So you are saying that even a gigantic store like Forbidden Planet or MidTown Comics has to order 200% of what they normally order? They probably order hundreds of copies of even the least popular titles. I don’t think they are dumb enough to fill their warehouse with hundreds more that can’t sell. Just forego the variants altogether in that case, let Marvel keep the unsold variants.
Does this mean a store that normally orders a measly 10 copies can order 20 copies and get the variant? Seems like a benefit for tiny stores that fucks over the big ones, if that’s the case.
Also, I know the variants aren’t a free bonus. They cost money, but they can’t be ordered unless the order for the regular edition exceeds a certain amount.
I have no idea. I’ve never ordered a variant cover. Still, they are available on the order form. If you really want to buy one, add it to your cart and see if you get it. I imagine they order so many books that they get a nice pile of each variant.
I am at the point where there is so much good entertainment competing for my time, I’m only reading whatever comics my library gets between their physical stock and digital subscriptions.
If you want to get the Marvel Legacy Lenticular Variants, the store needs to order 200% of their normal order, regardless of how big that is.
Forgoing the variants is a totally valid option, and like I pointed out, many comic shops are doing just that. But no comic shop, no matter how big or how popular, is going to be able to sell 200% of their regular orders AND sell the variants easily. And like the article I linked to pointed out, even if a comic shop does order 200% of a book to get the variants, the sales of the variants will eat into the sales of the normal book.
And yes, it does benefit smaller stores over bigger ones, but a smaller comic store isn’t going to sell the same number of comics as a bigger store, regardless of whether it’s easier for them to get the variant.
I tend to do swings towards my media, some point I’ll buy comics and be into those, then I’ll move back to video games and buy a few there and then I’ll move to board games and buy a few. Currently on comics, cause they are easy to read while still keeping tabs on my daughter (plus video games I play are not always 3 year old friendly and board games well…)
I mean, it’s a stupid policy, but if I was a retailer I wouldn’t care. If I’m a big retailer with a big order that can’t order 200%, I would just ignore it. if I’m a small retailer I would welcome the added revenue from being able to sell a variant copy at a large profit margin that pays for the books I can’t sell, and then some more on top of that. You do what works for you, and let the publisher do what works for them.
I agree, but according to the article, the variants are supposed to cost the same as the normal comics, as opposed to more, which is normally the case.
I have no idea if there’s any “comics enforcement this,” but a comic buyer who goes into a comic shop to buy one of these variants and sees that it’s getting marked-up as more expensive can report the store to Diamond and/or Marvel, and hypothetically, bad things can happen to the store.
I know for a fact that even if a comic shop gets its new comics on Tuesday, if they put them on sale before Wednesday, they can be reported to Diamond who will punish the store and not send them their comics until at least Thursday, putting that store at a competitive disadvantage with others. Diamond has secret shoppers that go around randomly to comic stores checking to make sure that those stores don’t put out the new comics early. They might do the same thing with these variant covers, since they’re supposed to be the same price as the regular ones.
If you can’t sell the variant at a huge markup, then what does a retailer even want it for in the first place? I’ve never seen a comic shop, big or small, sell a variant at the regular price. Even DCBS sells them at a markup. Tiny comic shops I’ve seen jack them WAY up.
I feel like traditional comic shops do nothing for comic discovery, audience widening/outreach, or improved sales in the modern world. Add to that the common story of “core audience” shitheads being sexist in/around them, and they can just disappear for all I care.
Remember that Waldenbooks in malls sold more manga in the average store than probably the entire comic shop industry combined in any given time period/region.
“But the thing is: Lenticular covers (like those on DC books like the whole “Villains Month” stunt a few years back, or more recently on “The Button” storyline) are very popular with customers, to the point where it is my experience that if the lenticular is available, the vast majority of customers prefer the “fancy” one. And in the case of the Marvel “Legacy” covers, this should be even greater because the Lenticular has the same cover price as the regular edition. From a particular POV, the “regular” cover is now far far less desirable as a result.”
Wait, how many of these lenticular covers are they giving the store? Don’t variants usually come in limited numbers? I mean, even me, who doesn’t care, will buy the fancy cover instead of the regular one at the same price. But then the store runs out of fancy ones, and you have no choice but to buy the normal one.
What should be great is when a collector comes into my basement and realizes I’ve tacked a bunch of variant covers on my wall for fun with no regard of their “future” value.
They have no future value. Every single week how many variant covers hit the shelves for how many books for how many weeks for how many years? There are tons of the fucking things out there.
I still got my favorite X-Men Fatal Attractions full set with the holograms on the front from the '90s. Aint worth shit.
It really varies by comic store. Some (probably most) are terrible, and like you wrote, do nothing for comic discovery, audience widening/outreach, or improved sales. But there are the few rare comic shops that are AMAZING and do all of those things.
I’m lucky that one of the local comic shops in DC, Fantom Comics, is just a store like that. You should see their weekly and monthly events: Ladies Night, LGBTQ Night, Boozy Comic Reading Night, How to Make Comics Night, etc and etc. A couple years ago, Fantom decided to change its business model from just a box that sells comics to a place where the comic community can come. Inclusivity and holding events (which sell comics) are the priority, not just selling comics for the sake of comics.