The Less Blob

Exactly. 5000 back issues can be housed in a 3 level cabinet that is about as deep as a mag box, maybe 8-10 feet long. New issues can all be housed on racks that have a 4 inch depth and can have doors to cover them. A decent selection of trades can be put on a bookshelf. A comic shop's inventory can actually be tucked away pretty easily. It would be easy to have it all on wheels and go in the corner when the gym is open. Converting it into a bar at night is trickier. The cabinet needs to be able to have a bar top on it, etc. You'd need very limited beer on tap and mostly sell bottles, cans, and cocktails. Bar food would be tricky. All these ideas are spinning around in my head!

In my area (Brooklyn) I just don't see a new shop surviving with these rents (with that said a couple of places have opened). The problem is paying rent for dead time. As I have mentioned, in my area we have a bar with a boutique flower shop in the front and another bar that has an instrument repair shop. A comic shop in a residential area really only needs to be open 2:30-6:30 with some hours on the weekend. If all the fixtures are on wheels and merch can be tucked into cabinets, I wonder if a shop could coexist with a Pilates/yoga/gym studio that does morning and evening classes? And then at 10 it can convert into a bar and be open until 2 or 3! Sounds like a great husband/wife business!

It is a hard call. Buying too many may set off alarm bells and shut the whole purchase down if they decide to check the book out. But things are gone quick. 2 weeks ago I ran to the lcs to buy the deathsteoke and wonder woman variants. Only 1 ww variant was left. 10 of the deadpools.this was like 1:30. When I ran back at 3:30 after learning the deadpool cover was hot they were all gone. Moral of the story.. If you don't grab them someone else will.

I used to shop at bergen street comics. They had something to do with Copra. At least a dozen 1s on the rack, I passed because they put the price sticker on the back of the cover. I did buy his first book (deathzone or something like that) because the print run was even lower. Sold it here for around $200 with the price sticker on back. Did I sell to you?

Walmart website? I understand they might just be taking a cut on the order and it is fulfilled by another company, but that might be half the stuff they sell.

I have seen comics in good will but they often have a price sticker slapped on the cover. On place had a VGish avengers 57 for $5, but I passed because it was 20 years ago and that's probably what it was worth.

In my neck of the woods the dept of sanitation will send you a summons if the phone number can be linked to an address. I got one 21 years ago when I posted some flyers trying to rent my room in a share for the last 2 month's of the lease. Fascists.

Well someone here just picked up 150 long boxes. Some of it was good, as per the pictures. Dunno if that is all the good stuff out of the 150 or the first few boxes.

They're in the bulk closeout business too? https://www.walmart.com/ip/Huge-Marvel-Comic-Book-Gift-Bundle-Quantity-42-Comic-Books/723867160?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=16676&adid=22222222222145926874&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=o&wl2=c&wl3=74698138329026&wl4=pla-4578297708365836&wl5=&wl6=&wl7=& wl10=Walmart&wl12=723867160_10000017449&wl14=comic books for sale&veh=sem&msclkid=8a044f47e6ba18922fd1148dd87c70eb

Guys are posting "we buy comics" flyers in my neighborhood. No stone is getting left unturned.

A nice Knights of the Dinner Table 1 is a $100-$200 book raw depending on condition (maybe more if slabbed as a 9.8). Series has a little cult niche and I believe is well into issue #s in the 200s.

150 long boxes??? That is a huge haul. That's the size of my entire collection, amassed over the last 40+ years of hoarding. I guess I know what will happen when I finally drop dead in a screaming match with my wife.

Yeah, I got that from a well known store here, although the owner is super friendly. he had tons of x-force 2s in his dollar boxes. This is before it was briefly worth anything (NM 98 was worth something). I bought several and he was wondering why? I said you never know if the second appearance will matter. He rolled his eyes. Anyway, I have always presented to him that I am not buying from him to flip because ebay is a hassle. Sure, 90-95% have not been flipped, yet. if I'm an obvious flipper he wouldn't give me the discounts he has given me. If I buy a stack of dollar books from someone and have 5 of the same issue I spread them around in the pile. Having 5 in a row will set off alarm bells if they are paying attention.

Probably because you expertly cherry pick all of his underpriced book?

I have been doing keto for a while. Have not had a beer since August. Would really like a beer.

Sure, special nights I suppose. And I guess nobody will stop you from bringing a board game if you keep ordering drinks.

I don't think bars in NYC want to pay rent for people to play board games unless they are drinking extra. Bulletproof Comics is about 600 feet from Brooklyn College (18,000 students) and a couple of blocks from Midwood High School (4000 students) and a couple of more blocks from another high school with 4,000 students, so that probably makes a difference too. (I live about 10 minutes from there). They had a location in a less centralized area a couple of miles away that also had room for gaming, but that is gone. They are also across the street from a huge shopping mall with a big Target in it. Unless the have a loooong term lease, not sure how they continue to pay the rent. They had a location in a less centralized area a couple of miles away that also had room for gaming, but that is gone.

Selection is the problem at a smaller indie place. But if they are succeeding, then great.

Toy shops getting hurt by Amazon, etc. The one in my neighborhood closed and we are loaded with breeding yuppies. Then again, maybe with no TRU their business has been boosted.

OK, thanks. It seems the ones I was looking for Shadow of the Bat and Steel might pop up less as they are not in the 8 pack. I guess my searches would not pick up the collectors packs, but I looked at every copy of Shadow of the Bat #0, for example, only saw a couple logos. Anyway, not looking to buy them, was just surprised I didn't find a zillion copies of these early 90s books.

I have to get my side hustle going again. The teen in Catholic school is killing us.

Cool kids call it a side hustle here in the hood.

Most of those are variant covers, so not necessarily easily bought at $3-5. A few are hot books like the last deadpool. A couple I dunno why anyone paid $60, like heroes in crisis 1. Knowing what the hot books are when you place the order is the tricky part. The market decides. This isn't 1992 where Wizard told you.

Buffalo is having a renaissance, no?

Along with $3 beer/whiskey combos?