RCheli Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Yesterday, on my Facebook feed, a new GoFundMe appeared. It was to help save a local comic shop -- Fat Jack's Comicrypt in Philadelphia. After being in business for many, many years, rising rent and shrinking sales, they are on the edge of going under. An employee there has started this campaign in hopes of getting $50k. (So far, a day in, they're at $6k.) https://www.gofundme.com/vjzd2z-save-fat-jack039s-comicrypt My question for you is, would you donate to something like this if it were a local shop knowing that you weren't getting anything out of it other than the store staying open? (You're not getting back issues with the money, for example.) The store is three blocks from where I work, and I rarely go there. The back issues are just meh, and they don't seem to be getting much new stuff in (Gold and Silver wise). It used to be the best shop in the city, but no longer, possibly because there isn't the available capital to get new stock in beyond the weekly shipment. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post kav Posted December 21, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted December 21, 2018 If the business model is failing, 50K will just delay the inevitable. AGGIEZ, nepatkm, fastballspecial and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunsicker Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Just now, kav said: If the business model is failing, 50K will just delay the inevitable. This. If something unforeseen had happened and a successful business had a short term problem, maybe (Like if Rick had a fundraiser due to the hurricane I'd probably pitch in what I could). But if the world had passed the store by and it was slowly going under, no way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kav Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 6 minutes ago, thunsicker said: This. If something unforeseen had happened and a successful business had a short term problem, maybe (Like if Rick had a fundraiser due to the hurricane I'd probably pitch in what I could). But if the world had passed the store by and it was slowly going under, no way. Yep. My local LCS had an arson attack and burned. GoFundMe helped and they are doing fine now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombat Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 No point throwing good money after bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FineCollector Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 I'm with the no votes as well. It's possible to run a successful comic shop, but not the way it used to be done in the 80s and 90s, which is how a lot of old shops still do things. If you don't grow, if you don't change, if you don't diversify, if you don't invest, if you don't seek out new collections, if you overprice, if your speculations are always wrong, if you're lazy, if you squander your profits away on a vice... the end is the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCheli Posted December 21, 2018 Author Share Posted December 21, 2018 1 minute ago, FineCollector said: I'm with the no votes as well. It's possible to run a successful comic shop, but not the way it used to be done in the 80s and 90s, which is how a lot of old shops still do things. If you don't grow, if you don't change, if you don't diversify, if you don't invest, if you don't seek out new collections, if you overprice, if your speculations are always wrong, if you're lazy, if you squander your profits away on a vice... the end is the same. I think this is their problem. And it's not isolated to comics. The way anything is sold in the brick-and-mortar world is different than it was even 5 years ago. There is another shop about 20 blocks away (Fat Jack's is on 19th, I believe, and Brave New World is on 2nd) that is how you have to have your shop now. Pops, toys, statues, trades (a decent selection of 1/2 price books), nice (but not huge) wall books, only a few boxes of back issues, $1 bins... and your new books. That store, even though it's in a less desirable (though still nice) neighborhood, is thriving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post lizards2 Posted December 21, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted December 21, 2018 (edited) I just donated $50 for the border wall, so there you go! Edited December 21, 2018 by lizards2 greggy Larryw7, nocutename, oakman29 and 9 others 7 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kav Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 20 minutes ago, RCheli said: I think this is their problem. And it's not isolated to comics. The way anything is sold in the brick-and-mortar world is different than it was even 5 years ago. There is another shop about 20 blocks away (Fat Jack's is on 19th, I believe, and Brave New World is on 2nd) that is how you have to have your shop now. Pops, toys, statues, trades (a decent selection of 1/2 price books), nice (but not huge) wall books, only a few boxes of back issues, $1 bins... and your new books. That store, even though it's in a less desirable (though still nice) neighborhood, is thriving. One word: Magic The Gathering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buzzetta Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 As a private entity / person? No. I get why the government has had to in the past but not as a private person to a comic shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fmaz Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 The key word for me is "failing". If they needed the money to get back on their feet after some crisis, and the money was the difference between resuming a previously profitable business (and presumably one that I considered a benefit to the community) and it going under... then yes, that's absolutely something to which I'd give money, regardless of whether or not I got some material item/s for my donation. But, if as @kav said the money is just being used to delay the inevitable? Then... I'm sorry, but it's sad when businesses close but probably time for someone else to give it a go in that space. kav 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow Images Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Seems to be the way the world is now. A local comic shop here did a go fund me to move the shop across the street when they lost the lease. This was awhile back. Everyone like to have someone else pay there way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehumantorch Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Put me in the "no' camp. Business is a survival of the fittest situation, if a business owner can't evolve to changing conditions, makes poor decisions, doesn't work hard enough, he should go out of business. kav 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombat Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 2 hours ago, RCheli said: I think this is their problem. And it's not isolated to comics. The way anything is sold in the brick-and-mortar world is different than it was even 5 years ago. There is another shop about 20 blocks away (Fat Jack's is on 19th, I believe, and Brave New World is on 2nd) that is how you have to have your shop now. Pops, toys, statues, trades (a decent selection of 1/2 price books), nice (but not huge) wall books, only a few boxes of back issues, $1 bins... and your new books. That store, even though it's in a less desirable (though still nice) neighborhood, is thriving. I really like Brave New World. But I hesitate to even call it a comic shop. It is such a small part of what they sell. I go there to see statues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kav Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 4 minutes ago, wombat said: I really like Brave New World. But I hesitate to even call it a comic shop. It is such a small part of what they sell. I go there to see statues. It's not a statue Larryw7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the blob Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 Yeah, if the donations could be used for back issues at a later date or whatever, but nothing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theCapraAegagrus Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 9 hours ago, kav said: If the business model is failing, 50K will just delay the inevitable. This is really all that needs to be said. Unless they have presented a new business model to these backers, the people who are donating are just throwing their money away to a brand that will it all away. If they intend on using these 'investments' to obtain new products then maybe something will change. kav 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JollyComics Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 10 hours ago, lizards2 said: I just donated $50 for the border wall, so there you go! You have a mean streak! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Cool Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 If the shop owner was a friend I'd donate but from a business standpoint I've not been in a LCS in years so I'd not donate. Pretty ballsy to try to collect money from the community for your failing business especially if you are failing due to high prices or failing business model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCheli Posted December 21, 2018 Author Share Posted December 21, 2018 1 hour ago, 1Cool said: If the shop owner was a friend I'd donate but from a business standpoint I've not been in a LCS in years so I'd not donate. Pretty ballsy to try to collect money from the community for your failing business especially if you are failing due to high prices or failing business model. Just to be clear. It doesn't seem like the GoFundMe was initiated in any way by the owner. It looks like it was done by an employee/customer. And I just found out this morning that I need to buy a new boiler. So I'm starting a "Keep the Cheli Family Warm" donation plan. lizards2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
