Commentator Augie De Blieck Jr. peers into the near-future and sees $3.50 as the average cover price for a comic book. How near? Try December:
I think the next price jump will be to $3.50, and the muttering over the high price of comics will be heard again. I just don’t think we’ll see mass defections of readership until we hit $3.99, though. $3.50 is still too much, but the ratio isn’t outrageous. When comics went up from $1.00 to $1.25, it meant you could only buy four comics for $5, instead of five. When prices rise up from $3.00 to $3.50, it means you’ll only get six comics for $21, instead of seven. With a hike from $3.00 to $3.99, though, your $12 will only buy you three comics instead of four.
This is likely all mental and not based strictly on the math. The $3.50 price point is outrageous for a comic book these days, though not a complete deal breaker.
The answer lies in digital distribution, of course, but the system on which this industry is based — the Direct Market — won’t make for an easy transition.
We’ll see $3.50 for Amazing Spider-Man by December. I’m sure of it. Check back here in three months to see if I’m right.
July 16th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
When it gets to $4 for regular page counts I’ll just hang it up with regular issues and just check Amazon periodically from that point on for trades.
If the companies could add more page counts along with a $4 price tag, and not have it be that reprint shit Marvel’s been pulling recently, I might consider sticking around. I don’t see it happening though.
July 16th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
They’re printed with presses using electricity, and delivered by truck. The cost of oil and gas no doubt will affect the costs to DC. Which may or may not justify a price hike.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I’m going all trade very soon. I’ve dropped several titles this week when my dealer handed out the new pull lists.
July 16th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
So, comic buying habits are like gas buying habits? Nothing really changes until stuff hits that $4 mark…
July 16th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Time to go back to newsprint!
July 16th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Actually, yes. Oil is used in the production of some inks. I don’t know if that’s the case for comic books but it’s a pretty safe bet there is at least some petroleum in the ink. Oil is used in transporting the wood to the paper mill, the paper mill to the printer, etc. A price hike in comics is just keeping up with everything else.
And yes, digital distribution is very needed.
July 16th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
I agree with Erech.
I would be perfectly willing to pay $1.99 an issue for comics printed on newsprint. I buy Tiny Titans every month and it’s not on the glossiest of paper.
Also, digital distribution does need to be explored further. I am still a purist that wants his comics in his hand when I read them, but if I could have spent $15 ($1 per issue), instead of the $45+ that I spent today on my books, I would have.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Augie’s prognosticating that prices will rise is a no-brainer. We all know it’s going to happen, and we all dread the idea.
July 16th, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Cheapening the materials would be a great first step. Save the fancy stuff for the trades if the material is worthy. Otherwise, make these things marketable again. I hate being a shrinking niche market.
It’s either that or make the jump to all-digital and they can’t do that without collapsing the direct market they’ve propped up for so long. Time for comics to do SOMETHING other than gouge the already in place market of aging fans.
July 17th, 2008 at 7:50 am
comics are $5 to $7 in australia.
stop whining.