I'm opening up a brick and mortar this year and want some advice!! 7 7

[DeadOne]

I'm very happy that you've decided to continue your dream. It's exciting to read about all you've done. I could honestly read about all day long. Congratulations.

 

36 minutes ago, Genesis Comics said:

*I've spoken to a few comic and MTG artists and am hoping to have a few come out for the grand opening as long as their schedule allows...lot's of people live on Long Island and in the NY area so hopefully I can get some big names in to kick off the opening!

I can't remember if it was in Tilting At Windmills, but Brian Hibbs had an article about what it was like when he had Brian K. Vaughan do a signing at his store. If you haven't already, it was a pretty good read.

Good luck and keep the updates coming.

 

[Mapleleafvann]

Terrific column!  I also really enjoy reading your updates---it's like a mini-series and I'm sure, most, if not everyone on the Boards is pulling for you!  

With respect to having a "Spidey" only area....I personally love the idea, but I am not a store owner.  It will be interesting to see other comments though as there is probably a reason to have Spiderman stuff all throughout your store ----so people spend time and look around more thereby increasing sales.

If you are looking for glass display cases, I know that some shop owners had a lot of luck with donation centers such as the Salvation Army, Savers, Goodwill etc.  One store owner actually bought all of his cases (over time of course) at these kinds of places.  You may also want to keep your eye on business auctions....lots of things go up for sale and are sold cheap in those kind of venues.

Anyways, best of luck and I'll look forward to reading your next installment!

 

[1Cool]

2 minutes ago, Mapleleafvann said:

Terrific column!  I also really enjoy reading your updates---it's like a mini-series and I'm sure, most, if not everyone on the Boards is pulling for you!  

With respect to having a "Spidey" only area....I personally love the idea, but I am not a store owner.  It will be interesting to see other comments though as there is probably a reason to have Spiderman stuff all throughout your store ----so people spend time and look around more thereby increasing sales.

If you are looking for glass display cases, I know that some shop owners had a lot of luck with donation centers such as the Salvation Army, Savers, Goodwill etc.  One store owner actually bought all of his cases (over time of course) at these kinds of places.  You may also want to keep your eye on business auctions....lots of things go up for sale and are sold cheap in those kind of venues.

Anyways, best of luck and I'll look forward to reading your next installment!

 

I'm also loving following along with your process and thanks for being so detailed on how you are doing it.  I've never considered opening a store so it will be great to see how it goes.

[Pirate]

Here is a MTG guy who is going step by step on opening another retail location for himself.  Good info. He's super successful.

 

 

 

 

[cranky's]

Enjoying this thread also.  My only advice- don't overstuff your longboxes!  I hate that!

[ParamagicFF]

Definitely alphabetize the books. You will already have them broken into quite a few subcategories, this could lead to a lot of confusion. Keep it simple, and clearly label major titles. 

[SteppinRazor]

I don't have any advice for a comic store, but I have my own business making art and furniture.  I think the most important thing you can have is an SO who is bringing in steady income.  You need it.  And their efforts to take some burden off of you.  Or at least some external income.  Try to think about the amount of money you need just to pay your bills, and how that translates into what you need to move to hit it.  That was the biggest eye opener for me.  If you're paying $1,000/mo in rent, $300/mo in inusrance, $200/mo in security, $200/mo in lights, water, etc., $2000/mo on stock, your house payment, your house bills, food, office supplies, how many comics do you need to move every month just to hit your nut?  No profit, just the nut.  And you can't spend all your time selling comics.  You also have to do the accounting.  And the marketing.  What is your marketing going to be, and if it requires you to not be in the store, who will be, moving those books like you need to move.  Grossing $5K/mo is a lot of comics to sell. Every month.  One down month and you might never climb out of the hole.

Turning stuff over is key, every sale isn't money in your pocket, it's a tiny piece of paying back the money you already spent.  You buy an ASM 300 cheap, that's great.  But you're going to eat $200 at least in food before it comes back from CGC. $1,000 let's say in rent.  Now your $1700 return on it is $500 - whatever you spent on it.  Then it might take a month to sell.  Now you're in the hole.  In my business, I'm out all the expenses for making something, and I don't recoup that until that thing gets sold.  And I'm lone wolfing it, which means all of my effort goes to existing.  I know you don't like to pack boxes, but I'd kill for some unpalatable job if it comes regularly and provides some security, and is peripherally related to what I do (well, that or a chick with money).  Reality will quickly change your mind about boxes.  If your choices are pack boxes or look for a job, then you'll have to decide which you'd rather do.

You'll find a lot of quotes and sayings when you start a business or ask around about doing it.  They are true, but they are the pretty wrapping around a bundle of reality.  Every naysayer and every motivational-quoter is right.  But there's a whole lot of failure points and success points wrapped up in quip sentences. The best analogy I can give is running your own business is like those exercises atheletes do where they are running with a sled of weights attached.  Only if you stop running, you die.  Everything you have should exist with the sole purpose of you turning it into money.  Buy something, it burns your hands until you get rid of it.  You need every avenue of revenue.  You won't just be a B&M comic seller.  Not for long anyway.

Edited May 10, 2017 by SteppinRazor

[Lt. Eckhardt]

Good luck with the shop!  I definitely plan on stopping by once it opens as I live on Long Island.   Just tell the teenage boys to keep the long boxes clear of their magic the gathering cr@p when I come to shop. j/k

Edited May 10, 2017 by Lt. Eckhardt

[mackenzie999]

Another vote for alphabetical organization, which everyone already understands and will prevent problems arising from things like team-up situations where you have more than one possible hero to associate a book with.

Additionally, something else I would recommend: for the better books that you keep either on the wall or behind the counter, bag and board a xerox copy of the cover along with price and file it in with the available stock in the appropriate spot. My LCS keeps anything pricey behind the counter out of sight. I get that he's protecting the books, but having to ask about every book I'm interested in is tedious for everyone involved, and kills any spontaneous purchases that I might not ask about.

This may be a common idea, but I've never seen it (admittedly I don't hit many LCS's or cons)

Edited May 11, 2017 by Mackenzie999

[Mapleleafvann]

55 minutes ago, Mackenzie999 said:

Another vote for alphabetical organization, which everyone already understands and will prevent problems arising from things like team-up situations where you have more than one possible hero to associate a book with.

Additionally, something else I would recommend: for the better books that you keep either on the wall or behind the counter, bag and board a xerox copy of the cover along with price and file it in with the available stock in the appropriate spot. My LCS keeps anything pricey behind the counter out of sight. I get that he's protecting the books, but having to ask about every book I'm interested in is tedious for everyone involved, and kills any spontaneous purchases that I might not ask about.

This may be a common idea, but I've never seen it (admittedly I don't hit many LCS's or cons)

That's a good idea!  

[Bird]

15 minutes ago, Mapleleafvann said:

That's a good idea!  

It really is! Like Best Buy, take the tag to the counter for purchase.

[UnboxingTreasures]

I worked at a store for several years and the inventory was by publisher and then alphabetical. It was a big headache. Alphabetical is definitely the way to go, for a multitude of reasons.

[Bird]

I go to a LCS that shelves by publisher and it is a nightmare. I often don't know who publishes certain books...Scout, IDW, Dark Horse, Image, etc. If it is not by Marvel or DC I might not know offhand. Go with straight alphabetical is my suggestion.

[revat]

17 minutes ago, Bird said:

I go to a LCS that shelves by publisher and it is a nightmare. I often don't know who publishes certain books...Scout, IDW, Dark Horse, Image, etc. If it is not by Marvel or DC I might not know offhand. Go with straight alphabetical is my suggestion.

I think for new comics on the shelves, I prefer by publisher, then alphabetical.  Marvel, DC, and Independents (as you say, not everyone knows which book goes with which indy brand).

But for the back issue section (depending on the layout of your store), I think I'd just go with straight alphabetical, its easier to sort and keep straight for employees and customers.  Though I might separate by age if at all possible.

[Buzzetta]

Disagree... Make three sections.

Group it by Publisher for Marvel and DC...  This way related books are near each other especially for Marvel "Event" crossovers.  I want to see that ASM 987 which is Civil War VII Part 5 is near Daredevil Vol 19 Issue 3 which is Civil War VII Part 6.   People for the most part know who is Marvel and who is DC.

Group it alphabetically for all other publishers. 

[Bird]

No real right answer. But if people look at a section of the alphabet and don't find what they want will they know to look at another part of the store again or just assume it isn't there? On the independents I give up after two or three tries, IDW...nope, Image...nope, go home...yep.

[Gatchaman]

A couple months ago a comic store opened in my neighborhood.  They are doing really well.  A lot of people are there buying new and back issue books and they sell a lot of Magic. 

One thing that sells really well is 50 cent Magic cards.  A lot of the bulk rares that usually don't get picked up quickly are still used by other people.  I took around 3,000 of them to the comicon I hosted on Sat and just one person bought over 400 of them.  I have had people buy around 100 at at time.

I have, also, made starter decks with commons and uncommons and sold them for $5 each.  They always sell.

Those are some of the things that can help make more sales.

[Gatchaman]

On 5/9/2017 at 7:27 AM, Pirate said:

Here is a MTG guy who is going step by step on opening another retail location for himself.  Good info. He's super successful.

 

 

 

 

I've been watching his videos.  A lot of great advice.

[the blob]

On 1/23/2017 at 8:01 PM, Genesis Comics said:

I expected a lot of "don't do it's" so I'm not surprised by this...this is something I've been thinking of doing for the better part of 20 years...I didn't mention that I sell magic cards out of a showcase in a sports card store and do pretty well (singles and boxes)...the issue with the store is he's not with Wizards of the Coast so he doesn't do pre-releases AND he stocks all the new stuff...so I don't "get to sell it" until he doesn't want to anymore...there is a small group of kids that come in 4-10 on average that would be looking for a different local shop...

 

For the people that said "don't do it", I ask if you have tried this before (Opened a brick and mortar)? Or if you just think it won't work? Or if you've had a friend that tried and failed...respectfully asking, not challenging ...really trying to understand why you (as in most of the group) feel strongly against it.

My friend had an incredibly low lease (under $1500 a month) in a prime manhattan area (albeit on a side street, so people had to know he was there) and still went under after being in business 15 years.  true, this was in 2000 when a lot of places went under, but still.  and yes, it's not like he wasn't making money, but he couldn't live on the $100 a day he cleared after expenses. 

 

So what is the status of your store opening?

 

I will be opening a combo law office, art gallery, antique shop, and comic shop soon.  Some time within the next 40 years.  I'm still in the planning stages.

Edited May 16, 2017 by the blob

[ADAMANTIUM]

37 minutes ago, the blob said:

 

 

I will be opening a combo law office, art gallery, antique shop, and comic shop soon.  Some time within the next 40 years.  I'm still in the planning stages.

That's  quite the 4-hit combo, CONGRATS on the goals