Store owner here, I opened up a store in South-East London 7 months ago and did a thread like this a while back that went pretty well, feel free to ask any questions about owning a store in a dying industry.
Also, If you come down and quote 'Bendis a shit mate' while I'm here this weekend I'll hook up a 20% /co/fag discount.
>>84532996
The days when writers would casually take the piss out of loved characters.
>>84533011
tbf you could count the new Spiderman runs as parody
>>84532996
If Bendis came to your store would you kill him?
>>84533043
We're in a super white part of London, the BNP was founded on the same street
>>84533069
I'd probably suck his dick for signings and sell them online, then post about how much I hate him on /co/ afterwards because I'm a weak weak man
>>84533102
>>84533136
trips and I'll do it livestreamed
>>84532996
Do you have anything with the man-thing right now in your store ?
How many minorities come to your store of is only white boys who come ?
>>84532996
How well do United States themed or targeted comics sell over there?
I'm thinking stuff like Ewing's New Avengers, Prez, Red Wolf, etc.
>>84532996
>Also, If you come down and quote 'Bendis a shit mate' while I'm here this weekend I'll hook up a 20% /co/fag discount.
Based storefag
>>84532996
>feel free to ask any questions about owning a store in a dying industry.
But OP, wasn't June the highest-selling month for comics since 1997?
>>84532996
Wishing you luck, senpai.
>>84533208
I don't actually, I had a few of the older issues and a couple of the Marvel Tales reprints in but they old sold from our back issues, I want a new Man Thing standalone myself as I really wanted more from the Legion of Monsters stuff.
>>84533236
Prez has done surprisingly well, though Cap doesn't sell as much surprisingly, New Avengers is also lacking - right now the big sellers for us have been Rebirth, Spidey stuff, Deadpool (obviously) and the big DC graphic novels. Also pretty much anything on image sells out eventually
>>84532996
What are some of your most profligate customers?The two biggest buyfags I've ever seen were girls. One of them uncharacteristically fit.
>>84533323
all sold*
sorry, my retarded fat hands attempted to type on mobile and I goofed
>>84533323
I can see New Avengers not doing too well overseas, I sort of expected Spencer's Hydra Cap to do well over there but who can tell.
How does the Valiant stuff do over there, either as floppies or trades?
>>84533294
thanks m7
>>84533308
Yes, but that's taking into account both Civil War 2 and Rebirth, it will die down as people drop off picking up every issue of Rebirth (obviously, you refine your tastes to a couple of books by about 10 issues in) and fuck knows how Marvel Now will do.
>>84533372
>and fuck knows how Marvel Now will do.
>>84533363
Hydra Cap did well simply because of the marketing buzz it generated and people talking about it online - Sam Wilson did horribly and I still have a ton of Cap trades in stock, (pic related) but they will shift to kids eventually. Valiant is mostly trades over here, we don't stock much of it though to be honest.
>>84533403
Well, that's the thing - I'm talking about for us personally, our customers seem to be very aware of Marvel and how they run issue ones, because they are mostly long-time fans.
>>84533432
I posted it under the implication that it extended to you too.
I'm sorry senpai.
>>84533432
Any idea how Revolutionary War sold over there?
>>84533327
We have a dude who runs the video coverage for a bunch of huge car companies like BMW and shit, he's always globe trotting and driving dope shit but then buys a bunch whenever he's around. He picked up All Star Batman and Robin once though so I don't know if he is mentally retarded or not.
We also have a guy who just loves digging through the relatively limited back issues we have and will lay down cash in hand for rarer stuff (his usual visit is at least a £50+ purchase which adds up when he's in weekly)
>>84533490
It's cool, I'd rather have customers who don't buy into that shit and drop money on good trades. I'm sure the new Thor stuff will do well as I've already had some pre-orders for that and it doesn't look like absolute shit so far.
>>84533504
Revolutionary War was before we opened so I don't have data directly from us, but I don't think it was massively popular as I barely ever see the books floating around in collections over here.
>>84533528
Picking up ASBAR obvs shows that he has patrician taste.
Can a /co/mrade get a job
>>84533590
At this stage we aren't making wages for ourselves so sadly not, give us a year or so though and we'll probably be stable enough to do it.
>>84532996
How're you doing with that Diamond price hike?
>>84533609
We're sticking to the same pricing, orders cost us a little more but we still move the amount we need to make enough money to survive, I have an ongoing grudge against Diamond because of repeatedly poor service so I'm not going to let them hiking prices (because of a naturally fluctuating economy) affect my customers and how much they pay, it's something we should deal with as a store and not the audiences.
If they don't put the prices back down in a few months when Pound Sterling levels out again then I'm calling typical Diamond bullshit.
>>84533630
One caveat to that actually, if customers are ordering big shit, like a bust or pricey statue, yes we will have to up the price a little bit simply because of how the percentages work out on larger purchases
>>84533630
>naturally fluctuating economy
Ain't nothing natural about the way the pound is shitting itself to death. I hope it fucking recovers, though. Price of imports is painful now.
I don't know any comic stores that aren't raising their prices in line with Diamond. If you play your cards right, you could probably absorb some of the other stores' customerbase if you're not planning on following suit. Good luck with it, man.
>>84533528
>He picked up All Star Batman and Robin once though so I don't know if he is mentally retarded or not.
kek. Don't shit-talk your consumers OP. Especially ones charitable enough to take that off your hands.
>We also have a guy who just loves digging through the relatively limited back issues
A man after my own heart.
>>84533692
I don't know, if you look at the sterling charts for the past year it's been in decline since around November. But yeah, our nearest competition (still relatively far, suburbs and all that) has put their prices up by about 50-60p per single issue, and where we've kept things the same we have had a couple of his customers already.
>>84533754
I'm 90% sure he's on /b/ so I feel like I'm allowed to target him specifically.
here's a pic of some stuff and the MAME cab we built for the place
>>84533812
blugh, for some reason Clover on android loves rotating images. Sorry m8s
Hey, OP, what are some books that you recommend to people who are 'just beginning to get into comics' and have you had any of those guys become regulars?
>>84533798
>/b/tard
>successful globetrotter
>>84533834
Not OP but for me it was Thor God of Thunder and X-Men Legacy.
Right now the closest approximation is probably Ultimates/Ultimates^2.
>>84533834
Well, the first question I always ask is if people are looking for capeshit or more story-driven work. For capeshit I always recommend DKR as it's a great jumping off point if you want to get into the good side of DC or the collected ASM stuff like 'Origin of the Species' and 'Crime and Punisher' and good, I've also been recommending X-Men Mutant Genesis 2.0 as it's a lot of great stuff for the price point. As for story driven and independent, I always recommend Saga and Nailbiter as well as Giant Days for the ladies, as I feel those are a good introduction to the feel of the smaller press stuff.
>>84533842
well, the NWO are clearly /pol/fags if the legend of kek is anything to go by, so it wouldn't surprise me
>>84533834
Oh and to answer the second part of your question, yes - we have quite a few regulars who are relatively new, we try and be open to anybody as all of our local competition is super snobby to people who don't know everything about comics.
>>84532996
Am I an asshole for asking if my LCS is going to have the Tim Sale covers for the new Bats series? I don't know what the order ratio is but I need muh Sale. I just also don't wanna be the whiney bitch making the shop buy more than they want.
Hey OP, is there something that customers can do that piss you off? And I don't mean act like complete assholes, I mean they buy something or have general shit taste in books?
Also, to what level of customer would you recommend something like Miracleman to?
>>84533993
DC made the right choice with the Rebirth Variants and there is no ratio for them, you can order as many as you like - Batman #3 looks great
>>84532996
How can you afford your rent in London? I know that comic book stores can make decent money if you put in the effor, but in your first year? I'd think only big stores could make it.
How does distribution work? Do you order through Diamond like America?
Are you often behind on American comics?
What do you normally carry in British stores? DC and Marvel, but there has to be home grown stuff besides 2000 AD.
>>84532996
What's the funniest or strangest story about working at the store you have to share?
>>84533102
>>84532996
I like you, Shame I'm in a different country.
Where do you make most of your money?
Comics? comic merchandise? movies? games? are you strickly comics or more general hobby stuff like most american comic stores
>>84532996
Are there any types of customers that you find super unbareable? I've always wanted a job at comic store, or even a place like one, but the idea of having to deal with autists and tumblr cunts all the time drives me insane
>>84534077
We get a lot of idiots who will come in to play the arcade cab and ask shit like 'so what kind of shop is this?' - they aren't really customers though.
There's one dude who ALWAYS asks for Deadpool back issues from months ago, and when I tell him every single time that I can't get them from stock so I'd have to source them elsewhere or push him towards eBay he just says 'okay' and comes back with the same question a week later, that shit annoys me - if I'm saying I can't get it from stock for the same price, I'm not lying.
Good to see Miracleman mentioned, I recommend it to people who want something capeshit that's a little different, I definitely think it's up there in terms of writing and it also lets people hipster out a little bit.
>>84534100
We're in a suburb that's really close, so the rent isn't too extortionate, we actually got a very well equipped store for the money - in terms of not going under the first year, that comes down to us being willing to chip in for stock now and then where necessary as well as selling key issues and more expensive items.
We order through Diamond UK, and they are just as bad as the US I've heard. We're very rarely behind though so I can hand it to them for having everything in the warehouse at the same time of release.
Well, from the start we decided to tailor to what people are picking up and work on having things more customer focused than just stocking everything and hoping it goes, 2000ad wise we don't stock a huge amount because literally every comic fan in the UK seems to already have every issue, the homegrown stuff we do stock tends to be small press or indie completely.
>>84534202
Does your proximity to mainland Europe let you carry a decent selection of Franco-Belgian comics, or do those not sell and you just get normal capeshit?
Are there comic-cons near your area that you think you'll be renting a booth for?
>>84534202
>Liking Miracleman being mentioned
Yeah, I know that feeling. For me, it was my real dive into the weirder and darker ideas of comics, I mean, the way I read it is something akin to a horror story which has Superheroes. I actually helped with some of my own writing.
Anyway, do you know anything which is not written by Moore, Gaiman or Morrison and has a similar quaility which you could recommend to an Anon? Or a book about how to properly write comics.
>>84534146
We had a Russian prostitute come in one time and offer to take me out the back for a quick one for £40.00 - I was so stunned at what was actually happening that I didn't know what to say or do and of course I turned her down. I don't have time to run this place and collect pills for an infection.
>>84534162
It's mostly comics and action figures, we don't really sell much else right now but we do a geek night every Wednesday where we charge space to play tabletops/tcgs etc. We used to stock Magic but it got too expensive to justify the relatively low amounts we were getting rid of.
>>84534194
We're fortunate in that most of our customers are fine, it's mostly annoying normie teens that make me angry.
>>84534232
We don't stock any at the moment, but if there are any titles you can recommend I'm happy to look into it.
As for Cons, the biggest one in London is MCM and that's really close to us, but it's super expensive for a stall and there's so much competition. We've been thinking of starting our own small con for actual comics and not TV shit a bit further down the line.
>>84534273
I can recommend the following:
Transmetropolitan - more of a sci-fi cyberpunk vibe but Ellis' hatred for politics fuels the story well and it's just a great read overall if you're a fan of the heavily inked art style.
Empty Zone - recent image book with some awesome artwork, not exactly a super dark story but has a similar feel.
Doom Patrol - I know you said no Morrison, but this book is so fucking good and I can't recommend it enough.
The Boys - Garth Ennis so it's very odd and super gory, but the plot is so good - the artwork may put some people off though.
Hope that helps, those are just the first few that came to mind. Doom patrol is probably the only thing on this list superhero related.
The New52 Animal Man run wasn't shit, that may be up your street.
>>84534345
Tabletops and gaming seem to be how two of my local shops make a lot of their cash. I think they were prepping for a prerelease night for Magic that they were super excited about when I went this week.
But I guess GW has their own stores, so that's a hefty chunk of the wargaming market that's not available to you. If you can manage to attract Magic players and have small tournaments though, that might be something.
>>84534481
Yeah, we do sell tabletop games but it's not a stock focus as it costs so much to buy in, and we do have a GW about 10 minutes from us so it's a weird balance. We occasionally buy overstock and then undercut of GW stuff if we can.
>>84532996
Do you sell anything that isn't capeshit? How much of your store is just capeshit?
>>84534084
Good, didn't want to have to act like a diva to get that cover lol.
>>84534620
I'd say it's a 70/30 split between capeshit and shit shit
>>84533043
>inb4 >>>/pol/
Friend owns a small shop near Memphis, says black nerd guys make up 50% of his shoppers.
And Muslims strangely like Aquaman, more than any other character. Especially Johns era on.
>>84532996
Between DC and Marvel, which one do you find is more popular among casuals and which one is more popular among actual readers?
>>84532996
What do you find is THE most annoying thing that a customer can do?
Like, what can they say, do, ask or even imply
>>84534965
>implying that squirrel girl's artwork is good
this comes up often and really irks me
>>84534404
>>84532996
When Marvel or Dc has a series set in England like Captain Britain or Knight and Squire do they do well
>>84535065
that would drive me insane.
>>84535378
Batman Europa sold pretty well but generally people just pick up runs they like, it's very rare that we see a significant boost in stuff because of settings
>>84534939
Marvel for casuals most definitely, DC is always the more hardcore readers
Where is your store? I'd rather go somewhere closer than lug my way to the city every Wednesday
Will New Super-Man and Green Lanterns sell?
Also what are your top 5 DC and Marvel trades that are not prestige format/elsewords.
How is the reaction about King's Batman?
Is anyone there going to buy Sheriff of Babylon trade?
>>84535898
It's in Welling, south East, Google will help you find it dude!
>>84535958
Both have been selling really well, I'm almost out of GL as it goes - New Superman I have a few leftover, haven't had a chance to read it myself.
People are really liking the King Batman run, Vision sold well and I was telling people he was moving to it when they were picking it up, I think that helped.
Top 5 for me currently (my tastes change all the time:)
Batman: Year One
Batgirl of Burnside - love it, art style is pretty slick and the writing is just fun, really reminds me of the 90s uncanny x-men stuff, but with batfams
Doom Patrol (Vertigo is a stretch I guess)
Annihilation - so good, possibly my favourite Marvel event
Miracleman - previously mentioned in the thread and I read it today again because of that poster, and it's shot up there for my current top 5.
I doubt anybody will buy Sheriff, to be honest.
>>84532996
where can i find your store, taking my girl south east thursday
>>84537034
Ah, thanks for the reply. I was asking what are the top 5 selling trades for DC and Marvel.
Also are you seeing an increase in trade sales?
which are you Gosh Comics? Orbital Comics? Mega City Comics? Pretty sure thy the only south east, are you near camden?
>>84537510
>>84537263
We're Vault Comics - there, all is revealed, didn't want to plug the place directly but it's in Welling, so a lot further south than Gosh and Orbital, those are central.
>>84537325
As for trade sales, yes - lots of people are holding out for trades on newer runs it seems, especially stuff like King's Vision and the Batman books in general.
>>84537734
you guys have nice staff, gg
>>84532996
What books did you hate carrying but had to because they sold?
Are DC Bombshells any good?
>>84538958
oh shit have you been in store? Thanks man!
>>84539004
pic related, not sure if I have bad taste but I find all of these trash right now, thank God for that nerd £££ though
Bombshells is not that great, very average thing with an idea that could have been done way better if they took more risks with it
>>84539004
also this, I wish Miller would just stop and take up drinking full time, it's trash
>>84539206
not yet in a few days, but whoever runs your facebook page is a bro
>>84539268
fucking clover again with the image rotation, soz
>>84539268
>DKII
oh boy.
>>84539268
did you not like the recent oneshot?
>>84539403
I liked the Last Crusade to some extent but he's definitely been lacking in his recent work, his passion just doesn't seem like it's in it anymore
>>84534202
>We order through Diamond UK, and they are just as bad as the US I've heard.
Pray and hope that your orders get shipped to the wrong customer. The amount of times I had orders sent to me that were for account numbers with 1 or 2 digits different was stupid. The worst part was that they admitted that they'd have had no idea where the orders were and never would have without me calling them up to ask why I'd received someone elses shit.
>>84539665
This. We get a lot of ire from our customers as a result
any horror stories famalam?
>>84539710
>>84539665
OP here, good to know there are other storefags here - yeah we literally had this last week, if it was for a big chain I would've kept the stock but it was for another indie in the UK so we called them to let them know then spoke to Diamond, all got sorted in the end but it was a ballache
>>84532996
How dcyou titles, specially Omega Men and Midnighter, sold there?
>>84539733
fortunately not broheim, sorry to disappoint - believe me if anything mad happens /co/ will be the first to know
>>84539965
Omega Men not so well, but Midnighter's first trade has done well, have like, 2 left and there's always interest
>>84540019
What's the demographic for people who buy Midnighter?
>>84540050
usually Batman fans that want something different or Daredevil fans looking for something darker, it's a good book though so stands up on its own
>>84537034
>Batgirl of Burnside
So OP is a faggot after all
Did you vote for Brexit m8?
How well do Captain Britain books do over there?
>>84540183
>>>/pol/ is thataway
>>84540183
I know, it's my shame, but it's so bright and poppy that I can't stop reading them.
Captain Britain doesn't sell, waiting for a reboot though because it's hard to sell the older stuff like that to new readers
Worst selling DC and Marvel titles? What do you almost have to give away?
>>84540430
Thunderbolts has not shifted at all, Bombshells and Gang of Harleys have been slooooooow too
is Deadpool actually popular enough that people might care about the spin offs
>>84532996
OP, do you enjoy talking to customers about comics and that when you get the chance to? When they're not being annoying, of course.
Is Brexit going to put you out of business?
>>84533895
>Giant Days for the ladies
John Allison is a gift, so glad he's in print now.
>>84533372
How well is Civil War II selling?
>>84540230
Fuck off /co/mblr white girl, I am mexican and dont have britbong friends to ask these questions
Check yourself before you shrek yourself
>>84540644
it's fantastic, chixdiggit though because it's not crazy capeshit
>>84540601
probably not, it shouldn't put anybody as small as us out of business really, we're local trade, not on a European level obviously
>>84540588
that's what I love about it man, I talk with customers as much as possible whenever I'm in store, met some real cool people just chatting shit about whatever
>>84540698
Good so far, I'm all out as of today and we ordered more than usual
>>84540788
>good
I mean you are making money but Benis selling so much makes me angry
>>84540847
I know senpai, let him have his little bookywook though, he'll be forgotten in 20 years as an average writer and probably hated in retrospect
>>84532996
Give me a post code or a store name or something and I might visit this sunday.
Do you have any space for gaming tables? If it's a nice shop I might bring my mate to play a game of Talisman.
What's the average age range for people coming into your store? I'm guessing late twenties/early thirties.
>>84540897
Mentioned a little higher up, but we're Vault Comics in Welling - we've got an area with 2 sofas, two tables and a tv with consoles etc, as well as a back room which has a game table (but that's a little messy right now)
>>84540898
Honestly it's anywhere between like 10 to 60, we have one kid as an example who is like 13 or so and is buying the entirety of ultimate xmen in singles. The older guys are a tough crowd to keep happy as we don't have a huge amount of older stock
If I come into your store will you give me a 4chan discount? How should I indicate I am from 4chan.org? I can bring in some drawfag porn or something if you like or maybe wear a mask
>>84541080
Bring cheesecake, or quote what I said in the OP and I'll work it out
I personally am in the store on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays - my less fun and non /co/ business partner is there Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, we're shut on Mondays
>>84541133
I was just fucking around sadly, I'm not in London. Is it you and your partner who do the podcast?
>>84541275
mfw thought I'd make a new /co/friend
it is us on the podcast yeah, I'll let you guess which one I am
>>84532996
Get any "customers" that just come in to read books?
>>84541373
Rarely, I don't mind people flicking through stuff and generally I let people take their time - I have store copies of certain books that people can read if they're hanging out anyway
>>84541075
Eehhh you're an hour, two trains and bus away. Sorry can't be bothered with that.
>>84541440
>store copies that people can read if they're just hanging out
pretty awesome op
>>84541527
fair enough m8 it's suburban as fuck
>>84541538
thanks dude, I'm sure we'll be bitter old and broke men by the end of it with a 2 minute per customer policy - for now it's all good though
you selling stuff strictly in store or do you also have an online store or sell stuff on ebay or something?
>>84541825
We only list key issues and collectors stuff on eBay and Facebook groups, we do everything in store right now until we have a proper plan to do online stuff as the charges are so high through most high traffic sites
thanks for the thread guys, humbled by the amount of responses
