Comic book stores

>final interview

The fuck kinda shop needs more than one?

>>84587022
Well I was talking to the manager over an email, so I guess it felt like an interview. Maybe I should rephrased that.

Yes. I ran a store for many years. What do you want to know?

>>84587489
Not /op/ but what made you stop?

What was an average day like?

>>84587022
Most businesses who are worth anything take pride in having staff that are of higher quality, instead of some schmuck off the street. Just because you can name all the earths of the multiverse, and which heroes go where, doesn't mean you're fit to work in retail.

I usually went through 3 interviews for anyone I'd hire, before they got the job.

>>84587553
>3 interviews

Go fuck yourself.

>>84587519
The owner was a wealthy guy who owned several businesses in town (4 restaurants, the comic shop, a 2nd hand shop, a pub, etc). He was pretty much hands off the businesses, and let all his managers run things as they saw fit. He'd pop in every 6 months or so to see how things were going, but never hung around. Which was nice, until...
The one day we all got visited by RICO and Drug Task Force agents. Seems he was involved in drug running, money laundering, and a bunch of other bad shit. A real Family guy if you know what I mean. He went off to prison, and all the businesses shut down.

I'd been running the place for about 8 years, and working as a clerk for 5 before that. Afterwards, I wanted to try something else.

>>84587607
You wouldn't even get an application. Hell, you'd probably have already been banned from the store.

Truth is, most of my clerks were regulars who I approached after getting to know them. I'd know which ones would make good employees, and which ones wouldn't.

>>84587699
Mother of christ that is quite the story.

>>84587489
OP here, was the experience fun? I always seem to have fun in there as a customer finding people with similar interests and talking to them and having fun arguments. And what types of people do you meet? I've only met a few weirdos years ago.

>>84587519
To continue;
It was pretty much like any retail business really. We did 9am to 9pm hours/ I was there almost all the time with at least 1, but preferably 2 clerks.
We kept pretty busy, especially toward the end, when we were the only shop in town. The other guys ran their place into the shitter. and had to close up.
There was a wide variety of customers. Mostly pretty good folks, relatively normal, but we had a few 'eccentrics'. then there was the handfull of freakos.

We tried to give some of them a little leeway because they were still giving us money, but we'd weed out a few now and again and ask them not to come back.

>>84587489
>>84587699
Also, how did you originally get into the business?

>>84587796
What really sucks? One of his restaurants was an Italian/pizza joint. Absolutely BEST calzones in the world, and another was this little upscale steak place that was upstairs overlooking the park that had some awesome prime rib. They were making money hand over fist, and I used to eat there all the time (thanks to a special deal I had with the Managers).
But, fuck. They closed and the delicious food went bye bye. That broke a lot of hearts.

>>84588018
So he had all these successful businesses but needed that drug money. Crying shame, sounds like an area I'd love.

>>84587914
>then there was the handfull of freakos.
>We tried to give some of them a little leeway because they were still giving us money, but we'd weed out a few now and again and ask them not to come back.

I smell another awesome story, please share.

Also the Underground drug trade your owner was running sounds crazy. What do you do now?

>>84587757
Oh, praise be, massuh! I can't wait to be gettin' mah $11.35, another interview is just fine massuh!

>>84588049
>Drug kingpin who owns a lot of businesses
it seems likely he was cooking the books for at least some of the businesses to launder the drug money.

>>84587914
In retrospect, did you notice any strange bookkeeping practices or whatever? Or do you think your store was running more or less clean?

Did you have druggies coming in periodically buying hundreds of dollars of shit in cash (apart from the pot-smoking daddy's money retards you normally get at a comic store, I mean)

>>84587814
As fun as retail business can get I guess. It was still a job, and it had the same pressures and hassles as any other one would have.
Yeah. Talking with the regulars was a treat. I was older than a lot of the customers, but there were a few "old=timers" who'd come in from time to time, and we'd shoot the shit about the good old days. There was "Gramps" who was about 100, who used to come in like clockwork every Saturday afternoon at 11:30. He had been buying comics since he was a kid. He owned (at one time at least, we never knew if he still had them or not) a ton of old comics including some of the biggies. His dad bought him Action Comics #1 off the newsstand. He'd come in, buy his weekly fix, talk for a bit, then go across the way and buy a great big Burrito from the mexican place, an a big cookie from the vendor in the park, then go sit and read his books and eat. He was a good guy. We set up a section in the corner of the shop in his memory when he passed. (We secretly wanted to try and find a way into his place and see if he really had some of those old books stashed under a mattress or something, seeing as he had no family.)

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>>84588284
>He had been buying comics since he was a kid. He owned (at one time at least, we never knew if he still had them or not) a ton of old comics including some of the biggies. His dad bought him Action Comics #1 off the newsstand.

That sounds amazing. Exactly the type of experience and people I want to meet working there. Was just about to ask about him but kept reading and.... *F*. May he rest in peace. I wonder what comics he was into.
So what did you move onto after the drug bust?

>>84587915
I was a customer, and one day asked the manager if he needed someone to help out, and he hired me. As time went on, we got busier and busier, so a couple more clerks came in. I had seniority, plus some experience from before at another job, so he promoted me to 2nd man.
He left after 5 years, and I stepped up. Most of the ideas and operations were things I'd talked him into implementing earlier on, so technically the transition was pretty smooth.

One of the big things, and OP you should take this into consideration, is never, NEVER talk shit about the 'fad d'jour', no matter how asinine it is in the shop. Pokemon? Ponies? Manga and Anime?, yeah all that stupid 'faggot crap' that nobody likes except the goofballs? Well, those goofballs are spending a HUGE chunk of money on that stuff. Every week. Every DAY in some cases.
It used to be that some of the guys would start ragging on the stuff, and some of the customers that bought it, mostly among themselve, but sometimes with their friends and other customers, but what would happen is, an anime fan, or a pokemon fan would come in, and immediately feel alienated, and looked down upon, and they'd think twice about coming back.
So i implemented a stor policy that no matter how stupid the thing was, in front of the customers, it was as priceless as they thought it was. You didn't have to be a fan, or know a lot about it, but you'd treat it as if it was the best thing in the world, and you'd make that customer feel as welcome and valued as you could. That would bring in repeat business, and they'd bring friends next time.
Most of the clerk adapted pretty well, and actually learned some things about dealing with customers that helped them later on in other jobs. Though there were a couple I had to let go because it just wasn't in their nature.

>>84586233
Get ready to meet some fucking sad pieces of society.

Hope to God they don't smell too badly.

>>84588185
As far as I and most everyone else knew they were all clean business. He had accountants do the books for him (the high level stuff. We'd do the daily and weekly receipts, inventory, ordering, etc on site). They'd come in, get the reports and go off to wherever they went.
As long as the money was there to pay bills and pay the staff we didn't worry much about anything.
The manager of the 2nd hand store suspected something was a little off, but he didn't make a connection, and the guy who ran the pub was in on the whole thing. But we never knew.

We got the 3rd degree MANY times though after everything went down.

We had our fair share of stoners come in, but they were regular folks. They didn't toke up in the store, or shoot up in the bathrooms, or buy and sell. I figure what they do outside those doors is their business, as long as it didn't come in with them. There were some big cash buyers. A couple of guys who wanted complete runs of titles and such, or maybe a collector's item. Never really cared where their money came from as long as it was real.

>>84588636
>One of the big things, and OP you should take this into consideration, is never, NEVER talk shit about the 'fad d'jour', no matter how asinine it is in the shop.
I'll defiantly take this into mind when working. I would think that would have been in my head automatically but I'll make sure it doesn't slip out. How old were you when he hired/promoted you? I'm 22 going in so I doubt I'll be put to 2nd in command anytime soon.

>>84588621
Yeah. I still miss old Gramps. Herbert was his name, but he always told us "everybody calles me Gramps!"
He didn't show up at his usual time, and that next week one of the customers brought in a copy of the paper with his obituary in it. I sent everybody home for the day and sat in the back room crying.

Haven't worked at a shop, but one of my favorite things about my shop here is the owner always keeps an eye on what's going on - usually I'm the only woman in the shop and dudes will approach me while I'm trying to read. If they don't get the hint and fuck off, the owner will be like, "Woah there, Sparky! Let the girl read her comics!" It really goes a long way because I (and lots of other women) avoid buying comics in store because of the awkward experiences ("Name three Robins..." etc) but when the staff looks out for me it makes me want to come back and spend more $.

I also mention this cause I stopped going to my other shop totally because a couple members of the staff would quiz me about modern capes (which I don't read) and make fun of overheard conversations between my friends and I. Too bad for them, cause I took all my money elsewhere...

>>84589101
ABU DHABI
B
U

D
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A
B
I

>>84588100
You know something?
Man, I see you in here a lot, and you seem to be a real interesting guy. In fact so interesting, I think we're just too low key for you. Someone like yourself needs a place to grow and spread his wings and fly, and we'd just be holding you back. So, I know this is very difficukt for me, and all of us here, but I really REALLY want you to find someplace else. Seriously man, we're just dragging you down. We're poison to you, and I want you to flourish. I couldn't live with myself if I kept you from your full potential. So good luck my friend, and Godspeed!


That was one of my usual "I'm sick of your horseshit, get the fuck out and stay out, but I'm not going to let you know that" speeches. Funny thing it really worked. The wierdoes and goofs, and troublemakers just needed a little ego stroking and they were putty in my hands. Never had to ask twice, and only got into an argument with one once. Well, it wasn't JUST an argument. I mean the police had to show up, then an ambulance, then a news crew, but that's not important now.

>>84589237
I liked your story up until this point. Could benefit from an editor.

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>>84589101
>I also mention this cause I stopped going to my other shop totally because a couple members of the staff would quiz me about modern capes (which I don't read) and make fun of overheard conversations between my friends and I. Too bad for them, cause I took all my money elsewhere...

Does this seriously happen? I mean, Christ, I've heard the horror stories, but I liked to think it was ultra-rare and only emerged among the strongest of permavirgins.

>>84589237
>I mean the police had to show up, then an ambulance, then a news crew, but that's not important now.

Was the ambulance for you or him?

>>84588873
Yeah that sounds like an excuse for money laundering if the guys who seemed most into drugs were the guys spending the most money.

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>>84589101
Sounds like there a bunch of neckbeards in your area. What state you from? Whenever girls are in the stores I go to they're usually the ones part of the "arguments" I see in the stores. Mostly about Batman but still.
Also what do you read if not modern capes? Just curious. What conversations do people hear from you and your friend that they have to take the time to do that? I thought those people were only on TV.

>>84588990
You have my condolences man, sorry for your loss. He sounded like an awesome man

>>84589345
>Does this seriously happen? I mean, Christ, I've heard the horror stories, but I liked to think it was ultra-rare and only emerged among the strongest of permavirgins.

I've been going to comic shops for eight years now, so these occurrences are spaced out, but yeah, it happens. I can't lay my hands on them, but there's stats that show women ARE buying comics - we just avoid the stores because we feel unwelcome for a multitude of reasons. It's nice to walk in and be treated like "one of the guys" instead of a mystical creature.

>>84589539
pls stop pretending

>>84589101
We loved to have women come in the shop. We encouraged them to come in. I even hired a couple of regulars as clerks, and that helped drum up business.
Rule #1 for dealing with female customers (apart from not ogling) was NEVER ask, "Are you looking for something for your boyfriend/husband/brother?" It was always "Are YOU looking for anything in particular?" "What do YOU enjoy?" Never assume that girls can't like comics too.
They were such a rare and beautiful thing, that we all looked out for them when they came in.
Biggest compliment I got was when one woman who'd been coming in for months told me shed saved up 6 months of reciepts, and took them to our competition and said "See how much these add up to? YOU could have had those sales for yourself if you hadn't been such a perv to me the first time I came here!" We were married the very next day!

(No. Just kidding. I did give her an extra 5% off her regular customer discount though!)

Sounds like the owner at your shop had a good head on his shoulders.

>>84589471
SC. I read indie stuff mostly (Fantagraphics, D&Q, Spaceface, 2dcloud, etc) and some Golden/Silver age Marvel/DC stuff. Can't tell you anything about what's going on in the Big 2, but I can talk small press.

Often I will go to the shop with friends, usually ones that aren't interested in comics, so our conversations will center around unrelated TV/music/whatever. There's this particular dude who works register that will be like, "haha, well, X sucks!" when he's within earshot of us. We don't talk particularly loudly, but some of our interests are certainly stereotypically girly (i.e. "Wanna go to Sephora after this?") Usually the folks who bother me in stores tend to be fellow patrons, which is where my staff friends come in. It's also worth noting I'm a professional cartoonist and it's grating to be treated like I'm a tourist in my own space. I've been around, even if I can't name every fucking Green Lantern.

>>84589345
>Was the ambulance for you or him?
Him.
He had a little...meltdown. He was a decent guy, just not quite all there, and he had some psychological issues, and he'd stopped taking his meds.
Basically we had 'the talk', and he didn't go for it, then he got belligerent, so I tried to escort him outside. He said no, so my clerk got on the phone to the police. Then they tried to escort him out and he fell down a couple of times, and at one point landed on one of the officer's tasers.
The ambulance showed up and took him to the hospital, then he went to the mental hospital for a while.

He did get the treatment he needed and he did get better once things got sorted out. Still remained banned though.

I went to a lcs in Santa Barbara once and was browsing when to guys enter holding guns: line us all up against the back wall, rummaged the store, took our phones and wallets and watches and left, I've only ordered comics online since.

>>84589743
>SC
My dad almost tried to make us move down there. I've always hated visiting. Neckbeard patient zero location confirmed.
>I'm a professional cartoonist
What do you work on? Also post your work. Share with the rest of the class.

>>84588621
>So what did you move onto after the drug bust?
A couple of things. Worked with a buddy installing carpets and home repairs, but it fucked up my knees.
Did a little bartending.
Now I run my own business.
I do graphics and design work, media work, etc for a group of clients. Moneys decent, and Its something I really enjoy. I get to keep my own hours which is nice. I can go a couple of weeks with nothing but free time, and work my ass off for a week straight around the clock to get a project out before deadline.

>>84590033
>I get to keep my own hours which is nice. I can go a couple of weeks with nothing but free time, and work my ass off for a week straight around the clock to get a project out before deadline.
The dream. Wish you the best man.

>>84590278
Thx.

>>84590033

Pedophile then. Probably got a kiddie porn dungeon in the basement.

I worked at one part time when I was 16.

>>84594256
How was it?

i work for one now its pretty great