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I was in my LCS today and the owner, and the manager and I hung out and talked about all the hoopla over this issue. I was there for about two hours and almost ever time the phone rang it was somebody asking about this issue. He was telling me about all people who were mad that they could not get the issue. One story he told me was that somebody came in and try to pass himself off like he was a regular and asked for his copy. The owner knows all the regulars by name and knows recognizes the faces of all the causal customers. Anyway this guys tries to pass himself off like a regular to get a copy. When the owner tells him he is sold out the guy goes off. Like yelling at the owner is gonna make him produce a copy for him.

Another thing that got to the owner upset is he got a few people coming in sheepishly asking for a copy. They were treating him like he was just some stupid guy and they were gonna pull a fast one by buying the issue for a couple of bucks then turn around and sell it on eBay.

One thing he pointed out was special issues like this might be good for sales this week but never translate to new repeat customers. Unlike Cap #25 that got people who use to buy comics back into reading comics . In fact we were speculating that with the limited number of issues that this might make people less likely to ever buy a comic. The next time some special issue comes out they might not even try because they figure that all the regulars will have already gotten them like with the Obama issue.

This whole thing falls in to the category of "bad profits" in my opinion. Any money Marvel makes on this is tainted by the damage they have done to the retailer community.

JohnMayo wrote:This whole thing falls in to the category of "bad profits" in my opinion. Any money Marvel makes on this is tainted by the damage they have done to the retailer community.

[WebWiz32]
100% agree with that.

And here comes the 3rd printing. Plenty for everyone!!

Webhead wrote:One thing he pointed out was special issues like this might be good for sales this week but never translate to new repeat customers. Unlike Cap #25 that got people who use to buy comics back into reading comics .

Just like the Death of Superman was an event that got people (me anyway) reading Superman again. Most of the Brand New Day stories in Spider-Man have been very good. I hope this issue is just as good. This will serve as better "bait" than having Obama making an appearance.

HipHopHead wrote:Just like the Death of Superman was an event that got people (me anyway) reading Superman again. Most of the Brand New Day stories in Spider-Man have been very good. I hope this issue is just as good. This will serve as better "bait" than having Obama making an appearance.

The key is getting copies into people's hands, though. People who heard about the issue on the news, went to a comic shop and were turned away empty handed will most likely not return in a few weeks to try again.

PS: Wizard is already selling the 2nd print for $12.99 on their website

FCBD is getting copies of comics into the hands of potential customers. Has this had a positive effect? Is there any data to indicate FCBD has had an effect?

HipHopHead wrote:FCBD is getting copies of comics into the hands of potential customers. Has this had a positive effect? Is there any data to indicate FCBD has had an effect?

Is there any evidence that FCBD is actually getting copies of comics into the hands of potential customers? Other than last year, I've generally had to work on FCBD, but what I saw last year looked to me more like people who were already comic buyers, not new customers. I realize that this information isn't really going to be available, but I think Bob's point is that something like the Obama cover actually gets non-comic buyers into stores, but then loses that opportunity to create new comic readers due to the fact they can't get what they came for. While FCBD may be nice for getting comic readers to try out new titles/publishers, I'm not certain FCBD actually gets non-comic buyers into stores. And if they aren't coming into the store, it really doesn't matter if the comic is free or not.

Until there is a USA Today story they day before FCBD and/or National news coverage telling people to go to a shop tomorrow on FCBD for free comics, there will likely be limited positive effect from the event.

I have see very spotty evidence of a retailer here or there going to a lot of effort to publicize FCBD, and that has driven extra traffic into their shop of non-traditional customers, but other than that, I'd agree that it's mostly folks who are already comics reader trying out some new titles.

PS: One example I am thinking of is a local shop owner who printed up a bunch of flyers advertising FCBD at his shop, as well as the fact that he was having a huge sale, including lots of 50-cent comics. He had some kids who shopped at the store handing these out at the local 20-screen cinemaplex the day/night before FCBD and it drove a LOT of traffic, but that was one retailer with a good idea who went to a lot of personal effort. It's nothing like the push that a big news story would garner.

HipHopHead wrote:FCBD is getting copies of comics into the hands of potential customers. Has this had a positive effect? Is there any data to indicate FCBD has had an effect?

Some stores have reported getting a few new customers out of FCBD. But overall, given that FCBD has been going on for about five years and sales are still dropping on most titles, I'm not sure that it has done anything to vastly improve the state of comics. Even so, it isn't doing any harm so I'd have to say that FCBD is a good thing even if it isn't resulting in any noticeable positive impact on comics.

FCBD is a great idea, it really is. If anything we need MORE innovation in the way to expose people to comics, not less. That said, FCBD hasn't had a discernible benefit to the industry for one very simple reason...it doesn't get at the heart of the problem.

It's not that someone off the street won't try a comic without paying for it, it's that someone off the street has no compunction [or ability] to FIND comics and, if they do, they are overwhelmed inside of the store as to where to begin.

Until we can expand the distribution FAR outside of the LCS, FCBD will just be a cool thing for us long-timers who get to sample some free books when we come in to pick up the piles we are already paying for and reading.

Wood wrote: It's not that someone off the street won't try a comic without paying for it,

This is another great point. The "man on the street" may take a free comic, but paying $2.99 (soon to be $3.99) for one??? I think this is going to swiftly move towards "no thanks" since comics are way overpriced compared to other types of entertainment (movies, video games, novels) for what you get.

The real allure of comics are the collector aspect, without that, just as reading material, for many people, they are really not a great value for the money.

I was in my LCS today and I saw people off the street buying multiple copies of the Amazing Spider-Man #583 Obama cover 2nd printing. One woman ahead of me in line was buying four copies and some Obama trading cards. The women were asking the cashier what comics were good right now and he didn't seem to have a answer. I thought he should have asked what type of books of movies they like and go from there but he just mumbled something about the Watchmen movie coming out in March. I didn't buy the variant issue because I already have #583. The backup story that had Obama was one of the weakest in awhile from Amazing I thought. I didn't think the art of Obama inside the issue looked anything liked the real person, or like he did on the cover. The artist on the back-up story kind of bungled that presidential rendering.

Link to art

IanG wrote:I was in my LCS today and I saw people off the street buying multiple copies of the Amazing Spider-Man #583 Obama cover 2nd printing. One woman ahead of me in line was buying four copies and some Obama trading cards. The women were asking the cashier what comics were good right now and he didn't seem to have a answer. I thought he should have asked what type of books of movies they like and go from there but he just mumbled something about the Watchmen movie coming out in March.

There are some comic stores which carry comics for sale but don't know how to actually sell comics...