One issue I have been interested in is people's experiences with buying TPB/GN online. I was reluctant to buy at first, but it seemed i couldn't find anyone who had ordered, or atleast who had posted experiences either good or bad on here, so I thought I would start a thread that collected people's comments and grades about online comic sellers, starting with mine. If you post your experiences I can update the original post and people will be more aware of sites that offer good service and be less afraid to order from online stores. If this is redundant, or posting these links is not allowed, moderators, please let me know.



Amazon ( http://www.amazon.com/ )
Experience - 3 positive / 0 Negative
Preparation or Order Approx. 1 days
Shipping Time - 3-5 days on free shipping
Shipping Cost - free over $25
Packaging - Box with bubble wrap
Condition - 2 Excellent / 1 Good / 0 OK / 0 Poor
Notes - My last shipment was rattleing around in the box, but not damaged
DVDTalkers who have added to the rating - ivelostr2, davidh777, The Bus

Buy. com (http://www.buy.com/cat/comics-graphi...ica/62950.html)
Experience - 1 positive / 1 Negative
Preparation or Order -
Shipping Time -
Shipping Cost - Free shipping
Packaging - 1 in a box with padding, 1 separate inside one of those self sticking pieces of cardboard and the corners where messed up.
Condition - 1 good, 1 damaged
Notes -
DVDTalkers who have added to the rating - Meatwad's Ghost

East Coast Comics (http://eastcoastcomics.com/)
Experience - 1 positive / 0 Negative
Preparation or Order -
Shipping Time -
Shipping Cost - "low shipping rates"
Packaging -
Condition -
Notes -
Comments - "they have very low shipping rates, a simple website and good service." -outlander78
DVDTalkers who have added to the rating - outlander78

Instock trades (http://instocktrades.com/default.aspx)
Experience - 4 positive / 0 Negative
Preparation or Order -
Shipping Time - "seemed fast" -Meatwad's GhostShipping Cost - Free shipping over $50
Packaging - a box with padding.
Condition - excellent condition
Notes -
DVDTalkers who have added to the rating - Meatwad's Ghost


Mail Order Comics (http://www.mailordercomics.com/)
Experience - 1 positive / 0 Negative
Preparation or Order - Approx. monthly or weekly shipping options
Shipping Time - monthly orders arrive on the 5th day of the month
Shipping Cost - reasonable rates/shipped by UPS
Packaging - Box
Condition - 1 Excellent / 0 Good / 0 OK / 0 Poor
Notes - up to 75% off http://www.mailordercomics.com/specials.asp
Comments -I've used Mail Order Comics for years now and their service has been 2nd to none. -ytrez
DVDTalkers who have added to the rating - ytrez


Tales of Wonder (http://talesofwonder.com/)
Experience - 1 positive / 0 Negative
Preparation or Order - Approx. 1 day
Shipping Time - Approx. 5 days
Shipping Cost - Free with 99.00 order
Packaging - Box
Condition - 1 Excellent / 0 Good / 0 OK / 0 Poor
Notes - Sales section for tpbs, HCs, & statues https://talesofwonder.com/category-...t_category_id/1
Comments
DVDTalkers who have added to the rating - ytrez


Things from another World .com ( http://www.tfaw.com/ )
Experience - 6 positive / 0 Negative
Preparation or Order Approx. 3 days
Shipping Time - Media mail - Approx. 5 days
Shipping Cost - 5.35 for 3 HC TPB, 5.95 for 3 HC and 1 TPB,
Packaging - Box with packing
Condition - 9 Excellent / 0 Good / 0 OK / 0 Poor
Notes - Order from Nick and Dent section came with extremely minor corner damage to 3 HC at 50% of SRP, another book had damage at bottom of box in spine area
DVDTalkers who have added to the rating - ivelostr2, Meatwad's Ghost, exharrison

Torpedo Comics ( https://www.torpedocomics.com/ )
Experience - 1 positive / 0 Negative
Preparation or Order Approx. 1 day
[Shipping Time - Approx. 8 days
Shipping Cost - Free with 15.00+ order
Packaging - Oversized envelope with cardboard frame
Condition - 1 Excellent / 0 Good / 0 OK / 0 Poor
Notes - Section with 50% off HC
Comments
DVDTalkers who have added to the rating - ivelostr2

Tales of Wonder (http://talesofwonder.com/)
Experience - 1 positive / 0 Negative
Preparation or Order Approx. 1 day
[Shipping Time - Approx. 5 days
Shipping Cost - Free with 99.00 order
Packaging - Box
Condition - 1 Excellent / 0 Good / 0 OK / 0 Poor
Notes - Sales section for tpbs, HCs, & statues https://talesofwonder.com/category-e..._category_id/1

I wasn't sure if I should give 1 vote for each order placed or 1 vote for the store in general so I only gave the store a vote.

Mail Order Comics (http://www.mailordercomics.com/)
Experience - 1 positive / 0 Negative
Preparation or Order Approx. monthly or weekly shipping options
[Shipping Time - monthly orders arrive on the 5th day of the month
Shipping Cost - reasonable rates/shipped by UPS
Packaging - Box
Condition - 1 Excellent / 0 Good / 0 OK / 0 Poor
Notes - up to 75% off http://www.mailordercomics.com/specials.asp

I've used Mail Order Comics for years now and their service has been 2nd to none.

I use Amazon for TPBs I can't find locally.

I'm surprised not to see eastcoastcomics.com in the list - they have very low shipping rates, a simple website and good service.

edit - forgot to mention deep discounts

that is why i am starting this, I have only listed the ones I have used so far, and I will add other peoples recommendations to the first post...

I noticed recently that they were taking an extra 5% of pre-orders so I bought Powers HC 2.

I'm surprised DCBS isn't up there... last I checked, most people loved them, though I haven't used them personally. Unless they've changed their name.

Amazon: I'll rate the excellent. There are the usual delays with super saver shipping, but that's to be expected as it's free. Usually great discounts on a lot of the top American publishers, and while most of the heavily discounted online stores make you order through the Diamond Catalog of the month, they're a great resource for tpbs you may have forgotten to order. The downside from a comic collecting perspective is that they don't have any monthlies that I know of. Also, some of the non-major publishers, especially of stuff like manga, don't have any discount at all.

I've been ordering from mailordercomics since they were collector's corner. I've experienced nothing but excellent customer service since I've been with them: I haven't had an issue in a while, but the few times that I have they've been very prompt in responding and correcting it. Great discount, though they too have some minor publishers with lesser discounts (only 25% as opposed to the usual 33-40%). They have weekly specials that bring the discount up to 75% or so, which is useful for trying out new things. I noticed this past month they have a new option to pay a small fee per issue to get bags and boards, with more expensive options for mylars, etc. Cool.

The bad: the website, though much improved from the old days, is still a little clunky, especially browsing through the Previews pages when placing an order. If you order even one non comic item, you have to pay for more expensive shipping. This makes sense, as you're not supposed to send non media stuff through media mail, but a pain if you're ordering 99% comics and one non comic, and they ship in multiple boxes. One time they did charge me an extra shipping charge to mail a poster, though I have never ordered another one... I understood the charge but it wasn't presented up front, as I would have liked. On the other hand, besides that they have never charged me more for shipping than the original estimate despite having to ship multiple boxes in some months.

My frustration with DCBS has been that things disappear from their site really quickly, and it can be hit or miss if they carry what I want soon after that -- if I forget to pre-order months in advance, I often have to order through another site. I was placing an order a month like clockwork, and I was 'penalized' for not ordering more by having to wait an unusually long time for my orders to come in. They used to send out whatever they had that I'd ordered at the end of every month, but I went a couple months without getting anything, and when I asked about it, they said I ordered too infrequently and that they wouldn't ship until more of my books would come in. Since then, I've pretty much stayed away.

DCBS may be great for people who order more heavily, but anymore, I've pretty much moved my business elsewhere.

I love DCBS for pre-orders. But they have a sister company, instocktrades.com for anything you didn't preorder. You ger up to 38% off and free shipping over $50. I'm actually very, very close to stopping the use of DCBS and going with instocktrades. Just get a running list of what I want and order once I'm ready (probably every month, actually).

I haven't been buying monthlies for years, but I used Westfield for about 20 years. Incredible customer service. The once or twice I had a problem (book not shipped) they fixed it immediately. Shipping/packing was great. Only problem I had was the price. Their discounts used to be stellar, but they were slowly lowering the discount. If I bought comics today, I'd check them out, but probably go with DCBS or a cheaper service.

DCBS for all preorders -singles and trades- as well as back trades I want
Amazon for something I forget, and want on a whim, with a DVD order.

Me and a friend combine orders, usually at least $200 worth, and split twice a month shipping, so it works out for us. We just sent in our April order today.

I rarely buy singles either, so when I do I like to do it at my LCS. It's an easier way to support them than buying their trades at full list price (plus some rewards stuff).

Things from another world. 3 different orders
1. Clearance items, perfect condition, 3 HCs, 1TPB, shipping $5.95
2. Another clearance order 7 Trades free shipping code
3. Nick & Dent damage was at bottom of box in spine area Shipping $4.79
Each shipment came in a box with extra padding. Not sure how long each took to get to me seemed fast enough.

Buy.com-2 orders
1. Good- Ordered Marvel Omnibus-Came in a box with padding-Free Ship
2. BAD- Ordered 3 TPBs (had to use the $10 google checkout on something.)
Each came in separate inside one of those self sticking pieces of cardboard, the corners where messed up. Free Ship

Instock Trades:
I think I've ordered from them about 4 times. Each time the comics came in a box with padding, excellent condition, not sure on how long it took but seemed fast. Free shipping over $50

They pushed my ship date from April to June

They pushed my ship date from June to August

I can add another excellent experience with Things From Another World. Ordered a number of books out of Nick and Dent. Most everything looked just fine. Good pricing, good quality.

I have Prime and have been very happy ordering trades and hardcovers from Amazon. Pricing is all over the place though. Use an Amazon pricetracker because I've noticed they really like to vary the price over the course of months.

They pushed my ship date from August to October

Plus, it doesn't look like they have the 5% pre-order discount any more.

I tried out Tower.com for a couple of trade paperbacks since they seem to be undercutting Amazon pricing on some items by a good margin. The items arrived fine but the packaging was awful. They threw the tpbs in a flat mailer with absolutely no protection. I think I got very lucky nothing was damaged in the mail.

They pushed my ship date from October to December

I ordered quite a lot from Things from Another Universe, but this was about a decade ago when they went by a different name. I ordered quite a lot over the span of about six months or so, and never had a problem. I only quit because I went back to school and my paycheck wasn't going as far as it had been.

Still waiting for my Powers HC2

I've ordered maybe 20-30 graphic novels from Amazon in the past year. My experiences have been mixed.

On the negative side, they usually ship graphic novels in bubble envelopes. 50% of the packages have arrived in perfect condition. 30% have very minor shipping damage (slight dings). Not a big deal, but if you saw it in the store, you'd select another copy. And 20% have noticeable damage and require a return (bent spine, folded edges, etc). I wish they used boxes all the time. Those orders almost always come through fine.

On the positive side, prices are usually great. I often find deals in my Gold Box Quick Picks. There's super-fast 2-day shipping with Prime. And luckily, returns are very easy.

Despite the shipping damage problems, I still use them for almost all my orders.

I really like these guys - they don't have a huge selection, but if it's an in-print TPB, they will have it, and will have it, more often than not, at a really good price. Sometimes, I've even found long out of print Absolutes and Omnibuses at ToW, though for full retail, but not above retial, which is still worlds cheaper than from sellers on Amazon mkplc or ebay.

Also, their service and quickness is impeccable. They have pre-orders, and offer selections between regular covers and direct-market covers with representations of each on their site.

If I'm looking for a TPB, they're the first site I hit.

My ship date has now moved to limbo