Why are Marvel collected editions so much more expensive than DC?

[quinnzel]

So I've been wondering this a while... why is it that Marvel collected editions, be them trades or hardcovers or whatever, are so much more expensive than DC? The price discrepancy is pretty ridiculous, actually (by the way, just talking about MRSP in stores here, online obviously the prices can be dropped quite a bit).

Take for example, the Night of the Living Deadpool trade paperback. It contains 4 issues because it was a mini-series and was priced at $16.99 USD. Now, take the Batman Hush trade paperback. It contains the 12 issues of the arc and is priced at $19.99 USD. I think that's pretty ridiculous. Most of the time, Marvel's trades are nearly paper thin, and they cost so much. DC's trades, particularly with the New 52, are very reasonably priced and you usually get at least 6-7 issues per trade at around $14.99 USD each (sometimes if they include more issues they're around $16.99 or $18.99) not to mention there's usually at least a few extras included like script pages or early pencils.

Does anyone know why this is? It's gotten to the point where I can't buy a lot of Marvel collected editions that I'd love to get because they're just too dang expensive. My collected edition shelf contains a vast majority more of DC titles over Marvel because they're more reasonable (of course, there's always exceptions, but overall, DC is much cheaper). I'm going to have to hunt for good deals on Marvel collected editions online rather than grab them from my LCS, which is a shame, because I'd much rather give the money to a local business but they're just too expensive and you don't get enough for your money.

Any thoughts?

[SJNeal]

Because the market has shown itself to be capable of supporting Marvels ridiculous prices.

At least for now...

[Thesanmich]

It's ludicrous. Their oversized hardcovers/omnibuses are getting ridiculous as well. I started this hobby about a year back and I'm pretty sure after this season, I'll be cutting down on my Marvel purchases like crazy. I set a budget for these books every month and it always goes to Marvel, not so much because I love what they put out, but because their **** is constantly going out of print. Their recent practice of doing smaller run prints isn't helping that at all either. I'm almost 'caught up' with them now and have about 80% of the omnibuses that are available and of interest to me. Once this year passes, I'm probably going to focus more on DC, DH, Image, Valiant with the occasional Marvel book if it really warrants a purchase(Annihilation Conquest, SA Avengers, Busiek Avengers, SA F4 vol.3, etc.)

[quinnzel]

Because the market has shown itself to be capable of supporting Marvels ridiculous prices.

At least for now...

Why would Marvel be allowed to do it and DC wouldn't, though? That's what confuses me. Even the price difference in single issues is ridiculous, too. I mean the majority of DC titles are $2.99 and if you want a Marvel book with the same page amount you have to shell out $3.99. I've also noticed Marvel has a lot more $4.99 titles than DC. I just don't get it

It's ludicrous. Their oversized hardcovers/omnibuses are getting ridiculous as well. I started this hobby about a year back and I'm pretty sure after this season, I'll be cutting down on my Marvel purchases like crazy. I set a budget for these books every month and it always goes to Marvel, not so much because I love what they put out, but because their **** is constantly going out of print. Their recent practice of doing smaller run prints isn't helping that at all either. I'm almost 'caught up' with them now and have about 80% of the omnibuses that are available and of interest to me. Once this year passes, I'm probably going to focus more on DC, DH, Image, Valiant with the occasional Marvel book if it really warrants a purchase(Annihilation Conquest, SA Avengers, Busiek Avengers, SA F4 vol.3, etc.)

Yeah, it's really too bad. I went to my LCS today and picked up a hardcover Avengers collection that was $75. If you compare that to the big Batman collections like the ones that came out for Batman and the Joker for the 75th anniversary, which are just as thick and are also hardcover, those are $39.99. It's crazy.

[aquitaine]

It didn't always use to be this way. Marvel's been creeping up in these prices for the last few years unfortunately. 2-3 years back their prices were on par with DC, but they're just going nuts now, likely to see what the market will bear. Their hardcovers ahve also been grotesquely inflated from what they used to cost, sometimes almost doubling in price (see Original Sin OHC for an example of out of control HC costs)

[Canucked]

People gonna pay. I find myself paying. If would never pay cover price for Original Sin but I did pay 35 on amazon for what I consider a very thin event volume.

I also find I'm bargain hunting more co the collector in me loves that. Love always being on the hunt for books.

[quinnzel]

People gonna pay. I find myself paying. If would never pay cover price for Original Sin but I did pay 35 on amazon for what I consider a very thin event volume.

I also find I'm bargain hunting more co the collector in me loves that. Love always being on the hunt for books.

I'm paying too for the titles I really want, but it's a real bummer because I'm not able to buy as many collected editions as I'd like and I have to be really discerning about what single issues I buy I'm a collector too (not just of comics and I collect comics with the intent to read them) and the hunt can be fun occasionally but for me, it's mostly frustrating. If I go to my LCS or Barnes and Noble or something and I want to get a paperback or something, it's DC or another publisher 90% of the time because Marvel is just too expensive. Every now and then B&N will do something like they're doing now where you buy 2 DC or Marvel graphic novels and get the third free, so I used that the other day to pick up a couple things, but mostly, it's killer on your wallet.

[victorxd1999]

Dc has amazing prices on a lot of tpb's and some omniboo but they also have ridiculous prices sometimes. Like the Doom Patrol omni ($150 for 1200 pages), the Sandman omni's ($150 for 1040 pages) and Flash by Johns vol 1 ($75 for 450 pages), not to mention any Absolute. That said, I do agree Dc have way better pricing in general

[Thesanmich]

Dc has amazing prices on a lot of tpb's and some omniboo but they also have ridiculous prices sometimes. Like the Doom Patrol omni ($150 for 1200 pages), the Sandman omni's ($150 for 1040 pages) and Flash by Johns vol 1 ($75 for 450 pages), not to mention any Absolute. That said, I do agree Dc have way better pricing in general

Aside from Doom Patrol, their pricing has been relatively fair recently. The absolutes have always been a tad bit overpriced but never ridiculous imo. On top of that they got deluxe editions as an alternative for a good amount of series out there if you aren't willing to pay that much. I do wish they would reintroduce the $75 price point for the smaller absolutes though...

[victorxd1999]

Aside from Doom Patrol, their pricing has been relatively fair recently. The absolutes have always been a tad bit overpriced but never ridiculous imo. On top of that they got deluxe editions as an alternative for a good amount of series out there if you aren't willing to pay that much. I do wish they would reintroduce the $75 price point for the smaller absolutes though...

What annoys me about the price of Absolutes is that you can get an Library edition for $50 which is basically an Absolute without a slipcase. Paying $50 for a slipcase seems a bit ridiculous imo. But again, they do have way better pricing on their smaller omni's and tpb's.

Btw, can someone help me listing how many comics Dc has in their $20 tpb line (I'm talking about the fat trades that collect never before or inproperly collected comics from the 80s and 90s like Hellblazer and Spectre)?

[Kandor Rising]

Marvel doesn't really have any tpbs that sell on par with DC's cream of the crop, and tend to go out of print quickly. DC has books that sell year after year: Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Sandman, etc.

[jjsheridan1001]

Why would Marvel be allowed to do it and DC wouldn't, though? That's what confuses me. Even the price difference in single issues is ridiculous, too. I mean the majority of DC titles are $2.99 and if you want a Marvel book with the same page amount you have to shell out $3.99. I've also noticed Marvel has a lot more $4.99 titles than DC. I just don't get it

The question I have is (and I do not intend this to be snide or condescending...I am truly wondering)...are you from America? Why I ask is because you used the word "allowed"; America is a capitalist country, where we (for the most part) do not have price controls, certainly not on the book market. If I have a comic book company and want to charge $10,000 an issue for a magazine, I can do that. No one might buy it, but no one will tell me I am not "allowed."

The reason Marvel's prices keep going up are really known to them, but my guess it has something to do with Disney; Disney has always charged higher prices for their merchandise (including their movies, which often do not appear under $30 even at discount stores like Walmart or Target), though I would concur with the folks below who have stated really we are the ones who set the prices by buying the merchandise. That is really how prices change - when people stop buying an item. If Marvel feels that the higher prices won't harm their sales, they will raise them. Simple as that.

[ShooCat]

The question I have is (and I do not intend this to be snide or condescending...I am truly wondering)...are you from America? Why I ask is because you used the word "allowed"; America is a capitalist country, where we (for the most part) do not have price controls, certainly not on the book market. If I have a comic book company and want to charge $10,000 an issue for a magazine, I can do that. No one might buy it, but no one will tell me I am not "allowed."

I guess he simply meant why does Marvel get away with it.

[canadianaidan64]

The question I have is (and I do not intend this to be snide or condescending...I am truly wondering)...are you from America? Why I ask is because you used the word "allowed"; America is a capitalist country, where we (for the most part) do not have price controls, certainly not on the book market. If I have a comic book company and want to charge $10,000 an issue for a magazine, I can do that. No one might buy it, but no one will tell me I am not "allowed."

Obviously he means why do we as consumers allow it by continuing to support marvel when DC provides a cheaper alternative, and if the market supports marvel's rediculous prices, why wouldn't DC increase their prices to match them.

[Horizon]

They do the same for the price of their Blu Ray movies. Marvel has some
great content, but they're hardly known for giving fans a financial break. If it weren't for sites like
IST or Amazon, I wouldn't really be collecting as much. You know who it really hurts? The LCS.