Curious about local shops marking up Chases...

[valorandvellum]

That kinda stinks, but at the same time, it's probably better to support your local comic book store than some random person on eBay. At least that way, the money stays in the community and it's keeping something you love alive.

[Classier]

My Comicbook store is cool, they sell stuff for normal price, no matter what it is. Sometimes they even go out of their way to make sure their chase flies off the shelf as soon as possible instead of letting it hide for all eternity.

[brooklyn_geek]

I see these threads and I go through a number of different emotions...first, the margin on pops in general is very slim. People complained that Funko stopped making chases and now that they're being made more often people feel some kind of way about the pricing. I see things from both sides of the situation obviously...you want to be fair and reasonable with prices but at the same time Funko is pretty much EVERYWHERE these days. Even if you sell a huge volume it's very competitive and more often than not people don't want to get stuck with product so they sell at a loss pretty often. Someone posted a link that Walmart of someone is selling pop key chains for a dollar. If you're a little guy trying to just stay in business its pretty disheartening, and the chase offers an opportunity to balance out a situation where you carry a particular thing because the demand is high, but the market is over saturated. As a distributor at Toy Fair said to me selling Funko is tough...its so popular, its hard to sell

[Nooklin]

My LBCS marks up the chases and even the specialty series. The commons are usually $12-15 on sale for $9 if they have been there for a year, but the specialty are at least $25 and chases go up from there. I won't buy pops there. At first they were reasonable, but with the increase in POPularity they have gone up and up and it is not worth hunting there any more. When the store buys pops from funko for less than $5 each and then flips them for 200% profit, then it is too much.

[Kwiksilverpop]

Here's a thought as to part of why the comic book stores mark up the chases, they know for a fact there are flippers trying to get every chase, exclusive, and LE run to flip on ebay

Are you assuming there's a 0% chance someone, like a collector, wouldn't keep it for themselves?

Collecting has always been about buying, selling, and trading when the chase eventually changes hands I doubt the collector will be asking retail on the chase, just a thought.

[wraithkelso]

Here's a thought as to part of why the comic book stores mark up the chases, they know for a fact there are flippers trying to get every chase, exclusive, and LE run to flip on ebay

Are you assuming there's a 0% chance someone, like a collector, wouldn't keep it for themselves?

Collecting has always been about buying, selling, and trading when the chase eventually changes hands I doubt the collector will be asking retail on the chase, just a thought.

yeah, but that is different then flipping, personally I have no respect for flippers, In my opinion nobody should buy something unless they actually want it for themselves o to gift to a friend (the obvious exception to this being if somebody gives you the money to pick something up. At my store we had exclusive Zelda figures over summer, if I wanted to be a dick I would have bought all the ones we had and then sold them online, but I believe in giving shoppers and collectors a fair chance at the product. If someone is that determined to get something they learn when their favorite store gets their shipments and makes sure to be there at about that time. A lot of companies also have the ability to check and see if something is in transit from the distribution center to their store, so you ask at a customer service counter, or the employees on the floor (depending on how big the store is) to look up when the thing you want will be in stock, if you can't be there yourself, you ask a friend or family member to pick it up, or you see if the store could hold it for you for the day until you can make it in. I have literally only overpaid a flipper for 5 pops in my collection, the rest I got at retail, and those 5 are the Haunted Mansion ghosts and the SDCC Indiana Jones.

Sorry for the rant but I always feel gross when I see flippers in line to get their pops at stores that don't place item quantity limits. When I used to work at the Lego Store we had strict limits, for standard sets - 5 of a kind, for exclusives - 2, for brand new items expected to sell out fast - 1, and because we used the VIP cards and only had 2 stores in the state at the time we could enforce it. But I think at the time we were the only store in the mall that had to deal with flippers, that was actually trying to do something about it. Now a few more have caught on.

[Lonikins]

So, I've only got a few chases but they've all been at normal retail price - Hot Topic, local Comic Shop, and local head shop/record store. I know the comic store has jacked up the prices of things like SDCC exclusives and items like that, but they hadn't marked up the Chase when I got it, but it was years ago. I can't speak to how they are right now because I haven't seen a chase at their place lately, but the local record store sold me my Eleven for retail price, which I think is great.

Maybe we're just Minnesota Nice but I'm sure there are places around here that do jack up the price if they know about it.

[lcarus83]

I can tell you one thing. I'm not paying an extra $60 for a blonde plastic wig...

[Walker Hunter]

In some cases, the store will buy a case and mark up the chase so they can sell the commons at a discount. They'll at least break even that way, because they can't compete with a bulk retailer like Walmart or Amazon. Some people here have probably purchased a full case just for a guaranteed chase. I'd rather pay somebody else to deal with the inventory I don't want.

Another store near me does something which I don't mind. They have a pop club card - where you get a stamp for every pop you buy. And after 12 pops, your next one is free.

Whenever someone completes their card you write you name and phone number on it and pop it into a bowl. At the end of each month they randomly draw a name out of the bowl - and that person receives a chase pop for free.

That first part is all right. They've probably marked up just enough that they're not losing money on that free Pop. But the second part isn't. Requiring purchases for a chance to win something is a lottery, which is an illegal promotion.

Not really sure where you're getting the "illegal lottery" part from the ruxy-100 card club. The card only requires 11 Pop purchases to get a 12th one free. The chance to win a free Chase from a bowl has nothing to do with the purchases with the card. If I understand the post correctly, that's just a little "extra" that the owner added for fun.

[Mister Piggy Wiggy]

I fail to see the problem... they are not big businesses. And the comic industry isn't exactly a huge money maker. So if they mark up chases and incentive comics, then so be it.

Exactly. They want to make money just as we want rare Pops.

[Mister Piggy Wiggy]

I can tell you one thing. I'm not paying an extra $60 for a blonde plastic wig...

Same here! I go for as cheap as possible.

[kevintree]

I cringe everytime I go to a local shop and see chases marked up.

Why? It's extremely difficult for independent shops to survive when places like Hot Topic can crush them price-wise. Hot Topic also has new exclusives every month to bring more customers through their doors.

[emcee]

Why does everyone keep assuming every independent shop is struggling?

The few shops around here I know of have many more products than Funko to make profit off of. Some of these stores have been around for 20+ years, 2 of which have recently located to much bigger locations.

[allcutethings2]

Why does everyone keep assuming every independent shop is struggling?

The few shops around here I know of have many more products than Funko to make profit off of. Some of these stores have been around for 20+ years, 2 of which have recently located to much bigger locations.

Personally, it's from what I've seen in my area. Many of the smaller independent shops can't compete, and have closed. The few that remain do pick up some of that remaining business (and can sometimes parlay that into a larger space/higher profits). But many have closed in the last ten years.

[babasdada]

Yesterday, we went shopping at a local comic book shop that I absolutely love. In a display cabinet, I notice a Duck Dodgers chase that was for sale for $45. What I'm not sure of, however, is whether they acquired the chase thru normal shipping or if they received it in a trade with a customer. They do have a great Pop selection and had some regular Duck Dodgers Pops.

In your experience, is it normal for local shops to mark up a chase? I've noticed online shops mark up a few dollars, but up to $45 was a new one on me.

Forbidden planet in NYC marks them up as well. I saw Eleven chase for $39.99 and MMPR dorbz chases for $34.99

[sdcccrasher]

Why does everyone keep assuming every independent shop is struggling?

The few shops around here I know of have many more products than Funko to make profit off of. Some of these stores have been around for 20+ years, 2 of which have recently located to much bigger locations.

Personally, it's from what I've seen in my area. Many of the smaller independent shops can't compete, and have closed. The few that remain do pick up some of that remaining business (and can sometimes parlay that into a larger space/higher profits). But many have closed in the last ten years.

It all depends on what area of the country you are talking about. Here in SoCal, we have seen independent Baseball Card Shops, Antique Stores, Christmas Ornament Stores etc., in large part, go out of business, while national retailers like GameStop and Hot Topic still going strong. But in other areas of the country, the independents seem to be doing well. Part of it could relate to the price to own or rent space and state taxes (or the lack of them).

[hailmary25]

Yesterday, we went shopping at a local comic book shop that I absolutely love. In a display cabinet, I notice a Duck Dodgers chase that was for sale for $45. What I'm not sure of, however, is whether they acquired the chase thru normal shipping or if they received it in a trade with a customer. They do have a great Pop selection and had some regular Duck Dodgers Pops.

In your experience, is it normal for local shops to mark up a chase? I've noticed online shops mark up a few dollars, but up to $45 was a new one on me.

Forbidden planet in NYC marks them up as well. I saw Eleven chase for $39.99 and MMPR dorbz chases for $34.99

Actually a decent second hand price for Eleven.

[berrymonster]

anyone got chase on bam online?

[RoboFist]

It always fascinates me when collectors get upset over the supposed morality of selling Chases at higher prices.

One of my buddies at Hot Topic was just telling me about their new system concerning Pops and Chases. They're not allowed to mark them up because it shares the exact same SKU number with the common variant, and customers are allowed to exchange their commons for Chases if they find any. Employees aren't allowed to purchase Chases until they've been on the shelves for two weeks (which is basically saying "You can never buy Chases"), but they're also not allowed to hold Chases for customers over the phone.

Once you know all of that, everyone has a fair chance of snagging a Chase at Hot Topic and buying it at retail price. That being said, Hot Topic (as well as FYE, GameStop, and Barnes & Noble) is a fairly big business. Yeah, they make a ton of money selling Pops, but that's not their number one source of business.

Comic shops, meanwhile, tend to be independently owned, and not nearly as lucrative. Even if comics weren't pirated or read online so often, there's only so much a small, mom-and-pop business can make off of $4 books. Collectibles - especially Chases - give them a chance to play catch-up. Personally, I never care how much my local comic shop price their Pops/Chases because, at the end of the day, they're a business that I support that also needs the money to help keep its own lights on. I'd much rather buy an overpriced exclusive or Chase from them knowing that the money will go to an honest local company than pay the same amount to some flipper on eBay with unknown motives.

I understand that it's upsetting, but ask yourselves why you're really upset. Is it really the "morality" of selling Chases at higher than retail prices? Or are you just upset that you have to pay more for the figure that you want? The guy behind the counter who you think is scamming you has no doubt put a lot of time and money into that comic shop. What's so wrong about supporting local business and their owners?

[Toralei]

In some cases, the store will buy a case and mark up the chase so they can sell the commons at a discount. They'll at least break even that way, because they can't compete with a bulk retailer like Walmart or Amazon. Some people here have probably purchased a full case just for a guaranteed chase. I'd rather pay somebody else to deal with the inventory I don't want.

Another store near me does something which I don't mind. They have a pop club card - where you get a stamp for every pop you buy. And after 12 pops, your next one is free.

Whenever someone completes their card you write you name and phone number on it and pop it into a bowl. At the end of each month they randomly draw a name out of the bowl - and that person receives a chase pop for free.

That first part is all right. They've probably marked up just enough that they're not losing money on that free Pop. But the second part isn't. Requiring purchases for a chance to win something is a lottery, which is an illegal promotion.

Not really sure where you're getting the "illegal lottery" part from the ruxy-100 card club. The card only requires 11 Pop purchases to get a 12th one free. The chance to win a free Chase from a bowl has nothing to do with the purchases with the card. If I understand the post correctly, that's just a little "extra" that the owner added for fun.

No, the post is saying that only people who purchase enough Pops to fill the card have a chance to win the chase. Which is requiring payment/consideration for a chance to win something. It doesn't matter if it were only one Pop required to enter. It's still an illegal lottery system.

But don't let my legal-department-approved, 150 page guide to legally running promotions in every single payment-approved country stop you from speculating. Go ahead and trust what some rando guy on Facebook is doing.

[ruxy_100]

In some cases, the store will buy a case and mark up the chase so they can sell the commons at a discount. They'll at least break even that way, because they can't compete with a bulk retailer like Walmart or Amazon. Some people here have probably purchased a full case just for a guaranteed chase. I'd rather pay somebody else to deal with the inventory I don't want.



That first part is all right. They've probably marked up just enough that they're not losing money on that free Pop. But the second part isn't. Requiring purchases for a chance to win something is a lottery, which is an illegal promotion.

Not really sure where you're getting the "illegal lottery" part from the ruxy-100 card club. The card only requires 11 Pop purchases to get a 12th one free. The chance to win a free Chase from a bowl has nothing to do with the purchases with the card. If I understand the post correctly, that's just a little "extra" that the owner added for fun.

No, the post is saying that only people who purchase enough Pops to fill the card have a chance to win the chase. Which is requiring payment/consideration for a chance to win something. It doesn't matter if it were only one Pop required to enter. It's still an illegal lottery system.

But don't let my legal-department-approved, 150 page guide to legally running promotions in every single payment-approved country stop you from speculating. Go ahead and trust what some rando guy on Facebook is doing.

There's no need to be rude like that.

The store does EVERYTHING that is required under local legislation:

8 Prohibition of certain lotteries etc
(1) A person shall not conduct a lottery other than an approved lottery or an exempt lottery.

Exempt lotteries
(1) For this Act, an exempt lottery—
(a) means—
(ii) a lottery in relation to which the total value of the prizes does not exceed an amount determined by the commission (i.e. $3000)

6A Exempt lotteries—conditions
(1) An exempt lottery is subject to the following conditions:
(a) each ticket or entry in the lottery must have an equal chance of winning;
(b) the winning ticket or entry, and, if available, the identity of the person who holds the winning ticket or entry, must be recorded by the person conducting the lottery;
(c) the person conducting the lottery must—
(i) make the results of the lottery available to subscribers; and
(ii) if the identity of a person who holds the winning ticket or entry is known—tell the person the results of the lottery;
(d) a person who wins a prize must not be charged a fee when the person receives the prize;
(e) the person conducting the lottery must not conduct the lottery or advertise the lottery in a way that, having regard to the lottery participants, could be considered inappropriate or offensive;
(f) for a lottery with 2 or more prizes—the major prize must be drawn first, unless a winning ticket or entry is eligible to win another prize;
(g) the person conducting the lottery must do everything reasonably necessary to ensure that a person entitled to a prize in the lottery receives the prize;
(h) if a prize is not claimed within a reasonable period, taking into account the nature of the prize, the person conducting the lottery must draw another winning ticket or entry.
(2) For subsection (1) (b) and (c) (ii), the person conducting the lottery must take reasonable steps to identify a person who holds a winning
ticket or entry.

[Mister Piggy Wiggy]

Why does everyone keep assuming every independent shop is struggling?

The few shops around here I know of have many more products than Funko to make profit off of. Some of these stores have been around for 20+ years, 2 of which have recently located to much bigger locations.

Several independent shops have closed in a short period of time after opening where I live. When they were open, I hardly saw anyone go in to browse, shop, or both. On the other hand, rent is high where I live.

[Mister Piggy Wiggy]

No, the post is saying that only people who purchase enough Pops to fill the card have a chance to win the chase. Which is requiring payment/consideration for a chance to win something. It doesn't matter if it were only one Pop required to enter. It's still an illegal lottery system.

But don't let my legal-department-approved, 150 page guide to legally running promotions in every single payment-approved country stop you from speculating. Go ahead and trust what some rando guy on Facebook is doing.

Common sense should tell one that if you have to pay for something that's supposedly free, then it's not worth it.

On the other hand, if I were to run a contest/giveaway, then I'd make it free with one entry per person.

[Walker Hunter]

Not really sure where you're getting the "illegal lottery" part from the ruxy-100 card club. The card only requires 11 Pop purchases to get a 12th one free. The chance to win a free Chase from a bowl has nothing to do with the purchases with the card. If I understand the post correctly, that's just a little "extra" that the owner added for fun.

No, the post is saying that only people who purchase enough Pops to fill the card have a chance to win the chase. Which is requiring payment/consideration for a chance to win something. It doesn't matter if it were only one Pop required to enter. It's still an illegal lottery system.

But don't let my legal-department-approved, 150 page guide to legally running promotions in every single payment-approved country stop you from speculating. Go ahead and trust what some rando guy on Facebook is doing.

There's no need to be rude like that.

The store does EVERYTHING that is required under local legislation:

8 Prohibition of certain lotteries etc
(1) A person shall not conduct a lottery other than an approved lottery or an exempt lottery.

Exempt lotteries
(1) For this Act, an exempt lottery—
(a) means—
(ii) a lottery in relation to which the total value of the prizes does not exceed an amount determined by the commission (i.e. $3000)

6A Exempt lotteries—conditions
(1) An exempt lottery is subject to the following conditions:
(a) each ticket or entry in the lottery must have an equal chance of winning;
(b) the winning ticket or entry, and, if available, the identity of the person who holds the winning ticket or entry, must be recorded by the person conducting the lottery;
(c) the person conducting the lottery must—
(i) make the results of the lottery available to subscribers; and
(ii) if the identity of a person who holds the winning ticket or entry is known—tell the person the results of the lottery;
(d) a person who wins a prize must not be charged a fee when the person receives the prize;
(e) the person conducting the lottery must not conduct the lottery or advertise the lottery in a way that, having regard to the lottery participants, could be considered inappropriate or offensive;
(f) for a lottery with 2 or more prizes—the major prize must be drawn first, unless a winning ticket or entry is eligible to win another prize;
(g) the person conducting the lottery must do everything reasonably necessary to ensure that a person entitled to a prize in the lottery receives the prize;
(h) if a prize is not claimed within a reasonable period, taking into account the nature of the prize, the person conducting the lottery must draw another winning ticket or entry.
(2) For subsection (1) (b) and (c) (ii), the person conducting the lottery must take reasonable steps to identify a person who holds a winning
ticket or entry.

Lol. No worries Ruxy_100. There are those who perceive any kind of question as direct attack on their integrity and intelligence. I was merely stating that I did not see where it was an illegal lottery. I'm actually glad that Toralei set me straight on the matter in case I'm in a heated discussion with my 6 year-old granddaughter when she asks me if it's okay to guess how many jelly beans there are in a jar at school and she hasn't yet passed the bar.