tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747146.post4493119674309073904..comments2023-10-26T03:57:50.903-07:00Comments on Comics Fairplay: Diamond Makes Yet Another Error... and the Fanboys Laugh??Heidi Meeleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01436991028382498324noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747146.post-40522394106262604132007-01-05T11:54:00.000-08:002007-01-05T11:54:00.000-08:00So right, james! The only REAL solution is for Dia...So right, james! The only REAL solution is for Diamond to loose business, and without competition that's not really possible. It does stink! However, I do think that anyone upset about Diamond's poor service needs to speak up. Maybe if enough people swarm them they'll finally hear something.Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06656871719685145723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747146.post-63670710293326884832007-01-04T19:26:00.000-08:002007-01-04T19:26:00.000-08:00Lisa:
Oh, please, don't take my points to me we s...Lisa:<br /><br />Oh, please, don't take my points to me we should just "bend over the barrel" for Diamond. I completely agree that we should speak up to Diamond, if for no other reason, than our own piece of mind on the situation.<br /><br />I guess I just wish there was more we could do than "formally complain" and hope for the best. I've always been the type of person who likes to have a hand in things that effect me (even something as minimal, as making sure my LCS gets my comics in on time). Knowing I don't have that kind of option here, is just a bit disheartening and frustrating. All of which is only heightened by the fact that I KNOW the right course that needs to be taken to ultimately fix this, but must live with the fact that very few (if any) of the fans and retailers would be willing to follow through with it. Sort of feels like have the answer to curing cancer, but no one wants to believe or listen to you. <br /><br />I still plan to do whatever I can, though, to help make Diamond see reason on this issue. I just wish I could do more.James Meeleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15125466138669301618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747146.post-38987356205558607342007-01-04T18:31:00.000-08:002007-01-04T18:31:00.000-08:00Wow, after reading these insightful posts, I don't...Wow, after reading these insightful posts, I don't have much to add! I just want to reiterate that we need to try and solve the problem rather then just being upset. Even if it never gets better, at least we know we tried.Heidi Meeleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01436991028382498324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747146.post-46411314760914688912007-01-04T16:36:00.000-08:002007-01-04T16:36:00.000-08:00James, you are right, as unfortunate as it is - th...James, you are right, as unfortunate as it is - the only way to really convince publishers to end exclusive contracts would be to stop buying. But stores can't, fans won't... I do think that we're at another peak in comic book consumption and if the lateness and "big event" gimics continue we will see another crash, not as big as the 1990's, but a slump for sure. Who knows what the comic book landscape will look like after that. Maybe the exclusive contracts will end, maybe not, maybe comics will be sold mainly in digital format and via subscriptions from publishers. But in the short run those of us who can, should stand up for ourselves and let publishers and distributors know that we're mad and deserve to be treated better! We need to come together as a community rather than all saying, "Diamond won't do anything anyway."Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06656871719685145723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747146.post-71613832835444652492007-01-04T14:11:00.000-08:002007-01-04T14:11:00.000-08:00John:
There actually are a very few smaller distr...John:<br /><br />There actually are a very few smaller distributors out there. Nothing that could ever hope to compete with Diamond (and is why Diamond is not considered a monopoly, according to the justice department), but they do exist. Of course, with Diamond having exclusives with any publisher of note, that can never change, either.<br /><br />It is the exclusivity that Diamond has with the main publishers that gives them the power they have to do whatever they want, however they want to do it. If that was broken, so would Diamond's "armor" against treating retailers and fan as insignificant ants. But as we've said, what would need to be done to do that will never happen. Mores the pity....James Meeleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15125466138669301618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747146.post-79941905777290169652007-01-04T12:28:00.000-08:002007-01-04T12:28:00.000-08:00James I think your idea would make a big differenc...James I think your idea would make a big difference, but you are right. It will never happen. All the big comic publishers have exclusives with Diamond, so that would mean all the big comics...never happen unfortunately. I wonder why the big companies have exclusives with Diamond now, where could they go? There is no other distributor to jump ship to.John Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11714537622409205603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747146.post-35792627069129559482007-01-04T08:50:00.000-08:002007-01-04T08:50:00.000-08:00I encourage EVERYONE to share the Diamond contact ...I encourage EVERYONE to share the Diamond contact information. I'd like to see them bombarded with letters. I'll even send one - while my stuff comes out of Plattsburgh NY I think it's important to show solidarity as a fan and as a store owner.Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06656871719685145723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747146.post-74420898580816094532007-01-03T21:01:00.000-08:002007-01-03T21:01:00.000-08:00Well, there IS a solution, but fans and retailers...Well, there IS a solution, but fans and retailers would never have the balls to do it.<br /><br />The solution is: all fans and retailers boycott any comic company that has an exclusive contract with Diamond. If the big boys of publishing can't sell through Diamond, because no one is willing to buy from them, they would either get on Diamond to fix these other problems, or go to other distributors, which would break the Diamond chokehold on the distribution side of the direct market.<br /><br />But that will never happen. Because if the retailers were willing to do it, the fans would never accept it. They'd find some way to circumvent the retailers to get the stuff, then all that happens is the retailers are out of business. <br /><br />And it probably wouldn't even get that far, as some unscrupulous retailers would still make and accept oders from Diamond, while others stood by to do the right thing, and attempt to soak up all the fans who'd be looking for somewhere to get the books.<br /><br />The reason Diamond and the big publishers don't have anything to fear, is because they know the fans have no willpower and can't do anything more than bitch on their online blogs about things. The fans will never take the drastic steps to force them to fix things, because no one is willing to make the sacrifice. Oh, they all think it should be done, just not by THEM. And that's where they know that have the retailers by the short hairs.James Meeleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15125466138669301618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7747146.post-7846335710248941962007-01-03T20:42:00.000-08:002007-01-03T20:42:00.000-08:00We've said it before and will probably say it agai...We've said it before and will probably say it again...Diamond really isn't that worried. They're a monopoly. It's like when I have problems with my cable bill, Charter. Whenever they have to come out to fix a problem they promise a day or two and end up taking at the mininum a week. I call to complain but it does no good. What can I do? Nothing and they know it. There is no where else to go. And unfortunately that's the problem with Diamond. My LCS has more problems with Diamond, but all he gets is the runaround. He is always complaining about the way Diamond treats him, but he's stuck. If he wants the comics he has to go through them.<br /><br />If I was Marvel or DC I would be pissed at Diamond for not getting their books out in a timely fashion. But I guess they're more worried about just selling them to Diamond, not what happens afterwards. <br /><br />It's a rotten situation and I wish I could figure out a solution.John Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11714537622409205603noreply@blogger.com