Originally posted by: JediSage
I've often thought of opening one as well. I read a pretty good article by Kevin Smith (who I personally can't stand) on the subject of opening your own. Basically said that you need $50-$60,000 MINIMUM to start out.
Also, the industry's move towards redistributing back-issues via other media (Marvel's CD Rom series, for example) is going to further squeeze the local shops. If I were going to do it, I would probably make it some type of combination business...and not baseball cards. Something different.
I've often thought of opening one as well. I read a pretty good article by Kevin Smith (who I personally can't stand) on the subject of opening your own. Basically said that you need $50-$60,000 MINIMUM to start out.
Also, the industry's move towards redistributing back-issues via other media (Marvel's CD Rom series, for example) is going to further squeeze the local shops. If I were going to do it, I would probably make it some type of combination business...and not baseball cards. Something different.
Oh yeah you do need lots of opening capital (maybe not *that* much but it depends on the market you're in. The shop I was with had comics, anime, rpgs, used books, metaphysic books, swords, toys, etc. All crammed into a reasonably small space.
I honestly don't think a shop that specializes in any one of those will do as well as one that diversifies. And regrettfully back issues have been dead since the early 90s really. Its a shame as that's how I found and read some of my all-time favorite stories. And I and many other folks got a charge out of completing an entire run of a title. Then again, thanks to a little thing called .cbr that I discovered because of this thread, I can catch up on some stuff I've missed since 1998. 