More UK Comic Shops Closing

I have inadvertently, via conversations, heard of several UK comic shops that closed. Interestingly they all claimed "people are not buying comics any more".  Or "We weren't at the right location" and I ought to point out that most of these shops were in town or city high streets. You cannot be better located!

Now, 4 of these 6 shops closed BEFORE the Brexit fiasco last year that sent comic and all other prices soaring.  So guess what? They are blaming Brexit and the people who voted to leave the EU for putting their businesses into a nose dive that could not be reversed.

Four of the shops I know and I've met three of the owners.  They had no real interest in comics other than it being trendy and they saw running a comic shop as being able to sit back and watch the money roll in.  Their Face Book and blog pages, where you might have expected them to promote their business and push offers to get customers in...they were more obsessed with talking about types of coffee and tea they had drunk, their favourite junk food, cakes and biscuits but rarely anything about comics.

Dilettantes.

23rd July, 2016 I posted and -again- stated that more comic shops needed to go.  Not the ones who do understand that the customer is their business and they earn a living through them and try to treat them with respect (the minority of shops).  The rude owners who lie, slip in double issues to charge you more or say they cannot fulfill your standing order because -insert the lie of the moment here- and why don't you just "shut the feck up and buy another comic instead?"

http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/the-death-of-uk-comic-shops.html

I heard, while typing this that another South Coast shop has closed.  meh.

Basically, these people are using the New Marvel excuse: "comic buyers are ignorant scum and should buy what they are given or go away. It's everyone elses fault!"

Even today, when these shops should be fighting to keep their regulars and bring in new customers I see comic buyer blog after blog stating that their local shop were "unable to get enough copies from the distributor" to fulfill their standing order. Or that ....look, it's an excuse.  They could not be bothered.  If you have ten standing orders for a title you add, maybe five to that and order 15 copies. The distributor is not going to say "No. I don't want your money. Can't do that" -if they did, well comic stores allowed a monopoly in comic distribution (as detailed in a great deal of detail on the old CBO).

And Ebay crook dealers.  Issue #100 of volume 1 of Marvel's The Avengers were on UK Ebay at £35, £50, £75 and even £125 and yet US You Tube collectors were picking these up for $5-10.  I went to an online US comic company and purchased #100 and 101 (any where us to £25 for that one) on UK Ebay) for less that the cheapest #100 on Ebay and that was including the price of international postage and it is a Very Good copy.

And Ebay crook dealers who are secretly comic shop owners hiking up prices...or Ebay traders and a store who will not accept purchases you try to make on Ebay but tell you that you can order from them off and away from Ebay and it's guarantees...crooks. And, yes, I have the correspondence to prove it.

So, when the new Tory government gets in the economy will dive even lower.  More comic shops will go.  I hope the few good ones survive but you are a comic buyer and voted (or never bothered to) for Brexit -you get what you deserve.  You vote Tory today...try breathing underwater for an hour.

Interesting how all the "comic book nice guys" are not around to help these shops or the conventions that are vanishing....yet they were so quick to get free passes and expenses from them or be promoted by them.