My LCS Refuses to Stock Valiant Variants

[Chiclo]

Wow, crazy situation! I get my Valiant from an online retailer for £2.75 which includes shipping! It's amazing to hear Canadians find it easier to order from the US! The shipping costs seem high too, guess that's the price you pay for living in big arse countries (just kidding, I genuinely sympathise).

Hope you can find a better source for ordering the comics you want, variants and all!

Canadians really got the shaft on our comics prices pretty much until around 2008 when the U.S. economy took a dive and all of a sudden our dollar became worth more, then we started getting comics at the U.S. price, and then later the U.S./Canadian price difference was dropped altogether. We still get hosed on shipping from the U.S. though, even if there's virtually no difference between shipping something to Montana and Saskatchewan (we are neighbours).

Are magazines & conventional books now the same price, also, or are they still priced higher in Canada?

Aside from shipping, itself, there are also tariffs Canadian customs loves to charge if you buy from "international" stores. I assume they still do that, I lived in Canada from 2001-2004.

An example would be when I got a free DVD from a retailer in Indiana, Canadian customs charged me a $10 tariff or else I wouldn't be able to receive it and they'd send it back. So, in essence, I paid $10 for a free DVD, and it wasn't the retailer who got the money. I really loved that, all around.

I think tariffs are a good thing to a point. Any time the government collects a tariff, it shifts the revenue burden away from taxes. Tariffs would also give some degree of advantage to the workers in the home country, especially if that home country cripples its workforce with oppressively high minimum wage laws.

[nutflush76]

Wow, crazy situation! I get my Valiant from an online retailer for £2.75 which includes shipping! It's amazing to hear Canadians find it easier to order from the US! The shipping costs seem high too, guess that's the price you pay for living in big arse countries (just kidding, I genuinely sympathise).

Hope you can find a better source for ordering the comics you want, variants and all!

Canadians really got the shaft on our comics prices pretty much until around 2008 when the U.S. economy took a dive and all of a sudden our dollar became worth more, then we started getting comics at the U.S. price, and then later the U.S./Canadian price difference was dropped altogether. We still get hosed on shipping from the U.S. though, even if there's virtually no difference between shipping something to Montana and Saskatchewan (we are neighbours).

Are magazines & conventional books now the same price, also, or are they still priced higher in Canada?

Aside from shipping, itself, there are also tariffs Canadian customs loves to charge if you buy from "international" stores. I assume they still do that, I lived in Canada from 2001-2004.

An example would be when I got a free DVD from a retailer in Indiana, Canadian customs charged me a $10 tariff or else I wouldn't be able to receive it and they'd send it back. So, in essence, I paid $10 for a free DVD, and it wasn't the retailer who got the money. I really loved that, all around.

I think tariffs are a good thing to a point. Any time the government collects a tariff, it shifts the revenue burden away from taxes. Tariffs would also give some degree of advantage to the workers in the home country, especially if that home country cripples its workforce with oppressively high minimum wage laws.

I totally agree. There was a time in the U.S. when all of our country's revenue came from tariffs and corporate income tax.

[Shadowman99]

It's a shame to hear that you're finding it tough to get a hold of the variants that you want: hope you manage to find *some* way of sorting it all out.

Have you considered giving up on the LCS altogether and just reading digitally?

[Xtianhardy]

It's a shame to hear that you're finding it tough to get a hold of the variants that you want: hope you manage to find *some* way of sorting it all out.

Have you considered giving up on the LCS altogether and just reading digitally?

Unfortunately yes. As much as I love going into the comic shop every week, they're just not giving me good value for my money and all this hassle and b.s. with not getting the books I want ruins the experience for me. I didn't mention this is my original post but even when I do get my Valiant books in my pull list, they're often in poor condition. My copy of Shadowman #5 had a huge crease across the front cover, and it's just ridiculous in my opinion that I'm paying $4.00 cover price for a book that I wouldn't feel comfortable describing in Very Fine condition, even though its brand new.

Honestly, I'm cool with not getting the variants, but I feel like it's pretty poor that my shop is having such a hard time even getting the pullbox variants, which should be easy, and as a customer, the fact that they wouldn't even bother makes me not want to bother with them as a business.

I've been buying all the current Valiant titles in trades as well as single issues, but considering how every few months or so Valiant has a huge sale on Comixology, it doesn't make financial sense for me to keep reading in single issues and trade paperbacks. I'll keep reading the singles until Harbinger Wars and Planet Death is over, and then I'll be cancelling my subscriptions with my LCS and reading them digitally and in trades.

[nscc]

I wanted to mention as well... I was poking around on dcbs and notice the shipping is the same @ 16.95 if I add more books as well. I added the 11 Valiant issues that are cover price from dcbs, and with shipping, it works out to 45.44, which is US funds, so it will cost a little more, but if you are gonna buy more than the 5 valiant titles a month (either when they add the others this year or variants), it works out to around cover price. Depending on your lcs pricing (if they offer any discounts and if they charge more than cover and including tax), it could be about the same or better than now.

I still imagine paradise comics would be the way to go though, especially if you want the 1:20/50/100 etc variants as Ed seems to have a pile of them for sale in the buy/sell section and his prices are great for the variants he has listed.

As far as trades/hardcovers, chapters.ca actually matches amazon.ca prices for their member pricing. The only advantage over amazon is if your order is under $25 you can still get free shipping by having them ship to your local chapters/coles/indigo book store and you can pick it up there.

[MarkRoseHFX]

As far as trades/hardcovers, chapters.ca actually matches amazon.ca prices for their member pricing. The only advantage over amazon is if your order is under $25 you can still get free shipping by having them ship to your local chapters/coles/indigo book store and you can pick it up there.

I didn't know this. thanks it's great info

[IMJ]

DCBS is a great deal, but it's sort of a given that there's a breaking point at which the discount to shipping ratio is worth it. Basically, if you are only ordering maybe five books, the savings isn't really there. Also, the average breaks out to much higher than cover price if you are buying variants from them, so if you are hedging your savings on an average price per book which is skewed heavily by variants, then it won't be worth it.

I buy some variants consistently, but imagine my surprise when this month's order for IDW's TMNT book had a 100 ratio variant priced at $200 as an option. Normally I buy as many of the TMNT variants as I can (I like the book and a complete collection is appealing to both comic fans as well as TMNT collectors), but this was the straw that broke the camels back. I'm basically dropping all indy company variants period, and as for Marvel I'll only keep up with Iron Man variants at a certain price point, but my days of dropping a bill on a variant are way over. Especially when not a single one of them holds their initially solicited value anymore.

Honestly? The variant market as well as the reboot theory that is permeating the hobby are both going to kill it the way that the 90's bubble burst with shiny, hologram covers and low quality titles that capitalized on speculator sales. Publishers might think that retailers buy more Diamond copies to land variants, but that's only going to last as long as the readership keeps buying the variants at incredibly inflated prices. I'd bet over time this will follow a strong declining curve that peaks and then has substantially declining readership.

[Xtianhardy]

As far as trades/hardcovers, chapters.ca actually matches amazon.ca prices for their member pricing. The only advantage over amazon is if your order is under $25 you can still get free shipping by having them ship to your local chapters/coles/indigo book store and you can pick it up there.

I didn't know this. thanks it's great info

Yeah that's really great to know. Thanks!

[Xtianhardy]

Honestly? The variant market as well as the reboot theory that is permeating the hobby are both going to kill it the way that the 90's bubble burst with shiny, hologram covers and low quality titles that capitalized on speculator sales. Publishers might think that retailers buy more Diamond copies to land variants, but that's only going to last as long as the readership keeps buying the variants at incredibly inflated prices. I'd bet over time this will follow a strong declining curve that peaks and then has substantially declining readership.

I tend to agree with you on this. I think a healthy variant market can help the market just like any collectible hobby but I wouldn't describe the current market as healthy. I'm not actually a variant collector though btw. I'm into comics for the stories and art more than anything else. My original gripe had more to do with the fact that I couldn't get something as readily available as a pullbox variant or a retailer incentive variant, because my retailer lacks the basic incentive to try and order variant covers for Valiant books- something it has no problem doing for any Marvel books.

[GGSAE]

DCBS is a great deal, but it's sort of a given that there's a breaking point at which the discount to shipping ratio is worth it. Basically, if you are only ordering maybe five books, the savings isn't really there. Also, the average breaks out to much higher than cover price if you are buying variants from them, so if you are hedging your savings on an average price per book which is skewed heavily by variants, then it won't be worth it.

I buy some variants consistently, but imagine my surprise when this month's order for IDW's TMNT book had a 100 ratio variant priced at $200 as an option. Normally I buy as many of the TMNT variants as I can (I like the book and a complete collection is appealing to both comic fans as well as TMNT collectors), but this was the straw that broke the camels back. I'm basically dropping all indy company variants period, and as for Marvel I'll only keep up with Iron Man variants at a certain price point, but my days of dropping a bill on a variant are way over. Especially when not a single one of them holds their initially solicited value anymore.

Honestly? The variant market as well as the reboot theory that is permeating the hobby are both going to kill it the way that the 90's bubble burst with shiny, hologram covers and low quality titles that capitalized on speculator sales. Publishers might think that retailers buy more Diamond copies to land variants, but that's only going to last as long as the readership keeps buying the variants at incredibly inflated prices. I'd bet over time this will follow a strong declining curve that peaks and then has substantially declining readership.

I never buy a variant brand new, unless it's underpriced on a BIN it's seldom a good price. And even at that, sometimes it can be had cheaper in a few months when 90% of them drop in value.
We're already seeing a variant pushback. Newer titles with fewer variants than a comparable title with more, is always more popular among readers because of that.

[Savant]

Wow, crazy situation! I get my Valiant from an online retailer for £2.75 which includes shipping! It's amazing to hear Canadians find it easier to order from the US! The shipping costs seem high too, guess that's the price you pay for living in big arse countries (just kidding, I genuinely sympathise).

Hope you can find a better source for ordering the comics you want, variants and all!

Canadians really got the shaft on our comics prices pretty much until around 2008 when the U.S. economy took a dive and all of a sudden our dollar became worth more, then we started getting comics at the U.S. price, and then later the U.S./Canadian price difference was dropped altogether. We still get hosed on shipping from the U.S. though, even if there's virtually no difference between shipping something to Montana and Saskatchewan (we are neighbours).

Are magazines & conventional books now the same price, also, or are they still priced higher in Canada?

Aside from shipping, itself, there are also tariffs Canadian customs loves to charge if you buy from "international" stores. I assume they still do that, I lived in Canada from 2001-2004.

An example would be when I got a free DVD from a retailer in Indiana, Canadian customs charged me a $10 tariff or else I wouldn't be able to receive it and they'd send it back. So, in essence, I paid $10 for a free DVD, and it wasn't the retailer who got the money. I really loved that, all around.

I think tariffs are a good thing to a point. Any time the government collects a tariff, it shifts the revenue burden away from taxes. Tariffs would also give some degree of advantage to the workers in the home country, especially if that home country cripples its workforce with oppressively high minimum wage laws.

The way the United States currently does it is fine. Unless things have changed, there are tariffs for international goods bought by businesses, although it may depend on the value or amount of goods bought. It's also done to non-businesses in certain situations. For example, you want to buy a Mercedes or Porsche from Germany and bring it over, you'll have US Customs taxing/tariffing your *SQUEE* off.

The Canadian system is whacked, although many European countries do the same thing. IMO, one of the main reasons for it is to deter people from buying goods from other countries and keeping domestic businesses afloat....But it doesn't really work. Usually, when non-business, international purchases are done, it's for goods which aren't available domestically. My free DVD from Indiana wouldn't have hurt Canada's revenue, as the DVD wasn't really available for sale within the country.

I would also receive video tapes of sports footage from Japan, via a friend who lived there. They were marked as gifts, and weren't purchases made by me.......On a 1/3 times average, Canadian customs would charge me a $5 fee because they opened the package to see what was inside. I can't remember what they called it, something like a "search fee."

One time they charged me $40, because someone at customs somehow thought 8 home-recorded video tapes were extremely valuable. I paid the $40, because I didn't want my friend in Japan to have to pay for postage twice, then I had to write & send a long letter to Canadian customs asking how the value written by my friend, in yen, could possibly net at $40 via a percentage for customs. They sent me the $40 back, although they kept the $5 or whatever fee for searching the package.

You couldn't discuss any of this with post office employees, as post offices in Canada seemed to be owned independently by people and not by the government. They were just pick-up stations. From what I remember, it almost seemed like the system was franchised, and you'd have to go to the back of a store (Say, if it was in America, go to a CVS or Walgreens, there's a small section which has that city area's post office).

I remember complaining about all this crap to some Canadian friends of my then-wife. They didn't see what there was to complain about.....Months later, they started doing a lot of ebay purchases, then they started whining about tariffs every time they received something they bought from American ebay sellers.

[GGSAE]

You need to have the shipper declare the item as gift, or other, or 'evaluation purposes', etc. Especially if you knew the shipper, there's no real reason to be paying customs! I only pay custom fees on maybe 1 our 15 items I buy....

[MarkRoseHFX]

I haven't paid any tariffs or customs fees or whatever on anything in over 10 years. I've had parcels opened but never heard of a search fee. Must be lucky I guess.

[Xtianhardy]

You couldn't discuss any of this with post office employees, as post offices in Canada seemed to be owned independently by people and not by the government. They were just pick-up stations. From what I remember, it almost seemed like the system was franchised, and you'd have to go to the back of a store (Say, if it was in America, go to a CVS or Walgreens, there's a small section which has that city area's post office).

That's not exactly correct. A Canada Post outlet can be in the back of any store (you typically see them in grocery stores and pharmacies, but I've seen Canada Post outlets in copy and print shops too), but the person working there is still an employee of Canada Post, which is a Crown corporation, and therefore they are a federal employee.

[Savant]

You need to have the shipper declare the item as gift, or other, or 'evaluation purposes', etc. Especially if you knew the shipper, there's no real reason to be paying customs! I only pay custom fees on maybe 1 our 15 items I buy....

My friend in Japan would declare the packages as gifts every single time, and would write down a low value just in case. The free DVD from Indiana was also marked as a gift. Mind you, these items weren't even bought. During the 3 years I lived in Canada, after experiencing gifts being tariffed, I refrained from buying things from overseas.

If I ever did buy something from another country, while living in Canada, I would've been annoyed but would have understood the tariff thing. I just found it insane when they'd have me paying search fees and such for gifts (And that $40 situation was mind-boggling).

You couldn't discuss any of this with post office employees, as post offices in Canada seemed to be owned independently by people and not by the government. They were just pick-up stations. From what I remember, it almost seemed like the system was franchised, and you'd have to go to the back of a store (Say, if it was in America, go to a CVS or Walgreens, there's a small section which has that city area's post office).

That's not exactly correct. A Canada Post outlet can be in the back of any store (you typically see them in grocery stores and pharmacies, but I've seen Canada Post outlets in copy and print shops too), but the person working there is still an employee of Canada Post, which is a Crown corporation, and therefore they are a federal employee.

Interesting. When I had the $40 fee situation occur, the postal employee laughed incredulously while looking at the fee, then just shrugged his shoulders and said I'd have to contact customs.

In America, we have stores and such which have areas we can drop mail into, but no postal employees will be there. But, there are independent post offices which are designated for certain areas of the city, and they'll explain things to you if you have questions, unlike that guy who laughed and shrugged his shoulders. He could've just been a d!ck.

I haven't paid any tariffs or customs fees or whatever on anything in over 10 years. I've had parcels opened but never heard of a search fee. Must be lucky I guess.

Could depend on which section of customs looks over your packages. I was in Ontario (Toronto/Hamilton/Mississauga). But, GGSAE also seems to be in Ontario (I assume O-Town is Ottawa?), so that theory is likely moot.

I remember telling a long-time friend in Vancouver about it, he said he hasn't really had problems with the postal service in BC, aside from when they'd go on strike. I remember when there was at least a 1-2 month strike back in the late 90s or so, that friend in Vancouver was b!tching about it and had to travel across the American border to send stuff to people in America......You tell an American that your postal service went on strike, btw, and they'll think you're lying or joking. It's unheard of in the US.

I didn't care for the Canadian Postal Service, but what I liked more in Canada was the liquor stores (LCBO?). That's formatted a lot better than America's liquor stores, and makes more sense as I believe they're government-owned (Money for the government), whereas American liquor stores aren't. Of course, I'm not a drinker, so that doesn't have much of an effect in my life.

[Chiclo]

I didn't care for the Canadian Postal Service, but what I liked more in Canada was the liquor stores (LCBO?). That's formatted a lot better than America's liquor stores, and makes more sense as I believe they're government-owned (Money for the government), whereas American liquor stores aren't. Of course, I'm not a drinker, so that doesn't have much of an effect in my life.

I joke a lot about Canada but this liquor store situation is just an anathema.

[Xtianhardy]

I didn't care for the Canadian Postal Service, but what I liked more in Canada was the liquor stores (LCBO?). That's formatted a lot better than America's liquor stores, and makes more sense as I believe they're government-owned (Money for the government), whereas American liquor stores aren't. Of course, I'm not a drinker, so that doesn't have much of an effect in my life.

Hahaha now THIS is funny to hear coming from an American! From our perspective, you live in the *SQUEE* Promised Land of booze my friend.

We frozen Canadians can only dream of a world in which we can buy beer from a local 7-11 or a super market as opposed to the government mandated liquor board stores that we have. SOME provinces have adopted privatization measures, but most liquor stores are government owned (not including off-sales). Sure, it's great that the tax money pays for schools, roads, health care, etc, but the problem with the government owning the liquor stores is they not only get to dictate where booze is sold, they get to dictate what it costs. And OF COURSE they're going to charge as much as they legally can if it means getting more of our tax dollars. So not only do you yanks have more convenience, you get better deals on booze as well. If you've ever wondered why Canadians are so obsessed with buying alcohol "duty-free" in between flights, it's because we're so used to getting ripped off at home.

If anyone on these boards can tell me what a bottle of Lemonhart or Sailor Jerry rum costs in USD, or even just a six-pack of Rolling Rock, I'd be interested to hear it.

[Chiclo]

If anyone on these boards can tell me what a bottle of Lemonhart or Sailor Jerry rum costs in USD, or even just a six-pack of Rolling Rock, I'd be interested to hear it.

Rolling Rock is frelling expensive. Last time I looked it was like 8 USD for a six pack.

[Xtianhardy]

If anyone on these boards can tell me what a bottle of Lemonhart or Sailor Jerry rum costs in USD, or even just a six-pack of Rolling Rock, I'd be interested to hear it.

Rolling Rock is frelling expensive. Last time I looked it was like 8 USD for a six pack.

You consider THAT expensive?

*Goes to a corner and cries into his cup of Tim Hortons*

Your average six-pack of Rolling Rock costs about $14 CAD, which currently is about $13.60 USD. The cheapest legal beer you can buy in Saskatchewan is still priced at about $11/six and really, that's the kind of beer you would pay not to drink.

[lorddunlow]

If anyone on these boards can tell me what a bottle of Lemonhart or Sailor Jerry rum costs in USD, or even just a six-pack of Rolling Rock, I'd be interested to hear it.

Rolling Rock is frelling expensive. Last time I looked it was like 8 USD for a six pack.

You consider THAT expensive?

*Goes to a corner and cries into his cup of Tim Hortons*

Your average six-pack of Rolling Rock costs about $14 CAD, which currently is about $13.60 USD. The cheapest legal beer you can buy in Saskatchewan is still priced at about $11/six and really, that's the kind of beer you would pay not to drink.

heheh. Great direction this discussion has taken. I almost fell out my seat when I read that the liquor stores are government run. Ugh. That must suck royally. I remember when I moved to the Memphis area, I was in liquor heaven. I grew up in WV in a rural area where the county I lived in was "dry" (can't sell anything other than beer/wine - although that didn't matter because I pretty much had to leave the county to buy anything including groceries), but the county where I lived most of my adult life in WV was "wet". However, no liquor on Sundays, before 11AM or after 9PM, etc, etc.

Here it's almost 24/7 sells. It's weird though, in that ONLY liquor stores can sell wine. It actually makes for some upscale joints, as all the socialites have to get their wine fix at the same place drunks get their cheap gin and Everclear.

Lousiana's the best, though. Hard liquor all the time with no open container laws, and you can even buy the hard stuff at the gas station.

[Chiclo]

Lousiana's the best, though. Hard liquor all the time with no open container laws, and you can even buy the hard stuff at the gas station.

And that same gas station probably has a few slot machines in the corner.

[lorddunlow]

Lousiana's the best, though. Hard liquor all the time with no open container laws, and you can even buy the hard stuff at the gas station.

And that same gas station probably has a few slot machines in the corner.

It did!

[GGSAE]

"Sorry to interrupt all the drug talk here, but have you guys come in here and shoot-up my cabin, and you're gonna pay for those damages"....

My previous next-door neighbor was head of security at the US embassy here in Ottawa, somehow he managed to get a great deal with SAQ, the Quebec liquor distributor...I remember grabbing 18 yr. Highland Park for $56/bottle which usually goes for $150 in the LCBO, and a bottle of Bacardi for $7! I don't know about the need to get liquor everywhere, but beer should be freely available - like in Quebec.

[Savant]

I didn't care for the Canadian Postal Service, but what I liked more in Canada was the liquor stores (LCBO?). That's formatted a lot better than America's liquor stores, and makes more sense as I believe they're government-owned (Money for the government), whereas American liquor stores aren't. Of course, I'm not a drinker, so that doesn't have much of an effect in my life.

Hahaha now THIS is funny to hear coming from an American! From our perspective, you live in the *SQUEE* Promised Land of booze my friend.

We frozen Canadians can only dream of a world in which we can buy beer from a local 7-11 or a super market as opposed to the government mandated liquor board stores that we have. SOME provinces have adopted privatization measures, but most liquor stores are government owned (not including off-sales). Sure, it's great that the tax money pays for schools, roads, health care, etc, but the problem with the government owning the liquor stores is they not only get to dictate where booze is sold, they get to dictate what it costs. And OF COURSE they're going to charge as much as they legally can if it means getting more of our tax dollars. So not only do you yanks have more convenience, you get better deals on booze as well. If you've ever wondered why Canadians are so obsessed with buying alcohol "duty-free" in between flights, it's because we're so used to getting ripped off at home.

If anyone on these boards can tell me what a bottle of Lemonhart or Sailor Jerry rum costs in USD, or even just a six-pack of Rolling Rock, I'd be interested to hear it.

It makes sense to have money from liquor going to the government, especially when medical costs are taken care of by said government.

It's the same with cigarettes, and how they're a lot more expensive in Canada than in America.

Although the pricing was higher (In general, I found almost everything more expensive in Canada, anyway), the LCBOs were nice. Very clean and well-run, whereas liquor stores in America are a crap-shoot, with some looking like busted up porn shops.

Plus, there's the whole inane wet/dry county crap in certain parts of America. I never understood how having a "dry county" was going to deter people from drinking. It simply results in an inconvenience where people have to drive a little further to get alcohol. If someone really wants to drink, they'll make that drive....The only effective aspect is it's more of a difficulty for people who don't have their own vehicles. Perhaps it scales down on homeless drunks hanging around certain areas? I dunno.

[Chiclo]

Plus, there's the whole inane wet/dry county crap in certain parts of America. I never understood how having a "dry county" was going to deter people from drinking. It simply results in an inconvenience where people have to drive a little further to get alcohol. If someone really wants to drink, they'll make that drive....The only effective aspect is it's more of a difficulty for people who don't have their own vehicles. Perhaps it scales down on homeless drunks hanging around certain areas? I dunno.

Some people object to alcohol so much that they don't want it served in their town or county. Mostly baptists. It makes as much sense to have laws preventing the sale of alcohol and zones where the sale of alcohol is or is not permitted as any other zoning ordinance. Alcohol is like pornography - people should be able to determine whether or not it is sold in their local area.

West Texas is in a slow process of going wet. Lubbock was the largest dry city left in the country and they voted to allow alcohol a year or two ago. As the demographics change, voting blocks are coming together to overturn older laws restricting the sale of alcohol. And by "demographics change", I mean Catholics.