Comic book store to become Trade Paperback only?

[Jack Flag]

I was talking to a buddy of mine who is thinking of opening his own comic book store but with a twist. He only wants the store to carry collected trade paperbacks of comic books - no monthly 22 pagers to be sold. He will sell posters and figurines and toys and other related comic book themed items but the reading material he will deal with will be the TPB only. The rational is that while you can get TPB at Barnes and other chain stores comic book collectors still want to hang out at a space for their hobby but in these times fewer readers exist for the floppy 22 page monthlies and he feels he can attract people back to reading comics via concentrating on the TPB and building displays around that. Easier for inventory reasons because the TPB attracts comic book readers rather than issue colectors who come and go and demand 1st run issues, etc.

Is this something others have done as well?

[Donald M.]

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall that Rocketship, a store run by one of our posters here, was trade/GN only and was fairly successful. Mind you, that was in New York City. Where you are could gave a big effect, I think, on the potional succes of such a store.

[Jack Flag]

On the sign for Rocketship I show comic books sold:

http://rocketshipstore.blogspot.com/

And here it says its closed (out of business?):

http://www.yelp.com/biz/rocketship-g...omics-brooklyn

[Donald M.]

On the sign for Rocketship I show comic books sold:

http://rocketshipstore.blogspot.com/

And here it says its closed (out of business?):

http://www.yelp.com/biz/rocketship-g...omics-brooklyn

Like I said, I wan't sure.

As for being out of business it was a voluntary thing, five years in business having burned the owners out on owning their own retail establishment. Having worked retail I can hardly blame them.

[Jack Flag]

I appreciate the feedback!

[Jeff Brady]

Rocketship did sell monthlies, but they were not the main attraction. They did not keep any back issues; they were donated to schools or hospitals, etc.

Alex, please correct me if I'm wrong about anything.

[dupont2005]

Seems like it could work. All the space saved by not having back issues and monthlies could be made up for with manga, comic related and anime dvd's, toys, games, tee shirts, and whatnot. I bet trades move quicker than five month old Spider-Man comics. I think a lot of back issue collectors buy mostly online these days anyway. I know I do.

[Iangould]

Why turn away any potential business?

My stores comics sales are roughly 80% trades 20% single issues.

But there are still people who prefer single issues and we want their money too.

Also new issues are good for encouraging people to visit weekly, which then lets you sell them on trades.

So, don't eliminate single issues but place the emphasis on trades.

Oh and don't discount on standing orders.

[Mia]

I know a store in Toronto that only sells SH comics as Trades. But the rest of the inventory is geared to gaming and manga. So your friend will probably have to diversify if he wants to make a profit.

[christinereed]

I think your friend is wise to consider these things before opening his shop, but I'm not sure he should be so against monthlies. He hopes to attract new readers to a title via the trades. These new readers might then want to follow the monthlies. -- So, why not offer them to those who want to order them? No having to keep ones around that are extras that might get dusty, just order the ones his customers want.

[StoneGold]

I believe Secret Headquarters in Hollywood (OK, really Los Feliz, but like you'd know where that was?) is trade only. But the thing being, they do more than trades. They do special prints and stuff.

[Jack Flag]

I think your friend is wise to consider these things before opening his shop, but I'm not sure he should be so against monthlies. He hopes to attract new readers to a title via the trades. These new readers might then want to follow the monthlies. -- So, why not offer them to those who want to order them? No having to keep ones around that are extras that might get dusty, just order the ones his customers want.

He feels that the trade off is simplicity of maintaining stock for him. You can't return unsold monthlies 22 page floppies and he would have to gauge the collectors market on how many copies to order and keep the rest in inventory in a time of contraction of readers of monthlies. Also, inventory space is limited and inventory time is expensive for him (his judgement).

He thinks he can sell to casual readers who don't collect comic books on a monthly basis but used to read comics and would enjoy the TPB collections as well as any buying of posters, collectibles, etc.

[xgeek52]

friends and fellow readers here are saying some of the shops are doing half and half...

i know that my main lcs has offered trades from not only mainstream publishers but trades from lesser known publishers...

[christinereed]

He feels that the trade off is simplicity of maintaining stock for him. You can't return unsold monthlies 22 page floppies and he would have to gauge the collectors market on how many copies to order and keep the rest in inventory in a time of contraction of readers of monthlies. Also, inventory space is limited and inventory time is expensive for him (his judgement).

He thinks he can sell to casual readers who don't collect comic books on a monthly basis but used to read comics and would enjoy the TPB collections as well as any buying of posters, collectibles, etc.

Are you saying that he has to order a minimum of any one title? He can't just order 3 copies of Batman because he knows he has three regular customers who want it? I don't know, that's why I'm asking. Because I wrote in my earlier post, he could just order floppies for the people who have already told him that they want them. (As when a regular customer has a "pull list" of certain comics that they get every month and the LCS holds those titles back for them.)

[Jack Flag]

Are you saying that he has to order a minimum of any one title? He can't just order 3 copies of Batman because he knows he has three regular customers who want it? I don't know, that's why I'm asking. Because I wrote in my earlier post, he could just order floppies for the people who have already told him that they want them. (As when a regular customer has a "pull list" of certain comics that they get every month and the LCS holds those titles back for them.)

He does not think that would be something his customers would want (he is targeting monthly readers). That is why I am finding this post worthy. Monthly books really that down?