As comic book nerds, I'm sure I speak for many of us when I say that Wednesdays have long been our sustenance for an overbearing work/school week. Where Wednesday is usually "hump day" for the remainder of the uninformed working class, we are blessed with the constant assurance that our new books will be waiting on our local comic shop's (LCS) shelves. At least, that's the way it used to be.
As I've moved around a bit, I've had to constantly readjust my primary shop numerous times, and as I've changed shops, things have gotten progressively worse. I'm not going to name any names, but there is a trend growing in comic shops that, to me, is leading to not only their demise, but encouraging the alienation of new readers. That trend is the membership subscription. Basically, a subscription in a comic shop (usually for a fee) guarantees that the employees will reserve a copy of every book on your pull list and have it ready for you when you come in. Depending on the shop, you'll also get various levels of discounts and special offers. Pretty sweet, right?
The problem comes in when the retailers only order enough copies of a book to fulfill their subscriptions, leaving no copies on the shelf until a second printing comes out. From a business stand point, this is supposed to encourage customers to pay for the subscription through their LCS, thus creating a regular customer (not to mention the recurring fee for the subscription). That's all well and good for the business itself, but where does it leave brand new readers or readers that don't get enough books per month to warrant a subscription? In the lurch, that's where.
For example, maybe there is a potential customer who is enthralled by superhero characters he or she has seen in films or on television, and has been hearing some buzz on the internets about the next big "event" comic. So, they muster up the energy to head into their LCS and jump on board, marking perhaps their first foray into comics. Unfortunately, the shop is sold out, the clerk is a snobby prick that tries to sell them a subscription to some book they've never read at a price that is absurd, and the comics industry is down one potential reader.
It may sound extreme, but it is not unreasonable. Comics are an industry built around constant evolution, and as an industry, getting new readers on board is crucial. And just as the books themselves must change, so must the distribution methods. While I'm not talking about digital comics via the iPhone and such, these too are methods being implemented to reach a new audience. What I'm talking about is online retailers. They aren't exactly a new concept, but I think they are growing in importance as the brick-and-mortar stores continue to rip off loyal customers with their subscription charges, credit card limits, and even credit card charges. That's right, the particular store that jaded my view of comic shops actually charges the customer extra if they want to pay with a credit or debit card. Which, you know, is illegal.
I have officially jumped ship to an online retailer, and I couldn't have made a better decision. There are a variety of them that have a quality business reputation, but I opted for the relatively new-to-the-game
HeavyInk. They offer a 20% discount on every single issue that you buy, 99 cent flat rate shipping, and a "triple your money back" guarantee...without any subscription fee. If you are a heavy comics buyer like me, you can get all of your monthly books free of hassle using their convenient subscription system, opt out of any individual issue that you want, choose if you'd like to receive variant covers, and great customer service should you have a problem. You can also set your shipments to ship weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly to save on shipping, depending on the volume of books you are buying each week.
For new readers, there is a great information and recommendation system, as well as a basic social network that can help you figure out the types of books you might be interested in checking out, eventually leading you to find your favorite genre, writers, or artists.
For hardcore readers, there is an adjustment period, of course. As a longtime proponent of the mid-week comics madness, it was difficult for me to go straight home from work on Wednesdays without swinging by the LCS, but after about two weeks, I was able to look forward to the delivery of my weekly shipment on the following Monday or Tuesday instead of the set-in-stone Wednesday. If you are willing to be a week behind in stories, then you'll surely be making up for it in regained sanity and even better, money in your wallet.
Have difficulties at your LCS affected your comics buying? Have you moved on to an online retailer? Let us know,
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
!
