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gcstomp

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Posts posted by gcstomp

  1. Someone saying Voldy (in itself so strange, we get warnings on this board for saying who we are talking about) is folding or failing is simply lying, and projecting their own misinformation.  TATS were falling behind, despite staffing from 6 to 34 members in a few short years in the new company, because the submissions were so overwhelmingly ahead of the projections.  Beckett partnership has long list of positives, which I cant list for same reason I cant name who I am talking about, warnings/strikes though in general getting access to more infrastructure/staff/funds to catch up on TATS and expand product offerings, is a positive.

    It is not a secret that certain old time vendors, who simply did not want to touch a graded book for years, now deal exclusively in Voldy slabs, look at Tomorrows Treasures online and show offerings for instance, you wont see a CGC, and if he gets one, cracks it. Steve B has long time relationships and respectfully answers all questions and concerns to such an extent that we have a top 2, and everyone can co exist while completely ignoring existence of the "other" with no downside as grading in itself is such a tiny portion of overall comic industry.

  2. I was curious if florida could support 2 monster shows same day, and it sounds like it is a yes.  As a quick point of reference, I know this is the Tampa thread, but I was set up in the "other" show in ft lauderdale , 4 day show.  Attendance was flat out bananas there, saturday exceeded capacity and ticket holders that could not get in were told they could use the saturday tickets on sunday, so sunday again was otherworldly busy. I love setting up at the Tampa show and it bummed me out to have the calendar with both shows on same date.  Hopefully next round works out so that both shows arent same weekend.

  3. Moondog, that last line, that is harsh. We had new store owner Nickelspot say ignore the noise, if you are needing to pursue your dream, you find a way to make it work.

     

    For OP, your goal of eventually making 50 k a year living on the island seems like a tough road to me. When I lived on island I made well more on salary and was drowning in bills. But you have young mans dreams, and part of being young is to charge into stuff and learn your way, and maybe find better ways. If you fail terribly, your youth is your currency, and go try again tomorrow. I hope you post updates. I know youmechoose who opened store last year had some updates until he sounded too exhausted to even chirp.

  4. Suffolk is crazy expensive relative to most of country, I cannot see renting any kind of decent small shop for less than 1500 a month unless it is a family member doing you a favor type deal. Talk of putting out .25 cent or .50 cent boxes is not appreciating how expensive commercial space is in that area, every foot devoted to that is lost revenue, you would be better off not opening a shop and simply burning a stack of money every friday and calling it rent.

     

    I have set up for years at shows, which has its own upside and downside, but main upside is limited risk, and I like doing it. Have thought about opening a shop, my area is even more expensive here in Boca Raton Fl, but even cursory working of numbers opened my eyes to drowning in bills and tied to a lease, in worst case, and buying a low wage job in best case.

     

    What I think would work best for me is exactly opposite of what you want. Open a warehouse, not a walk in store, but open by appointment for buying collections. Purpose of warehouse would be to have a couple of people doing listings, shipping, sorting, and maybe a handful of times a year do the big shows, that is what some well known long time guys like Al Stoltz do and numbers wise seems solid but you would nbeed to like doing that.

  5. Invest in solid tires on hand truck, I learned that inflatable tires blow out when hauling boxes of mags, trades/hard covers. Keep expenses low, if doing lots of shows, own the cargo van.

     

    There is more than 1 way to skin a cat. Key for me, turnover, and opportunity windows, as in move more books, and do more shows. I do more than 2 dozen shows a year, be it the big well advertised one that draws wall to wall people for 4 days, or the small show, with little foot traffic, in a less developed area, and to me every show holds value.

     

    It is not enough to just set up, the profit lies in working the room, buying from depressed vendors or walk ins, in being approachable and making some bulk offers, or being open to someone trying to bundle your material, be it vendor or customer, and in following up with developing contacts with want lists.

     

     

  6. My 1st dealing with Richie was maybe 25 years ago, in a small show in a holiday inn in Wantagh NY. Richie had turned down cash from someone for full sticker price with vendor next to him. He was engaged in a serious argument with his booth neighbor about not having to make a sale to someone if he doesnt want to. Neighbor said you have to take the cash for the item at the marked price. Richie asked, how about if the cash is counterfeit. Neighbor says of course not, you dont take the cash. Well, then the cash is questionable, I do not even have to see it, and no required level of proof has been set, so no likey you, no sale. Nuts right, at a show, having this kind of hypothetical talk?

     

    IMO, turning point for Richie regarding 3rd party grading was more personal. I was set up across from his booth one show, I believe it was last years TBCC, maybe year before, and Richie was busy ignoring his customers, but it wasnt a newspaper this time. He and Steve B were sitting and chatting, with Richie alternating between scowling, waving his hands in cartoon fashion, laughing, and nodding.

     

    This post will go poof, as my prior posts have been, but that wont change anything. They were talking for a good couple of hours, every once in a while Richie would swiftly grab a book making some important point, but when Steve B left, after having an open and honest talk about slabbing done for whatever the "right" reasons are, I would have laid down a mega bet that Richie was a convert from that point on.