DC Trade book prices

[JTLauder]

I was looking at the latest DC solicitations for stuff coming out in June. There are 2 new Vertigo trades coming out of interest:

WE3 TP. 104 pg, $12.99
SEAGUY TP. 104 pg, $9.95

Now maybe someone can explain this to me.

Both contain 3 issues of the original mini-series.
Both trades will have the same page count.
Rough estimates of trade prices today are about 10 pages for $1, so the Seaguy TB is in the right ballpark.
Why is WE3 $3 more?

I've read WE3, and while it was an engaging and solid read with a poignant ending, I don't know if it's really worth all the praise everyone has been giving it. Mainly because the story felt too short and rushed like we only got the end of the story. If it was stretched out with more background story, it might have had more depth.

I haven't read Seaguy but people in this forum seemed to like it.

For those that have read both, is WE3 that much better?

[MarkSullivan]

I was looking at the latest DC solicitations for stuff coming out in June. There are 2 new Vertigo trades coming out of interest:

WE3 TP. 104 pg, $12.99
SEAGUY TP. 104 pg, $9.95

Now maybe someone can explain this to me.

Both contain 3 issues of the original mini-series.
Both trades will have the same page count.
Rough estimates of trade prices today are about 10 pages for $1, so the Seaguy TB is in the right ballpark.
Why is WE3 $3 more?

I've read WE3, and while it was an engaging and solid read with a poignant ending, I don't know if it's really worth all the praise everyone has been giving it. Mainly because the story felt too short and rushed like we only got the end of the story. If it was stretched out with more background story, it might have had more depth.

I haven't read Seaguy but people in this forum seemed to like it.

For those that have read both, is WE3 that much better?

You've certainly caught DC on this one! I've noticed that although most of their trade collections stick close to the $/page rate you mention, they certainly price things higher if they think there's enough demand (or maybe in some cases, if they think there might not be enough demand).

With WE3, I expect it was so universally praised that DC figured they could sell just as many copies at the higher price point. And yes, I do think WE3 was much better than Seaguy. If I didn't already own the individual issues, the trade would be worth that much to me.

[TomGun13]

Its more expensive cause its got a new cover!!! lol

[Huh?]

I was looking at the latest DC solicitations for stuff coming out in June. There are 2 new Vertigo trades coming out of interest:

WE3 TP. 104 pg, $12.99
SEAGUY TP. 104 pg, $9.95

Now maybe someone can explain this to me.

Both contain 3 issues of the original mini-series.
Both trades will have the same page count.
Rough estimates of trade prices today are about 10 pages for $1, so the Seaguy TB is in the right ballpark.
Why is WE3 $3 more?

I've read WE3, and while it was an engaging and solid read with a poignant ending, I don't know if it's really worth all the praise everyone has been giving it. Mainly because the story felt too short and rushed like we only got the end of the story. If it was stretched out with more background story, it might have had more depth.

I haven't read Seaguy but people in this forum seemed to like it.

For those that have read both, is WE3 that much better?I think this is a trend that you will see continuing. As Mark pointed out, it seems as if DC is marking the price up because they feel like they can.

I am willing to bet that most of the major publishers will be using this tactic with their trades. After all, comic companies have a reputation in recent years of using gimmicks and tricky tactics to bilk us out of a few more dollars. They have seen how well trades are doing, and have set their sights on driving all of that business away as well.

[Spastic Minnow]

If you asked DC they'd probably say Seaguy is offered at a 'discounted' price.
Like they do for the first TPBs of a new series.

[dancj]

My guess would be that they weren't confident of WE3 selling well because the characters are all animals.

Both books seem overpriced to me - but Seaguy not too much.

Dan

[Predator]

I have no real interest in buying Seaguy, but I will be picking up We3. But I'll be spending birthday money from relatives on it, so I'll be happy to get it at $13. It would be nice if it was cheaper though.

[Apathy Boy]

DC would've seen the orders for the SEAGUY trade prior to setting the price for the WE3 trade, no? If SEAGUY sold less than expected, maybe DC readjusted the price of the WE3 trade in anticipation of lower sales with that book too.

[dancj]

Both books seem overpriced to me - but Seaguy not too much.

I take that back. I just got Seaguy today (via eBay) and I see that the issues are 32 pages each, so $10 is a reasonable price. That said, it's still overpriced in Britain because Titan, the evil distributors are charging £9 which is about an 80% markup!

Are the WE3 issues 32 pages as well? (the number of issues in the TPB is the same as Seaguy, but you never know how much is padding)

[ratzo]

Maybe Frank Quitely gets paid more than Cameron Stewart?

[Spastic Minnow]

It'd make some sense to start a Grant Morrison "Collection" series of TPBs instead of releasing everything separately. Larger TPBs that collect a number of his minis and one-shots.

[MarkSullivan]

ratzo said: "Maybe Frank Quitely gets paid more than Cameron Stewart?"

That could actually be a factor (don't know if you were being facetious or not).

Spastic Minnow said: "It'd make some sense to start a Grant Morrison "Collection" series of TPBs instead of releasing everything separately. Larger TPBs that collect a number of his minis and one-shots."

That would make sense...so it's little wonder that DC isn't doing it that way! They probably make more money on several individual collections than on one large one, at least if you don't factor in inventory costs. After all, they've had two Death minis under separate covers for years, although there's been talk of combining them into a single collection. Up until recently, those two were easily the highest cost per page of anything in DC's catalog.

[ratzo]

No, I was serious; in fact, it was the first thought that came to mind when I saw the question in the original post. Between New X-Men, We3 and now All-Star Superman, Quitely's profile has definitely skyrocketed, and I think it's only natural to assume that his salary has increased to match. Grant Morrison has had many artistic collaborators, but Quitely has become the Tim Sale to Morrison's Jeph Loeb.

[dancj]

Up until recently, those two were easily the highest cost per page of anything in DC's catalog.

You're not wrong - I'm still waiting for The Time of Your Life to reach something resembling a reasonable price

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

I thought Sea-Guy was dirt cheap.

I'd love to see more trades at that price, but I'd assumed it was due to a lot of people on message boards complaining about it.

I may be wrong, but I seem to remember hearing a lot of negative things about Sea-Guy, and more positive things about We3.

I'd assumed that Sea-Guy was cheap to make more people give it a shot.
It worked for me, I brought it on sight because it was cheap, I would have hesitated and maybe gone with somthing else had it cost more.

Glad I got it though.
Fantastic stuff.

edit to add:

And because I got that and enjoyed it so much I'll defeintely pick up We3, so it has worked as a loss leader on me.
(maybe this was part of a plan to get more people onto Morrison before Seven Soldiers.)
What were original sale like between the series?
Was one a lot more popular than the other?

And yes, Death is insanely overpriced.
I've read both mini's and loved them, but ain't going near them at that price.

[JTLauder]

What were original sale like between the series?
Was one a lot more popular than the other?Actual advance-order sales by Diamond as reported on icv2.com give the following numbers. Note that these stats are what Diamond reports as sold to US comics shops. This is different from the actual numbers from the publishers who also sell to non-US market and non-comics shops. This also doesn't account for whatever inventory may be left in the comic shopping sitting in the bargin bin--which would be much more interesting numbers. Anyway, the numbers should give a good comparison.

Month:_ Title______Quantity
05/2004: SEAGUY #1. 21,512
06/2004: SEAGUY #2. 18,581
07/2004: SEAGUY #3. 16,601

08/2004: WE 3 #1. __ 29,768
09/2004: WE 3 #1. __ 03,932 --> Total = 33,700
10/2004: WE 3 #2. __ 26,663
11/2004: WE 3 #2. __ 02,595 --> Total = 29,258
01/2005: WE 3 #3. __ 26,600

Both titles have the same cover price of $2.95.

It's curious why WE3 #1&2 were sold across 2 months. Does anyone remember if the issues were delayed, which is probably how Diamond allowed shops to order more the next month? Because I don't think they were re-listed in Previews.
In any case, it's obvious WE 3 outsold Seaguy, though both titles experienced roughly the same percentage of drops with each subsequent issue.

To compare, in Aug 2004 (first selling of WE #1), take a look at other books.

08/2004: BATMAN #631. _________$2.25. 072,287
08/2004: ASTONISHING X-MEN #4. $2.99. 145,543
08/2004: Y THE LAST MAN #25 ___$2.95. 026,616

Batman is the book Diamond uses as the standard index to which all other book orders are compared. So for example, in that month, WE 3 sold 41.18%
of Batman.
Astonishing X-Men was the #1 book sold that month.
Y The Last Man is typically the best selling on-going Vertigo title.

[stealthwise]

Death overpriced? I suppose that I hadn't thought about that before, but I guess so. I didn't really notice after reading them, because they're both extraordinarily good.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

Death overpriced? I suppose that I hadn't thought about that before, but I guess so. I didn't really notice after reading them, because they're both extraordinarily good.

Yeah, but I can get that goodness elsewhere as well.

If I hadn't read them already, it wouldn't bother me so much, but it's like when I see Beatles albums costing more than other CD's.
Of course your gonna love them, but honestly, haven't we made enough money by now?
Drop the price - you might make even more, and get new fans as well.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

In any case, it's obvious WE 3 outsold Seaguy, though both titles experienced roughly the same percentage of drops with each subsequent issue.


I'd say that's the answer then.

They dropped the price in the hope of getting the curious on board.

[stealthwise]

Drop the price - you might make even more, and get new fans as well.

That's a decent point. I mean, I already own them and never thought twice about paying what I paid. It seems that trades are becoming better deals now that every company seems to be pumping them out with much more regularity.