Since I've been following Blackest Night, I've been regularly frequenting comic shops in a way I haven't done since the '90s boom went bust. All I can say is, once Blackest Night is over, I'll probably shake their dust from my feet and never darken their doorways again if I can help it.
Zack Soto commented that the comic shop where I bought Blackest Night #6 a week early was "pretty lame" for breaking tomorrow's street date. Well, Zack, you don't know the half of it. I tried to set up a pull-list there in the beginning. They got it 100% wrong every fucking week. Whatever was supposed to be in my folder (or whatever) wasn't, and instead they'd hand me some random stuff not on my list. I'd hand it back and then go get what I wanted off the new comics rack. Worst of all, they'd always get resentfully defensive, as if it were my fault that my list didn't match up with what they pulled for me. After a few weeks of that, I said fuck it and told them to cancel my list. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't, not that it would make any difference, and I damn sure couldn't care less.
I tried to take my business elsewhere, but the other comic shops are so far out of my way, I can't get to any of them consistently enough week-to-week to set up pull-lists with any of them. Which one I end up at on any given Wednesday depends on a whole complex of factors involving my work schedule, errands, personal visits, etc. The problem is, they order so close to the bone that I'm often out of luck. Seldom can I get everything I want for the week in a single stop.
Guess where that means I usually go to fill the gaps? Unfortunately, that place is both the most conveniently located for me, and also consistently orders enough issues that I can always get one, even if I don't make it there until the weekend. I hate it, because all the guys who work there are douchebags. One is always outside on a smoke-break, and always glares at me as I walk in, because I'm interrupting his fucking smoke-break. Another always has his nose in the latest issue of X-whatever, and glares at me for interrupting his read when I go to the counter to, you know, pay for my fucking purchase.
This last week, I managed to pop into one other place just as it opened. I was on my way to work and in a hurry, but I knew what I wanted, grabbed the issues off the table, and went to the counter to pay. Apparently, the guy hadn't gotten around to the pull-lists yet, because he consulted a checklist, then set Blackest Night: JSA #1 aside. He lamely waggled the Green Lantern and Teen Titans issues, mumbled, "These two," and proceeded to ring up just those two. Incredulous, I said, "You're not going to sell me that JSA?" He said he only ordered three, and they were all spoken for.
As I mentioned, I'm used to these other places selling out of stuff I want. Usually, I just buy what they have and get the rest at the sucky shop. But you know, this was the first time I actually carried an issue to the counter in my hand--you really feel like it's yours, at that point--and someone wouldn't sell it to me. I'd come a long way out of my way to patronize this place, at the risk of running late, and I thought, "If this is going to be a problem for me, it's going to be one for this motherfucker, too." That's what I thought, but I wasn't nasty about it or anything. I just shrugged and said, "Well, I'll get them downtown, then." He shrugged and nodded. That's the last time I waste my fucking time dragging all the way out to that fucking place.
So later that day, I made it to the sucky shop, and what do you know--not only did they have all the issues I wanted on the rack, but also Blackest Night #6. Damn skippy I bought it. Not only did I get an issue early that I'd been looking forward to, but it meant I really could skip "Skip Week." How nice to have a week off from dealing with these hassles and assholes.
By now I'm sure I've pissed off someone. You could say I punished the first guy's good behavior of honoring his pull-lists, and rewarded the sucky shop's bad behavior of breaking a street date. Fair enough. I'll own it. You could also say the bottom line is that the first guy couldn't/wouldn't/didn't sell me the comics I wanted, and the sucky place could/would/did.
Really, I'll be glad to put such bullshit behind me. I don't see myself needing to follow anything in floppies once this event is over, and graphic novels are cheaper on Amazon anyway.
10 comments:
And people wonder why the industry is always financially in the toilet. Go figure. This story is exactly the reason I will use mail order comic delivery the rest of my life. Shitty shops, shitty, employees, shitty service, selling shitty dogeared comics that 50 people have looked at before you.
When I figured out that even adding on the cost of UPS shipping that the discount levels were so high that I could afford an average of 6 extra books a month and still pay the same amount, all of those things made it a no brainer. I can only assume, looking at most of the people that work in these shops that the only thing keeping them open is the marijuana business they must have on the side.
There, now after people read my rant, you won't look nearly as bad.
This makes me really thankful I live where I do: we have 3 comic stores in our CBD, which is only one kilometre square. One is a horrible dank shithole, similar to how you describe, but my favourite shop is the exact opposite. The staff are friendly, and always willing to chat, without making other customers feel like shit if they need to make a purchase. Comic Stores in Australia, at least the ones I've seen, are really making an effort to break out of that 'surly elitist' stereotype that we come across so often.
I spent twenty years living in a town of about 30,000 that opened up its first comic shop in 1982, and within three years was able to sustain two more for the next 15 years. There was competition, and customer satisfaction meant something. After the industry-wide contraction, all that changed. All three are gone now, or have phased out comics altogether. I live in a city of over a million now - it would be a gift if it was able to sustain three good stores. There's much less incentive to be accommodating if they know you have so very few options (and want to be able to physically hold the book you choose before you buy it).
Sounds like yr sucky shop has OK management -- they buy in enough comics -- and lousy staff. Maybe the manager/owner would like to know how rude and unhelpful his staff are?
It's OK to complain -- they won't get fired, but they might get told to shape up.
You might want to consider an online seller like DCBS; I've been using them for over 4 years now and have had very few, if any, complaints. They offer at least a 35% discount, ship monthly, weekly, or bi-weekly, and are usually very good about customer service, in my experience anyway. True, you have to pay a flat rate for shipping & handling, as well as for bags and boards if you want 'em, but I'm glad I made the switch, especially since my nearest comics shop is 35 miles away from where I live.
The preceding was an unsolicited (and unpaid, damn it) testimonial! :)
My store just informed me that I constantly have to have a minimum 5 books in my subscription to keep it. That means if I don't like the current story arc or whoever took over on pencils, then I need to get it anyway or find something else. And this is after ten years of getting books there. Guess I'm heading online too.
I stay away from my local shop. Nothing is coming out that I want to collect on a monthly basis. Plus, the place is a small hole in the wall and everytime you go in there the comic bins are covered with mats so the workers can play Magic:The Gathering. I walked in once and asked if they had any of the old Warren Eerie or Creepy black and white magazines from the 60's and 70's. I was told "Dark Horse publishes Eerie, idiot," and he went back to his card game and ignored me. I walked out and never went back.
My comic shop also sells scrapbooking supplies. 'SOB"
I checked out the local comic shops when I moved to Miami a few years ago but they're all pretty awful. Instead I do mail order from Midtown Comics in New York. The 15% discount is eaten up by the shipping costs, but they've got a strong selection and do a well-managed subscription service with no pre-payment and a lot of flexibility to add or drop titles at short notice. Until I drop floppies entirely, I think they're the best of a set of poor choices.
I think the industry is in the toilet because Marvel and DC consistently publish crap and have no respect for the readers or the characters. Diamond's terrible treatment of both comic shops and companies that don't have millions to toss around is also majorly to blame; Diamond is one of the biggest reasons why comic shops have been vanishing, good, bad, and otherwise. The major companies just don't support their shops as much as they used to.
There are some really bad shops, though. It's a shame, too. And frankly, if they made a mistake and didn't pull something before it was put out on the shelves, it's completely their fault and they should have sold it to you! Or at least apologised sincerely about it. You would have been perfectly justified just leaving. I would have, if I had gone that far out of my way.
I do miss comic shops. Good comic shops, like I patronised in my younger days. There are a few around here, and one is nice enough, but it's so inconvenient that I never want to go there. And to be frank, there are few reasons to go anymore. Neither Marvel nor DC put out anything to go to that kind of trouble and cost for, and both companies are pretty shitty to their readers, at least the ones who aren't total bootlickers that will buy and support whatever they put out...as long as it doesn't have gays or non-sexed-up females in a prominent position.
Most of the time, I just nab comics off ebay in full runs or lots, after reading them online. I don't have enough room to buy comics that might suck so hard they make me want to burn them in the kitchen sink. And most of the time, you can find comics of the last 20 years for dirt cheap on ebay, if you don't care about them being completely flawless. TPBs are also pretty cheap, which is nice. And there's always Better World Books, which are also great.
I love comic shops, but I suspect that a lot of them subsist on the misplaced nostalgia of their customers, who keep buying despite hating the comics or not even reading them. Or in the case of that one place you mentioned, having to maintain subscriptions despite not really enjoying the series. It's unfortunate, because this just gives the companies the message that what they're doing, no matter how terrible, is being supported.
Anyway! Enough rambling. I'm sorry for your bad experience. I hope things will improve or perhaps you might find a better place to shop!
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