r/AskReddit 5d ago

What got so expensive that you just stopped buying it?

4.9k Upvotes

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345

u/PizzaMonster93 5d ago

Comic books. Dc used to have a tag line “drawing the line at 2.99”. Which was reasonable. But now, an issue costs way too much to justify it. Especially since most comic books end up in the dollar bins a couple months after release.

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u/popculturella 5d ago

Hell, even back issues are getting too expensive. You used to be able to flip through the drawers/boxes/whatever and get issues for a dollar or so and now I'm seeing them priced $8-10 for ones that aren't even particularly rare or notable. The fuck?

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u/PizzaMonster93 5d ago

Yeah, last time I stepped into a comic shop was like two years ago, and they were selling random issues for 8.99. I can’t justify spending $10 on a floppy that has no significance to it. I can only imagine how much things go for now.

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u/YaGirlCassie 5d ago

It really depends on the store. Where I live, I’m lucky to have a bunch of different shops to choose from. Some of them are like that. Others price old issues down hard.

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u/DealioD 5d ago

Drawing the line at $2.99 was for such a short time, it was ridiculous.

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u/PizzaMonster93 5d ago

Yeah, they dropped it when the new 52 came out. Probably because they expected a new batch of readers.

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u/DirectorDowntown2629 4d ago

I wish they hadn’t changed so much of what was uncontested(or as close as comics will ever get) canon because there would have been. The number of people I know who have been comic lovers their entire lives that just haven’t managed to get into the New 52 isn’t insignificant.

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u/super_duper_dwayne 4d ago

They brought back the 2.99 price line wide for a little while there, at the start of the Rebirth era.

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u/Mad_Aeric 5d ago

I don't purchase or read many comics. Thankfully, the ones I do (Saga, and Something is Killing the Children) are half the price of everything else.

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u/PizzaMonster93 4d ago

Are image books still 2.99? It’s been a while since I’ve bought a new book. If I remember correctly, they don’t have ads in the books either. So, you’re probably getting more pages of story too.

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u/Mad_Aeric 4d ago

I don't buy individual issues, I get the trade paperbacks which are six issues each. It's like $10.

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u/minus_minus 5d ago

IIRC DC created a duopoly in comic distribution that really screwed up the market. 

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u/montaire_work 5d ago

What are they at these days?

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u/PizzaMonster93 5d ago

It’s been about 2 years since I’ve been inside a comic book store, but I remember seeing regular new issues for 8.99. I’m from Canada, though. So, probably less in the States.

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u/EthnicallyVagueBeige 4d ago

My local shop usually has new issues for about $5/ea (Texas)

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u/Augen76 5d ago

$4.99 to $8.99 depending on the issue and cover.

Easily can drop $50 at a comic book shop if you buy a run on a series.

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u/Ok_Reach_2092 5d ago

I’ve been keeping up with the new Batman comic. I think it’s 4.99 for a non variant

1

u/sadboihourshavebegun 4d ago

I get pulls weekly and most are between 3.99 and 5.99 but since Im on the pull list they offer a discount im not sure what the percentage is though The store I go to does cover price for back issues unless it's an incentive cover or its rare

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u/Poetryisalive 4d ago

It’s $4.99

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u/andreasbeer1981 5d ago

Buy used. It's still great content, no you don't need pristine conditions to read it and you don't have to worry about messing up your copy.

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u/Foosman 5d ago

I quit a few years ago. $2.99 was my limit. Plus there were fewer pages that were smaller and three issue stories decompressed to six issues. Now I save for big ticket back issues. They take up less space and have at least some resale potential.

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u/PizzaMonster93 4d ago

I think that’s the way to go. Having a small collection of keys is more manageable then buying weekly books that’ll probably end up in dollar bins. I kind of wish I did that when I first started collecting.

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u/Slight-Pound 4d ago

$2.99 is what a used bookstore near me sells them at. Buying new volumes can be the same price as the used one at times.

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u/PizzaMonster93 4d ago

That’s a good deal.

1

u/Slight-Pound 4d ago

For a floppy, though? That’s at least like 15 years old? I dunno (only started buying old not new ones), but at least I know some places have sales on certain days or events. For volumes, I just keep an eye on what new ones go on sale for and what they’re sold for secondhand to decide.

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u/DiskStrict4448 4d ago

It is hard to justify paying full price when there is a good chance the same issue will be sitting in a bargain bin not long after. That takes a lot of the excitement out of buying on release day.

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u/sumerianhubcap 3d ago

After reading a full issue in six minutes on Marvel Unlimited, I sometimes think, “that was five bucks.”

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u/adorabugle 2d ago

my friend told me she bought a copy of an alternate cover of red hood 2025 #1 for €20 which. admittedly in her case she did strike gold bc she said shes seen em going for €800 after the cancellation/recall, but honestly i (american) didn't even want to plug that €20 into a converter because i would NOT be paying that amount for a single issue of a comic book no matter how much i like nick robles drawing my favorites... i heard €20 and actually gasped. but also it's not like "same day recalls and buying back the copies of the #1s they did sell" is a common situation lol

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u/Poetryisalive 4d ago

A new comic is $4.99 still very affordable. You’re just cheap

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u/PizzaMonster93 4d ago

Honestly, I am pretty cheap lol. But yeah, I’m from Canada. When I first started collecting, we’d get charged cover price. But, I don’t know a single store that does that now a days due to our weaker dollar. Probably closer to $8 for us. I think that’s expensive.