Why do some comic shops charge more than cover price for a comic that's not even a month old?

Question

It gets me so pissed off when I have to pay more than cover price, when they order these things by the Truckloads for discount prices!!!!!!!

Answer 1

Cause it's all about supply and demand. The higher the demand is for a comic, the higher the price will be.

An honest, reasonable,and respectable comic shop not looking to rip-off their customers will not raise the prices on comics from this month or comics that are only a couple months old. If this is happening at the comic shop you buy at, go to another shop if you can.

The comics shops I go to tend to offer discounts on new issues. The ones that are rip-offs I avoid and eventually enough people do the same so that they go out of business.

You should only be paying a higher price for comics you special order, sold-out comics, hard to find comics, or comics that are at least a year old.

You shouldn't be paying more than cover price for last months "Robin" or "Uncanny X-Men". But expect to pay more for high in demand and sold out comics like Civil War #1 or any of the Marvel Zombie comics from last year.

Answer 2

You are not alone in this frustration. It seems that when a particular comic book gets somewhat popular, some shops decide that they "have" to raise the price because it is now "collectible". I have seen this a few times, especially in one comic book shop I had frequented, and was one of the many reasons I stopped doing business there. I was fortunate and found a small comic book shop that didn't do this, the owner was friendly, and usually had ample supply of titles, collectibles, and hobby supplies. If possible, I urge you to find a different comic book shop. If another one does not exist where you live, I would ask the owner or clerk why they do this. Just ask them. It may be enough to get your point across. If you don't want to do this, I can recommend you find an online service that sells comic books, often at discounted prices. There are plenty, and you can do a general Internet search by typing "Online Comic Book Stores", or look at ads in magazines such as Wizard, Comics Buyers' Guide, etc. I am an older fanboy, and have almost give up this hobby because of the numbnuts that run comic book shops. They get greedy, and seem to take advantage of those who make this hobby viable and keep their pockets lined. Good Luck.