Poll: Comic Book Buying Habits In A Recession

I'm going to borrow a topic from Occasional Superheroine. Feel free to play along here by adding your own answers. (Mine are in bold.)

Here's a questionnaire for you all about your comic buying habits in these tight economic times.

1. If you needed to pull back on your comic book expenditures a little bit, what titles would you drop from your pull list and why?
Well, I'd basically rank them in order of how much I was enjoying them, and drop the ones off the bottom of the list first. That said, I've already dropped them all at this point, and I'm just reading online comics these days. And whatever anyone happens to send me for free! :)

2. Rank the following in the order of (top) would drop last to (bottom) would drop first, if you had to save money:
a) Comic Books
b) Video Games
c) Collectibles
d) Cable TV
e) Music
f) Internet
g) Medication and Medical Procedures (assuming you aren't covered for them, includes dental care)
h) Movies (either DVDs or going out to theatre)
i) Eating Out For Dinner
* note: only rank what is applicable
Medication (if I took any -- I don't)
Internet
Comic Books (already dropped)
Collectibles (already dropped)
Cable TV (already dropped)
Video Games (already dropped)
Movies (already dropped)
Music (already dropped)
Eating Out (already dropped)

3. Have you ever turned to selling some comic books or other collectibles on eBay in order to scare up some extra cash?
Several times; will probably be doing so again soon.

4. What, in your opinion, do you think the comic book industry has to do in order to hold you as a loyal reader in the case of a recession?
Produce really quality work for a price I can afford.

5. What is your absolute limit in terms of how much you are willing to pay for a single 22-page comc book?
a) $3.00
b) $3.50
c) $4.00
d) $5.00
Currently, $4, but that will undoubtedly go up with inflation.

6. If comics went up to $4.00 per 22-page issue across the board, would you stop or drastically curtail your collecting?
Would definitely curtail, if I hadn't already.

7. If reading a lot of the comics you are following now could be done online and for a drastically cheaper price (either per-issue or through a subscription), would you be cool with that? Would you see that as a legitimate alternative to buying paper, considering the economic factor?
I would be ALL OVER that idea.

8. What quality in your comic books would you be willing to sacrifice most, if it meant a cheaper price tag?
a) Paper --> from more expensive to cheaper stock
b) Coloring --> from very elaborate to simpler coloring
c) Cover Artist --> no "high ticket" cover artist, unless artist of book
d) Page Count --> less pages
In order, I'd sacrifice color (b/w is fine with me), cover artist, paper, and finally page count.

9. Do you like blockbuster artists and writers like Frank Miller, Alex Ross, Grant Morrison, and Neil Gaiman enough to be willing to pay more for a comic book that they are involved with? Are they "instant buys" for you?
Only for certain creators. In the above list, only Gaiman might qualify for me.

10. Are you more likely over the next six months not to travel to as many conventions due to rising gas prices and economic concerns?
I have no plans to attend any cons at least through next summer.

11. Over the last few months we've seen Virgin Comics & Minx go the way of the dodo. In your opinion, what might be next on the chopping block?
Either Oni will die a horrible death, because I like a lot of what they do and I have a penchant for backing losers, or Tokyopop will get bought out by somebody else because I have an inkling they have more cash flow problems than they're letting on.

12. "The Economy Is In Trouble." How much do you agree with this statement?
a) A little
b) A lot
c) I think it's been blown out of proportion in the media
A lot -- no, let me rephrase that -- A LOT

13. Optional: Your gender/age
Male/36

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