Our Goal: To Be the Web's Best Comic Book Store By Jim Drucker, President, NewKadia.com
When I started buying comics on the web for my collection, I was amazed at the awful job many sellers were doing.
Some graded comics accurately, but protected them poorly.
Some packed the comics carefully but sent them 4th class mail.
Some delivered them fast but the books were over-priced.
No one, it seemed, was even trying to doing everything right. I wanted to try.
We Stole Lots of Ideas
To start, we bought comics from about 100 eBay sellers and websites to see everyone else’s good ideas.
One person protected each comic with a comic bag and cardboard so it wouldn't bend. We copied that idea.
Another shipped books in an unbendable box -hey, we stole that idea also. When we couldn’t find a box the right size we got boxes custom-made. We didn’t want your books moving around which can crush their corners.
Soon, we had lots ideas to make shopping easy.
Our Top 10 Ideas
1. Super Customer Service
We listen
Have a question? Click the button to the right
Or, email us at
and we'll answer your email before
today at 2 p.m. EST
We hate stores where you can't talk to anyone. That stinks. We respond fast because we think the more we help you, the more you’ll like shopping with us.
We inform you
After you place your order, you'll see a Receipt if you pay by PayPal or credit or debit card, or an Invoice if paying by check or money order. Seeing either means we received your order.
We send an email when we ship your order
The email includes your book's estimated delivery date. And for USA orders shipped Priority Mail, 2-Day or 1-Day Express, we email you a Tracking Number. You can type the number into our Track Comics box on our home page to follow your package’s progress to you.
2. Money-Back guarantee You can return any book for a full refund We’ll even pay the return shipping. We want you fully satisfied. If you're not, return it. I’m not sure anyone else pays return shipping, but heck if you return it, you shouldn’t have to pay to return it. It’s only fair!
If we sell 5,000 comics, we’ll get 1 or 2 back. Sometimes we miss a defect (no one is perfect) and sometimes the customer is a tough cookie. But, we grade carefully so it’s not a big problem.
3.
Free shipping in the USA
I once bought comics on eBay for $20 and was charged $10 for shipping which cost him $3. What a rip off!
In contrast, we ship every order for FREE in the USA.
You can also upgrade to faster delivery services.
Inexpensive shipping outside the USA
Airmail to Canada and Mexico is $3.95 plus $.50 per book.
Airmail to all other countries is $6.99 plus $.75 per book, which basically breaks us even on the shipping and packaging. You can also choose faster Express service for an extra fee.
For all shipping options outside the USA click here.
4. Fast delivery
.
In the USA, we ship Standard mail. Or, you can upgrade to a faster delivery method at the bottom of your Cart.
Outside the USA, we ship Priority Airmail which takes 6 to 10 days to arrive. Faster Express service is also available.
For all shipping options outside the USA, click here.
5. Strict grading
When we bought those 100 comics, the grading was a mess -- some "Near Mint" comics had torn covers, some "Very Good" comics were only in "Good" condition.
Most sellers graded very fairly. We copied that. But we needed a better way to accurately grade thousands of comic books. The Overstreet Price Guide didn’t help much, because its rules for a comic’s condition are spread over two poorly organized pages and are difficult to understand.
So, we made a chart summarizing the rules. Suddenly grading got easier. Our chart shows you what is wrong (and right) with each comic. For a full size chart, click here and refer to it while shopping.
6. Safe packing
We pack every comic in a comic book bag and place it on a comic book board to protect it. Then, we pack them in an unbendable box for extra protection.
We also stamp Fragile on your box.
7. Free insurance
Did I mention that your package is fully insured? Nope, I don’t think I did. So, if someone bends our unbendable box, or if a 4,000 pound elephant steps on your package, don’t worry, because our insurance will pay to replace it.
We pay for insurance because I once bought an expensive comic that was damaged in shipping and had to fight for a refund. What a drag! I never want to put you through that.
We’ve sent hundreds of thousands of books and we’ve had only 5 damaged packages…or is it 6? I’m not sure because it happens so rarely I don’t remember. A damaged book is another thing you don't have to worry about here.
8. Don’t worry about debit or crebit card fraud
We use state-of-the-art security technology with names that the tech guys know. Basically, sending a card number over the internet is pretty safe. If someone charges without your permission, just contact your card company and they'll remove the charges from your account. You pay nothing.
Since 2000, we've sold over 700,000 comic books online and not one person has had their card information stolen or in any way compromised from ordering on our website.
I think you run a greater risk when you give your card to a strange waiter and he walks away with your card.
For extra security, we also ask for your card's security number. It's a 3-digit number on the back of Visa, Discover or MasterCards or a 4-digit number on the front of American Express cards.
But, here's the best reason to use a card or PayPal -- your books are shipped right away. Pay by money order or check and you have to write a check or buy a money order, find an envelope, buy a stamp and mail it. Then wait until we get it.
Pay with PayPal or a card and you'll have your books much sooner.
9. Low comic book prices.
Our prices are low and keep dropping.
For every book we add to our store, we price it below its Overstreet Price Guide value. Then, we drop its price each day it remains unsold. This way, you decide its sale price.
Here’s an example: Top titles usually sell quickly at the Overstreet price. But for some books Overstreet is really off base. $2.25 for Deathblow #1? I don’t think so. More importantly, you don’t think so. Deathblow #1 has dropped from it‘s original price of $2.25 to 88¢ and still no one is buying it.
So, is Overstreet accurate? Not for Deathblow #1. But, when Deathblow’s price drops far enough, someone will buy it. The lower price it eventually sells for is its real value. And who sets that value? The customer who buys it!
But don’t wait too long, we’ve shipped to 90 countries, and some rich oil sheik in Abu Dhabi, or a student in Iowa may be about to buy that book you’re hoping will still be there in a few weeks at a lower price.
By the way, Jerry Seinfeld once mentioned Deathblow on his TV show, so you’d think they’d be selling like crazy. They’re not.
G4TV featured NewKadia on "Sites We Like" and said NewKadia was "packed with deals".
Watch the clip. The NewKadia review starts at 1:20
10. Free comics!
Well, hey, we wanted something for the big finish. You can get FREE comics with your order! Not valueless garbage like Warriors of Plasm #7... but 100 comics we’ve gotten great deals on like Spider-Man #1 (1990 series), and X-Men (1990 series) #1 and 100 others.
Elsewhere you're buying just a comic book, but at NewKadia you get much more. A recap:
Free shipping in USA
Yes
Overstreet prices or lower
Yes
Protected by comic bag & board
Yes
Shipped in unbendable box
Yes
Money-back guarantee
Yes
Free shipping insurance
Yes
Free shipping on returns
Yes
Discounts on future orders
Yes
Secure Socket Technology
Yes
Free comics
Yes -
$9.99 and up
The Future
NewKadia.com opened Jan. 1, 2000. We've made progress, but barely scratched the surface. We have a ‘to do’ list, and I’m not kidding, there are 239 things on the list. Each is designed to make shopping easier.
Right now we only sell comics. We don't sell Spider-Man posters or Superman action figures. We may some day, but we're focussing on being the best comic store in the world.
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To start, we bought comics from about 100 eBay sellers and websites to see everyone else’s good ideas.
Inexpensive shipping outside the USA 
.
We pack every comic in a comic book bag and place it on a comic book board to protect it. Then, we pack them in an unbendable box for extra protection.
We also stamp Fragile on your box.
Did I mention that your package is fully insured? Nope, I don’t think I did. So, if someone bends our unbendable box, or if a 4,000 pound elephant steps on your package, don’t worry, because our insurance will pay to replace it.
