You like comics? We like comics too.
We also like to stock them for you; but in a world where there’s more publishers and variants than ever before it’s getting harder to know what to stock. Last month there was approx. 1,300 single issue covers in the new offering catalogs; and while we always want to get you the books you’re looking for, it is definitely a challenge knowing what books to stock (since we can only fit so much onto the shelves) and what books need to be special order only. Here are some ways you can help us help you get the items you are looking for.
Subscriptions and Ordering:
As most of you are well aware, we offer a subscription service at all of our store locations as well as on our website. It’s a free service we offer, we just ask that you stop in at least once a month. If you have been shopping with us for any given amount of time, you may be familiar with our monthly Previews summary we give out to all subscription/club members. This has all the highlights of the major #1’s and mini-series starting up. Simply check off the items you would like and we will get you set up for those immediately. If you are interested in a title, your best option is to subscribe to it. If you’re saying to yourself “I just want to check it out first”, your best option is to sign up for it. You can always change your mind later (Editors note: please don’t forget to tell us if you do). If we are out of something, it’s because we have only our prior sales history and subscription totals to go off of. We sadly can’t “take a chance” on everything, so subscribing ahead of time helps us beyond measure.
How ordering works:
Our ordering goes in 2 phases. Initial Order, and Final Order Cutoff.
Initial orders for us are due by the third week of the month (On Average. Sometimes it’s earlier, sometimes later depending on holidays). This is when we put our initial orders in for upcoming titles and the next issues of a series. For example, if we have 10 subscribers for Title X, we know we have to order at least 10 copies to cover subscriptions. Initial order gives the publisher an idea on what to expect so they can plan their print run. You know when the monthly Previews catalog comes out? You have just under a month to look through it before we have to turn in our orders.
Final Order Cutoff (FOC) is our last chance to adjust our orders to best match what we need according to our records. This happens 3 to 4 weeks out from release depending on the publisher. If we don’t know you want a certain book at this point, there is a chance we will not be stocking it for the racks. For example, Title X from Marvel has 4 covers. If we have 10 people down for the book, we know we need at least 10 of the regular “A cover”. If we don’t know if anyone wants the alternate covers, it’s a crapshoot on guessing what people will want.
“But I don’t know what the alternate covers look like” is something we hear a lot simply due to publishers being their own worst enemies. We can think of nothing more exciting than “cover by TBD Artist” or “Cover not yet revealed”. Often times we don’t get artist detail or cover images until the Friday before FOC is due (either Sunday or Monday depending on publisher) and occasionally not until the books arrives; and this even happens with quiet a few publishers. If the publisher can’t give us enough time to show customers an image, it’s not much incentive for us to stock it for the shelves.
Once FOC comes, we are locked in with our orders and we cannot adjust them. Also, we cannot simply “Order more” as comics are periodicals just like magazines like Sport Illustrated or Entertainment Weekly. They get one initial print run and for most books, that is it. In the rare chance we are still able to order more of a book, it is usually from a buffer the publisher has to cover damages and replacements. Keep in mind as well that 2nd Printings do not always happen.
Hopefully this helps to clear up a bit on how we order. When we are out of stock on day of release, many times it comes down to “we have 6 people down for this book so based off previous sales we ordered 10 copies” and then 6 people sign up for the book the week before release putting us 2 in the hole. Other situations with small publisher releases, we don’t always stock items for the shops unless people tell us they want them ahead of time which means if we don’t know someone, for example, wants Al Capone Vampire #1, we likely won’t order it. Did it sound cool? Yes but nobody asked for it ahead of time and with zero buzz on a book, we can’t take the chance of it sitting on the shelf for 6 months.
PREVIEWS Catalog is your friend.
Previews is your best way to know what is coming out. When you buy the catalog we include the Marvel Previews and DC Connect as well. These will tell you exactly what is coming out. If it’s something you heard about at a convention, but it hasn’t shown up in the catalogs yet, we do not have solicitations and the publishers may change details before we are even able to sign anyone up for it. Art and covers are not always finalized, but usually more often than not, the images are accurate. If the publisher does not have an image, the fastest way to find out is to keep an eye on social media as sometimes artists will post their covers before they hit the solicitations (again, publishers can be their own worst enemies). If you see a cover you want, it benefits you to let us know as soon as possible so we can get that on order and added to our order numbers. If you wait until the week before release because you saw it in the newsletter, at that point it is too late to order it directly from the distributor and we may not be able to get the cover, or it will be delayed if we have to get it from one of our other store locations. Long story short, the earlier you tell us you want something, the sooner we can get that info added to the order and get you exactly what you are hoping to get.
