Posted by: Brian Hibbs on January 3, 2011
Categories: Retailing/Industry
Tags: Brian, Sales Charts
Last one! Again, under the cut…
Same deal, first presenting it by QUANTITY SOLD. Note this is what SOLD, not what I *ordered*, which are way different numbers! You’ll also probably be able to tell some of what I sold out of before I “should have”, if you use a bit of logic in parsing the listings.
1 Quarter Book – Single
2 Dollar Book
3 Back Issue
4 SIEGE #1 (OF 4)
5 BATMAN AND ROBIN #7
6 BATMAN AND ROBIN #10
BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #1 (OF 6)
9 BATMAN AND ROBIN #8
BATMAN AND ROBIN #9
11 BATMAN AND ROBIN #11
12 BATMAN AND ROBIN #12
13 BATMAN AND ROBIN #16
14 BATMAN #700
BATMAN AND ROBIN #13
16 BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #2 OF(6)
JOE THE BARBARIAN #1 (OF 8)
18 BATMAN INCORPORATED #1
BLACKEST NIGHT #8 (OF 8)
20 Starter Set
21 BATMAN AND ROBIN #14
22 BLACKEST NIGHT #7 (OF 8)
BRIGHTEST DAY #0
24 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #32 TWILIGHT PT 1 (OF 5)
25 BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #3 (OF 6)
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #33 TWILIGHT PT 2 (OF 5)
27 BATMAN AND ROBIN #15
28 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #34 TWILIGHT PT 3 (OF 5)
29 NEMESIS #1 (OF 4)
30 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #31 JO CHEN CVR
31 AVENGERS #1 HA
BRIGHTEST DAY #1
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #35 TWILIGHT PT 4 (OF 4)
NEW AVENGERS #1 HA
35 JOE THE BARBARIAN #2 (OF 8)
36 BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #4 (OF 6)
37 AMERICAN VAMPIRE #1
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #36 LAST GLEAMING PT 1 (OF 5)
39 BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #6 (OF 6)
BATMAN THE RETURN #1
41 BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #5 (OF 6)
SIEGE #2 (OF 4)
SIEGE #3 (OF 4)
SIEGE #4 (OF 4)
45 BATMAN #701
46 FLASH #1
KICK-ASS 2 #1
NEMESIS #2 (OF 4)
WONDER WOMAN #600
50 BLACKEST NIGHT #6 (OF 8)
JOE THE BARBARIAN #3 (OF 8)
52 DETECTIVE COMICS #861
53 AVENGERS #2 HA
DETECTIVE COMICS #862
SECRET AVENGERS #1
56 BRIGHTEST DAY #2
BRIGHTEST DAY #4
58 BATMAN #702
BUFFY VAMPIRE SLAYER #37 LAST GLEAMING PT 2 (OF 5)
CAPTAIN AMERICA #602
CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #6 (OF 6)
FLASH REBIRTH #6 (OF 6)
GREEN LANTERN #50
NEW AVENGERS #61 SIEGE
65 JOE THE BARBARIAN #4 (OF 8)
66 SCARLET #1
UNCANNY X-MEN #523
68 ASTONISHING X-MEN #34
BATMAN AND ROBIN #17
BRIGHTEST DAY #3
BRIGHTEST DAY #6
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER WILLOW ONE SHOT
SERENITY FLOAT OUT ONE SHOT #1 JO CHEN CVR
74 AMERICAN VAMPIRE #2
BRIGHTEST DAY #9
BUFFY VAMPIRE SLAYER #38 LAST GLEAMING PT 3 (OF 5)
GREEN LANTERN #51
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #25
NEW AVENGERS #62 SIEGE
80 BRIGHTEST DAY #5
BRIGHTEST DAY #7
CAPTAIN AMERICA #603
DARK AVENGERS #13 SIEGE
DETECTIVE COMICS #863
DETECTIVE COMICS #864
GREEN LANTERN #52
GREEN LANTERN #53
HELLBOY IN MEXICO OR DRUNKEN BLUR ONE SHOT
HELLBOY THE STORM #1 (OF 3)
JOE THE BARBARIAN #5 (OF 8)
LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #1
NEW AVENGERS #64 SIEGE
SECRET AVENGERS #2
SHIELD #1
SHIELD #2
WALKING DEAD #74
WALKING DEAD #75
WALKING DEAD #77
X-MEN #1
100 BRIGHTEST DAY #8
FLASH #2
KICK ASS #8
SECRET AVENGERS #3
SUPERGOD #3 (OF 5)
SUPERIOR #1 (OF 6)
UNCANNY X-MEN #526
WALKING DEAD #71
WALKING DEAD #76
WALKING DEAD #79
And, like before, here’s the same magilla, except looking at DOLLARS SOLD instead (A lot fewer ties here!):
1 Back Issue
2 Starter Set
3 Quarter Book – Single
4 BATMAN #700
5 BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #1 (OF 6)
6 Dollar Book
7 BATMAN AND ROBIN #16
8 BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #2 OF(6)
9 BATMAN INCORPORATED #1
10 BLACKEST NIGHT #8 (OF 8)
11 BATMAN AND ROBIN #7
12 BATMAN THE RETURN #1
13 SIEGE #1 (OF 4)
14 BATMAN AND ROBIN #10
15 BRIGHTEST DAY #0
16 FABLES #100
17 BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #3 (OF 6)
18 BATMAN AND ROBIN #8
19 BATMAN AND ROBIN #9
20 BLACKEST NIGHT #7 (OF 8)
21 BATMAN AND ROBIN #11
22 BATMAN AND ROBIN #12
23 AMERICAN VAMPIRE #1
24 BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #4 (OF 6)
25 BATMAN AND ROBIN #13
26 BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #6 (OF 6)
27 AVENGERS #1 HA
28 BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #5 (OF 6)
29 BATMAN AND ROBIN #14
30 SIEGE #2 (OF 4)
SIEGE #3 (OF 4)
32 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #32 TWILIGHT PT 1 (OF 5)
33 SIEGE #4 (OF 4)
34 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #33 TWILIGHT PT 2 (OF 5)
35 WONDER WOMAN #600
36 VERTIGO RESURRECTED #1
37 BATMAN AND ROBIN #15
38 BLACKEST NIGHT #6 (OF 8)
39 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #34 TWILIGHT PT 3 (OF 5)
40 NEMESIS #1 (OF 4)
41 DETECTIVE COMICS #861
42 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #31 JO CHEN CVR
43 SECRET AVENGERS #1
44 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #35 TWILIGHT PT 4 (OF 4)
45 BRIGHTEST DAY #1
46 CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #6 (OF 6)
47 DETECTIVE COMICS #862
48 JOE THE BARBARIAN #2 (OF 8)
49 NEW AVENGERS FINALE #1
50 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #36 LAST GLEAMING PT 1 (OF 5)
51 STRANGE TALES 2 #1
52 AVENGERS #2 HA
53 FLASH #1
54 SCARLET #1
55 AMERICAN VAMPIRE #2
56 GREEN LANTERN #50
57 NEW AVENGERS #61 SIEGE
58 DARK AVENGERS #13 SIEGE
59 SHIELD #1 4TH PTG WEAVER VAR
60 DETECTIVE COMICS #863
61 SUPERGOD #3 (OF 5)
62 SECRET AVENGERS #2
63 WALKING DEAD #75
64 BATMAN #701
65 SECRET AVENGERS #3
66 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #1
67 NEMESIS #2 (OF 4)
68 SUPERMAN #700
69 KICK-ASS 2 #1
70 X-MEN SECOND COMING #1
71 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER WILLOW ONE SHOT
72 STRANGE TALES 2 #2 (OF 3)
73 SERENITY FLOAT OUT ONE SHOT #1 JO CHEN CVR
74 ALAN MOORE NEONOMICON #1 (OF 4)
AMERICAN VAMPIRE #3
INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #25
77 JOE THE BARBARIAN #3 (OF 8)
78 CAPTAIN AMERICA #602
79 NEW AVENGERS #1 HA
NEW AVENGERS #63 SIEGE
NEW AVENGERS #64 SIEGE
82 SCARLET #2
83 CAPTAIN SWING #1 (OF 4)
84 HATE ANNUAL #8
85 X-WOMEN #1
86 AVENGERS #3
87 BRIGHTEST DAY #2
BRIGHTEST DAY #4
89 AMERICAN VAMPIRE #4
AMERICAN VAMPIRE #5
91 HELLBOY IN MEXICO OR DRUNKEN BLUR ONE SHOT
92 DARK AVENGERS #15
93 BUFFY VAMPIRE SLAYER #37 LAST GLEAMING PT 2 (OF 5)
94 ASTONISHING X-MEN XENOGENESIS #1 (OF 5)
AVENGERS #4
96 UNCANNY X-MEN #522
97 BATMAN #702
98 UNCANNY X-MEN #526
99 ASTRO CITY THE DARK AGE BOOK FOUR #4 (OF 4)
100 INCOGNITO BAD INFLUENCES #1
It is probably worth noting that this is what things SOLD FOR, so if, for example, I discounted something (or, perhaps, wholesaled it off?) that can skew the charts a bounce or three.
Anyway, that’s what the year in sales looked like to me — I’m always interested in your comments!
-B
A stray thought, in case anyone is wondering — “back issues” take up a square footage that is jusssst about the same as the rack that holds the-entire-output-of-the-marvel-universe-minus-X-MEN.
As an ITEM it is a strong performer, but on a dollars-per-square-foot basis it is really weak.
All other “sale item” stock — quarters, dollars, sets, and sale books — combined take up about the same space as the back issues, and does about quintuple the dollar sales. I’ve thought, more than once, of giving up on the idea of back issues.
15 years ago, back issues were 60% of my sales space! Things change.
-B
-B
Could you do a column about back issues sometime? I’ve been following monthly and yearly sales charts so long, I realize I’ve never taken a store’s back issues into consideration in regard to its overall sales.
What convinces you to mark up an issue, or to put it in the dollar bin?
Actually, I already did, though maybe not in the exact way you’re asking…
http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17730
-B
Thanks for that. Interesting stuff.
Wow, that Grant Morrisson Batman stuff really sells….
As for back issues…I have a friend who’s a retailer and he *hates* his back issues because he considers them junk. He’s recently worked out a deal where he sells x number of long boxes at a time to another retailer for a set rate. Anyway, his take is the back issues just take up space because no one really buys from them anymore. I have to admit, it never really occurred to me how much they were dead weight until he went and made that deal.
On the other hand, my dad has a friend who buys back issues in bulk for like $.50/pound or something. Anyway, he makes some nice money filtering through what he buys and tossing some of it on e-bay, selling to people he knows who are looking for stuff, and tossing the rest. I was able to get a complete run of Valiant off him for a pretty good price.
Thanks for this series of posts, Mr. Hibbs. It’s always interesting to me to look at stuff like this even though I have neither the wit nor experience to interpret it in any meaningful way. I mean it’s pretty obvious from the above that the Big Two drive the periodical market…annnnnd that’s about the level of my analysis. Heady stuff, eh! No charge.
I was pleased to see ALAN MOORE’S NEONOMICON busting into the charts because everyone loves ALAN MOORE’S NEONOMICON. Well. I do.
Speaking of which (i.e. loving a comic not ALAN MOORE’s NEONOMICON) were there any comics/books you were pleased to see in your chart as it was your own mad retailing skillz that helped put them there? Was there anything that made you set aside your oath of impartiality and get in touch with your inner Ricky Roma because, dangnabbit, you thought it was just that darn swell? It’s a serious question which you may or may not choose to answer as you see fit.
Thanks again.
Interesting stuff. I know you don’t want to give actual numbers, but if it’s not revealing too much I’d be curious what the spread is between the top selling new comic and the books in the #100 spot, either in number of copies or in percentage terms. Presumably not both, since you could derive some hard numbers with both.