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Geppi Museum difficulties

Started by drice6900,

23 posts in this topic

drice6900

drice6900

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linky

 

GEPPI ENTERTAINMENT MUSEUM FACES ROCKY ROAD

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In early September, we took you on a tour of Geppi’s Entertainment Museum – geektopia to many. At the time, the future was nothing but golden roads and bright horizons.

 

However – that vision isn’t quite matching up with the reality of the situation, three and a half months into the museum’s operation.

 

According to a report in the Maryland Gazette, Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, along with several others in Baltimore, is facing a crunch in terms of visitors and revenue.

 

The major problem (which affects not only Geppi’s Museum, but the Sports Legends Museum, located under GEM, as well) – location, location, location. GEM and Sports Legends are located literally a stone’s throw (by someone who really can’t throw) from Camden Yards and the Ravens’ stadium – blocks away from the Inner Habor, the city’s tourist hub.

 

“Other than a game day, we’re in a landlocked position,” GEM owner Steve Geppi told the Gazette.

 

Another factor that contributed – fewer people going to Orioles games – 2.1 million in 2006, compared to 3 million in 2005. While attendance numbers were not given for GEM, Sports Legends only brought in 1/3 of its expected attendance during its first year of operation.

 

From the Gazette:

 

Geppi suggested establishing a consortium with other city tourist sites, such as the Maryland Science Center and Baltimore Aquarium, to give a higher profile to attractions not at the Harbor. He also suggested creating an ‘‘Inner Harbor passport” that would allow people to buy a single ticket giving them admission to all downtown museums.

 

‘‘We know we have a product that people like. We just have to get them to know we exist,” Geppi said. ‘‘... You can have a $3 magazine with a $10 bill in it, but if people can’t find it, it won’t sell.”

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kc120us

kc120us

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linky

 

GEPPI ENTERTAINMENT MUSEUM FACES ROCKY ROAD

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

In early September, we took you on a tour of Geppi’s Entertainment Museum – geektopia to many. At the time, the future was nothing but golden roads and bright horizons.

 

However – that vision isn’t quite matching up with the reality of the situation, three and a half months into the museum’s operation.

 

According to a report in the Maryland Gazette, Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, along with several others in Baltimore, is facing a crunch in terms of visitors and revenue.

 

The major problem (which affects not only Geppi’s Museum, but the Sports Legends Museum, located under GEM, as well) – location, location, location. GEM and Sports Legends are located literally a stone’s throw (by someone who really can’t throw) from Camden Yards and the Ravens’ stadium – blocks away from the Inner Habor, the city’s tourist hub.

 

“Other than a game day, we’re in a landlocked position,” GEM owner Steve Geppi told the Gazette.

 

Another factor that contributed – fewer people going to Orioles games – 2.1 million in 2006, compared to 3 million in 2005. While attendance numbers were not given for GEM, Sports Legends only brought in 1/3 of its expected attendance during its first year of operation.

 

From the Gazette:

 

Geppi suggested establishing a consortium with other city tourist sites, such as the Maryland Science Center and Baltimore Aquarium, to give a higher profile to attractions not at the Harbor. He also suggested creating an ‘‘Inner Harbor passport” that would allow people to buy a single ticket giving them admission to all downtown museums.

 

‘‘We know we have a product that people like. We just have to get them to know we exist,” Geppi said. ‘‘... You can have a $3 magazine with a $10 bill in it, but if people can’t find it, it won’t sell.”

 

Sad to hear. Hopefully, they'll be able to turn things around. It's defintely on my things to do list next year. Maybe they should move it to NYC. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

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TiQuinn

TiQuinn

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I haven't been up there yet, but I don't think Baltimore's that bad a location. It's a 45 minute drive from Washington, D.C., which is a pretty big tourist destination, and Baltimore feeds off of it. Maybe Baltimore needs to do more work promoting businesses and attractions outside of Inner Harbor, but I'm a bit skeptical. The museum is less than a mile away from Inner Harbor, easily in walking distance. There's tons of tourists down there. The interest just may not be there.

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action1kid

action1kid

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Steve loves Baltimore. I mean truly loves that city. He would never, EVER even consider moving it to New York or anywhere else.

Gary is right.He loves his Baltimore.Maybe a few BIG BILLBOARDS on I-95 just before the Fort McHenry Tunnel would do the trick with the New York-Florida drive through guys.Works for me.

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Monstro

Monstro

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i viseted the museum a month ago. i live in annapolis, md. about 25 minutes from baltimore. the museum was amazing. a comic collectors dream. but my wife, son and i we're the only people there. and i mean the only people, not another soul. it was very strange. if geppi needs customers admission money to keep the place open.......well lets just say i would visit sooner the later.

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innocuous

innocuous

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When I visited, it felt as if the nostalgia aspect of everything would draw a broad crowd. I agree, the location is tough, especially in the winter. (Although I don't think anyone out to attend a baseball game gets in their head that they might want to go check out Action 1 before the first pitch.)

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drice6900

drice6900

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Baltimore foreheadslap.gif, if he really wants someone to see this thing he HAS to move it to Vegas. And the sooner he facilitates this move, the sooner he can cut his losses. poke2.gif

 

I seem to remember the last time someone tried to run a big comic convention in Las Vegas, it bombed. Would a museum do any better there? confused-smiley-013.gif

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underthebigw

underthebigw

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To be sucessful the museum cannot be collector specific.It has to appeal to the general public.

 

I thought it did a tremendous job of accomplishing this. There's a ton of stuff in there, and it's not all up-scale collectibles. The decade specific rooms really cover a wide-range of pop-culture artifacts--everything from lunch boxes, to character glasses, movie posters, toys, etc. The average American could not possibly walk through those rooms and not recognize a large portion of their childhood.

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gifflefunk

gifflefunk

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<i>“Other than a game day, we’re in a landlocked position,” GEM owner Steve Geppi told the Gazette.</i>

 

Makes me wonder if he put any thought into where he was putting this to begin with... if he knew that he would need patron driven revenue to keep the place going perhaps he should have put the museum in a high traffic area... *shrug*

 

He could always sell off all those illustrated books from the pre-comic era (some people call them comic books... I don't). Dump all that Victorian/Platinumstuff for some quick cash. Heck, if he as an Obadia Oldbuck he could dump it and make a quick $40k, then use that to re-open the museum in a high traffic area.

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micmack

micmack

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Sad to hear. Hopefully, they'll be able to turn things around. It's defintely on my things to do list next year. Maybe they should move it to NYC. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

Exactly what I was going to say.

 

An EXCELLENT idea, though I might be biased cool.gif

 

Have it right next to the Comic Art Museum 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

birthday.gifbirthday.gifbirthday.gifconfused.gifbirthday.gifbirthday.gifbirthday.gif

 

poke2.gif

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