Price of (single issues)Comics going up????

PMC83

I packed in buying single issues years back, opting to wait for trades but recently started getting back into it, trying to pick up some new stuff.

Yesterday in town I picked up a comic $3.99 on the cover but was charged €5.10!! This seems a tad crazy to me, I know prices were on the up but $3.99 is around 3 euro!

Fysh

Whoa, sounds like someone took advantage of you

I've been buying ever-fewer single issues over the last few years because I don't collect so much as read them, and the cost has been prohibitive for a while now. One of the few things I'm still reading is the new Dark Horse Presents and that's $8 a go, ie £6! I'm dropping it as of #19 though, it's gone the sadly inevitable route of all US anthologies On the other hand, that's £6 I can spend on something else...

PMC83

Well, I'd buy maybe 1/2 single issue comics a month at this stage as they are just too much. I'm happy to wait for the trade paper backs /collected editions to come out every few months.

Recently in one particular store I over heard the guy behind the till say they charge dollar to euro and this seemed shocking enough, but charging 2 euro over the equivalent price in dollars seems totally criminal!

Anyone with store experience here that can shed any light on mark up and such??? Unless the kid behind the counter genuinely scammed me.

47 Ronin issue 2 by the way!!

Fysh

PMC83 wrote: »

Well, I'd buy maybe 1/2 single issue comics a month at this stage as they are just too much. I'm happy to wait for the trade paper backs /collected editions to come out every few months.

Recently in one particular store I over heard the guy behind the till say they charge dollar to euro and this seemed shocking enough, but charging 2 euro over the equivalent price in dollars seems totally criminal!

Anyone with store experience here that can shed any light on mark up and such??? Unless the kid behind the counter genuinely scammed me.

47 Ronin issue 2 by the way!!

I've heard the dollar-to-euro thing before in Ireland, and to be honest it's not entirely surprising as the distribution to Ireland in particular seems to result in additional costs to the retailer compared to US retailers that essentially makes up the currency differential (though of course that depends on exactly what the currency differential is, and I'm reasonably sure I heard it when the dollar was stronger and the euro weaker...).

I'd go in and ask if I were you, getting charged €5 for a comic whose cover price works out at €3 (based on the current rate on xe.com) is cheeky, especially if the higher price wasn't marked on the comic.

Thwip!

The cheapest you're going to get in Ireland for new issues is dollar to euro with one store in particular (am I allowed to name Fysh?) doing cheaper offers on the Marvel NOW issue 1s. They're great and I use them for my pull-list and merch

Judging from what you got charged (and assuming you were in Dublin) I know exactly where you went and they are terrible at charging. PM me the name so I can confirm my suspicions

Mr.Nice Guy

Thwip! wrote: »

The cheapest you're going to get in Ireland for new issues is dollar to euro with one store in particular (am I allowed to name Fysh?) doing cheaper offers on the Marvel NOW issue 1s. They're great and I use them for my pull-list and merch

Judging from what you got charged (and assuming you were in Dublin) I know exactly where you went and they are terrible at charging. PM me the name so I can confirm my suspicions

Can you recommend a store in Dublin that charges a fair price? I was looking to pick up some comics for a relative but I'd hate to unwittingly get ripped off somewhere. :pac:

ChopShop

Thwip! wrote: »

The cheapest you're going to get in Ireland for new issues is dollar to euro with one store in particular (am I allowed to name Fysh?) doing cheaper offers on the Marvel NOW issue 1s. They're great and I use them for my pull-list and merch

Was that Dublin City Comics and Collectibles in Bolton St?

Fysh

Mod note: I don't see an issue with people mentioning (within reason!) shops where good deals are offered, but there are obvious legal issues with naming a shop and claiming that they're dreadful for overcharging so please refrain from doing the latter.

Thwip!

Fysh wrote: »

Mod note: I don't see an issue with people mentioning (within reason!) shops where good deals are offered, but there are obvious legal issues with naming a shop and claiming that they're dreadful for overcharging so please refrain from doing the latter.

Grand, just wanted to get permission for you before either occurred.

The place with the good, (nay great) deals and where I have my current pull list is Big Bang Comics in Dundrum. The guys are great, fantastic customer service and always very helpful. For any of the Marvel NOW issue 1s they're only charging €2. They'll happily post comics (for any of you guys who like myself cant get up to dublin that often) Every other comic is charged at dollar to euro which is fantastic in comparison to OP's encounter. They send out weekly emails with the list of next week's comics, Graphic novels and merchandise releases and they just won Comic Store of the year in Ireland.
Having tried other stores, including the one OP went to I can easily say Big Bang are guaranteed my custom... especially after all the help they gave me with Batman DOTF back issues

brianregan09

Yeah i hugely recommend the Big Bang aswell being down in Limerick myself they post down the comics every 2 weeks there great don't scalp on the postage either you only pay what they do

Hunter.S

Dublin City Comics and Collectibles is for me the best shop i have my pull list there they offer cover price on monthly books and as far as i know on trades to also just like a lot off the best comics they are creator run and offer a very personal friendly touch.
Big bang sounds great i don't use it because its not convenient for me.Do they have much in the way of back issues? I mite make the trip.

I'm not going to name names but if you buying comics try not to be near water.(to much?)

I'm highly considering making the move to TPBs because off money issues at least on marvel and dc books but i would like to keep reading smaller Indy stuff monthly just to support the creators.

Draco

Fysh wrote: »

I've heard the dollar-to-euro thing before in Ireland, and to be honest it's not entirely surprising as the distribution to Ireland in particular seems to result in additional costs to the retailer compared to US retailers that essentially makes up the currency differential (though of course that depends on exactly what the currency differential is, and I'm reasonably sure I heard it when the dollar was stronger and the euro weaker...).

I'd go in and ask if I were you, getting charged €5 for a comic whose cover price works out at €3 (based on the current rate on xe.com) is cheeky, especially if the higher price wasn't marked on the comic.

I've been told by one shop in Dublin that the issue is that they have to buy from Diamond UK. It's them that set the base price in Sterling so you're dealing with two currency conversions so you need Sterling to be weak against the dollar and Euro strong against Sterling for it to work out in our advantage. They tried unsuccessfully to switch to Diamond US to take advantage of the better exchange rate at the time between Euro and Dollars.

He did say that it's a bit swings and roundabouts - there's been times where the exchange rate worked in their favour and they were able to drop the prices.

twilightzone

Trade paperbacks are the only answer guys. If you were to collect a story arc in single issue format, you're looking at shelling out almost 100 euros for most. My hole am I doing that.

LuvSpudz

twilightzone wrote: »

Trade paperbacks are the only answer guys. If you were to collect a story arc in single issue format, you're looking at shelling out almost 100 euros for most. My hole am I doing that.

This is the main reason that I almost exclusively buy the UK collectors editions (DC and marvel), three comics per issue for I think under a fiver.

Only issue there is they are a year or so behind, but personally I don't mind as it's all new to me!

Turtyturd

LuvSpudz wrote: »

This is the main reason that I almost exclusively buy the UK collectors editions (DC and marvel), three comics per issue for I think under a fiver.

Only issue there is they are a year or so behind, but personally I don't mind as it's all new to me!

They are actually a great way of getting into comics. I got into comics through an old X-men one which used to have half the content on a comic interpretation of the X-men animated series, and the other half on a reprint of the Jim Lee/ Claremont X-men series. Then moved onto the CE format, there is also a good variety of titles out there in this format now.

LuvSpudz

Turtyturd wrote: »

They are actually a great way of getting into comics. I got into comics through an old X-men one which used to have half the content on a comic interpretation of the X-men animated series, and the other half on a reprint of the Jim Lee/ Claremont X-men series. Then moved onto the CE format, there is also a good variety of titles out there in this format now.

yeah at last count 7 Marvel, 3 DC (2 CE format, 1 called batman the dark knight is trad UK format) and I think there's a star wars one out as well, though I don't get that.

I actually stopped collecting them for about 10 years so I'm having fun now tracking down the issues I'm missing!
Anyway, thread hijack over

Thwip!

Turtyturd wrote: »

They are actually a great way of getting into comics. I got into comics through an old X-men one which used to have half the content on a comic interpretation of the X-men animated series, and the other half on a reprint of the Jim Lee/ Claremont X-men series. Then moved onto the CE format, there is also a good variety of titles out there in this format now.

I started on Astonishing Spider-Man, first one I got had a reprint of a JRJR issue during the Joey Z story arc. Now JRJR is my favourite Spider-man artist

I'm curious though, OP have u tried anywhere else since?

Turtyturd

Thwip! wrote: »

I started on Astonishing Spider-Man, first one I got had a reprint of a JRJR issue during the Joey Z story arc. Now JRJR is my favourite Spider-man artist

I'm curious though, OP have u tried anywhere else since?

I have the first issue...complete with foil cover, wonder if it is worth anything? The storyline also features Carrion and Shriek, those were the days. I think I kept collecting until around the time Judas Traveller showed up to take over the asylum then I jumped over to X-men.

Same with JrJr...I am a big fan of his work, always liked his X-men, and his art made me read a second issue of Captain America...but his spider-man stuff is brilliant. I like Ramos' Spder-man as well except for the instances where it looks like his limbs are broken when he is swinging.

Thwip!

Turtyturd wrote: »

I have the first issue...complete with foil cover, wonder if it is worth anything? The storyline also features Carrion and Shriek, those were the days. I think I kept collecting until around the time Judas Traveller showed up to take over the asylum then I jumped over to X-men.

Same with JrJr...I am a big fan of his work, always liked his X-men, and his art made me read a second issue of Captain America...but his spider-man stuff is brilliant. I like Ramos' Spder-man as well except for the instances where it looks like his limbs are broken when he is swinging.

Oh man Judas Traveller... those were the days. Clone saga good sir.
First issue of Astonishing? I cant seem to find any on ebay so i cant guess it's worth...but it's a bitchin' cover

Ramos can be great, he's improved a lot since his days on Peter Parker: Spec Spidey but you're right theres quite a few instances where his anatomy is terrible, case in point his variant for Superior Spider-Man #1