Sales Technique

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Asdrubael

School Idol
I was wondering. A lot of anime collectors that wait for uk releases then seem to wait for the box sets to come out rather than buying single volumes (like me). Whether its because box sets overall are cheaper or because they are unsure that the whole series will be released in single volumes or just to save shelf space.

Do you think that the anime industry in the uk would make more money selling box sets straight off and then releasing collectors special edition single volumes for avid collectors?

Other television series in the uk are often released just as box sets rather than single volumes so it's sort of what the everyday series consumer is used to. I think we can all agree that if the anime industry is able to make more profits here, they will be more inclined to release more titles here.
 
I'm sure Andrew will have a lot to say on this if he peeps into this topic!

I used to buy a lot of singles but now I'm strictly boxset only (except for Manga UK double/triple packs and truly exceptional series where there's no alternative). And this is as a pretty hardcore collector. The reason isn't so much money as having learned from previous release disasters that singles can be cancelled part way, leaving the viewer to either have to buy a box set and duplicate part of their collection (not naming names but this has happened a few times...) or just live with the fact the series will never be finished at all. It's a vicious circle because once buyers hold off like this, the singles are even less likely to be finished, so the only real way to combat it is break the rules as Funimation and Manga UK have been trying to to get rid of the stigma about singles and win back some buyer confidence.

The fact that boxes are usually cheaper (in shipping if nothing else) and take up less space on my bloated shelves is a good bonus. And it's less of a nuisance tracking down odd volumes when there's only one or two parts in circulation.

As you say casual buyers are probably in the same boat.

The only problem seems to be finding a price point for the sets which actually nets companies a profit whilst not alienating casual buyers who prefer to dump £15 on one volume than £50 all at once. I remember when companies started transitioning away from singles in the US there was a large thread on a prominent forum which was amazingly full of people complaining they wouldn't buy sets because it cost more - even though it actually cost much less overall to collect a series the new way! A low entry price really does trick people into paying more.

R
 
Yes, yes I do. Personally I try, if at all possible to only buy boxsets, half series do not count. Although most of my sets are R1 partially due to many series that I want not being available here, partially due to UK releases often not being handled very well in comparion, but I would PREFER to get UK releases only...
 
The killer is when the release the singles and then release a box set thats about 1/3rd the price of the combined singles at the time they release the last single volume. WHY??

I've got a couple of series where I've bought the first 2 or 3 singles then thought 'sod this', waited a bit and bought the box set. Its also not helped when there are delays or shortages in the singles. And given the problems of the last 18 or so months is it worth risking buying singles when a series might not get finished?
 
Asdrubael said:
Do you think that the anime industry in the uk would make more money selling box sets straight off and then releasing collectors special edition single volumes for avid collectors?
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I think the special editions have to come before the boxed sets for them to really sell. They become more special because for your premium you also get it before most people. If anything I would rather there were more special edition single volumes, as I've stopped buying ordinary singles because:

Prohect-2501 said:
The killer is when the release the singles and then release a box set thats about 1/3rd the price of the combined singles at the time they release the last single volume. WHY??
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We do need well priced boxes in the end because I imagine that's one of the best ways to draw in new fans who, as you say, are used to buying a full series. Though why this hasn't been done with some incredibly popular series in the UK is beyond me. I'd have thought they'd sell in the thousands... ::cough:: Haruhi! ::cough:: Evangelion! ::cough::

To sum up, if a series comes out in SE singles I'll buy those (unless of course I hate the series). If it doesn't, I'll wait for the box. This isn't always how I've done things, but the price difference between singles and boxes when you're getting no extra content / packaging (less even!) just doesn't make the singles worth buying. Blu-ray further complicates things of course. I've been a pretty big spender on anime for the past few years but now I'm wary, and will wait if a series has a Japanese BD release because I can't really afford to double dip.
 
I was always a staunch supporter of buying singles as even though I ended up spending more, it let me spread out the cost and supported the UK industry.

However, after being kicked in the bollocks a few times by the likes of ADV and Revelation, unless it's a secial edition, i'm starting to only buy boxsets or if there is no boxset - buying singles when the last one has been released and I know I can get them all.
 
I only buy singles of LE stuff or if I get the whole series in singles for way less than the boxset. Usually on cons they sell singles for very cheap, so that's where I get these.

Last one was Eureka seven for 40 on the whole series.

I should stop doing that though, as I have no shelf space anymore.
 
I have the boxsets of almost all the anime i own, as some of them are on the tops of shelves and it keeps them together while looking good at the same time.

I think i did a thread about this a few months back?
 
The only title I bought in singles was Key the Metal Idol, unless Dominion Tank Police counts. In this case, the less expensive option of an integrated release wasn't available.

Truth be told, I can't see myself warming to collecting singles any time soon. If I become a high-earner with ample shelf space I may consider them. (As hypothetical situations go though, I fear that's not the most probable.)
 
I wish they'd just release the damn boxset straight away. It makes sense to have the boxset rather than singles in so many different ways. It's a pain having to wait for the boxset to come out.

Though I guess for most anime companies, it makes business sense to release single volumes first & then the boxset. Can't see that ever changing.
 
Yuvie said:
I wish they'd just release the damn boxset straight away. It makes sense to have the boxset rather than singles in so many different ways. It's a pain having to wait for the boxset to come out.

Though I guess for most anime companies, it makes business sense to release single volumes first & then the boxset. Can't see that ever changing.
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You have to fight for change

♪♪Row row fight da power♪♪ .............................
 
Yuvie said:
I wish they'd just release the damn boxset straight away. It makes sense to have the boxset rather than singles in so many different ways. It's a pain having to wait for the boxset to come out.

Though I guess for most anime companies, it makes business sense to release single volumes first & then the boxset. Can't see that ever changing.
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Now I haven't done any research in the area so I have to assume they are making money from the singles. However I think many people wait for the box sets and who knows how many of them decide they can't wait for all the singles to be released and just import straight from America which means lost UK income. However maaayybe the singles sales do make up for it, I don't know.

ayase said:
I think the special editions have to come before the boxed sets for them to really sell. They become more special because for your premium you also get it before most people.
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You're probably right. I just thought the probably higher priced special edition singles would attract collectors who would buy them anyway even after a box set release. The get it before most people factor may encourage others though and maybe even some casual buyers in a similar way to single releases now.

It's probably a combination of 'get it before everyone else', casual buyers, and singles being deceptively cheaper that makes them still sell. If they are making money from them and not losing additional income from people importing box sets early and/or skipping initial singles to wait for the special editions I guess there is no need to change, but it seems that most that have posted here do just skip singles. I would suspect that other regular anime collectors do the same.

I'm sure I can remember realizing that if I got the whole of fmp in singles I would be spending about £100 - i think. This was years and years ago now though.
 
The key here is how many that refuse to buy singles would choose to buy the UK boxset. Those that decide to import would likely continue to import due to it being released earlier, and often cheaper.

Myself personally, I'm happy with singles, but a move towards parts and cour sets (Beez's 9 episode sets I define as "parts" and manga's 13-episode sets are "cour sets") is a good thing for consumers.

How would you guys respond to the following idea:
- Limited Edition box set first, good extras and good packaging - relatively expensive.
- single volumes over several months (4 or 6 per a 26 episode series) which works out slightly cheaper than the boxset.
(possible remove the middle step - but not the gap that it would produce)
- cheap collection several month after singles.

Those that want it quickly would get what they want, and those that want it cheaply would also, albeit much later.
 
Fudce said:
How would you guys respond to the following idea:
- Limited Edition box set first, good extras and good packaging - relatively expensive.
- single volumes over several months (4 or 6 per a 26 episode series) which works out slightly cheaper than the boxset.
(possible remove the middle step - but not the gap that it would produce)
- cheap collection several month after singles.
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I would cry and then download
 
I'd be willing to buy a limited edition box set rather than wait longer for a cheaper box set. I do normally like to get thin packs though. If it could be thin pack or at least contain thin pack DVDs I would be even more inclined.

My blood+ box set had thin pack DVD's but had extra space for a T-shirt :). Wasted space on a shelf but it doesn't matter because I can just put the thin DVD's on the shelf and the box can be stored away elsewhere.
 
I like LE's - of course I wouldn't be willing to spend on a limited edition of "generic anime X", but I try to get the LE of every decent anime I see.

I do think that we should get our anime at least at the same time as americans do though. I can understand the fears for back-importing the japanese have, but I can't understand why they simply can't ship anime the same time the americans do.

Most of the time, it's even the same discs!
 
chaos said:
I like LE's - of course I wouldn't be willing to spend on a limited edition of "generic anime X", but I try to get the LE of every decent anime I see.

I do think that we should get our anime at least at the same time as americans do though. I can understand the fears for back-importing the japanese have, but I can't understand why they simply can't ship anime the same time the americans do.

Most of the time, it's even the same discs!
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^ This. The reverse importing issue is especially laughable now that America (cheapest anime releases in the world) and Japan (most expensive anime releases in the world) share the same Blu-ray region.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: World-wide simultaneous releases at a more-or-less averaged out price. No-one has to import, no county is hard done by in terms of releases or cost, the companies make money and the fans get more anime. Everybody wins. I'd be fine with anime getting more expensive here if we were getting the same quality products as the Japanese (now seems a good time to bring up Beez's Gunbuster and Freedom Blu-ray sets again. If Andrew's listening, please continue this releasing strategy!) and it would get cheaper in Japan, presumably driving up sales there where there are more fans, but many of whom don't currently buy because of the prohibitive cost.
 
Asdrubael said:
My blood+ box set had thin pack DVD's but had extra space for a T-shirt :). Wasted space on a shelf but it doesn't matter because I can just put the thin DVD's on the shelf and the box can be stored away elsewhere.
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I think the box was made larger more for holding the rest of the discs when released rather than the T-shirt. At least that is what I hope as when the second set comes out in a month or so I can put one box on the shelf and store the goodies in the other.

As for the question of how I would like to buy stuff. I think I would like to buy box sets straight off, but I would be fuming if after buying the standard box set they released a special edition. If they are going to do special editions they have to be at the same time as the standard or not at all. The only time that should change if it was some kind of anniversary edition which was cleaned up and had a lot of worth while extras.
 
ayase said:
I've said it before and I'll say it again: World-wide simultaneous releases at a more-or-less averaged out price. No-one has to import, no county is hard done by in terms of releases or cost, the companies make money and the fans get more anime. Everybody wins.
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Assuming Japanese fears of reverse importation were to eventually diminish, wouldn't local censorship regulations become an issue?
As you know, certain countries can release self-rated products, whereas we have the official bodies to pass our releases through. (My personal preference is doubtlessly the former system.) I'd expect a simultaneous release would have to somehow work around the delay such processes would cause in the applicable countries.
 
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