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Ollie's Bargain Outlet

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Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Old 02-10-19, 08:36 PM
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Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Finally saw an Ollie's (by accident) this past Saturday and wound up getting quite a few books:



Also saw a lot of Superman Unchained copies as well as X-Men Battle of the Atom book. Did not see the Suicide Squad Bronze Age book though.

Hoping we can consolidate all the Ollie's deals in this thread as new books hopefully become available.


Old 02-11-19, 03:15 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Is Ollie's still receiving new stock of graphic novels? I checked a few months ago when they first received a big shipment of DC titles. I probably spent around $75 on a cart full of books, but I never checked to see if they got new titles. I'd really love to get that Metal Men book at that price. Getting these books at Ollie's is a bit of a frustrating shopping experience, as the two stores I went to used these wide table displays that were so deep that some of the books were very hard to reach without climbing onto the table itself, and they also used a shelf on the underside of the table that required climbing under the table to reach the farthest books. I know I looked ridiculous hunting through the piles, my feet sticking out from under the table, but it was worth it for the good deals.
Old 02-11-19, 04:17 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Robin vol 4 (Tim Drake) Turning Point $5.99
Batman by Ed Brubaker $4.99
The Batman Judge Dredd Collection $4.99
Old 02-12-19, 10:20 AM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

I'm so jealous.
Old 02-12-19, 11:50 AM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

We have one opening up down the street from me along with a Sheetz. I'm giddy on both accounts.
Old 02-14-19, 01:17 AM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Originally Posted by Mr. Flix
Is Ollie's still receiving new stock of graphic novels? I checked a few months ago when they first received a big shipment of DC titles. I probably spent around $75 on a cart full of books, but I never checked to see if they got new titles. I'd really love to get that Metal Men book at that price. Getting these books at Ollie's is a bit of a frustrating shopping experience, as the two stores I went to used these wide table displays that were so deep that some of the books were very hard to reach without climbing onto the table itself, and they also used a shelf on the underside of the table that required climbing under the table to reach the farthest books. I know I looked ridiculous hunting through the piles, my feet sticking out from under the table, but it was worth it for the good deals.
It's hard to know if they actually got new inventory, or Ollie's has simply been piecing out their huge liquidation purchase (flyers claimed they purchased something like 16 trucks' worth of books from DC and Marvel) over the past 13 months.

Individual stores have definitely received new shipments of graphic novels in fairly regular intervals (every three months?) over the past year. Each store receives one pallet full of books - most keep it in the backroom and gradually put stock out over the course of the next month or two. These are 5' high and loaded with hundreds of trades and hardcovers.

The list by Sinned is interesting in that I saw some of the same titles put out at the one store I usually frequent, though different volumes of the same books. Other things include Convergence hardcover, Camelot 3000 hardcover, Wonder Woman: War of the Gods, Superman: Emperor Joker, various volumes of different Catwoman runs, the entire New 52 John Constantine line-up of trades, Earth 2 trades, various Supergirl trades. It does appear this batch has a few more recent trades mixed in.
Old 02-14-19, 12:17 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Ollie's actually bought more stuff from Diamond/Marvel/DC to restock their inventory since their first purchase was really successful. Comic book retailers are pissed that this happened as Ollie's got all these books like 10 cents each while retailers only had them offered at 75% of cover price on some of the same stuff. I understand why Marvel and DC did this. They need this product out there, easily accessible, not exclusive to comic book stores.
Old 02-14-19, 03:08 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Originally Posted by Red Hood
Ollie's actually bought more stuff from Diamond/Marvel/DC to restock their inventory since their first purchase was really successful. Comic book retailers are pissed that this happened as Ollie's got all these books like 10 cents each while retailers only had them offered at 75% of cover price on some of the same stuff. I understand why Marvel and DC did this. They need this product out there, easily accessible, not exclusive to comic book stores.
It was also much cheaper for Diamond to dump their inventory all at once to a single retailer, than worry about parsing it out to hundreds of comic book stores. The comic book stores, understanding the market better than Ollie's, would cherry-pick the best stuff and leave the dregs unordered. Ollie's seems to have taken everything, from almost worthless trades to the larger hardcovers.

I have noticed that Ollie's consistently prices the Marvel trades higher than the DC trades, which even at steep discounts means the Marvel trades hang around much, much longer. Marvel is being much more selective about what it is dumping than DC - I've seen few desirable Marvel books of their most popular characters.

I've been surprised that Big Lots hasn't gotten in on this action. Ten years ago, they definitely would have carried these books.
Old 02-14-19, 04:37 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Originally Posted by Red Hood
Ollie's actually bought more stuff from Diamond/Marvel/DC to restock their inventory since their first purchase was really successful. Comic book retailers are pissed that this happened as Ollie's got all these books like 10 cents each while retailers only had them offered at 75% of cover price on some of the same stuff. I understand why Marvel and DC did this. They need this product out there, easily accessible, not exclusive to comic book stores.
Originally Posted by PhantomStranger
It was also much cheaper for Diamond to dump their inventory all at once to a single retailer, than worry about parsing it out to hundreds of comic book stores. The comic book stores, understanding the market better than Ollie's, would cherry-pick the best stuff and leave the dregs unordered. Ollie's seems to have taken everything, from almost worthless trades to the larger hardcovers.
Marvel and DC just want to get rid of all of this shit that’s taking up warehouse space.

Places like Ollie’s are willing to buy this stuff up in bulk; they’ll make a small cash offer for however many truckloads of stuff they want to dump.

If Ollie is getting these for pennies a book, then a similar offer to comic book stores wouldn’t work because the man power involved in invoicing, pulling, packing, and shipping individual titles at a dime a book would result in a loss. But Ollie can move in, offer ten or twenty thousand dollars in cash of for 100,000 TPBs that will never sell, and it’s an attractive proposition.

So these are going to get remaindered out to a liquidator like Ollie’s. Maybe a comic retailer like Bud Plant or Chuck Rozanski could have made a similar offer, but even those guys have limited warehouse space and might not want sixteen truckloads of stuff that might take years to clear out.
Old 02-14-19, 05:54 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Also, the cause for this amount of overstock inventory has been because of 2 important things:

1. Hastings going bankrupt - they were Diamond's biggest customer
2. Dozens to hundreds of comic book stores closing worldwide
Old 02-14-19, 06:54 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Back around December I picked up 3 DC Archive Editions hardcovers of Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman. I don't remember what volumes they were. When I got home I searched around and they really weren't much savings. Maybe ~$5 each.
Old 02-14-19, 09:39 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Robin vol 2 (Tim Drake) Triumphant $5.99

Ollie's still has plenty copies of Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman the War Years (hc) for $12.99.
Old 02-15-19, 07:35 AM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

I hate browsing around my Ollie's because the way the books are placed on the shelf, it is almost impossible to browse around and find what you want.
Old 02-15-19, 09:55 AM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Originally Posted by ddrknghtrtns
Robin vol 2 (Tim Drake) Triumphant $5.99

Ollie's still has plenty copies of Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman the War Years (hc) for $12.99.
That's actually what I got (I think, they're upstairs somewhere).
Old 02-15-19, 03:17 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Originally Posted by robin2099
I hate browsing around my Ollie's because the way the books are placed on the shelf, it is almost impossible to browse around and find what you want.
Every Ollie's seems to have a different setup for these books. One store I visit has the worst arrangement - a packed shelf that literally goes up to ten feet in the air. It's horrible for picking through the entire lot and damages half the books on the shelves. Most stores have them out on a flat table, stacked in piles. While it's not great, it's ten times better than the packed shelving arrangement.
Old 02-22-19, 01:24 AM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Wish I had one of those stores around here. I could use some cheap, new TPB's.

Oh, well...
Old 02-22-19, 11:55 AM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Originally Posted by B5Erik
Wish I had one of those stores around here. I could use some cheap, new TPB's.

Oh, well...
I bought a bunch I ended up already owning, and missed the return deadline. If you’re interested in the lot of 12 or so, I’d sell them for exact cost and eat the tax and shipping.
Old 02-22-19, 02:45 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Originally Posted by Trevor
I bought a bunch I ended up already owning, and missed the return deadline. If you’re interested in the lot of 12 or so, I’d sell them for exact cost and eat the tax and shipping.
What titles do you have?
Old 02-23-19, 09:59 AM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Originally Posted by B5Erik
What titles do you have?
I’ll get a list together next day off when I can dig into that room, and PM you.

Slightly back on-topic, a very close shopping area in my town, that already has an Ollie’s and a Dollar Tree, is adding a Big Lots. I see lots of stuff in my future.
Old 02-24-19, 04:32 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Big Lots was a much more interesting store for bargains ten years ago. They tried expanding into becoming more than a clearance retailer and it's badly hurt the chain. Even as an avowed bargain hunter, I rarely check the store anymore.
Old 02-25-19, 11:34 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Originally Posted by PhantomStranger
Big Lots was a much more interesting store for bargains ten years ago. They tried expanding into becoming more than a clearance retailer and it's badly hurt the chain. Even as an avowed bargain hunter, I rarely check the store anymore.
It's funny, but every time I drive by a Big Lots I think about how many great DVD's I found there 6-12 years ago. Classic movies, 70's movies, cool stuff. I got Fox in a Box there!




The last cool thing I got there was All About Eve on Blu Ray (in the special, "Book," packaging, no less), and that was about 2 1/2 years ago.

Yeah, they're just trying to be the new K-Mart, and, well, we've all seen how well K-Mart did over the last decade...
Old 03-06-19, 03:43 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

I just noticed that all the Rebirth 1st issues on the Ollies and Five Below packs are actually reprints, not first printings. These books have new barcodes and all the ads inside and in the back cover are from 2018. The inscription inside says title name - special edition (2018).
Old 03-07-19, 05:04 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Originally Posted by Red Hood
I just noticed that all the Rebirth 1st issues on the Ollies and Five Below packs are actually reprints, not first printings. These books have new barcodes and all the ads inside and in the back cover are from 2018. The inscription inside says title name - special edition (2018).
As far as I can tell, Five Below has never carried anything but reprints. Been browsing their comic selections for several years. They also offer a measly four issues for $4. I think the Ollie's packs are at least a better value.

I will say never get suckered by the top comic in Ollie's 10 issue variety packs for $5.99. The distributor behind them always places the most interesting issue of the bunch on top, often hiding the dreck waiting inside.
Old 03-07-19, 11:26 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Originally Posted by PhantomStranger
As far as I can tell, Five Below has never carried anything but reprints. Been browsing their comic selections for several years. They also offer a measly four issues for $4. I think the Ollie's packs are at least a better value.

I will say never get suckered by the top comic in Ollie's 10 issue variety packs for $5.99. The distributor behind them always places the most interesting issue of the bunch on top, often hiding the dreck waiting inside.
Actually, I found a Monsters Unleashed #5 variant on 4 different pack of the Ollies 10 issues bag. The variant sells for around $150 and it was in the middle of the bags.

As for Five Below, when they did the 4 packs of the New 52 stuff, it was mostly first printing with always a variant or two included. Things changed when they did the whole Rebirth 4 packs.
Old 03-15-19, 04:03 PM
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Re: Ollie's Bargain Outlet

Uh oh. I wish I hadn't seen this thread. There's one in Woonsockett, about 20mins away from my new house.
From the website it reminds me of Ocean State Job Lot, or Building 19 (when they were still around).

I guess I have a reason to go to Woonsockett tomorrow (there's a first time for everything),

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