Setting up a monthly comic shop in your garage - Would it work?

[1Cool]

I did very well last year selling $2 books at a spur of the moment garage sale and it has gotten me thinking about what to do this year. If I registered a comic only garage sale once a month would I run into any legal issues? My vision is to convert my garage into a temporary mini comic convention booth and see how it goes. Anyone heard of this type of set up?

[sckao]

A local guy who basically only set up at local shows hosts a "garage sale" every few months when he gets enough new books for a sale. The key is the mailing list you generate by hosting this garage sale consistently.

 

His stuff ranges from .25 cent long boxes all the way to rack books. Probably has at least 40-60 long boxes available (new and older stock).

 

 

[miraclemet]

I saw a version of this done back in the 80s in my hometown... though it was in the house, not the garage...

 

Only downside I see is that someone would know there were lots of comics in your garage for the taking (garages being some of the easiest parts of the house to break into).

 

 

[comix4fun]

Just make sure it's ok in the town where you live. Many have rules regarding how many garage sales one person can have, or that they be registered with the town.

 

They are trying to avoid people running a business out of a residence on a regular basis.

[CAHokie]

There is a guy that does this near me but he creates a booth outside like a yard sale once a month.

[shadroch]

As already mentioned- check with your town about legality, and it wouldn't hurt to tell your neighbors and see if they are on board with it.

You might need a sales tax permit, so check that out, as well.

[Mad Titan]

A local guy has a sale from his townhouse community pavilion like every month. Post ads on CL and has OA, sports cards, figurines..it's like a pop up comic store. I meet him at a collectors expo a couple years back.

[toytastik]

Good advice in this thread, I wouldn't want people coming to my house on a routine basis. Seems to risky.

[That Ron Dude]

Local guy did it advertising three comics for a dollar. It was done in his basement on Sundays. The three dollar rooms took you towards more expensive rooms but I don't remember any genuine collectible comics. He also sold candy. He was open for quite a while and may still be. He "suggestively sold" to little kids, offering them "investment opportunities" . He also charged GST which was only supposed to apply to businesses that earned over $35,000 per year. When I mentioned this to him he said that the earnings of other $35,000 were from all his businesses. I assume that meant he wanted me to believe that he paid income tax too. I bought about a dollar's worth of comics and didn't go back. His friends or perhaps family would hand out leaflets at conventions. He advertised in the newspaper (pre-Craigslist).

[ChiSoxFan]

Local guy did it advertising three comics for a dollar. It was done in his basement on Sundays. The three dollar rooms took you towards more expensive rooms but I don't remember any genuine collectible comics. He also sold candy. He was open for quite a while and may still be. He "suggestively sold" to little kids, offering them "investment opportunities" .

 

 

 

[Phicks]

Echoing comments from others, check with your municipality and see if there are limits on how many garage sales you are allowed each year. Running a monthly business out of your garage has the potential to miff your neighbours.

[techtre2003]

Local guy did it advertising three comics for a dollar. It was done in his basement on Sundays. The three dollar rooms took you towards more expensive rooms but I don't remember any genuine collectible comics. He also sold candy. He was open for quite a while and may still be. He "suggestively sold" to little kids, offering them "investment opportunities" .

 

 

 

That was my reaction when I read that too.

[1Cool]

Thanks guys. All good comments. I was actually thinking about giving away a free comic to the kids who came by to hopefully maintain some good community vibe. Glad to hear others have tried it and had some success.

[Dr. Balls]

Running a monthly business out of your garage has the potential to miff your neighbours.

 

Yeah, as a homeowner dealing with people parking in front of my house and generally disturbing the area with traffic and vehicles would not earn "good neighbor" points.

 

I've lived in a neighborhood with the "perpetual garage sale house" and from a homeowner standpoint - it sucks.

 

I like the idea as well as the giveaways - is there a flea market or something like that close by that would be easy to haul stuff to?

[Pike's Comics]

Big Red Comics does it in Tampa all the time....

[techtre2003]

At our previous house I had the perfect location for a "garage shop" that I always wanted to open a general merchandise store to sell different things in. About the time I started thinking about seriously starting something up our town passed an ordinance that you couldn't have any more than 8 garage sales within a calendar year because there were a handful of people putting junk out in their yard every weekend trying to sell it and enough people started complaining about it. I could still sell stuff out of our garage but couldn't have the overhead door open I just decided it would turn into more of a headache than it was worth.

 

[kav]

At our previous house I had the perfect location for a "garage shop" that I always wanted to open a general merchandise store to sell different things in. About the time I started thinking about seriously starting something up our town passed an ordinance that you couldn't have any more than 8 garage sales within a calendar year because there were a handful of people putting junk out in their yard every weekend trying to sell it and enough people started complaining about it. I could still sell stuff out of our garage but couldn't have the overhead door open I just decided it would turn into more of a headache than it was worth.

I would just do it.

I can't see city employees going around keeping track of how many yard sales a year people have....

[shadroch]

At our previous house I had the perfect location for a "garage shop" that I always wanted to open a general merchandise store to sell different things in. About the time I started thinking about seriously starting something up our town passed an ordinance that you couldn't have any more than 8 garage sales within a calendar year because there were a handful of people putting junk out in their yard every weekend trying to sell it and enough people started complaining about it. I could still sell stuff out of our garage but couldn't have the overhead door open I just decided it would turn into more of a headache than it was worth.

I would just do it.

I can't see city employees going around keeping track of how many yard sales a year people have....

 

You really don't get out much, do you?

[tjanse]

I know this guy in phx Gilbert area I think. He does this a few times a month. I always find great deals.

[Spidey-fan73]

I did very well last year selling $2 books at a spur of the moment garage sale and it has gotten me thinking about what to do this year. If I registered a comic only garage sale once a month would I run into any legal issues? My vision is to convert my garage into a temporary mini comic convention booth and see how it goes. Anyone heard of this type of set up?

 

That would be PG ooops...

Oh wait, you said sell comics out of your garage, not to grade them.

There was a dealer who closed down his shop. He then would rent random buildings available around town for a few months at a time. He had a lot of books to move when he did. Finally, he started running it out of his garage (which wasn't connected to the house). Low and behold (as it's been pointed out), there was a break in and some of his boxes were stolen. Good luck.