How do you buy a Comic Store?

[youmechooz]

"location, location, location.

 

 

Doesnt matter where you put your store. With comics, people look for you. Someone that doesnt read comics or play card games isnt going to drive past your store and stop by. Its not like a restaurant where you need to be seen. The best shop in GA is in the middle of nowhere in a lower income part of town next to nothing.

I was going to open right next door to a comic shop but it had this showcase front that took up space and i didnt like it. My dream would be right across the street from him. Maybe later.

 

 

 

Worse advice ever.

 

Bill -

 

Are you intentionally misquoting me or did you mess up? Youmechooz made that statement, not me. I didn't think that was a good idea and your post makes it read as though I said "Doesn't matter where you put your store," and now several posts that have followed have used your misquote. You should go back and read what I said.

He definitely messed up. I made the bone head comment. He smelled blood and went for the kill.

[Moondog]

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

 

Absolutely, positively the best advice you can get.

[Moondog]

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.

 

Interesting. This has been a successful scenario. An owner/operator who owns the building gives you the best chance at making it work. Bookery Collectibles is a good example. http://www.bookeryfantasy.com/

[Moondog]

About 18 months ago, another Chicago store was up for sale. It was in an up-and-coming neighborhood (Ukrainian Village) with a nice storefront, but it was a really bad store. They were asking way too much for it, and were reluctant to show me numbers.

 

("How do you want me to assess whether or not I want to purchase your store if you're not going to show me the numbers?)

 

They ended up just closing it.

 

I considered buying it but not quitting my job and hiring someone to run it.

 

Every store in Chicago is for sale. They might not be advertising it, but if you approach them with the right deal, I believe everyone would sell.

[Moondog]

"location, location, location.

 

 

Doesnt matter where you put your store. With comics, people look for you. Someone that doesnt read comics or play card games isnt going to drive past your store and stop by. Its not like a restaurant where you need to be seen. The best shop in GA is in the middle of nowhere in a lower income part of town next to nothing.

I was going to open right next door to a comic shop but it had this showcase front that took up space and i didnt like it. My dream would be right across the street from him. Maybe later.

 

 

 

Worse advice ever.

 

God bless you, Bill. Please keep telling it like it is.

 

 

[shadroch]

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.

 

Interesting. This has been a successful scenario. An owner/operator who owns the building gives you the best chance at making it work. Bookery Collectibles is a good example. http://www.bookeryfantasy.com/

 

That would be my ideal location,as well.

There is a shop in Bullhead City I've had my eye on for four years. It's a stand alone building on the second busiest street in town. A 1,000 feet of retail with a large office/storage space and a two bedroom apartment upstairs. Currently occupied by a couple of hippies who never open. I've left messages on their phone and notes in their mailbox but they don't respond.

[shadroch]

"location, location, location.

 

 

Doesnt matter where you put your store. With comics, people look for you. Someone that doesnt read comics or play card games isnt going to drive past your store and stop by. Its not like a restaurant where you need to be seen. The best shop in GA is in the middle of nowhere in a lower income part of town next to nothing.

I was going to open right next door to a comic shop but it had this showcase front that took up space and i didnt like it. My dream would be right across the street from him. Maybe later.

 

 

 

Worse advice ever.

 

Bill -

 

Are you intentionally misquoting me or did you mess up? Youmechooz made that statement, not me. I didn't think that was a good idea and your post makes it read as though I said "Doesn't matter where you put your store," and now several posts that have followed have used your misquote. You should go back and read what I said.

He definitely messed up. I made the bone head comment. He smelled blood and went for the kill.

 

It's the way the edit worked. My apologies.

[thehumantorch]

"location, location, location.

 

 

Doesnt matter where you put your store. With comics, people look for you. Someone that doesnt read comics or play card games isnt going to drive past your store and stop by. Its not like a restaurant where you need to be seen. The best shop in GA is in the middle of nowhere in a lower income part of town next to nothing.

I was going to open right next door to a comic shop but it had this showcase front that took up space and i didnt like it. My dream would be right across the street from him. Maybe later.

 

 

 

Worse advice ever.

 

Agreed. Locations near universities or tech schools do much better and locations with lots of foot traffic do better. My LCS just moved around from their old location on a main drive to get more space and they've noticed a large drop in traffic.

[HouseofComics.Com]

You will get walk-ins. The famous San Francisco store Comix Experience said that over the last 25 years reaction on the street used to be "they still make comics?" to "Hey, a comic store! Cool, let's go inside." He said he had his best year ever last year.

[The Less Blob]

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.

 

Interesting. This has been a successful scenario. An owner/operator who owns the building gives you the best chance at making it work. Bookery Collectibles is a good example. http://www.bookeryfantasy.com/

 

That would be my ideal location,as well.

There is a shop in Bullhead City I've had my eye on for four years. It's a stand alone building on the second busiest street in town. A 1,000 feet of retail with a large office/storage space and a two bedroom apartment upstairs. Currently occupied by a couple of hippies who never open. I've left messages on their phone and notes in their mailbox but they don't respond.

 

Just made inquiries on a 5 apartment building on the edge of the french quarter where the front section of the first floor apartment looked like it could make for a perfect store/gallery as it had doors opening into the street, but the broker says it is strictly residential (although i see commercial on the block too). The price might be right as an investment/rental property regardless to get a foothold down there, but being a landlord from 2000 miles away might be tough. If only I had more than three nickles to scrape together...

[RockyMullins]

"location, location, location.

 

 

Doesnt matter where you put your store. With comics, people look for you. Someone that doesnt read comics or play card games isnt going to drive past your store and stop by. Its not like a restaurant where you need to be seen. The best shop in GA is in the middle of nowhere in a lower income part of town next to nothing.

I was going to open right next door to a comic shop but it had this showcase front that took up space and i didnt like it. My dream would be right across the street from him. Maybe later.

 

 

 

Worse advice ever.

 

I sort of thought that as well...I know that I have stopped into a store just because I happened to drive by it. And I have not gone into stores, because they were in shady areas of town.

[romanheart]

I honestly think the way modern comics are being marketed that specialty back issue stores will eventually only be left. $3-5 a book just gets too pricey. A $1-2 download would suffice.