After a few slow days, Pegasus again had a big day. We're doing great so far this month. It is always a little dangerous to try to figure out short term trends -- I like to see if we are going up 3 months straight, or down 3 months straight, before I decide on the direction we're going.

As a small business, I can see very large swings. When I read these 3 or 5% estimates in the papers, they are talking about big business which have so many branches the trends tend to flatten out. I can very easily have a 20% increase or decrease without it signifiying anything but luck.

I'm also am not much of an indicator of the local economy. In fact, it is more likely I'm a contra-indicator. I tend to do well when everyone else is doing lousy. Partly because of the way I do business, partly because comics shops historically are contra-indicators (like movies.)

But if I had to guess what is happening: I think I'm finally seeing the fruits of my diversifaction efforts. I'd thought adding one more line of product -- new books -- would do it. But I've really significantly added to a second line of product this month -- games -- because of Gambit Games leaving, and I think the two of them combined have really helped to balance out the store.

Strangely, it is the games that I was ALREADY carrying, and which I had thought Brad had dropped out of, that are doing well. Either Brad was selling alot more of those than I thought, or people are reminded that we're here by Gambit not being there, but suddenly my role-playing sales have gone up. I invested quite a bit into dice this month, and those have sold well.

It is kind of neat to see how one of the product lines will pick up one month, as another drops, and another is flat, but all together the trends go upward. I can't imagine how stores who carry just one kind of product do it. I'm in this great position of choosing which product line to work on this month, and which to leave alone, which product line had some special deals being offered, and which are in an off season. When I can chose between games, toys, cards, books, used books, comics, dvd's, and graphic novels, I can be opportunistic on a pretty much permanent basis.

Don't get me wrong. This wouldn't be for everyone. I happen to enjoy the level of complexity. And it takes FOREVER to get to a stocking level where you can take advantage. But once there, I think its the best way to maintain an interesting and vibrant store.