To all non-US customers with experience, please save me the hard work and rate your websites for international orders in terms of (1) Shipping cost (2) Overall cost (3) Best packaging (4) All-round winner. (I'm too lazy to work it out myself).
I'm using InStockTrades at the moment. Haven't received anything yet, but I'll put up pics when the 2 boxes arrive. Unfortunately I could save a lot of money by choosing the cheapest option for international postage that they have, but South Africa's record for non-insured parcels isn't great (many get "lost" in the process), so I have to choose the most expensive option. I still manage to save money though, which tells you how inflated comic book prices are if you buy them from local online sites (don't even get me started on what they cost on store shelves. You're paying something like $35 for Batman - Earth One in hardcover! No wonder this hobby hasn't taken off in this country).
I used to order on Amazon, but InStockTrades' prices are far better the last time I checked (I wonder how they [IST] are even in business).
I also sometimes forget that I have Ebay UK at my disposal. UK -> South Africa postage prices are a lot more comfortable to my wallet, and I don't really mind buying decent-quality second hand books if it means owning more.
An unabashed DC Fanboy (who gives Marvel credit where credit is due).
It depends on what you want to buy. For tpbs and cheaper hardcovers I use bookdepository, for bigger stuff amazon UK marketplace (speedyhen, Uk-Paperbackshop) or Paperbackshop-US on abebooks.
I usually buy used tpbs (like Essentials) from amazon Uk from various sellers.
But I usually buy one or two books at a time.
Yes! Amazon.co.uk. Yet another option. [edit: I bought my Lee/Kirby Avengers Omnibus through them for an excellent price. Received in great condition too. Too bad I realized I didn't care that much for it after a bit.] You forget how many places there are to look when you're ready & excited for your next purchase. I just had a look now at the Justice League Omnibus on Amazon.co.uk and realized I could get it for about $30 cheaper than our local price, which is quite a big savings percentage. Almost ordered it, but then realized I have two packages from IST still on their way! I've been waiting so long for the first box to arrive that I don't even know how interested I'm gonna be when it actually reaches. This is getting scarily close to an addiction. But I'm still in control...still in control...
An unabashed DC Fanboy (who gives Marvel credit where credit is due).
I've honestly can't remember who I've ordered from but in the many years I've done so most of my books I've ordered have arrived in perfect condition except for a slight crease on the corner of a Transformers UK Classics book but it's not that noticeable.
Once I ordered several Garfield books and they came perfectly intact in their box despite that day being rainy.
I bought some omnibi last year, from Barnes and Noble. Yes, the infamous buy-2-get-3rd-free. One of the boxes arrived like this:
I kid you not. Looks like it was kicked all the way down here (I'm from Brazil).
As a result, the Age of Apocalypse omnibus was damaged (and please note that this was, conveniently, the 3rd - free - one) :
So, I contacted B&N, and their response was basically: "We don't have this book anymore. Plus, it was the free one. So, f**k you, LOL". OK, I invented that last part. But I'm sure they thought that.
Anyway, they left me without any kind of refund or replacement item. After a while, they even stopped respoding my e-mails.
Barnes and Noble... A bunch of crooks. Avoid like the plague, I say. Specially if you are an international buyer.
Last edited by Mad Hatter; 07-23-2014 at 10:13 PM.
I've seen that in 3 different threads already
Sweet, glad it worked out. Was the book damaged? I only saw pics of the packaging.
I got a damaged Absolute from the first buy 2 get 1 free at B&N, they sent a replacement and wanted me to send the damaged book back. I said I would if they sent me a pre-paid postage as it would cost somehting like $40US for me to send it back. They decided I could keep both.
For me its Amazon for books over $40-$50:
1) Shipping cost is $10 for the first book and $5 for each subsequent book for preorders, I order 5 or 6 more exensive books at a time and it works out around $7ish a book for shipping.
2) Amazon prices are generally 35-40% off rrp, so pretty good. Sometimes you get a better discount and occasionally a worse discount, if its not worth it I cancel orders and go with BD for the one or two books.
3) I've had good results with packaging, but your mileage may vary. I would say Amazons is the bare minimum to avoid damage to the book, nothing to compare to Mile High Comics or CGN or IST or My Comic Shop type packaging.
Good, I was afraid you'd missed it :P
Yeah, it had dented edges and crushed corners. But I can live with the damage for free. Would have preferred a replacement packed like yours but what can you do when they say they won't send one? They funny thing is I sent amazon the pics of the damage and their response was we don't need to see pics.
My first damaged Speedy Hen book was sorted nice and smoothly, I put it back in the post (without emailing them or anything) and two days later they emailed me to say they'd received it and a replacement would be with me in a couple of days. They also refunded my £5.45 (disgusting charge to post a tpb) without having to ask. I'm glad I didn't have to start messing about emailing photos.
And a vanity pic to show off my new warez.
image.jpg
An unabashed DC Fanboy (who gives Marvel credit where credit is due).
Good experience with speedyhen.. Got a nice humanoids hardcover from them via eBay and it arrived damaged.. Sent them a message with some photos and they sorted it out really quickly for a 1/3 rd refund.. Will definitely use them again..