First and foremost Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
But for fun, since there will be so much turkey today, lets here your turkey pick ups of the year. That’s right, the worst books you spec-ed on this year or picked up for reading.
what do you think the worst book of the year was?
What did you pick up that you just couldnt move?
Here are two for me:
Pieces #1 signed by Kurt Wiebe. No one ordered these from me when I did the signing and the 10 copies I did buy and have signed I have struggled to move at cover price.
Same with signed copies of Chip Zdarsky’s Kaptara (interesting note, Chip’s real name is Steve Murray, still doesn’t help sell the book)
For me the worst spec was 21st century tank girl #1 first print. I bought 20 of em. The only way I could sell them was as a set with the other 2 issues. Otherwise I can barely make cover price back on those.
The best comic to read is Southern Bastards hands down! What a great and original story line.
Surprised. I did well with them. At least doubled my money on Tank Girl but didn’t go 20 copies deep.
For me – Scooby Doo 12. I bought a bunch at cover price, but by the time they shipped to me (a week later from release date), the hype died down and I barely broke even.
A lot of the stuff does require timing. The week after they had died down and into October they still were $10-20 wall books at Baltimore Comic Con and NYCC. Not sure how well they were selling.
I had several separate 7 day auctions in October, and they still finished at roughly $4. Hardly a profit when purchased for $3
Yeah, I think you even sent me one of those signed copies of Pisces. I only bought one copy myself, did not even bother with #2, it just wasn’t that good.
My best sales were dumping the Spider-Gwen Color Phantom Variants.. since I locked a bunch at the $10 price tag and was turning around and selling them for $20 to $35.. I did well.
Divinity #1 3rd prints were also an easy sell for me.
Can’t recall any I couldn’t move that I intended to sell, I’m pretty picky and selective when it comes to selling. I’m still a collector first, then flip on the side when I know it’s going to be an easy pick up and sell.
As for reads.. so many. Southern Bastards is good. Fade Out is really good. I liked most of the Black Mask books that came out. Black Science and Humans were also really good. Most of my favorite reads are Image. For the big publishers.. Star Wars and Darth Vader have been spot on, can’t go wrong with Gillen and Aaron writing those.
A surprise pickup and like by me is Justice League of America.. latest volume, very good read. The Darkseid War was a really good read as well.
Oh, new recent titles would have to be Beauty and Tokyo Ghost, both really good so far.
Not really liking Tokyo Ghost so much but do love Beauty. Plus I have sold the NYCC Secret Variant and the Pilot Season issues pretty well.
How far along in Tokyo Ghost are you? The first issue didn’t have me locked in but I think it’s getting better.
I have picked up every issue so far #3 I think.
Ah.. just not your cuppa tea then.
I love Rick Remender too. I just don’t understand why I dont like it
I know my big bust this year.. Mad Max Furiosa Blank Variants. When I heard they were under ordered and separate order from the regular cover, I grabbed around 10 or so. Then they released info where retailers could order more, so yeah, that sort of dampened my flip plans.. what was hard to come by became really easy to get.
I got one from you and no at least one other did. I heard they were going to a good cause though. Which reminds me I need to dig out my blanks to send to Larime
I am still sitting on some Divinity. Some in my collection and some I just never moved.
I have some more I’m actually holding to possibly sell when he comes back and more fans are created and they start to seek out the first volume, I’m ready! 🙂
I am still a bit steamed about one from last year, Devil’s Hopyard. As Atomic Avenue now describes it, “Check out the book that has been praised by Robert Kirkman, Geoff Johns, and Brian K. Vaughn! This R-rated noir tale tells the story of a cop who gets pulled into a world of secrets, sin, and superheroes! Featuring art by Spawn artist Szymon Kudranksi and a script by Flash Gordon scribe Brendan Deneen!” Turned out that it was just a reprint of Deneen’s Scatterbrain from 2006. Of course, I hunted those down too. Guess I had a soft spot for it because I used to live near a state park called Devil’s Hopyard.
Both Devils Hopyard and Scatterbrain did well shortly. I still have a Hopyard or to myself.
Ah yeah, I picked up two of those. I think they got dropped off in my semi-annual haul to Half Price Books to get my 50 cents a copy for the most part.
For me, the Spec Turkey of the year was SPIDER-GWEN #4 BROOKS New York City Variant. I got a few of those for cover since I was doing so well with all my other Spider-Gwen specs and sales, but now I can’t give those #4s away! I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks you too. I got the New York City cover as well, but I collected all the variants of Spider-Gwen for the first series. Not again.
Worst for me Reading wise was Holy F*** that had to be the worst book i read since Itty Biddy Bunnies …Anthoy knows how much I hate both of those books lol .Worst Flips…hmmm i would have to say ..18 days grant morrison ..they were listed at 10 on the shelf but the girl at my LCS charged me 4.99 …I cant get rid of these dam things to save my life..i got several….and also Dead Drop …i still got about 4 sets left i cant move
Dead Drop didnt even bounce. It was horrible. I agree on Holy F–K and Itty Bitty Bunnies. Both were turds. I was able to sell my NYCC Holy F–ks that were limited to 10 copies or so for what I paid for them ,so it was still a loss when you figure in ebay and paypal fees
18 Days was blah… so disappointed with that one. Holy F*** was pretty bad as well. I didn’t even bother with Itty Bitty….
Don’t want to get into how many variants I purchased looking to flip and ended up bombing.
My best would have to be Spider Gwen 1 Hughes variant. Found two and tripled my profits. Guess that helps with all the bad I’ve purchased.
I don’t mess with variants because I always lose on them.
I don’t usually either, but I do only pick up variants at cover. If I spend more, it’s because I like the art and it’s likely going in personal collection.
First I wanna say Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who celebrate it and to all that don’t, have a great Thursday. As for the WORST book that I have read has to be What if? Infinity Dark Reign. The cover looked so promising and the short discription cough my attention. But after reading it, man I wouldn’t recommend it to no one. So poorly written and not enough action. I mean it’s Green Goblin there has to be chaos. But not its sucks and it turns out he has major daddy issues. As for great reads, Beauty has me hooked. And as for flipping books, I have been doing ok. Still not at the stage where my new books pay for themselves but close enough to where I get an additional discount lol.
I don’t buy enough books in quantity to get stuck with more than 2 or 3. So I can’t say I’ve had a particularly bad spec. I have quite a few books on my hands that I’d like to unload, but nothing that really sunk me. My problem this year has been purchasing too many variant covers for the PC. I have GOT to stop doing that in 2016!
Probably my most profitable was TMNT #44. I managed to turn a pretty good profit on the copies I got my hands on.
I also made out great with TMNT # 44 regular covers and the RI variant. I got in and sold before the hype peaked.
Yeah I did pretty well with TMNT 44 as well, but only sold a few but that was easy money.
Hey Tony did you end up getting anything good from the gamestop mystery box?
Will do the unboxing video tonight. I got 5 boxes.
Lol. That’s a lot of boxes. I’ll check out your video tonight then.