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Post by impulse on Apr 30, 2019 15:38:25 GMT -5
I am all in favor of more nerd-focused hangout spots. That is a great idea. That is essentially what successful comic book stores have become. They sell CCGs, run tournaments, sell Euro-board games and toys.. some even have baseball cards or RPG stuff. Now if I only I had time to learn how to play games and hang out at nerd stores, lol. And we've gone full circle if Comic shops are now selling baseball cards again. |
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Apr 30, 2019 18:06:19 GMT -5
What LCSes still have going for them is the sense of community. Adult geeks desperately want a hang-out where they can shoot the breeze with like-minded individuals, lose all track of time, and spend money they shouldn't spend. I think LCSes need to find more innovative ways to fill this demand. Being a slave to Diamond is too tenuous an arrangement upon which to base the stability of your business. I am all in favor of more nerd-focused hangout spots. That is a great idea. I stopped going to my LCS precisely because it was full or nerds and man-child social misfits. I might be a bit of a misanthrope though.  The service wasn't that great either TBH. It finally closed down 5 years back or so |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2019 18:08:48 GMT -5
What wasn't great about the service?
My LCS has great service. If you can't find a book, they'll order it for you. When I took out a standing order for Back Issue, the guy tried to get me some 2018 issues when I told him the ones I'd missed. Nothing is too much trouble.
Then there's another LCS. Totally unresponsive 'customer service'. I went in there once looking for a trade. The guy didn't even look up at the till and said, "If it's not on the shelf, try Waterstones." Great, no offer to even order it for me, then?
You can probably guess which one I attend now.
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Post by impulse on Apr 30, 2019 18:49:53 GMT -5
I really liked my LCS. I had been going for a decade+. I only stopped going because I literally moved out of state. They started doing the event type stuff to some degree, but I never really got into it while I lived there, and now I have small kids, so not happening any time soon.
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Post by hondobrode on Apr 30, 2019 19:25:19 GMT -5
What LCSes still have going for them is the sense of community. Adult geeks desperately want a hang-out where they can shoot the breeze with like-minded individuals, lose all track of time, and spend money they shouldn't spend. I think LCSes need to find more innovative ways to fill this demand. Being a slave to Diamond is too tenuous an arrangement upon which to base the stability of your business. I am all in favor of more nerd-focused hangout spots. That is a great idea. I stopped going to my LCS precisely because it was full or nerds and man-child social misfits. I might be a bit of a misanthrope though. The service wasn't that great either TBH. It finally closed down 5 years back or so
I agree it's a balancing act.
I've been in way too many shops that are loaded with load mouthed freaks, and slobs, and many with lazy no-service guys behind the counter.
Keep it clean, well-stocked, casual but in control. Thankfully there are stores like that but I've found they tend to not have sales either.
It's always something.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 30, 2019 19:56:37 GMT -5
The LCSes that continue to thrive have essentially the same successes and challenges as a local bar. You have to cultivate the identity carefully, deciding who to cater to and who not to cater to. Let the customers then sort out for themselves if your LCS is right for them. My LCS is clean, a little classy, and in no way caters to toys and games. I like toys and games but, like Confessor, I tend to dislike people who like toys and games. Additionally, customer service matters to me, and I can't stand arrogant know-it-alls. The guy or girl behind the counter is the most important ingredient of them all. The guy behind the counter at my LCS just bought the store from the original owner last year, after years of saving. I'm extremely happy for him, as well as for myself and all the other regulars. He's the guy you truly want behind that counter, greeting everyone with charm and a smile. |
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Confessor
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Post by Confessor on Apr 30, 2019 21:21:15 GMT -5
What wasn't great about the service? A combination of things really. I could never get to the till because too many fat slobs were in the way (sometimes they'd even be playing those collectible card games on the counter), their back issues and trades were often overpriced, and the owner was a bit of a bullsh***er. You know, like, he'd lie about books or comics that he'd supposedly read or movies that he'd seen. One of my favourite little head games was trying to catch him out when he lied like this, without ever letting on that I'd caught him out. It was like he had a pathological fear of saying, "no, I've not read/seen that book/movie" or something. Part of his bullsh***ing included promising customers that he would be able to get a certain issue or TPB collection in for a couple of days time. So, you'd go back, but he still wouldn't have it. So, he'd advise trying again in a couple more days. So, you'd go back again in a couple more days and still there was no comic. It would often take him 3 or 4 weeks to get stuff in, but after a while I got tired of being lied to and mislead. I mean, I understand the need for a shop owner to be able to say, "I don't have this in stock, but I can get it for you", but at some point you're better off just being honest and saying "I can get it, but it might take 3 weeks. Is that OK?" Giving your customers false delivery estimates, which prompts them take time out of their day to visit your shop, only to be repeatedly disappointed, is a sure fire way to p*ss your customer base off. A lack of very much "classic comic" stock was another factor in my descision to stop visiting the shop, plus a lot of the regulars in there were just a bit too socially awkward for my tastes. I took my sister in there once and the regulars stared at her so much, she eventually just turned round and said, "get many women in here?"  I've been in way too many shops that are loaded with load mouthed freaks, and slobs, and many with lazy no-service guys behind the counter. Yeah, as explained above, this sounds very similar to how my LCS was and why I stopped visiting it. |
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Post by hondobrode on Apr 30, 2019 21:28:46 GMT -5
I got very irritated with people putting stuff in my pull file that I never asked for. If they want to show it to me and pitch, then fine, but secretly throwing it in without mentioning it and saying, "I thought you'd like it" is not cool, ever.
Also, not being open to bringing something in is a huge turn off. One shop I went to for years would only bring in Amazing Heroes or The Comics Journal now and then and wouldn't save it for me when I asked them to.
Not having a deep enough selection is another huge turn off.
Not having anything at all on sale is also one. Really ? You can't put anything on sale. I like to get a deal now and again.
I used to spend a lot of money in shops. I rarely go to shops anymore and am turned off most of the time; instead, I buy online and am usually pretty satisfied.
Yes, I love CCF for the social aspect, cause yeah, that's a thang.
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2019 5:14:00 GMT -5
Playing collectible card games on the counter? Lying about when an order's coming in? Regulars staring at your sister, Confessor? Jeez, not a place I'd want to go to! I used to use a second-hand comic store. The customer service was atrocious. Google "Reader's World" in Birmingham (UK) for reviews. No desire to help. Very poor communication. I saw some boxes on the floor once. Most comic stores label the boxes (e.g. "2000 AD" or "US comics"). These weren't. When I asked if he knew what was in the boxes, the guy said, "No idea!" They had notes in the shop: "If you take a comic out of its plastic folder, consider it sold!"
"Do not force comics into the box. If you can't look without damaging the stock, don't look."The store closed down (unsurprisingly). Now, would you care what happened to the premises once you'd left? I wouldn't. But they did. I took a photo of the note they left on the door:  |
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2019 13:46:06 GMT -5
One of the biggest obstacles for many comic shops is that the owners are comic fans and not business men and do not really know how to run a business, and treat their store as a clubhouse for their friends. These stores never last.
A lot of those people who come and play games and hang out, never spend a dime in the store. They go to places like Wamart that sell Magic cards cheaper, buy them there and bring them to the store to use, without ever supporting the store. They preorder bricks of Hero Clix online for cheaper than the store can sell them at and then bring them to the store to play, etc. etc. They tie up store resources without generating revenue and are a drain. They can also serve as gatekeepers preventing stores from attracting new clientele, creating an unwelcome environment for "noobs" and people not already in their little clique.
Stores that successfully manage events and in-store play are usually ones that are large enough to have a separate space for gaming that is not part of the retail space, and a way for the games to generate enough revenue to pay for that square footage.
Owners have to understand things like cash flow and keeping things liquid, not tying up all available resource sin stock that won't sell. They have to understand hiring and managing employees, providing customer service, marketing to get people through the door, maximizing revenue per square foot and making sure the product they carry pays for the space it takes up in the store, etc. etc. etc. Most folks who open up shops do not have a business background and most close because the owners could not manage the cash flow situation, which is the #1 reason any small business fails, particularly in the first 2-3 years. In a business like comics where the margins are so narrow (as Brian Hibbs has pointed out a typical shop has to sell 4 of every 5 copies ordered to cover all expenses just to break even) and the product in non-returnable, this is especially important, and a lot of fans turned owners just don't have the skill set to manage it. This was true even before the customer base started constricting and sales starting in their spin towards entropy, but has become even more apparent in the leaner times. Even during the good times comic shops failed because the owners couldn't manage their business well, now during the lean times, even the good owners are having their business acumen put to the test, and a lot are being found wanting.
-M
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2019 13:54:37 GMT -5
A lot of those people who come and play games and hang out, never spend a dime in the store. They go to places like Wamart that sell Magic cards cheaper, buy them there and bring them to the store to use, without ever supporting the store. They preorder bricks of Hero Clix online for cheaper than the store can sell them at and then bring them to the store to play, etc. etc. They tie up store resources without generating revenue and are a drain. They can also serve as gatekeepers preventing stores from attracting new clientele, creating an unwelcome environment for "noobs" and people not already in their little clique. It's utterly bizarre, allowing such a drain to take up time and space in the store. I attend a board game cafe. There's an unwritten agreement that you at least buy a drink while there. Most, including myself, will have a cake, sandwich, jacket potato, etc. And that's fine. We get to enjoy board games and sit at a table, the owner gets something back. There may well be people who go *only* to eat/drink (and that's fine as far as the bottom line is concerned). But the "hook" is the fact it is a board game cafe. It would not be a sustainable business if everyone just played the board games, but didn't buy food or drink. The cafe would become as dead as a dodo if that happened. The owner gets it, us customers get it - and all is well. So for a comic store to allow "dead wood" to take up space/time/resources, without giving anything back, is something from Bizarro World for me. |
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Post by rberman on May 1, 2019 14:35:51 GMT -5
A lot of those people who come and play games and hang out, never spend a dime in the store. They go to places like Wamart that sell Magic cards cheaper, buy them there and bring them to the store to use, without ever supporting the store. They preorder bricks of Hero Clix online for cheaper than the store can sell them at and then bring them to the store to play, etc. etc. They tie up store resources without generating revenue and are a drain. They can also serve as gatekeepers preventing stores from attracting new clientele, creating an unwelcome environment for "noobs" and people not already in their little clique. It's utterly bizarre, allowing such a drain to take up time and space in the store. I attend a board game cafe. There's an unwritten agreement that you at least buy a drink while there. Most, including myself, will have a cake, sandwich, jacket potato, etc. And that's fine. We get to enjoy board games and sit at a table, the owner gets something back. There may well be people who go *only* to eat/drink (and that's fine as far as the bottom line is concerned). But the "hook" is the fact it is a board game cafe. It would not be a sustainable business if everyone just played the board games, but didn't buy food or drink. The cafe would become as dead as a dodo if that happened. The owner gets it, us customers get it - and all is well. So for a comic store to allow "dead wood" to take up space/time/resources, without giving anything back, is something from Bizarro World for me. Ditto. Back when I played Magic: The Gathering, I took it for granted that I would buy from the store owner, not undercut him online. |
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2019 14:56:14 GMT -5
It's about being sporting. I do buy *some* books online. But if I attend a book club based on the store's premises, that's one of many occasions where I will buy a book from that store.
I know it's not illegal, but I was disappointed when an acquaintance told me that he goes into a bookstore, picks up their WiFi - and uses their WiFi to order from Amazon. That's like doing something legal but unsporting in any sport you wish to envision for the point of the analogy.
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Post by urrutiap on May 5, 2019 11:35:47 GMT -5
I dunno what comic book shops are "closing" so the topic creator is either just trolling and making up lies etc.
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Post by thwhtguardian on May 5, 2019 13:47:29 GMT -5
I dunno what comic book shops are "closing" so the topic creator is either just trolling and making up lies etc. It's not trolling or making up lies...shops are closing and that's a flat fact. But don't just take my word on it, you can read about it here. But really, one shouldn't need to read it at this date, it's not a giant secret that niche stores like comic book shops are closing left in right. |
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