{"id":4819,"date":"2013-08-12T17:29:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-12T17:29:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-08-01T15:15:21","modified_gmt":"2020-08-01T20:15:21","slug":"final-july-2013-comics-sales-estimates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/2013\/08\/12\/final-july-2013-comics-sales-estimates\/","title":{"rendered":"Final July 2013 comics sales estimates: Graphic novels turn up the volume"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The final comics sales estimates are out from Diamond Comic Distributors<\/b><\/a>, and they complete the picture of the best summer month thus far for the comics shop market in the Diamond
\nExclusive Era. Click to see the sales estimates for comics ordered in July 2013<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n

July’s orders of $46.8 million topped every previous month (in non-inflation adjusted terms) with the exception of October 2012<\/b><\/a>, which had set a mark of $47.3 million. That
\nputs the market up 12.71% for the year, to nearly $297 million. The
\nmarket is now running $35 million ahead of where it was last year at
\nthis time.<\/p>\n

Superman Unchained <\/i>#2<\/b><\/a>
\nfrom DC led the comics periodical list, with orders of approximately
\n165,700 copies in its first month.<\/p>\n

Graphic novel orders, meanwhile, overall greatly
\nexceeded those in the Top 300 \u2014 up 26% versus a 11% increase for the Top 300. These gaps in growth rates are usually explained by the long tail \u2014 the thousands of graphic novels outside the Top 300 \u2014 and if the difference seems extreme, consider the unit sales volume: The 300th place graphic novel this July had orders of 503 copies. Last July: just 346 copies. <\/b>The typical “bubbling under” book is selling many more copies than usual, and there are lots more of those than there are Top 300 entries, so it all adds up.<\/p>\n

The fifth shipping week explains a portion of the difference, but it’s pretty clear that volume is simply a lot higher. The 381th place graphic novel this July would have been in 244th place last year!<\/p>\n

The aggregate sales:<\/p>\n

TOP 300 COMICS UNIT SALES<\/b><\/div>\n

July 2013<\/a>: <\/b>7.32 million copies
\nVersus 1 year ago this month<\/b><\/a>: +6%
\nVersus 5 years ago this month<\/b><\/a>: +2%
\nVersus 10 years ago this month<\/b><\/a>: +15%
\nVersus 15 years ago this month<\/b><\/a>: +1%
\nYEAR TO DATE: 49.02 million copies, +8% vs. 2012, +5% vs. 2008, +21% vs. 2003, unchanged vs. 1998<\/p>\n

ALL COMICS UNIT SALES<\/b>
\nJuly 2013 versus one year ago this month: +11.02%<\/b>
\nYEAR TO DATE: +10.36%<\/b><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

TOP 300 COMICS DOLLAR SALES<\/b><\/div>\n

July 2013: $26.59 million
\nVersus 1 year ago this month: +8%
\nVersus 5 years ago this month: +15%
\nVersus 10 years ago this month: +51%
\nVersus 15 years ago this month: +53%
\nYEAR TO DATE: $177.34 million, +12% vs. 2012, +19% vs. 2008, +55% vs. 2003, +48% vs. 1998<\/p>\n

ALL COMICS DOLLAR SALES<\/b>
\nJuly 2013 versus one year ago this month: +12.55%<\/b>
\nYEAR TO DATE: +13.16%<\/b><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

TOP 300 TRADE PAPERBACK DOLLAR SALES<\/b><\/div>\n

July 2013: $7.93 million
\nVersus 1 year ago this month: +11%
\nVersus 5 years ago this month, just the Top 100 vs. the Top 100: -15%
\nVersus 10 years ago this month, just the Top 50 vs. the Top 50: +13%
\nVersus 15 years ago this month, just the Top 25 vs. the Top 25: +52%
\nYEAR TO DATE: $39.38 million, +19% vs. 2012<\/p>\n

ALL TRADE PAPERBACK\u00a0 SALES<\/b>
\nJuly 2013 versus one year ago this month: +26.11%<\/b>
\nYEAR TO DATE: +11.72%<\/b><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

TOP 300 COMICS + TOP 300 TRADE PAPERBACK DOLLAR SALES<\/b><\/div>\n

July 2013: $34.52 million
\nVersus 1 year ago this month: +8%
\nVersus 5 years ago this month, counting just the Top 100 TPBs: +9%
\nVersus 10 years ago this month, counting just the Top 50 TPBs: +41%
\nVersus 15 years ago this month, counting just the Top 25 TPBs: +63%
\nYEAR TO DATE: $231.15 million, +12% vs. 2012<\/p>\n

ALL COMICS AND TRADE PAPERBACK\u00a0 SALES<\/b>
\nJuly 2013 versus one year ago this month: +16.73%<\/b>
\nYEAR TO DATE: +12.71%<\/b><\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

OVERALL DIAMOND SALES (including all comics, trades, and magazines)<\/b><\/div>\n

July 2013: approximately $46.84 million (subject to revision)
\nVersus 1 year ago this month: +17%
\nVersus 5 years ago this month: +13%
\nVersus 10 years ago this month: +68%
\nYEAR TO DATE: $296.55 million, +13% vs. 2012<\/p>\n

The average comic book in the Top 300 cost $3.61; the average comic book
\nretailers ordered cost $3.63. The median and most common price for comics offered was $3.99. Click to see comics prices across time.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

As reported last Friday<\/b><\/a>, Diamond also released the total number of new items that the Top 10 publishers released. This data has been added to the market share column of the monthly page, but we can also learn something from it by comparing it with what ranked in the Top 300. Here’s the number of comics releases, versus the number that made the Top 300:<\/p>\n

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