1st Day out selling!
So I went out selling yesterday. I finally got everything geared up and ready and I went out. The first day had eight stores on the list...none of which I called to let them tell me no on the phone. I know it is taking a chance on wasting some time, and I may change my strategy after too much time lost, but for now...it is my chosen strategy.
I am going to be brutally honest about the stores I visit. I am going to grade them here on a number of criteria. Each will be on a scale of 1-10 and a final tally for a total store scoring from me will be at the bottom of each store description and report.
1) Appearance of store
2) Use of space
3) Cleanliness
4) friendliness (before they meet me)
5) Did they greet me at the door?
6) Willingness to carry indy titles
7) Parking
8) Signage (is it visible?)
9) Salesmanship (does this retailer actually sell?)
10) General feel (what vibe did I get?)
The first store on the list was WILD PIG COMICS in Kenilworth, NJ. They turned out to be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. I was not terribly impressed with the store from the outside. They had a sign on the door that stated that they were sold out of CAP #25. This kind of annoyed me because I would think that any chance to get someone in the door is a good thing. If it were my store, I would verbally tell people and then ask if they want me to see if I can get it...then talk to them about other things. I would ask questions and such. Maybe I could make another sale. Having the sign on the door turned people away before they even came in if the customer was simply looking for that one book. Also, I noticed very sun washed cardboard stand-ups in the window where I could literally see the dust build-up through the not very clean windows. I will go back here, but I wasn't impressed for a first visit. They are probably one of those old stores with a huge pull list. How can I know without talking to someone? No score can be given.
The second place I stopped in was COMIC EXPLOSION in Nutley, NJ. Scott is the owner here. He greeted me at the door, even though he could sense I wanted to sell him something. That was good of him not to judge. The store does seem like it has been around for a while. It is clean though and he uses his space as best as he can. He has a slightly defeatist attitude when he talks about his clientelle. It can be understood, I guess. If you step outside of the store and look down the street, you can literally see the EMPIRE STATE BUILDING...and know that JIM HANLEY'S is right there. His store certainly seems small in such a shadow, but it is a good, well run store, it seems. He has about 200 subscriptions. He did buy from me and I also agreed to come back on April 4th to sell and sign on a Wednesday.
He bought:
(2) OBS trades
(2) OBS V.2 #1
(2) OBS V.2 #2
(2) OBS V.2 #3
(3) HERETIC #1
(2) D2D #1
(2) D2D #2
(2) D2D #3
(2) D2D #4
(2) D2D #5
(1) Project Eon #1
(1) Project Eon #2
(1) Project Eon #3
(1) Scatterbrian #1
(1) Scatterbrain #2
(1) Scatterbrain #3
(1) Scatterbrain #4
(1) Dark Mists #1
(1) Dark Mists #2
(1) Dark Mists #3
(1) Dark Mists #4
Here are the scores for COMIC EXPLOSION:
1) Appearance of store (8)
The store was clean and neat, if not somewhat dated. Still, I didn't feel like it was a dingy old place to shop.
2) Use of space (5)
There is not a lot of room in the store, but I think that the racks are confusing. I saw an issue of an EVENT COMICS Painkiller Jane/Hellboy up there. I would think that should be in the back issue bins. I think Scott is on the right track, just a little more organization could help.
3) Cleanliness (9)
No issues here. It just looks a bit old is all, but is certainly clean and well kept.
4) friendliness (before they meet me) (10)
Again, Scott met me at the door with a greeting and a smile.
5) Did they greet me at the door? (10)
I know this is redundant, but there is a difference between getting greeted at the door and a feeling of friendliness as you shop. Scott was very pleasent.
6) Willingness to carry indy titles (7)
I know this is due to space limitations, but he seemed to have that general feeling that indy comics can't sell because his clients do not buy them. But it is a vicious circle. If they are not available, who can buy them? He did have some up there though. The big small guys like DYNAMITE and IDW. If you haven't guessed by now, I do not count IMAGE or DARK HORSE as indy in my world because they are not bunched in the back with all of us fighting it out in the trenches. This is not a insult to those guys...just a observation. I would rather be IMAGE or DARK HORSE so we could be in the front of the book.
7) Parking (3)
They have a couple spaces out front on the street, but I can see that I would have to park as much as a block away if I were a regular.
8) Signage (is it visible?) (10)
No complaints here. Good signage.
9) Salesmanship (does this retailer actually sell?) (5)
I am not quite sure how to handle this. It seems he does sell to the best of his ability. However, I feel a retailer is best selling when they are utlizing their subscription base. If you have ever heard me on CGS, you know that I believe in selling to your loyal customers, which he doesn't do to the extent that I suggest.
10) General feel (what vibe did I get?) (8)
I got the feeling that Scott is not too far gone. A lot of retailers will not even give a chance to small press. Scott did. I think he is somewhat jaded living in the shadow of the huge stores just across the river like MIDTOWN and JIM HANLEY'S, but he cares for his store and I would certainly not mind calling this my LCS if I lived in town.
Totak score for COMIC EXPLOSION: 72 out of 100
The third store of the day was KRYPTONITE COMICS in North Bergen, NJ. This store seems to be out of business or has moved.
The fourth store on the list was A&S COMICS AND CARDS in North Bergen, NJ. The only person there was a worker and not a manager or owner. I spoke briefly with him and he gave me the name and number of the manager. It turns out they have two stores. I will contact the manager.
Here are the scores:
1) Appearance of store (3)
Apart from some very cool, home made drawer boxes made out of wood, the store was not a store I would say somebody cared for and took the time to arrange. Nothing was marked and it was a mess.
2) Use of space (4)
This is a tiny store, but they must have a better way. Nothing was easy to find at all. Tiny rack also which told me that there was going to be a hard sell ahead of me as their rack does not even have the size to carry all of DC or Marvel's titles in a given week.
3) Cleanliness (1)
Honestly, I don't think this store has been cleaned in a long...long time.
4) friendliness (before they meet me) (10)
I do have to say that the owner and manager picked the right fella to run the store in their absence. They have a very friendly guy working there. He smiles and seems knoweledable about everything but indy comics.
5) Did they greet me at the door? (10)
Very nice greeting.
6) Willingness to carry indy titles (2)
If I can get our books into this store, it very well may be the first indy comics from the back of PREVIEWS in this store.
7) Parking (2)
This is a main street. Hardly any parking at all.
8) Signage (is it visible?) (2)
Unfortunately, the sign does not jump out at all.
9) Salesmanship (does this retailer actually sell?) (2)
While he is konwledgable, the employee didn't seem like a salesman at all. Very friendly, just not sales minded.
10) General feel (what vibe did I get?) (5)
Thanks to the friendliness of the employee, this is not a 1 or 2. I would certainly seek other stores if I lived in this town, however.
I know these reviews seem critical, and they may even hurt feelings if they are viewed by the stores I am reviewing, but it is important I think to treat your comic book store as a actual business because it is and every dirty and poorly run store means less new comic fans in my opinion.
Total score for A&S COMICS & CARDS in North Bergen, NJ: 41 out of 100
I then stopped by LEFT FIELD COLLECTIBLES in North Bergen, NJ. This store also is either out of business or has moved.
Next up? Reality's Edge in North Arlington. This store is also either closed or moved.
I then drove up the road in North Arlington and found PARADOX COMICS. Carol and Scott are the owners. Scott was not in and he does the ordering. I had a great conversation with Carol. She said that they will probably give Markosia a chance and I am supposed to call back to talk to Scott.
Here are the scores:
1) Appearance of store (10)
They had a great stand-up, wooden painted Spiderman out front. The window was not cluttered with out of date posters that have been faded by the sun. Walking in, you knew that they cared and cleaned. The stores was small, but laid out with a lot of tought behind it. Great first impression!
2) Use of space (10)
For a small place, they really do a great job! They have a very unique way of displaying action figures so they do not take up shelf space. (it actually reminded me to start bringing my camera with me.) I was very impressed. Their new arrival racks are big for such a small store.
3) Cleanliness (10)
Clean as a whistle. Well kept!
4) friendliness (before they meet me) (10)
I had a great feeling being in this store. Carol is a sewwtheart.
5) Did they greet me at the door? (10)
Yes. I received a nice hearty hello upon entering.
6) Willingness to carry indy titles (7)
They had a lot of DYNAMITE and VIRGIN and a few IDW and DEVIL'S DUE. They seem open to more.
7 parking: (4)
They are across the street from a huge cemetary. There really only seems to be parking on one side of the street and could be a problem on Wednesdays.
8) Signage (is it visible?) (9)
If it only had lights for nightime...but the sign is huge!
9) Salesmanship (does this retailer actually sell?) (5)
Carol is obviously not someone who grew up hoping that one day, she would marry a man who would then open a comic book store where she would work...but that said, she does her best. She has learned quite a bit. She is also very pleasent. If they sold to their pull lists, it would be even better.
10) General feel (what vibe did I get?) (9)
I really liked this store. I would be happy to call it my LCS if I lived there!
Total score for PARADOX COMICS: 84 out of 100
The eight and final stop of the day was a visit to North Plainfield, NJand a stop at JC COMICS. I met the owner there and I honestly believe he thought I was a mini-comic guy or someone just starting out and making copies of my comics at KINKOS or something. (This is not a insult to those guys because I have been there and it is hard.)
I had to explain who I was because he had never...EVER heard of anything that has to do with Markosia and didn't even know that there was a STARSHIP TROOPERS series. He does not do the ordering and referred me to his partner to call.
Here is how JC Comics scored:
1) Appearance of store (10)
Very nice, modern and clean store in a shopping center.
2) Use of space (7)
While they use every bit of it, a little creativity could go a long way.
3) Cleanliness (10)
Not a spek of dust that I could see.
4) friendliness (before they meet me) (5)
They were not rude, but were not terribly friendly.
5) Did they greet me at the door? (0)
I was there for five minutes before anyone even came out from the back. I noticed no cameras and thought it odd that they would not want to watch me...a stranger. I could have jacked a statue or something.
6) Willingness to carry indy titles (4)
This is going to be a hard sell, I think. They do not carry very many indy titles at all it seems.
7) Parking (10)
Nice sized parking lot.
8) Signage (is it visible?) (7)
This isn't really their fault. They are right next to a blockbuster and they tend to get lost. It is a major busy street and unless you are looking, you will miss it. However, kudos for the placement next to a Blockbuster. They get great foot traffic it seems.
9) Salesmanship (does this retailer actually sell?) (2)
I did not get the feeling that they sell at all.
10) General feel (what vibe did I get?) (5)
Nice looking store but not the most friendly.
Total Score for JC COMICS: 60 out of 100
On the production side, Bruce McCorkindale has been busy. here are a couple more pages from Heretic:
I also sent out 10 copies each of OBS tpb, S&M tpb and THE HUNGER tpb to In Stock Trades, which is a re-order, so they must be doing ok.
The Bethlehem Public Library also bought about 9 trades.
Every one counts!
I am going to be brutally honest about the stores I visit. I am going to grade them here on a number of criteria. Each will be on a scale of 1-10 and a final tally for a total store scoring from me will be at the bottom of each store description and report.
1) Appearance of store
2) Use of space
3) Cleanliness
4) friendliness (before they meet me)
5) Did they greet me at the door?
6) Willingness to carry indy titles
7) Parking
8) Signage (is it visible?)
9) Salesmanship (does this retailer actually sell?)
10) General feel (what vibe did I get?)
The first store on the list was WILD PIG COMICS in Kenilworth, NJ. They turned out to be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. I was not terribly impressed with the store from the outside. They had a sign on the door that stated that they were sold out of CAP #25. This kind of annoyed me because I would think that any chance to get someone in the door is a good thing. If it were my store, I would verbally tell people and then ask if they want me to see if I can get it...then talk to them about other things. I would ask questions and such. Maybe I could make another sale. Having the sign on the door turned people away before they even came in if the customer was simply looking for that one book. Also, I noticed very sun washed cardboard stand-ups in the window where I could literally see the dust build-up through the not very clean windows. I will go back here, but I wasn't impressed for a first visit. They are probably one of those old stores with a huge pull list. How can I know without talking to someone? No score can be given.
The second place I stopped in was COMIC EXPLOSION in Nutley, NJ. Scott is the owner here. He greeted me at the door, even though he could sense I wanted to sell him something. That was good of him not to judge. The store does seem like it has been around for a while. It is clean though and he uses his space as best as he can. He has a slightly defeatist attitude when he talks about his clientelle. It can be understood, I guess. If you step outside of the store and look down the street, you can literally see the EMPIRE STATE BUILDING...and know that JIM HANLEY'S is right there. His store certainly seems small in such a shadow, but it is a good, well run store, it seems. He has about 200 subscriptions. He did buy from me and I also agreed to come back on April 4th to sell and sign on a Wednesday.
He bought:
(2) OBS trades
(2) OBS V.2 #1
(2) OBS V.2 #2
(2) OBS V.2 #3
(3) HERETIC #1
(2) D2D #1
(2) D2D #2
(2) D2D #3
(2) D2D #4
(2) D2D #5
(1) Project Eon #1
(1) Project Eon #2
(1) Project Eon #3
(1) Scatterbrian #1
(1) Scatterbrain #2
(1) Scatterbrain #3
(1) Scatterbrain #4
(1) Dark Mists #1
(1) Dark Mists #2
(1) Dark Mists #3
(1) Dark Mists #4
Here are the scores for COMIC EXPLOSION:
1) Appearance of store (8)
The store was clean and neat, if not somewhat dated. Still, I didn't feel like it was a dingy old place to shop.
2) Use of space (5)
There is not a lot of room in the store, but I think that the racks are confusing. I saw an issue of an EVENT COMICS Painkiller Jane/Hellboy up there. I would think that should be in the back issue bins. I think Scott is on the right track, just a little more organization could help.
3) Cleanliness (9)
No issues here. It just looks a bit old is all, but is certainly clean and well kept.
4) friendliness (before they meet me) (10)
Again, Scott met me at the door with a greeting and a smile.
5) Did they greet me at the door? (10)
I know this is redundant, but there is a difference between getting greeted at the door and a feeling of friendliness as you shop. Scott was very pleasent.
6) Willingness to carry indy titles (7)
I know this is due to space limitations, but he seemed to have that general feeling that indy comics can't sell because his clients do not buy them. But it is a vicious circle. If they are not available, who can buy them? He did have some up there though. The big small guys like DYNAMITE and IDW. If you haven't guessed by now, I do not count IMAGE or DARK HORSE as indy in my world because they are not bunched in the back with all of us fighting it out in the trenches. This is not a insult to those guys...just a observation. I would rather be IMAGE or DARK HORSE so we could be in the front of the book.
7) Parking (3)
They have a couple spaces out front on the street, but I can see that I would have to park as much as a block away if I were a regular.
8) Signage (is it visible?) (10)
No complaints here. Good signage.
9) Salesmanship (does this retailer actually sell?) (5)
I am not quite sure how to handle this. It seems he does sell to the best of his ability. However, I feel a retailer is best selling when they are utlizing their subscription base. If you have ever heard me on CGS, you know that I believe in selling to your loyal customers, which he doesn't do to the extent that I suggest.
10) General feel (what vibe did I get?) (8)
I got the feeling that Scott is not too far gone. A lot of retailers will not even give a chance to small press. Scott did. I think he is somewhat jaded living in the shadow of the huge stores just across the river like MIDTOWN and JIM HANLEY'S, but he cares for his store and I would certainly not mind calling this my LCS if I lived in town.
Totak score for COMIC EXPLOSION: 72 out of 100
The third store of the day was KRYPTONITE COMICS in North Bergen, NJ. This store seems to be out of business or has moved.
The fourth store on the list was A&S COMICS AND CARDS in North Bergen, NJ. The only person there was a worker and not a manager or owner. I spoke briefly with him and he gave me the name and number of the manager. It turns out they have two stores. I will contact the manager.
Here are the scores:
1) Appearance of store (3)
Apart from some very cool, home made drawer boxes made out of wood, the store was not a store I would say somebody cared for and took the time to arrange. Nothing was marked and it was a mess.
2) Use of space (4)
This is a tiny store, but they must have a better way. Nothing was easy to find at all. Tiny rack also which told me that there was going to be a hard sell ahead of me as their rack does not even have the size to carry all of DC or Marvel's titles in a given week.
3) Cleanliness (1)
Honestly, I don't think this store has been cleaned in a long...long time.
4) friendliness (before they meet me) (10)
I do have to say that the owner and manager picked the right fella to run the store in their absence. They have a very friendly guy working there. He smiles and seems knoweledable about everything but indy comics.
5) Did they greet me at the door? (10)
Very nice greeting.
6) Willingness to carry indy titles (2)
If I can get our books into this store, it very well may be the first indy comics from the back of PREVIEWS in this store.
7) Parking (2)
This is a main street. Hardly any parking at all.
8) Signage (is it visible?) (2)
Unfortunately, the sign does not jump out at all.
9) Salesmanship (does this retailer actually sell?) (2)
While he is konwledgable, the employee didn't seem like a salesman at all. Very friendly, just not sales minded.
10) General feel (what vibe did I get?) (5)
Thanks to the friendliness of the employee, this is not a 1 or 2. I would certainly seek other stores if I lived in this town, however.
I know these reviews seem critical, and they may even hurt feelings if they are viewed by the stores I am reviewing, but it is important I think to treat your comic book store as a actual business because it is and every dirty and poorly run store means less new comic fans in my opinion.
Total score for A&S COMICS & CARDS in North Bergen, NJ: 41 out of 100
I then stopped by LEFT FIELD COLLECTIBLES in North Bergen, NJ. This store also is either out of business or has moved.
Next up? Reality's Edge in North Arlington. This store is also either closed or moved.
I then drove up the road in North Arlington and found PARADOX COMICS. Carol and Scott are the owners. Scott was not in and he does the ordering. I had a great conversation with Carol. She said that they will probably give Markosia a chance and I am supposed to call back to talk to Scott.
Here are the scores:
1) Appearance of store (10)
They had a great stand-up, wooden painted Spiderman out front. The window was not cluttered with out of date posters that have been faded by the sun. Walking in, you knew that they cared and cleaned. The stores was small, but laid out with a lot of tought behind it. Great first impression!
2) Use of space (10)
For a small place, they really do a great job! They have a very unique way of displaying action figures so they do not take up shelf space. (it actually reminded me to start bringing my camera with me.) I was very impressed. Their new arrival racks are big for such a small store.
3) Cleanliness (10)
Clean as a whistle. Well kept!
4) friendliness (before they meet me) (10)
I had a great feeling being in this store. Carol is a sewwtheart.
5) Did they greet me at the door? (10)
Yes. I received a nice hearty hello upon entering.
6) Willingness to carry indy titles (7)
They had a lot of DYNAMITE and VIRGIN and a few IDW and DEVIL'S DUE. They seem open to more.
7 parking: (4)
They are across the street from a huge cemetary. There really only seems to be parking on one side of the street and could be a problem on Wednesdays.
8) Signage (is it visible?) (9)
If it only had lights for nightime...but the sign is huge!
9) Salesmanship (does this retailer actually sell?) (5)
Carol is obviously not someone who grew up hoping that one day, she would marry a man who would then open a comic book store where she would work...but that said, she does her best. She has learned quite a bit. She is also very pleasent. If they sold to their pull lists, it would be even better.
10) General feel (what vibe did I get?) (9)
I really liked this store. I would be happy to call it my LCS if I lived there!
Total score for PARADOX COMICS: 84 out of 100
The eight and final stop of the day was a visit to North Plainfield, NJand a stop at JC COMICS. I met the owner there and I honestly believe he thought I was a mini-comic guy or someone just starting out and making copies of my comics at KINKOS or something. (This is not a insult to those guys because I have been there and it is hard.)
I had to explain who I was because he had never...EVER heard of anything that has to do with Markosia and didn't even know that there was a STARSHIP TROOPERS series. He does not do the ordering and referred me to his partner to call.
Here is how JC Comics scored:
1) Appearance of store (10)
Very nice, modern and clean store in a shopping center.
2) Use of space (7)
While they use every bit of it, a little creativity could go a long way.
3) Cleanliness (10)
Not a spek of dust that I could see.
4) friendliness (before they meet me) (5)
They were not rude, but were not terribly friendly.
5) Did they greet me at the door? (0)
I was there for five minutes before anyone even came out from the back. I noticed no cameras and thought it odd that they would not want to watch me...a stranger. I could have jacked a statue or something.
6) Willingness to carry indy titles (4)
This is going to be a hard sell, I think. They do not carry very many indy titles at all it seems.
7) Parking (10)
Nice sized parking lot.
8) Signage (is it visible?) (7)
This isn't really their fault. They are right next to a blockbuster and they tend to get lost. It is a major busy street and unless you are looking, you will miss it. However, kudos for the placement next to a Blockbuster. They get great foot traffic it seems.
9) Salesmanship (does this retailer actually sell?) (2)
I did not get the feeling that they sell at all.
10) General feel (what vibe did I get?) (5)
Nice looking store but not the most friendly.
Total Score for JC COMICS: 60 out of 100
On the production side, Bruce McCorkindale has been busy. here are a couple more pages from Heretic:
I also sent out 10 copies each of OBS tpb, S&M tpb and THE HUNGER tpb to In Stock Trades, which is a re-order, so they must be doing ok.
The Bethlehem Public Library also bought about 9 trades.
Every one counts!
posted by Chuck Satterlee at
7:05 AM
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