Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, cover, price

What's In Your Wallet? Choices Made At The Cash Register…

Published Tue, 10 Apr 2012 10:00:04 -0500

Jesse James writes for Bleeding Cool;

I started in the comic book world in 1982 (12 years young) and the magic cover price for an issue was .60 cents. Coolness, .60 whole cents for full pages of excitement, thrills and get this, a sweet story line. I listened patiently in line as box holders would pay for their comics grunting the whole time. ".60 for a comic they are out pricing the customer." I would joyfully hand The Friendly Neighborhood Comic Book (Las Vegas) store owner my 1.00 for my issue of Avengers. I would race home on my Huffy Pro sport bike making sure to hold the comic just perfect not to bend it. Of course, I just spent .60, I must take care of my new comic. When I got home, I would pull out my checklist and register my issue, bag and board it and add it to my mounting stash of ten comics.

Then it happened. The dreaded April 1985 is when my life changed. I got some extra money for my birthday. Of Course, I headed to the comic book store to pick up my issue of the Avengers #254 but something isn't right. The cover says .65 cents. "What's this!?" I yell in my mind. Are they crazy? I'm just a kid for crying out loud! Now I slowly recovered but not even as the era ended it happened again "BANG BANG" issue #264 comes out and it says .75 cents. I looked up and said to my friend "they are out pricing the customer." How could they do this? I found myself in my circle of huge comic book fans, because of course I now owned almost 75 comics, saying "do you remember when comics were just .60 cents"?

So you hunker down. You drop a few titles but that last for about 3 months. Your mind just starts to say you need more. You mow more lawns you get a paper route. You do everything you can do to get one more copy a week. But it simple doesn't end. You hit your breaking point. For me it was $1.00. (or was it High School and girls?) No Mas! I said and took a chapter of my life and said no more comics. MMMM how did that turn out? I'll let you know after I do my Taxes for my comic book store I own.

Now, don't get me wrong. I understand the comic book world isn't immune to price hikes. However, as I look at stacks and see people trying to compute in their head, can I get one more comic this week? It strikes me how different it was back then. When you were more excited to just get home and read your comics. Or feeling the anticipation that, he is taking my money I own these comics now. So much now is focused on how much can I afford and NOT how much can I enjoy.

So you all know the story. Over the decades prices have rising to an astounding average of $2.99 an issue. As they bring the $3.99 and 4.99 issues out more and more every week. I now hear a rumble from that 12 year old in line saying to his click of groupies "remember when comics were only $2.50?

Boy, they are just out pricing the customer aren't they?

Six Shooter Jesse James

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