Nov. Store results.

Beat last year by a healthy 14%.

Last November was truly horrible, apparently, and since it had beaten the previous year, November is now officially the suckiest month of the year.  Well, January and November are fighting it out.

So that means that we've beaten last year for 16 out of the last 17 months.  Only September has been lower.  There is a very specific reason for that -- the introduction of the DC New 52 in Sept. of 2011 which was a rip-roaring success.

I suspect however that we won't beat last December, which was a great month.  Only the boom year of 2006 beat it, and not by much.

Since this year I'm keeping a full inventory, but not adding to inventory, I expect sales to be down but profits to be up.  But I'm hoping to be surprised.  Full inventory is full inventory, after all.


COMICS:  +3%.

Actually, I'm impressed with this.  This is up against the New 52, so that's not bad.

CARDS:  +45%.   Pretty meaningless.  Low numbers.  Wondering why I bother.

CARD GAMES:  +7%.  I had high hopes for the new release, but moderate results.  Still have a bunch of boxes, which are slowly selling.  Not worried about selling out and at least I don't have to reorder as often.

GAMES:  -4%.  Only category down this month, and I had a pretty good supply.  This is becoming a more mature line for us, so we probably won't be seeing the big increases as much.  I'll be thrilled to do as well as last Christmas, since I think this is being sold more by others than before.

BOOKS: +4%.  Didn't have oodles of sale books come in -- less volume of ordering, but more choice ordering, and we more than held our own.

TOYS:  +70%.  Being rewarded for ordering more toys throughout the year. Hoping that holds for Christmas, as well.

GRAPHIC NOVELS:  +20%.  This is a mature line, which fluctuates about this much.

COMICS/GRAPHICS COMBINED:  +9%.  Just started keeping track of this last month, and shows a healthy market.  Lots of signs to me that it isn't, like loosing subscribers, but apparently I'm making up for it in other areas.  Which is good.

Still feeling like my three guys, Cameron, Jasper and Matt are doing a great job -- as good or better than me, so don't feel guilty about taking time off to write.  Hey, maybe the increases are not despite my not being there but because!  Either way, it's a good outcome.

 We have already beaten last year, with the Christmas season yet to come, so I'm totally encouraged.

I think we'll beat every year but the boom years of 2006 and 2007, if we can do within 10% at Christmas.

Thing to remember, though, is I did those totals in 2006 and 2007 without 2 categories I'm carrying today -- new books and boardgames, which account for probably 25% of sales, so all things being equal, we'd still be way down.

But all things aren't equal, thanks to the two new categories, so I guess it's a moot point.