We are still planning to start a shop in the next five years. I found a great resource on how to start your own comic bookstore, including where to get distribution agreements to. A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. Get all the tips, tools, and support you need to start, run, and grow your comic book business. How to calculate coffee shop startup costs columbus, ohio. Comic book stores sell comic books and related paraphernalia, such as action figures, models, posters, and more. Contact your insurance agent about coverage of your. A newish comic shop in my town ran commercials during the first half of the new seasons of arrow and the flash. For a comic book store, however, you need capital as well as passion for the medium. And since threads about opening new comic shops seem to be popular.
Socked by virus, comic book industry tries to draw next. The nook book ebook of the comic book shop start up sample business plan. Opening a new brick and mortar shop comics general cgc. I will not go into debt to fund this little venture.
Starting a comic book collection appears in 3 issues. Before i got in too deep into the idea, another store opened up and i abandoned the notion of opening my own store. I like 918alpha, but its not very catchy and it might be too obscure, even for nerd culture. Sure im 34 but i have to say that amcs new series comic book men brings back memories and the child in me as i remember the days when i enjoyed the thrill of buying and collecting comic books and the many action figures that i played with that had me in escape. The two most significant costs involved in opening a comic book include costs of setting up your physical storefront and costs to purchase an initial comic book.
He has the added benefit that there is a university nearby. I know that the cost of retail space varies by region. Comic books and illustrated novels have reached a wide audience, and many enthusiasts have taken the heroic leap into the retailing side. The notion crossed my mind years and years ago, when my local comic book shop closed down, and i thought i could do a better job. Keep a few boxes of boosters around, but unless you want to be a dedicated magic shop, a large m. A successful comic book store requires you to handle collections of books, and possibly related paraphernalia like action figures that you may want to add to your own personal collection rather than sell. I am primarily looking to get an idea as to how much cash i will need for start up. Nothing can be worse than going to a comic book store that carries nothing that is remotely. A beginners guide to buying comic books the mary sue. Comic book owners explain how to start a comics retail. Of course, as with any business, the realities of opening a bookstore are a lot more complicated than the dream of. Maybe even get into selling used graphic novels like a secondhand bookstore.
If you are concerned about catching up on the backstory you have missed after all. When i lived in nevada a number of small stores opened and closed around the city where i grew up. Also it would be interesting to hear what the users of this subreddit look for in a comic shop. Marvel returns to comic shops starting may 27 graphic policy. Alternatively, you can start a used bookstore online to cut costs and potentially reach an even wider variety of customers. Before going to the expense of incurring startup costs. By michele brittany, west coast correspondent founder of free comic book day joe field established flying colors comics located in. How to start a comic book store starting your own llc is. The owners werent very friendly or customer service oriented and all but two finally closed.
Sell comic books online start an online comic store. Contact the local licensing bureau of your city to find out what you need to do to apply. Tales from the database mile high comics, chuck rozanski. Comic book owners explain how to start a comics retail store at sdcc 15 posted on july 22, 2015 by hannah means shannon comments by michele brittany, west coast correspondent. We passed by one of my childhood comic book stores in egg harbor city and to our surprise the door was open and the owner was standing out front with boxes of collectibles. This is one of the biggest reasons why the average comic book store does not make it one year. I have received several questions on how to start a comic book store. That involves receiving, sorting, scanning, pricing and stocking that weekly inventory. All the time thats left over can be allocated to starting my online comic book store. Start a comic book store by following these 9 steps. All comic books for sale are listed alphabetically by the first letter of the comic books name.
The shop is situated in a mall, so its open seven days a week. Comic book owners explain how to start a comics retail store at. A kind of nerdy injoke would be good like pavlovs doghouse. Startup costs include a sign and lifesize figure of a comic book character to draw attention. And then you see a going out of business sale in about six months. I worked in a small family owned comic store for 2 years in minneapolis.
Sell the used books for half price, but only give out maybe a sixth of the cover price out in cash when they. I live in a small town that has never really had a comic store other than the city thats 30 minutes to an hour away. My mission for the comic shop is for it to be a valuable online resource where comic collectors of all ages can buy, sell and trade comic books that are certified and graded by cgc, cbcs and pgx. Our guide on starting a comic book store covers all the essential information to help you decide if this business is a good match for you. I will not spend our familys savings to prop up the comic shop. They go in with little money in the bank and just hope the store will take off and they will have money rolling in.
About 60 days ago, i started selling certified graded comics on ebay to start earning some cash that would fund the construction of this website and. With a passion for comics, some cash and sweat equity, you can start a comic book business. What could use is a good estimate on the cash i would need for inventory and other start up costs. Im not a big fan of comics except for xmen but i understand that comics afficionados are passionate about their comics and can be one of the most loyal customers you can have. And even though i suspect less than half the coloring books we sell ever. Establishing a legal business entity such as an llc prevents you. I am inspired to do this instructable for two reasons. Comic book store owners biggest mistakes if you are thinking of opening a comic book store, here are some of the biggest mistakes that comic book store and probably every other collectible store owners make. Free comic book store business plan for raising capital from investors, banks, or grant companies.
Comic book stores are generally lowtech, down to earth establishments that dont need a lot of visibility in a. Then, find a location for your business thats easy to get to and is large enough for your equipment. Have you ever thought of owning your own comic book shop. Opening a comic books shop start a comic books trading business. As part of that job, i wound up at sdcc every year for a half dozen years. If you want to keep up with all the awesome comics we get in stock, all you have to do is check back with the new in stock page.
When opening a comic book shop, you must seriously love comics. The wisdom, tips and steps on starting a coffee shop is great. Here are the 301 catchiest bookstore names of alltime. Ive seen a large number of comics stores fail because the owners were so wrapped up in their love of comics, that they forgot that they were running a. Worked at a comic book store in college and these are all valuable points. Opening a comic books shop start a comic books trading. Dont think you can jump right into the world of retail sales without a solid business plan. If you are unsure on what to buy comic vine can help you decide. That being said, myself and a friend of mine are thinking about starting a coffee shop, but currently we are only in the preliminary stages of even getting a gameplan set up. Starting a hobby shop open a business resources for. I will only invest money earned outside of my job into the store. I have separated these names into categories, from catchy to cool to christian.
After the list of names, i reveal the 8 vital dos and donts of naming your bookstore, the greatest bookstore slogans ever created and vital statistics you need to know about the book industry catchy bookstore names. These are just a few tips that can help readers start their comic book collection and maintain some good habits. Opening a comic bookstore may be your dream, but dont make it a reality if you cant part with the merchandise. Comic books with a number as its title are alphabetized by the way the name is pronounced. On the companys first anniversary of publishing, howstuffworks spoke to marts about starting a new media business in todays competitive market. The comic book retail industry is an attractive venue for entrepreneurs who are passionate about the world of comics. So, the xmen comic books are listed under x and the outer limits is listed under o. Set up a website dedicated to comics and illustrated novels. Shopify makes it easy to start an online comics store. This free business plan demonstration purposes only. These are all the questions off the top of my head.
Whether you are interested in publishing comics, opening a retail shop or trying your hand at creating a series of your own, there are a few basic guidelines that can help a comics business stay afloat. Before you open a hobby shop in your town, its essential to see what the competition looks like. The skys the limit on weekly cost and will vary greatly depending on the type of comic shop you want. Here are some tips for starting a used bookstore online. Contact distributors and publishers that have comic books. Thats just what mike marts did, leaving behind comic book titles like dcs batman and marvels the xmen to become editorinchief of aftershock comics. They would get the manager, open the vault, and give me change.
For this reason, before getting too far along with your startup business, we strongly recommend that you survey local residents whether they would buy from a new hobby shop, if one were to open up in the area. The area around where i live, we do have some other comic book shops, i go to two local comic book shops now, as it is, but every comic book store i see focuses on roleplaying and collectible card games, and have comic books on the side, one store that i go to primarily sells used video games and cds, and vintage toys. Sell comic books online start an online comic store free trial. If you are interested in purchasing the completed editable ms. Consider the demographics of where you plan to open a store.
Independent booksellers enjoy being part of a community, encouraging the pleasure of reading in adults, and helping to make lifelong readers out of children. While you may be starting with a personal collection youll be working that diamond account to get new product in weekly. Im opening a bookcomic bookcard shop and im trying to come up with clever name. If the fantastic four and other titles still give you the same kind of goose bumps you had as a kid, a comic book retail startup may be a great way to earn a living as. To start a printing business, start by finding a niche that fulfills a specific need for your customers, such as digital printing or budgetfriendly sign printing. For years, the independent bricksandmortar bookselling business has been under pressure from. Please note that the financials in this complete free business plan are completely fictitious and may not match the text of the business plan below. As a new store you can not just open and expect the people to find you. Pick up your list of clues starting at 2pm today or 12pm sunday have some fun. Learn about the daytoday activities of a comic book store owner, the typical target market, growth potential, startup costs, legal considerations, and more. We didnt end up buying this shop, because the numbers didnt work out.