Post by rom on Sept 1, 2018 20:19:41 GMT -5
I just stumbled upon this older thread, and wanted to put in my .02:
Haven't been into a LCS since late 2014, and don't miss going to them at all. Remember it's not just the money that you're saving when you're buying CE's (or anything else) from an online retailer like Amazon vs. a brick & mortar store. There are other elements to consider as well:
1) Time & hassle, which you can't put a price on. My last LCS was a 40-45 minutes drive from me (each way), and I usually went there around once a month (it was too much hassle to go every week). It was also in an area that has a lot of heavy traffic, so I hated having to navigate this in order to get to the store. Conversely, it's obviously a lot easier to get something delivered to my door, and requires minimal effort.
2) My LCS would sometimes make mistakes & not hold items for me that I had requested. So, when I wanted something & they hadn't held it for me, in many cases they were sold out & I wasn't able to get the item (from them, at least).
Taking all of this into account, I can honestly say that even if I weren't saving money by buying items online, I would still buy online - even if the costs of books @ my LCS & the online vendor were equal. The convenience of purchasing online can't be emphasized enough.
The one advantage I can see about going to a LCS is if you still collect floppies; I know you can get delivery service for those, but it would be more difficult to ensure they're delivered in good shape re: the possibility that they'll bend, etc. However, I stopped collecting floppies years ago, so that's not an issue for me.
Also, if I changed my mind & did want to collect a modern comic - I could obviously not get any of the floppies & just trade-wait - as many collectors do these days.
Haven't been into a LCS since late 2014, and don't miss going to them at all. Remember it's not just the money that you're saving when you're buying CE's (or anything else) from an online retailer like Amazon vs. a brick & mortar store. There are other elements to consider as well:
1) Time & hassle, which you can't put a price on. My last LCS was a 40-45 minutes drive from me (each way), and I usually went there around once a month (it was too much hassle to go every week). It was also in an area that has a lot of heavy traffic, so I hated having to navigate this in order to get to the store. Conversely, it's obviously a lot easier to get something delivered to my door, and requires minimal effort.
2) My LCS would sometimes make mistakes & not hold items for me that I had requested. So, when I wanted something & they hadn't held it for me, in many cases they were sold out & I wasn't able to get the item (from them, at least).
Taking all of this into account, I can honestly say that even if I weren't saving money by buying items online, I would still buy online - even if the costs of books @ my LCS & the online vendor were equal. The convenience of purchasing online can't be emphasized enough.
The one advantage I can see about going to a LCS is if you still collect floppies; I know you can get delivery service for those, but it would be more difficult to ensure they're delivered in good shape re: the possibility that they'll bend, etc. However, I stopped collecting floppies years ago, so that's not an issue for me.
Also, if I changed my mind & did want to collect a modern comic - I could obviously not get any of the floppies & just trade-wait - as many collectors do these days.