Friday, October 23, 2009
Savvy Signature Shoppers Save Significant $$$
As David Welsh pointed out, this is a huge week for new Viz releases. Just look at all the great new manga hitting shelves at the same time:
As David Welsh pointed out, this is a huge week for new Viz releases. Just look at all the great new manga hitting shelves at the same time:
- Real 6
- Vagabond (VIZBIG edition) 5
- 20th Century Boys 5
- What a Wonderful World! 1 & 2
- RIN-NE 1
Labels: Coupons, Manga, Shopping, Viz
2:10 PM | |
Monday, July 06, 2009
Spend, Spend, Spend! Quick Shopping Tips for July
ITEM! It's not much of a discount, but Buy.com is offering an additional $5 off $75 if you pay via PayPal (exp. 7/8). True, $75 is a high threshold to hit, but if you're a delinquent shopper like me you have plenty of back material to stock up on. Plus, Buy.com's discounts are generally pretty good, so the additional five bucks off is just sweetening the deal. I just ordered 20th Century Boys 2 & 3, Slam Dunk 3 & 4, Nightschool 1 (the only series from Yen+ I thought was worth following), Pluto 3, Bleach 27, Vagabond (VIZBIG edition) 3, and The Photographer all for under $75 after the discount. Plus, Buy.com shipped everything out the very next day -- for free!
ITEM! TFAW is offering free or discounted shipping once again, so head on over and start digging through the Nick & Dent section. I noticed Dark Horse's Clover omnibus from CLAMP for half-off but there are always plenty of other bargains to be found. Here are the coupon codes:
Got any other great comic deals you've noticed lately? Share 'em in the comments!
ITEM! It's not much of a discount, but Buy.com is offering an additional $5 off $75 if you pay via PayPal (exp. 7/8). True, $75 is a high threshold to hit, but if you're a delinquent shopper like me you have plenty of back material to stock up on. Plus, Buy.com's discounts are generally pretty good, so the additional five bucks off is just sweetening the deal. I just ordered 20th Century Boys 2 & 3, Slam Dunk 3 & 4, Nightschool 1 (the only series from Yen+ I thought was worth following), Pluto 3, Bleach 27, Vagabond (VIZBIG edition) 3, and The Photographer all for under $75 after the discount. Plus, Buy.com shipped everything out the very next day -- for free!
ITEM! TFAW is offering free or discounted shipping once again, so head on over and start digging through the Nick & Dent section. I noticed Dark Horse's Clover omnibus from CLAMP for half-off but there are always plenty of other bargains to be found. Here are the coupon codes:
- BABOOM - Free domestic shipping on orders $25+ (exp. 7/31)
- KAPOW - $5 off international shipping on orders $30+ (exp. 7/31)
- INDEPENDENCE - Free domestic shipping on orders $17.76+ (exp. 11:59 pm. July 6th!)
- Alec: The Years Have Pants amazing 640-page omnibus, in either SC or HC format, at 45% off each
- Aya: The Secrets Come Out, the third volume in this wonderful series, at 40% off
- Crumb's Book of Genesis Illustrated for only $14.97 (no, it's not the signed, limited, slipcased edition)
- Masterpiece Comics, a deluxe hardcover collection of R. Sikoryak's clever classics/comics mash-ups, at 40% off
- Strange Suspense: The Steve Ditko Archives Volume 1 at 50% off!
- Strange Tales, the first issue of the Marvel indie anthology, for 50% off
- What A Wonderful World, volumes one and two of the latest manga series from Inio Asano (nominated for an Eisner for Solanin), both at 50% off!
Got any other great comic deals you've noticed lately? Share 'em in the comments!
Labels: Coupons, DCBS, Shopping, TFAW
10:43 PM | |
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
I Buy My Superhero Comics By The 100s
It all started with Wednesday Comics. Last week I was intrigued enough by the creative format and formidable creative line-up for DC's upcoming Wednesday Comics weekly to consider making actual pilgrimages to a local comic shop to pick up the oversized fold-out comics. But then mycheap bargain-hunting side kicked in and I realized I could probably score these comics cheaper online. So I searched around and found that my old online shop DCBS had the first issue of Wednesday Comics for 75% off and the second for 50% off. The third and the fourth issues were each discounted a respectable 40% off.
Of course, I could have simply ordered those four comics and left it at that, but, no, I had to go poking around the monthly specials section, so now this is what I ended up ordering:
I'm also trying out a couple other books that sound interesting, like Dark Horse's Citizen Rex by Mario and Gilbert Hernandez and their new Creepy anthology. (I was also thinking of checking out DH's Noir anthology GN but it doesn't actually ship until the end of September so I'll wait and see if I'm still interested by then.) I'm also getting the first issue of Greek Street, a new Vertigo ongoing, partially because I've always been fond of Greek drama but mainly because it was only a quarter after the discount.
The Incredibles comics are for my daughter, who loves that movie. (She now wants us to have another kid so we can have someone to be Jack-Jack when she plays "Incredibles.") And depending on how bleak or decadent ASM #600 is, I may give that to my daughter after I'm done reading it. She's really into cutting things up with scissors lately, so I figure she can have fun with the floppy rather than me having to worry about storing it. (Plus, I like the idea of her using her scissors to rearrange the comic randomly, perhaps creating a more satisfying continuity than the one Marvel came up with in OMD/BND.)
Finally, there's the real steal of the whole deal, the hardcover collection of Tales Designed to Thrizzle for half-off! Woot! (Check out the Flickr set for the book here.)
Also, the folks at DCBS were kind enough to let me append a couple items from the April 2009 Previews to this order, which was great because I don't know where else I would have been able to get the new black-and-white Nexus collection for such a great price (45% off). It doesn't look like the major book sites (like Amazon or BN.com) are carrying this yet.
Oh, and one final tip: If you're new to DCBS or haven't ordered from them for at least a year, use coupon code disc8 when you place your order for an additional 8% off. That might not sound like much but for me it was almost enough to cover the flat-rate shipping charge of $5.95. (The fact that I can edit my order until June 1st is dangerous. Since it's flat-rate shipping no matter how many items are in my order, I may be tempted to add more comics as I hear about them. Hey, this whole Marvel Divas thing sounds interesting, and DCBS has it for only $1.99...)
It all started with Wednesday Comics. Last week I was intrigued enough by the creative format and formidable creative line-up for DC's upcoming Wednesday Comics weekly to consider making actual pilgrimages to a local comic shop to pick up the oversized fold-out comics. But then my
Of course, I could have simply ordered those four comics and left it at that, but, no, I had to go poking around the monthly specials section, so now this is what I ended up ordering:
- AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #600 - $2.49
- CITIZEN REX #1 - $1.75
- CREEPY COMICS #1 - $2.49
- GREEK STREET #1 - $0.25
- INCREDIBLE HULK #600 - $2.49
- INCREDIBLES #0 - $1.64
- INCREDIBLES FAMILY MATTERS TP - $6.99
- TALES DESIGNED TO THRIZZLE HC VOL 01 - $12.49
- WEDNESDAY COMICS #1 - $0.99
- WEDNESDAY COMICS #2 - $1.99
- WEDNESDAY COMICS #3 - $2.39
- WEDNESDAY COMICS #4 - $2.39
I'm also trying out a couple other books that sound interesting, like Dark Horse's Citizen Rex by Mario and Gilbert Hernandez and their new Creepy anthology. (I was also thinking of checking out DH's Noir anthology GN but it doesn't actually ship until the end of September so I'll wait and see if I'm still interested by then.) I'm also getting the first issue of Greek Street, a new Vertigo ongoing, partially because I've always been fond of Greek drama but mainly because it was only a quarter after the discount.
The Incredibles comics are for my daughter, who loves that movie. (She now wants us to have another kid so we can have someone to be Jack-Jack when she plays "Incredibles.") And depending on how bleak or decadent ASM #600 is, I may give that to my daughter after I'm done reading it. She's really into cutting things up with scissors lately, so I figure she can have fun with the floppy rather than me having to worry about storing it. (Plus, I like the idea of her using her scissors to rearrange the comic randomly, perhaps creating a more satisfying continuity than the one Marvel came up with in OMD/BND.)
Finally, there's the real steal of the whole deal, the hardcover collection of Tales Designed to Thrizzle for half-off! Woot! (Check out the Flickr set for the book here.)
Also, the folks at DCBS were kind enough to let me append a couple items from the April 2009 Previews to this order, which was great because I don't know where else I would have been able to get the new black-and-white Nexus collection for such a great price (45% off). It doesn't look like the major book sites (like Amazon or BN.com) are carrying this yet.
Oh, and one final tip: If you're new to DCBS or haven't ordered from them for at least a year, use coupon code disc8 when you place your order for an additional 8% off. That might not sound like much but for me it was almost enough to cover the flat-rate shipping charge of $5.95. (The fact that I can edit my order until June 1st is dangerous. Since it's flat-rate shipping no matter how many items are in my order, I may be tempted to add more comics as I hear about them. Hey, this whole Marvel Divas thing sounds interesting, and DCBS has it for only $1.99...)
Labels: Coupons, Dark Horse, DC, DCBS, Fantagraphics, Marvel, Nexus, Preorders, Shopping, Superhero Comics, The Lure of Cheap Comics
11:30 PM | |
Friday, May 01, 2009
It's The Classic Shopper's Dilemma All Over Again
TFAW is having a Spring Cleaning Sale with progressive discounts every week:
And here are a couple new coupon codes to help with shipping costs:
* Also, if you place your order tomorrow on Free Comic Book Day, TFAW will throw in three free comics, but they're ones that probably won't interest non-superhero, non-licensed-sci-fi-properties fans.
TFAW is having a Spring Cleaning Sale with progressive discounts every week:
Starting May 1st, you'll save 50% off a bunch of toys, comics, graphic novels, statues, and other collectibles. May 10th, you'll begin to save 60% off! May 17th, you'll start saving 70% off remaining stock + hundreds of new additions. Finally, starting May 24th, you'll save 80% off!As they note, quantities are limited, so the gamble you face is: Do I wait a couple more weeks for the discount to go up with the risk that the item I want will sell out? I already see a couple items I want so I'm struggling with that very dilemma myself.
And here are a couple new coupon codes to help with shipping costs:
- CLEANUP - $5 off $50+ (expires 5/31/09)
- ROCKOUT - Free domestic shipping on orders $25+ (expires 5/31/09)
* Also, if you place your order tomorrow on Free Comic Book Day, TFAW will throw in three free comics, but they're ones that probably won't interest non-superhero, non-licensed-sci-fi-properties fans.
Labels: Bargains, Coupons, Shopping, Spring Cleaning?, TFAW
4:33 PM | |
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Introducing Nick & Dent, The Hard-Hitting British Crimefighting Duo!
Just a reminder that TFAW's 60% off Nick & Dent special ends tomorrow, Thursday, April 30th! After that the discount reverts back to a mere 50% off. Click here for some great bargain recommendations and a couple coupon codes. And here are two more coupon codes to try:
Just a reminder that TFAW's 60% off Nick & Dent special ends tomorrow, Thursday, April 30th! After that the discount reverts back to a mere 50% off. Click here for some great bargain recommendations and a couple coupon codes. And here are two more coupon codes to try:
- WATCHOUT - $5 off $50+ (expires 5/1/09)
- AFTERWATCH - Free domestic shipping on orders $25+ (expires 5/1/09)
Labels: Bargains, Coupons, Shopping, TFAW
11:07 AM | |
Friday, April 10, 2009
Feeling Frugal: Reader Response Edition
ITEM! Commenter Jason points out that Akadot is a great place to get your Project X and other DMP manga on the cheap. The Project X books are 69-85% off (just $9.90 for all three) and another Sporadic Sequential favorite, Fumi Yoshinaga's absolutely delightful Flower of Life, is available as a three-volume set for ONLY TEN BUCKS!!! (Individual volumes are 54-61% off.) (Akadot offers free shipping on orders over $100, but the bargain books don't qualify for that offer. When I added the Flower of Life bundle or the three Project X books to my cart, the cheapest shipping option was $11.90, so take shipping costs into consideration.)
ITEM!
ITEM! Commenter Jason points out that Akadot is a great place to get your Project X and other DMP manga on the cheap. The Project X books are 69-85% off (just $9.90 for all three) and another Sporadic Sequential favorite, Fumi Yoshinaga's absolutely delightful Flower of Life, is available as a three-volume set for ONLY TEN BUCKS!!! (Individual volumes are 54-61% off.) (Akadot offers free shipping on orders over $100, but the bargain books don't qualify for that offer. When I added the Flower of Life bundle or the three Project X books to my cart, the cheapest shipping option was $11.90, so take shipping costs into consideration.)
ITEM!
To give you an idea of Half.com's money-saving potential: I recently purchased 13 different Yen Press & DMP releases, all listed as "Like New." I spent $14.36 on the items, and $29.37 on shipping, for a total of $43.73. The same items cost $64.91 on Amazon Marketplace, and $150.35 new. Happy times.
Labels: Bargains, Feeling Frugal, Reader Responses, Shopping
2:31 PM | |
Friday, April 03, 2009
Bargain Alert: 60% Off Nick & Dent @ TFAW!
During the month of April, TFAW's Nick & Dent merchandise is even cheaper at 60% off vs. the usual 50%! That makes is a great time to browse their selection for bargains on graphic novels. As of this writing, there are 1622 nick & dent graphic novels to sift through. Some recommendations:
DealTaker doesn't offer any current coupons for free shipping from TFAW, but you can always sign up for their newsletter to get some free shipping codes. After you sign up, you'll get a welcome email with two coupon codes. Or you can just try reusing the codes they sent me — I don't see anything that links the codes to a particular account:
During the month of April, TFAW's Nick & Dent merchandise is even cheaper at 60% off vs. the usual 50%! That makes is a great time to browse their selection for bargains on graphic novels. As of this writing, there are 1622 nick & dent graphic novels to sift through. Some recommendations:
- Eden - If David Welsh's write-up of this series sounded intriguing, TFAW has the first ten volumes at 60% off each.
- Mail - All three volumes are available for 60% off!
- Museum of Terror - Ditto. Do yourself a favor and grab some excellent, unsettling horror manga at a great price.
- Club 9 - Yes, I will keep pimping this series until all of you deplete Dark Horse's back stock, causing them to go back and finish the rest of the series. C'mon, it's only $3.20 apiece and I guarantee you it's one of the sweetest, quirkiest, funniest mangas you'll ever read.
- Reiko the Zombie Shop - A great gonzo horror series with plenty of ridiculously over-the-top gore. Only one caveat: Dark Horse dropped this series mid-storyline, so if you start reading this addictive series, you'll reach a point where it simply stops right on a huge cliffhanger and you'll go crazy wondering how it all concluded. But other than that, it's a great read.
- Astro Boy - Tezuka on the cheap! A confession: I haven't actually read any Astro Boy yet, but I did just order volume 3 since that has the "Greatest Robot on Earth" storyline, which served as the basis for Naoki Urasawa's Pluto. Should make for an interesting companion to the updated take, seeing what the original story was like.
DealTaker doesn't offer any current coupons for free shipping from TFAW, but you can always sign up for their newsletter to get some free shipping codes. After you sign up, you'll get a welcome email with two coupon codes. Or you can just try reusing the codes they sent me — I don't see anything that links the codes to a particular account:
- NEWSLETTER - Free shipping on domestic orders $30+ (expires 4/30/09)
- TFAWNEWS - $10 off any shipping method (domestic or international) on orders $50+ (expires 4/30/09)
Labels: Bargains, Coupons, Shopping, TFAW
11:07 AM | |
Friday, March 27, 2009
Feeling Frugal: Don't Let The Perfect Be The Enemy of The Good Bargain
Here's another shopping tip if you're looking for great bargains on graphic novels: Buy used or worn copies. Sounds obvious, but it requires a mindset that's OK with imperfection, something comic fans traditionally have a hard time with. ("What do you mean it's not in mint condition???") It also requires even more patience than regular tradewaiting, as you now have to wait for books to show up used somewhere.
One of my favorite places to find not-quite-new bargains is TFAW's Nick & Dent section, which I've written about several times before. I've found some great deals there, and the prices are always at least half-off. And even though TFAW describes their nick-and-dent books as being in "less-than-mint-condition" all the items I've ordered have been virtually indistinguishable from new books. TFAW is also great about offering coupons to cover shipping costs every month. Check out DealTaker for the most current coupon codes.
For the truly adventurous among you, TFAW has also recently added graphic novel "grab bags" to compliment their comic book grab bags. For three bucks apiece, you can get random volumes of Dark Horse manga, Dark Horse graphic novels, or Marvel graphic novels. You're gambling that you'll get something good, but no matter what you end up with, you'll only be out the cost of a singlefloppy pamphlet periodical comic.
One of my other first stops when looking for cheap graphic novels is Google Product Search (hereafter abbreviated 'GPS'). GPS does a good job of aggregating a variety of sites that are selling the item you're looking for, including aftermarket resellers such as Alibris and A1Books. When buying from used book sites, it's important to keep in mind that those sites generally aren't selling you the books directly; they're connecting you with other sellers who have the items you're looking for. So it's important to look at the seller's rating before buying from them. The lowest price won't mean much if they never ship the item to you or if it arrives in much worse condition than you expected.
One reseller that I've ended up buying from several times is B-Logistics. The name sounds like a site specializing in speakers and other electronics, but it's actually a clearinghouse for libraries and other organizations. All of the books I've purchased from them have been library copies and at first they looked pretty beat up, but once I removed the protective coverings taped over the covers, the books have all been in great shape. My most recent bargain through B-Logistics was the first volume of Heartbroken Angels, something that was recommended to me as an offbeat humor manga in a vein similar to Short Cuts. The book is still available new through several sites for the full price of $15.95, but I got it for 99 cents plus $2.99 shipping, making the total cost a very reasonable $3.98. (A GPS search this afternoon revealed that B-Logistics is offering the book through A1Books for $0.89, but shipping is $3.95, bumping the total cost up to $4.84. I couldn't find the book searching directly on B-Logistics' own site.)
One limitation of GPS is that it doesn't show the prices from affiliated resellers on Amazon Marketplace or Barnes & Noble's authorized sellers, so it's a good idea to check those sites out as well to see what their prices are. Keep in mind that shipping costs for used books can be higher due to the per-item charges.
So how about you? Any other favorite sites to track down used book bargains? (I just realized I didn't mention eBay, which is because the times I've bothered to look there I haven't found any good deals and I don't want to deal with the hassles of auctions. Have others had better luck finding deals there?)
* image nicked from this thread where posters discuss their most beat-up comics
Here's another shopping tip if you're looking for great bargains on graphic novels: Buy used or worn copies. Sounds obvious, but it requires a mindset that's OK with imperfection, something comic fans traditionally have a hard time with. ("What do you mean it's not in mint condition???") It also requires even more patience than regular tradewaiting, as you now have to wait for books to show up used somewhere.
One of my favorite places to find not-quite-new bargains is TFAW's Nick & Dent section, which I've written about several times before. I've found some great deals there, and the prices are always at least half-off. And even though TFAW describes their nick-and-dent books as being in "less-than-mint-condition" all the items I've ordered have been virtually indistinguishable from new books. TFAW is also great about offering coupons to cover shipping costs every month. Check out DealTaker for the most current coupon codes.For the truly adventurous among you, TFAW has also recently added graphic novel "grab bags" to compliment their comic book grab bags. For three bucks apiece, you can get random volumes of Dark Horse manga, Dark Horse graphic novels, or Marvel graphic novels. You're gambling that you'll get something good, but no matter what you end up with, you'll only be out the cost of a single
One of my other first stops when looking for cheap graphic novels is Google Product Search (hereafter abbreviated 'GPS'). GPS does a good job of aggregating a variety of sites that are selling the item you're looking for, including aftermarket resellers such as Alibris and A1Books. When buying from used book sites, it's important to keep in mind that those sites generally aren't selling you the books directly; they're connecting you with other sellers who have the items you're looking for. So it's important to look at the seller's rating before buying from them. The lowest price won't mean much if they never ship the item to you or if it arrives in much worse condition than you expected.
One reseller that I've ended up buying from several times is B-Logistics. The name sounds like a site specializing in speakers and other electronics, but it's actually a clearinghouse for libraries and other organizations. All of the books I've purchased from them have been library copies and at first they looked pretty beat up, but once I removed the protective coverings taped over the covers, the books have all been in great shape. My most recent bargain through B-Logistics was the first volume of Heartbroken Angels, something that was recommended to me as an offbeat humor manga in a vein similar to Short Cuts. The book is still available new through several sites for the full price of $15.95, but I got it for 99 cents plus $2.99 shipping, making the total cost a very reasonable $3.98. (A GPS search this afternoon revealed that B-Logistics is offering the book through A1Books for $0.89, but shipping is $3.95, bumping the total cost up to $4.84. I couldn't find the book searching directly on B-Logistics' own site.)
One limitation of GPS is that it doesn't show the prices from affiliated resellers on Amazon Marketplace or Barnes & Noble's authorized sellers, so it's a good idea to check those sites out as well to see what their prices are. Keep in mind that shipping costs for used books can be higher due to the per-item charges.
So how about you? Any other favorite sites to track down used book bargains? (I just realized I didn't mention eBay, which is because the times I've bothered to look there I haven't found any good deals and I don't want to deal with the hassles of auctions. Have others had better luck finding deals there?)
* image nicked from this thread where posters discuss their most beat-up comics
Labels: Bargains, Beat-Up Books, Reading Habits, Shopping
1:11 PM | |
Friday, March 20, 2009
Feeling Frugal: The 99-Cent Tokyopop Store
Lori Henderson has spotted a great sale on Tokyopop manga over at BookCloseouts: Each book is only 99 cents! I haven't read a whole lot of Tokyopop manga so I'm not sure if there's much that's worthwhile, but I here are some of their books that I've enjoyed:
* As I was writing this, volume 13 vanished from the list, so it looks like their warning that "inventory is limited" is accurate. I didn't notice at first that the detail page for each book lists the quantity remaining. As of this writing, there are only three copies of Sgt. Frog volume 11 left, for example.
UPDATE: I wasn't able to find any shipping coupons for BookCloseouts, but here's a code good for $5 off orders $35+ if you're really planning on stocking up on three dozen or more Tokyopop manga.
Lori Henderson has spotted a great sale on Tokyopop manga over at BookCloseouts: Each book is only 99 cents! I haven't read a whole lot of Tokyopop manga so I'm not sure if there's much that's worthwhile, but I here are some of their books that I've enjoyed:
- Sgt Frog vols. 1, 2, 9, 11,
13* - Planetes vol. 1
* As I was writing this, volume 13 vanished from the list, so it looks like their warning that "inventory is limited" is accurate. I didn't notice at first that the detail page for each book lists the quantity remaining. As of this writing, there are only three copies of Sgt. Frog volume 11 left, for example.
UPDATE: I wasn't able to find any shipping coupons for BookCloseouts, but here's a code good for $5 off orders $35+ if you're really planning on stocking up on three dozen or more Tokyopop manga.
Coupon Code: BookSale-5There's also a sale on gardening books and today is the first day of Spring, so maybe that could help you fill out your order.
password: bookcloseouts.com
Labels: Bargains, Manga, Shopping, Tokyopop
9:54 AM | |
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Feeling Frugal: Buying Comics on the Cheap
One of my favorite sites for buying new graphic novels is Tower.com. Their prices on comics always seem to be a little bit lower than other sites. For example, here are the prices for several books I'm tracking:
As you can see, buying the books from Tower represents a significant savings not only off cover price but also from other sites. OK, time to place an order on Tower for these books, right? NOT SO FAST!! Even though the prices are low, they could be lower. In my experience, Tower's prices frequently fluctuate and every now and then the prices can get close to half-off. So now I wait for the prices to hit at least 40% off before I buy them.
But how do I know when the prices reach my desired threshold? In the past I would check periodically on my own, but now I use the site Shopping Notes to track price changes for me automatically. The site allows you to save lists of items you want to watch and then sends you alerts whenever the price changes for a product (or drops below a certain threshold price if you prefer). There's also a bookmarklet feature that allows you to install a bookmark that you can then click when you're on a product page at a site like Tower or Amazon to save the product to your watch list.
Using the site definitely helps me catch sales that I might otherwise miss. For example, a couple days ago I set up a monitor for CMX's Fire Investigator Nanase (after Katherine Dacey reminded me it was out and renewed my interest by describing it as "ridiculously entertaining" and "a glorious mash-up of Firefighter Daigo of Company M, Silence of the Lambs, and Quincy, MD"). Yesterday I received an alert that its price had dropped to $5.79 (42% off), so I placed an order for it along with several other books whose prices had just dropped (20th Century Boys 1, Real 3, Parasyte 6). Today I received an alert that the price for Fire Investigator Nanase 1 had jumped back up to $7.99. If not for the alert, I probably would have missed that short-lived sale.
A couple caveats about using Tower:
The changes in my shopping techniques have led to changes in my reading habits. I used to be more obsessive about tracking when certain books were coming out, grouping books with close release dates together and ordering them when I had enough to qualify for free shipping. Now that I'm setting up monitors to track price drops, my main qualification for buying a book is how much I'm saving, not when it comes it out. This results in my falling behind on certain series, such as Kekkaishi, which has two volumes out that I'm still waiting to buy once the prices go down. It also means that I can forget about books I was once interested in if I fail to monitor it, as I almost did with Fire Investigator Nanase.
As Augie De Blieck, Jr. wrote in his infamous column last week, training yourself to delay gratification can lead to interesting results. Augie was talking mainly about weaning yourself from weekly Wednesday visits to the comic shop (a step in my comic-reading habits I remember all too well), but his point applies to other forms of delayed gratification as well. When I was more concerned about buying books as they came out, I would often fill orders with interesting but inessential items to reach the free shipping limit. Now that I'm putting off my purchases longer, I often pass over items that originally caught my interest but that now seem less like something I absolutely have to own. (For books like this, I usually end up checking them out through the library if they're available.)
To be fair, other factors are probably helping my resolve besides sheer willpower: A general unease about the state of the economy; a lack of time due to kids and a recent attempt to exercise more regularly; a quasi-resolution to avoid (or at least reduce) new book purchases until I make more headway in my unread stack. All of these undoubtedly contribute to my glacial pace in acquiring new comics.
I'm glad that the comics I'm interested in were never serialized in another format (at least not within the U.S.) so I don't have to bother with attempts to make me feel guilty for not supporting the current method of subsidizing the cost of collected editions.
I have nothing against local comic shops. It's just that my overriding concern in deciding where to purchase my comics is getting the best possible price. I don't care about getting it quickly, being able to browse it before I buy it, or interacting with other like-minded customers face-to-face. But obviously if any of those factors matter to you, buying online won't be as attractive for you as it is for me.
One of my favorite sites for buying new graphic novels is Tower.com. Their prices on comics always seem to be a little bit lower than other sites. For example, here are the prices for several books I'm tracking:
| Book | List Price | Tower Price | Amazon | Buy.com |
| A Drifting Life | $29.95 | $18.86 | $19.77 | $18.63 |
| The Photographer | $29.95 | $14.99 | $19.77 | $18.63 |
| Emma 8 | $9.99 | $7.99 | $9.99 | $9.00 |
| Kekkaishi 15 | $9.99 | $7.99 | $9.99 | $9.00 |
| Flower of Life 4 | $12.95 | $8.99 | $10.36 | $12.38* |
| Total for all 5 | $92.83 | $58.82 | $69.88 | $67.64 |
| Total savings | $34.01 | $22.95 | $25.19 | |
| % savings off list | 37% | 25% | 27% |
* Flower of Life 4 wasn't listed at the time of this writing, so I used the price for vol. 1.
As you can see, buying the books from Tower represents a significant savings not only off cover price but also from other sites. OK, time to place an order on Tower for these books, right? NOT SO FAST!! Even though the prices are low, they could be lower. In my experience, Tower's prices frequently fluctuate and every now and then the prices can get close to half-off. So now I wait for the prices to hit at least 40% off before I buy them.
But how do I know when the prices reach my desired threshold? In the past I would check periodically on my own, but now I use the site Shopping Notes to track price changes for me automatically. The site allows you to save lists of items you want to watch and then sends you alerts whenever the price changes for a product (or drops below a certain threshold price if you prefer). There's also a bookmarklet feature that allows you to install a bookmark that you can then click when you're on a product page at a site like Tower or Amazon to save the product to your watch list.
Using the site definitely helps me catch sales that I might otherwise miss. For example, a couple days ago I set up a monitor for CMX's Fire Investigator Nanase (after Katherine Dacey reminded me it was out and renewed my interest by describing it as "ridiculously entertaining" and "a glorious mash-up of Firefighter Daigo of Company M, Silence of the Lambs, and Quincy, MD"). Yesterday I received an alert that its price had dropped to $5.79 (42% off), so I placed an order for it along with several other books whose prices had just dropped (20th Century Boys 1, Real 3, Parasyte 6). Today I received an alert that the price for Fire Investigator Nanase 1 had jumped back up to $7.99. If not for the alert, I probably would have missed that short-lived sale.
A couple caveats about using Tower:
- Shipping is free for orders $25 and over, so make sure to buy enough to qualify for that.
- The free shipping is pretty slow. For a couple of my last orders, items took even longer than the upper limit of "15 business days" to arrive after they'd shipped.
- It looks like Tower no longer ships items individually as they become available, or at least that's what the change in language in their email notifications leads me to believe. The emails used to say "Your item, [item name], has just shipped from our distribution center and is on its way to you RIGHT NOW!" but now the phrasing is "Your item, [item name], has just processed in our distribution center. If you qualify for free standard shipping please note that your order may take an additional 5-7 business days to ship after all items in the order are processed." So I take it that an order won't ship until all items in your order are ready to ship, which could hold up an order containing pre-orders. So plan your orders accordingly. (I understand the reasons for doing this — why should Tower pay to ship items individually, especially when I don't know of any other sites to do that — but it does remove one of the big reasons why I used to love Tower.com so much.)
The changes in my shopping techniques have led to changes in my reading habits. I used to be more obsessive about tracking when certain books were coming out, grouping books with close release dates together and ordering them when I had enough to qualify for free shipping. Now that I'm setting up monitors to track price drops, my main qualification for buying a book is how much I'm saving, not when it comes it out. This results in my falling behind on certain series, such as Kekkaishi, which has two volumes out that I'm still waiting to buy once the prices go down. It also means that I can forget about books I was once interested in if I fail to monitor it, as I almost did with Fire Investigator Nanase.
As Augie De Blieck, Jr. wrote in his infamous column last week, training yourself to delay gratification can lead to interesting results. Augie was talking mainly about weaning yourself from weekly Wednesday visits to the comic shop (a step in my comic-reading habits I remember all too well), but his point applies to other forms of delayed gratification as well. When I was more concerned about buying books as they came out, I would often fill orders with interesting but inessential items to reach the free shipping limit. Now that I'm putting off my purchases longer, I often pass over items that originally caught my interest but that now seem less like something I absolutely have to own. (For books like this, I usually end up checking them out through the library if they're available.)
To be fair, other factors are probably helping my resolve besides sheer willpower: A general unease about the state of the economy; a lack of time due to kids and a recent attempt to exercise more regularly; a quasi-resolution to avoid (or at least reduce) new book purchases until I make more headway in my unread stack. All of these undoubtedly contribute to my glacial pace in acquiring new comics.
I'm glad that the comics I'm interested in were never serialized in another format (at least not within the U.S.) so I don't have to bother with attempts to make me feel guilty for not supporting the current method of subsidizing the cost of collected editions.
I have nothing against local comic shops. It's just that my overriding concern in deciding where to purchase my comics is getting the best possible price. I don't care about getting it quickly, being able to browse it before I buy it, or interacting with other like-minded customers face-to-face. But obviously if any of those factors matter to you, buying online won't be as attractive for you as it is for me.
Labels: Bargains, Killing The LCS, Reading Habits, Shopping
1:30 PM | |
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
'B' is for 'Bargain'
TFAW is having a month-long sale with a twist: Each day select books that begin with the letter-of-the-day will be 28% off. It's kind of like an Advent calendar of bargains! Today's letter is 'B' so as you can imagine there are a ton of Batman books on sale. (Sorry, yesterday was the letter 'A,' so no deals on Aquaman comics.)
If 28% off isn't a big enough discount for you, check out TFAW's clearance section where the reductions are 40%. Or check out the nick-and-dent section where the prices are 50% off.
And when you check out, make sure to use one of the following coupon codes:
TFAW is having a month-long sale with a twist: Each day select books that begin with the letter-of-the-day will be 28% off. It's kind of like an Advent calendar of bargains! Today's letter is 'B' so as you can imagine there are a ton of Batman books on sale. (Sorry, yesterday was the letter 'A,' so no deals on Aquaman comics.)
If 28% off isn't a big enough discount for you, check out TFAW's clearance section where the reductions are 40%. Or check out the nick-and-dent section where the prices are 50% off.
And when you check out, make sure to use one of the following coupon codes:
- HUGME - Free domestic shipping on orders $28+
- BEMINE - $10 off any shipping method
- FACES - Free domestic shipping on orders $35+
- EVIL - $5 off orders $50+
Labels: Bargains, Coupons, Shopping, TFAW
2:13 PM | |
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
From The Personal Library Of...
Just a reminder that TFAW's 60% off sale for their nick-and-dent books ends tomorrow, so there's still a little time to get some great bargains. And I found two additional shipping coupons in addition to the other ones I listed before:
Oh no, Dark Horse is in such bad financial shape that they've been forced to sell books from their own editorial department! NOOOO!!!!!
Just a reminder that TFAW's 60% off sale for their nick-and-dent books ends tomorrow, so there's still a little time to get some great bargains. And I found two additional shipping coupons in addition to the other ones I listed before:
- SNOW free domestic shipping on orders over $50
- WINTER $10 off any shipping method on orders over $50
- MISTLETOE free domestic shipping on orders over $35
- BLIZZARD $10 off any shipping method on orders over $40
Oh no, Dark Horse is in such bad financial shape that they've been forced to sell books from their own editorial department! NOOOO!!!!!
Labels: Bargains, Coupons, Dark Horse, Oddities, Shopping
11:15 AM | |
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Sixty Percent Off and Free Shipping
While you're doing your holiday shopping online, why not treat yourself to some bargain graphic novels? Here are some great deals I noticed at two different stores today:
First, BookCloseouts.com has a huge selection of Tokyopop graphic novels on sale for 60% off, and if you order $35+ shipping is free. How huge is the selection of Tokyopop books? Searching by publisher = Tokyopop returns an astonishing 819 results! Combined with news of layoffs, this doesn't look good for Tokyopop. But it's good for you if you're looking for bargains! May I recommend something in space-faring amphibian conqueror comedy? BookCloseouts has eleven volumes of Sgt. Frog available for $4 each.
Getting the free shipping (US and Canada only) is a little tricky: It requires not only a coupon code but a coupon password as well. Enter the following info on the cart page and standard shipping should show up as $0.00 on the order page:
I won't list everything I bought from the two stores, but I will mention that I did pick up a certain infamous Harvey-nominated manga collection for only eight bucks. (Looks like it's since sold out. Just goes to show that quality books like that will sell like hotcakes if the price is right!) Actually, a lot of the stuff I ordered earlier today has since sold out. But a new item has appeared on the list that will probably appeal to lots of comics readers: The Absolute Sandman HC Vol. 1 for only $40!
Happy bargain hunting!
While you're doing your holiday shopping online, why not treat yourself to some bargain graphic novels? Here are some great deals I noticed at two different stores today:
First, BookCloseouts.com has a huge selection of Tokyopop graphic novels on sale for 60% off, and if you order $35+ shipping is free. How huge is the selection of Tokyopop books? Searching by publisher = Tokyopop returns an astonishing 819 results! Combined with news of layoffs, this doesn't look good for Tokyopop. But it's good for you if you're looking for bargains! May I recommend something in space-faring amphibian conqueror comedy? BookCloseouts has eleven volumes of Sgt. Frog available for $4 each.
Getting the free shipping (US and Canada only) is a little tricky: It requires not only a coupon code but a coupon password as well. Enter the following info on the cart page and standard shipping should show up as $0.00 on the order page:
* Coupon Number: freeshippingNext, TFAW has upped the discount on its nick and dent section to 60%, and there are currently 56 pages of great graphic novel bargains to choose from. That's a lot of material to browse through (1674 items!), mainly from Dark Horse and Marvel (so that's what's happening to all of those "Premiere Edition" hardcovers!), but remember that you can filter your selection by publisher to narrow things down. Here are some recommended books to get you started:
* Coupon Password: bookcloseouts.com
- Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Volume 1
- Mail Volumes 1, 2, 3
- Scary Book 1
- Museum Of Terror 1, 2, 3
- Ohikkoshi
I won't list everything I bought from the two stores, but I will mention that I did pick up a certain infamous Harvey-nominated manga collection for only eight bucks. (Looks like it's since sold out. Just goes to show that quality books like that will sell like hotcakes if the price is right!) Actually, a lot of the stuff I ordered earlier today has since sold out. But a new item has appeared on the list that will probably appeal to lots of comics readers: The Absolute Sandman HC Vol. 1 for only $40!
Happy bargain hunting!
Labels: Bargains, Coupons, Shopping
11:06 PM | |
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Sorry, Kids -- Maybe I'll Buy You Those Disney Movies Next Year
I just noticed that Tower.com seems to be having a pretty big and fairly extensive sale on its site. I'm not sure when it started or how long it'll last, so head over and check to see if there's anything that you've been looking for that's on sale. I was actually looking for Disney DVDs as Christmas gifts for the kids when I decided to check on the items saved on my wish list. I'd just placed two items on the list yesterday, With The Light volumes two and three, because I'd requested the books via my library months ago and they still hadn't come in. Yesterday each volume was priced at $8.78, still a great deal, but today the price was reduced to $6.99 apiece! That's over half-off!! (You know how excited I get when the price of something falls below that magical 50% barrier.)
Some other great bargains I noticed (ones I bought in bold):
UPDATE 11/13: Looks like prices have drifted back up again. For example, With The Light 2 is now $9.86 and Slam Dunk 1 is 5.95, each almost three dollars more than on Tuesday.
I just noticed that Tower.com seems to be having a pretty big and fairly extensive sale on its site. I'm not sure when it started or how long it'll last, so head over and check to see if there's anything that you've been looking for that's on sale. I was actually looking for Disney DVDs as Christmas gifts for the kids when I decided to check on the items saved on my wish list. I'd just placed two items on the list yesterday, With The Light volumes two and three, because I'd requested the books via my library months ago and they still hadn't come in. Yesterday each volume was priced at $8.78, still a great deal, but today the price was reduced to $6.99 apiece! That's over half-off!! (You know how excited I get when the price of something falls below that magical 50% barrier.)
Some other great bargains I noticed (ones I bought in bold):
- Solanin - $9.99
- Aya of Yop City - $10.99
- Vagabond VIZBIG Edition, Vol. 2 - $11.86 (vol 1 is even cheaper - only $10.99!!)
- Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service vols. 1-7 $5.99 each, with #5 even cheaper at $4.99!
- Sgt. Frog - $4.99 - $5.99
- Bleach - a couple volumes (21, 22, 24) for as low as $2.99
- Bleach Box Set (collecting vols. 1-21) - $88.99, or a little over four bucks a book
- Dororo vol. 1 - $6.99 (2 and 3 are $7.99)
- Cat Eyed Boy 1 - $12.99 (vol.2 is $13.99)
- Slam Dunk 1 - $2.99 (!!!! - buy this book!!!)
- Real 1 - $5.99 (vol. 2 is $6.99)
- Parasyte 1-5 - $6.99 each
- Emma 1-6 - $4.99 (7 is $5.99 but the cover price was a dollar more)
- Spider-Man J: Turning Japanese - $4.99
UPDATE 11/13: Looks like prices have drifted back up again. For example, With The Light 2 is now $9.86 and Slam Dunk 1 is 5.95, each almost three dollars more than on Tuesday.
Labels: Bargains, Manga, Shopping
11:54 AM | |
Friday, September 05, 2008
Who Watches The Watchmen Sales?
Tower.com is currently offering the Watchmen paperback for just $8.86, over half-off the $19.99 cover price. (The sale price is listed as part of Tower's September "Essentials" sale, so presumably that price is good through the end of the month.)
Meanwhile, over at TFAW they're offering the TPB for $9.99 and will throw in free shipping if you add more stuff to your order for a grand total of at least $19.99 through 9/30. (Tower offers free shipping on orders over $25, so you'll have to decide which deal is better for you.)
TFAW also has a couple other coupon codes active through 9/30:
Tower.com is currently offering the Watchmen paperback for just $8.86, over half-off the $19.99 cover price. (The sale price is listed as part of Tower's September "Essentials" sale, so presumably that price is good through the end of the month.)
Meanwhile, over at TFAW they're offering the TPB for $9.99 and will throw in free shipping if you add more stuff to your order for a grand total of at least $19.99 through 9/30. (Tower offers free shipping on orders over $25, so you'll have to decide which deal is better for you.)
TFAW also has a couple other coupon codes active through 9/30:
- Get $10 off any shipping method on orders of $50+ with code PENCILS
- Get free shipping on orders over $25 with code BACKTOSCHOOL
Labels: Bargains, Coupons, Shopping, Watchmen
3:35 PM | |
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Problems With Yen Plus' Subscription Service
UPDATE 8/27/2008 3:21 PM: The form linked from the Yen Press website is now secure, and they've updated the post to note that the subscription site is secure.
If you were planning on subscribing to Yen Press' Yen Plus anthology via their newly-launched online subscription service, STOP! The subscription form linked from the Yen Press website doesn't use SSL, so your personal information (including credit card info) is unencrypted. See the screenshot below for an example (click to enlarge) and note the lack of "https" in the URL. All other magazines' online subscription forms that I can think of use SSL from the very beginning of the transaction (see EW and The New Yorker), so I'm surprised to see this flaw. Frankly, it's sloppy and unprofessional.
Others have already pointed out the problem in the comments section, so hopefully Yen Press will resolve this flaw soon. You can access a secure version of the subscription form by manually adding an 's' to the URL (https://www.neodata.com/hfmus/yenz/print_subs.html) but I would recommend waiting until Yen Press straightens everything out on their end.
Interestingly, this isn't the first problem Yen Press has had in setting up subscriptions for the Yen Plus magazine. First there was a long delay in getting the subscriptions up and running. The debut issue referred to a subscription card in the magazine that could be filled out and mailed in, but there was no such card to be found, a discrepancy that frustrated more than one reader. Readers were also directed to the magazine's website in the first issue, but before yesterday there had been no subscription link, just promises that online subscriptions would be coming soon. In the end, two issues of the anthology came out before subscriptions were even available.
All in all, it's hardly an auspicious launch for an anthology that had been anticipated for so long. It's even more puzzling that such amateurish mistakes are coming from an imprint of Hachette Book Group, a major publisher with a history dating back to 1837, and one headed by experienced book industry executives Kurt Hassler and Rich Johnson.
UPDATE 8/27/2008 3:21 PM: The form linked from the Yen Press website is now secure, and they've updated the post to note that the subscription site is secure.
Interestingly, this isn't the first problem Yen Press has had in setting up subscriptions for the Yen Plus magazine. First there was a long delay in getting the subscriptions up and running. The debut issue referred to a subscription card in the magazine that could be filled out and mailed in, but there was no such card to be found, a discrepancy that frustrated more than one reader. Readers were also directed to the magazine's website in the first issue, but before yesterday there had been no subscription link, just promises that online subscriptions would be coming soon. In the end, two issues of the anthology came out before subscriptions were even available.
All in all, it's hardly an auspicious launch for an anthology that had been anticipated for so long. It's even more puzzling that such amateurish mistakes are coming from an imprint of Hachette Book Group, a major publisher with a history dating back to 1837, and one headed by experienced book industry executives Kurt Hassler and Rich Johnson.
Labels: Alerts, Manga, Publisher Website Problems, Shopping
10:00 AM | |
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Time Is Running Out! Place Your Order Within The Next 30 Minutes To SAVE!!!!
TFAW is having a "Summer Steals" sale with prices 80% off items throughout the store, including over 500 graphic novels. Some recommended deals:
UPDATE: Try coupon code SIGNUP for free shipping in the U.S. and SIGNUP-INT for $10 off international shipping.
TFAW is having a "Summer Steals" sale with prices 80% off items throughout the store, including over 500 graphic novels. Some recommended deals:
- Club 9 1 2 3
- Museum of Terror 2 3
- Scary Book 1 2 3
- School Zone 1
- And of course, X-Force: Shatterstar (darn it, that's on backorder)
UPDATE: Try coupon code SIGNUP for free shipping in the U.S. and SIGNUP-INT for $10 off international shipping.
Labels: Bargains, Coupons, Manga, Shopping
11:06 PM | |
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Shopping Dilemma of The Day
After reading Deb Aoki's excellent overview of the Chip Kidd Bat-Manga! panel, I'm more excited than ever about this book. The only problem is deciding which version to buy: the $30 softcover or the "limited edition" $60 hardcover with thirty-two extra pages of material. If all the bonus material is as great as this wonderfully goofy image, a sample from Chinese Batman comics that will only be included in the hardcover, I may have to break down and shell out the extra thirty bucks for the upscale edition.
Holy Spot the Cameos, Batman!
Can you find The Trickster, J'onn J'onzz,
Robotman, Hawkman, Dick Tracy, and Bat Boy?
[image from Deb Aoki]
Either way, though, I'm sure this book will be enjoyable. I mean, how can you go wrong when Batman is wielding bazookas and ray guns while fighting villains with names like "Lord Death Man"?
UPDATE: I wimped out and ordered the softcover. I just couldn't justify spending the extra moolah on what amounted to a floppy's worth of extra material. Plus, I was able to add Bleach SOULs (the official Bleach character book, with "bonus manga and the original Bleach one-shot") and Magic Trixie to my order for less than the price of the hardcover.
After reading Deb Aoki's excellent overview of the Chip Kidd Bat-Manga! panel, I'm more excited than ever about this book. The only problem is deciding which version to buy: the $30 softcover or the "limited edition" $60 hardcover with thirty-two extra pages of material. If all the bonus material is as great as this wonderfully goofy image, a sample from Chinese Batman comics that will only be included in the hardcover, I may have to break down and shell out the extra thirty bucks for the upscale edition.
Holy Spot the Cameos, Batman!
Can you find The Trickster, J'onn J'onzz,
Robotman, Hawkman, Dick Tracy, and Bat Boy?
[image from Deb Aoki]
Either way, though, I'm sure this book will be enjoyable. I mean, how can you go wrong when Batman is wielding bazookas and ray guns while fighting villains with names like "Lord Death Man"?
UPDATE: I wimped out and ordered the softcover. I just couldn't justify spending the extra moolah on what amounted to a floppy's worth of extra material. Plus, I was able to add Bleach SOULs (the official Bleach character book, with "bonus manga and the original Bleach one-shot") and Magic Trixie to my order for less than the price of the hardcover.
Labels: Bat-Manga, Decisions Decisions, Manga, Shopping
10:15 AM | |
Friday, July 18, 2008
Shopping Alert! 30% Off at New Borders.com
It looks like the new Borders.com has finally officially launched, and to promote the site, they're offering a 30% off list price coupon through 7/22 (coupon code BCOM2208). Plus, like many other online retailers, Borders is offering free shipping on orders over $25.
Everything I looked at is listed at cover price, so I'm not sure if 30% off beats the deals you could find at sites like Amazon or Tower, but I figured it's worth letting people know about as another shopping option. 11:14 AM | |
It looks like the new Borders.com has finally officially launched, and to promote the site, they're offering a 30% off list price coupon through 7/22 (coupon code BCOM2208). Plus, like many other online retailers, Borders is offering free shipping on orders over $25.
Everything I looked at is listed at cover price, so I'm not sure if 30% off beats the deals you could find at sites like Amazon or Tower, but I figured it's worth letting people know about as another shopping option. 11:14 AM | |
Friday, July 11, 2008
My Gloom and Doom Thought of The Day
How long before online retailers raise the minimum threshold required to get free shipping? Or do away with free shipping altogether? How long will retailers be willing (or able) to eat the increased costs of delivering all those packages to frugal consumers like me? I will be very bummed the day I can no longer get discounted manga delivered to my door for free.
How long before online retailers raise the minimum threshold required to get free shipping? Or do away with free shipping altogether? How long will retailers be willing (or able) to eat the increased costs of delivering all those packages to frugal consumers like me? I will be very bummed the day I can no longer get discounted manga delivered to my door for free.
Labels: Pointless Fretting, Random Thoughts, Selfish Stinginess, Shopping
10:09 AM | |
