Author Topic: RIP Mile High Comics Booth  (Read 3603 times)

Offline Vapors

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RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« on: July 06, 2017, 04:16:26 PM »
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Completely unnoticed by me when the exhibitor list came out, but looks like Mile High Comics won't be displaying at Comic Con for the first time in 45 years.  That's nuts.  I remember seeing this booth along with Comic Relief (which sadly closed years ago) and Bud Plant Comic Art as being the "Big Three" comic sellers in the hall.  The massive size of a wall to wall comics was an awesome site to behold as you enter in the B/C hall.  I did occasionally buy books from them over the years, but with exclusives being sold directly from the publishers and deals that can found at other times during the year, I know I have bought a lot less back issue trades and graphic novels at the convention.  Progress marches on, but its still sad to see such a stalwart in the Comic Con Hall go away. 

Also, that is nuts the amount they are charging for his booth.

Offline karl clement

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2017, 04:29:39 PM »
its very sad to see go thats what happens when businesses dont over time, I do buy comics, I found him pricey,
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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
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Offline Pyramid

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2017, 07:08:26 PM »
They were insanely overpriced.
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Offline citizenmilton

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2017, 12:57:33 PM »
I've seen a number of shares of that article online, many with an accompanying comment citing this as evidence in favor of the narrative that "San Diego Comic-Con isn't about comics anymore" and I disagree with that on two fronts.

As others in this thread have noted, it's hard to draw a general lesson from this, there are particular details specific to this retailer and space that have more to do with the business decision.

I remain skeptical that many of the blogs & culture commentators who continue to promote this narrative have actually been to San Diego Comic-Con or even tried to see the "comics side" of the convention. Yeah, most of the juicy coverage that permeates pop culture news is indeed the movie/tv stuff, but I go to the con primarily for comics stuff. I can fill every second of my day with comic-focused panels. Many of the 'Big 2' (plus Image) panels are packed to capacity. The presence of publishers (large, medium, small, web, and self-publishing) keeps getting better.

I do wish there was more of a space for a retailer that could carry a wide selection of comic trades at reasonable prices - seems like almost every year there's some comic that comes up in a panel discussion that I'm immediately wanting to check out, and if it's not something new or getting promoted at the con, you won't have much luck finding it. But I'm so busy meeting people, having fun, it's a minor concern. In the next couple of years, I plan to see more of other cons that are supposedly more comics-focused, and that might change my perception. But at least for now, I think the mix of stuff at the show is at a good level, with so many aspects of fandom in general well-represented (movies, tv, books, comics, anime,  toys/collectibles, art).

Offline Vapors

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2017, 02:18:45 PM »
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I've seen a number of shares of that article online, many with an accompanying comment citing this as evidence in favor of the narrative that "San Diego Comic-Con isn't about comics anymore" and I disagree with that on two fronts.

...

I remain skeptical that many of the blogs & culture commentators who continue to promote this narrative have actually been to San Diego Comic-Con or even tried to see the "comics side" of the convention. Yeah, most of the juicy coverage that permeates pop culture news is indeed the movie/tv stuff, but I go to the con primarily for comics stuff. I can fill every second of my day with comic-focused panels. Many of the 'Big 2' (plus Image) panels are packed to capacity. The presence of publishers (large, medium, small, web, and self-publishing) keeps getting better.


Oh man, I really wish everytime I saw someone say "Comic Con isn't about comics anymore" I could shoot back at them like this.  Kinda infuriates me.  I remember a comic book reporter saying something along the lines of "If you want to have a Comic only Comic Con, you absolutely can fill every hour with it and still not have enough time for everything."  It's that most people choose not to look into this and just have a narrative that they want to fill in whenever something that confirms this viewpoint shows up.  I've had a lot of fun doing all kinds of things there, but I do know that over the years, buying back issues and trades has fallen by the wayside for me personally.  Coupled with yearly sales at my local comic book stores and online venues, places like this were going to have a hard time justifying there expenses.  I'm surprised he lasted as long as he did.

And have fun at the smaller cons.  I do like the fact you don't need to line up like an hour earlier (or more) to do things and you have a lot more time to chat and get sketches from more comic creators.

Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2017, 02:51:36 PM »
The article itself also pointed out that many of the comic are now sold by the publishers directly at SDCC. So the Comics publishers are actually taking away comics sales business from the comics retailers. That doesn't say that comics are going away at SDCC, only that there is a change in how customers are buying them.

Offline cabler30

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #6 on: July 07, 2017, 03:20:18 PM »
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The article itself also pointed out that many of the comic are now sold by the publishers directly at SDCC. So the Comics publishers are actually taking away comics sales business from the comics retailers. That doesn't say that comics are going away at SDCC, only that there is a change in how customers are buying them.

So basically cutting out the middle man and doing sales directly to buyer instead of making stores order so many to get any variants and all i guess.

Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #7 on: July 07, 2017, 03:22:05 PM »
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So basically cutting out the middle man and doing sales directly to buyer instead of making stores order so many to get any variants and all i guess.

At the con, at least!

You could also claim that this is how digital comics work: the publisher is selling directly to the consumer and cutting out the middleman. Not necessarily a decrease in the number of comics sold, but certainly a blow to retailers and a change in the industry.

Offline Chris

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2017, 07:41:37 PM »
I respectfully disagree.  There are waaaaaaaaaay less comics at the show than there used to be.

From a square footage standpoint, the comics area has shrunk to a small fraction of what it used to be where mostly it is only the old silver age pavilion that is survived because they can survive the increasing booth costs.

From a selection perspective, it has shrunk similarly where previously it was old to new with everything in between and at all the respective prices from very cheap to very expensive with everything in between.

Please keep in mind:
--Respectively disagreeing, not trolling any of you. :)
--while I do prefer the way it used to be, I am not saying I hate the show.  I have had to adjust my experience at the show to the way it has changed.


Offline Chris

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2017, 07:45:12 PM »
By the way, I do agree with vapors and if I want the "old" comic con experience of back issue hunting for deals, I go to a smaller show.  The only part that is missing from those is the raw, massive scale of the old SDCC.

Offline cabler30

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #10 on: July 07, 2017, 08:05:42 PM »
I wonder that if they tried to scale back how much space they try to have, then maybe might be easier to adjust so not to have to pay for so much space then be able to earn enough back and then some idk just a guess.

Offline Chris

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2017, 08:09:29 PM »
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I wonder that if they tried to scale back how much space they try to have, then maybe might be easier to adjust so not to have to pay for so much space then be able to earn enough back and then some idk just a guess.

I wonder that too as to why Mile High didn't go for a smaller booth?  But perhaps it wad not an available option.

Offline zuko3984

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #12 on: July 07, 2017, 11:08:32 PM »
Mile High didn't go for a smaller booth because the booth price and the decrease in sales was only part of the reason they decided not to attend this year. They had a really bad experience with getting the booth set up last year and were treated pretty poorly by CCI. It's a whole long story but they basically felt that CCI didn't treat them right and didn't really even care if they attend or not. I've talked to some other vendors the past few years and got a lot of the same stories. CCI has kind of taken on a we are too big to fail attitude and right now in a way they are right. They know that for every vendor that leaves they have 5 ready to take there place. It's the same thing with attendees. Don't like the way they do something or handle something they know for any one who decides not to go they have 100's of other people waiting to take there place.

Offline cabler30

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #13 on: July 08, 2017, 08:28:48 AM »
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Mile High didn't go for a smaller booth because the booth price and the decrease in sales was only part of the reason they decided not to attend this year. They had a really bad experience with getting the booth set up last year and were treated pretty poorly by CCI. It's a whole long story but they basically felt that CCI didn't treat them right and didn't really even care if they attend or not. I've talked to some other vendors the past few years and got a lot of the same stories. CCI has kind of taken on a we are too big to fail attitude and right now in a way they are right. They know that for every vendor that leaves they have 5 ready to take there place. It's the same thing with attendees. Don't like the way they do something or handle something they know for any one who decides not to go they have 100's of other people waiting to take there place.

I guess to them is was like a tradition every year and they tried to adjust to the changes over time, but guess what ever happened was the last straw so to speak. and as u say basically for any vendor who decides to not go that there is always another to replace it and for trafic the same way, i read so many try to go but so few get a chance. so they try get their fix i guess and go to other comic cons somewhere else. im thankfull i was able to find a back up plan or i may not have been able to go this year myself.

Offline Chris

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Re: RIP Mile High Comics Booth
« Reply #14 on: July 08, 2017, 10:02:57 AM »
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Mile High didn't go for a smaller booth because the booth price and the decrease in sales was only part of the reason they decided not to attend this year. They had a really bad experience with getting the booth set up last year and were treated pretty poorly by CCI. It's a whole long story but they basically felt that CCI didn't treat them right and didn't really even care if they attend or not. I've talked to some other vendors the past few years and got a lot of the same stories. CCI has kind of taken on a we are too big to fail attitude and right now in a way they are right. They know that for every vendor that leaves they have 5 ready to take there place. It's the same thing with attendees. Don't like the way they do something or handle something they know for any one who decides not to go they have 100's of other people waiting to take there place.

I have heard similar things second hand as I have talked to vendors.