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Comic Back Issue Sales Are Up, But Market Has Changed
Via ICv2.com
Most all direct-market comic stores are back-issue stores as well. That piece of the pie seems to be growing, but in ways retailers really haven’t seen before.
"Back issues sales are definitely up, and have been a growing piece of our business for the last 2-3 years running, after a long lull," says Joe Field of Flying Colors Comics in Concord, California. But the traditional, gotta-have-’em all collector seems to be a dying breed.
"There is more activity in first appearances of characters, of maybe collecting specific artists or writers," Field continues. "But in terms of collecting things to have a complete collection… I really think the publishers have blown that market up by constant restarts and doing 'seasons' rather than long-running series."
The scene looks the same to Carr D’Angelo, who owns the two Earth-2 stores in Los Angeles.
"There's still that classic guy with his list out there, and he’s buying only the issues he needs to fill in his run, and I love that guy," D'Angelo says. "But I think there are more people buying back issues just because it brings them joy."
"We have a fair mount of people buying back issues from us who would not be considered 'comic book collectors,'" Field says. "There's a lot of curiosity factor. They come in and they've seen that Walking Dead TV show, so it’s, 'Let’s get a Walking Dead thing we can hang on the wall.' I have guys who come in here regularly who are looking for reasonably priced $15-and-under Silver and Bronze Age stuff that they can display on the walls in their offices. They're not what you'd call comic book collectors, but they like the pop culture curiosity of what they're buying. There's a lot of ways to be in the back-issue market, and if people are having fun with it, keep doing it."
For his part, D'Angelo sees treasure-seeking hardcores along with his $3 Lois Lane buyers.
"Some are deep-dive guys," D’Angelo says. "Immortal Hulk is a is a book that's got people more interested in Hulk history, so they want to know when did he become Professor Hulk, when did he become Gray Hulk, because all those things relate to the current Hulk story. Also, Donny Cates might make a reference to an obscure character from an old 90s Dr. Strange story, and all of a sudden, that old issue might shoot up. And that’s the fun of it for many people going through our back-issue stock—they’re hunting for the one thing that we didn’t catch yet."
Casual readers, hardcores, a burgeoning market for ’90s nostalgia... all categories are up at Erath-2 Comics. Carr D'Angelo even sees a solid place for that full-run collector.
"When we buy a collection and there's an 80-issue run of Catwoman... I'd be dead before I sell them all individually," he says. "So we wrap them up and sell them as a run, and that's where people do buy runs. People really respond to that. Chunks are good."
And as is often the case, he with the largest warehouse wins.
"Yeah, I've got a warehouse with a fair amount of comics, and what I’m able to do is dip into it from time to time and pull some stuff to make it fresh in here," Joe Field says. "I think the back-issue buyers in our area know that we're going to have a good selection, and they're going to be reasonably priced, and there’s going to be a fairly good turnover. All that turns into 'Yeah, here's a stop we have to make.'"
#comicbooks #dccomics #marvelcomics
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