|
|
|
Elite Collector
 
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 12:30:35 AM
Posts: 780,
Visits: 770
|
|
Aphelion (11/8/2009)
I love your mentality. You'd run off the lawyer or engineer who can afford 50 books a month and keep the collector that struggles to buy two books a month. Quite often the completists are people who allocate large amounts of money to the hobby already and they can afford comics. I think it's flat out stupid to take the attitude that the hobby doesn't need a collector who insists that he have product that a publisher made available. If people weren't insisting on the variants, no one would order the thresholds to get them nd they wouldn't exist anyway. The publisher can solve the problem by simply not offering them and creating the frustration for everyone.If I had to order a glut of books that I couldn't move in order to satisfy that one customer, yes, it would probably be in my best interest not to do so. Sure, I might sell them 50 books, but if I can't move the excess, I end up losing money. It's not a black and white world though. You don't just have completists who buy 50 books and collectors who only buy 2. I pick up between 30-40 books a month and I'm not a completist. I didn't say that the hobby doesn't need collectors either. I said that I think that the completists are not the majority of the market and that the publisher and comic store don't exist soley at their leisure. I also do not believe that variant covers are only for completists. I said that before. I think that they are created for the collector because the collector is drawn to the rare item. I pick up some variants, and when I do I usually skip picking up the commons. I don't need one of every cover, nor do I need every variant that comes along. I think that we're getting off track a little though. On many points I think we agree. I'm not trying to say that completists aren't important to the hobby. I'm not saying that I like the sheer volume of variants. I'm not claiming that they have absolutely no impact on the hobby. I just think that their influence is being overstated. I don't believe that they are the catalyst to the dwindling customer base. I think that there are far larger influences at work. If comics disappear in the next 5-10 years it is not going to be because of variant covers or the loss of completist collectors giving up on the hobby. They might contribute to some extent, but they will not be the cause.
_______________________________ I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
'I hope you dance' - Lee Ann Womack
|
|
|
|
|
Senior Collector
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 9:59:00 PM
Posts: 556,
Visits: 672
|
|
In any improvement process, you control what you can. To a significant number of collectors, the excessive production of variants or creation of rare "1:200" variants are a complete turn off. It makes the goal of collecting something unfeasible to reach. It removes their motivation. If you aren't someone who feels that way, fine. I can guarantee that others do feel that way. If I'm on the fence about trying something new and I see 6 variants for it, I don't waste my time. I get no joy in owning 6 copies of the same issue and I get no joy in owning 2/3rds of a complete set. Creating multiple variants does not exploit the collector who only wants one cover. It does exploit the guy who wants every issue from a series. Whether a publisher is desperate or not, creating excessive variants is insulting to a certain percentage of the audience. It's also just a band-aid to the real problem that publishers can't lure new readers in. All they can do is target the guy who was already buying their product.
There are enough back issues out there that I could stay entertained with comics for the rest of my life without ever buying a new title. I think it's foolish for a publisher to push quantity over quality. The more dead stock they coax retailers into buying, the more comics that get flushed out at prices below retail later in the secondary market. The only benefits for publishers are in the short term and they are all negated in the long term.
|
|
|
|
|
Elite Collector
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: Today @ 12:30:35 AM
Posts: 780,
Visits: 770
|
|
Aphelion (11/9/2009)
In any improvement process, you control what you can. To a significant number of collectors, the excessive production of variants or creation of rare "1:200" variants are a complete turn off. It makes the goal of collecting something unfeasible to reach. It removes their motivation. If you aren't someone who feels that way, fine. I can guarantee that others do feel that way. If I'm on the fence about trying something new and I see 6 variants for it, I don't waste my time. I get no joy in owning 6 copies of the same issue and I get no joy in owning 2/3rds of a complete set. Creating multiple variants does not exploit the collector who only wants one cover. It does exploit the guy who wants every issue from a series. Whether a publisher is desperate or not, creating excessive variants is insulting to a certain percentage of the audience. It's also just a band-aid to the real problem that publishers can't lure new readers in. All they can do is target the guy who was already buying their product.
There are enough back issues out there that I could stay entertained with comics for the rest of my life without ever buying a new title. I think it's foolish for a publisher to push quantity over quality. The more dead stock they coax retailers into buying, the more comics that get flushed out at prices below retail later in the secondary market. The only benefits for publishers are in the short term and they are all negated in the long term.Absolutely, I agree.
_______________________________ I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out, reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.
'I hope you dance' - Lee Ann Womack
|
|
|
|
