I'm opening up a brick and mortar this year and want some advice!! 7 7

[ft88]

Competition does break out the wallet. Just look at running races. Entrance fees are anywhere from $25 to $100 per. Anyone can go out and run a 10k for free. You could arguably run 90% of formal 10k's without paying the entrance fee, just join in.

 

You can make it partially charitable (10% goes to Charity XYZ) and make it relevant.

 

So a successful RPG tournament might have 20-40 people in it and at $40 a piece, might be a money maker.

 

 

[ChiSoxFan]

Way back when I owned a store (we're talking mid-to-late 1990's), Magic was big back then as well. We had a space set up for gaming tables, since we sold Magic, and we did well pre-selling new release boxes, unopened boxes after release, and packs regularly from numerous sets (not just the latest), as well as single cards (we had a whole display case set up for singles). It was a heavy driver of revenue for us pretty much every day of the week (we had become a destination store for a lot of local players who would come and play there), and when new sets released, the sales of MTG would dwarf what we sold comic-wise (those were VERY good sales days ).

 

We would also run tournaments regularly on Sunday, and we'd charge anywhere from $5-$10 per entry (these were almost always tournaments that involved players playing with there own decks, often testing them out in competitive play before entering larger-scale tounraments, and we'd draw anywhere from 10-12 people on the low end to 25-30 people on the high end). We would take the entry money and disperse it to the winner and 2nd place in the form of store credit -- which almost always had the winners using that credit to purchase packs at full retail or single cards (which were sunk cost at that point). The tournaments were a nice source of income for our store on a day that many times could be very slow.

[GM8]

Brick and mortar retail is a dying industry, no question about it. Only retail that will survive has the x-factor that people feel they need to do in person. The only way a comic shop would work out in my opinion is if it 1) wasn't solely a comic shop 2) the comics it has are primarily new issues and TPB's 3) any back issues are only key issues that you also sell online and most importantly, 4) had a cafe or something social to it that you can't buy online and drives revenue.

 

I'm in real estate and just went to a conference this morning and the "retail dying" sentiment was echoed loud and clear.

[RockyMullins]

I wonder why LCS's don't at least try this regarding pull lists...allow the customer the option to pre pay for new books, at even bigger than typical discount. If the shop is giving 15% off + bag and board, why not do 20% if you pre pay? No stock sitting for months waiting to be picked up while your cash is being held hostage...or worse, the pull list isn't picked up at all.

 

Just a thought...maybe some shops already do this. I would do it to save more $.

[Genesis Comics]

I wonder why LCS's don't at least try this regarding pull lists...allow the customer the option to pre pay for new books, at even bigger than typical discount. If the shop is giving 15% off + bag and board, why not do 20% if you pre pay? No stock sitting for months waiting to be picked up while your cash is being held hostage...or worse, the pull list isn't picked up at all.

 

Just a thought...maybe some shops already do this. I would do it to save more $.

 

Like the idea of a bigger discount for pre-pay...hadn't thought of that...

[youmechooz]

I wonder why LCS's don't at least try this regarding pull lists...allow the customer the option to pre pay for new books, at even bigger than typical discount. If the shop is giving 15% off + bag and board, why not do 20% if you pre pay? No stock sitting for months waiting to be picked up while your cash is being held hostage...or worse, the pull list isn't picked up at all.

 

Just a thought...maybe some shops already do this. I would do it to save more $.

I don't even offer a discount.

I give a free back issue for every title on their pull list and once a month my subscribers get a free trade if they have at least 10 titles on their pull.

[Bronty]

Or just require pre pay, period.

[aerischan]

I wonder why LCS's don't at least try this regarding pull lists...allow the customer the option to pre pay for new books, at even bigger than typical discount. If the shop is giving 15% off + bag and board, why not do 20% if you pre pay? No stock sitting for months waiting to be picked up while your cash is being held hostage...or worse, the pull list isn't picked up at all.

 

Just a thought...maybe some shops already do this. I would do it to save more $.

My LCS offers 30% off DC/Marvel comics with prepay and all other publishers 20% off. Although, I don't really save money. I just end up buying more comics.

[aerischan]

Or just require pre pay, period.

I wouldn't want to prepay unless there's some incentive. If prepayment is a requirement for having a pull list without offering any incentive, I'll just take my business to DCBS or Midtown. At 35-40% discount (sometimes higher) and no sales tax, that easily covers shipping for me.

[Glassman10]

Take a look at point of sale stuff in grocery stores and tell me what you see. It's in the check out line and it's pretty trashy but it makes money. Initially, I said you need 250K in capital and I haven't changed on that at all watching the responses. I know how much it took in inventory to buy and tie down exclusivity back when I had a gallery.

Servicing your debt is simply critical to success. You have to see how much the loans are costing vs sales. Don;t allow the kids to bring their own snacks. Sell snacks. Sell drinks. Everything cracks the nut. Do be a home for those guys.

 

I still wouldn't do it knowing the little I know. The internet has changed everything. I sat today with Ihaveneatstuff and we reviewed buying, analyzing and grading comics. The world was at our fingertips for pennies throu the internet. It did not exist 20 years ago and that changes everything. The modern collector is not a kid. He's a well established adult who doesn't really do magic tourney's. Decide who your client is going to be. Cater to that client. It's pretty hard to do both with what that will cost. Most importantly, just do what you love. Life is really profoundly short as you will see. .

[the blob]

I wonder why LCS's don't at least try this regarding pull lists...allow the customer the option to pre pay for new books, at even bigger than typical discount. If the shop is giving 15% off + bag and board, why not do 20% if you pre pay? No stock sitting for months waiting to be picked up while your cash is being held hostage...or worse, the pull list isn't picked up at all.

 

Just a thought...maybe some shops already do this. I would do it to save more $.

I don't even offer a discount.

I give a free back issue for every title on their pull list and once a month my subscribers get a free trade if they have at least 10 titles on their pull.

 

So what, a dollar box credit or something? One way to get people digging through the back issues.

[Pike's Comics]

Take some time and read the blog's by Gary Ray with Black Diamond Games and Micheal Bahr with Desert Sky Games. Both have written very good articles on opening specialty stores and the market.

[Genesis Comics]

Take some time and read the blog's by Gary Ray with Black Diamond Games and Micheal Bahr with Desert Sky Games. Both have written very good articles on opening specialty stores and the market.

 

I'll definitely check them out...thanks!

[HouseofComics.Com]

Definitely try to read the Hibbs' columns. I'd devour them if I were you.

 

Here's what I'm talking about in terms of the environment over here, where the top trades are very important. He sells six copies of Watchmen a week. Year after year.

 

http://www.comicsbeat.com/tilting-at-windmills-255-the-long-and-diminishing-tail-of-graphic-novel-series/

[HouseofComics.Com]

Very nuanced article by the way. Shows that you don't have to order everything and you'll still seem like a legit comic book store. Echoes what people are saying in the thread that you have to be really on it and careful about ordering. Also shows the power of having the POS data at your fingertips.

[Bird]

Definitely try to read the Hibbs' columns. I'd devour them if I were you.

 

Here's what I'm talking about in terms of the environment over here, where the top trades are very important. He sells six copies of Watchmen a week. Year after year.

 

http://www.comicsbeat.com/tilting-at-windmills-255-the-long-and-diminishing-tail-of-graphic-novel-series/

 

 

"I currently sell something like six copies of Watchmen each and every month, about seventy-five a year, and I’ve done that for a really long time - "

[Genesis Comics]

Definitely try to read the Hibbs' columns. I'd devour them if I were you.

 

Here's what I'm talking about in terms of the environment over here, where the top trades are very important. He sells six copies of Watchmen a week. Year after year.

 

http://www.comicsbeat.com/tilting-at-windmills-255-the-long-and-diminishing-tail-of-graphic-novel-series/

 

I've started reading them already...some very good information there. As someone mentioned earlier I also have watched all of "derium" opening a game store videos as well...there are a few others I've watched that I can't remember off-hand...also ordered "The business of gaming retail" book and read through that entire blog as well...

I'm doing as much research as I can before opening the doors...there is a wealth of information on these boards alone, which I appreciate...I've driven around town and spoken with local comic and gaming shops and more than a few have offered advice as well as assistance if needed. This week I'll be getting in touch with Diamond to find out more about their ordering limits/programs etc...I watched the tutorial on the POS and find that interesting as well...definitely considering that, although it is expensive, seems like it could pay for itself over the course of the first few years.

[grebal]

You seem interested in POS systems. I co-own some restaurants and at our newest store we went with a different POS system (Future POS instead of NCR/Aloha POS). Both are for restaurants and I'm probably paying for some capabilities that you would not need. Here is what we paid for 3 POS entry-terminals including one main terminal that acts as cash register, You probably wouldn't need three terminals, but if you're busy enough you might need two terminals each w/cash drawers.

 

My one suggestion is that you can probably find much cheaper system that are iPad based platforms over the ones that are Windows computer-based (the ipads probably are not as robust as the restaurant ones, which have things like food cost analyses). But there are lots of people constantly selling and updating apps for the ipads.

 

You also might want to use your POS for your labor reports and weekly/bi-weekly reports to your payroll company, then your EEs could punch in and out on the POS system too.

 

Here's what we paid a couple of years ago, most is self-explanatory, and we also spent around $1200 for a Windows 7 'server' (basically our home base for all the sales data, maybe EE data, and communication with credit card companies to collect plastic payments).

[fastballspecial]

Definitely try to read the Hibbs' columns. I'd devour them if I were you.

 

Here's what I'm talking about in terms of the environment over here, where the top trades are very important. He sells six copies of Watchmen a week. Year after year.

 

http://www.comicsbeat.com/tilting-at-windmills-255-the-long-and-diminishing-tail-of-graphic-novel-series/

 

 

"I currently sell something like six copies of Watchmen each and every month, about seventy-five a year, and I’ve done that for a really long time - "

 

I ran into a shop that did the same thing with WD. Selling 4 or 5 complete sets a week. I am sure that has now slowed down, but back in 2013-14 they couldn't sell enough.

[HouseofComics.Com]

"I currently sell something like six copies of Watchmen each and every month, about seventy-five a year, and I’ve done that for a really long time - "

 

Argh!

 

Makes sense if it's his #23 selling trade.

Edited January 29, 2017 by HouseofComics.Com