• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Support your LCS! But why?
2 2

177 posts in this topic

2 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

The reason shops have been able to survive is because they know they deal with people who behave like addicts. The attitudes, the demeanors, the shoddy lack of attention or care would never fly in a competitive market.

This statement is true of SO many facets of the market. Most/many publishers, distributors, convention promoters, dealers and shops exploit the fact that their customers are completely addicted. They may do it consciously, they may do it unconsciously, but they do it all the same. 

Edited by october
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been at my LCS now for a few years now.  Is it the best place, probably not, but the owner is almost like your favorite bartender.  He will listen to your problems, your sad stories and your happy stories.  He doesn't try to force books on you.  He gives a 20% discount on all of his new books.  I would tell him for years to start selling on the internet, that he had dead stock that was not moving in the store.  But he is also someone who needs to own one of everything and he had a hard time parting with books.  Finally he started selling books online.  My one problem is sometimes I find really cool books he is selling online that I have never ever seen in the store.  His inventory is just like my collection, all over the place.  :insane:

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like my LCS.  Easy going, likes to talk all sorts of things, not just comics.  No snarky attitude.  His stock keeps rotating, old stuff, new stuff, always packs his $1 boxes.   It's my Wednesday thing. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, NoMan said:

As has been mentioned here, House of Secrets in Burbank is a s-hole in every sense although their history is semi interesting with this character named Bruce who puts on cons in the LA area and owned the store before current owners although it was up the street a bit on Olive Ave. I've tried to get at Bruce's collection to get him to sell with no luck. He always runs around before the convention opens its doors and scoops up cool books and he's been doing it since 1988-ish so needless to say, he's got a nice collection. I went to a con of his in 1989 at the time of the first Batman with Keaton and Keaton was there. A near riot kicked off with waves of people about to kick in the hall's glass doors until it became a free for all. I honestly thought Kent State was gonna happen again. Or it was a Butthole Surfers show. Again, to be clear, HOS is a waste. Don't go.

Bruce...

(chuckle)

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, NoMan said:

Did The Great Escape use to have ads in the Overstreet guide way back in the day? Guys in a giant ballon or something like that? 

We have three of those now in the Nashville area. 

I used to go to the old location when I was an early teen, and it was like Christmas! I saw my first Fantastic Four 1 there, and my friend and I would just stare and drool. Tons of awesome EC on the walls...hero books...they had it all. 

I wouldn't really call them a LCS though. They also deal in used LPs, videogames, VHD/DVD, games, etc. More of an emporium, of sorts. 

As far as the smaller brick and mortars go, they kinda suck unless you're into the latest moderns (in VF condition at best) or trade paperbacks. So many TPBs in those places now that it makes me want to puke. And NO wall books...rare to see anything older than late silver IF you are lucky enough to be in one of the "good" ones. 

I think the most important thing is customer service, and a nice, warm personality behind the counter. Most brick and mortars are manned by the typical, stinky neckbeard with no people skills at all. Worse yet, when you ask them the most basic of questions, they look lost...then start banging away on Google to find the answer. Just horrible. 

Then all of the unorganized boxes that are hard to reach. 

Most comic store owners have no clue what they're doing, and surprisingly little knowledge about comics in general. 

I can't tell you how much I miss the LCS in my old town back during the boom of the early to mid 90s. Even the smell of the store was magical. It was called "Where Adventures Begin" and was owned by a dude named Phil - Columbia, Tennessee. I wish I knew where Phil was so I could thank him for everything he did for me. He was one of the first people to guide me through the wonderful world of comics! 

THAT is what it's all about. Once again, a lot of a shop's success comes from the owner and the atmosphere in general. If I want to look at TPBs, I'll go to Barnes and Nobel. 

Edited by newshane
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I drive a bit of a distance for a shop with a great back issue collection. My 2nd or 3rd time there we worked out that I could get 15% off larger purchases. I then spent almost $10K there in 3 months; one day he told me they had their best Monday ever , a day I spent some good cash there. 3 weeks or so ago the owner told me that for books in high grade or keys that I could only have 5% off. I told him I could get those type of deals off ebay without the long drive and that it would curtail my buying significantly. He said he would think it over but when I went in the next few times it was 5% off a few books (which I promptly put back). He makes the decision between 5% or 15% at the register; She-Hulk 1 was 5% even though he has 5 or more copies. So now I don't plan on going back, maybe once in a while if I am in the area (which is rare as it is out of the way for me). He always says how much he appreciates my volume purchases but he done killed the goose laying the golden eggs! It was good while it lasted. I can get those deals on ebay with ebay bucks as a bonus.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, and a few more things: if you give a customer a good deal, don't act as if they now "owe" you anything. They don't. That's not how it works. You're supposed to keep customers happy. It's not a "tit for tat" thing, and if you find customers who think it is, and reward your good service: treat those customers like gold.

And if you're worried that a customer might come to "expect" a certain type of deal, tell them...talk to them...explain to them that this is a "one time special, just for you, and you probably won't be able to do it again." Most people will understand that.

And if you don't like a customer...and we all have people we just don't like...don't treat them like dirt. Unless they're habitually breaking policies, or they're robbing you or something, just treat them with respect. You never, ever know how it will turn out. As Maya Angelou said: "'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

Make your customers feel special...even if they aren't...and you'll have them coming back.

Edited by RockMyAmadeus
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

5. If you sell me something that turns out to be a problem...don't hassle me about it. Just take the damn return. You sell me something that turns out to be restored, just take the book back.

Been there. :frown:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many of those things RMA mentions happen with that shop I mentioned. I also tip them off to hot books all the time. On one of my first trips in there  I showed them their Dark Knight slipcase was signed by Frank Miller instead of just buying it for $20 as I wanted them to realize I was not going to pull any fast ones. But he still feels the need to comment that the 15% off is some sort of scam despite the fact that he and the manager suggested it first. He is a good guy but not a great businessman

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, batman_fan said:

My local Comicbook store is Time Warp in Boulder, CO.  It is about 4 miles from my house.  I don't pick up new stuff, but snag trades and back issues most of the time when I go in.  They are great.  The owner watched me and my son when he was younger get South Park figures out of a gumball type machine when we came in.  my son was trying to get the complete set.  When we were in once, he saw how disappointed my son was when he didn't get the character he wanted.  He asked my son how many more he needed and my son said "one, Kenny".  The owner pulled out the keys to the machine, opened it up, and dug through until he found Kenny and gave it to my son.  I would say that was definitely going well above and beyond. 

That reminds me of the shop owner from when I was a kid. On several visits I spent my entire allowance buying all the Marvel Elfquest reprints out of his bins. Finally one day as I come to the register he says “I have something for you” and goes to the back room. Nobody had ever been back there but the door was always left open and you could see STACKS of comics back there. I always wondered what he was keeping out of the bins and off the walls. He comes out and places a reprint of the WaRP Elfquest #1 in my bag for free. I was super stoked. I had seen the cover in the back of the TPB’s. but never thought I’d own one. Guide was a months allowance at the time, and it’s not like any shop I knew of had it anyway. The first time I saw Elfquest in black and white, which I’ve always been partial to

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, dupont2005 said:

That reminds me of the shop owner from when I was a kid. On several visits I spent my entire allowance buying all the Marvel Elfquest reprints out of his bins. Finally one day as I come to the register he says “I have something for you” and goes to the back room. Nobody had ever been back there but the door was always left open and you could see STACKS of comics back there. I always wondered what he was keeping out of the bins and off the walls. He comes out and places a reprint of the WaRP Elfquest #1 in my bag for free. I was super stoked. I had seen the cover in the back of the TPB’s. but never thought I’d own one. Guide was a months allowance at the time, and it’s not like any shop I knew of had it anyway. The first time I saw Elfquest in black and white, which I’ve always been partial to

Those are the things that really stick with you and make a really loyal customer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Used to be good when I went to couple of my favourite LCS stores some 20-30 years ago. One LCS which had long ago closed due to his passed away. Terry the owner had treated me as a good customer when he got me some good GA/SA comics. I put in hundreds of dollars into his store. He knew what I liked and want my business to keep me as a returning customer. That was the good days. 

Nowadays, with both the LCS stores gone closed forever. I no longer have any reason to continue buying comics. Today’s LCS have much less GA or SA section of what I’m looking for. I just pop up to buy back boards or bags on occasions, maybe get a good TPB volume to read. That’s about it.

I’m the type who like old school comic book stores. If I see one, I will go visit it to see what’s in there.

Edited by Fan Boy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Bird said:

I drive a bit of a distance for a shop with a great back issue collection. My 2nd or 3rd time there we worked out that I could get 15% off larger purchases. I then spent almost $10K there in 3 months; one day he told me they had their best Monday ever , a day I spent some good cash there. 3 weeks or so ago the owner told me that for books in high grade or keys that I could only have 5% off. I told him I could get those type of deals off ebay without the long drive and that it would curtail my buying significantly. He said he would think it over but when I went in the next few times it was 5% off a few books (which I promptly put back). He makes the decision between 5% or 15% at the register; She-Hulk 1 was 5% even though he has 5 or more copies. So now I don't plan on going back, maybe once in a while if I am in the area (which is rare as it is out of the way for me). He always says how much he appreciates my volume purchases but he done killed the goose laying the golden eggs! It was good while it lasted. I can get those deals on ebay with ebay bucks as a bonus.

Same thing happens to me with my LCS sometimes.  If I take a couple of weeks off going, when I return I can get great deals if I spend a decent amount and they're happy to make the sell..  But when I was going every other day and spending the same money those deals begin to dry up.  It's a great store with a good owner, but it must just be human nature.   

It's that way with a lot of businesses these days.  New customers get the best treatment and older ones are taken for granted.  Perfect example being Direct TV .  Loyalty gets you nowhere, but threaten to cancel and then they start giving you great deals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5. If you sell me something that turns out to be aproblem...don't hassle me about it. Just take the damn return. You sell me something that turns out to berestored, just take the book back.

 

unrealistic to expect shop owners to be restoration experts. Processing hundreds if not thousands of back issues. Probably not enough time even if knew how. I would just place a sign stating no guarantees of non restoration. All sales final. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
2 2