Can some one please enlighten me?
You can purchase a UPC online for around $100 are all of these site legit?
When you have purchased the UPC, do you then have to register it anywhere, or how does it work?
Have a GR8 day.
John.
Universal Product Code
Fri, 02/17/2006 - 07:55
Fri, 02/17/2006 - 08:59
#1
Universal Product Code
In general, you want an ISBN number if you are trying to get into book stores and onto Amazon. The U.S. ISBN agency sells these in blocks of 10, and then the Bowker agency sells barcodes for your ISBN numbers as well.
Block of 10 ISBN numbers costs $250.00 (US) and the barcodes cost $25.00 each.
Hope that helps.
If you specifically wanted some other kind of UPC code, then I can't speak to those. Sorry if I gave you unwanted information.
Fri, 02/17/2006 - 10:33
#2
Universal Product Code
Being on the printer's side of things, I can tell you the book publishers are now having to convert from 10 digit ISBNs to 13 digits. Its causing some re-programming of systems, to say the least. Just something to keep in mind - I imagine any new numbers you get will already be 13 digits.
Fri, 02/17/2006 - 12:01
#3
Universal Product Code
Fri, 02/17/2006 - 12:17
#4
Universal Product Code
I thought that books and games used ISBN numbers, not normal UPC codes. Am I wrong on that?
Fri, 02/17/2006 - 12:53
#5
Universal Product Code
Books definitely use ISBNs. They are also used in the barcodes that appear on the backs of dustjackets, along with the pricing.
Fri, 02/17/2006 - 17:51
#6
Get both UPC and ISBN
Lee, we get both UPC numbers and ISBN numbers for each of our games. The barcode display is standardized to show both of them.
Primarily we get both because we've found that some retailers (game stores, online stores, and some mass) like the UPC and some retailers (bookstores) like the ISBN.
The cost isn't prohibitive, so I view it as a necessary cost of customer support. The easier I can make it for my retailers to carry our games, the better.
Sat, 02/18/2006 - 12:15
#7
Re: Get both UPC and ISBN
OrlandoPat wrote:
Lee, we get both UPC numbers and ISBN numbers for each of our games. The barcode display is standardized to show both of them.
Pat, what does this mean? I've seen people use a UPC code (instead of an ISBN barcode) and then just type the ISBN number above the UPC code. I haven't seen people use both types of values as bar codes. And I also haven't seen people synch up both values so that they are identical. Can you clue me in on this? I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to barcoding.
Quote:
The cost isn't prohibitive
Don't you have to pay $750.00 per year to get membership in the organization that hands out UPC codes? If not, what do you do and where do you go.
ISBN numbers are in blocks of ten for about $250.00.
If you have only one game, $1000.00 for appropriate bar codes is a little expensive.
Sat, 02/18/2006 - 13:26
#8
upc codes
I think my membership was $750. I had my game designer put it on the boxes for me. I guess the way to decide if it's too expensive is whether you really want to sell the game commercially. If you stick to the hobby stores that might be lax in how they inventory, it might not be an issue. If you are trying to sell to the masses and make money off your game, to me it's a cost of doing business.
HR Puff
Mon, 02/20/2006 - 10:23
#9
Well, it depends on how you look at it.
Yes, the costs are high if you only have one game. We have three games, and are planning on doing one a year. We didn't get the ISBN until we did Calaboose (which has more appeal to bookstores).
The artwork is the UPC barcode with the ISBN written underneath it. I didn't understand this myself. If you're an ISBN users, what good is a barcode with the UPC code on it? I talked to booksellers, though, and then went and looked at product on the shelves.
That's apparently how it's done. The UPC code is barcoded and the IBSN number is written below it. I don't know why, but that's what the customers want so that's what they get.
And just to muddle things even more... I was working Toy Fair with Dennis of Karmel Games. He said he's having great luck getting into Borders and he doesn't have an ISBN.
Mon, 02/20/2006 - 10:29
#10
Universal Product Code
Thanks for the feedback guys. Pat, I've found the same thing you've described. Many CCGs I have, I just noted, have an ISBN written somewhere around the UPC (above or below it), but the barcode itself, which I always assumed matched the ISBN, is not the ISBN number, but the UPC code. I'll probably put some of this information on my website in the next week or so, because it's great information to have.
It's all news to me. I new about ISBN numbers, but I was ignorant to the need of the UPC as well.
Thanks again.
Mon, 02/20/2006 - 11:03
#11
Re: Well, it depends on how you look at it.
OrlandoPat wrote:
The artwork is the UPC barcode with the ISBN written underneath it. I didn't understand this myself. If you're an ISBN users, what good is a barcode with the UPC code on it? I talked to booksellers, though, and then went and looked at product on the shelves.
That's apparently how it's done. The UPC code is barcoded and the IBSN number is written below it. I don't know why, but that's what the customers want so that's what they get.
And just to muddle things even more... I was working Toy Fair with Dennis of Karmel Games. He said he's having great luck getting into Borders and he doesn't have an ISBN.
I'm not sure about games, but in books (I used to do graphic design for a book publisher), what you usually have is an EAN-13 bar code for the ISBN (actually, the code is 978, then the ISBN, then the verification number, which is different from the verification number in the ISBN that appears on top of the barcode.
There was a thread a few weeks ago about this topic in the Yahoo! Board Game Design group.
Seo
Tue, 02/21/2006 - 09:38
#13
Universal Product Code
John3xvi wrote:
Hi Guys,
They say you can purchase a UPC for $35 plus a $75 registration.
Chances are that you'll get a UPC code, but that you won't be listed as the actual vendor who produced the product, since part of the UPC code is a vendor identifier, and you'll be using someone else's vendor identifier.
Tue, 02/21/2006 - 09:40
#14
Universal Product Code
Anyone know if Point of Purchase displays containing multiple copies of games have a different UPC code and/or ISBN number than the individual units inside the POP display? If they have matching numbers then you'd have to scan the POP display (if it's sealed) and then multiple the resulting dollar value times the number of units in the POP display. If it's different, then you could ring up a whole display as separate from a single game.
Hi Guys,
www.Buyabarcode.com
They say you can purchase a UPC for $35 plus a $75 registration.
Does anyone know if this is all upfront?
John.