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How do you buy a Comic Store?

Started by cmixer,

92 posts in this topic

jaeldubyoo

jaeldubyoo

Posted
Posted
Instead of running a brick n mortar store, would it not be more efficient to try to run a new bi-monthly comicon in your local area? Guess it depends on how many other comicons u are competing against in one's city.

 

For the other weekends, just set up your comic/toy wares to sell at the local Sunday flea markets or collectibles shows. Instead of struggling to bring foot traffic to your shop, go to where the families already are on the weekends. :hi:

 

From what you're describing, it sounds more like a part-time job. It ain't easy making a living from selling comics and such.

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cmixer

cmixer

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 

Let's say the cheapest complete/running STORE for sale is $45,000.

 

What is the estimate of getting a store off the ground?

$10,000 in displays + cabinets.

$10,000 in comics & merchandise.

 

So the rest of the value (in purchasing an existing store) is:

-- a functioning Diamond account

-- a functioning customer base

-- advertising & community awareness

-- possibly a trained staff

 

... Is there a thread/blog that walks through Opening a shop; & the costs involved?

Thanks yall.

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miraclemet

miraclemet

Posted
Posted

Rather than buying a comic store might I suggest....

 

throwing-money.gif

 

 

or if it's cold where you are

 

joker.gif

 

but really, here's a journal here on the boards of someone who just started getting a store ready to open

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=9067369#Post9067369

 

 

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G.A.tor

G.A.tor

Posted
Posted

monthly expenses for an "average" store... (fyi,I have over $200K of inventory in my store on rotating basis...you probably can't start with just 10K (as that wouldn't even give you a week and half of sales))

 

I spent $40K fixturing my store, though I suspect one could thriftly do it for $10-15K

Figure $2000-3000 for proper signage both over store and on roadside

 

figure $10,000 a month min to buy merch from diamond (that gives you 16-18K retail sales, if you don't discount and sell through 100%)

figure $2000-$2500 a month for rent if you are in a nice complex ($8-12 a square foot...obviously a smaller store would be less)

figure $400 a month for CAM (if in a nice complex)

figure $100 a month for insurance

figure $250 a month for utilities

figure $250 a month for internet and phone

figure $100 a month for water and sewage

figure $2000+ a month for salary (unless a small store you will go at it alone, then you still have to budget your salary)

 

available cash to buy collections good and bad

 

License fees (state and city depend)...

Deposits for utilities and sewer, etc

 

all in all, it is a very expensive venture to run a store these days...

 

I wouldn't even consider it unless you have $50-100K in cash, and 50K+ in existing but Sellable, inventory

 

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The Less Blob

The Less Blob

Posted
Posted

figure $2000-$2500 a month for rent if you are in a nice complex

 

-------

 

I think you can go for a lot less in a lot of places in this country. How huge a store do you need when just starting?

 

Here is some really cheap space in Cincinatti (I'm on Cincinnati this week because it is a midwest city that is doing relatively well). Is this a terrible area? I kind of think a comic shop can be at the back of the mall because you are going to rely on people who know you're there.

 

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/19526457/5100-Crookshank-Road-Cincinnati-OH/

 

"figure $400 a month for CAM (if in a nice complex)"

 

what is CAM?

 

"figure $250 a month for internet and phone"

 

I think you can probably get by with some sort of package under $50-75. use your cell as your business phone and use it as a hotspot for your internet. slow connection, but problem solved!

 

 

"monthly expenses for an "average" store... (fyi,I have over $200K of inventory in my store on rotating basis...you probably can't start with just 10K (as that wouldn't even give you a week and half of sales))"

 

obviously i don't run a store, but having worked in one and hanging out in one too much, this seems like a lot. $10,000 would seem to be more than enough to fill up a store with a lot of stuff to start just going to a few shows and doing bulk deals for comics, GNs/TPBs, some toys...cheap t-shirts might be harder, i dunno. a new store doesn't need to have the high end stuff you presumably have, particularly to start. very few stores do. plus, if the OP is a collector he presumably has a bunch of stuff already. i'd have the best back issue selection in brooklyn other than Koch!

 

 

BUT yeah, even on the uber cheap I think its going to cost $2K a month, not including merchandise and salaries. you have to sell what, like 1000-1500 new comics to clear $2,000 or really should you only expect to make $1 a comic, so more like 2,000 ($1 would include losses from damaged/unsold/stolen comics, etc.). so to squeeze a poverty wage of $25K out of this you have to sell 3000-3500 new comics a month and another $1500-$2000 worth of other stuff? that seems like a lot of new comics.

 

of course, if the place also doubles as your ebay base of operations and you are busy with that, you can probably extract a bit more out of it. HELLO 14 hour days!

 

 

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The Less Blob

The Less Blob

Posted
Posted

believe it or not, i have thought about this. my wife wanted us to move to new orleans (she was mulling over a job offer) and us buying a building on the edge of the french quarter (which we might have been able to afford after selling our new york home) with us living upstairs and me having a store downstairs that sold comics and other oddities based on the assumption that i would have a brute of a time getting a job as a lawyer down there, or at least a full-time gig.

 

didn't pan out though.

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paul747

paul747

Posted
Posted
monthly expenses for an "average" store... (fyi,I have over $200K of inventory in my store on rotating basis...you probably can't start with just 10K (as that wouldn't even give you a week and half of sales))

 

I spent $40K fixturing my store, though I suspect one could thriftly do it for $10-15K

Figure $2000-3000 for proper signage both over store and on roadside

 

figure $10,000 a month min to buy merch from diamond (that gives you 16-18K retail sales, if you don't discount and sell through 100%)

figure $2000-$2500 a month for rent if you are in a nice complex ($8-12 a square foot...obviously a smaller store would be less)

figure $400 a month for CAM (if in a nice complex)

figure $100 a month for insurance

figure $250 a month for utilities

figure $250 a month for internet and phone

figure $100 a month for water and sewage

figure $2000+ a month for salary (unless a small store you will go at it alone, then you still have to budget your salary)

 

available cash to buy collections good and bad

 

License fees (state and city depend)...

Deposits for utilities and sewer, etc

 

all in all, it is a very expensive venture to run a store these days...

 

I wouldn't even consider it unless you have $50-100K in cash, and 50K+ in existing but Sellable, inventory

 

+1

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G.A.tor

G.A.tor

Posted
Posted
figure $2000-$2500 a month for rent if you are in a nice complex

 

-------

 

I think you can go for a lot less in a lot of places in this country. How huge a store do you need when just starting?

 

Here is some really cheap space in Cincinatti (I'm on Cincinnati this week because it is a midwest city that is doing relatively well). Is this a terrible area? I kind of think a comic shop can be at the back of the mall because you are going to rely on people who know you're there.

 

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/19526457/5100-Crookshank-Road-Cincinnati-OH/

 

"figure $400 a month for CAM (if in a nice complex)"

 

what is CAM?

 

"figure $250 a month for internet and phone"

 

I think you can probably get by with some sort of package under $50-75. use your cell as your business phone and use it as a hotspot for your internet. slow connection, but problem solved!

 

 

"monthly expenses for an "average" store... (fyi,I have over $200K of inventory in my store on rotating basis...you probably can't start with just 10K (as that wouldn't even give you a week and half of sales))"

 

obviously i don't run a store, but having worked in one and hanging out in one too much, this seems like a lot. $10,000 would seem to be more than enough to fill up a store with a lot of stuff to start just going to a few shows and doing bulk deals for comics, GNs/TPBs, some toys...cheap t-shirts might be harder, i dunno. a new store doesn't need to have the high end stuff you presumably have, particularly to start. very few stores do. plus, if the OP is a collector he presumably has a bunch of stuff already. i'd have the best back issue selection in brooklyn other than Koch!

 

 

BUT yeah, even on the uber cheap I think its going to cost $2K a month, not including merchandise and salaries. you have to sell what, like 1000-1500 new comics to clear $2,000 or really should you only expect to make $1 a comic, so more like 2,000 ($1 would include losses from damaged/unsold/stolen comics, etc.). so to squeeze a poverty wage of $25K out of this you have to sell 3000-3500 new comics a month and another $1500-$2000 worth of other stuff? that seems like a lot of new comics.

 

of course, if the place also doubles as your ebay base of operations and you are busy with that, you can probably extract a bit more out of it. HELLO 14 hour days!

 

Cam is common area maintenance ...most good centers charge

 

Internet/high speed cable can't be had for less than 250 in our area. A cell phone just doesn't provide enough bandwidth if you have multiple customers. Not to mention charge cards needing quality Internet connection etc ....slow connection= slow death

 

$10,000 in merch won't even get you a week of sales. Top 250 comics , stocking only 5 copies each is 7k. Toys? Statues? Games? Back issues ? Etc 10k of product won't make an impact Imo and certainly won't fill even a small store (shrug)

 

 

 

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Cruzin' Thru Comics

Cruzin' Thru Comics

Posted
Posted

i40nys.jpg

 

51exe8.jpg

 

I have a small shop that's open part time (whenever I'm not working my real job). Rent is only $250 a month which includes utilities (except for Internet). All the fixtures I got second hand from Craigslist or friends. I sell a lot to other dealers but do have some walk in's. Shop is in an industrial area so not a lot of foot traffic. But the rent is so cheap. It's all on if you're doing it full time. Honestly, I can't see much money in it. I might run a shop full time when I retire from my current job as supplemental income.

 

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The Less Blob

The Less Blob

Posted
Posted

$10,000 in merch won't even get you a week of sales. Top 250 comics , stocking only 5 copies each is 7k.

---

 

i was thinking of the monthly inflow of new comics being different inventory than the stuff you fill the store up with for the opening.

 

stocking all of the top 250 sounds like a lot of risk. my shop does not do that.

 

you seem to be thinking of a big well-stocked operation like you presumably run, I am thinking of a 500-1000 square foot store where the owner starts and then orders more stuff once they have a good idea of what sells where they are, acquires better quality back issues when he has an idea if they will sell, etc.

 

 

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Cruzin' Thru Comics

Cruzin' Thru Comics

Posted
Posted

Yeah. Only back issues. But I get new inventory at cost from another shop owner I know who is struggling. Almost got a diamond account but margins suck. The shop really is a shop/warehouse/staging area to work on my books for upcoming shows I do. I have a blast at the shop almost every weekend. Plus you never who will walk in either buying or trying to sell some books.

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