Pulling
So if you are not a frequenter of comic book shops, you maybe unfamiliar with the term, pulling. It is where you give a list of comic book titles that you like to read to the person that orders the comics at your favorite store. They, at regular ordering time, order an extra copy of those titles that you listed and pull them under your name when the order comes in. This way, you are guaranteed a copy that waits for you to come in and buy it. AND you don’t miss an issue because you failed to come in before the regular stock ran out. Comic books are kind of like magazines. Once they run out, they aren’t often reprinted and you have to hope that you can find a used copy.
Of course a lot of businesses will order something for you. Might not meet your sense of instant gratification, but good things come to those who know how to wait…
Being an avid gamer of the role playing kind I have this sort of arrangement with my nearest game books store. It’s over a hundred miles away, so by the time I get in there it’s well worth the money for them to have held onto a few books for me, and that way I don’t miss the books I want…. which, given the nature of the companies printing them, may be available for decades or might have a single printing before vanishing forever. Trust me folks, if you want these books, this IS a good thing…… and they even throw in a discount in many cases, as mentioned.
When we owned Left-Half Comics in Phoenix back in the 80s, we had nearly 500 customers who we pulled for. If you signed up for 20 or more titles, you got 20% off everything you bought.
Pulled comics constituted 80% of our sales. It sure was nice having the ability to order the correct number of comics every month!
It seems that if you are a voracious reader of comic books, that this would be a WIN-WIN for ya.
Pete… 80% of sales? Wow! Huge numbers there… yah.. you had regulars!
Trev… You have to go over 100 miles away? Wow… you are dedicated… and live in the boonies… yes?
RN… Instant gratification is something that, in many situations, just isn’t practical. Marshmallows must be saved and savored. Said the experiment. You get more that way.
It’s 130 miles (208 KM) to my nearest game shop. My home town of Charlton is basically a small town with a population of 300 or so a ways off the main highway through the region of north Ontario we’re in (but it’s a nice place and we’re right at the head of a long, long chain of lakes!). Basically it’s 3/4ters of an hour to decent shopping and 2 hours and 20 minutes give or take to get to my game store. If you want to be a tabletop gamer in the north, you have to make some serious sacrifices! lol