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captain_slinkyWhy do I read articles about open and run a comic book store? I should really know better... all it does is put me in a funk :(
Ten grand. That's all I would need. $10,000.
"Comics, as a business, is not for everyone – you have to be passionate, and you have to be thrifty, and you have to be crafty to make a go of it. You’re probably not going to get stinking rich from it – though I own a house in San Francisco because of comics – but that’s true of nearly any type of retail-driven business, really."
And...
"It’s not easy setting up a new DM (Direct Market) comics shop, but you’re working in a form you love, and it’s easy to transmit your love and passion for comics to others. And doing something that you enjoy, that you’re building as a long-term commitment to the industry, is worth a lot in this world. Too many people work jobs they can’t stand, but every day I wake up thinking 'Damn, I’m happy to be in comics!'"
...Make my heart so heavy it physically hurts. I can feel the corners of my mouth turning downward and my brow furrowing as I think about it.
On the one hand, I have *Life*. A wife and some day kids, a house, and a regular 9-to-5-type job. Good, steady money that we can always rely on, at least till the next time they start talking about lay-offs. I currently have the best work-for-someone-else job that I can imagine - free internet, free cable TV and they pay me to watch TV all night long. Even so, I *do* work in Customer Service... and if you've ever worked in Customer Service, you know that no one lasts long in Customer Service. Dealing with jerks and idiots all day long can only be done for so long before you grab your favorite sniper rifel and head to the tallest water tower with the best view of the campus, ya know?
On the other hand, I've got Comic Books. Sort of the anti-life, my ultimate escape from reality. I could make a living with comic books, but a living that is so far out of the ordinary description of "living" that it would change everything. Income would change with the whims of my customers. No days off unless I decide to close the shop down and lose money for that day. No trips to DisneyLand. No real vacations at all, unless i can somehow afford an employee to watch over things for a week or two. It's all just so... *dangerous*, I guess is the best term. Every moment would be lived for trying to improve the comic book store. And if I slack off, my sales will show it. A direct cause-and-effect relationship.
I know that the idea of a comic book store scares Crystal the most of all. First off, it's a small business and small businesses *fail*. She doesn't only *crave* stability, she NEEDS stability in order to stay sane. One week of bad sales would be enough to send her in to fitrs of depression and despair like you wouldn't believe! She also doesn't like that fact that it's a 24/7 type of devotion that it takes to run such a store. I think the hardest part for her to wrap her head around si that, even though it's long hours of work, that work is actually FUN. Her and I running a shop together could have everything we need... food, shelter, and more time together. Certainly more time together than we currently get while working two seperate jobs.
We've talkad about it before, and she's behind us giving it a try *some day*. It's just sthat whenever i read those articles, it makes me want to do it RIGHT NOW!!!
To me, it's a valhalla... comic books, helping customers, spending more time with Crystal, basically just making all the stuff I usually do BE my employment. It's a completely different life.
Scary.
Ten grand. That's all I would need. $10,000.
"Comics, as a business, is not for everyone – you have to be passionate, and you have to be thrifty, and you have to be crafty to make a go of it. You’re probably not going to get stinking rich from it – though I own a house in San Francisco because of comics – but that’s true of nearly any type of retail-driven business, really."
And...
"It’s not easy setting up a new DM (Direct Market) comics shop, but you’re working in a form you love, and it’s easy to transmit your love and passion for comics to others. And doing something that you enjoy, that you’re building as a long-term commitment to the industry, is worth a lot in this world. Too many people work jobs they can’t stand, but every day I wake up thinking 'Damn, I’m happy to be in comics!'"
...Make my heart so heavy it physically hurts. I can feel the corners of my mouth turning downward and my brow furrowing as I think about it.
On the one hand, I have *Life*. A wife and some day kids, a house, and a regular 9-to-5-type job. Good, steady money that we can always rely on, at least till the next time they start talking about lay-offs. I currently have the best work-for-someone-else job that I can imagine - free internet, free cable TV and they pay me to watch TV all night long. Even so, I *do* work in Customer Service... and if you've ever worked in Customer Service, you know that no one lasts long in Customer Service. Dealing with jerks and idiots all day long can only be done for so long before you grab your favorite sniper rifel and head to the tallest water tower with the best view of the campus, ya know?
On the other hand, I've got Comic Books. Sort of the anti-life, my ultimate escape from reality. I could make a living with comic books, but a living that is so far out of the ordinary description of "living" that it would change everything. Income would change with the whims of my customers. No days off unless I decide to close the shop down and lose money for that day. No trips to DisneyLand. No real vacations at all, unless i can somehow afford an employee to watch over things for a week or two. It's all just so... *dangerous*, I guess is the best term. Every moment would be lived for trying to improve the comic book store. And if I slack off, my sales will show it. A direct cause-and-effect relationship.
I know that the idea of a comic book store scares Crystal the most of all. First off, it's a small business and small businesses *fail*. She doesn't only *crave* stability, she NEEDS stability in order to stay sane. One week of bad sales would be enough to send her in to fitrs of depression and despair like you wouldn't believe! She also doesn't like that fact that it's a 24/7 type of devotion that it takes to run such a store. I think the hardest part for her to wrap her head around si that, even though it's long hours of work, that work is actually FUN. Her and I running a shop together could have everything we need... food, shelter, and more time together. Certainly more time together than we currently get while working two seperate jobs.
We've talkad about it before, and she's behind us giving it a try *some day*. It's just sthat whenever i read those articles, it makes me want to do it RIGHT NOW!!!
To me, it's a valhalla... comic books, helping customers, spending more time with Crystal, basically just making all the stuff I usually do BE my employment. It's a completely different life.
Scary.
