Opening a new brick and mortar shop 13 13

[lighthouse]

2 minutes ago, greggy said:

Do you still have the Shirtless Bear Fighter #1 on the wall?

Shirtless is life

[wombat]

Very interesting read.   

[HouseofComics.Com]

Best brick and mortar thread ever. The alpha and omega of opening a new store threads.

Great to see such customer interest right away. Really hopping.

[Octavius]

Thank you for a very interesting read. I have always dreamed of doing something like this, of being my own boss, and it was great to see the reality of what it takes brought to life in such an entertaining way. This needs to be a series on AMC or Starz.

[lighthouse]

It will likely be a day or two for more story. Duty calls.

And I'm still trying to figure out how anyone stores this new Galactus HC...

 

[sfcityduck]

8 hours ago, lighthouse said:

I have a story to tell. I am telling it in my own way. I will get there eventually.

 

Turns out we grew up in the same town and our parents are friends.  My mother had even mentioned to me some months back that a friend's son had opened up a comic shop.  Small world.  Look forward to the rest of the read.  As I said earlier, I enjoy the writing style.  

[revat]

15 hours ago, Octavius said:

Thank you for a very interesting read. I have always dreamed of doing something like this, of being my own boss, and it was great to see the reality of what it takes brought to life in such an entertaining way. This needs to be a series on AMC or Starz.

I agree that this is an interesting read, but I'm pretty sure AMC or Starz wants to MAKE money.  Which of these parts would actually be watchable on tv, wouldn't you just have some dude in his 50's pontificating about how many of each comic he chooses or why he prefers foot traffic areas and not gaming areas?

You could talk me into one episode on 'DIY' network or maybe HGTV, but there really isn't enough sustainable 'tv worthy' moments that anyone would want to watch.  Unless the OP is married to some type of celeb AND has a cast of good-looking 20 somethings (more girls than guys) working for him (See:  Very Cavilari on E!).  And preferably the OP committed some type of more exciting crimes in the past, and is now trying to redeem himself, and is also hopefully goodlooking.

ALTHOUGH, if he had pitched the a project for University of Oregon film students to create a show about him and put it online or on university tv or local access public tv.....that might have had some value.  In terms of free help and advertisements (maybe an internship?).

[1Cool]

15 hours ago, lighthouse said:

It will likely be a day or two for more story. Duty calls.

And I'm still trying to figure out how anyone stores this new Galactus HC...

 

Buff Rick!!

[the blob]

So are you taking the "if it's worth bagging and boarding it should be priced at at least $3" approach to "meh" back issues? 

[Domo Arigato]

1 hour ago, revat said:

Which of these parts would actually be watchable on tv, wouldn't you just have some dude in his 50's pontificating about how many of each comic he chooses or why he prefers foot traffic areas and not gaming areas?

 

 

Edited August 30, 2018 by Domo Arigato

[revat]

6 minutes ago, Domo Arigato said:

1 hour ago, revat said:

Which of these parts would actually be watchable on tv, wouldn't you just have some dude in his 50's pontificating about how many of each comic he chooses or why he prefers foot traffic areas and not gaming areas?

 

I actually liked this show.  But it was a novelty at best, and connected to famous people, and heavily heavily produced (and in some cases forced or faked).  And I think it 'used up' a lot of the market desire for shows about comic book shops (ratings saagggged at the end).  ALSO, the OP's story would be an ENTIRELY different  show about the nuts and bolts BEGININGS of a store, especially one where its just one dude making all the decisions himself and doing most of the work himself.  What would the average episode look like?  Which parts make for good tv (that a major network would get involved, what's the hook for them)?  The part where he does revenue analysis and budgeting?  How much time can you devote to each of the steps? of the OP making phone calls?

I agree a lot of the thoughts and elements are interesting to READ (with an enjoyable writing style, I might add) about, but a half hour series... its tough.  I need a format and hook for a major ongoing show. 

I mean Chip and Joanna Gaines (Fixer Upper HGTV) OPENED A RESTAURANT, and that only accounted for ONE EPISODE, and people know and LOVE THEM.

[lighthouse]

42 minutes ago, the blob said:

So are you taking the "if it's worth bagging and boarding it should be priced at at least $3" approach to "meh" back issues? 

Books are worth what they are worth. But ultimately it comes down to what time is worth. Properly sorted, nicely bagged and boarded, completely organized, 9.4+ copies of anything are "worth" $3 to customers trying to fill in their checklists. And with our loyalty program, $3 comics ultimately cost less than $2.50 each. Customers are far less price sensitive than most people would think. Most customers would rather buy eight comics at $4 each in a pleasant shopping environment than 16 comics at $2 each in a miserable one.

What winds up happening is there is only table space for so many issues, and at this point we have far more than we could ever display (likely enough to fill a 3500-4000sf store with ease). So we periodically take low performing back issue titles completely out of the store and move them into storage, held for either a future second location or an expansion to the first location. So the Vertigo section includes titles like 100 Bullets and Preacher and Transmet and Sandman and Y The Last Man, but has no issues of Lucifer or Outlaw Nation or Jack of Fables or Scalped. The shop owns plenty of all of those, but they don't move fast enough to justify the table space. Sure, they could be marked down to a buck a piece, but they still wouldn't move fast enough for their long box to generate the revenue that a longbox of Nightwing or Wonder Woman or Godzilla or Star Wars will generate. So they don't get table space. If a regular customer expresses interest, we are happy to bring those titles back to the shop by appt, and we have done so on multiple occasions.

If we get in collections of "meh" back issues that are already in nice bags and boards, already sorted and organized, and all in 9.4+, we will consider them for future store inventory (assuming we don't already have several runs in storage that fit the bill). But if they come in unbagged, or are less than 9.2 copies of books that would sell for $10 or less in 9.4, any "meh" issues go straight into dollar boxes for occasional warehouse sales. It's not worth the labor to process them, especially when there is a perpetual backlog of unprocessed books that are simply better.

[the blob]

54 minutes ago, lighthouse said:

Books are worth what they are worth. But ultimately it comes down to what time is worth. Properly sorted, nicely bagged and boarded, completely organized, 9.4+ copies of anything are "worth" $3 to customers trying to fill in their checklists. And with our loyalty program, $3 comics ultimately cost less than $2.50 each. Customers are far less price sensitive than most people would think. Most customers would rather buy eight comics at $4 each in a pleasant shopping environment than 16 comics at $2 each in a miserable one.

What winds up happening is there is only table space for so many issues, and at this point we have far more than we could ever display (likely enough to fill a 3500-4000sf store with ease). So we periodically take low performing back issue titles completely out of the store and move them into storage, held for either a future second location or an expansion to the first location. So the Vertigo section includes titles like 100 Bullets and Preacher and Transmet and Sandman and Y The Last Man, but has no issues of Lucifer or Outlaw Nation or Jack of Fables or Scalped. The shop owns plenty of all of those, but they don't move fast enough to justify the table space. Sure, they could be marked down to a buck a piece, but they still wouldn't move fast enough for their long box to generate the revenue that a longbox of Nightwing or Wonder Woman or Godzilla or Star Wars will generate. So they don't get table space. If a regular customer expresses interest, we are happy to bring those titles back to the shop by appt, and we have done so on multiple occasions.

If we get in collections of "meh" back issues that are already in nice bags and boards, already sorted and organized, and all in 9.4+, we will consider them for future store inventory (assuming we don't already have several runs in storage that fit the bill). But if they come in unbagged, or are less than 9.2 copies of books that would sell for $10 or less in 9.4, any "meh" issues go straight into dollar boxes for occasional warehouse sales. It's not worth the labor to process them, especially when there is a perpetual backlog of unprocessed books that are simply better.

I just see midtown with aisles of dollar box books priced at $4-6 and wonder if anyone ever buys them and those are some high rent locations.

[lighthouse]

26 minutes ago, the blob said:

I just see midtown with aisles of dollar box books priced at $4-6 and wonder if anyone ever buys them and those are some high rent locations.

Their business model is obviously very different. I would imagine they get a big portion of their new release gross margin from incentive variants. Blowing out the qualifier books via mail order at 30-35% off to trigger the order volumes needed to cash in on the 1 in 100, 1 in 200, 1 in 500, etc.

In general, common back issues have sold for around what current new books do since the beginning of time. The same "garbage" back issues that were two dollars when new books were two dollars are now $3-4 because that's what new releases cost. They are cheaper at local and sub-regional cons. And they are cheaper at flea markets. But in a retail environment, they tend to stabilize at similar prices if presented well. And the trip is "worth it" for customers who spend an hour and check 20 items off their list at $3 each. That same trip might or might not be worth it if they have to spend three hours digging through unsorted boxes to ultimately find the same 20 items at a buck a piece. The tradeoff of two extra hours time to save $40 is one that many collectors are not willing to make.

And I wouldn't think of charging $3 for those books unprocessed and unsorted. But graded, sorted, in clean bags and boards, displayed at waist height in a well lit store that has soft instrumental music playing and no loud crowds? $3 seems a fair price for both sides.

I have no clue what I would have to charge in Manhattan... or in the 7x7... in order to make the business model work. Maybe $4-6 is the number. Thankfully I don't have to make that choice.

[thunsicker]

On 8/29/2018 at 2:52 PM, lighthouse said:

On 8/29/2018 at 1:56 PM, sfcityduck said:

Two days later, still waiting for answer to an easy question which is central to evaluating the value of your advice.

 

I have a story to tell. I am telling it in my own way. I will get there eventually.

Still telling the story, or can you let us in on this highly secretive answer?  By the way "Born Again" is my favorite comic story so you can tell I'm a big fan of redemption stories.  Hope all continues to go well for you and keep telling us how it's going.  But don't make it seem like you're doing too well.  The last thing we need is more people thinking that opening a comic store is a great way to riches.

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/01/19/fifty-comic-stores-closed-since-january-2017/

[jas1vans]

Great read.

Thank you for talking about the hard work that goes into opening your own business. I've read a couple other "starting my own comic shop" blogs and there is no mention of initial investment, no thought process of stock, location, etc. or any mention of long hours. "Have comics, sell comics, profit" didn't seem to line up with what (little) I know about how a business operates.

Good luck with the shop!

[revat]

43 minutes ago, thunsicker said:

On ‎8‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 12:52 PM, lighthouse said:

On ‎8‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 11:56 AM, sfcityduck said:

Two days later, still waiting for answer to an easy question which is central to evaluating the value of your advice.

 

I have a story to tell. I am telling it in my own way. I will get there eventually.

Still telling the story, or can you let us in on this highly secretive answer?  By the way "Born Again" is my favorite comic story so you can tell I'm a big fan of redemption stories.  Hope all continues to go well for you and keep telling us how it's going.  But don't make it seem like you're doing too well.  The last thing we need is more people thinking that opening a comic store is a great way to riches.

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/01/19/fifty-comic-stores-closed-since-january-2017/

He explained a little bit above (previous page?) about the 'name reveal' thing.  He's still got some space reserved on the 1st page for more storytelling, so I don't think he's done telling his story yet. 

BUT it does appear that some information has been revealed about the store and the OP (by the OP), and it APPEARS that the store is in or around Eugene, Oregon, or reasonably within that vicinity.

  The OP clearly has a preferred way of telling his story that he thinks will produce the best outcome and enjoyability for the reader, and I don't think I have anything to gain from forcing myself to deviate from his preferred process, but its also probably not a huge deal either way.

[sfcityduck]

36 minutes ago, revat said:

it APPEARS that the store is in or around Eugene, Oregon, or reasonably within that vicinity.

 

It is not. But, if you're in Eugene, go to Nostalgia Collectibles.

I promised not to spoil his story, but I am sure he will eventually reveal the details.

[musicmeta]

6 hours ago, lighthouse said:

Books are worth what they are worth. But ultimately it comes down to what time is worth. Properly sorted, nicely bagged and boarded, completely organized, 9.4+ copies of anything are "worth" $3 to customers trying to fill in their checklists. And with our loyalty program, $3 comics ultimately cost less than $2.50 each. Customers are far less price sensitive than most people would think. Most customers would rather buy eight comics at $4 each in a pleasant shopping environment than 16 comics at $2 each in a miserable one.

What winds up happening is there is only table space for so many issues, and at this point we have far more than we could ever display (likely enough to fill a 3500-4000sf store with ease). So we periodically take low performing back issue titles completely out of the store and move them into storage, held for either a future second location or an expansion to the first location. So the Vertigo section includes titles like 100 Bullets and Preacher and Transmet and Sandman and Y The Last Man, but has no issues of Lucifer or Outlaw Nation or Jack of Fables or Scalped. The shop owns plenty of all of those, but they don't move fast enough to justify the table space. Sure, they could be marked down to a buck a piece, but they still wouldn't move fast enough for their long box to generate the revenue that a longbox of Nightwing or Wonder Woman or Godzilla or Star Wars will generate. So they don't get table space. If a regular customer expresses interest, we are happy to bring those titles back to the shop by appt, and we have done so on multiple occasions.

If we get in collections of "meh" back issues that are already in nice bags and boards, already sorted and organized, and all in 9.4+, we will consider them for future store inventory (assuming we don't already have several runs in storage that fit the bill). But if they come in unbagged, or are less than 9.2 copies of books that would sell for $10 or less in 9.4, any "meh" issues go straight into dollar boxes for occasional warehouse sales. It's not worth the labor to process them, especially when there is a perpetual backlog of unprocessed books that are simply better.

Do you have any Valiant comics on your shelves for sale? I would think only a few key issues would sell in 9.4+ and mostly the rest would not but having a nice Comic book store with a lot of foot traffic might facilitate more demand for Valiants regardless of series??  Any customers trying to sell you Valiant books?  I always thought the pre-Unity books were really great reading and some if graded in 9.6/9.8 actually are worth a little bit of money. Even most of the post Unity books from the first series are great reading.  Is there a need for your store to list the 2nd/3rd series of Valiant books?  Just curious as to what the market is for your store when it comes to Valiant comics.  BTW,  Your story is most informative...Never even thought to consider a lot of what you talked about in considering "IF", "When" and "Where" to open up a brick and mortar comic book store. 

Edited August 31, 2018 by musicmeta

[SteppinRazor]

3 hours ago, musicmeta said:

Never even thought to consider a lot of what you talked about in considering "IF", "When" and "Where" to open up a brick and mortar comic book store. 

+1

 

Good read.  I wonder if the above is from your previous forays, or is learned/applied from your work hat took you to Asia.