TF Comic Sales..for those interested

KJ · Post by KJ » Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:17 am

Yaya wrote:Here's to hoping it had something to do with bad distribution and not fan interest.

We've seen the whole time that there's a section of the readership who are ONLY interested in a core title. These people bought the -Ations, but seemingly never bought a single Spotlight. They number about 2-3k.

It would also seem that those people didn't buy Revelations, could be multiple reasons for that: they didn't realise it was the next part of the story (heard that a bit), they just thought it was more Spotlights, which they don't buy, OR that they didn't see the need to, because AHM is the new core book, right?

Everyone's been told that AHM IS the next part of the story, 1 year later, the new status quo, etc etc etc. These people went to that book.

Thus, I think that's 2-3k of the readership that would otherwise have been buying Max Dino's.

Maybe they don't even know that it ties into the -Ations and main continuity. It does seem like this 2-3k doesn't read Previews or check the Net much. They seem to be dedicated casual readers, who want a monthly Transformers dose.

So I think that's part of the reason Max Dino's debuted so low.

But yeah, it's crunch time for Simon's -Ation continuity. I think this may be it for it.

Normally I'd say that it'll be interesting to see the sales of the next 4 issues. I wouldn't expect much of a drop-off in sales. But with such widespread reports of number 2 being unavailable from the distributor, and it seems that issue 2's sales may be useless for analysis.

Post by **Best First** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:37 am

Aren't those numbers orders?

Which would mean that distribution has nothing to do with it?

Post by **Denyer** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:03 pm

Best First wrote:Aren't those numbers orders?

Which would mean that distribution has nothing to do with it?

Think it takes into account whether Diamond have received stock; the figures for Movie Prequel #1 were --

250 - FEB07/#1 - 2,819
088 - MAR07/#1 - 23,658

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 3:28 am

January 2009 numbers in:

TRANSFORMERS REVENGE FALLEN MOVIE PQ DEFIANCE #1 10,469 copies
TRANSFORMERS REVENGE FALLEN MOVIE PQ ALLIANCE #2 10,273 copies
TRANSFORMERS MAXIMUM DINOBOTS #2 5,318 copies

Trades:

TRANSFORMERS MOVIE PREQUEL SAGA O/T ALLSPARK TP 850 copies
TRANSFORMERS ARMADA TP VOL 02 588 copies

Total Revenue for January 2009: $131,025.02

Summary:
Summary:
Total TF Revenue December 2006: $209,000.
Total TF Revenue November 2006: $208,000
Total TF Revenue October 2006: $189,533
Total TF Revenue January 2007 $161,380
Total TF Revenue for February 2007 $121,024
Total TF Revenue for March 2007 $329,932
Total TF Revenue for April 2007 $198,345
Total TF Revenue for May 2007 $238,936.79
Total TF Revenue for June 2007 $535,169.76
Total TF Revenue for July 2007 $262,600.59 (estimate)
Total TF Revenue for August 2007 $127,860.12 (estimate)
Total TF Revenue for September 2007 $118,460.58 (estimate)
Total TF Revenue for October 2007 $424,635.39 (estimate)
Total TF Revenue for November 2007 $125,453.58
Total TF Revenue for December 2007 $102,105.78
total TF Revenue for January 2008 $247,827.98
total TF Revenue for February 2008 $250,586.39
Total TF Revenue for March 2008 $62,690.88
Total TF Revenue for April 2008 $107,759.55
Total TF Revenue for May 2008 $111,658.23
Total TF Revenue for June 2008 $211,659.50
Total TF Revenue for July 2008 $202,113.45
Total TF Revenue for August 2008 $282,627.66
Total TF Revenue for Sept 2008: $133,329.84
Total TF Revenue for Oct 2008: $152,733.21
Total TF Revenue for Nov 2008: $158,982.55
Total TF Revenue for Dec 2008: $188,709.54
Total TF Revenue for January 2009: $131,025.02

Yep. MD #2 definitely got screwed over on the distribution side of things. And where's AHM? Did it not come out this month?

Hot Shot · Post by **Hot Shot** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 5:42 am

TRANSFORMERS MAXIMUM DINOBOTS #2 5,318 copies

Oh, gee. I wonder why.

Sunyavadin · Post by **Sunyavadin** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:41 am

In other news, total copies of Max Dinobots printed=5,318

Post by **snarl** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:49 am

Just what the bloody [composite word including 'f*ck'] is going on?

Sunyavadin · Post by **Sunyavadin** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:53 am

I think every single copy gets sent to my local store. And even with the massive stack they get, they still sell out within a day.

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:09 pm

Sunyavadin wrote:In other news, total copies of Max Dinobots printed=5,318

It's my understanding that those numbers mean precisely this. They're books ordered by shops, not sold to customers.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:11 pm

Professor Smooth wrote:
Sunyavadin wrote:In other news, total copies of Max Dinobots printed=5,318
It's my understanding that those numbers mean precisely this. They're books ordered by shops, not sold to customers.

More precisely, The shops order an amount from their suppliers (wholesalers), who then order the combined amounts from all their clients from the publishers.

And if one or more of those suppliers happens to go into administration due to the current global downturn/recession, then the publishers are unable to receive the orders from the affected shops, and the shops are unable to receive the stock from the affected publishers.

Not that that should have any relevance on individual products that follow an identical line of delivery, mind you.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:23 am

What's disappointing is that no effort seems to have been made by IDW to re-distribute MD #2.

Why would I want to read #3 without a copy of #2?

My bro is bringing me his #2, but for the many other fans who can't get #2, what are they to do?

Don't they realize that no #2 will hurt sales of all subsequent issues?

Sunyavadin · Post by **Sunyavadin** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 2:56 am

And why should they be trying to distribute and sell more copies of Max Dinos? It's not like they're a business, trying to make money, in the middle of a recession, or anything.........

......oh, wait.........

Manchester Devil · Post by **Manchester Devil** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:12 am

Just wondering if anyone had managed to get all 3 Maximum Dinobots issues at this point? Apart from me that is.

Max Dinos iss 3 is funking violent!

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 3:36 am

I downloaded 2. It had to be done.

Predabot · Post by **Predabot** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:14 am

Oh, so #3 is out now? I had no bloody idea, tell you the truth. I'll have to look for it now..

KJ · Post by KJ » Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:49 pm

sprunkner wrote:I downloaded 2. It had to be done.

Honestly, I don't blame you. It's pretty ridiculous.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:40 am

I think Simon and Nick have been releasing a different issue for everyone who gets MD 2.

In yours, did the townsfolk ever find Grimlock's head?

KJ · Post by KJ » Mon Feb 23, 2009 9:51 am

Rebis wrote:
Professor Smooth wrote:
Sunyavadin wrote:In other news, total copies of Max Dinobots printed=5,318
It's my understanding that those numbers mean precisely this. They're books ordered by shops, not sold to customers.
More precisely, The shops order an amount from their suppliers (wholesalers), who then order the combined amounts from all their clients from the publishers.

And if one or more of those suppliers happens to go into administration due to the current global downturn/recession, then the publishers are unable to receive the orders from the affected shops, and the shops are unable to receive the stock from the affected publishers.

Not that that should have any relevance on individual products that follow an identical line of delivery, mind you.

Well, not quite.

These figures are Diamond sales only. They are the only supplier, really. :/ Great job in the 90's there, Marvel. They're also estimates, as Diamond doesn't release the exact figures. They're good at showing trends, basically.

And yeah, figures are Diamond sales to comic shops, North America. That's to shops, NOT customers, and first month only. Re-orders are listed separately in following months if they chart, but with numbers like IDW's, it's highly unlikely they will have enough re-orders to make the charts.

However, MD2 could possibly show up next month again, I guess. However, it doesn't sound like too many people have gotten the issue since initial shipment (a lot didn't even get it then), so who knows how many more copies there are out there. Denton's comment of it 'almost' selling out suggests there's some 3000+ copies out there, somewhere.

Sunyavadin · Post by **Sunyavadin** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 10:48 am

I'm starting to think they distributed the exact same number of copies of MD #2 to the US as they did to the UK. I might start buying up every copy my two local comic stores get, and selling them to Americans on Ebay....

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 6:13 pm

If anyone's local shop still has 2, or you have extra copies, there will be a market for them.

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Mon Feb 23, 2009 11:56 pm

Just wondering if anyone had managed to get all 3 Maximum Dinobots issues at this point? Apart from me that is.

Yep, me. For #2 and #3, on both occasions I picked up the last copy in Forbidden Planet.

Post by **Best First** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 9:11 am

Avalon Comics - Clapham, fine both months.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 10:52 am

Yaya wrote:Don't they realize that no #2 will hurt sales of all subsequent issues?

A bastard might say that it's an intentional plot to undermine the sales of Furman's final scheduled book, and thus prove once and for all that Shane McCarthy is The Future.

... luckily, we're a bastard-free environment, so nobody here would even suggest such a thing.

arkonseal · Post by **arkonseal** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 3:20 am

Brendocon wrote:
Yaya wrote:Don't they realize that no #2 will hurt sales of all subsequent issues?
A bastard might say that it's an intentional plot to undermine the sales of Furman's final scheduled book, and thus prove once and for all that Shane McCarthy is The Future.

... luckily, we're a bastard-free environment, so nobody here would even suggest such a thing.

I really, really don't think a small company in fragile industry like comic book publishing would ever deliberately try to lose sales, especially just to make a point about editorial decisions.

From the way people talk about Diamond and its monopoly, I could see IDW avoiding public finger-pointing over distribution errors in order to maintain good corporate relations.

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:17 am

I'd never go with 'deliberate' but I could just about entertain 'not as careful/professional as much as they could have been', recession or no, on account of how Ryall and DJT have both been, on occasions, short-tempered, distrustful and defensive when it comes to AHM criticisms. If doing the job properly in the comics industry requires persistent love and dedication, maybe that's wavered a bit.

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 2:09 pm

Explanation from Ryall:

"Issue 2 had the misfortune of being ready to be shipped out of Diamond to retailers right when they were moving to a new warehouse. This wasn't supposed to them shipping our new titles, but it seems to have done so here. I still haven't gotten a satisfactory answer as to what happened, but there are a lot of retailers who haven't been sent the comics we delivered on time over a month ago. Which is driving me (and you -- some of you more than others, those of you who inexplicably think this would be a deliberate move on our part, never mind the fact that Diamond is the distributor, not us) crazy. The comics are there, they just need to find them."

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:53 pm

Maybe they're in the same place as all those extra copies of AHM that weren't included in the Diamond sales figures?

I jest. I jest.

Probably.

sprunkner · Post by **sprunkner** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 12:51 am

2 and 3 are both in my store today.

Magic!

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 3:23 am

From Ryall on IDW forums about MD #2:

And yes, those sales numbers are way off. The book sold almost equally with issue 1, which is great, not really any dip at all.

Good to know.

Yaya · Post by **Yaya** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 6:17 pm

February's numbers are up. From ICV2 as usual

Comics:
AHM #7 11,832 copies
Alliance #3 9,0001 copies
MD #3 8,008 copies
City of Fear #1 3,045 copies

Trades:
AHM V1 1,488 copies
Revelations 1,119 copies
Animated V7 1,118 copies
WW Omnibus 1,087 copies
Classic Transformers V3 775 copies

Total TF revenue for February 2009: $223,255.27

Great month on the TF trade side of things.

Max Dino sales disappointing, in the sense that Star Trek Countdown #2 and Doctor Who Whispering Gallery both sold a couple thousand copies more.

G.I.Joe sales, for those interested:
GI JOE #2 23,641 copies
GI JOE ORIGINS #1 21,975 copies

Summary:
Total TF Revenue December 2006: $209,000.
Total TF Revenue November 2006: $208,000
Total TF Revenue October 2006: $189,533
Total TF Revenue January 2007 $161,380
Total TF Revenue for February 2007 $121,024
Total TF Revenue for March 2007 $329,932
Total TF Revenue for April 2007 $198,345
Total TF Revenue for May 2007 $238,936.79
Total TF Revenue for June 2007 $535,169.76
Total TF Revenue for July 2007 $262,600.59 (estimate)
Total TF Revenue for August 2007 $127,860.12 (estimate)
Total TF Revenue for September 2007 $118,460.58 (estimate)
Total TF Revenue for October 2007 $424,635.39 (estimate)
Total TF Revenue for November 2007 $125,453.58
Total TF Revenue for December 2007 $102,105.78
total TF Revenue for January 2008 $247,827.98
total TF Revenue for February 2008 $250,586.39
Total TF Revenue for March 2008 $62,690.88
Total TF Revenue for April 2008 $107,759.55
Total TF Revenue for May 2008 $111,658.23
Total TF Revenue for June 2008 $211,659.50
Total TF Revenue for July 2008 $202,113.45
Total TF Revenue for August 2008 $282,627.66
Total TF Revenue for Sept 2008: $133,329.84
Total TF Revenue for Oct 2008: $152,733.21
Total TF Revenue for Nov 2008: $158,982.55
Total TF Revenue for Dec 2008: $188,709.54
Total TF Revenue for January 2009: $131,025.02
Total TF Revenue for February 2009: $223,255.27