it's nice for new readers and *that's it*. the bulk of the inflated sales numbers on a #1 are a consequence of nonreturnability in the direct market; they're copies THE STORES bought because they can't accurately estimate demand for a #1
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the famously cliff-like #2 + #3 sales drop is absolutely nothing but stores having *any meaningful data* on what they can move. the #1 spike was just cost burden being shuffled from production and distribution to retail.
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the result? *constant* relaunches at #1, because It Is Known that "first issues sell more". which is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING but further cannibalization of the direct market, a money transfer from retail to production and distribution.
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Replying to @chaosprime
Weird that retailers keep buying into it if it just hemorages them money.
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Replying to @AshcanPress
retailers are mostly true believers at some level, which means they don't even work out the economics of their situation, and even if they did what choice do they have but to try as hard as they can to get people to jump on first issues?
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Replying to @chaosprime
So they hemorrhage money every year but don't anyway? Weird. The shop I worked in, 7th biggest in North America, sold on average upwards of 200% more copies of issue ones of rebooted series. But we may have been an outlier.
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Replying to @AshcanPress
things are probably a little different at big stores; this was a real mom & pop i was dealing with. what year this was is pretty important, too. #1 sales bumps were a lot more significant before they started being leaned on like a drunk leans on a lamppost.
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Replying to @chaosprime
Mine was 4 years ago I guess? That's when I left to work in publishing? 5? And yes, each store is definitely different.
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Replying to @AshcanPress
okay. i got out last August. the "get them #1 sales!" button got pushed A LOT of times in the intervening years
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Replying to @chaosprime @AshcanPress
Chaos Retweeted Dan Garfield
have some more anecdata over here too:https://twitter.com/danlistensto/status/987066273736642560 …
Chaos added,
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this isn't to say that a #1 that's legitimately of a new series isn't cause for celebration no matter how many of those there are. it's the relaunches that make my blood boil
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