(This column was published in its original form in Comics & Games Retailer #120, February 2002. It has ben altered slightly for the purposes of this use.)

Lessons Learned
Long-time retailers share the hard knocks of experience

I get a lot of questions from people about what it takes to open and run a comic book retail store. In this column, I’m sharing my advice and that of some of my retailing colleagues.

First up is Phil Boyle, owner of the Coliseum of Comics chain of stores in Florida, with a list of things he wishes he had when he first got into the business nearly 20 years ago:

Later in the same thread, Jim Hanley, "figurehead" from Jim Hanley’s Universe (with stores in Manhattan and Staten Island, New York), related some of his thoughts on the critical components to being a successful comic book retailer

Rory Root from Berkeley, CA’s Comic Relief then continued the topic, with these valuable pearls of experience:

Never having been one who knows when to shut up, I offered the following keys to store start-up and operation.

(Joe Field runs Flying Colors Comics & Other Cool Stuff, 2980 Treat Blvd, Concord CA 94518. E-mail him at joe@flyingcolorscomics.com.)