Omnibus/OHC Graphic Novel Collectors discussion
FAQs for New Collectors
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It depends on what you like of course. If you aren't sure we recommend scanning through our Recommended Reading threads on the best stories by particular writers, character or genres.
Where should I buy the books from?
United States
Discount Comic Book Service (DCBS) is a reliable source if you are ok with pre-ordering. They also own In Stock Trades
InStockTrades (IST) - Has the best overall service: Free shipping for orders over $50 and top notch packaging. The hottest new releases are usually 50% off (pre-COVID times) the first week and most others are around 42% off. New releases appear on the website on Tuesdays around 3 PM EST.
CheapGraphicNovels (CGN) - A good secondary source. You can buy directly from them or they also sell on Amazon. Shipping is a flat rate for some quantity of books. Sometimes prices on the same book varies between their website and Amazon.
Tales of Wonder (TOW) - Also a good secondary source. Free shipping starts at $100 and the packaging is very similar to IST. Also does pre-orders.
Europe
SpeedyHen
Cheap-Comics - Quality packaging, strong discounts, fast shipping and free gifts
Books, etc. - Secure packaging and good prices.
Other Sources
Hamilton Book - Occasionally this company will have graphic novels at low prices. Typically these are not top tier books, but if you are having trouble finding something they may have it. Stock is not consistent.
Amazon has unreliable packaging and books often arrive damaged. However, the other benefits of Amazon may outweigh this risk: prices, shipping, selection, etc.
Not recommended
AbeBooks - Use at your own risk. Quality and reliability of various sellers varies.
Please post any other suggestions for different locales.
Can you explain the different Marvel collected editions?
Omnibus - Contains approximately 30 issues, oversized (~7.5" x ~11"). Typically focused either on the early editions/first appearance of a character, a crossover/event or a specific creator's run. Sewn binding with a dust jacket.
Oversized Hardcover - Contains approximately 10 issues, oversized (~7.5" x ~11"). Typically used for modern runs of a series. Sewn binding with a dust jacket.
Monster/Kirby/XXL Oversized Hardcover - Larger than "Oversized" (~13-41/64” x 21-1/4”).
Gallery Edition Oversized Hardcover (2019-) - Wider than Oversized (~9.7" x ~13.4"), closer to European hardcover dimensions.
Marvel Masterworks - Contains approximately 10 issues, standard size (~7" x ~10.5"), Focuses on early editions/original series from the beginning of Marvel. TBD binding with a dust jacket.
Premiere HC - No longer used by Marvel. Contains approximately 6 issues, standard size (~7" x ~10.5"). Was used for modern runs of a series, but with glued binding. Basically a low cost hardcover.
Can you explain the different DC collected editions?
Absolute - Contains 12-20 issues, oversized (~9 x ~15.5"). Typically focused on a specific series, event or story arc. Sewn binding in a slip case, with built-in bookmark.
Omnibus - Contains approximately 30+ issues, oversized (~7.5" x ~11"). Typically focused either on the early editions/first appearance of a character, a crossover/event or a specific creator's run. Sewn binding with a dust jacket.
Deluxe - Contains approximately 10 issues, oversized (~7.5" x ~11"). Typically used for modern runs of a series. Glued binding.
How do I know when/if something will be collected/reprinted?
Take a look at our Upcoming threads to see what is coming out in the next few months.
It depends on a lot of factors and varies by publisher. For Marvel, certain creators will usually get priority and nearly any "event" series. Sometimes a classic or popular run of a character will be printed or reprinted if it ties into an upcoming movie. For DC, most of their highly acclaimed stories have already been put into some type of HC. As of 2016, they have begun printing Omnibus editions similar to Marvel, reprinting classic series or story runs by acclaimed creators.
Ultimately, whether a story is published or not will be determined by previous sales of single issues and TPBs and any relevance to current stories or movies.
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I'll be honest: for a while I've seen many of you mention buying from IST, but I never gave them much thought. Now, though, I look at prices compared to my usual sources and the savings should add up to an additional omni every couple of months, which isn't a bad deal at all. Feel dumb for not looking into this sooner, partially because more often than not I'm buying older books, but thank you!Also, comment on cheapgraphicnovels.com: they're pretty good, until something goes wrong on their end and you want to hold them accountable. I bought from them almost exclusively for about a year, but two negative interactions with them on what they sold me eventually turned me away. They always had fair prices, great packaging and quick shipping times, though.
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I think IST is definitely the best place for brand new stuff. Occasionally I see older stuff cheaper elsewhere though.
I bought from CGN a couple times and didn't have a major problem, and would agree that overall they are decent. Your feedback though is helpful and makes me think twice about using them.
IST and eBay. I’ve gotten a few things from Hamilton but not much.
Blindzider wrote: "noelbeast wrote: "I'll be honest: for a while I've seen many of you mention buying from IST, but I never gave them much thought. Now, though, I look at prices compared to my usual sources and the s..."Eh, I'd still say chances are likely that things will go well with CGN, just I'm not loyal to them like I once was.
First issue: they shipped me a TPB listed as new that had obvious creases along it's spine from a reader. I sent pictures and asked for a new copy, and whoever replied said they took offense to my accusation that they ripped me off. That took me by surprise how quickly the person who replied escalated things, as I made no accusation, just explained what was wrong and asked for them to make it right. Took some back and forth, but they finally did.
Other issue was sketchier. Couple of years ago my GF purchased (in Oct.) for me a Secret Wars Battleworld box set from CGN, listed as new, for a surprise X-Mas present. Come Christmas day I was very happy, but noticed it had already been opened, and saw that the included cloth poster was missing. Eventually contacted CGN to learn that they opened it to "check the contents" and that they claimed to have never seen a poster. A rep from Marvel confirmed to me every set came with one. So somehow it disappeared...
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'Books etc' have similar prices to Speedy for UK buyers. Had good experiences with both.WHSmiths online store can sometimes match Amazon prices- worth keeping an eye on when they release promo codes. Packaging & handling can apparently be an issue with them though.
Some more resources:
This place compares prices across each national Amazon site
Camel Camel Camel tracks amazon price history, giving the option to set up alerts
Bookfinder.com searches many online booksellers and returns combined results.
Agreed with you Jim about Books etc and their pricing for UK buyers.. They tend to pack trades very well in particular. Whenever I want trades, I’ll go to them. OHCs and Omnibus are split across eBay, Speedyhen and Amazon. When I lived in the US I used to use Amazon and Barnes&Nobles mostly.
Thought I’d give an update about CheapGraphicNovels: you can see my hesitancy with them as posted above, but I took a chance and bought 2 separate books from them in the last few months. Both purchases arrived in excellent shape so willing to buy from them again when needed, but I still caution people at least that if you ever have an issue with them: tread carefully. Also, bit of advice: if you ever hunt for whales or otherwise OOP omnis on eBay, read the item descriptions carefully. Mycomicshop.com has a seller profile and generally lists items on eBay with a 5-10% markup from prices on their own website. If I remember correctly, it isn’t clear it’s them by seller name, but the item description has canned info about their website. I’ve bought 2 used but beautiful omnibuses from them directly as well as a CGC slabbed comic about $50 below FMV, thanks to scrutinizing their eBay listings.
I shopped CGN exclusively for years and never had one problem with them. Switched to IST at some point when I found slightly better prices. Now I mostly rely on IST but I still buy some items at CGN.
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Advice: never be tempted to buy from AbeBooks.I'd been searching for a while for an OOP book with no options on Amazon or Ebay. 2 "New" copies for sale on AbeBooks, so I took the chance. Big mistake.
In all fairness, AbeBooks is a consortium of various book sellers from around the world, so I assume different people could have different experiences. But the particular seller I chose lied about when they shipped and took over a month to send the book (after I contacted customer service to intervene), shipped in a bubble mailer, the book was not sealed in plastic (should've been) despite being "new", dust jacket missing, had a remainder mark, and had clearly been read before with good spine wear to boot. Also, the invoice was used to seal the only opening of the mailer, so clearly nothing happened while in transit.
Hopefully I'll be able to get my money back. Lesson learned!
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noelbeast wrote: "Advice: never be tempted to buy from AbeBooks.I'd been searching for a while for an OOP book with no options on Amazon or Ebay. 2 "New" copies for sale on AbeBooks, so I took the chance. Big mist..."
I've had a similar experience lately and I'll be posting a video to my YouTube channel about it with photos later this month. I tried contacting the seller multiple times without response so i contacted Abe Books directly and they assured me they would contact the seller and if they didn't get a reply they would do a full refund in two days. I won't buy from them again, but i have confidence they'll remedy the situation for you. Sorry for your hassle.
Matthew wrote: "noelbeast wrote: "Advice: never be tempted to buy from AbeBooks.I'd been searching for a while for an OOP book with no options on Amazon or Ebay. 2 "New" copies for sale on AbeBooks, so I took th..."
That sucks you’ve experienced a similar issue, but sounds like you’re in good hands. In my case the seller responded and told me I’d get a full refund once they get the book back, but I thoroughly documented the book and repackaging/shipment back to them, just in case.
Well, took almost a month and a few interventions from the company, but finally able to get my money back from the AbeBooks seller I bought from, minus the shipping cost of sending the book back. 2 month adventure in all, haha. Once again: avoid at all costs.
I'm in the UK and would like to recommend Cheap-Comics.com. Based in the Netherlands, their shipping to UK is ~15 Euros and their prices are regularly discounted. Huge sale section and their packaging is great too.
Mod
Thanks for the suggestion! I've updated the FAQ with yours as well as a couple of the other UK sites.
I agree... I am from Hungary and I often order from cheap-comics.com, great discounts, safe packaging and fast shipping (for 20 euros to Hungary). They even have gifts on orders above 75 and another one above 200 euros.
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gifts! That's really cool. I like it when companies show appreciation to customers, as opposed to only giving "new" customers the best deals.
I just ordered the Wolverine Omnibus from Amazon.es. Including delivery to UK it cost a tad under £60. There should still be some in stock, if you're interested. Now to see if it turns up...!
A tip for those buying off ebay. If you are interested in a book which is listed as a Buy It Now item, be sure to "watch" it if you're not buying instantly. Sellers can send out a discounted price to those watching their items to encourage a sale. If you're not watching, you don't get notified so no discount. If you are watching it, you do get a notification and can take advantage of the discounted BIN price.
Random question, but I'm not sure where else to put it. Are there any sites out there that assist with tracking trade collections? I currently have about 5000 or so trades, and I would love to have a way to track my collection besides taking pictures, or trying (and failing) to keep an excel document updated.
Jeff wrote: "Random question, but I'm not sure where else to put it. Are there any sites out there that assist with tracking trade collections? I currently have about 5000 or so trades, and I would love to ha..."
I use the CLZ Comics app on my Android phone. It's free for first month, then subscription (12.99 per year). It scans barcodes or allows manual input. So far it has recognised about 95% of everything I've scanned into it - but not always unusual editions.
Antony wrote: "Jeff wrote: "Random question, but I'm not sure where else to put it. Are there any sites out there that assist with tracking trade collections? I currently have about 5000 or so trades, and I wou..."
I downloaded it and I'm 150 books in and loving it. I just wished I had gotten this sooner so I didn't have to pull everything off the shelf to scan it!
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The first couple of posts will contain frequently asked questions with answers. Feel free to post your own questions and answers.