Since we're discussing digital online comics as well, I have a question. I'm looking for somewhere to download legal, digital copies of the Giant-Size Avengers comics from the 70s. I have the Avengers DVD from several years ago, but they didn't include Giant-Size Avengers, so it's impossible to read the whole Celestial Madonna story on my computer. Also my copies aren't in the best shape, so I'd rather not drag them out everytime I want to read the whole story. I looked on Comixology, but couldn't find them. As I understand the Marvel site, you can't download, it's just a subscription to read the comics on their site which isn't worth it for these few comics. Suggestions?

As to the LCS question, I've dropped a couple of them until I found a great one, where I've stayed for several years now.  Neptune Comics in WI.

Is the Celestial Madonna TPB still in print? Surely that has all the G-S issues. I'd look at my own copy, but I'm basically out the door.

I looked into that on Amazon, and it appears it does, but I'd rather have it digital to keep on my computer with the files from the DVD. Also, the reviews mentioned that it was badly colored (Kree colored pink, Wanda's tights fleshtone, etc). If you get a chance to peruse your copy, maybe you could see if the coloring is really that bad. Thanks.

Is this the version you have Dan? If not I can check mine, since this is the one I have, to see what it's like DE. I really like this story too, but like Dan I didn't really notice any coloring issues.

www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=757671

Edit: Gasp! It looks like this one according to the site doesn't have #1!

I've never been to the Brockton one... the Norwood one is the one a generally go to..it's not a bad place, just not a particularly good one. They'll chat a bit if no one else is in the store, but I've also often been ignored in favor or regulars a few times. I've also been to the Harvard square one a couple times, I didn't really get an impression one way or the other.

Diamond usually offers a better discount on floppies than trades, so the margins are better on floppies. However, it depend son the volume of business the store does, as higher volume accounts might get a better deal from Diamond. For us we get floppies around 50% off cover while trades are only about 40% off cover, but we do a tiny volume on trades. It also depends if the trades/floppies were purchased before FOC or on reorders as discounts are less on reorders than initial orders. However, the back list on Star Systems for Diamond can have variable discounts depending on whether they are perennial books or whether Diamond is trying to get rid of their supply. It's one of those things that I just sooooo love about dealing with Diamond. But for the most part, the floppies will have the better margins. 

-M

Comic shops pretty much live and die with pull customers, it's the closest thing to guaranteed sales they have, so a lot of owners I have known treat you very well until they discover you aren't setting up a pull list, which annoys me to all hell. If Iam buying back issues regularly for you, those have the highest margins of anything you sell in the freakin' store so don't treat me like I am a second class customer for not having a pull. If I am buying a trade from you, say thank you,  as I can likely get it from Amazon at about the same price you paid for it, not what I am paying you for it, so be grateful people buy trades from you at all and give them something for the money they are giving you-that's what customer service is about. So yeah if he is giving you less customer service than he should be, I would not continue to do business with him.


This is my first test when I go to a new game store or comic shop with my wife for the first time-if we walk in and the owner/clerk greets me and ignores my wife (who is a bigger gamer and more likely to buy high end stuff than I am), then the shop has pretty much ruined any chance we will buy anything there outside of mondo cheap stuff (quarter bins, dollar bins, etc.) and unlikely we will return for a second visit. Greeting new customers when they enter no matter gender or your expectations about what they will spend in your store costs you nothing to do, but could cost you a customer if you don't, so I never understand owners/clerks who don't greet people. The second bit of advice I will give is that your greeting/opening line shouldn't be a veiled feeler to find out what the potential customer might buy/how much they will spend, because it is a patently obvious ploy and not really a service move at all. 

I am all for supporting the LCS, but bottom line is this-online sellers are cheaper and more convenient, so you as store owner need to do something to make your store a destination for the shopper and provide some incentive for the customer to spend more for product they can get cheaper elsewhere. Good customer service goes a long way towards that, but events, browsing environment, variety of products offered, community, etc. can all fill the bill. A shop needs to earn my custom whether they sell comics, groceries, or whatever commodity. Price and convenience are the two biggest factors in earning custom, and the two areas most LCS cannot compete in, so they have an uphill battle. If they blow it with customer service and satisfaction, they have very little else to offer to keep earning the custom, and there are a heck of a lot of owners who need to have that epiphany, including a few around here. 

-M