That’s okay. So are most of us.
I’ve interacted with him when I’m there and he has a word with most customer and, as fans are wont to do, has an opinion and is willing to discuss it about every subject.
It’s true that this will present a problem I’d have to overcome, but I don’t see it being insurmountable, especially if I work into the deal that he has to stay around for a few months worth of transition.
And a single bump for the workaday crowd.
Anyone got any insights, here?
Zombie or not
A comic book/collectibles store I know of has a huge inventory of new and vintage comics and does most of their business online though e-bay. As mentioned upthread they also have tables set up for gamers to use. So it seems for one of those businesses to survive in today’s market you need a strong online presence.
Yeah, it’s less of a zombie now that I’m trying to use it for advice.
Still, of the three stores I know well, none of them have a significant online presence. I find this confusing and would, if I went forward, implement one with the stop I bought.
Does it currently operate a standing order system for new releases? Lay aside, I think you call it in the US.
That can be a great way to add titles to a customer’s usual buy. People would know that they’d not miss any titles, and if you check through their orderlist with them every so often pointing out new titles or related tie-ins, favourite artists/writers moving, etc. it can be good for cementing loyalty.
No doubt there are computerised versions available now; in my day it was graphpaper and pen!
I could describe it if anyone cared; it was reasonably foolproof.
Hmm. I know he keeps some form of database for MY pull list. And frequently when I pick up my comics there will be new ones in there with a note that says ‘You might like this’. I’m not required to buy those but I have, frequently.
Some random thoughts that you might consider:
Are you confident in your ability to handle the aspects of the business that extend beyond retail? Pricing and marketing high-end collectibles sounds like a slightly different and more specialized set of skills, and hosting events is more a matter of event planning. Would you develop the web presence yourself, or subcontract it out?
Are there any unexpected liability issues that go with selling weapons?
Are there distributor relationships that depend significantly upon personal connections? In other words, are you going to face higher costs all of a sudden because you’re the new guy? Will there be opportunities for other shops to poach certain advantages with distributors, convention planners, etc. by arguing that the new guy may not know what he’s doing?
Are you prepared for any seasonal cycles? For instance, can you live with reduced income all summer because colleges are not in session?
Are you knowledgeable about the current health of DC and Marvel, and whether there are any trends (good or bad) affecting their business? Do you know to what extent the recent success of comic-book movies has fueled the economics of the shop, and whether that can be expected to continue in the near future?
I’d definitely check that Diamond will continue the existing account and not treat you like a new one.
My post#20 (from 2004!)
All good thoughts.
Some loose answers:
I fear nothing when it comes to the particulars of the financials of any business. I’ve done this thing enough to know the basics.
High-end collectibles will be an interesting thing. And I’d want to see how those things move over the last two years to see if it’s a brag thing or a profit thing. But that would have a learning curve.
On the events, yes, I believe I have enough experience to keep that going without much of a bobble, especially if I keep him around to plan the first set. And I’ve been coding websties since 1994. I’d likely just have one of my partners do it for beer. Heh.
The liabilities issue with weapons sales is a useful tip. I’ll have to ask about it.
And asking about what distributor relationships are locked in and such is on my list. I don’t suddenly want to see my costs escalate.
This strikes me as the type of thing that you would need to have long term, deep, deep historical knowledge of the products to make a successful go of it. It seems that it would be astoundingly easy to make a few ordering and sales popularity bad guesses and missteps and lose your ass. Business acumen aside if you are not immersed in that culture it seems way, way risky for a newbie coming in.
it has been a couple of years now. how has the climate changed in regard to owning a comic shop…what other things are the shops doing to stay a float and make money.
My favorite comics store is a combined comics and collectible coins shop.
But…they’ve been doing that since 1980, so it’s not a recent adaptation.