Cheap-Comics has the best packaging I've ever experienced - but the books they package within are not always in prime condition, sadly.
Booksetc is currently my favorite comic book shop, with a general mix of good prices, good condition and good packaging. I just wish they had more new comics in stock.
I'd recommend using websites which compare prices online, shipping to your location included, like "gettextbooks.com". Sadly, they tend not to include stores exclusively selling comics, so you'll have to check their prices nonetheless. Otherwise, I haven't bought from every store, but I've tried a few:
- I received my first 2 books from BookDepository not long ago. The sealed omnibus arrived in a cardboard with no other protection and the dust jacket has a small tear. Nothing awful, especially since I purchased it with 40% off cover price, but still slightly frustrating. The new paperback, in a classic cardboard envelope, also has a small tear on the cover. I'll give them other chances.
- Cheap-comics is my favourite website. Their prices are very competitive during sales and when it comes to shipping costs. I'm French and I spend 14€ on shipping no matter how many books I ordered. Their packaging is excellent, 100% success rate out of many orders.
- Booksetc is pretty cheap and has classic packaging, I've received 1 slightly damaged book from them out of 12 orders. A lot of books are out of stock though.
- For Amazon and eBay, just check the satisfaction rate. I personally never buy if it's lower than 95% and I've never had any issue with the many paperbacks I've bought. Also, checking Amazon versions for other countries in Europe can lead to finding cheaper books or books that are out of print. For instance, I found "Batman: The Caped Crusader vol.1" for 25€ shipping included on amazon.de, when I couldn't find it under 55€ anywhere else.
Last edited by Monove; 10-31-2020 at 11:23 AM.
Cheap-comic is strange, sure they have a sale for a handful of books but new comics prices are pretty ridiculously high like Venomnibus Vol. 3 for 150€ or She-Hulk by Byrne for 170€.
When a book is difficult to get they tend to boost the price with the mention "OOP".
Either if it's because there is not enough stock at the moment or because it's really getting out of print or already out of print.
For Venomnibus 3 or She-Hulk by Byrne I'm sure these prices will drop once these books will be restocked, at least for the standard covers.
Or it will be on sale in a couple months.
Yes it would make sense for books that are difficult to get but both of them are new and readily available online for much cheaper prices.
Venomnibus Vol. 3 (kieth)
Cheap-Comics - 150€
Archonia - 117€
Amazon - 92€
Book Depository - 90€
She-Hulk by Byrne
Cheap-Comics - 170€
Archonia - 117€
Amazon - 107€
OOP in and of itself means nothing if they printed already more than there is demand for. Avengers The Crossing Omnibus was OOP for years and yet readily available for lower than cover price everywhere. As soon as the printing presses stop a book is OOP but that doesn't mean anything until the books they printed actually sell out.
Exactly this. They also sometimes employ the tactic of "only x copies of this book left, the next book will be more expensive and the one after that even more". They aren't all that different from scalpers sometimes. But eh, supply and demand... if people will buy at those prices, why not?
Yeah, but i meant difficult to get on a site with good prices like, hem, well in my case I thought of IST.
I order on a regular basis on IST for 3 or more books when they have them, adding fedex shipping cost and custom fees is still cheaper than the price on amazon.fr (I'm in France)
If I order 3 books like Venomnibus 3, Amazing Spider-Man by JMS and Batman the Road to No Mans Land Omnibus, i get them for approximately 70-75€ each which is still cheaper than the prices you listed on other sites.
But since Covid it's been harder.
I know OOP in and of itself means nothing if they printed already more than there is demand for, I just said they mention OOP and use it to boost the price (not always I agree).
But just look the selling prices for Venomnibus 3 149,50€ War of The Realms 169€ SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK BY BYRNE etc:
But i also order on a regular basis on Cheap-comic when the prices for the books I want are according to what I'm ready to pay.
I read somewhere that Cheapgraphicnovels sometimes does the same.
Last edited by RudyZeBoulet; 12-02-2020 at 02:40 PM.