Is it worth it???

[lceman]

Well, then, to answer your question. Yes, they will, if they are certain they will be able to make a profit on it. And I'm not even really bashing the customer, since it's still their choice, but if I get the question: Is it worth it? I'm going to answer that truthfully to my own opinion. No, it isn't.

I totally can respect your opinion. The only thing is that I disagree with is I don't think that the LCS would over order just to get 1 more book. Think of this simple math (not really sure what they pay for a regular book but I would guess about half price):

1 Regular issue CW - $2
To get one sketch cover CW1 they would have to buy 75 issues for $150.
So if they sell it at the suggested $75 they would then have to sell 20 more issues to break even at the $150 total sales. That would mean that the remaining 55 issues would be profit dependant upon how many they sell. And then they would also have to sit on all unsold issues. So that would all have to be though of before you make this kind of decision. I am not saying that no shops would do this but I dont think that the majority of shops where capital is very precious would.

 

[Harlekin]

I totally can respect your opinion. The only thing is that I disagree with is I don't think that the LCS would over order just to get 1 more book. Think of this simple math (not really sure what they pay for a regular book but I would guess about half price):

1 Regular issue CW - $2
To get one sketch cover CW1 they would have to buy 75 issues for $150.
So if they sell it at the suggested $75 they would then have to sell 20 more issues to break even at the $150 total sales. That would mean that the remaining 55 issues would be profit dependant upon how many they sell. And then they would also have to sit on all unsold issues. So that would all have to be though of before you make this kind of decision. I am not saying that no shops would do this but I dont think that the majority of shops where capital is very precious would.

Of course, but this can really work with the high sellers (like CW is undoubtedly), if the LCS is sure that the variant will be bought for that price. This usually only really applies for the big stores, who are certain that they can sell it. They are minority though, like you said, I'm sure.

 

[Themanofbat]

Well, to throw in my 2 cents on the subject, a comic is worth (as far as dollar value goes) whatever a person is willing to pay for it.

A comic that you read that you just loved the art and the story was moving to you might be worth a million dollars, whereas another comic that had lousy art and a lousy story might not be worth the paper it's printed on.

If people want to pay the price for varients because they want to have an added feature to their collections, then pay whatever price they think is worth it to have.

NEVER buy comics to re-sell for profit.

And that, my friends, is my 2 cents...

 

[lceman]

NEVER buy comics to re-sell for profit.

And that, my friends, is my 2 cents...

Can't agree with you more.

 

[MatchesMalone77]

DAAAAAAMN......$75?!?!?!? $250!!?!?!??!

I got mine, both the regular and the sketch for $50 TOTAL!!!!

 

[ampersand]

DAAAAAAMN......$75?!?!?!? $250!!?!?!??!

I got mine, both the regular and the sketch for $50 TOTAL!!!!

 

[newmexneon]

Marvel Comics propably put a $75 MSRP on the variant cover meaning the retailer doesn't have to sell it at that price but anyone wanting a limited edition variant shouldn't expect to pay cover price.

 

[Mr. Green]

I think that it is stupid as hell. I thought that I would see a few varients like I did for Michael Turner's Origins Alternate cover. I didn't know before now that it was a 1:75 ratio, but still... I think varient covers should be for at normal prices for the early bird who shows up every Wed. for his comics.

IMO, they should have made more varients to be a cool thing for collectors to have without dishing out a huge slice of cash. I am a student that works evenings in a restaraunt. Can I afford it? Yep. Do I want to devote a week or more of work to a different picture on the cover of a comic? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Yeah right!

 

[Elijya]

::

Ok, I don't like variants myself, and I don't buy em - but guys, there's no reason to get pissed at em. Don't like? Don't buy em.

WHY do they do it? It's an incentive, goes like this: Store X normally order 25 copies of a book. With the next issue, there's an incentive cover that the store will recieve if they order thirty copies. That store, can, if they like (they're not FORCED to) up their order for that month to 30 copies in order to get the incentive comic. Marvel then ships an extra five copies of the book (multiply that by the number of retail outlets, and it's a very significant circulation increase for them). Now, Store X has ordered 5 more copies than they anticipate selling, but they can now slap a $20 price tag on the variant. When someone buys this, it more than makes up the cost of the extra five copies they order that won't sell, and why a store won't charge you cover price for a lower ratio variant. And if those extra copies do sell, it's more money for them.

Or the store may order 30 copies of the book anyway, inwhich case they get the incentive for free, and if it sells that's an extra $20 into their profits, or this store may be generous and sell this at normal price and give it to a loyal customer who appreciates it, but that's only if it didn't cost them more to get it, and it's solely up to the store's generousity. Comicbook stores are not an easy business, thousands of them have gone out of business. Why would a store which has an item they KNOW is selling for $30 or up on ebay only ask $3 for it? Sure, to be nice, but being nice isn't going to pay your bills.

Both Marvel (or DC, Image, whoever) and the retailers benefit from this. THAT is why they do this. There is nothing inherently wrong with this scenario. The only possible downside is for anyone purchasing these, that may be money they're now neglecting to spend on other things. But it's possible they may buy what they normally buy (or don't buy) even if they buy variants anyway. It's THEIR choice, the comic companies and the retail outlets aren't doing anything to YOU. There's no reason to get angry.

 

[Harlekin]

Heh, I have seen that post before.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

I really wanted th' Turner covers. Ah well.

 

[torkibe]

I am asking the question of is the comic shop really ordering more to get these issues. My LCS do not even get them because it would not be cost effecient for them to increase there order. I am sure that each LCS owner looks over the numbers to see if it is worth there time. Like I said before there is nothing affecting the normal customer who will just go in and buy the cover price issue so why the hostility towards the person who decides that they like the book and want to spend the extra money on it. The only person that it would hurt would be the LCS owner if they made a bad business decision.

Well... My LCS normally orders about 20-25 copies. In this case, he had a stack of about 50 on the shelf, another stack of 50 or so behind the counter, and 20 or so on the counter. He had 10 copies of 1b and 5 copies of 1c in the glass counter. So I'm gonna say, yeah, he increased his order.

 

[lceman]

Well... My LCS normally orders about 20-25 copies. In this case, he had a stack of about 50 on the shelf, another stack of 50 or so behind the counter, and 20 or so on the counter. He had 10 copies of 1b and 5 copies of 1c in the glass counter. So I'm gonna say, yeah, he increased his order.

Well that is a risk that he is going to take. I have three local shops that are not able put out that much money on multiple copies so they just do not get the variant. My whole point is that there is nothing negative about this practice. The only thing bad that can happen is if the retailer buys an increased amount to get these books and then cannot sell them and they lose on the purchase. That was a business decision on their part so there is no one to blame but themselves. Marvel does not make them order 75 copies or they don’t get any. It’s up to the owner. I also agree with Elijya that it can also be negative if they are spending those dollars on the variant and reduce the other books that they are buying for them. I personally bought them both but I still bought all the books that I would of bought anyway. I would not want to see book sales lower because the dollars are moving to these and not other issues.