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ComicBase 2022 Will New Features Wreck Me?


Matthew Day

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Hello - I've upgraded to the new version and was presented with various options after install. I have heavily customized my Notes field and set all my own prices. I'm wondering what I can select in the new options that won't completely ruin all the work I've put in for my Notes Fields. Its to the point where I don't want ComicBase to touch any of that data. 

Also, I sell on Atomic Ave and want my specific notes and Grading notes to come through on my store, so are there any impacts there?

Anyone with experience with this, and especially anyone from ComicBase who can speak authoritatively on these topic, appreciate your input. Thanks.

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Best thing to do is make a backup of your database then run an Update and Rebuild Lists and see what happens.

When you update there are two areas to look at.

In the top box are options that control when Values and/or Price are changed.
If you only want the Price not to change, select the radio button for 'Update items with the Current Guide Value' (this would be the 2021 Value column) and UNCHECK the 'Update selling Prices to match Guide Value.
If you don't want Value or Price to change select the radio button for 'Don't change existing item values'.

In the middle of the window, is a check box for 'Lock Item Notes (don't allow update to add to existing info)' should keep you Notes from changing (or at least being added to).

When CB 2022 converts your 2021 database, It will move lines with 'Cover', 'Variant' and 'Edition' to the new Item Description column.
This is the one that might give you the most problem.
If Note information is separated by a semi-colon ( ; ), it will limit issues. If not, extra information may move with the Cover info. (for example, 'Alex Ross Cover. Graphic Novel' would move 'Alex Ross Cover. Graphic Novel' as CB sees that as one item. 'Alex Ross Cover; Graphic Novel' would only move 'Alex Ross Cover').

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Thanks for the response.

As for prices, I couldn't care less about the Values. They are so inaccurate (especially for modern books) so I don't even display those on my version of comicBase. All I care about are the amounts in the Price column that flow to Atomic Ave. I've had the system update my Prices (often times because the Condition changes and the system then changes my Price without asking me first) and then someone thinks they are going to buy a $100 book for $3.99 because the ComicBase value was $3.99. I can't have that happen because it just results in me getting a bad review on my store. Sounds like I'm fine with having Value change but not price so I'll have to UNCHECK "Update selling Prices to match Guide Value."

 

As for Item Description, I have some questions:

- What is the point of Item Description field?

- How does it differ from the Notes field?

- How does Item Description interact with Atomic Avenue? 

- Have there been any changes to interactions with Atomic Ave for the Notes field or the Grading Notes field?

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There is also a 'Lock Price' check box when you edit an Issue. It is on the 'Other' tab.

I think you can do a Mass change and set this to Checked but it would be for all items in the database (may have an only Qty in stock option but I am currently in the middle of a Rebuild Lists and can't check). This 'might' stop it from changing when you change condition but that is a guess.

For you questions:

**As you probably noticed, Notes tends to get very full of 'stuff' and sometimes it is almost duplicate information.

The reason for Item Description is to get some of the useful (?) information that would identify the issue into a separate field that be better controlled.

The use of Item Description is information that would help to identify the issue (especially if there is no cover). This can be Variant cover, Variant cover by 'artist', 0.15 cent cover, red background, etc. Initially CB scans the Notes field for any information text that has 'Cover', 'Variant', and 'Edition'.

Note: Information text when multiple items are in Notes are separated by semi-colons. If the are NOT separated, then more than was wanted could (and does, there will need to be some cleanup) gets moved into Item Description.

***So, the difference is...

Item Description: information that would help identify the particular issue. (I believe this would mostly be cover (maybe back cover also) information.

Notes: Information about the issue. 1st appearance, death, 1:20 retailer version (if that was written 1:20 retailer variant, it would be moved when it probably shouldn't), ca. date, Published by xxxx, etc.

***Currently, I don't see Item Description on Atomic Avenue, I hope it will be added (soon) but CB 2022 just came out so we will see.

*** No changes in how Notes and Grading Notes work with AA that I know of (but I am not an AA seller). I would guess since Item Description hasn't been added (yet?), that there hasn't been any changes to AA but am not sure.

The main thing you will notice it the Conversion Process and Rebuild Lists (can't recall the exact one and can't check right now) will Scan Notes and Move info to Item Description. Not sure what information you have in Notes you don't want changed but if it has Cover, Variant or Edition in the text, it will get deleted from Notes and moved to Item Description.

Also, this is still new and haven't gone through an Update yet, but Item Description may get changed as they may try to keep a tighter control on it so it doesn't turn into a 'dumping ground'. We shall see.

 

 

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17 minutes ago, Steven L. Dasinger said:

There is also a 'Lock Price' check box when you edit an Issue. It is on the 'Other' tab.

This does not work. I just tried it. I had Lock Price and then I changed the Condition from 'Very Fine to Near Mint' to just 'Very Fine' and it replaced my price with some generic price. I had like $25 on the book and that change took the book to $6...... If I had not been watching I would have updated my store with that $6 price. So while perhaps Lock Price might prevent the auto update of the price to the value when importing in new values, it does NOT lock the price when you change the condition. Super frustrating for me and for customers when I can't fulfill the order at the super low price ComicBase changed it to.

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Yeah - So I definitely don't want my Notes information, including variant details being moved from a field that is currently being sent to Atomic Ave to a field that is not. That would be a major issue as I don't want all that information disappearing from my listings. I've spent a lot of time customizing the information about the books, 1st appearances, etc. that aren't in ComicBase's core product and that are in that Notes field to lose all of that information on my store listings.

Sounds like this wasn't well thought through from a joint ComicBase/Atomic Avenue standpoint. I totally get wanting to separate specific book information like cover artist/ratio variant/etc. from general inside-the-book stuff like 1st appearance, but there needs to be more flexibility for those of us who take time cultivating the information for our store to differentiate our listings from others who may also be selling. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 12/4/2021 at 9:17 PM, Matthew Day said:

This does not work. I just tried it. I had Lock Price and then I changed the Condition from 'Very Fine to Near Mint' to just 'Very Fine' and it replaced my price with some generic price. I had like $25 on the book and that change took the book to $6...... If I had not been watching I would have updated my store with that $6 price. So while perhaps Lock Price might prevent the auto update of the price to the value when importing in new values, it does NOT lock the price when you change the condition. Super frustrating for me and for customers when I can't fulfill the order at the super low price ComicBase changed it to.

Lock Price has always been iffy. I see 2022 now says "Prevent update from changing price." Unfortunately, I don't think there's any reliable way to prevent condition modification from re-running the pricing algorithm. It's definitely one of my biggest peeves with CB.
The other one, as you appear to have experienced yourself, is that I think there should be generally clearer delineation between the "master data" of a comic issue, and the data for each issue you have. Like, if you have two of the same book, but in different condition, the best way to currently handle that is to make a duplicate entry, which is just kind of a pain. Here, we take the time to separate newsstand issues from direct market issues, which is a similar process.

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