I found a blog for a guy starting up a new graphic novel bookshop in Newport News, Virginia. It’s a nice simple concept, and it looks like a really nice place to shop. Check out the pictures of the shop, named MacGuffin, and tell me you wouldn’t like to be seen buying comics there. I wish I had one around here.
The blog is also interesting in terms of hearing his tribulations when starting a new shop. And you know you’ve all thought, “maybe I should start my own comic shop…” Well, this guy actually did.
His press release can be found over at Newsarama.
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Thats a really nice shop. I’d also like a shop like that where I live.
Do you think you’d miss the action figures and posters?
I feel like he’s got the right idea, but it’s a big gamble.
Action figues… maybe. Probably not. Doubtful.
Posters? No way.
I wouldn’t miss the action figures and posters. Hopefully his gamble works becaus it looks like a nice store,
I like the idea; there’s room for more than one view of comics. I kind of like Funny Faces in Melbourne. It’s a clean, well-lit place with white tile floors and brightly painted walls. The space is open with a hight ceiling.
The place closer to home shares space with a sports memorabila, trading cards and paint ball. It’s not organized at all. I have problems finding things and I’m fairly certain I’m not getting everything on my subscription list.
But, I would like to see that shop in Virgina.
I love it. I’d go there in an instant and easily spend into $100. It’s just a shame that hardly anyone can compete with the prices over at Amazon.
I admit a full blown love for Amazon. I can usually find things cheaper, but I’ll buy from Amazon. I also don’t tend to think of them as a giant corporation like I do Wal-Mart, so I still like supporting them. I know they really are that kind of corporation, but they do what they do pretty well.
They also gave me free Amazon Prime for 2 months. I saved a buttload of money on shipping over christmas.
But there’s nothing to compete with a good local shop, and some good folks who work there who can suck you into a conversation about comics.
If they have a discount? Bonus!
so odd someone would open up a graphic novel shop. shop looks nice though. clean. finding a stable market has to be hard. say you only collect Y: the last man or ult. spidey…you’re only getting people coming in 2 or 3 times a year.
Lots of people collect comics only in trades. Plus, trades are timeless – you can get them whenever.
but not monthly; repeat biz is key. you could have a month or two when no one comes in and you make no money.
That’s the thing though, there are lots and lots of people that only buy trades. So they are always coming in.
Think of it like a bookstore.
It’s a different mindset then with weekly comics.
a diffrent beast then. i wouldn’t understand that. comics come out every week. that’s the way it is.
They’d make a lot of money off of me continually. I always have trades on the way from amazon. Right now I have 2 on the way and at least 5 more on the later section of my shopping cart.
and now because of you people I have to add New Avengers. DRAT!
I’m not any happier about it than you are dude.
Everyone wants good comics until they are actually shown the good comics and then they are forced to buy said good comics and then it’s bitch, bitch, bitch.
😉
The New Avengers thing was obvious, though. I was just going broke buying every Bendis book out there. NO MORE CREDIT FOR YOU.
I actually thought that Bendis was probably spreading himself thin, and in the letter pages in Powers, he was always defending himself, so I just convinced myself that it probably wasn’t that good.
I hoped that was the case. Unfortunately it wasn’t.
Just to clarify a couple things about the shop: We do carry monthly issues, just not the depth that many other stores do. Trades vs. single issues makes no real difference to us, its basically the same amount of money, just a matter of when it’s spent. Finally, our main focus is actually on the concept of selling someone an item that is a satisfying read, ideally one that has a beginning, middle and end, whether it’s a trade collection or a stand alone graphic novel.
Which is why I LOVE the idea.
I don’t understnad what is psecila about this… hmm. No I just don’t… Well… NO, I have no clue
Is that a word?
He was drunk, as I often am.