Image no longer going to second print.

[400yrs]

From the POV of a few Image creators. Nick Spencer and Justin Jordan pretty much said the same thing that I did - the overprint is on the creators. Spencer's comments are worth reading.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/12/13/ ... um=twitter

[tarheelmarine]

From the POV of a few Image creators. Nick Spencer and Justin Jordan pretty much said the same thing that I did - the overprint is on the creators. Spencer's comments are worth reading.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/12/13/ ... um=twitter

Good points. So if Saga TPB is already going back to print, what do you think about the value of the first edition? Also, does anyone know what the print run of the Ghost Variant for Saga 7 is? How does that affect the numbers for Saga 7 and did the creators pay for the Ghost Variant?

[400yrs]

From the POV of a few Image creators. Nick Spencer and Justin Jordan pretty much said the same thing that I did - the overprint is on the creators. Spencer's comments are worth reading.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/12/13/ ... um=twitter

Good points. So if Saga TPB is already going back to print, what do you think about the value of the first edition? Also, does anyone know what the print run of the Ghost Variant for Saga 7 is? How does that affect the numbers for Saga 7 and did the creators pay for the Ghost Variant?

Generally, TPBs aren't worth more if they are the first print. I personally feel that this will change one day in the future.

There seems to be alot of ghost variants out there, but I haven't heard a number. The ghost variants are done by a collective group of retailers. The retailers pay for them.

[tarheelmarine]

From the POV of a few Image creators. Nick Spencer and Justin Jordan pretty much said the same thing that I did - the overprint is on the creators. Spencer's comments are worth reading.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/12/13/ ... um=twitter

Good points. So if Saga TPB is already going back to print, what do you think about the value of the first edition? Also, does anyone know what the print run of the Ghost Variant for Saga 7 is? How does that affect the numbers for Saga 7 and did the creators pay for the Ghost Variant?

Generally, TPBs aren't worth more if they are the first print. I personally feel that this will change one day in the future.

There seems to be alot of ghost variants out there, but I haven't heard a number. The ghost variants are done by a collective group of retailers. The retailers pay for them.

I agree with you. A few years ago I remember some fellow collectors rummaging thru the TPB bins and hearing some cries of joy at finding 1st printings of fables TPBs. I just wonder how long it will take for collectors to search for 1st printings of TPBs.

So the retailers have every incentive to market ghost books for money.

[Phantom..]

ALL i here is, issue 7 is going to be harder to find than issues 5, 6.

Numbers have been dropping? on a best seller? Not so sure about that. Maybe issue 7 will have the lowest print in comic form. As the other issues have multiple printings to add to their first issue sales

Also saves alot of time and effort on Images part. Its a proven seller, why run arround for months afterwards getting new covers, new internal small print. They have a successful books and want to focs on the current issue.

Retailers MAY of been playing it easy with ordering, knowing their will be a reprint. Now time to focus more on order numbers.

[Phantom..]

#1 37,641
#2 36,885
#3 38,895
#4 41,143
#5 40,556
#6 40,584
#7 46,971

Pleasant trend for a quality book.

Saga is a good illustration of why I read comics, serial fantasy with a real voice that might be too risky to do in another visual media (see also: Prophet).

Looks like it worked ~ up 6500 issues! Um, maybe issue 7 will not be sort after that ends my attempt at speculation. I have been put back in my place.

[IMJ]

2nd Prints used to matter before everything was collected into trades. Now they are just an excuse to gain more market share out of completists. The hobby was better off as a sustainable thing when the books were simply published every month, widely available on newsstands and without 15 layers of marketing behind them. 15 layers of marketing now sells fewer books than an honest hobby did 25 years ago.

People honestly believe that?

2nd prints are solely made after Diamond sells out of overprints and there is still a demand for more. Simple as that.

How many times do you read, "I got the last issue from the shelf" on the day of a comics release.? I see it lots and it means one thing. Retailers have under-ordered. If people who want the book cant get the book. That is a VERY bad thing.

LOL, no man, that's what 2nd prints used to be. They used to have an honest market function - an additional run to meet demand. The market has adjusted because people buy variants, so second prints haven't widely served the initial-demand market in 15 years now - it's been an excuse for variant printings and rations for that long.

[daydreamscomics]

As a retailer, who sells 50-55 copies of Saga every month, it's not always as simple as some people on this thread have made it out to be.

Example: Saga #8 came out during Christmas break. While I sell a pretty consistent number of issues, I cut my orders back because a large portion of my clientele who purchase this comic aren't in town. Granted there are some people who come back to town that help fill the void, it's never as much as those who leave, especially during the holidays.

It's a gamble for retailers every week. We don't have returnability. It's even worse when companies (Marvel) pump out 2-3 issues of the same title in a month. Obviously #1's are going to sell higher, but if there's no opportunity to adjust the next issue or two before orders are due, it's a total guess. While I have a firm grasp on how much to order of pretty much any product we carry, there's a very easy way to get it more correct: if customers would do a better job at PRE ORDERING or STARTING pull lists as opposed to just grabbing something off the wall, it makes it easier to gauge interest.

I can't understand why people have such a problem making a commitment to a $2.99 or $3.99 comic that they are going to buy anyways. Do retailers a favor and let them know you are going to give them a sale. Everyone wins. I know I can sell an extra copy, so I order an extra copy. The customer gets what they want. By not guessing that a particular person is going to get it off the shelf, it gives me flexibility to order an extra copy or two for people who might be looking for something to try out.

Just my perspective. Seems like everyone wants to bag on retailers for not having enough of something, but all anyone *should* have to do is say "Hey I'd like a copy of this" AS SOON as you know you want something (not the day before it comes out). Granted not all retailers are that easy to work with; but if they aren't, find a new one!

We are all in this together, the more information we give each other the better off it should be. Being a retailer is a thankless job. No one pats you on the back when you get it right, and only want to *SQUEE* when you get it wrong.

Zach