Ben Davis, owner of Big Ben’s
Comix Oasis in downtown Allen Park (near Dearborn, Michigan), says 40% of his
revenue now comes through Internet orders rather than store sales. Interviewed
by Michael Hicks for Press & Guide Newspapers, Davis said: “If we were just
dependent on our Michigan base, it’d be scary. We didn’t have to sell to
anybody else six or seven years ago.” Adult collectors are his customer base
these days, not kids caught up in the mythos of superhero fantasies. Back
issues and collectibles pay the bills, he told Hicks.
The
stalled economy has had an impact. Davis, who had operated his store in four
different locations in 26 years, said he’s lost customers who have been
laid-off and can no longer afford their hobby.
“We
had a nice clientele of Ford guys who just can’t do it no more,” Davis said. “I
had one Ford guy who was spending probably $50,000 a year in here, then woke up
one day and found out he’s out of a job.”
But
the sluggish economy isn’t the only culprit. Davis’ big concern is that he doesn’t
see kids buying comic books anymore. Said Hicks: “Over the last few years,
national print runs of comic book issues have shrunk dramatically, according to
Davis. Titles that once had a million copies printed for each issue have been
reduced to around 100,000. The decline in young readership and the economic
troubles of both adult consumers and the comic book industry have changed his
outlook on conducting business in a niche market.”
Davis
talks to other comic book store owners every day: “It’s all about how we can
keep the interest going. There are people out there who will buy this stuff but
how do we get these people back in to guy the stuff?”
Camaraderie
has replaced competition, concludes Hicks.
(Big
Rancid Raves THANQUES to field agent Ed Black for sending the clipping.)
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