Posted in: Boom, Comics, Comics Publishers, DC Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: comic shop, foil covers, foils

Comic Store In Your Future – Foiled Again By Marvel Charging The Most

Foils are being used by multiple comic publishers. Why does one only give 16% off while the others give a better discount to stores?

Working on the orders for upcoming comics, I noticed the foil variants offered by the various publishers. Currently, I am ordering through Diamond. Army of Darkness Forever #1 from Dynamite has a foil variant. The cover price is $5.99. My cost is $3.00. Thank you, Dynamite. Ranger Academy #1 by Boom Studios has a foil cover for $9.99 cover price. Discounted price is $5.00. Thank you, Boom Studios. Carnage #1, coming out in October from Marvel, has a foil variant. The cover price is $5.99, and my cost is $5.50. What? I feel bad for the comic stores that only use Diamond. Going through Penguin to order Carnage #1 foil copies will cost $5.03 each. 16% discount. Wow! Thanks, Marvel. 16%? Really? Marvel will have foil covers for the upcoming Spider-Boy #1, Captain Marvel #1, and Sensational She-Hulk #1 at the same discount that Marvel uses for Carnage #1, all for less discount to comic stores than smaller publishers who offer foil covers. I will make more money per copy selling foils from DC due to having the best discount with DC Comics, while also making more money per copy selling foil copies of Once Upon A Time At the End of the World #10, Vampirella Dead Flowers #1, and Red Sonja 2023 #4. All from much smaller publishers than Marvel.

I wrote before about how ordering foil variants from DC was much more profitable than getting Marvel foil covers. To see the smaller publishers offer regular discounts for foil covers while Marvel doesn't is crazy. I ordered one foil Marvel variant through Diamond, which cost me more than the cover price.

Businesses are built around making money. Marvel is sending the message that it will be easier to make money through other comic publishers than themselves on foil covers. That seems nuts.

That is like me saying I will increase the price of all the X titles by a dollar just because I can. What happens? People are initially puzzled when they discover the X comic book they bought costs more. Then, more and more customers start buying elsewhere. I can buy a DC foil cover for over half off the cover price, while I was unable to with Marvel foils. So, as a businessperson, which will be promoted and bought more by me? If I want to make money, it is an easy choice.

Where did Marvel come up with this 16% off foil cover price? I hoped it would have been over when Marvel did it with their Star Wars Droids foil cover. I want to thank the person for such a foolish idea.

It is tough enough for comic stores to make money without the publishers lowering their discounts. Bagging and boarding a Marvel comic and putting a new higher price on it to make it profitable is an extra step that is not needed. Just put the correct cover price and give the regular discount to comic stores. So many people will come in and think a store that marked up a Marvel foil is just doing so to price gouge.

Marvel works with the people who sell your product. Doing foil cover discounts this way only makes people who do the comic ordering for stores, like me, support foil covers from other publishers more.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!