Many of you may recall that it was one year ago that Pittsburgh Comics was officially born. The name change became official on September 7th, , 2010 the day after Labor Day. It was my official departure from the New Dimension Comics chain. After 4 years, I realized that we had a very different views of what we wanted our stores to be and I felt it was in my best interest to separate rather than fight against it. Nothing really happened at the store other than I gave away a bunch of t-shirts and put up a new sign. But to me it was a world of change. It was all mine and I could tell everyone that now. I took me a good month to get comfortable answering the phone without having to concentrate on what I was saying. Old habits are hard to break.
What you probably don’t realize is that today is also the 5th anniversary of my clicking the open sign for the very first time. I opened on September 5th, 2006, the Tuesday after Labor Day. They say that 50% of new businesses fail in the first 5 years, so I feel a major sense of accomplishment having hit this landmark.
Opening the store was the fulfillment of, well not a lifetime dream, but of something that I had given a lot of thought to in the preceding 13 years. One night in 1993, either right before or after we were married, my wife and I were at Eat n Park talking over dinner. I was selling cars and she was a substitute teacher. She asked what I wanted to do with my life and I didn’t have a clue and she said “Did you ever think of opening a comic book store?” I hadn’t, but it certainly was in my thoughts for the next few years. Luckily for me, before I could do anything, the market had some major shake-ups and I took a step back before making any actual plans. I probably wouldn’t have made it if I had opened right then.
My Dad died when I was 15. He was 50. He never knew what he wanted to do with his life. He had lots of hobbies, but work was just a paycheck for him. He was a major conspirator in my early collecting. He always had an extra twenty for me when I ran out at a comic show (at the Ambassador in Chicago). He also would copy down my want lists and would come home with presents when he got back from his business trips, usually old Daredevils from Hennepin’s in Minneapolis.
The point of this is that I didn’t want to die never having done something I wanted to do. I’d sold cars, managed Radio Shacks and worked the rather unglamorous life of an attorney. It was time to do what I wanted. My Mom had passed and we had some extra money in the bank. I told Sandi I was ready to open my store. It took about a year for it to really happen. Lots of thinking and planning. Things I knew I wanted to do and things I didn’t know how to do. I read as much stuff about running a shop as I could. I read Brian Hibbs’ Tilting at Windmills book and every thing I could find on the internet. I wanted to make sure I was ready for what was to come. I wanted to know what the pitfalls and problems were so that I wouldn’t be surprised. Have I made some mistakes, sure. But I know I have avoided many many more. And last year I took care of my only regret.
It has been both a very fast 5 years and a very long 5 years. So much has happened that it is hard to believe that it has only been 5 years. All of the people I have met, all of the conversations I’ve had and all of the books I have read. My boy was a toddler clomping on the newly laid floor and shaking the empty racks. Now he’s a 1st grader. It makes me think that the DCU could have come to be only 5 years ago because I know how much you can fit in that short a time.
It seems so short because there is so much that I want to do that I haven’t accomplished yet. So much more I want the store to be. I want to have more signings and events. More community events. More eBaying to move old stock. Its just that everything takes time and I never seem to have enough.
One of the things that lead me to create Pittsburgh Comics as its own entity was the desire to strive to earn the Eisner Spirit of Retailing Award. I hear about all of these great stores and I want to be one of them. Also, in this regard, you have to be nominated for this award, so nominations would be appreciated if you think I am worthy. So, for this I ask you, what can I do to make the store better? Stripper poles are out and I have no desire to run an espresso machine all day, so don’t go there. What other things should I carry?
I truly want to thank all of the people who have helped me out, giving up their time so that I could spend some time doing something else, or helping me move stuff in the basement as it started to flood. And I want to thank all of my regulars for coming out every week, every month or even just once in a while. I am thankful every time the front door opens. I opened the store on a hope and a prayer. I knew what I wanted to do and I just hoped that you would come. And you did. We will celebrate this in October. There’s just too much going on in September.
Thanks,
Colin
Congrats on the success. I’ve been in your store quite a few times. Books floor to the ceiling. What didn’t you like about the other comic store as you said “different views?”
I am more focused on current comics and graphic novels, where the other stores are more focused on back issues. I am more interested in getting people to come back weekly or monthly rather than getting one big sale off of them. It has certainly worked for them, as they have been in business for 25 years. Its just not what makes it fun for me.
Colin, quite honestly you have one of the best comic stores I have ever been to. And I’ve been to quite a few. One a best things you do is listen to your customer. They have a voice and quite too often goes unheard. You are also a fan, and that means a lot as well.
Keep up the great job. And I’ll make sure to get you a nomination as well.
Mike