Opening A Comic Shop.

I don't get it

You can't just say 'games'. What kind of games? Board games, card games, video games, war games?

>>88162453
Shitty.
Protip, man: if you're running a comic store you don't want to project "sophistication". You should aim for a sense of comfiness, fun, accessibility.

Your logo there is the logo of a place with a bunch of snobby regulars who'll be assholes to any casuals or children who come into the store.

>>88162453
you gonna lose all your money

don't be stupid with your money you will regret it

>>88162453
>88162453
it looks elitist

you want it to look comfy and pick another name for it, something more comfy and inviting

>>88162453
Do you have a back-up dream? Because opening a comic shop seems like a terrible investment and waste of money unless you're already a millionaire and don't care about losing money.

Seriously man, think really hard about this.

>>88162453
It looks like a logo for some motels chain's house brand soaps and shampoos.

Good choice of Lobster font. It's truly the Papyrus of our times. Exactly what you'd want on the side of a drycleaning delivery van.

And the colors really let the customer know "we have the cleanest seats in the whole small scale corporate retreat industry."

Overall, >>/gd/

1. Awesome that you want to pursue your dream. It may be difficult but I wish you the best of luck.

2. As for the logo, I agree with the others that it feels too professional/sterile. Comics are all about creativity and imagination. Your logo should show that as well. My local comic store is called Dragons Lair for example.

>>88162453
I would assume that comic shop is a front for mob business.

>>88162453
>have a COMIC shop with DIAMOND in the title
>logo is not a nod to the s-shield

why?

>>88162453
You're probably going to get sued by Diamond for trademark infringement.

>>88162453
Good job, OP, follow you dreams and get out of this shithole.

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This was my other idea.

>>88162959
in certain states you can name your business whatever you want without fear of getting sued, my home state of SC is like this tho we don't utilize it much

>>88163463
>>88162453
How about a daring new synthesis
>Blue Knight logo and fonts
>"Blue Knight Comics"
>Comics Games Toys Anime
>can even keep the ironic 2017

>>88163570
This!

>>88162453
I get this one,

but not this one >>88163463

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Pave the way, save the day

>>88162453
Invest into weed stock instead.

>>88162453
youre literally retarded, because ANY google serach for "diamond comics" will bring you to Diamond, the leading comic distributor in the WORLD

every comic publisher uses diamond

youll NEVER get a single google hit

>>88162539
Agreed 100%.

Congrats, OP!

>>88162453
Just gonna warn you right now, owning a comic shop is probably one of the worst financial decisions you could make right now. If you want to survive, I'd pivot hard and start marketting to the MTG and ttg crowd that actually support these kinds of stores/

>>88165486
What this guy said if you want to survive you have attract the autists that are obsessed with tabletop, card games, and comics.

>>88165486
This, really.

Maybe it is just this way in my neck of the woods, but it seems like most "comics shops" are in denial that they are actually gaming/merchandise shops with a comic book section.

>>88162453
That's really neato OP

There's actually a family-owned comic store right next to my college and the guy who owns it it one of the older folk. I talked to him and he said that featuring and selling comics is basically like investing in the stock market

>>88165486
Alternatively, really focus on comics merch. I live in Columbus and there is one big comic shop downtown, and it stays alive because in addition to comics it has at least half the store devoted to superhero shit that casuals who don't read comics want to buy. Things like posters and those Funko figurines.

>>88162453

Just get all your money in cash from the bank, put it all in a pile, pour petrol all over the pile and then set it alight

It'll save you some time

>>88162453
There are three groups of customers: passerby customers, casual customers and regular customers.

Passerby customers are just people who go inside and look at your stuff and maybe buy a pack of cards, but rarely come back.

Casual customers buy stuff once or twice a year, they come again, but not that often.

Regular customers come there regulary, once a week, and will drop a shit ton of money, you will propably know them even better than your family.

Passerbys can become casuals and casuals can become regulars. If you want to become a successfull store owner, you need to attract a lot of passerbys and turn them into casuals. Then, you have to turn some of the casuals into regulars. As a comic store owner in 2016, you first need to give them a reason to go to your shop and not to just order it online. You need to build on the main niches you have over the internet. Those niches are socialization and instant support and these are the things you absolutely NEED to focus on if you want to have even the slightest chance in surviving.

SOCIALIZATION
This one is pretty easy if you aren't autistic. Talk to the people without being creepy. Offer some events: DnD, Magic nights, trading events, everything is allowed as long as it promotes socialization and attracts people.

INSTANT SUPPORT
Hang out a sing which says "Need to find a present? We can help!". This can really attract some customers, especially during christmas season. And even if they decide not to buy stuff at your shop, if you are polite without being creepy, it is still a good thing as these people will tell other people that this shop has a nice and helpfull guy and they might bring up your shop during talks.

>>88166696
(Cont)
If you have that steady flow of passerbys and casuals, you should try to turn them into regulars. Just find ways which bind them to the shop. You might give them a discount if they pay a lot, you might make membership cards. One guy I know offered their customers to desposit cups and give them coffee in these cups for free, he had like 20 cups standing in his restroom and a coffee machine. You can be creative here.

However, the most important rule, the most important thing which you will need to do in order to be able to survive for even a week is COUNT EVERY FUCKING PENNY, EVERY SINGLE GOOD YOU SELL AND BUY AND KNOW WHERE IT WENT. AND I'M FUCKING SERIOUS ABOUT THIS ONE, IF YOU CANT FUCKING TELL ME WHERE THAT FUCKING PENNY CAME FROM AND WHERE IT WENT, YOU COULD AS WELL RIGHT NOW FUCKING TIE A FUCKING ROPE AROUND YOUR NECK AND JUMP FROM A CLIFF WHILE SHOOTING YOURSELF, IT WILL ONLY SAFE YOU A SHIT TON OF MISERABLE TIME.

>>88166696

This

This also leads to another very important factor that shouldbe obvious but people who are excited to fulfill their LIFELONG DREAM forget: being able to make it the period until the thing can stand on its own feet.
Imagine someone having the dream of owning a restaurant, and now he hears that there is one for sale and he has just enough for it and maybe even first renovate it, he becomes completely excited and buys it- now he has a restaurant, but he has no more funds to survive with it until it may become a hit with in the first weeks mabye five people coming in there to eat if he doesn't advertise it by a huge opening party or something- for which he has no more funds.
Make sure that excitement does not blur your senses, you need to have at least enough funds to survive with your shop a few months even if on a bad day it stays completely empty. Word of mouth is powerful but takes a while...

>>88166696
>Socialization
This is important for selling comics. It will create a bond with customers and give them reason to become regulars.
Once you talk with a customer a bit, you're able to give recommendations which will increase your sales if you recommend good shit.
Comic Stores can become one of the most personal businesses, so use that.
People are naturally loyal so if you have good relations people will stay, and if you're going to be competing with another store, it's going to be key to have that personal vibe be the selling point.

Always be friendly! If you truly enjoy your job then you have no issue waking up every morning with a smile and keeping it the entire day.

>>88162453
>black diamond
>the diamond isn't black
The name couldn't be anymore pretentious or not suitable

Choose something related to the comics medium as a name or something silly

>>88162645
What if OP just wants to make a living sharing his hobby with people and doesn't care about making a big profit?

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i'd choose a random exotic animal and a random color and name my store like that.

>>88162453
Friendly Neighborhood Comic Shop.

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>>88167294
not bad imo
>inb4 OP is a massive cunt

>>88162453
I think putting "Diamond" into the name of your comic shop is an extremely fucking dangerous idea considering you're going to be working with Diamond for 99% of your comic distributions and they might not take to kindly to you using a name that's too similar to theirs.

>Bad Dragon Comics

>>88167189
Then he shouldn't open a Comic Shop because the "make a living" part of it probably isn't going to work out to well for you.

>>88167195

>Welcome to Mauve Kiwi Comics, may I help you?

>>88162453
Bad idea

>>88162539
This.
Let's be honest OP while I'm happy for you the story will only attract and just scrape buy a niche audience.

Marketing is about knowing and trying to sell that audience and your logo does not do that very well.

>>88165486
the youtube channel alpha investments has some good tips for opening shops like that, might be something OP could look into

>>88162453
>black diamond
Don't you mean BLACKED diamond

Am I the only one who tried to find loss in this?

>>88162453
>comics
>anime

Why, at least put manga.

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>>88167189

Comic Book stores are a dying business. There's a reason they are turning into BobbleHead and memorabilia stores.

At best the owners will tell you that they need BOTH Marvel and DC to be selling well to pay their bills.

>>88162645

Comics are the only print media which is growing. So it isn't per se a bad investment.

Black Diamond, and that logo are awful though, it makes it seem like some weird investment company.

Go with something inviting and friendly; or something which will appeal to stoners.

I live in New Zealand and everyone who reads comics and is above 18 smokes weed or are total autists.

>>88163570
I like this

>>88172271

Literally comics are one of the only print medias which are growing. You couldn't be more wrong.

Just don't become a magic card portfolio masquerading as a store, my local store is that and it is atrocious.

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I used to work occasional shifts in a comic shop about a year or so ago.

Genuine advice here, don't be afraid to get out. Some people who start their own business with a dream try desperately to hold onto it, even if its clearly failing in the hope that it will get better. It might do, it might not, but don't be afraid to know when to fold. I genuinely hope for all the best though.

Also make sure you have a clear plan.

I currently live in a tiny university town in Wales and one of the ex members of the Comics and Cartoons society has set up a comic shop, but he's yet to have a link to Diamond, so he isn't getting in new issues until "some point" next year. Don't let that be you mate.

He's also got this idea that his shop will focus on lesser known, not as prevalent characters with the mission statement of "promoting good stories over repeated pushing of the same old characters" or some shit. A nice sentiment, but one pokey little shop isn't going to change the industry.

Don't be afraid to chase the mainstream dollar, and don't have delusions about what you shop will or will not be.

Be prepared to have to deal with annoying autists. I don't mean in the every day "kind of socially awkward sense". I mean like turbo spergs who will spend a full hour and a half stood there trying to talk to you about comics. Or in my case, a guy who tried to rope me into conversations about anime because I made the mistake of saying that I liked a few of the more well known shows. Expect these people to come in repeatedly, maybe once a week, maybe more. Expect there to be more than one of them.

Always salt your pasta while boiling it, always wear sunscreen