Should the comics industry try something akin to Redbox?

[Wheels]

Should they put machines at locations and you swipe your card or put money in? I mean that seems like a good way to entice an average person to buy a comic. It's convenient and easier than finding a speciality shop.

 

[MadVillainy]

In theory, I think it's a good idea

But I still feel that the demand for comics is so low that it wouldnt matter much and whatever company makes it wont see much profit

 

[Duke]

I seem to share the same sentiments as the previous poster. It seems like a good idea, but there are people that do prefer to go to comic stores & get a wider, bigger variety of comics & different sorts of merchandise.


Also, there are other more convenient ways to view & read comics, perhaps through digital comics.

 

[Wheels]

I seem to share the same sentiments as the previous poster. It seems like a good idea, but there are people that do prefer to go to comic stores & get a wider, bigger variety of comics & different sorts of merchandise.


Also, there are other more convenient ways to view & read comics, perhaps through digital comics.

That's true but honestly I don't think the digital platform is marketed that well yet, and this method has comics staring you in the face while you're out doing your normal business. I say try different things not just one new platform.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Interesting.

The plus side is that this machine can go anywhere. It will attract screaming kids who will see an elabourate Batman machine, and be drawn to it (kids that normally won't go into a comic book store because 80% of them smell like cat pee). The kids will bug their parents.

I would be eager to see the design of such a machine; that would be the key marketing point. I wonder what kind of product selection you can offer within the confines of something the size of a pop machine, and what your price points would be and how would you handle payments (vending machines don't tend to have credit/debit readers in North America, so you have to think about how much people would be willing to pay for something coming out of a machine; people are conditioned to think of machine purchases as being 2$ or less).

 

[Wheels]

Interesting.

The plus side is that this machine can go anywhere. It will attract screaming kids who will see an elabourate Batman machine, and be drawn to it (kids that normally won't go into a comic book store because 80% of them smell like cat pee). The kids will bug their parents.

I would be eager to see the design of such a machine; that would be the key marketing point. I wonder what kind of product selection you can offer within the confines of something the size of a pop machine, and what your price points would be and how would you handle payments (vending machines don't tend to have credit/debit readers in North America, so you have to think about how much people would be willing to pay for something coming out of a machine; people are conditioned to think of machine purchases as being 2$ or less).

Redbox has a slot for your credit or debit card.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Redbox has a slot for your credit or debit card.

Fair enough. But the price point strategy still applies; I imagine you're talking about targeting children mainly with this machine, and therefore their parents. There's a psychological barrier to taking out your plastic and paying for something from a vending machine, vs. using the change in your pocket to do it.

 

[Wheels]

Fair enough. But the price point strategy still applies; I imagine you're talking about targeting children mainly with this machine, and therefore their parents. There's a psychological barrier to taking out your plastic and paying for something from a vending machine, vs. using the change in your pocket to do it.

That's a good point. I'd still like to see the concept tried once on a small scale to see it's potential.

 

[Duke]

Fair enough. But the price point strategy still applies; I imagine you're talking about targeting children mainly with this machine, and therefore their parents. There's a psychological barrier to taking out your plastic and paying for something from a vending machine, vs. using the change in your pocket to do it.[/QUOTE]



Yeah. The idea of using your card at a vending machine causes a bit of trepidation especially with credit fraud running so rampant right now.

 

[The Sage]

The idea's interesting. It definitely adds variety and does give the comics more exposure to the general audience. Would it sell single issues, graphic novels? Would it highlight one particular franchise at times?

 

[Wheels]

The idea's interesting. It definitely adds variety and does give the comics more exposure to the general audience. Would it sell single issues, graphic novels? Would it highlight one particular franchise at times?

I think it should sell the monthly comics to keep the price point as low as possible. I'd hope for it to have a mixture of titles. I'd call it The Longbox or Comic Stash.

 

[Hunter Rider]

I like the concept, I think it would work best carrying the latest single issues. As for the payment method, as well as a card option what about a coin option like those old newspaper boxes?

 

[Wheels]

I like the concept, I think it would work best carrying the latest single issues. As for the payment method, as well as a card option what about a coin option like those old newspaper boxes?

Good idea. I think another smart idea would be to stop using glossy paper on the monthly issues. Save it for trades and special editions, so you can price the monthly comics cheaper.

 

[sweetre15]

Ok a hybrid of what I'm hearing sounds like the perfect way to have a comics vending machine and attract people with it.

- A Coin and dollar slot instead of a a slot for credit/debit cards

- have the newest single issues appear in the machine on a constant basis

- No more glossy paper on monthly issues to cut down prices

The thing about Vending machines is would their be machines exclusive for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse etc or would their be machines that aren't brand specific?

That's one thing that would have to be taken into account

 

[Wheels]

I was thinking about it not being brand specific just like Redbox is not studio specific but I'm not sure This is actually Tslay's idea from YouTube but I thought I'd spread it and see if we could discuss it. You know, maybe chip some ideas in.

 

[Wheels]

I really shouldn't have called it my idea in the PM.

 

[NDX]

So... a comic book vending machine? I dunno how well those would work out in the end. I still see those baseball/pokemon card machines and they never seem to cycle through their supplies. Then again, I also only have really seen them in K-Marts and Pathmarks, so it might all depend on location, location, location.

I can see this working in an aspect, but I can also see a $3 to $5 pricetag for a single comic being the biggest issue. Maybe they can cater to a more casual crowd that prints instead of full issues half issues sold at half price, and updated on a bi-weekly schedule.

I know if I saw one of these selling a $15 trade I was looking for, I'd probably cave and buy it. Seems more like a impulse buy than anything else.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Seems like an interesting idea. An idea like this could be spread out to the various Comic-Cons as well the big one in San Diego and the one in New York as well.

 

[Wheels]

I'm really trying to think about the design you'd need to give it.

 

[Hunter Rider]

Good idea. I think another smart idea would be to stop using glossy paper on the monthly issues. Save it for trades and special editions, so you can price the monthly comics cheaper.

The only issue with that is some collectors would not be happy with the downgrade, but that could be one of the attractions of this idea, that the versions in these boxes would be in "standard" paper format and thus a bit cheaper.

 

[NDX]

I'd personally prefer the paper downgrade. I've never been a fan of the glossy paper. Plus I'd be more willing to get back into buying monthly instead of trade waiting if the issue were more affordable. Especially with Marvel's double shipping some titles.

 

[OnTheAir]

It's certainly an interesting concept. I think the other posters have addressed my biggest concerns: method of payment and price.

One downside I can think of is losing the ability to browse the comic prior to purchase. That's part of the joy of comic shops - standing there and flipping through books that catch your eye (along with engaging nerd conversation). But, I realize the entire comic shop experience has been lost by many in the digital age.

While I wouldn't want to see anything threaten my local comic shop (I've known the owner for years), it's hard for me to be against any idea that would help put comic books in front of the general public. We should be taking advantage of this incredible era that we're living in, in which these characters have been introduced (or reintroduced) to the mainstream via film.

 

[Thundercrack85]

This may be a stupid question, I don't really read modern comics much, so bear with me, can you buy comings online like books now?

I know Amazon is now offering a subscription based e-book library. I think something similar for books would be a lot more successful than Redbox.

 

[OnTheAir]

This may be a stupid question, I don't really read modern comics much, so bear with me, can you buy comings online like books now?

I know Amazon is now offering a subscription based e-book library. I think something similar for books would be a lot more successful than Redbox.

Yes, you can buy comics digitally for your ipad or kindle or whatever. You can also purchase actual comic books from sites like Amazon or comic shops with online stores, like Midtown Comics in New York or Mile High Comics in Denver.

 

[Wheels]

Yes, you can buy comics digitally for your ipad or kindle or whatever. You can also purchase actual comic books from sites like Amazon or comic shops with online stores, like Midtown Comics in New York or Mile High Comics in Denver.

It's funny how many people aren't aware of where to get comics outside of a shop. Which aren't always a round to begin with. I told someone about the different apps the other day, and they had no idea. Not the first time either.