still doing the regular and pullbox versions) from the overstock boxes. Checked their regular current issue books and they seem pretty well stocked on Valiants. Paid less than $6 for 20 comics, then headed over to the free comics. I knew I needed to pick up an Archie for the wife, saw it was an Archie Digest. Then I saw there were two different Valiant free books. Didn't know anything about the Masters book as I've only been reading posts on the Valiant board sporadically. The store allows you two free books. Any in addition to that, you pay 50 cents each and the money goes to a local library. I had three and didn't want to ask the lady for change, so I also took the Walking Dead FCBD book, haven't read the series in a long time, so it will be interesting to see where they are now.
|
|
|
|
Post by Defiant1 on May 5, 2013 20:09:06 GMT -5
Here's a re-post from the Valiant board about my FCBD trip yesterday: Went to Golden Eagle Comics in Reading, PA. First time I've been in a comic shop in months. Immediately bypassed the free books as there were bargain bins that needed to be gone through. The regular .25 books were 10 for a $1 while the normally 75 cent overstock books were 5 for $2. I haven't been keeping up with the new Valiant books, so this was a good chance to get some on the cheap. Picked up copies of Archer & Armstrong #1 2nd print and #3 and Bloodshot #3 and two copies of #4 (two different covers, I assume they are still doing the regular and pullbox versions) from the overstock boxes. Checked their regular current issue books and they seem pretty well stocked on Valiants. Paid less than $6 for 20 comics, then headed over to the free comics. I knew I needed to pick up an Archie for the wife, saw it was an Archie Digest. Then I saw there were two different Valiant free books. Didn't know anything about the Masters book as I've only been reading posts on the Valiant board sporadically. The store allows you two free books. Any in addition to that, you pay 50 cents each and the money goes to a local library. I had three and didn't want to ask the lady for change, so I also took the Walking Dead FCBD book, haven't read the series in a long time, so it will be interesting to see where they are now. This may sound like my typical gloom and doom, but new comics are probably costing the store at least $2 each. I don't know how many of those twenty books were new, but the store could have potentially lost as much as $34 just to get that $6. Nothing about that picture is healthy. They'd have to have sold an additional 17 new comics at full price just to break even from their initial orders. I'm hoping some of that haul was much older books where maybe they didn't have as much invested in them. I can't see a store getting excited about Valiant if they have to sell them later at deep discount. I've also seen the quality of the art decrease on the few that I've picked up. I think the line is on track to be cancelled. I'n sure they are trying to maintain copyrights and trademarks through this relaunch. I can't help but wonder how long this will last. It sounds like you got a good entertainment value. Defiant1 |
|
|
|
Post by Brother J on May 6, 2013 12:01:29 GMT -5
only the 5 for $2 books were newer stuff. Along with the five Valiant books, I also got Shooter's Mighty Samson #2 and #3, Atlas Wulf #4(the Ardden stuff), Eerie #2 (Dark Horse's new comic version of the old Eerie mag) and what appears to be a printer's proof copy of Crypt of Dawn #2 (has a sticker on the cover that says "10 pt. cover, 50# offset interior").
|
|
|
|
Post by Defiant1 on May 6, 2013 16:39:28 GMT -5
only the 5 for $2 books were newer stuff. Along with the five Valiant books, I also got Shooter's Mighty Samson #2 and #3, Atlas Wulf #4(the Ardden stuff), Eerie #2 (Dark Horse's new comic version of the old Eerie mag) and what appears to be a printer's proof copy of Crypt of Dawn #2 (has a sticker on the cover that says "10 pt. cover, 50# offset interior"). A printer will send out comics with stickers like that for new customers as a sample of what the cover stock will be. Interesting. Defiant1 |
|
|
|
Post by vikingspawn on May 8, 2013 14:37:43 GMT -5
There was a Valiant Masters FCBD book with Jim Shooter's name on the cover credits. I was wondering what kind of reprint material is in there. I thumbed through one of the current Harbinger comics. One where there're in Las Vegas and they made the Zephyr character look overly/exaggeratingly obese. Like Amanda Waller from Suicide Squad or Kingpin from Daredevil. There were like 3 word balloons per page in that comic. It was such a fast read and barely worth the cover. $3.99 for that book plus the endless variants must be brutal for the hardcore valiant collectors' wallets. My shop had a huge wall dedicated for the valiant books and now it's replaced with Before Watchmen overstock. |
|
|
|
Post by Defiant1 on May 8, 2013 15:50:22 GMT -5
There was a Valiant Masters FCBD book with Jim Shooter's name on the cover credits. I was wondering what kind of reprint material is in there. I thumbed through one of the current Harbinger comics. One where there're in Las Vegas and they made the Zephyr character look overly/exaggeratingly obese. Like Amanda Waller from Suicide Squad or Kingpin from Daredevil. There were like 3 word balloons per page in that comic. It was such a fast read and barely worth the cover. $3.99 for that book plus the endless variants must be brutal for the hardcore valiant collectors' wallets. My shop had a huge wall dedicated for the valiant books and now it's replaced with Before Watchmen overstock. A sales drop was the most likely outcome. No one is going to stand out by doing everything just like everyone else. It's only a matter of time. Wondering when the investment into luge uniforms is going to pay off for them.... a huge waste of money. Defiant1 |
|
|
|
Post by vikingspawn on May 9, 2013 19:32:00 GMT -5
A sales drop was the most likely outcome. No one is going to stand out by doing everything just like everyone else. It's only a matter of time. Wondering when the investment into luge uniforms is going to pay off for them.... a huge waste of money. Defiant1 lol...the "luge." That one really came and went quick. Of all things, why'd they pick luge? They should take out an ad with "Dancing With the Stars" for more exposure. |
|
|
|
Post by Defiant1 on May 9, 2013 23:05:44 GMT -5
A sales drop was the most likely outcome. No one is going to stand out by doing everything just like everyone else. It's only a matter of time. Wondering when the investment into luge uniforms is going to pay off for them.... a huge waste of money. Defiant1 lol...the "luge." That one really came and went quick. Of all things, why'd they pick luge? They should take out an ad with "Dancing With the Stars" for more exposure. I think they decided it was the cheapest way to get mentioned during the Olympics. Seems like it's the most expensive way to get get rolled eyes from people. Defiant1 |
|
|
|
Post by vikingspawn on May 10, 2013 21:20:37 GMT -5
Yea, that winter olympics promotion was super cheesy. That couldn't have bumped international sales for them. From the comics I sampled, I couldn't get into the new stories at all. Maybe they read better in trades with the long story arcs collected. But nothing mind blowing for 4 dollar comics. I noticed my shop who orders very heavy now is down to 3 copies per title compared to their first issues. Which is about the same numbers they order for some of Avatar press comics for Wednesday's new release wall. They aren't even upping the orders for the variant incentives either. The new release wall is taken over by Image Comics and IDW mostly for the indie sections.
|
|
|
|
Post by Defiant1 on May 11, 2013 4:09:08 GMT -5
Yea, that winter olympics promotion was super cheesy. That couldn't have bumped international sales for them. From the comics I sampled, I couldn't get into the new stories at all. Maybe they read better in trades with the long story arcs collected. But nothing mind blowing for 4 dollar comics. I noticed my shop who orders very heavy now is down to 3 copies per title compared to their first issues. Which is about the same numbers they order for some of Avatar press comics for Wednesday's new release wall. They aren't even upping the orders for the variant incentives either. The new release wall is taken over by Image Comics and IDW mostly for the indie sections. Ever since they bought the properties, it's seemed like they were looking for ways to piss money away. It would have been cheaper for VEI's owners to just go to Greg's site and give all the board members $10,000. Defiant1 |
|
More non-comic buyers turn up for the free things there.