Frequently Asked Questions

Are items listed on the MK1 site actually instock at the shop?

The stock information on the MK1 website reports our own Hamilton shop’s current inventory and not an offsite location or supplier's warehouse stock.   

Our webshop reports the stock information taken from our own live inventory. We do not list items for sale that are not physically on hand in our Hamilton shop. As items sell in store our point of sale system updates our webstock records in real time - any items sold out will be recorded as SOLD OUT till we receive more stock (we reorder daily). Great care is taken to make sure this information is kept up to date but from time to time mistakes and errors do happen. In the rare instance that this occurs we will offer an immediate refund. Please feel free to call or email the shop if you wish to confirm availability before placing an order.

How long will my order take to arrive?

We pack and dispatch orders straight away. Our official policy can be found on our Terms & Conditions page. In practice we pack up any orders received during the day straight away… and orders received overnight are packed before the MK1 doors open at 9am. As long as orders are received before the final courier pick up for the day (3pm) most urban areas in NZ will receive delivery overnight  or within two working days. 

Our busiest delivery days are on New Comics Day and the day after new Comics Day (currently Thursdays and Fridays). Please allow extra time for orders placed on these days.

 

DOES MK1 SELL GIFT CARDS?

Yes we do .  There are two types of Gift Cards available.  

PHYSICAL MK1 Gift Cards  can be purchased at our Victoria Street location in Hamilton.  They can be used on line as well - just message the shop, quoting the gift card number and we will reply back with an online usable gift card link 

The WEBSITE MK1 Gift Cards can be purchased here https://mk1.co.nz/products/gift-card .  Choose the dollar value you would like or message us if you want a different amount added.  Once purchased you will receive an emailed receipt and a separately emailed Gift Card (check your spam folder if not in your inbox). You can forward the emailed Gift Card to the recipient at your chosen time.   Website issued Gift Cards can be used online and instore.  

Mk1 gift cards don't expire and don't have to be used in a single transaction - they can be part spent over a period of time.

 

How do I subscribe to a comic series at MK1?

You can place preorders for upcoming comics in our Preorder section here https://mk1.co.nz/pages/managecomics A User Guide for our Preorder System can be found here https://mk1.co.nz/pages/preorder 

How do I choose a comic title to subscribe to?

So many ways: Choose a title from our recent comic inventory and request future issues.  Read our weekly FINAL ORDER CUT OFF blog posts, Check out our Monthly Preorder catalogue page, subscribe to our weekly newsletter in the footer below this page and check out the comic distributor pages like : Previews World https://www.previewsworld.com/ , Lunar https://www.lunardistribution.com/ or Penguin Random House Comics https://prhcomics.com/   or the individual publisher sites like Marvel https://www.marvel.com/comics , DC comics https://www.dccomics.com/ , Image Comics https://imagecomics.com/ or Dark Horse https://www.darkhorse.com/ 

How do I find out when a title arrives at MK1?

MK1 usually receives the comics in the same week as the USA publication date advertised on Previews World https://www.previewsworld.com/ , Lunar https://www.lunardistribution.com/ or Penguin Random House Comics https://prhcomics.com/  - or the individual publisher sites like Marvel https://www.marvel.com/comics , DC comics https://www.dccomics.com/ , Image Comics https://imagecomics.com/ or Dark Horse https://www.darkhorse.com/   . 

 

How to Pay Now but Ship Later?

Under shipping choose HOLD ASIDE - DON'T SHIP (please note you may need to push the down arrow at the checkout to reveal this option). We will automatically combine any paid orders aside for each customer and send with the next order that has shipping included.
This option is useful for customers who wish to secure an item now but have it ship at a later date. Comic shipments arrive throughout the week from the different publishers. As customers have comic orders from different publishers, this option can be used to combine orders across a period of time to save on shipping costs.  Customers who prefer a single monthly delivery can use this option to save on shipping costs while not missing out on fast selling out comic  titles.

Can I ask MK1 to put an item aside to be purchased at a later date?

No - but you can  use the site to make the purchase and elect to have your purchase held aside at the shop to be combined with a future order and delivery. WHY NOT? This keeps the shop healthy and functioning. New comics are being released all the time and this policy allows us to keep those comics shipping in every week.  

How long will MK1 hold preorders aside?

Pre Ordered items are kept separate from regular store/website inventory so your orders will be available even if the MK1 site indicates an item has sold out. We don't ask for a deposit or prepayment but due to the extra costs for international air freight and the high costs of sourcing comics at the moment we do look for a payment to be made as soon as possible once your preorder has arrived. We ask that all items aside for you at the counter are paid for at least once a month.  

We appreciate your help in keeping order admin to a minimum - our aim is a done-in-one transaction where we only have to notify customers once. If you are waiting for other preorders to arrive to combine shipping the MK1 site has the "hold aside option" mentioned above.  At the checkout under SHIPPING select the Hold in store to ship with a future order (and we will automatically ship with the next order you place that includes a delivery fee). 

When will I be notified when my Preorder arrives at MK1?

Customers with a MK1 website account will be notified automatically when their comics have arrived.  These customers can  view preorder status at the following link https://mk1.co.nz/pages/managecomics/my_subscriptions - please see the MK1 USER GUIDE for an explanation of the various terms on our Preorder page.

Once the full shipment is processed and online we start contacting customers that don't have a website account  - this process can take a day or so.

How do I redeem a Mk1 gift voucher online?

Contact the shop and we will provide a website usable gift code. 

What does Final Order Cut Off mean?

Every week we lock in the shop's orders for comics that are about to be shipped our way. This weekly list is called FINAL ORDER CUT OFF and is MK1's last chance to adjust our orders up or down. You can view and place orders from the full list of new series, one shots, crossovers and the latest ongoing issues from a variety of publishers at MK1's PREORDER page. We ask that preorders are placed by Sunday morning each week to give us enough admin time to organize the shipments..

What does MK1 mean by - "This week's PICK LIST has been closed"  or "Mk1 has closed off preorders for that issue" ?

Sometimes we will reply to customer requests for comics that are about to ship that this week's pick list is closed" or we have closed preorders for that issue.  This means that we have closed preorders off for titles where the number remaining  in the incoming shipment is very low - often within the margin of error for packing errors/damages etc.  In this instance we can attempt to place the customer's request on reorder to ship at a later date. Our reply will indicate the likely chance of success of this reorder.  

There is every chance that your request may show as available on the MK1 website on new release day even though your reorder won't be fulfilled till your  specific reordered issue arrives at the later date. We use a reorder number admin system to match requests with incoming orders) . The latest monthly preorder catalogues are the best  time to place preorders - followed by the weekly FINAL ORDER CUT OFF selection.  

 

Why Does Mk1 not take preorders for Limited, Incentive or Rare Variants?

We don't take preorders for incentive variants as they usually require us to order extra issues or increase our spend above a certain target to qualify to order.  Because the incentive covers ship in such small numbers (if they ship at all) they are prone to damage and packing errors.  Any we do qualify for that are in saleable condition go on the MK1 website on NEW COMIC DAY - we use them as a bit of excitement and a reason to visit the MK1 site on that day.  

What does MK1 do with limited or  rare promotional items like Ashcan editions or Sketch promo covers?

Any promotional item provided to the shop free of charge by publisher / distributor will be given away in the week of arrival.  We will spread the items  around subscribers to the series or related series (when an item doesn't have any subscribers yet).  When a promotional item is rare (such as the one per store items) one lucky series subscriber will receive the item drawn at random. 

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MK1 Comic Subscriptions in action

Here are  some examples of how our subscription system works.  The names  are for illustration purposes only - any similarity to existing customers is purely accidental.
Single Titles
Example 1: 

Peter wants all issues of the Batman series - MK1 sets aside a copy of the latest issue once released.  Once the shipment is unpacked  Peter receives a payment link from the MK1 website letting him know his request has arrived.   Peter can choose to pick the issue up instore or have it sent straight away or he can select the HOLD ASIDE - DON'T SHIP (will automatically ship with the next order you place that includes a shipping fee) option.  Peter chooses to get it sent straight away selecting a delivery option at the MK1 checkout.  

 
Example 2: 

Otto wants the same series and receives the payment link from MK1 but he is in no rush to receive this issue so selects the HOLD ASIDE - DON'T SHIP (will automatically ship with the next order you place that includes a shipping fee) option at the website checkout.   In the future when he receives a payment link for the next issue of Batman,  Otto selects a delivery option -  MK1 bundles both issues together and dispatches his way.  


For Multiple Titles: 

Example 3:

Mary-Jane elects to receive a monthly shipment.   Throughout the month MK1 sets aside each new issue of Batman, Amazing Spider-Man and Spawn on release - Mary-Jane receives a confirmation as each issue is stashed aside, and makes payment weekly - selecting the HOLD ASIDE - DON'T SHIP option. When she is ready for her monthly shipment she follows the emailed confirmation link for her latest arrivals, adds TRACKED COURIER  and makes payment.  MK1 combines all her previous orders together with her latest order and sends in one parcel.      

Example 4:

Harry subscribes to Amazing Spider-Man, Black Cat, Saga, Monstress, Justice League, Action Comics  and Wolverine.  Harry likes receiving regular deliveries throughout the month so he chooses to pay and ship each week.

 

 

Other Variations and extra options:

  • Some customers choose the arrival of the monthly pre order catalogue "MARVEL PREVIEWS" or 'DC CONNECT" as the best time to ship  - giving them a monthly batch of comics plus plenty of time to peruse and preorder their next comic releases.  We announce the arrival of these  catalogues in the MK1 blog here.
  • Subscribers can use the website to put other items aside with their current preorders.  Purchase the  item or items and select the  HOLD ASIDE - DON'T SHIP (will automatically ship with the next order you place that includes a shipping fee) shipping option and we will hold your item aside to ship with your next shipment that includes a paid shipping option.  Subscribers can also select a shipping option if they want the item sent straight away.