As far as the store having a problem with the customer base, it's not a real problem. I personally would like to see more comics that i think are "good" move out the door. This has more to do with my hopes for advancing the artform and whatnot than any financial reason. The comic shop (we also sell sportscards, but i dont work in that department and don't know much about it) does pretty well for a comic shop, i dont think any comic shop in the detroit area is "raking it in" the fact that to compete with other stores around here you have to have a 20% discount on new books does take a big bite out of profits.
our customer base is pretty diverse we have many customers in their 30's, 40's, 50's and up. A lot in their 20's, some teenagers, probably more that average regular female customers.
Basically, i think it is a really good comic shop that just doesn't carry as much "artsy fartsy" comics as i think it should. We bend over backwards for customers and are known in the local collector community as being an honest store to do business with if you are selling your books, and tough graders on the backissues we sell.
good news is that we have been seeing a few more kids buying comics than a couple years ago. this can be a problem as most new comics, even the most mainstream are not really aimed at kids. they are aimed at teens and adults. i usually let parents know that if they don't mind their kid watching a p.g. movie, they shouldnt' have a problem with most non mature reader marked books. i warn them that they arent aimed a younger kids and may have some mild language, innuendo, or and violence in them, but nothing you won't see in a p.g. movie except for more violence maybe. Parents can be really put off by seing "damn, hell, or ass" in a comic but that is why i make the movie comparison. most parents will be more put off by it being in a comic than in a movie. once i explain it as "if they can see it in a movie and that's okay, than you shouldn't have a problem with this" they usually seem to get the idea. My main reccomendation for kids as far as new books go is definatley Ultimate Spider Man, then the DC "kids" books, Bone, etc.. I also reccomend old issues of "marvel team up" and books like that, single issue stories that always have at least one major character in them and don't have any potentially offensive material. |
