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[Littleberu]

Well, I'm still very young, but I'm already planning to get the knowledge to open a comic book shop in my hometown.

Here's the story : There aren't any comic book shop in my city. Any. None. Zero. So I said, joking : "Hey, I'll open my shop!!", and then, the more I thought about it, the more I though it could be a good idea.

IMO, with all the comic-based movie coming up, with Spider-man getting bigger and bigger, I think comic book are already starting to get up from their defeat in the 90's.

What do you think? Is it suicide to start a shop in 2-3 years?

 

[SKluck]

Prepare for failure.

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

Who knows when the next big comic or card fad pops up? If you stock enough gaming cards, roleplaying games and merchandise to balance out all the comics you could bring in a lot of people. Personally I love nothing better to pop into every comic book store I see when I'm travelling. I just don't buy as much as I used to (if anything).

 

[norinrad21]

You wanna be a loser eh?

 

[Drensch]

Throwing money in the trash is cheaper, easier, and better for your health.

 

[fart]

i worked for a comic shop in high school for a year or so and as far i can tell, it's one of the worst niche markets to be retailing in. your margins are tiny, and the taxes will eat your soul, your major patrons are kids who are more likely to bring trouble in than cash, and trends move very fast and very erratically; if you guess wrong on a load of inventory you're left with a lot of expensive pieces of paper that you can't even give away. your only hope is to have a lot of regular patrons and set up shop in a very high traffic (usually meaning high rent) area.

 

[Dreamfixx]

Yeah the comic industry is virtually dead, bro.

 

[way more]

Every though[t] of an adult corner?

 

[nomoment]

I think you're going to be broke. Fast.

 

[Willco]

Unless your a LCS that has already been established, you're doomed. Really. I go to Beyond Comics, which actually has two locations, but they've been around for years and made some smart business decisions. But the manager, who I'm friends with, would be lying to you if he said he was rich. It's something they do because they like and allow them to make somewhat of a living off of.

 

[Escape Goat]

Send me a PM with your email and/or phone and I can give you the number of my local comic shop guy. He may have some advice for ya.

 

[Alucard]

I've thought about this too...as a far-away "dream job". I realize the risks but I really do love this hobby of mine. I make it a point to stop by any new comic book shop I see, whatever city I may be in at the time. It's important that these places keep getting business. Support your local shops and keep the hobby alive.

 

[BuddyC]

Send me a PM with your email and/or phone and I can give you the number of my local comic shop guy. He may have some advice for ya.

Are you talking about good ole' Trent in Muncie?

 

[Error Macro]

Sorry. You know I had to post that though.

 

[Ripclawe]

I've thought about this too...as a far-away "dream job". I realize the risks but I really do love this hobby of mine. I make it a point to stop by any new comic book shop I see, whatever city I may be in at the time. It's important that these places keep getting business. Support your local shops and keep the hobby alive.

I would seriously think about opening a store as something on the side for "fun" because if you open it for profit, you are doomed from the get-go. Your competition will be bigger stores, online sales, the major bookstore chains, walmart.

 

[Alucard]

How about a comic store that specializes mostly in graphic novels and trades?

 

[AlphaSnake]

How about you buy a shredder and shred your money instead. Or give it to someone who'll invest it into something worthwhile.

In other words: don't do it.

 

[Alucard]

Screw it, I'll just try to see if I can get a job at a shop in the area. Haha.

 

[open_mouth_]

If done correctly, I think you can not only enjoy it a great deal, but you can turn a profit. You need to:

1.) Give it a very modern, futuristic, unique look rather than the plain old look of most comic book shops. Don't skimp early on. It's gotta look cool.

2.) Not only have comic books, have sections for cards, toys (gifts/collectibles), and magazines. It's gotta attract more than just teenagers--mom's have to come in to buy gifts or browse the magazine racks. It's gotta be a magazine/news/comic shop, imo. Having side commision-based income will help (atm machine, soda machine, snack machine, and even consider lotto). Consider selling anime, chess (and other parlor games), and anything else that falls under the "collector/entertainment" category, but don't go crazy. What else can you think of?

3.) At the same time, start up an online comic book "shop" as a complimentary source of income.

4.) Don't present it as an individual establishment like "Nick's Comics" or something that sounds small... Create a brand of sorts... something that if turn out to be profitable can be duplicated and opened up elsewhere. Imagine if you get the formula right and turn a profit and grow to become a chain of 4-5 stores?? You will have accomplished what thousands of others couldn't.

Good luck!

 

[Chesapeake Silt]

Protip: Stock lots of manga. Then burn any chain bookstores in the area to the ground.

 

[Ripclawe]

is diamond still the main comic distributor or are companies cutting out the middle men and goign directly to the publisher? For manga who would the main companies?

 

[SickBoy]

You know, as many people as there are saying you're an idiot and setting yourself up for huge money loss, I've got a friend who owns a shop and actually makes a pretty good living at it, in a market with plenty of good alternatives. That said, he's done a really smart job of it.

It's probably a hard market to break into... I think the two musts would be a business plan and good resources (a good-sized cash reserve and a nice inventory -- these, of course, would be detailed in the business plan anyhow). A good location is pretty key, too.

Even with these things, there are no guarantees. But your odds of success are better than with, say, a video game shop.

-SB