By John Jackson Miller on 11/28/2007 12:00 AM

Comics sales soared in the October 2007 report. A major factor in comparisons this month was the five week month; the same month in 2006 was a four-week month.

DC led market share categories for the first time in many months, in part due to landing 107 items in the Top 300 versus Marvel’s 80. Image’s dollar share of the Top 300 comics actually came in sixth; it landed in fifth place in the overall category.

TOP 300 UNIT SALES
7.14 million copies, up 17% from same month last year
2007 YTD: 71.3 million copies, up 7% from 2006 YTD

TOP 300 DOLLAR SALES
$22.92 million, up 20% from last same month last year
2007 YTD: $225.64 million, up 10% from 2006 YTD

TOP 100 TRADE PAPERBACKS
$5.51 million, up 6% from last same month last year
2007 YTD: $46.94 million, up 17% from 2006 YTD

COMBINED TOP 300 COMICS & TOP 100 TRADES
$28.42 million, up 17% from same month last year
2007 YTD: $272.57 million, up 11% from 2006 YTD

OVERALL DIAMOND SALES (including all comics, TPBs, and magazines)
$38.96 million, up 27% from same month last year ($43.72 million with UK)
2007 YTD: $357.75 million, up 11% from 2006 YTD

By John Jackson Miller on 10/24/2007 12:00 AM

The September numbers for Diamond's sales of comic books to comic book stores in North America are up, and the market continues toward a strong year with positive third-quarter results across all categories.

TOP 300 UNIT SALES
6.69 million copies, up 1% from same month last year
3Q: 22.03 million copies, up 3% over 3Q 2006
2007 YTD: 64.15 million copies, up 5% from 2006 YTD

TOP 300 DOLLAR SALES
$21.5 million, up 5% from last same month last year
3Q: $70.14 million copies, up 6% over 3Q 2006
2007 YTD: $202.72 million, up 9% from 2006 YTD

TOP 100 TRADE PAPERBACKS
$4.49 million, up 22% from last same month last year
3Q: $13.49 million, up 4% over 3Q 2006
2007 YTD: $41.43 million, up 19% from 2006 YTD

COMBINED TOP 300 COMICS & TOP 100 TRADES
$25.99 million, up 8% from same month last year
3Q: $83.63 million copies, up 6% over 3Q 2006
2007 YTD: $244.15 million, up 10% from 2006 YTD

OVERALL DIAMOND SALES (including all comics, TPBs, and magazines)
$32.68 million, up 6% from same month last year ($35.38 million with UK)
3Q: $108.68 million copies, up 9% over 3Q 2006
2007 YTD: $318.79 million, up 9% from 2006 YTD

Click for the full list of titles!

By John Jackson Miller on 9/25/2007 12:00 AM

And the data for August 2007 is now up -- bringing to an even 11 years the archives of estimates of Diamond Comics Distributors' sales available here.

A five-week month compared to a five ship week month from last year, August 2007 still managed improvements in all categories except for the Top 100 Trade Paperbacks. The 300th place comic book had orders of 2,500 copies, which is a far sight better than previous years where that figure had dropped close to 1,000 copies.

Overall, the comics direct market seems poised for another strong year. Up 10% after eight months, I might expect to see the overall figure for 2007 to wind up between $430-440 million.

One point on Diamond’s sales chart equals 770 copies.

TOP 300 UNIT SALES
7.69 million copies, up 4% from last August
2007 YTD: 57.46 million copies, up 6% from 2006 YTD

TOP 300 DOLLAR SALES
$24.62 million, up 7% from last August
2007 YTD: $181.22 million, up 9% from 2006 YTD

TOP 100 TRADE PAPERBACKS
$4.63 million, down 6% from last August
2007 YTD: $36.94 million, up 19% from 2006 YTD

COMBINED TOP 300 COMICS & TOP 100 TRADES
$29.26 million, up 5% from last August
2007 YTD: $218.16 million, up 11% from 2006 YTD

OVERALL DIAMOND SALES (including all comics, TPBs, and magazines)
$39.18 million, up 5% from last August ($43.19 million with UK)
2007 YTD: $286.11 million, up 10% from 2006 YTD

By John Jackson Miller on 8/28/2007 12:00 AM

The comics sales estimates for July 2007 are now online here at The Comics Chronicles.

TOP 300 UNIT SALES
7.64 million copies, up 3% from last July
2007 YTD: 49.77 million copies, up 6% from 2006 YTD

TOP 300 DOLLAR SALES
$24.02 million, up 6% from last July
2007 YTD: $156.6 million, up 9% from 2006 YTD

TOP 100 TRADE PAPERBACKS
$4.37 million, up 1% from last July
2007 YTD: $32.31 million, up 23% from 2006 YTD

COMBINED TOP 300 COMICS & TOP 100 TRADES
$28.39 million, up 5% from last July
2007 YTD: $188.9 million, up 12% from 2006 YTD

OVERALL DIAMOND SALES (including all comics, TPBs, and magazines)
$36.82 million, up 5% from last July
2007 YTD: $246.93 million, up 10% from 2006 YTD

Marvel’s Top 300 Comics unit and dollar sales were slightly higher than in May 2007, breaking that month’s 11-year record in those two categories.

By John Jackson Miller on 7/20/2007 12:00 AM

The June 2007 comics shop order totals have been posted; my estimates for individual titles can be found here.

The detailed data:

TOP 300 UNIT SALES
6.93 million copies, down 1% from last June
Q2: 21.83 million copies, up 5% from Q2 2006
2007 YTD: 42.13 million copies, up 7% from 2006 YTD

TOP 300 DOLLAR SALES
$22.11 million, up 4% from last June
Q2: $68.44 million, up 6% from Q2 2006
2007 YTD: $132.58 million, up 6% from 2006 YTD

TOP 100 TRADE PAPERBACKS
$4.85 million, up 33% from last June
Q2: $16.05 million, up 48% from Q2 2006
2007 YTD: $27.94 million, up 28% from 2006 YTD

COMBINED TOP 300 COMICS & TOP 100 TRADES
$26.96 million, up 8% from last June
Q2: $84.49 million, up 12% from Q2 2006
2007 YTD: $160.52 million, up 13% from 2006 YTD

OVERALL DIAMOND SALES (including all comics, TPBs, and magazines)
$35.08 million, up 10% from last June
Q2: $110.81 million, up 11% from Q2 2006
2007 YTD: $210.11 million, up 11% from 2006 YTD

Prospects at midyear for topping 2006 performance in all categories continue to be good. TPB performance looks to be surging in 2007, after last year when the periodicals seemed to have more momentum.

Been on the road a lot lately; I should be getting back to posting data more regularly here soon.