There is a lot you can sell. Comics....New and old. Trading cards, any kind like D & D or sports cards for football, basketball, hockey, etc. My comic shop which is only 15 minutes from where I live also sells action figures from MARVEL and DC. Its fairly easy to open a comic book business. Just try to have good contacts so you'll know when the comics come out. You can also maybe sell comic book movie DVD's.
Originally posted by endrict
What my favorite shop does and gets a lot of loyal customers. He makes a bin for each good customer(name and number) and in there is comic titles you pick. This way we know each month is kept up to date with comics.
Most comic shops have "subscriptions" like that. My local comic book shop gives a 10% on all new released comics for all subscribers.
the comic shop closest to my home [in PA, not NY] has a 20% discount on new issues, back issues and trades for subscribers. subscribers just need to have ten issues on their monthly pull list, which is like getting two of those free after discounts. most collectors buy more than eight comics a month, so that's not really a big stretch.
the next closest sucks. it's full of the battlehammer, magic, RPG, card games stuff. and it's not bad that those are there, i know they often go hand in hand. but the way the customers who play those games act, and yell, and the way the employees often step away from their jobs for half an hour to play a game with some kid [completely ignoring the shopper who came in, browsed the comics, and has a handful of cash ready to pay] makes it unbearable. if you're going to take that route, make your employees keep their priorities straight, keep the in-house players from shouting or acting like dicks, and generally don't hire shitty people.
that's just a big point. have a helpful staff that reads comics, but doesn't talk your ear off with their opinion. i didn't need to hear half an hour's worth of raving to understand the guy liked astonishing x-men, and it actually turned me off from buying it, or shopping there, again.
comic-related merchandise is always helpful. the comics and more shop in the king of prussia mall has a great selection [i've only been looking for two back-issues i couldn't find there, and i've looked for hundreds,] and they have shirts, toys, collectors items, etcetera. they also have a specific section for the all ages comics, which is considerably smaller, but also very well organized, updated and generally in good shape. if i had kids getting into comics, that's the first place i'd shop with them, just because of the seeming respect they give to the often-overlooked all ages comics.
nothing's going to be better than having a big, healthy selection of back issues, and a great display system for the more current issues. i don't remember the shop's name, but some big store in the middle of ridley, PA [voted best comic shop in the delaware valley three years running] had all of the more recent issues of every comic imaginable lining the shelves along the outside, and a neat, aisle-like series of backissue bins, actions figures and other merchandise throughout the middle. it was, by far, the best store i've been to in terms of selection, though their sparse staff and gang of regulars made newcomers like myself feel a bit out of place.
good staff, good selection, none of that bullshit, and enough corresponding merchandise layed out to make the shopper's eyes roam should do you some good.
best of luck. lord knows we could always use more stores.
Hey Disappear, haven't seen you in a while. lol, anyway...
Yeah, about staff, if they do that kind of crap they won't be working there long at all. I wouldn't let them step away to play a game or anything of the like.
As far as getting your ear talked off, well, I'm afraid Marcus would even do that and at the start it'd be myself and Marcus at first probably.
I don't like obnoxiously noisy stores either, it looks really bad on the owner/operator of the place. The only noise would be whatever secondary function the place would have to help keep the business open, whether I do the coffee shop or restaraunt idea or something else.
But as I said, I'm still hoping to do the online stuff, it might even become one of the main parts of my business.
Originally posted by Disappearthe next closest sucks. it's full of the battlehammer, magic, RPG, card games stuff. and it's not bad that those are there, i know they often go hand in hand. but the way the customers who play those games act, and yell, and the way the employees often step away from their jobs for half an hour to play a game with some kid [completely ignoring the shopper who came in, browsed the comics, and has a handful of cash ready to pay] makes it unbearable. if you're going to take that route, make your employees keep their priorities straight, keep the in-house players from shouting or acting like dicks, and generally don't hire shitty people.
that's just a big point. have a helpful staff that reads comics, but doesn't talk your ear off with their opinion. i didn't need to hear half an hour's worth of raving to understand the guy liked astonishing x-men, and it actually turned me off from buying it, or shopping there, again.
I agree with you. Ive been lucky enough that there are around 2 local comic shops in my town and about 10 more in the towns closest to mine. So anyways, I went to this particular store and they had everything, action figures, old issues, trades, merchandise, RPG and while checking their comics I heard a noise from the back room and when I took a closer look it was like 10 kids in a couple of tables playing D&D. They were acting like asses. I never went back to that store. Its just annoying hearing them yelling and shit!
I like my local comic shop. The attendant may make small chat about current issues but dont talk comics unless I ask him about a particular comic and even then he wont spoil the end or surprises. Our conversations are short and sweet.