The Outhouse - The Greatest Comic Book Forum

[Juan Cena]

While we're on the subject, and LOLtron seems busy working on his Amybot with PreviewTron...

http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/features/miscellaneous-features/19331.html

[SuperginraiX]

If you weren't so painfully obtuse, you'd realize that $5.89 on eBay for a ubiquitous freebie indicates a level of demand, and also that who got that $5.89 has less than nothing to do with anything.

Go on, post another stupid thing, I dares ya!

[Gladiator X]

I don't even bother now.

But it seems to me that if you really want to showcase and sell someone on comic books, a whopping stack of free comics with a variety of titles to show our range in this medium would be a way to rope someone in.

As it stands now, I do enjoy fcbd offerings but find myself having to look around for post-sales on stacks of a certain year's worth of fcbd.

Should a few companies just get together like a Shonen Jump and put all their samplings in an anthology format and give those away for free?
_________________________

I think I'd actually like Free Comic Book Day better if a person, (myself), could actually go into a shop and get a free stack of comics instead of having to choose just one. So I skipped it this year. Too painful and too much of a tease! Plays with my emotions maaaan.

I've barely made it to last few and those I left the store with barely a whimper because most of the good stuff was taken or as I said they only let you grab 1 book. Honestly imo, you really want to sell someone on comic books? Don't give them a tidbit, give them a stack and a variety. Really let them sample and pleasure our medium. Whoa...that did not come out right! But yea I've been turned onto more indie publishers like Top Shelf books, (now I'm a fan and a wannabee submitter), as well as a few other gems.

Alright, tell me how many different ways I'm wrong Outhouse. You know you want to!

My LCS set the limit at 10 books per person.

[Chesscub]

The funny thing is I'd even pay for some of these books.

If they let you pile as you say six or seven titles together for free, then if you want more you can pay for another bundle or two. I just want that experience of really "free comics".

What do retailers pay for these books?

What to publishers pay to produce these books?

You mentioned online? What's that about?

Lastly, would smaller publisher benefit from jointly publishing a Free Comic Book Day anthology like Shonen Jump or Graphic Novel style? Would that cut down on costs and promote a variety of the comic experience?

Retailers tend to pay for shipping and printing costs on the FCBD book. The only exception was the Mouse Guard book which Archaia ate some of the costs on for the hardcover.

Larry's in Lowell let you buy extra copies for $4 so that may give you an idea of how much that one cost.

[Victorian Squid]

And it closed for $26.50 (with free shipping) overnight on eBay.

[Chesscub]

And it closed for $26.50 (with free shipping) overnight on eBay.

I should see if there's any copies left at Larry's.

[TROY]

There was no limit at the shop I went to

Same for me. I got two copies of each book they were offering, one for me and one for Connor.

[Victorian Squid]

Right around $20 plus shipping are what people are paying on Amazon currently, although traffic on them there slowed down considerably when sellers jumped from $14.50 plus ship to $19.99+. Of course there are very few left there, if more than one.

[GHERU]

The point of FCBD, IMO, is to get new customers into comic book shops, not necessarily new readers

most of the people I didn't recognize at my LCSs FCBD were there to look at new books to wait for trade on, and they had arm-fulls of the 20% off trades the LCS was offering. I asked some, and over heard others saying some version of "neither Barnes and Noble or BAM had this much of a selection!" and "I didn't know this place was so nice / close / here)' If even a percentage of those customers come back for more trades, the LCS will make up any FCBD money they spent.

the first hit is free

and after that, a good salesperson can easily say "Oh, you like Fables, have you tried Sandman?" "I completely understand how your son might not want to jump into the big history that is Spider-Man, if you are looking for fun super-hero books I can recommend Super Dinosaur, Marvel Adventures, Atomic Robo, I'd be willing to cut you a deal on the first collection to try it out..."

yes, new readers are a wonderful thing, but the small press isn't banking on them, they are hoping that a current reader will see what the big Two (or three) are offering, realize that it is a reprint of what they have / and into book with stuff they know, and look around and say "ooohhh, a new DNA space book, ME WANT!" / "a free HC? Hells YES!" / "that is pretty, and its free, why the fuck not?"