Omnibuses and the like : cost (!) and usability

[jamxl5]

I'm not sure what kind of response I'm expecting but I can't believe I'm the only one who can't afford (or perhaps more correctly, can't bring himself to spend that amount of money) Omnibuses and the like.

Maybe the only response is that I am a miser or that somehow I should gain more disposable income. I just can't justify spending so much money on a book (admittedly a BIG book)!

I'm in the UK and matters have been made so much worst by the slump of the British Pound. *sigh*

Over here we have a discount book store ("The Works") but they don't get many graphic novels and the like (perhaps that's a peculiarity of my local branch). Do you guys stateside have discount stores where you can pick up omnibuses at a reasonable price? (Even that doesn't help me due the huge shipping costs to the UK).

Also, on usability : how they heck do you read an omnibus? I like to read graphic novels lying on my back, that must be impossible with an omnibus!

I guess what we really need is for a UK publisher to reprint these books over here ... I would still imagine they'd be beyond my reach in price.

So, I'm sorry, I guess I'm just having a moan. Please don't be too harsh in your comments.

[Balakin]

you have to put things into perspective. An omnibus collects loads of issues in hardcover format and it is oversized. Yes, there are overpriced books but in a lot of the cases the issue/price ratio is pretty good. So you're basically spending the same amount of money but instead of spreading it you just drop it in one go.

Also buying an omnibus in a shop for RRP is for the wealthy. Go online and you get them half price or for 30-40% off. Packaging can be shoddy but not all the time. Sellers like speedyhen, wordery or different amazon marketplace sellers offer nice discounts.
Also there is cheap-comics.com and they always have some kind of sale and even with the 15 euro flat rate shipping it's usually worth it and their packaging is superb.

[zevious zoquis]

Yup, you really have to consider a few things here...

If you take a marvel omnibus, they generally collect what you might find in 2 or 3 masterworks. If you figure out the retail pricing for the formats, the better value is usually the omni. That's especially true if you are patient in purchasing and wait for good sales and such. In Canada where I am there's really only 2 good options - Amazon or Indigo. I have a great lcs near me, but the way they are currently pricing books is US cover price plus 30%! I'd like to support them a bit as it's a good shop, but that's way more than I'm willing to spend when Amazon books are generally anywhere from 10-25% off the CDN cover price even without waiting for one of the periodic sales they have. I shoot for at least 20% off the CDN price and often get 30-40%. You also learn to keep an eye on the used bins at the lcs too. I've gotten some great deals that way.

As far as the physical act of reading goes, meh. You do what you have to do. I don't really find any one reading position all that comfortable for extended periods. I tend to change it up a lot whether I'm reading a trade or a big book...

[zevious zoquis]

Having said that, it's certainly worth mentioning that - once you get on the omni treadmill, it's extremely difficult to maintain control. Lol. I've just come through a month where I pretty much lost it and spent more than I should have. I don't regret it since I did get some good deals, but I now need to reign myself in for a while and let the credit card cool off.

[DebkoX]

I can't afford any and, personally, I would never buy one unless it was dirt cheap due to the following reasons;

I wouldn't have the time to read it all
Too expensive
Nowhere to store it properly

[zevious zoquis]

You say it's too expensive. On what basis do you figure that to be the case?

[DebkoX]

You say it's too expensive. On what basis do you figure that to be the case?

Hey. Not sure if directed at me or OP, so I answer anyways!

As a student, just can't afford it

[Bor]

Hey. Not sure if directed at me or OP, so I answer anyways!

As a student, just can't afford it

As a someone who was a student untill a few years ago I can say thats really not true its just about how you use your money. I never really had a big pull list, I saved my money and then I bought a new omnibus one or two times a year. Its true as a student you can rarely afford to buy as much as some people here does, but a couple of them a year was never hard for me. Between sales, amazon and various savings its possbile if you are somewhat selective. I bought the things I really wanted.
And I live in Denmark so I dont even get nearly the same prices they do in the US.
I see a lot of people here, not directed at you DebkoX, say they are to expensive yet still they are paying 3,99 for whatever latest issue a month of any given marvel comic. If you drop 1 or two titles like that a year its almost 100 $ already. (3,99 x 2 x 12, and thats not even counting annuals or when Marvel doubleships).

As for the other reasons: Storage: Well sure if you have as many as some here does its a lot but a 40 issue omnibus still takes up less space then the same amount in single issues. As for not having enough time to read them: That really depends on the material.Silverage takes a lot longer then most modern material.

[Dayle88]

Hey. Not sure if directed at me or OP, so I answer anyways!

As a student, just can't afford it

I often find the 'student=poor' thing to usually be a load of crap. I'm sure there are students who really struggle with money and I'm not implying you aren't one but most spend a considerably amount of money on other unnecessary things with the claim they have no choice. Besides, people buy things within a limit of what they can afford, that doesn't make something extortionate if it's beyond someones income. It's all relative.

Omnibuses from online stores are good value generally. Other factors come in to play like Marvel bumping the price while lowering quality but it's probably still not too bad for price per issue compared to other formats.

I can't believe how often the 'these are so big they are unreadable!!' thing comes up. Do people not move their arms at all anymore?!

[zevious zoquis]

Hey. Not sure if directed at me or OP, so I answer anyways!

As a student, just can't afford it

well ok, but do you buy trades? Or any comics?

[JackDaw]

I think sensible way to measure cost is work out cost per individual comic. To give a simplified example, if an omnibus contains a run of 50 comics, and costs 100 dollars...you're paying 2 dollars a comic. That might be cheapest way you can read that particular run of comics...buying it floppy by floppy might well give a total cost well over the 100 dollar omni price.

My main interest in comics is reading long runs of comics by favourites writers, and until recently I always looked at cheapest effective way of getting runs I'm interested in. And sometimes..not often..I found omnis was cheapest way to get a particular run. (Tend to just buy digital now.)

[Hellboydce]

Don't buy marvel or dc omnis, buy DH LE's much better quality and far cheaper

[tv horror]

That's why I loved the Essential line they were readable in hand and collected 20 or so issues admittedly they were in black and white and I do lament their passing, I was also able to read collections I never thought I would ever get a chance to read, yes I have over hundred of them so great times ahead. As for the omnibus editions I only buy rare titles such as the Dracula Werewolf or the forthcoming Monsterbus volumes. As I also live in the U.K there are a few bargains now and again.

[zevious zoquis]

Don't buy marvel or dc omnis, buy DH LE's much better quality and far cheaper

Oh I'll have to check out DH's SA Fantastic Four and Shield omnis then!

[zevious zoquis]

That's why I loved the Essential line they were readable in hand and collected 20 or so issues admittedly they were in black and white and I do lament their passing, I was also able to read collections I never thought I would ever get a chance to read, yes I have over hundred of them so great times ahead. As for the omnibus editions I only buy rare titles such as the Dracula Werewolf or the forthcoming Monsterbus volumes. As I also live in the U.K there are a few bargains now and again.

I have a few essentials. I find I pretty much can't live without the colour ftmp.

For me, I buy the big books primarily because I find it the most enjoyable format to read. Digital doesn't do it at all. I want a physical artifact. I can't be bothered with floppies. Trades are ok, but the few I've bought recently really made me realize how much I prefer the larger formats. The art just looks so much nicer on the (usually) better paper and larger pages. I'm willing to absorb a slightly higher cost for that. I just enjoy owning them more...