Can a store survive without stocking new books

[dhennen]

I'm trying to open a store and am curious about any store owners opinions. I was having this conversation with a couple of comic dealers about whether a store can work entirely on back issues or is it suicide to not pay Diamond for new issues every month.

One collectibles dealer with a brick & mortar store (ie comics, books, videos, records,...) says the minimum order from Diamond is high and ties up too much cash in books that don't sell right away. He buys up deeply discounted two and three month old books at comic shows and stocks his boxes that way.

Other store owners I've talked to say that new book subscriptions are their bread and butter. I can see their point and am of the same opinion regarding subscriptions as long as people come to pick them up promptly. I've been out of the loop on new books for about 4-5 years. I've picked up a few here and there when they're cheap but really couldn't afford to speculate on a bunch of $3 and $4 books every month.

Is it better to "Go BIG or go home" like a friend of mine is telling me or start small and try to grow slowly

thanks for any input!
Dave Hennen

[fulltimer56]

Dave,

Unless you have alot of money that you can tie up for months on end you really, really need to start slow and work your way up. But yes you need to keep adding more books because people like me save my searches and go back and check on them from time to time and if I start seeing the same old stuff every time I will not keep checking back.

I can't help you with the question about new books because I don't buy new books off ebay (I order mine from Richard "comicraider (http://www.comicscorral.com/forums/member.php?u=48)")!

Linda

[mycomicsandcollectables]

Dave,

Are you trying to open up a store online or a physical store? This may depend on what type of stock you want to carry.


Mike

[Evil Parsnip]

If you are doing a brick and morter store you need current issues. It's what drags potential buyers in every week and allows them to see what other goodies you have for sale. Unless you are in a really quiet part of the world those buyers and their impulse purchases will be your bread and butter and allow you to build a reputation.

[StlComics]

There are a couple of alternatives. You could start out buying from another retailer like MailOrderComics.com that always has discounted comics. Everything is always 35% off or more. It would at least get you started.

Another route would be to find someone to split the diamond order with you so that you don't really have to buy the minimum all by yourself.

[disneyteddies]

In my opinion, you should go with your strengths...you say you're not on top of newer books (like me) so I would start out slowly stocking the ones you do know (back issues) and go from there. Like Linda says, I too check out online stores often and if they don't add new/old inventory I get bored and move on. We're trying to open an online store as well with older silver and golden age with some copper and bronze as well but most likely no newer stuff. It's taking forever cause we don't have the computer savy and funds are really limited at the moment so we're trying to be patient so we do it right the first time. Good Luck with your store. Is it gonna be online or brick and mortar?

Hank.

[dhennen]

It sounds like we're in similar situations. I started with an online store on ebay and have been doing comics shows in the New England area for the past couple of years. Since the fees have gone up on ebay I'm trying to move to a free site on e-crater, without much luck in sales so far. I'd really like to open a small brick and mortar retail shop and build some monthly subscription business. The increased rent over what I'm paying for storage doesn't scare me that much but, as you say, funds are really limited and committing to the monthly minimum for Diamond would put me in the whole. I'm stuck in a catch-22...

[btdhome]

as a previous store owner ( 10 years)...

as far as your new issues...
How close is your nearest competition?
If in the same town or within a 30 minute drive, then you're gonna have to go with a distributor that gets you your books on the same day as that store.
If your away from everyone, you could probably get away with a small distributor that would send them to you once a week.

Be aware...
A b&m can be quite the challenge.
Some really enjoyable memories, and some really disappointing and scary ones as well.

[pasnat54]

Speaking strictly as a buyer, I'd say you have to stock new books. The market for oldies is vastly different than it was when I started collecting back issues, thanks to the internet.

I can't see any brick and mortar store surviving solely on back issues. Unless you're a giant like Mile High or Metropolitan, I can't imagine a store stocking the books I want, especially if they're not mainstream superhero stuff.

Of the last 30 or so back issues I've purchased, only two have been from b&m stores; the rest are from ebay, conventions or other online vendors.

I've read some comments from sellers with eBay stores who say that if they put a book up for sale, they know it may be there for months, but eventually a buyer will come along for it. I myself have seen a book I wanted, thought about it for a couple months, asked if the seller was flexible on price (he wasn't), then went ahead and bought the book.

That works online, but won't pay the rent at a real live store. I mean, you could pay a month's rent by selling a NM run of Tim Holt comics from the 50's, but can you afford to wait until an interested buyer walks in your door?

[habib]

I mean, you could pay a month's rent by selling a NM run of Tim Holt comics from the 50's, but can you afford to wait until an interested buyer walks in your door?

Hey Pas.....don't knock on the Tim Holts man!! You might find some interest nut like.....me for those books! (at least the ones that have Ayers Ghost Rider stories!) I would be the one helping pay the rent if those were around! #creep#

Seriously though Pas and others are right.....B&M stores just have to carry new comics. That is what pays the bills and your back issue inventory can be a nice supliment if you stock it right.

[disneyteddies]

I agree, Brick and Mortar stores should go the new comic subscription route but not to the point of putting yourself in the hole to start. As with any business, drawing attention to it falls on your shoulders..unless you're going to pay someone else to do it which would be expensive to a point. Since we have been limited both moneywise and computer skill wise, I have spent many years looking for inexpensive and free ways to market a business and believe me there are lot's of ways to do it if you're willing to work at it. Ie. Flyers, posters at large locations (grocery stores, gas stations, outside comic conventions), business cards, signatures on anything you write on the computer, newspaper ads, coffee news, local tv and radio stations (some are expensive but some times you can work out a deal with local stations). There's a two hour show on tv that you basically just have to call and let them know what you're about here that I've already been on 3 times for free just by being in a band but they have business's on there too. One of the times following us were two guys who reapolstered reclyner's and other small business owner's as well. So good luck to you, keep us appraised on how things are going and ask if you have questions. It feels funny giving advice when I'm not yet in business but we have been researching this for over four years so we have learned a lot.

Hank.

[oxbladder]

If you are going bricks and mortar you will have to carry new books. Stocking basics (X-Men, Spider-man, etc) is simple enough and you should not have to carry too many issues at first and grow your shelf contents as your customer base grows. Unfortunately dealing with Diamond is something you are going to have to do in some way, shape or form because if you do not then not having a reliable back ordering system could kill you. A new customer could wander into your store and see a few books they like but then they may ask for one that came out that week that you did not order or that came out in a previous release week and if you cannot show that customer that you can go the extra mile and reorder the book that may work against you earing that customer's regular business.

This is exactly one of the problems one of the store's that I go to for new stuff has. His reordering services are poor. He can get the stuff usually but whereas I could reorder and get a book in a week or two at my other store the other store takes two weeks to ... well ... a long time. He doesn't have a Diamond account and is, therefore, at the mercy of his other suppliers that do have Diamond accounts.

BTW if your store makes money in the first year you are doing well. You should never expect any business to make money in the first year ... or even break even. You should have enough money to:

1. Pay the lease
2. Pay for licenses
3. Pay for stock
4. pay for incidental/unexpected costs
5. Pay for the fact that you are not making money.

Basically if it is going to cost $40000 to open the doors you should have $80-100K in total ... for example.

[pasnat54]

I actually wasn't knocking the Tim Holt. I was at Comic-Con San Diego and was buying an old comic when some guy came up to the clerk, handed him about five Tim Holts, asked what the guy's best price was, then pulled out five $100 bills.

I was thinking about that because it was a good example of a title that's not one of the most widely sought after books, but does have an audience that's willing to shell out big bucks... when they can find the books.

[fastballspecial]

Anyone attempting to open a brick and mortar comic book shop should read the following.

http://www.wildpigcomics.com/comic-shop-tips.htm

That being said I am constantly on my local shop about making a largerer online presence. He is more concerned about his indy production show he makes for fun on the side on local cable TV. I push him all the time to advertise, sell more on ebay, spend more time pushing his store and he just blows me off.#blahblah# Why? Because he has no kids, no wife and enjoys his quiet life I guess. Thats my point unless you are the above you better be damn good at spotting sales, flipping books, postal regulations and keeping an online pressence for your shop as well as an excellent reputation. That means establishing yourself here, at CGC forum, STL and ebay comic book forum to say the least. I could on and on but till you do the above you wont be successfu.

And concerning new books only order the minimum you need to keep Diamond. While new books bring the customers back issues you buy for $.05 and sell for $.25, $.50 and $1.00 will be your life blood sometimes. And when you are really lucky you can sell a few for $20 if you know what you are looking at. Be a master of the market, know new issues sales as well as old. Buy a new OS guide every year for the articles, subscriptions to Wizard, CBG and a few others are also musts even if I think Wizard is a self promoting sleaze occasionally you will sell junk to people who actually listen to Wizard.