The Uncanny Avengers were having a day off at the beach
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MaddocI'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother?Registered Userregular
edited April 2014
I would love to open a gaming/comic shop
The downside is I know people in that business and I know just how much trouble they have. One guy I know basically makes all his money at trade shows to make up for the money his store doesn't make, and the other just sort of barely makes it. Although the past two years he's had a table at PAX East which is a fairly huge influx of money the way he tells it. (If you were at PAX East this year or last, he runs Command D)
Command D is an excellent comic shop name holy shit
+5
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
these are all good
a note on pull lists, the shop I go to has a form that people fill out when they're signing up, that lets them list what comics they want to have in their pull list (SA has a minimum of I think 10 titles to start, but a new store starting out would probably need a lower minimum pull. I'd still set one of at least 3-5 though, you don't want to be managing dozens of lists for a $2.99 purchase once a month. The other thing on the signup form is something that @Hawkstone recommended - you get them to agree and sign that if they don't come in and pick up their books at least once/month, they get sold on the shelf.
on expansion & location he is dead on as well. You don't really need to expand at all - a small shop in a good spot is far better than one twice the size in a location with less foot traffic. There's another store in town that is also pretty good - bigger space, more varied selection, but I can't easily walk there and back on my lunch break, so I haven't been there in almost a year. Most of what you'll be selling day to day just doesn't need much space, so you'd be trading something you need for something that is only nice to have.
that said, if you can get a TON of space in a busy location, https://www.minotaur.com.au/ is one of the coolest places I've ever been. Their sign/entrance looks unassuming and small, but it's just a stairwell to a massive basement store of literally everything geeky.
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
I also don't know how you handle shitty customers at a hobby shop, especially while you're trying to grow, but you should figure that out because you are going to have shitty customers
you handle them by politely but firmly asking them to leave
yes, you'll piss them off, but if you allow them to stay they will be a cancer that prevents real growth, and keeps potential customers away. Better by far to have shitty assholes think you're a jerk than to have first-time customers leave and not come back because your store is filled with shitty assholes.
Also, don't have places to sit. It may seem like it'd be nice to have customers sit down and read their new purchases, but really it'd just be people reading stuff they don't plan to buy, and people who want to sit and talk for an hour doing so. The latter might not seem so bad, but you'll avoid a lot of shitty customer trouble simply by having them buy their comics and then go elsewhere to talk about them.
Our local one used to be a kids party/event place. Huge space, lots of room, still draws in more people than can reasonably play/read in their space.
There are a bunch of great shops in DFW, which is fortunate as big as it is, and I love my local shops. But if I lived closer to Madness, it would be tough not to spend every day in there. That store is amazing inside, a gaming/comics wonderland.
I also don't know how you handle shitty customers at a hobby shop, especially while you're trying to grow, but you should figure that out because you are going to have shitty customers
you handle them by politely but firmly asking them to leave
yes, you'll piss them off, but if you allow them to stay they will be a cancer that prevents real growth, and keeps potential customers away. Better by far to have shitty assholes think you're a jerk than to have first-time customers leave and not come back because your store is filled with shitty assholes.
Also, don't have places to sit. It may seem like it'd be nice to have customers sit down and read their new purchases, but really it'd just be people reading stuff they don't plan to buy, and people who want to sit and talk for an hour doing so. The latter might not seem so bad, but you'll avoid a lot of shitty customer trouble simply by having them buy their comics and then go elsewhere to talk about them.
Definitely disagree with that last one
Especially if you're going to run games/events which seems like where a large portion of most shops' money comes from
UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
also just having female staff will go a long way there. Shitty misogynist neckbeards are rarely brave enough to challenge someone with the authority to kick them out, or be shitty to other female customers in their presence.
Of course, the main female employee at Strange Adventures is an absolute badass, to the point of organizing a community of women who work in comic shops.
Come to think of it, they would probably be fantastic people to ask for suggestions on this sort of thing: http://bewarethevalkyries.com/
Going back to first page, but wouldn't Thanos being cast be a known factor?
They revealed a couple weeks ago that he is in GOTG after all, right?
Anyway a middle-aged coworker of mine saw Captain America the other night with his eight year old daughter and now apparently they both want to know all about Rocket and Groot
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
I also don't know how you handle shitty customers at a hobby shop, especially while you're trying to grow, but you should figure that out because you are going to have shitty customers
you handle them by politely but firmly asking them to leave
yes, you'll piss them off, but if you allow them to stay they will be a cancer that prevents real growth, and keeps potential customers away. Better by far to have shitty assholes think you're a jerk than to have first-time customers leave and not come back because your store is filled with shitty assholes.
Also, don't have places to sit. It may seem like it'd be nice to have customers sit down and read their new purchases, but really it'd just be people reading stuff they don't plan to buy, and people who want to sit and talk for an hour doing so. The latter might not seem so bad, but you'll avoid a lot of shitty customer trouble simply by having them buy their comics and then go elsewhere to talk about them.
Definitely disagree with that last one
Especially if you're going to run games/events which seems like where a large portion of most shops' money comes from
I suppose, a gaming table is a different thing. I wasn't thinking about that at all. If you do have one though (assuming you have space to have one), you'll need to be extra vigilant about watching the people using it & keeping them respectful. It's a risk even then, because people tend to get worked up playing games, and you don't want someone dropping gendered slurs & rape threats while smack-talking their opponent with other customers in the store, but you also don't want to have to kick someone out mid-tournament.
Is it weird that this almost seems like a step back, not in quality but in style? This seems more like the older painted style of Frazetta or Vallejo.
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
eh, I can see the appeal to having customers play pick-up games in the store, or use the table to go through cards for trades or whatever
or have sample board games for people to try out, or whatever. It'd be a good spot to lay out stacks of free issues for Free Comic Book Day as well (most stores use this to unload overstock they couldn't sell or return as well as the publisher-supplied free issues)
but it really is a double-edged sword as it gives shitty customers a chance to stay in your store longer and exhibit shitty behaviour in front of other customers.
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WeaverWho are you?What do you want?Registered Userregular
I like painted. So atmospheric!
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
eh, I can see the appeal to having customers play pick-up games in the store, or use the table to go through cards for trades or whatever
or have sample board games for people to try out, or whatever. It'd be a good spot to lay out stacks of free issues for Free Comic Book Day as well (most stores use this to unload overstock they couldn't sell or return as well as the publisher-supplied free issues)
but it really is a double-edged sword as it gives shitty customers a chance to stay in your store longer and exhibit shitty behaviour in front of other customers.
Yeah a lot of stores use the tables for sample board games and stuff
I think what you need to do is separate the merchandise section and the play section
That way the thing you described would be really easy to stop cause hey you didn't buy that comic you can't just read it over there
I switched comic shops simply because the one that had chairs and tables set up constantly had those chairs filled by asshats
I found a better one that's a bit closer, a bit smaller, no chairs and tables, and no employees that tried to sell me on how great DC's current stuff is
It is a marked improvement
I personally prefer the shops that either don't have tables and chairs set up, or if they do, have them in an entirely different room
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
yeah, if you have space an entirely separate game room is the best possible option
if you have the gaming table in or near the store area, you're going to need to babysit it constantly to avoid scaring away other customers.
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
I mean, it could turn out to be a good thing if you got a regular crowd that were good, friendly people using it, and drove off the more unpleasant types, but that'd be a lot of work for a new store finding it's feet, and there are plenty of people who you wouldn't want to stay in your store for any length of time who can still be a source of income provided they come in, buy, and leave.
On the recommendations note, even if it's your most favorite thing ever in the universe, if a customer isn't interested after 1-2 mentions, let it go.
God yes this
A couple of the clerks were cool at the one store but there was this one who would not shut up about Forever Evil and Batman and wondered my whole pull list was Marvel with a couple Images
+1
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UnbrokenEvaHIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered Userregular
The store I go to, Dr Nos, has a huge game area sort of a step down from the comic place. There is still merchandise lining the walls, but its board games and stuff so it's not really things you would sit down and read. Plus the tables are usually in use.
I feel like a comic store with no seating would feel less friendly, which is a big factor in a customer's mind. I don't think many comic/game/nerdy fans want to just run in and run out, almost every single person seems like they want to talk about their purchases, movies, etc. The friendlier a place feels, the more money I'll pour into it, even if the selection is as little slow or late.
Going back to first page, but wouldn't Thanos being cast be a known factor?
They revealed a couple weeks ago that he is in GOTG after all, right?
Anyway a middle-aged coworker of mine saw Captain America the other night with his eight year old daughter and now apparently they both want to know all about Rocket and Groot
Nah, James Gunn has said he is all mo-cap and doesn't have a significant role so they could easily not have cast him
On the recommendations note, even if it's your most favorite thing ever in the universe, if a customer isn't interested after 1-2 mentions, let it go.
God yes this
A couple of the clerks were cool at the one store but there was this one who would not shut up about Forever Evil and Batman and wondered my whole pull list was Marvel with a couple Images
The best way to keep customers is to tell them their taste is shit
The store I go to, Dr Nos, has a huge game area sort of a step down from the comic place. There is still merchandise lining the walls, but its board games and stuff so it's not really things you would sit down and read. Plus the tables are usually in use.
I feel like a comic store with no seating would feel less friendly, which is a big factor in a customer's mind. I don't think many comic/game/nerdy fans want to just run in and run out, almost every single person seems like they want to talk about their purchases, movies, etc. The friendlier a place feels, the more money I'll pour into it, even if the selection is as little slow or late.
you can still stand around and talk at Strange Adventures, and the staff is good about making recommendations and so on, but those are the sorts of conversations you typically have standing up, next to the shelves of comics you are talking about - sitting in chairs and talking is more for longer, in-depth conversations with your friends which is fine if you and your friends are decent people, but less fine if you're awful. Those conversations can also take place literally anywhere else. The idea of having the comic shop as a fun place to hang out is great in theory, but hard to keep from turning toxic in practice, and that's a big risk for a new store that has no idea what sort of regulars they're going to get. You're also likely to get people that have been kicked out of other stores in the area, and people hoping to "claim" the new store as their hangout. You do not want these people hanging out in your store.
The store I go to, Dr Nos, has a huge game area sort of a step down from the comic place. There is still merchandise lining the walls, but its board games and stuff so it's not really things you would sit down and read. Plus the tables are usually in use.
I feel like a comic store with no seating would feel less friendly, which is a big factor in a customer's mind. I don't think many comic/game/nerdy fans want to just run in and run out, almost every single person seems like they want to talk about their purchases, movies, etc. The friendlier a place feels, the more money I'll pour into it, even if the selection is as little slow or late.
you can still stand around and talk at Strange Adventures, and the staff is good about making recommendations and so on, but those are the sorts of conversations you typically have standing up, next to the shelves of comics you are talking about - sitting in chairs and talking is more for longer, in-depth conversations with your friends which is fine if you and your friends are decent people, but less fine if you're awful. Those conversations can also take place literally anywhere else. The idea of having the comic shop as a fun place to hang out is great in theory, but hard to keep from turning toxic in practice, and that's a big risk for a new store that has no idea what sort of regulars they're going to get. You're also likely to get people that have been kicked out of other stores in the area, and people hoping to "claim" the new store as their hangout. You do not want these people hanging out in your store.
Fear, is Strange Adventures purely a comics shop?
Cause I think that's pretty different than also being a games shop
Also in most smaller cities/towns seems way harder to pull off
The store I go to, Dr Nos, has a huge game area sort of a step down from the comic place. There is still merchandise lining the walls, but its board games and stuff so it's not really things you would sit down and read. Plus the tables are usually in use.
I feel like a comic store with no seating would feel less friendly, which is a big factor in a customer's mind. I don't think many comic/game/nerdy fans want to just run in and run out, almost every single person seems like they want to talk about their purchases, movies, etc. The friendlier a place feels, the more money I'll pour into it, even if the selection is as little slow or late.
you can still stand around and talk at Strange Adventures, and the staff is good about making recommendations and so on, but those are the sorts of conversations you typically have standing up, next to the shelves of comics you are talking about - sitting in chairs and talking is more for longer, in-depth conversations with your friends which is fine if you and your friends are decent people, but less fine if you're awful. Those conversations can also take place literally anywhere else. The idea of having the comic shop as a fun place to hang out is great in theory, but hard to keep from turning toxic in practice, and that's a big risk for a new store that has no idea what sort of regulars they're going to get. You're also likely to get people that have been kicked out of other stores in the area, and people hoping to "claim" the new store as their hangout. You do not want these people hanging out in your store.
Fear, is Strange Adventures purely a comics shop?
Cause I think that's pretty different than also being a games shop
Also in most smaller cities/towns seems way harder to pull off
Fair point, it is probably 90% comics, but I think the atmosphere is a big part of how it's been able to own that particular niche. We're not exactly a big city, and the shop itself is tiny.
Posts
That art!
The downside is I know people in that business and I know just how much trouble they have. One guy I know basically makes all his money at trade shows to make up for the money his store doesn't make, and the other just sort of barely makes it. Although the past two years he's had a table at PAX East which is a fairly huge influx of money the way he tells it. (If you were at PAX East this year or last, he runs Command D)
a note on pull lists, the shop I go to has a form that people fill out when they're signing up, that lets them list what comics they want to have in their pull list (SA has a minimum of I think 10 titles to start, but a new store starting out would probably need a lower minimum pull. I'd still set one of at least 3-5 though, you don't want to be managing dozens of lists for a $2.99 purchase once a month. The other thing on the signup form is something that @Hawkstone recommended - you get them to agree and sign that if they don't come in and pick up their books at least once/month, they get sold on the shelf.
on expansion & location he is dead on as well. You don't really need to expand at all - a small shop in a good spot is far better than one twice the size in a location with less foot traffic. There's another store in town that is also pretty good - bigger space, more varied selection, but I can't easily walk there and back on my lunch break, so I haven't been there in almost a year. Most of what you'll be selling day to day just doesn't need much space, so you'd be trading something you need for something that is only nice to have.
that said, if you can get a TON of space in a busy location, https://www.minotaur.com.au/ is one of the coolest places I've ever been. Their sign/entrance looks unassuming and small, but it's just a stairwell to a massive basement store of literally everything geeky.
you handle them by politely but firmly asking them to leave
yes, you'll piss them off, but if you allow them to stay they will be a cancer that prevents real growth, and keeps potential customers away. Better by far to have shitty assholes think you're a jerk than to have first-time customers leave and not come back because your store is filled with shitty assholes.
Also, don't have places to sit. It may seem like it'd be nice to have customers sit down and read their new purchases, but really it'd just be people reading stuff they don't plan to buy, and people who want to sit and talk for an hour doing so. The latter might not seem so bad, but you'll avoid a lot of shitty customer trouble simply by having them buy their comics and then go elsewhere to talk about them.
There are a bunch of great shops in DFW, which is fortunate as big as it is, and I love my local shops. But if I lived closer to Madness, it would be tough not to spend every day in there. That store is amazing inside, a gaming/comics wonderland.
Definitely disagree with that last one
Especially if you're going to run games/events which seems like where a large portion of most shops' money comes from
Of course, the main female employee at Strange Adventures is an absolute badass, to the point of organizing a community of women who work in comic shops.
Come to think of it, they would probably be fantastic people to ask for suggestions on this sort of thing: http://bewarethevalkyries.com/
Bing bang boom
They revealed a couple weeks ago that he is in GOTG after all, right?
Anyway a middle-aged coworker of mine saw Captain America the other night with his eight year old daughter and now apparently they both want to know all about Rocket and Groot
I suppose, a gaming table is a different thing. I wasn't thinking about that at all. If you do have one though (assuming you have space to have one), you'll need to be extra vigilant about watching the people using it & keeping them respectful. It's a risk even then, because people tend to get worked up playing games, and you don't want someone dropping gendered slurs & rape threats while smack-talking their opponent with other customers in the store, but you also don't want to have to kick someone out mid-tournament.
I really think they need to be there all the time
That way you foster a community of players that are going to be loyal to your store
I've never seen a hobby shop that didn't have permanent tables stay open
Because why would you need table for games if the event where said games go on isn't happening
Is it weird that this almost seems like a step back, not in quality but in style? This seems more like the older painted style of Frazetta or Vallejo.
or have sample board games for people to try out, or whatever. It'd be a good spot to lay out stacks of free issues for Free Comic Book Day as well (most stores use this to unload overstock they couldn't sell or return as well as the publisher-supplied free issues)
but it really is a double-edged sword as it gives shitty customers a chance to stay in your store longer and exhibit shitty behaviour in front of other customers.
Yeah a lot of stores use the tables for sample board games and stuff
I think what you need to do is separate the merchandise section and the play section
That way the thing you described would be really easy to stop cause hey you didn't buy that comic you can't just read it over there
I found a better one that's a bit closer, a bit smaller, no chairs and tables, and no employees that tried to sell me on how great DC's current stuff is
It is a marked improvement
I personally prefer the shops that either don't have tables and chairs set up, or if they do, have them in an entirely different room
if you have the gaming table in or near the store area, you're going to need to babysit it constantly to avoid scaring away other customers.
God yes this
A couple of the clerks were cool at the one store but there was this one who would not shut up about Forever Evil and Batman and wondered my whole pull list was Marvel with a couple Images
I had to repeat it over and over in my head before I caught the Kamandi reference
I feel like a comic store with no seating would feel less friendly, which is a big factor in a customer's mind. I don't think many comic/game/nerdy fans want to just run in and run out, almost every single person seems like they want to talk about their purchases, movies, etc. The friendlier a place feels, the more money I'll pour into it, even if the selection is as little slow or late.
The best way to keep customers is to tell them their taste is shit
you can still stand around and talk at Strange Adventures, and the staff is good about making recommendations and so on, but those are the sorts of conversations you typically have standing up, next to the shelves of comics you are talking about - sitting in chairs and talking is more for longer, in-depth conversations with your friends which is fine if you and your friends are decent people, but less fine if you're awful. Those conversations can also take place literally anywhere else. The idea of having the comic shop as a fun place to hang out is great in theory, but hard to keep from turning toxic in practice, and that's a big risk for a new store that has no idea what sort of regulars they're going to get. You're also likely to get people that have been kicked out of other stores in the area, and people hoping to "claim" the new store as their hangout. You do not want these people hanging out in your store.
Oh shit
Fear, is Strange Adventures purely a comics shop?
Cause I think that's pretty different than also being a games shop
Also in most smaller cities/towns seems way harder to pull off
Who's that?
PSN- AHermano
Oh wow
PSN- AHermano
Jason Aaron and Al Ewing creating a new sister to Loki and Thor sounds much better
Fair point, it is probably 90% comics, but I think the atmosphere is a big part of how it's been able to own that particular niche. We're not exactly a big city, and the shop itself is tiny.
Irony would be if it was Hel.