I want to support my local comic shop but...

[lead sharp]

Let's face it it's cheaper to buy from Amazon. A LOT cheaper.

If it was a couple of pounds more in the shops I wouldn't care but it's not, in some cases it's cheaper by half to get comics from Amazon than it is from my local shop and (at the risk of throwing this one up) in the economic climate we have, Amazon comes out on top.

And I hate that.

The only way I can justify buying a TPB from my local shop is if I tell myself it means I get one or two a month as opposed to four from Amazon and thus slows down my collecting and helps me savour rather than devour comics.

It annoys me because I know that all the shops out there are doing what they can to survive and that's great and I want to support that, but I need to support my family to.

And just before anyone jumps on me for that I budget my comic collecting and if I can get more bang for my buck, I want to.

But I want to do it at my local store.

But I can't.

As an addition to this does anyone know why there is such a huge discrepancy between Comic shops and Amazon? (I'm not much on the business end of things).

Does anyone else have this problem?

Is there a solution?

[mgs]

I don't know anything about your comic book buying habits, but however you get them, I don't think it really matters.

I understand you want to support your lcs, but hey, as long as you do get them, I don't see the problem. Maybe look for another source that gives great discounts? And, anyways, some of ther sellers from Amazon ARE lcs', just in another location. That's what I've used Amazon on occasion for, looking for a book that I couldn't physically locate.

[Ryan Day]

As an addition to this does anyone know why there is such a huge discrepancy between Comic shops and Amazon? (I'm not much on the business end of things).

Amazon has one big regional distribution centre/warehouse that can service millions of people at once, and has relatively fewer staff since it's all online and they don't need salespeople or display space. They also order product in massive quantities, so they get better discounts than most businesses.

[dancj]

My local comic shop is way out of my budget too.

A typical TPB there is £12-£18. I get them on ebay and amazon and rarely pay above £5.

[The Archivist]

Moreso than just the financial aspects of shopping at a traditional comic-book shop, there is also the social experience of actually interacting with other fans.

How well do you know your local shop? If you go there often, then you will discover new comics which might have passed you by altogether. You get the opportunity to discuss the merits of the small press and indie titles, engage in debate regarding the quality of the current releases versus established 'classics'.

I find it useful to keep visiting [shop x] at least three or four times a month, even if I'm just chatting with the manager and looking through the back-isses for copies of obscure titles I haven't seen before.

Message boards and comic-book twitters are okay for some of your collecting experience, but it must be balanced with face-to-face interaction so that you don't get a skewed impression of the market, or the supposed 'awsomeness' of a character you would never otherwise have been interested in.

Trying to keep a comic-book shop alive is hard. Even without the current economic disaster of biblical proportions, the overheads will eat into anybody's business. There are success stories about shops, but those are few and far between. Unless everyone wants to see comics pushed even farther to the edges of 'mainstream', then at least a minimal street presence should be rewarded with custom.

And if all the comic-book stores close, where will Hollywood executives go for their next blockbuster?

[BillR]

I have never experienced any form of camaraderie in a local comics shop. Rarely would I actually want to converse with these people, especially about some of the crap they talk about-- and I sure won't be introduced to anything new, considering most shops don't venture too far outside the familiar. I'm really just there for the sweet, sweet comics, that aroma filling my lungs.

But you know what, since I can buy new singles and trades online for 35-40% off and not have to spend the gas money to drive to the closest comic shop that's still miles and miles away, I can live without the brick and mortar stores.

Everything's going to be online soon anyway, especially in this market.

[Dan Felty]

I used to buy tons of comics from a little father-son start-up in Columbia, MO, Quinlan Keep. The owner, Boen, was a really nice guy just out of college, and he did a wonderful job keeping me up on stuff, encouraged me to come hang out and read comics, and just making me feel really welcome. I overheard several people in the store say they came to his shop because they felt more appreciated than at the one other shop in town. He worked seven days a week, had friends volunteer at the store, worked on advertising to local college students and professors, and encouraged local artists. Basically, he busted his hump just to try to stay afloat.

I graduated and moved away, so I quit going to his shop. I visited Columbia about a year later and was excited to stop in and say hi. When I drove by, the place was shuttered, and it just broke my heart. I'm sure taking away a hundred bucks a month made a very real impact on a store with very small margins.

I've had two stores around me since close up, but they didn't bother me much. Both were members of local chains, and didn't project the same image as a store run by a guy doing his best and struggling; they just seemed like (to be uncharitable) badly run businesses.

I buy a good amount of used stuff online. It's just cheap to the point I can't resist--whenever I look at an MSRP on a comic, I wonder what the inevitably lower price online is. I tend to go to the comic shop only to look at used and discounted stuff or when there is a sale.

I feel a little bad about not supporting Star Clipper more strongly. It's a local independent store that has as its mission to do everything right with a comic shop--a big, nice storefront on the biggest shopping loop in the area, a diverse and up-to-date inventory, and a great atmosphere. They also are serious about supporting local artists. They have a large mini-comic section, an art gallery, knowledgeable folks that push local stuff, and many events. Going to Star Clipper is good, old-fashioned fun. When I'm looking for the infrequent new single issues I buy, I try to make it to Star Clipper.

[JakeJarmel]

I have never experienced any form of camaraderie in a local comics shop. Rarely would I actually want to converse with these people, especially about some of the crap they talk about-- and I sure won't be introduced to anything new, considering most shops don't venture too far outside the familiar. I'm really just there for the sweet, sweet comics, that aroma filling my lungs.

But you know what, since I can buy new singles and trades online for 35-40% off and not have to spend the gas money to drive to the closest comic shop that's still miles and miles away, I can live without the brick and mortar stores.

Everything's going to be online soon anyway, especially in this market.

I really hope you're wrong about everything going online. I hate reading on a computer screen. I would much rather read in a more comfortable setting, not have to stare at a computer screen and not have to move a mouse every couple of minutes to "turn the page".

As far as LCS are concerned, yeah, I would rather buy from there. But I would much rather save money by shopping online. I buy what I can from LCS. Everything else is online.

[Reptisaurus!]

But you know what, since I can buy new singles and trades online for 35-40% off and not have to spend the gas money to drive to the closest comic shop that's still miles and miles away, I can live without the brick and mortar stores.

I' m quite close to the store, so different situations, but...

It's worth 30-40% (actually far more than that) to me to be able to browse, and examine the product before I'm forced to buy it. Plus I do a lot of my new comic shopping on impulse, and I never would've found out about, say, Monkey on a Wagon Vs. Lemur on a Big Wheel if it wasn't for browsing.

[lead sharp]

There is the experience and the browsing and yes I do know the shop quite well, The Archivist raises a good point there as well as the simple joy of being among the ink and paper.

I bought Iron Man Civil War tpb today from my local store, it was 8.99 it's 6.99 on Amazon, in my head that's ok but I noticed on Amazon there was in fact a little more choice which would make getting the local shop to order comics I want irrelevant as I'm guessing it would take less time to get from Amazon and it would come straight to my door. Swings and roundabouts.

Many thanks Ryan Day!

[BillR]

I really hope you're wrong about everything going online. I hate reading on a computer screen. I would much rather read in a more comfortable setting, not have to stare at a computer screen and not have to move a mouse every couple of minutes to "turn the page".

As far as LCS are concerned, yeah, I would rather buy from there. But I would much rather save money by shopping online. I buy what I can from LCS. Everything else is online.

I was referring more to online retailers like DCBS and HeavyInk, but sure, things will probably be all-digital soon enough anyway.

[comicsmetal]

I was referring more to online retailers like DCBS and HeavyInk, but sure, things will probably be all-digital soon enough anyway.

Actually the poster you responded to has the attitude of ever other book reader.I highly doubt e-books are going to be a big thing.They are not selling well.

About the question I usually buy at the LCS but I do not spend that much on single(hell I do not buy any,maybe the What happened to the cap cursaider).I spend on trades.

My answer for you try to buy less ,just pick one series and just read that.You local comic shop will have other people who buy the comics.Comics shop will eventually die but online and also book stores are selling graphic novel now a days.

In the end the comic book as we know it will be gone and the graphic novel will be what the medium of comcs will be.

[stealthwise]

Yeah, I went into my lcs yesterday to pick up the newest Invincible trade. They had marked it up to $21.50 Canadian from $14.99 American. Not entirely unreasonable, but pretty steep for one trade, especially since Amazon.ca has it for $14.56. The tradeoff being the wait for shipping time, and the fact that the website doesn't have the comic immediately available. If I really really wanted this comic right away (I don't, I can wait) then it MIGHT be worth it to get it in the store, and I also wouldn't have to order $39 or more to get free shipping (with the cost of shipping, you might as well spend that much, as that comic by itself with paid shipping would be something like $20 anyways). However, I just can't convince myself that it's worth it to pay $7 more for something that I can easily wait for.