Blastoff Comics Owner Explains Why Most Comic Book Stores Barely Stay Afloat
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- Опубликовано: 14 дек 2024
- Owner of Blastoff Comics Jud Meyers explains not only why comic book stores fail, but any small business for that matter. We learn what typically happens within the first 6 months to 1 year of opening a business. Jud explains the importance of planning, developing a strong business plan, and what happens when we make business decisions out of emotion.
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Very well said. I wanted to open a comic store back in 1991 because "I had a lot of comics and I loved being a collector!" I took a one semester course at night on running a business including taxes, planning,etc. After taking this course, which I got an "A" in, I decided NOT to open a store! I was so thankful for taking a course on it because I would have failed miserably.
Oh I forgot to mention, I used to work part time at a comic store 6 years earlier and figured I 'knew it all!
So what did you do instead?
@@basementoflove
As well as the self-importance of a shop dedicated to something everyone used to buy at the drug store. Not that anything's wrong with a few boutiques for the hardcore, but most of the old readership has never been to a comic book shop and never will.
@@rm9308Drugstores are fine as outlets for the original editions as they go on sale, but what about the collectors (whom are many) who want more - i.e. graphic novels, back issues, as well as dealing with salespeople who are knowledgable about this field. Is the simple corner drugstore enough to cover their overall needs?
@@rm9308 wut
He's saying the same thing I was always thinking, "I love comics...why not open up a store?", then I always tell myself...once it becomes a business and survival, the comics won't be fun anymore, now you gotta worry about employees, taxes, inventory, the competition, satisfying the customers...FU** THAT! I'll keep it fun and keep on doing what I'm doing.
bigbabysld we are glad that you took the time out to think about that choice to open a comic book store.
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Studying business in college and actually owning a business are two different things.
CelestialWoodway We agree! We think it is important to get those foundations in order to prepare for running a business. The most important thing is to get a mentor or somebody who runs a successful business so they can teach you and short cut to the most important things of running a business!
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Watch our full interview with Jud Meyers, here bit.do/Blastoff-Comics-JudMeyers
Studying business in college and actually owning a business are two different things.
Analogize to the venerable Greg Dean's words on studying stand-up comedy formally: it ain't the same as being a working comic, nonetheless your labor might be made easier if you do some research, have some idea of what to expect and navigating likely obstacles. Ol' Jed never once implies in this video that taking a business class without also being familiar with comic books would guarantee you success
I concur though I primarily studied business in highschool, did design in college a few business classes. I had actually helped run several businesses as a teen being that my family owned supermarkets, wholesale and ice-cream a d liqour store. Now remittances, real estate and cambios. My firat personal was 2 in highschool, 14 to 16 on the board of directors for the junior achievement company and for my SBA for CXC accounts I ran a partnership instead of makong it up we actually operated a business. I also have done freelance design and started and operated my own used game and electronics store in my 20's. Every experience has been different, the businesses in highschool literally did everything by the book, standard accounting principles, marketing, trying to gain new customers etc. We did alright. My family businesses I worked in are much larger businesses ofcourse with established customer bases and any they have been quite successful despite being far from standardized like we are taught in school. The games was good for the time in the Caribbean because no one else was doing it on that scale (eventually between pirating and cheaper deals online and amazon that well dried up.) Freelance design as a busniess has honestly been the hardest, though most rewarding you have to seek oit your customer's. (Individual experience may differ.)
He’s not wrong about most of what he’s saying in the video. Yes, women are growing exponentially in the comic book market, but I don’t know if 51% is right though.
Comics can mean alot of things. If we are talking about comics like DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, Image and Valiant, thats not the case at all. If we are talking about comics in general, with independent creators and manga and whatever, then yea it should be about 50/50. But last I checked men still made majority of comic book readers with over 60 percent.
It’s the “growth market”. Meaning, I assume, 51% of people buying a comic or related merch for the first time are women. Same discussion below. Overall demographic still a sausage party.
They always exaggerate everything about American women nowadays.
Not sure about some of the statistics stated here, but fun fact! A large majority of new illustrating professionals - comic illustrators included - are women. That could be what the 51% statistic is referring to. Though I wouldn't be surprised if it's accurately referring to customers too. A lot of women don't get more involved in comics because of gatekeeping
New comic book store owner here. I remember watching this video when I first started doing research into starting my own store a few years ago. And he's right, I'd say about half my customer base are women. But men definitely spend more.
Failing to Prepare is Preparing to Fail.
GORDON YARN JR thank you for checking out our channel please watch Jud Meyers full interview here, bit.do/Blastoff-Comics-JudMeyers
Being a teenager who loves comics, I had the thought about owning a comic store. Then I thought, owning a business is a lot of stress and business expertise that still may pay off. At best I'll possibly work at one.
Kai Williams absolutely! It's all about having a solid foundation for your business. You are going to have ups and downs but that foundation and the willingness to get better and study the industry is the most important information this interview. It's doesn't help to find successful comic store owners or business owner in general and learn from them. They will speed you through the beginner mistakes and give you real world experience! Follow your passion and dreams with vigor!
Makes sense when I owned a Music Shop everyone wanted it painted black - I said no since it's mostly moms who bring their kids - so I painted it a very calm color.
The reason I stopped reading Marvel is because of the Price of there comic books skyrocketed to a ridiculous price. I use to get eight comic books a week when I was a kid from all companies. Now I can't do that because of the prices are so much. That's one of the main reasons.
Plus superhero comics for the most part dont go anywhere
I think that is the result of higher production costs - all comic companies, not just Marvel - are feeling that pinch.
dc comics are more expensive. your point?
Why aren't they selling comics in grocery stores and corner stores like they used to? People are still into this stuff.
Because it's nowhere near as big as it used to be. Here, we do still have comics in normal newsagents and shops, but we only get 2000ad because they're cheap. Marvel and DC come out monthly, and they cost quite a bit to ship over from the US so there's no point in them buying them compared to 2000ad which is cheap to buy and cheap to ship over. Also, they're coming out weekly, so there's more incentive for people not buy them.
Barnes and noble has some comic books and graphic novels.
They're too expensive anyway, nobody would buy them
walmart have 3-4 pack comic exclusives
Actually less people are into comics today.
I'm actually watching this because I just graduated highschool and I want to open a comic book store, I decided to go to business school, this is me starting the research
The Skyrim U EXPIRE thank you for taking the time out to watch the video! Congrats on graduating high school and we hope that business school goes well for you. I don't know where you live but, if you live in the Los Angeles area stop by Blastoff Comics in North Hollywood. Mention us and tell Jud what your goals are. He maybe able to give you priceless information about the business!
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Watch the full interview with Jud Meyers here, bit.do/Blastoff-Comics-JudMeyers
Would you put some reference of successful japanese way to open and maintain a comic book store? For research. Tks
I know I'm late to this but best of luck dude. I hope you do well.
If you open a comics stores, focus at manga, old comics and indie and european comis that aren't SJW crap like the ones big american companies produce like Marvel, DC, Archie and IDM.
@@Vetusomaru
That's good advice. I think big box stores will start carrying standard titles, so an LCS must specialize in obscure content and the buying experience to stay relevant. This big, open, soft store concept in the video sounds like a Barnes and Noble. I have to hide in the aisles there. I'd like to find a small store nextdoor to a coffee shop with dark, intimate booths for reading alone.
The last 80 years of research on what women buy would indicate that they don't buy comics. Just look at Marvel's current line of titles.
Everything that needed to be said.
BAHAHA literally the first thing i was gonna say! LOL this guys talking out his ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Marvel comic has been decreasing in sale for years. Also marvel kinda sucks at marketing. The entire universe is also a convoluted mess. Also no comics are quite popular with women. Its evidenced by many women being drawn to manga. Knew a shit ton who are into manga.
I went to a store once. It wasn't a comic store it was like Walmart or something and I'm pretty sure I heard some woman complain about comic books.
I know this is anectodal and not scientific at all, but I know more women than men that are into comics. None of them are into superhero comics though.
I think this greatly over estimates an individuals work in the comic industry and under estimates how the general industry operates, and the fact that the direct market has been falling, and failing. Yes, people open businesses when they don't know how to operate one, but opening a comic shop also means you're opening a business in an extremely niche, and volatile market. It's not just micro, gotta think macro here too.
I have to agree I have always wanted a comic book store. With what DC and Marvel are doing right now I can't see that ever happening. research is important and right now there are less and less people buying comics. Women are 51 percent of the growth market in comics? I don't know of too many women into comics.
As a consumer of comic books since I was a kid the problem is a lot of them are located in very obscure places and not easily accessible by kids. Even as an adult I would not have found these comic book stores in my city without Yelp telling me where to find them because they are usually out of sight from where other shopping centers are located. I usually buy from the $1 bins and shock to see some of my finds are new comics that was released in the current year with a cover price of $5 but was unable to sell during its release week so the leftovers were thrown in the $1 bin. It seems like other merchandise and activities is what keeps these comic book shops going because I don’t think they really profit from my purchases in the $1 bin.
Digital sales? Up. Trade paperback sales? Up. Comics aren't dying, the distribution model is changing. Just because way less people are buying single issue floppys at their LCS doesn't mean people aren't buying comics. There are a lot of people "analyzing" the State of Comics through only ONE variable: lagging sales at Comics shops. And those same people almost always lay the blame exclusively at the feet of only ONE contributing factor of that sales decline: "SJW". Yes, LCS sales continue to decline (though they appear to have flattened out a bit) but Digital and Trades continue to gain. Just as audiences are consuming ALL media in new ways that disrupt old market structures, readers are consuming COMICS differently, too. Readers seem less interested in reading these stories in chapters (single issues) and more interested in "binge" reading them in trade paperback collections. The publishers themselves contribute to the continued acceleration of this trend by "writing for the trade", which often leads to a less than satisfying read in single issue form. Also, to everyone who's saying women don't buy comics, you missed the point: Statistically Women represent over half of the GROWTH MARKET for the product. Not the EXISTING market, the POTENTIAL market, based on the GROWTH of that group's consumption of the product. Anyone who's taken an introductory business course understood what he was saying.
Is the comics industry "dying"? No. Is the comics MARKET evolving? Yes. Might that evolution lead to a lot more comics shops closing? Yes. (And the major publishers are doing their small business partners NO favors with their current IMO predatory business practices with LCS owners, but that's a different conversation).
I don't see the current trend of growth in the trade and digital sales markets to change. My fingers are crossed that the current flattening of the direct sales market through local shops has hit bottom and is on the upswing (which to some extent, is supported by the data, but impossible to know until more time passes). But looking at the current Direct Sales figures and declaring the industry as "dying" because of "SJW" and ignoring the growth in other areas of the industry is an "analysis" based solely on confirmation bias.
While he raises some good points there is something he forgot to mention which is key: Customer Service Skills!
You can have the nicest shop around with the lighting, soft music and such but, if you don't know how to manage customers and their wants & needs you're not going to make it. I've been in customer service for 20 years and I can't tell you how many times I've been: Threatened, yelled at, had things thrown at me, been told I'm an idiot, had people say that they'd be waiting for me outside. I just shrug and say, "ok". In all my years of doing my job I've never had anyone waiting for me outside when I went home.
A note: He recently closed and sold off BlastOff Comics this month. It's open until all stock is cleared out and another comic chain is coming to take over.
Apparently he was not prepared.
I agree. The clerk at the comic book store I went to to pick up a new issue at full retail price seemed very impatient with me when I kindly asked if he could bag the comic book I intended on buying in a protective sleeve. It was a special edition comic book that was selling fast and I already saw creases from standing on the rack without one. He told me he will do it when he rings me up but I was not done looking around and he kind of gave an attitude and said he will do it when I’m rung up. The other clerk was nice to step in and bag it for me at the spot before completing my purchases. I wasn’t sure if the rude man was the owner but if he is then it’s kind of common sense for a comic book store to deal with collectors who wants things in the best condition possible so bagging comics is already expected!
It goes beyond not having a business plan. For instance, when you own a comic store you get your comics from ONE place. Diamond Distributors. And if you never had to work with them consider yourself lucky. Satan has more morals then them. All comics have to be ordered 2-3 months in advance, and there are NO returns. On new books the typical store gets a 40% discount on cover price when buying them wholesale. It goes up to 55% if you are buying more than $50k worth of comics a year. This is NOT a good profit margin. You only make a small amount of money on the new books you sell and you take a full loss on all the ones you do not sell. There are MANY more issues as to why a comic store fails, I owned 3 of them at one point. Having a business plan IS important, but by no means the deciding factor. There are too many to list.
This is exactly why my good friend who owned a comic book store for over 35 years went out of business because of Diamond.
Diamond is literally a comics monopoly.
Hey Paul I wanted to ask you since I was doing research into opening a gaming store that may include comics, What would you recommend to research on if it is profitable or not?
But certainly the comic retail market is more than just current issues. Many stores sell back issues as well. It seems that would be a way not to have to deal with Diamond - at least for that type of product.
NOW..! That was some bloody amazing advice.
I'm Brazilian and I'm watching this to open a comic book shop here in brazil, nice vid sir
Evandro Souza we are so glad that you enjoyed the video. Be sure to watch our full interview with Jud Meyers and to please like this video and subscribe to our channel!
Great advice from a smart young fellow. I'm an old timer (going on 70 years) and I would have loved a toy train store, Lionel etc. Instead I kept driving a truck (good money) and invested in real estate (better idea). Enjoyed this very much thank you.
DeGreco thank you so much for taking the time out to watch our video. Please be sure to watch our entire interview with Jud.
Never too old for a new experience or knowledge!
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Greed is the reason comic book stores go out of business. It's as simple as that.
Problem is comics are not attracting young readers. Kids only care about videogames and their phones. You probably know parents who feel this way.
In New Jersey there are lots of comic shops and the ones that have been around forever are the dingey, hole in the wall places that constantly buy new comic collections and hustle to move tons of books at conventions.
You are exactly right, the local comic shop in my area has been in business since 1987 which is remarkable. The store is tiny, messy and unorganized but the owner is fantastic, goes to cons, has connections to many large lots and keeps buying and reselling these lots of books that his customers want.
Nobody wants to jump in rando on a comic, they want the whole story. Thats the appeal of collections and self contained graphic novels. People are pulled so many ways for entertainment, so shorter commitments are enticing.
Great stuff. When I started collecting in the mid 70's everybody wanted to open a store. I had never seen such badly run operations. One guy actually had a sign on the door "We Open When We Get Here." Another place had the front windows blacked out to "prevent theft." He also prevented customers from coming in, it looked like a drug joint. Most stores had a section for bags and boards and boxes- and usually these shelves were empty. Ask when they would be restocked- "the guy who does the reordering is on vacation and won't be back for 2 weeks." So you just let it sit there empty for another 2 weeks? "Yeah, well, other stores carry the stuff." Great idea, go somewhere else. Often I found stores closed and dark on a saturday afternoon when people are out shopping. Guess the owner just didn't feel like showing up. No wonder so many go bust so quickly. Found many stores with comics just piled on the floor in no order. "Well, we are planning to put them in boxes. Just haven't got around to it." Yipe. Got out of the hobby in the early 80's. Don't miss it too much.
Spoken like a true businessman who knows his stuff, especially the comic business.
I mostly just get my comics online or at conventions now, I've had bad experiences with the shops in my area. I told a shop i'd went to for years that i'd be leaving town and did i need to cancel my pull list, they said no we can hold it and if it gets to big we'll just put it in a shortbox behind the counter until you return. I returned a couple months later went in to pick up my books and they told me oh sorry we must have sold them. I didn't even get mad just laughed and i've been buying mostly online from a store out of Seattle which is no where close to where I live but they've been good so far and usually don't charge me shipping because i get so much from them. I think alot of comic shops forget once the comic pop culture bubble bursts you're still gonna need your loyal customers who were around before that and not to just do things to appease new customers because i come to find out from a guy who runs their game nights that they ended up selling my pull list because there were some hot books in there and people kept coming in asking for them after they had soldout of what was on shelves.
I get all my key books on line, that's the route to go...the only time I step into a comic book shop is when I'm bored or I wanna pick up a graphic novel. I only collect back issues anyway and the store mark the books up waaaay to high, you get a better deal online.
Generation X hey that hurts
As an attorney (who loved comics) and had his own law firm, he is generally correct.
I think the best thing to do is develop a mail order business, no store front,
Just deal in back issues, no employees,...no you will not become a MILE HIGH
COMICS, however, it could be a side business depending on how much work
You are willing to put in. Inventory is key, as your collection is sold, you
Will need more inventory, garage sales, newspaper ads, etc.
Any business is WORK, and it might not be fun anymore.
As with all business, the harder you work, the more likely it will be
Successful. However, work is WORK. Nuff said.
Keep preaching king
This LCS is out of Business, not the guy you want to listen to for business, and they went out of business before the pandemic.
jay nunya Blastoff Comics sold the shop and transferred owners once Jud Meyers got his Global Sales and Marketing position with IDW.
We aren’t sure what happen with the new owner and why they decided to close the shop after they took ownership!
We thank you for taking the time out to watch our video interview with Jud Meyers. We hope you learned something about the comic business!
@@Awiseway I didnt know that.
I live in Mexico, in Tamaulipas, on the border with Texas, and almost a year ago a books and comics store was opened in the city I live in, I like it, the owner wish to promote the habit of reading on her clients, but sadly the had to close the shop, even more because it is rare to see one of those over here.
sobrev1viente it's great you still are able to continue to get comics on amazon. Even though you live in Mexico. If you ever get a chance to visit North Hollywood, please stop by Jud Meyers shop! He is a real community oriented guy and every month he donates part of his revenue to a different charity.
Blastoff Comics - 5118 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91601
Also, if you havent already, like this video and subscribe to our channel to stay updated on new Wisdom.
Lastly, to watch the full interview of Jud, click here, bit.do/Jud-Meyers-Blastoff-Comics
Mark Grant wtf dude.
I no longer buy from shops anyways. I've had way too many bad experiences from bad customer service to overpriced books to gear shifts in demographics that eliminate comics in favor of toys, games, cards etc... Oh and forget about finding any silver age back issues in stores these days.
I've actually bought silver age books - and even a few golden-age titles - at stores in recent years. Go figure! lol
I'm in the west coast. No stores like that here anymore
@@acheron426 indeed, west coast is so expensive rent wise shops can’t afford large places to store lots of silver age. When I was a kid you could find tons of silver age in back issue bins. Now if they even have back issues I’ll see like maybe 4 silver age fantastic four and then mostly modern of that title. My own collection dwarfs every store I go into in LA. But I hear if you go to the Midwest and east coast it’s so cheap rent wise you can have big stores and lots of back issues.
I like this guy, most commentators are rambling on about sjw marvel and it's irrelevant. My man is just explaining business basics. Educate yourself, prepare yourself, don't make stupid loans and waste your life paying them off.
Abel Abebe thank you for taking the time to watch this video with Jud Meyers. Please be sure to watch his entire interview with us.
Also please like video and subscribe to our channel!
Then why’d his business close bitch
@@nerdman5367 did you make it past the fifth grade in school? Your point does not affect mine lmao
I feel like that was more of a life lesson.
Being a small business owner there is also the fact that the majority of businesses do not turn a profit in their first or second year. If you go in expecting to make money day one you can fall into the debt spiral he mentions. You have to ask yourself how you'd handle all sorts of scenarios in regards to the success of your business.
Opening a brick and mortar comic book store would be insane nowadays. If i were to consider to open up a comic book store, it would be an online store and only deal in back issues.
I'm currently trying to well or in the works of opening my own comic book store.
This is a great lesson.
It's a slow process cause I work a fulltime job.
I just want to do things the right way and in steps also.
This is a great start with these videoes
51% of GROWTH market for what time period? How many women stay as lifelong comic buyers? Where is the citation for this number?
Detest Star It wouldn't hurt for you to research those facts. If you think about it, a lot of retail stores feature women products or gear their stores for the women experience front and center. Just a thought, let us know what you find out for yourself!
I havent seen these stores you are referring to and Im not the one with a youtube video spouting statistics with no citations.
Thank you for your time! I hope you enjoy other videos we have on our channel! This company was created to inspire the youth and the world to follow their passions in life!
your company sucks and you're a bunch of liars lol
We are sorry you feel that way! If there anything you can think of that can help us improve your experience and the experiences of others with your opinion, please do share with us any and all of your suggestions!
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Have good day!
With all due respect, (I haven't watched the whole video yet, but I will), the reason why comic book shops close is that everything is rallied against them and all other small businesses in America..
Such businesses and comic book stores stay open and make money in other parts of the world. Everything in the US is designed and engineered against the small man and small businesses! All the taxations and licenses and the threat of beeing sued ruin the businesses. Even large companies, say like game companies who DO put out SUCCESSFULL games, do run out of businesses. It is a game the rich and the elites love to play. It is not about making money, it is about destroying the other competitors. :^)
I remember visiting comic shops in the UK, Germany, France Thailand, Japan, India and Kuwait, that have been around for 30+ years, they even managed to make enough money and start other businesses like restaurants.. everything is happy and dandy..
But in America? Oh God.. :-(
Edit: so please do something about your congressmen.. they are trashy.. :^(
How much are most of there comics cost
Subscribe to me with out content we as a company don’t have this information but feel free to call the shop Blastoff Comics in North Hollywood, California 91601
Interesting, but some of the most well prepared businesses in the world close. There are hundreds of reasons why stores fail,not the least of which is a terrible economy and extraordinarily low consumer confidence. I have had a shop for over 8 years now, and I can tell you first hand that when the incompetent government we have, who shut down said government a few years back, KILLED business because people got SCARED. The weekend following the shut down saw my business drop by 30% IN A SINGLE WEEK. This business has been clawing back, but it has still not achieved the level of success we were enjoying prior to the shut down. If they do indeed follow through with another shut down in September, I fear that will be the final, long nail in my coffin. I cannot imagine surviving that again.
Very informative video.
Thank you.
Myles 755 thank you for taking the time to watching this video with Jud Meyers .. be sure to watch his entire interview with us.
Also, please be sure to like this video, subscribe to our channel and follow us on IG AT @AWiseWay
Based on experience from going to comic shops, women are less than ten percent of customers. Doesn't mean it's not more. Doesn't mean they aren't an audience. But 51% is absolutely incorrect.
I know a comic book store that has been there for 8 years one reason they survived for so long is good location, and they provide other services. Like a podcast room for rent, hard cover comic volumes, miscellaneous merchandise, and more.
Just saw this in my suggested videos list. Went to look up Blastoff Comics and it's out of business ...
Blastoff Comics was solid to another owner .. it's now called Collectors Paradise
I was wondering if I went to a comic store could I ask them to order anything I wanted? Or can I not do that?
gotohellaaron that’s a very good question ... since we a pretty good relationship with Jud, we believe this is more than likely as an option. Again, call their shop and they will be able answer all your question directly!
Just use the Internet
How much margin do retailers make on new comic books
I don't see how any of them stay open. I was looking at an old late 80's spiderman book that had the legal circulation numbers printed in it as legally required once a year and it was like 330,000 copies sold. It wasn't even amazing spiderman either just one of the spin off's like Web of or spectacular. What is that today? The circulation of half the marvel titles put together?
That is just one issue of one title, tho. Its hardly a way to gauge the industry as a whole.
Excellent interview! And as a fellow Business owner, he’s right on the mark.
Opening a Comic Store properly:
Step 1: Start small, online to gauge your ability to handle customers, orders, inventory, and basic business costs. And your ability to let go of some of your own collection.
Step 2: Expand online and get a business license to buy from Diamond Comics. PRE ORDERS PRE-ORDERS PREORDERS!!!! get your customers Pre-Ordering as much as possible.
Step 3: While selling online, start shopping for a retail space, do your research, and make a very detailed business plan that runs at least 10 years.
Step 4: Negotiate the right contract for you and your landlord
Step 5: Jump in the deep end and learn to swim fast. Having a POS system, distributors, proper displays (preferably expandable so you can add on over time) all before you open is key.
Planning is everything.
Step 6: Social Media Marketing and point programs will keep people coming back, but the most important thing is to be clean and honest. Nobody likes to walk into a comic book store to a dark, dingy, stinky store, to find a used car salesman behind the counter.
Where can i get data feed information for the comics from? Im looking at opening an online store
this man is awesome the world needs more people like this 👌
I’m a woman who want make a hole in the wall book store filled with comics/manga/books with a gallery of local art from college and high school students who can make some money. I know where I want it and how I can advertise it due to how I’m still close with my old school and the local college. A lot of ppl always have to leave for 30 minute drive to a book/comic store which is annoying and I think it’s something we need bc despite being a heavily populated area there’s barely any book shops. Though I feel like I might need to work a bookstore or even a gallery before doing this, I keep thinking about all the taxes and bills that have to dealt with.
his voice is very soothing and hypnotizing
Never thought to open a shop , but to work at one might be cool to see what new ea week or overtime. used to go to shops close by but then overtime they have closed for one reason or another. so now i gotta take bus to shops any if possible, but since cost comics keep rising i stop and just try hit up back issues anytime to still enjoy any.
51% of the "GROWTH MARKET" - -
That's as deceptive a term as "Fastest Selling"
Great points.
Any thoughts on, instead, running a virtual comic shop? On eBay, Etsy, pesonal website?
Less costs; but less fun!
The Marvel Moment Go here ( ruclips.net/video/rTza57eCQ1A/видео.html) to see what Jud thinks about that of online stores vs physical stores
Basically this guy is just saying that, his way is the only way to do something.
You don't have to take a business course to know how to run a business.
Use common sense, look stuff up, and mentor under someone.. no schooling required!
Id be interested in knowing where he got this 51% growth market. there was a un-scientific poll done based on likes of comic book material by women on facebook and people now throw that out as fact that there is a market for women. wrong!
well guess what, research also shows that those so called 51% of growth market do not stay after the next three issues, they are no longer interested after that cosplay fad goes out of fashion. meanwhile the shop would have alienated those who were actually buying consistently, you know, the 49% consistent buyers.
Da Oracle Jud Meyers wasn't simply taking about the growth market in comic book stores but the growth market in the consumer market! If you are ever in LA please stop in to Blastoff Comics and check out his shop. His shop IS NOT design for just women but, instead in caters to the subconscious of women to make them safe in that environment. His shop is very welcoming to all ages and all genders!
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First rule of opening a physical comic book shop: Don't do it.
Just like opening stores, in order to survive you need have something that other don't. It can be nostalgia, it can be because you provide rare collections or others.
Excellent take on business 'cos I've had one too many failed businesses. Must add, one thing that affirmed my view, in a good way, man, women are complicated.
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He may be hated, but the man who presided over modern (post-1968) comics' strongest regular issue-by-issue sales - Jim Shooter - was forced out of Marvel and then prodded out of Valiant (which was a significantly different deal, as a start-up, direct-sales-only, line.)
Since they "liberated" themselves from Shooter, comics' "big numbers" have come from endless reboots and retcons (#1's up the ass until the sight of a "#1" no longer means anything), _after-this-everything-changes!_ special 'event' issues with jacked-up prices, variant covers, lenticular covers, gimmick covers, the gradually-diminishing boost after a Batman, Iron Man, Spider Man & X-Men movie, and (drum roll) those curious predatory policies unique to the direct market (overshipping, digitals at steep discounts - and of course, _no returns)._
ShempDavidNiven we appreciate your very in-depth perspective on this topic.
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if you know about comics history, even the so-called "Golden Age" featured many new titles being introduced on a regular basis.
I wanna key-in on something very specific this wise man said that is perhaps the most relevant thing today in the 21st Century U.S.
“Why does anything fail? Cuz you weren’t prepared.”
Yes, some people are dealt far better hands than others, sometimes upon birth. Yes, some people are more talented than others. Yes, some people are just downright luckier than others (meeting the right person or straight-up hitting it big on the scratchers or lottery). But so what?! Advantages, or lack thereof of others, are completely irrelevant to what you are doing or failing to do in order to better yourself and your living circumstances! Instead of pointing fingers on strangers or other circumstances beyond your control, how about looking at your own flaws?! Most people who bitch and moan on how far behind or how low they are in life get a kick of blaming anyone or anything other than themselves since that is the easiest thing to do! If you want success in your life, go and earn it! You may very well deserve it (i.e. you are kind, generous, hardworking, thoughtful, educated, and so on), but did you earn it?! How do you earn it? By PREPARING FOR IT. Don’t run on daydreams or ambition (or, as this guy puts it, EMOTION), that gets you to failuresville.
EARN YOUR SUCCESS. And most success stories were earned by people who WORKED HARD and were PREPARED!
“You can’t just want something and get it. You have to do the work.”
I heard a term recently I love - Toxic Positivity. "Be positive." "It'll work out." If you ask HOW it will work out, many will call you negative.
I read some short article by a man who was studying business owners. He found most of the failures were "positive thinkers." They had the attitude of "Be positive. It'll work out." But apparently they didn't ask the hard questions: What exactly are our goals? Why are we in this business? How do we achieve our goals? How do we find motivated workers?
I frankly think Toxic Positivity is behind many of the problems in our culture.
Comic book stores are closing because it is a niche market, it hasn't the numbers to sustain the stores. I doubt if there is even a half million comic readers out there, probably just a few hundred thousand. Comic readers right now are probably lapsed readers from the 90s that have come back to comics. maybe they buy a few floppies but they buy more the collected editions/graphic novels to catch up.
Not all comic readers buy comics. Not all comic buyers buy capes or indies. Those who buy cape comics have preferences of Marvel or DC. And they don't buy all the lines, just their favorites. Distill all these down and you have the top selling comics at 60,000 and most of them sell below 15,000 ready for cancellation. Another restart and a few months or a year later, cancel it again. Rinse and repeat. The comic industry just doesn't have the numbers to sustain it. And don't mention about manga, ask the kids today and they will say manga is different from comics.
I shall, I shall research who women are. They're the short shaggy green ones found in supermarkets right?
It's a quality issue. The characters appearing in the most popular movies in the world can barely sell issues written by the poor stewards who own them, that's a pretty unbelievable situation. This should have been their height. If they were good people would bend over backwards to get them. People have money and they want to spend it, people dump their paychecks on video games they barely play because they just have to have them. We would never accept a novel that went nowhere and meant nothing so why do we tolerate it in comics. They're not cheap so the value proposition doesn't add up.
He called himself a minority coz of growth stats? Growth isnt the entirety of a population its how many additional ppl become buyers. Women dont outnumber men in comic sales but making then comfortable in the comic store envirenment is a good idea. I'd want more women in the industry making new ocs but only if they actually know how to write and not coz of diversity.
Comic guys understanding women. That business is destined to fail lol
A lot of dealers don't know how to flip stock, turn it over and get rid of it. If you've had comics sitting in bins for years on end, then it's either too expensive or not in demand. Reduce prices more often, get rid of stock that is just dead space, replenish the stock, move on the old, and bring in new. When I look in a bin, make it so it's not the same old stock over and over again, unfortunately this is the case for most of the dealers in the UK!
That is a great perspective that we never considered. It similar to going to our favorite store and looking through the dvd bin and either movies you never even heard with actors that your never heard of or its just movies that are uninteresting.
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herc20000
Where I live, the stores trained us to wait for the sale. They all did it. if they bought a collection, there would be a sale that weekend to cover the cost of the collection. Other than the new comics, no one would buy anything until the sale happened.
Yeah you can wait and wait, but as long as you turn it over and make a profit, that is what counts. For example, you could have New Mutants 1-100, you'll sell 87, 98, a couple of others off the bat, but how long you gonna stock pile the rest in your bins for? Some people would wait for some comics in the half price sale, but they're gotta be quick, but I'm pretty sure key issues priced correctly will not be hanging around, people will buy them on the spot if they want them, or end up losing out on the chance of it going to someone else.
Maybe if you factor in manga… but in comic book stores I always see middle age men being the main customer… LOL
As a kid, I remember I knew exactly which comic book had a scene where the Hulk would be in the same panel with the Valkyrie or an old 70's Fantastic Four comic book with a panel where you would see the Justice League in it... or even the first time I saw the idea of an interactive video game when things like that didn't exist yet..!
Well..my point is perhaps instead of the Superhumans, the late Stan Lee should have gone for a Game show quiz with prize money asking for fan participants for stuff like that.
Things like,.. which Comic book features the first ideas of The Transformers in them ???
Well for me, I remember it was in French Interpresse Superman no. 68
or that shovel monster in some old horror comic book probably dated back in the '60s and drawn by Steve Ditko if I remember correctly.
Perhaps something like that with big prize money could reignite people's interest and show how smart and visionary the comic book industry can be sometimes, and quadruple the sales, who knows!
There are game shows on TV that specialize in trivia questions, but a game show specifically devoted to the comic industry might have a tough time. that sounds like something more suited for regional-access cable TV than the major networks. Just a thought.
60% of business owners never went to business school. I've worked for employers who've never went to business school and ran business successfully for decades. Business school is more about making the school money than helping anyone run a business.
Guess I'll be selling bras in my comic shop soon according to this guy!
-Your words have value. Good stuff
I didn’t get nothing from his advice.
Beware of Product Love. New shop owners pay more than is sensible and price their stock too high because they DON'T REALLY WANT TO SELL.
Also, as DC advised in a pamphlet aimed at new comic shop owners many years ago...
Everyone...
Staff. customers, other dealers and FRIENDS will steal your stock first chance they get.
And....they went out of business.
Did they really?
A comic book store chasing female buyers is an exercise in futility since only a mere per-cent or less of females reads comics.
A good comparison would be like trying to sell nail polish to males... you would have a market but it would be the teeny-tiniest of markets.
Mikael Andersson if you re-listen to what Jud said, he says, a store should do these things to cater to women as well. They are not "modifications" that one would typically think is catered to JUST women. Jud is simply saying, women need to feel safe so, having open spaces, bright lit rooms, soft music and a female employee is something that will not only cater to women but cater to audiences universally!
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Mikael Andersson that's a good question to ask! Do you think maybe that's somewhere a guy wants to go normally?. Comic books are not just a male thing or a female thing so why not meet in the middle. Comic Con is a perfect example of both genders loving the comic book culture!
If you took a tally, more men might consider pedicures if the space was male oriented but that particular industry is heavily used by females. We did see that there is a company that's driven to build a spa space for men and imore masculine tones for me to get pedicure, facial etc.....
All in all, we think it is important to gage the audiences in which you host and gage respectfully.
Chuck would buy that nail polish.
Holy shit who brought the Bad News Bear WTF!!!
Wrong! You are not running a Fashion Boutique... your customers are Kids, College Students, and Old Nerds! You don't need a Business Course, POS System, or Comic Historian on Call? Why pay Lease/Rent, Light Bill, or Employees? All you need is a Table and Chair at a Flea Market.
"You are creating a store for women [...] 51% of the comics market".. wait a second, I thought we had to create a store for people who normally are not interested in comics cos "the comicbook people" are gonna come anyway. If women are 51% of the market surely they are already part of the comicbook people since they are 53% of the population, or are we trying to tap into that precious 2% that is going to make all the difference? What a load of bollocks jesus..
Lol. Weird flex at the end there, you had me up until then. I'd love to see where you got those market growth statistics. I'm pretty skeptical.
Just a note that this comic book store actually closed last year.
Shui Actually, the comic book store is still open by a different name and different owner. Jud Meyers the previous owner got a chance to accept a dream job in San Diego as the Global Sales Director for IDW Publishing, award winning publisher of comic books and graphics novels.
From which he was sacked within a matter of weeks. He also was being sued by his former retail partner.
Price is the most important thing.
Sound advice.
reminded me if the nutty professor film "women be shopping" 😂😂😂😂😅
There’s a sweets and ice cream shop in my town that hade it’s 50 birthday a week a go
Wow great information. You are right on the money bro. Brick and morter is tough noadays until people get tired of the online bullshit. Online with no overhead is the way to go right now.
Frank and Sons is the best place to study comic buyer behavior.
Oh boy.....judging from the other clips you have he seems like a great guy, but I can't say I agree with everything he's saying. First, I am a woman who reads comics. And I only started really trying to read consistently over the last year or so. In all my years of existence, I have made only one female friend who reads comics. ONE. And every time I've gone into a comic shop I have been the only female customer there. If we're talking about manga, sure, I'd believe women make up 51% of growth, but American comics, or even more specifically superhero comics, absolutely not. Another thing is when he's talking about clientele. I get wanting to do research on demographics and trying to build your store around the different types of potential customers, that's great, but the problem is (and that's if I'm understanding him correctly) is that he's suggesting prioritizing a new, possible, and expanding readership over the old established one. The problem with the comic book industry is that over 20-30 years it has shrunk in size dramatically. Back in the 80s and 90s you could find comics at grocery stores, convenience stores, and on newsstands. That's how the readership got so big, parents and kids didn't really to have to go out of their way and plus they were cheap. Now comics are confined to comic book stores almost exclusively. In my opinion, it seems foolish to risk alienation of your core base to try to attract new customers. Personally, yeah it helps if the store is kept nice and organized like his, but ultimately, if a person is truly passionate and wants to start reading comics, they're going to seek out a store of their own and purchase comics. If it's something they're really into, I think they'll be able to overlook any (little) flaws they find, and get in with the culture just fine.
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brick and mortar stores need insurance too , which is not cost free....
If someone has to go that far to sell to females then that is too much. No one needs music to shop, or that much space to move around.
Its true that no one 'needs' music to shop, but it's my experience that many retail stores have music playing over their sound systems.
I disagree with this. He sold his shop. Back then I remember people saying that comic buyers are mostly women but that’s not true. At least not in SoCal. There are more women now but men are still the biggest buyers of comics, but by far in toys, cards and collectibles and from a long time comic fan that’s worked in shops having a homey community comic shop is more important. He said don’t make it for the comic fans because they’ll come anyways but I don’t think that’s true. The casuals will always wander in but if you don’t make it desirable to the hardcore comic fans they won’t travel to your shop to hit the back issue bins or key issues. The 3 biggest things IMO for a successful comic shop is Location, parking and work ethic. Your shop needs to be in a busy area, there needs to be parking and you need to sell, sell, sell. That means eBay and online, conventions and your shop. A lot of shops closed in the 90’s and the ones that survived in my are did it with Pokémon cards. You need to know what your customers want even if it’s not your thing.
It's like the record store bubble how to market
LCS are greedy
Very impressive sir.
Also because sadly, the physical comic medium is on its last legs. And with this Coronavirus happening, it’s probably the final nail in the coffin. And it sucks 😔
Even if comics stopped being published altogether, there would still be a market for back issues.
wylie richardson very true my friend. People will always want back issues, figurines, board games, MtG cards, Pokémon, etc. however what draws customers in every week is the books that are released weekly. That brings in a good portion of their sales and gets them inside where they can be enticed to buy more items. I’ll always visit my local stores for back issues but I’ll be very sad if they close.
One thing is cooking for you and a few friends - try it for 50 -100 people. Not me...