Your ideal local comic/game shop.

[KingdomOfAdventure]

I'm currently working on opening a comic/game shop in Scotland (Kirkcaldy, Fife to be precise) and I figured the best way to get some input on a sort of wants list was to post on some forums and ask some questions.

First though I think it's best I explain who I am and what I'm planning.

I'm Dave, 35, always lived in Scotland and been collecting comics since roughly 1986. I've also been playing Dungeons & Dragons and various other RPGs for the same time.

The shop will sell comics (monthlies, trades etc etc plus of course 2000AD!), games (RPGs, CCGS, Wargames, Board Games etc etc), t-shirts and other related geek products but that's only the beginning of the plan.
At least 35% of the floor space will be allocated to a dedicated event space which will be separated from the retail area.
Gaming wise this is easier to plan for things like tournaments and "game nights" for each format.
Comic wise I'm struggling to see what sort of events could be held in-store so any suggestions (other than signings, 24hr Comics and other "industry events") would be much appreciated. Do comic book shops host "book group" style chats? Would people attend if they did?

So I'm opening this up to any/all with questions or suggestions. I believe I've got a good plan but I want to test my thinking on the subject.
More information can be found on the website, specifically the blog as the website itself is very content light at present, which can be found here - http://www.kingdomofadventure.co.uk/blog/

Cheers,

Dave

[House of Usher]

I'm Dave, 35, always lived in Scotland and been collecting comics since roughly 1986. I've also been playing Dungeons & Dragons and various other RPGs for the same time.

Something that's almost uncanny - when I first read the title of your post, "Your ideal local comic/game shop.", the first thing that popped into my head was "one where it is still 1986"! Honest; no joke.

I think it's a brave undertaking, especially in a competitive marketplace and with a recession expected some time in the next hour or so (or sooner).

What I would want in a comics shop is something like the Travelling Man family of stores in Yorkshire, or The Comix Shoppe in Swansea; i.e. a comprehensive range of current titles by major publishers, and somewhat less than a third of the shop devoted to intellectually stimulating games (which I feel a little bit old myself to be playing), not toys and licensed merchandise (although you have to think about making a profit!). I don't want to see all those bloody collectible card games, but no doubt you'll have to sell those as well if you want to make any money. Maybe keep them discretely behind the counter like they have to with cigarettes (ugh!). Lastly, I want to see crates of back issues 2 feet deep and 12 feet wide.

Actually, ACE in Colchester has a pretty wonderful basement full of back issues. Something like that is just perfect.

[Grant Goggans]

I'm afraid that for my money, a really good comic book store (such as Bizarro Wuxtry in Athens GA, The Great Escape in Nashville TN or The Beguiling in Toronto) is one that does not sell any games.  So my opinion may not be worth much to you, because I can't stand seeing space that could be used selling books left for card tables and mismatched patio furniture, but I've been interested in seeing how stores evolve to encompass more books and fewer beat-up boxes of back issues.  I think the best stores are the ones where there's ample browsing space and a very dense collection of material.  On that note, invest in the nicest shelving you can afford and keep the store very clean.

Selling used TPBs is a great idea.  Some of my favorite finds have been long out-of-print collections of DC stuff at Great Escape, stuff you just won't find unless the shop's buying books.  And I'm certain I'll find that SHAZAM FROM THE 40s TO THE 70s one day.

One thing I really like in better stores is separating some stock out by author name rather than series title.  It's simpler to just to to the M section and look for what Mills, Morrison and Moore stuff is there than try to remember what all they've written.

I think one of the best things you can do to succeed is make Japanese comics part of your sales strategy.  Don't put a cardboard Spider-Man in the window, get a cardboard Naruto.  Track down a good assortment of both the stuff that sells really well (Naruto, Fruits Basket, One Piece) and a sampling of essential creators (Tezuka, Takahashi), and then ask your customers what other titles you should be carrying.

Even though it's really not all that likely I'll visit your shop any time soon, I wish you the best of luck!  Host great signings!

[paulvonscott]

Hi Dave

Well, that's one of the things on my lottery checklist, so good for you!

I would say in the words of Sir Humphrey Appleby, that's 'very courageous' of you.  I've had friends do the same thing and it's tough going, I even attempted an internet business some years ago, and optimism is soon replaced by tough unblinking reality.

I'd say, have a modern airy look, keep it looking good and not a dank cavern.  

Sell whatever sells, don't turn your nose up at anything new or fangled and stick with what you think is great, just sell it!

Have a good accesible internet ordering site that uses paypal and credit card.  Keep it updated.

Have discounts off new stuff to stop people sloping off to the internet.

Be aware that many RPG's and boardgames have a short shelf life, keep the stock fresh and sell off at cost (or just above) anything that's had its day.

Erm, if I think of anything else I'll chime in, feel free to ignore me.

Have a game night where people can come along and play a new game, you may well sell copies off the back of it.

The very best of luck, Dave.

[KingdomOfAdventure]

Thanks for the replies folks, let me take these 1 at a time.

-snip-
I don't want to see all those bloody collectible card games
-snip-
Lastly, I want to see crates of back issues 2 feet deep and 12 feet wide.

The gaming area will be partitioned off from the retail space and will take up roughly a third of the overall floor space.  There will likely be occasions where it expands into the retail space but that will hopefully be managed properly to be minimal disruption.  I appreciate what you mean about the card games but yes I will be selling them hopefully in abundance.
Back Issues will likely be non-existant to be honest.  The retail back issue market is fairly downward at the moment with the majority of it going online (eBay and otherwise).  That's not to say that we won't have any, just that it won't have pride of place.  Trades and GNs will take up a lot of the space in the shop.

-snip-
I can't stand seeing space that could be used selling books left for card tables and mismatched patio furniture
-snip-
Selling used TPBs is a great idea.
-snip-
One thing I really like in better stores is separating some stock out by author name rather than series title.  It's simpler to just to to the M section and look for what Mills, Morrison and Moore stuff is there than try to remember what all they've written.
-snip-
make Japanese comics part of your sales strategy
-snip-
Even though it's really not all that likely I'll visit your shop any time soon, I wish you the best of luck!  Host great signings!

As mentioned above the gaming area will be partitioned off from the retail space and I can assure you that it'll not be mismatched patio furniture nor will it be card tables.  I've got designs for tables produced and the chairs will be chosen based on who will be using them and not entirely on price.
The used Trades idea is a good one.  I'm considering going further than that and having what is in effect a library card system for renting Trades/GNs.  Not 100% sure how that'd work or the pricing associated but it's in the mix.
I won't be sorting by author name.  I know exactly what you mean but I do think that the population of comic fans that would prefer to browse that way isn't as big as those that prefer simple title sorting.  Now to cover off that "gap" I'd expect to be able to let customers know where the latest Grant Morrison title was etc etc.
Manga will be sold in the shop, it's a knowledge gap for me but one I am working on bridging.
Cheers for the luck and yes I hope to host great signings whenever possible.

Well, that's one of the things on my lottery checklist, so good for you!
I would say in the words of Sir Humphrey Appleby, that's 'very courageous' of you.  I've had friends do the same thing and it's tough going, I even attempted an internet business some years ago, and optimism is soon replaced by tough unblinking reality.
I'd say, have a modern airy look, keep it looking good and not a dank cavern.  
Sell whatever sells, don't turn your nose up at anything new or fangled and stick with what you think is great, just sell it!
Have a good accesible internet ordering site that uses paypal and credit card.  Keep it updated.
Have discounts off new stuff to stop people sloping off to the internet.
Be aware that many RPG's and boardgames have a short shelf life, keep the stock fresh and sell off at cost (or just above) anything that's had its day.
Erm, if I think of anything else I'll chime in, feel free to ignore me.
Have a game night where people can come along and play a new game, you may well sell copies off the back of it.
The very best of luck, Dave.

It's been on my lottery checklist since the lottery started!  I just decided to stop waiting for that.  I know it's not going to be an easy ride and I'm prepared for that.  Similarly I know I'm not going to make a lot of money but I'm convinced I can live comfortably.  I decided to avoid the online business (well solely online anyway) as I know I can't compete in that area.  Sounds weird saying that but the online business is the discount business and with the margins on comics/games being what they are it's not worth it.
The shop will be modern in feel and look.  The fixtures will not be car boot sale or anything like that, they will be uniform and professional.  I'm convinced that by removing the "exclusive comic/game club" feel from the shop that I can pull in those who aren't the usual consumer for the products.  I also want parents to feel comfortable bringing their kids into the shop, not just for the kids to buy things but for the parents to do the same.
I plan on having a tight ship around dead areas of stock.  If something hasn't turned in 6 months then it'll get blown out at a large discount.  In some cases that 6 months will be shorter but that'll be dependent on the product.
Game nights will be part of the bread and butter of the shop.  We're expecting to be open late 4 or 5 nights to run gaming events and comic events.  The comic events bit is still a bit of a mystery to me, other than signings and things like Free Comic Book Day I'm struggling to see what else I can host.
Thanks for the luck, I will need it!

Cheers,

Dave

[House of Usher]

Of course you will have to sell collectible card games if you want to make any money. Same goes for Manga.

I understand that the retail back issue market is not what it was, for a number of reasons: long-time collectors have fewer gaps in their collections. Newer readers have a much bigger mountain to climb in terms of filling in those gaps, so there's little incentive for them to do so and there aren't so many new collectors coming in. The back issues market faces a lot of competition as a result the expansion of cheap reprint collections in recent years.

It's great when you have easy access to a shop that has a lot of floor space and can afford to devote some of it to back issues. ACE in Colchester is a fine example. I don't know how the Travelling Man stores manage it on their tiny premises, but they do. I'm fortunate that in Cardiff there's a secondhand bookshop called Troutmark that has an enormous stock of second-hand books and also has a section about one sixth its total area to devote to back issue comics. I don't think that particular shop could use that area in any more profitable a way because it's not taking up space that could be put to better use. Last week I picked up a few issues of Amazing Adventures (Marvel, 1970s) and Alan Moore's Tomorrow Stories (America's Best Comics), Brit vol. 3 (Image) and David Boring (Daniel Clowes).

If I was opening a shop to indulge my whims I'd sell a huge range of back issues. But if I was trying to make money, then, as you say, I might not!

Buying and selling used TPBs and graphic novels is a good idea. The library card idea is less good, I think. Firstly, it's best to keep things simple. Secondly, a lot of libraries have a huge selection of graphic novels and they lend them out for free. I popped into Cardiff's central library last week, and they had about 200 just on the shelf, not including what was out on loan. Added to those are the TPBs on the shelf in my local library. Price-wise, as a rule of thumb, second-hand booksellers tend to buy in new-condition TPBs at a quarter or third the cover price and sell them for two-thirds. Prices adjust downwards for quality.

Sorting by author name sounds insane, and I'm glad my local comic shops don't do it.

It sounds like you've given it a lot of serious thought. Hope it all goes well!

[KingdomOfAdventure]

-snip-
The library card idea is less good, I think.
-snip-
It sounds like you've given it a lot of serious thought. Hope it all goes well!

The only reason I've been considering the library card option is that the libraries in my area don't stock GNs/Trades.  I do think it could involve some unnecessary overheads and hassle but my brother is a head librarian for a different council region so will be asking for his input into how I'd do it.  Probably tie it in with a loyalty card / club membership idea.
The whole subject of second hand products is something I need to consider more fully.  Yes I will sell 2nd hand products but as yet I haven't decided on how best to do that.  Obviously I need to ensure that what I'm buying I can then sell on at a good return.
Thanks for the feedback so far, it's very useful.

[Peter Wolf]

Hi.

 "I need to ensure that what I'm buying I can then sell on at a good return."

 Its standard business practise to buy secondhand goods for resale for a third of their value secondhand.

 Theres a little independent comic shop here which does very well.They sell a bit of everything even small press plus a section dedicated to action figures and RPGs etc.All neatly laid out and they have maximised their shelf space by using the entire floor to ceiling height.Ok Brighton is very busy but the rentals on shop premises in the area this shop is located is EXORBITANT but they seem to do OK despite that.The comics GNs are shelved according to the publisher not by authors name which seems alright.

 They have fitted it all in very well considering its a small shop and its not claustrophobic or cluttered in there in the slightest and the floorspace in the centre of the front half of the shop is completely clear.

 The shop is subdivided into 3 sections which is good.

 Presentation + style is everything.

 Just have bookshelves/shelving up against the walls made of wood and the shelving/bookcases are no deeper than the width of the average GN so no floorspace is wasted.

Try and get some mini halogen movable spotlighting on the ceiling as well as it looks really good.

 Oh and play some good music in there as that helps.

[Roger Godpleton]

Don't hire douchebags.

[ukdane]

I was going to say ....is in my front room.

I've been collecting comics for about the same length of time as you have.
I loved the old FP in London, before they sold out to the Merchandise (although I understand that, for them it's where they make their money). So, be true to yourself, and what you want to do, but accept, that you may have to make compromises/sacrifices.

The best experience I've had in a comic shop was my local one when I was at Uni.

Everyone there knew my name, and I knew theirs, from Manager to Saturday workers.
What I'm getting at here, is make your loyal customers feel valuable to you. As a manager, get to know their names.
If they spend over a certain amount, regularly, give them a personal shopper, who knows what they like, that way, new comics can be put aside for them, which they can then buy if interested, (For example, I always had new vertigo books put aside for me), I was also allowed to borrow first issues or or book 1 trades, to try out new stories (I was a loyal customer).
Provide them with a FREE issue of Previews each month. Offer them a special discount rate, and remember that the £ and $ do differ, so remember to adjus your prices accordingly.
Also it helps if you tell your loyal customers how happy you are for them. I remember once, during a conversation with my personal helper (sounds odd, now I say it), he said, something along the lines that in there (the shop), I was the cusomter, and therefore I was god. It made me feel very welcome in that shop.
When they had signings, they made sure that I had a sketch done for me, even if I couldn't make it into the shop on the day itself (although weekly Saturday visits were pretty regular).

Unfortunately, overtime, my assistant left, the guy who took over, dwas never as good, I moved away, and the shop changed managers, and things went downhill (I started to miss comics), and I ended up walking away.

So, please don't open a shop, where the only thing you get from behind the counter is a grunt.
Be happy, talk to your cusotmers, get to know your customers, know what they like, do whay you can for them, DON'T Sit behind the counter reading comcis/playing games, ignoring people who come into the shop, you never know they might be your new £100 a week cusotmers. But, NOT if they don't feel welcome. Invite them to signings, and events, (also gaming events to encourage a bit of cross-trade)

I also remember in a few comic shops where I've gone in, and the people working there are too busy talking to one or two people to help me. Always stop a conversation to, at the very least, acknoweldge a person who has walked into your shop, and make yourself/staff accessable to EVERYONE.

I always wanted to know what other people in my lcs were buying, how about a store top 10 comics/tpbs.
and organise the comics by publisher and alphabeticaly after the title of the comic. Maybe grouping certain titles together, for example all Bat-titles on one shelf, all X-men on another, all Vertigo on another, it makes comics easier to find for the customer. How about reserving a shelf for monthly features, be it a line of comics, or a certain publisher (for example, in October this year, Dynamtie Comics are pushing Ennis month, so if you had a shelf in October which was exclusive Ennis, you could push all his titles, not just Dynamite comics, but also trades, and books from other publishers).

[House of Usher]

Another thing: shelf space for new issues.

I used to shop at an independent comics retailer that allocated enough space that every comic sat on the shelf side by side. That was great, because you could see everything at a glance.

Now I buy my comics in Forbidden Planet, quite a big shop, but the shelf space for new issues is miniscule so they have to be displayed overlapping one another. This is far from ideal. The comics on the shelf get a lot more handling by customers that way and some titles get buried and shifted out of alphabetical order as a result.

[nxylas]

Not much to add except that my ideal comic shop would be one where, if I place a standing order for a title, every single issue of that title gets put aside for me, without exception. Which I suppose is a variation of "don't hire douchebags".

[Proudhuff]

'''I also want parents to feel comfortable bringing their kids into the shop, not just for the kids to buy things but for the parents to do the same''

As a parent who has had two sons who have passed through the Warhammer phase, visit them (Warhammer not my sons) and garner tips: they make a point of welcoming people just saying 'Hello there', (understanding they have the wallets/purses) the parents seat in WH was always welcome too.

on a similar note, an Edinburgh Comic shop, which will remain nameless, was famous for the slighty stale smell the always hung around it, as opposed to FP where the smell hangs arounfd the staff... hey back to hiring non D-Bags! It really makes a difference having a un-snobby, reasonable and vaguely articulate person on the till, not some surly attention seeking goth/grunge slackers like sometimes appear in FP in Edinbra and avoid anything that is the Comicshop guy type-stuff in the Simpsons.

It's been said before, sell what sells... Dr Who gets the primary school kids and that is serious money/merchandising.

Hey and attend HI EX in Inverness in Feb 09, Lord Rac will no doubt furnish you with details...

best of luck

[Mardroid]

Don't hire anyone who shouts at kids who ask for a Jar-jar Binks action figure.

Actually... might have to rethink that one.

All the best in your new venture anyway.

I haven't been into that many straight comic shops. There's one in Bromley I pop into on occasion. They seem to put priority on merchandise but they've got a lot of comics and GNs too along one wall. I quite like the feel of it, but I'm not sure of the staff. They seem to just sit there and say little, although no doubt they'd respond if I made an inquiry. I haven't yet purchased anything from them though, mainly as the titles I like aren't there (although I imagine they might order them in if I asked, but that's not really my thing.)  One thing I noticed, all comic prices are in US $.  They have a couple of notices up explaining conversion, and I guess it's better than sticking extra stickers on the comics, but I think they should really put the UK price beneath the comics if possible.

[KingdomOfAdventure]

-snip-
Just have bookshelves/shelving up against the walls made of wood and the shelving/bookcases are no deeper than the width of the average GN so no floorspace is wasted.
Try and get some mini halogen movable spotlighting on the ceiling as well as it looks really good.
Oh and play some good music in there as that helps.

I plan to have the shop as space efficient as possible, even if I'm not filling all of it efficiently.  To explain I supposed the easiest reference is trade paperbacks - face out or spine out?  Does it really matter?  Face out might look better but it's not space efficient but then if I have space "to burn" then I don't need to be efficient with my products.  Same could be said for RPG books, boxed games and other things like that.
Music is an interesting one and something I need to get my head around from a licensing perspective (as I understand it there are 2 UK licensing bodies that I need to pay for permission to play music).  Whatever music I ultimately play will definitely not be so loud you can't chat.

Don't hire douchebags.

A lesson for us all in that.  However it's probably fair to say that one person's douchebag though is another's friend...
When it comes to hiring staff I often wonder whether product knowledge or retail knowledge is more important.  Some people say one over the other and some say neither.  Both can be taught/learned so does it really matter?  So long as whoever I hire is polite, has good hygiene and is interested in the products the shop will offer then that's as good a start as any.

-snip-
The best experience I've had in a comic shop was my local one when I was at Uni.
Everyone there knew my name, and I knew theirs, from Manager to Saturday workers. What I'm getting at here, is make your loyal customers feel valuable to you. As a manager, get to know their names. If they spend over a certain amount, regularly, give them a personal shopper, who knows what they like, that way, new comics can be put aside for them, which they can then buy if interested
-snip-
I always wanted to know what other people in my lcs were buying, how about a store top 10 comics/tpbs.
-snip-
How about reserving a shelf for monthly features, be it a line of comics, or a certain publisher (for example, in October this year, Dynamtie Comics are pushing Ennis month, so if you had a shelf in October which was exclusive Ennis, you could push all his titles, not just Dynamite comics, but also trades, and books from other publishers).

The level of service you're mentioning is certainly an aspiration for the shop.  Whether a "personal shopper" service is achievable only time will tell.  Well, ok maybe not time but you know what I mean?  If I have a customer that comes in and drops £100 a week on comics they will get excellent service.  However, if I also have a customer that comes in and drops £1 a week on comics (unlikely I know given the price point) I would like to think that they will also get excellent service.
The difference between those 2 customers is that the first one will likely be a Standing Order customer whilst the other will likely be a browser/passer-by.  I'd like to think that over time we'll get to know all our customers well and those who are Standing Order customers we'd get to know even better.  If that results in us being able to recommend products then all the better.
The Top 10 lists is a good idea and one I hadn't really considered.  It could be replicated across Miniature Games ranges too to show our Top 10 sellers throughout the shop.
The Dynamite Comics event is exactly the sort of thing I want to do in the shop, have space which acts as a promotion.  There's no reason to wait for the publisher to do that though and I could simply have a letter of the alphabet a week (26 letters, 52 weeks).

-snip-
every comic sat on the shelf side by side. That was great, because you could see everything at a glance.
-snip-

I know a shop that has the comics in what can best be described as a greeting card stand.  The comics need constant tidying up as the space allocated is too fiddly.  I even felt like offering to help last time I was in out of frustration, the owner declined and admitted that the rack was a mistake and planned to replace it.  He'd only been open for 6 months and considered it a lesson learned.

if I place a standing order for a title, every single issue of that title gets put aside for me

I've been a victim of having my titles experience the "forgotten" or "lost" or "you didn't actually order it" syndrome so yes that will be avoided if at all possible.

-snip-
Warhammer
-snip-
parents seat
-snip-
Hey and attend HI EX in Inverness in Feb 09, Lord Rac will no doubt furnish you with details...

You're obviously visiting different GW shops to me.  I've always found them very unhelpful and almost going out of their way to not offer advice.
The seat aspect is something I'm considering - effectively a "Non-Geek Zone".  Of course I'll surround it with "safe" products that might tempt them too..
I was at Hi-Ex - http://www.hi-ex.co.uk/ - this year and organised the attendee questionaire they had
I plan on going back next year so yes I'll be speaking to him again no doubt about that.

Don't hire anyone who shouts at kids who ask for a Jar-jar Binks action figure.
-snip-
One thing I noticed, all comic prices are in US $.  They have a couple of notices up explaining conversion, and I guess it's better than sticking extra stickers on the comics, but I think they should really put the UK price beneath the comics if possible.

I try and keep my Star Wars opinion to myself in the main unless I'm with friends...  Saying a product is crap or whatever really isn't the best thing for a retailer that sells that product should be doing...  I'm not a miniatures gamer, don't have the painting skills or interest and in the main find them a bit dull.  Will I be promoting and selling miniatures games?  Yes.  I know what other people like about them, the "hobby" aspect in particular is a major draw for fans of that product type.
Same goes for specific comic writers/artists.  I know who I like and who doesn't interest me.  I can articulate that but it'll be done in a way that doesn't say "You're wrong and I'm right" and also doesn't say "Only an idiot would like X"...

Thanks for all the great feedback folks.  More the better!