OK, same thing as the last post, except this time we’ll talk about BOOKS. Again, after the jump for those of you who don’t want to read sales charts!

Right, so Experience is the Big Book Store, with 55% of sales coming from Book Format material between 1/1 and 6/30 2014. Outpost is only 23% books.

Here’s what Experience’s Top 100 (or so) looks like, sorted by PIECES SOLD:

1 SAGA TP VOL 01 2 SAGA TP VOL 03 3 SAGA TP VOL 02 4 SEX CRIMINALS TP VOL 01 5 EAST OF WEST TP VOL 01 THE PROMISE 6 MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 01 SCIENCE BAD NOWHERE MEN TP VOL 01 FATES WORSE THAN DEATH WALKING DEAD TP VOL 20 ALL OUT WAR PT 1 9 PROPHET TP VOL 03 EMPIRE ZERO TP VOL 01 AN EMERGENCY 11 EAST OF WEST TP VOL 02 WE ARE ALL ONE 12 HAWKEYE TP VOL 01 MY LIFE AS A WEAPON PROPHET TP VOL 01 REMISSION 14 SANDMAN TP VOL 01 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES NEW ED 15 BATTLING BOY SC GN VOL 01 BLACK SCIENCE TP VOL 01 HOW TO FALL FOREVER 17 NEMO ROSES OF BERLIN HC 18 PRETTY DEADLY TP VOL 01 19 PROPHET TP VOL 02 BROTHERS 20 LOCKE & KEY HC VOL 06 ALPHA & OMEGA 21 HAWKEYE TP VOL 02 LITTLE HITS NOW 22 MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 02 23 MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 03 24 FATALE TP VOL 01 DEATH CHASES ME MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 04 FOUR DISCIPLINES OGLAF BOOK ONE 27 ADVENTURE TIME ORIGINAL GN VOL 03 SEEING RED BONE COLOR ED SC VOL 01 OUT FROM BONEVILLE COMPLETE MULTIPLE WARHEADS TP MANIFEST DESTINY TP VOL 01 WALKING DEAD TP VOL 19 MARCH TO WAR Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 01 UNMANNED 33 BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL ED HC FABLES TP VOL 19 SNOW WHITE RAT QUEENS TP VOL 01 SASS & SORCERY STRAY BULLETS UBER ALLES VADERS LITTLE PRINCESS HC WALKING DEAD TP VOL 01 DAYS GONE BYE 39 ADVENTURE TIME TP VOL 01 AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE TP VOL 01 ESCAPE FROM RIVERDALE PX ED AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER TP VOL 07 RIFT PART 1 BATMAN TP VOL 01 THE COURT OF OWLS BPRD HELL ON EARTH TP VOL 07 A COLD DAY IN HELL FATALE TP VOL 04 PRAY FOR RAIN JEFFREY BROWN KIDS ARE WEIRD OBSERVATIONS FROM PARENTHOOD HC NINJAGO GN VOL 09 V FOR VENDETTA NEW EDITION TP (MR) VELVET TP VOL 01 BEFORE THE LIVING END WATCHMEN TP 50 AVENGERS VS X-MEN TP BATMAN DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP BATMAN YEAR ONE DELUXE SC BLUE IS WARMEST COLOR GN CHEW TP VOL 08 FAMILY RECIPES CHI SWEET HOME GN VOL 01 HELLBOY IN HELL TP VOL 01 DESCENT LOCKE & KEY TP VOL 01 WELCOME TO LOVECRAFT LOEG III CENTURY #1 1910 NAO OF BROWN GN NINJAGO GN VOL 08 DESTINY OF DOOM SANDMAN TP VOL 02 THE DOLLS HOUSE NEW ED SANDMAN TP VOL 04 SEASON OF MISTS NEW ED SWAMP THING BY BRIAN K VAUGHAN TP VOL 01 UNWRITTEN TP VOL 08 ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLDS 65 BARTKIRA BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS HC BPRD HELL ON EARTH TP VOL 08 DAYTRIPPER TP FABLES TP VOL 01 LEGENDS IN EXILE NEW ED HYPERBOLE AND A HALF SC LOVE BUNGLERS HC OATMEAL HOW TO TELL IF YOUR CAT IS PLOTTING TO KILL YOU PREACHER TP BOOK 01 PREACHER TP BOOK 02 PRISON PIT GN VOL 05 SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING TP BOOK 01 SATELLITE SAM TP VOL 01 SERENITY HC VOL 02 BETTER DAYS & OTHER STORIES SILVER SURFER BY STAN LEE AND MOEBIUS STAR WARS JEDI ACADEMY YR HC VOL 01 X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST TP NEW PTG Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 02 CYCLES (OCT058281) (MR) 83 ADVENTURE TIME TP VOL 04 ATTACK ON TITAN GN VOL 01 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY TP VOL 01 COSMIC AVENGERS HABIBI GN HELLBOY TP VOL 01 SEED OF DESTRUCTION LOBSTER JOHNSON TP VOL 03 SATAN SMELLS A RAT MY FRIEND DAHMER SC OATMEAL 5 VERY GOOD REASONS TO PUNCH DOLPHIN SC POWERS BUREAU TP VOL 01 UNDERCOVER SANDMAN TP VOL 05 A GAME OF YOU NEW ED SERENITY HC VOL 01 THOSE LEFT BEHIND 2ND ED STITCHES GN TRANSMETROPOLITAN TP VOL 01 BACK ON THE STREET VERY CASUAL 97 47 RONIN HC ADVENTURE TIME ENCYCLOPEDIA HC ALONE FOREVER GN AMERICAN VAMPIRE TP VOL 01 AMULET SC VOL 01 STONEKEEPER BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL TP VOL 28 RAINING CHAOS BLANKETS GN NEW PTG BOXERS & SAINTS BOXED SET CELEBRATED SUMMER GN DARTH VADER AND SON HC DEATH NOTE BLACK TP VOL 01 (OF 6) FATALE TP VOL 02 DEVILS BUSINESS HEDGE KNIGHT JET CITY ED TP INCAL CLASSIC COLLECTION HC KING CITY TP LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN OMNIBUS TP LOEG III CENTURY #3 2009 MARVEL 1602 TP NEW PTG MIND MGMT HC VOL 01 MANAGER NEIL GAIMAN AMERICAN GODS MMPB NINJAGO GN VOL 01 CHALLENGE OF SAMUKAI ORC STAIN TP VOL 01 RELISH MY LIFE IN KITCHEN GN REVIVAL TP VOL 03 A FARAWAY PLACE RICHARD STARKS PARKER SLAYGROUND HC SANDMAN TP VOL 03 DREAM COUNTRY NEW ED SANDMAN TP VOL 06 FABLES AND REFLECTIONS NEW ED SUPERMAN RED SON TP (NOV058130) WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM TP VOL 01 WEIRDO YEARS 1981-1993 HC

Can I just say that I very very very much enjoy owning a comic book store with this kind of range and diversity? For I do! SAGA v1 is still selling, some 18 months after its initial release something very close to a copy a day. That’s…. well, it’s kind of unprecedented, really.

Still, one game you could play at home is: “How many of these best-sellers are not actually in print at this moment?” It isn’t QUITE double digits, but it’s kind of close….

Sort it by dollars, and it changes a lot, and here you can really see what price points can do for the bottom line – clearly, you have to sell far fewer $60 books than $9.99 books to make the more money…

1 SAGA TP VOL 03 $14.99 2 SAGA TP VOL 01 $9.99 3 SAGA TP VOL 02 $14.99 4 STRAY BULLETS UBER ALLES $59.99 5 SEX CRIMINALS TP VOL 01 $9.99 6 LOCKE & KEY HC VOL 06 ALPHA & OMEGA $29.99 7 SANDMAN TP VOL 01 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES NEW ED $19.99 8 MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 01 SCIENCE BAD $14.99 9 HAWKEYE TP VOL 01 MY LIFE AS A WEAPON $16.99 10 WALKING DEAD TP VOL 20 ALL OUT WAR PT 1 $14.99 11 PROPHET TP VOL 03 EMPIRE $14.99 12 EAST OF WEST TP VOL 01 THE PROMISE $9.99 13 SANDMAN SLIPCASE SET $199.99 14 EAST OF WEST TP VOL 02 WE ARE ALL ONE $14.99 15 BATTLING BOY SC GN VOL 01 $15.99 16 WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM TP VOL 01 $59.99 17 AVENGERS VS X-MEN TP $34.99 18 NEMO ROSES OF BERLIN HC $14.95 19 BEST OF EC ARTIST ED HC $150.00 20 METABARONS ULTIMATE COLL ED $59.95 21 NOWHERE MEN TP VOL 01 FATES WORSE THAN DEATH $9.99 22 ZERO TP VOL 01 AN EMERGENCY $9.99 23 HAWKEYE TP VOL 02 LITTLE HITS NOW $16.99 24 JACK KIRBY NEW GODS ARTIST ED HC $140.00 25 PROPHET TP VOL 02 BROTHERS $14.99 26 INCAL CLASSIC COLLECTION HC $44.95 27 HABIBI GN $37.50 28 PROPHET TP VOL 01 REMISSION $9.99 29 OGLAF BOOK ONE $18.99 30 JOHN ROMITA AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ARTIST ED HC VOL 02 $135.00 31 MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 02 $14.99 32 NAO OF BROWN GN $24.95 33 BLACK SCIENCE TP VOL 01 HOW TO FALL FOREVER $9.99 34 BOXERS & SAINTS BOXED SET $34.99 35 MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 03 $14.99 36 V FOR VENDETTA NEW EDITION TP (MR) $19.99 WATCHMEN TP $19.99 38 BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL ED HC $17.99 39 COMPLETE MULTIPLE WARHEADS TP $17.99 40 FATALE TP VOL 01 DEATH CHASES ME $14.99 41 FABLES TP VOL 19 SNOW WHITE $16.99 42 PRETTY DEADLY TP VOL 01 $9.99 43 DISTRICT 14 HC SEASON 02 $39.95 44 WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM TP VOL 02 $59.99 45 LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN OMNIBUS TP $29.99 46 BATMAN DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP $19.99 LOCKE & KEY TP VOL 01 WELCOME TO LOVECRAFT $19.99 SANDMAN TP VOL 02 THE DOLLS HOUSE NEW ED $19.99 SANDMAN TP VOL 04 SEASON OF MISTS NEW ED $19.99 50 AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE TP VOL 01 ESCAPE FROM RIVERDALE PX ED $17.99 51 MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 04 FOUR DISCIPLINES $14.99 WALKING DEAD TP VOL 19 MARCH TO WAR $14.99 Y THE LAST MAN TP VOL 01 UNMANNED $14.99 54 BLANKETS GN NEW PTG $29.95 WEIRDO YEARS 1981-1993 HC $29.95 56 BLUE IS WARMEST COLOR GN $19.95 57 BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS HC $22.95 58 FROM HELL TP $35.00 59 BPRD HELL ON EARTH TP VOL 07 A COLD DAY IN HELL $19.99 SWAMP THING BY BRIAN K VAUGHAN TP VOL 01 $19.99 61 BATMAN TP VOL 01 THE COURT OF OWLS $16.99 62 FINAL INCAL DLX ED HC $99.95 63 WALKING DEAD TP VOL 01 DAYS GONE BYE $14.99 64 AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER PROMISE LIBRARY ED HC $39.99 AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER SEARCH LIBRARY ED HC $39.99 66 DAYTRIPPER TP $19.99 67 PREACHER TP BOOK 01 $19.99 PREACHER TP BOOK 02 $19.99 SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING TP BOOK 01 $19.99 SERENITY HC VOL 02 BETTER DAYS & OTHER STORIES $19.99 X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST TP NEW PTG $19.99 72 VADERS LITTLE PRINCESS HC $14.95 73 BONE COLOR ED SC VOL 01 OUT FROM BONEVILLE $12.99 74 UNWRITTEN TP VOL 08 ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLDS $16.99 75 LOVE BUNGLERS HC $19.99 76 INFINITY HC $75.00 INVISIBLES OMNIBUS HC $150.00 78 SUPERMAN GOLDEN AGE SUNDAYS 1943-1946 HC $49.99 79 WOLVERINE OLD MAN LOGAN TP $29.99 Y THE LAST MAN DELUXE EDITION HC VOL 02 $29.99 81 ADVENTURE TIME TP VOL 01 $14.99 82 HYPERBOLE AND A HALF SC $17.99 83 GUARDIANS OF GALAXY TP VOL 01 COSMIC AVENGERS $19.99 POWERS BUREAU TP VOL 01 UNDERCOVER $19.99 SANDMAN TP VOL 05 A GAME OF YOU NEW ED $19.99 86 ADVENTURE TIME ORIGINAL GN VOL 03 SEEING RED $11.99 87 HELLBOY IN HELL TP VOL 01 DESCENT $17.99 88 BATMAN YEAR ONE DELUXE SC $14.99 FATALE TP VOL 04 PRAY FOR RAIN $14.99 90 BEFORE THE INCAL CLASS COLL HC $44.95 91 BPRD HELL ON EARTH TP VOL 08 $19.99 92 METABARONS GENESIS CASTAKA DLX HC $49.95 93 JEFFREY BROWN KIDS ARE WEIRD OBSERVATIONS FROM PARENTHOOD HC $14.95 94 INVINCIBLE COMPENDIUM TP VOL 02 $64.99 95 HELLBOY TP VOL 01 SEED OF DESTRUCTION $17.99 96 MY FRIEND DAHMER SC $17.95 97 CHI SWEET HOME GN VOL 01 $13.95 98 AKIRA KODANSHA ED GN VOL 01 $24.99 BATMAN HUSH COMPLETE TP $24.99 100 MOUSE GUARD HC VOL 03 BLACK AXE $24.95 ************************************************************************

Meanwhile, across The City at Outpost, here is what they look like – but at the end of the day, this is just a tiny fraction of the main store…. So far. The top is about 1/5th, while anything under #62 wouldn’t have even made the sales chart from Experience (that’s like 3 copies here, which is lower for now – but I’m building the section and selection) the top 25 are meaningful and profitable numbers, however.

1 SAGA TP VOL 03 2 SAGA TP VOL 01 3 NOWHERE MEN TP VOL 01 FATES WORSE THAN DEATH 4 SAGA TP VOL 02 5 WALKING DEAD TP VOL 20 ALL OUT WAR PT 1 6 WALKING DEAD TP VOL 01 DAYS GONE BYE WALKING DEAD TP VOL 19 MARCH TO WAR 8 SEX CRIMINALS TP VOL 01 9 ADVENTURE TIME TP VOL 01 AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER TP VOL 07 RIFT PART 1 BATMAN THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL ED HC 12 DARTH VADER AND SON HC SANDMAN TP VOL 01 PRELUDES & NOCTURNES NEW ED 14 BATMAN TP VOL 01 THE COURT OF OWLS RAT QUEENS TP VOL 01 SASS & SORCERY SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 01 MY OWN WORST ENEMY NOW 17 BATMAN THE LONG HALLOWEEN TP NEW ED BATMAN TP VOL 02 THE CITY OF OWLS BONE COLOR ED SC VOL 01 OUT FROM BONEVILLE CIVIL WAR TP DOCTOR WHO 11TH DOCTOR SONIC SCREWDRIVER BOOK KIT MMW X-MEN TP VOL 01 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 02 TROUBLED MIND NOW WALKING DEAD TP VOL 02 MILES BEHIND US WALKING DEAD TP VOL 18 WHAT COMES AFTER 26 AVENGERS VS X-MEN TP BLACK SCIENCE TP VOL 01 HOW TO FALL FOREVER CENTURY WEST OGN CHEW TP VOL 01 EAST OF WEST TP VOL 01 THE PROMISE FATALE TP VOL 02 DEVILS BUSINESS JOKER DEATH OF THE FAMILY HC MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 01 SCIENCE BAD NEIL GAIMANS GOOD OMENS ($7.99 VERSION) PROPHET TP VOL 01 REMISSION R CRUMBS HEROES OF BLUES JAZZ & COUNTRY WITH CD HC WATCHMEN TP X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST TP X-MEN NO MORE HUMANS OGN HC 40 AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE TP VOL 01 ESCAPE FROM RIVERDALE PX ED AKIRA KODANSHA ED GN VOL 01 AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER TP VOL 06 SEARCH PART 3 BATMAN INCORPORATED TP DAREDEVIL BY MARK WAID TP VOL 01 DRAGON BALL FULL COLOR TP VOL 01 SAIYAN ARC FATALE TP VOL 03 WEST OF HELL GUARDIANS OF GALAXY TP VOL 01 COSMIC AVENGERS HAWKEYE TP VOL 01 MY LIFE AS A WEAPON HOBBIT TP MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 02 MY FRIEND DAHMER SC PRETTY DEADLY TP VOL 01 SAILOR MOON TP KODANSHA ED VOL 01 SIMPSONS COMICS TP VOL 14 JAM PACKED JAMBOREE JAM PACKED JAM SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 03 NO ESCAPE TANK GIRL REMASTERED ED TP VOL 01 (RES) (MR) (C: 0-1-2) VADERS LITTLE PRINCESS HC WALKING DEAD TP VOL 17 SOMETHING TO FEAR WOLVERINE OLD MAN LOGAN TP WONDER WOMAN TP VOL 01 BLOOD X-MEN DARK PHOENIX SAGA TP NEW PTG 62 ADVENTURE TIME ORIGINAL GN VOL 01 PLAYING FIRE ADVENTURE TIME ORIGINAL GN VOL 02 PIXEL PRINCESSES ADVENTURE TIME TP VOL 04 AKIRA KODANSHA ED GN VOL 02 ARE YOU MY MOTHER A COMIC DRAMA SC BATMAN HC VOL 03 DEATH OF THE FAMILY BATMAN HC VOL 04 ZERO YEAR SECRET CITY BATMAN HUSH COMPLETE TP BATMAN JUDGE DREDD FILES TP (JUL040672) (C: 1-0-0) BATMAN MAD LOVE AND OTHER STORIES TP BATMAN TP VOL 03 DEATH OF THE FAMILY BATMAN YEAR ONE DELUXE SC BATTLING BOY SC GN VOL 01 BIG NATE ALL WORK AND NO PLAY TP CHANGE TP DAREDEVIL BY BENDIS & MALEEV TP ULT COLL BOOK 01 DEADPOOL KILLS DEADPOOL TP DEADPOOL TP VOL 04 MONKEY BUSINESS DEATH NOTE BLACK TP VOL 01 (OF 6) DIARY OF A WIMPY KID HC VOL 08 HARD LUCK DRAMA GN DRINKING AT THE MOVIES SC EAST OF WEST TP VOL 02 WE ARE ALL ONE FABLES TP VOL 01 LEGENDS IN EXILE NEW ED FATALE TP VOL 01 DEATH CHASES ME FILTH TP GODZILLA HC GUARDIANS OF GALAXY PREM HC VOL 01 COSMIC AVENGERS NOW HARLEY QUINN PRELUDES AND KNOCK KNOCK JOKES TP HELLBLAZER TP VOL 01 ORIGINAL SINS NEW ED HULK WWH TP INFLUENCING MACHINE SC JOE THE BARBARIAN TP JOKER HC MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 03 MARVEL ZOMBIES TP COMPLETE COLLECTION VOL 01 METAL GEAR SOLID OMNIBUS TP MMW AMAZING SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 01 (NOV082434) NAO OF BROWN GN NEIL GAIMANS NEVERWHERE TP (NOV060304) (MR) NINJAGO GN VOL 07 STONE COLD ODYSSEY GN CANDLEWICK ED PRINCELESS TP VOL 01 NEW PTG PYONGYANG A JOURNEY IN NORTH KOREA TP SATELLITE SAM TP VOL 01 SIEGE TP SMILE SC NEW PTG STAR WARS ADV TP VOL 01 HAN SOLO & HOLLOW MOON OF KHORYA STAR WARS CRIMSON EMPIRE SAGA HC SUPER FRIENDS HEAD OF THE CLASS TP SUPERGIRL COSMIC ADVENTURES IN THE EIGHTH GRADE TP THOR MIGHTY AVENGER TP COMPLETE COLLECTION TINY TITANS TP VOL 01 WELCOME TO THE TREEHOUSE (NOV080197) TINY TITANS TP VOL 02 ADVENTURES IN AWESOMENESS TINY TITANS TP VOL 08 AW YEAH TITANS TOKYO ON FOOT V FOR VENDETTA BOOK AND MASK SET WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM TP VOL 02 YOUNG AVENGERS TP VOL 01 STYLE SUBSTANCE NOW

It is still early over at Outpost for Book Format work (I was flatly told “Outpost can’t sell Graphic Novels” – but it is almost a quarter of business), but I’m pretty much OK with what we’ve done so far. These numbers will climb as the stock level increases, and as people come to understand that we’re supporting the category on the south side of town. But look: a lot of the same trends are there: smart genre comics for adults, strong kids comics, they sell at both stores.

I’m not going to do a mix chart because, frankly, Outpost’s numbers don’t change Experience’s placements by any significant amount because there’s just that much of a difference in scale. Maybe at the year-end report?

That’s how two comic stores look to me at the moment; what do you think?

-B