Online Comic Buying Services

[iSteve]

Just curious, for those of you who are using an online subscription service, how much do you actually save as opposed to buying them in a LCS (including shipping costs)?

[ekval]

My one experience is that I got 17 titles for a total of $33 including shipping as opposed to the $25 I spent for like 8 titles three days later.

Pretty big difference....though I am in favor of supporting the LCS

[iSteve]

My one experience is that I got 17 titles for a total of $33 including shipping as opposed to the $25 I spent for like 8 titles three days later.

Pretty big difference....though I am in favor of supporting the LCS

Yeah, I want to support my LCS, but if there are real savings to be had then it's worth considering. Which service have you used?

[fred]

this is a difficult issue that I haven't had too many problems resolving

I buy at a LCS because I like supporting my lcs and the concept of the lcs in general.
I like getting my books on Wednesday
I like not having my books all torn up by my asshole mailman(he's definitely an asshole)

[derek]

Here are my last 3 month's orders, with savings, from DCBS:

January 2007
Retail: $317.09
Discount: ($127.54) 40.22%
Subtotal: $189.55
Shipping: $12.95 (I get weekly shipping - if you get monthly or bi-weekly it's cheaper)
Total: $202.50

December 2006
Retail: $503.87
Discount: ($208.16) 41.31%
Subtotal: $295.71
Shipping: $14.95
Total: $310.66

November 2006
Retail: $223.55
Discount: ($86.91) 38.87%
Subtotal: $136.64
Shipping: $9.95
Total: $146.59

As you can see, I spend way too much on comics, but my discount hovers around 40% overall every month. The funny thing is, when I shopped at my LCS, my discount was much less but I spent far less as well. I don't know why.

Also, my monthly total is usually around $150-200. December is an anomaly and is by far my highest monthly total I have ever spent. It just happened that there was a Marvel Omnibus, a DC Absolute, a couple of Marvel oversized HCs and several other trades that all hit in the same month.

To address some of the other points on here:

I miss the LCS but the savings of online are too great to ignore.

DCBS packages the books very well - I have never received a damaged book through them.

The biggest issue is the delay in getting the books. They ship them on Wed, but I usually don't get them until Mon or Tue of the following week. It is hard to dodge all the spoilers and stay out of the new book discussions until then. But like I said, 40% off is a big equalizer.

[iSteve]

Here are my last 3 month's orders, with savings, from DCBS:

January 2007
Retail: $317.09
Discount: ($127.54) 40.22%
Subtotal: $189.55
Shipping: $12.95 (I get weekly shipping - if you get monthly or bi-weekly it's cheaper)
Total: $202.50

December 2006
Retail: $503.87
Discount: ($208.16) 41.31%
Subtotal: $295.71
Shipping: $14.95
Total: $310.66

November 2006
Retail: $223.55
Discount: ($86.91) 38.87%
Subtotal: $136.64
Shipping: $9.95
Total: $146.59

As you can see, I spend way too much on comics, but my discount hovers around 40% overall every month. The funny thing is, when I shopped at my LCS, my discount was much less but I spent far less as well. I don't know why.

Also, my monthly total is usually around $150-200. December is an anomaly and is by far my highest monthly total I have ever spent. It just happened that there was a Marvel Omnibus, a DC Absolute, a couple of Marvel oversized HCs and several other trades that all hit in the same month.

To address some of the other points on here:

I miss the LCS but the savings of online are too great to ignore.

DCBS packages the books very well - I have never received a damaged book through them.

The biggest issue is the delay in getting the books. They ship them on Wed, but I usually don't get them until Mon or Tue of the following week. It is hard to dodge all the spoilers and stay out of the new book discussions until then. But like I said, 40% off is a big equalizer.


Thanks, Derek, that's really helpful! The savings really are significant and it's good to know that your comics arrive in a decent condition.

[scottlittlefield]

I've also been interested in how much you could save through the online services. I think the only thing holding me back is not getting the books for like 5 days. Part of my enjoyment of the books is listening to the discussion on ifanboy.

[billy-parker]

I subscribe through Marvel and save alot. Like 12 issues for $20. That's tax free and no additional shipping. In store, in my small town, they don't offer a discount. So with tax, it would be 12 issues for $38.40. So I save $18.40 per title.

And sometimes, the comics arrive in the mail before Wednesdays. Sometimes after. Once, I got a Wolverine comic 1 1/2 weeks early before it was in stores!

So yah, Marvel and DC offer the same discount just about.

[iSteve]

So what online subscription services are you guys using? Comichole? Mile High? Others?

[derek]

So yah, Marvel and DC offer the same discount just about.

True, but what about non Marvel/DC books, or TPBs/HCs, or toys, or magazines, or games, etc? You can only get the discount on those if you use one of the online services. Plus you are locked in for a year when you subscribe through Marvel or DC. If you decide that Amazing Spider-Man sucks you can't really do anything about it until your sub runs out. With the online guys you can sub or drop at any time.

[scottlittlefield]

I subscribed to a title through DC at one point, just to check it out. I was receiving the titles about a week and a half after it's release. If you don't care about getting close to a release date, it does save you some dough

[marcushill73]

I get my books shipped on a monthly schedule from www.mailordercomics.com. They offer around 40% discount, shipping around $8.00, and exemplary service. Check it out.

[fred]

I was thinking about this today as I waded through snow halfway up to my waist and jumped in my car to essentially sled to the comics shop. As shitty as it was, I still don't think I could trade the experience for an extra 15 or 20 percent off. Maybe someday, but now I like actually trudging in and picking through the things on the rack.

[jimski]

I have a brief to-do list sitting on my desktop, shaming me, and "subscribe to your comics online; save bundle" is right at the top.

I would love to hear about which services people here use and how they like 'em. The ComicHole deals are so good, plus you don't have to log in every month and go "This is what I want, again" like at a lot of sites... but they never did respond to my subscription e-mail, which makes me wary. I need to give it another shot.

[jimski]

I was thinking about this today as I waded through snow halfway up to my waist and jumped in my car to essentially sled to the comics shop.

That's it in a nutshell. I occasionally have to wait at a railroad crossing for trains to pass on my way to my most regular shop, and neither of the ones I go to have any parking... one day in December, I was sitting at yet another red light and a voice said, "You know... you're paying to do this right now."

[k-dizzle]

I have a brief to-do list sitting on my desktop, shaming me, and "subscribe to your comics online; save bundle" is right at the top.

I would love to hear about which services people here use and how they like 'em. The ComicHole deals are so good, plus you don't have to log in every month and go "This is what I want, again" like at a lot of sites... but they never did respond to my subscription e-mail, which makes me wary. I need to give it another shot. I used Mile High subscription service for about two years because we only had one LCS and it was really far away. I had a 20% discount and usually got my books in pristine condition on friday instead of wednesday. the service was great The only reason i stopped the service was because two more shops opened up near me.

[orlov]

DCBS and Mailorder comics all the way, I lean towards DCBS usually. But I always order whatever is on super special from both sites. Super specials comics are .79 CENTS!! Max order of 2. Also DCBS cannot be beat on tpb and graphic novel prices and shipping is very affordable, I currently do once a month but am considering upping that to bi or weekly. For example the amazing spider-man omnibus coming out in late April is 50% off ($49.99) on DCBS so I just have to order it of course.

Some books I am so anxious to read that I buy them at my shop whether I ordered it from DCBS or not, but thats only a couple titles and if I am really bored.

[unnamedfrenchguy]

For the Canadians in the crowd I've finally found a service that runs out of Canada. Take a look at All New Comics (http://www.allnewcomics.com/Scripts/default.asp). Can't vouch for them but it's nice to see the business model move north of the border.

[cormano]

Sorry for bringing back an old thread, but I've been having problems with my LCS so I just tried to sign up for subscription service from Comic Hole and they said the service is discontinued. So… based on this thread, Mail Order Comics? Any other suggestions? I'd rather not go through Marvel and DC because then I need multiple sets of subscriptions and I don't know about indie stuff…

[mrugly]

LCS = Local Comic book Shop

I hate the over use of acronyms on message boards. Yes, I'm nitpicking and being a douche.

[itsbecca]

I'm to lazy to see if someone already mentioned it, but I know DCBS has a service and their prices are very low.

[cormano]

Looks like you have to order monthly from Previews, which is okay but I'm kind of hoping for an option to just give them a list and get those books every month.

[itsbecca]

Ah, I see.


My LCS offers something a little more like that I think:

AF Books (http://www.afbooks.com/subservice.asp[/url)

They don't have discounted books, but they offer a flat 10% off. It looks like they have free shipping though?

They're really flexible w/ their lists. I assume if you shoot them off an email they can send you back their little list of titles and then you check them off and add whatever else is missing. Or I'm sure if you just typed up your pull list that would work too. I don't use them this way, but I have a pull list at the store. And you can just shoot 'em an email anytime you want to add anything.

The only thing you need to be careful of if they have a habit of sticking in related titles (Like I signed up for Daredevil and they stuck in the Battlin Jack Murdoc series), so if you're not up maybe put a note that you DONT want that. They might not be that liberal with the mailing list anyway though, since you don't really have the choice of sticking it back (which officially you can't do... but my store just doesn't care about that at all. They're very chill guys).

[nikolaip]

http://www.impulsecreations.net/catalog/info_pages.php/pages_id/9

I used their subscription service for about a year when I was living in Colorado and the nearest comic book shop was a 3 hour drive away. You just create a pull list in the account set up and you get those titles every time they come out. Never had a quality problem and they're customer service was always responsive, but you are at the mercy of UPS/USPS.

[asiananimal]

Up until now my local comic book shop has been Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash (http://jayandsilentbob.com/). My experiences so far has been at best, meh. Here's my gripe with the stash...

It just seem like they didn't care how they treated their comics, a bunch of them were bent in some way. I'm not saying keep them in mint, but some what close to new. The shopkeep, who isn't kevin smith, keeps revolving and seem disinterested in making any social contact with their patrons. I've seen Burger King employees with more interest in their customers. You don't need to be my best friend, but you know the regular thank you for visiting the stash, or a goodbye would be nice. And lastly, more than once I get there something on my pull list is sold out UGH. Thats the worst feeling, waiting all week to read something and to find out at the store that it's sold out.

So, I've decided to go subscription for October with DCBService (http://www.dcbservice.com). The saving is about 40% and no tax, there's shipping but over all I'm still saving a good ~25%. I'll still visit the shop and pick up one or two books that are on my maybe list. If my first shipment goes well I think I'll stick with this.

Did any of you guys get turned off by your local comic book shop and go online subscription?

[jimski]

Did any of you guys get turned off by your local comic book shop and go online subscription?

Star Clipper is a great store now, but when I started reading comics again and shopped there they used to put out a newsletter about upcoming books in which they would blatantly mock the books they were advertising (and their buyers) as stupid. The mockery was of the "this indie book is great, but whatever, buy another x-book, you sheep" variety. You'd see a book you wanted on the list and think, "My God, I can't go in there and plop that on the counter now. I didn't come this far in life to end up getting shit about my reading habits from the comic book guy." So for a while, I actually subscribed to the comics directly from the publishers themselves. I don't know how Marvel ships their subscriptions these days, but at the time the cure was worse than the disease. The postal workers were delivering Ultimate Spider-Man as origami.

[kahunablair]

Up until now my local comic book shop has been Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash (http://jayandsilentbob.com/). My experiences so far has been at best, meh. Here's my gripe with the stash...


I had a friend who would take yearly trips to North Jersey to visit the areas where Smith filmed his movies. It was like his pilgrimage to Mecca.
One year I went up with him. It was kind of interesting.
Well we went to the original Stash up there, and I had the exact same vibe from the guy behind the counter. I couldn’t see that place being my LCS of choice. It seemed to much like an attraction and not enough like a working store.

[asiananimal]

I don't know how Marvel ships their subscriptions these days, but at the time the cure was worse than the disease. The postal workers were delivering Ultimate Spider-Man as origami.

I had a Ultimate Spider-Man delivered to me with a fold in the middle!!!!:eek:

[esophagus]

Hey, I just noticed Rev3 now has an ad for "All New Comics". It's a mail order service, from Canada. I love this. Looks like a fairly good deal, and I might sign up. Figured I'd mention it, as I know Mike had been looking into online at one point, and I hadn't seen this until this point. It looks appealing. Discounted books, and cheaper shipping (for Canadians).

[xyzzy]

I've had an extremely good experience with DCBS. I have some great local shops, which I still patronize on occasion, but the convenience and prices of mail order are just too great to ignore. Plus I don't have to talk to annoying show clerks.

[klwinters]

The nearest comic shop to me is around an hour away, and whenever I get a chance to get down there I miss an issue or two of the things I want. So, where would the best place online be to buy single comic issues? Right now I want Anita Blake: First Death #2 when it comes out, and the first issue of Halo: Uprising.

Now, also, whats a better place to buy TPBs and the like online rather than Amazon? Thanks for the help!

[six-gun]

Midtown Comics (http://www.midtowncomics.com/)

[acomicbookgirl]

DCBS (http://dcbservice.com). Cool prices on trades when they are pre ordered and ocassionally on monthlies/floppies..

[jgg0610]

Another couple to check out:

Mycomicshop (http://www.mycomicshop.com/home?bhcp=1)

Comicsupply (http://www.comicsupply.com/)

[fred]

In Stock Trades (http://instocktrades.com/default.aspx)

[mjm05k]

I use www.dreamlandcomics.com which is an LCS that also does online mail order. You can add or subtract titles from your pull list at any time (no pre-ordering weeks or months in advance). So far I've been pretty happy with their service.

[engrishjones]

I am having a issue with my comic shop all the ones in town seem to miss my subscriptions and they are more focused on cards. Last week they missed 4 of my titles. Is there a good online store to get all my monthly titles and start subscriptions.

[six-gun]

I am having a issue with my comic shop all the ones in town seem to miss my subscriptions and they are more focused on cards. Last week they missed 4 of my titles. Is there a good online store to get all my monthly titles and start subscriptions.

Every single resource listed on here is a good one

[telecarlos]

LCS = Local Comic book Shop

I hate the over use of acronyms on message boards. Yes, I'm nitpicking and being a douche.

I was lost for half a page... thanks!

So I'm in a new town and no LCS in a convenient location, I guess this is the way to go! Will read the thread in full before commenting further. Thanks anyways... just what I needed!

[telecarlos]

I had a friend who would take yearly trips to North Jersey to visit the areas where Smith filmed his movies. It was like his pilgrimage to Mecca.
One year I went up with him. It was kind of interesting.
Well we went to the original Stash up there, and I had the exact same vibe from the guy behind the counter. I couldn’t see that place being my LCS of choice. It seemed to much like an attraction and not enough like a working store.

I heard Kevin mention in his own podcast that he has him there just cuz he's a friend he's aware he is totally uninterested in being there; that if he quits, he just will close shop cuz has no other friends to take care of it. Maybe you guys that are really into comics should send resumes and convince Kevin to put someone who's really interested and will treat the comic shop like it deserves. That would be really cool!

Sorry, will continue with reading the rest of thread... now!

[sullivan85]

Amazon is usually good, but instocktrades seems to usually have the best prices. I tried dreamlandcomics for a while but found them to be really pissy if I ever had to call and talk to someone.

[jimski]

I did have one minor frustration at first with mailordercomics.

I set up an automatic monthly pull list, and when I did so I asked, "So, I can just set this up and never think about it again, right? I don't have to log back in and order every month, do I? I am a lazy man trying to minimize effort."

"No problem," said they.

Then time started passing, and my comics just were not coming. I came to discover that, when you set up a pull list, you have to specify that you want one issue of each comic to come each month. (Presumably, this option exists because some misbegotten soul is still getting multiple copies of everything for collectability. Alas.) Anyway, I had apparently set up a monthly pull list and then told it to automatically send me 0 copies of each book.

[esophagus]

I did have one minor frustration at first with mailordercomics.

I set up an automatic monthly pull list, and when I did so I asked, "So, I can just set this up and never think about it again, right? I don't have to log back in and order every month, do I? I am a lazy man trying to minimize effort."

"No problem," said they.

Then time started passing, and my comics just were not coming. I came to discover that, when you set up a pull list, you have to specify that you want one issue of each comic to come each month. (Presumably, this option exists because some misbegotten soul is still getting multiple copies of everything for collectability. Alas.) Anyway, I had apparently set up a monthly pull list and then told it to automatically send me 0 copies of each book.Aetting up the pull list is very confusing online. I'm assuming everywhere, because I don't see a way to do it very efficiently. But, mailordercomics is fairly good about getting your order as you specified, so that's good stuff. Be happy you weren't paying the shippong on an empty box.

[ghostevo]

I use HeroesCorner.com (http://www.heroescorner.com). They offer 35% off all comics, have specials (50% and 75% off) on their front page (and they are popular titles too!), bag and board for free, and free shipping over $75 (Lord knows I spend more than that every month). Ha!

The only thing I know they don't have is subs yet. I emailed them and they said it will be coming shortly because a lot of people are asking for it.

Hope this helps.

[bogotoko]

Almost all these sites look the same... what makes one better than another?

[kahunablair]

Almost all these sites look the same... what makes one better than another?

I think it really just depends on what you are looking for.
I've looked at a few of them, and their services look the same at first glance.
If you look closer though you find that there are slight differences that actually matter. Take Shipping cost for instance. One site shipped weekly but wanted to charge a crazy amount, and another let you ship every other week, and charged almost nothing for it.

[ghostevo]

kahunablair is right. If you take the time (and i'm sure a lot of people don't) you can see differences in the "other charges" that you don't see up front. All sites have their "Special Deals" (50%, 75% off, etc.), but I chose Heroes Corner after a lot of research. One of the big things to me is customer service. A lot of stores (I think) don't care sometimes. To help me choose (I know this is a little extreme), I sent an e-mail to 4 different stores asking "Do you guys bag and board comics free, or is there a charge?" I sent an e-mail whether they had it explained on their site or not. I just wanted to see how long it took for them to get back to me. Some of the sites took over 2 days to answer; they answered me in less than 8 hours. This showed me good customer service in my eyes. They even had an 800 number listed, and none of the other sites I looked at did.

The other things that helped me decide were the free bags and boards, and the shipping over $75. I usually spend about $100 a month, so this benefited me. They also had bi-weekly shipping (i can't remember how much) but I just went with the monthly free. kahunablair is also right in the fact that shipping charges sometimes are forgotten. Some places may have flat rate shipping, but they send your stuff media mail. I'm a collector and take care of my comics, I don't trust the USPS banging around my comics for a week just to save a buck. Some places are extreme when it comes to shipping and charge an astronomical amount. And then some places have a tier system, the more you buy the more they charge to ship.

The subscription service didn't matter to me (yet) because I like to go to the site and add stuff to my cart manually. However, I can add stuff to the cart they have on their site at the beginning of the month, then add and delete stuff as the month goes on because it saves the cart on their site when you log out. When the due date comes, I log in, make any changes, and then submit.
Anyway, there are some of my reasons on why I chose Heroes Corner. Now that I've written a book and taken way to much space in this forum, I'm signing out!

Hope this helps. Sorry if I went overboard, but you asked. HA! :D
P.S. I didn't name the other companies because I don't want to bash them.

[valoharth]

I'm torn on this whole subject of Mail order comics, I have seen the bad side of it with a local comic shop. People were yamering for a lcs in the Casper area and when we finaly got one no one even went because everyone was getting their stuff through Mail Order. It made it bad for the owner who had to shut down the shop after a burgarly (yea the seculator market still hasn't died yet and unfortuantly it makes small comics shops targets).

I have tired two MOC services, the one done by Mile High and the one done by Comichole. The Mile High comic service for some reason rubed me the wrong way, in the age of technology you would think it wouldn't be all that hard to go online and just click on a list of books you want mailed to you every week or to keep on your pull list (they may have changed since I used them). Comichole's MOC service gave me mixed feelings, I loved that I was maybe spending 20 bucks a month for 10 to 15 titles but the way they shipped them and how long it took them to get to me really annoyed me.

My suggestion when doing the whole MOC service is look to see whos closest to you and if you do have a store near you I would still go their every Wen to check out some titles you may have missed and pick them up there.

[ghostevo]

Valoharth you make a good point. I know a lot of people will say "support your LCS", but when you are saving $20-$30 a month by going online it's hard to throw that money away. I do still visit the LCS when there is a title I didn't think to get when I used the online method, or something.

Sad about the LCS owner.

[esophagus]

Mail order is a great idea when you're a person like me or, even more accurately, Dr. Wally. If you just can't get to a store, this is a new and great alternative. I've looked into all of the options for a time in the not-so-distant future when I start my online pull list, and mailordercomics.com seems to be the best option out there. Not only for great sales, but they just have such a huge selection. Ghostevo made a good choice with Heroes Corner, but it just doesn't have the selection.

[bogotoko]

Well everyone’s making a compelling argument. I want to support my LCS but I’m lazy and want to save some $$$ on gas, driving time, and the cost of comics.

Since Esophagus hyped up MOC (https://www.mailordercomics.com/index.asp) and GhostEvo seemed to push for Heroes Corner (http://www.heroescorner.com/), I thought I’d run a cost analysis…take about a pain the butt, but I guess I don’t have a life and if I’m giving paying for something I need to find who’ll save me $$$ and maximize my comic-crack addiction.

Here’s my personal finds:

1. PRODUCT SELECTION: Heroes Corner and MOC had the same product selection. Esophagus mentioned MOC had a better selection, but I found Heroes Corner and MOC had the same products that I wanted. I didn’t see one site better than the other in this category.

2. SITE USE: Valoharth mentioned the ease of using the sites. I felt each site had its pros and cons. For MOC I had a hard time searching for the stuff that I wanted, and the pages loaded way too slow. However, I liked that I could check-off all the titles I wanted for a particular publisher on one page and then add to cart.

For Heroes Corner, I didn’t like having to keep going to different sub-categories. I had to make sure I didn’t miss anything. But I liked that it wasn’t hard to find the stuff I wanted, I was able to look at the title covers, and everything loaded quickly.

3. HIGHLIGHT SUPER SAVINGS: For deep savings around 50-75% off cover prices, I had to search around MOC. Not very fun. Heroes Corner was pretty easy to find since they were on the home page.

4. SAVINGS: Based upon the below listed titles, MOC would cost me $86.51 (includes shipping of $9.15) vs. Heroes Corner charge of $75.45 (I qualified for free shipping).

NOV070164 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 17
NOV070165 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 16
NOV070166 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 15
NOV070167 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 14
NOV070168 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 13
NOV070169A TEEN TITANS YEAR ONE #1 (Limit of 2 at this price)
NOV070170 TEEN TITANS THE LOST ANNUAL
NOV070171 TEEN TITANS #55
NOV070187 BATMAN #673
NOV070188 DETECTIVE COMICS #840
NOV070189 ROBIN #170
NOV070190 NIGHTWING #140
NOV070196 SUPERMAN #672
NOV070197 SUPERMAN BATMAN #45
NOV070198 SUPERGIRL #25
NOV070205 FLASH #236
NOV070206 GREEN LANTERN #27
NOV070208 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #17
NOV070220 TRIALS OF SHAZAM #11 (OF 12)
NOV070226 BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL ED HC
NOV072127 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #549
NOV072129 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #550
NOV072130 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #551
NOV072136 AVENGERS INITIATIVE #9
NOV072137 CAPTAIN AMERICA #34
NOV072143 FANTASTIC FOUR #553
NOV072150 HULK #1
NOV072153 WORLD WAR HULK AFTERSMASH DAMAGE CONTROL #1 (OF 3)
NOV072164 MS MARVEL #23
NOV072165 MIGHTY AVENGERS #8
NOV072166 NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL #2
NOV072178 WHAT IF SPIDER-MAN VS WOLVERINE
NOV072179 UNCANNY X-MEN #494
NOV072181 X-FACTOR #27
NOV072183 NEW X-MEN #46
NOV072185 X-MEN #207
NOV070194 ACTION COMICS #861




5. SHIPPING COST: For my order, MOC would charge $9.15 for shipping, and Heroes Corner is free shipping because my purchase order was more than $75.

Another side benefit is that Heroes Corner will bag and board my comics for free, but I have to pay for it if I go through MOC.

Thank-you Esophagus, Valoharth, and Ghost Evo’s for your opinions .

Based upon my findings, I think the choice is clear.

[esophagus]

When I looked into starting a pull list, I was looking for a lot of more indie titles, which HC seems to be lacking in. But yeah, it looks like the choice is obvious for you.

[valoharth]

Kudo's to you Bogo! I was thinking about going thru the whole comics by mail thing again, and its seems you've done the whole research thing for me.

[jimski]

I think this is the most passionate, thoughtful thread on the board. If y'all don't work for these sites, you should. :)

[valoharth]

I think this is the most passionate, thoughtful thread on the board. If y'all don't work for these sites, you should. :)

Haha, just post a resume on the board and HR will get ahold of you

[bogotoko]

Sweet, a new job! Just give me an address to send my resume.:D

[ghostevo]

Bogotoko, that's a lot of work man. A little more than most people would do, but it's good that you posted it here so people can see the difference. The savings you had looked like $11.00 or so. My savings are a little more than that (I also spend more), but hey it adds up in a year! P.S. MOC (https://www.mailordercomics.com) has the specials in the featured link on the homepage.

Esophagus, I get quite a few independents too, but I had to look for them. Under the Comics section at HC (http://www.heroescorner.com) there is an 'Independents' link. There is a whole slew of independent publishers. I get graphic novels too (I don't know if you do) but there is an 'Independents' link there too.

I kind of like my IT job so I think I'll pass on the resume posting. I'd probably get stuck bagging and boarding for one of them anyway! HA! :D

[esophagus]

Bogotoko, that's a lot of work man. A little more than most people would do, but it's good that you posted it here so people can see the difference. The savings you had looked like $11.00 or so. My savings are a little more than that (I also spend more), but hey it adds up in a year! P.S. MOC (https://www.mailordercomics.com) has the specials in the featured link on the homepage.

Esophagus, I get quite a few independents too, but I had to look for them. Under the Comics section at HC (http://www.heroescorner.com) there is an 'Independents' link. There is a whole slew of independent publishers. I get graphic novels too (I don't know if you do) but there is an 'Independents' link there too.

I kind of like my IT job so I think I'll pass on the resume posting. I'd probably get stuck bagging and boarding for one of them anyway! HA! :DWell I guess I'll have to look into this a little more seriously before I make any decisions.

[bogotoko]

GE: I'm not one to part easily with my money, plus I hate having to reduce how many titles I can buy. Gone are the days of the 0.65 cent comic...boy I miss those days!

[meccaed]

Right now "heroescorner.com" is having a 50% off sale on any Captain America books, as a Memorial Day event type thing.(Thanks for the heads up esophagus!) I've never used this site so I had to register blah blah blah. I put the Brubaker Omnibus in my cart and I was off! Right now I have to choose a shipping method, and I'm a little confused. The choices are:

Flat Rate Shipping (Once a Month Shipping for Comics): $5.95

Bi-Monthly Shipping for Comics: $9.95

Overnight/Special Shipping (See Terms of Service for details.)

So my question for anyone who's used this site is, do they use a system where they only make shipments out 1-2 times a month? Even for trades, omnibi etc?

[esophagus]

Bimonthly means twice a month.

[conorkilpatrick]

Bimonthly means twice a month.

Doesn't that mean every two months? I thought bi-weekly was every two weeks. Or is that bi-curious?

[gungadin]

I dunno... It's hard to remember what's "twice-a" and what's "every other..."

[conorkilpatrick]

All I know is that in comics, when a book is bi-monthly it comes out every two months and when it's bi-weekly it comes out every two weeks.

[meccaed]

Hmm, then why would it be more expensive?

[gungadin]

All I know is that in comics, when a book is bi-monthly it comes out every two months and when it's bi-weekly it comes out every two weeks.

Well then that would make sense, because anyone who would publish something twice a month would just say biweekly, but that just makes it sound like "Twice a week" which is really frakkin counterintuitive...

[esophagus]

Doesn't that mean every two months? I thought bi-weekly was every two weeks. Or is that bi-curious?It actually means either one. In this case, I'm assuming they're not charging more to ship less.

Edit: Yup.

bi·month·ly /baɪˈmʌnθli/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[bahy-muhnth-lee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation adjective, noun, plural -lies, adverb
–adjective 1. occurring every two months.
2. occurring twice a month; semimonthly.

Talk about confusing and counter-productive.

[gungadin]

It actually means either one. In this case, I'm assuming they're not charging more to ship less.

Edit: Yup.

bi·month·ly /baɪˈmʌnθli/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[bahy-muhnth-lee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation adjective, noun, plural -lies, adverb
–adjective 1. occurring every two months.
2. occurring twice a month; semimonthly.

Talk about confusing and counter-productive.

Frakkin English language...

[bogotoko]

Right now "heroescorner.com" is having a 50% off sale on any Captain America books, as a Memorial Day event type thing.(Thanks for the heads up esophagus!) I've never used this site so I had to register blah blah blah. I put the Brubaker Omnibus in my cart and I was off! Right now I have to choose a shipping method, and I'm a little confused. The choices are:

Flat Rate Shipping (Once a Month Shipping for Comics): $5.95

Bi-Monthly Shipping for Comics: $9.95

Overnight/Special Shipping (See Terms of Service for details.)

So my question for anyone who's used this site is, do they use a system where they only make shipments out 1-2 times a month? Even for trades, omnibi etc?

I've never heard of a comic store shipping orders every other month. I bet its twice a month like Esophagus so eloquently quoted from Websters... good job Esophagus:)

Plus, the cost of $9.95 makes me more sure that it's twice a month shipping.

Anyway, $37.50 for the Brubaker Cap Omnibus! Hook me up!!!

[xyzzy]

Frakkin English language...

I think it's one of those things where people constantly misuse the word and it eventually makes its way into a dictinoary. Like "irregardless."

[hudsonphillips]

So, it seems like just about everyone is willing to betray their local store in order to get comics cheaper (which makes sense with comics being so expensive)...

So, if comic book stores disappeared altogether, then the monthly comic book industry would still survive through mail order, right? (Or eventually maybe digital downloads???)

Do you guys think that will every happen?

I would imagine that the majority of comic book readers still buy from their local stores. What percentage do you think buy online based on people you know?

[esophagus]

So, it seems like just about everyone is willing to betray their local store in order to get comics cheaper (which makes sense with comics being so expensive)...

So, if comic book stores disappeared altogether, then the monthly comic book industry would still survive through mail order, right? (Or eventually maybe digital downloads???)

Do you guys think that will every happen?

I would imagine that the majority of comic book readers still buy from their local stores. What percentage do you think buy online based on people you know?I'd say maybe, maybe 5-10% are buying online, and the majority of that small portion get books they don't mind waiting for online, and the rest of their stuff in store. At least, that's my guess.

[ghostevo]

Hudson, like you said it's pretty much about saving cash. I purchase about 40 comics (give or take) a month online, and I save about $25-$30 a month over my LCS including shipping (and my LCS gives 10% off titles). I would probably say esophagus is right with the percentages, but that shouldn't put all LCS of of business.

My LCS is still in business so I don't feel bad about going online and getting my comics. Although I still go in from time to time to pick stuff up that I may have missed, or just to look around.

As far as the digital thing goes, it's already a reality (but you still have to pay). I guess buying, holding, and collecting the physical book make it all a part of the "experience" for me.

[esophagus]

It's going to take books literally going out of print to stop people from buying them. That or digital will have to have some real economic edge 9which I'm sure it will with time). I can't make up my mind as to whether comics will be the first or last books to go digital. First in the sense that there's already a ton of people reading scans, and prose books failed that way long ago. Last in the sense that true fanboys will never want to lose the longbox. Time will tell.

[xyzzy]

So, it seems like just about everyone is willing to betray their local store in order to get comics cheaper (which makes sense with comics being so expensive)...

Cost is only part of it for me. A lot of why I purchase through mail order is convenience.

Further, only in comics would anybody think of buying from another vendor as a "betrayal." Your LCS needs to earn your business by providing you with a service that you want. If they can't do that, then you don't owe them anything.

So, if comic book stores disappeared altogether, then the monthly comic book industry would still survive through mail order, right? (Or eventually maybe digital downloads???)

I think that monthly comics would have a very hard time surviving without the direct market, though digital comics may save them.

Do you guys think that will every happen?

Ever? Probably. I mean, that's a pretty open ended question. But I doubt that we'll see a collapse of the industry any time soon.

I would imagine that the majority of comic book readers still buy from their local stores. What percentage do you think buy online based on people you know?

Pretty small. My experience is that many comic readers actually enjoy going to the store every week, unlike myself.

[conorkilpatrick]

Last in the sense that true fanboys will never want to lose the longbox. Time will tell.

Am I not a true fanboy then? I mean, it's in the title....

[conorkilpatrick]

So, it seems like just about everyone is willing to betray their local store in order to get comics cheaper (which makes sense with comics being so expensive)...

I just bought a new hoodie at Old Navy, but the last time I bought a hoodie it was from The Gap. Did I betray The Gap? No, I made a choice as a consumer.

I, like xyyyzyxyzyx, am mystified by this idea that you are somehow betraying a business that you have no ownership in. This is one reason why I try not to hang around in comic book stores or make friends with people who own them. Now, in the course of the last few years I have made friends with people who own and who work in comic stores but luckily one of them is not here in NYC and the other one understands that I'm going to go where I can get the best deal, regardless of our friendship.

[hudsonphillips]

"Betray" is a harsh word.

But the Gap / Old Navy comparison doesn't hold up.

The comic book industry is so strange in that comic book stores are really the only places you can buy monthly comic books. Sure, BN or Borders carry some, as well as some record or video stores that sell more than JUST comics. The comic industry is so small, you're not putting Old Navy out of business by shopping at Gap, there is only one place to buy monthly comics - comic book stores.

You can purchase TPB's & Graphic Novels just about anywhere, but without those monthly comics, some of those would have never been released.

A better comparison is TV. If you wanna watch the Office, you can watch it weekly on NBC or purchase the DVD at the end of the year. BUT, if no one watched it weekly, then it would never be released on DVD.

So, it raises a few questions...

Could the comic book industry survive without monthly comics?
NBC could always record 20 episodes of the Office to release straight to DVD, but it would be expensive as hell and be a HUGE gamble. Comics are the same way... the monthly books make it possible for creators to get paid more quickly and keep doing the book so that at the end of however many issues, they can collect them.

Could the comic book industry survive without comic book stores?
It's like asking if television shows could survive without TV stations. Yes, it could, but it would look totally different. You could order comics online... you could read them online... but it would be a totally different model.

I very much believe in a capitalistic society, though. If buying comics is cheaper online, then buy them online. If the comic book stores don't want to lose business to online ordering systems, they need to offer something that the online sites can't. (Cheaper prices seem impossible, but great customer service or offering 'freebies' or other extras could make the difference.)

[conorkilpatrick]

"Betray" is a harsh word.

But the Gap / Old Navy comparison doesn't hold up.

The comic book industry is so strange in that comic book stores are really the only places you can buy monthly comic books. Sure, BN or Borders carry some, as well as some record or video stores that sell more than JUST comics. The comic industry is so small, you're not putting Old Navy out of business by shopping at Gap, there is only one place to buy monthly comics - comic book stores.

That's not true at all - in this very post you talk about buying monthly comics from online distributors which contradicts your assertion that there is no other place to buy monthly comics. Many people here on the forums do indeed do such a thing.

It's not the consumer's fault if a business goes under, it is quite likely that they are not doing something right if they do.

[hudsonphillips]

I totally agree that it's not the consumer's fault of a business goes under. Absolutely.

And I suppose you're right about online distributors being direct competition to the brick and mortar stores...

i guess it's hard to look at it that way, since there is no comics "Gap." Has anyone every tried to start a comic book store franchise? Do they exist?

Would a "starbucks" of comic books be the answer to a lot of industry problems? Or is part of the problem that comic books separate themselves into their own stores? Would the comics industry be more effective if every BN & Borders had their own "monthly comic book" section?

I guess my argument is about comic book stores as a whole, not an individual store. If an individual store sucks, then it deserves to go out of business. But I'm looking at it as what would happen if everyone bought online and EVERY comic book store went out of business. This won't happen anytime soon, but would the industry look completely different? Or would it not change anything at all, just where you buy them?

I suppose it's a similar argument that you could make for the music industry. When everyone buys their songs online, it's going to change the face of the music industry, not destroy it (as some would argue.)

[esophagus]

I totally agree that it's not the consumer's fault of a business goes under. Absolutely.

And I suppose you're right about online distributors being direct competition to the brick and mortar stores...

i guess it's hard to look at it that way, since there is no comics "Gap." Has anyone every tried to start a comic book store franchise? Do they exist?

Would a "starbucks" of comic books be the answer to a lot of industry problems? Or is part of the problem that comic books separate themselves into their own stores? Would the comics industry be more effective if every BN & Borders had their own "monthly comic book" section?

I guess my argument is about comic book stores as a whole, not an individual store. If an individual store sucks, then it deserves to go out of business. But I'm looking at it as what would happen if everyone bought online and EVERY comic book store went out of business. This won't happen anytime soon, but would the industry look completely different? Or would it not change anything at all, just where you buy them?

I suppose it's a similar argument that you could make for the music industry. When everyone buys their songs online, it's going to change the face of the music industry, not destroy it (as some would argue.)When CDs came out, did everybody stop buying records? The music industry will survive, all that would really come of that is an evolution of it's business model. There focus would shift, as it already is, from putting product in store, to making things readily available online.

Same goes for comics. They've evolved with time, and digital comics would just be the next step of the evolution. Will the comic store die out? No, it'll just become more of a niche market. Collectors will go, because no one wants to have Bendis sign a printed out PDF file. Not too mention the entire "paper is superior" generation that this is going to spawn. Have you ever heard someone say "music just sounds different on vinyl"? This is going to be that. If anything, the comic industry will prosper. Shipping costs will be severely reduced, and I'm sure pull lists will grow tenfold when all it's taking up is some time on your browser, or space on your jump drive.

[actionsreaction]

so yeah as the title says, my Local Comic shop is pretty lame... i'd like to try an online subscription type thing and am looking for suggestions. I'm currently trying midtowncomics.com... but this past weeks comics(first week with them) still havent arrived and its sunday already, apparently 2day shipping doesnt mean what it sounds like.

does anyone have a suggestion of a shop that has reliable service (decent discounts are also very welcome ^^) and allows me to just set the comics i want to receive each week without having to actually go to the site and place an order each week?

thanks in advance

[labor_days]

We have a lot of threads about this.

Link 01 (http://www.revision3.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14531&highlight=online+comics)

Link 02 (http://www.revision3.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3945&highlight=online+comics)

Link 03 (http://www.revision3.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3650&highlight=online+comics)

There are more but I am incredibly lazy and somewhat hungover. Ce'st la vie.

[bean6344]

I have heard very good things about DCBS. I am currently still tied to my local shop for the reason you posted (I like my comics fresh on Wed or Thurs.) , but I have been thinking of switching. I think they have a "pull list" you can set up but I am not 100% sure of this. Their discounts are great. I have ordered some trades and 1st issues through them. They have a large list of monthly specials that are up to 50% off. You can get a lot of non-floppy swag there also at insane discounts.

I've been a release day regular since I set up my first pull list at the Funny Farm in Vandalia, OH in the summer of 1981 and can't see myself totally abandoning the local shop. A good shop keeps an eye out for you. They point out things that may be off the radar but up your alley. But, if you don't have such a shop or are in the middle of a comic shop black out zone, sites like DCBS are a great option.

In the end, I suppose I would mix titles that I want on Wed with my local shop and set up a virtual pull list with an online site for extras that I can wait for. After all, monthlies are not the $.50 they were when I started this insane infatuation of mine.

-Bean

[acomicbookgirl]

I don't think there's an online site who can give you comics on Wednesday. Even with DCBS, I get them the following Tuesday then again I live in California.. Others get them by Friday at the earliest.. I even had to resort going to the LCS near me... I don't want to but things have to be done..

[casually-drowned]

Yesterday I found a LCS in Downtown Denver that is closing at the end of the month. According to the website there is a lot of stuff that is 50% off, and by the time I got there yesterday it was closed!

[iSteve]

I've found a new favorite comic store on the internets. It's called Tales of Wonder (https://talesofwonder.com/index-exec/root_category_id/0). They specialize in Marvel Masterworks and Omnibus Editions, as well as DC Archives and Absolute Editions. I found some books here that I couldn't find on Amazon and with significant discounts (like Amazon). Check it out.

[doc-samson]

So I'm into my 3rd month using Heroes Corner online service, and I must say, this is how you really get people to try new books. Offering most #1's at 75% off?! Seriously, I ordered almost everything that was discounted this much. It's hard to say no when it's a 75 cent book ya know? Anyway, it seems like the LCS's should be able to come up with something similar to promote new stuff right? I'm certainly trying lots more new stuff now than I ever would at an LCS.

[englishw]

I buy 90% of my titles at my LCS. My LCS has a subscription discount program and I'm at the highest discount level, which is 20% off. So, for me, getting 20% off retail, no shipping costs, getting my books on Wednesday, and having the enjoyment of chatting with the store employees and owner, my LCS is my preferred method of getting my books.

Another aspect is recommendations. My LCS is very good with this. Cody, the store manager, has been spot-on with his recommendations for me. He knows what I like and has made many wonderful suggestions for other books I might like. I stop in 3-5 times a week.

-Bill

[xebix]

If my LCS offered discounts for subscriptions, I would be more apt to go there, but they do not. Even with paying the 5.95 shipping at Heroes Corner, i end up saving about 20-30 bucks a month. I am willing to wait till the end of the month to get my books to save that kind of cash.

[doc-samson]

If my LCS offered discounts for subscriptions, I would be more apt to go there, but they do not. Even with paying the 5.95 shipping at Heroes Corner, i end up saving about 20-30 bucks a month. I am willing to wait till the end of the month to get my books to save that kind of cash.

That's the same spot I'm in also. I've tried all my local shops, none offer discounts of any kind, nor do they include bags and boards like Heroes Corner does. It's a huge amount of money saved, and I'm surprised that more people on the boards here don't use something like it. Most of the "regulars" seem to buy a TON more books than I do!

[labor_days]

It's a huge amount of money saved, and I'm surprised that more people on the boards here don't use something like it.

The timely weekly discussion, browsing the shop, talking at the shop or the sheer ritual of going to the shop are all part of that.

I use DCBS, but only for stuff I don't care to pick up in the shoppe. Otherwise, I enjoy the LCS experience. YMMV depending on the quality of your LCS.

[doc-samson]

The timely weekly discussion, browsing the shop, talking at the shop or the sheer ritual of going to the shop are all part of that.

I use DCBS, but only for stuff I don't care to pick up in the shoppe. Otherwise, I enjoy the LCS experience. YMMV depending on the quality of your LCS.

I understand that completely, I used to have a great one back in Michigan, but I moved...oh well. Still, monetarily, it's almost idiotic not to do it the online way anymore.

[labor_days]

Sure, sure.

But I look at it like this; I can buy a book cheaper on Amazon than at Borders down the street. And I often do so. But sometimes you just want to go down to the book store and idly look around.

Same deal with the LCS for me.

[hometeam790]

When I do use online comic services I've been using Midtown Comics. But the last couple of times I've used them, they've been really really slow in shipping stuff out, so I'm thinking of trying a new store, my thing is just ship fairly quickly, not 5 days after I place the order.

I'm going to have to start using online services more since my favorite store is a good drive away and I'm making some sacrifices to continue my reading.

[jakov42]

When I do use online comic services I've been using Midtown Comics. But the last couple of times I've used them, they've been really really slow in shipping stuff out, so I'm thinking of trying a new store, my thing is just ship fairly quickly, not 5 days after I place the order.

I'm going to have to start using online services more since my favorite store is a good drive away and I'm making some sacrifices to continue my reading.

I have been using online services for the discount for 8 months now, but recently switched companies because my weekly shipping from the online service was starting to go out later and later. I had shipments only going out a day or three late, but when you are paying for weekly shipping, that seems unacceptable.

The new company has been great so far and hopefully that continues.

[xyzzy]

When I do use online comic services I've been using Midtown Comics. But the last couple of times I've used them, they've been really really slow in shipping stuff out, so I'm thinking of trying a new store, my thing is just ship fairly quickly, not 5 days after I place the order.


You'll want to avoid DCBS, then. Since they operate through pre-orders, they won't ship for months after you place an order.

[hometeam790]

You'll want to avoid DCBS, then. Since they operate through pre-orders, they won't ship for months after you place an order.

Yeah, I had considered them then saw how they work and its not going to work for me.

I'm considering ComicSupply at this point since at this point in terms of what they offer its just about everything in what I'd like in an online comic store.

[scoobydiesel]

i buy from my LCS, just because its fun and i like supporting them, they are very nice and its fun to spend awhile talking geek and what not.

[trugamer510]

I'd rather go to the LCS

[trugamer510]

So I want to know the best site for buying comics. Back issues, trades, reviews, large library, I want it all. So where's the best place to get it?

[s1lentslayer]

I buy all my trades online since it's so much cheaper (instocktrades.com). For singles I stick to my LCS.

[optimus187prime]

I buy all my trades online since it's so much cheaper (instocktrades.com). For singles I stick to my LCS.

Ditto.

Amazon, borders, Barnes & Noble, and the LCS round out my book retailers. For reviews you need not look anywhere else but iFanboy.com;) If the guys havent reviewed it you may still be able to get some feedback on the forums.

[flakbait]

I've just, very grudgingly, broken up with my comic shop of over 10 years. The drive, gas prices, spotty hours, books missing from my pull list, all added up. The clincher was the Friday before last, when I drove all the way up there (half an hour drive, which isn't too much for a really good store, but...) and they weren't open. That wasn't a big deal back when I lived within ten minutes, but since I moved it's just too much.

There are a couple of stores closer that I could go to, but I figured this was a good chance to try out some online services. I've already placed my order at DCBS for August. Heroes Corner looks pretty good, though, I may try them for September.

[lilrichieh]

What about people in the UK?! I don't have a LCS anywhere near me and i have all kinds of trouble getting the latest and greatest.

[chrs7637]

anyone know of any online comic retailers like dcbs based in canada to save on shipping and speed

[bibble]

I currently use an online service for my current subscriptions, but am looking to catch up on issues I've missed out on over the past couple of years.

What online store would you recommend for back issues and trades?

[yosoyju]

Trades is definitely instocktrades.com or amazon.com.

I haven't found a great site for back issues yet, though.

[jon_samuelson]

For backissues, it kind of depends on what your looking for. If you're looking for a big run of stuff, you could look on ebay. I bought Silver Surfer 1-50 for about $30 on there. If you're looking for a specific back issue you could try Mile High Comics, they have a website and a pretty decent search feature, but they're gonna make you pay for it. They typically charge at least overstreet value for books.

[bibble]

For backissues, it kind of depends on what your looking for.

Single issues. I've used Mile High in the past and you are right: they are very expensive. Sounds like online auctions may be my only to find the issues I'm missing, even with the risk involved.

[racemccloud]

Okay, I'm looking to save some money, and I don't have a great LCS that I go to so I really have no loyalty, so I've spent the afternoon researching about a dozen different sites.

You'd think somebody out there would have figured out an online comics subscription service that wasn't ass-backwards confusing.

The best one in terms of usage is the subscription service at Midtown Comics, but the paltry 15% discount is cancelled out by the shipping cost, anyway. I kind of want to make the switch over to online ordering, but nobody seems to have perfected the system yet. One of these online services need to build the better weekly mousetrap. Trades? They've got that covered. Weeklies? Not so much.

[pacbol]

I've used Wesfield Comics off and on for at least 20 years now. Started as a mail order way back when and turned to online at some point when I wasnt using them. Their site is a lot better than it used to be. I mainly use it for new or used comic books (cheaper discounts can be had elsewhere for trades). But they will ship them as often as you like once or twice a month or weekly. It's basically ordering out of Previews with the same picture / discription. The discount is 12-15% off new books and they do have a decent catalog of back issues always going on sale. Can't generally specify which cover you want though in this world of multiple covers we live in.

[xebix]

I use heroescorner.com. The majority of their books are 40% off and monthly shipping is 5.95 no matter how many books you buy. If your order is more than $75, shipping is free. They also have excellent customer service.

[nstorts]

I am going to try out the site, Heavy Ink, they have been talking about on the podcasts. I will give an update on how it works out.

[pmw-spender]

I've recently gotten into comics and have started out buying a few trades (Beatman: Year One, Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, and Y The Last Man Vot 1) I was just wondering what is the best site to buy trades online?

[cadgers]

I've recently gotten into comics and have started out buying a few trades (Beatman: Year One, Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, and Y The Last Man Vot 1) I was just wondering what is the best site to buy trades online?


http://instocktrades.com/

or

http://www.amazon.com/

and sometimes

http://www.ebay.com

[diabhol]

I've recently gotten into comics and have started out buying a few trades (Beatman: Year One, Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, and Y The Last Man Vot 1) I was just wondering what is the best site to buy trades online?

Instocktrades is good if you're buying over $50 worth.

Amazon can be good if you're buying $25 worth.

Heavy Ink is great if you don't care when the hell the book shows up. :) Their price on the last SiP trade I bought was dirt cheap!

[gobo]

Oooh good to hear someone tried Heavy Ink. How slow were they in delivering? Was it floppies or trades?

[diabhol]

Oooh good to hear someone tried Heavy Ink. How slow were they in delivering? Was it floppies or trades?

I think they were out of stock for the trade I was getting, so it was a few weeks.

[valoharth]

I started on the Heavy Ink subscription plan, it's the only one set up in a way that I like. For some reason the other sites were confusing to me. I still haven't gotten my first shipment yet, they sent it out last Friday. I'm assuming the mail influx of this time of the year has something to do with it being so late.

[sarahg42]

I started on the Heavy Ink subscription plan, it's the only one set up in a way that I like. For some reason the other sites were confusing to me. I still haven't gotten my first shipment yet, they sent it out last Friday. I'm assuming the mail influx of this time of the year has something to do with it being so late.

I love Heavy Ink. I was able to get some back issues from them that I have been looking for forever. AND they don't mark them up like our local shop does. They are actually discounted. AND they don't charge for shipping. AND they ship them in nice heavy card-stock envelopes. I can't say enough good things about these folks.

[mrlogical]

I just recently--the last 6 months or so--started reading comics again after a decade or so away. I'm finding, however, that going to my local comic store isn't a very convenient way for me to keep up with new titles. I only really have time to make it out to the comic store about once a month, so I often find that comics I want to buy are sold out by the time I get there. Are there good stores online from which I can order new and recent comics? I realize I could avoid missing out on comics by just setting up a pull list at my local store, but I don't know, I don't feel like doing that. I'm still figuring out what I want to buy month to month, so I would like to just be able to get a look at everything I might want to buy and buy it, instead of looping through the comic store and flipping through stacks of comics and all that. So all that is to say, does anyone else out there regularly buy new comics online? Any sites to recommend, or sites to avoid? Thanks

[mrlogical]

Ah ha, someone handily bumped my thread onto this page. Thanks! I'm going to check out some of the websites suggested on this thread. Am I the only one who feels incredibly self-conscious walking around my small local comic book store? More often than not, I'm the only customer in there, and I feel weird about getting down on the floor to see the books on the bottom shelf, or flipping through the backissues they have, or making a second loop past shelves I've already poured over...obviously there isn't anything actually weird about any of that behavior, but shopping online, I don't have to confront my own neuroses. Thank god/Al Gore for the internet.

[cyberauron]

DCBSERVICE, HaEAVY INK, INSTOCKTRADES.
Which one is the best, are they worth it, are they going to steel my idenity

[gobo]

I've heard Heavy Ink can be slow. It took a few weeks for Valoharth to get some books that were in stock.

I've heard only great things about dcbs though.

[doc-samson]

I've been ordering from Heroes Corner for about a year now, and I love it. I only get one shipment a month though, so it's hard to tell how quick every week would be, but I get that once a month package by Friday at the latest. Free bags and boards, and great customer service, including adding titles that missed out on. I think the best part of most of these online services is the "introductory" offers they make for new titles. Paying .75 to 1.00 for a book just to try it out is how I get half my stuff. Too bad LCS's can't or won't do that.

[cadgers]

I've been ordering from Heroes Corner for about a year now, and I love it. I only get one shipment a month though, so it's hard to tell how quick every week would be, but I get that once a month package by Friday at the latest. Free bags and boards, and great customer service, including adding titles that missed out on. I think the best part of most of these online services is the "introductory" offers they make for new titles. Paying .75 to 1.00 for a book just to try it out is how I get half my stuff. Too bad LCS's can't or won't do that.

Yea I just paid for my first order on HC for the month of March. Got my entire order for under $50 with shipping twice a month.

[amuldowney]

Anyone in southern California use DCBS?

My first order (with weekly shipping) is being sent out this week, and I was just curious what sort of lag time I'll be dealing with. My LCS just closed, so it's on-line or drive an hour.

[amuldowney]

Hey forum,

I managed to kill the on-line ordering thread with this question, but I figured I'd take one last swing in a new topic and hope it was just a coincidence. Anyone in southern California order from DCBS?

I'm waiting on my first shipment and I was curious what the average transit time was. My LCS just closed, and the nearest store is about an hour away, so I figured DCBS would be a pretty good alternative, but I've heard rumors of weekly shipping times, so I figured I'd do a little asking and see if there's any validity to that.

Thanks!

EDIT: Forgot to mention, i"m doing weekly shipping if that matters.

[sullivan85]

I use amazon and instocktrades. Though instock offers probably better prices than amazon but has a higher minimum order for free shipping. Since I only buy trades, it usually isn't hard to find 50 bucks worth of stuff. But instock has always shipped very fast with my orders.

[onic]

So I'm thinking of switching to buying issues entirely online. A lot of people I know do it, and hopefully it's a little cheaper. My question is, do you guys know of any good places to buy from? I've checked out Heavy Ink, but it looks kind of glitchy (although I'm digging the 99 cent shipping.) Any other ideas?

[cadgers]

If you mean back issues I hear mycomicshop (http://www.mycomicshop.com/) is great. For new issues most people use DCBS (http://www.dcbservice.com/) or Heroes Corner (http://www.heroescorner.com/newsite/).

[micahmyers]

I am thinking of switching over to DCBService.com and was wondering if anyone else uses it and how they like it. Thanks for the help.

[neb]

I don't use it personally, but I've heard people like it. It does sometimes come later than Wednesday and you need to make sure you have a secure place for packages to sit. Jimski had a box or two stolen when he did it.

[marcushill73]

I use DCBS each and every month. They are FANTASTIC. Here's why:
1. I save on average 40-45% off cover price on each order.
2. Can view products as they accumulate each week (I order monthly).
3. Fast shipment - orders typically go out Tuesday's. I got this month's shipment on Friday.

Things to know:
1. Sometimes publishers increase costs after an items is solicited. Noble Causes was solicited @ 19.99 and increased to $24.99. Preacher HC Vol. 1 increased from $24.99 to $29.99. DCBS will will notify you of increase and you will need to pay addition costs. Alternatively, you can decline ordering item.
2. Pulling comics feature needs work. If different versions of the same comic are solicited that month, random versions are allocated to your account.

I love DCBS. They have more discounted items than any other distributor I know of. I am always picking up new titles because it's buying books like it's 1990!

Let me know if you have any questions.

[kwok_talk]

Love DCBS. Great customer service and super cheap prices. You basically just have to trade off getting your books timely (esp depending on how far you live from their location).

[amircat]

Aside from the ones mentioned, Superman New World of Krypton has been pretty cool. Obviously by the end of the Green Lantern will be mentioned on a lot of top 5 lists. :)

[jestr]

I haven't used DCBS personally but I have used their sister site Instocktrades.com. Great service.

[valoharth]

I'm a Heavy Ink user, the only downside is the mail service. I'm usually a week behind right now but when they started sending me stuff it was way longer wait.

[thenoto]

I can't bring myself to use an online subscription service. I think there's just an element of loyalty to my local shop. I like actual interaction with people too much, and I get discounts there anyway.

I have used Instocktrades though for Hard Covers and trades. They're awesome for that and I would gladly recommend them.

[trunolimit]

I can't bring myself to use an online subscription service. I think there's just an element of loyalty to my local shop. I like actual interaction with people too much, and I get discounts there anyway.

I have used Instocktrades though for Hard Covers and trades. They're awesome for that and I would gladly recommend them.

you know how at the end of a comic they publish fan mail? I was reading rising stars and there was a fan letter that got me real teary eyed. It was from a comic shop owner. This guy use to come into his store all the time and he would buy the latest issue of rising stars which was in monthly print at the time. This guy got cancer and his one wish was to live long enough to see the series ending. Sadly the guy died before the series ended. The comic store owner read ever issue of rising stars after that with him in mind.

When I get home I'll post the actual letter but the point is that when you go to the local comic shop it's an op to meet like minded people who are into comics and those conections are worth the extra cash you paying.

[trunolimit]

here you go as promised. tell me this letter doesn't make you want to go up to your comic book shop guy and hug the hell out of him.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c42/trunolimit/letter.png


this kind of thing is what you are missing out on when you don't hang out at the comic book store. sad to say we are the few the proud comic geeks and ifan boys/girls. we need to stick together. comics is a dieing medium.

[mrlogical]

Can anyone recommend a good site to purchase some longboxes and bags/boards from? Of course, for the past several months I've had a google ad for comics supplies show up in my gmail whenever I get a comic-related email, but now that I'm actually looking to buy some, I can't get that ad to come up at all. I'd appreciate any recommendations/warnings.

[chunkahash]

www.collectiondrawer.com i recommend going with the drawer-boxes.

[mrlogical]

Looks good, thanks for the tip.

[hoaznod]

I recently switched to DCBS. I love the customer service and they do exactly as advertised, but I wish their website was a little more web 2.0 and a little less early 2000's clunky mess.

I have had trouble adding and removing things from my orders, although you can just email them to change it and they will.

I also wish the shipping was quicker, or if they could offer a faster shipping method. I know its' not necessarily their fault but I've recieved 3 shipmants so far and although all were scheduled to be recieved on friday, all of them have been rescheduled and delayed to monday.

But all in all, with the discounts you get it's totally worth it.

[abrahamsamable]

Where do you guys buy you comics online?

[gobo]

I know a lot of people who use DCB Service and they love it. A few people seem to like Heavy Ink also.