This week's issue Take 2

[swirlythingy]

I think what colcool007 is getting at is the theory that a kid might see the price of the next issue, observe that they were low on funds, and decided not to make the trip to the newsagent in the interests of maintaining savings, whereas if the same kid with the same funds was already in the newsagent, the balance might just tip towards deciding to buy the comic anyway, if they're already holding it and/or don't want to leave without buying something and/or were tempted by some detail not easily conveyed in an advert, etc.

But all this is exceedingly flimsy and precarious speculation, and I doubt any serious study has ever been conducted on such a highly specific matter, so if it was a deliberate business decision, it was probably just a hunch. (Emphasis here on "if it was" - the Beano hasn't run any next week adverts at all lately, so there's no special reason they would have restarted doing so on this particular week.)

[colcool007]

I think what colcool007 is getting at is the theory that a kid might see the price of the next issue, observe that they were low on funds, and decided not to make the trip to the newsagent in the interests of maintaining savings, whereas if the same kid with the same funds was already in the newsagent, the balance might just tip towards deciding to buy the comic anyway, if they're already holding it and/or don't want to leave without buying something and/or were tempted by some detail not easily conveyed in an advert, etc.

But all this is exceedingly flimsy and precarious speculation, and I doubt any serious study has ever been conducted on such a highly specific matter, so if it was a deliberate business decision, it was probably just a hunch. (Emphasis here on "if it was" - the Beano hasn't run any next week adverts at all lately, so there's no special reason they would have restarted doing so on this particular week.)

Swirly, most of this is not "hunches" on the part of DCT, but based on sound business practices. If you are going to give away "free gifts" in today's market, you need to recoup the outlay in some manner. One method is to sell advertising space. The other is to up the price.

One of the soundest practices [back in the 60's to 80's] was to "push" other DCT products as it meant that while DCT kept their base unit price low, the low price was offset by additional sales of other DCT products aimed at the same market share. I have lost count of how many half page adverts in Victor/Warlord/Hotspur etc advertised their stable mates or Commando as it allowed casual readers to be aware of other DCT comics that were in the same range and would help to push up the base unit sales.

It is at times like this that I wish I was not such a dilettante in study as then I would have the facts and figures to back my statements and a degree or a diploma.

But for the kid in the newsagent, with money burning a hole in their pocket, this is all far above their experience as all they can see is that "their" comic has suddenly gone from £1.25 to £2.99. However, advertising the price increase, DCT or any other company can then put indirect pressure on the parent as kid X will suddenly start prodding their parent for the additional funds for their comic. Classic marketing strategy in getting as much as possible for your product without losing your customer base.

[Digifiend]

But for the kid in the newsagent, with money burning a hole in their pocket, this is all far above their experience as all they can see is that "their" comic has suddenly gone from £1.25 to £2.99.

If we're still speaking specifically about the Beano, it's actually £1.50 to £2.50.

[big bad bri]

the beano will probably be £2.50 for the next 6 weeks just like it was on last years school holidays.

[Jonny Whizz]

If next week's Beano is one of the expensive ones and comes with a free gift, then I can understand the decision (as explained by colcool) of not mentioning any price rise, but if there's going to be a free gift then I'm surprised that this hasn't been mentioned, as this would probably make more kids want to buy the next issue.

As a child, I was usually never bothered by the gifts and most of the time I just wanted the comic, but I think quite a lot of kids would disagree with me.

[swirlythingy]

If next week's Beano is one of the expensive ones and comes with a free gift, then I can understand the decision (as explained by colcool) of not mentioning any price rise, but if there's going to be a free gift then I'm surprised that this hasn't been mentioned, as this would probably make more kids want to buy the next issue.

As I said above, I think the reason there isn't a next week advert in this week's issue is that there hasn't been one in any issue for about a month. It's just more annoying than usual this week, because of the price increase. (Also, as Jonny points out, usually they're falling over themselves to advertise any gift, and if they do that then the price usually appears as an incidental detail.)

As a child, I was usually never bothered by the gifts and most of the time I just wanted the comic, but I think quite a lot of kids would disagree with me.

There have been one or two gifts I've got some value out of (discounting the sweets - I eat them), but I think the overall quality has gone downhill lately - catapults, crossbows and darts are the order of the day. I too may be atypical, however, since even when I was a child I never had much interest in conventional toys (I was usually too busy fiddling with my computer!). My favourite gift is when they distribute mini-comics - now that's something I am prepared to pay double price for, as I'm getting double the amount of entertainment.

[AndyB]

There are gifts with next week's Beano. I've to collect my copies of the Beano and Dandy from the local Royal Mail delivery office (which has no buses, two parking spaces plus a disabled space, and double yellow lines for a mile from the nearest main road)

[Digifiend]

Well they weren't advertised (which is part of what we've been complaining about), so I'm assuming it's warehouse clearance again, and what we get is random.

And I have the same transport problem when I have to collect a parcel (so I just walk). Why do Royal Mail use such remote locations?

[swirlythingy]

Why do Royal Mail use such remote locations?

Presumably the same reason they train their postmen to knock very quietly and wait a maximum of ten seconds for somebody to answer, before hotfooting it completely out of eyeshot as quickly as possible!

My sorting office is within easy walking distance (and I never drive anyway), but that said there are limits to how "remote" you can get in SW19.

[Digifiend]

lol, it was a rhetorical question!

[stevezodiac]

I had to pick up a parcel once and even in South East London they couldn't have picked a more remote spot. I don't drive so found myself wandering around the verges of the A2 Motorway looking for a Royal Mail sign. Somewhere near Charlton.

[Digifiend]

Would you Adam 'n' Eve it! Seems Billy Whizz's strip wasn't as unrealistic as you'd think. My mum told me that her boyfriend had left his smelly trainers (an old pair used for gardening) outside. When he tried to put them on, he immediately took one off again after feeling something inside it - a slug. When my Mum told me this, that prompted me to show her that it happened to be very similar to Billy's strip in this week's (well, last week's now) Beano. Had me in fits of giggles that did, what a coincidence!

[Scoobie]

Well they weren't advertised (which is part of what we've been complaining about), so I'm assuming it's warehouse clearance again, and what we get is random.

Nothing like complaining about something that's not even out on the streets yet. Any chance that this sort of blatant assumptions could be curtailed, and stick to facts - effectively when the issue comes out? Whether it turns out to be warehouse garbage, that's one thing, but to jump into conclusions so early is getting boring.

As soon as you pull your head out of Bazley's orifice and come back into the real world, the better.

[Digifiend]

Cover says 3 gifts, doesn't name them. Warehouse clearance, just like I said. Who's Bazley by the way?

And Ratz, get your own jokes instead of stealing The Dandy's! Justin Biever...
http://www.beano.com/beano-comic/issue-3595

[Jonny Whizz]

Yeah, I noticed that too! Mind you, Justin Beaver's not in the Dandy right now according to what I've read so they can just about get away with that one...

Elsewhere, Laura did an excellent job on Fred's Bed this week, and I enjoyed the story too. However, am I alone in think that on the cover of this week's issue, Fred looks a bit like Tim Traveller? His spike looks more like Tim's quiff than usual, and his nose is different - Fred's nose is normally round.

I liked this week's Bash Street Kids, and I liked the At Home with the BSK short strips, along with Ball Boy, Billy Whizz and the Retro Beano pages (two Fatty Fudge film parodies). Speaking of Jim Petrie's artwork, Minnie is a reprint (only another 1,900 or so to go before his strips are all used up!), as are Numskulls. The Numskulls strip in question first appeared in issue 3257, dated 18th December 2004.