Forum - View topicLeeches...
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Jump Guru
 Posts: 71 Location: United States |
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Do leeches get on your nerves? You know the ones that sit around in front of the manga section all day and read a bunch of manga volumes and never pay for them?
 I mean, its okay if you are going to buy them later, or save up for them, but if you are just bending the covers and ruining it for the actual buyers that is just rude. Basically, you rip off the original creator and destroy the manga which makes the actual buyer not want to buy it either, and it goes to waste.  Another thing they will do is rip open the packaging if it is a mature title or deluxe edition or something, which is very inconsiderate for younger readers or big time collectors. One time I came in on the section right when I found some 12-year old kid looking in the first volume of the Robot art book and when I came around the corner the kid put down the volume (which should have been in rapping).
I just wanted to know what some other forum members' opinions are on the subject. (no controversy intended) Last edited by Jump Guru on Mon Aug 10, 2009 1:04 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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ninjapet
 Posts: 1517 |
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well when ever I go in to BN I see that the area for manga is full of teens/ older adults on the floor reading (mostly SJ titles BTW)
I find it a bit rude, go and buy the manga or at least if your not going to check to see if your public library has manga. I know mine does and they update every few months. Keeping me out of the manga area of a book store. I do find that the bending of covers is a bit, rude I mean some how my Negima!?:Neo cover was bent in the store because they only had one copy. I still bought it any way seeing as they where not going to get a new copy in soon. But I do get what ever copy is in the way back away from the hands of people in the rows sitting |
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RestLessone
 Posts: 1426 Location: New York |
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I dislike it as well. Borrowing from a friend or buying it used is one thing, but reading in the store is damaging the produce and discouraging others to buy it. If a person wants to know what's in it, they should read the first few pages or flips through it carefully, and if it doesn't catch their interest, put it back on the shelf.
My volumes of Trigun Maximum are in pretty bad shape, though I don't know if it was during their transport or if people read them in stores. I want to go with the latter, considering the rest of my Dark Horse series are in wonderful shape, and it always seems to be the Trigun volumes that have been beaten up. |
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zawa113
 Posts: 7358 |
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Ah yes, I know what you mean. My Borders luckily has quite a few comfy seats that are usually empty, so people at least don't sit in the hallway. If I'm really curious about a manga and might get it, but want to look into it, then yeah, I do it from time to time on rare occasion to be honest, I don't like blind buys. The last time I can remember doing that was for Parasyte, the eight and last volume of which I got this week but I wanted to try out the first volume first and ended up liking it (I think I actually got the first one right then and there, even though I'd read it all there already). But I don't go there just to read the latest Naruto or something like I see some people do. Those people annoy me more because they're doing it right in front of me and then look around all paranoid sometimes when anyone walks by. I wouldn't have a problem if people honestly went there with the intention to buy at least 1 manga and were trying to see which one they wanted out a few they'd been eyeing, but if they're going there just to read the latest SJ then leave, then it's rather rude. If someone test drives the first volume or two, fine, but I highly doubt you're test driving the 10th or 45th volume.
The main reason I don't do that anymore, other than feeling awkward, is because the library (at least mine) has a great selection of manga that I can read for free and isn't expected to always come back 100% undamaged. Really now, taxpayer's money has been spent on fine manga and I have a library card, sure, I never plan to buy most of the manga I borrow from them, but a least I can do that in the comfort of my own home without spending money. I really must question if just renting them from the library whenever I want is just as bad, I'm still not giving Tokyopop money directly for the right to read Battle Royale and I'm still not giving Vertical money to read Buddha (actually, that might change, working on it, maybe next TRSI Vertical sale, could really use one before Xmas). I have a fine manga library of my own, but some things are hard to find that the library conveniently has (my University library actually has Adolph and all of Akira (in Japanese), how awesome is that?) and sometimes I feel bad that I can't buy some of the ones I want at the time and sometimes I just plain don't want the series but for free rental, I'll finish it anyway. I can't really tell if this is any better, it's still not really supporting the industry that much, but at least you're renting them legit. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
 Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Why are you doing here then? Go tell shopkeepers to kick them out, or at least install more security cameras. A typical bookstore here has 6-12 security cameras. Complaining here does nothing good.
You open the packaging, you buy it. Period. I can't see why American bookstores can't even enforce this simply rule. |
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zawa113
Posts: 7358 |
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I know in Japan most all manga are shrinkwrapped to discourage reading right then and there, is this true in Taiwan too? In America, only things like Battle Royale and other titles that children should not be looking at are wrapped, the rest are just sitting there freely waiting for some snot-nosed 10 year old to pick it up and run their goo over every page before putting it back. And most of the store clerks here won't know which ones should be wrapped or not. The only time "you open it, you buy it" rules are really applied in the states is when you break something somewhere (you break it, you bought it), they really don't exist for books. A good 95% of magazines are wrapped, but you still find unwrapped ones here and there, no one pays attention. |
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RestLessone
Posts: 1426 Location: New York |
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It's part of the way you can tell if someone has read a mature manga before you purchase it; stuff like Gantz gets shinkwrapped, so when checking the section, you'll notice some volumes still have it and others don't. Usually, it's rated M and a select few OT/16+ series that are shinkwrapped around here.
It's so annoying to find a volume and then see it covered in creases, or a ripped page, or a stain. At least if they were all shink-wrapped, there wouldn't be a problem, though it could discourage sales...I have no idea how many times I have walked in, flipped through a volume, and bought it. But at the same time, do we really want children to be seeing some of the stuff? Comics are often considered kid stuff, and rated M series aren't the only stuff that can contain innappropriate content. OT series can contain some sexual and violent content. Teen and (of course) All Ages/Youth usually don't get too bad, but OT...I keep being reminded of the time this young child picked Loveless off the shelf. |
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dormcat
Encyclopedia Editor
Posts: 9902 Location: New Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC |
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Yes, both magazines and tankōbons are shrink wrapped.
I think that's the point. If every customer checks whether there are bubbles in the glue between the spine and paper before purchasing, I'd say bookstores would spend more efforts keeping leechers from damaging books. |
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DuelLadyS
 Posts: 1705 Location: WA state |
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Becuase American corporate offices don't care. Basically, it'd go something like this: Jerky McGee opens special edition copy of what-have-you to read it/screw with the goodies/whatever. Employee sees this, and goes to tell management. Management comes back and tells Jerky McGee to buy the product he opened. Jerky McGee gets mad becuase he doesn't want to, and decides to complain to the Corporate office. At this point, the store employees are basically screwed. Corporate wants happy customers. Nevermind that Jerky McGee just cost the store money and never intended to buy anything, corporate will now either a)make everyone in the store go through some stupid customer service training program or b) worst case scenario- someone gets fired. American retail workers, bookstore or otherwise, learn pretty quickly that it's just easier for them to let the bastards do their thing. And we hate it, too. The best thing anyone can do is, if they see the behavior, go complain! It's easier for the store to act when it's a customer starting the ball rolling- now if Jerky McGee writes to corporate, we can show them the letter from Stevey Goodington saying how glad they are we stuck it to Jerky McGee- then corporate leaves them alone. (Oh, and if it really bugs you- most stores will knock a small percentage off damaged goods if you ask.) |
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ninjapet
Posts: 1517 |
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I think it's kind of weird to see some random 10 year old reading Negima! on the floor in the manga area. Then again you can't do anything about it because Del Ray stopped wrapping the volumes. Heck the manga's rated 16+ here. I maybe a year under the rating but I still get my mom or dad to come with me to the store to buy it for me seeing as I don't have a ID on me if they ask.
Yes the bookstore near me asks for ID on some books, (mainly things 16+ and in wrapping) They forget most of the time (mainly holiday time or on slow days) but they still do it. But seeing as most manga are under 13+ you can buy it at any age because the people working there think it's just a comic for little kids. |
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Jump Guru
Posts: 71 Location: United States |
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Yeah, I know. I'm just trying start a conversation. 
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einhorn303
 Posts: 1180 |
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To be honest, I buy nearly all of my comics and DVD's online, so I don't have to worry about that problem too much.
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Flame-G102
 Posts: 104 |
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Now I feel bad. >.>
Its true that I sometimes leech, be it Borders or B&N... But when I have the money to buy a bunch of volumes. I usually go for it and buy them. Actually, for the longest time, me and my friend would lend each other mangas. As in, he obtained the latest volume and he would pretty much pass it around our group of friends. If I got something new, id do the same then. Y'know, Shrink wrapping wouldn't be a bad Idea. It would actually encourage buying, so you can read it later. (I dont know, It would encourage me to do so, that's for sure.) But then again, how many times have I wandered over to my local CVS' magazine section and found a Wizard magazine or some gaming magazine, out of its wrapping and the plastic still on the floor. and with the corporate "customer is always right" thing... Yeah... |
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Jump Guru
Posts: 71 Location: United States |
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That's okay as long as you still do buy the stuff and you do actually want to buy it. We're talking about the people who just go there read a bunch of manga and go "whatever" and throw it on the floor. 
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Flame-G102
Posts: 104 |
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Oh no, If I read it, I make sure to handle it so as not to ruin it for another buyer. then I put it back where I got it from. I always want to buy manga. the thing is, money. But I do buy manga as well... Though lately, I've been reading my manga's online. Sure they're often only a chapter per month, but its worth the wait. Builds up the want for it, yknow? Unless its like some other mangas that get a chapter out every day.
EDIT: Y'know, honestly, one drawback of leeching, is that you often end up with a sore neck, and if your standing, sore feet too. but maybe that's just me... |
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