Curious about local shops marking up Chases...

[Fawny]

Yesterday, we went shopping at a local comic book shop that I absolutely love. In a display cabinet, I notice a Duck Dodgers chase that was for sale for $45. What I'm not sure of, however, is whether they acquired the chase thru normal shipping or if they received it in a trade with a customer. They do have a great Pop selection and had some regular Duck Dodgers Pops.

In your experience, is it normal for local shops to mark up a chase? I've noticed online shops mark up a few dollars, but up to $45 was a new one on me.

[angeladominguez]

We have a local shop here in Houston and they usually mark up chases.
I saw Chase Eleven with Eggos for $55 there yesterday.
I think someone also goes and sells them exclusives because they had some SDCC stuff a while back.

We have two shops and both mark up chases

[TriFeckTa]

Yeah generally comic book shops will mark up the price, unlike major retailers they need all the profit they can get in order to stay in business.

[sdcccrasher]

Comic Book shops are generally independent stores. My experience has been that Comic Book shops operate like Baseball Card Shops. Everything is marked up according to rarity.

[Mister Piggy Wiggy]

Totally normal. After all, they have to make a profit.

[HowardTheDuck]

In my experience that's ALL local shops do.

[Sarcasticguy]

Yesterday, we went shopping at a local comic book shop that I absolutely love. In a display cabinet, I notice a Duck Dodgers chase that was for sale for $45. What I'm not sure of, however, is whether they acquired the chase thru normal shipping or if they received it in a trade with a customer. They do have a great Pop selection and had some regular Duck Dodgers Pops.

In your experience, is it normal for local shops to mark up a chase? I've noticed online shops mark up a few dollars, but up to $45 was a new one on me.

Ever since Funko got super popular, EVERY local shop here marks up chases to about 40-50. They definitely get them through normal vendor acquisition and then just seperate the chases from regular stock. They do eventually mark them down if PPG goes low.

It sucks, but thats the game.

[emcee]

I cringe everytime I go to a local shop and see chases marked up.

[ruxy_100]

I saw one like this at my local comic shop last, for the first time. Made me a bit disappointed.

Another store near me does something which I don't mind. They have a pop club card - where you get a stamp for every pop you buy. And after 12 pops, your next one is free.

Whenever someone completes their card you write you name and phone number on it and pop it into a bowl. At the end of each month they randomly draw a name out of the bowl - and that person receives a chase pop for free.

[cooldemigod]

My local shop does it but he marks it up to 20-25 so not too bad in the long run.

[Icetenka]

I saw one like this at my local comic shop last, for the first time. Made me a bit disappointed.

Another store near me does something which I don't mind. They have a pop club card - where you get a stamp for every pop you buy. And after 12 pops, your next one is free.

Whenever someone completes their card you write you name and phone number on it and pop it into a bowl. At the end of each month they randomly draw a name out of the bowl - and that person receives a chase pop for free.

That's a pretty cool deal and will definitely bring in more repeat customer's.

[michellepop]

I saw one like this at my local comic shop last, for the first time. Made me a bit disappointed.

Another store near me does something which I don't mind. They have a pop club card - where you get a stamp for every pop you buy. And after 12 pops, your next one is free.

Whenever someone completes their card you write you name and phone number on it and pop it into a bowl. At the end of each month they randomly draw a name out of the bowl - and that person receives a chase pop for free.

Love this system!!! Wish my LCBS were doing something like this.

[Toralei]

In some cases, the store will buy a case and mark up the chase so they can sell the commons at a discount. They'll at least break even that way, because they can't compete with a bulk retailer like Walmart or Amazon. Some people here have probably purchased a full case just for a guaranteed chase. I'd rather pay somebody else to deal with the inventory I don't want.

Another store near me does something which I don't mind. They have a pop club card - where you get a stamp for every pop you buy. And after 12 pops, your next one is free.

Whenever someone completes their card you write you name and phone number on it and pop it into a bowl. At the end of each month they randomly draw a name out of the bowl - and that person receives a chase pop for free.

That first part is all right. They've probably marked up just enough that they're not losing money on that free Pop. But the second part isn't. Requiring purchases for a chance to win something is a lottery, which is an illegal promotion.

[HowardTheDuck]

I saw one like this at my local comic shop last, for the first time. Made me a bit disappointed.

Another store near me does something which I don't mind. They have a pop club card - where you get a stamp for every pop you buy. And after 12 pops, your next one is free.

Whenever someone completes their card you write you name and phone number on it and pop it into a bowl. At the end of each month they randomly draw a name out of the bowl - and that person receives a chase pop for free.

I LOVE that concept! Wish a shop around here did that!

[willy wonka]

There are a few shops that I know do that and I am okay with that they need to make money as well..

[FunkoNewb]

Happens all the time, and I don't mind. Don't buy it if you don't want to pay for it. I did get a chase white lantern flash dorbz today for $20 and I didn't have a problem with that at all

[Thrillofthehunt]

Yep! Normal practice. Can't blame them, seems like commons sit on their shelves forever.

[skillawashere]

Yea, it is normal for comic stores to do this, it stinks, but it's a nature of the popularity of Funko

[jagpop]

Yesterday, we went shopping at a local comic book shop that I absolutely love. In a display cabinet, I notice a Duck Dodgers chase that was for sale for $45. What I'm not sure of, however, is whether they acquired the chase thru normal shipping or if they received it in a trade with a customer. They do have a great Pop selection and had some regular Duck Dodgers Pops.

In your experience, is it normal for local shops to mark up a chase? I've noticed online shops mark up a few dollars, but up to $45 was a new one on me.

I've see online shops marking them up as well and not just a few bucks.

[emcee]

I saw one like this at my local comic shop last, for the first time. Made me a bit disappointed.

Another store near me does something which I don't mind. They have a pop club card - where you get a stamp for every pop you buy. And after 12 pops, your next one is free.

Whenever someone completes their card you write you name and phone number on it and pop it into a bowl. At the end of each month they randomly draw a name out of the bowl - and that person receives a chase pop for free.

That's pretty awesome, good to know stores care about long term customers more than making a quick buck.

I hate the whole "they need money" thing. Most of these comic shops have revenue through dozens and sometimes hundreds of other things. I can't imagine them creating a business model around having to sell chases like "We're only going to order these pops because we can resell this specific chase for double the price," while they still have to sell all of the regular versions for the normal profit of a few bucks. Only way I can see that is for those independent online re-seller pop shops that people run out of their homes.

[Force951]

Local comic book shop near me got a few chases in early on and said they will sell them for ebay prices. However i heard of later ones just being put on the shelf for normal pricing, since they were too lazy to go through the effort of finding the pricing.

[Fawny]

Happens all the time, and I don't mind. Don't buy it if you don't want to pay for it. I did get a chase white lantern flash dorbz today for $20 and I didn't have a problem with that at all

Oh, I wasn't upset about it, just wondering. Not one I collect anyway. First chase I had ever seen out in the wild....ever. Now if it was a Harley chase or Doctor Who chase, I probably would have plucked down $45 for it, happily.

[The Head]

One of my comic shops marks up, the other typically doesn't. They also very rarely get them. I've only ever seen two chases in that particular store. One was a dorbz chase which a snagged for $7.99, minus my 15% discount. The other was chase wonder woman pop, which they did mark up because they bought / traded with another retailer.

If you ask me, if they ordered a bunch to make sure they got the chase and sell the commons at a bit of a discount, I don't mind them marking them up. However, if they ordered one or two just as part of their normal stock and happened to get a chase, I personally don't like the markup. I don't blame them, but unless I really want it and the price is decent, I won't buy it.

[Libertyroxx]

I saw one like this at my local comic shop last, for the first time. Made me a bit disappointed.

Another store near me does something which I don't mind. They have a pop club card - where you get a stamp for every pop you buy. And after 12 pops, your next one is free.

Whenever someone completes their card you write you name and phone number on it and pop it into a bowl. At the end of each month they randomly draw a name out of the bowl - and that person receives a chase pop for free.

That honestly is a great idea and one more places should consider!

[kitkats_mommy]

My local shop didn't used to mark up the chases, but now that the pops and dorbz are becoming so much more sought after, they are marking them up a lot! The Eleven chase from Stranger Things was $50 when I checked earlier this week. It's a little crazy!!!

[allcutethings2]

I saw one like this at my local comic shop last, for the first time. Made me a bit disappointed.

Another store near me does something which I don't mind. They have a pop club card - where you get a stamp for every pop you buy. And after 12 pops, your next one is free.

Whenever someone completes their card you write you name and phone number on it and pop it into a bowl. At the end of each month they randomly draw a name out of the bowl - and that person receives a chase pop for free.

That's pretty awesome, good to know stores care about long term customers more than making a quick buck.

I hate the whole "they need money" thing. Most of these comic shops have revenue through dozens and sometimes hundreds of other things. I can't imagine them creating a business model around having to sell chases like "We're only going to order these pops because we can resell this specific chase for double the price," while they still have to sell all of the regular versions for the normal profit of a few bucks. Only way I can see that is for those independent online re-seller pop shops that people run out of their homes.

You have to know the pricing, discounts, and cost of business to know whether or not something is or isn't cost effective. From the people I've talked to that are in the business, marking up a chase means they break even on the order. They typically order a pack/case (of six), and marking up the random chase (which isn't even always guaranteed) means they can justify the order in the first place. They may have only sold one or two of the regular version in the long run. And having product available on the shelf is often what drives customers in. While I wouldn't personally pay more than retail for a chase, I kind of understand why they mark them up.

The part I have a problem with is the stores that sell Pops for $12-$14 for regulars (and I know what price they are paying through the distributor). In the same area, both small shops and big retailers sell the same Pops for $9-$10 (often obtained from the same distributor). So price gouging the casual fan (and not an in the know Funko collector) is what really bothers me. They want the same profit margin on the figures that they are receiving on the comics.

I think that club card concept is really cool. If a shop around me did that, I know I'd bring my business there rather than the big box stores.

[emk194]

I personally don't like it. A local comic shop has commons for $15, store exclusives for $30, and chases for $50. PLUS 13% tax, and you're looking at $16.95, $33.90, and $56.50. I don't buy from them because I think their prices are ridiculous. Their prices aren't even competitive - I can get commons and store exclusives for much less. Chases, well, I'll try my luck instead of spending $50+ at your store.

[Fawny]

I personally don't like it. A local comic shop has commons for $15, store exclusives for $30, and chases for $50. PLUS 13% tax, and you're looking at $16.95, $33.90, and $56.50. I don't buy from them because I think their prices are ridiculous. Their prices aren't even competitive - I can get commons and store exclusives for much less. Chases, well, I'll try my luck instead of spending $50+ at your store.

at the store exclusive price. My LCBS is more reasonable with the regular pricing, $10.99, even for the PX exclusives. I've purchased a few Pops from this shop.

[yellowrice]

They didn't mark them up at first but as Pops became more popular, the local stores started pricing them at what Ebay sells them for.

The one thing that I don't like the most is when they mark up the Specialty Series.

[lcarus83]

I saw the Flash metallic Chase for $85 at my local shop. Seen Duck Dodgers Chase for $25. But I do know that people bring stuff in to trade or sell, because I found Zombie Merle on their shelf out of nowhere, and it was $10!

[Sarcasticguy]

I personally don't like it. A local comic shop has commons for $15, store exclusives for $30, and chases for $50. PLUS 13% tax, and you're looking at $16.95, $33.90, and $56.50. I don't buy from them because I think their prices are ridiculous. Their prices aren't even competitive - I can get commons and store exclusives for much less. Chases, well, I'll try my luck instead of spending $50+ at your store.

Commons for 15? I thought HT was horrible at $12.50.

[The Head]

I personally don't like it. A local comic shop has commons for $15, store exclusives for $30, and chases for $50. PLUS 13% tax, and you're looking at $16.95, $33.90, and $56.50. I don't buy from them because I think their prices are ridiculous. Their prices aren't even competitive - I can get commons and store exclusives for much less. Chases, well, I'll try my luck instead of spending $50+ at your store.

Commons for 15? I thought HT was horrible at $12.50.

Yeah, that's craziness.

I've often wondered what stores pay for pops from the distributor. I wonder if it'd be cost effective to become a small time pop retailer to get pops for my personal collection on the cheap and then sell the rest.

[Sarcasticguy]

I personally don't like it. A local comic shop has commons for $15, store exclusives for $30, and chases for $50. PLUS 13% tax, and you're looking at $16.95, $33.90, and $56.50. I don't buy from them because I think their prices are ridiculous. Their prices aren't even competitive - I can get commons and store exclusives for much less. Chases, well, I'll try my luck instead of spending $50+ at your store.

Commons for 15? I thought HT was horrible at $12.50.

Yeah, that's craziness.

I've often wondered what stores pay for pops from the distributor. I wonder if it'd be cost effective to become a small time pop retailer to get pops for my personal collection on the cheap and then sell the rest.

I have it on decent authority that wholesale pops/dorbz/whathaveyou are definitely more cost effective, just be sure to have people you can pawn off the minimum orders on haha.

[The Head]

I have it on decent authority that wholesale pops/dorbz/whathaveyou are definitely more cost effective, just be sure to have people you can pawn off the minimum orders on haha.

Yeah, that's what I figured. The wild card for me is what commitments do you have to make re: timing and minimum orders.

[Sarcasticguy]

I have it on decent authority that wholesale pops/dorbz/whathaveyou are definitely more cost effective, just be sure to have people you can pawn off the minimum orders on haha.

Yeah, that's what I figured. The wild card for me is what commitments do you have to make re: timing and minimum orders.

Not sure on the timing... it'd suck to get a bunch of something that you and none of your friends want haha.

I think the biggest barrier even if you do wholesale, is having to put up the extra cash for exclusives anyways...

[wraithkelso]

Here's a thought as to part of why the comic book stores mark up the chases, they know for a fact there are flippers trying to get every chase, exclusive, and LE run to flip on ebay, by having the chases marked up to ebay it makes it so that flippers can't make a profit from product from their store. I would much rather support a local comic book store than a flipper, especially if the store is good to their customers that are regulars. For instance the store I get pops from has them at 11.99, but I would rather support them because I now them and they treat regulars well, for anyone that has a box subscription through them (free at this store), when figures are coming in we can let them know what we'd like and they'll set them aside for us. They have the Previews Exclusives priced at 14.99, and they did that with the vault release of Greedo as well, but they knew they would still sell at those prices. I actually am about to go get the PX Aquaman from them and sell my regular Aquaman since it is worth so much more now

[Fawny]

Here's a thought as to part of why the comic book stores mark up the chases, they know for a fact there are flippers trying to get every chase, exclusive, and LE run to flip on ebay, by having the chases marked up to ebay it makes it so that flippers can't make a profit from product from their store. I would much rather support a local comic book store than a flipper, especially if the store is good to their customers that are regulars. For instance the store I get pops from has them at 11.99, but I would rather support them because I now them and they treat regulars well, for anyone that has a box subscription through them (free at this store), when figures are coming in we can let them know what we'd like and they'll set them aside for us. They have the Previews Exclusives priced at 14.99, and they did that with the vault release of Greedo as well, but they knew they would still sell at those prices. I actually am about to go get the PX Aquaman from them and sell my regular Aquaman since it is worth so much more now

Oh I totally agree. If that was a chase I really wanted, I would have probably paid it. They are a great LCBS. Every time I've needed one of the Specialty Series, they have ordered it for me and they don't mark theirs up, just their regular $10.99 price. I'm always happy to give them my business.

[emcee]

Here's a thought as to part of why the comic book stores mark up the chases, they know for a fact there are flippers trying to get every chase, exclusive, and LE run to flip on ebay

Are you assuming there's a 0% chance someone, like a collector, wouldn't keep it for themselves?

[jester00]

I fail to see the problem... they are not big businesses. And the comic industry isn't exactly a huge money maker. So if they mark up chases and incentive comics, then so be it.

[wraithkelso]

Here's a thought as to part of why the comic book stores mark up the chases, they know for a fact there are flippers trying to get every chase, exclusive, and LE run to flip on ebay

Are you assuming there's a 0% chance someone, like a collector, wouldn't keep it for themselves?

Not at all, but I think they are trying to get it so that less flippers shop at their stores, or at least get the profit margin themselves, keep in mind I'm one who can't stand the flipper community, I'm of the mindset of "if you don't want t for yourself, don't buy it"