HAPPY HOLIDAYS! MERRY CHRISTMAS! JOYFUL CHANUKAH!
That’s right it’s that time of the year were people celebrate the holidays with cheer and joy. At least I am and because it is Christmas, that also means it’s the time of the year to be spending money on gifts. With this being the first week of the month, there’s still enough time left for people to buy gifts online or at stores, and get them under the tree ready to be unwrapped. So, that’s what I’m going to make this weeks blog about, gifts that would be good to give to comic book fanboys.
Over the years I’ve had many people, mainly my parents and brother, buying me comic books or something related to comic book characters, as Christmas gifts. Now I’ve always loved and appreciated the fact that they not only knew that I would like this but they took the time and effort to go out to get me the stuff. However, there has always been one slight problem, they didn’t know what to get. Because they are trying to make it a surprise they wouldn’t ask me about what I would want or already have which meant when they went out shopping they just guessed at what to get. Year after year I would get comics I already had, comics I didn’t want, or just some of the most off the wall items that I just couldn’t break their hearts in telling them that I didn’t like it.
To help from having this happen to others I’m going to make a list of some good items that would make for fans of comic book readers. Now, just because I’m making this list that don’t mean they don’t already have it or will even want it or like it, but it’s a good chance they will like it and if they have, well I’ll explain how to still keep them happy even if you get the same thing.
Let me start off with that, how to buy a comic book as a gift without worrying if they have it already. First thing you need to do is find out the comics they read, which can be done in a series of ways.
1) if they go to a comic book shop then they are going on Wednesdays when it’s new comic book day. If they get their comics at a comic shop, find that shop, go there when they are not there and talk to the owner/worker, they should have a good idea of what the person you’re shopping for likes. Another way is just go one day with them, use some other excuse, like hey lets go to lunch this Wednesday and then just join them, watch what they buy, and then you know.
2) Have someone that’s not related to them ask them something about comics, like hey which movie was better, Batman or Spiderman, or I can’t believe that they are showing a zombie tv show. If it’s the parent or sibling asking then the one receiving will pretty much know what you are doing and if you don’t mind them knowing then ask. But if you are going for surprise then have someone that won’t be thought of as getting them the gift and then they pass on the info to you.
3) Once you know what they like go back to the comic shop. Now if you don’t know where they go or by chance they might get their comics from Books A Million or Barnes and Noble or some such store, don’t worry about it, finding a comic shop is easy. But before you think that since they don’t go to a comic book store and they go to a book store or even have a subscription, maybe even do digital, that means you can go to the same places, DON’T! Go to the comic shop anyways because it’s a safe bet that this will be a way to get a gift they don’t have especially if they don’t already go there. But here’s how to find a comic shop, use comic shop locator. It’s a site that all you do is type in your zip code and it finds all the comic shops near you and if you don’t want to use it on your computer they have a free app for smartphones.
www.comicshoplocator.com/Home/1/1/57/575
Ok, here’s how to get a comic book that they shouldn’t already have but would want and like.
1) Don’t worry or even look for the shelf books because 99.9% chance is they already have the ones you pull off the shelves because they are the latest issues.
2) Don’t look in the back issue boxes either. This is pretty much the same as the shelf issues because there’s a good chance they already have them. Now that don’t mean they have them all, even after 30 years of collecting comics I still don’t have all the back issues but picking out a back issue of a comic, even one that you know they like the most, is harder to do then picking out a comic off the shelf not knowing what they like.
3) Talk to the owner/workers at the shop and tell them what you are looking for. If there is anyone in the world outside of the person you are shopping for that will have a idea of what to get they are the ones. Just tell them some basic info, what you saw they read, what they like, and the owner/worker will follow up with questions of their own that will lead them and you on a show and tell of what would be a good gift.
However, if you want to get one comic that’s a good chance that they will like it here’s 2 options on what you get.
1) VARIANT COVER!
That’s right, a variant cover. If you know what comic they like and it’s been produced in the last 20 years then there’s a good chance it has some sort of variant cover. Now don’t get tricked by getting the variant cover that’s the 2nd printing, those are worthless, only get 1st printings are worth anything and are wanted.
Variants are good because they are the ones that has the best chance these days of becoming worth anything in the future, depending on which one you get. Which is the key to know, which one to get because some can have a whole lot of variant covers and there are a lot out there. With both of the big companies, Marvel and DC, restarting the majority of their titles they have given the new issues variants. When Uncanny Avengers #1 came out last month it had 20, yes 20 variant covers. This totally sucks for fanboys like me because I want them all but at $3.99 for cover price (which don’t even believe you will get a variant for cover) it’s way to expensive. In reality, you will be spending more than cover price, how much depends on which variant you can get.
Prices for the variant work in how the shop got them. These days most variants come in with how many of the regular covers the shops buy. For instance, they buy 25 copies of regular cover they get a certain variant cover, they buy 50 another variant, 100 gets another, and so on. Now the higher the number gets, like 200+ the higher the price of the variant is going to go, especially if you live in a small town where you might only have one small shop or you have to drive a ways to get to one, that means the variants that are rare for even the larger shops in cities will be near impossible to find as well as being very expensive.
But if you are willing then that’s how you get a comic issue that will be wanted and less likely to already be owned. If you already are planning on spending $50-$150 then getting a variant is a good shot of getting the right thing.
2) GIFT CARD/CERTIFICATE!
Ok, technically it’s not really a comic but it works just as well as one. As cool as it was for the people in my life to get me a comic for a gift, if I got say a $50-$150 gift card to a shop I would have loved it. This would have given me the option to get some variants that I want, maybe a statue, or some graphic novels, back issues, or just buy my weekly comics for a while (unless they get the amount I do in which case like this weeks price tag was then well it might only be good for one time use).
Gift cards are awesome not only because it gives the buyer their choice in what to buy but they now have a new reason to browse longer in the comic shop and we fanboys love browsing the shop. I’ve been going to Dave’s Comics in Fort Mill for about 13 maybe 14 years now and no matter how many times I’ve been I still walk around his shop ever time I enter it. A quick day for me in the shop is 30 minutes, a slow day where I just look, a few hours.
Ok, those are just some easy thoughts on making a comic book fan happy but here are some ideas for gifts that would be a good idea and easy to get.
The Walking Dead Compendium One: Cover price is $59.99 but on Amazon you can get it for $33 and still new.
www.amazon.com/The-Walking-Dead-Compendium-One/dp/1607060760/ref=sr_1_1
The Walking Dead Compendium Two: Cover price is also $59.99 but again Amazon has it for $34.40
www.amazon.com/The-Walking-Dead-Compendium-Volume/dp/1607065967/ref=sr_1_2
The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide 42nd Edition: Cover price $29.95 but Amazon has it for $19.77
www.amazon.com/Overstreet-Comic-Book-Price-Guide/dp/1603601376/ref=sr_1_1
Planet Hulk graphic novel: Cover price $34.99 but Amazon has it for $23.09 and used as low as $11.75
http://www.amazon.com/Incredible-Hulk-Planet-Greg-Pak/dp/0785120122/ref=sr_1_1
X-O Manowar Birth graphic novel: Cover price is $24.95, this time Amazon has it for same price but you can get it used for $13.99 www.amazon.com/Incredible-Hulk-Planet-Greg-Pak/dp/0785120122/ref=sr_1_1
The Dark Knight Rises Blu Ray: Prices range from $19.99 to $34.99 depending on what version you get and from what store.
The Dark Knight Trilogy: Contains the 3 movies Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises, prices range from $24.99-$34.99
The Amazing Spider-Man Blu Ray: Prices range as well from $19.99 to $30
The Amazing Spider-Man video game: Prices range from $30-$50 and is available for most platforms
Batman Arkham City video game: Prices range depending on where you get it and if you get game of the year or the first version but can be anywhere between $5-$59.99
And those are just a few gift ideas for you, hope it helps.