Buster Special 2009

[bustercomic]

This is rather bizarre and slightly concerning.

So as far as we know the only copies out are 3 issues in Chorley?

I'm heading off for late night shopping in Chelmsford tonight so will try the high street Smiths and see if there's any joy there. Not heard anything from my Egmont contact today - presumably, if this is an unplanned problem, she's been desparately trying to sort it. I know Egmont had high hopes for this issue; sadly it doesn't seem to be quite the start they intended!

[Lew Stringer]

This is rather bizarre and slightly concerning.

So as far as we know the only copies out are 3 issues in Chorley?

I'm heading off for late night shopping in Chelmsford tonight so will try the high street Smiths and see if there's any joy there. Not heard anything from my Egmont contact today - presumably, if this is an unplanned problem, she's been desparately trying to sort it. I know Egmont had high hopes for this issue; sadly it doesn't seem to be quite the start they intended!

I'm guessing that either Smiths have vastly under-ordered because Misty didn't sell well (retail logic), or they've given priority to deliver other items that have come out early for Christmas and it's still stuck in their warehouse for another week. Time will tell.

Lew

[Raven]

I took the opportunity to have a prowl round the big Manchester WHSmith in its Arndale Centre today and looked everywhere comicy, but there were none there.

[Digifiend]

The good news is I managed to get a copy. The bad news is it was the only one - and it had been placed in front of Classics from the Comics, which had three copies from last month as well as about a dozen of the current issue. They also still had 12 copies of Misty among the teenage girls' magazines (no wonder they didn't sell, that's not the target audience!). The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine was also on display.

[bustercomic]

I'm guessing that either Smiths have vastly under-ordered because Misty didn't sell well (retail logic), or they've given priority to deliver other items that have come out early for Christmas and it's still stuck in their warehouse for another week. Time will tell.

Lew

Well Oxford Street were definitely expecting it to arrive today, but it wasn't in stock. Fingers crossed it's in a warehouse somewhere.

In the meantime we need to find a link between Chorley & Hull - that way we might find some more!

[AndyB]

I'll check Belfast again today, but I'm not holding my breath - they haven't had any of the other specials

[bustercomic]

Still no sign in Liverpool Street & Waterloo - still trying to find out more!

[bustercomic]

Finally had contact from Egmont - http://www.bustercomic.co.uk/delay.html

Sounds like Lew's theory of other items taking priority might be the most plausible.

[Lew Stringer]

Finally had contact from Egmont - http://www.bustercomic.co.uk/delay.html

Sounds like Lew's theory of other items taking priority might be the most plausible.

Thanks for the update. It's not good though is it? Smiths know what things are like towards Christmas, - they've had enough experience. If they couldn't handle the delivery date they should have told Egmont, without enquiries having to be made.

This reminds me of the time Smiths decided to move Oink! away from the children's comics. A store manager told me an internal memo went to all branches to carry this out. Only thing was they didn't have the courtesy to inform IPC, who didn't know about it until I told them.

When you realise that retail giants fine publishers for things like barcodes not working properly I hope there's equally some compensation for publishers when retailers cock it up.

Incidentally, (as you mention on your site) as the official name for the title is Classic Comic I suspect this is also why quantities have been decreasing with each issue. Presumably Smiths are treating it as one comic, regardless of the fact that Roy, Battle, Misty, and Buster would each appeal to different people and that Buster had potentially a better chance of selling more copies than Misty.

Lew

[Digifiend]

Perhaps swapping Misty and Buster's release dates was a mistake on Egmont's part.

[Peter Gray]

None in Guildford or Farnham..

I agree they shouldn't have swopped it round...

[Lew Stringer]

Perhaps swapping Misty and Buster's release dates was a mistake on Egmont's part.

If they'd kept to the original order we'd all be having the same conversation about the Misty special now.

My local Smiths now has the Buster special in stock: just two copies, hidden right at the back, one of which was badly damaged (dirty, creased back cover). Had I not seen the cover on bustercomic's site I wouldn't have noticed the one inch of left hand cover that was visible on what's laughingly called a "display".

What's clearly happened is, as I thought, Smiths have ordered low because Misty didn't sell as well as Roy of the Rovers. They've judged Egmont Classic Comics as one comic, and assumed there's declining interest in it, - disregarding the fact that Buster could have sold more copies.

IMHO this is pretty poor service considering Egmont gave them exclusive distribution on it, and doesn't bode well for a second series of reprints. Or any new comics come to that.

Hope you folks can get the copies you want, but be prepared to hunt through the shelves for it when it eventually hits your town.

I've said it before but the 2010's must find a better method of comic distribution.

Lew

[Phoenix]

So as far as we know the only copies out are 3 issues in Chorley

As intune has already bought one, there can now only be two at best. It is not widely known on this forum, largely due to the fact that I haven't mentioned it before, but my mother and father met in Chorley. They also only had two issues, but they were both in Lancaster.

[steelclaw]

Some Buster original artwork on ebay, a good price as well as a buy it now for £16.99 & £26.99 + quite a few others for sale.





So what's in this Buster Classic Comic then?
Hasn't anyone looked at it who's got it.

[Lew Stringer]

So what's in this Buster Classic Comic then?
Hasn't anyone looked at it who's got it.

Haven't you read bustercomic's review?
http://www.bustercomic.co.uk/review.html

I'll also be posting a review on my blog tonight.

Lew