Comics and Cards
by
, 12/30/2011 at 06:58 AM (2255 Views)
I'm a comic book reader. I read comics every week, and I look forward to Wednesdays. This is what I do on my spare time.
Don't believe me? I'm going to even be in a podcast. As soon as we get it up, I'm the "Joe" you'll hear in the the comics section of the Geek Asylum Podcast. You should check it out anyway!
Anyway; I also play Pokemon. I've played Yugioh, Magic The Gathering, VS System, Battle Spirits, Bloodbowl, Munchkin, and a few other games that it's been so long I can not recall correctly.
Why am I telling you all this? Well, they were all in the same store. On top of that, it wasn't just one store- several stores.
Cards and comics go together. Like Peanut Butter and Jelly. Bonnie and Clyde. Jaws and the Jaws theme. It just works.
I say this because I had a lengthy discussion with one of my Comicshops and it's been on my mind.
Comics to me do two things for a store.
1) They're periodicals. They have no tax. Most places deal with the cards in cash, and to collect taxes on everything is going to be an utter pain. There's no way to tell how much you sold in Comics, so any extra unexpected income could just be written off to the periodicals.
2) They keep people in the store. If you have a wall of comics, or even an eye-catching stand, people will look at them. They'll pick them up, maybe thumb through one or two, or hopefully give you money for one. It's one of those things that parents of kids read, the bored friend or girlfriend look at, or the thing nerds like me talk about while in the store. It keeps people in the store, and naturally, while customers are inside a store, the likelihood of them making a purchase increases dramatically.
Cards and Games to me also do two things for a store.
1) They help keep a variety of interests throughout a store. They give that mysterious factor. While you can pick up a Comic book and thumb through, you have to buy and open a booster park to know what cards are inside. You have to sit down and play a game to know how it is. It generates an interest in the form of curiousity.
2) They get people in the store. Let's say there are three tables within view from the main entrance. There are two sets of two people at each. More than likely, someone who is walking by will get curious. They might walk in and ask ?What are they doing?". They might walk in and over and watch for a few moments.
So let's review- Games get people in the store, Comics keep them in the store. That's not to say it could be the other way around, but that's just usually how it goes.
Also, most people that I've noticed, do purchase both. Myself included.
To me, a Comic shop without cards or a Card store without the comics....it just doesn't seem right!