I went to a comic store

[dupont2005]

I'm not sure I've ever actually been in a store with an upstairs apartment. Only seen them in movies or read about them in crime novels. But I've been in some pretty unkempt stores that smelled bad before

[Chaseman210]

Yeah I guess they are. I had never looked into it before. $425 is a good amount on top of rent, overhead, etc. It makes me wonder how much turnover shops in smaller communities have.

---

 

that's only around 200 books though, not including trades, etc.

 

So $425 amounts to $700 an change at full retail?

 

Who can/would run a store selling less than that a month in new books unless it's a junkdrawer type hangout spot or that other one someone showed here.

 

That's what I'm trying to figure up. The town I live in has a population of about 16k. I'm not sure how many of that number go to the one LCS anywhere near here. He's been open for years but hasn't gone out of his way to make it a good/great store. I can't imagine he just takes a loss each month, though.

[MetalPSI]

I'm not sure I've ever actually been in a store with an upstairs apartment. Only seen them in movies or read about them in crime novels. But I've been in some pretty unkempt stores that smelled bad before

 

I've been to quite a few, and they can be pretty nasty. You're right though, they aren't very common anymore. It's been a long time since I've seen one

[Buzzetta]

 

 

Here's what you can get for $5,800 a month (650 square feet) in an up and coming area of Brooklyn with hipsters who might buy comics (but not on a main street):

 

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/19612362/109-North-5th-Street-Brooklyn-NY/

 

Looks like I won't be opening a shop in brooklyn!!

 

There are so many things wrong with this listing it isn't even remotely amusing.

 

1 - Whole Foods still has not opened. They are supposedly sharing a building with Levi Jeans as well.

2 - Apple has still not finalized on a building plan and they have been saying Apple would be on Bedford and North 4th across from the Duane Reed for over two years now.

3 - This area still specializes in boutique shops and overpriced junk that people like to browse through. Go take a look at the nonsense that is sold in trays and the clothes hung up by the Taco Truck on North 7th and Bedford by the Dunkin and the Starbucks. The 'non-hipsters' call it the rejected eBay stuff.

4 - Selling comics in this area would be VERY tough. The kids are not buying comics at $4 a pop here in the city. I rarely see kids at Forbidden Planet and places around NYC. However, here, you would have the hipsters. The hipsters like to sit around in coffee shops all day and hang out. Unless you are having them pay at the door your comic book store on N5th and Berry would be a soon to be out of business library.

 

Now this is not directed at Blob, but something toward everyone. It is not enough to create a great store in a great location. Would the local population support your business? If yes then you roll, if not then it's a no go.

 

I personally see a lot of turnover in this area and places around here do not last long unless they have some ownership in the building.

 

I was just looking at some random spots around me (not that Greenpoint is anywhere near me). I figure hipsters read comics and GNs, but maybe they aren't buying stacks of what ever Marvel puts out. There are certainly brooklyn comic shops trying to cater to hipsters, but they might all be going out of business, I don't know.

 

Anyway, my point was that it just isn't feasible at those rents, whereas the myrtle beach rents seem more doable.

 

There is nothing feasible anymore over there due to the rents. I looked at a split studio loft type thing in a building a couple of years ago. The guy wanted $450k. Basically the owners of the building connected the basement level apartment to the 1st floor apartment. This was near end of Manhattan Ave in Greenpoint. I declined. It sold. That $450k is cheap now compared to what everything else is selling for over there.

 

The sad thing is that the increase in rents are pushing honest and hard working people out of the neighborhood. The only people that remain are those that actually own their buildings over there before the boom. Some of them even left as developers were making them too good an offer to refuse. Those that rented though, they are quickly leaving.

 

What is interesting is that the middle class is getting squeezed out. Those that were middle class found themselves quite well to do once they started selling or renting out their buildings and they left. Those that moved in were also making some bank. However while the neighborhood continues to grow, it is interesting that there is also an increase in homelessness and vagrancy. It's all over the subways in the morning and at the foot of the stairs on the Bedford / Driggs N7 stations.

 

A couple of years ago I did a charity event and brought about 15 short boxes of dealer overstock for the charity event. They were donated by a dealer / store owner friend of mine and I was instructed just to work the table and keep tabs. Everything was priced at 50¢ each and there was a lot of quality stuff in there. I sold a few to kids. A few to adults. I had a LOT of people going through the books just tire kicking and remembering their good old days. Most of the sales came from hipsters but they were looking to buy them to incorporate them into art. One guy came with a couple of shopping bags and took a few hundred books as he was going to incorporate the books into his art. He was looking for genres. It was well advertised and there was a large draw.

 

Sad but no one over there seems to be buying the superhero books.

[Bill C]

I'm not sure I've ever actually been in a store with an upstairs apartment. Only seen them in movies or read about them in crime novels. But I've been in some pretty unkempt stores that smelled bad before

 

I used to work for a local comic store as a kid. The owner lived with his parents IIRC but he also had an apartment upstairs from the store where he would store collectibles and hang out. I was up there once somewhere around the mid-late 1980's. Been a while but I seem to remember a pool table, a TV, VCR, Traci Lords VHS tapes, some kind of cardboard standup (maybe Blondie?), a Nostradamus book that predicted World War 3 in the late 80's/early 90's, and I think the whole set (maybe 20?) of Marvel cartoons that came out on VHS around that time. I'm sure a bunch of SA books were up there too.

[OldGuy]

If there was only one store in your area (within an hour radius) and you KNEW you could run a better shop, would anybody feel bad or think it's wrong to run a store out of business that had been there for years?

 

I wouldn't feel bad either way, free market. Don't need to run negative ads against the other guy or anything. Run the best shop you can and let the market decide, nothing wrong with that (I don't mind hearing some arguments if its a chain company moving in though). Maybe it'll inspire the other guy to make a better shop and customers get two good successful shops in the area instead of one sucky shop. That could be a win for everyone.

 

I could see if a chain shop opened like you mentioned, but I was thinking more along the lines of another local owned shop. I could give a list of how this shop is, and anybody on here could think of a million things to do in a better way. In fact, I will in a follow-up post if anybody is interested.

 

And I know rent here would be really cheap, especially if split with a co-owner or something. I just didn't know if people would think it's wrong or not.

 

Not a thing wrong with that.

 

There is one LCS where I live. I get 10% off the comics I buy there. Under the previous owner that 10% off was for any comic, TPB or hard cover in the store. The new owner changed it to just comics, not TPBs or HCs. I let him know that as much as I like supporting a local business that I wanted to continue to get my TPBs and HCs at a 10% discount. He said no. I told him he could sell them to me at 10% off or he could lose 100% of the sale. He said fine. So now I order my TPBs and HCs on-line at 25% off.

 

If there were another local option I'd be there on opening day to see if they were willing to treat me better.

 

I've never thought about having a discount on TPBs and HCs. I wonder how many shops do that? What margin of profit would an owner have after the initial cost of ordering?

 

I'm not sure. Maybe it depends on how much they order, like with single issues.

 

What I do know however is that you don't have to look very hard to find new TPBs and HCs on-line for 10-25% off cover.

 

Right, you can get pretty much any new HC or TPB through Amazon or TalesofWonder or whatever for 30%-40% off. My LCS offers 25% off on TPBS though, so I try to support them.

 

I'd support my LCS when buying TPB and HC books if they gave even a 10% discount, but a 0% discount is going to drive me to the internet. Sorry LCS,you're just to effing greedy. Why wouldn't someone want to sell me something at 90% of cover price instead of not making a sale at all?

[InvstmntComcSuply]

If there was only one store in your area (within an hour radius) and you KNEW you could run a better shop, would anybody feel bad or think it's wrong to run a store out of business that had been there for years?

 

I wouldn't feel bad either way, free market. Don't need to run negative ads against the other guy or anything. Run the best shop you can and let the market decide, nothing wrong with that (I don't mind hearing some arguments if its a chain company moving in though). Maybe it'll inspire the other guy to make a better shop and customers get two good successful shops in the area instead of one sucky shop. That could be a win for everyone.

 

I could see if a chain shop opened like you mentioned, but I was thinking more along the lines of another local owned shop. I could give a list of how this shop is, and anybody on here could think of a million things to do in a better way. In fact, I will in a follow-up post if anybody is interested.

 

And I know rent here would be really cheap, especially if split with a co-owner or something. I just didn't know if people would think it's wrong or not.

 

Not a thing wrong with that.

 

There is one LCS where I live. I get 10% off the comics I buy there. Under the previous owner that 10% off was for any comic, TPB or hard cover in the store. The new owner changed it to just comics, not TPBs or HCs. I let him know that as much as I like supporting a local business that I wanted to continue to get my TPBs and HCs at a 10% discount. He said no. I told him he could sell them to me at 10% off or he could lose 100% of the sale. He said fine. So now I order my TPBs and HCs on-line at 25% off.

 

If there were another local option I'd be there on opening day to see if they were willing to treat me better.

 

I've never thought about having a discount on TPBs and HCs. I wonder how many shops do that? What margin of profit would an owner have after the initial cost of ordering?

 

I'm not sure. Maybe it depends on how much they order, like with single issues.

 

What I do know however is that you don't have to look very hard to find new TPBs and HCs on-line for 10-25% off cover.

 

Right, you can get pretty much any new HC or TPB through Amazon or TalesofWonder or whatever for 30%-40% off. My LCS offers 25% off on TPBS though, so I try to support them.

 

I'd support my LCS when buying TPB and HC books if they gave even a 10% discount, but a 0% discount is going to drive me to the internet. Sorry LCS,you're just to effing greedy. Why wouldn't someone want to sell me something at 90% of cover price instead of not making a sale at all?

 

It is very difficult to remove discounts, once customers come to expect them. Often there are hurt feelings which will need to be resolved, so that the shop doesn't lose the customer entirely. If the new owner had said to you: "I really want you to know that I appreciate your business and felt that it was important to explain why our discount structure for trades is changing ... (insert logical explanation) While I understand that our new policies might not work for you all the time,we would still like to continue to service your weekly sub business along with yadda yadda and whatever new and exciting thing we are adding." It probably would help.

 

[revat]

If there was only one store in your area (within an hour radius) and you KNEW you could run a better shop, would anybody feel bad or think it's wrong to run a store out of business that had been there for years?

 

I wouldn't feel bad either way, free market. Don't need to run negative ads against the other guy or anything. Run the best shop you can and let the market decide, nothing wrong with that (I don't mind hearing some arguments if its a chain company moving in though). Maybe it'll inspire the other guy to make a better shop and customers get two good successful shops in the area instead of one sucky shop. That could be a win for everyone.

 

I could see if a chain shop opened like you mentioned, but I was thinking more along the lines of another local owned shop. I could give a list of how this shop is, and anybody on here could think of a million things to do in a better way. In fact, I will in a follow-up post if anybody is interested.

 

And I know rent here would be really cheap, especially if split with a co-owner or something. I just didn't know if people would think it's wrong or not.

 

Not a thing wrong with that.

 

There is one LCS where I live. I get 10% off the comics I buy there. Under the previous owner that 10% off was for any comic, TPB or hard cover in the store. The new owner changed it to just comics, not TPBs or HCs. I let him know that as much as I like supporting a local business that I wanted to continue to get my TPBs and HCs at a 10% discount. He said no. I told him he could sell them to me at 10% off or he could lose 100% of the sale. He said fine. So now I order my TPBs and HCs on-line at 25% off.

 

If there were another local option I'd be there on opening day to see if they were willing to treat me better.

 

I've never thought about having a discount on TPBs and HCs. I wonder how many shops do that? What margin of profit would an owner have after the initial cost of ordering?

 

I'm not sure. Maybe it depends on how much they order, like with single issues.

 

What I do know however is that you don't have to look very hard to find new TPBs and HCs on-line for 10-25% off cover.

 

Right, you can get pretty much any new HC or TPB through Amazon or TalesofWonder or whatever for 30%-40% off. My LCS offers 25% off on TPBS though, so I try to support them.

 

I'd support my LCS when buying TPB and HC books if they gave even a 10% discount, but a 0% discount is going to drive me to the internet. Sorry LCS,you're just to effing greedy. Why wouldn't someone want to sell me something at 90% of cover price instead of not making a sale at all?

 

It is very difficult to remove discounts, once customers come to expect them. Often there are hurt feelings which will need to be resolved, so that the shop doesn't lose the customer entirely. If the new owner had said to you: "I really want you to know that I appreciate your business and felt that it was important to explain why our discount structure for trades is changing ... (insert logical explanation) While I understand that our new policies might not work for you all the time,we would still like to continue to service your weekly sub business along with yadda yadda and whatever new and exciting thing we are adding." It probably would help.

 

agree. IF you are lucky enough to get someone who you KNOW can be a regular customer (or subscriber) PHYSICALLY in your store, seems insane to turn down that revenue stream. Grandfather him in, or something, anything.

[dupont2005]

I usually buy trades online for the great discounts, or I'll sometimes pick up a clearance trade with a 15% off coupon from the book store. I don't really have any shop loyalty to shops I don't think are all that great. Since most of what I like to read/collect isn't stocked by any shops I tend to think most of them aren't that great.

 

But I randomly walked into a shop one day when working out of town and it was fantastic. They had every trade and hardcover I could possibly think of in stock. I spent $80 that day. I tend to drop a $20 when I'm in town now just to show support for the store.